Good people do evil things. When do those actions turn them from good to evil? This is the core question asked in “The Chronicles of Evil,” a new thriller by director Baek Woon-hak. Actor Son Hyun-joo stars as Choi Chang-sik, a decorated detective who commits a murder in self-defense but covers it up for fear of spoiling his chances of a big promotion. However, things become complicated when the dead body turns up hanging from a crane in front of the station where Choi works, and he is put in ch

FilmMay 13, 2015

Italian luxury fashion house Ferragamo collaborated with Korean artist Lee Sea-hyun for its collection of silk, cashmere and wool accessories. Lee is known for the “red landscape” images that depict North and South Korean scenes in delicate washes of crimson orange, reflecting Korea’s sociopolitical reality. His paintings have been exhibited internationally in the U.K., Switzerland, Amsterdam, New York and Seoul. The first partnership between Ferragamo and Lee began when the brand’s Asia-Pacific

Arts & DesignMay 13, 2015

Twenty-eight years old and in the industry for nearly 15 years now, BoA reveals her true personality and musical styles in her latest album “Kiss My Lips.” In her eighth full-length album, released Tuesday, the pop diva sings smooth, pop-ballad songs with her signature soft-spoken vocals and bubble-gum love heartbreak lyrics and not so much of the heavy, upbeat dance tracks and hardcore choreography repertoire that she became known for early in her career.All 12 tracks on the album are her own w

May 13, 2015

South Korean pop singer Yoon Mi-rae and Sony Pictures Entertainment said Wednesday they have settled out of court their legal case involving the company's unauthorized use of Yoon's song in a movie. In December, Yoon's music agency, Feel Ghood Music, filed a suit with a U.S. court over the film company's illegal use of "Pay Day" in the American film "The Interview," a comedy movie about the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.  Yoon Mi-rae (Feel Ghood Music)On Wednesday, Sony Pictur

May 13, 2015

K-pop star Psy narrowly escaped the deadly shooting rampage at a military training camp on Wednesday, local media reported. Psy’s agency said that “Psy had been at the Naegok-dong military training camp as a reservist.”  (YG Entertainment)According to the Army, a reservist “opened fire on his colleagues while receiving training at a military camp at around 10:44 a.m. today.” The reservist opened fire, killing one of his colleagues and wounding three others before committing suicide. Psy had aske

May 13, 2015

No outfit is complete without shoes. But when it comes to the hanbok look in modern times, a vital part has been missing. Platform heels or loafers have replaced shoes traditionally matched with a hanbok. A team of academics and an artisan shoemaker launched a rare project to rekindle the tradition. The project, launched by the private cultural heritage foundation Yeol with sponsorship of GRI Korea ― importer of Nine West and Steve Madden ― revived 30 pairs of shoes worn by kings and nobility du

CultureMay 12, 2015

When onstage as a member of Beast or half of the duo Trouble Maker, Jang Hyun-seung exudes charisma and sex appeal. But offstage, at a group interview on Monday at a cafe in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, Jang was soft-spoken and shy as he talked about his first solo EP, “MY.”“I wanted to come without any makeup, but I was afraid you’d think I didn’t really care about the interview,” he said as he sat down in a red flannel shirt and torn jeans, running a hand through his hair.According to Jang, he wante

PerformanceMay 12, 2015

Singer Yoo Seung-jun, whose successful career came to a halt 13 years ago over controversies about his military service, will talk in detail for the first time about the circumstances surrounding his decision not to enlist in the Korean army in an online broadcast next week.Korean-American Yoo, also known as Steve Yoo, was a K-pop sensation who debuted in 1997.His career came to an abrupt end in 2002, when he decided not to enlist in South Korea’s mandatory military service. He originally announ

PeopleMay 12, 2015

Choi Mag-gi and Kim Chun-hee are two old ladies living together in Yeongdeok-gun, North Gyeongsang Province. Their relationship is difficult to explain at first. After Mag-gi lost her two sons to a typhoon and measles, respectively, she and her husband brought in Chun-hee, who has a slight mental impairment, to live with them and to bear them a son. Although Mag-gi’s husband died decades ago, the two women ― the wife and the concubine ― still live together and look after each other.They are the

