A poster for “Roaring Currents.” (CJ Entertainment)A homegrown film about a 16th-century Korean naval hero’s crushing victory over Japanese naval forces exceeded the 16 million-viewer mark on Sunday for the first time in local box-office history, the movie’s investor-distributor said.“Roaring Currents” reached the milestone at 8 a.m. on Sunday, the 26th day since it hit local screens, CJ Entertainment said.The record came five days after it drew a cumulative 15 million viewers.On Aug. 15, it bec

FilmAug. 24, 2014

Heineken Korea, the organizers that brought the Amsterdam-born annual house music festival Sensation to Korea for the first time in 2012, is gearing up to present its latest EDM production ― Stardium. Much implied by its name, the upcoming one-day electronic music festival next month will feature a unique star-shaped stadium that allows for five separate DJ sets to be performed simultaneously without music clashing in between stages. This presents a festival where “everyone’s attention is not re

PerformanceAug. 24, 2014

Hallyu star Rain got himself drenched in icy water and pledged to donate 100 million won ($98,000) to research into Lou Gehrig’s Disease, joining a slew of Korean and global celebrities in the viral Ice Bucket Challenge.“The meaning of participating in this campaign is very special to me. My father-like mentor Hong Seung-sung, who led me to debut as a singer, has been suffering from the Lou Gehrig’s Disease for three years,” he said on YouTube. “I’ve always thought how to return his love and gra

Aug. 24, 2014

Singer Jay Park offered to teach Jun Hyo-seong of girl group Secret the “breast dance” but was turned down in a hilarious skit on Saturday Night Live Korea.　The hilarious moment came in the latest episode of Saturday Night Korea this weekend, when Jun and the members of Secret made an appearance.　When Secret performed its new song “I’m in Love,” show producer Shin Dong-yup got bored and directed An Young-mi, a comedienne, to teach the members her famous dance move, the “breast dance.”　All the me

Aug. 24, 2014

2PM’s Nichkhun will host a showcase at Lotte Hotel in Jamsil to launch his fashion collaboration with Rosa.K on Tuesday.The singer has drawn attention from fans with his unique fashion style -- the so-called “wannabe boyfriend look.”The showcase will include a series of lucky-draw events, where the winners can hug or shake hands with Nichkhun.Some of his celebrity friends, such as Jung Jin-woon of 2AM, Sun-mi, Eric Nam, and other famous celebrities will also join the showcase to celebrate Nichkh

Aug. 24, 2014

Jindo Island is rich not only in historical and cultural traditions, but also gastronomy, according to locals and tourists who have visited the island over the years. Jindo residents claim that the best seafood in Korea is found on their island thanks to the strong sunlight and powerful sea currents. The region’s specialties ― laver, seaweed, abalone and green onion ― are often known, along with the Jindo dog, as the “Five Wonders of Jindo” due to their superior quality and taste.In fact, the fi

TravelAug. 22, 2014

JINDO, South Jeolla Province ― A grueling 5-hour drive from Seoul seems to be a small price to pay for the chance to become immersed in this island’s majestic scenery of mist-shrouded cliffs hovering above a picturesque coastline.Jindo Island of South Jeolla Province is South Korea’s third-largest island. Despite being raised in the public consciousness for the recent Sewol ferry tragedy that left more than 300 dead or missing, its natural beauty remains vibrant, with the scenery consisting of r

TravelAug. 22, 2014

Just off the southwest corner of the Korean Peninsula, Jindo Island is a treasure house of ancient shamanism and folk culture, brimming with stories to tell.In the words of an old proverb, don’t boast your talent in calligraphy, painting, dancing and singing when you visit Jindo. The collection of some 230 small islets is full of rich cultural heritage. “Jindo used to be a land of exile for scholars during the Joseon Era. The scholars suppressed their tears and regret with art. That’s how folk c

TravelAug. 22, 2014

Classical musicLim Dong-min and Lim Dong-hyek recital: Brother pianists Lim Dong-min and Lim Dong-hyek will hold their first joint recital in nine years to present the complete Chopin concertos at Seoul Arts Center on Oct. 4. The older brother Dong-min will play the first concerto, while Dong-hyek will take on the composer’s second concerto both with Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra and its conductor Sung Shi-yeon. Tickets cost from 30,000 to 120,000 won. For more information, call 1577-5266 or v

CultureAug. 22, 2014

Manipulative, contrived, melodramatic ― all labels we slap on that most perfectly titled movie genre, “the weeper.” All fit “If I Stay” like original packaging. Teenage girls and the boys who want to date them need to discover the pleasures of a well-executed teen weeper for themselves, and this film fills the bill.Chloe Grace Moretz takes on her first real star-vehicle romance in this adaptation of Gayle Forman’s novel. Moretz is Mia, a Portland, Oregon, high school cello prodigy who, 12 minute

FilmAug. 22, 2014

The Letters (U.S.)Opened Aug. 21 Drama, Directed by William RieadBased on Mother Teresa’s letters to her spiritual mentor, Father Celeste van Exem, over a 50-year period, “The Letters” is a biopic of her life in Calcutta, India. The film reveals that Mother Teresa had struggles with faith and doubts about God despite being a woman of strong faith. She was distressed when she left home in Albania at a young age to become a nun and felt agony over the hardships of the abandoned and the dying on th

FilmAug. 22, 2014

Amy Grant shows another side with remixesAmy Grant“In Motion -- The Remixes”(Sparrow/Capitol)Amy Grant never has shied away from experimentation and change. Having transformed herself from devout singer-songwriter to upbeat pop star more than 20 years ago, she now leaps from the reflective tone of recent work to the electronic dance music beat of “In Motion -- The Remixes,” which gives a glow-stick tweak to her catalog of hits. A Christian music star who balances sensitive reflection with positi

PerformanceAug. 22, 2014

When I told people I was going to Macau over a long weekend, I got some strange looks. To explain myself, I said I was a fan of Portuguese egg tarts, but they weren’t convinced. I could tell that they suspected me of being a compulsive gambler.In truth, I was intrigued by the fact that Macau had been the last remaining colony in Asia, only being taken over officially from Portugal in 1999. Currently, it fits into the megalithic Chinese state as one of two SARS ― Special Administrative Regions. T

TravelAug. 22, 2014

BUELLTON, California ― He may not self-identify as a philosopher, being a proud gearhead and gas-station grease monkey at heart, but Mark Mendenhall was nothing if not profound when he looked around and took stock of all he surveyed.“You can have 4,000 signs,” he said, a quick head nod left and right to walls covered floor-to-ceiling with what collectors call petroliana, “but if you don’t got a place to display ’em, you just gotta garage full of junk.”Junk? At the Mendenhall Museum, freeway clos

TravelAug. 22, 2014

Bana 1924, which opened in Sinsa-dong on July 25, serves up craft beer and rib-sticking fare from its quiet, posh nook. It is the kind of watering hole for folks who want to linger over a cold glass or two in a spot that feels more like an old neighborhood haunt than an establishment smack dab in the bustling heart of Seoul. Sporting a terrace and olive-and-beige accented interior, the new gastropub is neither casual nor formal but somewhere pleasantly in between. Several craft beers are availab

FoodAug. 22, 2014