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Kwon Mee-yoo

Korea Times Politics & City Reporter

Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.

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Lifestyle

American art: 300 years young

“No. 22” (1950) by Jackson Pollock                                                                     / Courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of ArtSeoul exhibition highlights innovative works of US artistsBy Kwon Mee-yooIt would be hard to say that the average Korean is well versed in American art. Sure, contemporary icons like Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol will come up in conversation but it’s rare that anyone would be able to recognize the names of more than a few, pre-20th century American artists, let alone identify their work."Art Across America,’’ an exhibition by the National Museum of Korea (NMK) in Yongsan, Seoul, provides an invaluable opportunity for local art lovers to see some of the more innovative American works of the past 300 years.The government-run museum has received pieces from four U.S. art institutions ― the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Museum of Fine A

Feb 5, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo
American art: 300 years young
K-pop

From girl to woman

Korean pop-star BoA sings “Only One” from her seventh Korean album during her first solo concert “BoA Special Live 2013 Here I Am” at Olympic Hall in Seoul, Saturday.                                      / Courtesy of SM EntertainmentBoA’s concerts worth 13 years’ waitBy Kwon Mee-yooIt has taken 13 years for BoA to hold solo concerts in Korea; but on Saturday and Sunday she performed in “BoA Special Live 2013 Here I Am,” at the Olympic Hall in Seoul, featuring songs from her Korean, Japanese and American albums.Now 26, BoA made her debut in 2000 at just 13 with the album “ID; Peace B.” She has since released seven albums in Korea, seven in Japan and one in the United States. She was a pioneer of “hallyu,” or the Korean wave, and paved the way for other K-pop singers to advance overseas.The singer exuded self-confidence throughout the two-hour concerts singing 25 songs, from opener “Hurricane Venus” to encore

Jan 28, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo
From girl to woman
Arts & Theater

Passionate Czech modern art comes to Seoul

“Portrait of F. Kupka and Mrs. E. Kupkova” (1908) by Frantisek Kupka,  The works are on display at the National Museum of Art at Deoksu Palace in Seoul as part of exhibition “Memory of Landscape I Have Never Seen: Collection of the National Gallery in Prague.”                                                                     / Courtesy of the National Museum of ArtBy Kwon Mee-yooPrague is known as a romantic city and a favorite tourist destination for Koreans. An exhibition at the National Museum of Art at Deoksu Palace is ready to show how modern art developed in this Czech capital.“Memory of Landscape I Have Never Seen: Collection of the National Gallery in Prague,” features 107 paintings by 28 Czech artists from 1905 to 1943.Vladimir Rosel, general director of the National Gallery in Prague, visited Korea to attend the opening of the exhibit and celebrate the st

Jan 27, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo
Passionate Czech modern art comes to Seoul
Arts & Theater

Photographers, designer take detour

Fashion designer Lie Sang-bong poses for photographer Lee Yeop for the exhibition titled "Expression.” By Kwon Mee-yooInstead of showing his collection, fashion designer Lie Sang-bong took off his clothes in front of photographer Lee Yeop, whom he has worked with for more than a decade.At an exhibition at Keumsan Gallery in central Seoul, some 20 of Lie’s nude photographs are on display from today. As a commercial photographer, Lee had taken photos of Lie’s collection at numerous occasions including the Pret-a-Porter from 2002 to 2004 and the Moscow Collection in Russia in 2010.Lie is a renowned designer for his use of "hangeul," or the Korean alphabet, on his garments.He is also a designer known for not disclosing his age. But it is unusual for a “middle-aged” male designer to become a nude model, even though Lee has taken Lienude pictures previously. But Lie said he stripped himself bare because he wants to be free like the wind.“People say I am a designer with my colors, but I don’t want to have my color. I dreamt of being free when I

Jan 22, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo
Photographers, designer take detour
Arts & Theater

Kim Soo-ja to grace 2013 Venice Biennale

Kim Soo-ja’s “Bottari Truck — Migrateurs” will be on display at the 55th Venice Biennale.                                                / Courtesy of Arts Council of KoreaKorean pavilion to be turned into ‘bottari’By Kwon Mee-yooA round, colorful Korean bundle or “bottari” by artist Kim Soo-ja will be a theme of the Korean Pavilion at the 55th Venice Biennale.Commissioner for the Korean Pavilion Kim Seung-duk, 59, and the 56-year-old artist revealed the plan for the contemporary art exhibition at a press conference at the Arko Art Center in Seoul on Wednesday.Originally, Kim Seung-duk said she was considering a group exhibition after being appointed as commissioner in August but after thorough research and communication with artists, she decided to work solely with Kim Soo-ja.“Kim Soo-ja has much experience on the international art scene and she was the right person to express the concept I planned,”

Jan 18, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo
Kim Soo-ja to grace 2013 Venice Biennale
Shows & Dramas

Girls' Generation redeemed with 'I Got a Boy'

