[Newsmaker] ‘My Love’ signals K-drama revival

In China, Korean TV drama “My Love from the Star” seems to have stirred up a syndrome that stands strong even amid a series of national tragedies ― a terrorist attack that left 33 people dead and a flight gone missing with another 152 of its nationals aboard.Kim Soo-hyun, the male lead in the drama, has become the heartthrob of Chinese girls. In the series, he played Do Min-jun, an alien in the form of a perfect male specimen who falls in love with an arrogant A-list actress played by Jun Ji-hyu

TelevisionMarch 10, 2014

‘300’ sequel rules U.S. box office with $45.1m debut

NEW YORK (AP) ― The shirtless warriors of the “300” sequel “Rise of an Empire” ravaged the post-Oscars box-office weekend with a domestic debut of $45.1 million but an even bigger international haul of $87.8 million.Seven years after the original “300” became an unlikely, ultra-stylish, blood-soaked sensation, Warner Bros.’ 3-D follow-up showed considerable might at the box office. While “300: Rise of an Empire” didn’t come close the North American debut of Zack Snyder’s 2007 original ($70.9 mil

FilmMarch 10, 2014

‘Cats’ original production gets first Korean run in 6 years

The original production of famous Broadway musical “Cats” is having its first Korean run in six years, according to Seol & Company.“Cats,” which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2011, is the second-longest-running show in Broadway history. Based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Eliot, the musical was first performed in Korea in 1994, and was a hit in 2003, 2007 and 2008. The four presentations altogether drew some 1.2 million viewers in the country. The plot of the musical revo

PerformanceMarch 10, 2014

Director Jonathan Demme selling vast art collection

A riot of color greeted Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme the first time he walked into Haitian Corner, an art gallery around the corner from his Manhattan apartment. Instantly transfixed, he left with a $250 painting by Haitian master Wilson Bigaud. The seed was planted. Demme’s appreciation for work by self-taught Haitian painters like Bigaud and Hector Hyppolite flowered into an obsession that he fed with multiple trips to the cash poor but artistically rich island nation, where he learne

PerformanceMarch 10, 2014

Dokdo-themed miniature garden to go on exhibit worldwide

A miniature garden themed around Korea’s easternmost islet of Dokdo will go on a global exhibition tour after being showcased in London last week.The downscaled garden created by Korean designer Hwang Ji-hae features imitations of plants that grow naturally only on Dokdo and its nearest island of Ulleungdo in the East Sea. The artwork of indigenous Korean flora was presented to emphasize Korean sovereignty over the islet, which Japan also claims as Takeshima, according to the designer.  Entitled

Arts & DesignMarch 10, 2014

SHINee gears up for third world tour

Nearly two years since the group’s previous world tour, the five members of SHINee are in full swing once again and will be taking their music and performances across borders on their new tour, “SHINee World III.” “We are about to embark on our next world tour and we are very excited to be performing outside of Korea once again,” said Min-ho during a press conference held in Gymnastics Stadium at the Seoul Olympic Park on Sunday. “The performanc for this tour is very upbeat and a lot more engagi

March 10, 2014

YG to establish U.S. operation

YG Entertainment, one of South Korea’s largest music management companies, is setting up a North American base for its artists.The agency, whose singers include K-pop acts 2NE1, Psy and Big Bang, said Friday that construction was underway in the United States for “YG Land,” an independent space complete with recording infrastructure to support and promote its artists in North America.In partnership with the American real-estate agency MD Properties, “YG Land” will be built inside The Source, a s

March 10, 2014

YG Entertainment looks to U.S. with ‘YG Land’

(YG Entertainment)YG Entertainment, home to several k-pop musicians including Psy and Big Bang, announced Friday that it would establish a base in the United States for its artists as part of efforts to strengthen its presence in North America. The entertainment powerhouse plans to partner up with the U.S. real estate developer M+D Properties to open “YG Land” in the multi-entertainment space “The Source.” The building complex, currently under construction, is set to open in Orange County, Calif

March 10, 2014

Why can‘t China make 'My Love from Star'?

