Amid the well-being trend and the rise of conscious consumerism, urban apiaries have started mushrooming in Korea as people seek different and eco-friendly ways of spending. Instead of buying branded honey which is rich in sugar ― business insiders secretly admit that some bees are fed sugar for cost efficiency ― Koreans have started installing beehives on rooftops to attract wandering bees in the bustling city center and give them some honey.Park Jin, head of Urban Bees Seoul, and Fraser Dohert

Industry Dec. 24, 2015

Last week’s hike in U.S. interest rates, the first in nearly a decade, has ended an era of ultraeasy money in the world’s largest economy that is now deemed to have gone beyond the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.Emerging market countries, many of which have been considered particularly vulnerable to the impact of a U.S. rate rise, seemed barely rattled by the widely expected move.The initial response, however, cannot be allowed to ease concerns about the threat to be posed by a tightenin

Dec. 24, 2015

What happens when an orchestra conductor marries his violinist, who leaves him for a trumpet player, then ends up falling for a harpist -- only to find out his estranged wife wants to reconcile? The basic premise of Japanese author Koki Mitani and composer Takayuki Hattori’s musical “Orchestra Pit” may sound befuddling, but its combination of light-hearted humor and up-tempo musical interludes make it a refreshing departure from other blockbuster musicals whose scores and lyrics have been memori

Performance Dec. 24, 2015

Kim Bong-mee conducts the Herald Philharmonic Orchestra, which is slated to hold its year-end concert on Dec. 27 at the Inje Cultural Foundation’s Grand Concert Hall in Inje, Gangwon Province. (Korea Herald file photo)Continuing its forging of orchestral-based, genre-hodgepodge reinterpretations of widely recognized repertoires, the Herald Philharmonic Orchestra will present its final concert of the year on Sunday. Under the baton of Kim Bong-mee, the Herald Phil’s year-end performance will be h

Performance Dec. 23, 2015

The Academy of Korean Studies on Tuesday unveiled its latest publication series on Korea‘s 70-year history since its liberation from Japanese colonial rule.The new anniversary series consists of six volumes dealing with the past seven decades of Korea from different perspectives: diplomacy, security and unification; environment; culture; education; politics; and economy.  The Academy of Korean Studies’ latest publication series on Korea’s 70-year history since its liberation from Japanese coloni

Culture Dec. 22, 2015

The once hugely popular 1990s electropop duo Turbo has made its much-awaited return to the spotlight after 15 years -- only this time around, Turbo has returned as a trio.Kim Jung-nam and Kim Jong-kook, reuniting with past member Kim Jung-nam, have joined the ranks of g.o.d and Seo Taiji as ’90s music icons making a comeback to today’s K-pop scene, with the Turbo members dropping the 19-track comeback album “Again” on Monday. Members of the ’90s band Turbo pose during a press conference at the R

Performance Dec. 22, 2015

iKON (YG Entertainment)YG Entertainment’s latest boy band iKON is preparing its first studio album release, which will feature a track cowritten and composed by fellow labelmate artist G-Dragon, one of the biggest figures in K-pop. The boy band’s upcoming track “I Miss You So Bad” was written in collaboration with G-Dragon and iKON rappers B.I and Bobby, and composed by G-Dragon and Dee.P.The track marks the first time that K-pop veteran G-Dragon has written and composed a song for an artist out

Performance Dec. 20, 2015

Lee Na-young (left) and Won Bin. (Eden 9)Seven months after tying the knot at their quiet Gangwon Province wedding, celebrity couple Won Bin and Lee Na-young have welcomed their first child. Their baby boy was reportedly born Saturday at a hospital in Gangnam, Seoul. “Lee Na-young has given birth to a son, and the mother and child are both very healthy,” said a representative from Lee’s managing agency. Won and Lee married on May 30 in a low-key wedding, which many in the public eye referred to

Performance Dec. 20, 2015

Joo Young (Starship Entertainment)Representatives at K-pop management agency Starship Entertainment announced Saturday that its solo singer-songwriter Joo Young had enlisted in the military last month. “Joo Young enlisted on Nov. 26. After going through four weeks of basic training, he will be fulfilling his services as a public welfare solider for two years,” the agency said in a statement.  Joo Young, 24, first made his debut as a R&B soloist in 2010 with his EP “Same as You.” Although still r

Performance Dec. 20, 2015

Following this year’s Kumho Art Hall Rising Star series participant Christel Lee’s victory at the International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition earlier this month, the series’ musicians are continuing to snag international accolades. Supported by the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation, the “Kumho musicians” dominated this year’s 9th International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in Novosibirsk, Russia, Tuesday, taking home first place for both violin and piano.  Violinist Kim Dong-hyun

Performance Dec. 16, 2015

Since publishing its first issue in 1888, National Geographic has captured the hearts of millions, making it one of today’s oldest continuous publications.With its dedication to showcasing the stories of the world, it has earned a reputation for having some of the most iconic and recognizable photographs that define the times. The National Geographic archive is in a league of its own, inspiring generations of photographers, both professional and amateur. A photograph of the Gomateshwara Bahubali

Performance Dec. 15, 2015

At a time when rhythm and blues music was virtually nonexistent in the Korean music scene, Solid, the now-defunct vocal trio of Korean-American singers, became one of the pioneering forces of Korean soul with its debut in 1993.  Former Solid members Kim Jo-han, Jeong Jae-Yoon and Lee Joon, whose debut album was aptly titled “Give Me a Chance,” are, to this day, still regaled as among the country’s most influential figures in introducing the R&B genre to Korean listeners. Solid was short-lived. T

Performance Dec. 11, 2015