Movies in theaters this week

"Zootopia 2" (US) Opened Nov. 26 Comedy/Drama Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard Bunny-fox duo Judy and Nick investigate a mysterious pit viper who becomes the first reptile to enter Zootopia in over a century, in this sequel arriving nine years after the original. "Wicked: For Good" (US) Opened Nov. 19 Musical/Fantasy Directed by Jon M. Chu The second part of the Broadway musical adaptation follows Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) as they take opposite sides in Oz's polit

Nov. 28, 2025

Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland opens its annual winter celebration Friday with Christmas Fantasy, a park-wide festival running through Dec. 31. Visitors can enjoy a Christmas parade featuring Santa, Rudolph and festive floats, along with a new nighttime “K-Pop Demon Hunters Sing-along Fireworks Show” created with Netflix. Daily photo sessions with Santa, elves and Everland mascots add to the family-friendly fun, while the Grand Stage presents two showings of the holiday musical “Very Merry Santa Village.” The Alpine

Nov. 28, 2025

Packages and promotions

Lotte Hotel Seoul brings back annual winter strawberry event Lotte Hotel Seoul's annual winter strawberry event is back, offering a dessert buffet and afternoon tea set through April 30. The Peninsula Lounge & Bar presents more than 30 strawberry-based sweets, such as cakes and chocolate fondue, alongside 10 hot dishes, including lamb chops and carved beef. The special December buffet is 150,000 won per person, with seatings on Thursday and Friday evenings and three sessions on weekends and holi

Nov. 28, 2025

Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s legacy assembled for first time at National Museum of Korea

When King Seonjo in the Joseon era (1392-1910) determined that the kingdom's naval forces could not defeat Japanese forces in 1597 during the Imjin War, Korean naval commander Admiral Yi Sun-sin (1545-1598) left the famous words: “Your Majesty, we still have 12 ships left.” Yi led Korean forces in the Great Battle of Myeongnyang against the Japanese navy, which had deployed 133 vessels to waters off Jindo, while Yi commanded only those 12 ships and one more. The battle was a watershed moment tha

Nov. 27, 2025

Chinese envoy hails new momentum in China-Korea ties at Global Biz Forum

Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing said Wednesday that recent momentum in China-Korea relations provides a “new driving force” for deeper cooperation, during a speech at the eighth edition of the Global Biz Forum hosted by The Korea Herald and Herald Business in Seoul. Dai highlighted the significance of the recent APEC summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit “opened a new path for China-Korea relations.” Quoting Xi, the ambas

Nov. 27, 2025

Why Korea’s 900-year-old shipwreck bowls look suspiciously new

When South Korean archaeologists announced on Nov. 10 that they had raised a 15th-century tax ship from the seabed off the western coast of Taean, photographs of another find from the same waters also drew major attention. Next to the Joseon-era (1392-1910) vessel known as Mado 4, divers had located two tightly stacked bundles of celadon from the Goryeo Kingdom (935-1392), 87 pieces in total, believed to date from around 1150 to 1175. After basic cleaning, the bowls and cups were presented to th

Nov. 27, 2025

Donald Judd’s philosophy of honesty revealed through furniture in Seoul

American artist Donald Judd broke with the conventions of modern art and paved the way for minimalism through radical simplicity and material clarity. While his iconic sculpture series, prints and paintings are widely recognized, his artistic philosophy also expanded to furniture. It was honesty that the artist valued in art and design, said the artist’s son Flavin Judd, director of the Judd Foundation, in Seoul on Wednesday. “He said a lot about materials pretending to be other materials and ‘t

Nov. 26, 2025

Tale of blood, revenge endures as 'The Orphan of Zhao' marks 10th year

A landmark production for the National Theater Company of Korea, “The Orphan of Zhao: Seeds of Revenge,” is marking its 10th anniversary with a seventh run at the National Theater’s Haeorum Theater through Sunday. Adapted and directed by star director Koh Sun-woong, the play premiered in 2015 and has since become one of the company’s signature repertory works, drawing steady acclaim with an average seat occupancy of 93 percent and a cumulative audience of 36,000. The production is a rarity in Ko

