Herald Interview In series
A series of in-depth interviews.
#Interview
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Herald Interview In series
A series of in-depth interviews.
Would you like to subscribe?
'Solana is autobahn for money,' says Swiss foundation’s Korea chief
Solana is emerging as a preferred blockchain platform for stablecoin payments and tokenized financial assets, positioning itself as a high-speed, low-cost backbone for next-generation finance, according to Lee Sung-san, Korean chief of the Switzerland-based Solana Foundation. "Solana can be compared to an autobahn where money moves at full speed," Lee said in a recent interview with Herald Business, a sister vernacular of The Korea Herald. "It is optimized for stablecoin transfers, payments, rem
Jan. 19, 2026 - 13:59:10
Council Chair Lee centers residents in plans for North Chungcheong Province
Located in the heart of the Korean Peninsula, North Chungcheong Province South Korea’s only landlocked province. It sits between Seoul and the country’s southern industrial hubs, making it a strategic crossroads for logistics, industry and regional development. In recent years, North Chungcheong Province, along with its capital city of Cheongju, has emerged as a key center for biotechnology, advanced manufacturing and inland transportation, while also grappling with challenges common to many non
Jan. 18, 2026 - 18:03:58
'Culinary Class Wars' Season 2 winner Choi Kang-rok on his final dish and saying no to fame
In the content landscape, the sophomore syndrome is a familiar pitfall: even global breakout hits rarely see their second season match, let alone surpass, the impact of a blockbuster debut. "Culinary Class Wars" Season 2 proved to be a rare exception. Returning with familiar game mechanics but fresh twists and a new lineup of contestants, the Netflix cooking competition matched and in some respects surpassed the cultural impact of its debut, dominating conversations during its five-week run. Tha
Jan. 16, 2026 - 17:40:11
Enhypen doubles down on storytelling with new EP
After ending last year with three grand prizes at year-end music awards, Enhypen is returning with a tightly structured seventh EP that reinforces what the group sees as its defining strength — long-form storytelling rooted in a vampire narrative that the group has carried since debut. “The Sin: Vanish,” set for release Friday, ends a seven-month break for the group. The album is not simply a collection of songs, but a fully realized conceptual work in which narrative, lyrics and instrumentation
Jan. 16, 2026 - 08:00:00
Kwon Sang-woo, still in the game
Kwon Sang-woo has been here before. Starring in modest-budget comedies that don't have blockbuster marketing muscle behind them, bracing for opening weekend numbers while theaters keep losing audiences, and hoping to beat the odds one more time. "I'm always on edge before a release," he says at a cafe in central Seoul on a Tuesday afternoon. "For about two weeks after opening, I'm a nervous wreck. More than during the actual shoot." This time around, the 50-year-old is back with "Heart Man," whi
Jan. 15, 2026 - 11:16:27
Renault Korea CEO: Filante to drive next export push
Free from direct exposure to the US-driven tariff war but hit by weakening demand in its overseas markets and Renault Group’s shift toward profitability over volume, Renault Korea is betting on the Filante crossover to revive exports and broaden its global footprint. According to Renault Korea CEO Nicolas Paris, the company plans to begin exporting the newly launched model by the end of this year, with Latin America and the Middle East designated as priority markets. Speaking during a group inte
Jan. 14, 2026 - 14:36:33
With 'Project Y,' Jeon Jong-seo marks end of beginning
Jeon Jong-seo had a dream run through her 20s — almost straight out of a movie. At 23, with almost zero acting experience and barely a week at her new agency, she landed the lead in art house auteur Lee Chang-dong's "Burning" at her very first audition. The mysterious slow-burner premiered at Cannes in 2018 to rapturous reviews, made the Oscar shortlist and announced Jeon as a face for the world to remember. Two years later came "Call," where she made a chilling turn as a psychopath who weaponiz
Jan. 13, 2026 - 15:02:20
[Korean Producers] Why CJ ENM is betting on musical theater in a digital age
