[Weekender] Global blockbusters in store for Korean audience

This year will see a rush of hit musicals in Korea following the footsteps of successful foreign-licensed shows such as “Wicked,” “Three Musketeers” and “Elisabeth.”Starting with “Le Roi Soleil” next month, popular musicals such as “Marie Antoinette” and film-turned-musicals “Priscilla” and “Once” are lined up for Korean fans.  “Le Roi Soleil,” scheduled for Blue Square in April and May, will feature Shin Sung-rok, from the recently ended smash hit TV drama “My Love from the Star” as Louis XIV.

PerformanceMarch 21, 2014

[Weekender] ‘It’s time for global K-musical’

Korean musical producers should go global with universal themes, storylines, characters and crew, according to the managing director of CJ E&M, the country’s leading cultural corporation. “You have to be quite sensible when talking about musical productions. It is business after all and it needs to generate profits,” Lauren Park, head of live entertainment at CJ E&M, told The Korea Herald. The company is said to have accounted for 30-35 percent of the 300 billion won Korean market for musicals i

PerformanceMarch 21, 2014

[Weekender] Renault Samsung’s SM3 Z.E. leads market

Renault Samsung Motors’ endeavors to go electric appear to be paying off. The company now expects to sell more than 4,000 units of its representative electric car, the SM3 Z.E., this year. “Electric cars will be the engines of growth leading the green growth of Korea,” said Francois Provost, chief executive of the company at the announcement of its EV production in October 2013. According to the carmaker, a total of 453 units of the nation’s first full-electric subcompact car left showrooms in 2

MobilityMarch 14, 2014

[Weekender] Kia Soul defends Korea’s pride in EV market

Kia Motors, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor, has debuted the full-electric version of its hot-selling Soul compact, joining the heated competition in the nation’s nascent EV market. Its Korean sales will start in April. The carmaker predicts that the Soul EV will go down in history as an important stepping stone for future development in the domestic market for electric cars, and eco-friendly vehicles in general.“The Soul EV is proudly Hyundai-Kia’s most recent masterpiece that integrates all of t

MobilityMarch 14, 2014

[Weekender] BMW lays groundwork for luxury electric vehicles

BMW is determined to revolutionize the future of electric cars with the i3, its first fully electric vehicle, amid signs of a market boom in Korea and globally.The BMW i3 enters the scene at a crucial time for the auto industry.Market analysts predict that following the trends of diesel cars and hybrids, electric cars too will one day become more conventional.As a result, BMW joined the race and built the first electric car for a luxury auto brand ― its significance being that the i3 was not bui

MobilityMarch 14, 2014

[Weekender] Jejudo an emerging test bed for future cars

The scenic Jejudo Island is emerging as mecca for the international electric vehicle market. Dozens of global powerhouses are gearing up to release state-of-the-art products on the southern island.BMW, Kia, as well as yet-to-be-introduced French brand Mia have all set their eyes on the “global test bed.” Carbon-free islandThe biggest attraction of Jejudo Island among electric vehicle companies is the state support.The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province is giving 8 million won in local support

IndustryMarch 14, 2014

[Weekender] Deja vu

The 1990s were a culturally vibrant decade that saw the birth of the legendary boy band Seo Taiji and Boys and first-generation idols like H.O.T. and Sechs Kies. It was the beginning of what we now call K-pop, and a period when Korean popular culture, especially movies and TV dramas, made great strides both in style and content. The decade is often hailed as Korea’s cultural heyday and continues to inspire popular culture. The culture of the ’90s first re-entered the Korean mainstream with the m

TelevisionMarch 7, 2014

[Weekender] Old music bridges generations

In a popular cartoon on the Internet, a man in his early 40s holds a floppy disk and asks a young boy, “Have you seen one of these before?” to which the boy exclaims, “Wow, you made a 3-D model of the save icon!”Poking fun at the generational gap between the youth of today and the middle-aged, the cartoon is a reminder of the inevitable differences in culture and shared memories between different generations.However, at a small bar-club in Hongdae ― decorated with shelves full of old LP records,

PerformanceMarch 7, 2014

[Weekender] Reliving good old days

When 41-year-old housewife Kim Soo-yeon recalls the early 1990s, it is with dreamy eyes and a hint of excitement in her voice. Her hero, late singer Kim Kwang-seok still roamed the stage, job prospects were bright as Korea’s economy continued to grow, and she was ready to enjoy what the world had to offer. “Those were my golden days. Back then, I felt like I could achieve anything,” Kim said. By the time she finished college in the late 1990s, however, the Asian financial crisis had struck and s

