More than 60 percent of Korean artists earn less than 1 million won ($878) per month, according to government figures. A 2009 Korea Culture and Tourism Institute report shows the average income of artists at 820,000 won and more than 30 percent reporting no income. All in all, pursuing art is a hard task without financial support from others ― more often than not, parents. This doesn’t change unless an artist hits the jackpot or sells works for record prices at auction. In the lifelong journey o

Performance July 10, 2013

Staying fit while traveling is more difficult than one thinks. For business and leisure travelers alike, the excuse of being away from their regular routines can make it easier to stray from one’s usual fitness regimen. One way to overcome the lax mindset is trying group exercise classes offered at your hotel. Hotels are stepping up efforts to offer efficient exercise programs in addition to the usual gym facilities. Utilizing a fitness program developed by Core Performance brand, Sheraton Seoul

Travel July 10, 2013

Seven Korean fashion designers will showcase their collections in world fashion hub New York during New York Fashion Week as part of the state-sponsored project that supports Korean designers in promoting their brands overseas. The selected designers are Kathleen Hanhee Kye (Kye), Kim Seoryong (Kimseoryong homme), Kim Hongbum (Cres E. Dim), Ko Tae-yong (Beyond Closet), Park Youn-soo (Big Park), Lee Suk-tae (Kaal E.Suktae), and Choi Bo Ko (Choiboko).Kathleen Hanhee Kye, Kim Hongbum and Choi Bo Ko

Arts & Design July 9, 2013

Park Chan-ho, the first South Korean baseball player to play in Major League Baseball in the U.S., was hailed as a hero during the gloomy days of the Asian economic crisis in the late 1990s. Despite retiring last year, Park still remains a sensational figure in the history of Korean baseball, having won 124 games in the majors during his 19-year professional baseball career.A new art exhibition at Seoul Museum pays tribute to the baseball hero, displaying his game-winning baseballs, uniforms, gl

Performance July 9, 2013

The chairman of CJ Group, Korea’s largest food and entertainment company, was arrested for alleged tax evasion and the creation of slush funds in late June. Chairman Lee Jae-hyun is under suspicions of dodging millions of dollars in taxes by stashing secret funds and misappropriating company funds. Some of the money was alleged to have been laundered through the purchase of artworks. For years, art transactions have been means for Korean conglomerates to create slush funds or evade taxes. Samsun

Performance July 8, 2013

Gallery DOS presents a solo exhibition of artist Choi Eun-hyea this week as part of the gallery’s special exhibitions for up-and-coming artists it selected for this year. Choi, one of the five selected artists, explores a subject that is rarely dealt with in painting ― the journey of light. Light, which largely remained an auxiliary element determining the tone of paintings, has emerged as an independent subject in paintings as contemporary artists explore diverse subjects for their works. The a

Performance July 8, 2013

Veteran actor Namgung Won joined a highly select group of acclaimed figures in the Korean film industry last week as he became a member of the National Academy of Arts, a state-run organization of Korean artists dedicated to promoting the development of arts in Korea. Namgung is only the second actor to become a member of the organization, after veteran actress Hwang Jeong-soon in 2006. The prestigious group of prominent cultural figures in Korea includes directors Kim Ki-duk, Im Kwon-taek and B

Culture July 7, 2013

After spending most of his week sitting at his desk, investment adviser Kim Jong-do sets off with a backpack once or twice a week to explore some of the seldom visited parts of Korea. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s a mountain or the seaside. I just pack light and leave,” said Kim, who recently starred in a survival program on cable channel TV Chosun. “I enjoy my time with nature and when it gets dark, I find a spot to spend the night.” His camping gear is basic: a rope, a small bush knife and a

Travel July 5, 2013

QUADRA ISLAND, British Columbia ― The shiny “Michael Jackson,” popular lately with fishermen, isn’t Ed Jordan’s first choice. Even the pink and yellow “Disco Party” ranks higher on his list of hoochies. But after hearing that another Campbell River fishing guide hooked a 32-pound king salmon on it, he’s reconsidering.“Take a look,” he tells me, idling the motor and rummaging through the tackle rack beside the wheel. Shaking his head, he unhooks a blue and green hoochie with silver sparkles and a

Travel July 5, 2013

Spanish modern art is being showcased in Korea extensively, featuring modern masters such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro and Salvador Dali and other famous contemporary artists. Two separate art exhibitions offer a comprehensive overview of Picasso’s artistic world at the Incheon Culture and Arts Center, and modern and contemporary Spanish artists at Seongnam Arts Center, shedding light on their works, which have made great contributions to modern and contemporary art in the 20th and 21st centuries

Performance July 4, 2013

Juun.J, one of the few Korean brands participating in Paris Fashion Week, has rolled out fresh spring and summer looks for 2014. The collection featured a mix of classic tailoring with sporty looks, challenging typical designs of menswear collections. The 38 pieces included variations of oversized sweatshirts with bold numbers emblazoned on them, high-waisted pants and photo-printed graphic sweatshirts. The spring and summer looks were put together under the theme “ununiform,” coined by the desi

Arts & Design July 3, 2013

Korean filmmaker Jung Young-heon won the best director award at the Moscow International Film Festival for his movie “Lebanon Emotion” on Saturday.The film was among 16 movies that received awards at the 35th edition of the festival, which started in 1959 as the biggest movie festival in Eastern Europe. “Lebanon Emotion” depicts the complex emotional changes of a man and a woman in both urban and rural settings. Despite its title, the film features no scenes based in Lebanon. The movie won the C

Film July 1, 2013

Many consider jewelry as merely an accessory, but a recently opened exhibition shows that it can also be art. Conceptual and experimental designs look very little like the everyday accessories worn by people today, but they have been recognized as works of art since the mid-20th century in the international art world. “Ornament and Illusion: Spectrum of Contemporary Jewelry” is the first jewelry exhibition organized by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea. “As art, jewelry i

Performance June 30, 2013

Two old Korean paintings, one given away as a gift, the other looted, finally returned to their home country and found new owners at an auction Wednesday in Seoul. A granddaughter of German businessman Carl Andreas Wolter, who established the first trading company in Korea in the early 1900s, brought back to Korea a painting that was presented to her grandfather by Emperor Gojong to be auctioned.On Wednesday the 10-panel folding screening was sold at 660 million won ($574,162) by Seoul Auction i

Performance June 27, 2013

Hotel (business), Imperial Palace SeoulImperial Palace Seoul is rising not only as a landmark hotel in the Gangnam area of Seoul, but also a convenient urban hotel that caters to the needs of international visitors to southern Seoul. The award-winning hotel has small and large halls that can host different meetings and conventions. The hotel was named “Favorite Business Hotel” by readers of Time Asia in the Travel Choice Awards in 2006 for the first time in Korea. The Dubhe Hall, decorated in a

Travel June 26, 2013