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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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Arts & Theater

Korean, German artists to perform 'Borderline,' collaborative play on defector, refugee issues

A scene from the play, “Borderline” / Courtesy of Judith Buss By Park Ji-won&ltiframe width="740" height="416" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/32a4bnOXHI0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen&gt&lt/iframe&gt“Borderline,” a play created jointly by South Korean and German artists focusing on the issues of defectors and refugees in each country, will be performed offline in Seoul.Directed by Lee Kyung-sung of Creative VaQi, Producer Group DOT and Residenztheater, the work explores the experiences of people who are trying to settle in a new location after leaving where they usually live. German theater critic and playwright Jurgen Berger conducted research for the play by traveling between Germany, Thailand and Korea over the past few years, interviewing a wide range of people, then writing about them as well as the meanings of borders, division a

Oct 24, 2021By Park Ji-won
Korean, German artists to perform 'Borderline,' collaborative play on defector, refugee issues
Music

Pianist Evgeny Kissin to hold solo recital in Seoul for just one day

A poster for pianist Evgeny Kissin's piano recital / Courtesy of Lotte Concert HallBy Park Ji-wonPianist Evgeny Kissin will be playing the famous piano works of legendary composers, such as Chopin, Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, for Korean audiences for the first time in three years. During a solo recital scheduled to be held at Lotte Concert Hall on Nov. 22, the renowned musician and composer will be playing Bach's “Toccata and Fugue in D minor;” Mozart's “Adagio in B minor;” Beethoven's ”Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major” and Chopin's “Mazurkas” and “Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Billante Op. 22.”This will be the virtuoso's fifth recital in Korea since 2006. In the past, Kissin always went on a national tour in Korea that lasted several days. But this time, due to his tight recital schedule in other parts of the world, he was able to have only a one-day concert here.He is famous for an hour-long encore performance at a previous recital in Korea. Responding to audience members' enthusiastic applause during his 2018 concert

Oct 21, 2021By Park Ji-won
Pianist Evgeny Kissin to hold solo recital in Seoul for just one day
Music

Canadian Bruce Liu wins 2021 Chopin Competition; Lee Hyuk finishes without prize

Bruce Xiaoyu Liu of Canada reacts after being announced as the winner of the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, local time. Reuters-YonhapBy Park Ji-wonCanadian pianist Bruce Xiaoyu Liu won the first prize at the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland, on Thursday, while Korean national Lee Hyuk finished his final round without a prize.The decision was made after 12 pianists from 10 countries competed for three days starting on Monday. The winner will receive 40,000 euros ($46,620) in prize money and a gold medal. Korean pianist Cho Seong-jin won the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in 2015, becoming the first Korean national to win the award. The competition has been held every five years since 1927.Katarzyna Popowa-zydron, the chairwoman of the jury, said the judges asked themselves, "What kind of Chopin do we have in the 21st century?" before choosing the winner.The 18th competition was supposed to be held last year, but was delayed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The winner

Oct 21, 2021By Park Ji-won
Canadian Bruce Liu wins 2021 Chopin Competition; Lee Hyuk finishes without prize
Shows & Dramas

FULL TEXT Actor Kim Seon-ho belatedly admits to forced abortion rumor, apologizes

Actor Kim Seon-ho / SALT EntertainmentBy Park Ji-wonActor Kim Seon-ho, who shot to stardom in tvN's romance series, "Start-Up," followed by "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha," indirectly admitted Wednesday that he had forced his ex-girlfriend to have an abortion and apologized.“I and the person were in a relationship exchanging good feelings. Over the course of the relationship, I hurt her due to my mistakes and inconsiderate actions. I wanted to directly apologize to her in person, but I failed to do so and am waiting for (her),” Kim wrote in a statement released via SALT Entertainment, his agency.The statement came about three days after an accusation was raised by a user in an online community on Sunday. Claiming to be the ex-girlfriend of a rising star initialed, "K," the person claimed that she got pregnant while dating the actor last year and was falsely persuaded to have the abortion with the promise that he would marry her afterwards, so that she would acquiesce. The user wrote that he had even told her that he would need to pay off hundreds of millions of won for violating a

Oct 20, 2021By Park Ji-won
[FULL TEXT] Actor Kim Seon-ho belatedly admits to forced abortion rumor, apologizes
  • Actor Kim Seon-ho admits to coercing ex-girlfriend into getting abortion
  • 'I don't feel good watching him collapse': Actor Kim Seon-ho's ex-girlfriend receives apology after abortion scandal
Arts & Theater

LG Arts Center to relocate to Tadao Ando-designed complex in Seoul's Magok District

A rendering of the new LG Arts Center in Magok District, Seoul / Courtesy of LG Arts CenterBy Park Ji-wonThe LG Arts Center, one of the leading art theaters currently based in southern Seoul and run by LG Group's Yonam Foundation, will be relocated to a government-led industrial complex in Magok District, western Seoul, in March of next year. It will be open to the public in October of next year. Designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando and advised by Theatre Projects Consultants, a theater building consultant headquartered in the United Kingdom, the new art complex will be built on a 41,631-square-meter site and provide two concert halls, named the “Grand Theater” and “Black Box,” with 1,335 and 365 seats, respectively. The foundation has invested 250 billion won ($212.7 million) in the four-story complex, which has three levels below ground, since construction began in October 2017.“Even though the district has a potential to grow, it doesn't have enough cultural facilities … We hope the facility can become a cultural landmark there,” Shi

