Hedonistic high of ‘Wolf’ provokes debate

NEW YORK (AP) ― In “The Wolf of Wall Street,” out-of-control stock broker Jordan Belfort is initially furious when a Forbes magazine profile turns out to be a hatchet job labeling him a “twisted Robin Hood who takes from the rich and gives to himself and his merry band of brokers.” But Belfort (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is quickly schooled on the rules of publicity. The next morning his office is overrun with rabid young brokers desperately waving resumes, dying to join his merry band. The re

CultureJan. 8, 2014

Indie duo 10cm to follow K-pop’s lead with first U.S. concert

Over the past few years, more and more K-pop idol acts have been eager to add more concert locations outside of Asia, spurring a flurry of world tours that have included a number of performances in Europe, South America and the United States. In the past, big name K-pop idol groups such as Big Bang, 2NE1, Girls’ Generation, Infinite, CNBlue and others ventured to the States performing shows across the country. This month, popular local acoustic pop duo band 10cm is also looking to join the Korea

PerformanceJan. 8, 2014

HyunA, Jay Park to represent K-pop at upcoming SXSW

HyunA and Jay Park will be joining the lineup of artists representing the Korean music industry at this year’s South By Southwest music showcase in Austin, Texas. The two artists are recent additions to a handful of Korean bands that have been selected to perform at the upcoming music festival in March. HyunA and Jay Park are expected to represent K-pop music, which has become popular both at home and abroad.Although the two artists differ greatly from the 16 Korean acts that have already been a

PerformanceJan. 8, 2014

Actress Carmen Zapata dies at 86 after long career

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Emmy-nominated actress Carmen Zapata, who started a foundation to promote Hispanic writers because jobs were so scarce, has died of heart problems, colleagues say. She was 86. Zapata died Sunday at her Van Nuys-area home, said Luis Vela, marketing manager for the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts in Los Angeles. Zapata started her career in 1945 in the Broadway musical “Oklahoma” and went on to perform in “Bells Are Ringing,” “Guys and Dolls” and many plays. “She was an inspira

CultureJan. 8, 2014

As cohabitation gains favor, shotgun weddings fade

WASHINGTON (AP) ― No longer taboo, living together has become a more common arrangement for America’s couples who become pregnant while dating. Soon-to-be-released government figures show a major cultural shift since the days of “shotgun weddings” aimed at avoiding family embarrassment. With marriage on the decline, the shift is helping redefine the traditional notion of family. “The emergence of cohabitation as an acceptable context for childbearing has changed the family-formation landscape,”

CultureJan. 8, 2014

Ahn Jung-hwan becomes soccer commentator

Former soccer star Ahn Jung-hwan has signed a contract with local TV broadcaster MBC for a stint as a soccer commentator, the TV channel said Thursday. He will join former national team coach Huh Jung-moo and another retired national team player, Song Jong-gug, in MBC’s panel of commentators for the coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil in June. Ahn shot to stardom when the striker scored the winning golden goal for Korea against Italy in the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Seoul. He played for K

PeopleJan. 8, 2014

Akdong Musician set to debut soon

Akdong Musician, the amateur winning team of SBS’ music reality competition “K-pop Star 2,” plans to make an official debut at the end of February, a local media outlet reported. 　 The teenage duo, consisting of siblings Lee Chan-hyuk and Lee Soo-hyun, will debut as professional singers through the SBS TV audition program “K-pop Star 3” after a nine-month training period at YG Entertainment, the report said. 　 The sibling stars took the No. 1 spot in the competition in 2013, garnering a

PerformanceJan. 8, 2014

[Photo News] Nichkhun returns as Prince of Badminton

Nichkhun, a member of K-pop idol group 2PM, showed off his badminton skills, outshining counterparts on the KBS entertainment show “Uridongne Yecheneung,” aired on Tuesday. 　Badminton coaches and players, including the former Olympic gold medalist Lee Yong-dae, starred in the last episode, “All Star Match,” and teamed up with stars for a doubles badminton match.  　“Uridongne Yecheneung” means “our neighborhood arts and sports.” The popular show features stars challenging local residents in vario

TelevisionJan. 8, 2014

[Photo News] Max Changmin quits ‘Uridongne Yecheneung’

Max Changmin, a member of pop duo TVXQ, has decided to drop out of the variety TV show “Uridongne Yecheneung (Our Neighborhood Arts and Sports),” nine months after he joined the program.According to the show’s production team, the star has decided to focus on his music with TVXQ, which recently released its seventh full-length album. The popular show, in which stars challenge local residents in sporting activities, will air its last episode with the idol singer on KBS 2TV on Feb. 4. 　By Ock Hyun

TelevisionJan. 8, 2014

Hopes high for pope’s visit to Korea

Hopes are running high in the Catholic community in Korea that Pope Francis may visit Korea this year, his first visit as a pontiff to the region and the first papal visit to the country in 25 years, if realized. Multiple media outlets reported Tuesday that the pope is highly likely to come and that the visit could be scheduled for one of two Catholic events taking place here in August and October. The Asia Youth Day, scheduled to be held in August in Daejeon, south of Seoul, is expected to draw

CultureJan. 7, 2014

Boy band singer’s father, grandparents found dead

Police officials announced on Tuesday that they are currently investigating the deaths of the father and grandparents of popular K-pop boy band member Leeteuk, of Super Junior, which occurred late Sunday night. Although on Monday night officials from the star’s agency SM Entertainment announced that the family members had been killed in a car accident in an apparent attempt to protect the entertainer from bad publicity, it has now been revealed that the three actually died in their home in what

PeopleJan. 7, 2014

‘Varyd’ designs help label stand out

Online fashion label Varyd brings together different styles under one name with the aim of empowering people.The label was set up by Vanessa Burke and Rydia Kim in June, selling T-shirts, tank tops and dresses with designs provided by the three main designers of the label: The two founders and Rock san, an award-winning artist.Varyd, which is pronounced like “varied” and is a combination of the two women’s names, was founded as a women’s fashion label, but included a male fashion line soon after

Expat LivingJan. 7, 2014

Making scenes pop out in style

Seoul City Improv will be hosting a long-form improvisational comedy workshop led by Kaci Beeler, who runs the Hideout Theater in Austin, Texas, later this month. The class will focus on connecting with other players onstage and introducing the “monopop” format. The format is an improvised play lasting 20-35 minutes, in which performers usually stay in one character, but then “pop out” of the main narrative to perform short flashbacks, musings or hypothetical scenes, Beeler said.But, since there

Expat LivingJan. 7, 2014

[Herald Review] Grandma relives youth in ‘Miss Granny’

Filmmaker Hwang Dong-hyuk’s latest protagonist Oh Mal-soon (played by veteran actress Na Moon-hee) is the kind of old woman whom you don’t want to have as your mother-in-law.She is shameless and controlling, complains about your food, and is not afraid to belittle you in front of your children. Mal-soon’s biggest pride is her son, who is a university professor, and that she managed to raise him by herself, against all odds. The real story of the film, “Miss Granny,” begins with Mal-soon suddenly

FilmJan. 7, 2014

Local festivals offer unique adventures in Korea

Korea has seen the number of local festivals increase for the past couple of years, led by provincial governments’ push for tourism revenue. Some attracted thousands of visitors including foreign tourists and expat residents, establishing themselves as the most popular events in Korea. However, others still flounder with disappointing programs which make visitors feel deceived by flash promotions. For those looking for credible festival information, the Culture Ministry and the Korea Tourism Org

TravelJan. 7, 2014