NEW YORK (AP) ― The seemingly unstoppable hit “The Book of Mormon’’ has broken another record ― this time on the oter side of the Atlantic. The quirky, profane musical opened Thursday night to some critical bashing, but the next day earned the highest one-day gross in London theater history. Between 10 a.m. and midnight Friday, 2.1 million pounds ($3.2 million) worth of tickets were sold at the box office, according to final figures. By comparison, the Broadway version only earned $1.5 million t

March 24, 2013

In today’s increasingly digital world, collecting and enjoying books may seem outdated. Nonetheless, many still remain attached to paper books as they allow for a “comprehensive” experience. “I love the feeling of turning the pages, which is a special experience. Paper books will always be closer to my heart,” said Chung Hye-sun, a 34-year-old office worker. In order to survive in the digital era, many libraries are specializing, devoting their shelves to a specific category or language, for exa

March 22, 2013

Why do people turn to books? Why do we want to leave records of ourselves? Above all, why do we need libraries?“People have always had a craving for knowledge. And books, the condensed form of one’s knowledge or the most objective record of a certain topic, are the best way to obtain information,” said Kim In-geol, director and professor of the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies at Seoul National University. Kyujanggak is the oldest extant library and archive in Korea. It was founded as the

March 22, 2013

Theater“Red Poetry”: Local theater troupe Theater Company Gorae is presenting “Red Poetry,” a play that deftly links the controversial suicide of actress Jang Ja-yeon in 2009 to the stories of elderly women who were forced to be sex slaves for the Japanese military during World War II. The play is being told from the perspective of fictional character Dong-ju (played by Kim Dong-wan), a reporter who is deeply disturbed by the sudden death of a popular actress, a stand-in for the late Jang. The s

March 22, 2013

A white porcelain jar from the Joseon Period was auctioned off for $1.2 million, the highest price fetched at the auction of Japanese and Korean art auction at Christie’s in New York on Wednesday.Paintings by renowned Korean artists Park Soo-keun and Kim Whan-ki were also sold for double their estimates. Park’s “Five seated figures” was auctioned at $711,750, higher than its $400,000-$500,000 estimate.  Kim Whan-ki’s “Moon and Plum Blossom” painting was sold for $663,750, about double its estima

March 22, 2013

There are unfortunate cases where talented young artists hailed as prodigies slip into a dark period of “growing pains” and fail to take the next step in their career. They are often forgotten or labeled “ill-fated genius.”Cho Seong-jin, 18, however, is proving to be a pleasant exception. This darling of the Korean classical music scene is enjoying every bit of his life while still holding onto his passion for music.  Winner of International Frederick Chopin Competition in 2006 and Hamamatsu Int

March 21, 2013

A recent study claimed that women marrying later in their life were likely to reap financial benefits, while the same was not true for men. The University of Virginia published a report claiming that women who wed in their early 30s earned an average of 56 percent more than those who got married a decade earlier. It also showed that men had higher income when they got married in their 20s, suggesting that getting married earlier in life is beneficial for men on average. Childbirth turned out to

March 21, 2013

The newly appointed chief of the state heritage agency on Wednesday said she is ready to protect a set of endangered petroglyphs in the outskirts of Ulsan, North Gyeongsang Province, which has been her lifelong project. “The Bangudae Petroglyphs, part of the Daegokcheon Stream Petroglyphs, are the beginning of all Korean arts, and therefore, one of the most urgent items that we must preserve,” said Byun Young-sup, administrator of the Cultural Heritage Administration, who took office on Monday.

