BTS has come a long way since its debut, recently performing at one of the largest concert halls in Korea, the Olympic Gymnastic Stadium, from May 7 to 8.“2016 BTS Live The Most Beautiful Moment in Life on stage: epilogue” kicked off with “Boy in Luv,” the song that had transformed BTS into a rising star.  BTS performs at “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life on stage: epilogue” ((Big Hit Entertainment)The 150-minute concert featured 26 songs from “The Most Beautiful Moment in Life” series, includi

EntertainmentMay 8, 2016

Akdong Musician’s Lee Chan-hyuk (left) and Lee Soo-hyun perform at Seoul Forest on Friday, May 5. (YG Entertainment)Akdong Musician held a mini-concert on Friday in Seoul to mark the release of “Spring,” a new album full of the sibling duo’s trademark feel-good music and whimsical lyrics.“We didn’t expect so many people to turn up, we’re truly moved,” said 17-year-old vocalist Lee Soo-hyun, referring to the swarms of families that filled the outdoor theater to hear the group perform at Seoul For

PerformanceMay 8, 2016

NEW YORK – From refined monochrome paintings fit for elegant modern interiors to cutting-edge works that reflect the dynamic sociopolitical landscape of Korea, the fifth edition of the Frieze art fair in New York featured various aspects of Korean modern and contemporary art. The five-day art fair, which ended on Sunday, gathered both big names and less well-known talents, connecting major galleries and artists to collectors, curators and museums, plus more than 40,000 public art lovers, accordi

PerformanceMay 8, 2016

Still from Elite Zexer’s “Sand Storm” (Jeonju International Film Festival)“Sand Storm” by Israeli director Elite Zexer has won the Grand Prize in the International Competition section of this year’s Jeonju International Film Festival, JIFF announced last Friday.“Sand Storm,” directed by the female director Zexer, tells the tale of a Bedouin teenage girl torn between personal desires and tradition. It was awarded a cash prize of $19,000. "(The) International Competition has chosen 10 films that a

FilmMay 8, 2016

The 2001 film “My Sassy Girl” featured a comically rowdy relationship between the mild-mannered Kyeon-woo, played by Cha Tae-hyun, and “the girl,” played by Jun Ji-hyun (Gianna Jun). Beautiful, unpredictable and slightly disturbed, the girl became an iconic figure in Korean pop culture. When the film became a pan-Asian box office hit, it propelled Jun to regional stardom and inspired several remakes. 　No such icon appears in the much weaker sequel “My New Sassy Girl,” which stars Cha and a new l

FilmMay 5, 2016

Na Hong-jin’s third full-length film “The Wailing” will be released on May 11, a day ahead of its original scheduled date, the production company 20th Century Fox announced Wednesday.　Film critics and local media have heaped lavish praise on the film for its solid and intriguing plot following Tuesday’s press screening, heightening moviegoer’s expectations. The main cast -- Kwak Do-won, Chun Woo-hee, and Hwang Jung-min -- have also been lauded for their outstanding performances that make the fil

FilmMay 5, 2016

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) -- The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art reopens in mid-May after an ambitious $305 million expansion and facelift that aims to rival the world-class art spaces of New York, Paris or London.　The revamped museum will be unveiled May 14 following a three-year upgrade entrusted to the Norwegian architecture firm Snohetta -- best known for the dramatic new Alexandria Library in Egypt -- that included more than doubling the exhibition space.　The brick structure that has housed th

PerformanceMay 5, 2016

Migrant workers staged a rally in central Seoul on Sunday to call for improved working conditions.About 200 workers gathered in front of the Bosingak Bell next to Jonggak Station, demanding in particular the replacement of the Employment Permit System through which workers on E-9 visas are hired.The workers later joined hundreds of thousands of Korean workers at a larger rally in Daehangno, Seoul.Udaya Rai, president of the Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants’ Trade Union, said that more workers had

Expat LivingMay 4, 2016

The number of foreign residents ended four months of decline in March, according to Justice Ministry figures, but the population is still below its peak due mainly to a reduction in the number of young migrants.Widely reported statistics released last week by the ministry showed that the headline number of foreign nationals in Korea rose past 1.9 million at the end of March, but this increase was mainly due to a rise in the number of tourists. The number of foreign residents -- split by the mini

Expat LivingMay 4, 2016

The city of Gyeongju will provide massive discounts for tourists during the four-day weekend that starts from Thursday. The iconic town in north Gyeongsang Province, is a popular travel destination, boasting well-preserved national treasures and historic sites.  (Korea Tourism Organization)On May 5, which is Children’s Day, Gyeongju’s Yangdong Folk Village, which dates back to the Joseon Dynasty, will offer free entry to children and a 15 percent discounted entry price for family members. Shilla

TravelMay 4, 2016

Wrangling over the autonomy of the Busan International Film Festival continues, with the Busan Metropolitan Government and BIFF executive committee disagreeing yesterday over whether the two sides had agreed on the appointment of Kim Dong-ho, the festival honorary director, as its new chairman.　On Wednesday, local media reported that the two sides had “effectively agreed” on naming Kim, the founder of Asia’s largest film festival, as the new BIFF chairman, citing Busan City. Hours later, however

FilmMay 4, 2016