Most Popular
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Court refuses injunction on medical school expansion
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Why Korean crime stories typically feature nameless, faceless perpetrators
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Debate on 'no-seniors zones' heats up
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S. Korea, Cambodia forge strategic partnership
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Rare mid-May heavy snow warning issued over mountainous areas of Gangwon
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Is NewJeans headed for a long 'break'?
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[KH Explains] Hyundai-backed Motional’s struggles deepen as Tesla eyes August robotaxi debut
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Police raid popera singer Kim Ho-joong's house over hit-and-run suspicions
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Trump may like to 'solve' N. Korean nuclear problem if reelected: ex-official
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New Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office chief vows full-fledged probe into first lady
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Macklemore, Ryan Lewis win 3 rap Grammys
Though the rap committee at the Grammy Awards almost ousted Macklemore & Ryan Lewis from its categories, the breakthrough act won three rap Grammys on Sunday.The duo's debut, “The Heist,” won best rap album, beating efforts from Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z, Kanye West and Drake. Their hit song "Thrift Shop'' won best rap song and rap performance in the hours before the telecast of the main awards presentation.Macklemore & Lewis are also nominated for album and song of the year. A source told The Assoc
Jan. 27, 2014
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‘Mr. Chow’ comes home with Hong Kong exhibition
HONG KONG (AFP) ― Best known as a celebrity restaurateur whose 1960s mission to change Western attitudes to Chinese food has lasted nearly 50 years, Michael Chow is also a trained painter who, until recently, had not picked up his brushes for decades.Mr. Chow restaurants became glamorous centers for Swinging London, New York’s disco days and today’s Hollywood and art world elite. The man behind them has unveiled his first solo exhibition in Asia, a show he says reflects his complicated relations
Jan. 26, 2014
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Veterans give stage time to new rappers
For aspiring rappers in a country dominated by K-pop, finding a stage to perform on is a daunting task. Most hip-hop shows only book established artists and, with the Internet as the main resource, it’s hard to build a big enough fan base to become established.However, a few established names in the underground scene are giving this elusive opportunity to new rappers.For first-generation artist MC Meta, one half of group Garion, this takes the form of an open mic. Every Sunday at the P-Bro Sound
Jan. 26, 2014
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New and old stars vie, or team up, for Grammys glory
LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Music’s top stars gather Sunday for the Grammys, with artists ranging from the Beatles and veteran rapper Jay-Z to French electro duo Daft Punk and newcomers like New Zealand’s Lorde up for honors.Rapper Kendrick Lamar, pop diva Taylor Swift, chart-topper Justin Timberlake and Seattle hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are also among those vying for prizes at music’s version of the Oscars in Los Angeles.The show will also feature some eye-popping collaborations, including ro
Jan. 26, 2014
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Eyelike: ‘Mr. Gae’ takes Korean hip-hop to the edge
Mr. Gae’ takes Korean hip-hop to the edgeGary “Mr. Gae”(LOEN Entertainment)Gary’s first solo album “Mr. Gae” is best described as R-rated. Although the title track “Shower Later” has hit the number one spot on Korea’s major music charts, the song and its accompanying music video were deemed “inappropriate” for public airing.Indeed, the songs on Gary’s new album are filled with vulgar lyrics that are questionable even by Korean hip-hop standards. The listening becomes pleasant only through the m
Jan. 24, 2014
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A night of “Entertainment”
Phoenix performs at its first concert in Korea at Uniqlo AX Hall, eastern Seoul, on Thursday night. (VU Entertainment)“Hello Seoul, this is Phoenix from Paris!” shouted French alternative rock band Phoenix amidst an explosion of red lights and fans roaring in deafening unison as the band launched into its first Seoul concert on Thursday. The concert, held at the UNIQLO AX hall in eastern Seoul, drew thousands of fans in their 20s and 30s, both Korean and non-Korean. Phoenix, which features hard
Jan. 24, 2014
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Rapper Gary’s solo debut album banned from TV
All the songs on the rapper Gary’s first solo album, “Mr. Gae,” including the title track “Shower Later,” have been banned by the country’s three major broadcasting channels, TV officials said. KBS, the country’s second-largest broadcaster, said Friday that its review panel decided to ban all four songs on the album and their music videos, citing risque scenes and vulgar language. Two other channels, MBC and SBS, took similar actions earlier this week. “Shower Later,” a mid-tempo song featuring
Jan. 24, 2014
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Justin Bieber leaves Florida jail after drunk driving arrest
Teen pop star Justin Bieber’s tumultuous life off-stage landed him in jail for the first time on Thursday when police arrested the singer for drunk driving after he was caught drag racing on a main Miami Beach street in a rented Lamborghini.The 19-year-old Canadian initially resisted arrest, cursed at police officers and later told them he had consumed alcohol, pot and prescription drugs, police said. Then, changing his demeanor, he grew cooperative and even smiled for his mug shot, coiffed hair
Jan. 24, 2014
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EXO takes top prize at Seoul Music Awards
K-pop sensation EXO won a top prize at the 23rd Seoul Music Awards on Thursday, outshining 12 competitors including SHINee, Cho Yong-pil and Girls’ Generation. The idol group also earned awards for the main prize and Digital Song of the Year at the ceremony held at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul. “EXO had a tense and difficult year in 2013, but we were happy that we could be with our fans,” said Sooho, team leader of the idol group, expressing his gratitude to his fans and colleagues at SM En
