Lifestyle - The Korea Times

AROUND TOWN 2

Club OctagonNonhyeonNear the New Hilltop Hotel in Nonhyeon, this club is notable for its stylish interior and elite clientele. The venue offers a club stage, lounge bar and dining area to satisfy any night out after work or on the weekend. Near exit 4 of Hakdong Station on subway line 7. For more information, call (02) 516-8847.Club VolumeItaewonOffering a venue for specially-themed weekly events and world-class DJs, Club Volume is located in the Crown Hotel near Noksapyeong Station. Club Volume was listed by Time magazine among the "10 things to do in 24 hours in Seoul." For more information, call 1544-2635.Once in a Blue MoonApgujeongOnce in a Blue Moon is one of the best-known and well-established jazz clubs in the city. It features live jazz sets from two different bands every night, usually starting at 7:30 p.m. It is located between the Hakdong intersection and Galleria department stores in the posh district of Apgujeong. For more information, call (02) 549-5490 or visit www.onceinabluemoon.co.kr.Club AnswerCheongdamClub Answer, chosen as one of the five hottest clubs in Seoul

Aug 27, 2015

AROUND TOWN 1

 QuatuorEbeneLG Arts CenterOct. 29 Quatuor Ebene, a French string quartet founded in 1999, will hold a concert at the LG Arts Center on Oct. 29. / Courtesy of the LG Arts CenterQuatuorEbene, a French string quartet formed in 1999, will hold a concert at the LG Arts Center on Oct. 29. The group, which is comprised of members and long-time friends Raphael Merlin, Pierre Colombet, Gabriel Le Magadure and Mathieu Herzog, is known chiefly for its musical versatility, performing a variety of genres equally deftly such as classical, contemporary and jazz. Indeed, some of QuatuorEbene’s most popular performances stem from crossover, such as its rendition of the music from the iconic film “Pulp Fiction” and arrangements of classic hits of The Beatles. Ticket prices range from 40,000 to 80,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2005-0114 or visit www.lgart.com. Li Yundi, VadimRepin and the Sydney Symphony OrchestraSeoul Arts Center*Oct. 30 and 31 The Sydney Symphony Orchestra will hold a concert with both Chinese pianist Li Yundi and Belgian-Russian viol

Aug 27, 2015

Princess Deokhye's gowns on display at palace museum

Children examine Princess Deokhye’s traditional gowns, which are on display at the National Palace Museum of Korea in Seoul, Tuesday. The gowns, which the princess wore while she was living in Japan, werereturned to Korea in June after 90 years. / YonhapBy Kwon Ji-younTraditional gowns that once belonged to Deokhye (1912-1989), the last princess of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), are on display at the National Palace Museum of Korea through Sept. 6.To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the normalization of Korea-Japan relations, the museum is holding a special exhibition showcasing the gowns Princess Deokhye wore while she was living in Japan. The Bunka Gakuen Costume Museum in Tokyo, which had housed the dresses, returned them to Korea in June after 90 years in a bid to celebrate this special occasion.The costumes include her “dangui,” a traditional royal garment for women, a long scarlet skirt and a pink “jeogori,” a Korean traditional jacket, among others.“This special exhibition will give visitors a chance to reflect on the history surrounding P

Aug 25, 2015

Princess Deokhye's gowns on display at palace museum

K-Ballet World opening act to kick off second week

By Kwon Ji-youn“K-Ballet World,” Korea’s most appraised international ballet festival, mounted its 14-day run on Aug. 15, but the real festivities begin today with opening acts by Korea’s most-prestigious ballet troupes.  If the first week featured events for youth and young dancer aspirants, the second week will offer more members of the community a chance to enjoy performances, classes and lectures by celebrated ballet figures.The opening and gala acts this weekend will feature the country’s big-three ballet companies, as well as reputed troupes from Russia, Germany and the U.S.Korea National Ballet principal dancers Kim Ji-young and Kim Hyun-woong will feature as Odile and Prince Siegfried in the Black Swan pas de deux from “Swan Lake,” while the Universal Ballet Company dancers will stage the Rose Adagio from “Sleeping Beauty.” The Seoul Ballet Theater has prepared a full-act modern ballet, the “Tango for Ballet,” which premiered at the first Korea Ballet Festival. The four performances will deal with death, l

Aug 21, 2015

Around Town 2

 Club OctagonNonhyeon Near the New Hilltop Hotel in Nonhyeon, this club is notable for its stylish interior and elite clientele. The venue offers a club stage, lounge bar and dining area to satisfy any night out after work or on the weekend. Near exit 4 of Hakdong Station on subway line 7. For more information, call (02) 516-8847. Club VolumeItaewon Offering a venue for specially-themed weekly events and world-class DJs, Club Volume is located in the Crown Hotel near Noksapyeong Station. Club Volume was listed by Time magazine among the "10 things to do in 24 hours in Seoul." For more information, call 1544-2635. Once in a Blue MoonApgujeong Once in a Blue Moon is one of the best-known and well-established jazz clubs in the city. It features live jazz sets from two different bands every night, usually starting at 7:30 p.m. It is located between the Hakdong intersection and Galleria department stores in the posh district of Apgujeong. For more information, call (02) 549-5490 or visit www.onceinabluemoon.co.kr. Club AnswerCheongdam Club Answer, c

