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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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Arts & Theater

Musical 'Wicked' returns with old and new cast

A scene from the 2021 Korean production of the musical "Wicked" / Courtesy of S&CO By Kwon Mee-yooThe musical “Wicked” returned to Korean stages after five years in spite of the coronavirus pandemic, enticing fans who have grown thirsty for spectacular musicals. Since opening on Feb. 16 at Blue Square in Seoul, the musical has enjoyed sold-out shows.The musical, which reimagines the story of "The Wizard of Oz," is a blockbuster hit not only on New York's Broadway and London's West End, but worldwide. It revolves around the unlikely friendship between Elphaba, the wicked witch with green skin, and Glinda the good witch, beginning in their Shiz University days. In the third Korean production, Oak Joo-hyun and Son Seung-yeon alternate the role of Elphaba. Oak, who was acclaimed for her portrayal of Elphaba in the Korean-language premiere back in 2013, returns to fly on the broom once again. "When I first played Elphaba, I was overjoyed and excited as I got to play the

Mar 3, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Musical 'Wicked' returns with old and new cast
Travel & Food

Documentary highlights Korea's intangible cultural heritage

A scene from the documentary “Korea's Cultural Heritage” featuring “Jongmyo jeryeak,” a royal ancestral ritual performed at Jongmyo shrine and its music / Courtesy of Korean Traditional Performing Arts FoundationBy Kwon Mee-yooThe Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation is airing a 20-episode mini-documentary series on Korea's UNESCO-inscribed intangible cultural heritage.This is part of the foundation's efforts to make use of and promote Korea's intangible cultural heritages, especially those recognized by UNESCO.Korea has 21 entities inscribed on the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, starting with "Jongmyo Jeryeak," a royal ancestral ritual performed at Jongmyo Shrine and its music, listed in 2001. Other notable intangible cultural heritages include pansori (traditional narrative singing style), ganggangsullae (circle dance under the full moon), weaving of mosi (fine ramie) in the Hansan region, the folk song Arirang, kimjang (the making and sharing of kimchi), the Jeju haenyeo (female divers), and ssireum (traditional Korean wre

Mar 3, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Documentary highlights Korea's intangible cultural heritage
Arts & Theater

Robert Mapplethorpe's controversial photos arrive in Korea

Installation view of Robert Mapplethorpe retrospective "More Life" at Kukje Gallery in central Seoul / Courtesy of Kukje GalleryBy Kwon Mee-yoo"Art is an accurate statement of the time in which it is made," said American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989). Now the world seen by Mapplethorpe some 40 years ago will get a chance to resonate with Korean audiences half a world away. Best known for his black-and-white photographs of celebrities, sculptural nudes, BDSM scenes and flowers, Mapplethorpe is being introduced to Korean audiences belatedly through a retrospective at the Kukje Gallery in Seoul and Busan.Titled “More Life,” The exhibit consists of three parts ― on the first and second floor of K2 in Seoul and at the gallery's Busan branch.Lee Yong-woo, cultural studies scholar and Sogang University's Critical Global Studies Institute professor, organized the exhibit as a guest curator. "The title of the exhibit comes from the lines of the Tony Kushner play Angels in America. I imagined what Mapplethorpe might have said if he had survived AIDS," Lee explained.R

Mar 2, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Robert Mapplethorpe's controversial photos arrive in Korea
Arts & Theater

INTERVIEW Yun Suk-nam honors female independent fighters in portraits

Artist Yun Suk-nam poses in her art installation “Red Room” at Hakgojae Gallery in Seoul, Feb. 25. Yun presents a series of Korea's female independence activists at the gallery. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Kwon Mee-yoo"When you aren't sure what our homeland is, think of the people who died for it. Then you'll know what our homeland means," independence activist Jeong Jeong-hwa (1900-91) wrote in her memoir "Chang Jiang Diary."Many women fought for independence during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, but only a few are known. Artist Yun Suk-nam revives the unsung heroes through a series of portraits with piercing eyes. Yun's solo exhibition “Women of Resistance, Becoming Historic ― Portraits of 14 Female Independence Activists Who Quaked History” is on view at Hakgojae Gallery in central Seoul through April 3. "There are many women who fought against Japanese colonial rule. At first, I couldn't understand them. Back then, women were treated as second-class citizens, just a little bit better than slaves. How could they give their lives for a country that i

Feb 28, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
[INTERVIEW] Yun Suk-nam honors female independent fighters in portraits
Arts & Theater

Artist, feminists at loggerheads over sex doll artwork at MMCA

Installation view of Jung Yoon-suk's "Tomorrow" at the Korea Artist Prize 2020 exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul / Courtesy of MMCAMMCA says it has no plans to take down Jung Yoon-suk's artwork By Kwon Mee-yooArtist and filmmaker Jung Yoon-suk's documentary exploring human desires and contradictions by zooming in on the production and consumption of sex dolls in Asia has drawn the ire of feminists. Women's groups claim that the film fuels the sexual objectification of women. They demand that the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) reverse its decision to select the artist as one of the four finalists for the prestigious Korea Artist Prize (KAP) 2020 and strip him of the finalist title. The MMCA, however, stood firm in its defense of the artist, claiming that artists are allowed to explore any topic freely, even if that topic may cause viewers discomfort.Life-size sex dolls are a controversial topic not just in the art field. The Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of importing the life-size dolls recently, against the Gimp

