Rhythm and blues singer J-Yo is debuting as a solo artist under a new stage name: Jero.Jero plans to perform throughout Asia, the U.S., Europe and other places, according to his management agency Echo Global Group on Monday. 　Entertainers including American actor-model Daniel Henney and “Avengers: Age of Ultron” actress Kim Soo-hyun are also signed with Echo Global Group. The global management company additionally partners with music publishing and production company Iconic Sounds, which has wor

PerformanceAug. 8, 2016

BEVERLY HILLS, California (AP) -- Woody Allen’s first small-screen series will debut on Amazon this fall.The streaming service announced the Sept. 30 debut date as well as the title for Allen’s project: “Crisis in Six Scenes.” The comedy, set during the upheaval of the 1960s, focuses on a suburban family dealing with the chaos brought by a visitor. The cast includes Allen, Miley Cyrus and Elaine May. It is one of several new comedies to be released this fall, Amazon said Sunday, beginning with c

TelevisionAug. 8, 2016

Director Yeon Sang-ho’s “Train to Busan” has been setting records since its opening here nearly three weeks ago. The apocalyptic thriller is the first film of the year to attract more than 10 million viewers at local theaters, according to distribution company Next Entertainment World. In Korean film history, only 13 other movies have surpassed the 10 million viewers. In a press interview, the movie’s lead actor Gong Yoo said that he would be thrilled if the film even surpassed 5 million viewers

FilmAug. 8, 2016

Built in 1978, the underground passageway that countless Yonsei University students used daily to cross the broad Seongsanro, the road that stands between the campus and Sinchon, became more or less abandoned when a pedestrian crossing was created above ground in 2014.Last year, Seoul Metropolitan Government and Yonsei University decided to breathe new life into the obsolete space, taking ideas suggested by Yonsei students. On July 24, the 54-by-7-meter underground space reopened after some four

CultureAug. 8, 2016

PANTAI CAHAYA BULAN, Malaysia (AFP) - Shafie Jusoh loves traditional Malaysian kites so much that he cannot get a good night’s rest unless he works on them daily. “I need to make kites every day, if not I can’t sleep,” the 69-year-old said. He began making them when he was a young boy, skipping classes to entertain his flights of fancy.“If you don’t do it every day, you will lose the technique,” he added.Shafie is among a diminishing group of Malaysian master kite-makers who have dedicated their

CultureAug. 8, 2016

KABUL (AFP) -- Thousands of people are fleeing the conflict roiling Afghanistan, but American backpacker John Milton recently made the reverse journey to the war-ravaged country -- for a holiday.Armed with little more than travel guidebooks and an unflagging spirit of adventure, hardy bands of “war tourists” such as Milton visit Afghanistan’s pristine mountains and medieval ruins every year, ignoring warnings of kidnappings and bombings.A Taliban attack on Thursday on a group of American and Eur

TravelAug. 8, 2016

Although I cannot imagine baptism for 5,000 people, I am sure that I will have a deep sense of involvement from the Holy Spirit. In order for me to share this experience with others, my mind will be open to what is happening around me.Message for Korean youthKeep it up and never stop growing in faith in the Lord. Never short-circuit your vision for how much difference Koreans can make in the world. I believe the U.S. was once a key leader in the role of being a Christian nation. However, as I se

CultureAug. 7, 2016

It is powerful even when one person is baptized, but baptizing thousands is special. It shows that the gospel is worldwide. As an American witnessing this take place in Korea, I feel this is a powerful demonstration that Jesus really is for all nations.Message for Korean youthProbably half of the first 12 disciples were only teenagers at the time. Some students in America want to have fun in their younger years and wait until they are older to become Christians. However, in order to have a more

CultureAug. 7, 2016

Roughly 5,000 Korean and U.S. soldiers and American Christian broadcasting personnel gathered together at the Yeonmudae Military Church in South Chungcheong Province on Saturday to take part in the country’s largest-ever baptism ceremony. The ceremony was held as part of the 60th anniversary of the Far East Broadcasting Company’s establishment in Korea and was officiated by FEBC - Korea’s chairman, the Rev. Kim Jang-hwan, also known as Billy Kim -- one of the country’s most prominent Christian e

CultureAug. 7, 2016

Far East Broadcasting Company - Korea is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its founding this year with several events at home and abroad, including Saturday’s mass baptism of some 5,000 military personnel. Following is a Q&A with the Rev. Billy Jang-hwan Kim, FEBC - Korea chairman.What was the reason for the mass baptism ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of FEBC - Korea? For the past 60 years Far East Broadcasting Company - Korea has been leading efforts to spread the gospel among Koreans

CultureAug. 7, 2016

Rookie K-pop group Cosmic Girls and its management agency Starship Entertainment are under fire after reports that the group trespassed into a natural monument to film an upcoming music video.　Channel A reported on Aug. 6 that an unnamed girl group and its production staff illegally entered the Sinduri Coastal Sand Dune, despite the many warnings from the property manager over a loudspeaker. According to the broadcast report, the group eventually left after police arrived at the scene. 　 It was

PerformanceAug. 7, 2016

Just in time for peak summer heat, a new digital art installation at Lotte World in Songpa-gu, Seoul aims to provide visitors a cooling place of refuge. 　Co-organized by teamLab and PCA Kids Korea, the exhibition titled “teamLab World: Dance! Art Museum, Learn & Play Future Park” offers interactive activities designed for people of all ages. 　Set in a spacious 1,700-sqare-meter underground venue, the exhibition is the brainchild of teamLab, a five-year-old Japanese art collective run by graphic

PerformanceAug. 7, 2016

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Kim Kardashian West is many things. It's just, feminist isn’t one of them. “I don't think that I am,” she said Friday at the BlogHer conference of bloggers. “I don’t like labels. I just think I do what makes me happy and I want women to be confident and I'm so supportive of women.”　 So, exactly, how would the reality star, queen of social media, Kanye West wife, and mom of two define feminism?　 “I love to support other women, but I’m not the free-the-nipple type girl. ... Just

TelevisionAug. 7, 2016

After MBC officially announced comedian Jung Hyung-don’s withdrawal from the popular variety show “Infinite Challenge” last month, the remaining cast members formally addressed the matter on the show’s latest episode which aired on Aug. 6. The broadcast network cited “health-related issues” as the reason for Jung’s departure after a 9-month-long hiatus, adding “(Jung) decided that it would be difficult to return as the pressure of coming back to ‘Infinite Challenge’ was unlikely to go away.”  Th

TelevisionAug. 7, 2016

PARIS (AFP) -- Researchers used super-X-ray vision to peer beneath the surface of a portrait by impressionist Edgar Degas and gaze upon the model whose likeness he painted over nearly 140 years ago, they reported Thursday.The woman, whose image Degas turned upside down before using it as a base for a new painting, was probably Emma Dobigny -- a favorite model of 19th century French artists, the team announced.“This has been a very exciting discovery,” said David Thurrowgood, conservator at the N

PerformanceAug. 7, 2016

LONDON (AFP) - The last two reporters working on Fleet Street filed their final stories on Friday, ending more than 300 years of journalism on the London thoroughfare synonymous with Britain's newspaper industry.London chief reporter Gavin Sherriff and entertainment features writer Darryl Smith, journalists with Scottish weekly The Sunday Post, are all that remains of the famed institution.“We knew as journalists that this was an important part of history for our profession, which we love,” Smit

CultureAug. 7, 2016