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Park Ji-won

Korea Times Politics & City Reporter

Park Ji-won is a writer for The Korea Times who has been covering a wide range of topics from Korea’s culture to its politics. An avid journalism enthusiast to the core, Ji-won brings a thoughtful and unique perspective to every topic she covers. On weekends, you'll often find her contemplating life’s purpose on a yoga mat — with a cup of quality tea in hand. A native Korean speaker by birth and fluent in English through her work, she went to college in Japan and is learning Chinese and French — hoping to add Polish, Russian and Thai to the mix.

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Music

Classical concerts you shouldn't miss in 2022

Italian pianist Maurizio Pollini / Courtesy of Mathias Bothor and DGBy Park Ji-wonThis year's event schedule for classical concerts is filled with world-class orchestras, as well as performances by famous Korean artists active in the overseas concert music scene.Italian pianist Maurizio Pollini will be performing for the first time in Korea at the Seoul Arts Center on May 25. For years, Korean audiences longed for the recital of the 79-year-old musician as he has been active in other Asian countries, such as Japan and China. He was the first-place winner of the Chopin Competition in 1960. Since then, Pollini has been building his artistic reputation not only as a Chopin player, but also being adept at compositions by Beethoven and Debussy. A detailed program hasn't been announced yet.The Metropolitan Opera led by Yannick Nezet-Seguin will be performing for the first time in Korea from June 21 to 22 at Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul. Renowned singers of the company, such as mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, soprano Christine Goerke and tenor Brandon Jovanovich, will be showcasing their tradema

Jan 3, 2022By Park Ji-won
Classical concerts you shouldn't miss in 2022
Arts & Theater

Performing arts revenue nearly doubled last year from 2020

A scene from the French original musical, “Notre Dame de Paris,” during a press conference at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Nov. 18. Courtesy of Mast EntertainmentBy Park Ji-wonThe Korean performance market posted a total of 307.1 billion ($258.3 million) in sales last year, 1.8 times more than that of the year 2020, or 107.2 billion won, according to data from the Korea Performing Arts Box Office Information System (KOPIS), Sunday.The figures improved after the government introduced eased social distancing measures in February, allowing customers to leave one seat empty between each customer group, which worked positively for sales. Before the modification, members of the audience had to leave one seat between one another, meaning that theaters were only able to sell less than 70 percent of the total seats.By month, the change gradually boosted sales as time passed, from 3.7 billion won in January of 2021, the lowest month, to 52.4 billion won in December, which is 48 times larger than that of December 2020.By genre, musicals were the most popular performing

Jan 3, 2022By Park Ji-won
Performing arts revenue nearly doubled last year from 2020
Music

2022 kicks off with bevy of New Year's concerts

The poster for the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO)'s New Year's concert, “#Cheer Up Seoul” / Courtesy of SPOBy Park Ji-wonMany concerts scheduled to be held in 2020 and 2021 were canceled, postponed or held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Concert schedules were thrown into such disarray that many audience members' memories might be a blur as to whether specific concerts were held in 2020 or 2021. But audiences will be sure to remember the New Year's performances being held in January, as many of them will be held offline, with a variety of music ― including Korean traditional music as well as classical music ― marking the Year of the Tiger.The National Jeongdong Theater will begin its 2022 season and the New Year with a work titled, "Hogi: The Aura of a Tiger" ― a performance consisting of musicians and performers from various musical areas, such as traditional music, classical music and theater musicals, inspired by the tiger ― that will be showcased at the theater on Tuesday. Media arts adapting images from folk paintings will be also presented along with the pe

Jan 2, 2022By Park Ji-won
2022 kicks off with bevy of New Year's concerts
Arts & Theater

Year of Tiger: Vigorous, fearless year full of adventure unfolding

Tiger / gettyimagesbankBy Park Ji-wonThe year 2022 is the Year of the Tiger according to the Chinese zodiac. In Korea, the tiger has been portrayed as an animal representing a brave and fearless spirit. An apex predator, the tiger also instills both fear and awe among Koreans. The tiger is one of the two animals featured in the nation's founding myth. It revolves around a tiger and a bear that are advised to eat only mugwort and garlic for 100 days in order to become human. The impatient tiger, however, gives up on the rite of passage. Due to its symbolic significance as an animal deeply associated with Korean culture, the tiger has become the most popular animal mascot for key national events: a tiger mascots featured at both the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. “For Koreans, tigers are one of the most familiar and, at the same time, feared animals,” Cheon Jin-gi, former director of the National Folk Museum of Korea, told The Korea Times over the phone. “There are numerous folk tales with stories of tigers. The animal is represen

Jan 1, 2022By Park Ji-won
Year of Tiger: Vigorous, fearless year full of adventure unfolding
Arts & Theater

Han Kang's 'The Vegetarian' to be made into play; National Theater unveils 2022 lineup

The National Theater Company of Korea (NTCK) / Courtesy of NTCKBy Park Ji-wonThe National Theater Company of Korea (NTCK) announced its 2022 play lineup, which includes a play adaptation of Han Kang's Man acclaimed novel “The Vegetarian,” as well as new theatrical works reflecting contemporary social issues such as climate change, virtual reality, the disabled and feminism.Stressing that the value of a play should be that it can be enjoyed by everyone equally, Kim Kwang-bo, the state-run theater company's artistic director appointed in November last year, said in a press release that “The NCTK put emphasis on forming the 2022 lineup so that directors with different backgrounds and characteristics can expand their worldviews.”Titled “Angels in America Part Two: Perestroika,” written by American playwright Tony Kushner and directed by Shin Yoo-chung, this four-hour play will open the 2022 season and be performed from Feb. 25 to March 27, aiming to raise debates about politics, sexual minorities, religion and race that are also pressing issues in Kore

