Novelist Kim Hee-sun won the fiction category of the Daesan Literary Awards on Tuesday for her latest novel "All About 247,” a thought-provoking work that explores a post-pandemic society shaped by the aftermath of COVID-19. Set in near-future Korea, after the pandemic, society has built systems to prevent large-scale outbreaks. A global Disease Control Center now coordinates efforts worldwide to fight infectious diseases. Fever-reducing drugs are banned to curb virus spread, heat sen

Books Nov. 5, 2024

Speaking out against book bans, Asa Bergman, head of office at the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, expressed strong opposition to banning books at school libraries, emphasizing that “access to literature for children and young adults will always be a precondition for democracy and openness.” “I’m against book bans of any kind, anywhere,” Bergman told The Korea Herald on Thursday in Seoul, following her lecture on the prestigious children’s literature award and

Books Nov. 4, 2024

A dancer in a floppy hat and loose, wide-leg pants steps onto the stage, wielding a white fan with remarkable finesse. With deft movements, he conjures an almost magical sequence -- opening and softly folding the fan with a flick of the wrist, each motion seamless and barely perceptible, while his feet shuffle with agility. Moments later, two more dancers join, positioning their right arms and legs between two tilted mirrors that cast uncanny reflections. Their arms, legs and fans move in harmon

Performance Nov. 1, 2024

At the Seoul Arts Center’s Opera Theater on Sunday evening, the Paris Opera Ballet etoile (principal dancer) Park Sae-eun warmly embraced the Mariinsky Ballet principal dancer Kim Ki-min, who had flown in directly from a performance in China. The two shared a wide smile as they hugged patting each other’s shoulders. Selected for the lead roles of Nikiya and Solor in the Korean National Ballet production of "La Bayadere," Kim and Park are set to go on stage Friday and Sunday

Performance Nov. 1, 2024

The second annual World Pansori Festival will kick off at Namsangol Hanok Village in Seoul this weekend, showcasing a blend of traditional culture and modern musical innovation. Co-hosted by the World Pansori Association and Namsangol Hanok Village, the festival running from Friday to Sunday celebrates pansori, Korea’s expressive vocal art form of narrative singing of epic stories and folklore. The Main Concert will have live pansori beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday, followed by pansori buski

Performance Oct. 31, 2024

Hidden dumpling shop Mandu are Korean dumplings filled with ingredients such as seasoned minced meat, tofu and vegetables like napa cabbage and green onions. They're a classic food enjoyed by all ages, found in small eateries and street stalls across Korea. Gwi-Il Dumpling, a local gem in Geumho-dong, Seoul, offers six varieties of mandu -- meat, kimchi, shrimp, galbi (Korean marinated ribs), spicy galbi and a mix of meat and vegetables. The restaurant also serves jjinppang, steamed buns fi

Culture Oct. 25, 2024

Acclaimed French writer Sylvie Germain, known for her profound exploration of eras marked by violence and turmoil, including the Franco-Prussian War and the Algerian War, said it’s “disheartening” to see the current global situation, particularly the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. “It’s tragic that humanity hasn’t learned from history, and we continue to see the same situations recur. The violence and destruction caused by war are deeply concerning.

Books Oct. 24, 2024

The Seoul Outdoor Library will feature a special focus on Irish literature this Friday and Saturday. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., a special Irish-themed booth will be open at Seoul Plaza, with an Irish step dancing performance at the plaza at 6 p.m. on Friday. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, a "Meet the Authors" session will be held on the first floor of the Seoul Metropolitan Library in Jung-gu. Three writers from Dublin -- Anne Griffin, Sinead Gleeson and Ronan Hession -- will discuss

Books Oct. 24, 2024

Philippe Decoufle, the master of French multidisciplinary performance arts, is set to bring his iconic production "Shazam!" back to Seoul, almost 25 years after its 1999 performance at the Seoul Arts Center. The show will be performed at the LG Arts Center in Seoul from Friday through Sunday. Originally created in 1998 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, “Shazam!” has been performed over 200 times at major venues worldwide. The production pays homage t

Performance Oct. 23, 2024

Acclaimed Korean-to-English translator and newly minted novelist, Anton Hur is navigating his busiest year yet. Based in Seoul, Hur was born in Stockholm and raised in Hong Kong, Ethiopia and Thailand, "but mostly in Korea." So far this year, he has published six translated works, made his debut as a fiction writer, and embarked on a whirlwind international book tour -- with more to come in the remaining months. “I've been traveling a lot this year,” Hur said in an int

Books Oct. 23, 2024

Korea's first performance venue specifically designed for disability arts, Modu Art Theater, is celebrating its first anniversary Thursday. The black box theater, established and operated by the Korea Disability Arts and Culture Center, accommodates up to 250 guests and holds the distinction of being the only performance space in the country specifically designed with a focus on "mobility convenience" for people with disabilities. “Collaboration between artists with disabili

Performance Oct. 21, 2024

The works of this year’s Nobel Prize winner Han Kang are now on display at the National Library of Korea, on a specially curated bookshelf. The library's Literature Room on the second floor features 14 of Han’s major works published in Korea, including her early novel “Your Cold Hands” (2002) as well as the internationally acclaimed “The Vegetarian,” “Human Acts” and “We Do Not Part.” In addition to the Korean editions, the collect

Books Oct. 21, 2024

On what might as well be the world’s last day, L and O share beer on a sweltering, humid night, talking about the end of humanity. Their neighbor is under quarantine, a mermaid has been spotted on the Han River, and a sinkhole has formed as the ground collapses beneath their home. Gazing into the abyss, the two joke about who would rescue them if they fell in. The scene is from "River and Liver," the National Theater Company of Korea's surrealist dark comedy playing at Myeon

Performance Oct. 18, 2024

Portuguese playwright, director and actor Tiago Rodrigues credits his deep love of literature with inspiring his iconic theater piece “By Heart.” Rodrigues, artistic director of the Avignon Festival in France, became the first non-French artist to lead one of the biggest performing arts festivals in the world since it was founded by Jean Vilar in 1947. Visiting Seoul for the second time -- his first visit was as a programmer for the Seoul Performing Arts Festival -- Rodrigues brings

Performance Oct. 18, 2024

Expressing gratitude to the people who have congratulated her, Han Kang, this year's Nobel laureate in literature, spoke publicly for the first time in Korea, Thursday, after her Nobel Prize win on Oct. 10, at the 18th Pony Chung Innovation Award ceremony held at the Pony Chung Hall in Seoul. "The past week will be remembered as a deeply moving experience," Han said, adding, "As always, I hope to continue meeting readers through my books." Han was named the recipient of

Books Oct. 17, 2024