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Kwak Yeon-soo

Korea Times Digital Content Reporter

Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.

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Travel & Food

Royal night walk offers incredible palace views, cityscape

Visitors hold traditional lanterns called "cheongsachorong” as they walk in front of Injeongmun Gate of Changdeok Palace in Seoul, April 19. NewsisNighttime tours available at palaces in SeoulBy Kwak Yeon-sooAs Seoul loosens its social distancing rules, the city's royal palaces are resuming their special nighttime tours. Among them, Changdeok Palace is running a “moonlight tour” that offers not only incredible palace views but also night cityscapes. Guided by the delicate glow of “cheongsachorong” (traditional lanterns), visitors can enjoy a unique and unforgettable evening.Changdeok Palace is one of the five grand palaces built during the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom. Built in 1405, it is the second royal residence following Gyeongbok Palace. It includes official affairs buildings, royal family residence buildings and the famous Huwon (Secret Garden) with a lotus pond and pavilions. UNESCO designated the palace as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1997.The moonlight tour begins at the main gate of Donhwamun, where visitors can take a commemorative photo wit

Apr 26, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Royal night walk offers incredible palace views, cityscape
Trends

Retro boom sees adults buying nostalgic comic books

A book cover of “Full House” / Courtesy of YES24By Kwak Yeon-sooShortly after the recent craze over Pokemon bread, which had been popular in the past, a new trend revolving around retro-themed comic books seems to be gaining in popularity as evidenced by the sharp increase in sales.In the 1990s and 2000s, popular anime and comic books such as “Sailor Moon,” “Slam Dunk” and “Doraemon” caught on with a generation of children in Korea. Now they are back in time for the country's retro boom, driven by adults who are often nostalgic for things and experiences from their childhood. Sales for the three comic books leaped by 15.4 percent in February compared to the previous month, and another 14.7 percent in March compared to February. About 80 percent of the consumers were in their 30s and 40s ― who generally account for 56.7 percent of all comic book purchases.Sales of the reprint edition of “Full House” (1993-1999), written and illustrated by Won Soo-yon, surged by about 11 times in February compared to the prior month, right aft

Apr 25, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Retro boom sees adults buying nostalgic comic books
Films

Yoo Ji-tae, So Ji-sub at forefront of supporting arthouse films

Actors Yoo Ji-tae, right, and So Ji-sub / Korea Times fileBy Kwak Yeon-sooActors Yoo Ji-tae and So Ji-sub have been at the forefront of supporting independent, arthouse cinema, which has been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.Yoo, an established actor who has worked with film auteurs Heo Jin-ho (“One Fine Spring Day,” 2001), Park Chan-wook (“Oldboy,” 2003) and Hong Sang-soo (“Woman is The Future of Man,” 2004), has been supporting arthouse cinema for over a decade. The actor will hold the 16th edition of “Watching indie films with Yoo Ji-tae” on Monday, which is an event where the actor buys 100 movie tickets to invite viewers. After the film screening of “Moments of Role,” he will host a talk with filmmaker Yeon Song-ha and other actors. Last month, he contributed to the re-opening of cinematheque Seoul Art Cinema in Jongno, central Seoul.Meanwhile, So Ji-sub has continued to import and distribute arthouse films throughout the pandemic, including the U.S. epic fantasy adventure, “The Green Knight,” Spani

Apr 24, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Yoo Ji-tae, So Ji-sub at forefront of supporting arthouse films
Shows & Dramas

Down-home K-dramas strike chord with global viewers

Actors Cha Seung-won, left, and Lee Jung-eun in a scene from tvN's series “Our Blues” / Courtesy of tvN By Kwak Yeon-sooFast-paced storytelling, betrayals, suspense and dark twists were once considered key to the success of K-dramas. To satisfy content-hungry viewers, who look for non-conventional stories, TV productions have cycled through zombie, monster and slasher genres.Now entering the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, shows have turned to slow-paced, feel good dramas to strike a chord with global viewers.TvN's Multi-starrer series “Our Blues” follows a group of people in a seaside town on Jeju Island going through ups and downs in their lives. The main characters ― played by Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-a, Cha Seung-won, Lee Jung-eun, Han Ji-min and Kim Woo-bin ― each carry their own set of problems and deal with personal tragedies. Although they do not directly know each other, all characters are somehow connected to one another as the story unfolds.T

Apr 24, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Down-home K-dramas strike chord with global viewers
Films

Film 'The Roundup,' starring Ma Dong-seok, sold to 132 countries

A poster for the film, “The Roundup” / Courtesy of ABO Entertainment By Kwak Yeon-soo“The Roundup,” the sequel to the 2017 crime action film, “The Outlaws,” has been sold to 132 countries, the film's distributor, ABO Entertainment, said Thursday. Ma Dong-seok, also known by his English name, Don Lee, will reprise his role as police officer Ma Seok-do, whose team heads to Vietnam to catch a serial killer named Kang Hae-sang (Son Suk-ku). The first installment, which revolves around Ma bringing down notorious Chinese gang boss Jang Chen (Yoon Kye-sang), sold over 6.8 million tickets here.The 132 countries include almost all continents ― Asia (China, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia), Europe (France, Germany), North America and South America (Brazil).It will be released in cinemas soon in the U.S., Taiwan, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, and is expected to get its release in France, Japan and India as well. “From

Apr 22, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Film 'The Roundup,' starring Ma Dong-seok, sold to 132 countries
Films

