[Herald Interview] Complexity of Korean society captured through a lens

Artist Noh Sun-tag’s work resembles that of a photojournalist. He has taken pictures of tense and sometimes violent protests.Most recently, he was on the site of protests in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, against the construction of a high-voltage power transmission tower there. Over the last decade, Noh has captured highly charged scenes including protests against U.S. troops and mass labor strikes.“In the beginning, I visited those places out of pure curiosity to figure out something that

PerformanceOct. 28, 2014

‘War Horse’ to hit local cinemas

The National Theater in London’s international smash-hit production “War Horse” will be screened at local cinemas next month. A rebroadcast in cinemas of the West End production will open on Nov. 8 at select Megabox cinemas, mostly in Seoul, the local cinema chain said Tuesday. Featuring a life-sized puppet horse, the production was an instant sensation when it was first performed in 2007. The original production never came to Korea. Indicative of the high level of interest among theatergoers he

CultureOct. 28, 2014

Polish, Israeli presidents to open Jewish museum

WARSAW (AFP) ― Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski and Israeli counterpart Reuven Rivlin will on Tuesday inaugurate a Warsaw museum chronicling the vibrant 1,000-year history of Poland’s Jewish community, all but wiped out during the Holocaust.Built on the site of the former Warsaw ghetto, the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews will be “a game changer” for Polish-Jewish relations, the country’s chief rabbi Michael Schudrich told AFP.“That does not mean the relations were bad, but it me

CultureOct. 28, 2014

Taylor Swift: Growing up and going pop

NEW YORK (AP) ― When Taylor Swift released the Grammy-winning, banjo-tinged “Mean” in 2010, haters fired shots at the then-20-year-old.Four years later, Swift says she’s grown and was able to write her new single “Shake It Off” about others dissing her from a new perspective.“We are all getting our hearts broken, being built up, being let down, feeling disappointed, feeling joy, feeling all these emotions, but what I’ve noticed is that even when it’s the same kind of emotion that I’m feeling, I

PerformanceOct. 28, 2014

Shin Hae-chul dies after heart attack

Rock star Shin Hae-chul died Monday after a massive heart attack, hospital officials said. He was 46. The singer died at around 8:19 p.m. in Asan Medical Center in Seoul. Soon after the news was announced, Shin’s fans flocked to the Internet to pay homage to Shin and extend words of condolences to his family. Shin Hae-chul. (KCA Entertainment)Shin had been in critical condition at the hospital since suffering a heart attack on Oct. 22. Although he had emergency surgery after being hospitalized,

PerformanceOct. 27, 2014

Music bridges East and West

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma is cut out for a cross-cultural project. He was born in France to Chinese parents and raised in the United States. Recognized as a child prodigy and having started performing at age 5, he traveled all over the world, meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures. So, it seemed like a natural step for him to start an ensemble with a group of musicians from as many as 20 countries dedicated to bridging the East and West. “You’ve probably heard of globalization. But what i

PerformanceOct. 27, 2014

Korean folktale webtoon launched for foreigners

The King Sejong Institute Foundation, a government entity promoting Korean language and culture overseas, has produced a webtoon series to help foreigners better understand Korean traditional culture, in five languages. Twenty-four folktales, including “Kyunwoo and Jiknyo” and “The Sun and the Moon,” will be published as a weekly webtoon series ― digital cartoons regularly released through portal sites ― on the foundation’s website in Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish.  The King Sej

CultureOct. 27, 2014

Hollywood raises profile of ALS with two new films

Nanci Ryder has been Renee Zellweger’s publicist for 20 years. She stayed in the waiting room when the actress had dental surgery and has walked her down the red carpet on Oscar night.“She’s been a mentor, a big sister ― a little sister,” Zellweger says. “She’s my favorite bad influence.”So when Ryder, 62, confided that she’d been having vocal trouble ― hoarseness, slurring her words ― Zellweger didn’t waver. After seven months of MRIs, PET scans and doctors visits proved inconclusive, the two f

FilmOct. 27, 2014

Forum urges preservation and diversity of scripts

Participants at the World Script Symposia 2014, a festival of arts and scripts, adopted a declaration to promote the diversity and preservation of different writing systems on Oct. 26. “Scripts constitute a key part of the endeavor to protect and restore cultural diversity worldwide,” says the “World Script Seoul Declaration.” “All scripts have their own unique value, there can be no superior or inferior script. Therefore, preserving diversity is an important symbol demonstrating that human righ

