As summer is in full swing, many Seoulites are finding it hard to sleep at night without the air conditioner on.But the city offers a number of ways to escape the heat outside the house at night, from outdoor concerts to film screenings by the Hangang River. Here are some events and spots to check out to help you cool down, have fun, and relax. Outdoor concerts Seoul Arts Center is throwing free night concerts this month every Saturday at its spacious outdoor property. The four concerts feature

Culture Aug. 9, 2013

English teacher and author Bella Chung remembers a memorable encounter with one of her young students. The middle school student walked into Chung’s English class at Korea Herald English Institutes in central Seoul, looking rather miserable and uninterested. The girl attended an English immersion kindergarten in Korea as a kid, and apparently lost her interest in the language as she enrolled in elementary school. “She was very pretty but her face was stiff,” Chung said during an interview with T

Books Aug. 8, 2013

A day after major record labels YG Entertainment, S.M. Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and Star Empire Entertainment filed a complaint with Seoul Supreme Prosecutors’ Office claiming local digital music charts were being illegally manipulated, the Culture Ministry announced related countermeasures on Thursday.According to the complainants, the number of cases where firms were paid to illegally manipulate music chart rankings has been on the rise. The manipulators boost song rankings by playing

Performance Aug. 8, 2013

Popular actress, filmmaker, singer and artist Ku Hye-sun is to hold a solo art exhibition in Shanghai, according to her local agency YG Entertainment.The upcoming exhibition, scheduled to be held at the Korean Cultural Service Shanghai from Aug. 17 to 31, will feature some 20 artworks by Ku. The 28-year-old’s works are said to explore the themes of nostalgia and memories.On the opening day of the exhibition, Aug. 17, Ku will attend a special event where she will meet underprivileged children in

Aug. 7, 2013

The Korea Media Rating Board has lifted its ban on the screening of filmmaker Kim Ki-duk’s “Moebius” in Korea, after the director re-submitted the film twice and cut two minutes and 30 seconds from the original version. “Moebius” received an R rating, which prohibits teenagers under 18 from seeing the movie.The film initially received a “restricted screening” rating from the state-run rating agency in June, for its controversial subject matter ― especially for scenes that depict incestuous encou

Film Aug. 7, 2013

Japanese anime director Makoto Shinkai has a solid fan base in Korea, with his previous works “Voices of a Distant Star” and “Children Who Chase Lost Voices” well received by anime lovers here.To their delight, Shinkai’s latest film is hitting local theaters this week. Titled “The Garden of Words,” the 46-minute film premiered in Korea during last month’s Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival. Tickets for its screening sold out during the festival, and it received positive reviews from bo

Film Aug. 6, 2013

Popular actor Cha Seung-won’s son is to be investigated by police for sexual assault, Seoul Prosecutors’ Office announced on Monday.According to Seoul Prosecutors’ Office, an 18-year-old high-school girl recently filed a complaint against Noah Cha, claiming she was sexually assaulted by the 24-year-old multiple times while held captive in a property owned by his grandfather.The elder Cha offered his apology online on Saturday, saying he felt “responsible” as a father for the situation “regardles

Aug. 6, 2013

NOVUS Quartet, the first Koreans to receive an award at the Osaka International Chamber Competition, will perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s very last work, “The Art of Fugue,” on Thursday.Considered one of the most notable Korean chamber music ensembles, NOVUS Quartet is comprised of violinists Kim Jae-young and Kim Young-uk, violist Lee Seung-won and cellist Moon Woong-whee. The young musicians met each other while studying at the prestigious Korea National University of Arts.The upcoming perform

Performance Aug. 5, 2013

영화 ‘감시자들’이 개봉 17일만에 400만 관객을 돌파했다. 　3일 개봉한 범죄 스릴러 ‘감시자들’ (감독 조의석, 김병서) 은 19일 전국 관객 400만명을 넘어섰다. 이로써 ‘감시자들’은 ‘신세계,’ ‘베를린,’ ‘은밀하게 위대하게,’ ‘7번방의 선물’에 이어 올해 다섯번째로 400만 기록을 달성한 한국영화가 됐다.설경구, 한효주, 정우성이 호연한 ‘감시자들’은 지난 3일 개봉 이후 4일만에 100만 관객을 모았고, 7일만에 200만, 12일만에 350만명 관객을 차례로 넘어섰다. 특히 이번 400만 관객 기록은 지난 상반기 개봉 26일만에 400만 관객을 달성한 같은 장르의 범죄 액션 <신세계>보다 9일 앞선 성적이다.이번 기록은 브래드 피트가 주연한 좀비영화 ‘월드워 Z,’ 거대 로봇을 주인공으로 한 ‘퍼시픽 림’ 등 할리우드 블록버스터들을 제친 결과라 눈길을 모은다.‘감시자들’은 정체불명의 범죄조직을 쫒는 감시 전문가들의 숨막히는 추적을 담은 영화다. 전작에서 맑은 성품의

한국어판 July 19, 2013

영화배우 하정우 (35)가 두번째로 영화 연출에 도전한다.투자배급사 NEW는 12일 하정우가 감독 데뷔작 ‘롤러코스터’에 이어 중국 작가 위화(53)의 대표 소설을 바탕으로 한 영화 ‘허삼관 매혈기’를 연출한다‘ 고 밝혔다. 하정우가 주연과 연출을 동시에 맡는 것은 이번이 처음이다.위화가 1995년 발표한 ’허삼관 매혈기‘는 가족의 생계를 위해 피를 파는 남자의 이야기를 담은 작품. 1950년대부터 80년대까지 아우르는 이 소설은 대약진 운동, 문화대혁명 등 중국의 근현대사를 관통하는 서사시이기도 하다.중국의 대표적 소설가로 손꼽히는 위화는 2002년 중국 작가 최초로 제임스 조이스 기금을 받았고, 미국 반스 & 노블의 신인작가상 (2004), 프랑스 문화예술 훈장 (2004) 등을 수상했다. 그의 1993년 소설 “인생”은 1994년 중국의 장예모 감독에 의해 영화화 되어 많은 사랑을 받았다.하정우의 출연 작품들을 모두 보았다는 위화는 “여러 국가에서 영화화 요청이 있었으나 한국

한국어판 July 17, 2013

Hollywood actor Brad Pitt is scheduled to attend Tuesday’s Seoul premiere of his latest film “World War Z,” according to the movie’s local distributor Lotte Entertainment.Pitt, whose last visit to Korea was in 2011 upon the local release of his baseball flick “Moneyball,” is to attend a red carpet event on Tuesday evening at Cheonggye Plaza in central Seoul. It is not certain if his partner, actress Angelina Jolie, who accompanied Pitt during the European promotional tour of the film last week,

Film June 10, 2013

If you’re a movie studio with money to burn, summer is bonfire time.Almost every week there’s a new $200-million-plus production ― Warner Bros.’ “Man of Steel” and Paramount’s “World War Z” are the next budget-busters ― and it costs almost $100 million more to market such films. All of which makes Universal Pictures’ “The Purge,” a dystopian thriller costing a little more than $3 million ― with an ad campaign just above $20 million ― look like Jonah among so many whales.Art-house studios typical

Film June 7, 2013

Famed American record producer and trumpeter Quincy Jones is to perform in Korea for the first time.The 80-year-old is best known for producing Michael Jackson’s 1982 studio album “Thriller,” which has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. His upcoming concert, which is set to be held on July 25 at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul, is to feature a number of American singers, including R&B, pop and jazz music singer Patti Austin, singer-songwriter James Ingram and vocalist Siedah Gar

Performance June 7, 2013