The Korea Herald

H.Art tours to introduce Hongdae history

Two guided tours of Hongdae will run Saturday as part of Seoul City’s efforts to promote the area’s cultural side.The H.Art Road tours, run by Human Hong Art with English interpretation, will look at the artistic and musical sides of the Seoul neighborhood.In the first, art curator Lim Na-rae will lead a shopping tour of the area, including galleries, art markets and workshops. She will introduce some of the history of the area, explaining how Hongik University became a center for visual artists

Dec. 9, 2015

Gwangju center offers tea tour

GIC will run a tour to Boseong, South Jeolla Province, on Dec. 19 to explore one of the region’s specialties: green tea.The tour will visit the Bohyang tea plantation to take in the scenic tea fields. At the plantation, they will also learn how tea leaves are prepared and processed for sale, and be able to try their hand at preparing some leaves themselves.The tour will then stop for lunch based around steamed rice wrapped in lotus leaves before going to Yulpo pine tree beach.The tour costs 30,0

Dec. 9, 2015

Church musical brings touch of Christmas tradition

Seoul International Baptist Church will be putting on its first Christmas musical Saturday, with a reworking of the traditional Christmas story.According to stage manager Angi Belsly, “Bethlehem’s Big Night” portrays the traditional tale of the nativity from the perspective of the townspeople.“It’s the Christmas story, of course, but it’s more from the people who were in Bethlehem at the time, and looking at their lives there.”“There’s a few calmer, quieter songs and moments, but there is a lot

Dec. 9, 2015

Entrepreneurs raise awareness of elderly poverty in Korea

A group of entrepreneurs in Seoul aims to repay the sacrifices of their grandparents’ generation by raising funds and awareness for elderly Koreans in poverty.Korea is confronting a demographic crisis as it struggles to support its rapidly aging population. Nearly half of Korean over-65s are living in poverty, while data this week showed that more Koreans over 50 are delaying retirement than ever before as they bear financial responsibilities to support both their parents and children. The elder

Dec. 2, 2015

Entrepreneurs raise awareness of elderly poverty in Korea

False decorum creates farce in ‘Rumors’

If attempts to save face at your workplace can sometimes seem extreme, they are nothing compared to the lengths that the characters go to in order to keep up appearances in a play to hit the stage in Ulsan this weekend.In Neil Simon’s “Rumors,” to be put on by the Industrial Theatre Troupe, the first guests arrive for an anniversary dinner, only to find the host has been shot dead. But in their desperation to look decent they do the unthinkable ― hiding the body and hosting the party themselves.

Dec. 2, 2015

College tie-up opens doors for CLASH charity shows

Charity concert series CLASH has linked up with Seoul’s Hoseo Art College to host a hip-hop show in aid of Korean Unwed Mothers Families Association on Saturday.Headlining show is “Show Me the Money” season two winner Soul Dive, which has since collaborated with actor So Ji-sub on his EP “18 Years.” Other acts include Rhyme-A-, Born Kim, Ignito, Suda Jaengi and Insane Deegie. CLASH is held regularly in aid of four charities on a rotational basis, with this show in aid of KUMFA, an organization s

Dec. 2, 2015

College tie-up opens doors for CLASH charity shows

Group exhibition shows skulls, sovereigns

Three expat artists are showing their work at “Glow,” a group exhibition in Seoul hosted by Art Network Korea.Though exploring different themes and media, the artists each use vivid colors in the exhibition.From left: "Boxes" by Jennah Valk, "Sol y Flores" by Rosalie Knaack, and "Queen 2015" by Andy Brown.These strong hues are mixed with dark, heavy shades in the acrylic paintings by Jennah Valk, who depicts cityscapes based on experiences in Asia. Using a heavily layered style, she contrasts sh

Nov. 18, 2015

Group exhibition shows skulls, sovereigns

Gwangju players to stage Shakespeare

Mixing fantasy with funny, Gwangju Performance Project is putting on its biggest ever production starting this weekend, with an abridged performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”Shakespeare’s tale of the Athenian aristocracy getting stuck in a forest and becoming the playthings of fairy royalty is one of his most popular comedies, and the directors say they let the cast loose in exploring its humor.“We’ve given them free rein. They’ve run wild with it in rehearsals with them. The play is wildl

Nov. 18, 2015

Seoul company puts on selected Shakespeare scenes

Seoul Shakespeare Company will be performing scenes from the bard’s work, based around the theme of “Love and Despair,” in two programs starting next week. The first program, lasting a little over an hour, focuses on the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, as it changes and unravels as a result of their actions. A comic scene from “The Tempest” will also be included.The second program will look at the familial relationships between the characters of “Hamlet” and the destruction of the

Nov. 18, 2015

Talk to explore Christianity, nationalism in colonial Korea

The Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch will host a talk by University of Calgary history professor Fred Glover on Canadian missionaries in Korea and their relationship with Korean Christian nationalists in the early 20th century. He will draw on the archives collated by Helen Fraser Macrae, particularly her audio recordings of interviews with Koreans who had lived and worked with Canadian missionaries during the first half of the 20th century.The presentation will examine these recordings, what

