Ancient Asian art of origami gains following in West

NEW YORK (AFP) ― Hundreds gathered in New York over the weekend for a convention celebrating origami, the ancient Asian art of paper folding, as the craft gains increasing recognition as serious art in the West.Animals, shapes, landscapes and spaceships constructed with astonishing intricacy were on display at OrigamiUSA, all fashioned entirely from uncut paper squares and without a drop of glue.“We say the universe is flat and is contained in a square piece of paper. With paper you can do every

PerformanceJune 25, 2013

Roy Kim unveils first full album ‘Love Love Love’

“Superstar K4” winner Roy Kim, a.k.a. Kim Sang-woo, unveiled his first studio album “Love Love Love” during a showcase at the IFC Mall in Seoul on Tuesday. The singer-songwriter wrote every song on his new folk/pop album that consists of nine tracks, including lead track “Love Love Love” as well as previous hit “Spring Spring Spring.” Compared to his earlier releases, this new album truly represents the music and sound that he has always wanted to pursue, Kim claimed. “This is the style of music

PerformanceJune 25, 2013

‘Freedom comes with a price,’ says U.S. Korean War veteran

Edward Rowny, a retired U.S. Army general, says that if he learned anything from the Korean War, it is that “Freedom comes with a price.”Rowny, now 96, still recalls the days when he worked as a spokesman for U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the commander of the Allied Forces which fought against invading North Korean troops during the three-year war.Rowny said MacArthur had to overcome opposition from more cautious U.S. generals to push through with the risky Incheon landing that turned the tide of

PeopleJune 25, 2013

Korean travel to S. Africa rising fast: deputy minister

With increased political stability in Africa and economic growth to match, it is not surprising that more travelers are turning to the region to spend their holidays.International tourism in Africa as a whole has nearly doubled since 2000 to 50 million visitors a year. Korean tourists are also rising, and many are choosing South Africa as their travel destination, according to the country’s Deputy Minister of Tourism Tokozile Xasa.She was in Korea for a daylong trade and tourism workshop at a ho

PeopleJune 25, 2013

Blueprints behind Miyazaki’s magic

The plain two-dimensional animation images created by Japanese animation film director Hayao Miyazaki have continued to fascinate viewers even after the arrival of the dazzling three-dimensional images by major studios. It might be the scene in which the young witch Kiki leaves her home to explore the world in “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” or Totoro waiting at a bus stop holding a small umbrella that barely covers his head that brought up nostalgia in viewers who have fond memories of growing up wa

PerformanceJune 24, 2013

Soprano talks of her ‘sabbatical’ from opera

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― Her character Antonia literally sings herself to death in Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffmann,” but in real life Natalie Dessay says her own upcoming break from opera is not so irrevocable.“I’m going to take a sabbatical, and then we’ll see,” the French soprano said in an interview. “The truth is my repertoire is shrinking. I’m not a young woman anymore, so I don’t feel adequate for roles where I’m the girl in love for the first time. I don’t want to eternally redo Lucia or O

PerformanceJune 24, 2013

Korean War sites considered for national cultural heritage status

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday said it would push to register five historical sites of the Korean War (1950-1953) as cultural heritage subject to state management. Those being considered are the Resistance Shrine at Mount Gamaksan in Paju; the Norwegian field hospital in Dongducheon; a military bunker in Pocheon; the joint cemetery of the Taegeukdan resistance in Goyang, all in Gyeonggi Province; and the joint cemetery of policemen who died during battle against North Korean mili

CultureJune 24, 2013

Ministry seeks to revive Joseon portraiture

Portraits in Korea are much more than simple artworks. Rather, they are signs of respect for ancestors that have been passed down through generations. Portraits of the Joseon era (1392-1910) are known for their realistic description and details. They are also called jeonsinhwa, a painting that passes down the spirits of ancestors. Unlike in neighboring countries, painters were devoted to portraying subjects as realistically as possible based on the belief that “if things as small as a strand of

CultureJune 24, 2013

‘Monsters’ beats zombies, Superman at box office

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Turns out zombies and Superman are no match for monsters.Disney’s “Monsters University’’ is the weekend box-office winner, according to studio estimates released Sunday. The animated family film, which reunites stars Billy Crystal and John Goodman and their characters from the 2001 hit “Monsters, Inc.,’’ debuted in first place with $82 million, beating out swarming zombies in “World War Z’’ and Superman himself in “Man of Steel.’’“The diversity of this weekend is part of what

FilmJune 24, 2013

‘Who Is Next?’ YG to debut new boy band via reality TV competition

Which new boy band in the making has what it takes to become the next Big Bang? YG Entertainment founder and CEO Yang Hyun-suk has decided to leave that decision up to the fans.Yang announced over the weekend that he would be launching a new reality TV show, “WIN,” to determine which one of his current boy bands in training will make their debut. “WIN,” which stands for “Who Is Next?” will feature two rival groups waiting to debut in a winner-takes-all talent competition. The boy band that recei

PerformanceJune 24, 2013

Lee Byung-hun, Jeon Do-yeon to star in ‘Hyeopnyeo’

Korean film stars Lee Byung-hun and Jeon Do-yeon will appear in a historical drama that will mark their first onscreen appearance together in 14 years, it was reported Monday. According to local news outlet TV Report, Lee recently decided to accept a leading role in “Hyeopnyeo,” which will be directed by Park Heung-shik, whose previous films include “Bravo, My Life!,” “I Wish I Had a Wife” and “My Mother, The Mermaid.”  Jeon, who has long been friends with Park and starred with Lee in the 1999

FilmJune 24, 2013

Korea America Friendship Society to honor American soldiers, civilian

The Korea America Friendship Society will hold “Korea America Friendship Night,” its 22nd anniversary reception, in the grand ballroom at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on Thursday. Four U.S. soldiers and one Department of Defense civilian will receive “Korea America Friendship Society Awards” during the event. The awards recognize their volunteering to teach English, hold cultural exchanges, athletic events and festivals for young Korean students, and projects to promote mutual understanding with the lo

PeopleJune 24, 2013

FSS governor becomes volunteer interpreter

Financial Supervisory Service governor Choi Soo-hyun will double as a volunteer English interpreter. The 58-year-old official was recently recruited as a volunteer interpreter by BBB Korea, a corporation which provides interpretation services by telephone 24 hours a day. BBB Korea posted openings for 431 volunteer interpreters in April, and about 1,300 applied. In late April, he passed the third and final round of the test, a three-way telephone conversation involving a foreigner and a Korean. H

PeopleJune 24, 2013

Top three English sitcoms for Korean learners

Having good English proficiency has long been a task for many South Koreans, as it has huge effects on one’s life such as promotions or high exam scores. Korean learners are actively using English TV series since they are both entertaining and educational. The Korea Herald has summed up the three most popular English series in Korea that draw wide interest from enthusiastic English learners. 1. “Modern Family”“Modern Family” is a U.S. comedy series first aired in 2009. The story revolves around

TelevisionJune 24, 2013

Most Korean travelers dream of overseas romance

The majority of South Korean travelers have fantasies about an unexpected romantic encounter with a stranger while traveling, a survey found on Monday.Skyscanner, a flight information website, conducted a survey of 1,000 South Koreans aged 18 or over who have overseas travel experience. The survey found 61.4 percent of the respondents had thought about a possible romantic date with a stranger during their journey.The most favored place to have such a moment was the beach at 48.2 percent.In the

TravelJune 24, 2013