New York Philharmonic Orchestra’s music director Alan Gilbert is returning to Korea with a program that he says will show “the breadth of what the orchestra can do.” In two Seoul concerts scheduled for Feb. 6 and 7, the maestro will lead his hometown orchestra in its performances of classic European masters Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, as well as contemporary American composers such as Christopher Rouse and Leonard Bernstein. “This is a nice pairing because this orchestra can play anything with pa

PerformanceJan. 14, 2014

A collection of traditional Korean wrapping cloths, called bojagi in Korean, is being showcased in Japan, where the garments are often used in everyday life.About 40 Korean bojagi on loan from the Museum of Korean Embroidery, along with 25 traditional pocket bags, are on view in a special exhibition at Koryo Museum of Art in Kyoto until March 30.It is the third time for the Korean museum to be invited to present its collection in Japan, reflecting a growing interest in Korean bojagi.  “In Japan,

CultureJan. 14, 2014

A wax figure of Korean actor Lee Min-ho is on display alongside those of other world-famous celebrities at the Madame Tussauds wax museum in Hong Kong.The lifelike figure wears a black suit and a bowtie, both exclusively designed by his personal stylist, according to the museum.The wax creation was recently rented from Madame Tussauds Shanghai and will be on display in Hong Kong until March 31.“We believe that this gleaming star will become a highlight for Madame Tussauds Hong Kong in the coming

TelevisionJan. 14, 2014

In CJ E&M’s push to increase its global content, it has announced that last year’s popular production format behind Korean reality series “Grandpas Over Flowers” and sci-fi series “Nine” will be exported overseas to China and the U.S., respectively. On Monday, CJ E&M released the company’s “2014 E&M Global Initiative” stating its goals including increasing its exports of weekly drama formats. The entertainment and media conglomerate is currently in negotiations with a Chinese broadcasting compan

TelevisionJan. 14, 2014

Kim Ung-yong, a former South Korean prodigy once heralded as the smartest soul on Earth, is about to fulfill his overdue dream of becoming a professor. Chungbuk Development Corporation announced Monday that 51-year-old Kim was leaving its staff to serve as a professor at Shinhan University in Gyeonggi Province. Kim taught students as a part-time lecturer at prestigious universities including Yonsei, Sunkyunkwan and KAIST, but he said it had always been his goal to become a full-time professor.“I

PeopleJan. 14, 2014

PeopleJan. 14, 2014

Singer Sung Si-kyung expressed his fondness for entertainer Abigail Alderete in the latest episode of tvN reality show “Island Village Teacher,” which aired Monday. 　On the episode, Sam Hammington, an Australian comedian made popular by MBC reality show “Sunday Night: Real Men,” phoned Sung to invite him to the island as a music teacher. The 35-year-old singer responded by asking if Alderete, who also stars on the show, would be there, adding, “She looks beautiful.”　Alderete, 27, from Paraguay,

TelevisionJan. 14, 2014

KARA’s agency DSP Media announced Tuesday that the team will lose one member Nicole as her contract ends on Thursday.Another group member Kang Ji-young, whose contract ends in April, is said too be deliberating whether she will return to her studies or stay on with the group.The agency is looking into different options for KARA, but said it was skeptical about recruiting a new member, since the group was established with a distinct character of its own.By Yoon Ha-youn, Intern reporter(yhayoun@he

EntertainmentJan. 14, 2014

A Chinese province added Yut Nori, a Korean traditional board game, to its list of regional intangible assets, local media outlet MBN reported. Yut Nori, along with the six-holed bamboo flute Tungso and sword dance, was included on a list of intangible cultural assets posted on the official website of Heilung-chiang province, where ethnic Koreans living in China are concentrated.The popular Korean game was recognized as provincial cultural heritage, not at the national level. However, speculatio

CultureJan. 14, 2014

Cardinal appointee Andrew Yeom Soo-jung said Monday that he would serve the poor and isolated and work toward peace and harmony in an increasingly polarized society. “With my mind quivering with fear (of the immense honor given to me), I humbly obey the pope’s (words),” Yeom told the crowd that gathered in front of the Seoul Archdiocese building in Myeong-dong, central Seoul, on Monday to congratulate him on the appointment. “I am a man of many shortcomings, but I will do my utmost to fulfill th

PeopleJan. 13, 2014

Seoul Archbishop Yeom Soo-jung will be the third Korean to become a cardinal ― the second-most senior position in the Roman Catholic Church after the pope. Yet, he will be the only representative of Korea in the case of a conclave, a convention of cardinals younger than 80 for electing a new pope.Korea’s first cardinal, Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, died in 2009, and its second Cardinal Nicolas Cheong Jin-suk is over 80, the canonical retirement age. “We believe that (Yeom’s appointment) is a blessing f

PeopleJan. 13, 2014

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Hollywood is powering up for a clash of the titans this year, with two films about legendary demigod Hercules ― one starring teen heartthrob Kellan Lutz, and a more mature version later in the year.The superhero standoff ― Tinseltown seems prone to doing movies in pairs, after two adaptations of the Snow White tale last year ― comes 16 years after the last Hercules movie by Disney in 1997.The first new one to do battle opens Friday in North America, with Lutz in his first maj

FilmJan. 13, 2014

“The Attorney,” a local film inspired by the early years of late President Roh Moo-hyun, drew more than 9 million viewers in the 25 days after its release, its distributor NEW announced. It has topped the local box office chart for four consecutive weeks, and is expected to break the 10 million viewer mark this weekend. According to the Korean Film Council, the directorial debut by webtoon artist Yang Woo-seok was watched by 9.26 million people as of Sunday, far outnumbering “The Suspect” and “T

FilmJan. 13, 2014

PARIS (AFP) ― French comedian Dieudonne sought Saturday to circumvent a ban imposed on his controversial show over its “anti-Semitic” slant, replacing it with a new performance complete with “a few tai-chi moves.”Earlier in the day he had announced his intention to go ahead with four performances in Paris, despite the Friday-to-Wednesday ban on the show titled “The Wall.”Dieudonne M’Bala M’Bala will instead present an alternate performance called “Asu Zoa” on a “different theme,” his lawyer Jacq

TelevisionJan. 13, 2014