Rare Goryeo lacquer art returns home

One of the finest pieces representing the lacquerware art of the Goryeo dynasty has returned to Korea, thanks to tireless efforts by a private group to retrieve it from overseas. The lacquered sutra box, presumed to date back to the middle or last periods of the Goryeo dynasty (918―1392), is one of nine such artifacts known to exist in the world. Korea held none until the retrieval. In May, the Friends of National Museum of Korea, a private group supporting the state-run National Museum of Korea

PerformanceJuly 15, 2014

Cricketers hit for six in Suwon

If on a summer afternoon in Suwon you hear the thwack of wood on leather, don’t assume it’s just another game of baseball. The field could be round, the bats could be made of willow, and two batsmen could be playing at once. Just be on the lookout for stray balls (red ones, not white) says Korean Cricket Association secretary Owen Wibberley.“We get a lot of locals who don’t understand the game walking around the field, so you have to tell them that the ball’s very hard, and it’s very dangerous t

Expat LivingJuly 15, 2014

International busker a hit on the subway

Busker Aancod Zaccarelli (www.facebook.com/aancod)It’s rare to hear anything louder than a station announcement in the subdued environment of the Seoul metro system, but one musician’s attempt to introduce a little funk to the daily commute has received an overwhelming response on social media. Traveling busker Aancod Zaccarelli is dodging surveillance cameras and evading station security in his quest to bring music directly to the people. A video of him singing g.o.d’s “One Candle” in perfect

Expat LivingJuly 15, 2014

Immersive performance to take place at old Seoul Station building

The old Seoul Station building, where Tristan Sharps, British artistic director of the theater company Dream Think Speak, will stage a site-specific performance on July 19. (Seoul 284)The old Seoul Station building will turn into a giant stage for a performance that has never been seen before. Tristan Sharps, artistic director of Dream Think Speak, will use rooms, corridors and every corner of the 89-year-old building to put on a site-specific performance. Sharps has been staging shows outside t

PerformanceJuly 15, 2014

Fashion KODE kicks off Wednesday

Fashion KODE, an annual trade show for Korean fashion designers, kicks off Wednesday at the AT Convention Center in Seoul. It is one of the largest fashion fairs in Korea with more than 400 local and foreign buyers and 120 Korean fashion brands attending.The fair has invited buyers from major fashion stores in Hong Kong, Japan, France, Italy and the United States. Among them are Harvey Nichols Hong Kong, Free’s Shop in Japan, L’Eclaireur Paris and Tomorrow Ltd in Italy. A large number of top fas

Arts & DesignJuly 15, 2014

Stories of ‘comfort women’ revived on stage

During World War II, approximately 200,000 women across Asia ― some as young as 11 years old ― were taken to frontline “comfort stations” to provide sex to the Imperial Japanese Army troops. Most came from Korea, then a Japanese colony. Seven decades later, these women, euphemistically called “comfort women,” are in their ’80s and ’90s and demanding an apology and compensation from Japan for what they had to go through. The number of surviving Korean victims is down to 54. Still, justice seems t

CultureJuly 15, 2014

10cm staging third album preview show

Beloved acoustic duo 10cm, which had everyday people breaking into song when ordering a simple cup of Americano, is asking for the public’s help to decide the lead track for the indie band’s newest third studio album. It has been announced that the folk hipsters Kwon Jung-yeol and Yoon Cheol-jong will be holding a special preview concert next month in which they intend to unveil all the songs off their upcoming album prior to its public release. The official release date of the yet-to-be-titled

July 15, 2014

Pick ’n choose ― upcoming summer music festivals

Queen and Adam Lambert. (9ENT)Starting to feel hot and sticky? Though the weather may make you cringe, the arrival of South Korea’s hot and humid summer signals the coming of the much-anticipated music festival season, with some big names scheduled to hit Korea next month.It may be difficult to decide which music festival to attend this year, as several world-renowned artists will perform at five different venues throughout August. So, check out which artists will come to which events, and see h

PerformanceJuly 15, 2014

YG Family to hold concert in Singapore

YG Entertainment, one of Korea’s largest K-pop management agencies, will hold a concert in Singapore with its artists on Sept. 13-14, the agency said.The upcoming family concert will have Psy, Big Bang, 2NE1, Epik High, Winner and more artists from YG Entertainment.Fans in Singapore are already gearing up to meet their favorite idols.“I was waiting for the Big Bang concert but I get to have 2NE1 too!” a Singaporean fan said on Facebook, expressing her excitement.Moreover, YG’s first family conce

