CHEONAN, South Chungcheong Province ― In the spacious, multibuilding history museum Independence Hall of Korea, there is a prominent spot dedicated to Yun Bong-gil, hailed as a national hero who willingly sacrificed his life to protest Japan’s colonial rule of Korea. Yun Ju-keyng, granddaughter of independence fighter Yun Bong-gil and president of the Independence Hall of Korea (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)The museum’s president, Yun Ju-keyng, has passed it numerous times, and every time it n

CultureFeb. 6, 2015

TheaterCast members rehearse for the play “The Best in Tragedy.” (Bananamoon)“The Best in Tragedy”: The play centers on the playwright and Nobel laureate Goh Il-bong, who has devoted his entire life to writing tragedies. But what he does not realize is that while he is writing a masterpiece on life and death, his wife is slowly dying. “The Best in Tragedy,” which raises questions about the meaning of life, tragedy and time, runs through Feb. 21 at the Byeoloreum Theater of the National Theater o

CultureFeb. 6, 2015

Box OfficeDetective K: Secret of the Lost Island (Korea)Opening Feb. 11Comedy, Adventure. Directed by Kim Seok-yoonThis comedy, a sequel to the 2011 box office hit “Detective K: Secret of the Virtuous Widow,” is set in Korea during the 18th-century and follows the genius detective Kim Min (Kim Myung-min) and his witty assistant Seo Pil (Oh Dal-su). The unlikely duo -- dubbed the Joseon-era Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson -- becomes involved in a life-threatening case that involves counterfeit sil

FilmFeb. 6, 2015

Johnny Marr is on his game with ‘Playland’Johnny Marr“Playland”(Warner)When Johnny Marr completed his first solo album, “The Messenger,” in 2013, the man behind the beautifully maudlin rhythms of The Smiths didn’t rest on his laurels. He continued to write, and his sophomore effort, “Playland,” is the pleasant result of that work ethic.“Playland” is strong with guitar certainly, but is also rich with hooks and a decidedly energetic pace. If you’re waiting for sad Smith-ian sand kickers, you won’

PerformanceFeb. 6, 2015

Within the warped wardrobe of the Wachowskis latest sci-fi extravaganza, “Jupiter Ascending,” there are some fantastical feasts of intergalactic ridiculousness. Channing Tatum as a combination elf and speed skater. Space dinosaurs in leather jackets. A robed Eddie Redmayne as the universe’s overlord, who so gravely whispers his lines that you fear he is, for the length of the movie, being castrated just off camera. That, at least, would explain his sporadic shrieking.  Eddie Redmayne in a scene

FilmFeb. 6, 2015

HELSINKI/LAPLAND, Finland ― It is a nearly indescribable feeling to head off on a winter holiday and, within a split second of stepping outside the airport, come to fully grasp the concept of the phrase “beyond cold.” As the shock of the frozen atmosphere hit me, the hairs in my nose turned to what felt like miniature icicles and the moisture from my eyes completely iced over my lashes. I could have easily been mistaken for someone auditioning for a role in Sean Penn’s “Into the Wild.” While thi

TravelFeb. 6, 2015

Around the HotelsLunar New Year packageat JW Marriott Hotel SeoulJW Marriott Hotel Seoul will be presenting the JW Signature Mix n Match Package from Feb. 13 to 22. The package includes a one-night stay in the Superior Room and a choice of four options, each for an additional fee of 50,000 won. Options include access to the Executive Lounge; breakfast at The Cafe at JW; in-room burgers, chicken wings and beer; and 50,000 won in credit for use at one of the hotel’s restaurants. Prices start from

TravelFeb. 6, 2015

Yukjeon is a type of jeon (pan-fried battered food) that’s made with thinly sliced beef. It’s a traditional holiday dish. In this recipe, I began by marinating the beef slices in a soy-based sauce. Next, I dredged them in sweet rice flour to create a thin skin, and then pan-fried. You can make yukjeon in egg batter if you like, but the beef flavor stands out better without the egg. You can use pre-sliced bulgogi meat, but make sure it’s not too thin or fatty. Enjoy it as part of your Lunar New Y

