Gwangju Center invites participants for GIC Day fest

The Gwangju International Center is inviting participants to take part in its annual community day festival.Now in its 21st year, the GIC Day is an annual celebration of the city’s foreign community, and runs this year on Oct. 18 at the Asia Culture Complex.Applications are open to take part in the talent show, sell items at the flea market, run a booth for a local community group, or to share international culture and food. Banners and booth furniture will be supplied by the festival.Applicatio

Sept. 23, 2015

Busan Global Center offers cultural courses

The Busan Global Center is offering courses on cultures from eleven different countries from next month.The courses meet once a week at the center for two hours, and run from Oct. 12 to Dec. 4, with the date and time depending on the country of study. Eleven courses are on offer, including courses on Uzbek, Indonesian and Vietnamese cultures. The classes will cover some basic language as well as various cultural aspects, and one outdoor activity will be included.The courses are free and open to

Sept. 23, 2015

Free course offered on starting trade business

Yeouido Global Business Center is offering a course on trade business in October.The course, which is free of charge and runs Oct. 24-25, covers the gamut of running a trade business, including procedures for starting one, the processes and support systems for trade in Korea and details containing contract and settlements. Customs and tax issues will also be covered, along with a case study.Classes are in English and the course is open to expats running new start-ups or are planning to open a bu

Sept. 23, 2015

Talk to look at passing on musical traditions

Seoul National University professor Hilary Vanessa Finchum-Sung will give a presentation on the preservation of musical traditions on Jindo Island, South Jeolla Province, on Sept. 29.In her presentation, hosted by the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch, Finchum-Sung will talk about her fieldwork at Sopo-ri on Jindo Island, which has been designated a traditional arts village.She will talk about government recognition of local musical traditions and its history of involvement with traveling perfo

Sept. 16, 2015

Flea market for expats to hit Gwanghwamun

Seoul Metropolitan Government will be hosting the Foreigners’ Flea Market at Gwanghwamun Plaza on Saturday.The event is designed to provide a place for expats to sell used goods, craft items, souvenirs and other items. To apply for a free booth, visit global.seoul.go.kr and download an application form. Some items may not be sold at the market, including alcohol, knives and medication. It is possible to sell food but a separate form is required, available on the same website.Vendors are encourag

Sept. 16, 2015

Seoul women’s group offers morning classes

Seoul International Women’s Association will hold its autumn sign-up session for its Enrichment Classes on Tuesday.Under the program, SIWA members offer each other the chance to join in regular classes covering areas from language and craft to cooking and fitness.Classes generally run 10 a.m. to noon and are only available to other SIWA members, but nonmembers can join on the day.The sign-up session will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Conrad Seoul Hotel. The cost is 25,000 won and include

Sept. 16, 2015

Migrant centers to compete in Seoul sports event

More than 1,000 migrants are expected to gather at the Olympic Stadium in Jamsil on Sunday for a citywide sports day.The event, hosted by the Yangcheon Migrant Workers Center, will pitch migrant workers, volunteers and other associates of the city’s seven migrant workers’ centers against each other in a series of sports and games.The event, held annually to promote exchanges between Koreans and foreign residents, drew 800 participants from 20 countries last year. The events include relay races,

Sept. 9, 2015

GIC offers tour to Jeonju hanok village

The Gwangju International Center will be running a GIC Culture tour to Jeonju on Sept. 19 to look around its traditional hanok houses.The tour will stop on the way at Geumsansa Temple in Gimje, which still has some features from the ancient Baekje era.On arriving in Jeonju, the first stop will be at Hanbyeok Pavilion to try the local tipple, Moju. After that, there will be a lunch of tteokgalbi, or seasoned pork patties, before the group looks around the city’s hanok village.The hanok village is

Sept. 9, 2015

Poetry to get airing at Seoul, Busan events

Two events featuring spoken word and other performances will be held this weekend in Seoul and Busan.In Busan, performance art event Poetry Plus will return for a 42nd outing Saturday with around 20 performers, including poetry dance and short stories.Started in 2000, Poetry Plus event gave birth to the Wordz Only spoken word open mic night in the same city, and returned for a 41st show in June after a long hiatus. Wordz Only will be relauched next month with a new format.Work by local artists w

Sept. 9, 2015

Singers sought for ‘Messiah’ concert

Fresh from its Autumn Pops Concert on Saturday, Camarata Music Company is seeking singers to join its Camarata Chorale to sing in its signature Christmas performance of Handel’s “Messiah.”The choral work is a common Christmas performance and has been performed by CMC each December since 2009 to more than 1,000 people each year.CMC has an auditioned chamber choir and a general choir, the Camarata Chorale, which is open to everyone, regardless of experience, has been set up to give expats and Kore

Sept. 9, 2015