Jan. 24, 2014
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Ordinary things become centerpieces
Photographer Lee Jung-jin wanted to cast off fixed concepts about her art discipline. Instead of using photosensitized paper, she tried different printing materials to capture certain images which have inspired her. After experimenting with diverse materials such as fabric, printed paper and even toilet paper, she found the right image on a piece of mulberry paper. “Coincidentally the mulberry paper and the image created a synergy. It even looked like a painting,” she said at Shinsegae Gallery i
Jan. 23, 2014
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Music festival asks public to compose ‘Tweetfonie’
FRANKFURT (AFP) ― A German music festival Wednesday invited social media users to compose all-new orchestral pieces for a “Tweetfonie” to be given a world premiere later this year.The world of classical music is eagerly embracing Twitter and Facebook with musicians, conductors, concert halls and opera houses enthusiastic users of the platforms.The Kurt Weill Festival is taking this newfound enthusiasm one step further and planning a “Tweetfonie” of melodies composed by music-lovers and budding c
Jan. 23, 2014
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Seoul Jazz Festival to take place in May
This year’s Seoul Jazz Festival, will be held at Olympic Park in Seoul on May 17 and 18.The first lineup of musicians will be unveiled on Feb. 6 and tickets for two-day passes will go on sale from Feb. 4 on Interpark.Just 1,000 “blind tickets” for two-day passes will be released for purchase on Feb. 4, at 12 p.m., two days before the announcement of the first artist lineup. The “blind tickets” will be sold for 125,000 won, a 35-percent discount.A limited number of “super early bird tickets,” als
Jan. 23, 2014
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EXO may win top prize at Seoul Music Awards
K-pop fans have their eyes on whether K-pop sensation EXO could win a top prize in the upcoming Seoul Music Awards to be held on Thursday night. If the boy band makes it to the top, it would be the fourth straight victory for the idol group.EXO, a South Korean-Chinese boy band consisting of 12 members, has gained explosive popularity at home and in China since making an official debut in early 2012. Their first full-length album has sold more than 1.4 million by far, according to the Gaon chart,
Jan. 23, 2014
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Rock band YB to debut in U.S., U.K.
Korea’s signature rock band YB is gearing up for its official debut in the United Kingdom and Unites States after signing with Doug Goldstein, the former manager of American hard rock legends Guns N’ Roses, YB’s management agency announced on Tuesday. YB is slated to release its first English single with Goldstein in February and introduce itself overseas through various radio gigs and music magazines in the West. The PR firm Lesley Z Media, which successfully promoted popular acts including Sto
Jan. 22, 2014
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Opera star to sing national anthem at Super Bowl
NEW YORK (AP) ― The Super Bowl will have a touch of the classical this year: Opera star Renee Fleming will sing the national anthem. The four-time Grammy winner will perform before the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Feb 2. Fleming is the first opera star to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl. In recent years, it has been performed mainly by a mix of pop and country stars. Known as “The People’s Diva,” the soprano is closely id
Jan. 22, 2014
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Music ‘made by Korea’
SM Entertainment, the largest record company in Korea, is at the forefront of K-pop’s worldwide popularity, churning out the hottest groups such as Girls’ Generation and EXO. Although it has received lots of praise for earning precious dollars, there is also growing criticism over the supposed lack of “Korean-ness” in its music, due to widespread employment of foreign professionals, including songwriters and even singers, during the production process. A typical example is EXO. The Korean-Chines
Jan. 21, 2014
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Troubled Bolshoi presents new musical director
MOSCOW (AFP) ― The Bolshoi Theater on Monday presented its new musical director, who has been appointed to help restore the tarnished reputation of the scandal-ridden theater.Tugan Sokhiev, a 36-year-old conductor who studied in Saint Petersburg, is currently musical director of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse and of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.On Monday, the Bolshoi’s general director Vladimir Urin presented Sokhiev to journalists, calling him “one of the most in-dem
Jan. 21, 2014
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Israel grants Filipina X-Factor winner license to sing
JERUSALEM (AFP) ― A 47-year-old Filipina carer who won Israel’s X-Factor talent show has been granted permission to earn a living as a singer in the Jewish state, officials said on Monday. Rose Fostanes, the only foreign contestant on the show, moved to Israel six years ago, obtaining a visa to work as a carer for the sick and elderly.Her success, which saw her winning last week’s final with a soaring rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” sparked celebrations across the Philippines and praise f
Jan. 21, 2014
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Koyote returns with ’90s retro feel
Veteran hip-hop and dance group Koyote returned to the music scene Tuesday with its new mini-album “1999,” bringing back ’90s style and celebrating the 17th anniversary of the group’s debut.Filled with upbeat, discoesque rhythms, Koyote’s new album is expected to bring a fresh array of the group’s signature “old school” sounds to a K-pop music scene dominated by an avalanche of young boy and girl groups. “We launched our new album with the hope of making listeners feel as if they have really gon
Jan. 21, 2014
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CNBLUE releases new documentary film in Japan
Popular K-pop band CNBLUE returned home from Japan on Sunday after promoting its first documentary film, “The Story of CNBLUE: Never Stop,” which was released in Japanese theaters last week.The two-hour film depicts the band’s daily life before its formal debut, personal interviews and behind-the-scenes footage of world tours. The documentary was directed by Jeon Yong-seung, a renowned director who produced highly acclaimed works including the “NHK Special” and “Jung Yul Dae Ryuk.”The four-membe
Jan. 21, 2014