Nov. 26, 2025

Hybe's vampire webtoon 'Dark Moon' is getting a sequel

Hybe will roll out "Dark Moon: Two Moons," the follow-up to a popular webtoon that featured the members of K-pop act Enhypen as characters, in six regions starting Friday. The South Korean entertainment conglomerate said Wednesday that the sequel will go live in Korea, North America, Japan, Latin America, Indonesia and Thailand. Korean readers can access it through Naver Webtoon's Saturday lineup at 10 p.m. Ten episodes will be available on the release day, with new installments arriving each we

Nov. 26, 2025

Korea’s new obsession is survival shows built on sweat

Korean variety shows pushing the human body to its breaking point are dominating screens, and viewers can’t seem to look away. Netflix’s “Physical: Asia,” released Oct. 30, went straight to the platform’s top 10 series in Korea and was on Netflix's global top 10 list for all three weeks of its run. Building on the momentum of the hit franchise “Physical,” which launched in 2023 and 2024, the latest installment assembled athletes and superstar sports personalities from eight countries for a slate

Nov. 26, 2025

S. Korea's Lee Byong-hyun elected as chair of 48th World Heritage Committee

Former South Korean ambassador to UNESCO Lee Byong-hyun has been elected chair of the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, which will take place in Busan next July. His appointment was confirmed Monday during the committee's 20th Special Session held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Lee, who served as South Korea’s permanent representative to UNESCO from 2015-2019, brings extensive experience in the organization’s governance. During his tenure, he chaired the UNESCO executive board from

Nov. 26, 2025

Justin Bieber's 'Peaches' featured artist Giveon to visit Korea for first time

Popular American R&B singer-songwriter Giveon will hold his first-ever concert in South Korea next year. The "Heartbreak Anniversary" singer will meet fans in Korea from Jan. 18-19 at Myunghwa Live Hall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, western Seoul. Tickets will be available from Wednesday at 8 p.m. through NOL Interpark, according to the event's organizer Live Nation Korea. The 30-year-old recently wrapped up Dear Beloved The Tour in North America, which kicked off in Seattle in October. Giveon later annou

Nov. 26, 2025

Bundang Youth Orchestra debuts 'Waterlight Garden' at UN Youth Environment conference

Members of the Bundang Youth Orchestra performed an original composition, Waterlight Garden, by 13-year-old composer Bang Seo-jun, at the closing ceremony of the 2025 UN Youth Environment Conference on Nov. 16 at the National Institute for International Education. Waterlight Garden was inspired by the transformation of a long-abandoned sewage treatment plant in Gumi-dong, Seongnam, into a cultural complex named “Seongnam Waterlight Garden,” which opened in June. The Waterlight Garden Music Hall

Nov. 26, 2025

Why Park Jeong-min is going viral as Korea's most down-to-earth star

At last week's Blue Dragon Film Awards, Park Jeong-min walked away empty-handed despite dual nominations for best actor and best supporting actor. It was a disappointing outcome, as many had expected him to take home at least one trophy after delivering standout work as both father and son in Yeon Sang-ho's experimental thriller "The Ugly" and as freedom fighter Woo Deok-sun in the period epic "Harbin." Rather than sulking, Park bounded onto the stage to join singer Hwasa for a performance of "G

Nov. 25, 2025

Shaw Prize winner Baumeister on breakthroughs that changed cell imaging

HONG KONG — Wolfgang Baumeister has spent decades trying to see what the human eye never could. This year, the German biophysicist was awarded the Shaw Prize in life science and medicine for pioneering cryo-electron tomography, a breakthrough that allows scientists to observe the molecular architecture of living cells in unprecedented detail. “It’s a wonderful recognition,” he said at an interview with The Korea Herald on the sidelines of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum 2025. “But after 30 years of

Nov. 25, 2025