Most Popular
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Torrential rainfall forces 1,500 to evacuate, causes widespread damage to homes, roads
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Over 82,000 Korean young people unemployed, not searching for job long-term
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40% of Korea's workers who reported bullying faced retaliation: survey
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[KH Explains] Can smart chargers ease tensions over EV fires?
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600 evacuated as heavy rain floods roads, homes in southern regions
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1 in 5 households to have breadwinner over 80 in 30 years
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New Fifty Fifty off to strong start
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[Weekender] Young Koreans more open to Japanese cultural products
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Evicted guest burns down inn; 3 killed
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Assembly to review disputed appointment of national soccer team coach
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Summer promises musical fanfare for all tastes
From world premieres to international revivals with original Broadway cast members, summertime in Korea will surely live up to the country’s growing reputation of having one of the most dynamic and burgeoning musical scenes outside of Broadway and the West End. Here are some of the most anticipated shows of the season. Promotional image of the new local musical "Arirang" (Seensee Company)Korean originals The upcoming production of musical “Arirang” will mark a historic moment as the show will b
June 22, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Jane Jang eager to dive back into the limelight with ‘Liquid’
Singer-songwriter Jane Jang spent three years away from the public eye fighting a creeping paralysis resulting from a neurological condition called dystonia.Although it must have been a difficult period for the 24-year-old singer-songwriter, Jang did not let any negativity break her bubbly mood as she spoke with The Korea Herald at a cafe in Seoul on June 17.“The past three years? I had a great time,” she said. “I got to hang out with friends, enjoy the small everyday things.”“Still, I feel rela
June 21, 2015
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Korean monochrome art shines in Basel
BASEL, Switzerland – At Art Basel, the world’s biggest high-end art fair, top artworks were sold in the first hours of its VIP preview. This year, 284 leading galleries from 33 countries brought some of their best artworks for the six-day event last week, including the two-day exclusive VIP showing before the official kickoff on Thursday. Some of the most expensive, top-quality works are sold quickly to major collectors from all parts of the world.“It seems all the galleries brought very high-qu
June 21, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Dasol Kim talks first album release honoring Schumann
Internationally praised for his refined artistry and classical reinterpretations, pianist Dasol Kim has finally released his debut studio album, “Dasol Kim Plays Schumann,” paying personal homage to one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Following an increasing demand in the European market for a studio album from the piano prodigy, the 26-year-old unveiled his first album in May, featuring Schumann’s “Arabeske Op. 18,” “Humoreske Op. 20” and “Kreisleriana Op. 16.” However, despite f
June 18, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Hong Dae-kwang tries out more commercial feel on ‘With You’
Singer-songwriter Hong Dae-kwang rose to fame through the TV star discovery program “Superstar K4,” but that wasn’t his first experience performing for the public. On the show, he created buzz by talking about his extensive experiences busking on the street, and he says that those experiences influenced the way he approached his third EP, “With You.”“I worked with a team that is really experienced and talented at creating really commercial albums,” Hong said in a conversation with The Korea Hera
June 18, 2015
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A collage of tattooed body parts
A digitized collage of tattooed body parts assembled by artist Kim Joon is strikingly shocking to many viewers. Different body parts ― a torso, an ear, a leg and thigh and a finger ― are tattooed and juxtaposed in aesthetic harmony, prompting both awe and curiosity. In a country where tattoos are not yet widely accepted as a way to express oneself, Kim has been making artwork featuring various tattooed body images since the beginning of his artistic career 20 years ago. He creates images of bodi
June 17, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Broadway gurus team up to stage Mata Hari musical
Broadway director and choreographer Jeff Calhoun has teamed up with some of the biggest names in the musical business, including composer Frank Wildhorn, to tackle the splendorous and mysterious tale of Mata Hari, one of the world’s most notorious female spies, in a new musical. The Korean audience will have the first chance to watch his work. “What’s great about Mata Hari is that people think they know her story, but I think there are a lot of variations depending on whose book you read,” said
June 16, 2015
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Veteran French designer shows his world of creativity
French fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac opened his first art exhibition in Asia with a dynamic, spontaneous painting performance Thursday in Seoul. On white clothes a model was wearing at Seoul’s Blue Square, the designer started drawing bold black lines. In a couple more strokes, the plain clothes were turned into a pop art piece boasting a newly created animated character. French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac holds a painting performance that celebrates the opening of his f
June 15, 2015
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EDM festival draws crowds despite MERS
Despite the ongoing Middle East respiratory syndrome scare in South Korea, an annual international EDM festival drew as many as 100,000 music lovers in Seoul over the weekend.Ultra Korea, the Korean arm of the global Ultra Music Festival, soldiered on with its schedule on June 12 and 13, opting to reinforce preventive measures against the outbreak rather than calling off the event. Bottles of disinfectant gel were placed in and out the stadium while everyone entering was scanned with body temper
June 14, 2015
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Kim Feel tells his own stories on first EP ‘Feel Free’
Kim Feel, a breakout star from the audition program “Superstar K6,” dropped his first EP, “Feel Free,” Thursday. The EP, he said, would be a way to introduce himself to the world as a musician.“On ‘Superstar K,’ we mostly performed cover songs. This is the first time that I’m coming out with songs that I helped to create, with my stories, with the kind of music I hope to keep performing in the future,” Kim said at a press showcase at M Cube in Seoul on Thursday.With the exception of just one tra
June 11, 2015
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What constitutes good photography
David duChemin is a top-notch world photographer and author of best-selling books on photography. Four of his books, including his first and best-known “Within the Frame,” are translated into Korean. But before committing to photography, he spent 12 years as a stand-up comedian, leading a nomadic life. “My path has been a zigzag,” duChemin said in an email interview. “I have been interested in photography since childhood. But I went to school for theology, then I was a stand-up comedian, and the
June 10, 2015
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Jo Jung-rae: We cannot, nor should we, erase our history
Renowned Korean novelist Jo Jung-rae, 72, will soon be able to regale in his tireless efforts to preserve the memory of the country’s turbulent history as his epic 12-volume novel “Arirang” has been readapted into a live musical performance. Defying all odds, the upcoming eponymous musical ― which will start its run on July 16 ― comes after years of relentless and failed attempts to adapt Jo’s 20,000-page painstaking tale of Japan’s colonization of the peninsula into a screenplay for TV or film.
