CEBU, Philippines ― There are many reasons to choose a resort island as a holiday destination. If one’s ideal holiday consists of reading books on the beach and swimming in the ocean, staying at a good resort will be the first choice. But for those looking for a more dynamic experience, staying on a remote island might leave something to be desired. The islands of Cebu and Bohol in the Philippines have plenty to offer to satisfy travelers seeking a holiday that’s both relaxing and dynamic. The n

Travel June 7, 2013

A rare exhibition that compares the culture of wrapping cloths of Korea and Turkey will be held next week in the Turkish capital Ankara, as part of the celebration of the year of cultural exchange between the two countries. The exhibition, scheduled to be held from June 12 to July 27 at the State Art and Sculpture Museum in Ankara, presents a rare collection of Turkish wrapping cloth “bohca” along with Korean “bojagi.”  “We always thought the culture of wrapping cloth was unique to Korea and Jap

Performance June 5, 2013

Korean fast fashion brands are expanding overseas, hoping that tailoring items for Asian consumers will be a winning strategy. Korean fashion retailer E.Land Group has taken an aggressive lead, opening Japanese and Chinese stores of its women’s apparel brand Mixxo in March and May, respectively. In China, Mixxo has stores in Super Brand Mall in Shanghai, a prime retail spot, directly competing with fast fashion brands such as Spain’s Zara, Sweden’s H&M and Japan’s Uniqlo. Riding on the back of K

Arts & Design June 4, 2013

Psy became the new face of Korea tourism in a series of new TV commercials promoting Korean culture to a global audience. The 15-second TV commercials started airing Monday on major TV networks in places with the highest numbers of visitors to Korea, such as Japan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, as well as global TV channels, including CNN, Discovery and National Geographic. The commercials are also available to watch on YouTube and Facebook.  “Psy is a cu

Television June 3, 2013

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― There’s a new breed of dog in U.S. airports. They aren’t sniffing for drugs or bombs ― they’re looking for people who need a friend, a belly to rub or a paw to shake.The dogs are intended to take the stress out of travel ― the crowds, long lines and terrorism concerns.“His job is to be touched,” volunteer Kyra Hubis said of Henry James, her 5-year-old golden retriever that works a few hours a week at one California airport. “I am just standing there with him. They are talking

Travel May 31, 2013

In Sweden, unique hostels spring from old quarters.My wife and I booked a two-bed cabin on the Gustav Af Klint, a beat-up, decommissioned steamship-turned-hostel, because it was a bargain at around $60 a night and in a great location, near Stockholm’s Old Town and the metro. Turns out, it was a memorable, pleasant base for our time in Stockholm, too.Our room was spartan at best, with a porthole for a window and two bunks, but what the lodging lacked in amenities, it more than made up for in loca

Travel May 31, 2013

Korean actor Kim Nam-gil will become the next actor-turned-singer with the release of a new album in Japan in July, following the footsteps of other Korean actors who released albums to pave the way for expanding their fan bases in Japan. Kim, who rose to stardom with the hit period drama “Queen Seondeok,” is the latest in a string of Korean actors making singing debuts in the neighboring country.  Starting with actor and singer Ryu Si-won and the late Park Yong-ha, who won fame in the early 200

May 30, 2013

Science-fiction and fantasy novels create unknown fantasy worlds for readers to visit and offer a brief escape from reality. While imagined scenes may linger in the memories of the readers, some imagined scenes are brought to reality by photographers who create surrealist scenes that are difficult to know whether they are real or an illusion. Three contemporary photo exhibitions in Seoul this month showcase photographs that blur the line between dream and reality. The “Utopia” exhibition at Oper

Performance May 29, 2013

A collection of Korean folk crafts put together by late Japanese collector Muneyoshi Yanagi (1889-1961) is on exhibit in Seoul, shedding light on how Korean aesthetics was viewed in imperial Japan.The exhibition, currently held at Deoksugung Palace Museum of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, showcases 139 works and documents collected by Yanagi, who was one of the first in his country to accept Western influence on art and literature during the early 1900s, and who is al

Performance May 28, 2013

Korean people should not approach multiculturalism as an ideology or theoretically, but accept it naturally as society has already become multicultural, according to Yook Sang-hyo, director of the 2010 movie “Banga Banga,” which comically depicts life for foreign migrant workers and social discrimination in Korea. “We should not be distracted by some cultural and social logic of multiculturalism. It’s real. Korean society has become multicultural. It’s time to accept it naturally,” said Yook dur

Culture May 22, 2013

As Korean society becomes culturally diversified, multiculturalism has emerged as a popular topic in the mass media. Starting with 2007’s SBS TV drama “Golden Bride,” which featured a Vietnamese woman married to a Korean man, more TV dramas, movies and entertainment shows followed featuring different facets of multiculturalism in Korea. Multiculturalism was a major theme in recent box-office hits such as “Wandeuki” (English title “Punch”) in 2011 and “Banga Banga” (“He’s on Duty”) in 2010, as we

Culture May 22, 2013

Renowned Korean artist Kim Chang-yeol, famous for his water drop paintings, has pledged to give his major works and documents that show his artistic practice to Jeju, according to Jeju Special Self-Governing Province officials. His donation includes 200 works that represent major periods between 1957 and 2013 and documents, photographs, painting tools and more. The collection is estimated to be worth 15 billion won ($13 million) to 20 billion won. The Jeju Special Self-Governing Province signed

People May 21, 2013

There are more than 100 shades of blue on a color chart. But the blues we see in real life are limited to a few seen in our random gazes at the sky in the middle of the day. At James Turrell’s “Skyspace,” which opened last week in Korea inside Hansol Museum, one can have uninterrupted hours of watching the sky and its changing colors that stretch the boundaries of the blue palette that we know. Hansol Museum built a separate building opened last week, dedicated to four works by the American arti

Performance May 20, 2013

WONJU, Gangwon Province ― Hansol Museum, home to a lifetime art collection of the founder and adviser to Hansol Group Lee In-hee, the eldest daughter of Samsung’s founding chairman Lee Byung-chul, opened its doors to the public on Wednesday. The museum attracted great attention from the public even before its opening with some big name art figures involved in the project, such as Japanese architect Tadao Ando, who designed the museum, and American artist James Turrell. Sitting next to Oak Valley

Performance May 16, 2013

The Seoul International Media Art Biennale, the biggest celebration and showcase of media art in Korea, aims to strengthen its identity as a leading international media art event while bringing fresh change to the upcoming event next year with the appointment of artist, art critic and movie director Park Chan-kyong as new artistic director for the 8th media art biennale in 2014. Park, also well-known as the younger brother of filmmaker Park Chan-wook, is the first artist to be appointed to lead

Culture May 14, 2013