Legacy of Silla’s golden kingdom shines in New York

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened its halls to the 1,000-year-old legacy of the Silla Kingdom (B.C. 57-A.D. 935) with an exhibition that highlights the glory of the kingdom that unified the Korean Peninsula.Featuring a total of 132 artifacts, including a number of state-designated national treasures, “Silla: Korea’s Golden Kingdom,” opened Tuesday to the members of the Met and will open to the general public on Nov. 4. The exhibition is slated to run through Feb. 23, 2014. The Sil

CultureOct. 29, 2013

Korean experts to assist Laos in Angkor restoration

Korean cultural authorities on Tuesday officially launched the restoration of the archaeological ruins at an Angkor temple in Laos, as part of the K-Heritage initiative. According to the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Cultural Heritage Foundation, the first stage of the restoration of Hong Nang Sida (meaning chamber of Princess Sida) inside the Wat Phou Temple in the Champasak area of southern Laos kicked off on Tuesday, local time, with key officials from both countries attending. The

CultureOct. 29, 2013

Jang Kiha, Nell, IDOTAPE to play South by Southwest

Officials of DRDRamc, the talent agency for Jang Kiha and the Faces, confirmed on Tuesday that the band will be joining other local alternative bands Nell and IDOTAPE as part of the Korean artist line-up for the 2014 South By Southwest’s “K-Pop Night Out” showcase. All three bands participated in the recent MU:CON music conference that was held earlier this month and performed during the live showcases in front of fans and perspective scouts from around the globe. James Minor, the director of SX

PerformanceOct. 29, 2013

Team A to follow Big Bang as YG’s next big winner

Team A, the winner of the “WIN: Who is Next?” reality survival TV program, performs live in the final battle show on Friday at SK Handball Stadium in Seoul. (YG Entertainment)And the winner is: Team A. The finale of YG Entertainment’s reality TV survival program “WIN: Who is Next?” concluded on Friday night during the show’s live final battle performances, which aired on Mnet, with Team A (leader Kang Seung-yoon, Song Min-ho, Nam Tae-hyun, Lee Seung-hoon and Kim Ji-woo) receiving the majority of

Oct. 29, 2013

Gu Ha-ra named PR ambassador of blood donation

KARA member Gu Ha-ra has been named the PR ambassador for blood donation for the Hanmaum Blood Bank, which is affiliated with the Korean Industrial Health Association. She will begin official activity as an ambassador on Thursday at Myeong-dong Blood Bank Caf in Seoul. Asked how she feels about receiving the title, Gu said, “I’m interested in volunteer work. I am happy that I am able to work together to raise awareness about life-saving blood donations.”There will be a short ceremony as well as

Oct. 29, 2013

Yoo In-na joins ‘Man from the Stars’ cast

Actress Yoo In-na has joined the cast of SBS television series “Man from the Stars” alongside A-list actors Kim Soo-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun. The series portrays a good-looking alien, Do Min-joon (Kim Soo-hyun), who has been living in Korea since the Joseon era. Four centuries later, he falls in love with top hallyu actress Chun Song-yi, played by Jun Ji-hyun. Yoo plays the role of her best friend since childhood, Yoon Se-mi, who is torn between being Song-yi’s best friend and being jealous of her s

Oct. 29, 2013

AOA to perform at ‘Sundown Festival 2013’

Upcoming new girl group AOA is set to represent Korea at Singapore’s “Sundown Festival 2013” on Nov. 16. AOA, which stands for Ace of Angels, consists of eight members: Choa, Jimin, Yuna, Youkyung, Hyejeong, Mina, Seolhyun, and Chanmi. The group also includes a sub-unit, AOA Black, where five of the eight members play instruments instead of focusing solely on dance performances. “Sundown Festival 2013” is a music fest that features performances by rock and pop musicians from all over Asia. Aside

Oct. 29, 2013

Korean immigrant wins X Factor Australia

Im Dami, a Korean-born contestant, was crowned the winner of “X Factor Australia 2013,” a television reality music competition.According to Australian news media, the 24-year-old piano teacher outlasted Jai Waetford then Taylor Henderson to be named the winner in the season finale. She has become the first Asian-Australian immigrant to win the singing audition.“I don’t believe that I won. I want to win this for people like me who are dags and inspire them to dream big!” Dami said.Born in Seoul,

PeopleOct. 29, 2013

Nobel-winning chemist hails power of computing

Arieh Warshel, co-winner of this year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry, hailed the power of computing in revolutionizing science and opening a new horizon for human knowledge.“When I first started using computer simulations (during the 1960s), there was no such computer program so I to design one,” Arieh Warshel, professor of chemistry at University of Southern California, said in a news conference in Seoul on Monday.Warshel is often referred as the “man who took chemistry into cyberspace” as he laid

PeopleOct. 28, 2013

Aung San Suu Kyi collects Rome honorary citizenship

ROME (AFP) ― Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi finally became an honorary citizen of Rome Sunday, 19 years after the honour was awarded to her.The Nobel peace laureate was given the citizenship in 1994 but spent most of the past two decades under house arrest in Myanmar which meant she was unable to collect her award.Rome mayor Ignazio Marino said on his Twitter account that the city could “finally award it to a free woman.”At a ceremony at the town hall, a modest Suu Kyi denied that sh

PeopleOct. 28, 2013

Belgium’s shy king finds favor after 100 days on throne: polls

BRUSSELS (AFP) ― Belgium’s King Philippe, whose shy ways as crown prince worried the kingdom for many years, is winning over the public after 100 days on the throne, surveys showed this weekend.As Philippe prepares to mark his first 100 days as monarch on Monday, a survey saw him gain popularity even in Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north where sentiment is cooler towards the royal family than in the French-speaking south.A total 59 percent of Flemish people expressed confidence in the 53-year-

PeopleOct. 28, 2013

Portraits of change

The Seoul Photo Festival unveils a rare compilation of portraits of Seoul citizens that date back to 1883 as 2013 marks the 130th year since photography was first introduced in Korea. The photo exhibition that opens this Friday will feature more than 600 portraits showing behind the scenes of major historical and social events in Seoul from the Japanese colonial era (1910-1945), the Korean War (1950-1953), rapid economic development (1960-1980) and diverse social aspects of today such as the shi

PerformanceOct. 28, 2013