Most Popular
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Ex-presidential official’s leaked phone call rattles conservative bloc
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Pay debate plagues foreign nanny pilot
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K-pop star lip-syncing controversy flares up again
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35% of S. Koreans view unification 'unnecessary'
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Man escapes DUI charges by downing bottle of soju while pulled over
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Pianist Lim Yunchan double winner at Gramophone Awards
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[Reporter’s Notebook] Was Netflix film opening BIFF really a bad thing?
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N. Korean leader's sister derides Seoul's Hyunmoo-5 missile as 'useless'
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Controversial cult leader’s sentence reduced to 17 years
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[KH Explains] Is private equity giant MBK a risk-taker or renegade?
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More accordion fans squeezing in lessons
LOS ANGELES ― Across the street from a wine lounge and a gourmet sausage spot in the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles, a small red-and-white neon sign reads: “DAVE’S ACCORDION SCHOOL.”Inside, black and tan cases sprawl in a row along the floor, and two shelves hold a hodgepodge of squeezeboxes for sale. Business cards of norteno stars blanket a corkboard near the door, and nearby there’s a printout of the dictionary’s definition of the word “accordion,” with a suggested alternative: “
PerformanceApril 9, 2014
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Iranians avoid bad luck with outdoor festival
TEHRAN (AP) ― Iranians flocked to parks rich with the smell of grilled kebabs on Wednesday to toss around Frisbees, bat badminton birdies and battle one another in chess and backgammon ― all to avoid being caught inside on the unlucky 13th day of the Persian New Year. The annual public picnic day, called Sizdeh Bedar, which comes from the Farsi words for “thirteen” and “day out,” is a legacy from Iran’s pre-Islamic past that hardliners in the Islamic Republic never managed to erase from calendar
CultureApril 9, 2014
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Seo Taiji wins lawsuit over unpaid rent
A Seoul court has ruled in favor of singer Seo Taiji in a lawsuit against a tenant in one of his buildings, court officials said Wednesday.The tenant, a hospital owner surnamed Byun, has leased the second to fifth floors of the building in Seoul since July 2011. Byun was to pay monthly rent of 34 million won ($32,600) and a maintenance fee of 9.4 million won, but fell behind in the rent starting in September 2012. Seo filed a suit against the tenant as Byun refused to leave the building, even af
PeopleApril 9, 2014
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‘Lights, action!’
The temperature had dipped suddenly, making April 6 an unseasonably chilly day. But that did not deter the hundreds of spectators braving the cold on Sunday morning who had turned up at Gangnam Boulevard to witness the filming of “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the sequel to the highly successful “The Avengers” released in 2012 and featuring the Marvel Comics superheroes. Among the crowd taking photos of Gangnam Boulevard empty of traffic on the northbound lanes except for numerous vehicles and cran
FilmApril 9, 2014
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Seoul City Farmers aims for practical meaning
Many who grow up on farms treasure the outdoor experience, but Seoul City Farmers founder Justin Pollard’s experience of growing up on a horse farm did not fit the active, healthy stereotype.As a 215-kilogram teenager, doctors told him he was life-threateningly overweight.“Every single meal of my youth was purchased at a fast-food restaurant,” he said. “All of the farm work was done on machines, so I didn’t need to do manual labor of any kind, and we lived in a rural area so we drove everywhere.
Expat LivingApril 8, 2014
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Exhibition explores transient life of an expat
To say that Andy Brown uses a diverse set of art media would be an understatement.Brown enjoyed a brief moment of fame in his native England, when his teabag portraits of the queen appeared on TV and in trivia board game questions.These days he is still making art, but has stitched together the variety of genres he has cycled through over the last five years into one exhibition.Brown has used patchwork, pinhole camera photography, etchings, portraits and other media. “They are all about being ov
Expat LivingApril 8, 2014
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Dutch community to mark monarch’s birthday
The Dutch Association in Korea will be holding a fund-raising party in Seoul to celebrate the birthday of King Willem-Alexander.The Dutch King’s Party will feature live DJs, a standing buffet and other events.The association, made up of the Dutch Embassy, the Dutch Business Council and the Dutch Hamel Club, had run the Orange Ball every year until 2013, when there was a monarchic transition and the embassy held a standalone event. This year’s event will be the first to honor the new king and com
Expat LivingApril 8, 2014
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The allure of silk flowers
A small exhibition, which opened Tuesday inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, brings back to life royal Joseon era (1392-1910) silk flowers, which look as delicate as real blossoms. The “Beautiful Royal Silk Flowers” exhibition at the National Palace Museum of Korea displays works by silk flower master Hwang Su-ro and recreates two royal banquets held in 1829 to celebrate King Sunjo’s 40th birthday and the 30th anniversary of his enthronement. The banquets, like any other function at the royal palace du
CultureApril 8, 2014
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Germany pulls plug on one-time hit TV show ‘Wanna Bet?’
