The Korean National Ballet is gearing up for the eagerly awaited Korean premiere of John Neumeier's adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" at the Seoul Arts Center, scheduled for May 1-5. Neumeier, widely acknowledged as one of today's foremost choreographers, has lead the world-renowned Hamburg Ballet since 1973 as its director and chief choreographer. With a prolific career spanning over five decades, he has crafted more than 170 pieces. Currently in Seoul overseeing the KNB&#

The Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre is set to perform its iconic work "One Dance" -- "Ilmu" in Korean -- at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts May 16-19. This is the fourth run since its premiere in 2022, following a second run in Seoul and a performance in New York in 2023. In July last year, the SMDT was invited to perform at New York’s Lincoln Center during the “Korean Arts Week,” one of the highlights of the Lincoln Center's annual summer fe

Renowned British choreographer Matthew Bourne's "Romeo and Juliet" is set to make its Korean premiere at the LG Arts Center in Seoul from May 8 to May 19. This contemporary reimagining of Shakespeare’s tragic romance and Prokofiev’s ballet masterpiece takes the audience to the near future at the Verona Institute, an imaginary reformatory for young people that is tightly watched over by security guards. In a written interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday, Bourne de

"Lost Property Returns" By Kim Hye-jung Originals Books YA writer Kim Hye-jung returns with her first work for adult readers, "Lost Property Returns." The novel, which has been serialized on Millie's Library, one of South Korea's largest e-book subscription platforms, since November, received favorable reviews and was released as an e-book in January. It rose to the top of the platform's bestseller list just a month after its release. In response to readers

"Kakadu" By Park Seol-yeon Anonbooks A Western-style cafe called Kakadu opens in the bustling heart of Gyeongseong, as present-day Seoul was called during the Japanese colonial era. The city is evolving with the echoes of the March 1st Movement still lingering in the air. The cafe is owned by filmmaker Lee Kyung-son, who experiences fleeting triumphs and frequent failures alongside his enigmatic cousin, Alice Hyun. Kakadu becomes a gathering place for young artists who discuss literatu

"Ma-eun's Store" By Lee Seo-su Moonji Publishing Ma-eun is working hard, but is she happy? No, she cannot sleep soundly, afraid the store will go out of business. She smiles brightly at the customers, but is she happy? No, she is counting losses and skipping dinner. “Am I happy? Possibly not,” thinks Ma-eum, a 37-year-old woman who has just opened her cafe. When Ma-eum's mom asks why she chose to run a business among many options, Ma-eum answers she does not hav

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea is currently hosting a book exhibition titled "Springing to Life," focusing on internationally acclaimed works of Korean literature, from Thursday to May 12 at the Starfield Library at Coex in southern Seoul. Featuring the works of 11 authors who have won international literary awards since 2019, the exhibition showcases 13 original Korean books and their 82 translated works into various languages. For example, Kim Young-ha's crime thr

The Seoul Outdoor Library, an annual open-air event launched by the city library, has reopened on Thursdays after a winter break. This year, Cheonggyecheon in central Seoul has been added, joining Seoul Plaza and Gwanghwamun Plaza in offering outdoor reading experiences. The "Read at Seoul Plaza" event in front of City Hall will operate four times a week from Thursday to Sunday, while the "Gwanghwamun Book Yard" at Gwanghwamun Plaza will open three times a week from Friday to

Hong Se-hwa, a journalist, a social activist, and the author of "I'm a Taxi Driver in Paris," died Thursday at the age of 77. He died at Wonjin Green Hospital in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, surrounded by family members. Hong had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in February of last year. Hong graduated from Seoul National University, majoring in political science and international relations. While working at a trading company's overseas office, Hong became associated with the South

One of the finalists for this year’s International Booker Prize, Hwang Sok-yong has vowed to continue until the end, asserting his commitment to the art of writing. Speaking at a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday, a week after named to the International Booker shortlist with his novel “Mater 2-10” on April 10, the 81-year-old writer revealed his plan to write three to four more novels by the time he turns 90, in addition to completing his book project of completing a 50-vo

