The Korea Times

6 in 10 Koreans go to movies, plays, concerts in 2022: survey

A cinema in Yongsan District, central Seoul, is crowded with moviegoers in this June photo. YonhapBy Kim RahnNearly six in 10 Koreans have enjoyed movies, plays and music concerts by visiting theaters and performance venues in 2022 as the COVID-19 pandemic ebbed and most social distancing measures were lifted, according to a survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Thursday. The survey showed 58.1 percent of 10,136 people aged 15 or over went to movies, plays, art exhibitions, concerts, musicals or other stage performances, up by 24.5 percentage points from 2021. The figure is still low compared to pre-pandemic levels ― 81.8 percent in 2019 ― but there were signs of a recovery people engaging in cultural activities.But the recovery was different by age and income groups. Among those in their 20s, the ratio of people enjoying going to venues for cultural activities rose from 63.8 percent in 2021 to 90.6 percent in 2022, while among those aged over 70, the ratio grew from 5.6 percent to 14.8 percent.By income, 73.6 percent of people making over 6 million won ($4,730) per

Dec 29, 2022By Kim Rahn

6 in 10 Koreans go to movies, plays, concerts in 2022: survey

Entertainment

Actor Song Joong-ki dating British woman

Actor Song Joong-ki speaks during a press conference for the series “Reborn Rich” in Seoul, Nov. 17. Courtesy of JTBCBy Kim RahnActor Song Joong-ki is in a relationship with a British woman, his agency confirmed, Monday. HighZium studio said the 37-year-old has been in a relationship for about a year after a friend introduced them to each other. “Song is having a good relationship with the woman,” the agency said. “We have nothing more to say about them.”Earlier in the day, a local newspaper reported about their relationship, saying the woman is of British nationality and is not in the entertainment industry.It is said that she accompanied Song to a press conference related to the fantasy drama series “Reborn Rich” in Singapore on Dec. 7 where he introduced her to the staff. In 2017 Song married star actress Song Hye-kyo after they co-starred in the 2016 series “Descendants of the Sun,” but they divorced about 20 months later.Debuting in the 2008 film “A Frozen Flower,” Song has starred in films including “

Dec 26, 2022By Kim Rahn

Actor Song Joong-ki dating British woman

Films

'Avatar' sequel sells over 5 million tickets in 12 days

Posters for “Avatar: The Way of Water” hang in a movie theater in Seoul, Dec. 20. The film has sold over 5 million tickets here as of Sunday, 12 days after its release. YonhapBy Kim Rahn“Avatar: The Way of Water” has sold over 5 million tickets in Korea as of Sunday, at a faster pace than the 2009 original. The sequel to the sci-fi blockbuster, “Avatar,” had amassed some 5.37 million filmgoers as of 7 a.m. on Christmas Day, the 12th day since its release on Dec. 14, according to the Korea Film Council.The film reached the 5-million mark in ticket sales only a day after it reached the 4-million mark on Saturday, and the theater industry expects the film to reach the 6-million mark easily in one or two days, because 830,000 people have already made reservations for the movie in the coming days.The original “Avatar,” screened 13 years ago, reached 5 million in ticket sales here 15 days after its release. It set a box office record at the time with 13.3 million in ticket sales.Directed by James Cameron, the same director of the original fil

Dec 25, 2022By Kim Rahn

Films

'Decision to Leave' makes Academy Awards' shortlist for international feature film

A scene from the film “Decision to Leave” / Courtesy of CJ ENMBy Kim RahnDirector Park Chan-wook's Cannes-winning film “Decision to Leave” has been included on the shortlist for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the list, Wednesday (local time), for 15 films of the category, after reviewing candidates from 92 countries. It will announce the five finalists on Jan. 24 before the awards ceremony, which is slated for March 12.“Decision to Leave” is a romance thriller revolving around a detective (Park Hae-il) who suspects a Chinese widow (Tang Wei) is the culprit in a murder case and later falls in love with her.The film, which won the Best Director award at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, was also nominated as the best non-English language film at the 80th Golden Globe Awards scheduled for January, as well as the best foreign language film at the Critics' Choice Awards, also slated for January.Other films on the Academy's shortlist are: “Argentina, 1985” (Argenti

Dec 22, 2022By Kim Rahn

'Decision to Leave' makes Academy Awards' shortlist for international feature film

Entertainment

2022 top culture news Korean wave reaches dizzying new heights

Director Park Chan-wook, left, and actor Song Kang-ho participate in a Q&A session with reporters after winning the Best Director award for “Decision to Leave” and Best Actor award for “Broker,” respectively, at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in France, May 28. YonhapBy Kim RahnAn expanded global presence ― this may best describe Korea's culture and art scene in 2022, as a wider sphere of cultural fields has been in the international spotlight. These achievements were embodied in the many firsts and accolades bestowed at internationally acclaimed cultural festivals, including Korea's and Asia's first win at the Emmy Awards with “Squid Game,” a Korean actor's first Cannes prize, dozens of awards in literature and classical music, the opening of a renowned art fair and new waves in K-pop and K-dramas.Here are the top eight news stories in art and culture that have made the headlines in 2022.Korean cinema rides highAuteur Park Chan-wook won the Best Director prize at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in May for his romance noir “Decision to Leave

