Rodin retrospective in Seoul
2010-04-30
A major retrospective exhibition of Auguste Rodin, sculptor of “The Thinker,” kicks off today in Seoul.
Original masterpieces by the French master, such as “The Hand of God,” “The Kiss” and, of course, “The Thinker” will be shown outside France for the first time.
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http://www.koreaherald.com/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100429000493
Searching for an artisan in our time
2010-04-30
In every country there are artisans. They devote themselves to one area of expertise and eventually accomplish the highest level of skill and knowledge. Their devotion is respected by society and they are justifiably proud of themselves.
In Korea, we also have master artisans. Let us meet a master craftsman of the black bamboo craft. There is only one master craftsman who creates craftworks with black bamboo.
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http://www.koreaherald.com/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100429000470
Lavier layers up old masters at Atelier Hermes
2010-04-30
A couch that resembles Marilyn Monroe’s plump red lips sits on top of a Bosch fridge. Nearby, an old gray fan is placed on top of a black safe deposit box.
These strange combinations of familiar objects, which one can view inside the Hermes building in Sinsa-dong, are actually artwork by Bertrand Lavier, one of France’s greatest contemporary artists.
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http://www.koreaherald.com/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100429000547
Chang calling on budding musicians for orchestra
2010-04-29
Cello virtuoso Chang Han-na, who made her debut as a conductor in 2007, is looking for promising musicians to feature as a member of the orchestra she will be conducting in August.
Applicants must be a music major younger than 30 years old to take part in the “Absolute Classic Festival Orchestra” program scheduled to take place from Aug. 10 to 28. The festival orchestra is looking for players for the string, woodwind, brass and percussion sections, the Tongyeong International Festival Foundation, organizer of the event said.
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http://www.koreaherald.com/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100428000614
Dysfunctional family dissected
2010-04-29
By now, depictions of terminal illness in pop-culture have been exhausted to the point of fodder.
It is perhaps the easiest way to bait a reaction from the most basic of human emotions. As manipulative as it may be, it is also a fail-safe way to engage an audience even before the curtain is raised.
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http://www.koreaherald.com/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100428000680
Kyobo Life CEO gets Montblanc Award
2010-04-28
Chairman of Kyobo Life Insurance Shin Chang-jae has been picked to receive the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award for his contributions to the development and progress of Korean literature.
Shin, one of Korea’s richest figures with a net worth of $1.6 billion, has been a staunch supporter and financial contributor to the local literary scene.
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http://www.koreaherald.com/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100427000546
Korea's biggest photo fair opening at COEX
2010-04-28
Among the overflowing art fairs taking place this spring, a photos-only fair starts its five-day run tomorrow in Seoul.
Starting in 2008 and organized by PHOTONET, Korea’s photography magazine, “Seoul Photo 2010” is the first and biggest photography fair in Asia.
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http://www.koreaherald.com/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100427000551
Chung Kyung-wha returns after five-year hiatus
2010-04-28
World-class violinist Chung Kyung-wha is to play her “beloved” Johannes Brahms during her performance next week in Seoul after a finger injury deprived her of the joy of performing for five years.
“I have been longing to play the Brahms Violin Concerto (in D Major) for the past five years,” Chung said during a news conference in Seoul yesterday. “I find the Brahms violin concerto to be the pinnacle (of all violin concerto compositions), and I am very grateful that I will be able to finally perform it.”
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http://www.koreaherald.com/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100427000761
Arumjihi holds first fund-rising bazaar
2010-04-28
The Cultural Keepers Foundation will open its first bazaar tomorrow to raise funds for research and development of Korean traditional culture.
The foundation, also known as Arumjigi, is a non-profit organization established in 2001 that carries out a variety of projects to help preserve the nation’s cultural heritage. It recently held exhibitions to promote traditional culture and helped clean and beautify traditional villages and cultural heritage sites.
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http://www.koreaherald.com/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100427000548
Drama fest focuses on original work
2010-04-27
The 31st Seoul Theater Festival kicked off its month-long engagement yesterday at the Arko Arts Theater that organizers have said will focus on presenting more original productions.
