Pianist Kim Sun-wook wears many hats

Pianist Kim Sun-wook, now based in London, has returned to Seoul for a string of performances that show him in different lights, beginning with a recital where he accompanied bass Young Kwang-chul in an evening of lieder, German poems set to classical music, at the Seoul Arts Center on Tuesday. On Thursday and Friday, Kim joins the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra led by conductor Osmo Vanska in a performance of Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 in B- flat major, Op. 83 at the Lotte Concert Hall. Danish c

Nov. 29, 2017

Busan art fair to open next month

BUSAN (Yonhap) -- The annual Busan International Art Fair (BIAF) will open in the South Korean port city early next month and will feature 3,000 artworks by more than 200 local and foreign artists, the event's organizer said Tuesday. Launched in 2007, the BIAF is an open market where artists and collectors can make direct deals on the spot. "The 16th BIAF will kick off for a five-day run at the BEXCO center on Dec. 7," the K-Art International Exchange Association said.The fair will house 37 boot

Nov. 28, 2017

Exhibition on famed modern-era Korean novelist taking place in Seoul

Works by renowned early 20th-century Korean writer Yeom Sang-seop will be displayed at the National Library of Korea in Seoul from Tuesday through Feb. 25, 2018.The latest exhibition at the library -- located in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul -- will display novels and short stories written by Yeom, who is considered a master of realism in the country.Yeom was born in 1897 and died in 1963. His life coincides with the most tumultuous years of Korea, including the fall of the Joseon Kingdom, Japan’s c

Nov. 27, 2017

Kim Whan-ki's 'Morning Star' sells for 4 bln won in Hong Kong auction

A 1964 painting by late artist Kim Whan-ki sold for HK$28 million (4 billion won) in an auction in Hong Kong over the weekend, Seoul Auction said Monday.The oil painting titled "Morning Star," 145.5 by 145.2 centimeters in size, started at around 2.8 billion won, but bids escalated to finally fetch 4 billion won at the auction held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Hong Kong on Sunday.The abstract art master holds the record for the most expensive Korean art ever sold at an auction. In April, "Tranqui

Nov. 27, 2017

[Eye Plus] Keeping coal factory embers alive

Coal briquettes have been one of the symbols of Korea’s rapid economic growth from 1960s to 1980s, providing heat and energy for the households hard at work to build an affluent economy.With development of energy sources and housing, however, briquettes are in less demand than ever. Around 19 briquette factories were in operation in Seoul alone in the 1990s, but now there are only two. “There are still about 200,000 households using briquettes to get through the winter, but the industry is hangi

Nov. 24, 2017

[Weekender] Good old radio receivers are back

With mobile devices offering radio service through apps, radio receivers were thought to be machines of the past. Some “listeners,” however, still tune in to the receivers as of a way to connect with the past. Hwanghak-dong Market, located in the heart of Seoul, is a place that takes visitors straight back to the 1970s. The market, filled with old sewing machines, cameras and LP players, seems to be indifferent to the passing of time. At the market, radio receivers are enjoying their second heyd

Nov. 17, 2017

[Weekender] Listen to your favorite book this autumn

Yoo Jong-ho, 24, listens to podcasts every morning in the subway. The college student, who spends five hours each day commuting to school, said listening to book podcasts was the best way to pass the time productively.Since podcasts began in 2005, book podcasts have emerged as a powerful social platform for avid readers to gather and share their thoughts on books. The form or duration may vary, but the content of most book podcasts focuses on book-related reviews, news, commentary and discussion

Nov. 17, 2017

‘Golem’ could change the way you look at your iPhone

“Move with the times, or you’ll be left behind,” an advertisement shown in the play “Golem” shouts. Theatre Company 1927’s “Golem,” inspired by Jewish folklore, is an original drama exploring the use of technology and the danger of using it in the wrong way. “Note that the technology itself is not problematic. It is the people who control and make technology that is problematic,” said Paul Barritt, the creator of the film, animation and design components of the play, during a press conference he

Nov. 14, 2017

5 suggestions for Nov. 14

In Korea, where capitalism is tantamount to religion, every 14th of the month is another chance for companies to hawk their wares -- with a special theme to justify it.The corporate trend likely stems from the commercial success of Valentine’s Day, which comes every Feb. 14. At least five different themes are contending for supremacy of the Nov. 14 slot. The five ways to enjoy the 14th of November: 1. Movie Day -- for lovers to watch films of an, ahem, “adult theme” together 2. Cookie Day -- to

Nov. 14, 2017

8-year-old with leukemia plays violin in front of Itzhak Perlman

A child violinist battling leukemia had the chance of a lifetime when his musical hero Itzhak Perlman gave him a special one-on-one master class.Cha Hee-su, 8, was greeted at the waiting room where Perlman was resting after his concert at Seoul Arts Center on Sunday.Cha played “Humoresque,” a piece he had been practicing 20 minutes a day the last three days, which require great effort given his weak physical conditions. Perlman carefully listened to him playing and offered advice on his posture