FilmMay 11, 2015

A young mother with an autistic child is chased by a loan shark who demands that she pay off her husband’s gambling debt. She is beautiful and doting; her husband is well-meaning but plagued by his addiction; the loan shark is ruthless and psychotic. “Coin Locker,” which made its world premiere in the Korean Competition section of this year’s Jeonju International Film Festival, is a parade of cliches and extremes. That was what director Kim Tae-kyung intended. “I began with the thought that toda

FilmMay 11, 2015

Once again, the Seoul night skies will be lit up with colorful orbs celebrating Buddha’s Birthday, as the Lotus Lantern Festival approaches this year on May 15.Held annually since over 1,300 years ago in honor of the venerated sage, the festival is a deep-seated tradition that has been carried down since the Unified Silla Period. Today, it attracts swarms of crowds to the Jogyesa Temple and Cheonggyecheon Stream areas ― from devout Buddhists to curious tourists and passersby.The celebration offi

CultureMay 11, 2015

Celebrities switch places with the production crew in the new comedy-drama “The Producers,” as four top-tier stars ― Kim Soo-hyun, Cha Tae-hyun, Gong Hyo-jin and IU ― portray the hectic lives of broadcast television producer-directors.Dubbed “the most anticipated show of 2015” by industry insiders, the new KBS drama will take us behind the scenes, revealing all the craze of overnight editing and endless meetings that go into producing variety shows, and promises light-hearted fun and laughter on

TelevisionMay 11, 2015

Im Heung-soon, the winner of the Silver Lion award at this year’s Venice Biennale for his documentary “Factory Complex,” has gained recognition for entwining art and film in his documentaries that reflect on society, its people and their histories.The artist goes by a number of titles ― cinematographer, director and scriptwriter. With a bachelor’s and master’s degree in painting from Kyungwon University (now Gachon University), Im has straddled the boundaries of art, photography and media while

FilmMay 10, 2015

Up & Coming is a series of interviews with emerging artists in various fields of arts and entertainment. ― Ed.Widely hailed as one of the leading violinists of her generation, 26-year-old Cho Jin-joo continues to make waves in the world of classical music. However, her relationship with the violin was not one of instant passion. On the contrary, she was introduced to the instrument because her mom believed it would help her child’s brain development. “My mother had this ambition for her daughter

PerformanceMay 10, 2015

Whether it is groceries, clothing, furniture, jewelry or electronics, shopping has never been easier than in South Korea, where it is possible to buy just about anything from the comforts of one’s home using a smartphone or computer. Regardless of the convenience, thousands of Koreans today continue to head to city centers to visit shopping malls, which have evolved from singular department stores into mega “multiplex malls” ― urban hotspots offering not only shopping opportunities, but also a w

CultureMay 8, 2015

Zac Brown Band eclectic on ‘Jekyll + Hyde’Zac Brown Band“Jekyll + Hyde” (Southern Ground-John Varvatos-Big Machine-Republic Nashville)Zac Brown rightly names his new release after a famous, fictional schizophrenic, for few artists in this genre-focused era so openly embrace an eclectic muse. 　 Brown sets the tone immediately on “Jekyll + Hyde,” which opens with an aggressively rhythmic “Beautiful Drug,” the most electronic-driven track Brown has recorded. The variety doesn‘t stop there, as he br

PerformanceMay 8, 2015

The Chronicles of Evil (Korea)Opening May 14Thriller. Directed by Baek Woon-hakA police officer named Chang-sik (Son Hyun-ju) is kidnapped by a taxi driver late at night. They get into a fight, and Chang-sik kills the driver. He cleans up the scene and returns home, but the next day the body is found hanging from a crane in front of the police station where Chang-sik works. Chang-sik is put in charge of the investigation, and he nervously watches his own team close in on him as he tries to find

FilmMay 8, 2015