Rotary International Convention set to be Korea’s largest multicultural gathering

Goyang City will be hosting the Rotary’s 107th annual international convention, which is expected to attract more than 50,000 Rotary club members from more than 160 countries including Korea, making it the most multicultural nonprofit gathering in Korea.　The convention is scheduled to be held at the Kintex convention center in Gyeonggi Province from May 28 to June 1 and it is estimated to host roughly 25,000 foreign nationals. The Rotary is a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tack

TravelMay 11, 2016

Refugees-as-guides a hit at Berlin’s museums

BERLIN (AFP) - Mohamed Al-Subeeh was a senior restorer at Syria’s best-known mosaic museum, but as war swept deeper into his province, destroying artefacts and threatening his and his family’s lives, he was forced to flee.　The 64-year-old from Idlib province never dreamt that he would ever work in a museum again, certainly not in Germany, to which he had fled in a 23-day journey that involved a rubber boat ride across the Mediterranean, endless bus and train rides and hours of trekking on foot.

CultureMay 11, 2016

Basquiat sets artist record at Christie’s sale at $57.3 million

NEW YORK (AP) -- A monumental self-portrait by Jean-Michael Basquiat set a world auction record for the artist at $57.3 million Tuesday evening at a Christie’s contemporary art sale. 　Basquiat’s self-portrait, “Untitled, 1982,” portrays the young artist as a fiery, demonic figure. The canvas, which features splashes of explosive colors, has appeared in every major Basquiat retrospective. It was created just six years before Basquiat died of a drug overdose at 27. A visitor inspects “Untitled” by

PerformanceMay 11, 2016

50 years after riot, publisher asks Rolling Stones to return

LYNN, Massachusetts (AP) -- A newspaper publisher is asking the Rolling Stones to return to town 50 years after they cut short a show during a thunderstorm, leading fans to rampage.　Ted Grant, publisher of the Daily Item in Lynn, said in an open letter published Tuesday that “a lot has changed” since the band was last in town, on June 24, 1966, and he wants the British rockers to finish the set that ended when they left the stage during a storm at the Manning Bowl stadium. Angry fans broke throu

PerformanceMay 11, 2016

Women's film festival to address gender hostility

The Seoul International Women’s Film Festival will this year highlight some of the most debated gender issues in society today, through movies that deal with sexual slavery, lesbianism and women’s rights.　“The hostility between genders is serious today,” said Lee Hyae-kyung, honorary director of the festival, at a press conference on Tuesday at the Korea Broadcasting Art School in Seoul. “The basic sentiment of our age is fear -- fear of marriage, fear of scrutiny and fear of crime. We feel that

FilmMay 11, 2016

‘The Handmaiden’ set for June 1 release

Award-winning director Park Chan-wook’s upcoming film “The Handmaiden” is set to open in local theaters on June 1, CJ E&M announced Wednesday.　“The Handmaiden” is an erotic thriller inspired by the historical crime novel “Fingersmith” by British author Sarah Waters.  A still from “The Handmaiden,” featuring Kim Min-hee (left) and Kim Tae-ri (CJ E&M)　Set against the backdrop of Korea and Japan during the Japanese colonial era, the film centers on the conspiracy of a count (Ha Jung-woo) who tries

FilmMay 11, 2016

Children’s book on Korean history published in English

“Letters from Korean History” is an English-language series of books written for primary to high school students who are interested in learning about Korean history, according to its publisher Cum Libro. 　The books, published last week, are “for young readers overseas who are curious about Korea and its people, and for young Korean readers keen to learn more about their own history while improving their language skills as global citizens,” said author Park Eun-bong, who has a master’s degree in

BooksMay 11, 2016

Matt Haig offers people with depression ‘Reasons to Stay Alive’

“Reasons to Stay Alive” 　By Matt Haig　Penguin (272 pages, $15)　Matt Haig suffered months of depression and anxiety so crippling that he stood on the edge of a cliff, trying to summon the wherewithal to throw himself off.　“The weird thing about depression,” Haig writes in “Reasons to Stay Alive,” is “the fear of death remains the same. The only difference is that the pain of life has rapidly increased.”　Somehow, Haig inched his way back from that cliff. Over time, with love and support from his w

BooksMay 11, 2016

‘The Girl from Home’ is a solid economic thriller

“The Girl from Home” 　By Adam Mitzner　Gallery (336 pages, $26)　The recent economic downturn -- and financial scandals -- have also ushered in a new wave of economic thrillers in which hedge funds and stock trading provide a background for more dastardly deeds.　Adam Mitzner wisely uses this background as a start to explore the maturation of a selfish, vain man who eventually understands what matters more than money or a flashy car in “The Girl from Home.”　Hedge fund manager Jonathan Caine is one

BooksMay 11, 2016

Africa's contradictions encountered in a 9-month walk along the Nile

“Walking the Nile” 　By Levison Wood　Atlantic Monthly Press (338 pages, $26)　In becoming the first person to walk the Nile River’s length of more than 6,500 kilometers, explorer and ex-British soldier Levison Wood does more than cross footsteps with noted Victorian predecessors such as David Livingstone and Richard Burton.　He also traces a nine-month journey through the contradictions of African life -- cacophonous cities and expanses of barely trod landscapes offset by the greed and corruption o

BooksMay 11, 2016

‘Paul McCartney: The Life’ offers thorough account of ex-Beatle

“Paul McCartney: The Life” 　By Philip Norman　Little, Brown (853 pages, $32)　Behind the double thumbs-up, impish smile and round, half-moon eyes lies a Paul McCartney more complex than public perception lends itself to.　As biographer Philip Norman writes in “Paul McCartney: The Life,” McCartney is more than just the “cute Beatle” thumping away on a left-handed violin-shaped bass or the elder statesman of rock who continues to sell out stadium concerts lasting more than three hours. McCartney is,

BooksMay 11, 2016

[Hallyu Power] K-pop powerhouses looking to take a bite out of culinary world

Hallyu continues to forge ahead around the globe, with K-pop powerhouses unrelenting in finding new ways to spread Korean culture, even if it means venturing outside the entertainment field.　One of the biggest current trends in the local entertainment community involves celebrities and entertainment agencies taking a stab at the food and beverage scene. 　Many Korean celebs have invested in their own cafes or dining establishments, such as Grill5taco owned by Super Junior’s Dong-hae, JYJ Junsu’s

May 10, 2016

In a France darkened by fear, Cannes hopes to supply light

NEW YORK (AP) -- The first time Jodie Foster came to the Cannes Film Festival, she did so as a costar in Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver,” and as a wide-eyed 13-year-old, soaking in the spectacle. “Taxi Driver” would go on to win the festival’s prestigious Palme d'Or.　“It was kind of like Mr. Toad’s wild ride. It was very surreal,” says Foster, who returns this year with her hostage thriller “Money Monster.” 　“I remember the red-carpeted steps. I remember all the naked ladies on the beach with th

FilmMay 10, 2016

‘Phantom Detective’ to open in U.S., Canada

Korean hero flick “Phantom Detective” will open in theaters in the U.S. and Canada this week.　The film will open with English subtitles in Los Angeles on May 13 and throughout the U.S. and Canada on May 20, CJ Entertainment, the film’s North American distributor, said Monday. 　“Phantom Detective” was released here on May 4 and has sold a total of 847,000 tickets as of Monday, according to the Korean Film Council. It is currently No. 2 in the local box office, after “Captain America: Civil War.” 

FilmMay 10, 2016