The Korea Times

Seoul International Dance Festival to be held

&ltiframe width="740" height="416" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/czs2WIFEKuE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen&gt&lt/iframe&gtBy Park Ji-won Poster for SIDance2021 / Courtesy of SIDance The 24th Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance2021), hosted by Seoul Section of the UNESCO International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO), will be held from Oct. 16 to Nov. 14 at various locations in Seoul and through online platforms.This year's festival will focus on presenting dance performances from Benelux countries ― Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg ― as well as works from non-metropolitan areas. The festival features 84 works from 83 dance companies representing 14 countries, encompassing Europe, Asia, Middle East, and North America. They will be held at various locations in Seoul, such as Seoul Arts Center, ARKO Art Center and Oil Tank Culture

Sep 23, 2021By Park Ji-won

Seoul International Dance Festival to be held

Trends

INTERVIEW Co-worshipping: Churches share worship hall amid pandemic

Revs. Yoon Chul-jong of Want-to-Revisit Church, from left, An Nam-ki of Springing Fountain Church and Kim Hak-beom of Gimpo Myungsung Church pose at the entrance of the Co+Worship Station, Wednesday, where up to nine churches from seven different denominations hold services sharing one hall in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Park Ji-wonAt the end of the 19th century, Christianity was something to be eradicated by the Confucian Joseon Kingdom and therefore many believers, priests and pastors were persecuted for their commitment to the teachings of Christ following the establishment of the peninsula's first Protestant church in 1883.Compared to then, things are now much different. As of 2015, the number of Protestants topped other religious believers with 9.6 million adherents, followed by 7.6 million Buddhists and 3.8 million Catholics, according to Statistics Korea. The data show that the Protestant congregation has grown the fastest.Some of the churches had contributed to shaping modern Korean history by saving lives of Korean War-hit citizens and fight

Sep 20, 2021By Park Ji-won

[INTERVIEW] Co-worshipping: Churches share worship hall amid pandemic

Music

Nat'l gugak center to focus on original form of traditional music

Kim Young-woon, newly-appointed director general of the National Gugak Center, speaks during a press conference held at the center in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of National Gugak Center By Park Ji-wonPeople's attention to traditional music is likely higher than ever thanks to the popularity of the so-called fusion gugak (Korean traditional music) genre. A video of Leenalchi, an alternative pop band, has already exceeded 15.3 million views on YouTube, and one of a series of promotional videos from the Korea Tourism Organization featuring the band and its music exceeded 47.6 million views on the streaming platform. The sampling of “Daechwita,” a traditional military band piece, by BTS's Suga (August D) for his single of the same name also promoted the genre among global listenersBut not many Koreans are familiar with traditional gugak, including court and folk music, despite enjoying the rising attention to the “new” music genre. Kim Young-woon, newly-appointed director

Sep 17, 2021By Park Ji-won

Nat'l gugak center to focus on original form of traditional music

People & Events

Yoido Full Gospel Church founder Cho Yong-gi dies

Rev. Cho Yong-gi, founder and senior pastor of the Yoido Full Gospel Church, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the church office, Seoul, March 27, 2020. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Park Ji-wonRev. Cho Yong-gi, founder and senior pastor of the Yoido Full Gospel Church, died Tuesday. He was 85.The pastor emeritus passed away at 7:13 a.m. in Seoul National University Hospital due to a brain hemorrhage, the church said. Cho had been hospitalized due to the stroke since July last year. He is considered as the pioneer in expanding the size of Protestant church in Korea.Born on Feb. 14, 1936 in Ulju, Ulsan, South Gyeongsang Province as the eldest of nine children, he was raised in a Buddhist family. Cho was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis in his second year of high school and was told that he would not have long to live. He was introduced to Christianity through a friend of his sister and decided to follow the religion. Cho met with Kenneth Tice, a missionary from the Assemblies of God, an American Pentecostal denomination in Busan and began helping him. He

Sep 14, 2021By Park Ji-won

Yoido Full Gospel Church founder Cho Yong-gi dies

Arts & Theater

NTCK's multimedia play to be showcased for roaming audience

A scene from “Coffee and Soporific” / Courtesy of NTCKBy Park Ji-wonThe National Theater Company of Korea (NTCK) will showcase a new COVID-19-friendly form of tour-like multimedia play that invites its audience to move around outside of the theater, showcasing a VR performance about poet Yi Sang (1910-37), the 1930s and present.The NTCK's new piece “Coffee and Soporific” by artist Seo Hyun-suk will be showcased alongside Seoullo 7017, a former overpass turned into a park near Seoul Station, as well as at the NTCK and in its main theater from Sept. 24 to Oct. 3. Each participant, who is required to bring a mobile phone and earphones, will start a 50-minute journey at the beginning of Seoullo 7017 or near the headquarters of Shinsegae Department Store alone and be asked to listen to an audio file provided by the NTCK for about 20 minutes. The audio file is a narration of background information about the era and Yi's famous poems which drew inspiration from Seoul. It explains the department store and other areas while guiding participants to pass by the actual fa

