The presidential transition team’s vice spokesperson on Wednesday denied a report that President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s wife, Kim Keon-hee, might lead an art exhibition at Cheong Wa Dae. It refuted a Yonhap report on Wednesday which quoted an aide to Kim saying that the incoming first lady could categorize artworks owned by Cheong Wa Dae and introduce them to the public. “It’s only a natural idea that Kim, who has expertise in art curation, helps open the art collection

Politics April 27, 2022

Bestselling author Lee Oi-soo died of COVID-19-associated pneumonia on Monday, according to his family. He was 75. Lee died at around 8 p.m. at a hospital in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, of complications from COVID-19 after he contracted the viral illness in March. He had been in poor health since a collapse from a cerebral hemorrhage in March 2020. He was treated for stomach cancer in 2014. Born in 1946 in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province, he studied education in college for eight years

People April 26, 2022

The “City of Light,” known as “Gwangju” in Korean, is back for the third time since it first took the stage in 2020. This time, the musical aims to reach a global audience to deliver a story of resistance and the democratic movement when it gives a preview on Broadway later this year, the musical’s production team said last week. “‘City of Light’ was created as part of an initiative to popularize the iconic protest song ‘March for the Be

Performance April 25, 2022

A seminar that will shed light on the current state and future of Korean culture will take place online Wednesday, the organizers said Monday. Co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Tourism Organization, the seminar, titled “The Spirit of the Times as Reflected in K-Culture” will start with a keynote speech from Pier Luigi Sacco, a professor of cultural economics at IULM University Milan. Other participants include domestic and international experts

Culture April 25, 2022

Several world-class pianists are poised to perform in Korea in the coming months, as the country returns to normalcy with most of the social distancing measures removed. The list of acclaimed pianists coming to Korea includes many familiar names, such as Maurizio Pollini, Yuja Wang and Rudolf Buchbinder. Legendary pianist Maurizio Pollini, 80, will take the stage twice in May in what would be his first recital in Korea. Also making a debut in the country is Yuja Wang, a Chinese pianist kn

Performance April 20, 2022

Maurizio Pollini, who is considered one of the world’s leading pianists, is coming to South Korea for the first time for two recitals next month. The 80-year-old pianist will take the stage on May 19 and May 25 at Seoul Arts Center. Much anticipated by his fans, his 100-minute recital, titled “The Emperor of Piano: ‘Once in a Lifetime,” marks Pollini‘s Korea debut. However, the upcoming recitals are also gaining attention for a different reason -- the exorbitan

Performance April 19, 2022

“Save Ukraine - #StopWar,” a charity concert aimed at supporting Ukraine will air in South Korea on Sunday, TRA Media, which previously aired several Ukrainian dramas in South Korea, said on Thursday. The concert, which was origianlly aired by TVP, a Polish state-run TV channel, on March 28 in more than 20 countries, will be shown on TVAsia Plus Channel, after the channel operator TRA Media accepted a request by the Ukraine Embassy in Seoul to show the program in South Korea. K

Television April 14, 2022

A concert seeking to shed light on the musical talent of King Sejong the Great will take place next week at the National Gugak Center. King Sejong the Great (1397-1450) was the fourth ruler of the Joseon era, whose remarkable legacy includes, most notably, the creation of Hangeul, the Korean writing system. The Court Music Orchestra of the National Gugak Center will celebrate one of King Sejong’s legacies in a concert titled “Sejong’s sound: Yeomindongrak,” which trans

Performance April 14, 2022

A long-running chamber music festival led by violinist Kang Dong-suk is set to return next week with a focus on cello. Titled “Cellissimo!,” the 17th edition of the festival will delve into the beauty of the four-string instrument that originated in Italy in the 1600s. This is the third time the festival is focusing on a particular instrument: In 2011, the piano took center stage followed by the violin in 2012. “Cello is one of the most popular instruments and cellists

Performance April 13, 2022

A longtime journalist covering politics and now a culture minister nominee in the incoming Yoon Suk-yeol administration, Park Bo-gyoon said he has ample experience and deep-seated interest in cultural matters. “I was mainly a journalist at the political news desk, but I wrote a lot of articles about culture, art, content, history, sports and tourism. When I traveled around the world, I visited cultural and artistic sites such as museums and archives first. So this field is by no means un

Culture April 12, 2022

Top Korean musicians ranging from pianist Sunwoo Yekwon to the Novus Quartet and soprano Im Sun-hae will join forces for a six-day all-Schubert concert series in June, event organizer Sejong Center for the Performing Arts said Tuesday. Titled “Dear Schubert,” the series is part of the annual Sejong Chamber Series that was launched in 2015. The concert series will open on June 21 with a piano solo recital by Sunwoo Yekwon who will play Four Impromptus D.899, Six Moments Musicaux, D

Performance April 12, 2022

Two young emerging Korean musicians took home prizes from the 2022 Carl Nielsen International Competition, the Kumho Culture Foundation announced Monday. Flutist Kim Seo-hyeon and violinist Kim Eun-che placed second and third in their respective categories at the competition that took place in Denmark on Sunday. Kim, received 10,000 euros ($10,900) in prize money and two special prizes -- the Odense Symphony Orchestra Prize and Junior Jury Prize. Italian flutist Alberto Mavarra snatched t

Performance April 11, 2022

South Korean novelist Bora Chung’s “Cursed Bunny,” translated by Anton Hur, has been selected as one of six books for the prestigious 2022 International Booker Prize short list, organizers said Thursday.  　“It’s getting even more unrealistic, but I’m thrilled to even witness that Korean genre literature is recognized this much and loved worldwide,” Chung told The Korea Herald after the announcement.  “And personally, I’m very hon

Books April 7, 2022

  Naver Webtoon and Munpia, a web novel platform, are on the hunt for the next big web novels, or novels published online, boasting 1 billion won in prize money.   The two companies said Thursday that their web novel contest will open May 11 with two rounds: the first round for fantasy, action, modern, sports and alternative history via Munpia and the second round for romance and fantasy romance works via Naver Webtoon.  The organizers said the prize money is the largest

Cartoon April 7, 2022

France’s National Orchestra of Metz will embark on a Korean tour later this month, the first foreign orchestra to perform in the country this year, signaling a return to normalcy in international music tours. The orchestra, led by music and artistic director David Reiland since 2018, will perform in five Korean cities from April 29 to May 3. Reiland, the Belgium conductor who has also been leading the Korean National Symphony Orchestra since January, will take the baton for the five pe

Performance April 5, 2022