Just as the Namsan Art Center last month unveiled its 2010 line-up stacked with in-house productions, organizers of the STF have invited seven original plays out of the eight that are up for the main competition this year.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100426000636
Culture Ministry launches initiatives to promote e-books
2010-04-27
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on Monday that it would ratchet up its support for the nascent e-book industry by helping nurture a market valued at 700 billion won ($630 million) by 2014.
The Korean government’s latest move comes as a host of new gadgets ranging from smartphones to e-book readers to Apple’s iPad are hitting the market, heralding a fresh round of opportunities for local players.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100426000622
Portuguese filmmaker in spotlight at JIFF
2010-04-26
Since its inception, the Jeonju International Film Festival has featured a number of masters’ works through retrospectives.
Now in its 11th year, this years festival will focus on Portuguese filmmaker Pedro Costa.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100423000455
Researchers find engraved Neolithic artifacts in Uljin
2010-04-26
Three earthenware pieces from the Neolithic Age with engravings of human faces were excavated in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province, Friday. They are assumed to be over 7,500 years old.
The Samhan Institute of Cultural Properties found one item that is 14 cm in diameter and 3.5 cm in thickness with eyes, a nose and mouth engraved on it while excavating a roadway in Jukbyeon-myeon, Uljin.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100425000213
Han explores love, forgiveness
2010-04-26
Han Soo-san, a novelist widely known for his refined and colorful writing style, has put out “Yongseoreul uihayeo” (Forgiving), an intricate mix of facts and fiction aimed at exploring the meaning and methodology of love.
“On the one hand, I attempt to describe the late Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan who led his religious life devoted to love and forgiveness, and on the other I want to show how he influenced and rescued another human being, who had once fallen into despair,” Han said in an interview with The Korea Herald.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100425000270
Korea leads Asian films at Cannes
2010-04-23
Come next month, South Korean auteurs will be leading a posse of Asian films selected to compete at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The 63rd edition of the biggest annual international film competition is set to roll out its red carpet on May 12 for a two-week engagement sure to offer plenty of the glitz and glam the festival has become known for.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100422000554
Explore the alleys of Seoul's global village
2010-04-23
The name Itaewon originated from “i” (梨) meaning a pear and “yeokwon” (驛院) meaning lodging for travelers. In the past, there were many pear trees around Itaewon. During the Joseon Dynasty, it must have been beautiful and breath taking when pear blossoms bloomed and the spring breezes delivered the scent of flowers all around Itaewon.
Taking a look at Itaewon now, the streets are blooming with a multicultural vibrancy and crowds bustle through the alleys.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100422000439
A photographer's quest to find your 'inner queen'
2010-04-22
After seeing photographer Chun Kyung-woo’s advertisement in a local newspaper, women -- and one man -- were eager to volunteer for his project, claiming they resembled Queen Margrethe Ⅱ.
They applied to be part of Chun’s project “Being a Queen,” which was conducted for three months in Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark, in 2007. The project was supported by the Danish government as a part of the Danish International Visiting Artists Exchange Program.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100421000454
Get ready for Lotus Lantern Festival
2010-04-22
The annual “Yeon Deung Hoe,” or Lotus Lantern Festival, will kick off its three-day run on May 14 in Seoul to celebrate Buddha’s birthday, which falls on May 21 this year.
It is the biggest Buddhist event in Korea, which started in the Goryeo Dynasty and was turned into a national event 15 years ago.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100421000433
Rain, Hyori, Wonder Girls to appear in Dream Concert
2010-04-21
More than 20 big name K-pop groups and singers are set to perform at a large-scale joint concert next month.
The star-studded line up for the 16th Dream Concert includes: Rain, Lee Hyori, the Wonder Girls, Girls’ Generation, SS501, Super Junior, 2PM, Shinee, Kara, U-Kiss, After School, Four Minutes, Tiara, Davichi, MBLAQ, Beast, f(x), Rainbow and F.cuz.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100421000410
Olympic champion brings BMX to Korea
2010-04-22
Many Koreans may not know what BMX, or bicycle motocross, is, but the sport is already popular in Europe and North America. And since its Olympic debut in 2008, the sport has slowly been gaining popularity here.
