Expats join in Seoul kimchi-making blitz

Koreans and expats gathered to make kimchi in Seoul and Cheonggye plazas on Friday as part of the Seoul Kimchi Making and Sharing Festival.The event continued at Seoul Plaza through Sunday. In total, 9,000 people made 260 tons of kimchi to be given out to 22,000 underprivileged families, city officials said.The collective making of kimchi ― known as “gimjang” ― is a tradition that goes back centuries and was recently recognized by UNESCO, which listed it as an intangible cultural heritage item l

Expat LivingNov. 18, 2014

Seoul food tourism groups offer training to migrant wives

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has teamed up with a group of organizations to provide training for migrant wives as food tour guides.Participants will learn how to explain the story of Korea through cuisine in the program, organized by the Seoul Business Association, Seoul Creative Lab and Korea Culinary Tour Association.The program will train 25 people in the history of traditional markets, Korean cooking and ingredients, hospitality and related topics.Instruction will be led by Korean Culin

Expat LivingNov. 18, 2014

Translation award honors Suh Ji-moon

When emeritus professor Suh Ji-moon first began translating Korean literature into English in the 1970s, she used to write by hand or use a typewriter, which required writing and retyping over and over again before submission. Though times have changed, the prominent Korean scholar with a 40-year career in teaching, research and literary translation still admits that translating is difficult, often accompanied by frustration and distress. Yet, it is a fulfilling experience, just like a time-cons

BooksNov. 18, 2014

Nine-taled fox to join Avengers superheroes in U.S. comic series

A cartoon character based on the Korean myth about a nine-tailed fox will be joining Spiderman, Ironman and other superheroes in Marvel’s “Avengers” comic book series, the U.S. firm’s executive said Tuesday. The character, White Fox, is a heroin appearing in “Avengers Electric Rain,” a Web-based cartoon series published on the Korean web portal Daum. “Avengers Electric Rain” is the first localized series of the U.S. comic series Avengers and is being written and drawn by Korean cartoon artist Ko

CultureNov. 18, 2014

Cumberbatch ‘bowled over’ by reaction to engagement

NEW YORK (AP) ― Benedict Cumberbatch fans might be weeping on the inside over the “Sherlock” star’s engagement ― but he’s seeing nothing but their love, he says. “It’s a crazy old love bomb to drop and the amount of love that comes back to you, that was the thing that (fiancee Sophie Hunter and I) are both just sort of bowled over by. It’s wonderful.” Cumberbatch and Hunter announced their engagement by posting an eight-line notice on the births, deaths and marriages page of The Times newspaper

TelevisionNov. 18, 2014

GOT7 seeks niche with ‘Identify’

The seven members of GOT7 are taking another stab at solidifying their identity with the release of their first full-length album, “Identify.” This time around, the boys are leaving behind the high-flying martial arts dance moves that they so enthusiastically highlighted when they debuted, referring to their complex choreography as one of the aspects that made them different from other K-pop boy bands. The 11-track album, which includes GOT7’s previously released singles “A” and “Girls Girls Gir

Nov. 18, 2014

Sandara Park, Steven Yeun’s video gets million hits

Sandara Park and Steven Yeun stars in the video. (BeFUNNY Studios)A video series featuring Sandara Park, a member of the K-pop girl group 2NE1, and actor Steven Yeun has received a total of more than 1 million views just four days since its release.Released last week under the title “What’s Eating Steven Yeun?” by BeFUNNY Studios, the video series gained immediate attention from viewers.The series, composed of three parody videos and a highlight episode, tells the comical yet serious story of Ye

Nov. 18, 2014

Water politics: Exhibition highlights how shortages affect us all

“Trans-border Migrant Tool” by Electronic Disturbance Theater 2.0 helps Mexican immigrants to find the location of water using the GPS-installed mobile device when they cross the border through the harsh desert.Hundreds of Mexican immigrants die in their deadly crossing across the Mexican and the U.S. border every year. Non-governmental organizations estimate that more than 10,000 people have died so far before they make it to the border. Some of them die without water in the blazing desert that

