When time allows, Hilary Finchum-Sung travels to rural villages on Jindo Island, South Jeolla Province, interviewing elderly people and recording songs that they used to sing in kitchens, on farms or during special occasions like funerals. She is on a self-imposed mission to study and preserve a disappearing musical tradition in Korea which its people don’t seem to care much about. “It (the music) is real. It’s not something performed on stage for an audience,” she said, as she sat down for an i

CultureJune 13, 2014

Pop musicUltra Music Festival Korea: The annual Ultra Music Festival, one of the world’s largest outdoor electronica music fests, will be in full swing in Seoul once again. Last summer’s event drew more than 80,000 EDM fans. Like last year, this year’s lineup will include a handful of world famous DJ acts including Steve Aoki, Above & Beyond, Steve Angello and Paul van Dyk. The festival will host its final event as part of its two-day show on June 14 at Seoul Olympic Park’s Olympic Stadium Compl

CultureJune 13, 2014

“There’s only one thing more dangerous than making them mad: Making them partners ...”The situation is as follows: You’re on a quiz show. The category is “Cop-Buddy Movies.” All you have to do to win $350 million is to know what film ― and which immortal duo ― the above marketing slogan refers to.No, it’s not so easy. The cop-buddy genre is, after all, one of the most popular and resilient in American films. The list of characters and films built on odd-couple casting and mismatched marriages of

FilmJune 13, 2014

Wadjda (Saudi Arabia, Germany)Opening June 19Drama. Directed by Haifaa Al MansourWadjda (Waad Mohammed) is a brave and adventurous 10-year-old girl living in Saudi Arabia. She wants to buy a green bicycle to race against her friend Abdullah (Abdullrahman Algohani), but her mother won’t let her, fearing a backlash from a conservative society that sees bicycles as dangerous to girls’ virtue. So Wadjda decides to raise the funds by herself. She enters a Koran recitation competition at her school fo

FilmJune 13, 2014

Taeyang returns as R&B vocalist on ‘Rise’Taeyang“Rise”(KT Music)Nearly four years after the release of his debut solo album “Solar,” Taeyang from the popular K-pop boy group Big Bang has returned with his second full studio album, “Rise.”While Taeyang’s past releases have been characterized by flashy performances and catchy electronic and hip-hop sounds, his new nine-track album is geared more toward showcasing his soulful vocals and colors.The hit lead single “Eyes, Nose, Lips” is a bare, slow

PerformanceJune 13, 2014

Standing as tall as the highest building on all of Jejudo Island, the 22-story luxury business hotel, Lotte City Hotel Jeju, is a prime example of practical, convenient facilities with unbelievable panoramic views. Located smack dab in the middle of the city in the northernmost area of the island, it is a mere five-minute-drive from Jeju International Airport and is ideal for both business travelers and tourists who prefer to remain within city limits, where it is far easier to hail a taxi if ne

TravelJune 13, 2014

HONG KONG ― The rain started on Sunday afternoon, just as the conference got underway. A translucent sheet of water soaked the view of the skyscrapers and harbor from midafternoon through the night, shining in street lights like a swarm of locusts.Those of us familiar to the rains of South Florida have seen water fall like this before ― for 20 minutes each afternoon in July and August ― but almost no one at the international legal conference that had taken me back to Hong Kong was prepared for t

TravelJune 13, 2014

While Seoul seems to be in the grips of a booming soft serve bonanza, the folks from Brooklyn the Burger Joint are quietly bucking the trend by whipping up batches of their take on frozen custard at their new offshoot, FRZ Ice Cream.“We felt it tasted good,” said Kang Hyo-jung, owner of FRZ Ice Cream and one of the founders of Brooklyn the Burger Joint. It seemed perfectly natural for co-founder Kang to turn to ice cream, not only because she has a soft spot for sweets, but also because Brooklyn

FoodJune 13, 2014

Kkaennip (perilla leaf) jeon (Korean Bapsang)Kkaennip (perilla leaf) jeon is a type of jeon that’s pan-fried in egg batter, similar to jeon dishes such as hobakjeon (zucchini) and saengseonjeon (fish). It’s a variation that’s stuffed before being coated with the egg batter. The perilla leaves lend a distinct, robust flavor to the mildly flavored filling and provide an overall textural contrast. You can also stuff zucchini rounds (by cutting out the middle interior) or green chili peppers with th

FoodJune 13, 2014

South American delicacies at InterContinental Seoul CoexInterContinental Seoul Coex is offering the “Viva! Wonder Hour” promotion until July 12 in celebration of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The hotel’s lobby lounge will be decorated with soccer-themed items and traditional South American artwork. Various South American dishes including churassco from Brazil, asado (BBQ) from Argentina, cazuela de ave (chicken soup) and curanto from Chile, and ceviche as well as quinoa salad from Peru will be availa

FoodJune 13, 2014

Deviating from past editions, this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale asked all 66 participating countries to respond to a common theme ― to focus not on architecture itself but on architectural “history” in order to examine how different nations adapted to modernity in design over the last century.The Korean Pavilion has spotlighted differences in the architecture of South and North Korea since national division, for which it was awarded the Golden Lion for Best National Participation on June

Arts & DesignJune 13, 2014

Taeyang, a member of K-pop band Big Bang, landed on the Billboard 200 chart on Friday with his new album “Rise.” (YG Entertainment)“Rise” placed No. 112 on the chart, surpassing all the Korean male singers who have made it to the chart before him. Earlier, “Overdose” by the subunit of idol group EXO, EXO-K, was No. 129, the previous highest ranking for a Korean singer.Taeyang also placed first on both the Billboard World Albums Chart, which ranks albums in terms of sales in non-English speaking

CultureJune 13, 2014

   Korean actor Park Hae-Jin posed for fashion magazine Ceci, wearing suits that came in a series of bright colors.For the editorial, a special collaboration with Samsung Smart Camera NX mini, the actor posed in various unique suits. By Cho Han-na, Intern reporter (hnncho@heraldcorp.com)(Photo Credit: Ceci)

June 13, 2014

Actor Lee Seung-gi will reappear on show after receiving treatment for eye injury.“Lee will continue to act in ‘You’re All Surrounded’ on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning,” an SBS film crew member was quoted as saying. Lee Seung-gi in "You're All Surrounded" (SBS)“He has not recovered completely, but has almost recovered. He will continue to film according to schedule,” the source added. The announcement came after Lee was accidentally poked in his left eye by a fake sword while filming on M

June 13, 2014

 EXO member D.O. performed a funny dance as a shamanistic ritual for the success of his first and latest television series “It’s OK. That’s Love,” broadcaster SBS said on Thursday. The event took place in Incheon, Gyeonggi Province, on June 6 when the scriptwriter, production staff and cast members gathered to attend the traditional ritual, “gosa” in Korean, for the success of “It’s OK, That’s Love.”When each participant made a short speech at the ceremony, the boy band member delivered his own.

June 13, 2014