FoodFeb. 6, 2015

Park Royal’s black cherry meatballs arrive nestled on a creamy bed of mashed potatoes, a fortifying combination of starchy carbs and hefty protein.  Park Royal opened in Seoul’s Seorae Village in November. (Kim Myung-sub/The Korea Herald)Park Royal: 81-10 Banpo 4-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul; (02) 537-7333; open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 5 to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends, reservations recommended; Park Royal’s special dishes cost 18,000 won to 25,000 won, mainndishes cost 35,000 won

FoodFeb. 6, 2015

Most Koreans are familiar with Adm. Yi Sun-sin, one of the nation’s most revered heroes. Last year’s record-breaking flick “Roaring Currents” centered on a historic battle led by Adm. Yi during the Japanese invasion of Korea in the 1590s, also known as the Imjin War.  A new period TV drama ― set against the backdrop of the Joseon era ― projects to center on a lesser-known figure, Yu Seong-ryong, to shed light on a different facet of the Imjin War. “Jingbirok,” produced by local TV channel KBS, i

TelevisionFeb. 6, 2015

A woman carrying a baby on her back and balancing a huge bucket on her head must have left a strong impression on American artist Lilian May Miller, who was born in Tokyo and briefly lived in Seoul after her father was appointed consul in 1918. She made a woodprint of the woman and titled it “A Strange Scene in Korea.”  “Korean Farm House under the Moonlight” by Lilian May Miller (Gana Foundation for Arts and Culture)Korea had remained an unknown land to most of the world until the early 1900s w

PerformanceFeb. 5, 2015

A Venetian waterscape by Claude Monet has sold for more than $35 million at a London auction as the high-end art market shows resilience in a bumpy global economy. “Le Grand Canal” by Claude Monet. (AP-Yonhap) “Vue sur L’Estaque et Le Chateau d’If” by Paul Cezanne. (www.paul-cezanne.org)“Le Grand Canal,” fetched 23.7 million pounds ($35.6 million) at Sotheby’s, though it didn’t reach the top of its pre-sale estimate of 20 million pounds to 30 million pounds.Monet’s “Poplars at Giverny,” sold by

PerformanceFeb. 5, 2015

An original Korean musical about independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun will greet audiences in the Chinese city of Harbin, the show’s producer said Thursday. Harbin is where the Korean man shot dead a prominent Japanese statesman more than 100 years ago to protest the then-imperialistic country’s colonization of Korea.  A scene from the musical “Hero.” (Acom International)“Hero” will be staged three times at the 1,600-seat Global Theatre of the Harbin International Convention Center on Feb. 7 and 8

CultureFeb. 5, 2015

With its roots in Korean TV dramas and pop music, the Korean Wave, or hallyu, has generated great interest in Korean culture. Now, the country wants to take this chance to present other cultural areas, including publications, to the world.  Kim Seong-kon, president of the LTI Korea, speaks during the business information session held for the publications industry in Seoul on Wednesday. (LTI Korea)The roadmap for the development of the local publication industry, unveiled Wednesday by the Ministr

CultureFeb. 5, 2015

As this generation’s Sinatra, the devilishly charismatic vocal sensation Michael Buble swayed and charmed his way into the hearts of his Korean fans during his first concert in Korea. Michael Buble performs his first concert in Korea at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul on Wednesday. (CJ E&M)Sexy, suave and debonair, Buble took to the stage Wednesday at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in a chic black suit and bowtie, surrounded by flames for his opening numbers, “Fever” and “Just Haven’t Met You Yet.

PerformanceFeb. 5, 2015

It’s tempting to describe Kelly Link as a fantasist or a magical realist of a particularly homegrown sort. Her stories take place within recognizable landscapes ― suburban bedrooms, reality TV locations, a wedding weekend ― that open into something else. Slipstream author Bruce Sterling has called this style of writing: genre work that blurs the lines of genre, merging elements of science fiction, realism, fantasy. Yet all that seems too restrictive, too didactic, for what Link appears to have i

BooksFeb. 5, 2015