BERLIN (AFP) ― It has seen wacky bets performed before millions and hosted an A-list of Hollywood stars, but after a three-decade run Germany’s once top-rated TV variety show is getting the axe.A victim of plummeting ratings, a fast-graying fan base and charges that its concept has grown stale, “Wetten, dass..? (Wanna Bet?)” will screen for the last time in December after 33 years.Such is the dated cult status of the silly-challenge show, once Europe’s most successful program, that Sunday newspa
TelevisionApril 8, 2014
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Korean National Ballet stages ‘Swan Lake’
After its season opener “La Bayadere,” the Korean National Ballet, under the leadership of internationally acclaimed ballerina Kang Sue-jin since February, is staging the timeless Tchaikovsky classic “Swan Lake.”The famous ballet tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer’s curse. She tries to break the spell with her love interest prince Siegfried, but fails as the prince is tricked by the magician. Just like its 2012 run of the ballet, the Korean National Ball
PerformanceApril 8, 2014
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EXO to perform 1st concerts in May
EXO, an idol group with one of the largest fan followings in K-pop, will put on the group’s first concert since its debut nearly two years ago. In celebration of the group’s two-year anniversary, the 12 members of EXO will hold their first full concert at the Olympic Park’s Gymnastics Stadium on May 24-25. According to representatives at SM Entertainment, EXO will also hold concerts in other major cities across Asia.EXO is scheduled to release its newest EP on April 15, and host a special showca
April 8, 2014
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Lena Park returning with new album, solo concert
Popular Korean-American R&B singer Lena Park, also known as Park Jung-hyun, will return with a new EP “Syncrofusion” and a series of upcoming concerts in Seoul, Busan and Daegu. “Syncrofusion” is slated to be released on April 18 and will mark Park’s first album release following the artist’s eighth studio album “Parallax” nearly two years ago. The album was produced by Team 89, the producing team from local talent agency Mystic89, which is home to popular artists such as Cho Jung-chi, Lim Kim a
April 8, 2014
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Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney dies
LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Mickey Rooney, the child actor who danced with Judy Garland, married Ava Gardner and made more than 250 movies, died Sunday at his home in North Hollywood. He was 93.Celebrity website TMZ said Rooney had been ill for some time and died of natural causes. Police in Los Angeles said members of his large family were at his side.“It is with sadness that I say my father has passed today,” his son, choreographer Michael Rooney, said on Twitter. “I loved him and so did the world. He
TelevisionApril 8, 2014
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Mamma Mia: ABBA marks 40 years since breakthrough
LONDON (AP) ― Four decades on from the flares, fame and fabulousness, the members of ABBA say they have no regrets ― not even about the clothes. Members of the Swedish supergroup marked 40 years since their international breakthrough hit “Waterloo” on Monday with a party for hundreds of guests at London’s Tate Modern gallery. Bjorn Ulvaeus said he felt “extremely proud and humbled” by decades of success that includes hit records, the stage and movie musical “Mamma Mia” and a Stockholm museum ded
PerformanceApril 8, 2014
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Tate research curator to head Venice Biennale Korea Pavilion
Lee Sook-kyung, research curator of Tate Research Center, has been selected to curate the Korea Pavilion of the 2015 Venice Biennale, while duo artists Moon Kyungwon and Jeon Joonho have been chosen to represent the Korean Pavilion, according to the Korea Arts Council. The selection was made based on recommendations by a committee of seven art experts and interviews with candidates. Lee has curated numerous exhibitions, including those of Korean media artist Nam June Paik and American media arti
PerformanceApril 8, 2014
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[Herald Interview] Heritage kept alive in generations
The Italian luxury design house Salvatore Ferragamo has been slow to bring dramatic changes to its designs. Signature designs such as the ribbon bow and metal buckle have been repeated or revived with handbags, shoes, accessories and ready-to-wear collections. “Some of the signature pieces are the same design although new colors and materials have been added. The styles have always been the same because they’ve become icons,” said James Ferragamo, who oversees the women’s leather shoes and bags
Arts & DesignApril 7, 2014
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‘Innocent Thing’ goes mad on screen
Although filmmaker Kim Tae-gyun says his latest film is an exploration of love, it’s very hard to agree with him.Titled “Innocent Thing,” the film is about a former athlete and married school teacher (Jang Hyuk) whose life is destroyed ― literally ― after he falls for one of his students. Yet it’s unclear if he ever “loves” her throughout the film, which is filled with horror and madness.Playing the troubled, seductive teen is actress Jo Bo-ah, inspired by Hollywood actress Amanda Seyfried’s per
FilmApril 7, 2014
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Lawmakers misspell Obama’s name
What is the name of the U.S. president? Barraco Barner, as a British beautician spelled it in her now world-famous tweet in March? Well, ask some lawmakers in Korea and you might get this: Barak Obama. Rep. An Min-suk and 39 other members of the National Assembly misspelled the U.S. president’s name in a letter they sent to him through an official channel. In the letter, dated April 4, the lawmakers asked Obama to bring a 16th-century royal seal, stolen from Korea and now in the custody of U.S.
CultureApril 7, 2014
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‘Captain America’ sets April record with $96.2m
LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Disney and Marvel could be one of the finest teams around. Continuing the success of their superhero franchise, “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” has set a record as the biggest domestic April release ever. The Disney sequel debuted with $96.2 million, topping the previous record-holder, 2011’s “Fast Five,” which opened with $86.2 million. “The Winter Soldier,” which stars Chris Evans as the shield-wielding superhero and Scarlett Johansson (whose science-fiction film “Unde
FilmApril 7, 2014
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K-pop stars big in Japan, bridge diplomatic divide
TOKYO (AFP) ― Thousands of K-pop fans flocked to a major concert by top South Korean music stars in Japan last week, with organizers and fans alike calling it a “bridge” for two nations locked in a never-ending diplomatic squabble.The K-pop juggernaut has been spreading around the world with South Korean music, television and movies making a big splash in countries with few ties to Seoul.But the country’s offerings are particularly loved across the sea in Japan, whose own unique culture has long
April 7, 2014