‘American Idiot’ to get first Korean run

Broadway musical “American Idiot,” an adaptation of punk rock band Green Day’s seventh studio album of the same title, will be staged for the first time in Korea, according to its local promoters.The one-act, sung-through musical premiered on Broadway in 2010. Green Day did not appear in the production, though its songwriter and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong occasionally played the role of St. Jimmy, one of its three young protagonists.  The musical was nominated for a number of Tony Awards in

PerformanceJune 4, 2013

Super Junior to release debut Japanese album

Super Junior announced it would be releasing the group’s first Japanese studio album, titled “Hero,” on July 24. It was revealed that the upcoming Japanese debut album would consist of 11 tracks, including the lead track “Hero,” as well as the Japanese versions of past hits such as “Sexy, Free & Single,” “Bonamana,” “Mr. Simple,” “Opera,” “Our Love” and “Way.” Although Super Junior has been very active in the Japanese music market, releasing various Japanese-language singles, “Hero” marks the gr

PerformanceJune 4, 2013

Big Bang to kick off 6-dome tour in Japan

Big Bang is hitting the road in November for a concert tour in Japan, the members revealed during the Nagoya leg of G-Dragon’s world tour last Saturday.Big Bang is slated to hold a total of 15 concerts in six cities starting with two sets at the Seibu Dome on Nov. 16 and 17.The idols will continue their shows at the Kyocera Dome Osaka from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, Fukuoka Yahoo! JAPAN Dome on Dec. 7 and 8, Nagoya Dome on Dec. 14 and 15, Tokyo Dome on Dec. 19 and 21, and Sapporo Dome on Jan. 4 next yea

June 4, 2013

Epik High to join Bangkok’s Sonic Bang lineup

The Korean hip-hop trio Epik High has been invited to join the lineup at the Sonic Bang 2013 international music festival in Bangkok, Thailand. This year’s Sonic Bang festival, Thailand’s biggest music event, will showcase 30 international and local artists on six stages featuring big names such as Pet Shop Boys, Jason Mraz, Pitbull, Placebo, Owl City and many others.  The members of Epik High ― Tablo, Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz ― started out in the underground Korean hip-hop scene in 2003, during

PerformanceJune 4, 2013

Montblanc awards Byucksan chief

Chairman of Byucksan Engineering Kim Higgin on Tuesday was named a winner of the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award, an award given to an active patron of the arts. Kim, who serves as chairman of the Korean Symphony Orchestra and the Korea Festival Ensemble, is a member of the Arts Council Korea; a board executive of the supporters’ group for Seoul Arts Center and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Arts; and a board member of the Gwangju Biennale. He has been recognized for

PeopleJune 4, 2013

Hanjin chairman Cho reelected to IATA board

Hanjin Group chairman Cho Yang-ho was reelected to the board of governors for the International Air Transport Association Monday, officials said.His reelection came at the 69th IATA annual general meeting and world air transport summit in Cape Town, South Africa. It is his seventh election to the board since 1996.  With reelection, Cho will work for the international aviation industry along with chief executives of 30 other major airlines for three years. Cho is also chief executive officer of K

PeopleJune 4, 2013

[Photo] Sistar Bo-ra on a ring

South Korean music group Sistar has offered a glimpse behind the scenes of shooting its music video ahead of the much-anticipated comeback slated for June 11. “Seven days are left until the release of Sistar’s second full-length album! We‘re unveiling Bora’s ring dance,” Starship Entertainment, the group’s agency, said Tuesday on its official Twitter account. The image portrays rapper Bo-ra, one of the four members, sitting on a silver ring and wearing a black satin dress.

PerformanceJune 4, 2013

Actor Kim Jae-won to get married late June

Actor Kim Jae-won on Tuesday announced on his fan website that he will tie the knot with his girlfriend on June 28.Kim and his girlfriend -- who have known each other since childhood -- reportedly started dating last October. The bride-to-be is three months pregnant, according to Kim’s agency Khan Enterprise.“It did occur to me the decision may be a bit sudden. But after carefully considering the importance of stable life and the value of a family, I reached a decision (to get married),” the act

