Former lawmaker awarded order of chivalry by British envoy

British Ambassador to South Korea Scott Wightman awarded former National Assembly representative Park Jin the Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire medal for his tireless work in promoting South Korean-British relations in Seoul on Wednesday.The former politician has been promoting two-way ties in his role as co-president of the Korea Britain Society (KBS). He received the award before an audience of VIPs including politicians, academics and diplomats during a gala

PeopleDec. 12, 2013

Pope: Time’s Person of the Year

NEW YORK (AP) ― Time magazine selected Pope Francis as its Person of the Year on Wednesday, saying the Catholic Church’s new leader has changed the perception of the 2,000-year-old institution in an extraordinary way in a short time. The pope beat out NSA leaker Edward Snowden for the distinction, which the newsmagazine has been giving each year since 1927. The former Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected in March as the first pope from Latin America and the first Jesuit. Since ta

PeopleDec. 12, 2013

Vivian Hsu to get married next year

Taiwanese singer-actress Vivian Hsu is getting married next year, Chinese media reported Thursday. The news came as the actress was spotted browsing an array of wedding dresses with her boyfriend, Lee Yunfeng, who is CEO of Singapore’s Marco Polo Marine. Her agency confirmed that the couple is now preparing for the wedding. Hsu debuted in 1995 as a member of a group called Girls’ Team. She began to gain popularity in Taiwan and Japan in the late 1990s, and has also a fan base in South Korea. By

TelevisionDec. 12, 2013

TV announcer Choi Hee off to a new start

Popular South Korean sports announcer Choi Hee has resigned from cable channel KBS N and is looking forward to signing a contract with a new agency.The local media reported Thursday that Choi might sign an exclusive contract with entertainment agency Chorokbaem Media to step into the entertainment field.Chorokbaem Media is a digital content production house. It has produced many shows such as audition program “K-pop Star” and TV drama “Ojakgyo Family.” Choi and Chorokbaem are now reportedly work

TelevisionDec. 12, 2013

New K-pop releases storm Japan music charts

Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, 2PM and SHINee all grabbed top 10 places on the Oricon music charts Thursday, Boy band Super Junior sold 46,968 copies of their fifth Japanese single “Blue World” on its day of release, ranking second on the Oricon Daily Singles Chart. Their newest single includes the title track and the love song “CANDY.”The third studio album “Love & Peace” of Girls’ Generation sold 37,486 copies on the day it was released, to top the Daily Albums Chart. The 12-track album feat

PerformanceDec. 12, 2013

‘Artist another name for lighthouse keeper or mailman’

Artist Lee Myung-ho takes on the role of a movie producer in his photography projects. He searches all year round for perfect locations for his photo shoots, traveling to some of the most remote places in the world such as the Gobi Desert and the Tundra, and directs a production crew of 10 to 100 along with heavy cranes. Traces of such a complex procedure are hardly seen in Lee’s simple, meditative images of trees and deserts. The final products only show a tree standing alone against a white ca

PerformanceDec. 11, 2013

Penderecki to lead Korean premiere of his ‘Seven Gates of Jerusalem’

Krzysztof Penderecki, one of the greatest classical music composers of our time, is visiting Seoul next week to present his contemporary musical.Honoring his 80th birthday, the Seoul International Music Festival “Winter,” to be held Dec. 16-20 at Seoul Arts Center, will be dedicated to the Polish composer, who has had a long relationship with Korea. On Dec. 16, the Shanghai Quartet will perform Penderecki’s String Quartet No. 3 along with Haydn’s String Quartet in D minor, Op. 76, and Dvorak’s S

PerformanceDec. 11, 2013

When dancers speak

Dancers rarely get to speak on stage, and there is a reason for it. It’s not impossible, but it’s difficult.Celebrated ballerina Kim Ji-young on Tuesday breathed heavily at the Jayu Theater of Seoul Arts Center, after performing a one-minute scene from the popular romantic ballet “Giselle.” She couldn’t speak for more than 10 seconds, as she could barely catch her breath. “There is a reason why ballets don’t have any lines,” she said. “I pretty much didn’t breathe at all for the past minute.” As

PerformanceDec. 11, 2013

Christmas and New Year’s Eve retreats at hotels

With Christmas just around the corner, hotels in Seoul, decked in lavish Christmas decorations, are gearing up to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Day with luxurious accommodation and dinner packages. Splendid Christmas decorations greet guests in the lobbies and restaurants, raising the festive spirits. Many of the city’s five-star hotels boast of their own unique Christmas decorations and Millennium Seoul Hilton’s 18-year-long decorating tradition ― featuring a Christmas tree 10 meters high

TravelDec. 11, 2013

Oliversweet offers classic desserts with a delectable twist

If succulent Earl Grey and grapefruit cake and richly moist strawberry red velvet cake with plush cream cheese frosting spells heaven on earth, then the mouthwatering offerings of Oliversweet are truly a sweet tooth’s dream come true. Specializing in sophisticated yet cozy boutique-style pastries and catering, Oliversweet opened its doors in 2007 and since then the quaint dessert shop that boasts some of the city’s most inventive approaches to classic homemade treats has expanded to four locatio

FoodDec. 11, 2013

Growing trend for 2014: Orchid as top color

NEW YORK (AP) ― Orchid is growing on us: A version of the purple hue is Pantone Inc.’s color of the year for 2014.It follows this year’s pick of emerald green.Officially known as Radiant Orchid, the tropical shade is a color-wheel contrast to green, said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, but it’s not the red that would have been a more obvious choice. “It’s a little different, it’s a little off the beaten path, and it’s not a primary color,’’ she explains. “It’

Arts & DesignDec. 11, 2013

Icederby to hold races in Dubai

An ice derby of skating races will be held in Dubai in May next year. Icederby International, a Seoul-based theme park developer, said that it agreed with the Dubai authorities Thursday to stage ice derby Grand Prix races as an event to commemorate the Middle Eastern emirate’s successful bid to host the 2020 World Expo. It also plans to hold ice shows and K-pop performances alongside the derby. An ice derby is a professional skating race held on a 220-meter track, which is shorter than that for

PeopleDec. 11, 2013

[Photo News] Best airport

PeopleDec. 11, 2013