Pop-star Kim Jae-joong’s album tops in Japan and Taiwan

Korean idol group JYJ member Kim Jae-joong’s first solo album topped Japanese and Taiwanese music chart, his agency said.C-JeS Entertainment announced on Monday that Kim’s EP album titled “I” ranked No. 1 on both “Five Music," the biggest Asian music chart in Taiwan, and Japan’s “Shinseido” weekly album chart.The new album includes the title track “Mine,” an intense rock single, as well as Kim’s original composition “All Alone.”“Kim’s album held first place on both domestic and overseas sales ch

Feb. 1, 2013

Becoming Kang Sue-jin

According to late American critic Susan Sontag, dancers live by the “standard of perfection.”“Dance demands a degree of service greater than in any other performing art, or sport,” she wrote in her 1987 book “Dancers and the Dance.” “While the daily life of every dancer is a full-time struggle against fatigue, strain, natural physical limitations and those due to injuries (which are inevitable), dance itself is the enactment of an energy which must seem, in all respects, untrammeled, effortless,

Jan. 31, 2013

Verdi’s ‘Rigoletto’ goes Vegas in New York staging

NEW YORK (AFP) ― Verdi goes Vegas in a flashy new production of the opera “Rigoletto” at the Metropolitan Opera in New York that features neon lights, a Cadillac and a naked cabaret dancer.Tony award-winning director Michael Mayer has moved the original story from 16th century Italy to 1960s Sin City. His gamble appears to have paid off with audiences, although theater critics are not so sure.One of Giuseppe Verdi’s masterpieces, the opera tells the tragic story of the deformed jester Rigoletto

Jan. 31, 2013

Korean-Japanese director brings period drama to Seoul

Korean-Japanese director and playwright Chong Wishing is in Seoul to showcase his period drama set in colonial Korea in the 1920s, starring local TV and film actor Cha Seung-won in the leading role.The play, titled “Bring Me My Chariot of Fire,” tells the story of Lee Sun-woo (played by Cha), who is the leader of Namsadang, an itinerant troupe of male performers in Korea under Japanese colonial rule. He forms a genuine friendship with Japanese school teacher (played by Japanese actor Tsuyoshi Ku

Jan. 31, 2013

Rihanna confirms Chris Brown romance

Recording artist Rihanna confirmed to Rolling Stone magazine she has reconciled with Chris Brown, the boyfriend who beat her up in Los Angeles in 2009.Brown pleaded guilty to assault, then was ordered to perform community service and stay away from his ex-girlfriend for a brief period of time. Although the restraining order against him has been lifted, he remains on probation.Brown was widely criticized after the incident by fans, journalists and some other musicians outraged by what he did to R

Jan. 31, 2013

NMOCA, Seoul to launch with show curated by 5 international galleries

The Korean National Museum of Contemporary Art will open a new branch in the heart of Seoul later this year that will function as the “hub of contemporary art” in Korea, according to museum officials. “The opening of the Seoul branch realizes our dream of establishing a space that presents the future of Korean art. Citizens and the art world together have shown great anticipation toward the new museum,” said Chung Hyung-min, director of the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea at a press c

Jan. 30, 2013

Money gets CJ its name on prestigious theater

Seoul Arts Center’s newly renovated CJ Towol Theater is reopening next month, with the premiere of CJ E&M’s original musical “Sweet, Come to Me Stealthily.”The state-run art and culture complex announced in 2011 that it was renovating its mid-sized theater, then named Towol Theater, with funding support from CJ Group. The local conglomerate provided 15 billion won for the renovation. The total cost of the project was 25 billion won, according to SAC. The theater’s original name, “Towol,” comes

Jan. 30, 2013

Ballad singer Shin Jae talks about ‘Love’

As a high school student, singer Shin Jae was interested in becoming a taekwondo athlete. However, in his senior year he decided that he would participate in his high school festival by getting up on stage in front of his classmates and singing. Yoon Do-hyun’s “I’ll Get Over You” is the rock ballad song that Shin Jae decided to perform on stage. That was the moment that changed his life.“I will never forget how I felt being up on stage and singing,” said Shin Jae. “I knew at that moment that I w

