A large sculpture will be built at the U.N. Memorial Cemetery and Peace Park in Busan to memorialize Korean War veterans of the U.N. allies who fought for South Korea in the 1950-1953 war. The Nam-gu district office said Sunday that it plans to set up the sculpture by April next year at the cost of 640 million won ($550,000). The memorial will be 14 meters tall and depict a person bowing with two hands held together. Doves flying above the U.N. emblem will be carved on the foot of its drum-shape

PeopleSept. 15, 2013

The statue of a legendary Korean pitcher, Choi Dong-won, was unveiled near the Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on Saturday. The 2.4-meter-high statue depicts the Busan native in mid-pitch. The unveiling ceremony was attended by his mother, wife and son, Busan Mayor Hur Nam-sik, regional lawmakers, professional league officials and players, and citizens.Twenty-eight members of the baseball team from his high school alma mater, Kyungnam High, also paid their respects at the ceremony. Dubbed an “ir

PeopleSept. 15, 2013

Conductor Geum Nan-sae has been appointed headmaster of the Seoul Arts High School and will officially take his position starting Oct. 10. After four days of deliberation, the high school’s board of directors announced Geum’s appointment on Sunday. Geum replaces outgoing headmaster Suh Young-nim. Geum is an alumnus of the school.Seoul Arts High School is well-known as one of the country’s most prominent music and arts high schools. The 66-year-old conductor Geum previously served as conductor of

PeopleSept. 15, 2013

LONDON (AP) ― Sequins, sparkly embellishments, and lots of it. Day 2 of London Fashion Week saw a mix of eccentric styles, but at least two designers agreed that “more is more” when it comes to piling on the glamour.Julien Macdonald, one of London’s most flamboyant designers, dished up show stopping, jewel and sequin-encrusted evening gowns fit for a red carpet entrance Saturday. Not to be outdone, Ashish Gupta also adorned all his outfits with sequins, although here the clothes were torn jeans

Arts & DesignSept. 15, 2013

BUSAN ― Sculptures dot the empty beach of Songdo in Busan for the biennial Sea Art Festival, filling the deserted area left by beachgoers who crowded the popular beach on the southern coast just a month ago. Now, a walk along the beach has become a cultural experience with the presence of 34 sculptures by international artists from 11 countries such as Brazil, Canada, China, Italy, Taiwan and India.“The Sea Art Festival is an art event taking place by the sea. It is a rare event that brings out

PerformanceSept. 15, 2013

Choreographer Ahn Ae-soon started ballet lessons when she was in elementary school, but her first dance performance as a young child almost traumatized her.“I had worked so hard, really hard,” Ahn, who was recently appointed to head Korea National Contemporary Dance Company, told The Korea Herald. “But then when I was on stage, I forgot everything that I had prepared. I could not perform at all. I was mortified. So I stopped going to lessons the next day.”Korea’s dance scene is fortunate that Ah

PerformanceSept. 15, 2013

This is the sixth in a series on producers, MCs, DJs and artists working in the Korean underground hip-hop scene. ― Ed.Most entertainers, musicians and actors will agree that an academic degree is not always necessary for a career in entertainment. But nowadays, just like most of the working world, it’s harder to get jobs based on talent alone. Young job seekers need a set of skills and techniques along with talent.That is what Korea Conservatory, an arts school based in Apgujeong-dong, is hopin

PerformanceSept. 15, 2013

Korea’s music market already has a wealth of “popera” singers, but Ensemble Rottini are aiming to take the genre to the next level.In the past several years, men with charms and sweet voices have been drawing not only classical music lovers but also pop fans seeking something different. Rottini, which released its first mini album “Vita Mia” on Sept. 10 is the latest product from Credia, an influential classical music artists’ agency, who joined the growing throng of hopefuls looking to become t

PerformanceSept. 15, 2013

Chuseok surely is a huge deal in Korea, filled with family joys and the signature holiday food.Yet for Seoulites who choose not to visit their family in the countryside, or expats who don’t plan to travel, the holiday leaves them with little to do.Seoul, however, offers a number of options for those who choose to stay in the city for the holiday, from an expat-oriented film festival to English-language musicals. This year’s Chuseok break ― Wednesday to Friday ― is unusually and luckily long, as

CultureSept. 13, 2013

Dance“SIDance”: The annual Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance) is returning in October, featuring a total of 51 dance companies from 16 countries. The opener this year is a performance by Canadian troupe Cas Public, with its stylish variation of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring.” Other invited troupes include France’s Cie Heddy Maalem, Finland’s Dance Theatre Auraco, and Italy’s Ambra Senatore. This year’s SIDance runs from Oct. 7 to 27 at Gangdong Arts Center, Seoul Art Center and Goyang A

CultureSept. 13, 2013

The Face ReaderOpened Sept. 11Drama. Directed by Han Jae-rim. Nae-gyeong (Song Kang-ho) is the son of a disgraced noble family living in the Joseon era with a talent for physiognomy. With one glance of a person’s face, he is able to assess their personality, mental state, and habits. He is approached by officials in the royal court to use his skills to help solve a murder case. Nae-gyeong’s talents become recognized by the royal court and he is asked to not only solve crimes but also assist the

FilmSept. 13, 2013

‘Coup D’etat’ no revolutionG-Dragon “Coup D’etat”(KT Music)G-Dragon’s second studio album “Coup D’etat” is chock-full of colorful songs and features big-name artists, but are the songs really “revolutionary?”Title track “Coup D-etat,” is actually one of the weakest songs on the album. Featuring Diplo and Baauer, the same beat and melody plays throughout the whole song, making it repetitious and boring. “Niliria,” featuring Missy Elliot, has a unique sound consisting of an interesting mix of trad

PerformanceSept. 13, 2013

More silly than its sinister predecessor, “Insidious: Chapter 2” is entertaining for the contortions the script makes to incorporate both a brief prequel and highlights from the first film into a new 105-minute package.This is a Mobius strip of a movie, looping in on itself with ghosts from “The Further” and parallel existences interwoven into the lives of the lost Lamberts of sunny Somewhere, Calif.Those “Saw” / “Insidious” guys James Wan (director) and Leigh Whannell (co-writer, co-star) throw

FilmSept. 13, 2013

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― For $349, your dog can learn to fly.One Hollywood film studio now prepares dogs for a safe and calm flight.The Air Hollywood class includes a real fuselage on a sound stage with a simulator that mimics takeoff, turbulence and landing. Hollywood extras create crowds and the chaos that come with airport terminals.Talaat Captan, president and CEO of Air Hollywood, the world’s largest aviation-themed film studio, had the idea after noticing a dog owner having a rough time getting

TravelSept. 13, 2013