Cinephiles in Seoul will get a rare chance this month to watch films selected by some of the most celebrated cineastes in the country, including Lee Jun-ik, Kim Jee-woon and Lee Dong-jin.The annual Cinematheque Friends Film Festival opens next week, celebrating its ninth edition. This year’s lineup consists of 23 films, including opener “Spring in a Small Town.” Selected by Korean-Chinese filmmaker Zhang Lu for the festival, the opening film is a 1948 work by Chinese filmmaker Fei Mu. The film r

FilmJan. 9, 2014

The first 260 words of the Buddhist “Heart Sutra” run down a white wall rhythmically. The words concentrated on by generations of calligraphers using paper, brush and ink are represented through a different material, steel, to emphasize the Buddhist teaching.Artist Cho Hwan uniquely transforms the century-old practice of calligraphy into sculpture by using rough steel boards.  In the dimly lit room at Hakgojae Gallery in Seoul where his solo exhibition is being held, each word casts a shadow on

PerformanceJan. 9, 2014

MIAMI (AP) ― Model yachts, rustic fishing boats and wooden rafts dangle above visitors as they step into the new Perez Art Museum Miami. The colorful display is both a playful nod to South Florida’s maritime culture and a somber reference to the perilous journeys many make to get here. It is the perfect entry to a museum that channels the city around it: whimsical, vibrant, brimming with culture from across the Americas ― and yes, a work in progress. The museum, which opened in December, still l

CultureJan. 9, 2014

Hallyu star Kim Hyun-joong’s long-awaited comeback to the small screen in the title role of KBS’ “Inspiring Generation” (working title) is just around the corner.This represents Kim’s first TV drama since MBC’s “Naughty Kiss” failed to bring in high viewer ratings more than three years ago and also represents the singer-actor’s third comic book-turned-series project. Both KBS’ “Boys Over Flowers,” which helped catapult the star to small screen fame, and “Naughty Kiss” were based on comic book se

TelevisionJan. 9, 2014

This year marks the 10th year that mp3 music files have outsold physical albums in Korea, leading the local market in music sales. Although the early stages of the mp3’s history involved free online streaming and file sharing that was later deemed a copyright violation, in 2004, MelOn and Soribada ― some of the nation’s most popular online music sites ― launched for the first time with K-pop star Se7en’s “Crazy” becoming the first official Korean digital single that was purchased for download. D

PerformanceJan. 9, 2014

The leader of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order, will visit Korea next week.During his four-day stay, Rev. Adolfo Nicolas, the superior general of Jesuits worldwide, will preside over a mass and meetings with Korean Catholic leaders, including Seoul’s archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung. The mass will be at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 16 at St. Ignatius House inside Sogang University in Seoul. The Society of Jesus, founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola about 500 years ago, is noted for its ed

PeopleJan. 9, 2014

PeopleJan. 9, 2014

Fear NothingBy Lisa Gardner(Dutton)Nobody writes about the psychological aspects of working in law enforcement better than Lisa Gardner. She can take potentially disturbing scenarios that are frighteningly real and make them compelling, which she does in her latest novel, “Fear Nothing.”An alternative title could be “Pain Management” because the story takes a hard look at what constitutes physical pain ― and how a person deals with it.Police Detective D.D. Warren is checking out a crime scene fo

BooksJan. 9, 2014

The New Democrats and the Return to PowerBy Al From(Palgrave Macmillan)Al From’s “The New Democrats and the Return to Power” tells the important story of how a political party in trouble can reinvent itself and regain power.The book is particularly timely because the Republican Party’s leadership has set a goal of broadening its appeal after losing the last two presidential elections. And the Democrats will need to look closely at their political direction after President Barack Obama, with his

BooksJan. 9, 2014

Renowned Korean-American writer Lee Chang-rae has ventured into the genre of fantasy fiction with his latest novel, “On Such a Full Sea.”The novel, published in the U.S. earlier this month, is set in a dystopian future where a socially stratified society ― consisting of elite Charter villages, middle-class labor colonies and the wild and impoverished “open counties” ― dominates its people. Fan, the novel’s 16-year-old protagonist, is a fish-tank diver in the community of B-Mor (once known as Bal

BooksJan. 9, 2014

Minumsa, one of the leading publishing houses in the country, unveiled its ambitious project this week: A new 16-volume series featuring Korean history.The publishing house introduced the first two volumes of the series on Tuesday, one featuring 15th century Joseon and the other on the 16th century. The remaining 14 installments will hit local bookstores over the next three years. “For the last 50 years, we have been publishing a lot of books on philosophy and literature, not too many on history

BooksJan. 9, 2014

A fan-made parody poster featuring actor Kim Soo-hyun as Superman is creating a sensation online after they were released on Thursday.　The poster was one of the works submitted for the ”UCC Poster Contest “ organized by SBS TV Jobs. 　Among the candidates, the poster of Kim’s face photoshopped on to Superman’s body has become the most popular.　Kim plays the male lead in the popular drama “Man from the Stars,” a romantic comedy series featuring an alien who arrives in Korea during the Joseon era 4

TelevisionJan. 9, 2014

Actress Lee Yeon-hee became the subject of much netizen talk after re-enacting a fast-eating egg contest on popular talk show “Radio Star,” which aired Wednesday. The actress ate a hardboiled egg in one bite, re-enacting a scene from the drama she is currently starring in.The 26-year-old actress is gaining attention for her role in MBC’s drama “Miss Korea.” Lee stars as an ambitious young woman who aspires to win the crown. Three other members of the “Miss Korea” cast appeared on “Radio Star” wi

TelevisionJan. 9, 2014

Actor Lee Ki-Woo’s comments about actress Lee Chung-ah and Lee Yeon-hee on the MBC entertainment show “Radio Star” have been widely circulated in the online communities.  　In the show, aired on Wednesday night, actor Lee was asked who is prettier -- his own girlfriend Lee Chung-ah or co-star Lee Yeon-hee.　The 34-year-old star responded that Lee Yeon-hee looks prettier when he is playing his role in the drama. “I have never been so immersed in acting as this,” he was quoted as saying. 　　Lee Ki-wo

TelevisionJan. 9, 2014

Two English books have been published by Harvard University as part of its project to look at early Korean history and archeology, often viewed and told from Japanese and Chinese perspectives. Titled “New Perspectives on Early Korean Art: From Silla to Koryo” and “The Han Commanderies in Early Korean History,” the books are the fifth and sixth volumes of the Early Korea Project Occasional Series by the Korea Institute at the prestigious U.S. school. The project and its publications are sponsored

BooksJan. 8, 2014

Every country has an artist who represents its sentiment and whose style inspires generation after generation of artists. In Korea, it is Park Soo-keun (1914-1965), a first-generation Western-style Korean painter whose style has touched the hearts of many Koreans. But more recently he has been often undervalued and received little attention for his great contributions to the Korean art community, largely due to the downturn of the local art market that started in 2009. Although Park’s paintings

PerformanceJan. 8, 2014