March 20, 2013

 A Massachusetts man said an image that "looks like Jesus Christ" appeared on the drop cloth he has been using to catch paint for four years.Brian Krantz of Saugus said he used the clotch several times before he noticed the image he identifies as Jesus in the paint, WHDH-TV, Boston, reported Monday."A crown or a halo. Two eyes. Mustache, nose, there's the chin, jaw line," Krantz said, describing the image."I can't deny this. This is what it is. It looks like Jesus Christ," Krantz said.Krantz sai

March 20, 2013

Foreign chefs from top hotels in Korea will hold a charity dinner next week to raise funds for a local charity, as part of their long-time wish to give back to the Korean community. Five executive chefs from Starwood chain hotels in Korea will be in charge of making the dishes for the six-course charity dinner on March 28 at the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill. About half of the proceeds will be donated to the Beautiful Foundation, a Korean charity organization that helps underprivileged children, th

March 19, 2013

Multicultural families have always existed as humans moved about, found love and settled in places far away from home.“Peranakan” loosely translates as “local-born” in the Malay language. They are the descendants of Southeast Asians and “outsiders,” mainly from China, who settled in Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, and have, over the past five centuries, formed a unique culture. Many of them rose to leadership roles in society as they accumulated wealth through trade and commerce, and

March 19, 2013

Researchers at the University of Liverpool claimed that people who memorize the food they eat can better control the amount of food in their next meal.In addition, people who get distracted while eating are more likely to eat too much. For instance, watching television, listening to the radio or music and reading a newspaper while eating could lower the level of concentration on the food and result in weight gain, the researchers said. Researchers conducted a study on 24 adult participants with

March 19, 2013

People often forget that Mozart, Beethoven or Strauss were the rock stars of their times. Their newest pieces were performed everywhere and people danced and hummed to every tune as we do with the Beatles or Maroon 5. Comedian Kim Young-chul is hoping that classical music can regain that status. He is to host a series of touring classical concerts, “Kim Young-chul’s Fun Fun Classic,” this year starting with a concert in Yeosu GS Caltex Yeulmaru in South Jeolla Province on March 29. He plans to m

March 18, 2013

A children’s book published by a Korean company won the Ragazzi Award at Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the top award of the prestigious annual event in Bologna, Italy. The picture book, titled “Eyes,” written and illustrated by Polish author Iwon Chmielewska and translated into Korean, will be announced the winner in the fiction category of the 50th Bologna Children’s Book Fair next week, according to Changbi Publishers.  The jury of the award said the book “creates an indissoluble bond between

March 17, 2013

Since the early 1990s, the Korean government has been enthusiastic about cultivating the cultural content industry after witnessing Hollywood movie “Jurassic Park” raking in money and British novel series “Harry Potter” made into movies, cartoons and other products consumed by tens of millions of people worldwide, generating millions of dollars in profits. And thanks to Korean rapper Psy, who became a global phenomenon last year, and Korean performers making impressive forays into the global sho

March 17, 2013

President Park Geun-hye appointed Korea University professor Byun Young-sub as the first female head of the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea. The Ewha Womans University graduate was appointed as a professor of archaeology and art history at Korea University in 1991. A specialist in Joseon-period painter Pyoam Kang Se-hwang, Byun has served as president of the Korean Association of Art History Education and also as head of the Art History Association of Korea.By Julie Jackson (juliejacks

March 17, 2013

Located near the bustling Express Bus Terminal, the quaint area of Seorae Village in Banpo-dong has, over the past 20-odd years, garnered the reputation as Seoul’s “Little France.” The village does have a certain je ne sais quoi. The words “quaint French village” often spring to mind the aroma of small bakeries with the freshly baked breads of the day, delectable pastry shops with colorfully sweet macaroons on display, elegant wine bars and cozy cafes where one can go to relax and sip on an over

March 15, 2013

1. Vaccination: Inoculation is the best way to prevent contagious diseases. Veterinarian Han recommends dog owners to have their dogs inoculated against DHPPi five times, twice against Corona, twice against Kennel cough, twice against influenza and once against rabies before the pet reaches 12 months. After that, having the pet vaccinated regularly every one or two years is advisable.For dogs, regular doses of anti-heartworm medicine every month or two, as well as scaling of the teeth once a yea

March 15, 2013

I have been a pet owner since Sept. 27 last year. It was when my younger brother unilaterally decided to adopt a dog and brought it home with a day’s notice. Never in my life had I imagined that I would cuddle a living thing and make cooing sounds, but the moment our family saw the then 10-month-old Pomeranian “Kong-ee,” we fell in love. It changed my life in the most dramatic way ― every morning I wake up 20 minutes early to take him out for a walk and at night I take another half an hour strol

March 15, 2013