Netizens abuzz over Gate’s handshake with president

Microsoft founder Bill Gates recently became a topic of heated discussion online after a picture of his handshake with President Park Geun-hye was released by media.Park and Gates held a meeting at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Monday and discussed various topics including alternative energy sources, nuclear reactors and Seoul’s drive for economic growth.Controversy arose from an unexpected element of their meeting; their handshake. As Gates shook Park’s hand, he had the other hand in

April 23, 2013

Photographer helps wheelchair-bound boy realize impossible wish

Playing basketball, going swimming, dancing to his favorite music, or just walking up a flight of stairs is not what an average 12-year-old boy would call “his dream.” But for Luka, doing such simple everyday activity is possible only in his imagination. He is suffering from a muscular dystrophy, a degenerative disease that deprives his ability to move his body over time.Right now, the only parts of his limbs that he can move at his will are his fingers, which allow him to control the joystick o

April 22, 2013

Wanderer Trio, a vagabond for musical language

As the name would suggest, Wanderer Trio has been wandering around the world to refine their repertoire of chamber ensemble music for the past 25 years. Inspired by the lives of Schubert and some German romanticist composers, the members have been concentrating in the life and soul of the love and pain leading to a constant search for something special in chamber music. “The great thing about piano trio pieces is that the composers were usually great pianists and they knew what exactly they were

April 21, 2013

Suncheon Bay Garden Expo opens its doors

The Suncheon Bay Garden Expo 2013 opens its doors to the public on Saturday, marking the first time that Korea is hosting the international garden event with a 15-year history. The Garden Expo, which is organized by the International Association of Horticultural Producers, is located in Suncheonman Bay, in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province and will run through Oct. 20.  The expo stands as an example of natural beauty and an eco-friendly environment with three sections including the 564,000-square

April 19, 2013

Calendar

Theater“Les Miserables”: The all-Korean production of Cameron Mackintosh’s legendary musical “Les Miserables” is being performed in Seoul. Based on 19th-century French writer Victor Hugo’s timeless novel of the same title, the musical tells the story of Jean Valjean ― a hapless French peasant who serves 19 years in prison for stealing a piece of bread for his starving family in turbulent 19th-century France. After being released, he manages to assume a new identity and becomes mayor of a town. W

April 19, 2013

Calligraphy of Buddhist monks reflects their personalities

It is said that handwriting reflects a man’s character. Korean calligraphy using a brush and ink is said to be the epitome of self-discipline and academic achievements as it demands patience and self-control.At the National Museum, an exhibition highlighting the calligraphy works of two of the greatest Buddhist monks of the modern Korea is held through June 16.A total of 80 works and artifacts of Ven. Hanam (1876-1951) and Ven. Tanheo (1913-1983) are on display, including nine calligraphy pieces

April 18, 2013

Lotus Lantern Festival set for May 10-12

From May 10 through 12, major Buddhist temples and the Cheonggyecheon Stream neighborhood in central Seoul will be filled with colorful lotus lanterns to celebrate the 2,576th birthday of Buddha that falls on May 17 this year. The Celebration Committee for Buddha’s Birthday, the Yeondeunghoe Preservation Committee, on Wednesday said that the annual “Yeondeunghoe,” or lotus lantern festival, will be back this year with more hands-on experiences for visitors. On the first day, traditional lanterns

April 18, 2013

Several ancient Korean books made available online

More than a thousand ancient Korean books of academic value in a U.S. university and a Japanese library are now available on the Internet as a South Korean university has recently begun an online scanning service.Korea University’s Center for Korean Studies Materials said Wednesday it has recently opened a website (http://kostma.korea.ac.kr/riks) that provides the scanned images of some 1,000 books and 50 volumes of printed material from Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) that are now in the possession

April 17, 2013

Chung Myung-whun to record first solo piano album

Pianist-turned-conductor Chung Myung-whun will record his first solo piano album, local media reported Wednesday. The 60-year-old musician has built up a career as a maestro by leading orchestras around the world, including the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the Radio France Philharmonic and the Opra Bastille Orchestra.Chung is now arranging the details for a solo piano album with German label, ECM, according to industry insiders. His second son, Jeong-seon, the first Korean producer at ECM, is e

April 17, 2013

Tragedy of ‘Don Carlos’ to touch the hearts of Koreans

In 1867, opera master Verdi was commissioned to write a piece marking the Paris International Exposition that year. Having been impressed by German author Friedrich Schiller’s “Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien,” the Italian composer decided to stage the story of the Spanish royal family originally written by Schiller. The opera follows the tragic story of Prince Carlos, whose father, King Filippo II, marries his son’s fiancee for political purposes. The prince, who was already famous for his tempe

April 16, 2013

Journalists call for peace between two Koreas

A total of 110 journalists from 74 countries on Monday called for inter-Korean peace and worldwide cooperation at the World Journalist Conference that kicked off earlier the same day. “There is serious concern over the recent increase in tension on the Korean Peninsula, accompanied by fear of a crisis situation, raising the need for immediate dialogue to seek a viable solution,” they said in the World Journalists’ Declaration for Peace on the Korean Peninsula.  The conference, hosted by the Jour

April 15, 2013

Former minister authors book on spread of hallyu

Former Culture Minister Choe Kwang-shik recently released a new book, “Hallyu Road,” focusing on the Korean Wave. In the book, the former director of the National Museum, Cultural Heritage Administration and the Culture Ministry traces how Korea, the “recipient” of pop culture transmitted from Japan, the U.S. and other countries, became an “exporter” of culture through K-pop singers, popular TV dramas, films and even literature such as Shin Kyung-sook’s “Please Look After Mom.”  The author calls

April 15, 2013

As protesters jeer, Hopi masks sell in Paris

PARIS (AP) ― In a chaotic auction repeatedly interrupted by protests, dozens of Native American tribal masks were sold Friday after a French court ignored the objections of the Hopi tribe and the U.S. government.The total tally was 931,000 euros ($1.2 million), with the most expensive, the “Mother Crow,’’ selling for 160,000 euros ($209,000) ― more than three times the pre-sale estimate. Of the 70 masks up for sale, one was bought by an association to give back to the Hopis, the Drouot auction h

April 14, 2013

Speech contest participants discuss how to sustain hallyu

A college student from Uzbekistan who spoke on the topic of “a key word that can imprint an image of Korea to the world” won a speech contest held at the Seoul Museum in Buam-dong on Saturday.The speech contest, held under the title “Communicating for a Brighter Future of Korea,” was organized by the Corea Image Communication Institute.In very fluent Korean, the top-prize winner Zohid Mamadjanov, who came to Korea only a year ago, suggested that developing the tourism industry would promote a po

April 14, 2013

Hanok, where humans live with nature

Sound engineer Choi Jung-hoon and his wife Park Hyun-sook moved into a hanok, or Korean traditional house, in Tongui-dong, central Seoul, in August 2011. The one-story house, believed to have been built more than 100 years ago, is located in a narrow and crooked alley behind small galleries near Gyeongbokgung Palace. The area is clustered with hanok and old one-story abodes which create a humble, tranquil and peaceful atmosphere. Choi and Park, with their children, 5-year-old Jae-yul and 9-month

April 12, 2013

Hanok style spreads

With more people seeking hanok, or traditional Korean housing, Western-style buildings are also beginning to adopt hanok features. In search of Korean spaceInterior design is the sector of architecture that is most to the Korean touch. Woomi Construction last year featured “Han Style” for its Woomi Fahrenheit apartment in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province. Right past the entrance is a “sarangchae” room, a guest room that guarantees both privacy for the hosts and comfort for the guests. The entrance t

April 12, 2013