Placing cultural heritage sites like Gyeongbokgung Palace on the backburner, global citizens helped the city of Seoul produce its new “promotional” art house film that portrays the essence of the city in its rawest form. “Bitter, Sweet, Seoul” is the latest film project by the famous Park brothers, directors Park Chan-wook and Park Chan-kyong, who have taken an unconventional approach to the typical city tourism video documentary and given the country its first globally crowd-sourced movie premi

FilmFeb. 12, 2014

PeopleFeb. 12, 2014

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― Shirley Temple, the dimpled, curly-haired child star who sang, danced, sobbed and grinned her way into the hearts of Depression-era moviegoers, has died, according to publicist. She was 85. Temple, known in private life as Shirley Temple Black, died Monday night at her home near San Francisco. She was surrounded by family members and caregivers, publicist Cheryl Kagan said. “We salute her for a life of remarkable achievements as an actor, as a diplomat, and most importantly

FilmFeb. 12, 2014

Samulnori master Kim Duk-soo has a knack for fusing different styles of music. For the past three decades, he has collaborated with numerous musicians from around the world in a variety of genres ranging from pop to jazz to classical music. All his collaborations were meant to reinvent the beats and sounds of samulnori, a genre of Korean traditional percussion music. Kim launched a groundbreaking band named SamulNori in 1978. This year, he is going to shake up the music scene again with a band o

PerformanceFeb. 12, 2014

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (AP) ― There’s no mass production here, just evidence of the slow and patient work that went into handcrafting the costumes and tools behind one of Mexico’s most important traditions. From fine embroidery to ornate saddles and silver inlaid spurs, more than 150 pieces are on display at the Albuquerque Museum as part of the exhibition “Arte en la Charreria: The Artisanship of Mexican Equestrian Culture,” which is on display through March 30. The artifacts, some dating to t

CultureFeb. 12, 2014

South Korea’s two largest entertainment companies, whose performers include Big Bang, Girls’ Generation and Psy, have become members of the country’s main lobby group for big businesses, an official press announcement said Tuesday.The Federation of Korean Industries said the group’s 21-member executive body approved the membership of SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment along with applications made by 52 other companies. The other companies are leaders in the country’s service and tech venture

PerformanceFeb. 12, 2014

A Korean comedy film about an old woman who suddenly recovers her physical youth has exceeded the 6 million audience mark in local theaters, the movie’s local distributor said Wednesday.Starring Shim Eun-kyoung, “Miss Granny” has attracted 6.03 million viewers through Tuesday, the 21st day after opening, pushing the animated Disney film “Frozen” down from the No. 1 spot on the daily box-office chart, CJ Entertainment said. It cited official box-office data from the Korean Film Council.“‘Miss Gra

FilmFeb. 12, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) ― Neil Patrick Harris has given way to Hugh Jackman at the Tony Awards. Producers of the annual telecast celebrating the best of Broadway said Tuesday that Jackman will once again take up hosting duties for the next awards on June 8 at Radio City Music Hall.It will be Jackman’s fourth time hosting the Tonys. He previously emceed the show from 2003-2005. Jackman, best known for being the hairy Wolverine in “The X-Men” franchise, was last on Broadway with a one-man show in 2011 that

TelevisionFeb. 12, 2014

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Veteran TV newsman Tom Brokaw has been diagnosed with cancer, NBC News said Tuesday. The Mayo Clinic discovered last summer that Brokaw has multiple myeloma, a cancer affecting blood cells in the bone marrow, NBC News said. His doctors are optimistic about his treatment and encouraged by his progress since the August diagnosis, the network division said. In a statement released by NBC, Brokaw said he remains, in his words, “the luckiest guy I know.” “With the exceptional suppo

TelevisionFeb. 12, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) ― It was once again winter ― cold, cold winter ― that dominated the mood on the fifth day of New York Fashion Week Monday, with designers presenting variations of warm clothes on a particularly freezing day. Carolina Herrera, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s The Row, Kenneth Cole, Tommy Hilfiger, Thom Browne and Zac Posen were among the designers presenting their fall-winter collections on Monday. Shows were being held at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week tents at Lincoln Center and at va

CultureFeb. 12, 2014

 Korean designers have delivered vibrant appeals for Korean fashion with elegant tailoring, twists to classic looks and various mix-matched styles.Four designers showcased fall and winter collections for 2014 at Concept Korea on Tuesday, a show held for the ninth year to promote Korea’s design talent at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. The major fashion event is being held from Feb. 6-13 at various venues throughout the city. The Concept Korea show for fall-winter 2014 collections was

Arts & DesignFeb. 12, 2014

Spa cosmetics brand Pevonia has opened its first Korean branch at The Ritz-Carlton, Seoul. The Pevonia Spa, launched in 1991 by family members of LVMH Moet Hennessy, is one of the world’s leading spa brands with skin care products provided at more than 10,000 spas of top hotels and resorts in more than 100 countries.The Pevonia skin care products are made from natural ingredients free of chemical materials such as parabens, alcohol, lanolin, mineral oil, artificial colors and formaldehyde, and m

Arts & DesignFeb. 12, 2014

A new study found that actresses in their 20s earn more than their male counterparts, while older actors make more than their female colleagues, business and technology news website Business Insider reported. The researchers reviewed earnings records for 265 actors and actresses between 1968 and 2008. The study revealed that actresses hit their salary peak at age 34, while actors make the most money per film at the average age of 51.“There is still a discrepancy in earning power between men and

EntertainmentFeb. 12, 2014

The difficulty of finding a voice in a country that doesn’t speak her language is all too familiar to Doria Garms-Sotelo. The aspiring journalist, whose husband is in the U.S. Army, has called Korea home for the past nine years. She has used that time to hone her writing skills and complete a book on a topic that is close to her heart. “I lived in Sri Lanka from 1988 to 1993. It was the bloodiest time of the war there. I just want tell people, and teach them, about Sri Lanka.”And therein lay the

Expat LivingFeb. 11, 2014

A group of expats is presenting the stage play “Almost, Maine” for the first time in Korea starting on Friday.The play, written by John Cariani, premiered in 2004 and is a romantic comedy that deals with love and how people fall in and out of it.“People fall in love and stumble out of it again. (The play) is quirky and awkward and has some kind of magic in it,” said Teala Penner, who heads the project.The different scenes are all intended to take place at the same time: 9 p.m. The setting is in

Expat LivingFeb. 11, 2014