'Next Sohee,' starring Bae Doona, invited to Critics' Week at Cannes

Actor Bae Doo-na in a scene from the film “Next Sohee” / Courtesy of Twinplus PartnersBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe upcoming detective drama “Next Sohee,” starring Bae Doo-na and directed by Jung July, has been chosen as the closing film of the Cannes International Film Festival's parallel sidebar Critics' Week, according to production house Twinplus Partners, Thursday.The Critics' Week program, which was introduced in 1962, is dedicated to filmmakers' first and second features from all around the world. A total of 11 Korean films have been invited so far, including Hur Jin-ho's “Christmas in August” (1998), Jung Ji-woo's “Happy End” (1999) and Han Jun-hee's “Coin Locker Girl” (2015).“Next Sohee” is Jung's second film, following the 2014 detective drama “The Girl at My Door,” which was invited to the “Un Certain Regard” selection of the 67th Cannes Film Festival that year. It revolves around Sohee (Kim Si-eun), a high school student who starts training for a subcontracted position at a call center.

Apr 21, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Next Sohee,' starring Bae Doona, invited to Critics' Week at Cannes
Entertainment

Why are Koreans obsessed with 'elevating national prestige?'

Military service issue involving BTS reignites questions about qualifications for exemptionBy Kwak Yeon-sooExempting pop music personalities from compulsory military service, just like Olympic medalists and award-winning classical musicians, has become a contested political issue again as the debate over whether or not BTS members should enter military service has heated up.In South Korea, all male citizens who meet certain physical criteria are required to serve in the military for a period of one year and six months to one year and nine months, depending on the military branch. However, the government offers exemptions to top-performing athletes and artists who have significantly contributed to “elevating national prestige” abroad.Medalists at the Asian Games or Olympics and recipients of awards in designated national or international classical music and art competitions are eligible for such exemptions, according to the Military Service Act. While exempt from active duty, they are still required to complete non-active duty service, which includes four weeks of basic tr

Apr 21, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Why are Koreans obsessed with 'elevating national prestige?'
Films

INTERVIEW Actor Park Hae-soo gives rosy outlook for K-content

Actor Park Hae-soo / Courtesy of Netflix'Squid Game' actor reflects on busy year of actingBy Kwak Yeon-sooPark Hae-soo cannot remember a busier period of acting in his 15-year career. In the span of just one year, he went from being a bit of a late bloomer to a global sensation ― all thanks to the success of “Squid Game,” which took the world by storm and became the most-watched show on Netflix. After making his debut through the musical, “Mister Lobby,” in 2007, Park experienced a wave of success following his breakout role in tvN's “Prison Playbook” (2017). He even earned the nickname, “Netflix employee” after appearing in four Netflix series and movies: “Persona,” “Time to Hunt,” “Squid Game” and the latest, “Yaksha: Ruthless Operations.”The 40-year-old has attended several awards ceremonies, such as the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, to see his colleagues bring home trophies and meet some of Hollywood's biggest stars. “It's extraordinary. I am thankful for the

Apr 18, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
[INTERVIEW] Actor Park Hae-soo gives rosy outlook for K-content
Arts & Theater

'Shanghai 1932-34' depicts friendship between Korean, Chinese revolutionaries

Actors perform a scene from the original musical “Shanghai 1932-34” at Dongguk University Lee Haerang Art Theater, Thursday. / Yonhap By Kwak Yeon-sooThe new musical “Shanghai 1932-34,” based on the life of the ethnically Korean Chinese actor Jin Yan during China's golden age of cinema, is being staged to mark the 30th anniversary of Korea-China diplomatic relations.Also intended to commemorate the 90th anniversary of independence activist Yun Bong-gil's death, the original musical tells the story of Jin, a Korean who fled to China with his family to escape Japan's brutal repression, and Chinese musician Nie Er, who composed the national anthem of the People's Republic of China.The aspiring actor and composer both struggle with the reality of pursuing their artistic dreams in Shanghai. After witnessing Korean independence hero Yun's patriotic bombing attack on Japanese colonial officials in Shanghai in 1932, Jin and Nie join the movement to fight imperial Japan. It

Apr 15, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Shanghai 1932-34' depicts friendship between Korean, Chinese revolutionaries
Films

Time-travel romance 'Ditto' is getting remake starring Yeo Jin-goo, Cho Yi-hyun

Actors Yeo Jin-goo, left, and Cho Yi-hyun / Courtesy of Janus Entertainment, Artist Company By Kwak Yeon-sooActors Yeo Jin-goo and Cho Yi-hyun have signed on for the much anticipated remake of the 2002 time-travel romance film, “Ditto,” the production company, Gogo Studio, said Thursday. Originally starring Yoo Ji-tae and Kim Ha-neul, the film centers on a romance that transcends time. A female college student living in 1979 and a male college student from 2000 are somehow able to talk to each other using an old radio. It involves a blend of fantasy, romance and drama. In the new remake, Yeo has been selected to play Yong, a mechanical engineering student living in 1995. Cho, who shot to fame with the Netflix series “All of Us Are Dead,” will take on the role of Moo-nee, a sociology student living in 2021. Debuting as a child actor in the 2005 film, “Sad Movie,” Yeo has starred in hit dramas such as “Hotel Del Luna” (2019) and “Beyond Evil” (2021). Making her debut

Apr 14, 2022By Kwak Yeon-soo
Time-travel romance 'Ditto' is getting remake starring Yeo Jin-goo, Cho Yi-hyun
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