From left, Sunny, Tiffany, Taeyeon, Seohyun, Yoona, Yuri, Hyoyeon, Jessica and Sooyoung of Girls’ Generation pose for their fourth full-length album “I Got a Boy,” which was released on Jan.1. / Courtesy of SM EntertainmentBy Kwon Mee-yooArriving for a round of press interviews in Apgujeong-dong, Seoul, Tuesday, the members of Girls’ Generation were lovely even in their off-stage, every-day clothes. Sixth year since its debut, the nine girls seemed more maturing girls than the dynamic, rapping powerful dancer/singers in their fourth full-length album “I Got a Boy.”Their title track “I Got a Boy,” released on the first day of the year 2013, surprised the K-pop scene with fresh, unexpected music and style. The song is an evolved form of K-pop, beginning with hip hop-style rap and developing into electronic dance and dubstep with the girls’ harmonies. The song constantly modulates and changes beats. For the song, the girls’ styles have changed. The girly girls are gone and the group has became much funkier, where the nine piece

Jan 9, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo
Girls' Generation redeemed with 'I Got a Boy'
Arts & Theater

Yang Hae-gue unravels Diaspora at Haus der Kunst in Munich

Yang Hae-gue’s “Accommodating the Epic Dispersion — On Non-cathartic Volume of Dispersion” on display at the middle hall of Haus der Kunst, Munich as a part of Annual Art Commission.By Kwon Mee-yooThe year 2012 was a splendorous year for Seoul- and Berlin-based Yang Hae-gue. She participated in dOCUMENTA (13) in Kassel, Germany and Urdaibai Art Biennale in Spain and presented “Dress Vehicles” at the newly opened Tanks at Tate Modern in London.In November, Yang unveiled a new piece "Accommodating the Epic Dispersion — On Non-cathartic Volume of Dispersion,” a work she created for the Annual Art Commission at Haus der Kunst, Munich.It is unusual for a foreign artist to grace the first annual commission of a German art museum, but Yang’s colorful Venetian blinds encompass the history of the building.“I usually don’t like to work in a tight schedule, but this commission was tempting. My works on display at exhibits are generally displayed for a few months or even several days at art fairs. I liked the lengthy term of

Jan 7, 2013By Kwon Mee-yoo
Yang Hae-gue unravels Diaspora at Haus der Kunst in Munich
Arts & Theater

Kang relishes in complex role in 'Assassins'

Kang Ha-neul plays the Balladeer and Lee Harvey Oswald in ongoing Sondheim musical “Assassins” at Yonkang Hall of Doosan Art Center. The show runs through Feb. 3.                                         / Courtesy of Sem CompanyBy Kwon Mee-yooIt’s been about a month since the third Korean production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Assassins” opened in Yonkang Hall of Doosan Art Center in central Seoul and Kang Ha-neul, 22, who is playing the Balladeer and Lee Harvey Oswald, now understands the character better than ever before.“The stage is new and fresh to me every day. There is never perfection and something has to be changed all the time,” Kang said at an interview with The Korea Times.The provocative musical with Sondheim’s difficult yet stylish music revolves around nine people who assassinated or attempted assassinating U.S. presidents from John Wilkes Booth, who killed Abraham Lincoln, to Oswald, the supposed assassinator of

Dec 25, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo
Kang relishes in complex role in 'Assassins'
People & Events

JYP to report Twitter user to police for harassing Suzy

SuzyBy Kwon Mee-yooJYP Entertainment said Monday that it will take legal action against a man for sexually harassing Suzy, a member of girl group Miss A, by posting photos on Twitter.The man sent Suzy, 18, a message with pictures of a life-size promotional signboard of the entertainer and him straddling it, suggesting sexual activity. He also used a disparaging term for people from the southwestern Jeolla Provinces, referring to the singer’s hometown of Gwangju. The Twitter account has been deleted along with the picture.JYP said they will report the case to the Cyber Terror Response Center of the National Police Agency.In a press release it said, "Since Suzy is still a minor and a high school student, we consider this as indirect sexual harassment and the photo was posted with malicious intention. We will report this to the Cyber Terror Response Center for further investigation."The agency previously took action against another netizen who continuously sent obscene messages to So-hee of the Wonder Girls through Twitter in April. The person was placed under arrest in November f

Dec 24, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo
JYP to report Twitter user to police for harassing Suzy
Arts & Theater

Tim Burton's world comes to Korea

“Blue Girl with Wine” by Tim Burton Courtesy of the artistBy Kwon Mee-yooIf you are looking for whimsical yet dark works of art, American film director Tim Burton’s fantastic world is on exhibit at the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) in central Seoul. Some 860 of Burton’s works from his earliest small sketches to those from his most recent movie “Frankenweenie” are on display for both children and adults.His pieces are dark, disturbing and mysterious, yet interesting and compelling. Films such as “Edward Scissorhands” (1990), “The Nightmare before Christmas” (1993) and “Alice in Wonderland” (2010) have helped Burton become a world-renowned movie director with a distinguishing artistic world ranging from reality to animation.The exhibit, debuting at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York in 2009, has been on tour since then via Melbourne, Toronto, Los Angeles and Paris. With Seoul being the only Asian destination and the final stop, Burton said that it makes it “extra special” at a press conference in

Dec 24, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo
Tim Burton's world comes to Korea
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