A gala ballet concert featuring the principal dancers of the Bolshoi Ballet has been canceled. The performance, newly titled “Super Ballet Concert of Ballet & Model 2024 in Seoul” from the initial title “Bolshoi Ballet Gala Concert 2024 in Seoul,” was scheduled to be held at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from Tuesday to Friday. The cancellation came after the organizer’s proposal for alterations to the show’s cast and program was rejected by th

For quite some time, celebrated picture book artist Lee Suzy has been writing on her blog as if it were a personal diary. However, when the blog platform shut down last year, all of her writing was at risk of disappearing into thin air. "We often believe records in the digital realm will be there forever, but that was not the case. I realized then that what I've been doing with my books was gathering those fleeting thoughts and words into tangible forms," said Lee. Her latest book

Enjoy last-minute cherry blossoms with less crowding With the arrival of spring in earnest in the last week or so, popular cherry blossom destinations in Seoul like Yeouido and Seokchon Lake have been packed with people day and night. If you wish to enjoy last-minute cherry blossoms this weekend with fewer people around, try the Seongnae Stream section of the Songpa Trail -- widely known as Seongnaecheonduk-gil --before the delicate pink and white petals drop off. Seongnaecheonduk-gil is a cause

South Korean literary giant Hwang Sok-yong's "Mater 2-10" has been shortlisted for the 2024 International Booker Prize, the organizers of the British literary awards announced Tuesday. "Mater 2-10," co-translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Youngjae Josephine Bae, and published by Scribe Publications, is among the six books on the shortlist for one of the world's most prestigious literary awards. The five other titles shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2024 are: &ldqu

South Korean novelist Hwang Sok-yong's "Mater 2-10" has been shortlisted for the 2024 International Booker Prize, one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, along with the Nobel Prize in literature and the French Goncourt Prize. The British prize was established in 2005 to honor an author and translator equally for a single work of fiction translated into English, selected from entries published in the UK or Ireland. The novel, co-translated by Sora Kim-Russell and

The Borkman family's fortunes have been drained following the imprisonment of former banker John Gabriel Borkman. After eight years behind bars and another eight years in solitude, Borkman obsessively dreams of making his comeback. Meanwhile, his wife, Gunhild, insists on restoring the family name. When her sister, Ella, arrives unannounced, the three engage in a fierce battle over young Erhart Borkman, driven by their own obsessions. The story comes from Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen&#

The Korean National Ballet is set to perform "Season; Spring" in London this week. The performance comes at the invitation of the Royal Ballet for the KNB to participate in the International Draft Works 2024, jointly hosted by the Royal Opera House and the Royal Ballet. The KNB is scheduled to perform at the Linbury Theater, on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. The International Draft Works serves as a platform where the Royal Ballet, together with various international companies, pres

Empty-eyed female dancers gracefully whirl around, their movements intertwined with pounding beats. The scene reinterprets the traditional ritual of ground hardening of burial to protect the resting place from outside intrusion. Set to premiere at Haeoreum Grand Theater on April 25 where it will run through April 27, “Book of the Dead” is the latest work by the National Dance Company of Korea, affiliated with the National Theater of Korea. Choreographed by the state dance company

The Korean National Ballet is gearing up for the highly anticipated Korean premiere of John Neumeier's adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" at the Seoul Arts Center from May 1 through 5. Neumeier, who has been the director and chief choreographer of Hamburg Ballet based in Germany since 1973, is widely acknowledged as one of today's foremost choreographers. He has crafted more than 170 works so far, bearing his distinctive interpretation of classic narratives. Neumeier will vis

The outdoor plaza in front of the National Theater of Korea's Haeoreum Grand Theater will be filled with weekly festivals and open-air markets every Saturday for two months in April and May. Dubbed "Art in Series," this biannual festival event is hosted by the National Theater of Korea during the spring and fall seasons. Each week in that season will be held under specific themes such as pets, books, crops and artifacts. The event opens with the "Art in Pet" festival whi