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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Sports-Inspired Plays Ready for Spring

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games have ended but its fever and thrill still linger. Many cheered and cried along with the winners and losers. What do sports mean for people? It continuously tests the physical limitations of human beings and drives them to extreme challenges. Athletic pursuits value spiritual and emotional development as much as physical strength. Here are two plays each motivated by sports ― ``A Tournament'' and ``Lee Ki-dong Gymnasium'' that both focus on the human struggles and the challenges in life that are likened to sports games. A Tournament: Fencing The play portrays ordinary people with the hope to live in a harsh reality against the backdrop of the street food vendors in Jamsil, southern Seoul in the 1980s before the Asian Games and the Seoul Olympic Games. The play tells the story of three brothers who go in different directions while engaged in cutthroat competition. The drama shows a snapshot of life in the 80s which was exhausting but rewarding. In the play, fencing is used as a motif but n

Apr 5, 2010

National Museum Tops Visitor Numbers in Asia

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The National Museum of Korea has recorded the largest attendance numbers in Asia and ranked 10th in the world for 2009 with 2.7 million visitors. The numbers were released in the April edition of The Art Newspaper, a British publication that has surveyed art museum attendance figures for the past 15 years. The institution's ``Egypt: the Great Civilization'' (April 28-August 30 in 2009) was the second most viewed exhibition a day in the ancient civilization exhibition category and its special ``100th Anniversary of Korean Museums'' came in 7th in the Asian exhibition category. The museum is the flagship for Korean history, culture and art with some 150,000 pieces in its permanent collection. It was first established in 1945 and was relocated to Yongsan Family Park in 2005. It is the sixth largest museum in the world. The Louvre in Paris topped the art museum attendance numbers in the world for 2009, with 8.5 million visitors, while the British Museum in London came in second with around 5.6 million and the Metropolitan Museum of

Apr 5, 2010

Walkerhill Theatre Presents Legend of Flower in Seoul

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter This spring the Walkerhill Theatre is presenting, ``Legend of Flower,’’ an all-original, traditional Korean production that will highlight the essence of Korea culture with a delightful dinner. The theater has strived to combine good food and entertainment in a single package over the years and with its new show, viewers will get to enjoy a high quality dinner and performance at the same time. ``Legend of Flower’’ features four acts with the themes: ``Flower,’’ ``Water and Fire,’’ ``Wind’’ and ``Golden Earth.’’ Each stage will incorporate bold sounds, 3D holographic videos and other visual effects that are expected to wow the audience. Along with such high-tech effects, the show also includes traditional dances including ``buchae chum,’’ or the fan dance, and ``salpuri chum,’’ or the spirit cleansing dance. In between traditional performances, b-boys and even a martial arts scene will spice things up with a bit of modernity. The first act, ``Festival of Flowers-Rendezvous’’ introduces the two main characters, Ara and Mir, who fall i

Apr 4, 2010

Spring Beckons at Pak No-soo Retrospective

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter With its clear blue skies and blossoming trees, the lovely spring weather will make people want to spend more time outdoors. However, the National Museum of Art in Deoksu Palace is hoping to entice people to go inside its halls, by offering a whiff of spring through art. Springtime’s cool blues and greens can be found on the works by traditional Korean artist Pak No-soo, who is now the subject of the on-going retrospective ``A Boy Waiting for the Spring.’’ This exhibition features 100 works, including traditional Korean paintings, drawings and unpublished smaller works, giving viewers a broad view of Pak’s oeuvre throughout more than five decades. Park Soo-jin, exhibition curator, said that Pak brought a unique aspect to Korean traditional art by using vivid colors, bold composition and blank spaces. ``He connected tradition and modernity in his art,’’ she said. After graduating with a degree in Eastern Painting from Seoul National University, Pak consistently won special awards at the Korea National Art Exhibition (``gukjeo

Apr 2, 2010

Clubs, Art Exhibitions & Sports Games

Clubs Underlounge Seoul Hongdae or Hongik University Area This is the local club of a hip Japanese chain that’s also in Shanghai. Located in the famous clubbing area, Hongdae, it’s all flashy with loud music and lights. Spacious, with a supersized crystal ball hanging over your head, DJs from near and far make music while you can hang out at the bar or classy private rooms. Located near the main entrance of Hongik Univ. Call (02) 325-5715 or visit www.underlounge.kr. Club M2 Hongdae M2 features top DJs from home and abroad. The dance floor and the DJ are in the center of the club, which attracts a trendy crowd along with models and celebrities. Packed on the weekends. Check www.ohoo.net. Cafe Mou Sinsa-dong This cafe has a rich ethnic interior that mixes inspirations that its owner got from travels to such places as Morocco and France. Its menu is limited, but features desserts. It’s located at the edge of Dosan Park. 650-9 Park View Building, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam, near the Cine City Theater in Apgujeongdong. Call (02) 3444-6069. Club Heaven Y

