Talk to explore U.S. mining in Joseon Korea

The Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch will reopen its lectures after a summer break with a presentation on American gold miners in the Joseon era by Robert Neff.After some background on Korea’s reputation for gold and mineral wealth and early attempts at Western concessions in the 1880s, Neff will talk on the introduction of modern gold mining in 1896 by the Oriental Consolidated Gold Mining. He will talk about the community that formed around the concession and the dangers they faced, includin

Sept. 2, 2015

Concert to bring together Korean, foreign traditions

Seoul’s Senior Public Diplomacy Group will host a free folk music and dance concert at the National Museum of Korea on Sept. 6.The concert, which brings together performers from nine countries, including Korea, was set up as part of the group’s efforts to promote Korean culture and bring different groups together to celebrate their own traditions.“Initially we held concerts only with Korean traditional performers but since then we began to include dances from other cultures to bring people toget

Aug. 26, 2015

Exotic Beasts art group to prowl in Busan

Busan’s creative community is set to get a boost from a brand new creature feature.Exotic Beasts is a new group designed to give artists in Busan and nearby areas exposure through exhibitions and a weekly magazine.The group was started by Jeongmin Lee, who is based on nearby Geojedo Island and illustrates under the name Min the Elephant. She was frustrated with the lack of opportunities to show her work. “I wanted to join some artists group for shows and wanted to be involved in the arts scene i

Aug. 26, 2015

PSCORE to host rock show in aid of N.K. defectors

A rock concert in Itaewon will raise money for North Korean defectors Saturday. The concert is part of the Rock Out series of shows to raise money for People for Successful Corean Reunification (PSCORE)’s North Korean Defector Education Fund. The fund pays for free tutoring for defectors.The lineup includes Wasted Johnny’s Luidistelo and Magna Fall. The show starts at 9 p.m. at Thunderhorse Tavern in Itaewon. There is a cover charge of 10,000 won, to go toward the PSCORE fund.(paulkerry@heraldco

Aug. 19, 2015

Seoul Players seeks actors for 10 Minute Play Festival

The Seoul Players are holding auditions next weekend for the 5th Annual 10 Minute Play Festival, in November. The festival features 16 previously unperformed plays by writers inside and out of Korea, each lasting 10 minutes.Seoul Players is looking for actors of all types and there is no need to prepare an audition piece. “The festival provides an excellent performance opportunity without the extreme time commitments of other projects, and is a great time to try something new,” the troupe said i

Aug. 19, 2015

Free labor law seminar offered in Itaewon

Itaewon Global Village Center will host a free seminar on labor law for people on teaching, professional and entertainment visas on Aug. 29.Labor counsellor Song Jae-ho, who works at YIO Labor Law Office and offers labor law counseling for the center, will lead the seminar for those on E-2, E-6 and E-7 visas. The session will include an introduction on labor law in Korea, examples of frequent labor issues, and options for remedy.“The seminar will focus on basic labor rights and common complaints

Aug. 19, 2015

National Gugak Center offers traditional music classes

The National Gugak Center is offering a program of traditional music classes for foreigners this fall.There are courses available for three instruments: janggu, an hourglass shaped drum; haegum, a simple fiddle-like instrument; and gayageum, a 12-stringed zither. Beginner and intermediate level classes are offered for gayageum.Classes run at the center, near Bangbae Subway Station, on Saturday mornings from Aug. 19 to Nov. 28, Courses cost 70,000 won in total, with instruments provided for the c

Aug. 19, 2015

U.S. stand-up Sean Patton to perform in Korea

U.S. comedian Sean Patton will be performing this weekend at expat comedy shows in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, and Busan.Patton, who has made various TV appearances in the U.S. and released his first comedy album, “Standard Operating Procedure,” in 2012, combines observational humor and storytelling with a touch of the absurd.Patton came to Korea after sharing a bill with former Stand Up Seoul performer Adam Palmeter.“I’ve heard so many great things about South Korea that when the opportunity

Aug. 13, 2015

Start-up demo session to be held in Seoul

The Seoul Global Center is planning a start-up demonstration event next month to allow expat entrepreneurs to show off their ideas in tech-related fields.At the event, run jointly with Kookmin University, teams will be invited to show off their ideas in information and communications technology-related manufacturing or services at the Seoul Global Center on Sept. 16. A panel of professionals invited by the organizers will select 10 teams to present at the event and pick two winners from among th

Aug. 12, 2015

Gwangju center runs tour to beach island

The Gwangju International Center will run a beach tour to Imjado Island, part of the Sinan County archipelago off the southwestern coast. The tour will visit the Muan Ecological Tidal Flat Center on the way to step out onto the mud flats and learn about the animals that inhabit them. Also at the center, each participant will have the chance to cook skewers of octopus caught nearby for a snack before moving on to Sinan County itself.Before catching the ferry to Imjado Island there will be a stop

Aug. 12, 2015

Free tax advice offered in Gangnam

Tax counselors from Yeoksam District Tax Office in southern Seoul will visit Yeoksam Global Village Center on Tuesday to provide free one-on-one advice for foreign residents who have tax issues.The sessions will run from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the center building near Gangnam Station.To apply for an appointment, email yeoksam@sba.seoul.kr with your basic personal information and preferred time or call (02) 3453-9038~9.For more information and directions to the center, visit global.seoul.go.k

Aug. 12, 2015

Yongsan center to host Filipino cultural event

Yongsan Global Village Center will be hosting a Filipino culture event next week, run by Filipino women’s organization 601 Habit.Participants at the event will get to partake in games, dancing and food to experience Filipino culture Scheduled to coincide with Filipino Language Month, the event will be in English but the group will introduce some Filipino words.The 601 Habit is a group of Filipino women in Korea involved in cultural and charitable projects, most notably the Life Boat Project, a c

Aug. 12, 2015

Geoje International Center brings together expats and locals

While the island of Geojedo in South Gyeongsang Province has long attracted international residents, largely due to its shipbuilding industry, it was only in November 2013 that the Geoje International Center was founded as a nonprofit organization, to provide a social network for expats and foster international community spirit.After some difficulty getting off the ground, the center has flourished, now boasting 400 members from 40 different countries. The bulk of the membership is made up of ex

Aug. 9, 2015