Park Chung-hee biography published in Vietnamese

A book that chronicles former Korean president Park Chung-hee (1917-1979) and first lady Yuk Young-soo (1925-1974) has been published in Vietnamese.“Human Park Chung-hee, Human Yuk Young-soo,” written by Kim Doo-young, a Cheong Wa Dae secretary during Park’s tenure, was originally published in Korean last year. Park ― the third president of Korea from 1962 until his assassination in 1979 ― is the father of the current president Park Geun-hye. Cho Jae-hyun, the vice president of the Korea-Vietnam

BooksFeb. 26, 2015

Madonna takes a tumble at the Brit Awards

Madonna has given music fans a shock when she tumbled down several stairs at the Brit Awards. The 56-year-old queen of pop was closing Wednesday's ceremony in London with a performance of her song "Living For Love." Madonna entered with a troupe of male dancers and appeared to fumble with a large cloak she was wearing. The garment seemed to be pulled backward, and Madonna fell down three steps while her dancers looked on, seemingly in shock. Madonna stumbles whilst performing on stage during the

PerformanceFeb. 26, 2015

SIWA Gala to raise funds for women’s charities

The Seoul International Women’s Association is set to get Caribbean for its annual fund-raising gala.The function to be held at the Conrad Hotel on Saturday, March 7, will feature a silent auction, cocktail reception and a four-course Caribbean sit-down dinner. Included in the silent auction will be a valuable Persian rug, Ikea gift vouchers and an MCM satchel among other items.The funds raised on the night will be split between three different charities that focus on women’s services. The three

Expat LivingFeb. 25, 2015

Animal, vegetable or mishmash?

A lion unravels into a peeled orange, a frog pops open to reveal an avocado stone at its core and a crouching fox masquerades as a carrot.These are all the visual reworkings of artist Sarah DeRemer, who is showing her work in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, this month.DeRemer studied art at university, and worked as a vet technician before coming to Korea two years ago, but didn’t start her surgery on animals until coming to Korea.She had previously painted but was won over by the flexibility and port

Expat LivingFeb. 25, 2015

Yeol to offer English lectures on Korean art, culture, history

The Korean Heritage Preservation Society, Yeol, will be presenting an English-language lecture series this year, delving into Korean art, culture and history. The series will deal with subjects ranging from traditional music to K-pop, the Korean War, North Korean films, folktales and Buddhist sculpture. They will feature distinguished scholars and experts in the relevant fields. The next lecture will be given at 11:30 a.m. on March 9 by Bak Sang-mee, professor of cultural anthropology at Hankuk

CultureFeb. 25, 2015

National Gugak Center to launch weekly concert series

Music is nothing without its deep rich history, and in an effort to continue to keep the spirit of gugak ― traditional Korean music ― alive, the National Gugak Center will be launching a 40-week concert series to make the genre more accessible to the public. Every Wednesday through Saturday starting March 4, the NGC will be hosting the gugak performance concert series in the center’s traditional “Pungnyu Sarangbang” theater until December.Roughly translated to “room for the love of the arts,” Pu

PerformanceFeb. 25, 2015

Korea National Opera head resigns amid ongoing outcry

Han Ye-jin, the newly appointed Korea National Opera director, offered to resign less than two months after her controversy-laden appointment for directorship caused an uproar in the opera community.“As a result of the many frustrations and challenges that I have been facing, I have decided not to continue (as director),” Han, 44, wrote in her public resignation letter released to the press late Tuesday. Han, who was appointed by the ministry late last year, has faced vehement opposition from fe

PerformanceFeb. 25, 2015

K-pop star Se7en and YG to part ways

It has been reported that popular K-pop singer Se7en will not be returning to his long-time agency, YG Entertainment, following his military discharge this past December. According to news reports on Wednesday, despite the seemingly amicable relationship between Se7en and officials at YG, it appears that the artist has decided not to renew his management contract, which expired just prior to his military enlistment in 2013. Although rumors of his potential future free-agency had circulated years

Feb. 25, 2015

‘Empire of Lust’ sheds light on love in battle for Joseon throne

Actor Jang Hyuk (“Windstruck,” “Deep Rooted Tree”) plays a ruthless Joseon prince in the new period drama flick “Empire of Lust” directed by Ahn Sang-hoon. Lee Bang-won, Jang’s character, is a well-known historic figure whose ascension to the throne was established through rounds of bloody coups against his potential rivals and enemies, including his own siblings, which historians describe as the Strife of Princes. Lee ruled as King Taejong, the third king of the Joseon era, from 1400 to 1418. I

FilmFeb. 25, 2015

Kumho Asiana chairman to head mecenat association

Kumho Asiana Group chairman Park Sam-koo has been elected as the chair of Korea Mecenat Association, a nonprofit body that encourages corporate support of the arts. He will replace Park Yong-hyun, former chief of Doosan Group and current chair of the group’s philanthropic body, Doosan Yonkang Foundation, who will go on to serve the mecenat organization as an honorary chairman.  “Corporate patron programs of the arts are a cornerstone of the government’s vision for cultural enrichment and what th

PeopleFeb. 25, 2015

Seongnam Arts Center to present more operas

Gounod’s opera “Faust,” American choreographer William Forsythe’s dance performance “Heterotopia,” “Les Miserables” author Victor Hugo’s less-known play “Mille Francs de recompense,” and an annual classical music festival helmed by cellist-conductor Chang Han-na have been among the stellar lineup of performances staged at the Seongnam Arts Center for the past 10 years. Now, looking forward to the next decade, the Seongnam City-run venue hopes to cater to both local performance aficionados and ci

PerformanceFeb. 24, 2015

Pondering the big questions

A huge banner reading “Shooting the Elephant/Thinking the Elephant” greets visitors to artist Yang Haegue’s solo exhibition at Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art. Inside, however, there is nothing even remotely resembling the mammal. The elephant is the artist’s metaphor for a typical, yet profound question about men and nature. In her semi retrospective and third solo exhibit in Korea, Yang explores the relationship between the two.  Exhibition view of Yang Haegue’s solo exhibit at Leeum (Leeum)The a

PerformanceFeb. 24, 2015

[Herald Interview] ‘Thinking out loud’ with Ed Sheeran

Three-time Grammy nominee and up-and-coming singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is becoming one of the decade’s most notable breakthrough artists. The 24-year-old musician, who went quintuple platinum in the U.K. with his 2011 debut album “+,” will be making his way to Korea to hold his first concert here. Sheeran’s debut album, featuring hit singles “The A Team” and “Lego House,” earned him the Best British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act awards at the 2012 Brit Awards. His second album

PerformanceFeb. 24, 2015