Escape from Camp 14By Blaine Harden(Viking)A number of rallies and hunger strikes have been taking place in front of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul since February, after it was revealed that the Chinese authorities planned to repatriate about 30 North Korean refugees to the North -- where they face harsh punishment and possibly execution.Amid the public criticism of Beijing in Seoul, former New York Times and the Washington Post writer Blaine Harden in March published “Escape from Camp 14,” a book

Books June 22, 2012

Abnormal men become presidents of the United States.The overweening self-confidence required to reach for the office, the preternatural discipline and effort of will needed to grasp it ― in another setting, these traits might be called pathological. Tracing the roots of abnormality becomes a recurring motif in presidential biographies: polio’s impact on Franklin D. Roosevelt, the death of John F. Kennedy’s eldest brother, the absent or dysfunctional fathers of Lyndon B. Johnson and Bill Clinton.

Books June 22, 2012

KOFIC’s new book explores Korea’s foray into Chinese movie marketWhile K-pop and Korean TV shows have been exerting a significant influence in Asia’s entertainment industry in the last decade, Korean cinema has been often excluded from the so-called “hallyu glory.”One of the major reasons behind the phenomenon is the ever-booming movie industry of neighboring country China. In 2010, China became the world’s third-largest maker of movies after the U.S. and India. It rolled out 558 feature-length

Film June 20, 2012

 ‘Chicago,’ ‘Hairspray’ to offer stirring entertainmentThis summer Seoul’s musical scene is packed with more top-name shows than ever.One of the most anticipated shows “Wicked” had a successful opening last month, while local production “Bungee-Jump” and the 1983 Broadway musical “La Cage aux Folles” are slated to kick off their first runs next month.Adding to the excitement is the opening of two big-name musicals this month ― “Chicago” and “Hairspray.” Both shows have been performed in Seoul be

Performance June 19, 2012

Gugak-themed theater fest features Lee Ja-ram, Yang Bang-eonOur music is here, our music is here.Yeowoorak, which is an abbreviation for the Korean sentence “Yeogi Woori Eeumagee Itda,” meaning “our music (gugak) is here,” is kicking off its third edition with some of today’s most acclaimed artists.The gugak-themed festival is directed by Korean-Japanese pianist Yang Bang-eon this year. A total of 13 artistic groups are participating ― comprised of both gugak artists and musicians from other mus

Performance June 18, 2012

Secretary-general of UNESCO Korea speaks on various conflictsincluding Arirang Prize controversyIn October of 2009, the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea officially announced it would abolish the UNESCO-Arirang Prize, terminating its funding for the prize. The award, first established in 2001, was created to honor individuals or groups who protect spaces or forms of traditional cultural expression, that are listed in the UNESCO “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanit

Performance June 17, 2012

Deranged (Yeongasi) (Korea)Opening July 5Thriller. Directed by Park Jeong-woo. Jae-hyuk (Kim Myeong-min) is an ordinary man in his 40s who works for a medical supplies company. One day, a number of dead bodies are found floating on the Han River. The public is even more shocked when they find out the men and women jumped into the water as if they were on drugs, as seen on CCTV footage. Experts discover there is an outbreak of fatal virus-infected horsehair worms. Once infected by the deadly para

Film June 15, 2012

“Lola Versus” is a conventionally unconventional romance in the modern mode, a comedy alternating between cute and crude and packing a heaping helping of self-affirmation into its 84 minutes.It’s got that “Where have I seen this before?” familiarity even as it updates an old formula with snappy and saucy one-liners.But best of all, it has Greta Gerwig, indie-film’s blonde-next-door. Gerwig (“Greenberg,” “No Strings Attached”) brings that hapless and unhappy neediness thing she does so well to Lo

Film June 15, 2012

By Yim Seok-jaeTranslated by Lee Jean-young (Ewha Womans University Press)It is easy to be mesmerized by the beauty of hanok, especially its tiled roof and “daecheong,” the wooden floor. What a lot of people don’t notice, however, is the charm of its humble-looking windows and doors, which are in fact strictly designed and built based on Confucian philosophy and values. Scholar Yim Seok-jae’s English-language book, “Windows and Doors: A Study of Korean Architecture,” offers an interesting overvi

Books June 15, 2012

Martin Sheen was a struggling 21-year-old stage actor when his first son, Emilio Estevez, was born. Sheen, seventh of 10 children in a family that knew him as Ramon Antonio Gerardo Estevez instead of his stage name, was more accustomed to having siblings than being a father. He felt more like a brother to Emilio, and that dynamic has defined their relationship to this day.In their new memoir, “Along the Way: The Journey of a Father and Son,” which was written with Hope Edelman, the two examine t

Books June 15, 2012

 Ko Hyun-jung’s first commercial film lacks laughs, focusIt all seemed promising in the beginning. After all, the movie was going to be actress Ko Hyun-jung’s first commercial flick. The popular actress, who has been dominating the local TV drama scene by playing nothing but powerful women, was going to be a social recluse in this highly anticipated comedy. She had heavyweight actors including Yoo Hae-jin and Park Shin-yang as her co-stars.But “Miss GO,” or “Miss Conspirator,” turned out to be a

Film June 14, 2012

Popular girl group 2NE1 is kicking off the first world tour for a Korean girl group, according to their agency YG Entertainment.The four-member group is starting the tour with Seoul concerts on July 28 and 29 at the Gymnastics Stadium, Olympic Park. They are slated to tour a total of 10 cities in seven different countries in Asia, Americas and Europe.  Since their debut in 2009, 2NE1 has enjoyed popularity at home and abroad, and are best known for their hip-hop sound, powerful choreography and

Film June 13, 2012

Jeonju International Film Festival programmer Yoo Un-seong’s sudden dismissal from his position has been branded by cinema devotees as unjust and political.Yoo, who had worked as JIFF’s programmer for eight years, claimed in a tweet that he was “unjustly” dismissed by the festival committee on June 5. The film critic, who started working as JIFF programmer in 2004, argues he was fired for remarks he made during a JIFF press conference last month which apparently enraged many Jeonju-based reporte

Film June 13, 2012

The restoration team of Seoul’s historic gateway Sungnyemun has begun the process of roof-tiling, the Cultural Heritage Administration announced Tuesday.The roof-tiling takes place after the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea pointed out last month that the cultural administration is not following the traditional architectural technique, and that therefore the gateway’s restoration may not be completed properly.  During a press meeting on Tuesday, the cultural administration said that the re

Performance June 12, 2012

‘Architecture 101’ and ‘Fashion King’ actor shares his thoughts on movies, and taking on different challengesNo one on Korea’s film scene has been busier than actor Lee Je-hoon in the last few months.The 28-year-old actor has been involved with two movies and one drama since last year. One of the movies, “Architecture 101,” in which Lee played a shy university student who suffers heartbreak over his first love, turned out to be a huge box office triumph after its release in March. Lee, who swept

Film June 11, 2012