Apr 1, 2010

Concerts, Museum & Theater

Classical Concerts Chin Un-suk’s Ars Nova Grand Theater, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts April 6 & 14 Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra presents its biannual contemporary classical music showcase, organized by the composer-in-residence Chin Un-suk. Tickets cost from 10,000 to 30,000 won for the first concert, and 10,000 to 50,000 won for the second. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 3700-6300. Located near exits 1 and 8 of Gwanghwamun Station on subway line 5. 2010 Matinee Concert Concert Hall, Seongnam Arts Center April 15 Seongnam Art Center presents a matinee concert, with popular baritone Kim Dong-gyu and classical pianist Elizabeth Joy Roe. The concert will feature Brahms’s ``Hungarian Dances,’’ Chopin’s ``Piano Concerto No.2 in F minor, Op. 21'' and Dvorak’s ``Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88.'' All tickets cost 24,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (031) 783-8000. Located near exit 1 of Imae Station on the Bundang subway line. BBC Symphony Orchestra Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center May 16

Apr 1, 2010

Exhibit Focuses on Traditional Architecture

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Wooden architecture is a rare sight in present-day urban spaces packed with concrete skyscrapers and apartments. However, there is no denying the significant role of wood in architectural development. The National Museum of Korea is holding an exhibition of 44 wooden miniatures of traditional architecture, showing historical changes of traditional construction from dugouts of the New Stone Age and Bronze Age found in Amsa-dong to Sungnyemun, National Treasure No. 1 of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). The introduction of wooden architecture in Korean history goes back to the Neolithic era when people built dugouts using wooden pillars, covering them with a thatched roof. Such shelters evolved into diverse forms over the Bronze Age, becoming the origin of the traditional wooden architecture. During the Three Kingdoms era (57 B.C. to 668 A.D), the architecture was grandiose and diverse in style as it symbolized the dignity of the kings and construction of ancient cities and temples. The Goguryeo (37 B.C.-A.D.668) murals in the tombs

Mar 31, 2010

Art, Indie Music Bloom at Sangsangmadang

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Fresh artwork and indie music are blooming this spring with the ``Seogyo Sixty 2010'' exhibition and ``Real Jukebox'' concerts at KT&G's Sangsangmadang in Hongdae, western Seoul. Young artists are given the chance to show their works at the ``Seogyo Sixty 2010: The Imaginary Archive - The Gaze of 120,'' held at Gallery Sangsangmadang. Sixty curators and art critics recommended 60 artists who they felt deserved the opportunity to be featured in this exhibition. The exhibition, now on its third year, is meant to introduce newly emerging contemporary artists to the audience. ``The Imaginary Archive - The Gaze of 120' has brought 120 people's points of views and opinions into one place and we believe it will be an opportunity to see the talents of newly emerging artists and follow up on everyone's endeavors. In a time where globalization has been exerting a big influence on contemporary art, the opinions and views of art critics and curators are much needed and in such a sense this event aims to be a meaningful one,'' Kim No

Mar 31, 2010

Gugak Needs Reevaluation, Reinterpretation, Renaissance

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Everybody likes new things. Perhaps it's because human nature is drawn to the new and the different, or the Internet that continuously brings in new ideas, products and culture, but the bottom line is that many yearn for the new and tend to forget their roots. In Korea, this trend has already under way in various fields, especially music. While pop music continues to reign, traditional music has been pushed back. Various media and performance venues may offer more windows of opportunity, but "gugak," or traditional Korean music," still has a long way to go to attract listeners and further develop as an attractive genre here. According to musical director Kolleen Park, this phase is natural. "Wait for another 20 to 30 years. You have to go through it. People leave tradition when they taste new things. They have a taste of it, appreciate the fascination and fantasy, and then come back to their roots. But we're still in the state of experiencing all these new things. We have to wait until this passes," Park said in an interview with The Korea

Mar 30, 2010

Havel Returns to Stage With Leaving

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Vaclav Havel has led a dramatic life, serving as a leading figure of the Velvet Revolution of 1989, the non-violent revolution that overthrew the authoritarian government and the Czech President. Now the former President is coming back as a playwright with his latest work, "Leaving," after nearly two decades. The play was regarded as one of the most important theatrical events in the European theatrical scene when it premiered in Prague in 2008, receiving a standing ovation. Produced by Archa Theater from the Czech Republic, the play is directed by David Radok, a well-known opera director. Havel's new work has received a lot of recognition not solely because he's returning after a 20-year hiatus, but also since the play portrays a powerful figure whose life becomes morose after he loses power. It's a close parallel to Havel's real life. The play deals with the solitude that stems from power through the eyes of a man who once had everything only to see it vanish. The play darts back and forth between poignant and sarcastic tones.

Mar 30, 2010
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