A strong lineup of art shows are being offered this fall, more so than other seasons. With two big biennale events -- the Gwangju Biennale and Busan Biennale -- kicking off last week, major Korean museums and galleries have opened a plethora of exhibitions to attract the influx of international art professionals and local art lovers. Some of the more notable exhibitions are taking place in the tranquil art district of Samcheong-dong near Gyeongbokgung and the National Museum of Modern and Contem

Performance Sept. 8, 2016

Busan Biennale, one of the largest celebrations of contemporary art in Korea, opened on Saturday, bringing together more than 100 artists from 22 countries in the port city of Busan.　This year’s exhibition, themed with “Hybridizing Earth, Discussing Multitude,” highlights East Asian experimental art trends and their historical significance. The show is curated and presented by the curatorial team that consists of Korean, Chinese and Japanese curators.  Visitors view the Busan Biennale exhibition

Performance Sept. 2, 2016

Chinese actress Tang Wei gave birth to a healthy and beautiful baby girl, the actress revealed on her Instagram on Saturday. 　Tang, wife of Korean filmmaker Kim Tae-yong, uploaded a photo of herself with the Chinese caption, “To everyone, today I gave birth to a 3.41kg baby girl. She is very healthy.” 　According to local media reports, Tang gave birth at a hospital in Hong Kong.　Tang and Kim married in 2014 on the remote Swedish island of Faro. The two first met while filming “Late Autumn” in 20

Film Aug. 28, 2016

“Tunnel,” depicting a man’s struggle to survive in a collapsed tunnel, has topped the local box office chart for 18 days since its release, attracting more than 6 million cinemagoers, according to the Korea Film Council on Sunday. 　The film, which was released on Aug. 10, sold 6,026,910 tickets Sunday. It attracted 1 million viewers within the first three days of its release and 3 million within six days.  A scene from “Tunnel” (Showbox)　The film, directed by Kim Sung-hoon of the 2014 hit “Hard

Film Aug. 28, 2016

　Upon hearing about the choir’s careless preparation for the world premiere of his Eighth Symphony, Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, known for his drive for perfection, threatened to cancel the entire performance. 　　　Presenting the same vast work at the Lotte Concert Hall last Thursday, conductor Lim Hun-joung proved himself a worthy heir of Mahler’s demand for excellence.　　　Bringing together eight soloists, the 141-member Korean Symphony Orchestra, and 850 choral members under his baton, Lim in

Performance Aug. 28, 2016

Mediterranean promotion at Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Pangyo 　　Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Pangyo will be presenting the Mediterranean promotion at the hotel buffet MoMo Cafe from Sept. 1-Oct. 31. 　The promotion will offer guests a wide variety of classic Mediterranean dishes, including fresh Greek salad, grilled lamb chops, chicken and lentil stew, seafood paella, and more. 　The package starts at 37,000 won for lunch, and 49,000 won for dinner on Monday and Tuesday, and 69,000 won from Wednesd

Food Aug. 19, 2016

Water splash parade at Everland　 Everland is paying tribute to the days of summer this year as the amusement park and resort play host to the Summer Splash and Fantastic Summer Night festival. The festival is jam-packed with various programs like splash parades, fireworks and a 3-D mapping show held every night. 　During the day, guests can enjoy Jack’s Splash Parade, which sprays 84 tons of water from 40 water cannons and six floats, three times a day. Then later at night when the heat dies down

Travel Aug. 19, 2016

In the midst of this unusual heatwave, most locals tend to rely on the usual “go-to” summer foods in an attempt to cool off during these record-breaking temperatures. But, how many chilled noodle soups and chicken based dishes can one eat before the appetite starts craving something new?　　Abroad, salad is the summer “it” food and takes on many creative forms as a refreshing and cooling meal. A dish that requires little effort and zero heat to prepare, enjoying fresh raw greens and vegetables is

Food Aug. 19, 2016

Seoul Station　(Korea)　Opened Aug. 17　Animation, zombie. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho　The prequel to the box office hit “Train to Busan,” released last month and also directed by Yeon. This movie shows how the zombie apocalypse first started. A young runaway woman struggles to survive in a world where zombies may not be the most dangerous beings.　　　Star Trek Beyond　(US)　Opened Aug. 17　Sci-fi. Directed by Justin Lin　The USS Enterprise ship, carrying Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and members of his crew, i

Film Aug. 19, 2016

Theater"Kinky Boots": The mega hit Broadway musical Kinky Boots is making is way back to Seoul once again. Based on the book by Tony-winner Harvey Fierstein and with music and lyrics by Tony, Emmy and Grammy-winner Cyndi Lauper, the musical tells the true story Charlie Price who goes to oddly extreme lengths to save his father’s shoe factory. The local production will star Lee Ji-hoon, Kim Ho-young, Jung Seong-hwa and Kang Jong-seok. “Kinky Boots” will be staged from Sept. 02 to Nov. 13 at the B

Performance Aug. 19, 2016

MIRYANG, South Gyeongsang Province -- A rebel in his own right, Lee Yoon-taek is truly one of the country’s few remaining renaissance men -- he is a veteran South Korean playwright, theater director, poet, dramatist and producer. 　Born in Busan in 1952, Lee has been a pioneering figure in the local theater arts movement. For the past 20 years, he has created 16 plays and adapted 15 works.　Widely dubbed by the media as the “Cultural Guerrilla,” Lee has the undisputed reputation of having been a k

Performance Aug. 19, 2016

A new period drama series “Love in the Moonlight” staring Park Bo-gum and Kim Yoo-jung will kick off next week. 　The series follows the unlikely romance between a crown prince, played by Park, and an 18-year-old girl masquerading as a eunuch, played by Kim.  Actor Park Bo-gum and actress Kim Yoo-jung pose for a photo at a press conference on Thursday in eastern Seoul. (Yonhap)　“As soon as I read the script, I really wanted to get on board,” Park said at a press conference for the show Thursday i

Television Aug. 18, 2016