To boost BMX’s status, Maris Strombergs of Latvia, the sport’s first Olympic gold medalist, came to Korea last week. The 23-year-old, along with some well-known figures in the sport, competed at the Crown-Haitai International BMX Competition on April 17 at Han River Park, near Gwangnaru, southeastern Seoul.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100421000520
Korean-Vietnamese comic brings the funny to the Middle East
2010-04-22
To be a stand-up comedian in the Middle East where so many topics are off-limits must be hard work.
To be a comic of Korean and Vietnamese roots must be even more difficult.
Growing up being the only guy that looks different from everyone else must have been hard. Forget all of the trials and tribulations that an Asian kid might be subjected to in the United States, try being one in the Middle East -- a region that has always been finnicky about the unknown.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100421000601
SBS, KBS win awards at Houston film fest
2010-04-21
Television programs by broadcasters SBS and KBS won seven awards at the 43rd Houston International Film Festival on Monday.
SBS won six awards, including three Gold Remi Awards for the documentaries “Choosing life -- Part 1 Eating for Three Generations,” “Boys Home Orchestra, Performing Dream” and for the entertainment program “Star Junior Show -- Like Father Like Son.”
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100420000510
KTO signs deal with Michelin
2010-04-21
An MOU between the nation’s tourism authority and Michelin was signed yesterday, sealing the deal to publish the Korean edition of the French tiremaker’s travel guides next year.
Korea Tourism Organization President Lee Charm presided over the signing with chief of Michelin Japan Bernard Delmas at the KTO headquarters in central Seoul on Tuesday.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100420000568
Inside Cheonan's foreigner only prison
2010-04-20
CHEONAN, South Chungcheong Province- A class of 25 sings along to a K-pop song by Ahn Chi-hwan, aided by a little ball that bounces from word to word on a big screen at the head of the class. The teacher motions her hand to her ear, inviting the convicts to sing louder. They enthusiastically oblige. Some clap their hands; everyone moves rhythmically in their chairs.
If it weren’t for the prison-issued navy-blue jumpsuits, it would be hard to tell them apart from any other tourists in the country. The class is part of Cheonan Foreigner Prison’s “Good Morning Korea” program. The students are all foreign convicts at what the Ministry of Justice touts as the sole foreigner-only prison in the world.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100419000686
Baekje-era relics unearthed in Iksan
2010-04-20
Artifacts assumed to be those of the Baekje Kingdom were found under the Mireuksaji stone pagoda in Iksan, North Jeolla Province.
The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage announced Friday that 290 pieces of 27 different artifacts apparently made in the Baekje Kingdom were unearthed during an excavation under the tower’s stylobate.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100419000498
Artists may grow old, but works are timeless
2010-04-18
Every old man was once an ambitious boy. Artists are no exception.
“I am embarrassed to be reintroducing the works I’ve done in my 20s now in my 60s. Young people tend to be critical towards society, don’t they? I was too, although I now do different kinds of works,” artist Kim Yong-chul told the press Friday at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Gwacheon.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100418000061
New spin on some old dishes
2010-04-16
For today’s practical urbanite, Dancing Moon is here to assuage the appetite with a unique touch of modern interpretations of classic dishes.
With a contemporary interior in the swanky area of Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul, this restaurant is serving up what manager Diana Kang said are simple yet delicious dishes for all budgets.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100415000673
Food for your mind, body and soul
In the land of samgyeopsal, carnivores will rejoice while the herbivores will just have to make do with picking at side dishes.
Here in Korea, non-meat eaters both local and foreign have lamented the lack of vegetarian options in restaurants.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100415000601
All about the hanwoo
2010-04-16
Rated one of the top restaurants in the hansik category by Zagat’s 2010 Seoul guide, Sheraton Grande Walkerhill’s Myongwolgwan is an anomaly in the local hotel industry.
