The Korea Times

INTERVIEW 'Shamanic funk' band ADG7 carries on legacy of North Korean folk music

'Shamanic funk' band Ak Dan Gwang Chil (ADG7) members / Courtesy of Lee Jong SamBy Kwak Yeon-sooFusion gugak has been enjoying a sudden heyday lately. There have been numerous and various efforts to creatively reinterpret gugak, or traditional Korean music. Young musicians have churned out new styles of gugak, mixing old and new, or East and West, for modern-day audiences. Unlike other fusion gugak groups such as Leenalchi or Coreyah that combine elements of traditional Korean music and Western pop music, Ak Dan Gwang Chil (ADG7) uses only traditional Korean instruments to create sounds. The nine-member ensemble consists of three vocalists ― Hong Ok, Myeong Wol and Yoo Wol ― as well as daegeum (bamboo flute) player Kim Yak-dae, piri (double reed oboe) and saenghwang (mouth organ) player Lee Man-wol, ajaeng (seven-stringed bowed zither) player Grace Park, gayageum (12-string zither) player Weon Meondongmaru, and percussionists Chun Gung-dal and Sunwoo Barabarabarabam.ADG7's members refuse to be called traditionalists as they are passionate about reinventing traditional music for the m

Jul 14, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

[INTERVIEW] 'Shamanic funk' band ADG7 carries on legacy of North Korean folk music

Films

Taiwanese film opens 25th Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival

Festival director Shin Chul, second from right, speaks during an opening ceremony of the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in Bucheon City Hall in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Courtesy of BIFAN By Kwak Yeon-sooThe Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), Asia's largest genre film festival, kicked off its 11-day run Thursday and will run through July 18 in the form of a “hybrid” edition.With the pandemic raging across the country, the film festival, which is devoted to horror, thriller, mystery, fantasy and sci-fi flicks, has decided to go both on and offline as a way to maintain its presence for both filmmakers and audiences.Under the slogan, “Stay Strange,” 174 films from 42 countries will be screened during the festival at five local theaters. For those unable to attend, 154 films are also available on the local streaming platform Wavve.The opening ceremony was held Thursday at Bucheon City Hall, with less than 100 guests in atte

Jul 9, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Taiwanese film opens 25th Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival

Sports

Launching ceremony for Olympic squad

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, front row left, Culture Minister Hwang Hee, front row second from left, and the South Korean delegation to the Tokyo Olympics salute the Korean flag during an inaugural ceremony held at the Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Jul 8, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Shows & Dramas

K-drama, film productions halted by COVID-19 resurgence

A poster for KBS's TV drama “Be My Dream Family”/ Courtesy of KBS By Kwak Yeon-sooTV and film productions are being halted as the country enters what appears to be a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections. Companies including KBS and Netflix confirmed disruptions to their shooting schedules. On Tuesday, a press conference for tvN's reality show “Udo Inn” was canceled abruptly because actress Kim Hee-sun had to undergo COVID-19 testing after Cha Ji-yeon, who has been starring in the musical “Red Book” and preparing for the upcoming musical “Gwanghwamun Sonata” and Netflix's series “The Bride of Black,” tested positive for the virus on Sunday. Kim as well as the rest of the cast and crew for “The Bride of Black” have been tested and were all confirmed negative. Cha's infection has also dented the live theater sector. The musical “Red Book” has been suspended until July 17, while a press conference for “Gwanghwamun Sonata,” which was originally scheduled for Monday, was ca

Jul 8, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

K-drama, film productions halted by COVID-19 resurgence

Arts & Theater

Gov't to build new museum to exhibit late Samsung chairman's donated art collection

Culture Minister Hwang Hee speaks during a press briefing at the Central Government Complex in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and TourismBy Kwak Yeon-sooThe government plans to build a new museum in Seoul to exhibit the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee's art collection, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The culture ministry announced Wednesday that it was considering two spots in central Seoul ― the grounds of the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, and a large empty lot previously used for U.S. embassy housing in Jongno District's Songhyeon-dong, near the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) ― as the site for the new museum, which is expected to be completed by 2027 or 2028. “After discussions with an experts' committee and the relevant authorities, we've come to the conclusion that building a new art museum will help us better manage Lee's art collection. We believe that adheres to the donor's philosophy in art collecting,” Culture Minister Hwang Hee said during a press briefing at the

Jul 7, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Gov't to build new museum to exhibit late Samsung chairman's donated art collection

Films

In Yeon Sang-ho's 'The Cursed' spinoff, the dead return to life

From left, actors Oh Yoon-ah, Jung Ji-so, Uhm Ji-won, Kwon Hye-hyo, director Kim Yong-wan and writer Yeon Sang-ho pose during a press conference for the film “The Cursed,” Tuesday. Courtesy of CJ ENMBy Kwak Yeon-sooOccult thriller “The Cursed: Dead Man's Prey,” a film spin-off from the 2020 tvN drama “The Cursed,” unravels the mystery surrounding the revival of the dead. The screenplay was written by Yeon Sang-ho, who also penned the hit zombie thrillers, “Train to Busan” (2016) and “Peninsula” (2010), and was directed by Kim Yong-wan of the 2018 sports drama flick “Champion.” The film revolves around Jin-hee (Uhn Ji-won), an investigative journalist who now runs an independent news media outlet. One day, she makes a guest appearance on a live radio show and receives a message from a killer, who claims that he will commit three more murders by manipulating dead corpses. Along with So-jin (Jung Ji-so), a teenage girl who has the ability to curse evil spirits, using a person's name, photo and one of their belonging

