Located in the vibrant area near Jongno 5-ga Station on Subway Line No. 1, Gwangjang Market is Seoul’s flagship marketplace, with a history dating back to 1905 and which still thrives as a popular tourist destination. The market began as a small trading center that brought in goods from nearby regions and grew into a large wholesale market offering a wide variety of goods, including groceries, dried fish and imported and traditional goods, to name a few. Because the eateries inside the lab

“12.12: The Day” (South Korea) Opened Nov. 22 Drama/Action Directed by Kim Seong-su The film covers nine hours on Dec. 12, 1979 during a coup attempt by Gen. Chun Doo-hwan (Hwang Jung-min), an officer in the new military. Another commander, Lee Tae-shin (Jung Woo-sung), tries to stop the secret plan. “Five Nights at Freddy'” (US) Opened Nov. 15 Horror/Mystery Directed by Emma Tammi Mike starts working as a security guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. Spending

Veteran actor Kim Hae-sook, mostly known for her mother role in hit projects “My Brother” (2004), “Sunflower” (2006) and “Mom” (2010), stars once again as a mother in “Our Season.” Kim plays Bok-ja, a deceased woman who has come to visit her daughter Jin-joo (Shin Min-a) in the world of the living as part of her “vacation from heaven” led by a guide (Kang Ki-young). While Bok-ja can see her daughter from a close distance, Jin-joo cannot

Actor Lee Jung-jae has donated 50 million won ($38,000) to the Korean Senior Filmmaker Association to support members of the local film industry, according to Shin Young Kyun Arts and Culture Foundation. The donation included the 20 million won the actor received in prize money for the film artist award at the 13th Beautiful Artist Award organized by the Shin Young Kyun foundation in October. “Whenever I hear of senior members inthe industry who devoted their youth to film but are living a

On Dec. 12, 1979, one of the most significant days in modern Korean history, Gen. Chun Doo-hwan led a military coup, establishing expanded martial law and leading to the shutdown of the National Assembly and universities, as well as the arrests of dissidents and members of the political opposition. The event later led to the Gwangju Democracy Uprising of May 1980. The director of “12.12: The Day”, Kim Seong-su, who has helmed various hit action noirs, including “Beat” (

Im Soo-jung and Lee Dong-wook seem like a good match in Korean romance flicks – as seen in Lee’s special appearance as Im’s ex in “Search WWW” (2019) -- but their reunion in “Single in Seoul is something of a disappointment. Directed by Park Bum-soo and produced by the team behind “Architecture 101,” a 2012 hit film about young love, this romantic comedy film revolves around Young-ho (Lee) and Hyun-jin (Im), who slowly fall in love despite their di

“12.12: The Day,” a political drama revisiting a military-led coup that took place in 1979, has attracted 1.87 million moviegoers in the first week of release, according to Korean Film Council data on Monday. The movie, which was released on Nov. 22, recorded the second-highest number of moviegoers in the opening week this year. “The Roundup: No Way Out” recorded 4.5 million admissions during its opening week in June. On Saturday and Sunday, a total of 1.2 million moviego

“Five Nights at Freddy'” (US) Opened Nov. 15 Horror/Mystery Directed by Emma Tammi Mike starts working as a security guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. Spending his first night shift on the job, he soon notices that his work at Freddy's won't be so easy to endure. “The Boy and the Heron” (Japan) Opened Oct. 25 Animation Directed by Hayao Miyazaki Twelve-year-old Mahito finds a new home following the death of his mom. But after encountering a talking

The 2018 crime action film “Believer” gave Cha Seung-won a new image as the merciless villain Brian Lee recognized by his white suit and signature bob-cut hairstyle. Cha reprises the role as the director of an industrial company that secretly operates an illegal drug testing lab in the second installment of the franchise, “Believer 2,” which was released on Netflix on Nov. 15. “Believer 2” was ranked No. 1 on Netflix’s global top 10 non-English film sect

Actor Kim Hye-soo will wrap up 30 years of hosting one of South Korea's most prestigious film awards on Friday. Kim will host the Blue Dragon Film Awards ceremony, the 44th edition, for the last time at KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul. Fellow actor Yoo Yeon-seok will co-host the ceremony. Kim first took on the role as emcee in 1993 after rising to stardom through her debut film “Ggambo” (1986). She has since hosted the ceremony every year, except for in 1998. During her decadeslong