Since its inception in 1984, the high-end Korean barbecue restaurant has brought in a steady influx of customers. Even after it switched its U.S. short ribs to hanwoo (Korean beef) after the mad cow scare, people kept coming despite the bump in prices.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100415000466
Ko Un completes 'Maninbo', setting a landmark
2010-04-16
Back in 1986, Ko Un revealed what he wanted to achieve with “Maninbo” (Ten Thousand Lives) in the preface for the first volume: “My encounter with others is far from personal. It’s essentially public, and this public nature makes it necessary to prevent my encounters in life from fading into forgetfulness. Even a casual encounter contains a historical inevitability.”
The renowned poet did not give up on his conviction about the “Maninbo” project, and finally completed the landmark series last week, setting a milestone that illustrates his lifelong poetic endeavor as well as the turbulent history of Korea itself.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100416000530
Hallyu faces turning point
2010-04-16
The Korean Wave (Hallyu), which has taken the country’s global recognition to new heights in the last decade, has reached a crossroad.
About 200 local and foreign experts gathered for a seminar in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss the developments and emerging challenges for Hallyu.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100415000637
Sixties-era cinema icon returns
2010-04-15
“Poetry” just might turn out to be novelist-turned-filmmaker Lee Chang-dong’s swan song to an aging Korean silver screen icon.
After a 15-year hiatus from the local movie scene, Yoon Jung-hee, star of more than 300 films throughout her career in the ’60s and early ’70s, is back.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100414000587
Norwegian buildings at one with nature
2010-04-15
Eco-friendly buildings that many Seoulites can only dream of are quite common in Norway.
Photos and miniatures of such Norwegian buildings can be found at the “Norwegian Contemporary Architecture” exhibition running at Hongik University Museum in Sangsu-dong, Seoul.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100414000510
SM gets down and dirty with TVXQ
2010-04-15
Just over a week ago newspapers were lit up with news of the impending breakup of one of Asia's most popular boy bands, TVXQ.
With the group’s Japanese management agency Avex officially halting the band’s activities in Japan, the five Hallyu stars inched closer and closer to the end of their decade-long career.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100414000512
Hong Myung-bo enjoys new jot as charity leader
2010-04-15
Who do you think is the best Korean soccer player? Park Ji-sung of Manchester United may be the favorite among youngsters, but for many, Hong Myung-bo is still the best sweeper in Asia.
Many still recall Hong as the the charismatic captain who led the Taeguk Warriors to the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100414000448
Gochujang, the next big hot sauce?
2010-04-14
The global market has its fair share of hot sauces.
There is the standard Tabasco, capped in a narrow-necked bottle and ideal for sprinkling over most anything that needs a dusting of slow-burning heat. Then there is the newcomer, sriracha -- in its authentic Thai or revamped international form. Salsa, of course, is another classic rendition of sauced-up chili peppers.
Now gochujang seeks to claim some hot sauce turf by going mainstream.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100413000479
Korean fashion designers head for Paris
2010-04-14
Ten Korean fashion designers will be offering their works at the world’s biggest fashion trade show in Paris this year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced yesterday. It is part of the city’s “Seoul’s 10 Soul” project, which aims to globalize Korean fashion brands by 2020.
Tranoi, which started in 1993, is the most influential fashion trade show in the world with about 120 mens’ brands, 300 womens’ brands and more than 9,000 buyers participating each year. It is held quarterly.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100413000574
Korean fashion designers head for Paris
2010-04-14
In Jeon Do-yeon's latest film, the 38-year-old will bare all once again as if she is allergic to clothes.
At a press conference yesterday to announce the forthcoming May 13 release of “The Housemaid” at a multiplex in southern Seoul, the theater was abuzz with talks of the film’s nudity and racy sex scenes.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100413000663
Hong to return with Kim Hond-do show?
2010-04-13
Leeum Samsung Museum of Art in Hannam-dong, central Seoul opened an exhibition of works by Joseon-period painter Kim Hong-do on March 30.