Feb 26, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Artist, feminists at loggerheads over sex doll artwork at MMCA
Arts & Theater

Choreographer Ahn Eun-me launches virtual dance game

Screenshots of Eun Me Ahn Company's virtual dancing game "Until Die Thanks Dancing" / Courtesy of Eun Me Ahn Company By Kwon Mee-yooEun Me Ahn Company, run by dancer and choreographer Ahn Eun-me, will release an educational dance game titled "Until Die Thanks Dance," Feb. 28. The game is an example of how the internationally renowned choreographer is forging ahead amid the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring the possibilities of staging dances online and welcoming virtual audiences.Ahn Eun Me Festival, which was scheduled to be held at Yeongdeungpo Art Hall in Seoul last year, was canceled due to the pandemic. Ahn's international project "Dragons," featuring young dancers from different Asian countries in 2000, a year of the dragon on the Chinese zodiac, also came to a halt due to restrictions on international travel and public gatherings.Instead of sitting on her hands, Ahn has been trying to navigate the future of dance as the pandemic prolonged. Eun Me Ahn Company colla

Feb 24, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Choreographer Ahn Eun-me launches virtual dance game
Arts & Theater

Digital platform Manifold to promote Korean art overseas

Main page of Manifold, an online art platform developed by the Korea Arts Management Service to introduce up-and-coming Korean artists to the world / Captured from Manifold By Kwon Mee-yooManifold, an online art platform organized by the Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS), is overcoming the limitations posed by the COVID-19 pandemic by introducing up-and-coming Korean artists to the world. The sleek online platform presents 25 artists and 11 galleries managing the artists, selected through the 2020 Grant for Artist Management program funded by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and KAMS.In its third year, the Grant for Artist Management aims to promote healthy relations between artists and galleries, and initiate and maintain a virtuous cycle in the field of art by matching aspiring artists with proficient galleries."Many people might have experienced similar concerns last year ― how to change their original plan for an offline event when shifting online

Feb 20, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Digital platform Manifold to promote Korean art overseas
  • Gallery, artist seek healthy relations through exclusive contract
Arts & Theater

Exquisite hunting scene folding screen returns from US

This "Eight-Panel Folding Screen with Hunting Scene," created in the late 18th century, returned from the States and is now on display at the National Palace Museum of Korea. Courtesy of Cultural Heritage Administration By Kwon Mee-yooAn "Eight-Panel Folding Screen with Hunting Scene," created during Joseon Dynasty King Jeongjo's reign in the late 18th century, was returned from the United States and went on display at the National Palace Museum of Korea starting Thursday. The Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, an affiliate of the Cultural Heritage Administration, purchased the artwork at Christie's auction house in New York last September for $930,000 (1.1 billion won).Chong Pyong-mo, a visiting professor at Gyeongju University, said that the returned “Hunting Scene” is of the highest artistic quality among remaining hunting scene paintings. "The folding screen painting provides a glimpse into the politics and national defense between the Joseon Kingdom

Feb 19, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Exquisite hunting scene folding screen returns from US
Arts & Theater

Tiffany Young to star in musical 'Chicago'

Tiffany Young will play Roxie Hart in the musical "Chicago." / Courtesy of Seensee Company By Kwon Mee-yooTiffany Young from Girls' Generation will star in the hit musical "Chicago," which celebrates its 21st year in Korea. Tiffany will play Roxie Hart, a chorus girl who rises to fame in prison, at D-Cube Arts Center in southwestern Seoul from April to July."Chicago" premiered in Korea on Dec. 8, 2000 and has been performed 15 times here, enjoying popularity with an average theater occupancy rate of 90 percent. The musical revolves around two publicity-craving murderesses Velma and Roxie and their eloquent lawyer Billy in the crime-tainted Chicago in the 1920s, based on a true story. Tiffany will alternate the role with singer-turned-actress Ivy and musical actress Min Kyoung-a. Ivy plays the young, ambitious murderess for the sixth time this year, while Min is a newcomer to the show along with Tiffany. Both Tiffany and Min won the role through an open audition last

Feb 17, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Tiffany Young to star in musical 'Chicago'
Arts & Theater

Stage shows find ways to survive on screen

A scene from the musical "Lost Face 1895," which will hit CGV theaters nationwide Feb. 24 / Courtesy of Seoul Performing Arts Company By Kwon Mee-yooPerforming arts and the cinema industry joined forces to draw in viewers, as both have seen a dramatic downturn in ticket sales amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The musical “Lost Face 1895,” revolving around the unseen side of Empress Myeongseong of the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom, will reach out to more audiences nationwide with a filmed version of the stage show to be released on CGV screens.The musical, produced by the state-run Seoul Performing Arts Company (SPAC), was shown on stage last July, but its run was halved due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of missing its chance, SPAC filmed it with nine 4K cameras to present it online and in movie theaters. Actress Cha Ji-yeon, played the mysterious empress and said she hopes this would provide an opportunity for more people to enjoy the performing arts."This is a new system

Feb 17, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Stage shows find ways to survive on screen
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