Most Popular
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
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Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
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Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
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Samsung chief bolsters ties with Germany’s Zeiss
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NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
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Med schools expect 1,500+ new admission slots next year
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Nominee for chief of anti-corruption body pledges 'independence, effectiveness'
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[Grace Kao] Hybe vs. Ador: Inspiration, imitation and plagiarism
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45RPM still here and not going anywhere
This is the 20th article in a series on producers, MCs, DJs and artists working in the Korean underground hip-hop scene. ― Ed. The hip-hop scene in Korea was very different when rap group 45RPM first started in 1999. The group ― consisting of members Smash, J-Kwondo and Red Roc ― said back then hip-hop was a culture shock to Koreans who had never experienced it before. At the time only a small number of Koreans listened to hip-hop, and there weren’t many rappers or dancers. Back then, there were
Dec. 22, 2013
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A life devoted to ballet
In 1996, at the age of 37, Choi Tae-ji was appointed the new director of the Korean National Ballet. The Japanese-born ballet dancer did not have much experience in administrative affairs, spoke Korean with difficulty, and was the youngest person ever to serve in the position. She hung up her pointe shoes and never looked back; her life in suits and high heels began. Now 54, Choi is in her last month as the company’s artistic director, after spending a total of 12 years as its head. Her first te
Dec. 20, 2013
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Eyelike: Zion.T brings back old school in ‘Mirror Ball’
Zion.T brings back old school in ‘Mirror Ball’Zion.T“Mirror Ball” (Loen Entertainment)With his distinctive voice, rising hip-hop star Zion.T has released his latest EP “Mirror Ball,” surprising listeners with his take on throwback, old-school trot sounds. The four-track EP feels like a tribute to 1930s Korea, with the album lead track, “Miss Kim” incorporating the traditional sounds of Korean trot-style beats and the artist’s reggae-soul infused voice to create a truly unique addition to today’s
Dec. 20, 2013
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Cho Yong-pil chosen as best singer of 2013: annual poll
Veteran singer Cho Yong-pil has been selected as the best singer of 2013, according to a survey by polling company Gallup Korea. Gallup conducted the survey from July to November, asking a total of 4,263 people from ages 13 to 59 to name up to three singers they thought were the most impressive this year. Cho received the most votes; a total of 17.6 percent of those who participated named him as the best singer of 2013.The 63-year-old, dubbed “the king of singers” in Korea, in April released “He
Dec. 20, 2013
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Daft Punk, Kendrick Lamar to play at 2014 Grammys
LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― French electronic dance act Daft Punk will play at the 2014 Grammys show next month, organizers said Thursday, confirming a rare performance by the elusive duo.Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons will also take the stage at the Jan. 26 show, music’s version of the Oscars, said organizers the Recording Academy.Daft Punk have not played since the release of their smash hit album “Random Access Memories” in May, despite persistent rumors of a tour. They canceled a planned TV appe
Dec. 20, 2013
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Kang Sue-jin: ‘The time was now or never’
It was like meeting “the one” you want to marry ― when you know, you just know.Famed ballerina Kang Sue-jin said that’s exactly how she felt when she was asked to be the next artistic director of the Korean National Ballet.“I’ve received the same offer a number of times in the past,” the Korean-born, Germany-based dancer said during a press conference in Seoul, Wednesday. She accepted the offer this time, and her three-year tenure starts in February. “But I never really felt I was ready until no
Dec. 19, 2013
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Once-stolen Stradivarius sells for $2.3 million
LONDON (AFP) ― A rare Stradivarius violin, which was once stolen and offered for just 100 pounds ($162) by thieves, sold at auction in Britain on Wednesday for 1.3 million pounds.Thieves took the antique instrument, which was made in 1696, and two valuable bows from Korean-born violinist Min-jin Kym as she ate a sandwich at a cafe in London’s Euston station in 2010.It was recovered unscathed from a house in central England in July, but by that time the violinist had obtained a new instrument. Th
Dec. 19, 2013
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American wins $1m Picasso for just $135 in online raffle
PARIS (AFP) ― A U.S. ticket-holder in a worldwide online charity raffle on Wednesday walked away with an exquisite $1 million Picasso after paying a mere 100 euros ($135), Sotheby’s said after organizing the first-of-its-kind tombola. The perfectly preserved Cubist artwork had been bought by an anonymous donor from a New York gallery and given to a charity working to save the ancient city of Tyre in southern Lebanon.The UNESCO-registered charity issued 50,000 tickets at 100 euros each for the to
Dec. 19, 2013
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Another sell-out Chun collection auction raises W27b
Intensity filled the auction room as bidding for the 1987 “Farm” painting by modern artist Lee Dae-won climbed higher and higher at the second auction for the seized art collection of former President Chun Doo-hwan at Seoul Auction on Wednesday. In seconds, the bids soared from the 250 million won starting price to 640 million in a heated competition over the flamboyant painting that had hung in Chun’s living room. The bidding soon rose to 660 million won, which was followed by a pause. “No Regr
Dec. 19, 2013
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Soul of Rolling Stones, Keith Richards, to turn 70