This permanent exhibition -- not a special exhibition for which Leeum was once known -- is drawing much attention, however the museum is abuzz for other reasons as well.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100412000525
Gourmet burgers in Seoul's Hyoja-dong
2010-04-12
The gourmet burger is not new to the culinary order.
Top chef-owner Daniel Boulud catapulted the American classic to new heights when he filled it with black truffle and red wine braised short ribs. Le Burger Brasserie at Paris Las Vegas made headlines with its $777 Kobe Beef and Maine Lobster Burger. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, a restaurant chain, took the trend across America and into Canada, cementing a new era for the beef patty.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100409000047
Artist of the year creates an awkward place to rest
2010-04-12
Visitors to the National Museum of Contemporary Art will notice the gigantic new piece of art in the museum’s main hall.
Park Ki-won, the National Museum of Contemporary Art’s artist of the year for 2010, covered the entire main hall with vinyl sheets colored in various shades of green oil paint.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100411000139
Thai film maker wins Asia Art Award
2010-04-08
Apichatpong Weerasethakul, an internationally acclaimed filmmaker and video artist, yesterday won the first Asia Art Award in Seoul for “Phantoms of Nabua,” a short film which portrays a communication of lights, the comfort of home, and destruction.
“Weerasethakul’s win is meaningful and unprecedented. It took a long time for photography to step into the boundary of fine art, and I think now single channel video is slowly being acknowledged as one too,” said Kim So-hee, assistant curator at Asia Art Award.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100408000586
Accompanying SeoulMate's beta tour of markets in town
2010-04-08
SeoulMate is a tour group run by students to introduce tourists to Korean culture in a relaxed and informal way. Running tours every Saturday afternoon, they took a week off to try out a new tour program for spring 2010. I joined them for the test run.
The market tour was selected by three members of SeoulMate: Cho Sae-rom (23, Kwangwoon University), Lee Jeong-eun (22, Hanyang University) and Han Hye-kyu (20, Sungkyunkwan University). The suggested starting point was Exit 5 of Jongno 3-ga Station, because it is close to Nagwon Music Arcade. However, some commented that this place was not an appropriate starting place for the market tour. After some discussion, they agreed that the starting point should be changed.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100408000532
Rain launches sixth Korean album
2010-04-08
Rain, one of the country’s leading pop singers, released his sixth Korean album early this week titled “Back to the Basic.”
The Korean pop culture icon now has a total of seven albums, including a Japanese album. His last Korean album was released in October 2008.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100407000495
Wonder Grils to take second crack at U.S. market
2010-04-08
One of Korea’s top girl bands, the Wonder Girls, is set to drop their latest album worldwide in May before they embark on a U.S. tour, JYP Entertainment said Monday.
Their second studio album will hit store shelves on May 15 with its first single and music video released in Korean, English and Chinese, JYPE told The Korea Herald.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100406000936
Two photographers, different worlds
2010-04-08
Some photographers find the tiniest beauty in harsh surroundings, even among starving people, while others create beauty anywhere from scratch.
Steve McCurry, who shot to international stardom in 1985 with the famed photo “Afghan Girl” on the cover of National Geographic Magazine, belongs to the first group.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/entertainment/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100407000546
Ballerian Kang brings drama to Seoul
2010-04-07
Ballerina Kang Sue-jin will grace the local stage for a series of performances set to begin Friday, promising to captivate the audience with her nimble and elegant movements.
The prima ballerina of the Stuttgart Ballet will perform neo-classical works throughout the three-day gala titled “The Ballet” at the Seoul Arts Center Opera House in southern Seoul.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/lifestyle/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100406000902
Namsan Center unveils new program
2010-04-07
Seoul Foundation Arts and Culture CEO Ahn Ho-sang said yesterday that the 2010 lineup for the Namsan Art Center will be committed to staging original works created by in-house writers and directors.
Ten shows were announced during a press conference in downtown Seoul and will be performed throughout the year at the recently revamped performing arts center.
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http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/business/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20100406000637
