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'The Great Gatsby' off to strong start in West End
“The Great Gatsby” Broadway musical is off to a strong start in London’s West End, with its nine preview performances from April 11 to 19 grossing 4.75 million pounds ($6.4 million). The musical, produced by leading Korean production house OD Company, is set to officially open on Thursday after its preview run at the London Coliseum. Marking its first anniversary on Broadway this month, the production is gaining momentum for a global rollout, with a stop planned in South Korea this July, accordi
April 22, 2025 -
Religious leaders laud Pope Francis’ legacy in condolence letter
Religious leaders in South Korea praised the late Pope Francis, who died in Rome on Monday at the age of 88, for speaking out on behalf of the marginalized. The pope, who had battled a lung infection for over a month, was leader of the Catholic Church for 12 years. “Francis gave a spiritual lesson to all of us, living a life fully dedicated to faith and love,” Seoul Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick said in a statement. “Above all, he exemplified the commitment to the socially marginalized,” Arc
April 21, 2025 -
Pope Francis, remembered for consoling Sewol victims’ families, dies
Pope Francis, best remembered by Koreans for his visit to the country in August 2014, died in Rome on Monday at the age of 88. He was the first pope to visit the Asian nation since Pope Saint John Paul II traveled here in 1989. On the first day of that five-day trip from Aug. 14, 2014, Francis met with and consoled bereaved family members of the Sewol ferry disaster in April that year. He was in Korea to beatify 124 Korean Catholic martyrs in Seoul, including Paul Yun Ji-chung, and to officiate
April 21, 2025 -
Pop artist Sambypen asks what 'fine art' truly is
Stepping into a white cube, one may expect to encounter “fine art,” commonly thought to be an aesthetic and intellectual artistic creation, but PKM Gallery in Seoul is challenging the perception in collaboration with pop artist Sambypen. The word “fake” is emblazoned on paintings taken from the artist’s street graffiti practice, triggering viewers to ask, "What truly is art?" The 33-year-old’s new painting series “Wall” is part of his solo exhibition at PKM Gallery in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. The
April 21, 2025 -
Chef Edward Lee serves dinner for children
A group of youngsters were treated to a special dinner when celebrity chef Edward Lee of Netflix's “Culinary Class Wars” cooked for them at an event held at The Kitchen Il Forno in downtown Seoul, Saturday. Twenty middle and high school students from children’s homes and 10 youths preparing to leave children's homes who are interested in pursuing a career in cooking or the hospitality industry took part in “Cooking Day with Edward Lee.” The event was organized by You Are Not Alone, a group dedic
April 21, 2025 -
Simcheong reimagined: Genre-bending pansori theater is born
"Simcheong" is a story every Korean child grows up with — a tale of devotion, sacrifice, filial piety and transformation, told and retold in countless variations. Among them is "Simcheongga," the pansori version — Korea’s traditional form of musical storytelling accompanied by a "gosu," or drummer. Even within pansori, multiple versions exist, each offering its own take on the enduring narrative. This year, the story of Simcheong is being reimagined as something entirely new: a pansori theater p
April 21, 2025 -
'Weak Hero' returns, exploring raw teenage psychology of growing up
Adapted from the hit webtoon of the same name, "Weak Hero" -- the series that gripped global audiences with its raw portrayal of teenage psychology -- is set to return with a highly anticipated second season, "Weak Hero Class 2." This time, the story will unfold on Netflix, rather than Wavve, which aired the first season. "Weak Hero Class 2" picks up with Si-eun, still reeling from the trauma of failing to protect a close friend. Now transferred to a new school, he finds himself surrounded by ne
April 21, 2025 -
Exhibition sheds light on Western-style Deoksugung buildings
A newly opened exhibition is offering a look at Western-style buildings and objects at Deoksugung, one of the five Joseon-era (1392-1910) palaces in Seoul. The exhibition “Western Architecture in the Korean Empire’s Palace” explores over 110 treasured items, including royal seals, documents and beds in several halls of the palace compound. The four-part show starts with Dondeokjeon, a hall most likely built in 1902 as a venue for Joseon’s diplomatic engagements with the outside world. “The two-s
April 21, 2025 -
Busan International Short Film Festival returns with sound-focused theme
South Korea's oldest and longest-running short film festival returns Thursday for its 42nd edition, featuring 157 films from 41 countries at Busan Cinema Center and BNK Busan Bank Art Cinema through April 29. This year's edition explores cinema's sonic elements under the theme "Cinema & Sound," focusing on dialogue, sound effects and music as core components of short films. The competitive lineup features two main categories: the International Competition with 40 entries from overseas and the Ko
April 21, 2025 -
Catch Table offers promotions for family month of May
Restaurant reservation platform Catch Table rolled out a special event entitled "Gourmet Raffle," running Monday through next Wednesday, through which users of the Catch Table app have a chance to win a free meal for four at one of the participating restaurants. Each user can enter the raffle once a day during the event period and the winner will be notified May 1. Six restaurants are participating in the event: Mokran, a Korean-Chinese restaurant in Seoul run by star chef Lee Yeon-bok; Doryang,
April 21, 2025 -
Baritone Park Jusung to present recitals as Mapo artist-in-residence
Late-blooming singer, now soloist of the Vienna State Opera, cites attention to languages as his strength Two moments changed the course of Korean baritone Park Jusung's life. The first came in his freshman year of high school, when he saw the opera “Carmen” for the first time. At the time, Park dreamed of working in media as a producer or film director, but after watching the performance he was deeply drawn to the world of opera and hoped to be involved in some way -- even though he never imagi
April 20, 2025 -
Jongmyo main hall reopens after restoration
Jongmyo Jeonjeon, the main hall of the royal shrine of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), where ancestral tablets of its kings and queens are placed, was unveiled to the public Sunday after extensive restoration on the building since 2020. The Hwananje ceremony -- the returning of important relics to their original place -- kicked off at 2 p.m. in front of Changdeokgung in Seoul, where ancestral tablets ("sinju") had temporarily been placed. After a ceremonial march of 3.5 kilometers in Jongno-gu,
April 20, 2025 -
Coldplay’s record-breaking Korea visit thrills fans with jokes, collabs, heartwarming vibes
Coldplay is currently in South Korea as part of its "Music of the Spheres" world tour, performing six shows in total. After completing three performances on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, the band will return to the stage on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. With an estimated 50,000 attendees per show, the tour is expected to attract a combined 300,000 concertgoers -- the most ever for a foreign musical act visiting Korea. From record-breaking attendance numbers to unexpected jokes about Korean pol
April 20, 2025 -
NAE:UM offers Korean fine dining in heart of Singapore
SINGAPORE -- Tucked along a vibrant street lined with restaurants and bars in the heart of Singapore, NAE:UM quietly asserts itself as a symbol of Korean culinary evolution. Since its 2021 debut, the fine-dining restaurant has won accolades including a Michelin Star and the Michelin Guide Singapore’s 2022 Young Chef Award for its chef, Louis Han. Named after the Korean word for a “fragrance that evokes memories,” NAE:UM reflects Han’s vision -- to craft dishes that stir the past while embracing
April 19, 2025 -
Museum chief talks national identity, global profile
For the National Museum of Korea, conveying the national identity of Korea is a starting point to demonstrating and informing about culture, according to the museum’s general director, Kim Jae-hong. In an interview with The Korea Herald on April 10, Kim emphasized curating exhibitions that are quintessentially Korean. “This year is all the more meaningful to us and the country,” Kim said, as this year marks the 80th anniversary of Korea’s independence from Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule. The “Art
April 19, 2025