TelevisionJune 4, 2013

‘Pride and Prejudice’ favorite classical novel in Korea

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austin was given the honor of being the nation’s favorite piece of classical literature according to a survey by Kyobo Book Center, the country’s biggest bookseller.The result came as South Korea welcomed more silver-screen and musical adaptations of classical literature involving well-known titles such as “The Great Gatsby, “Les Miserables” and “Resurrection.” In the survey, “The Catcher in the Rye” by J. D. Salinger was ranked second and Hermann Hesse’s “Demian” t

BooksJune 4, 2013

JYJ member’s birthday creates Twitter buzz

 JYJ’s Park Yoo-chun has made it to the top of Twitter’s trending topics -- thanks to his birthday that fell on Tuesday. Twitter’s “trending topics” refers to the hottest keywords dominating the social network’s timelines worldwide. An outpouring of tweets celebrating Park’s 26th birthday filled Twitter under the hashtag “28thYuchunDay.” Park’s agency put out a press release on Tuesday, highlighting how his birthday was being celebrated across the world, especially with the help of fans in Korea

June 4, 2013

Charice Pempengco comes out of the closet

Philippine singer Charice Pempengco came out of the closet in an interview with a local showbiz program on Saturday, identifying herself as homosexual.Pempengco said she found her true identity at last and expressed gratitude to those who have supported her. The 21-year-old singer added that every person is equal regardless of their sexual orientation.　Speculation had already mounted over her boyish hairstyle and tattoos.Pempengco gained popularity after appearing on South Korean talent show “St

PerformanceJune 4, 2013

Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra to show diverse dynamics

Classical music lovers will be able to witness the chemistry between the 95-year-old Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and its 37-year-old music director Yannick Nzt-Sguin at the Seongnam Arts Center in Gyeonggi Province on Sunday. For the orchestra’s third concert in Korea and the first since Nzt-Sguin assumed his post, the Canadian conductor and the orchestra will perform a wide-ranging repertoire, from Dutch contemporary to classical Russian music.  Dubbed the Dutch cultural ambassador alongsi

CultureJune 3, 2013

King Sejong Institute releases Korean-language textbook

The King Sejong Institute Foundation, a state-funded Korean language teaching institute, has released a series of government-standardized Korean language textbooks for non-Korean speakers. The “Sejong Korean” volumes 1, 2, 3 and 4 were first developed to be used at the 90 King Sejong Institutes in 40 countries around the world. The textbook is based on a standard Korean language education model developed by the National Institute of the Korean Language. The foundation is planning to release “Sej

CultureJune 3, 2013

Get first look at latest Chinese cinema

Korean moviegoers will have the opportunity to see some of the latest Chinese films for the first time in the country, as the 2013 Chinese Film Festival kicks off this month.The festival brings 11 films this year, including nine that have never before been shown in Korea. Already, this year’s lineup is creating much buzz especially because of its closer “A Wedding Invitation,” which is a Chinese remake of Korean director Oh Ki-hwan’s 2001 tearjerker “Last Present.”“A Wedding Invitation” is also

FilmJune 3, 2013

Roy Kim to hold first nationwide tour

Superstar K4 winner Roy Kim will embark on his first nationwide concert tour in July that will take him to Seoul, Daejeon, Daegu and Busan. The 20-year-old singer was the winner of the music audition program “Superstar K4” last year and has since made a name for himself as an acoustic, folk country singer. He released his debut digital single, “Spring, Spring, Spring” in April and topped the local music charts as well the Hot 100 K-pop Billboard chart.  Soon after the song’s release, however, Ki

PerformanceJune 3, 2013

JYJ’s Junsu to release second solo album

JYJ member Junsu is set to return to the local music scene next month with his second solo album, his agency said Monday.Junsu, also known by his stage name Xia, is currently working on his next full-length album and music video focusing on modern pop ballads, according to C-JeS Entertainment.“As sensational as his music video was last year, we’re putting in all our efforts to show another ‘evolution’ with the album,” an official said in a statement. The soon-to-be-released record is the follow-

PerformanceJune 3, 2013

Psy promotes Korean tourism in new TV commercial

Psy became the new face of Korea tourism in a series of new TV commercials promoting Korean culture to a global audience. The 15-second TV commercials started airing Monday on major TV networks in places with the highest numbers of visitors to Korea, such as Japan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, as well as global TV channels, including CNN, Discovery and National Geographic. The commercials are also available to watch on YouTube and Facebook.  “Psy is a cu

TelevisionJune 3, 2013