The Korea Herald

Psy entertains 30,000 fans ‘Gangnam style’

Singer Psy entertained over 30,000 audience members at his solo concert at the Jamsil Sports Complex Stadium in Seoul on Saturday.The show was Psy’s first concert following the release of his latest album, titled “Gangnam Style,” last month. The album’s title track, as well as its unique “horse riding” dance, has been receiving sensational reviews worldwide. The music video of the song, which has received more than 24 million views on YouTube, was featured on CNN, in the Los Angeles Times, and o

Aug. 12, 2012

Psy entertains 30,000 fans ‘Gangnam style’

Small but mighty Pentaport holds its own

Rising up almost as a mirage in the desert, Pentaport Rock Festival appears in the middle of nowhere outside Incheon. Still, many flocked there over the weekend. Albeit smaller than other festivals this summer, Pentaport held its own. A vast expanse of concrete, asphalt and gravel, the rock festival drew many fans despite the logistical nightmare of getting to the venue. Unless you have a car, the only way to get to and leave from Pentaport is the festival-provided shuttle bus to Geoman Station

Aug. 12, 2012

Small but mighty Pentaport holds its own

Calendar

Classical Music“Great Mountains International Music Festival & School”: The Great Mountains Festival, now in its ninth run, will kick off July 21 and will run through Aug. 11 at the Alpensia Resort in Gangwon Province. The festival will focus on the inseparable relationship between music and dance. To highlight its theme, the festival will invite two stars from the American Ballet Theater, Maxim Beloserkovsky and Irina Dvorovenko as well as Kim Joo-won, guest principal dancer for Korean National

Aug. 10, 2012

Eyelike

Lianne La Havas is touching on debutLianne La Havas“Is Your Love Big Enough?” (Nonesuch Records)“You broke me, and taught me to truly hate myself,” Lianne La Havas sings on the airy song “Lost & Found.” “Unfold me, and teach me how to be like somebody else.”It’s a particularly dark and heavy hook, leaving the listener to wonder what kind of relationship the singer had been in. But La Havas, the 22-year-old London newcomer, takes the song to even greater heights thanks her husky vocals, which mak

Aug. 10, 2012

S.M. expands into exhibition business

S.M. Entertainment, one of the here three major entertainment agencies, said Thursday that it will jump into the global exhibition business to better promote exports of the country’s entertainment content.“S.M. Entertainment will not be a company that only manages celebrities, produces music, drama series and theater performances like musicals. It will also become a leading exporter of entertainment content. This S.M. ART Exhibition will also be exported (to countries around the world),” Kim You

Aug. 9, 2012

Actress Ha becomes mentor for future filmmakers

Renowned actress Ha Ji-won and director Kim Ji-hoon will serve as mentors for the Korea-China youth cultural exchange program “Beijing Toto Laboratory,” scheduled to be held in Beijing’s Kwanggeomun Middle School, Aug. 13 -17. Forty teenagers from Korea and China will participate in making eight films during the five-day program jointly sponsored by CJ CGV and Boys Vanguard of the Chinese Communist Youth Association. Ha and Kim, who gained popularity in China with their film “Sector 7,” will lec

Aug. 8, 2012

Actress Ha becomes mentor for future filmmakers

Children’s book illustrations to fuel imagination

Illustrations in children’s books may have been long seen as less important than fine art, but French illustrator Joelle Jolivet hopes picture book illustrations will receive as much appreciation as fine art. “Even in France, picture book illustrations are not considered the same as fine art. But I hope it receives the same appreciation in the future and I think the history of picture books should be studied someday,” said Jolivet Tuesday. She was in Seoul for the French illustration exhibition

Aug. 8, 2012

Children’s book illustrations to fuel imagination

Elton John says Madonna resembles ‘fairground stripper’

SYDNEY (AFP) ― Elton John has reignited his public spat with Madonna, calling her a “fairground stripper” whose career is over.The British star added that she had been “so horrible” to pop diva Lady Gaga, the godmother to his son Zachary.“She’s such a nightmare. Her career is over, I can tell you that,” he told music personality Molly Meldrum, an old friend, in an interview on Australian television this week.“Her tour has been a disaster,” he said.“If Madonna has any common sense, she would have

Aug. 8, 2012

Korea sticks to music video ratings plan

Defying protests from local entertainment businesses, the government announced Tuesday it will enforce a music video ratings system as scheduled this month to better protect teens from sexually explicit and violent videos.The decision has frustrated the local K-pop music industry, which uses music videos as an important means of promoting their music products.The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said music videos must receive age ratings from authorities before being circulated on the Int

Aug. 7, 2012

Capturing man’s encounters with ocean giants

Underwater photographer Chang Nam-won’s humpback whale photographs on displayKorea’s first underwater photographer Chang Nam-won will offer a journey into the deep blue sea with awe-inspiring photos of humpback whales this month. Chang’s photographs will be on display at Lotte Gallery from Wednesday, allowing audiences a moment to cool down from the heat and dive into the rarely-exposed world of humpback whales. Chang spent five years capturing humpback whales living off Vauvau Island of the Ki