NEW YORK (AFP) ― The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards hits 70 Wednesday with another tour on the horizon, and probably a smirk for everyone who would not have bet he would make it this far in a life of excess.The unmatched guitar legend isn’t just hitting 70 ― like Mick Jagger did in August. He is also celebrating his 30th wedding anniversary with former model Patti Hanson, with whom he has two daughters. He also has three children with the Italian actress Anita Pallenberg.With his trademark banda
Dec. 19, 2013
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Brown Eyed Soul releases digital single to mark 10th anniversary
The four-member R&B ensemble Brown Eyed Soul released a digital EP, “Thank Your Soul,” on Thursday, marking the 10th anniversary of their debut. The album consisting of three songs, “You Are So Beautiful,” “Philly Love Song,” and “Neoreul (You),” ranges from ’70s-style soul and disco to romantic R&B ballads. An electronic-remix of “Philly Love Song” is also on the album. All the songs will be included in the group’s fourth regular album due next April. Male supermodel Kim Young-kwang and rising
Dec. 19, 2013
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Cho Yong-pil chosen as best singer of 2013
K-pop legend Cho Yong-pil was selected as South Korea's best singer of 2013, beating out global star Psy in an annual poll released on Thursday.Cho received the most votes at 17.6 percent in a survey conducted by Gallup Korea on 4,263 people aged 13 or older across the country for three times from July through November.Voters could choose up to three favorite singers among those who were active this year.The 63-year-old singer, dubbed "the king of singers" in South Korea, has made a splash in th
Dec. 19, 2013
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JYP to launch new girl group next year: report
JYP Entertainment, a major talent agency in South Korea, is set to launch a new K-pop girl group next year, local news outlets reported Thursday.“We are preparing a six-member team, and are aiming to make its debut next year,” a JYP official told Star News. According to the official, the team’s qualifications will be “the best ever.”Another JPY official said the group is the result of an intense training program that is “more systematic than programs the agency provided for any other team.”The a
Dec. 19, 2013
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2nd Chun collection auction raises 2.7 billion won
The auction of a total 121 pieces from the seized art collection of former President Chun Doo-hwan achieved 100 percent sales, raising 2.7 billion won at Seoul Auction on Wednesday. Artist Lee Dae-won’s “Farm” painting, one of the highlights of the collection that drew heated competition, was sold to a bidder at the auction room for 660 million won. Another highlight, an ink-and-wash landscape painting by Joseon-period master painter Gyeomjae Jeong Seon fetched 230 million won, twice its lowest
Dec. 18, 2013
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Richard Wagner conference disrupted in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (AFP) ― A young man on Tuesday disrupted a conference in Jerusalem on Richard Wagner, considered Hitler’s favorite composer, Haaretz newspaper said on its website.The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra was marking the 200th anniversary of the German composer’s birth with a symposium on his music and whether an unofficial Israeli ban on performances of his work should be upheld.According to Haaretz, the man burst onto the stage of the Jerusalem theater where the discussion was taking place, s
Dec. 18, 2013
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Sixteen acts to represent Korean music at 2014 SXSW showcase
Of the 50 Korean acts that applied, 16 bands have been selected to represent themselves and the Korean music industry at the next South by Southwest music showcase in Austin, Texas. The handful of bands ― five more acts than this year ― that have been selected to perform at the upcoming music festival in March will participate as the Korean lineup for the annual 2014 SXSW’s “K-pop Night Out” showcase, which was first established at last year’s event by event director James Minor to highlight Kor
Dec. 18, 2013
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Nirvana, Kiss join Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
WASHINGTON (AFP) ― Nirvana swept into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its first year of eligibility, the musical museum said, welcoming it and other groups like glam outfit Kiss.Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, Cat Stevens and Linda Ronstadt join Nirvana and Kiss ― known for Gene Simmons’ famously wagging tongue ― among the new members announced Monday. They will be inducted next year.The Cleveland, Ohio institution said Brian Epstein, manager of the Beatles from 1962 until his death in 1967, wi
Dec. 18, 2013
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Stars pose to encourage adoption
Star photographer Cho Sei-hon’s annual exhibition featuring celebrities to encourage domestic adoption is back at the Insa Art Center in central Seoul from Wednesday through Dec. 23. In the 11th “Letter from Angels,” members of K-pop groups including 2PM, 2AM, Sistar, ZE:A, Girls’ Generation―TTS, KARA, 4Minute, B1A4, BTOB, A Pink and BTS pose alongside babies or children with physical disabilities. “The babies did fine. While the members of 2PM tried to cuddle Hyeong-gyu, a boy, he never frowned
Dec. 17, 2013
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Live piano music meets poignant narrative
In his essay “I Am Melody,” pianist Kwak Yoon-chan says jazz is the music of the less privileged. “Jazz emphasizes the unstressed beat, instead of the stressed.”And the musician certainly empathizes with his pianist character in the on-going play “Novecento,” Italian playwright Alessandro Baricco’s most famous work. The unique character, named Novecento in honor of the 20th century ― it means 900 in Italian ― was born in 1900 on the transatlantic ship the Virginian. His parents abandoned him by
Dec. 17, 2013
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Rome goes back to the 1970s to celebrate art heyday
ROME (AFP) ― The heady years of artistic experimentation and cosmopolitan life in Rome in the 1970s are the subject of a new exhibition that opens in the Italian capital on Tuesday.Two hundreds works by some of the most famous artists of the time, including Alberto Burri, Cy Twombly, Jannis Kounellis and Sol Lewitt are on show at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni.The main artistic currents of the time are represented, including Arta Povera and Transavanguardia, as well as the lesser known “Anarchite
Dec. 17, 2013