Eyelike: TVXQ marks 10th anniversary with ‘Tense’

 TVXQ marks 10th anniversary with ‘Tense’TVXQ “Tense” (KT Music)K-pop legend TVXQ has returned to the music scene, celebrating the 10th anniversary of its debut with its new album, “Tense.” Although the duo has managed to produce an album that explores a wide range of musical genres, it has yet to overcome the void left behind by the three original members who left and formed a separate group, JYJ, in 2010.The album begins with “10 Years,” which notably fuses lyrics from former hits by TVXQ incl

PerformanceJan. 10, 2014

Leo is charismatically loathsome as ‘Wolf of Wall Street’

Leonardo DiCaprio’s most charismatic performance ever anchors Martin Scorsese’s robust and raunchy low lifes-of-high-finance comedy “The Wolf of Wall Street.” This is their greatest teaming, a veritable “Citizen Kane” of the post-“greed is good” era ― three hours of cocaine and orgies and high-living by the sorts of gauche gamblers who brought that age, and the world economy, to its knees.It is Scorsese’s “La Dolce Vita,” a manic, coke-fueled stock market “Goodfellas” following the rise and epic

FilmJan. 10, 2014

South Koreans trek to China to see their sacred mountain

CHANGBAI, China (AFP) ― The spiritual birthplace of the Korean people is a volcano steeped in myth and legend. But with the peninsula divided for decades, South Koreans longing to see it must first travel to China.The peak ― known as Changbai in Chinese and Baekdu in Korean ― and its spectacular crater lake straddle the China-North Korea border.Small tour buses screech around hairpin curves before unloading South Korean tourists for a short walk to the rim to catch sight of the forbidden North ―

TravelJan. 10, 2014

Around the hotels

Third anniversary promotion at La SeineLa Seine, a buffet restaurant at the Lotte Hotel Seoul, offers discounts and special events in celebration of the third anniversary of its reopening until March 31. The restaurant’s weekday lunch buffet is now priced at 79,000 won for adults and 53,000 won for children, 15 percent off the normal price. For an additional 20,000 won, restaurant guests can enjoy an unlimited amount of beer, five types of wine and soft drinks. Special promotional events include

CultureJan. 10, 2014

Craft beer, BBQ at 7Brau Pub

7Brau Pub’s second branch, which opened near Sinnonhyeon Station, takes its brews very seriously. Not only are there eight unfiltered craft beers on tap, including the brewery’s new Imperial IPA, even the grub is infused with the heady stuff. “We focused on using our beer in our food,” said 7Brau director Kim Kyo-ju. 7Brau beer goes into most everything. According to deputy executive chef Dan Kang, over 75 percent of the menu, from the beer-battered onion rings down to the burgers, the pulled po

FoodJan. 10, 2014

Baechu doenjang guk (Napa cabbage doenjang soup)

Doenjang, fermented soybean paste, is a staple Korean condiment and used as a base for stew or soup. As with doenjang jjigae (stew), doenjang guk (soup) is also one of the most representative Korean home-cooked dishes. While the stew version is typically hearty, thick and pungent, the soup is light and mild and has more broth. The doenjang-based soup made with baechu (Napa cabbage) is called baechu doenjang guk. Koreans cooking at home usually save the water used to rinse rice, ssalddeummul, and

FoodJan. 10, 2014

Castro makes first public appearance in 9 months

HAVANA (AFP) ― Cuban leader Fidel Castro has appeared in public for the first time in nine months, attending an art gallery opening near his home, the local press reported Thursday.Official media in Cuba and several foreign news outlets ran photographs showing a hunched Castro, 87, using a walking stick as he attended the inauguration of a gallery by Cuban artist Alexis Leyva.“He greeted artists and residents who applauded the new arrival with emotion,” the official Communist Party newspaper Gra

PeopleJan. 10, 2014

Director Zhang Yimou fined $1.2 million for having 3 kids

BEIJING (AP) ― Famed film director Zhang Yimou must pay more than $1.2 million in fines for having three children in violation of China’s strict family planning rules, officials said Thursday.A district government in the eastern city of Wuxi said in an online statement that investigators concluded that the director of “Hero” and “House of Flying Daggers” and his wife, Chen Ting, flouted family planning policies by having the children without approval and before they were married.China limits mos

PeopleJan. 10, 2014

French magazine reveals Hollande ‘affair’ with actress

PARIS (AFP) ― French magazine Closer on Friday said President Francois Hollande was having an affair with actress Julie Gayet, promising to back its claim with photographs after months of swirling rumors.The weekly tabloid’s website said its Friday print edition would feature seven pages of revelations and pictures on the 59-year-old president’s alleged relationship with Gayet.Closer, echoing reports published on various websites in recent days, said Hollande routinely drives through Paris on hi

PeopleJan. 10, 2014

Cineastes share their picks

Cinephiles in Seoul will get a rare chance this month to watch films selected by some of the most celebrated cineastes in the country, including Lee Jun-ik, Kim Jee-woon and Lee Dong-jin.The annual Cinematheque Friends Film Festival opens next week, celebrating its ninth edition. This year’s lineup consists of 23 films, including opener “Spring in a Small Town.” Selected by Korean-Chinese filmmaker Zhang Lu for the festival, the opening film is a 1948 work by Chinese filmmaker Fei Mu. The film r

FilmJan. 9, 2014

Steel calligraphy that still delivers depth of ink

The first 260 words of the Buddhist “Heart Sutra” run down a white wall rhythmically. The words concentrated on by generations of calligraphers using paper, brush and ink are represented through a different material, steel, to emphasize the Buddhist teaching.Artist Cho Hwan uniquely transforms the century-old practice of calligraphy into sculpture by using rough steel boards.  In the dimly lit room at Hakgojae Gallery in Seoul where his solo exhibition is being held, each word casts a shadow on

PerformanceJan. 9, 2014

Boats, pearls, crabs: New museum channels Miami

MIAMI (AP) ― Model yachts, rustic fishing boats and wooden rafts dangle above visitors as they step into the new Perez Art Museum Miami. The colorful display is both a playful nod to South Florida’s maritime culture and a somber reference to the perilous journeys many make to get here. It is the perfect entry to a museum that channels the city around it: whimsical, vibrant, brimming with culture from across the Americas ― and yes, a work in progress. The museum, which opened in December, still l

CultureJan. 9, 2014

Kim Hyun-joong returns as yet another comic book hero

Hallyu star Kim Hyun-joong’s long-awaited comeback to the small screen in the title role of KBS’ “Inspiring Generation” (working title) is just around the corner.This represents Kim’s first TV drama since MBC’s “Naughty Kiss” failed to bring in high viewer ratings more than three years ago and also represents the singer-actor’s third comic book-turned-series project. Both KBS’ “Boys Over Flowers,” which helped catapult the star to small screen fame, and “Naughty Kiss” were based on comic book se

TelevisionJan. 9, 2014