Most Popular
-
1
1 in 3 Koreans live alone, family types becoming diverse
-
2
Korea, Japan finance chiefs vow to tame rampant FX market volatility
-
3
K-pop singer lost consciousness after being hit by foul ball, cancels show
-
4
K-pop group's manager dismissed for setting up spycam in theater dressing room
-
5
Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote
-
6
Korean Muslim YouTuber's plan to build mosque in Incheon goes viral
-
7
Why is Apple Pay struggling to get purchase in Korea?
-
8
Yoon's office denies considering liberal figures for key posts
-
9
Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
-
10
[Today’s K-pop] BTS pop-up event to come to Seoul
-
NYC Met Museum gets $1b Cubist collection donation
Leonard Lauder, honorary chairman of cosmetics firm Estee Lauder, has given New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art an entire collection of Cubist art worth $1 billion.The collection which Lauder has assembled over more than four decades includes 78 works of Picasso, Braque, Gris and Leger, making it the biggest art donation ever made.The Met has long been trying to secure major artworks from the early 20th century. Thomas Campbell, CEO of the Met, said, “Lauder’s gift would be truly transformati
April 10, 2013
-
Classic opera music given high-tech treatment
Ever-evolving computer technology has already made inroads into many fields of arts, bringing even those uninitiated in art closer to what is normally considered the high arts.An ambitious project has recently kicked off, marrying one of the trickiest genres of music ― opera ― with a cutting-edge 3-D media faade. Arguably the first such attempt in the world, all eyes are on it to see if it can nurture a new generation of opera buffs. At the “IAM Opera Gala 2013” to be held at Seoul Arts Center O
April 9, 2013
-
Joseon palaces come to life
In celebration of spring, palaces are opening their doors wide to those who want to know more about them and the stories they contain. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Monday that Korean traditional musical concerts will be held at Joseon-period palaces in Seoul through autumn. At the royal garden and Nakseonjae building in Changdeokggung Palace, stage actors Park Jeong-ja and Jeong Dong-hwan will perform short plays of love stories and other anecdotes from the Joseon era (1392-1
April 8, 2013
-
Sudeok-sa Temple opens second global Zen forum
A Buddhist temple will host the International Zen conference for the second time to mark the 100-year pari-nirvana memorial of Zen Master Gyeongheo in Yesan, South Chungcheong Province. Located in the heart of Mt. Deoksungsan, Sudeoksa Temple will hold the three-day event titled “2013 The Pathless Path” starting from April 16-18, along with a trekking program and a music festival. Venerable Zen masters are invited for Dharma talks including Most Ven. Bang-jang Seoljung Daejeongsa, head of Deokso
April 8, 2013
-
[Newsmaker] Mega publishers merge to fight e-books
What do George Orwell’s “1984” and E.L. James’ “Fifty Shades of Grey” have in common? Starting later on in 2013, they’ll both be owned by the same company after a merger is completed between publishing heavyweights Penguin and Random House. The two have received unconditional approval from several regulatory commissions on competition in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with the latest coming from the European Union on Saturday. The merger does not “raise competition concerns, in par
April 7, 2013
-
‘World’s greatest’ chef Ferran Adria seeks digital legacy
HONG KONG (AFP) ― From foie gras noodles and liquid olives to air baguettes and mimetic peanuts, much of what elBulli chef Ferran Adria and his team created across their nearly 2,000 dishes defies transcription.Two years after closing the beachside Spanish restaurant ― repeatedly lauded as the world’s best by those lucky enough to have dined there ― Adria says he is now focused on preserving its legacy for future generations.Widely regarded as the world’s best chef and credited with having chang
April 7, 2013
-
Songdo Good Market to kick off on April 27
Songdo Good Market, an annual flea market aimed at spreading green and sharing culture in Korea, will be back on April 27 at the Songdo Canal Walk inside the Songdo International Business District in Incheon. Starting on that day, the 2013 market will continue to be held on the last Saturday of May, September and October from 1 p.m. through 6 p.m., said Gale International Korea, developer of the Songdo IBD. The organizer said about 300 sales booths will be installed along the main stream where p
April 7, 2013
-
Calendar
Pop music“Zedd in Seoul”: The young Russian-German DJ and music producer Zedd is a classically trained musician who began playing the piano at the age of 4 and the drums later on. In 2002, when Zedd was just 12 years old, he joined the heavy metal rock band trio Dioramic and began composing and producing music. In 2009, he discovered the world of house music after hearing French electronic duo Justice. This led Zedd to the path of DJing and producing electronica music and he released his debut h
April 5, 2013
-
Psy wins innovation award
Psy has been included on the list of winners recognized for their “disruptive innovation” during the past year, according to the website of Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards. Psy was among the 19 recipients of the award given to a person or organization for their achievements that had a significant impact on their respective industry. “The recent online obsession over Psy’s video for ‘Gangnam Style’ has turned the Korean artist into a global phenomenon,” read the description of Psy on the we
April 5, 2013
-
Louvre names antiquities expert as its new director