CultureOct. 27, 2014

2AM prereleases ‘Days Like Today’

K-pop ballad quartet 2AM is gearing up to unveil its upcoming third full-length album by prereleasing its new single, “Days Like Today” on Monday. The group’s latest R&B ballad, which talks about one of those days when one just can’t help but think about a former lover, was composed and produced by JYP Entertainment CEO Park Jin-young. The track is the first single in five years on which the 2AM members ― Jo Kown, Junwoon, Seulong and Lee Changmin ― have collaborated with their CEO since the gro

Oct. 27, 2014

‘Boardwalk Empire’ ends spectacular run

It’s almost time to wave goodbye to the sons of anarchy. I’m not referring to the FX series about motorcycle hooligans who rode in from some demented Shakespeare festival, although that show also will be missed when it wraps up in December.But the more compelling anarchists are at the heart of HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire,” a drama that belongs on the shortlist of TV’s all-time greatest, right alongside “The Wire” and “Breaking Bad.” Sunday’s episode puts the finishing touches on a show that took the

TelevisionOct. 27, 2014

From job to job, a life lived ― and lost

ELIZABETH, New Jersey (AP) ― Fumes poured from the Kia SUV as soon as an emergency medical technician broke one of the rear windows. Inside, the body of a dark-haired young woman reclined in the driver’s seat, keys dangling from the ignition. But who was she? How was it that her life had ended here, in a convenience store parking lot? Waiting for the vapors to clear so they could search her belongings, police noted the most obvious clue: She was wearing a familiar white-and-brown uniform. By tha

PeopleOct. 27, 2014

5 Most Innovative Korean Restaurants in NYC

NEW YORK -- The demand and enthusiasm for Korean food in New York City have been recently growing steadily among New York foodies. Kimchi, the quintessential Korean side dish, pickled and spiced cabbage, is now being sold in common bodegas as well as at larger supermarkets such as Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s. One of the reasons for Korean food’s success is contributed to its appeal to both vegetarians and meat-lovers alike -- with the healthier, vegetarian dishes and with famous barbecue

FoodOct. 27, 2014

Seoul fashion blends luxury, high street

When Steve J & Yoni P’s Seoul Fashion Week show on Oct. 20 surprised many in the star-studded front row and packed auditorium with its combination of romantic colors and playful graffiti prints. “I think Steve J & Yoni P fits the mood of what is going on in Korea, between high street fashion and luxury,” said Danny Stienen, a buyer from Antonioli in Milan. It is difficult to be both sexy and feminine at the same time, added Stienen. “But I think this year’s womenswear collections, along with Ste

Arts & DesignOct. 26, 2014

[Herald Interview] ‘Museums write history’

French-born Philippe Vergne, director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, has spent most of his career in the U.S. In pursuit of the “American Dream,” Vergne arrived in Minneapolis 17 years ago and worked as a curator for a decade, working his way up to top positions in art in New York and Los Angeles. He served as the director of Dia Art Foundation in New York for more than five years and took the helm of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles earlier this year. Vergne has been

PerformanceOct. 26, 2014

J.K. Rowling announces new ‘Harry Potter’ backstory tale

It’s no Halloween trick: There’s more witchcraft and wizardry in store for “Harry Potter” fans, who can expect a new tale from author J.K. Rowling on Oct. 31. In an announcement posted to Pottermore.com, Rowling reveals that she has penned a new 1,700-word story that will offer “revealing first-person” thoughts about former Hogwarts professor Dolores Umbridge.  Imelda Staunton (right) played Dolores Umbridge in the “Harry Potter” movies. (Warner Bros.)Umbridge is a fitting character for a Hallow

CultureOct. 26, 2014

Disney pens love letter to Japan with robot film

TOKYO (AP) ― Disney executives call their next film “a love letter to Japanese culture.” No wonder: This nation can’t get enough of animation, especially Disney’s. Walt Disney Animation Studios is practically bending backward to woo Japanese moviegoers after the stupendous success of “Frozen.” The fifth-highest-grossing movie of all time made more than $250 million of its total in Japan alone, nearly a third of its overseas numbers and more than five times what it made in France, according to Bo

FilmOct. 26, 2014