The weather has been nothing short of erratic in Seoul, swinging from torrential rain to searing heat. Amid such atmospheric unpredictability, there’s no better moment to retreat indoors with a stack of books. To help you do just that, The Korea Herald asked around for some summer reading recommendations. The responses of the following figures, arranged alphabetically, have been edited for length and clarity. Cha In-pyo Author/actor "Questions and Answers on Trees" by Hwang Kyu

Books July 27, 2024

Three distinct interpretations of the Shakespearean tragedy "Hamlet" are coming to Korea's stages in the coming months, showing that a timeless classic can still be made new. Prince Hamlet is Princess Hamlet in the production by the National Theater Company of Korea, whereas Seensee's production directed by Sohn Jin-chaek and currently running at the Hongik Art Center turns to contemporary mise-en-scene for new inspiration. October will see yet another "Hamlet," dir

Performance July 26, 2024

A concert titled "8.15 Seoul My Soul" will be held at Gwanghwamun Square at 7 p.m. on Aug. 14, to celebrate Liberation Day, with "queen of trot" Song Ga-in performing the finale. The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, in collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is organizing the event to commemorate the 79th anniversary of Liberation Day. The concert will begin with a performance by male percussion group Tago. Also performing will be Seodo Band, who describe

Performance July 26, 2024

Actor Yoo Seung-ho hopes to make a bold transformation on stage with his role in the Korean production of the play "Angels in America." Yoo has been cast as Prior Walter, a gay character and drag queen, who becomes a victim of social prejudice and self-hate after being diagnosed with AIDS and is abandoned by his lover. This is a stage debut for the actor who started as a child actor in 2000 and has appeared on television dramas and films. "There wasn't a specific reason. I ju

Performance July 25, 2024

The debut performance of Korea's first public contemporary ballet company, Seoul Metropolitan Ballet, is set to break new ground in Korea's dance scene in August. Choreographer Joo Jae-man behind the inaugural production "A Midsummer Night's Dream," expressed his excitement at a press conference held Monday at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. "In Korea, dance has been divided distinctly into ballet, traditional Korean dance and contemporary dance. I am so

Performance July 23, 2024

The Quad Summer Festa, featuring its signature 360-degree stage, is set to take place from August 22 to 25 at the Quad Theater in Daehagno, a public venue operated by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture. This year, the four-day festival will showcase four distinct electronic music artists, each performing on a different day. The festival kicks off with Kirara, who combines powerful beats with delicate melodies. She has released four studio albums: “Rcts,” “Moves,” &

Performance July 23, 2024

Hakchon Theater, an iconic venue for Korean performing arts in Seoul's Daehangno theater district and a lasting legacy of Kim Min-gi, who died Sunday, has begun a new chapter in its storied history. Four months after its closure in March, the theater resumed its operations Thursday, rebranded as the Arko Kkumbat Theater, which translates to Arko Dream Field Theater, dedicated to performances for children and youth. “Arko Kkumbat Theater aims to inherit the historical and cultural lega

Performance July 22, 2024

Singer-songwriter Kim Min-gi, founder of the iconic small theater Hakchon in Daehangno, died on Sunday at the age of 73. Kim had been undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with stomach cancer last fall. Kim began his music career in 1970 while studying art at Seoul National University, forming the folk duo Dobidu with his friend Kim Young-se. In 1971, he released his debut solo album featuring the popular song "Morning Dew." This song, better known through singer Yang Hee-eun&#

Performance July 22, 2024

The National Theater of Korea unveiled its 2024-25 season programs which will “emphasize its identity as producing theaters.” The new season, which runs from Aug. 28 to June 29, 2025, will feature 61 titles, including 23 new works, 8 productions from repertoires, 14 regular performances and 16 co-hosted works. “We have prepared works that focus on two trajectories: Contemporary creative productions based on tradition and encore performances from our repertoires that audiences h

Performance July 21, 2024

Ballerina Park Sae-eun, the first Asian etoile (or principal dancer) of the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet, returns to the Korean stage for "Paris Opera Ballet Etoile Gala 2024” performance alongside French colleagues. This performance, taking place Saturday to Wednesday at the Seoul Arts Center's Opera Theater in Seoul, will be her first time meeting Korean audiences since giving birth. When Paris Opera Ballet performed "Giselle" in Korea in March last year, Park was u

Performance July 18, 2024

National Theater Company of Korea’s newly appointed director and artistic director Park Jeong-hee has an ambitious vision to create a Korean repertoire for performances overseas. Park began her three-year term in April. She held her first press conference Tuesday at the Myeongdong Theater in Seoul, where she talked about her vision and blueprint for the state theater company. “While foreign directors have often worked with NTCK, our company has rarely showcased its own productions ab

Performance July 17, 2024

We all have that experience of waking up from a delightful dream, only to find it slipping away after a few hours, or suddenly waking up in a cold sweat from a nightmare. What if there was a store where dreams could be bought? Which would you buy? Enter a mysterious shopping village that you can only visit when asleep. And here at Dallergut Dream Department Store, dreams are for sale. Day and night, visitors shuffle in to purchase their latest adventures. Each floor specializes in a specific typ

Books July 16, 2024

"International Between the Two" By Kim Ki-tae Munhakdongne Publishing Writer Kim Ki-tae, who debuted in 2022, has quickly garnered attention in the literary scene, earning many recognitions such as the Young Writer Award and the Yi Sang Literary Award. In a field dominated by female writers, Kim stands out as a rare male voice among those with less than a decade-long writing career. (All recipients of the 2023 and 2024 Young Writer Awards were female, except Kim in 2024.) His debut col

Books July 15, 2024

"See You Again" By Kim Ji-yun Clayhouse Embark on a heartwarming journey with a hearty meal through “See You Again,” a new novel by bestselling author Kim Ji-yun, centered around a small "dosirak" eatery in Hyehwa-dong. (Dosirak is a meal packed in a box for school, work or a picnic.) The story revolves around the owner, Madam Jeong Geum-nam, affectionately known as “Hyehwa-dong Grandma,” who brings together a group of people with her wholesome dosirak

Books July 14, 2024

"Office Pantry" By Lee Mi-ye Hanki Following the runaway bestselling healing fantasy, "DallerGut Dream Department Store," which sold over 1.5 million copies in Korea, author Lee Mi-ye returns with a new venture into hyperrealism with "Office Pantry." "Who do you dislike the most?" -- Is it the person who freezes coffee/cola in the communal ice tray, the one who takes all the instant coffee mix, the colleague who unplugs the microwave to charge his phone, t

Books July 13, 2024