Gwangju is to get a dose of a new kind of drama Saturday with a Korean-expat joint community theater project, “The Truth about Love.”The project was run by Unpuzzled Theater, which was set up by Jamie Oliver Jones and Tori Brown, who trained together in community theater in the U.K.The project had set out to include Koreans and expats as an inclusive community project to bring together a cast to collaboratively develop the show from scratch. The show is split up into several short performances.

Expat LivingMarch 26, 2015

Jane Jin Kaisen, a visual artist who was adopted from Korea to Denmark, bases her art on questions around memory, history and migration. It is within this framework that she tackled one of the biggest massacres in modern Korean history ― the Jeju uprising on April 3, 1948. Kaisen’s film, “Reiterations of Dissent,” opens with Hyun Ki-young recounting his memories of the event. He was just 7 years old when it started. He remembers seeing crows dancing in the wind, when one dropped something from t

Expat LivingMarch 26, 2015

With his subtle grace and staccato-like fortitude, young Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel is undoubtedly one of the hottest stars in the global classical music world now. Leading his Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, the maestro came to Korea for two concert performances Wednesday and Thursday nights at the Seoul Arts Center’s Concert Hall, showing just why he is considered the future of classical music. Indicative of his fame here, tickets to Wednesday’s performance were sold out, even th

PerformanceMarch 26, 2015

The full moon is the ruler of the night at the North Pole, casting a yellow glow on the snow-covered surface. What seems like the only moving object is a man kite-skiing through serenity. The stunning photograph was shot by Sebastian Copeland, polar explorer, photographer and environmental advocate. “The full moon at the North Pole means the sun is aligned on the opposite end. You could see the reflection of the sun coming down on the other end. This is one of the greatest and most peaceful mome

PerformanceMarch 26, 2015

Two of Korea’s quartet idol group 2AM are leaving its management agency, JYP Entertainment, but the split won’t affect the group’s future activities, the agency said Thursday. Seulong and Jinwoon have decided not to renew their contract with JYP while their teammate Jo Kwon chose to remain. The fourth member, Changmin, is currently mulling his course of action, as he has four months left until his contract expires, said the agency. Seulong signed with Sidus HQ, another local talent management co

PerformanceMarch 26, 2015

Showbox, one of Korea’s largest film production companies, has signed an exclusive partnership deal with China’s leading entertainment company, officially revving up its entry into the Chinese market. The Seoul-based firm announced Thursday its partnership with Huayi Brothers through which the two companies hope to cooperate for the production of six or more films in the next three years.Yoo Jeong-hun, CEO of Showbox, called the move a “foothold for Showbox’s positive settlement in China” and “a

FilmMarch 26, 2015

To be 20 years old in Korea is a peculiar time. It marks the long-awaited freshman year at college for those who survived years of cramming for the entrance exam. Drinking also becomes legal. But it’s also an awkward age to be ― no longer an adolescent, but not fully an adult yet. Just when young people feel they are capable of making life decisions, they realize how little is under their control.  From left: Lee Jun-ho, Kang Ha-neul and Kim Woo-bin in comedy flick “Twenty.” (NEW)The new comedy

PerformanceMarch 25, 2015

From avant-garde and modern rock to classical and traditional Korean music, Seoul’s soon-to-be launched “Right Now Music 2015” festival is looking to play catch-up to Europe and America by strengthening the city’s contemporary music scene. The two-day, 16-hour art house music marathon concert will be held on April 11 and 12 at the old Seoul Station building, renamed Cultura Station Seoul 284. It will showcase modern music with simultaneous live performance art that pushes the boundaries of non-m

PerformanceMarch 25, 2015

After a 10-year hiatus since her internationally celebrated role in “Jewel in the Palace,” actress Lee Young-ae is returning to the small screen in a new series, “Saimdang, the Herstory,” slated for an early 2016 premiere.Lee, 44, is to portray the dual roles of Shin Saimdang, the 16th-century artist, poet and scholar depicted on the Korean 50,000 won bill, and a college lecturer majoring in Korean art history as the show goes back and forth between historical and modern times.  Lee Young-ae in

TelevisionMarch 25, 2015

A short film directed by hallyu star Jang Geun-suk (“Pretty Man”) topped the weekly film section of the Oricon Chart, Japan’s biggest music and entertainment ranking list, said PR agency Y Tree Media on March 25.Titled “CAMP,” the 38-minute movie captures events that occur during Jang’s attempts to film wild animals in the Jejudo Island mountains as a documentary director.Jang Geun-suk. (Official website)The actor-singer participated in the planning and directing stages in collaboration with dir

TelevisionMarch 25, 2015

There is good news for local film lovers who are feeling increasingly frustrated by the lack of diversity in Korea’s booming cinema industry.The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced plans to create a film center, which will be the city’s equivalent to New York’s Film Forum, by 2018. Tentatively named “Cinematheque,” the envisioned film center will be constructed on a site currently used as a public parking lot in Chungmuro, a district in central Seoul known as the birthplace of the country’s

FilmMarch 25, 2015

Brown and burgundy are no longer the go-to colors for the cooler seasons in Korea, it seems. Brimming with color, experimental fabrics and unexpected twists, the first day of Seoul Fashion Week 2015 Fall/Winter Womenswear kicked off on March 23 at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza.“So many designers elsewhere use similar colors, especially for the fall-winter season, but the color mix of Korean fashion is unique.” said Ritta aka Miss X, a buyer from the Chinese city of Chongqing. Kaal E. Suktae: Carto

CultureMarch 24, 2015

“Wondaland,” the first studio album from hip-hop group MFBTY, has made a strong showing on the music charts, nearly a week after its release on Thursday. MFBTY, composed of female rapper Yoon, her husband and rapper Tiger JK and Bizzy, topped the Kakao Music chart for the fourth week of March with one of its lead tracks “Hello Happy.” The other two lead tracks ― “Bang Diggy Bang Bang” and “Make It Last” ― also made it to the top three of the chart.  MFBTY achieved rare success as a hip-hop group

PerformanceMarch 24, 2015

K.Will, one of the K-pop world’s most popular R&B ballad singers, will drop his latest six-track EP “[re:]” on Wednesday, the musician said Tuesday. Continuing his signature passionate vocals and gut-wrenchingly heartfelt lyrics, the singer’s new EP features his latest ballad “Growing.”  For his newest title track the singer teamed up with composer Kim Dong-hoon, who was behind his 2009 hit single “Tear Drops.” The EP comes nearly a year after K.Will unveiled his previous EP “One Fine Day,” whic

March 24, 2015

Four grandpas from “Grandpas over Flowers” are set to captivate viewers as the tvN’s hit reality show returns with mesmerizing Greek scenery and entertaining travel episodes. In the new season, which premieres Friday, their grumpy, young top actor-turned-travel guide Lee Seo-jin gets a helping hand from first-generation hallyu goddess Choi Ji-woo.“Choi has two strengths. One is superb cooking skills. The other is her affability,” Lee said at a press conference held in Seoul on Tuesday.  “Through

TelevisionMarch 24, 2015