Oct 20, 2021By Park Ji-won
LG Arts Center to relocate to Tadao Ando-designed complex in Seoul's Magok District
Entertainment

KOCCA holds seminars on social value and ESG-centered management

From left are Shinhan University global trade management professor Lee Hyun, Shinhan University Dean Kang Seong-jong, Rep. Seo Young-kyo, KOCCA President Jo Hyun-rae and KOCCA senior official Park Kyung-ja, in this undated photo. Courtesy of KOCCABy Park Ji-wonThe Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) and Shinhan University held educational seminars on the subjects of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG)-centered management and social value for those public agencies on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.Titled “2021 Social Value Academy,” KOCCA held educational sessions for 80 officials from 78 public agencies on the subject of creating social value through ESG-centered management.“We organized this academy to help the content industry and public agencies as the ESG-centered management is not a choice but a must now. KOCCA will try our best to expand this management culture,” KOCCA President Jo Hyun-rae.The concept of “ESG-centered management” is widely accepted among Korean firms as part of their efforts to expand involvement with society in an e

Oct 20, 2021By Park Ji-won
KOCCA holds seminars on social value and ESG-centered management
Music

'Beethoven liberates musicians': specialist Rudolf Buchbinder

Pianist Rudolf Buchbinder listens to reporters' questions during a press conference held at Cosmos Hall in Seoul, Monday, to promote his recital series in Korea, which is planned to be held from Tuesday to Oct. 24 at venues across the nation. Courtesy of Vincero By Park Ji-wonKnown as one of the best Beethoven interpreters in the world, Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder has been placing Beethoven at the “center” of his life. He has performed Beethoven's Complete Piano Sonatas more than 50 times over the last 60 years of his career. He also owns a wide range of original, first-edition scores and music-related documents which include up to 12 and a half of Beethoven's signed scores.When the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world and many of his recitals had to be canceled last year, the 74-year-old recorded “The Diabelli Project” under the classical music label Deutsche Grammophon, which covers composer Anton Diabelli's original 33 variations on a waltz; 11 variations fro

Oct 19, 2021By Park Ji-won
'Beethoven liberates musicians': specialist Rudolf Buchbinder
Music

Director Jaap van Zweden of HK and NY Philharmonics to conduct KBS Orchestra on Oct. 29

Conductor Jaap van Zweden / Courtesy of Wong Kin ChungBy Park Ji-wonThe poster for KBS Symphony Orchestra's “Be Your Light” concert / Courtesy of KBS Symphony OrchestraJaap van Zweden, the Dutch music director of both the Hong Kong Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic orchestras, will conduct the KBS Symphony Orchestra to play Beethoven's famous “Symphony of Fate” and Prokofiev's “Symphony No.5 in B flat major.” Titled, “Be Your Light,” the concert is part of the orchestra's regular concert series. Van Zweden was named the 26th director of the New York Philharmonic, one of the world's most famous orchestras, in 2018. In September, he conducted the New York Philharmonic's live concerts at Lincoln Center for the first time since the pandemic and has announced that he will resign beginning in 2024. He will lead the KBS's orchestra's performance of Beethoven's “Symphony No.5 in C minor” and S. Prokofiev's “Symphony No.5 in B flat major” on Oct. 29 at the Seoul Arts Center.The KBS Symphony Orchestra said in a pr

Oct 19, 2021By Park Ji-won
Director Jaap van Zweden of HK and NY Philharmonics to conduct KBS Orchestra on Oct. 29
Music

AI-generated arrangement of Vivaldi's 'The Four Seasons' describes climate change-hit Seoul in 2050

Violinist Lim Ji-young plays Vivaldi's “Four Seasons” arranged by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Australian composer Hugh Crosthwaite at ODE Port, Seoul, Tuesday. She will perform the arrangement with an orchestra in an upcoming concert to be held at Lotte Concert Hall, Oct. 20. Yonhap By Park Ji-won Poster for the concert “The [Uncertain] Four Seasons” / Courtesy of Music & Art Company Vivaldi's “The Four Seasons,” arranged by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Australian composer Hugh Crosthwaite to describe the climate change-hit Seoul in 2050, will be played by award-winning violinist Lim Ji-young with an orchestra in an upcoming concert to be held at Lotte Concert Hall on Oct. 20.As part of an international project titled “The [Uncertain] Four Seasons” led by global marketing company AKQA to raise awareness on global warming following a report b

Oct 15, 2021By Park Ji-won
AI-generated arrangement of Vivaldi's 'The Four Seasons' describes climate change-hit Seoul in 2050
Music

Independent orchestra CHAM to play 'The Queen Symphony'

By Park Ji-wonThe poster for the show, “REQUIEM from The Queen Symphony” / Courtesy of the CHAM Philharmonic OrchestraThe CHAM Philharmonic Orchestra will play “The Queen Symphony,” composed by Tolga Kashif in tribute to the British rock band, Queen, in a charity concert to be held Oct. 15 at Lotte Concert Hall.The independent orchestra, which was founded in 2018 by members who had performed on the occasion of the anniversary of the April 3 Jeju Massacre, will play the piece based on some well-known melodies from Queen such as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You” “Who Wants to Live Forever,” “Radio Gaga” and “We are the Champions.” The work, consisting of six movements, lasts more than one hour. The composer is known to have introduced requiem lyrics to deliver a message of reconciliation, the orchestra said.The piece has been performed regularly throughout the world since it premiered in 2002, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.The composer has been seeking to come up with classical pie

Oct 12, 2021By Park Ji-won
Independent orchestra CHAM to play 'The Queen Symphony'
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