KARA’s ‘Pandora’ beats Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’

“Pandora,” the title song of KARA’s new mini album released Wednesday, has topped Korean online music charts.On Thursday, “Pandora” beat Psy’s sensational “Gangnam Style” and ranked first on the real-time charts of music sites such as MelOn, Olleh Music, Bugs, and Naver Music. KARA presented the showcase of their new mini album on Wednesday at Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul. The girl group’s performance of the song will air for the first time on KBS Music Bank on Friday. The choreogra

Aug. 23, 2012

A night with indie bands by the river

Indie bands rock festival to be held in Seoul’s Nanji Hangang ParkIndie music fans can look forward to performances by some of the best known indie musicians at “2012 Korea Live Music Festival” to be held in Seoul Nanji Hangang Park’s Youth Square from Sept. 1-2. Subtitled “LIVE DAY,” the concert will feature performances by some 70 musicians representing various genres including pop, funk, rock, metal and hip-hop.Now in its seventh year, the festival began in an alley beside a parking lot in Ho

Aug. 23, 2012

Pharmacy CEO opens art museum

When Union Pharmacy CEO Ahn Byung-gwang bought a print copy of the famous modern Korean painter Lee Jung-seob’s “Bull” painting in 1983, Ahn didn’t know who the artist was or whether it was just a print copy or an original painting. Now 29 years have passed, and he has became a collector of more than 100 paintings, including the authentic “Bull” painting, and is about to open a museum to share his collection with a wider audience. “I took cover from rain under the roof of a photo frame shop and

Aug. 23, 2012

Ham-fisted amateur botches 'restoration' of Christ painting

(AFP)An elderly woman's catastrophic attempt to "restore" a century-old oil painting of Christ in a Spanish church has provoked popular uproar, and amusement.The well-intentioned but ham-fisted amateur artist, in her 80s, took it upon herself to fill in the patches and paint over the original work, which depicted Christ crowned with thorns, his sorrowful gaze lifted to heaven.Her work done, the "r

Aug. 23, 2012

Korean singer dedicates song to victims of Japan’s wartime sex slavery

“Blinded, cruel days. Bloodstained, lacerated skirt, and my body. Forgive your vice. But remember. A bobbed-hair girl sits.”Kim Hyun-sung, a well-known local singer-songwriter, premiered a song dedicated to Korean victims of Japan’s wartime sexual enslavement last Wednesday when former sex slaves and some 2,000 of their supporters gathered in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul for a weekly protest, demanding an apology and compensation from Tokyo for its atrocities.The issue of elderly Korea

Aug. 22, 2012

Economy hits hotel art fair

The sluggish economy has hit the art fair market as seen in the number of foreign galleries stepping back from participating in this year’s Asia Top Gallery Hotel Art Fair Seoul, which is slated to open at the Westin Chosun from Friday to Sunday. The number of participating foreign art galleries decreased from 20 in 2010 to nine this year due to the poor economy around the world, which has also struck Korea. The total number of galleries participating decreased from 69 in 2010 to 52 this year. 

Aug. 22, 2012

Holograms present celebs with afterlife issues

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― When Tupac Shakur rose from the stage in the California desert earlier this year, it was not only a jaw-dropping resurrection, but also the beginning of a new form of live entertainment. “Come with me,” the digital Shakur called out, not just to tens of thousands of screaming fans but seemingly to other artists.Follow, they will. Elvis Presley’s estate announced it has authorized holograms of the King of Rock, Marilyn Monroe’s estate has expressed interest and there’s no short

Aug. 22, 2012

Star-studded outdoor opera put to test

Local production company of ‘La Boheme’ cancels two shows due to sluggish ticket salesThe cast is amazing: The combination of the three top names ― maestro Chung Myung-whun, prima donna Angela Gheorghui and rising star Vittorio Grigolo ― has already mesmerized audiences, even before the curtain goes up next week.However, ADL, a local production company that brought these celebrities together for outdoor opera “La Boheme,” admitted on Wednesday that its sales have failed, forcing the company canc

