South Korean K-pop singer Psy, who has earned global fame with his sensational song “Gangnam Style,” took a step toward becoming an “international singer” ― as he wants to be known ― with a number of shows in Australia, where his song topped the country’s music chart for three weeks.Psy, who landed at Sydney Airport on Tuesday, made his first appearance in Channel 7’s music competition program “The X-Factor Australia,” as a special guest the same evening. During the show, Psy sang his viral song

Oct. 17, 2012

The New York office building of the Korean entertainment industry mogul Park Jin-young, more popularly known as JYP, was recently hit with another construction code violation, pending a hearing, by the Department of Buildings in New York City. The three-story building located in midtown Manhattan is said to be used as office space for JYP Entertainment. However, last month the building received a construction violation notice which claimed that the first floor of the building is currently being

Oct. 17, 2012

Seven masterpieces, including paintings by Picasso, Matisse, Monet and Gauguin, were stolen from a Dutch museum in a pre-dawn heist Tuesday, police said, with an expert adding the haul could be worth up to 200 million euros ($260 million).Alerted by an alarm but arriving at the museum in Rotterdam after the thief or thieves had fled, police said they had launched a major investigation that includes interviewing possible witnesses and examining closed-circuit television.“On Tuesday morning seven

Oct. 17, 2012

JYP Entertainment’s recording studio in New York City is expected to face fines for a construction violation.According to NYC Department of Building’s website, the major K-pop agency could be fined $1,200 for using the first floor of the building in Manhattan as a “music studio,” while the basement to third floor is registered as an “office.”The Web document indicates that the maximum penalty of $10,000 could be imposed, depending on the hearing scheduled for Nov. 1.The entertainment agency has

Oct. 17, 2012

SEATTLE (AP) ― Inspired by the Pompidou Center in Paris, which for nearly two years removed all the men’s art from its modern galleries, the Seattle Art Museum is letting women take over its downtown building this fall.Lovers of art by men can still get their fill in the museum’s Renaissance, Asian and Native art galleries, but those who want to explore art from this past century will be studying the contribution of women to photography, video, painting and sculpture.The show is a subset of the

Oct. 16, 2012

Eleven artists from the Korean indie-rock scene will pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of the most recognized rock and roll legends of all time: John, Paul, George and Ringo. “Singing the Beatles” is a special two-day event celebrating the revolutionary band that needs no introduction and who John Lennon himself described as “more popular than Jesus.”“The Beatles … what more of an explanation do you need?” said the band members of the alternative rock group the Moonshiners. “It’s not about whe

Oct. 16, 2012

National Ballet of China to stage Zhang Yimou’s ‘Raise the Red Lantern’China’s leading ballet troupe the National Ballet of China will be in Korea this week to stage its original ballet “Raise the Red Lantern,” directed by the country’s best-known filmmaker Zhang Yimou. The production is based on Zhang’s famous 1991 film of the same title, which starred actress Gong Li as a young woman who becomes one of the concubines of a wealthy man during China’s Warlord Era. Zhang reworked this masterpiece

Oct. 16, 2012

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) ― Long before smartphones turned so many of us into amateur photographers and revolutionized how we depict each other through social media, there were the works of French Impressionist Edouard Manet.Known for portraits of friends and celebrities of his era, the painter often called “the first modern artist’’ came of age during the mid-1800s when photography first became available to the public. He even kept his own collection of photos of the subjects he painted.Manet’s portrai

Oct. 15, 2012

Artists shed light on painful memories of rapid modernization and labor movementThe 2012 Busan Biennale engages with the audience with experimental and provocative contemporary art by young Korean and foreign artists, keeping the core values of the original form of the art event, which was an exhibition for young artists in Busan. Young local and international artists present thought-provoking artworks that shed light on social and environmental problems stemming from rapid modernization.Austri

Oct. 15, 2012

The dancing machine Psy has begun another promotional tour with a trip to the land down under, performing on the music reality TV show “X Factor” and morning show “Sunrise.” Psy’s fame among his Aussie fans is still red hot as “Gangnam Style” is currently ranked number one on Australia’s ARIA singles chart. As the brains behind the addictive horse dance choreography sets off around the world on his promotional tours, he has revealed that his next single will be in English, and that he is feeling

Oct. 15, 2012

French singer-actress Patricia Kaas will hold two concerts in Seoul in promotion of her newest live album “Kaas chante Piaf,” or “Kaas sings Piaf.”Kaas, considered one of the most internationally successful French singers today, is set to perform the celebratory show in 45 countries. The “Kaas sings Piaf” concert tour is in commemoration of renowned French musician Edith Piaf, who passed away 50 years ago this year. Piaf was widely regarded as France’s national pop singer and become an icon in t

Oct. 15, 2012

The two-member Korean boy band Bily Acoustie took home the Grand Prix trophy at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Radio Song Festival on Thursday for their performance of “For a Rest,” a mid-tempo acoustic folk song inspired by everyday life. Thirteen finalists from 10 countries including Australia, Brunei, Malaysia and Bhutan performed at the ABU 49th general assembly at KBS Hall on Thursday. All the contestants were unsigned musicians and were judged by an international selection committee b

Oct. 14, 2012

Rene Magritte paintings recreated by renowned Korean photographer Kim Jung-manThe celebrated photographer Kim Jung-man has always photographed objects as they are, without alteration. But for the first time in his 38-year career, he had to use Photoshop editing techniques to recreate paintings of Belgian Surrealist painter Rene Magritte with photographs. “The recreation of one of the greatest artists was meaningful because no one has ever tried to do it before,” Kim said at a news conference las

Oct. 14, 2012

Exhibition“Erwin Olaf”: Gallery Kong holds the first solo exhibition of Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf in Korea. The international award-winning photographer exploits his experience as a successful commercial photographer and creates his own distinctive style. Through his photos, Olaf explores social problems of the day such as isolation and hidden racial discrimination. He shows two most recent series “The Keyholes” and “Dawn and Dusk” that involve different mediums such as installation, photogr

Oct. 12, 2012

DJ Havana Brown runs the nightHavana Brown“When the Lights Go Out”(Universal)Call up your friends for a night of drinking, dancing and raving with DJ Havana Brown’s debut album “When the Lights Go Out.”As a newcomer to the scene, this Australian DJ’s first studio album with five tracks is the kind of club playlist you’d hope for during a night out with your friends while letting your inhibitions run free. Brown’s first single, “We Run the Night,” featuring hip-hop hit-maker Pitbull, keeps your b

Oct. 12, 2012

Lee Won-kuk Ballet showcases Korean-War tale ‘Eyes of Dawn’While Korea’s traditional folktales such as “Chunhyang” and “Simcheong” have been made into ballet pieces by major local troupes here, no company has tried to create an original repertoire featuring the nation’s turbulent modern history.Former Korean National Ballet dancer Lee Won-kuk’s upcoming project “Eyes of Dawn” aims to do exactly that, telling the story of three young souls who live through the Japanese colonial period as well as

Oct. 11, 2012