Articles by Im Eun-byel
Im Eun-byel
silverstar@heraldcorp.com-
[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea
Wanju Gotgam Fesitval The annual Wanju Gotgam Fesitval is being held virtually this year, due to the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wanju, a county in North Jeolla Province, is famous for gotgam, or dried persimmon. Wanju gotgam was presented to the royal court during the Joseon era. The county produces about 9,300 tons of gotgam every year. The annual festival draws about 30,000 visitors. This year, it is held online, selling gotgam produced by local farmers. The online festival, whic
Travel Dec. 18, 2020
-
When will we travel internationally again?
It is a question that we have been asking ourselves for almost a year now. With the COVID-19 pandemic, traveling overseas has been out of the question for months for most people. So, will we ever travel again? If so, when? Though the authorities are still advising against nonessential international travel, the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines is lifting spirits in the travel industry and among the public. Travel agencies -- already pushed to the brink -- are launching overseas tour package deals
Travel Dec. 16, 2020
-
Celebrate New Year with Europe’s finest orchestras at local cinemas
Though the COVID-19 pandemic limits us from going to New Year celebration concerts, local cinema franchise Megabox will screen the recordings of the New Year celebration concerts by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, according to its announcement Tuesday. The 90-minute recording of the Berlin Philarmonicker, one of the most prestigious orchestras in the world, holding its New Year’s Eve concert under the baton of chief conductor Kirill Petrenko, will be
Performance Dec. 15, 2020
-
SPO comes up with 4-month plan for 2021
Though it is customary for an orchestra to release the upcoming year’s program in December, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra shared its schedule for only the first four months of 2021 in concern of possible interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The SPO, which went through a difficult year like many other art troupes and institutions around the world, is looking forward to a better 2021 with a total of 13 performances, consisting of 11 orchestral music presentations and two chamb
Performance Dec. 14, 2020
-
Third wave of coronavirus sweeps stages
Though the performing arts scene is at its year-end peak season, the outlook is gloomy as the third and so far worst wave of COVID-19 is underway. Local authorities have announced the Level 2.5 social distancing measures here, requiring performing arts venues to leave two-thirds of their seats empty. State- and city-funded art troupes based in Seoul have completely halted their operations under governmental orders. The Korea National Ballet canceled its year-end signature performances of &l
Performance Dec. 14, 2020
-
Dismissal of KNB’s ballet dancer caught in legal dispute
The Korea National Ballet’s firing of a member earlier this year for traveling abroad during the home-quarantine period has come to the center of a legal dispute, as the state labor committee viewed it to be an “unfair dismissal.” According to the performing arts scene on Monday, the National Labor Relations Commission officially acknowledged that the national ballet troupe’s dismissal of Na in March was unfair. The labor committee viewed that Na had the responsibili
Performance Dec. 14, 2020
-
Kim Sun-wook’s performances rescheduled for January
Concert pianist Kim Sun-wook’s duet recital with violinist Chung Kyung-wha in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, will take place as scheduled Dec. 20, although Kim’s other engagements for December were postponed due to the resurgence of COVID-19. According to classical music show agency Vincero on Wednesday, three of Kim’s December performances have been rescheduled for January, after stricter social distancing measures came into force for Seoul. Under the revised schedule, Kim&r
Performance Dec. 12, 2020
-
KNB cancels plans for ‘Nutcracker’
The Korea National Ballet canceled its “The Nutcracker” show slated for the Christmas holidays, following the recent resurgence of COVID-19 infection cases here. The national ballet troupe announced Friday that the iconic performance of “The Nutcracker” in December would have to be fully canceled due to the rapid spread of COVID-19. The ballet troupe was to hold the performances at the Seoul Arts Center from Dec. 19-30, leaving two-thirds of seats empty under the gov
Performance Dec. 11, 2020
-
[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea
Indie Jeonju Festival Indie Jeonju Festival will be held online Dec. 25-27. The festival is titled “Still Alive” this year, according to organizers, aiming to show that Jeonju-based musicians are still living passionately, despite the monthslong blackout in the culture sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 15 music acts will take to the stage, performing a wide range of music, from pop, folk, rock, jazz, hip-hop and classical music to innovative traditional Korean musi
Travel Dec. 11, 2020
-
[Herald Interview] Korea spots ‘silver lining’ amid pandemic with transparent, responsible public sector
In a year that has witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic disrupt lives and devastate economies around the world, South Korea is seeking innovations to meet the challenges it presents. The following is the last article in a four-part series on how Korea is creating a new normal during the pandemic, produced in partnership with The Korea Foundation -- Ed. Since the beginning of the year, the whole world has been desperately navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic, the worst public health crisis i
People Dec. 10, 2020
-
Broadway actors of Korean heritage to connect via YouTube
While the iconic Broadway remains shut down until at least May, Broadway stage actors with Korean backgrounds will connect with international audiences at home via YouTube. The Korean Culture Center New York, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, announced it will host the year-end musical gala concert “Farewell 2020,” featuring Korean or Korean-American stage actors working on Broadway through its official YouTube channel on Dec. 17. The concert wi
Performance Dec. 10, 2020
-
Flurry of COVID-19 restrictions cause fatigue across culture scene
While the authorities are enforcing stricter social distancing rules across the Greater Seoul area to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, the culture sector is confused by the inconsistencies in the restrictions imposed by different governmental authorities. On Saturday, cultural facilities across Seoul that are funded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government were shut down after the city government imposed tighter restrictions. On Sunday, the central government announced that Level 2.5 socia
Performance Dec. 8, 2020
-
Christmas canceled in churches as COVID surges
As the stricter social distancing scheme that goes into effect Tuesday does not allow houses of worship in the greater Seoul area to hold in-person Christmas services, some Protestant churches are calling the order “unrealistic.” After the government raised social distancing measures to Level 2.5, the second highest in the five-tier system, in the Seoul metropolitan area in an effort to slow down the fast spreading wave of COVID-19, churches in the greater Seoul area will not be a
Culture Dec. 7, 2020
-
Stage lights go off after Seoul orders shutdown
As the Seoul capital has gone into a partial lockdown and Korea has decided to raise distancing regulations for the metropolitan area, the lights have gone out at performing art stages and cinemas across the city. With the South Korean government announcing the Level 2.5 distancing, the second highest notch in the country’s five-tier COVID-19 scheme, performing arts venues will have to leave the two thirds of audience seats empty from Tuesday. The tight limitations on the audience capac
Performance Dec. 6, 2020
-
[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea
Yeongdeok Snow Crab Festival The Yeongdeok Snow Crab Festival, initially slated for February, will be held online until Dec. 31. The festival, an annual event that celebrates local snow crabs caught off the east coast of North Gyeongsang Province, was scheduled for Feb. 20-23. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has moved online. A cooking show, a lucky draw and online sales of freshly caught snow crabs can be accessed at www.ydcf.co.kr, as well as on the festival’s social media chan
Travel Dec. 4, 2020
Most Popular
-
1
Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
-
2
Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
-
3
Seoul alerts overseas missions to NK terror threats
-
4
[Graphic News] Number of coffee franchises in S. Korea rises 13%
-
5
S. Korean children, teens grow taller, mature faster than before: study
-
6
Some junior doctors are returning: Health Ministry
-
7
Army takes group action against Hybe for neglecting BTS
-
8
[Robert J. Fouser] AI changes rationale for learning languages
-
9
[Today’s K-pop] Stray Kids go gold in US with ‘Maniac’
-
10
Woman dangling from power lines rescued by residents holding blanket