“A Simple Murder” By Eleanor Kuhns (Minotaur) During the mid-19th century, the Shakers were the largest and most successful utopian group in existence, with tight-knit communities scattered throughout the Northeast and in Kentucky. The religious sect, which began in England during the late 1700s, stressed equality of the sexes, pacifism and hard work. Sexual relations, even among married couples, were forbidden, making it a difficult religion for many to follow.Today, the Shakers are mainly reme

Books May 18, 2012

Sandwiched between two respected Texas historians on a hard church pew, the compact Englishman looks nervous, stroking his stubbled chin as he eyes 60 or so people crowded into the Buffalo Gap Chapel waiting for the sound of that voice they couldn’t have escaped hearing over the last 40 years.Never mind that he’s performed before crowds a thousand times bigger, sold a gazillion records, won Grammys and an Academy Award. British singer and drummer Phil Collins is fidgeting because he’s about to g

Books May 18, 2012

  State-run institute also plans to translate Korean works of genre fictionThe Korea Literature Translate Institute announced on Tuesday they will select 15 local writers and support them with publishing their works overseas.The 300 million-won ($257,000) project consists of translating excerpts from the selected writer’s works of fiction and sending them to literary agencies in foreign countries, especially the U.S. The institute is to announce the selected writers by the end of this year. “The

Books May 18, 2012

'Taste of Money’ to compete at Cannes film fest along with Hong Sang-soo’s ’In another Country’Regardless of whether or not director Im Sang-soo has met any real-life chaebol families, this is how he imagines their lives to be in his latest drama: They have a Philippines-born housemaid, are ruthlessly immoral, commit murder with no shame, speak Korean with a smattering of English, and are utterly unhappy. Just a couple of days before the opening of this year’s Cannes film festival, Im’s “Taste o

Film May 17, 2012

‘Taste of Money’ to compete at Cannes film festival along with Hong Sang-soo’s ‘In Another Country’Regardless of whether or not director Im Sang-soo has met any real-life chaebol families, this is how he imagines their lives to be in his latest drama: They have a Philippines-born housemaid, are ruthlessly immoral, commit murder with no shame, speak Korean with a smattering of English, and are utterly unhappy.Just a couple of days before the opening of this year’s Cannes film festival, Im’s “Tast

Film May 17, 2012

Standard Chartered Korea sponsors exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in time for OlympicsA total of 34 Korean contemporary artists have been selected for an upcoming “Korean Eye” exhibition in London, which will be held at the Saatchi Gallery from July 29 ― just in time for the summer Olympic Games. The exhibition, sponsored by Standard Chartered Korea, a leading global financial group, presents some 100 works by 34 established Korean artists, including Ahn Chul-hyun, Kang Hyung-koo, Moon Beom, B

Performance May 16, 2012

New secretary-general Seok talks about roles of Korea, Japan and China in facing historyNortheast Asian History Foundation, a state-run research institute, aims to facilitate historical reconciliation and further regional cooperation among Korea, Japan and China through continuous research, the organization’s newly appointed secretary-general said. “There are no institutions like the Northeast Asian History Foundation in China and Japan,” said Seok Tong-youn, who was appointed secretary general

Culture May 14, 2012

Director of ‘Love Letter’ criticizes Japanese media’s coverage of the nuclear disasterFor those used to seeing Iwai Shunji’s sentimental romantic films such as “Love Letter” and “Hana and Alice,” his latest film may come as a surprise.The film, titled “Friends after 3.11,” is a documentary with no fictional narrative. The anti-nuclear film deals with the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, and Shunji’s own friends who were affected by the catastrophic event. “I’m a filmmaker but I’m also a human

Film May 14, 2012

A guide to appreciating Korean tea and culture It’s been almost a month since the first picking of green tea leaves took place in Korea. For those who are familiar with the well-known tea cultures of India, China, or Japan, it may be a surprise to discover Korea also has a rich history of tea ceremonies. Known as “darye” in Korean, the ceremonies have been practiced for some 2,000 years, since the time of the ancient Gaya Kingdom (A.D. 42-562).May is the perfect month to enjoy all aspects of Kor

Culture May 11, 2012

Granny is in 1st Grade (Korea)Opening May 24Drama. Directed by Jin Gwang-gyo. Nan-ee, a 70-year-old illiterate woman, lives with her granddaughter in her rural hometown. She has just lost her son to a car accident and is still grieving. One day, Nan-ee finds out her late son had left her a letter while he was alive. Anxious to find out what’s in the letter, Nan-ee decides to learn how to read and write for the first time in her life. At first, she makes her 7-year-old granddaughter, Dong-ee, tea

Film May 11, 2012

There’s one thing everyone will be able to agree on regarding Tim Burton’s cinematic reimagining of the old TV series “Dark Shadows”: This isn’t your mother’s gothic soap opera.The original, which ran from 1966 to 1971, smashed the daytime-TV mold by introducing cool supernatural storylines into the usual heat of love triangles and broken hearts. Long before staid afternoon dramas like “General Hospital,” in order to attract young viewers, juiced up their storylines with fantastical elements, an

Film May 11, 2012

Lee Jong-wook: A Life inHealth and Politics(WHO, KOFIH)A biography of the late Lee Jong-wook, who served as the director-general of the World Health Organization from 2003 to 2006, has been published in English.The publication of the book was jointly funded by the WHO and Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH). It was written by Desmond Avery, a former editor of the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, who also worked as Lee’s speech writer during his years as the director-g

Books May 11, 2012

A newly discovered hand-written letter of Joseon’s most celebrated naval commander Admiral Yi Sun-sin has confirmed his efforts to establish military ties with China’s Ming Dynasty during the Japanese invasions of Korea, said a scholar on Thursday. “The letter is the only written record that shows that Yi tried to forge ties with the Ming Dynasty’s navy during the war,” said Lee Sang-hoon, the chief curator of Korea Naval Academy Museum, who has been studying the document since February. “It rev

Performance May 10, 2012

Jeremy Rifkin says Korea can play leading role in ‘third industrial revolution’From renewable energy to world-class IT and shipping companies, Korea seems to “have it all” for the “Third Industrial Revolution,” said a renowned American scholar. Jeremy Rifkin, economist and best-selling author, said South Korea can play a key role in leading the development of a green economic infrastructure in Asia, and urged the Seoul government to take further actions to make it a reality. “I do want to applau

Books May 9, 2012

CEO-director Yoon Je-kyoon and filmmaker Lee Myeong-se battle over 10 billion won filmProduction company JK Film on Monday filed a copyright lawsuit against director Lee Myeong-se, who dropped out of a big budget movie project last month.The lawsuit is aimed at regaining the copyright of the 10 billion won ($8.8 million) movie, titled “Mister K,” from Lee, who “illegally and secretly registered” himself as its copyright holder in April, according to the production house. The legal battle was spa

Film May 8, 2012