Jul 6, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

In Yeon Sang-ho's 'The Cursed' spinoff, the dead return to life

Films

Disaster blockbuster 'Sinkhole' places human story at the center of terrible predicament

From left, actors Cha Seung-won, Kim Hye-jun, Kim Sung-kyun and Lee Kwang-soo pose during an online press conference for the film “Sinkhole,” Monday. Courtesy of ShowboxBy Kwak Yeon-sooDisaster blockbuster “Sinkhole,” which blends horror and comedy, tries to locate a human story at the center of a terrible predicament of falling into a massive sinkhole.Directed by Kim Ji-hoon, who helmed the disaster film “Tower” (2012), “Sinkhole” revolves around Dong-won (Kim Sung-kyun), a hard-working man who fulfills his long-cherished dream of buying a house after 11 years.On the day he invites his coworkers, including Seung-hyun (Lee Kwang-Soo) and Eun-joo (Kim Hye-jun), to his new house, the entire building falls into a sinkhole. Along with irritating next-door neighbor Man-soo (Cha Seung-won), the group tries to find ways to survive from about 500 meters underground.“If Tower was a thrilling survival story that takes place in a high-rise building that catches fire, Sinkhole is a more optimistic disaster movie that takes place in an undergr

Jul 5, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Disaster blockbuster 'Sinkhole' places human story at the center of terrible predicament

Films

'The Medium' features gore as well as sudden frights

Director Na Hong-jin poses at a press conference for promoting the film "The Medium" in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of ShowboxBy Kwak Yeon-soo“The Medium,” a spooky horror film produced by director Na Hong-jin and directed by Thai filmmaker Banjong Pisanthanakun, includes both gory scenes as well as mind-bending psychological thrills. The horror flick begins its story in Thailand's northeastern Isan region where the benevolent goddess Ba Yan is worshipped. For several generations, one family in particular has served as Ba Yan's shaman and only the female members of the family are chosen as the next medium of the tradition. Mink (played by Narilya Gulmongkolpech), a young girl who seems to be chosen as the next successor, expresses her disbelief at this legacy at first, by saying “Shamans? I think they're nonsense. I don't think they're real.” As Mink's condition begins to worsen, her behavior becomes increasingly disturbing and erratic. The family starts to suspect that she might be possessed by a demon, not the kind goddess Ba Yan. The suspense builds up slowly d

Jul 4, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

'The Medium' features gore as well as sudden frights

Films

In 'Escape from Mogadishu,' North and South Koreans unite for survival

Actors Kim Yun-seok, left, and Zo In-sung in a scene from “Escape from Mogadishu” / Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Kwak Yeon-soo“Escape from Mogadishu,” one of the most anticipated films of this summer, focuses on a fight for survival as the characters in the movie embark on a desperate mission to flee Somalia following the outbreak of civil war in the African country, according to the cast.Set in 1991, the action drama tells the story of North and South Korean diplomats who are forced to cooperate with each other to escape the civil war in Somalia's capital.In the upcoming film, Kim Yun-seok plays South Korean Ambassador to Somalia Han Shin-sung, while Huh Joon-ho stars as the North Korean ambassador. Meanwhile, Zo In-sung portrays counselor Kang Dae-jin of the South Korean embassy. Koo Kyo-hwan, who has a couple of high-profile projects under his belt including Netflix's “Kingdom: Ashin of the North,” plays Tae Joon-ki, a diplomat at the North Korean embassy. They shot the entire film for four months in Morocco before the COVID-19 outbreak, ac

Jul 1, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

In 'Escape from Mogadishu,' North and South Koreans unite for survival

Films

'Assassins' finally earns art movie status after initial denial

A poster for "Assassins" / Courtesy of The Coup, Watcha, kthBy Kwak Yeon-soo“Assassins,” a documentary about the 2017 assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has finally earned its status as an “art movie” after an initial rejection by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).“We still have no clue why the film authority refused to grant art movie status in the first place, and how it was reevaluated and by what criteria. However, we respect the council's decision as it is,” the distributors said in a statement, Tuesday. “We hope this will serve as an opportunity for improving policies regarding film classification of indie movies.”Directed by American filmmaker Ryan White, “Assassins” centers on the two South Asian women who killed Kim, the eldest son of the deceased North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, by using VC, a highly toxic nerve agent, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia in February 2017.According to distributors, the film is not political, but rather centers on

Jun 30, 2021By Kwak Yeon-soo

Kwak Yeon-soo

Read more

INTERVIEW 'Shamanic funk' band ADG7 carries on legacy of North Korean folk music

Taiwanese film opens 25th Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival

Launching ceremony for Olympic squad

K-drama, film productions halted by COVID-19 resurgence

Gov't to build new museum to exhibit late Samsung chairman's donated art collection

In Yeon Sang-ho's 'The Cursed' spinoff, the dead return to life

Disaster blockbuster 'Sinkhole' places human story at the center of terrible predicament

'The Medium' features gore as well as sudden frights

In 'Escape from Mogadishu,' North and South Koreans unite for survival

'Assassins' finally earns art movie status after initial denial

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