Aug. 6, 2012

Capturing man’s encounters with ocean giants

Festival celebrates Korean musicals

Seoul Musical Festival to hold conferences, workshops for local musical directorsFrom “Gwanghwamun Younga” to “200 Pounds Beauty,” local musicals have been finding their niche in Korea’s performing arts scene in the past few years, in spite of the dominance of big-scale, imported foreign productions, such as “Wicked” and “Elisabeth.”To support local musical productions and boost their ticket sales, the Culture Ministry and Seoul Metropolitan Government together organized an eight-day festival, c

Aug. 6, 2012

Blessings in Chinese art

National Museum showcases 100 Chinese artifacts wishing good fortuneCount the five Chinese blessings: Happiness, longevity, wealth, joy and professional success.The people’s yearnings for these blessings and fortune were often expressed in works of art, from paintings to sculptures, and even in wedding robes. In these items, auspicious spirits would appear in the form of a dragon or a phoenix, and sometimes a bat. The National Museum of Korea is holding a special exhibition featuring some 100 Ch

Aug. 5, 2012

Seung-ri hosts Japanese TV shows

Big Bang member Seung-ri is now serving as an MC for two TV shows in Japan, according to YG Entertainment, Big Bang’s agency. Seung-ri is hosting “V. I. FROM BIGBANG,” a reality show broadcast by Japanese music channel Space Shower TV. The show, which premiered last Thursday, illustrates the steps Seung-ri takes to make his own show. Seung-ri also serves as the special MC of “Sakigake! Ongaku Banzuke Eight,” a popular music variety show of Fuji Television. “Seung-ri recently interviewed Oguri Sh

Aug. 5, 2012

KARA releases new mini album

Girl group KARA is returning to the spotlight after a one-year break with the release of its third mini-album late this month, DSP, the girls’ agency, announced. “The girls are putting finishing touches on their new album, and the album concept and title song will soon be made public,” the agency said. KARA’s last album “STEP” had topped Korean album charts in September 2011, selling more than 10,000 copies in less than a month. Also, KARA currently enjoys its position as the most favored girl g

Aug. 5, 2012

Korean dramas air in Latin America

MBC dramas “Princess Hours” and “The First Shop of Coffee Prince,” both in which Korean actress Yoon Eun-hye starred as the heroine, are airing in Latin American countries. Both dramas enjoyed immense popularity when they were broadcast in Korea. According to MBC’s Latin American branch, SERTV in Panama started broadcasting “Princess Hours” last Monday. Red Guarani in Paraguay also plans to air the same drama next January and “The First Shop of Coffee Prince” on Sept. 15. “The broadcasting compa

Aug. 5, 2012

Hottest party of the summer

Ultra Music Festival brings in top DJs from around the worldUltra Music Festival was the hottest party of the year ― literally. But even as the mercury inched higher every day of the festival, thousands came out to Sports Complex Stadium in southern Seoul on Friday and Saturday to hear the likes of Skrillex, Tiesto and Carl Cox.The Olympic arena transformed into the largest outdoor club in the country with the entire floor of the stadium jam-packed with sweaty people jumping and dancing to the

Aug. 5, 2012

Nanny leaves boy with Adele at cafe

A nanny left the young boy in her care with British singer Adele at a London cafe while she used the bathroom, The Daily Telegraph said.The name of the governess and age of her charge were not reported.Although the pregnant recording artist gamely entertained the boy while his nanny used the loo, then posed for photographs when the woman returned, the newspaper said the child's parents were upset

Aug. 5, 2012

Gangnam Style goes international

Psy’s single, "Gangnam Style" album poster It appears that PSY’s latest single “Gangnam Style,” his first in two years, is not only the hottest song of the summer in Korea, but is quickly becoming a top song around the world with top music stars and foreign media talking about it. The addictive song that makes light of the lifestyle of those living in the affluent Gangnam district in Seoul is currently No.

Aug. 3, 2012

Piles of horse manure signify art taken by the Nazis

At the New National Gallery in Berlin, an odd piece of art is being exhibited. Martin Gostner, an Austrian artist, named his work “The Oriel of the Blue Horses” -- made up of four piles of blue artificial horse manure.Gostner explained that he is paying tribute to Franz Marc’s painting, “The Tower of Blue Horses.”In 1937, the Nazis took Marc’s painting, for the reasoning that it is “un-German” and “degenerated.” The painting’s whereabouts are still unknown.Each of the four piles in Gostner’s wor

Aug. 2, 2012

Musical ‘Chicago’ donates 2,000 units of blood

Celebrating its 200th performance, members of the Broadway musical “Chicago” delivered 2,000 blood donor cards to the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation on July 29. For two years, Seensee Company has been selling special tickets at a 30 percent discount for purchasers who donate their blood donor card. The cards represent one unit of blood from each donor.In addition, the company invited the Korea Childhood Leukemia Foundation officials, childhood cancer patients and their families to the show.

Aug. 1, 2012

Musical ‘Chicago’ donates 2,000 units of blood