Son Seung-yeon: ‘I don’t want to be called only a ballad singer’

Son Seung-yeon, the winner of the debut season of the “Voice of Korea” reality audition program last year, captivated the public with her powerful and wide-ranging vocal skills. Son sang a revamped version of 2NE1’s popular hit “Go Away” during her blind audition, and landed herself a place on iconic singer Shin Seung-hun’s team where she flourished and eventually walked away with the first-place crown. In hindsight, it is almost shocking to imagine that the talented 19-year-old singer nearly th

July 11, 2013

House Concert to feature 65 performances

A nationwide “One Day Festival,” hosted by The House Concert, will hold 65 music performances at 65 venues on July 12. More than 290 big-name musicians will perform classical music, Korean traditional music, jazz, performance art and more. The House Concert is a music appreciation trend that was introduced in Korea when pianist Park Chang-soo, now president of The House Concert, held a recital in his living room on July 12, 2002. Since then Park has organized more than 350 concerts featuring som

July 10, 2013

Like father, like son in art

More than 60 percent of Korean artists earn less than 1 million won ($878) per month, according to government figures. A 2009 Korea Culture and Tourism Institute report shows the average income of artists at 820,000 won and more than 30 percent reporting no income. All in all, pursuing art is a hard task without financial support from others ― more often than not, parents. This doesn’t change unless an artist hits the jackpot or sells works for record prices at auction. In the lifelong journey o

July 10, 2013

National troupes unveil new programs

It’s been a year since the National Theater of Korea introduced its “repertoire season” system, where the state-run organization announces its troupes’ schedules ahead of the start of its yearly season.A total of seven troupes belong to the NTOK, including the National Theater Company of Korea, the Korea National Ballet, the Korea National Opera, the National Dance Company of Korea, the National Changgeuk Company of Korea, the National Orchestra Company of Korea, and the National Chorus of Korea

July 9, 2013

Art exhibition pays tribute to baseball hero Park Chan-ho

Park Chan-ho, the first South Korean baseball player to play in Major League Baseball in the U.S., was hailed as a hero during the gloomy days of the Asian economic crisis in the late 1990s. Despite retiring last year, Park still remains a sensational figure in the history of Korean baseball, having won 124 games in the majors during his 19-year professional baseball career.A new art exhibition at Seoul Museum pays tribute to the baseball hero, displaying his game-winning baseballs, uniforms, gl

July 9, 2013

Rain finishes scandal-hit military service

K-pop superstar Rain, or Jung Ji-hoon, was officially discharged from his mandatory military duties on Wednesday after nearly two years of service. The entertainer entered the military in October 2011 and served as a PR officer for the Defense Media Agency. As a celebrity soldier, Rain was caught in a string of controversies during his service that raised the question of whether disciplinary actions would force the entertainment solider to be discharged later than originally scheduled. The milit

July 9, 2013

Prodigies offer hope for future of Korean classical music

Twelve-year-old Han Yeo-jin won the 18th Biwako International Flute Competition in May, beating much older competitors to become the youngest-ever winner with her performance of complex pieces such as Theobald Boehm’s “Grand Polonaise.” The elementary school student from Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, started playing the flute when she was 5 years old, inspired by her mother who was a flute teacher. Her mother Oh Hyun-suk was hesitant about her daughter’s direction at first, knowing that pursuing m

July 9, 2013

Unlikely partners: Artworks used to create slush funds

The chairman of CJ Group, Korea’s largest food and entertainment company, was arrested for alleged tax evasion and the creation of slush funds in late June. Chairman Lee Jae-hyun is under suspicions of dodging millions of dollars in taxes by stashing secret funds and misappropriating company funds. Some of the money was alleged to have been laundered through the purchase of artworks. For years, art transactions have been means for Korean conglomerates to create slush funds or evade taxes. Samsun

July 8, 2013

Drawing traces of light and time

Gallery DOS presents a solo exhibition of artist Choi Eun-hyea this week as part of the gallery’s special exhibitions for up-and-coming artists it selected for this year. Choi, one of the five selected artists, explores a subject that is rarely dealt with in painting ― the journey of light. Light, which largely remained an auxiliary element determining the tone of paintings, has emerged as an independent subject in paintings as contemporary artists explore diverse subjects for their works. The a

July 8, 2013

2NE1, Brown Eyed Girls to go head-to-head on their return

2NE1 has made its much-awaited return as a group with the release of single “Falling in Love” on Monday. Upon its release, the new single topped nine local real-time music charts, giving the track a certified “all-kill” title. The four members of 2NE1 took their first leap into the reggae scene with the tropical-flavored electro pop song in their first group single in a year. Their last single “I Love U” went public on July 5 last year. Although the ladies are currently one of the most iconic gi

July 8, 2013

Sogyumo Acacia Band gets back to the sound of nature

South Korean acoustic band Sogyumo Acacia Band put out its fifth album “Slow Diving Table,” a gesture that departs from today’s hectic electronic music to get back to the raw sound where music started. “People live in a world full of disturbing noises, but we wanted to awaken people to notice the beautiful sounds existing in them,” said group member Kim Min-hong.Kim and fellow member Song Eun-ji wanted to offer healing sounds to fans by featuring sounds of nature merged into the tranquil acousti

July 8, 2013

Bieber to hit Korean stage for first time

Canadian teenage pop star Justin Bieber, 19, who rose to superstardom after being discovered on YouTube, will be making his way to Korea for his first local concert on Oct. 10 at Seoul Olympic Park’s Gymnastics Stadium. The concert is part of the young singer’s “Believe World Tour” taking him to 39 different countries including the United Kingdom, Dubai, Germany and Turkey. Bieber is scheduled to perform 151 shows and attract around 1.8 million fans during his world tour.  Bieber was first disco

July 7, 2013

Director Park Chan-wook directs music video

One of the most acclaimed and popular filmmakers in Korea, Park Chan-wook, is directing singer Lee Jung-hyun’s new music video for her upcoming mini album’s title song, according to Lee’s agency Ava Film and Entertainment on Friday.Park Chan-wook is most known for his 2002 film “Joint Security Area,” the vengeance trilogy “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance,” “Oldboy,” and “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” as well as his latest Hollywood film “Stoker.” His films are noted for their often brutal subject matt

July 7, 2013

Eyelike: Empire of the Sun deliver the goods

Empire of the Sun deliver the goods Empire of the Sun“Ice on the Dune“(Astralwerks)Empire of the Sun‘s new album opens with the instrumental track “Lux,” using drums of epic grandeur to build the anticipation for a record we have waited five years to hear. That’s followed by “DNA,” a surefire single and the strongest track on ”Ice on the Dune.“ The voice of lead singer Luke Steele - who has co-written songs for Usher and Beyonce - blends nicely as he sings ”be my DNA“ over a brilliant beat, whic

July 5, 2013