While political elites enjoy chef-made Italian pizza in the only pizza restaurant in North Korea, citizens of Pyongyang are learning through a DVD how to make pizza with tofu instead of cheese.London-based designer Kim Hwang is the man behind the tofu pizza DVD. He decided to teach North Koreans how to make pizza when he found out about the hypocrisy of the pizzeria that opened in Pyongyang during

Performance April 10, 2011

Universal Music Group International, which has prestigious label Deutsche Grammophon, expects that the Korean demand for classical music to grow faster in the coming years on the back of the country’s growing wealth and interest in the genre.“The first thing you need to invest in classical music is a market that is confident of growth. The second thing is an extremely accelerating level of wealth

Performance April 8, 2011

PyeongChang, a South Korean alpine town bidding for the 2018 Winter Olympics, made a presentation Thursday in front of members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and world sports leaders at an international sports meeting in London.PyeongChang, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul, held its presentation after its rivals ― Germany’s Munich and France’s Annecy ― at the ongoing SportAccord Con

More Sports April 8, 2011

(Author Shin Kyung-sook at a press conference in New York on Tuesday. Yonhap News)(The cover of Shin Kyung-sook’s “Please Look After Mom,” published by Alfred A. Knopf in the U.S. Yonhap News)Korean novel “Please Look After Mom,” written by Shin Kyung-sook and translated into English by Kim Chi-young, is making an impact internationally, entering the top 40 bestselling books on Amazon.com.The book

Culture April 8, 2011

JW Marriott SeoulOn April 22 and 23, DJ e_qnx will throw a “Shaky Night” party at Bar Rouge in the hotel from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. His live DJing will mix trance, progressive house and synthesized 70s and 80s retro from 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. A b-boy team performance and lucky draw for restaurant certificates will lead into midnight, and a hip-hop and electronic DJ mix will power the dance floor from 12

Travel April 8, 2011

PARIS (AFP) ― South Korean director Bong Joon-ho will chair the jury that picks the winner of the Camera d’Or prize for best first film at this year’s Cannes film festival, organizers said on Thursday.Bong, 41, whose films include “Barking Dog,” “Memories of Murder” and “The Host,” is no stranger to Cannes, having premiered his most recent feature “Mother” in its Un Certain Regard section in 2009.

Film April 8, 2011

Seoul Philharmonic signs long-term license agreement with Deutsche GrammophonSeoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s music director Chung Myung-whun said on Thursday the orchestra had inked a long-term license contract with Deutsche Grammophon.“It’s been six years since I took the helm of the SPO. Signing a contract with the world’s top classical music record label Deutsche Grammophon is a big step,” Chung

Performance April 7, 2011

German violinist to hold recital on May 3 in SeoulGerman violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter is coming to Seoul for the first time in three years to hold a recital on May 3 at the Seoul Arts Center’s Concert Hall. The Grammy Award winner’s upcoming concert is part of her Asia 2011 tour, taking place from April to May, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of her debut as a soloist in 1976 at the Lucerne Fest

Performance April 6, 2011

SYDNEY ― Funding for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism takes up about 1 percent of the Korea’s total budget this year, but spending should be doubled, Culture Minister Choung Byoung-gug said.“The cultural content industry is a new growth engine for the Korean economy and about 1 percent of the national budget should go to investment for cultural content development,” Choung told The Kore

Culture April 5, 2011

SYDNEY ― Korean Culture and Information Service’s Korean culture centers promoting Korean studies, culture and arts around the world need to know exactly what kind of information and content local visitors want, Culture Minister Choung Byoung-gug said in a meeting with Korean cultural center heads in Sydney, Australia.His comments came as directors of Korean cultural centers and culture & press co

Culture April 3, 2011

IP Boutique HotelThe hotel’s Café Amiga offers various new menus prepared with strawberries through May 31. The menus include flower and sprout bibimbap, strawberry juice, strawberries with cream and strawberry banana juice. Prices range from 9,000 won to 15,000 won. Other course menus and buffet bars for breakfast, lunch, and dinner are available at 18,000 won, 22,000 won and 29,000 won, respecti

Food April 1, 2011

First Korean Culture Center in Oceania to openSouth Korea and Australia plan to hold cultural events in Sydney next week to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties.The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said a delegation of Korean government officials including Culture Minister Choung Byoung-guk and Australian leaders in politics, culture and media will attend the cultural performan

Culture March 31, 2011