PeopleFeb. 23, 2014

The largest group of shareholders of local broadcaster MBC elected Ahn Gwang-han, a close associate of its former chief Kim Jae-chul, as the new president of the country’s second-largest TV station, the channel said Sunday.In a vote held Friday, Ahn beat two competitors ― Washington bureau chief Lee Jin-suk and Incheon branch vice chief Choi Myeong-gil ― by a majority, it said. Ahn currently leads MBC’s cable unit MBC Plus Media. The Foundation of Broadcast Culture controls the channel with a 70

PeopleFeb. 23, 2014

When photographer Kim Nyung-man was standing in the photo line, watching President Bill Clinton greeting media artist Nam June Paik, he sensed something was going to happen and pressed the shutter-release button instinctively. Paik’s pants fell down, and the people around him failed to notice for a brief second. What Kim captured shows former President Clinton maintaining a smile at Paik, whose pants are down around his ankles, while two guards in the background look unmoved by what has just hap

PerformanceFeb. 23, 2014

Robert Moore’s collection of Korean art has expanded the presence of Korean art overseas, where it was long overshadowed by Chinese and Japanese art. Major museums in the U.S. boosted their holdings of Korean traditional art and artifacts by purchasing part of Moore’s collection. In 1999, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art purchased 250 works of Korean art from Moore, the largest purchase made by an art museum at that time. The beginning of his Korean art collection dates back to the mid-1950s

PerformanceFeb. 23, 2014

MILAN (AP) ― Giorgio Armani sees the irony. The female models ― all belonging to the target audience for his younger line Emporio Armani ― arrive in leather leggings and he fits them in wide-legged trousers that evoke ankle-length skirts.The 79-year-old designer is not bothered in the least by “this divergence” at his fall/winter womenswear preview Friday on the third day of Milan Fashion Week. Armani said his wide pants recall a long skirt, which younger women today don’t want “because it is pa

Arts & DesignFeb. 23, 2014

Fine art and classical music do not always have to be enjoyed in a gallery or a solemn concert hall. Traditional Korean paintings and classy brass sounds filled one of Seoul’s trendiest nightspots last Thursday evening, as calligrapher-painter Kim Mu-ho and the 10-member Klang Brass Ensemble presented their visuals and sounds under flamboyant lighting and LED screens at Club Octagon in southern Seoul.“Klang With Concert: Anticipation,” a monthly fund-raising concert, brought hundreds of people t

PerformanceFeb. 23, 2014

The popular MBC variety show “Infinite Challenge” team took on another challenge to cast Jamaica’s sprint star Usain Bolt in the last episode, which aired on Saturday. The “Jamaica Special” episode featured the three cast members ― Haha, Jung Hyung-don and Noh Hong-chul ― trying to “lure” Bolt by tweeting a photo of them holding a sketchbook reading “We Love Bolt.” A few hours later, Bolt retweeted the message saying “Maaaad.” Haha, who was excited about Bolt’s reply, urgently called in the othe

TelevisionFeb. 23, 2014

Ray Kurzweil, a Google expert in artificial intelligence, predicted that by 2029 robots will make jokes and flirt, the Observer reported. In an interview with the Observer, the entrepreneur and futurologist has predicted that in 15 years‘ time computers will be more intelligent than we are and will be able to understand what we say, learn from experience, make jokes, tell stories and even flirt.“My project is ultimately to base search on really understanding what the language means,” he said.Goo

Life&CultureFeb. 23, 2014

Dance“Two in Two”: Kim Ji-young and Kim Joo-won, two of the most celebrated ballerinas in Korea, will collaborate onstage for the upcoming restaging of choreographer Ahn Sung-soo and fashion designer Jung Kuho’s 2000 piece “Two in Two.” The piece is a mix of tango and flamenco, as well as ballet and contemporary. Joining the two Kims are dancer and choreographer Kim Bo-ram, who was a backup dancer for pop singers Uhm Jung-hwa, Koyote and Lee Jung-hyun from 2000 to 2007, and Jang Kyung-min, who a

CultureFeb. 21, 2014

 The Monuments Men (U.S., Germany)Opening Feb. 27Drama. Directed by George Clooney.During World War II, seven men ― comprised of curators, art historians and museum directors ― get together and plan to search for famous art works looted by the Nazis, and return them to their rightful owners. The film is based on a true story and is directed, produced by and stars George Clooney, along with Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Jean Dujardin and other stars. 12 Years a Slave (U.S

FilmFeb. 21, 2014

 Sunmi brings back ‘sexy’ with ‘Full Moon’Sunmi“Full Moon” KT MusicK-pop female acts today are increasingly partaking in a race to become “the sexiest,” as new song releases draw heightened attention with erotic music videos and provocative performances.The latest contender is Sunmi, who released her first solo EP “Full Moon” on Monday. Although the music video for the title track “Full Moon” does feature Sunmi’s sexy squats and grinds, the song is seductive simply by virtue of its sound, delive

PerformanceFeb. 21, 2014

Think of “Therese Raquin,” the Emile Zola novel that is the inspiration for “In Secret,” as the original film noir. It has an illicit love affair, a murder and the guilt and fear of discovery that comes with it.Filmmaker Charlie Stratton, working from Neal Bell’s stage adaptation of the book, delivers a moody, melodramatic and somewhat overwrought version of the tale, sort of a 19th century-Paris “Postman Always Rings Twice.” It benefits from brooding performances by the leads and another fierce

FilmFeb. 21, 2014

LOS ANGELES ― Chen Si, 35, and her husband visited Los Angeles from Shanghai for the first time in December, excited about local attractions like Disneyland and Hollywood.They were less enthused about the idea of American food. They booked a room in San Gabriel, where friends said they could find “acceptable” Chinese food in the surrounding neighborhood, Si said.The once-quiet suburb about 19 kilometers east of downtown Los Angeles is in the midst of a transformation built on the growing interna

TravelFeb. 21, 2014

CARLSBAD, California ― It’s mid-afternoon on a hot summer day. After a full morning at a theme park, energy is running low. While the adults are ready to leave the fun behind for a few hours of rest, there are many in the party who don’t want to leave.Legoland has come up with a solution.The Legoland Hotel, which opened in April, sits just outside the entrance to the theme park. The three-story, 250-room hotel is an explosion of primary colors made to resemble the colorful structures that can be

TravelFeb. 21, 2014