June 10, 2015
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Lee Seung-gi returns with new album
Popular singer and actor Lee Seung-gi on Wednesday dropped his long-awaited album “And ... .”The sixth full-length album, which was unveiled on local music sites, arrives almost three years after Lee’s last EP, “Forest,” released in November 2012 and four years since the fifth full-length album, “Tonight,” in Oct. 2011. The first single of the album, “And Goodbye,” is a rock ballad track crafted by renowned composer Kim Do-hoon, who is behind Lee’s popular songs “Words That Are Hard to Say,” “Wi
June 10, 2015
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G-Dragon elevated to art?
Amid high anticipation and skeptics, a collaborative art exhibition with G-Dragon opened Tuesday at the Seoul Museum of Art, presenting some 200 artworks reflecting the world of the young K-pop idol.The exhibition is the first mega collaboration between a Korean celebrity and contemporary art in Korea. The exhibition, co-organized by YG Entertainment and the Seoul Museum of Art, commissioned 14 teams of artists to create collaborative pieces with G-Dragon. Even before the opening, it emerged as
June 9, 2015
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Great Mountains music fest to return in ‘French Chic’
The upcoming Great Mountains Music Festival & School will be paying homage to all things French high art with this year’s theme: “French Chic.” The three-week-long festival will feature a number of world-class concert performances bringing life to the sounds of French classics such as Rameau, Ravel and Saint-Saens, with this year’s GMMFS once again being directed by sisters and local classical music icons ― cellist Chung Myung-wha and violinist Chung Kyung-wha. “Elegance is one word that immedia
June 8, 2015
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[Herald Interview] Art crafted by North Korean hands
In 2008, a North Korean leaflet flew under the front door of South Korean artist Ham Kyung-ah’s home. Ham never thought she would see the propaganda leaflets on her doorstep as they were not frequently seen in cities as they were in the 1970s. The propaganda leaflets instantly reminded the 49-year-old artist of her elementary school years during which schools awarded kids who brought North Korean propaganda leaflets to school as part of the anti-communist education campaign in the 1970s. “I coul
June 7, 2015
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[Up & Coming] Idiotape constantly seeking fresh fun
Artists of all genres often fall into the trap of taking themselves too seriously.Electronic band Idiotape is not one of those artists.“Describe our music? It’s music for women, the grown-up kind,” joked drummer DR with a wiggle of his eyebrows as Idiotape began a conversation with The Korea Herald at a cafe in Seoul. Perhaps a joke is the only way to answer a question about how to describe Idiotape’s unusual music. The three-member band consists of two DJs (Dguru and Zeze) and a drummer (DR), b
June 7, 2015
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Overseas concerts sold out for top K-pop boy groups
Two of K-pop’s biggest acts, Big Bang and Beast, held sold-out concerts in China and Taiwan over the weekend.Big Bang hit the stage at the Beijing MasterCard Center on June 5 and 6 on their “MADE” tour. The 25-song set list included past hits like “Tonight” and “Bad Boy,” as well as “Loser” and “Bae Bae” from their “M” EP and “Bang Bang Bang” and “We Like 2 Party,” the two songs from their most recent “A” EP released a week ago. Beijing was the first city to see “Bang Bang Bang” performed live o
June 7, 2015
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Eyelike: Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, Gloriana, The Mike + Ruthy Band
Nelson, Haggard uninspired on 4th collaborative discWillie Nelson and Merle Haggard“Django and Jimmie”(Sony Legacy)The two grand old men of country music, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, are among the last living ties to an era when giants like Ernest Tubb and Bob Wills filled honky tonks. Nelson is 82 and Haggard is 78, and while their warm voices show some mileage, their range of expression remains remarkable, and their phrasing often is impeccable.On their fourth album together, “Django and
June 5, 2015
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[Herald Interview] ‘Rediscover your passion’
It was a dream come true for Yang Ji-hoon, a 1990s a cappella singer, producer and songwriter, to come back, produce and sing pop music for the public after almost two decades away.He now wants to share his experience of rediscovering his artistic passion with people who long for a life in arts and entertainment. Yang seeks to pass on his know-how through books and songs in what he calls the JihoonOwl’s Project, which is also the name of his independent band.“I have about 10 projects in mind I w
June 4, 2015