[Weekender] Auctioneers make a difference in sales

With art auctions booming in South Korea, auctioneers are increasingly a crucial factor in boosting sales at such events. “Auctioneers play a key role in setting market prices during art auctions,” Kim Hyun-hee, an experienced auctioneer for Seoul Auction, said in an interview with The Korea Herald.“They need extensive understanding and knowledge of art to induce participants to compete for the best prices,” she said. Kim, who studied history in college and art history in graduate school, starte

PerformanceApril 1, 2016

[Weekender] Arts emerging as alternative investment

Given the current low interest rates, negative rates, low inflation and slow growth, investors are in search of alternative investment products that offer higher returns than savings.Stocks and equity funds are ideal during low inflation, but can be volatile when unpredictable forces suddenly catch markets off guard. Gold and U.S. dollars are attractive assets in times of uncertainties, in addition to bonds that can offer steady monthly returns.Bids are placed on “Nu assis sur un divan (La Belle

PerformanceApril 1, 2016

[Weekender] Dansaekhwa, force behind globalization of Korean art

At K Auction’s Hong Kong sale on March 25, Korean monochrome paintings, dubbed Dansaekhwa, led strong sales, proving its steady popularity among international collectors. 　A 1975 abstract painting by Kim Whan-ki fetched 2.2 billion won ($1.8 million). All six paintings of Park Seo-bo were sold. A white monochrome painting by Chung Sang-hwa sold for 710 million won, higher than its highest estimate of 473 million won. 　“We could see that the Dansaekhwa boom was continuing. They attracted attentio

PerformanceApril 1, 2016

[Weekender] Korea plays catch-up in space race

From military to weather to asteroid mining, outer space’s seemingly infinite scientific and commercial potential has in recent years been enticing a growing roster of countries across the globe into exploring the boundless expanse. 　Despite being a latecomer to the bandwagon, South Korea is seeking to expand its forays, such as with a moon probe, capitalizing on its success -- following two failed attempts -- in lifting off its first Naro space rocket in January 2013 with the help of Russia. 　N

Foreign AffairsMarch 25, 2016

[Weekender] Space films score big on Koreans’ curiosity, fantasy

Space has become a new theme powering ticket sales in Korean theaters of late, thanks to the growing interest in science as well as evolving visual technology.The past three years at the Korean box office have seen a string of successful Hollywood movies set in space. Alfonso Cuaron‘s “Gravity” set the spark in October 2013, followed by the blockbuster hit “Interstellar” by Christopher Nolan in November 2014, and “The Martian” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” just two months apart in late 2015

FilmMarch 25, 2016

[Weekender] Aiming for the moon

SEOUL/DAEJEON -- Despite several early failures, Korean engineers and scientists are poised to leap into space, hoping to realize the country’s long-cherished goal of reaching the moon.Following a late start, Asia’s fourth-largest economy went through many challenges to develop its own launch vehicle, which is key to the nation’s space project.The efforts have paid off as Korea is now on the threshold of a new era in space technology, with its first lunar exploration planned for 2020. It is a ma

IndustryMarch 25, 2016

[Weekender] 'Giving up not an option for Korea’s space development'

DAEJEON -- Like many people, Cho Gwang-rae, president of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, has always been fascinated by space rockets and outer space. 　He grew up watching foreign astronauts land on the moon, amid fierce space competition between the U.S. and then-Soviet Union in the late ’60s. However, he never envisioned that he would one day become the person in charge of Korea’s space project.　After earning his Ph.D. in high-frequency microwave engineering, Cho was asked to participat

IndustryMarch 25, 2016

[Weekender] Korea needs big players for space expedition

A race to conquer space has been heating up with more billionaires and entrepreneurs around the world betting big on commercial space businesses such as space travel and cargo delivery to space stations. Korea, as a late-starter, succeeded in launching a rocket in 2013. However, the country has been struggling to make its way into the top echelon of the world’s space sector due to its lack of talents, experience and investment.Long exposure of the launch, reentry and landing of U.S. space firm S

TechnologyMarch 25, 2016

[Weekender] Will ‘Descendants’ spur film-style TV drama production?

Almost everyone is talking about “Descendants of the Sun,” the latest joint Korea-China television drama project.Fans have fallen head over heels into the love story between an Army captain played by Song Joong-ki and a doctor played by Song Hye-kyo in a faraway, natural disaster-hit country. Critics, meanwhile, predict that this blockbuster will boost KBS, a network broadcaster that has been lagging behind MBC, SBS and even cable channels such as tvN in dramas.A scene from “Descendants of the S

TelevisionMarch 18, 2016

[Weekender] Stars reap rewards of hallyu drama success

Behind the glory of hallyu dramas are the star-studded casts. After garnering attention abroad in Korean dramas -- mainly other Asian countries including China and Japan -- stars quickly jump into dramas and variety shows thereOverseas endorsements, and fan meetings follow, consolidating their positions, as well as the prominent status of hallyu.Starting with the unexpected success of the KBS2 TV drama series “Winter Sonata” which aired on Japanese satellite channel BS2 in 2003, the drama’s prot

