PeopleDec. 2, 2013

A village in Indang in the province of Cavite, Philippines, was named after the Korean city of Gangneung.Gangneung Mayor Choi Myeong-hee, Gangneung City Council chairman Kim Hwa-mook and other officials from the east coast city attended an event Saturday to name the newly created Indang village “Pine City Gangneung,” city officials said.The village was formed under a Habitat housing project led by Gangneung-based volunteer group SCU.SCU has built a village of 23 houses to accommodate 43 househol

PeopleDec. 2, 2013

A copy of the third edition of a newsletter published by Koreans while they were jailed in a prisoner-of-war camp in Hawaii after being captured by allied forces was recently discovered in North Chungcheong Province. The soldiers had been drafted by Japan to fight in World War II.Before it was found, Korea had only seventh edition copies, in the Independence Hall of Korea and the National Archives of Korea. The Chungcheong Daily News reported Monday that it had discovered the copy and a roster o

PeopleDec. 2, 2013

BEIJING (AP) ― Star Chinese director Zhang Yimou has admitted to flouting his country’s strict family planning rules by having three children with his wife, but rejected rumors that he had fathered seven children with several women. Zhang’s office issued an open letter through its verified microblog account on China’s equivalent to Twitter, Sina Weibo, saying the director and his wife, Chen Ting, have two sons and a daughter. This is the first time Zhang has responded to reports that circulated

PeopleDec. 2, 2013

MOSCOW (AFP) ― Russian poet Natalya Gorbanevskaya, one of the former Soviet Union’s foremost civil rights activists, died in Paris Friday at the age of 77, friends in Moscow told AFP.Gorbanevskaya was a key figure in the dissident movement that fought for human rights in the Communist country and took a prominent role in the protests against the August 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops.On August 25, 1968, she was one of seven dissidents who publicly denounced the invasion in

PeopleDec. 2, 2013

Model Miranda Kerr is in a romantic relationship with Casino tycoon James Packer, according to numerous news outlets. The 30-year-old Kerr, who divorced Hollywood star Orlando Bloom in October, recently started dating the billionaire, who parted ways with his wife in September.  The two Australians have known each other for years and even spent the holidays together in Tahiti last year with their respective then-spouses, according to the AFP.

PeopleDec. 2, 2013

An early Goryeo lacquer incense box was highlighted at an international symposium at the National Museum of Korea on Friday and Saturday, bringing art historians and scholars from Korea, China and Japan together to discuss the technical and artistic excellence of the item. The symposium, organized by Asia Museum Institute, examined the 12th-century lacquer incense box decorated with plant and bird motifs in mother-of-pearl inlay and gold pigment.Decorative and durable lacquerware makes up an imp

CultureDec. 1, 2013

Korean B-boy Hong 10 won the Red Bull BC One 2013 Seoul World Final on Saturday, becoming the champion of champions in the world of break-dancing.Hong 10, whose real name is Kim Hong-yeol, beat the 2012 winner, Mounir from France, at the final dance-off after 14 other contenders had been eliminated. Hong 10 won three out of four judges’ approval with his signature moves, epic stare-downs and powerful freeze holds before some 5,000 fans in attendance and tens of thousands more watching on live TV

CultureDec. 1, 2013

BEIJING (AP) ― Two aspiring American rappers said Saturday that they had filmed part of a music video in North Korea, hoping the novel locale will make it a hit.The rappers known as Pacman and Peso did not say where and how they filmed the footage, which their fundraising proposal suggested would be done on a karaoke party bus in Pyongyang.Their custom trip was arranged through a travel agency specializing in taking Westerners to North Korea, according to the proposal.Americans are able to trave

PerformanceDec. 1, 2013

This is the 17th article in a series on producers, MCs, DJs and artists working in the Korean underground hip-hop scene. ― Ed.When Korean rapper Digiri first heard hip-hop in middle school, he thought it was hilarious. He didn’t even think it was real music.“I thought it was just murmuring. I didn’t like it at first because back then, Korean people only listened to hip-hop music with Seo Taiji,” he said. “I thought it was just funny. But after I listened to the music of Deux, I felt the rhythm l

PerformanceDec. 1, 2013

Around 12,000 party-goers decked themselves out from head to toe in all-white, ready to liberate themselves in a night of thumping house music with a naughty storyline at one of the world’s biggest club scenes. KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, was filled with eye-catching and seductive theatrics on Saturday night through the theme of Wicked Wonderland, mesmerizing lights and special effects, explosive fireworks and tense electrifying beats by internationally praised DJs, including the night’s

PerformanceDec. 1, 2013

Seoul Broadcasting System has appointed Lee Woong-mo as the new head of the company. The decision was made after deliberation by the Board of Directors and announced on Thursday. The new CEO officially began his term on Sunday. Previous head Woo Won-gil has been reassigned as the assistant to the chief of SBS Media Holdings. Before becoming the new head, Lee acted as managing director of the 8 O’clock News Division at SBS. He also has experience as the head of the Human Resource team as well as

PeopleDec. 1, 2013

Jun Kwang-woo, a professor at Yonsei University Graduate School of Economics, received an international alumni award from Indiana University Bloomington on Sunday.The university recently created the Distinguished International Alumni Award to honor outstanding lifetime achievements by international alumni.Jun is the inaugural recipient of the award. It was given to him in recognition of his long record of leadership in both public and private sectors. His previous positions include chairman and

PeopleDec. 1, 2013

Kim Sun-wook looked tired. He kept rubbing his eyes and had a gaze that screamed “fatigue” as he sat down. But at the same time his face was glowing with a certain sense of fulfillment and confidence. “We had a party last night,” the pianist said with a smile, trying to conceal a sense of embarrassment. It was Nov. 22, a day after the pianist concluded his two-year challenge of performing 32 Beethoven sonatas over the span of eight recitals at the LG Arts Center and became the youngest Korean to

CultureNov. 29, 2013

Dance“Mookhyang”: Former executive director of well-known fashion brand KUHO Jung Kuho is directing a dance piece for the third time. Jung joined Cheil Industries in 2003, and also acquired his label KUHO the same year. After 10 years at Cheil Industries, Jung announced his departure on Nov.15. The upcoming dance piece, which is Jung’s second collaboration with the National Dance Company of Korea ― which specializes in traditional Korean dance ― features the “four noble ones,” the four plants th

CultureNov. 29, 2013