Noise Mob proves hip-hop is not just about Seoul

This is the 14th in a series on producers, MCs, DJs and artists working in the Korean underground hip-hop scene. Ary Kim contributed to this article. ― Ed.While hip-hop culture in Korea might have hit its stride in the capital city of Seoul, Minos of rap duo Noise Mob said that only when people start supporting the local scenes all over the country will hip-hop have set its foundation.“You have to perform in Seoul to actually say that you’ve made it, but then, people in the local scenes ― in the

PerformanceNov. 10, 2013

Taeyang’s ‘Ringa Linga’ tops 5 iTunes Charts

Big Bang member Taeyang recently released his first solo single “Ringa Linga” in more than three years and it has topped iTunes single charts in five countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Macau. The entertainer’s new single, unveiled to the public Friday, also topped the local real-time charts on Mnet, Naver, Bugs, Soribada, Olleh and others shortly after its release. “Ringa Linga” is a medium tempo electronica hip-hop track that is a pre-release from Taeyang’s upcoming second solo

PerformanceNov. 10, 2013

Veteran entertainers win cultural order

Four veteran entertainers, Cho Yong-pil, Gu Bong-seo, Ahn Sung-ki and Patti Kim, are to receive the Order of Cultural Merit from the Korean government. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Sunday, the four entertainers have been selected to receive the silver crown medal, Korea’s second-highest cultural honor.Cho was recognized for his enormous impact on the Korean pop music scene and for remaining one of the most influential figures in the country more than 45 years after

CultureNov. 10, 2013

Decades later, Korean War MIA’s remains back in N.Y.

ALBANY, New York (AP) ― More than 60 years after a teenage soldier disappeared during a fierce Korean War battle, the DNA provided by one of his siblings has led to his remains being identified and returned to his upstate New York hometown for burial.A plane carrying the casket with George J. Conklin Jr.’s remains arrived Wednesday at the Rochester airport, where it was met by a military honor guard, family members and Patriot Guard motorcycle riders. A hearse then took the casket east to Conkli

PeopleNov. 10, 2013

Korean libraries embrace new, expanded roles

Some people still assume that the library is a place for bookworms and exam takers. Ask Ahn Si-young, a regular library goer, and she will give a different idea. The 55-year-old mother of two college students enjoys attending educational programs at public libraries ranging from a book club to parenthood lectures. “The public library is where I can get educational benefits either free of charge or cheaper than anywhere else, and I want to make the most out of it,” Ahn said in an interview with T

CultureNov. 8, 2013

The end of libraries? Sort of

Friendly librarians mill around towering bookshelves, with the smell of newly printed books and dusty paperbacks in the air. The traditional image of a library is of a place to study, read books and hang out at a leisurely pace. With the emergence of the digital age, however, people are turning away from traditional libraries. According to Statistics Korea, a Korean household spent an average of 19,026 won a month on books in 2012, down from 20,570 won the year before. It marked the first time s

CultureNov. 8, 2013

Librarians becoming ‘information mediators’: Lim

Facing the digital age, libraries are increasingly pressed to stretch beyond their traditional role to offer more user-friendly and versatile functions, said Lim Won-sun, chief executive of the National Library of Korea.“Basically, we want to run a service that actively approaches (readers). Up to now, libraries’ role had been to collect and organize information for people to seek out,” Lim told The Korea Herald. “We want to approach people and say, ‘Don’t you need this (information)? I think th

CultureNov. 8, 2013

English libraries give kids access to learning

Korean parents are famously passionate aboard their children’s education. Unsurprisingly, they view English as an important subject for their kids and invest heavily in them learning the language, often pushing even toddlers to read English books.But there are not many English libraries for Korean children. Among 83 public libraries for children nationwide, only a few facilities specialize in English books. There are two English libraries for children in Yongsan-gu of northern Seoul, two in Mapo

CultureNov. 8, 2013

Korea through the pages

Only a few years ago, major bookstores in Seoul and other regions spared only a tiny space for the “books on Korea” section. Things have changed. Booksellers are steadily expanding their sections to meet the demand from foreign readers deeply interested in the country. “Since hallyu ― namely K-pop like Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ ― took the world by storm, we are seeing a growing interest (by foreigners) in learning Korean and purchasing Korean language books,” said an official from Kyobo Book Center,

BooksNov. 8, 2013

Calendar

Theater“Danton’s Death”: Seoul Arts Center is presenting “Danton’s Death,” the first play written by German dramatist Georg Buchner (1813-1837), set during the French Revolution. The play presents with the last few days of the French revolutionary leader, Danton. Korean artist Lee Ja-ram, who is known for her pansori works, is making her theater acting debut as a street performer in this play. The show is directed by Romanian theater director and teacher Gabor Tompa. “Danton’s Death” runs from N

PerformanceNov. 8, 2013

Box office: Friend 2, Thor: The Dark World, The Accomplice

 Friend 2Opens Nov. 14Directed by Kwak Kyung-taek. Seventeen years have passed since Lee Joon-seok (Yoo Oh-sung) was put in jail for ordering the killing of his friend Dong-su (Jang Dong-gun). He is now a high-ranking gangster and attempts to secure his position in the Busan-based crime syndicate. He is seen as a threat to Eun-gi (Jung Ho-bin), an ambitions member who aspires to be the gang’s leader. Joon-seok decides to work with Seong-hoon (Kim Woo-bin), a 20-something gangster he met while se

FilmNov. 8, 2013

‘Thor: The Dark World’ a setback for Marvel Studios

There’s a fleet and funny comic-book movie buried inside “Thor: The Dark World.” You catch glimpses of it here and there, like a shot in which the Asgardian muscle-bound hero (Chris Hemsworth) enters a London flat and hangs his hammer on a coat rack as if it were an umbrella, or a clever sequence in which Thor’s villainous brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who wreaked all kinds of evil in “The Avengers,” relishes the fact his older sibling is now asking for his help (how convenient). That scene get

PerformanceNov. 8, 2013

Eyelike: miss A disappoints on “Hush”

miss A disappoints on “Hush” miss A“Hush”(KT Music) Girl group miss A’s much-anticipated second studio album “Hush” is filled with more disappointments than hits. The group’s first album “A Class” produced popular songs such as “Good Bye Baby,” “Breathe” and “Bad Girl Good Girl,” but this time around, “Hush” is overall mediocre, to say the least. The 13-track album begins with “Come Over,” featuring an ‘80s vibe. The track is filled with borderline tacky sounding synthesizer riffs and a repetiti

PerformanceNov. 8, 2013

Foreigner-exclusive shuttle bus to highlight Gangwon winter festivals

For travelers stumped on where to spend the cold winter months, Gangwon Province offers a range of winter activities. As Korea’s most heavily snowed area, Gangwon Province ― host of the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympic Games ― is among the most popular winter destinations for locals, boasting a number of world-class ski resorts as well the country’s best-known winter festivals, including the Pyeongchang Trout Festival, the Hwacheon Sancheon-eo Ice Festival, the Mt. Taebaek Snow Festival and the Inje

TravelNov. 8, 2013

Five-star kids ski schools: When small is better

PARK CITY, Utah ― Hindsight is always 20-20, especially when you’re talking about teaching kids to ski. Like a lot of parents who love to ski, I figured I could teach my children myself. And I tried. But looking back now, I wish I’d put them in group lessons much sooner, when they were 6 or 7, blank slates waiting to be written on.It took me a while to realize that when your kids are skiing the slopes with an enthusiastic young instructor ― slip-sliding through the trees, puffing fresh air, whoo

TravelNov. 8, 2013