Nov. 18, 2015

Gwangju center hosts cookery contest

Gwangju Traditional Cultural Center will hold a Korean cooking contest for expats on Nov. 28.Teams should compete to cook the best Korean dish, with six prizes up for grabs including a grand prize worth 500,000 won. Those taking part should complete an application form with a picture of the food and an explanation of what it is, how it is made and why they chose to make it.The center will provide tables and stoves but teams must supply their own ingredients and utensils. Applications to take par

Nov. 18, 2015

[Weekender] A must-read for foreigners looking for internship in Korea

As in many economies where eager college students fall prey to corporate exploitation, internships in Korea have gained a notoriety that rivals the advantages they potentially offer. 　For non-Koreans hoping for an internship experience, however, the trouble begins before they even start. 　 Foreign students attend a class at a Korean graduate school. (Korea University Graduate School of International Studies)Searching for openings can be a laborious quest without sufficient Korean language skills

Nov. 13, 2015

[Weekender] A must-read for foreigners looking for internship in Korea

Seoul Players readies darker, quirkier play fest

Poison, cockroaches and Neanderthals discovering fire will be among the subjects explored in 10 minutes during a short play festival in Seoul. They will be part of Seoul Players’ Ten Minute Play Festival, which runs for two weekends starting Friday.The festival, now in its fifth year, will feature 16 plays chosen from over 200 submissions from Korea and overseas.Festival coproducer Sarah Grover said that whittling them down was tough, but she was impressed by the local submissions, four of which

Nov. 11, 2015

Seoul Players readies darker, quirkier play fest

GIC runs daytime ‘homestay’ cultural exchange

The Gwangju International Center is running a “Homestay House Party” program for expats wanting to know more about Korean life in a down-to-earth way by spending time with a local family.Participants are paired up with a Korean family for lunch and other activities arranged by the household.The program, which is free and sponsored by the Gwangju Metropolitan Government, runs on Nov. 28.Those who wish to take part should sign up via gic.or.kr. For more information, call Kim Min-jae at (062) 226-2

Nov. 11, 2015

‘Boob Crawl’ event to aid breast cancer foundation

A local purveyor of beautified bras will be running an unconventional bar crawl and auction this Saturday in aid of a breast cancer organization.Bras For A Cause’s “Boob Crawl” event will include games, auctions and a raffle, with funds going to the Korea Breast Cancer Foundation.BFAC raises money by auctioning off bras playfully decorated by volunteers. Designs typically range from the tastefully sequined to flamboyantly feathered creations with butterfly decorations. Other funds come from sell

Nov. 11, 2015

Counselling for expats offered in Dongdaemun

Seoul Global Center will provide a counseling service for foreign residents in Dongdaemun on Sunday. Volunteers with expertise on issues such as legal and labor problems, immigration rules, and pension will visit the Dongdaemun Global Village Center to provide consultations. Staff will also answer more general queries on living in the city.Advice will be available in English, Filipino, Mongolian, Russian, Uzbek and Kyrgyz, reflecting the makeup of foreign residents in the area.The service will b

Nov. 11, 2015

Stand-up Glenn Wool returns to Korea

Expat stand-up comedy outfits Stand-Up Seoul and the Ha Ha Hole will be hosting Canadian comedian Glenn Wool in Seoul and Busan from Thursday to Saturday.Wool, who also came to Korea in February 2013, is a regular on British TV stand-up and panel shows, including “Russell Howard’s Good News” and “28 Acts in 28 Minutes.”The Seoul shows will be at the Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon on Thursday and Friday from 9 p.m. Tickets are 15,000 won in advance and 20,000 on the door. Contact standupseoul@g

Nov. 11, 2015

Artist explores LGBT, social issues in Korea

An art exhibition in will open Itaewon on Friday exploring LGBT life and other social issues in modern Korea. The show, by Heezy Yang, will include watercolors that echo traditional Korean style but depict homosexual couples, satirizing the claims of conservatives here, who have opposed gay events and gay rights in Korea, calling homosexuality a Western idea.“There are still a lot of people in Korea who think that there are no gays in Korea or who don’t have a good idea of what gay means. But th

Nov. 4, 2015

Artist explores LGBT, social issues in Korea

Screening to mark Haiyan anniversary

A documentary screening about the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan on Sunday will mark the anniversary of the storm, which hit the Philippines on Nov. 7, 2013.The documentary, by Korea-based Filipino filmmaker Nash Ang, follows children and their families as they cope with the aftermath of the disaster during the Christmas period.The film looks at three families, one of which lost 22 members, while only three survived ― two children and a grandparent.“The survivors literally climbed coconut trees, th

Nov. 4, 2015

Center to provide legal, general advice in Hyehwa

Seoul Global Center will hold an onsite counseling service for expats in Hyehwa on Sunday. Volunteers will provide free consultations on issues such as legal and labor problems, immigration rules, and pension, insurance and general living issues. Consultations will be given in English, Filipino, Vietnamese and Mongolian.The service will be provided in front of the Hyehwa Catholic Youth Center from noon until 4 p.m.For more information, contact the center on (02) 2075-4136.(paulkerry@heraldcorp.c

Nov. 4, 2015