With a high level of stigma, low public awareness and poor provisions of treatment, mental health is a tricky area for Koreans and foreign residents alike, but visa and language barriers, as well as cultural issues, can make it a particularly difficult area for expats. Lack of balance between work and other activities, alcoholism and the negative stigma attached to psychiatric medication are making mental health issues worse, according to counselor Yvon Malenfant. 123rfOverseas studies also conf

Expat LivingFeb. 24, 2016

What’s in a word? Quite a lot for Nils Clauss, a video artist and documentary filmmaker who has used terms coined during Korea’s industrial rise to study the turbulent period in his latest work, “Bikini Words.”　The film shows people who worked in factories during the period, who playfully yet plaintively illustrate the terms while giving explanations of their meaning and recollections of that time via voice-over.　A still from “Bikini Words” by Nils ClaussClauss made the video for the Geumcheon D

Expat LivingFeb. 24, 2016

The Seoul International Women’s Association honored key participants in its 2015 charity bazaar at a morning coffee social at the Conrad Hotel in Seoul on Wednesday.The bazaar was held in partnership with local firms, members of the diplomatic community and other groups. Last year, it raised 81 million ($65,700) won for SIWA’s welfare fund, which helps charities in Korea.The association awarded the Israeli Embassy first prize for its participation, followed by the Japanese Embassy and the embass

Expat LivingFeb. 24, 2016

The Corea Image Communication Institute welcomed 60 foreign diplomats and opinion leaders with a calligraphy class Tuesday night, marking the opening of the 21st Korea Culture Quotient Program.　Hosted at the residence of Malaysian Ambassador Rohana Ramli, the meeting gave an opportunity for the participants to welcome the spring program by learning and experiencing the art of calligraphy.　Popular Hangeul calligrapher Kang Byung-in entertained the guests, explaining the art of calligraphy and the

PeopleFeb. 24, 2016

Park Chan-wook’s upcoming thriller “The Handmaiden” has sealed overseas distribution deals in 116 countries ahead of its local premiere later this year.　The film’s distributor CJ E&M on Wednesday announced the deals, selling to the U.S., France, Germany, Japan and Australia, among others, at the European Film Market during the latest Berlin International Film Festival. Amazon’s film production division Amazon Studios bought the U.S rights. 　It is the second-largest overseas sales success for CJ

FilmFeb. 24, 2016

Inarguably one of the world’s best known jukebox musicals and one of the country’s most popular live stage productions, “Mamma Mia!” has returned to Seoul with its all-Korean cast.　One of the leading ladies belting out ABBA’s classic hits in this year’s production is popular Girls’ Generation starlet Seohyun who plays the role of the 20-year-old bride-to-be Sophie. Girls’ Generation member Seohyun stars as Sophie in this year’s musical production of “Mamma Mia!” (Seensee Company)　“I did not want

PerformanceFeb. 24, 2016

Boy group EXO’s leader Suho is making his big screen debut under the name Kim Joon-myun in the film “One Way Trip.”　Suho will be playing Sang-woo, one of four friends who take off on a trip together to the beach but run into difficulties and must work together.　“I play Sang-woo, a guy who is raised by his grandmother, and lives in very difficult conditions,” Kim told reporters at a press conference for “One Day Trip” on Wednesday. “Because of his hardships, he gives up going to college and decid

FilmFeb. 24, 2016

Producers group Mad Soul Child’s sole vocalist Jinsil and Epik High member Tablo released a collaboration song “Do Do Do” at noon Tuesday, said Jinsil’s agency Happy Tribe Entertainment.　“Do Do Do” is described as neo-soul infused with jazz and punk, with its theme and mood perfectly suited for Jinsil’s soulful voice and Tablo’s rapping. The song features the story of a couple in a state of ennui as a metaphor for the emptiness and weariness of everyday life.Jinsil, a member of musical group Mad

PerformanceFeb. 24, 2016

Herald Artday, a subsidiary of Herald Corp., is holding the February online auction from Feb. 26 to March 2, presenting major artworks of modern and contemporary Korean artists. 　The art auction features 200 artworks of Korean artists, including Chun Kyung-ja, Hwang Yong-yeop, Nam June Paik and Oh Chi-gyun. Highlights of the auction include a female nude pen drawing by Chun Kyung-ja, drawings by Nam June Paik whose 10th anniversary of death is marked this year, and pastel landscape paintings by

PerformanceFeb. 24, 2016

A cluster of traditional thatched roof houses on a hill helped architect Kim Tai-soo make progress in the early days of his architectural career in the United States. These houses were located in the rural town of Haman-gun, South Gyeongsang Province, which had been a sanctuary for Kim and his family during the Korean War. “It’s a small town where my family fled to avoid bombings in Seoul during the Korean War. We stayed there for a year,” he said. “The scene of the houses gathered on a hill was

PerformanceFeb. 24, 2016

 MILAN (AFP) - Hundreds of mourners flocked to Milan’s Sforza Castle Tuesday to pay their respects to Italian literary giant Umberto Eco, the intellectual phenomenon behind the best-selling “The Name of the Rose.”　Fans gathered outside the writer's home in the north Italian city applauded as Eco’s coffin, laden with white roses, was carried to the imposing 15th century citadel and laid in state in a courtyard, under a presidential guard.　Musicians played Arcangelo Corelli's Baroque sonata “La Fo

CultureFeb. 24, 2016