Aug. 22, 2012

Avril Lavigne to marry Nickelback frontman

Avril Lavigne and Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger aren’t just making music together. They’re getting hitched.A spokeswoman for Lavigne confirmed a Tuesday report from People magazine that the 27-year-old pop singer and 37-year-old rocker became engaged earlier this month after dating for six months.The magazine says Lavigne was introduced to Kroeger in February when they met to co-write a song for Lavigne’s upcoming album. It will be the first marriage for Kroeger and the second for Lavigne. Sh

Aug. 22, 2012

On the other side of freedom, art forms unique style

New Leipzig School’s artwork on exhibitWhen the Berlin Wall stood between East and West Germany for 29 years, a distinctive painting style developed on the eastern part of the thick concrete wall. Korean viewers can see the works of successors of East German art that are on exhibit at Seongnam Art Center under the title “German Now from Leipzig,” which offers a rare glimpse into how the art style developed during the era of Iron Wall and evolved after the unification. The exhibition may make som

Aug. 21, 2012

‘San Francisco’ flower power singer McKenzie dead at 73

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ― Scott McKenzie, whose 1967 recording of “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)” came to encapsulate the hippie movement, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 73. A message on his official website said McKenzie had been ill with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disease affecting the nervous system, and died at home on Saturday. “San Francisco,” written by the late John Phillips of California band The Mamas and The Papas, became a worldwide hit in 1967 and is cred

Aug. 21, 2012

Cellist Maisky to perform at Gangnam club

Challenging old, conventional ideas about classical music, world-renowned cellist Mischa Maisky will attempt to communicate with the younger generation by performing at a club in Gangnam, southern Seoul, on Thursday. The 64-year-old star artist will play a classical repertoire at Ellui Seoul, a club in southern Seoul.The event is a part of the Yellow Lounge series designed by Universal Music as a way to promote classical music to a young audience less interested in the centuries-old musical genr

Aug. 21, 2012

Concerts usher in autumn cool

   Say goodbye to exuberant and flamboyant music that rocked the summer season. Be ready to embrace the cool autumn breeze with a series of concerts of soft, sophisticated and lyrical music, starting early next month.A park concert featuring three acclaimed New Age pianists opens the autumn season. Yiruma, Steve Barakatt and Yuhki Kuramoto will hold an outdoor concert titled “Park Concert ― Piano Paradiso” at the Olympic Park in Seoul on Sept. 8. This is the first time for the three star pianist

Aug. 20, 2012

Two Leonardos found in ‘Last Supper’

A British art expert says two of the figures in Leonardo da Vinci‘s masterpiece “The Last Supper” are actually self-portraits of the artist.Ross King said this week that while not a lot is known about Da Vinci’s physical appearance at the time he painted “The Last Supper,” he is confident the noses on two of the apostles are a giveaway.King has concluded the long hair, beards and Greek noses on the two matched up with a portrait of the Italian master drawn years later. Greek noses and prominent

Aug. 20, 2012

3rd Typography Biennale to focus on role in literature

Organizers of the 2013 Seoul International Typography Biennale said the focus of the event will be the role of typefaces as inspiration for active writing, as the event will serve as a channel to shed light on different characters from the West and the East. “The Seoul International Typography Biennale is the sole typography event in the world. And as a country with its own alphabet, it is our responsibility to let others recognize the importance of letters and typefaces,” Ahn Sang-soo, one of t

Aug. 19, 2012

Han Mook, living legend of abstract art

Retrospective to show the 99-year-old artist’s lifetime endeavor of depicting spaceSpace has been an inspiration for Korean abstract artist Han Mook since he saw the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.Over a half century, bearing that theme in mind, the 99-year-old Paris-based artist created all sorts of depictions of space, from the two-dimensional to the four-dimensional, using geometric structures and vibrant colors. At his upcoming retrospective at Gallery Hyundai Gangnam in Seoul, Han presents

Aug. 19, 2012