Joseon literati’s robe goes modern

Seeking to find a new fashion inspiration ― much like Japan’s kimono has inspired many global-leading designers ― a Korean cultural non-profit organization hopes to instill the Joseon literati’s outer robe as the next Oriental fashion inspiration. Arumjigi Culture Keepers Foundation presents a triennial exhibition shedding light on the outer robe of the Joseon literati and the spirit behind it. The exhibition, which runs from Thursday to Nov. 20, displays traditional robes in various colors and

Arts & DesignOct. 31, 2013

Lee Joon-gi to go on Asia tour

Actor Lee Joon-gi is planning a large-scale tour, “Lee Joon-gi Asia Tour JG Night,” to meet fans in Korea, China and Japan. The tour will not be just meetings with fans, but will be organized as a concert-like event complete with Lee performing on stage. The star will start the tour in Seoul on Dec. 14 and then meet fans in Beijing, China, on Jan. 4 and Shanghai on Jan. 11, before traveling to Guangzhou on Jan. 15. In Japan, the actor will take the stage in Nagoya on Jan. 27, Osaka on Jan. 28, a

Oct. 31, 2013

Rattle, Berlin Philharmonic to bring 21st-century dynamic to orchestral music

It has been two years since the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra visited Korea. But classical music fans here cannot get enough of the orchestra dubbed “the most powerful sound in the world.”On Nov. 11-12, the group led by Sir Simon Rattle will perform at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall staging Schumann’s Symphony No. 1; Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1; Stravinsky’s “Le Sacre du Printemps,” and Boulez’s “Notations Pour Orchestra,” as well as Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7. Celebrated violinist and

PerformanceOct. 31, 2013

Brown Eyed Soul releases commemorative single

R&B group Brown Eyed Soul has broken its three-year hiatus by releasing a new digital single, “Always Be There,” to commemorate its 10th anniversary. The track was released at noon on Thursday and within a two-hour span it beat tracks by Troublemaker, IU, K.Will, Ailee and Busker Busker for the No. 1 spot on major music charts including Melon, Bugs and Naver Music. The artists are also planning a commemorative tour, “Thank Your Soul,” that will begin at Ilsan’s Kintex from Dec. 20-25 and move on

Oct. 31, 2013

Paretsky’s ‘Critical Mass’ is packed with action

Critical MassBy Sara Paretsky (Putnam)There must be something inspiring about dating a classical musician: Since private investigator V.I. Warshawski took up with double bassist Jake Thibaut in 2009’s “Hardball,” her creator, author Sara Paretsky, seems to have renewed creative energy, evident in pages that almost seem to turn themselves.The considerable action of “Critical Mass” (the title refers to nuclear physics, not getting together a crowd of reviewers) is set off when Warshawski is asked

BooksOct. 31, 2013

Marilyn Monroe look-alike is ‘Lowcountry Bombshell’

Lowcountry BombshellBy Susan M. Boyer (Henery Press) Eccentric characters go together in Southern mysteries like, well, shrimp and grits. But Susan M. Boyer deftly shapes characters with just enough idiosyncrasies without succumbing to cliches in her engaging second novel.“Lowcountry Bombshell” surprises at every twist as Boyer infuses her lighthearted plot with a look at obsession with celebrity, unadulterated greed and an affectionate look at South Carolina.Private detective Liz Talbot pretty

BooksOct. 31, 2013

Richard Kadrey takes on teen horror in ‘Dead Set’

Richard Kadrey’s new novel, “Dead Set,” gave me nightmares. And I can’t stop myself from telling him ― even though the bestselling horror author dresses in black, has intimidating tattoos and the watchful bearing of an assassin. He’s reluctant to take off his dark glasses.“Cool,” he says, stirring his coffee in the dim daytime light of a Los Angeles bar. “It’s an experiment.” “Dead Set” (Harper Voyager) is far less violent than the bestselling Sandman Slim series he’s known for: “There’s fewer b

BooksOct. 31, 2013

Bill Bryson takes you back in time with ‘One Summer: America, 1927’