TelevisionMarch 18, 2016

[Weekender] TV dramas exert tourist pull

As worldwide interest in Korean entertainment and content continues its global thrust, the city of Seoul is starting to see an influx in “hallyu-based” tourism, leading to the establishment of Korean drama-inspired tourist guides to assist die-hard fans in tracking down the filming locations of their favorite Korean dramas. “Not long ago, something strange happened on a cold winter day in China -- fried chicken and beer starting selling like hotcakes,” reads VisitSeoul’s Hallyu Tourist Guide. “T

TelevisionMarch 18, 2016

[Weekender] How Korean dramas hook global viewers

A longtime fan of Korean dramas, Yu Yijie, a 25-year-old Chinese graduate student at Kookmin University, instantly fell for Korean entertainment watching “Full House,” starring Rain and Song Hye-kyo, which aired in 2004.　Since then, she has watched every popular Korean drama and gradually developed an interest in drama production.　“I thought I would come to Korea (to study) when I was watching ‘My Girl’ in 2005, which was a huge hit in China, starring Lee Jun-ki and Lee Da-hae,” said Yu, in a ph

TelevisionMarch 18, 2016

[Weekender] ‘Makjang’: Escape into the absurd

A vindictive mother-in-law slaps the male lead with a thick wedge of kimchi. Neon green laser beams shoot out of a businessman’s eyes. A woman fakes her own death, gets plastic surgery and remarries her ex-husband to take revenge.　These are scenarios that have actually aired on prime-time Korean television series, and moreover been met with favorable ratings. Locally, these types of shows are referred to as “makjang” -- vernacular for situations that seem too outrageous to be true. The genre is

TelevisionMarch 18, 2016

[Weekender] Tuning industry suffers from negative perception

In almost every episode of U.S. television sitcom hit “Home Improvement” in the 1990s, viewers were able to see its main star Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor played by stand-up comedian Tim Allen building and tuning a classic hot rod in his garage with his eldest son.They would chat, giggle and joke around, telling stories to one another while tending to their dream hot rod.Even in movies like “The Fast and the Furious” about a band of criminal street racers, its main character Dominic Toretto’s favor

MobilityMarch 11, 2016

[Weekender] 'Power up from bottom-up'

Hundreds of college students study auto mechanical engineering, design and new auto technologies such as hybrid and self-driving cars in Korea every year.But only very few land jobs in tuning, which is one of the most lucrative auto fields in countries such as the U.S., Germany and Japan. This is because the Korean tuning market is extremely small for several reasons including tough regulations against tuning in the country’s automotive aftermarket, lack of industry promotions and opportunities,

MobilityMarch 11, 2016

[Weekender] ‘Car tune-ups for safety, not merely for looks’

In South Korea, car tuning -- the aftermarket modification of an automobile’s performance or appearance -- has long been portrayed under a negative light as an unnecessary practice that disturbs peace and order on the streets.　Although many still associate vehicle tune-ups with noisy, sometimes reckless, cars sporting ostentatious exteriors, there is reportedly a lot more to car tuning than looks alone.　“What most people don’t know is that the biggest merit of tuning up a car is ‘safety’,” said

MobilityMarch 11, 2016

[Weekender] Tuning is on

Korea is gearing up to boost the aftermarket auto tuning sector, which is less developed than its auto production. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the tuning industry of the world’s fifth-largest auto market is estimated at 600 billion won ($500 million), which is much smaller than the 29 trillion won of the U.S. and 17 trillion won of Japan.The restrictive regulations against car modifications have kept a lid on growth of the lucrative industry and the strict re

MobilityMarch 11, 2016

[Weekender] Luxury car aficionados spur vehicle tune-up

In recent years, Seoul has seen a sudden rise in luxurious vehicles on its roads, parking lots and even narrow streets, with many foreign car brands gaining popularity. Although those premium cars equipped with astonishing design and excellent performance are compelling enough for some owners, car maniacs and some customers want more. Tuned-up cars in front of BRABUS Korea‘s Studio (BRABUS Korea)“Many Korean foreign car owners want more than just driving a car,” said Yoon Dong-Joo, sales directo

BusinessMarch 11, 2016

[Weekender] The chips are down: Human-AI Go battle

A showdown will take place next week in Seoul. Google’s artificial intelligence program AlphaGo will take on top Go player Lee Se-dol for a $1 million prize. Amid mixed outlook for the outcome, the five-day match has already become a global media sensation. Go, called “baduk” in Korea, is considered a more complicated game than chess because of its large choice of 200 moves compared to about 20 moves in chess. Go player Lee Se-dol(left) and DeepMind's CEO Demis Hassabis (Google)Experts say Go is

TechnologyMarch 4, 2016

[Weekender] History of man-versus-machine matches

Smart computers directing chessmen to slash through bishops and knights to capture a chess grandmaster’s king no longer raise exclamations of awe. Computers’ ability to outwit professional chess players has long been accepted as a fact of life. But this was not always the case. Machines have made alarming progress since the first computers programmed to defeat amateur players in chess-like games were introduced in 1956. Slowly but steadily higher-ranked players were defeated, culminating in Deep

TechnologyMarch 4, 2016