Bong Joon-ho, the auteur of the historic Oscar-winning film “Parasite,” is also at the Oscars as a presenter. “Minari,” which tells the story of a Korean American family building a life in rural Arkansas in pursuit of the American dream, has received critical acclaim across the globe, winning more than 100 cinematic awards. By Im Eun-byel ( silverstar@heraldcorp.com )

Yellow Forest in Kimcheon Kimcheon City in North Gyeongsang Province has set up a forest decorated with yellow furniture pieces and objects, named the “Yellow Forest.” The project was inspired by the Purple Island in Sinan. Two islands in the Sinan area in South Jeolla Province are blanketed in a hue of purple, with all the roofs and streets painted purple. Kimcheon City hopes to attract touri...

For more details on the festival, visit http://www.seoulspring.org . By Im Eun-byel ( silverstar@heraldcorp.com )

In the pandemic era, the mandatory two-week quarantine remains a great obstacle for the performing arts scene. Acclaimed conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim was slated to hold a recital at the Seoul Arts Center on May 19 to mark the release of his Deutsche Grammophon Beethoven piano sonata album. It was to have been his first piano recital in South Korea. But production agency Inarts Product...

“Many Koreans see Singapore as one of the top travel destinations,” Teo told The Korea Herald during an interview held Thursday at the Singaporean ambassador’s residence in Seoul. While talks of an air travel bubble have given hopes to the travel-hungry around the world, Teo has been promoting a “discuss first, launch later” strategy. When countries agree on an air travel bubble, travelers betwe...

Millennials and Gen Z are trend leaders in tourism amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Korea Tourism Organization. The KTO, which analyzed data from local mobile carrier KT from January 2019 to December 2020, said that different generations travel in a different manner. In 2020, the total movement rate for tourism decreased by 7.1 percent compared to the previous year, while movement i...

Haman Watermelon Festival The county of Haman, South Gyeongsang Province, will host the 2021 Haman Watermelon Festival online from April 23 to May 2. More than 14 percent of watermelons produced in Korea come from Haman. Though the festival is being held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be kits to help people make watermelon-inspired dishes and diverse activities related to the s...

Local outdoors brand Kolon Sports has used the recycled fiber Kolon Nylon in its spring-summer collection, including vests, jackets, pants and more. According to the firm, Kolon Nylon is a 100 percent recycled fiber made by Kolon Sports, Kolon Global and an Italian nylon manufacturer. “Kolon Sports announced 50 percent of its products will be based on eco-friendly materials or production by 2023...

“Cesena” by Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker from the dance troupe Rosas is included in the program. The show was staged at the 65th edition of the festival in 2011, before dawn. Anne Teresa, an icon of minimalism contemporary dance, produced the show as the prequel to “En Atendant (Waiting)” which was shown at the 2010 festival after dusk. “Cesena” features music from the 14th-century Avignon area. ...

Percussionist Pak will present Eotvos’ “Speaking Drums” for percussion solo and orchestra, which begins with “tanzlied” (dance songs), continues to “nonsense songs” and wraps up with passacaglia, featuring diverse percussion instruments such as the drums, cowbell, gong, tam-tam, timpani, wood block and marimba. According to the orchestra, the soloist moves between the percussion instruments on t...

The Korean Culture and Information Service is to look into a dispute among its staff at the Korean Cultural Center Shanghai, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The Culture Ministry said on Thursday that two employees at the center had reported the head of the Shanghai center to the Korean Culture and Information Service for using abusive language and demanding a resignatio...

Jindo Miracle Sea Road Festival This year, the 42nd Jindo Miracle Sea Road Festival will be held online, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Every spring, the sea around Jindo opens up, exposing a 2.8-kilometer-long stretch of sand that connects two islands in the area. The gravitational phenomenon draws numerous visitors to the small island in South Jeolla Province. The annual festival was c...

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism reported that 179 members of state arts troupes had violated regulations by giving private lessons or taking part in unauthorized activities, according to People Power Party Rep. Kim Ye-ji, who is a member of the National Assembly’s Culture Committee. The regulations concerning public officials, which apply to members of state arts troupes, state that ...

Violinist Kim Bomsori will go onstage in Korea in June to celebrate the upcoming release of her solo debut album under the classical music label Deutsche Grammophon. The recital on June 26 at the Lotte Concert Hall in eastern Seoul will be Kim’s first solo recital in the country in two years. In November, Kim became the third Korean artist to sign with Deutsche Grammophon, following pianist Cho...

Amid the buzz caused by Hybe’s merger with Ithaca Holdings, key figures from the two companies expressed their excitement through a video released on YouTube Monday. Hybe, formerly known as Big Hit Entertainment, announced Friday it would acquire Ithaca Holdings and its properties, including SB Projects and its management clients Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato. “Hybe has achieved ...