A group of Korean-American community leaders said Wednesday it will meet with White House officials and congressional leaders this week to get their voice heard on key policy issues.The Council of Korean Americans (CKA) is hosting an inaugural "Community+Congressional Leaders Event" in Washington, D.C., later in the day.It will feature panel discussions on South Korea-U.S. relations, immigration reform, the Affordable Care Act, and North Korea, CKA said.Among the participants are Reps. Ed Royce

PeopleAug. 1, 2013

BAYREUTH, Germany (AFP) ― Frank Castorf’s new production of “Siegfried,” the third part of Richard Wagner’s monumental “Ring” cycle, drew deafening boos at its premiere late Monday for featuring copulating crocodiles and Kalashnikov rifles.One audience member had to be carried out after collapsing when the opera’s eponymous hero shoots down his opponent Fafner with a machine gun in gang warfare.The program had carried a warning about the use of gunfire in the production, but insisted that specta

PerformanceJuly 31, 2013

LONDON (AP) ― If opera is a dead art form, somebody forgot to tell George Benjamin.The English composer’s new opera, “Written on Skin,’’ has taken the music world by storm, hailed by critics, embraced by audiences and sprouting up in performance seemingly everywhere.Since its premiere last summer in Aix-en-Provence, France, it’s been staged in London; Amsterdam; Toulouse, France; Vienna, and, most recently Munich, where a sell-out crowd cheered wildly after the last of three performances at the

PerformanceJuly 31, 2013

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― China has stopped paying Hollywood studios for its films in a dispute over a Chinese tax on movie profits, Hollywood trade papers reported Tuesday.Tens of millions of dollars in box office revenues are owed in arrears to the likes of Disney, Warner, Universal, Paramount, Fox and Sony, according to The Hollywood Reporter.The magazine said China’s state-owned movie distributor, China Film Group, owes more than $31 million to Warner for “Man of Steel,” $23 million to Sony for “S

FilmJuly 31, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) ― Rag & Bone, Marchesa and Proenza Schouler, among the top in their class of cool, youngish New York-based fashion houses, took a field trip to China recently to start a dialogue with consumers there as they all have their eye on expansion.What they learned: Customers want something unique.“Some of the comments we heard were that the Chinese were getting a little sick of a Louis Vuitton store on every corner,” said David Neville, co-founder with Marcus Wainwright of Rag & Bone. “So

Arts & DesignJuly 31, 2013

PARIS (AFP) ― Arriving at a Christian Dior fashion show in Paris surrounded by a gaggle of photographers and minders, Korean star Gianna Jun quickly eclipsed the already seated Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence.One of the best known faces in Asia following a string of box office smashes, the actress is one of an elite group of bankable names attracting the attention of the fashion world.Designers have long looked to Hollywood stars to help sell their collections ― but as the spending power of consu

Arts & DesignJuly 31, 2013

Running a school is physically, mentally and even emotionally a harrowing business.With constant pressure from policymakers, teachers and pundits amid cutthroat competition and stifling costs, private English academies are hard enough to run as it is. One foreign hagwon owner in Korea, who goes by “TheBoss,” says it is compounded by the fact that few outsiders attempt to understand Korea’s English education system before they condemn it.His blog, Wangjangnim’s perspective ― a play on the Korean

Expat LivingJuly 30, 2013

Tibetan Buddhist master Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche is holding lectures in Seoul this weekend. The lectures will be on “Freedom of Mind” on Friday, “Everyday Meditation” on Saturday and “Buddhist Wisdom for the Modern World” on Sunday.Bhutan-born Rinpoche has lectured and published books across the world. He also directed the films “The Cup” and “Travelers and Magicians.” Rinpoche supervises Dzongsar Monastery and its retreat centers in eastern Tibet, as well as his new colleges in India

Expat LivingJuly 30, 2013

Gwangju International Center is offering August courses in Korean, Chinese and Japanese. The courses run from Aug. 6-31 and include beginners’ classes for Chinese and Japanese. Korean classes include beginners’ courses, TOPIK prep classes and speaking and entertainment-based classes.Classes are on weekdays, except the speaking and entertainment courses, with the schedule depending on the course. Fees range from 50,000 won to 200,000 won.To apply, visit gic.or.kr and download an application form.

Expat LivingJuly 30, 2013

The Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch is offering a range of weekend outings for August. The outings include a guided tour of Osaka and Nara on Aug. 24-26, focusing on the history of the two ancient Japanese cities and their historical connections to Korea. Other excursions include trips to Danyang, North Gyeongsang Province, on Aug. 11, Anmyeondo in South Chungcheong Province on Aug. 17 and a rafting trip in Gangwon Province on Aug. 24.For more information on the trips, visit www.raskb.or.kr.(

Expat LivingJuly 30, 2013

Seven DJs will battle it out at the final of Busan eFM’s Expat DJ Contest on Friday at Busan’s Gwangalli beach.The finalists, chosen through an online preliminary round, will be able to play music of any genre, but must include at least one K-pop song.The finalists are Blaze, Coldchillin’, Ferry, Kalibo, Mike Holland, Pinnacle TheHustler and Woodreaux. The winner will get 1 million won ($880), while runners-up will also receive cash prizes.There will also be sets from special guest DJs Pandol an

Expat LivingJuly 30, 2013