July 15, 2014

Miss A’s Fei gives Lee Jung-jin nostalgic kiss

(SBS)Fei, a Chinese member of K-pop girl group Miss A, appeared on the first episode of SBS’ new drama series “Temptation” on Monday.In the episode, Lee Jung-jin, who plays the role of Kang Min-woo, flies to Hong Kong to find his ex-lover Jenny, played by Fei.Fei acts as a club singer in Hong Kong who remains innocent and loving despite her poor surroundings.As Lee travels to meet Fei, he smiles at the thought of past memories with her. In a flashback scene, Fei kisses Lee deeply and spend a nig

July 15, 2014

4Minute HyunA to appear in her own reality show

HyunA of 4Minute is gearing up for a return to the stage by starring in a new TV show that exclusively follows the idol, according to an industry watcher. (OSEN)The reality program, titled “HyunA’s Free Month,” will portray various aspects of HyunA’s daily life. As the release of her new work is nearing, the program will mainly capture HyunA working on her solo album and practicing her dance moves. “HyunA’s Free Month” is to air at 11:00 p.m. on July 21 on SBS MTV. 　(laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)

July 15, 2014

Girl’s Day’s Lee Hye-ri shows off Barbie doll-like figure

Lee Hye-ri, a member of the K-pop girl group Girl’s Day, revealed a photo that shows her slim figure on Tuesday on Twitter. She encouraged her followers on Twitter to stay tuned for the upcoming TV show in which Girl’s Day will return to the stage for the first time since they released a new tune.  (Twitter)In the photo, Lee is wearing a cute yellow dress that highlights her Barbie doll-like curves. Girl’s Day dropped the new track “Darling” on Monday, and it immediately topped local charts. The

July 15, 2014

Akdong Musician talk about emotional distress after gaining fame

South Korean brother-sister duo Akdong Musician talked about the hardships they have been through after rising to fame in a television program on Monday. “I didn’t like my friends seeing me as if I am a celebrity. I grew apart from my friends,” Lee Chan-Hyuk said on the SBS talk show “Healing Camp.” The teenage singer-songwriter further elaborated on his emotional distress. “My friends are now seniors at high school and study hard. But I also have difficulties. They don’t get me and envy me when

July 15, 2014

EXO D.O. calls actor Jo In-sung a heartthrob

EXO D.O. said he was so obsessed with actor Jo In-sung that he even wore the same hairstyle as Jo’s in action film “A Dirty Carnival (2006).“I watched the film ‘A Dirty Carnival’ and thought Mr. Jo In-sung was incredibly awesome -- so awesome that I would even wear the same hairstyle,” the boy band member said in a press conference for SBS's new rom-com series "It's Okay, That's Love" at the Imperial Palace Seoul in southeastern Seoul, Tuesday. D.O. said it was fun to watch his seniors act (in t

July 15, 2014

Sneak peak of Kang Dong-won and Song Hye-kyo revealed

Still photos of the upcoming film “Pit-a-Pat My Life” starring South Korean actor Kang Dong-won and actress Song Hye-kyo were revealed Tuesday. The sought-after stars are playing husband and wife in the film, which will kick off in September.  (CJ Entertainment)Based on the best-selling book of novelist Kim Ae-ran, the film portrays the lives of teenage parents and their son suffering from progeria. Kang will play a 33-year-old father with a 16-year-old son while Song will play a 17-year-old mot

July 15, 2014

Jo In-sung contends D.O. is here for his talent, not EXO’s popularity

Jo In-sung dismissed the notion that EXO’s D.O. won his part in SBS’ new rom-com series “It’s Okay, That’s Love” due to the immense popularity of the K-pop boy band.“(D.O.) has great potential … I was surprised,” said the actor in a press conference for the rom-com held at the Imperial Palace Seoul in southeastern Seoul on Tuesday. The drama features Jo and actress Gong Hyo-jin, as well as EXO’s D.O. and actors Lee Kwang-soo and Sung Dong-il.“I hope the (drama) can show his talents as an actor,”

July 15, 2014

Kim Hee-chul’s marriage ends in tear

Kim Hee-chul of Super Junior and Taiwanese singer and actress Kuo Hsueh Fu ended their virtual marriage in tears on MBC’s “Global We Are Married,” Saturday.Kim, who was often portrayed as playful practical joker, turned into a romantic man for Kuo, marking their end with a memorable last date.First, the duo went back to the studio where they took their first photos together to take another picture, then the two went for a bike ride. Kuo said she wanted to go riding with Kim more than anything el

July 15, 2014

‘It’s Okay, That’s Love’ seeks to break social prejudice

SBS’ new television series “It’s Okay, That’s Love” aims to break the prejudice against the mentally ill, screenwriter Noh Hee-kyung said in a press conference held at Imperial Palace Seoul Hotel in Gangnam District, Tuesday. Starring actor Jo In-sung and actress Gong Hyo-jin, “It’s Okay, That’s Love” portrays a love story between a romantic detective novelist and a cold-chic psychiatrist. “I wanted to break the (social) bias about the people whom we normally call ‘retard’ or ‘creep’… I think it

July 15, 2014