It’s official: Pope Francis is coming to Korea. His visit was widely predicted. In multiple news reports, sources at the Vatican and Seoul had said the papal visit was highly likely. Still, the announcement by the Vatican on Monday was a source of surprise, and of course joy, for many Catholics here because the holy man decided to commit the entire five days of his trip to Asia, his first as po...

ORLANDO, Florida ― Hans Stein is 86 years old and ― except for tennis shoes ― naked as the day he was born. Fit and looking much younger than his years, he has a simple explanation: “It’s the nudist lifestyle!” Stein and his wife, 81-year old Lisa, are part of a cadre of longtime members at Cypress Cove, a nudist resort near Kissimmee, Florida, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Like ...

Pioneer Dominican musician Johnny Pacheco deserves recognition as cofounder of legendary salsa band Fania All Stars

‘Salome,’ ‘The Elixir of Love,’ ‘Don Giovanni’ kick off spring season

When 41-year-old housewife Kim Soo-yeon recalls the early 1990s, it is with dreamy eyes and a hint of excitement in her voice. Her hero, late singer Kim Kwang-seok still roamed the stage, job prospects were bright as Korea’s economy continued to grow, and she was ready to enjoy what the world had to offer. “Those were my golden days. Back then, I felt like I could achieve anything,” Kim said. ...

Twenty-four-year-old college student Rho Jyong-ho has been all about retro these days. “Lately, I’ve been spending the majority of my weekends watching movies and dramas that are set in the 1990s,” said Rho. “Although I can relate to some things from when I was growing up, there are a lot more things that I can’t recall, probably because I was too young.” Rho is one of many people in Korea who ...

Classical music London Symphony Orchestra: For the ninth time, the London Symphony Orchestra will be playing in Korea, this time with conductor Daniel Harding. It will hold two concerts at Seoul Arts Center, on March 10 and 11. The first concert will feature works by Mussorgsky, Stravinsky and Schubert. For the second one, the orchestra will play Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2, with soloist Ki...

Expo showcases business, culture, and essence of religion

LOS ANGELES ― Dan Lawyer was on the dance floor with a woman who wasn’t his wife. Betty Lawyer would usually lend her husband out for at least one dance a night. The women outnumber the men by so much at Cowtown Square Dance Center, she had to. But tonight, she was sidelined by a knee injury and had to be satisfied with watching the other members of the Cowtown Singles dancing club weave and cir...

Exhibitions The Hives: Popular Swedish rock band The Hives, credited for being a driving force in re-introducing garage rock to the 21st century music scene, will perform a live concert for the first time in Korea this April. The Hives was first formed more than 20 years ago and released its first demo, “Sounds Like Sushi,” followed by their debut studio album “Barely Legal” three years later. T...

Park No-hae turns to pen and camera to quietly change the world

Intraceuticals spa promotion at Conrad Seoul Conrad Seoul is offering a special spa package featuring the premium Australian brand Intraceuticals, which specializes in oxygen therapy that brightens the skin. The package includes a 60-minute spa program with the Intraceuticals’ machine that uses high-pressure oxygen to deliver the spa serum deep into the skin. Guests can choose a treatment option...