Cozy, warm tearoom in Huam-dong For imbibers of among the oldest aromatic beverages, a cozy and quiet place to enjoy afternoon tea time can be found in Huam-dong in Yongsan, central Seoul. TeaRoom Rossetti is a small, friendly place where the owner offers freshly baked scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Try the afternoon tea set that includes hand-made sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and madeleines served for at least two people. If you plan to visit alone, the tearoom has an

“The Boy and the Heron” (Japan) Opened Oct. 25 Animation Directed by Hayao Miyazaki Twelve-year-old Mahito finds a new home following the death of his mom. But after encountering a talking heron who tells Mahito that his mom is still alive, he decides to leave the town in search of her, which leads him to a whole other world. “The Marvels” (US) Opened Nov. 8 Action Directed by Nia DaCosta A sequel to “Captain Marvel” (2019), the film follows the story of C

Director Um Tae-hwa’s dystopian thriller “Concrete Utopia” swept Wednesday’s 59th Daejong Film Awards. Hosted by actor Cha In-pyo and comedian Jang Do-yeon, the award ceremony, also known as the Grand Bell Awards, was held at Gyeonggi Arts Center in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on a smaller scale than in previous years. “Concrete Utopia” won the most coveted best picture award and five other awards, with Lee Byung-hun snatching the best actor award for his role i

Netflix original series “Daily Dose of Sunshine,” set in a psychiatric ward, has quickly spread by word of mouth since its Nov. 3 release, with many viewers praising the 12-episode series. As of Wednesday, the TV drama ranked fourth on the non-English top 10 TV chart for Netflix. It was listed among the top 10 shows in 28 regions, according to Netflix. Unlike other successful medical dramas like “Behind the White Tower” (2007), “Dr. Romantic” (2016) and &ldquo

“Believer 2,” the much-awaited second installment of the 2018 crime action franchise, “Believer,” which attracted an audience of 5.2 million, will hit screens later this month as a “midquel,” the country’s first-ever flick that explores a story within the timeframe of the previous film. “Believer 2” is directed by Baek Jong-yul, who is known for the stylish mise-en-scene in the 2015 hit romance flick, “Beauty Inside,” and who has

Joo Jong-hyuk, better known as his character “tactician Kwon Min-woo” in the 2022 hit series “Extraordinary Attorney Woo," transforms into a completely different person in "Iron Mask," the actor's first venture into non-indie film. “Iron Mask,” which has the Korean title of “One-Ten-Thousandth of a Second,” follows the story of Kim Jae-woo (Joo), who joins an athlete boot camp for the national kendo team selection. There, he meets Tae

South Korea’s top chefs gathered to develop Korean fine dining menus using Korean ingredients as part of the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Korean Food Promotion Institution’s efforts to spread the word on Korea's high-quality ingredients, which can be used to prepare a variety of dishes. At "Shape, Share, Start: For Korea Ingredients," an event held at Mingles in Gangnam, Seoul on Nov. 3, a group of chefs, professors, culinary connoisse

Park Hae-soo from “Squid Game” and “Narco-Saints,” and Shin Min-a from “Hometown Cha Cha Cha” and “Our Blues” will meet for Netflix’s new crime thriller series, “Karma” (working title). The Korean original title roughly translates to “ill-fated relationship.” Based on the Kakao webtoon of the same title by Hwang Joon-ho, the series follows characters who are tightly entangled in doomed relationships. “Karma&rdquo

“The Marvels” (US) Opened Nov. 8 Action Directed by Nia DaCosta A sequel to “Captain Marvel” (2019), the film follows the story of Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan, as Danvers -- Captain Marvel -- travels to the past amid a destabilized universe. “The Boy and the Heron” (Japan) Opened Oct. 25 Animation Directed by Hayao Miyazaki A 12-year-old Mahito finds a new home following the death of his mom. But after encountering a talking heron who

This year's Seoul Independent Film Festival, the country’s one and only independent film festival with a competition showcase, aims to send a message of encouragement to creators, the organizer said Wednesday. Under the slogan of “Dear Life,” SIFF’s Executive Chairman Kim Dong-hyun said this year’s festival hopes to encourage those who are experiencing tough times in the movie industry. According to Kim, a total of 1,374 films were submitted this year. Compared