PerformanceNov. 17, 2014

July Jung’s ‘A Girl at My Door’ wins award in Stockholm

Korean filmmaker July Jung won the Best First Film award on Friday at the Stockholm International Film Festival for her feature directorial debut “A Girl at My Door.” The movie deals with social justice, child abuse, small-town politics and migrant worker issues. The 34-year-old director is the first Korean to receive the award at the festival, which is in its 25th year. The jury recognized her for taking a new approach to characters and settings.“There is an existential excitement in seeing the

FilmNov. 17, 2014

‘Dumb and Dumber To’ tops U.S. box office

NEW YORK (AP) ― At the movies, idiocy never goes out of style. Twenty years after the 1994 original, “Dumb and Dumber To” opened with $38.1 million at the weekend box office, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Universal sequel debuted almost exactly two decades after the Farrelly brothers first introduced the Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels low-IQ duo. “Dumb and Dumber To” edged out the animated Disney adventure “Big Hero 6,” which took in $36 million in its second week. Christopher Nolan’s s

FilmNov. 17, 2014

Knowles weds video director

Solange Knowles. (AP-Yonhap)NEW YORK (AP) ― Solange Knowles is known for her fashion as much as her music, and her weekend wedding didn’t disappoint. Her publicist confirmed Sunday that the 28-year-old singer (and sister of Beyonce) wed 51-year-old video director Alan Ferguson over the weekend. The bride and groom both wore ivory, a color also worn by key attendees, including the bride’s mother, Tina; brother-in-law Jay Z and niece Blue Ivy. This is the second marriage for Knowles, who has a 10-

PerformanceNov. 17, 2014

AC/DC drummer lives at full speed among retirees

TAURANGA, New Zealand (AP) ― AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was the toast of this quiet New Zealand coastal community when he celebrated the launch of his surprise solo album at his marina restaurant, Phil’s Place. Even the mayor was there.Less than three months later, posters promoting the album plaster the windows of his waterfront home, protecting his privacy, after police raided it earlier this month and filed serious charges against him. The fans who came to support him after the raid, singing AC/

PerformanceNov. 17, 2014

Lovelyz drops debut album amid controversy

Lovelyz. (Woollim Entertainment)Despite being the target of a number of nasty online rumors, new K-pop girl group Lovelyz has made its debut official with the release of its first album, “Girls’ Invasion.”Looking to bounce back after malicious online rumors about group member Seo Ji-soo led her to suspend her debut with the eight-member group, Lovelyz finally unveiled its entire nine-track debut album on Monday, including the official music video for the girls’ lead single “Candy Jelly Love.” Ea

Nov. 17, 2014

G-Dragon gearing up for new YG collaboration

The official poster for YG Entertainment’s upcoming hip-hop project. (YG Entertainment)Big Bang leader G-Dragon, one of the biggest names in K-pop, will be taking part in his agency’s upcoming hip-hop collaboration team, according to a statement by YG Entertainment on Monday. Officials at YG revealed that the mega K-pop star will be one of the five artists participating in the agency’s next line of music projects. Titled “YG Hiphop Project 1,” the collaboration will feature two YG artists, inclu

Nov. 17, 2014

Former Kara member Nicole to make solo debut

Nicole. (Nicole official Facebook)Nicole, a former member of the K-pop girl group Kara, will be dropping her first solo album, titled “First Romance.”The upcoming album will not only be her first solo release since her departure from Kara, but also her first release under her new management B2M Entertainment, home to K-pop diva Lee Hyori. Nicole recently unveiled the track list for her upcoming album, which will feature a total of six tracks including the lead single “MAMA.” The new album is sla

Nov. 17, 2014

Elements of Bauhaus design explored

To think of Bauhaus-style interior design, a modern apartment studio with sleek and monotone interior comes to mind. It’s one of the contributions of the legendary German design school in the field of design.For more than 30 years the German academic design institution operated in pursuit of shaping new design principles. Although the school closed 81 years ago, its influence on modern design has been significant. Now, the word Bauhaus signifies the cool, streamlined interior, furniture design o

PerformanceNov. 16, 2014