CultureMarch 7, 2014

[Weekender] Analog-faced high-tech gadgets lure buyers

From digital cameras that feature designs from the 1970s to television sets with dials, a growing number of electronics brands are exploiting the nostalgic yearning for the past to attract people who miss the analog days. Ham Sun-hae is one of those consumers who find retro-inspired appliances a great fit for her home. “Even though I already have a television at home, I want another vintage-looking television set for decoration,” said Ham, a 35-year-old office worker. “I like the warm and cozy f

IndustryMarch 7, 2014

[Weekender] Retro fever sweeps Korean consumers

Twenty-four-year-old college student Rho Jyong-ho has been all about retro these days.“Lately, I’ve been spending the majority of my weekends watching movies and dramas that are set in the 1990s,” said Rho. “Although I can relate to some things from when I was growing up, there are a lot more things that I can’t recall, probably because I was too young.”Rho is one of many people in Korea who are currently immersed in “retro fever.”The craze over retro products and culture that has been spreading

CultureMarch 7, 2014

[Weekender] Chic, handy and green

Sacrificing style, convenience and utility for the sake of the Earth? That may not be necessary. Here comes a new breed of eco-friendly products that are functional, stylish and environmentally sound, to boot. From recycled clothes to biodegradable takeout coffee cups, eco-designers are diversifying green options so that we can throw away our Earth-polluting lifestyle. Armed with creative ideas and passion for the planet, they are a growing force, challenging the way products are conceived, prod

NationalFeb. 28, 2014

[Weekender] Eco-goods carve out niche

In line with global efforts to curb their ecological footprints, a growing number of businesses at home and overseas have been introducing products designed to last longer and reduce waste. Some toothbrushes naturally break down on their own, while a rocking chair powers a smartphone or lamp. Used coffee grounds, which would otherwise go in the trash, are transformed into mushroom compost, mugs and even lamp shades; old banners and car seat belts become stylish yet strong clothes and purses. Wha

Arts & DesignFeb. 28, 2014

[Weekender] Consumers to drive green market

Consumer pressure will mean that designers who incorporate green ideas into the way products are conceived, produced and consumed will prevail in future, according to Kim Dae-ho, author of bestsellers “Eco-Design” and “Eco-Creator.”From active recycling to zero waste disposal, people and businesses will value products that are designed in ways that harm the environment less and deliver more socially responsible messages, he said. Kim has identified a school of people who are motivated by environ

NationalFeb. 28, 2014

[Weekender] Biomimicry: Seeking answers from nature

The scene of a blind man walking along a street using a white cane may be a familiar sight, but these days his cane might have a secret edge ― an advantage made possible by a process that took place over tens of millions of years. The cane, developed by a U.K.-based company, is fitted with ultrasound emitters and detectors that mimic the echolocation ability of bats. The device uses ultrasound waves to detect obstacles ahead and above the user, beyond the cane’s reach, and vibrates to alert the

TechnologyFeb. 21, 2014

[Weekender] Learning through imitation

Explanations of biomimicry often begin with the Shinkansen bullet train in Japan.The train was successfully rocketing along at record speeds. But there was a hitch: When they exited a tunnel, they created a sonic boom because of air pressure differences.Engineers modeled the front of the train after the beak of a kingfisher, which moves rapidly and smoothly between air and water, massively reducing noise pollution. This is the classic image of biomimicry ― engineers and designers looking to natu

TechnologyFeb. 21, 2014

[Weekender] Saving our blue planet

Every day, thousands of factories gush smoke into the air and millions of cars gulp gasoline, with billions of people exhausting the limited resources on the solitary blue planet.Traditionally, human society has depended on the consumption of depletable assets, such as oil and coal. Like the mice in the book “Who Moved My Cheese,” people have just kept on using the resources in the false belief that they will somehow last. With side effects of economic growth such as the greenhouse effect, air p

TechnologyFeb. 21, 2014

[Weekender] The natural look

The Menelaus Blue Morpho is a curious creature. A butterfly of Central and South America, its wings have no pigment, but they shine in a brilliant, iridescent blue. This is because the surface structure of the wings gives them their color, which changes when viewed from different angles. “This natural process, which is called structural color, is caused by diffraction, interference and scattering of light on the surface structure,” said Hwang Kyung-hyun, a researcher at the Korea Institute of Ma

TechnologyFeb. 21, 2014