Jan. 30, 2013

Celebrate artful Valentine’s Day at Opera Gallery Seoul

With Valentine’s Day just two weeks away, Opera Gallery Seoul is showcasing love-themed artwork during the month of February. The Valentine’s Day selection will feature 50 artworks by 15 artists, including sculptures of Auguste Rodin, and works by famous contemporary artists Peter Klasen, Mr. Brainwash, Romero Britto and Korean artist Lee Dong-uk. “Love has always been a favorite theme of artists who expressed different emotions of love in their creations,” said Hong Su-ryun, a curator of the ga

Jan. 29, 2013

Kim Tae-won’s daughter to release debut album

Kim Suh-hyun (also known as Kris), the teenage daughter of veteran rocker Kim Tae-won of “Boohwal,” has made public her plans to follow in her father’s footsteps and enter the music scene as a singer/songwriter. Kris announced that she will release her debut mini-album titled “Into the Skies,” on Thursday. The upcoming album will include two single tracks that she wrote and composed. The album’s title track of the same name is a modern rock ballad piece, while the second single “Goodbye” is an A

Jan. 29, 2013

Yang Dong-geun’s bride-to-be is pregnant

Hip-hop artist and actor Yang Dong-geun plans to marry a woman he has been dating for a long time. His bride-to-be is also pregnant. The artist updated his status in his KakaoTalk account to “Dad” to inform his close friends about the good news. A source close to Yang told a television entertainment news program on Jan 29, “Yang Dong-geun did not really care about the public’s eye, he always dated freely. Up to now he has been very happy with the news of his girlfriend’s pregnancy.” The source a

Jan. 29, 2013

Taylor Swift talks of sexier look, new tour

NEW YORK (AP) ― Taylor Swift has been turning heads with her new, sexy wardrobe, but the 23-year-old says it’s just a reflection of getting older.Swift has people buzzing about her recent red carpet choices, which have included plunging necklines and shorter skirts. “As far as wardrobe, we have been operating from a different place,’’ Swift said.While her choices may be demure compared with the Kim Kardashians of the world, for Swift, a former teen sweetheart, it’s raised eyebrows, and she ackno

Jan. 29, 2013

Singer Ali to make comeback with ‘Bittersweet Ballad’

Marking 13 months since the release of her first full album, solo singer Ali will be making a comeback on Jan. 30 with her new album “Bittersweet Ballad.” Her agency stated that her album will include a bittersweet ballad that shows off her amazing voice.She took an extended break after she was criticized for her song “Na Young-I,” which she composed and wrote in December 2011. The song was about a victim of sexual assault, which took place in 2008.Ali said she wrote the song to comfort the vict

Jan. 29, 2013

Forgery scandal leaves distrust in art world

An art scandal involving fake paintings by two great Korean modern artists came to an end as the court ruled them to be forgeries last week. Art experts have been casting doubts about the authenticity of 2,834 paintings, claimed to have been made by Lee Jung-seob and Park Soo-keun, since they were first unveiled to the world in 2005. The court ruling came last Friday after several appraisals conducted by the National Forensic Service and museums over the past seven years, but left a deep distrus

Jan. 28, 2013

Leessang’s newest single sweeps charts

The dynamic duo of Leessang released its latest hip-hop single “Tears” on Jan. 25, immediately topping all of the major Korean real-time music charts. The track knocked off Superstar K2 winner Huh Gak’s newly released “Monodrama,” which had sat at the top spot on most of the charts. As of Monday morning, the mid-tempo ballad rap piece ranked at the top on the Naver, Daum, MelOn, Mnet and Bugs music charts. Hip-hoppers Gary and Gil worked the hit-making production team Duble Sidekick on the track

Jan. 28, 2013

Kim Bok-hee reelected director of Dance Association of Korea

Kim Bok-hee, the current director of the Dance Association of Korea, has been reelected to the same position, the organization announced Sunday. After earning a master’s degree in dance from Ewha Womans University, Kim studied philosophy at Wonkwang University and received a doctor of science degree from Kyonggi University.Since founding her own dance troupe, Kim Bok-hee Dance Company, in 1971, Kim has served a number of positions in the local dance scene, including director of the Korean Societ

Jan. 28, 2013

‘Shear Madness’: When the audience becomes the detective

What makes “Shear Madness” ― one of the longest-running plays in the world ― interesting is arguably its ending with almost-limitless possibilities. The crime drama’s ending is spontaneous, requires the audience’s participation, and always turns out to be different for each and every show. The German play, which deals with a mysterious murder case, is back for its second run in Seoul. It was first premiered back in 1963.The play takes place in a hair salon, which is owned by a gay hairdresser na

Jan. 27, 2013