The fictional realm of “Dramaworld” very consciously parades out every K-drama cliche: It weaves in trademark tropes such as the immaculate, not-lived-in homes, ferocious kimchi slaps, excessive product placement, overbearing mother-in-laws and, of course, the male lead who, though an heir to vast wealth forges his own path as a restaurateur.The lead character is Park Joon, played by British-Korean actor Sean Dulake. There are two women fighting for this ideal man’s affections: gold-digging rest

Television Aug. 11, 2016

The Daesan Foundation, dedicated to supporting and promoting Korean literature, has announced the recipients of this year’s Grants for the Translation, Research and Publication of Korean Literary Works, providing funds for 13 works of Korean literature to be translated into 10 languages.The works selected include those by emerging authors such as Hwang Jung-eun’s novel “Let Me Continue” (unofficial translation), the winner of last year’s Daesan Literary Award. Hwang’s novel about the relationshi

Books Aug. 10, 2016

Competing at the 11th Seoul International Drama Awards are a wide array of pieces from around the globe, from the renowned British detective thriller “Sherlock” series starring actor Benedict Cumberbatch to Korea’s quaint family drama “Reply 1988,” set in late 1980s Seoul. This year’s selections are more realistic, as opposed to fantastical, said actor Yoo Dong-geun, a Grand Prize judge, at a press conference for the awards Wednesday at the Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club.“A lot of TV movies

Television Aug. 10, 2016

In the early 1990s, Robert McKee had a revelation that would change the course of his career and influence the lives of tens of thousands of other writers. At the time, he’d written “Abraham,” a four-hour biblical miniseries, for TNT and had sold several unproduced screenplays.“I looked at ‘Abraham’ and thought, ‘I’m a good writer, but I will never be Ingmar Bergman,’” McKee said. “The creative explosion is not happening. It’s professional, it’s actable, it’s entertaining. But I want to be the b

Books Aug. 10, 2016

"The Inseparables"By Stuart Nadler Little, Brown and Co. (352 pages, $27)The best fiction illuminates life’s realities, and Stuart Nadler spotlights the fact that we all skate on a very thin edge between joy and sorrow, respectability and shame, life and death.Or, as Henrietta tells her granddaughter, Lydia, in “The Inseparables,” you can be sitting next to a window in a restaurant having a perfectly nice lunch and, “A bird could come through the window right at this instant and impale you.”One

Books Aug. 10, 2016

According to K-pop group Big Bang, the past decade has been a whirlwind of training, recording, performing and creating. Now, the band members say, they’re able to see the bigger picture. “How to develop our style in the future is one of the biggest things on my mind right now,” said G-Dragon at a press conference celebrating the group’s 10-year anniversary in northeastern Seoul Thursday. “It’s not just about music anymore. I want to do something that can support all the people in Korea and the

Performance Aug. 4, 2016

“Three-Martini Lunch” By Suzanne RindellPutnam (512 pages, $27)“Nobody ever became a writer by just wanting to be one.” This terse advice by F. Scott Fitzgerald sets the scene for a compelling exploration of New York City’s Greenwich Village scene in the late 1950s, when beatniks, berets and big ideas gravitated to jazz clubs, and women and minorities could begin to voice ambition without feeling outright derision. (There was derision, but more politic.)Three ambitious young people intersect: Ed

Books Aug. 3, 2016

When Son Ye-jin was a young girl, she would be gripped by fear each time a new school year came around. 　“I used to be very shy. I hated going to a new classroom and having to make new friends, meet new teachers and adjust to a new environment,” the actress said at a group interview at a cafe in Seoul Wednesday. 　Son, 34, has come a long way from those days: She is a prolific performer with 19 films under her belt since debuting in 2000 and widely known for romantic roles in films such as “The C

Film Aug. 3, 2016

“North Korea and the World”By Walter C. Clemens Jr.University Press of Kentucky (443 pages, $39.95)North Korea and its succession of unfathomable, belligerent totalitarian dictators have long presented some of the most difficult challenges to world diplomacy. In his book “North Korea and the World,” published July 22, international policy expert Walter C. Clemens Jr. poses the question, “Can, should, and must we negotiate with a regime we regard as evil?”Clemens, an associate at the Harvard Uni

Books Aug. 3, 2016

There’s a great scene in Jessi Klein’s new book, in which she is backstage at the Emmy Awards last year with her just-won statue -- and her breast pump.“On a professional level, it felt really good,” she said of the win for her work as head writer on the Comedy Central sketch series, “Inside Amy Schumer.”“But for a variety of reasons, last year was one of the hardest years of my life,” she said, alluding to marital strife. “I spent a lot of time suffering and the Emmy did absolutely zero.“There’

Books Aug. 3, 2016

A collection of works by renowned poet Jeong Ho-seung, often referred to as “Koreans’ favorite poet,” has been translated into English for the first time.Brother Anthony, professor emeritus at Sogang University and a naturalized Korean originally from Britain, and Susan Hwang, who studies Korean literature at the University of Michigan, cotranslated the collection titled “A Letter Not Sent.” The book is published by Seoul Selection."A Letter Not Sent," the collected poems of Jeong Ho-seung, tran

Books Aug. 3, 2016

What started out as a subculture street movement in African-American communities in New York in the 1970s has now become a mainstream music genre enjoyed by young women here.In Korea today, hip-hop is taking over mainstream pop charts and, surprisingly, women in their 20s and 30s are the biggest consumers of the genre once considered subversive.　　Those present at recent hip-hop shows may have noticed the masses of 20- to 30-something women with snapbacks backwards on their heads outnumbering the

Culture Aug. 1, 2016

Operation Chromite(Korea)Opened July 27War, Drama. Directed by Lee Jae-hanThe story of the famed Incheon landing operation during the Korean War is told through the stellar cast of Liam Neeson, who plays Gen. Douglas MacArthur of the U.S. Army, and Lee Jung-jae, an undercover South Korean Navy lieutenant. Jason Bourne(U.S.)Opened July 27Action, Thriller. Directed by Paul GreengrassThis direct sequel to 2007’s “The Bourne Ultimatum” and the fifth installment of the “Bourne” film series features M

Film July 29, 2016

It turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks. That’s if the dog is super-soldier former CIA agent Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), and the trainer is director Paul Greengrass, who helmed Bournes “Supremacy” and “Ultimatum.” After the misfire that was “The Bourne Legacy,” a misguided attempt to pass off the franchise to Jeremy Renner, Damon and Greengrass ably right the ship, delivering a Bourne film that looks and feels like the kind we’ve always loved.“Jason Bourne” delivers everything we expect

Film July 29, 2016

The popular U.S. legal drama “The Good Wife” starts out with its heroine Alicia Florrick, played by Juliana Margulies, standing rigidly next to her disgraced politician husband at a press conference, her expression unfathomable. The show which aired from 2009 to May this year traced Florrick’s growth as she heads out into the workplace to support her family when her husband is sent to prison, after 15 years as a stay-at-home wife. Margulies’ nuanced portrayal of the heroine’s steely composure co

Television July 28, 2016