Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Show goes on at LG Arts Center

Head of LG Arts Center espouses no entry barrier to culture By Kwon Mee-yoo When Yun Yuh-soon, 57, was appointed CEO of LG Arts Center in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul in January 2011, the news came as a shock. She had been the first female to become an executive at LG Group but she had no experience in the culture-related industry. A year and half later, she has proven herself by making the theater known for its high-quality programs that offer special and different entertainment. “When I took this office, I refused requests for interviews. It is not my style to talk about my ambition without any achievements ... It’s been about a year and a half and I have sorted out my thoughts — now I know where my organization is and what I want to do,” Yun said during a recent interview with The Korea Times. Yun appears elegant but determined and decisive at the same time. She is coping well as CEO of one of Korea’s most prestigious theaters but this is her first role in the cultural community. Yun graduated from Yonsei University and earned her master’s degree in English Educat

Sep 10, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

Renovated palace museum exhibit unveils royal seals

Seoul has been the capital city of Korea since 1394 when the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, Yi Seong-gye, moved the capital to then Hanyang, two years after he overthrew Goryo. Joseon was ruled by Yi and his descendants with the same family name until it was annexed to Japan in 1910, becoming one of the longest-lived dynasties ruled by a single family in the world. It is also called the Yi Dynasty for this reason. The National Palace Museum of Korea, located in the complex of the Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, is exclusively devoted to the dynasty, particularly its royal lifestyle and culture. The museum reopened early in August after six-month renovation, with revamped interiors and facilities, upgraded displays and more high-tech capabilities, including augmented reality using iPads. A special exhibition is underway to mark the reopening under the title "Royal Seals and Symbols of the Joseon Dynasty," featuring royal seals and related accessories and documents. A total of 229 items, including 63 seals of kings, queens and princes, are on display until the end of Septembe

Sep 10, 2012

Asian regional body for intangible cultural heritage launched

JAKARTA (Yonhap) -- A regional consultative body to safeguard intangible cultural heritage in 11 Southeast Asian countries was launched in Jakarta Monday under Korea's initiative. The launch took place during a sub-regional meeting of the International Information and Networking Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (ICHCAP). The Daejeon-based center, affiliated with South Korea's Cultural Heritage Administration, was established in July 2011 as an a "category 2 center" under the auspices of UNESCO to protect intangible cultural heritage in the Asia-Pacific region. The two-day meeting began Monday to share information on the current status and issues relating to safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in the region and to discuss how to strengthen collaboration, with a focus on information and networking, the ICHCAP said. The meeting brought together top officials who oversee intangible cultural heritage affairs in 11 Southeast Asian nations -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East

Sep 10, 2012

Gwangju Biennale shows diversity of contemporary art

By Kwon Mee-yoo To fully appreciate the works of 92 artists from 40 countries at the 2012 Gwangju Biennale, art fans will need stamina. The largest contemporary art exposition in Asia opened Friday at various venues with an extensive amount of pieces to see, hear, touch and experience. Under the theme “Round Table,” this year’s Gwangju Biennale is overseen by six acclaimed Asian female curators — Kim Sun-jung of Korea, Nancy Adajania of India, Wassan Al-Khudhairi of Iraq, Mami Kataoka of Japan, Carol Yinghua Lu of China and Alia Swastika of Indonesia. “It was difficult to understand each other at first but we tried to show the diversity of contemporary art through six sub-themes. We found the differences￢ and similarities of each other and this biennale is not an end, but a new start of future cooperation,” Kim said during a press conference for the biennale, Thursday. Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s “Word Projection” is on exhibit at the Biennale Square in front of the exhibit hall. He is one of the most significant contemporary artists and currently banned from tr

Sep 9, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

Rix, Blake shine in green magic of ‘Wicked’

By Kwon Mee-yoo The magic of “Wicked” again proved its power, breaking the Korean theater box office record in late August, with more than 200,000 watching the show in just three months. Since the curtain went up in Seoul on May 31, the Broadway blockbuster has become a phenomenon on the theater scene here, attracting men and women of all ages and nationalities. It is the shortest period for a musical to draw that many people in Korea, surpassing “The Phantom of the Opera,” which drew 180,000, in three months. Wicked also marked a record-breaking attendance rate of 95.3 percent. The musical tells the back story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, in the classic “The Wizard of Oz,” with captivating music and an extravagant set and costumes. Jemma Rix, playing the green witch Elphaba, and Richard H. Blake, the “scandalacious” Winkie Prince, sat down for an interview with The Korea Times, about a month after the latter joined the Asian tour. Blake finished his run as Fiyero in the Broadway production of Wicked on July 29 and