Sep 14, 2021By Park Ji-won

NTCK's multimedia play to be showcased for roaming audience

Society

Catholic Church joins net zero drive

Poster for the Catholic Diocese's campaign “Dedication of practice of carbon neutrality in the Catholic Diocese of Suwon” / Courtesy of Catholic Diocese of SuwonBy Park Ji-wonThe Catholic Diocese of Suwon consisting of 222 churches in the region pledged to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040 by using renewable energy in its facilities.The diocese launched a one-year campaign called “Dedication of practice of carbon neutrality in the Catholic Diocese of Suwon” on Saturday, which aims for self-sufficient electricity supply by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2040. The diocese marked the launch by holding a prayer service.“Achieving the goal of carbon neutrality is a wave of the era. But acting on the issue is a matter of life and death. It is a matter of survival,” Rev. Yang Ki-suk, head of the Catholic Diocese of Suwon's environment and ecology committee, told The Korea Times by phone, Monday.“A few years ago, reports urged reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 as global warming will hit 1.5C by 2050. But recently, some reports including that of

Sep 13, 2021By Park Ji-won

Trends

Number of regular churchgoers declines while pastors, church numbers increase

gettyimagesbankBy Park Ji-wonChurches have needed to close their doors to worshippers due to the tightened social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, banning people from church-related activities, such as face-to-face worship services and other gatherings. A few big or specific churches that were already able to provide online sermons before the pandemic, ended up receiving more offerings from congregations through online payments, as well as accommodating new churchgoers. Meanwhile, many smaller churches have found it difficult to adjust to the new reality created by the virus and have seen both members and donations decline. Some denominations have even revised their rules to allow pastors to take on side jobs in order to make some extra money to survive.Recent data gathered by Protestant churches has corroborated this reality felt by Korea's clergy, revealing that the pandemic has accelerated a decline in the number of churchgoers over the last year, although the number of churches and the number of pastors have both surprisingly increased.According to the report by

Sep 13, 2021By Park Ji-won

Number of regular churchgoers declines while pastors, church numbers increase

Arts & Theater

National Changgeuk Company of Korea performs hybrid media art adaptation of traditional pansori folktale

“The Show: HeungBo,” by the National Changgeuk Company of Korea / Courtesy of NTOKBy Park Ji-wonThe “Heungbuga” is one of five surviving pansori (a traditional Korean genre of storytelling performed by a singer and drummer), stories that have largely been performed by singers known as “soriggun” in Korean, and enjoyed by the public since the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). Many artists have performed the story, which revolves around the poor family of Heungbu (also known as Heungbo) ― who tries to survive while remaining kind and empathetic amidst the harsh reality of poverty ― as a good source of narratives for their singing and theatre performances, adapting it to modern contexts as well. Nevertheless, it has been rare for pansori to collaborate with other contemporary forms of music, as it has often remained somewhat conservative in preserving its original style.But the National Changgeuk Company of Korea, under the National Theater of Korea (NTOK), is seeking to defy preconceived notions of both the story and the performing method in its upcoming n

Sep 12, 2021By Park Ji-won

National Changgeuk Company of Korea performs hybrid media art adaptation of traditional pansori folktale

Music

INTERVIEW Belgian filmmaker explores why young Koreans are dominating classical music

Pianist Cho Seong-jin, who won the Chopin competition in 2015, is seen in the film “K-Classics Generation” directed by Thierry Loreau. / Courtesy of K-Classics GenerationBy Park Ji-wonIt is no longer a rarity to hear about Koreans sweeping international classical music competitions. Just recently, pianists Park Jae-hong and Kim Do-hyun won the first and second prizes, respectively, at the 63rd Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition in Italy, one of the most prestigious piano competitions in the world.Some may simply consider the phenomenon to be a result of the “tiger parenting” practiced in many Asian societies, a style of education in which parents invest heavily and push their children to high levels of achievement, which has been credited with raising children as elite lawyers, doctors or athletes. However, Thierry Loreau, a Belgian filmmaker and TV director who has been making films on classical music and filming the final stages of the Queen Elisabeth Competition for more than two decades, sees the domination of young Koreans in classical music

Sep 10, 2021By Park Ji-won

[INTERVIEW] Belgian filmmaker explores why young Koreans are dominating classical music

Arts & Theater

Dancers, artists urge gov't to include dance classes in school

An elementary school playground in Songpa-gu, Seoul is seen in this May 27, 2020, file photo. Korea Times fileBy Park Ji-wonA group of dancers including Kang Sue-jin, artistic director of the Korean National Ballet, actor Park Sang-won, professor of the Seoul Institute of the Arts and Kim Bo-ram, artistic director of Ambiguous Dance Company urged the government to introduce dance classes in elementary and middle schools as part of their efforts to expand the rights for students to receive an arts education.“Dance has been categorized as sports in school since the nation's first education curriculum in 1955. However, the 21st century is the age of culture and art and it should be a must to learn arts (dance, fine arts, music and acting) in school,” a dance education innovation committee founded to urge the introduction of dance classes in school wrote in a recent press release.Categorizing dance as one of the artistic activities in school is a big task for the dance world, it added.The committee is planning to hold a press conference Friday and start a campaign to urge the

Sep 9, 2021By Park Ji-won

Park Ji-won

Read more

Seoul International Dance Festival to be held

INTERVIEW Co-worshipping: Churches share worship hall amid pandemic

Nat'l gugak center to focus on original form of traditional music

Yoido Full Gospel Church founder Cho Yong-gi dies

NTCK's multimedia play to be showcased for roaming audience

Catholic Church joins net zero drive

Number of regular churchgoers declines while pastors, church numbers increase

National Changgeuk Company of Korea performs hybrid media art adaptation of traditional pansori folktale

INTERVIEW Belgian filmmaker explores why young Koreans are dominating classical music

Dancers, artists urge gov't to include dance classes in school

Top 5 stories