CJ E&M plunges into animation market

CJ E&M, Korea’s culture industry giant, is taking a plunge into the global animation market, with its eyes set on children in other countries, particularly the more than 200 million in China. In an event in Seoul on Thursday, the Seoul-based firm unveiled a plan to spend 15 billion won ($13.83 million) this year on developing new animated content.  “We expect a Korean Wave of animated content to be realized in the not-so-distant future and see high business potential there,” said Kim Sung-soo, t

CultureJan. 23, 2015

Jazz greats Corea, Hancock announce 1st tour in 37 years

NEW YORK (AP) ― Jazz greats Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock share much in common, but the last time they toured together was 37 years ago, when Jimmy Carter was in the White House and Sony had just introduced the Walkman. The performers announced a world tour of duo piano concerts on Thursday. It kicks off March 14 in Seattle. “Chick and I have always had an open door toward the possibility of touring again,” Hancock said in an email. “We both felt that enough time has passed since our last major

PerformanceJan. 23, 2015

Ex-science minister dropped in job bid

Former Science Minister Choi Moon-ki has been dropped from the list of three candidates to head the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, the institution said Friday.According to GIST, Choi was not included on the shortlist due to having headed the Science Ministry, which controls the Gwangju-based institution. Choi headed the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning from April 2013 to July 2014. The shortlist is said to be composed of two GIST professors and an unassociated applicant

PeopleJan. 23, 2015

[Herald Interview] Ha Ji-won still seeking action

Characters associated with Ha Ji-won tend to be strong women with strong personalities. She is one of few actresses here who are not afraid to pull off action stunts in films or TV dramas ― be it wire action sequences, shooting arrows on horseback, or boxing. But beneath the fierce heroine veneer is a 36-year-old actress who simply enjoys venturing into different kinds of genre, and the fun accompanied with each role. And in doing so, she is able to combine femininity and elegance with being a p

FilmJan. 22, 2015

Salonen named composer for New York Philharmonic

NEW YORK (AFP) ― Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Finnish conductor with an enthusiasm for modern, U.S.-inspired works, was Wednesday named composer-in-residence at the New York Philharmonic.The New York Philharmonic announced the appointment as it unveiled its 2015-16 season, which will also include prominent roles for the American bass-baritone Eric Owens and the Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov.Salonen, who will write a new piece for the philharmonic, was named composer-in-residence for the next three s

PerformanceJan. 22, 2015

King Tut’s beard hastily glued back on with epoxy

CAIRO (AP) ― The blue and gold braided beard on the burial mask of famed pharaoh Tutankhamun was hastily glued back on with epoxy, damaging the relic after it was knocked during cleaning, conservators at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo said Wednesday. The museum is one of the city’s main tourist sites, but in some areas, ancient wooden sarcophagi lay unprotected from the public, while pharaonic burial shrouds, mounted on walls, crumble from behind open panels of glass. Tutankhamun’s mask, over 3,30

CultureJan. 22, 2015

Clash of K-pop titans looms

EXO. (SM Entertainment)March will see a battle of K-pop titans, as EXO and Big Bang are both preparing to make their return. The 10-member group EXO plans to drop a new album in March, after dominating year-end music awards with its third EP, “Overdose.” The exact date of its album release is not yet fixed, but the boys did schedule the date of their stage return ― the “EXO PLANET #2 ― The EXO’luXion” concert series, to be held on March 7, 8, 14 and 15 at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in eastern

PerformanceJan. 22, 2015

Davichi returns with new, mature sounds

Kang Min-kyung (left) and Lee Hae-ri of Davichi perform at a showcase for their new album “Davichi Hug” in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)K-pop female pop-ballad duo Davichi has by all accounts upgraded its musical style, and revamped its image in the act’s latest EP, “Davichi Hug,” which was released on Wednesday.The two artists, Lee Hae-ri and Kang Min-kyung, previously enjoyed a string of successes with hit songs like “The Letter,” “8282” and “Turtle” under their previous management label Core C

Jan. 22, 2015

Bobby Mcferrin to hold two-day concert in Seoul

American singer-songwriter Bobby Mcferrin, best known for his 1988 hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” will be making his way to Seoul to perform two back-to-back concerts in March. The 10-time Grammy Award winner is best known for his signature style of overtone singing and jazzy, scat-like vocals. McFerrin’s most iconic hit, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” became the first a cappella song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and went on to snag three Grammy wins for Song of the Year, Record of the