Nov. 13, 2017

[Weekender] Trevari CEO offers ways to make reading yours

Trevari is different from most people’s idea of a conventional book club. Instead of a single group of people who enjoy books, Trevari does things on a much bigger scale. The company does all the “annoying administration” of running and managing 111 separate reading groups so people can just enjoy being members. “For a regular meeting to occur with a group of people, it is important that someone manages the schedule and reminds members of the topics. And a lot of people don’t realize that it is

Nov. 10, 2017

Victorian-style greenhouse in Changgyeonggung reopens

A greenhouse called “Daeonsil” at Changgyeonggung reopened to the public Friday after a 15-month makeover. (Cultural Heritage Administartion)A greenhouse called “Daeonsil” at Changgyeonggung reopened to the public Friday after a 15-month makeover. Daeonsil was built in 1907 as the first modern Western-style greenhouse of its kind in the nation. Its elegant glass structure is indicative of the then-popular Victorian style represented by the likes of the Crystal Palace, which housed expositions ac

Nov. 10, 2017

Japanese women form largest group of hallyu-related visitors

More than 70 percent of foreign visitors who come to South Korea for Korean Wave events are Japanese, a study said Thursday.An analysis by Kwon Tae-il of the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute showed that among tourists who participated in K-pop, traditional festivals and other cultural events that are broadly called "hallyu," 74.8 percent are from Japan. Chinese visitors come next with 18.4 percent, followed by 3.8 percent from Hong Kong, 0.8 percent from Malaysia, 0.7 percent from Thailand an

Nov. 9, 2017

[Herald Design Forum 2017] Pondering the meaning of ‘design thinking’

Leading minds in architecture and product design from around the world gathered at the Herald Design Forum 2017, to discuss the concept of design thinking and the significance it holds in the industry today.“Design thinking, for me, is about dreaming how you want the future to be. While business people focus on predicting the next jackpot, designers, they can imagine how life would be in next 10 and 20 years,” said Aernout Dijkstra-Hellinga, design director of Bugaboo International, at a Design

Nov. 7, 2017

[Herald Design Forum 2017] Designers discuss how to harmonize fine art and design, design’s future

Design gurus from Spain, Italy and Japan sat down to discuss ways to harmonize fine art and industrial design, as well as how design should navigate in the face of technological development, at the seventh annual Herald Design Forum in Seoul on Tuesday.“Fine art and design for industrial production differ from each other in that the former allows more freedom to designers. As for designing for production, we work within boundaries as we have to consider both the users and companies,” said Jaime

Nov. 7, 2017

[Herald Design Forum 2017] HDF 2017 presents ‘Design for Humanity’

The seventh annual Herald Design Forum kicked off Tuesday morning with the slogan “Design for Humanity.”“Last year, we sparked a conversation about the integration of technology and design. This year, we are talking about the importance of putting people at the center of design no matter what new technology is introduced,” said Herald Corp. CEO Kwon Chung-won in the opening address.This year’s forum was held at The Shilla Seoul and drew over 700 audience members. Leading designers from all over

Nov. 7, 2017

Korea picked to establish UNESCO documentary heritage center

South Korea said Tuesday it has been selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to establish an institute for its documentary heritage register. The International Center for Documentary Heritage will be built in Cheongju, 137 kilometers south of Seoul. The proposal was approved at the 39th general meeting of the UNESCO held in Paris on Monday (Paris time), according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.  (Yonhap)The ICDH is designed to maintain and saf

Nov. 7, 2017

[Herald Interview] From dog breeder’s son to ‘president of dogs’

(Shot by Park Ju-young / Edited by Park Ju-young)As a kid, Kang Hyeong-uk was a rather unusual boy. Rather than playing with his peers, he preferred spending time with dogs. While his parents ran a puppy mill, he developed a more sympathetic view of the animals in his formative years, and his interest never strayed from his furry friends since, he said. Kang Hyeong-uk speaks during an interview at his office in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. (Park Ju-young/The Korea Herald)“I do not know, maybe i

Nov. 3, 2017

[Herald Design Forum] Putting humans first in design

The conventional wisdom has it that a product’s key features are mostly confined to its functions and that design was mostly about decoration. As technology advances, design is playing a key role in emergence of new industries and convergence of existing ones. In an era emphasizing comprehensive thinking skills, creative perspectives and empathy, the role of design and the human elements becomes even more prominent.Under the theme of “Design for Humanity,” Herald Design Forum 2017 will bring tog

Nov. 3, 2017

Can AI take over the music industry?

Ever since Deep Thought became the first program ever to defeat a chess grandmaster in 1988, mankind has been seriously contemplating its supremacy over machines in terms of complex thinking -- not just raw computing power. After AlphaGo trounced go-master Lee Se-dol last year, the consolation prize for humans appeared to be their artistic sense.But now, as more engineers look to teach artificial intelligence how to be more creative to the extent of writing their own music, that artistic edge is

Nov. 2, 2017