Lee Choung-bum receives friendship medal from Vietnam

Lee Choung-bum, founder of the Junghae Welfare Association in Seoul, received a friendship medal from the Vietnamese government on Saturday for promoting bilateral relations between South Korea and Vietnam, the association said. The medal is conferred to a foreigner or a group of foreigners who have contributed greatly to friendship between the two countries.  The 57-year-old attorney and other like-minded Koreans opened Junghae Vocational School, the predecessor of Thu Duc College of Technology

PeopleSept. 23, 2013

Akie Abe hopes on Facebook for better Korea-Japan ties

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s wife Akie Abe recently posted a Facebook message hoping for the restoration of strained relations between South Korea and Japan.According to the Asahi Shimbun and reports in other media on Monday, the 51-year-old wife of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe disclosed in the post that she attended the Korea Japan Festival 2013, one of Japan’s largest events for cultural exchanges between the two countries, at Hibiya Park in Tokyo on Saturday.It also showed a photo her jo

PeopleSept. 23, 2013

YG CEO is Korea’s wealthiest shareholder in entertainment

Yang Hyun-suk, former member of iconic idol group Seotaiji and the Boys and current CEO of YG Entertainment, is Korea’s wealthiest celebrity stockholder, according data published by the market research site Chaebul.com on Monday. The site revealed that Yang’s shares were valued at 197.3 billion won ($183.4 million) as of last week, making him the richest celebrity shareholder. As the head of one of Korea’s top three entertainment agencies, Yang has made a name for himself as one of the most soug

PeopleSept. 23, 2013

[Photo News] Municipal cooperation

PeopleSept. 23, 2013

Men of ‘Parsifal’

Korean opera fans will be able to immerse themselves in the world of Richard Wagner on Oct. 1, 3 and 5 when the German composer’s four-and-a-half-hour opera “Parsifal” will be staged at Seoul Arts Center Opera Theater. “Parsifal” is regarded as the end of the dry spell for Wagnerian operas here, which have been absent from the stage since the 1970s. Since Wagner’s creations have been considered long, difficult and abstract by the majority of music fans, only arias or excerpts have been presented

PerformanceSept. 22, 2013

French-Canadian troupe to open SIDance 2013

A performance by a French-Canadian troupe will open the 16th Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance), the nation’s largest annual dance bash, which kicks off Oct. 7.One of the most reputable genre showcases here, the event is presented by the local section of the International Dance Council CID-UNESCO. A total of 51 dance companies from 16 countries will present 51 works including some collaborations.For the festival’s opening performance, French-Canadian company Cas Public will present “Va

PerformanceSept. 22, 2013

Bono joins world leaders at Global Citizen Festival

U2 front man Bono and a long list of world leaders will attend next week’s Global Citizen Festival to help fight poverty. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, leaders from several countries and U.S. lawmakers will join Stevie Wonder, Kings of Leon, Alicia Keys and John Mayer at the free concert Sept. 28 in New York’s Central Park. The concert coincides with the U.N. General Assembly, and fans earn free tickets for helping spread the word or volunteering to help end world poverty.Bono wi

PerformanceSept. 22, 2013

Insane Deegie back for more

This is the seventh in a series on producers, MCs, DJs and artists working in the Korean underground hip-hop scene. ― Ed.When some people hear the name Insane Deegie, they think of the grandfather of the Korean diss battle: the young, angry first-generation hip-hop artist who filled his songs with curse words and was not afraid to go after anyone, even former President Lee Myung-bak. They might not think of the smooth sounds of jazz hip-hop, which is the concept Deegie has been using for his per

PerformanceSept. 22, 2013

Wife of late Kumho Asiana honorary chairman dies

Park Marguerite Clark, wife of the late honorary chairman of Kumho Asiana Group Park Seong-yawng, passed away due to a chronic illness at St. John’s Health Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday. She was 81. After being cremated, the ashes of her body will be moved from L.A. to Seoul through an Asiana flight on Tuesday and a memorial room will be set up at Sinchon Severance Hospital. A visit to pay condolence is possible from the same day and the funeral procession will leave the hospital on Thursda

PeopleSept. 22, 2013

Donations help bring stricken American teacher home

Sean Jones, an American English teacher in Goyang who was hospitalized with a severe autoimmune disease in May, has returned to the United States thanks to fund-raising efforts to pay his hospital bill.Jones had developed encephalitis NMDA, a rare brain disease, and was undergoing treatment in Korea. However, when the hospital stopped treatment, citing cost, his family sought to transfer him to the U.S.But the hospital would not allow Jones to leave until his $50,000 medical bill was paid.  “It

Expat LivingSept. 17, 2013

KOTESOL to hold international conference

Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages will hold its annual international conference on Oct. 12 and 13.KOTESOL expects 1,400 teachers to join the conference at Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul to discuss issues in English education, and hear from some of the field’s top figures. There will be 140 presenters from Korea and elsewhere giving 225 presentations and workshops, as well as 40 educational displays and 60 promotional sessions.The conference’s plenary speakers will b

Expat LivingSept. 17, 2013

New modern art museum seeks to erase barriers with audience

The Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea is in the final stages of preparations for its opening in November. It will fulfill the long-held wish of the Korean art circle to have a signature modern art museum that represents Korean art in the heart of Seoul. Located in a popular tourist area next to Gyeongbokgung Palace, the museum is adding the final touches before the official opening on Nov. 12 ― bringing in furniture, hiring staff, opening bidding for museu

PerformanceSept. 17, 2013

Burberry, Tom Ford headline London Fashion Week

LONDON (AP) ― Soft, lacey pastel confections at Burberry Prorsum, wacky florals at Christopher Kane, sparkly party dresses at Tom Ford: London Fashion Week was in full swing Monday, with a huge diversity of new spring looks from a parade of big names all jostling for buyers’ attention.Luxury British label Burberry packed in the biggest crowds with its runway show, which featured a collection of ultra-feminine pastel outfits, sheer pencil dresses and light cashmere coats.  Designer Christopher Ba

Arts & DesignSept. 17, 2013

K-pop lovers to flock to Gyeongju for Hallyu Dream Festival

The fourth annual 2013 Hallyu Dream Festival held in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, is set to launch its K-pop-filled events on Oct. 5 and 6. This year’s Hallyu Dream Festival will include the K-pop Cover Dance Festival and the final Hallyu Dream Concert, as well as cultural awareness events. The lineup for the upcoming Hallyu Dream Concert, which will be held on the second day of the festival, includes big-name K-pop acts such as TVXQ, 4minute. Sistar, Crayon Pop, 2AM, KARA, T-ara, Ailee,

PerformanceSept. 17, 2013

Malala, Snowden nominated for EU human rights award

BRUSSELS (AP) ― European lawmakers have nominated several candidates for the bloc’s top human rights prize, including Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai and U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden. The European Parliament said in a statement late Monday they were among seven nominees for this year’s Sakharov prize. The finalist for the prestigious 50,000 euro ($65,000) award will be chosen next month. The 16-year-old Malala, who survived a Taliban assassination attempt last year on her way ho

PeopleSept. 17, 2013

U.S. wakes up to a Miss America of Indian descent

NEW YORK (AFP) ― For the first time America’s top beauty queen is a woman of Indian origin, a first partly clouded by a spate of hateful Tweets branding her an Arab terrorist.The new Miss America is Nina Davuluri, a 24-year-old from the state of New York who wants to be a doctor.She called her crowning Sunday night at the Atlantic City pageant, in which she performed a traditional Bollywood-style dance, a victory for diversity in America.“It was the first time Bollywood has been performed on the

PeopleSept. 17, 2013