New video coming for Bob Dylan’s ‘Rolling Stone’

NEW YORK (AP) ― Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” is getting its first official music video, nearly 50 years after the song was released.The interactive video will premiere on Dylan’s website Tuesday and marks the release of the new 47-disc box set, “The Complete Album Collection Volume 1.”“Like a Rolling Stone” came out in 1965 and remains one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer-songwriter’s most influential songs.The video will allow viewers to switch between 16 different story lines tha

PerformanceNov. 19, 2013

IU’s star continues to rise

Singer IU is returning to the small screen hot on the heels of the release of her chart-topping third full length album, “Modern Times.” As she sets to crown her new album’s launch with a concert this week, IU is also taking the next step to leaving her days as a supporting actress behind with a lead in KBS’ “Bel Ami.” In two years, IU has managed to leap from her endearing first supporting role as a dorky singing ingenue in KBS’ “Dream High” to leading lady status, first as the plucky heroine i

TelevisionNov. 19, 2013

Gong Yoo named UNICEF special representative

Actor Gong Yoo will be named a special representative for the United Nations Children’s Fund in Korea. The star will officially be given the title in a ceremony Wednesday morning. It will also commemorate the 24-year anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Gong became interested in the rights of children after he starred in the movie, “Silenced,” which shocked the nation with its raw portrayal of the abuse of disabled children in Korea. He began to actively part

Nov. 19, 2013

Crayon Pop to release Christmas single

Members of girl group Crayon Pop are donning Christmas headbands instead of their usual helmets for the release of a special Christmas single at the end of the month. The song, titled “Ccoohristmas,” was written by the same composer who wrote hit song “Bar Bar Bar” and will be released on Nov. 26. The group released a teaser image for the song Monday, showing the five members dressed in festive green Christmas outfits and accessories. The group debuted in 2012 with their first EP but failed to g

Nov. 19, 2013

‘Infinite Challenge’ to host photo exhibition

Popular MBC comedy program “Infinite Challenge” will be holding a special photo exhibition around Seoul from Nov. 27 to Feb. 16. Admission is free. Sponsored by Hyundai Department Store, the exhibitions will rotate between five store branches around Seoul and Gyeonggi Province in Gireum-dong, Samseong-dong, Chungcheong-dong, Jung-dong and Ilsan. A collection of more than 200 images of the members and special guests on set for the shooting of “Infinite Challenge” taken by professional photographe

Nov. 19, 2013

Drug company CEO to join IVI board

Joseph Kim, a Korean-American, will join the International Vaccine Institute board of trustees.The Seoul-based institute said Tuesday that it appointed three new board members including Kim. The two others are Fred Binka from Ghana and George R. Siber from Canada. They will serve three-year terms to oversee the governance and management of the institute. Kim is an internationally recognized leader in vaccines. He holds a Ph.D. in immunology from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA in finance

PeopleNov. 19, 2013

U.N. secretary-general visits Auschwitz memorial

OSWIECIM, Poland (AP) ― U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday visited the former Nazi death camp of Auschwitz to pay tribute to Holocaust victims. Ban walked through the infamous “Arbeit Macht Frei” (“Work Makes You Free”) gate to see exhibitions that document the inhumane conditions that the inmates suffered there. Housed in red brick barracks are the hair and belongings of the inmates, as well as an urn symbolically holding some of the victims’ ashes. “I stare at the piles of glasses, h

PeopleNov. 19, 2013

CICI 5.4 Club discusses tourism

Since its launch in March, the 5.4 Club members have been holding regular discussions on the current state of the tourism industry in Korea. Founded by the Corea Image Communication Institute ― a nonprofit organization that strives to promote and advance the global image of Korea ― and hospitality industry consulting company Cs, the 5.4 Club program has set its sights on promoting tourism as well as awareness of Korean culture among foreign visitors. More than 20 key members of the club met at t

PeopleNov. 19, 2013

Embassy in Peru moves into new complex of its own

The Korean Embassy in Peru has moved into a new complex of its own in the central part of Lima. The dedication of the two-building complex ended the embassy’s 27 years situated in a rented building since 1986. It also marks the 50th anniversary of the countries’ diplomatic relations established in April 1963. The Korean Embassy has been stationed in Peru’s capital city since August 1971.The new compound has an expanded antechamber and counseling space for visitors on a total floor space of 2,562

PeopleNov. 19, 2013

Seoul Philharmonic opens 2014 ticket sales

Tickets for the highly anticipated 2014 season of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra are due to go on sale Tuesday morning, offering SPO fans an advance peek of 28 concerts that will be held next year.Packaged according to different themes, the programs range from grand orchestral to smaller works and contemporary pieces. Packages offering discounts are available through Jan. 8. A package for R-seat tickets for 17 concerts is priced at 1.55 million won ($1,460). A 30 percent discount is provided f

PerformanceNov. 18, 2013

Recluse defiantly stakes claim to Nazi-era art hoard

BERLIN (AFP) ― Cornelius Gurlitt, a German recluse who hid hundreds of paintings believed looted by the Nazis in his Munich flat, says he will not give up the works without a fight, quashing hopes for a quick settlement.Describing the priceless works as the love of his life, Gurlitt, 80, told Der Spiegel news weekly in an interview that his father, a powerful Nazi-era art dealer, had acquired the paintings legally and that he as his heir is their rightful owner. “I will not give anything back vo

PerformanceNov. 18, 2013

Mercure Seoul aims to make hotel service affordable

Mercure Seoul, located in the heart of Seoul’s Gangnam district, has been offering friendly and accommodating service at an affordable price for both local and international travelers since it opened in March 2012. To meet the vision of the hotel CEO Woo Hee-myung that emphasizes “best value at a reasonable price,” Mercure Seoul Ambassador Gangnam SODOWE, has been targeting guests looking for affordable, yet satisfying service, especially in food and beverage. The mid-sized hotel, which is part

TravelNov. 18, 2013

‘Cheongdamdong 111’ captures K-pop stars off the stage

  For those who have ever wondered what the work atmosphere is like behind the closed doors of a big time K-pop entertainment agency, then the soon-to-be-aired new reality drama “Cheongdamdong 111” may help shed some light.Starring label mates CNBlue, FTIsland, AOA and Juniel, the new reality TV show follows the daily routine of the artists and staff of popular talent agency FNC Entertainment, from the CEO to the managers to the trainees. The agency recently moved its headquarters to the affluen

TelevisionNov. 18, 2013

Upcoming movie features real-life drug smuggling case

In 2004, Jang Mi-jeong, a Korean housewife, was arrested upon her arrival at Paris Orly Airport. She had been asked by her husband’s friend, whom she had known for more than 10 years, to take a bag of diamonds to France. Turns out, what was in the bag was some 17 kg of cocaine.An upcoming movie, titled “Way Back Home,” features the 2004 case, which led Jang to serve two years in prison in Martinique, an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea and one of the 27 overseas regions of France, for drug sm

FilmNov. 18, 2013

South Africa’s Mandela unable to speak: ex-wife

CAPE TOWN (AFP) ― South Africa’s Nelson Mandela remains “quite ill” and is unable to speak, using facial expressions to communicate as he receives intensive medical care at home, his former wife told a Sunday newspaper.Winnie Madikizela-Mandela said the 95-year-old former president was not on life support, but he was no longer talking “because of all the tubes that are in his mouth to clear (fluid from) the lungs” and prevent infection returning.“He can’t actually articulate anything” as a resul

PeopleNov. 18, 2013