Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Clubs, art exhibitions and kids

Clubs Underlounge Seoul Hongdae or Hongik University Area This is the local club of a hip Japanese chain that also has a branch in Shanghai. Located in the famous clubbing area Hongdae, it’s all flashy with loud music and lights. Spacious, with a supersized mirror ball hanging over your head, DJs from near and far make music while you hang out at the bar or in classy private rooms. Located near the main entrance of Hongik University. Call (02) 325-5715 or visit www.underlounge.kr. Boutique Club 52 Itaewon Once called Function inside Macaroni Market, Club 52 boasts a chic and modern interior with the DJ spinning the beats for the hippest crowd from the center of the dance floor. Featuring top DJs from both home and abroad, two bars inside the club serving the coolest cocktails including some made with Hendrick’s gin, and a high-class interior, Club 52 is always the place for good times. Club Volume Itaewon Located in the Crown Hotel near Noksapyeong Station, Club Volume offers the finest venue for specially themed weekly events and talented internatio

Oct 6, 2011

’Looking for’ rediscovers family values

By Kwon Mee-yoo A new musical “Looking for Family” brings the story of two old ladies and three animals living in a rural area to the stage, accompanied by hearty yet fun numbers. The homegrown play portrays how they grow into a real family, sharing their sorrows and secrets. It is set in Palhyeon Village, situated on the outskirts of the southern city of Daegu. An old lady, Park Bok-ja (played by Kim Hyun-jung) lives with a dog named Mong (Nam Jung-woo), a cat named Nyang (Kim Tae-gyeong) and a hen named Kko (Lee Sang-eun). She makes a living by collecting scrap paper and selling wild herbs. Her peaceful days with the three animals are broken when another old woman, Ji Hwa-ja (Ju Eun), enters into her home with an envelope bearing the house’s address. Curious and talkative, Ji insists the property belongs to her son since he sent a letter from the address and refuses to leave. Dumbfounded at this invasion, Park tries various ways to throw Ji out, but ends up helping her look for the son. They head downtown and visit a post office and police station and stop by a photo s

Oct 5, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

National Art Museum Seou nicknamed UUL

By Kwon Mee-yoo The new branch of a national contemporary museum, which will open in 2013 in Sogyeok-dong, Seoul, will be called the UUL National Art Museum, Seoul. The “UUL” part of the new name comes from the Korean word meaning fence. The “UUL” also incorporates an abbreviation for the word “uri,” which means “us” or “our” in Korean. “UUL states that the National Art Museum, Seoul is ‘our’ museum, enclosed in the fence of art and culture. It also refers to the name of the city, Seoul,” said Kang Seung-wan, head of the new museum’s planning and construction department. The museum will be built on the site of the former headquarters of the Defense Security Command located between Gyeongbok Palace and Samcheong-dong. The logo for the museum identity symbolizes the name UUL. Composed of lines and dots, the logo embodies a tree, connecting traditional and contemporary aspects, Kang added. UUL’s site is well-known for its historical value. It was used for several royal institutes during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) including Saganwon (censors office), Gyujangga

Oct 4, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

Ancient characters at a glance

By Chung Ah-young Some 500 ancient writings including a rubbed copy of the inscription on King Gwanggaeto’s Monument will be disclosed at a special exhibition titled “The Characters, Thereafter” at the National Museum of Korea from Oct. 5 to Nov. 27. Not only well-known national treasures but also rare documents will offer a glimpse into the lives of early Koreans through their writings. The largest exhibition ever held in the nation featuring the ancient characters will shed light on the acceptance and development of the letters through aspects of rules, lives and thoughts. From people’s daily lives, the old documents show a food culture of stingrays, pork, venison, soy sauce and salted fish along with various grains such as barley and rice consumed at the royal court during the Silla period (57 B.C.-935 A.D.). The materials reveal that those in the Baekje era (18 B.C.-660 A.D.) developed a new breed of red rice, which grows even in tough environments, to solve hunger at that time. They also used herbal remedies. Some documents demonstrate the agonies of low-ra

Oct 3, 2011

UNESCO-backed dance festival hits Seoul

By Lee Hyo-won The 14th Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance), presented by the local section of the International Dance Council CID-UNESCO, kicked off last week for an 18-day run until Oct. 16. One of the largest and most reputable genre showcases here, the event invites 52 dance companies from Korea and 16 other countries from around the world to present 51 works. In addition to Korea and neighboring Asian countries China and Japan, as well as other regularly invited countries such as the United States and Germany, Italy and France, this year’s installment also brings troupes from Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Ghana. “Casa Azul — Inspired by Frida Kahlo,” a piece celebrating the famous life and art of the Mexican painter by Germany’s Donlon Dance Company, opened the annual event last Thursday at Sogang University’s Mary Hall. The past weekend saw another troupe from Germany, Tanzcompagnie Oldenburg, perform for local dance fans. “No. 8,” staged at Seoul Arts Center, Sunday, explored the meaning of the number throughout history from why the Hindu deity Shiva had e