When readers follow Bill Bryson on a literary amble, they never know exactly where they might end up ― just that they’ll probably be happy to have tagged along.His past journeys, along the Appalachian Trail (1998’s “A Walk in the Woods”), into the life of Shakespeare (2007’s “Shakespeare: The World as Stage”) and the rest of the universe (2003’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything”), to name a few, put him in rarified territory. He’s popular enough to automatically appear on best-seller lists,

BooksOct. 31, 2013

Pianist Lee Ko-eun wins U.S. competition

Pianist Lee Ko-eun was named one of three top winners at the 2013 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition and the recipient of the Victor & Sono Elmaleh Piano Prize, the CAG announced Thursday. The Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition is an annual event open to instrumentalists, singers and chamber ensembles performing classical and non-traditional repertoire. The other two winners this year are the Donald Sinta Quartet and violinist Alexi Kenney.Lee, who also won several ot

CultureOct. 31, 2013

Seoul Zoo retires sea lion presentation

Seoul Zoo has ended all its animal events after retiring a California sea lion, Bangwuli, from presentation to visitors ― the last animal show it ran.The zoo said Thursday that it closed the Bangwuli presentation late last month to treat the male sea lion because he looked distracted and had difficulty digesting fodder.The Bangwuli show was the last animal event at the zoo after it released Jedori, a Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, into the sea off Jejudo Island on July 18. Jedori had a stunt s

PeopleOct. 31, 2013

Samsung’s Lee tops President Park on Forbes’ powerful people list

Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee has been ranked 41st by Forbes on its list of the world’s most powerful people of this year. President Park Geun-hye was placed at No. 52, 11 notches below the business mogul. The economic magazine ranked top 72 power brokers ― 1 for every 100 million people on Earth ― and released the annual list along with their snapshots on Wednesday. Lee and Park were among 13 newcomers. Park was also one of only nine women who made the cut. The title of the world’s m

PeopleOct. 31, 2013

Walk along the coast to discover Jeju’s beauty

This is the last installment in an 11-part series that introduces some of the best walking trails in Korea. Based on each trail’s popularity and the recommendations of travel experts and the Culture Ministry, The Korea Herald selected the 10 best places for walking and hiking. The series received funding from the Korea Press Foundation. ― Ed.Jeju Olle trail is the first walking trail in Korea developed and built by a journalist-turned-walking enthusiast Seo Myeong-suk. The opening of the first t

TravelOct. 30, 2013

Nature makes Jeju delicacies one of the best in Korea

Jeju Island is known for the abundance of rocks, women and wind, earning it the moniker “Samdado Island,” for having plenty of the “three features.” But another feature to add is its food. The island, surrounded by the sea with Hallasan Mountain in the center and vast stretches of fields growing vegetables, boasts a wide variety of natural produce. However, seafood dishes are not to be missed on Jeju Island. And if one faces a difficult decision of what to choose among hundreds of seafood specia

TravelOct. 30, 2013

Oakwood Premier Coex offers distinct level of service

Oakwood Premier Coex Center was recognized with having the best planning and execution of advertising that successfully brings its image of luxury and comfort to the customers. In our advertisement, we tried to convey our brand concept and identity to maintain a strong, consistent and distinctive brand for Oakwood.The first luxury serviced residence in Seoul has strived to meet the needs of foreign corporate executives, business travelers and long-term guests since opening. Oakwood Premier is th

TravelOct. 30, 2013

Court chief sees no limit in punishing Japanese sex slavery

President of the Constitutional Court Park Han-chul has criticized the Japanese government sharply for denying the historical fact that its military had forced women into sexual slavery during World War II.His remarks came in a special lecture he gave at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Tuesday.Park is the first president of the Constitutional Court of Korea to have given a lecture at the school.In the lecture, titled the “State’s duty to protect women from human rights violation,

PeopleOct. 30, 2013

KBS chief elected president of regional broadcasters’ union

Gil Hwan-young, president and CEO of state-run broadcaster KBS, was elected the 14th president of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, KBS said Tuesday. Gil was elected in a unanimous vote at the organization’s general assembly in Hanoi, Vietnam. He will serve a three-year term until the end of 2016. “I will seek unity of our members and put efforts into leading the ever-changing broadcasting environment in the digital era,” Gil said during his acceptance speech. As president of the union, Gil w

PeopleOct. 30, 2013