Pietari Inkinen, the 9th music director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra, said Wednesday that he hopes to take the helm of the orchestra’s development into a leading Asian orchestra. The 42-year-old conductor who officially kicked off his three-year term in January 2022 and has many plans in mind, ranging from more frequent concerts to a music academy for children. “During the upcoming seasons, I‘d like to increase the number of concerts held across the country, to go and meet

Performance Jan. 26, 2022

In the six months since Kwak Hyo-hwan took the helm of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea , there have been swift changes at the 26-year-old institution, according to staff. Over the last half-year, Kwak has established a new vision for the organization‘s future, believing that the LTI Korea has a bigger role to play, not only for Korean literature but also in making other Korean content popular internationally. His goals for the organization include transforming it into a comp

Culture Jan. 25, 2022

South Korean contents enjoyed robust demand overseas in 2020, defying the overall decline in exports and tepid growth in the domestic market, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism data showed on Monday. A 2021 research study on the cultural content industry which encompasses 11 sub-areas showed that the exports in 2020 jumped 16.3 percent to $11.92 billion from the previous year. “Exports of cultural contents have been setting a new record each year, but this time it is worth n

Culture Jan. 24, 2022

  Thousands of Buddhist monks from across the nation gathered in Seoul on Friday to protest against the “religious bias” that they claim is prevalent within the Moon Jae-in’s government. An estimated 5000 monks demanded an apology from President Moon Jae-in for ”religious bias and discrimination” during the protest which took place at Jogyesa, the chief temple of South Korea‘s largest Buddhist sect, the Jogye Order. They also called for the introduction

Culture Jan. 21, 2022

The KBS Symphony Orchestra appointed renowned South Korean conductor Chung Myung-whun as its first-ever conductor laureate, according to the orchestra on Thursdsay. Chung’s tenure began this month. Conductor laureate is an honorary position given to a conductor who has international repuation or contributed to the development of the orchestra. This is the first the KBS Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1956, has awarded the title. The news came days after Chung saved the orchestra&rsquo

Performance Jan. 13, 2022

As the Korean Symphony Orchestra, which is often mistaken as a private orchestra, is set to change its name to include “national,” the KBS Symphony Orchestra, which was once the National Symphony Orchestra, stands in opposition to the move, which was decided without consultation with them. After making the decision to change its name last year, the Korean Symphony Orchestra is considering several options for its new name, including simply “National Orchestra,” and wil

Culture Jan. 12, 2022

Sunae-dong House is a historic building in Bundang Central Park in Gyeonggi Province.  Built in the 19th century, the house is situated next to the tombs of the Hansan Yi clan, who lived in the area from the 16th to the 18th century. Around 70 houses once formed a clan village in the area, but all but one house, which once belonged to a man called Yi Taek-gu, were demolished as part of the city’s development in the 1980s.  A sizable thatched dwelling, Sunae-dong House consists

Culture Jan. 8, 2022

Despite being founded 50 years ago to promote Korea’s national brand, Korean Culture and Information Service is far from a household name within Korea, though it intends to change that this year. The organization plans to push for greater cultural exchange with Korea‘s partner nations, according to Park Jung-youl, the director of the KOCIS, who took the helm in September 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of Hallyu. A veteran government official, Park told the Korea He

People Jan. 7, 2022

The Korea National Contemporary Dance Company will offer eight programs, ranging from new creations to its signature repertoire, this year. KNCDC’s first performance is set to kick off in April with “Writing Using,” which is created by renowned choreographer Ahn Ae-soon, KNCDC’s second artistic director, according to the state dance company Tuesday. The production will show the story of the feelings of the dancers’ bodies through dance. “Tiny, Round, Clu

Performance Jan. 5, 2022

Renowned South Korean conductor Chung Myung-whun will reportedly be appointed as honorary music director of the KBS Symphony Orchestra, according to media reports on Wednesday. The news came days after Chung saved the orchestra’s Christmas Eve concert by leading the concert on behalf of Pietari Inkinen, the orchestra‘s music director who was unable to enter the country because of toughened self-quarantine rules. He also held the baton at concerts in December 2020 and August 2021 fo

Performance Jan. 5, 2022

Kumho Art Hall’s artist-in-residence violinist Kim Dong-hyun will kick off the new season at the concert hall Jan. 13 with the first of the Beautiful Thursday Concerts series. At the upcoming recital themed “22 degrees: Refreshing,” Kim will play Morzart’s Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 32 in B-flat Major, K. 454, Ysaye’s Sonata for Solo Violin No. 6 in E Major, Op. 27/6 and Hubay’s “Carmen -- Fantasie Brillante“ for Violin and Piano, Op.3/3.

Performance Jan. 4, 2022

”The Brothers Karamazov,” an original musical produced by a South Korean production company, will hit a major theater in Shanghai in June, Orchard Musical Co. said Tuesday. The Korean musical is the first original musical licensed to take the stage at the Shanghai Grand Theater. “The Brothers Karamazov” is a small-budget musical that is based on Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel of the same title. The show premiered in 2018 in South Korea and has returned

Performance Jan. 4, 2022

South Korea’s performing arts sector grew almost 80 percent in terms of revenue in 2021, despite the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, but insiders said uncertainty still looms over the industry in 2022. In 2021, revenue from theatrical plays, musicals, classical concerts and other performances stood at 307 billion won ($258 million), jumping 78 percent from 172 billion won recorded in 2020, data from the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System showed. The recovery was backed

Performance Jan. 3, 2022

Despite the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the South Korean performing arts sector saw a steady recovery this year, data showed on Wednesday. In this month so far, revenue from theatrical plays, musicals, classical concerts and other performances stood at 47.7 billion won ($40.21 million), surpassing the 40-billion-won mark for the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System (KOPIS). The December reco

Performance Dec. 30, 2021

During the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent social distancing measures, musical producer Eom Hong-hyeon may well have been depressed. The CEO of EMK Musical Company, although previously upbeat and outgoing, recalled spending many of his days in despair. This wasn’t without good reason. Just before the pandemic hit, Eom had been planning to launch an office in the US, having been left frustrated and disappointed after meeting renowned musical producers in the

Culture Dec. 20, 2021