Korean soprano Jo Sumi to perform at Qatar gala dinner

Grammy award-winner and UNESCO Artist for Peace Jo Sumi will perform for some 500 VIP guests at the Reach Out To Asia gala dinner in Qatar on Monday. The Korean soprano was to be accompanied by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, designers Pierre Cardin and Donna Karan, singers Cher and Bryan Adams in the 4th ROTA event, which also features a charity auction to help children and teenagers.  Jo was to perform with UAE singer Hussein Al Jassmi.ROTA is a Qatari-based non-profit organization that em

Dec. 11, 2011

Jerry Robinson, Batman’s Joker artist, dies

NEW YORK (AP) ― Comic book industry pioneer Jerry Robinson, who helped create Batman sidekick Robin the Boy Wonder and their arch-nemesis The Joker, has died at age 89.An editor and friend, Charles Kochman, said Robinson was different from most artists in the field because he worked on every kind of comic genre, from political cartoons to theater illustrations.“Jerry brought a realism to comics ― and a sense of humor,’’ said Kochman, his editor at Abrams Comic Arts, which last year published a b

Dec. 11, 2011

Books dressing up for ‘trendy readers’

‘Readers want a bit of extravagance — art, even’Judging a book by its cover is not a behavior worthy of a wise person ― or so the old saying goes. But for the growing number of trendsetters out there, the way a book looks is just as important as whether it’s interesting or not. “I recently remodeled my living room, filling two entire walls with bookshelves,” Kim Jin-hyun, 33, said. “I filled the shelves, mostly with art and design related books with colorful bindings and covers. I’m pretty sati

Dec. 7, 2011

KTO offers foreign residents free calendars

Foreign residents in Korea can receive free 2012 desk calendars featuring Korean landscapes and cultural images by dialing 1330, a call center for non-Korean speakers, the Korea Tourism Organization said.Foreign residents can receive a calendar by calling the 1330 “TT Call Center” and leaving their names and addresses, KTO said. The 2012 KTO calendar carries works by four Korean photographers who traveled around the country to capture Korean traditional culture and its people. It is available in

Dec. 7, 2011

Siberian tigers may disappear in 20 years

The last remaining Siberian tigers living wild in Northeast China could disappear within decades, as poaching and illegal logging continue to take their toll, experts have warned.Research by Chinese authorities and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has discovered that the animal is already one of the planet’s most endangered species.In just the last 70 years, the estimated population of Siberian tigers, or Amur tigers, has plummeted from as many as 300 to just 18 to 22.“If the government fail

Dec. 5, 2011

New trend in town: leather crafting

Creating one’s own ‘it-bag’ more popular among menWhile there are plenty of good things to say about leather crafting, the growing number of addicts of the hobby pick one above all others ― what you make is completely unique.“Regardless of the amount of money you pay for an expensive designer bag, someone else is bound to own the same one. I find pride in making something that only I can possess,” Kim Yu-ri, a blogger who started learning leather crafting four months ago, said.Although Korea is

Dec. 2, 2011

eye-like

A ‘great farewell’ to the Irish wonders’ 14 -year journey Westlife“Greatest Hits”(Sony Music)With boy bands appearing and disappearing at such speed these days, only Westlife -- the Irish wonders who have stayed with us for 14 faithful years -- could stretch the definition of greatest hits to its full potential.To the sadness of millions of fans all over the world, Westlife has announced the decision to disband with the release of their “new” and final album.Opening this final soiree with their

Dec. 2, 2011

KOCIS seminar discusses soft power

Korea must concentrate on the young generation, soft power and business-related vision in its future cultural promotion activities, experts at a Korea Culture and Information Service seminar said Thursday. The state-run organization held the seminar to mark its 40th anniversary, aiming to seek new ways to conduct its activities more effectively in the years to come.The seminar, titled “Reaching out constantly, Resounding globally,” was attended by dozens of experts and cultural figures from Kore

Dec. 1, 2011

KOCIS seeks ‘new answers’ on 40th anniversary

Experts to evaluate Korea’s overseas cultural promotion activities in seminar Over the past four decades, the Korea Culture and Information Service has grown into an organization with 24 overseas offices, promoting the nation’s culture and image all over the world.In time with its 40th anniversary on Dec. 31, the state-run organization will hold a seminar aimed at “seeking new answers” on how to conduct its activities more effectively. KOCIS was inaugurated as the Overseas Information Center und

Nov. 29, 2011

Taekkyeon, tightrope walking and ramie weaving join UNESCO list

Korea’s traditional martial arts taekkyeon, tightrope walking and ramie fabric weaving of the Hansan region have joined UNESCO’s intangible heritage list. UNESCO delegates, who are meeting Nov. 22-29 in Bali, Indonesia, gave the green light Monday to taekkyon, jultagi (tightrope walking) and Hansan mosijjagi (ramie fabric weaving). The three were among the six Korean traditions of the 49 submitted from across the world. UNESCO holds regular meetings to discuss which local traditions should be pr

Nov. 28, 2011

Chang promises ‘an intimate song without words’

Cellist says she finds happiness growing in conductingWhile the world-renowned musician says she regrets “not having done enough things” as she draws closer to the age of 30, Chang Han-na has had many unequivocal achievements in her decades-long musical career. While holding at least 40 concerts around the world each year, the cellist has managed to expand her musical scope through five years of conducting. Chang, 29, promised an “intimate interaction” with the audience during her upcoming recit

Nov. 28, 2011