PerformanceJan. 22, 2015

‘Russian Tattoo’ is worthwhile read

Russian TattooBy Elena Gorokhova (Simon & Schuster)In 2011, memoirist Elena Gorokhova described her coming-of-age in St. Petersburg, then known as Leningrad, and her decision to marry an American to emigrate to the U.S.In her second book, “Russian Tattoo,” she picks up where that story left off and provides readers with a fascinating glimpse into what it meant to fit into American society after growing up behind the Iron Curtain. She’s disoriented, confused and utterly overwhelmed by seemingly o

BooksJan. 22, 2015

Self-help guru Tony Robbins wants to make you rich

Money: Master the GameBy Tony Robbins (Simon & Schuster)As one of the world’s most celebrated life coaches, Tony Robbins is best known for helping millions of people improve the quality of their lives in many personal and meaningful ways from losing weight and improving their relationships to overcoming some life-changing tragedy.But in his first major book in nearly 20 years, Robbins goes a step beyond the emotional aspect of self-help and asks his audience to begin taking control of their live

BooksJan. 22, 2015

Fact imitates fiction in saga of ‘Yankee Comandante’

The Yankee ComandanteBy Michael Sallah and Mitch Weiss (Lyons)The saga of William Morgan, the Yankee comandante of the Cuban Revolution, is a case of fact imitating fiction.An Eagle Scout, an ex-con, a fire-eater and a minor Mafioso, Morgan followed the scent of romance through two marriages and a childbearing affair in Japan before tossing aside these encumbrances to sneak into the ranks of the Cuban rebels.Here his life acquired a certain nobility through bravery, a belief in freedom and “stan

BooksJan. 22, 2015

Patton Oswalt has a thing for the movies

“I started comedy when the boom was ending, in ’88; I started writing books when print began to die,” says actor, comedian and author Patton Oswalt. “I’m drawn to dying realms, man.”Oswalt is sitting in a Mid-City restaurant talking about why he’s written a second book, “Silver Screen Fiend: Learning about Life from an Addiction to Film,” when he’s got so much else on his plate.He’s about to take off on a nationwide stand-up tour, featuring his first date at Carnegie Hall. He’s so busy acting ―

BooksJan. 22, 2015

Okey Ndibe’s ‘Arrows of Rain’ splits its powerful message

It’s been quite a journey for Okey Ndibe’s first novel, “Arrows of Rain.” Originally published in England in 2000, the book is finally coming out here in the wake of last year’s “Foreign Gods, Inc.,” which essentially introduced the author to an American readership.And yet Ndibe ― who came to the United States from his native Nigeria in 1988 at the urging of Chinua Achebe ― is also a founder of the journal African Commentary; he was a Fulbright scholar and now teaches at Brown. So why did his de

BooksJan. 22, 2015

‘Fear the Darkness’ is solid story

Fear the DarknessBy Becky Masterman (Minotaur)Relationships require a certain amount of vulnerability ― the willingness to expose yourself emotionally, hoping that happiness is the ultimate goal, but realizing that being hurt comes with it, too.Becky Masterman’s superior series explores how former FBI agent Brigid Quinn, who spent her life chasing criminals and avoiding emotional entanglements, is dealing with a “normal” life since her retirement. In her second novel, “Fear the Darkness,” Master

BooksJan. 22, 2015

[Herald Review] A darker past in ‘Gangnam 1970’

A wave of nostalgia has swept through the country. In variety shows, TV dramas and films, the ’70s, ’80s and even ’90s are making a comeback as people seek to relive the glory days.“Gangnam 1970,” however, suggests a different kind of reflection on the past.With no intention of painting a pretty picture, director Yoo Ha’s noir film reveals the dark history behind Seoul’s now most affluent district, taking viewers back to a time when the fashionable stage of “Gangnam Style” was no more than a veg

FilmJan. 21, 2015

Eddy Kim reprises past love confessional in ‘My Love’

Former Superstar K4 contestant Eddy Kim melts young female hearts when he performs his enchantingly romantic, self-written ballads with his signature ladies’ man, charming demeanor. The 24-year-old singer-songwriter on Wednesday dropped his six-track, second EP, “Sing Sing Sing,” more than a year after releasing his debut EP “How To Use You.” “With this new album, I really wanted to be able to create something that my fans could listen to and say, ‘Wow, he’s more than just a romantic ballad sing

Jan. 21, 2015