"Pansori," or Korean traditional narrative signing, gets a youthful makeover in the third edition of the National Changgeuk Company of Korea’s pansori concert “Peerless Pansori” which will take place at the National Theater of Korea's Daloreum Theater in early May. The "Peerless Pansori" project was launched in 2021 with the aim to create opportunities for young pansori singers to explore the music and mise-en-scenes with contemporary interpretations. T

Performance April 16, 2023

Although the reading population of Korean adults is less than half the total -- meaning over half of adults do not read a single book in a year -- unique independent bookstores are enjoying growing popularity. There were 815 independent bookstores nationwide in 2022, according to Dongneseojeom (Bookstores in Neighborhood), an independent bookstore recommendation service. It has been keeping track of the number of bookstores since 2015 in its annual trend report. The number has been steadily incr

Books April 15, 2023

"Becoming Wind to Survive" (working title) By Yu Ga-young Darun On April 16, 2014, Yu Ga-young, a 17-year-old student at Danwon High School recalls the day that shook the nation nine years ago. Yu is one of the 75 who survived the Sewol ferry disaster. The other 325 students did not return. “Everyone was at the cafeteria that morning, and suddenly we realized that the plates and desks were tilted,” she writes in her essay. One of her friends said, maybe it’s because t

Books April 15, 2023

"Hello Baby" By Kim Eui-kyung EunHaengNaMu Publishing Korea had the lowest birth rate among the OECD member states with a total fertility rate of 0.78 births in 2022, marking the lowest rate since 1970 when it was 4.53. The country continues to report more deaths than births due to its aging population in January. The government has allocated a large budget to address the issue but there is little attention given to infertile couples who desperately want children. “Hello Baby,&rd

Books April 14, 2023

"Takoyaki in the Undersea City" By Kim Chung-gyul Rabbit Hole What will happen when all the glaciers melt and lands are submerged? Will we be able to survive on water, or in water? A series of six short stories, titled “Takoyaki in the Undersea City,” depicts mankind who survive on water or underwater in a future dystopian world where all the lands have submerged and disappeared. “Adults were afraid of the sea,” the book says in the second story “A Dance w

Books April 14, 2023

To watch "Caveae," the latest production by the National Contemporary Dance Company, the audience had to enter the performance hall in an unusual way. The audience lined up in designated sections and were guided onto the stage through a passage that, on any other day, would only be used by staff members. On the dimly lit and slightly chilly stage, the dancers were already seated in the middle. The audience sat around in a seating area which was specially built for this performance, enc

Performance April 10, 2023

The classic ballet “Don Quixote” has been re-choreographed in the hands of the Korean National Ballet's emerging choreographer. Dancer-choreographer Song Jung-bin’s adaptation of “Don Quixote” will kick off Wednesday at the Seoul Arts Center's Opera Theater in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul. The show will run until Sunday. “It started with the question, ‘Why isn’t Don Quixote the main character in the ballet piece of his own name?’&rdquo

Performance April 9, 2023

Charles Darwin, an English naturalist and biologist, widely recognized for his contributions to evolutionary biology, published “The Origin of Species” in 1859. More than 160 years later, Darwin’s theory of evolution is still meaningful to us, said Professor Choe Jae-chun, a renowned expert in the field who received his doctorate in evolutionary biology from Harvard University. “Freud, Marx and Darwin are often cited as scholars who changed the 20th century. Among them, D

Books April 8, 2023

An exhibition featuring photographs of the Demilitarized Zone, led by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning Hyungwon Kang and six student photographers, will kick off at the Omae Gallery in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, Friday. In the exhibition titled “Forgotten DMZ,” Kang and six students from Joongbu University studying photography teamed up to capture the remnants of the war as well as the nature that ironically survived on the stage of an armistice. The seven went to Camp Greaves, a former US

Arts & Design April 6, 2023

The first part of Changdeokgung's biannual “Moonlight Tour” program will kick off on April 13. Foreign language guided tours will also resume after a three-year hiatus. The “Moonlight Tour” at Changdeokgung is a nighttime program where visitors can enjoy an evening stroll around the royal palace holding “cheongsachorong,” or a traditional lantern to light the way. Changdeokgung was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The guided tour is organi

Culture April 6, 2023

Famed ballerina Kang Sue-jin has been reappointed artistic director of the Korean National Ballet for the fourth consecutive term. “I’ve got a lot on my shoulders,” said Kang at a press conference held at the Seoul Arts Center, Seocho-gu, on Wednesday. “I have put in my best efforts so far, but I will continue to work with the dancers, members and staff to make the Korean National Ballet develop and soar in the international scene.” Kang joined the Stuttgart Ballet

Performance April 6, 2023

Veteran singer Hyun-mi has died at the age of 85, according to local police Tuesday. The president of Hyun-mi’s fan club found the singer collapsed on the floor in her home in Ichon-dong in Yongsan, central Seoul, on Tuesday morning. She was transported to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead. Yongsan police are currently investigating further details, but have not found any evidence of criminal or suspicious circumstances. Hyun-mi, whose original name is Kim Myeong-seon, was born in

Performance April 4, 2023

The third edition of the “Next Step” series of the National Dance Company of Korea, which aims to support emerging choreographers, is scheduled to unveil its final works in late April. Three choreographers selected in October last year -- two from the NDCK and one from outside of the organization -- have since been developing their own dance choreographies through comprehensive workshops with mentors from various fields including stage design, costume design, choreography and perform

Performance April 4, 2023

“Thinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live Better” By Ahn Woo-kyoung, translated by Kim Bo-ram Next Wave Media Step one: Watch a dance clip of BTS’ 2019 megahit “Boy with Luv” -- just six seconds of the easiest choreography moves over and over again. You can watch a slowed down version if you want. Step two: Now it’s your turn to do it. Do you think you have the dance down to do it yourself? In one of her classes at Yale, psychology professor Ahn Woo-kyoung c

Books April 1, 2023

“Shatter” By Gu Byeong-mo Wisdom House In Gu Byeong-mo’s bestseller “The Old Woman with the Knife,” a 65-year-old female assassin named Hornclaw struggles to accept that she is past her prime -- she remains a ruthless and efficient killer. But everyone must have a beginning. In this short story, “Shatter,” a prequel to the thriller-action, readers get a glimpse of Hornclaw’s past and how she was trained in her teens by an unnamed man to become the

Books March 31, 2023