American R&B singer-songwriter John Legend said he was happy to hold two concerts in Seoul on Tuesday and Wednesday. His visit to Korea is the first since he performed at the Olympic Hall in 2009.“The fans were incredible on my last visit to Seoul. I’m glad we’re doing two shows this time. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Legend said in an email interview.“I’ll perform a mix of songs from all of my

Performance April 18, 2011

Singer Yoo’s musical invited to open the Shanghai International Children’s Theater FestivalSinger Yoo Yeol did not really know that he would become a CEO of a musical company devoted to children until several years ago. However, since he established Yoo Yeol Company in 2006 to produce the children’s musical “The Bremen’s band,” the 50-year-old has drawn nearer and nearer to the thought that he cou

Performance April 18, 2011

Maestro Chung Myung-whun, music director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, said the Korean government should continually support the orchestra to help it advance to a world-class level.“If an orchestra wants to do better, it needs three things; the expertise of orchestra members, the expertise of the conductor and continuous support. In the history of Korean orchestras, none of them have really

Performance April 17, 2011

The architect-in-charge of the highly anticipated Seoul branch of the National Museum of Contemporary Art has admitted it will be smaller in size than had been originally planned. The museum is scheduled to open at the former Defense Security Command complex site, known as “Gimusa,” in central Seoul in 2013. “We are trying to find ways to secure as much space as possible underground that does not

Performance April 17, 2011

Oakwood Premier Coex Center SeoulThe hotel’s Genesis Business Center on the fifth floor offers the “All-day Meeting Room” package until May 31. The package includes complimentary coffee and cookies, a beam projector and the Internet. There are three meeting places at the Genesis Business Center. Meeting Room 1 is available for up to six people, Meeting Room 2, up to 18 people, and the Boardroom, u

Travel April 15, 2011

During the summer and autumn, North Gyeongsang Province and Gyeongju city will host an international cultural event to tell the story of Silla Kingdom (B.C. 57-A.D. 935), one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.Under the theme “The Story of Millennium ― Love, Light and Nature,” the 6th Gyeongju World Culture Expo will be held for 60 days from Aug. 12 to Oct. 10 at the Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park a

Travel April 14, 2011

Korea’s royal books, looted by the French navy in the late 19th century and kept by the National Library of France until recently, will be returning to their home country Thursday, the government said.The 297 books of “Uigwe,” or manuscripts for royal protocols created during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), will be delivered to the National Museum of Korea in four separate air transports. The firs

Culture April 13, 2011

The Shilla Seoul CEO Lee Bu-jin (Yonhap News)The Shilla Seoul on Wednesday apologized for banning a hanbok-clad customer from entering its restaurant, the Park View, which provoked fierce criticism in the nation’s cyber space.The controversy sparked when well-known hanbok designer Lee Hye-sun of Damyeon was reportedly banned from entering the Park View on Tuesday evening by a restaurant staff, who

Culture April 13, 2011

Concert tour schedules of foreign music artists in Korea have been rocked by last month’s massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan and local concert organizers claim they are finding it difficult to retrieve their sudden losses.To the big disappointment of rock fans here, concert organizer 9 Entertainment recently said that Beady Eye, the U.K. group consisting of Liam Gallagher and other former mem

Performance April 12, 2011

U.S. singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles said she is looking forward to visiting Seoul to hold her first concert in Korea, as she is already familiar with Korean culture.Bareilles plans to showcase her latest songs and familiar songs by other artists at the Hongdae V-Hall in Seoul on May 14 at 7 p.m. “I know that Korean food is amazing and I heard a lot from people who traveled around Korea that the

Performance April 11, 2011