Following is the third in a series of articles on President-elect Park Geun-hye’s key advisers and close associates. ― Ed.Cultural figures and celebrities across various fields voiced their support for President-elect Park Geun-hye, contributing to her winning the presidential race last week. Those who publicly supported Park include some prominent figures in the literary circuit such as poet Kim Ji-ha, writers, producers, veteran actors and comedians. As the culture industry in general shows st

Culture Dec. 24, 2012

Theater“Miss Julie”: Swedish playwright August Strindberg’s 1888 naturalistic play “Miss Julie” is being staged as a musical by a Korea’s Street Theater Troupe. The show takes place in the summer of 1874, and tells the story of Miss Julie, a young noble woman, who secretly attends a party hosted by her servants. She is tired of the strict social mores of her noble family and flirts with one of the servants named Jean. Eventually, she is asked to run away with him. The show runs from Dec. 20 to J

Travel Dec. 21, 2012

GIRONA, Spain ― Many European backpackers on a budget have braved the world of the “budget” airline. As if draconian bag fees and cramped seating weren’t enough, many budget carriers serve satellite airports, dumping passengers far from their ultimate destinations. That means more time and euros spent on buses, trains and taxis.In the case of Girona, Spain, though, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.For travelers to Barcelona on Ryanair, Europe’s ubiquitous budget carrier, the quintessentially S

Travel Dec. 21, 2012

KAMLOOPS, Canada ― “It’s a true thing,” as my grandmother used to say. Luxury lodging is in the eye of the beholder.Whether it’s an inn, hotel, resort, even a campsite, all the assorted bits that meet to make a hotel feel like a home will never be to everyone’s taste. Colors and styles that speak to you might leave me yawning. And vice versa.But luxury comes in different flavors in Canada, where most land area is either lightly populated or wilderness. We’ve flown along the coasts and over the i

Travel Dec. 21, 2012

 The hotel presents a winter package designed for ladies through Feb. 28, 2013. Package I, for groups of up to four women, includes an overnight stay at a three-bedroom unit in the Grand Suite and is priced at 199,000 won. For groups of up to six, Package II provides a four-bedroom suite and is priced at 219,000 won. The packages also feature a diverse selection of snacks and beverages, including red and white wine, a 12-piece Hilton chocolate box, Lindt Chocolate, two bottles of imported beer,

Food Dec. 21, 2012

There is a long way to go for Korea to become a global design power house if it continues to offer little recognition to designers and doesn’t support them in developing their creative thinking, foreign design professors teaching in Korea said. At a graduation show of the master’s degree students at the International Design School for Advanced Studies, a school which fills half of its teaching staff with foreign professors, the design professors from abroad stressed that Korea needs to support y

Performance Dec. 20, 2012

 Pine trees are so common in Korea that Koreans use parts of the tree such as the needles and pollen for special dishes, as well as the timber for numerous purposes. But in the hands of Moon Bong-sun, an oriental painter who strives to preserve traditional drawing techniques and brush strokes, they each become one of a kind. Seoul Museum presents 20 ink-and-wash paintings of pine trees by Moon. The large pine tree paintings overwhelm viewers with their scale and symbolism. Pine trees represent s

Performance Dec. 19, 2012

Actor Lee Jung-jae will serve as a goodwill ambassador for the National Museum of Contemporary Art, museum officials said Wednesday. Lee is expected to promote exhibitions and major events at the museum and further promote Korean art to the world. His term ends September 2014.“Lee has been well known as an art collector and supporter of Korean art. He volunteered to act for the film made by Moon Kyung-won and Jeon Joon-ho, who were selected as artists of the year by NMOCA,” the museum said. Moon

People Dec. 19, 2012

Fraser Suites Insa-dong, Seoul hosted an opera night on Dec. 6 as part of its pre-Christmas celebration and to express gratitude to its long-term guests. The “Night at the Opera” featured famous songs from operas and Christmas carols sung by celebrated singers in Korea. The two-hour event featured performances by singer Choi Si-sun, soprano Yoon Ji-young and tenor Yang Seung-yeop, who captured the audience with stunning performances and beautiful and joyful voices in celebration of the Christmas

Travel Dec. 9, 2012

With the coming of winter (at least in the Northern Hemisphere), there sometimes comes a divide amongst travelers: Are you taking a warm winter getaway or a snow-filled adventure? What’s a couple to do if one traveler skis and the other half does not? In response to this traveling issue, many ski towns and resorts have made ramping up their activities for non-skiers as big a priority as providing great powder. In case one member of your party is more bunny slope than snow bunny, the editors and

Travel Dec. 7, 2012

The Herald-Donga TV Lifestyle Awards named actress Kim Nam-joo and actor Lee Jong-hyuk best dressed and awarded Samsung Electronics the grand prize for leading a paradigm change in technology and life. Kim received huge popularity for her role in the recent KBS weekend drama “My Husband Got a Family,” and Lee became a style icon for his role in the SBS drama “A Gentleman’s Dignity.”The awards ceremony held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on Wednesday also presented numerous awards to celebrities, socia

Culture Dec. 6, 2012

Young artists are giving a new twist to traditional Korean painting with unique styles in both presentation and technique. A variety of styles in traditional Korean painting have been explored by young artists who majored in Oriental painting as more strive to create something that better connects with the wider audience of today. Choi Hae-ri, 34, is holding a replica exhibition through which the artist intends to connect the past and the future with something familiar to the public at 16 Bungee

Performance Dec. 6, 2012

The Korea Society presents photographs taken by Korean realist photographers during the turbulent modern days of Korea for the first time in the U.S. The exhibition titled “Traces of Life: Seen Through Korean Eyes, 1945-1992,” depicts the details of people’s everyday lives during the critical period of transition in modern Korean history, offering fresh insight into Korean history and culture, as well as its photography. It features 54 original black-and-white photographs taken by prominent Kore

Performance Dec. 5, 2012