Dec 20, 2022By Kim Rahn

[2022 top culture news] Korean wave reaches dizzying new heights

K-pop

BTS medal, stamp to be released to mark 10th anniversary of debut

A commemorative medal to mark K-pop juggernaut BTS' 10th year since its debut for 2023, is on display at the flagship store of the Korea Minting, Security Printing and ID Card Operating Corp. in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Friday. Yonhap By Kim RahnA commemorative medal and a postage stamp for K-pop giant BTS will be issued in the first half of 2023, according to the Korea Minting, Security Printing and ID Card Operating Corp. (Komsco) and Korea Post, respectively. On Friday, Komsco showcased a medal celebrating the boy band's 10th anniversary since its debut next year.On one side of the medal are inscribed the group's and members' names as well as the logo of BTS. On the other side are the number 10 and star-like patterns.The medal has been made into three versions in gold and one version in silver. Only a limited number of the 87,777 pieces will be sold across the world. Reservations for purchase will be made on a first-come-first-served basis until Dec. 25 on Komsco's online

Dec 16, 2022By Kim Rahn

BTS medal, stamp to be released to mark 10th anniversary of debut

Trends

Korean content promotion center opens in Indonesia

Visitors to KOREA 360, a promotion center for Korean products at Lotte Shopping Avenue in Jakarta, Indonesia, try making Korean food during the center's pilot run. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and TourismBy Kim RahnA center where visitors can experience Korean products related to hallyu, or the Korean wave, has opened in the capital of Indonesia.The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said, Friday, it is officially launching the promotion center named KOREA 360 inside Lotte Shopping Avenue, a shopping mall in Jakarta, on Saturday.Jointly organized with the ministries of trade, health and fisheries, the “K-brand” promotion center is a part of projects to exhibit and promote goods related to Korean culture, such as media content, food and cosmetics, to people in other countries. The 1,170-square-meter center is comprised of a space for performances or events, a cooking studio, exhibition sections for products, and an office space for consulting. The products on exhibition include those related to cultural content such as K-pop, cosmetics, healthcare, daily ne

Dec 3, 2022By Kim Rahn

Korean content promotion center opens in Indonesia

Films

Filming of sequel to 'Veteran' starts

From left are actors Oh Dal-soo, Jang Yoon-ju, Hwang Jung-min, Jung Hae-in, Oh Dae-hwan and Kim Si-hoo, as well as director Ryoo Seung-wan of “Veteran 2.” Courtesy of CJ ENMBy Kim RahnFilming for the sequel of 2015 megahit film “Veteran” will start this month, with several major cast members of the original film returning, according to the distributor, CJ ENM, Friday. Under the helm of director Ryoo Seung-wan, who also led the original film, actors Hwang Jung-min, Jang Yoon-ju, Oh Dae-hwan, Kim Si-hoo and Oh Dal-soo will come back for the cop action flick.Hwang, who has since appeared in films including “The Wailing” (2016), “The Spy Gone North” (2018) and “Deliver Us from Evil” (2020), as well as Netflix series “Narco-Saints” (2022), will again play Seo Do-cheol, who is a tough and principled police detective.Seo will lead a violent crime investigation team, with the aforementioned actors being his team members. Jung Hae-in, who has performed in a wide spectrum of acting roles in films including “Tune in f

Dec 2, 2022By Kim Rahn

Opinion

Fantasy of being 'Reborn Rich' amid harsh struggle of reality

The poster for JTBC series “Reborn Rich” / Courtesy of JTBCBy Kim RahnJTBC's new series, “Reborn Rich,” is drawing popularity, with its viewer rating continuing to rise from 6.05 percent for the first episode on Nov. 18 to 14.88 percent for the sixth episode on Nov. 27.The 16-part series resolves around Yoon Hyun-woo, played by actor Song Joong-ki, who is born underprivileged and works hard for the nation's top conglomerate, Soonyang Group, and its owner family. Despite his loyalty to the family, he gets betrayed and killed after being framed for embezzlement. But upon dying, he wakes up in the body of the family's youngest member, Jin Do-joon, the grandson of Soonyang chairman, in the 1980s. He then seeks to take revenge on the family.There are several factors behind the success of the series. The most visible factor may be Song, a heartthrob from series such as “Descendants of the Sun” and “Vincenzo,” along with veteran actor Lee Sung-min, who plays the chairman. The acting duel of the two increases tension as Yoon, knowing what will

Nov 30, 2022By Kim Rahn

Fantasy of being 'Reborn Rich' amid harsh struggle of reality

Entertainment

Star couple Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin have baby boy

Actors Hyun Bin, left, and Son Ye-jin smile during their wedding ceremony at Grand Walkerhill Seoul hotel, March 31. Courtesy of VAST EntertainmentBy Kim RahnActor couple Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin have had their first baby.Their agencies confirmed, Monday, that Son gave birth to a boy the previous day, days earlier than her due date of early December. The agencies said that both the mother and the baby are in good condition.Hyun and Son, both 40, married on March 31 and announced in late June that they were expecting a baby. “A new life has arrived for us,” Son wrote on her Instagram account at the time. “It's still hard for me to believe, but changes to my body tell me every day that it is true.”In a film promotion event in September, Hyun also said, “It still doesn't feel real (that I'm going to be a father), but I think I need to live a better life … it is such a huge blessing, so I'm waiting with good expectations.” The two stars worked together in the 2018 film “The Negotiation,” and rumors about their relationship emerged sev

Nov 28, 2022By Kim Rahn

Kim Rahn

Read more

6 in 10 Koreans go to movies, plays, concerts in 2022: survey

Actor Song Joong-ki dating British woman

'Avatar' sequel sells over 5 million tickets in 12 days

'Decision to Leave' makes Academy Awards' shortlist for international feature film

2022 top culture news Korean wave reaches dizzying new heights

BTS medal, stamp to be released to mark 10th anniversary of debut

Korean content promotion center opens in Indonesia

Filming of sequel to 'Veteran' starts

Fantasy of being 'Reborn Rich' amid harsh struggle of reality

Star couple Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin have baby boy

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