Kim Woo-bin to become new face of ‘M Countdown’

Actor Kim Woo-bin has been named the new host of music channel Mnet’s “M Countdown.” The previous hosts of the program were Tony An of H.O.T. and FT Island’s Lee Hong-gi, making Kim the only host who did not debut as a K-pop artist. Kim appeared as a special guest emcee on the program in April and received positive feedback for his hosting abilities.  “Kim Woo-bin has a steady voice and has the ability to be a capable host,” the production team for “M Countdown” stated. “He has gained recognitio

Aug. 13, 2013

When martial arts become cinematic poetry

Filmmaker Wong Kar-wai’s “Grandmaster,” contrary to what the title suggests, is not exactly a biopic of the legendary Chinese martial artist Ip Man (1893-1972), the grandmaster of Wing Chun who famously taught Bruce Lee.Rather, it is Wong’s poignant, visually stunning tribute to what is now gone ― China before the Japanese invasion and the glory years of Chinese martial arts in the 1930s. Though it features the life of Ip, the film focuses on martial arts itself rather than the individual. What

FilmAug. 13, 2013

Embassy in S. Africa breaks ground for own building

The Korean Embassy in South Africa will end about 20 years of residing in a rented office and finally possess its own building.The embassy held a groundbreaking ceremony for its building Monday in the Muckleneuk neighborhood of capital Pretoria, according to foreign ministry officials. The ceremony was attended by Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Lee Kyung-soo, Korean Ambassador to South Africa Lee Yoon, South African foreign ministry officials and leaders of the Kor

PeopleAug. 13, 2013

Herald steps beyond media

 Growth from humble beginnings to biggest English newspaperThe Korea Herald has been providing English news to South Koreans and Korean viewpoints to people outside of the country for the past 60 years. Its sister paper, The Herald Business, and other units of Herald Corp. are also leading the local media market. It all started with a four-page tabloid called The Korean Republic, the forerunner of The Korea Herald.In the early 1950s, then-President Syngman Rhee sought the creation of an English

CultureAug. 13, 2013

Chung Mong-koo Foundation to donate W20b for arts, culture

Chung Mong-koo Foundation will provide 20 billion won ($17.9 million) for five years in the fields of arts and culture in the country.The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the foundation signed an agreement at the ministry in Seoul on Monday to cooperate in the promotion of arts and culture.Under the agreement, both sides will expand arts and cultural programs for children and teenagers, and also push various regional projects jointly. One of the first projects to be pushed is increasi

PeopleAug. 12, 2013

Professor slams Japanese politicians in online ad

Sungshin Women’s University professor Seo Kyoung-duk posted an ad on the Internet edition of the Wall Street Journal on Monday, criticizing Japanese politicians’ attitude to history.Titled “Making Peace With History,” the advertising compares Japanese politicians with German politicians by placing their photos and captions side by side. The photo of German politicians shows former German Chancellor Willy Brandt kneeling before a monument to the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and current German Chancello

PeopleAug. 12, 2013

War seen through a lens

Rare original prints by the late Robert Capa are on exhibit in Seoul for the first time to mark the centennial of the photographer’s birth and the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War. Hailed as the world’s greatest war photographer, Capa captured moments that became iconic war images and inspire many photojournalists and filmmakers like Steven Spielberg to this day. The exhibition features 160 photographs selected from the 937 photographs of the Capa collectio

PerformanceAug. 12, 2013

World’s first pop-art satellite headed to space

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― If aliens ever target Earth, Jon Gibson and Amanda White are counting on them having an appreciation for pop art and a sense of humor.The duo created an elaborate, Andy Warhol-like design that has been etched into a satellite’s panel, transforming the spacecraft into a replica of an oversized electrical charging device.“If someone is going to invade our planet, presumably they’re going to come in some sort of electronic, electricity-powered ship,” Gibson notes whimsically. “Ma

PerformanceAug. 12, 2013

Author Erica Jong still flying high, 40 years on from debut

HONG KONG (AFP) ― In her own words, Erica Jong wanted to “slice open a woman’s head and show everything happening inside” when she wrote her debut novel “Fear of Flying,” first published 40 years ago.The book, which is set for an anniversary re-release this year, became a sensation in 1973 and went on to shift more than 20 million copies in 40 different languages. But reaction to it also illustrated that the inside of a woman’s head ― at least as Jong saw it ― could be a polarizing place.“You ca

BooksAug. 12, 2013

KARA to release new album in September

Girl group KARA is to release a new album in September. DSP media, KARA’s agency, provided a glimpse of the styling for the upcoming album in a teaser image released on Monday. The black-and-white album cover shows the five members dressed in black suits, sporting dishevelled, pulled-back hairstyles. The group has deviated from their usual sexy and cute look, moving toward a more androgynous, edgier vibe.  The upcoming album will be the K-pop group’s 4th album release in Korea. Their last full-l

Aug. 12, 2013

Cho Jae-hyun wins acting prize at Montreal Film Festival

Actor Cho Jae-hyun won the best actor prize at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Canada, for his performance as a hunchback in director Jeon Kyu-hwan’s film “The Weight.”In the 2012 film, Cho plays a mortician who accepts the corpses of those who died without any family or friends to pay for the funeral. Cho is said to have agreed to star in the low-budget movie for free.Director Jeon won the Queer Lion prize at last year’s Venice International Film Festival for the m

FilmAug. 12, 2013

Summer days with movies of all genres

From classics to cult, movies of different genres are being screened at an annual summer film festival in Seoul. The 2013 Cine-Vacances Seoul, in its 8th year, is showing 28 movies categorized into four sections at Seoul Art Cinema in Insa-dong, Seoul. The cinema is a non-profit cinematheque ― a film archive with small venues that screens mostly classic and art-house films. It screens some 500 films from various countries and receives over 60,000 visitors every year.  The films taken out of the

FilmAug. 11, 2013

Kings of Leon go ‘young and fun’ for new album ‘Mechanical Bull’

Rock group Kings of Leon are getting less serious with age, as the band prepares to bring “young and fun” new music on Friday to their fans across the world in a quirky collaboration with comedian Fred Armisen.Kings of Leon, formed by Followill brothers Caleb, Nathan, Jared and cousin Matthew, are marking a decade in the music industry since their debut album “Youth & Young Manhood” was released in 2003.After a hiatus in 2012, Kings of Leon are back on the road to support their upcoming sixth st

PerformanceAug. 11, 2013

The best is yet to come

This is the first in a series on producers, MCs, DJs and artists working in the Korean underground hip-hop scene. ― Ed.Before producer Artisan Beats was first exposed to Korean underground hip-hop in 1997, he said the scene was effectively nonexistent.He had just graduated from high school in Singapore and moved back to Korea for university. He was first exposed to hip-hop in the late ’80s, but by the ’90s, what he calls the “golden age of hip-hop,” he was a hip-hop head and had begun writing hi

PerformanceAug. 11, 2013

[Photo News] As groom, Lee says beginning second chapter of his life

South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun tied the knot with actress Lee Min-jung on Saturday after seven years of dating. About 900 guests, mostly close friends and film industry figures, were in attendance including actor Jang Dong-gun and director Kim Ji-woon. Hundreds of fans from Japan and other countries also gathered to catch a glimpse of the stars at the lobby of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, where the ceremony took place. Ahead of the private wedding ceremony, the high-profile couple gave thei

Aug. 11, 2013