Dec 24, 2021By Park Ji-won
Han Kang's 'The Vegetarian' to be made into play; National Theater unveils 2022 lineup
Music

INTERVIEW Violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill revisits euphoric moment of winning Grammy

Violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill / Courtesy of CrediaO'Neill is grateful to Korean fans for their unwavering supportBy Park Ji-wonAs the adjective, “award-winning,” always seems to come before his name when people introduce him, violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill is the winner of numerous international awards. Nonetheless, he says, it always feels too good to be true when he wins one. That euphoric moment hit him again earlier this year when he was named the winner of this year's Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo, for his 2020 album, “Theofanidis: Concerto For Viola And Chamber Orchestra,” during the awards ceremony. This time, he says, the joy of winning was something that he revisited several times again and again in the following months to fully digest, mainly because of the format of the event: the Grammys went online this year due to the pandemic. “They announced my name and I was on the screen. And I had to give a speech (online) and they cut you off … But then, you're back in your room,” he told The Korea Times during a Zo

Dec 23, 2021By Park Ji-won
[INTERVIEW] Violist Richard Yongjae O'Neill revisits euphoric moment of winning Grammy
Music

INTERVIEW Norah Jones releases Christmas album

Cover image for singer-songwriter Norah Jones' first Christmas album “I dream of Christmas” / Courtesy of Universal MusicBy Park Ji-wonNine-time Grammy winner Norah Jones will be releasing her first Christmas album “I Dream of Christmas” on Wednesday.“I mostly made this album to comfort myself in this time … I think this album did come out of the very long first year of the pandemic. I needed something to look forward to and a way to be creative that had a little joy baked into it. This was the perfect project for me,” Jones said in a recent email interview with Korean reporters.“Christmas is a nostalgic, beautiful and magical time of year that is something to look forward to. A time to shut off the phones and just hang out and eat and spend time with those who matter most.”She said in a press release that she decided to come up with the Christmas album last year after feeling comfort while listening James Brown's “Funky Christmas” and Elvis Presley's “Elvis' Christmas Album.”Of the 13 tracks on the album,

Dec 21, 2021By Park Ji-won
[INTERVIEW] Norah Jones releases Christmas album
Arts & Theater

National Museum exhibition compares Asian lacquerware techniques and cultures

Visitors at the exhibition, “Ottchil, the Coated Splendor of Asian Lacquerwares,” at the National Museum of Korea, Seoul, Monday. The exhibition shows up to 263 lacquered objects from various Asian countries. Yonhap By Park Ji-wonToxicodendron vernicifluum, commonly known as lacquer trees, have been cultivated in Asian countries for centuries. In Korea, some people boil “samgyetang” or ginseng chicken soup with twigs of lacquer tree wood due to their health benefits. Lacquer tree wood is known for its antioxidant properties, which prevents or slows cell damage.The lacquer trees' sap, called “ot” in Korean, can cause allergic reactions in people due to a compound called urushiol, which can trigger rashes.But the sticky ingredient is one of the oldest and most effective natural paints used to create a shiny and glossy finish on furniture and crafts, resulting in a waterproof layer. The plant is also used as a natural ingredient to repel bugs and germs. This traditiona

Dec 21, 2021By Park Ji-won
National Museum exhibition compares Asian lacquerware techniques and cultures
Arts & Theater

Immersive artwork recreates elaborate Joseon-era royal banquet held in 1902

A scene from the immersive artwork, “Royal Banquet (Jinyeon): Connecting the Times of 120 Years,” by the National Gugak Center (NGC) / Courtesy of the NGC“Imin Jinyeondobyeong,” a set of standing paintings showing the steps of the performance and rituals of the “Jinyeon” or royal court feast / Courtesy of the NGCBy Park Ji-wonHow did people in the royal palace of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) celebrate key events, such as a crown prince's rise to power or the birthday of a reigning king?Depending on the events, kings threw small or large banquets that entailed choreography, musical performances and other rituals to guarantee prosperity and longevity. Banquets were also designed to flaunt the power and prosperity of the kingdom.The “jinyeon” or royal banquet, became a large-scale event in the later Joseon period, compared to ones that were held earlier, which were smaller. Historic materials such as the “Imin Jinyeondobyeong,” a set of standing paintings showing the different performance sequences of the jinyeon, as well as

Dec 20, 2021By Park Ji-won
Immersive artwork recreates elaborate Joseon-era royal banquet held in 1902
Music

Lotte Foundation for Arts announces star-studded 2022 lineup

Metropolitan Opera / Courtesy of Rose Callahan of Met OperaBy Park Ji-wonThe Lotte Foundation for Arts has announced its 2022 lineup to be presented at Lotte Concert Hall including renowned artists: New York's vibrant Metropolitan Opera, pianist Cho Seong-jin, ballerina Park Sae-eun and other star art troupes.Tenor Jonas Kaufmann will open the “World Class Concert Series” on May 31 and June 3 with KBS Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jochen Rieder. The Metropolitan Opera led by Yannick Nezet-Seguin will be performing for the first time in Korea from June 21 to 22. Renowned singers of the company such as mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, soprano Christine Goerke and tenor Brandon Jovanovich will be showcasing their trademark performances such as Berlioz's “Les Troyens” and Wagner's “The Valkyrie.”In “2022 Etoile Gala,” ballerina Park Sae-eun, the first Korean etoile of the Paris Opera, the highest rank of the art troupe, will be performing for the first time in Korea along with her etoile and premier colleagues from July 28 to 29.On Oct. 14,

Dec 19, 2021By Park Ji-won
Lotte Foundation for Arts announces star-studded 2022 lineup
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