  With the hit Korean drama “My Love from the Star” sweeping China, its government is keeping a wary eye on the frenzy the drama has created in the nation. 　 The U.S. daily Washington Post reported Friday that the Chinese government officials discussed the popular Korean drama’s success with envy at the ongoing China‘s National People’s Congress, where the country‘s highest governing bodies meet annually to discuss legislative issues. 　 In a committee of China’s political advisory body

March 10, 2014

Three operas, three different charms

The arrival of spring means the opening of an opera season. Kicking off this spring opera lineup are three classic operas, each with a different color and charm: comedy, tragedy and something in between. ‘Don Giovanni’The National Opera Company of Korea brings an experimental, small-scale production of Mozart’s classic opera “Don Giovanni” to Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul. Taking place at a 1,000-seat CJ Towol Theater at the center, which opens this spring after renovation, the production

CultureMarch 9, 2014

Nam June Paik works join Tate’s permanent collection

Key works of Korean-born media art pioneer Nam June Paik have been included in the permanent art collection of Britain’s Tate galleries with the sponsorship of Hyundai Motor Co. The prestigious Tate Modern museum of art will hold an exhibition of Paik’s works in the latter half of the year. As part of the 11-year partnership deal with Hyundai Motor, Tate purchased nine important works by the renowned media artist, including his video and painting works and installations. The artworks spanning Pa

PerformanceMarch 9, 2014

‘Gravity’ director Cuaron turns to TV

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Oscar-winning director Alfonso Cuaron was looking for an anti-“Gravity” follow up to his blockbuster space film, and he found it with a rare excursion into television.Cuaron and sci-fi auteur J.J. Abrams (“Lost,” the “Star Trek” movies) are executive producers of “Believe,” a drama about a child whose supernatural powers put her and the world at risk.The premise came to him while he waited during “the endless process of special effects” on “Gravity,” Cuaron said at a media eve

TelevisionMarch 9, 2014

[Band Uprising] Monni feeds its greed with ‘Follow My Voice’

As the Korean music market is beginning to receive more international recognition, the local band scene is looking to rise up and represent the next generation of Korean music. This is the second installment of a series of interviews with Korean rock, acoustic and alternative bands. ― Ed. The band name itself says all about the four members of rock band Monni ― the musicians all have an insatiable thirst for quality music. Monni derives from a Korean term for greed, and is representative of the

March 9, 2014

[Weekender] Deja vu

The 1990s were a culturally vibrant decade that saw the birth of the legendary boy band Seo Taiji and Boys and first-generation idols like H.O.T. and Sechs Kies. It was the beginning of what we now call K-pop, and a period when Korean popular culture, especially movies and TV dramas, made great strides both in style and content. The decade is often hailed as Korea’s cultural heyday and continues to inspire popular culture. The culture of the ’90s first re-entered the Korean mainstream with the m

TelevisionMarch 7, 2014

[Weekender] Old music bridges generations

In a popular cartoon on the Internet, a man in his early 40s holds a floppy disk and asks a young boy, “Have you seen one of these before?” to which the boy exclaims, “Wow, you made a 3-D model of the save icon!”Poking fun at the generational gap between the youth of today and the middle-aged, the cartoon is a reminder of the inevitable differences in culture and shared memories between different generations.However, at a small bar-club in Hongdae ― decorated with shelves full of old LP records,

PerformanceMarch 7, 2014

[Weekender] Reliving good old days

When 41-year-old housewife Kim Soo-yeon recalls the early 1990s, it is with dreamy eyes and a hint of excitement in her voice. Her hero, late singer Kim Kwang-seok still roamed the stage, job prospects were bright as Korea’s economy continued to grow, and she was ready to enjoy what the world had to offer. “Those were my golden days. Back then, I felt like I could achieve anything,” Kim said. By the time she finished college in the late 1990s, however, the Asian financial crisis had struck and s

CultureMarch 7, 2014

[Weekender] Retro fever sweeps Korean consumers

Twenty-four-year-old college student Rho Jyong-ho has been all about retro these days.“Lately, I’ve been spending the majority of my weekends watching movies and dramas that are set in the 1990s,” said Rho. “Although I can relate to some things from when I was growing up, there are a lot more things that I can’t recall, probably because I was too young.”Rho is one of many people in Korea who are currently immersed in “retro fever.”The craze over retro products and culture that has been spreading

CultureMarch 7, 2014

Calendar

Classical musicLondon Symphony Orchestra: For the ninth time, the London Symphony Orchestra will be playing in Korea, this time with conductor Daniel Harding. It will hold two concerts at Seoul Arts Center, on March 10 and 11. The first concert will feature works by Mussorgsky, Stravinsky and Schubert. For the second one, the orchestra will play Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2, with soloist Kim Sun-wook, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, “Titan.” Ticket prices range from 60,000 won to 300,000 won. F

CultureMarch 7, 2014