Mirror, mirror on the wall: Using the face to read one’s fate

Some people turn to psychics or crystal balls to learn their future, but many Koreans believe that all they need to see what lies in store is a mirror. Fortune-telling has a longstanding history in Asia dating back thousands of years, yet it is not necessarily perceived as a pastime practice or mere hocus pocus folklore. Many methods of fortune-telling such as tarot card and palm reading are still a common practice in Korea ― not only among the elderly, but among young people as well. However, a

Aug. 30, 2013

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Classical music“Paik Kun-woo Piano Recital”: Paris-based pianist Paik Kun-woo is performing Schubert’s Impromptu Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4; Moments musicaux Nos. 2, 4 and 6; and Klavierstucke Nos. 1, 2 and 3 on Sept. 14 at Seoul Arts Center. Making his international debut at age 10, Paik has performed with numerous internationally acclaimed orchestras such as the London Symphony, Berlin Symphony and BBC Symphony. Tickets are priced between 50,000 won and 130,000 won. For more information call (02) 599-

Aug. 30, 2013

International forum on ancient Buddhist texts due in Seoul

An international conference will be held next week in Seoul to discuss and promote the historic value of the Tripitaka Koreana, one of the world’s oldest Buddhist scriptures, organizers said Thursday. The forum, scheduled for Tuesday and organized as a preliminary event for a global Tripitaka festival kicking off next month, will bring together scholars and experts from the United States, Japan and South Korea at Plaza Hotel in central Seoul to explore the messages and structures of the 750-year

Aug. 29, 2013

Tripitaka Koreana was produced in Namhae, scholars claim

The Palmandaejangyeong, or Tripitaka Koreana as it is known in English, was made entirely on the southern island of Namhae rather than Ganghwado Island, as previously thought, a group of scholars said Tuesday. The groundbreaking study is expected to lead to further research into the 800-year-old Buddhist canon enlisted on the UNESCO Memory of the World register. According to Park Sang-guk, director of the Korea Cultural Heritage Institute, the wooden printing blocks appear to have been made at a

Aug. 27, 2013

250 Korean Buddhists meet Dalai Lama in India

About 250 Korean Buddhists have traveled to India to receive teaching from the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama for three days, it was reported Tuesday. According to international media outlets, the three-day teaching started on Sunday upon request from Korean devotees. The talks covered included Tsongkhapa’s “Concise Treatises on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment“ and were held at the main temple in Dharamshala, India, the Dalai Lama’s home and the site of the Tibetan government-in-exi

Aug. 27, 2013

25 years in making, Hindu encyclopedia is complete

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) ― A comprehensive encyclopedia of one of the world’s major religions is set to be unveiled next week in the U.S. The 11-volume work covers Hindu spiritual beliefs, practices and philosophy, and is the culmination of a 25-year academic effort.The encyclopedia is written in English and includes about 7,000 articles on Hinduism and its practices. The work also deals with Indian history, languages, art, music, dance, architecture, medicine, and women’s issues. The entir

Aug. 25, 2013

Homegrown characters go global

Everyone has a favorite cartoon character from childhood that occupies a special place in their memories. Until 2000, characters that reminded many Koreans of their childhood were not Korean creations. Most were Japanese or American, from the classic Tom and Jerry and Thomas and Friends to Pokemon and Digimon. Amid the swarm of foreign characters, the Korean character Dooly was rare in remaining popular since its debut in 1983 through a televised animation series on KBS. But for those who spent

Aug. 23, 2013

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Festivals“Seoul Fringe Festival”: The Seoul Fringe Festival will provide a showcase of independent artists. Individual artists or groups can freely perform drama, dance, mime, music and arts at the festival, which will allow the performers and the audience alike to enjoy the freedom of expression and selection. A total of 140 individual artists and teams will put on performances in various indoor and outdoor venues like small theaters, live clubs, galleries and streets near Hongik University in

Aug. 23, 2013

Language of design reinterpreted

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea is holding a one-of-a-kind exhibition titled “Design: Another Language,” which attempts to capture and interpret the language behind the concept of design within contemporary art.At the recently opened design exhibition, visitors can see around 100 carefully selected pieces related to the realm of design including graphic design, furniture design, advertisement and fashion design.  The exhibition highlights a group of artists and their at

Aug. 22, 2013

Turkish fans of Korean cinema get festival treatment

The first-ever Korea-Turkey film festival will be held in Istanbul next month as part of the upcoming Istanbul-Gyeongju World Culture Expo 2013.Internationally acclaimed Korean director Kim Ki-duk, known for his award-winning films such as “Pieta,” “Arirang” and “Samaritan Girl,” as well as actresses Han Ga-in, Kang Soo-yeon and Ye Ji-won, actor Park Joong-hoon and other notables in the Korean film industry are slated to attend the film fest.  The Korea-Turkey Movie Week in Istanbul will highlig

Aug. 21, 2013

Artifacts become casualties of Egypt unrest

CAIRO (AP) ― As violent clashes roiled Egypt, looters made away with a prized 3,500-year-old limestone statue, ancient beaded jewelry and more than 1,000 other artifacts in the biggest theft to hit an Egyptian museum in living memory.The scale of the looting of the Malawi Museum in the southern Nile River city of Minya laid bare the security vacuum that has taken hold in cities outside Cairo, where police have all but disappeared from the streets. It also exposed how bruised and battered the vio

Aug. 20, 2013

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Pop music“Hyundai Card Super Concert 19 City Break”: Joining the club of blowout summer music festivals, this year the Hyundai Card Super Concert 19 City Break two-day music festival is bringing some of the hottest bands in the rock music industry. The lineup includes headlining acts Metallica, Muse, Iggy and the Stooges, Limp Bizkit, Rise Against as well as popular local bands Jang Ki-ha and the Faces, Kwon Soon-kwan and much more. The two-day music Hyundai Card Super Concert will be held on Au

Aug. 16, 2013

Nevada petroglyphs the oldest in N. America

PYRAMID LAKE, Nevada (AP) ― Ancient rock etchings along a dried-up lake bed in Nevada have been confirmed to be the oldest recorded petroglyphs in North America, dating back at least 10,000 years.The petroglyphs found on limestone boulders near Pyramid Lake in northern Nevada’s high desert are similar in design to etchings found at a lake in Oregon that are believed to be at least 7,600 years old. Unlike later drawings that sometimes depict a spear or antelope, the carvings are abstract with tig

Aug. 15, 2013

Six decades of coverage and growth

  Korea’s first president, Syngman Rhee, makes an address to the U.S. Congress in 1954.The April 19 Revolution in 1960President Park Chung-hee meets U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1961.Kim Jae-kyu, chief of the intelligence agency, stands trial for assassinating President Park Chung-hee in 1979.Soldiers clamp down on the Gwangju Democratization Movement in 1980Hyundai Motors rolls out the 200,000th Pony in 1980. The company began manufacturing the nation’s first mass-produced car in 1975.Pres

Aug. 13, 2013