PARIS (AP) ― France’s Louvre museum is getting a new director ― the man who is leading the restoration of its most famous Greek sculpture and has his hands in some of the institutions latest efforts to expand its reach.Jean-Luc Martinez, a French specialist in Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities who has worked at the Louvre since 2007, was appointed by President Francois Hollande for a three-year term. Martinez, 49, is leading the restoration of the famed headless Winged Victory of Samothrace
April 4, 2013
-
Korean films attract record-high 39.4m in Q1
The number of moviegoers for Korean films here marked a record-high of 39.4 million from January through March, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday. The figure topped the previously held record of 37.2 million set in the third quarter of 2012.Seven Korean films were ranked among the top 10 movies, accounting for 69.4 percent of the audience, the authorities said. The biggest hit was “Miracle in Cell No.7” with 12.7 million audiences, followed by “Berlin File” with 7.1 milli
April 4, 2013
-
Fun Korean neologisms
Many fun, unique words are popping up almost every day, reflecting the trend of people’s use of language. One of such phrases in the United States is “D’oh,” a classic exclamation from “The Simpsons.” The immense popularity of the sitcom even led the expression to be listed in the Oxford English Dictionary in 2002. In Korea, there are also a number of newly coined words that are widely used by all age groups. The following are some of the most popularly used terms:1. Gomunkwan: Gomunkwan, or adv
April 4, 2013
-
Exhibition: diverse origins of English words
The British Council opened a new exhibition called “The English Effect” in Britain on Wednesday that introduces many English words with foreign origins.According to the exhibition, “booze” came from the medieval Dutch word “busen,” meaning “to drink to excess.” It was first used by beggars and thieves in the 1500s.Unlike people’s belief that “bungalow” was first used by house builders who had to “bung a low roof” due to the shortage of bricks, it is from Bengal, India. It is said to have been t
April 4, 2013
-
‘Gate of hell’ found: Italian scholars
An ancient site that was depicted in Greek and Roman mythology as the “Gates of Hell” has been found, an Italian archeologist claimed. Francesco D’Andria, a professor of classic archaeology at the University of Salento, said recently that his team successfully identified a site in the city of Pamukkale, West Turkey, as the Plutonium, or sanctuary of Pluto. Pluto is the Roman god of death.D’Andria claimed the site matched many characteristics of the ancient Greek and Roman description of the lege
April 3, 2013
-
Buddha’s sarira removed from Bulguksa pagoda
GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province ― What are believed to be the sarira of Sakyamuni enclosed in urns kept inside the Three-Storied Stone Pagoda at Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, were removed on Tuesday in preparation for repairs to the nearly 1,300-year-old structure.This is the first time the bead-like objects said to have been found among the cremated ashes of Buddha were removed from the stone pagoda and shown to the public since 1966.Byun Young-sup, the newly appoi
April 2, 2013
-
Welcome to the holy grail of toilets
The following is part of a series exploring unique museums, collections and the passionate collectors behind them. ― Ed.The late Sim Jae-duck, then the mayor of Suwon, was elated when his city was chosen to host some of the 2002 World Cup games. However, when he was asked what he intended to do about updating the public restrooms in the city, the mayor was reportedly jolted into action to improve the quality and hygiene of the city’s public restrooms. His dedication to the clean-up efforts of Su
April 2, 2013
-
A glimpse into life of Koreans centuries ago
From a wife’s affair, poverty and hunger to embezzlement by a government official, it seems that everyday life today is not so different compared with the Joseon period.Ancient documents that offer a glimpse into people’s lives during the Joseon era are on display at Chonbuk National University Museum.Since reopening in 2011, the museum has selected “interesting” old papers to exhibit, the museum’s curator Lee Jong-cheol said. Various documents from the Joseon period, including divorce papers an
April 2, 2013
-
Joseon palaces open for private functions
The Cultural Heritage Administration said Monday that it was leasing three halls of Joseon-period palaces in Seoul for private gatherings through Oct. 31.The three venues are Hamhwadang and Jipgyeongdang, where the king received foreign envoys, in Gyeongbokgung Palace and Gajeongdang, a building the king and his queen used for rest and leisure.“The openings will widen the public’s access to the palaces, our cultural heritage. Since Hamhwadang and Jipgyeongdang and Gajeongdang were used for vario
April 1, 2013
-
Young wannabe stars follow dancing dreams
A group of youthful dancers took the stage on March 16 at Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, moving and grooving to popular K-pop songs.While the scene was certainly eye-catching, it was not out of the blue; the square is an easy target for people seeking attention ― protesters and street performers ― as it constantly swarms with tourists, police, young couples, and families on weekends.This particular group, however, was peculiar in the sense that none of the members looked old enough to be there witho
April 1, 2013
-
Moving picture of life and death in Pompeii at London exhibition
LONDON (Reuters) ― An exhibition showing daily life and tragic death in the ill-fated Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum opened in London on Thursday to glowing reviews and the highest advance tickets sales at the British Museum in five years.Over 450 objects, many of which haven’t been seen outside Italy, are arranged to show everyday life in the Roman Empire before Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79, burying the two Southern Italian cities in volcanic ash. Paul Roberts, senior curator at t
April 1, 2013