Paju Book City, home to some 260 local publishing houses in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, won a prestigious book award in the United Arab Emirates last month.The Korean book town won the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, one of the most prestigious book-themed awards in the Arab world, for its “contribution to technology in the field of culture.” The book city won 225 million won in prize money. The award was established in 2006 in commemoration of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who served as the presiden

Books April 24, 2012

Annual event celebrates work of Baek and 4 other writers born 100 years agoIt has been 100 years since Korea’s beloved poet Baek Seok (1912-1973) was born. “No poet in history holds a comparable position in Korea,” said literary critic Hwang Gwang-soo, who attended a press meeting on Tuesday in Seoul to share his plans for an upcoming event commemorating the poet’s life. “Because he chose to move back to his hometown, which is located in North Pyeongan Province of North Korea, after the Korean W

Books April 24, 2012

The 13th Jeonju International Film Fest features 184 films from 42 countriesFamous for its delish bibimbap and beautiful hanok village, Jeonju is making its name as one of the most popular tourist spots in southern Korea.The capital of North Jeolla Province hopes to attract movie buffs from around the world this week ― on top of its regular visitors ― by throwing its famous annual movie bash.A total of 184 films from 42 countries will be featured during the upcoming 13th Jeonju International Fil

Film April 23, 2012

Opening May 17Drama. Comedy. Directed by Min Kyu-dong. Doo-hyeon (Lee Sun-kyun) is unhappily married to Jeong-in (Im Soo-jung), his beautiful yet ill-tempered wife. After enduring Jeong-in’s unpredictable and eccentric behavior, Doo-hyun desperately seeks ways to divorce her. The timid husband is too afraid to bring up the topic of separation to his bad-tempered wife. Instead, he decides to hire a womanizer to romance her -- hoping she will ask for a divorce once she falls in love with the man.E

Film April 20, 2012

“The Lucky One” is a like a corny old silent movie to which someone made the mistake of adding sound. Based on one of Nicholas Sparks’ overripe romance novels, it’s about a stoic, sensitive man who falls for a beautiful, but wounded woman, who must escape from the iron grip of her violent ex-husband.For good measure, the movie also includes some hambone Hallmark-style narration about destiny and luck and choosing the right path in life, along with a few sun-baked shots of dogs romping through th

Film April 20, 2012

Rising from their seats en masse, the liberal faithful at Beverly Hills’ Saban Theatre greeted Rachel Maddow like parishioners welcoming a mega-church pastor.Cellphone cameras flashed like fireworks. Lusty, and perhaps a few lustful, cheers cascaded from the Art Deco mezzanine.Bill Maher, the interviewer at Tuesday night’s Writers Bloc public chat, turned to Maddow as they took the sold-out theater’s stage. How much of that do you think was for you, and how much was for me? Maher joked.No offens

Books April 20, 2012

Director Im Sang-soo’s drama “Taste of Money,” and director Hong Sang-soo’s “In Another Country,” which stars French actress Isabelle Huppert, are in the running for a prize at the upcoming 65th Cannes Film Festival.This marks director Hong’s eighth appearance at Cannes, and his third time being invited to the festival’s competition section ― after his 2004 drama “Woman is the Future of Man” and the 2010 drama “Hahaha.” The 2010 film won the Prix Un Certain Regard at the festival that year. Dire

Books April 20, 2012

Veteran singers get together  for a special project Veteran singer Patti Kim has never been so fond of the idea of publishing her biography, up until the idea of working with her famous colleague popped up.“I’ve been asked to publish a book about myself for the last 20 years, but the idea never really appealed to me,” said the 74-year-old diva during a press meeting in central Seoul Wednesday. “But when my staff members suggested the idea of working with Jo, I thought, well, that may actually wo

Performance April 19, 2012

Lead singer of Boney M. to protest Beijing’s forcible repatriation of North Korean defectors Just a year after the box office triumph of Korea’s retro flick “Sunny,” the legendary European disco band behind the movie’s title track made its second visit to Seoul ― this time for the serious cause of protecting the human rights of North Korean refugees. Liz Mitchell, one of the original members and lead singer of Boney M. ― the German-based vocal group that dominated the 1970s disco era ― is in Seo

Performance April 17, 2012

Former Finance Minister Jin Nyum has been appointed the new director of the Academy of Korean Studies, the state-run research and educational institute announced Monday.Jin, who served as the deputy prime minister and minister of economy and finance from 2001 to 2002, worked as one of the senior advisers to Samjong KPMG — one of the country’s largest accounting firms — and a chair professor at Chonbuk National University, prior to being appointed as the new director of the AKS. A graduate of Seo

Performance April 17, 2012

Syrian play ‘Can  You Please Look  at the Camera’  premieres in SeoulAside from producing the show in secret in Damascus, Syrian director Omar Abu Saada and his six-member troupe had to fly to the other side of the world to showcase their politically-conscious play for the first time.The troupe’s piece, “Can You Please Look at the Camera?” deals with the ongoing Syrian uprising against current President Bashar al-Assad and his regime, and the real-life case of protestors who were imprisoned whil

Performance April 16, 2012

National Museum  restores two Joseon paintings owned by  the British MuseumIt’s a sunny Wednesday afternoon, and the office of the National Museum of Korea’s conservation team is busy. Located on the first floor of the National Museum, the high-ceiling office specializes in restoring damaged paintings and prints.The process is arduous. A large painting from the late Joseon period is on the table, and two scholars, dressed in doctor-like gowns, are leaning over the piece. Using their tweezers and

Performance April 13, 2012

Traditional accommodation offer rare experience in urban SeoulTucked away in a corner of the artsy district of Samcheong-dong, central Seoul, guesthouse Soriwool is a rare place to be.Located near Gyeongbokgung, the main Joseon palace, the hanok guesthouse offers a unique “gugak” ― traditional Korean music ― experience, on top of its serene traditional architecture. Whether you are a Seoulite who is used to the city where apartment complexes dominate the landscape, or a tourist visiting Korea f

Culture April 13, 2012

Everything about My Wife (Korea)Opening May 17Drama. Comedy. Directed by Min Kyu-dong. Doo-hyeon (Lee Sun-kyun) is unhappily married to Jeong-in (Im Soo-jung), his beautiful yet ill-tempered wife. After enduring Jeong-in’s unpredictable and eccentric behavior, Doo-hyun desperately seeks ways to divorce her. The timid husband is too afraid to bring up the topic of separation to his bad-tempered wife. Instead, he decides to hire a womanizer to romance her -- hoping she will ask for a divorce once

Film April 13, 2012

The sound of “nyuk, nyuk, nyuk” will be heard across the land when “The Three Stooges” ― the Farrelly brothers’ long-awaited tribute to the slapstick comedy legends ― opens Friday, introducing the trio to a new generation of knuckleheads. Although Western civilization has long been divided by certain insoluble cultural questions (Ketchup or mustard? Betty or Veronica? Toilet paper ― over or under?), there’s never really been any question about which Stooges to bring to the big screen.“You can’t

Film April 13, 2012