Baritone Kim Ju-taek, also known as Julian Kim, is a singer recognized beyond the Italian opera scene, even by non-classical music audiences in Korea. Kim is to perform in opera concert “Barber of Seville” in March, as part of art management agency Arts&Artists’ opera concert series.　 He is exceptionally attached to the opera piece as he made his official debut as Figaro in “Barber of Seville” at Teatro G.B. Pergolesi in Jesi, Italy in 2009, Kim, 33, said. &

Performance Feb. 18, 2020

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra kicked off a new beginning over the weekend with Mahler’s symphony “Resurrection,” under the baton of new music director Osmo Vanska. Vanska, 67, was appointed as SPO music director last May. On Friday and Saturday, the Finnish conductor held his inaugural concerts at the Lotte Concert Hall in eastern Seoul, presenting Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in C minor “Resurrection.”   From the very start, the maestro was bold. Instead

Performance Feb. 17, 2020

Kang Eun-il’s upcoming concerts seek to remind all daughters that they are precious. The artistic director of Seoul Donwhamun Traditional Theater is a renowned player of haegeum, a traditional Korean two-string instrument. She is also recognized for her crossover music featuring haegeum. On Saturday and Sunday, Kang will present five new original works in concerts titled “Ancient Futures: Stories of My Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother” at Arko Arts Theater in Seou

Performance Feb. 16, 2020

The former Seoul Station building -- now Culture Station Seoul 284 -- has been transformed into a hotel complex for an exhibition. With the building symbolic of Korea’s shift to modernity, the exhibition “Hotel Express 284,” organized by the Korea Craft & Design Foundation, highlights the venue as a place where voyages start.  Foreigners flooded into Seoul after the opening of ports in thelate 19th century. Their need for accommodation marked the beginning of hot

Arts & Design Feb. 14, 2020

Strawberry desserts at Mayfield Hotel With spring just around the corner, Mayfield Hotel’s Royal Mile presents the Strawberry Afternoon Tea set until April 30. The set features eight berry-themed desserts, such as tiramisu, tarte, macarons, sandwiches and scones. Guests will also be offered two different varieties of Tavalon tea. Priced at 53,000 won, the set will be available daily from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information or reservations, call Royal Mile at (02) 2660-9050. Swe

Food Feb. 14, 2020

Jindo Miracle Sea Road Festival The Jindo Miracle Sea Road Festival will be held April 8-11. The island in South Jeolla Province is known for its indigenous Jindo dogs. The Jindo Miracle Sea Road is a 40-meter-wide, 2.8-kilometer-long path connecting two separate islands. It only appears for approximately an hour during extremely low tides. Open to visitors of all ages, the festival draws over 500,000 visitors every year. Admission is free. For more information in Korean, English, Japan

Travel Feb. 14, 2020

Though walking on water may not be possible, dancing on water is -- if you board the cruise music festival “It’s the Ship” this summer in Busan. The festival is a four-day-long journey of Electronic Dance Music party, held on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean. This summer, for the first time, it will sail the waters off the shores of South Korea, Aug. 28-31, making a round trip to Fukuoka, Japan. Launched in Singapore 2014 by an event management company, Livescape Gr

Performance Feb. 13, 2020

For Park Jong-seong, the harmonica is a sophisticated instrument with great versatility. The 34-year-old is a harmonica player, a rare profession in the local music scene. Although many pick up the instrument as a hobby, especially seniors, the number of professional harmonicists remains limited. Park is therefore unique, having won awards at international competitions in Japan, China and Germany. He has also released three solo albums. The third album, released in 2019, includes harmoni

Performance Feb. 12, 2020

Filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s dark comedy “Parasite” not only ruled the Oscars with its four wins, but also dominated social media, being the subject of more tweets than any other film from the event. “Parasite” won four awards at the Oscars: best picture, best director, best international feature film and best original screenplay. It was the first foreign language movie to win best picture in the 92-year history of the annual film event.  Since Jan. 13, when th

Film Feb. 11, 2020

Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho made history with his feature film “Parasite,” winning four awards at the Oscars on Sunday, including the coveted award for best picture. “Parasite” became the second film ever to win the Palme d’Or and the Oscar for best picture together, after the 1955 romance film “Marty” by Delbert Mann.   The awards ceremony for the 92nd Academy Awards was held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday. Attended by renowned f

Film Feb. 10, 2020

While filmmaker Bong Joon-ho made history with “Parasite” by winning the best picture award at the Oscars -- first non-English language film to get the honor and the first time in the event’s 92-year history that a foreign film has won four awards in a single night -- Lee Mi-kyung, vice chairwoman of CJ Group, thanked the Korean audience for their “straightforward opinions.”   Lee, also known as Miky Lee, is the executive producer of the film. “I would

Film Feb. 10, 2020

Filmmaker Bong Joon-ho of “Parasite” won the best director at the 92nd Oscars held in Los Angeles, Monday. 　 “After winning (the best international feature), I thought I was done for the day and was ready to relax,” Bong said in his acceptance speech. “When I was young and studying cinema, there was a saying that I carved deep into my heart, which is ‘the most personal is the most creative,’” he said. “That quote came from our great Marti

Film Feb. 10, 2020

After clinching the Oscar for best international feature, filmmaker Bong Joon-ho of “Parasite” said he is “very ready to drink.” The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently changed the name of the category from “best foreign language film” because the old name was seen as outdated. 　 　 “The category has a new name now, from foreign language film to international feature film. I am so happy to be its first recipient under the new name,&rdq

Film Feb. 10, 2020

South Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won of “Parasite” won the best original screenplay award at the Oscars on Sunday. “It is a lonely job to write a film script. I am not writing to represent Korea, but it is the first Oscar to South Korea,” Bong said in his acceptance speech at the ceremony. “I thank my wife, who always inspired me, and the ‘Parasite’ actors who beautifully delivered the lines on screen.”   Bong shared the honor wi

Film Feb. 10, 2020

A mother featured in an MBC documentary featuring her eight-month journey to reunited with her dead child through virtual reality has gone offline, saying she needed a break from the publicity. The mother, Jang Ji-seong, felt she had to shut down her blog, the producer of the documentary said on a radio show Friday. A video clip of the show uploaded on YouTube by the production team had garnered 6 million views as of Sunday. The production stemmed from the idea that VR technology can a

Television Feb. 9, 2020