Aug 20, 2015

Around Town 1

 Li Yundi, VadimRepin and the Sydney Symphony OrchestraSeoul Arts Center*Oct. 30 and 31 The Sydney Symphony Orchestra will hold a concert with both Chinese pianist Li Yundi and Belgian-Russian violinist Vadim Repin in southernSeoul at the Seoul Arts Center on Oct. 30 and 31, respectively. / Courtesy of SENA Korea The Sydney Symphony Orchestra will hold a concert with both Chinese pianist Li Yundi and Belgian-Russian violinist VadimRepin in southern Seoul at the Seoul Arts Center on Oct. 30 and 31, respectively. Founded in 1932 as a national broadcasting orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra played a pivotal role in welcoming European artists fleeing from political and social instability in the aftermath of the First World War. In more contemporary times, the Orchestra constitutes a substantial function in the summer cultural calendar of Sydney, including Symphony in the Domain, an outdoor concert held in a massive park. The Orchestra will perform first with Li Yundi, who is distinguished for being the youngest winner of the International Frederic Chopin Pi

Aug 20, 2015

Artists transform border town near DMZ

Lee Jae-ho’s “Camouflage _ A Phone Booth” / Courtesy of Real DMZ ProjectBy Kwon Mee-yooDongsong-eup in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province is a small town near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Some 10 kilometers south of the Southern Limit Line of the DMZ, the town of 15,000 residents is the largest village in Cheorwon and is the commercial and cultural center of the region.It looks like an ordinary rural village, but the town is a living example of the state of division. The town belonged to North Korea right after the liberation from Japan 70 years ago, and the ruins of the Cheorwon Korean Workers' Party Headquarters still exist. Many Dongsong residents come and go across the Civilian Control Line to cultivate the land inside the DMZ, and the local economy is driven by the military."REAL DMZ PROJECT 2015: Lived Time of Dongsong" is the fourth edition of an art exhibit held in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) highlighting elements of the divided Korean Peninsula. This year's exhibit features 49 teams of artists from Korea and overseas.Previous editions of the exhibit were held in

Aug 19, 2015

Korean Air to build `K-Experience Park' near Gyeongbok Palace

A 36,000-square-meter site in Songhyeon-dong, central Seoul is seen in this photo. Korean Air will build a cultural complex, tentatively called “K-Experience Contents Park,” on the site next to Gyeongbok Palace as a part of the government’s cultural enrichment plan, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced, Tuesday./ YonhapBy Kwon Mee-yooThe government said Tuesday that it will construct multipurpose cultural facilities in central Seoul to provide fresh momentum to the Korean cultural wave or hallyu.The highlight of the culture enrichment program is the construction of a multipurpose cultural complex near Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST).Korean Air, the nation’s flag carrier, will scrap its plan to build a hotel on the site and instead agreed to build the cultural complex next to the royal palace as part of the government’s cultural enrichment plan.Tentatively named “K-Experience Contents Park,” the 36,000 square-meter site in Songhyeon-dong, will be developed into

Aug 18, 2015

Korean Air to build `K-Experience Park' near Gyeongbok Palace

Thespian Kim Sung-nyo talks life on stage

Scenes from the musical “Arirang” based on Jo Jung-rae’s epic novel./ Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk Veteran actress portrays strong mother in musical 'Arirang'By Kwon Mee-yooActress Kim Sung-nyo's life began in the theater. Her mother was Park Ok-jin, a top actress in  "yeoseong gukgeuk," an all-female genre of theater performance that was popular in Korea during the 1950s. Her father was a writer-director for gukgeuk. Raised in the community of her parent's traveling troupe, Kim began treading the boards at the age of five.Kim now appears in the musical adaptation of Jo Jung-rae's epic series "Arirang" at LG Arts Center in southern Seoul. The 12-volume epic saga revolving around a grass roots life during the turbulent era under Japanese colonial rule (1910-45) is compressed into a 160-minute theatrical show.Even for a veteran such as 64-year-old Kim, who spent her whole life as a thespian on Korean and Western stages, musical "Arirang" introduced her to something new."This is the first time that I have ever acted in the ensemble, as a part of the

Aug 17, 2015

Thespian Kim Sung-nyo talks life on stage

Quidam to shine for Seoul on last tour

The Statue sequence from Quidam where two acrobats perform in gravity-defying poses / Courtesy of Mast EntertainmentBy Yun Suh-youngFor Korean and global audiences alike, this will be the last opportunity to enjoy the unusual yet astonishing acrobatic performance of “Quidam.”International circus troupe Cirque du Soleil is coming to Seoul on its final world tour of “Quidam”, which is one of the nine touring performances offered by the troupe.Having toured five continents and staging 6,200 performances before 13.8 million spectators over the past 20 years, the troupe has visited almost everywhere possible."Quidam has been everywhere we could bring it," said Jessica Lebeouf, public relations manager of “Quidam”, explaining why the show is coming to an end."We felt it was important to bring it back here because it was such a success back in 2007. We're stopping in Seoul on the way to Australia and New Zealand.""Quidam," which means "anonymous passer-by" in Latin, is an acrobatic performance with a plot of a girl who falls into an imaginary world throug

Aug 14, 2015

Arts & Theater