Sep 7, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

Classical concerts

Classical Concerts Radu Lupu Piano Recital Seoul Arts Center* Nov. 17 Romanian virtuoso Radu Lupu is one of the most respected pianists today. He is especially noted for performances of works by great 19th century composers. For the coming concert in Korea, Rapu Lupu is scheduled to play pieces by Schubert and Beethoven. Tickets cost 70,000 to 130,000 won. For more information, call (02) 541- 3183. Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Orchestra Sejong Center Nov. 21 A leading German orchestra, the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Orchestra is led by Carel Mark Chichon. In their first concert in Korea, it will be accompanied by world-renowned violinist Viviane Hagner. Tickets cost 40,000 to 110,000 won. For more information, call (02) 399-1114 or visit www.sejongpac.or.kr. Ryuichi Sakamoto Trio Tour 2012 Japan & Korea Sejong Center Dec. 9 Japanese pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto, based in Tokyo and New York, will tour Japan and Korea with violinist Judy Kang and cellist Jaques Morelenbaum. Sakamoto’s album “1996,” which is to be performed, includes songs many are a

Sep 6, 2012By Do Je-hae

Clubs

Clubs The Octagon Nonhyeon-dong Near the New Hilltop Hotel in Nonhyeon-dong 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. Call (02) 516-8847 for more information. Club Volume Itaewon Offering the finest venue for specially-themed weekly events and world-class DJs, Club Volume is located in the Crown Hotel near Noksapyeong subway 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. Dojo Kyounglidan Work hard, play hard, sleep later! Lying underground Noxa in the thriving Kyounglidan neighborhood, Dojo is the latest edition to the clubbing nightlife in Seoul. Popular local DJs offer nonstop tunes for energetic dancing until dawn with weekday drink specials and enthusiastic crowds of longtime expats. For more information call (02) 790-1334. W.E. Listen Samcheong-dong This cafe reinterpre

Sep 6, 2012By Do Je-hae

Four colors of Korean contemporary art

By Kwon Mee-yoo From shards of ceramics glued together and a big teddy bear made from garbage bags to a video describing a detective pursuing the role of art and a fake news studio, five Korean artists over the age of 40 explore the meaning of contemporary art at the “2012 Korea Artist Prize” exhibition at the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea (NMOCA) in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. The four selections for the 2012 Korea Artist Prize (KAP) — Gim Hong-sok, Moon Kyung-won and Jeon Joon-ho as a team, Yee Soo-kyung and Lim Min-ouk — are all active domestically and internationally. Their works are distinct but have one thing in common — they delve into the meaning of art. The KAP is the NMOCA’s revamped version of the former Artist of the Year system to focus on contemporary Korean artists. Co-hosted by the SBS Foundation, KAP received recommendations from 10 art experts and five international juries reviewed them and selected four. The finalists were urged to present new works, which they imagined but had not yet realized with support from the SBS

Sep 5, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

Sung Min matures in ‘Jack the Ripper’

By Kwon Mee-yoo Sung Min of Super Junior hastransformed into Daniel, a young doctor who is passionate in his love and job, in the musical “Jack the Ripper.” The show closed curtains in Seoul on Aug. 25 but the Tokyo production opens on Sept. 16. On the musical stage, the powerful performance as Super Junior member is replaced by his portrayal of subtle feelings of the young and innocent Daniel to underscore his deepest and darkest desires. Sung Min was one of the first members of Korea’s top boy band to step into the world of musicals by starring in a homegrown show “Akilla” in 2009 and then continued with “Hong Gil-dong” in 2010. The beginning of his affection for musical theater dates back to his early years. “I remember my mom taking me to ‘The Sound of Music’ and I bought the soundtrack and listened to it again and again until I memorized all the songs,” he told The Korea Times. He also attends the Musical Department of Myongji University in Seoul, reflecting his true interest in musical theater. “Jack the Ripper” is a Czech musical written by Ivan Hejna and

Sep 4, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

Choreographers to show quintessence of modern dance

By Rachel Lee Korea’s leading choreographers are bringing their imaginative world of modern dance to the stage next week. Jeon Mi-sook and Chung Eui-sook will present their respective works “Talk to Igor” and “The Last Supper” in collaboration with the Korea National Contemporary Company, at the Theater Yong in Seoul on Sept. 8 and 9. “Both of them are already well known for the outstanding quality of their work,” said Bang Hyung-il, an organizer at the dance company, Friday. “We aim to introduce such excellent pieces to the public.” Born in 1958, Jeon is a professor of the dance department at the Korea National University of Arts, known for her “detailed” choreography. Her “Amore, Amore Mio,” which was dedicated to world famous choreographer Pina Bausch in 2010, received an award for good choreography by The Korean Society of Dance Critics. “Talk to Igor” is the professor’s interpretation of Igor Stravinsky’s ballet “Les Noces,” or “The Wedding” in English which was originally choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska in 1923. As the title implies, it is about the

Aug 31, 2012

Arts & Theater