Oct 2, 2011

Clubs, art exhibitions and sports games

Clubs Underlounge Seoul Hongdae or Hongik University Area This is the local club of a hip Japanese chain that also has a branch in Shanghai. Located in the famous clubbing area Hongdae, it’s all flashy with loud music and lights. Spacious, with a supersized mirror ball hanging over your head, DJs from near and far make music while you hang out at the bar or in classy private rooms. Located near the main entrance of Hongik University. Call (02) 325-5715 or visit www.underlounge.kr. Boutique Club 52 Itaewon Once called Function inside Macaroni Market, Club 52 boasts a chic and modern interior with the DJ spinning the beats for the hippest crowd from the center of the dance floor. Featuring top DJs from both home and abroad, two bars inside the club serving the coolest cocktails including some made with Hendrick’s gin, and a high-class interior, Club 52 is always the place for good times. Club Volume Itaewon Located in the Crown Hotel near Noksapyeong Station, Club Volume offers the finest venue for specially themed weekly events and talented international DJs for

Sep 29, 2011

Concerts, museums and theater

Classicial Concerts Berliner Philharmoniker with Simon Rattle Seoul Arts Center* Sejong Performing Arts Center* (See ‘Venues’ on the right for more information) Nov. 15 and 16 Berliner Philharmoniker will again visit Korea. In 2005 when the orchestra held a concert in Korea for the first time in 20 years, the ensemble promised it would hold a triennial concert for Korean fans. “Symphony No. 9 in D major” by G. Mahler and “Symphony No. 9 in D minor” by A. Bruckner will be played under the guidance of conductor Sir Simon Rattle. Tickets cost 50,000 to 450,000 won. For more information, call (02) 6303-7700 or (02) 580-1300 (Seoul Arts Center). Prague Philharmonia Seoul Arts Center* Oct 22-23 Since its establishment in 1994, this young orchestra, best known as the classical musicians much loved by Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, has received much attention from world experts with official support from the city of Prague. The orchestra is planning to entertain Korean fans during Prague Day in Seoul, an event designed to celebrate the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties

Sep 29, 2011

Korean artists to exhibit creations in Prague

By Chung Ah-young In the modern world, the boundaries between arts are blurring as contemporary artists and designers infuse various elements within their works. The space, material and origin have no more meaning in fusing the art scene. For Korean artists, this cultural moment is seen as an opportunity for originality and innovation by combining Korean craft traditions, iconography and techniques with contemporary ideas and forms. To show off Korea’s visual aesthetics and cultural identity, the World Jewellery Museum will hold an exhibition titled “Korea DNA” at the Designblok 2011 Superstudio in Prague, Czech Republic, Oct. 4-9. It’s part of the cultural exchanges of the museum after “Lovers from Prague” took place in Seoul in 2010. “It will be a meaningful occasion to present a major exhibition in Europe about the recent emergence of Korea’s contemporary design culture,” Lee Kang-won, director of the museum, said in a press release. Some 25 artworks by eight Korean artists will explore and express the creative tensions between the past, present and futur

Sep 28, 2011

Trust is key to Seol’s success in musical

This is the fourth in a series of interviews with the heads of Korea's top theatrical companies. — ED. By Kwon Mee-yoo “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Cats” enchanted many and led people to step into the world of musicals either as audience members, actors, directors or producers. They dreamt of watching, performing in or producing the shows. That dream has come true for Seol Do-yun, the producer of Seol & Company, who has brought the masterpiece musicals to Korea, against worries that a Korean producer is not capable of staging them. Produced by Seol, “Cats” is currently staged at the Charlotte Theater in southern Seoul, celebrating its 30th anniversary and “Evita” is waiting for its second production in Korea at the LG Arts Center in December. Seol majored in music at university, but he took another path and jumped into the world of theater. He trained in singing and acting in Hyundai Theater, the first commercial troupe in Korea, and later studied dance under Yuk Wan-sun, then professor at Ewha Womans University. “I was literally the first male to attend

Sep 28, 2011By Kwon Mee-yoo

’Month of Czech Culture’ to deepen Korea-Czech ties

By Do Je-hae Korea and the Czech Republic have enjoyed 21 years of warm diplomatic relations. To deepen the friendship, the Central European country will launch a month-long cultural festival in Korea starting at the end of this month until the beginning of November. The festival will feature more than 20 different events in 15 places in Seoul and will present theater and dance performances, classical music ensembles, musicals, a film festival, a visual arts exhibition and much more to the Korean public. At the initiative of Ambassador of the Czech Republic Jaroslav Olsa Jr., the cultural promotion will be launched Friday under the title “Czech Points in Seoul” with a special performance of Czech dramatic masterpiece “The Makropulos Case”by Karel Capek at the National Theater of Korea. The classic Czech fantasy comedy with a mysterious, almost detective-story plot will take the audience into the world of opera divas, degenerated aristocracy and the bourgeoisie. The piece is directed by Robert Wilson, the world-renowned U.S. director and set designer, who prepared this

Sep 27, 2011By Do Je-hae

Arts & Theater