As entertainment consumption becomes increasingly shaped by algorithms and on-demand platforms, CJ ENM is doubling down on one of the industry’s most analog bets: live musical theater. Best known globally for blockbuster films and K-pop hits, the Korean entertainment giant has spent the past two decades quietly reshaping the domestic theater market. The scale of this commitment is currently visible across Seoul, where major productions including "Kinky Boots," "Moulin Rouge! The Musical," "Beetl
Jan. 12, 2026 - 14:43:01![[Korean Producers] Why CJ ENM is betting on musical theater in a digital age](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/01/12/news-p.v1.20251203.744a5b83d2b048bcb2ffca0e915a8977_T1.jpg?type=h&h=320)
'Speed will decide AI humanoid race'
LAS VEGAS — Hyundai Motor Group is positioning AI-powered humanoid robots not as a long-term vision, but as practical tools that can immediately transform how manufacturing plants operate. That message came through clearly in a standing interview Wednesday at the company’s CES exhibition booth, where Vice Chair Chang Jae-hoon stressed that Hyundai’s robotics and AI push is the result of years of preparation — not a response to short-term market trends or CES buzz. “AI has been discussed for quit
Jan. 8, 2026 - 13:47:10
Park Si-hoo walks his long road back to cinema
"I'd been looking forward to this for almost 15 years," Park Si-hoo says Thursday in an office in central Seoul. Having spent years away from cinema, he missed the feel of a film set: Slower pace of shooting, the close-knit vibe among the cast and crew. "Then I got to Mongolia for the shoot — minus 38 degrees — and it was harder than any TV drama I've done." The freezing location work was for "Choir of God," a made-for-the-holidays weepie about North Korean soldiers who form a fake church choir
Dec. 28, 2025 - 14:35:11
A magician onstage, a guardian of mind backstage
Onstage, he darts here, then there, casting spells that captivate wide-eyed children and adults alike. He is Drosselmeyer, Clara’s godfather and the enigmatic magician who gives her a Nutcracker and, with it, the key to a magical land. In “The Nutcracker,” Drosselmeyer is more than a supporting character. He is the hinge between reality and fantasy, the figure who ushers Clara and the audience out of the living room and into the Kingdom of Sweets. “He’s the one who invites Clara to dream,” said
Dec. 24, 2025 - 17:29:20
Park Hae-soo rides another wave of global fame
"I only heard about it this morning," Park Hae-soo says. "They briefed me right before this interview. It still hasn't quite sunk in." Seated in a Samcheong-dong cafe on a Tuesday afternoon, Park is processing the news that his latest film, "The Great Flood," has rocketed to the top of Netflix's global charts — No. 1 in over 50 countries — within days of its Dec. 19 release. The news landed just hours ago, relayed by a staffer during a pre-interview meeting. Park pauses, almost bashful. "I'm jus
Dec. 24, 2025 - 17:19:59
LG tests everyday technology for space, betting on reliability over hype
Space is no longer out of reach, and LG Group sees it as a logical extension of its existing capabilities — not by chasing flashy goals, but by proving that its everyday tech can withstand the unforgiving conditions beyond Earth. “Space is not a blank slate,” said Chung Sue-hyun, president of LG Sciencepark, in an interview with The Korea Herald. LG, he added, is preparing for a clearly emerging market by “building on what we already do well.” The group isn’t entering the space sector from scrat
Dec. 22, 2025 - 12:13:19
How Koreans once welcomed new year
On the English-language website of the National Gugak Center, “Narye” is described as a royal exorcism rite, a year-end ritual and celebration through which Korean ancestors sought to drive out evil spirits and welcome the new year. From that brief introduction, one can expect a traditional, palace-scale version of “KPop Demon Hunters.” On Lunar New Year’s Eve, the palace gates were opened after dark, allowing the finest performers and children from outside the palace to join court musicians for
Dec. 18, 2025 - 14:21:58
Magic is real, and work is fierce in whirling snowflakes of 'Nutcracker'
A young girl and the Nutcracker, transformed into her prince, defeat the evil Mouse King and begin their joyful pas de deux. As the magic deepens, snow falls gently. One by one, more than 20 snowflake dancers appear on the stage, as if carried in on a soft breeze. The stage soon fills with whirling motion, the tempo quickening into a blur of spinning white. It is one of the most iconic scenes in ballet that seals the magic of “The Nutcracker,” a winter fantasy that audiences return to year after
Dec. 17, 2025 - 13:52:05
