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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.

Glazing Tradition With Modernity: Art of Lacquer

`Use One Tiny Piece of Shell Like a Jewel' By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter WONJU - Lacquer-ware inlaid with mother-of-pearl, known as ``najeonchilgi,'' was one of the luxurious items symbolizing wealth and nobility both in the past and present. ``Najeon'' means mother-of-pearl and ``chilgi'' refers to lacquer-ware. ``Najeonchilgi'' was synonymous with wealth until the 1970s-80s but is becoming a thing of the past in this modern world as lifestyle choices have changed from ``hanok,'' in which traditional lacquered dressers and closets decorated with the mother-of-pearl inlay, gave way to Western-style fitted furnished apartments. However, Lee Hyung-man, a master of ``najeonchilgi,'' keeps developing the complicated and delicate skills in his small workshop here in Wonju, Gangwon Province. Behind this delicate craft, there are immeasurable hours of labor put in by traditional artisans. The 62-year-old master, designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 10 in 1993, moved to Wonju in 1970 from Tongyeong in South Gyeongsang Province, home of ``najeon,'' mo

Sep 11, 2007

Canadian Director Rediscovers Andersen

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter What first comes to mind when one thinks of Hans Christian Andersen? Fairytales that inspire hopes and dreams in children? A fondness for children? These are likely associations with the Danish writer who lived from 1805-1875 renowned for his stories such as ``The Ugly Duckling'' and ``The Little Mermaid,'' yet there were many contradictions in his personality which were not welcomed by many. He was frequently gloomy, didn't like children and had problems relating to sexual orientation. Andersen was a great storyteller but a very solitary man. Canadian director-actor-playwright Robert Lepage sheds light on Andersen's humanity, rather than his fairytales through his solo show, ``The Andersen Project.'' For the mono drama, which is being staged at LG Arts Center in southern Seoul until Sunday, Lepage visited Korea for the first time. His previous work, ``The Far Side of The Moon'' was staged here in 2003. This work revealing the humane side of the all-time beloved writer is part of his artistic inspired work showing compassion for people

Sep 7, 2007

Clubs, Exhibitions & For Kids

CLUBS Club Garden Apgujeong-dong The Garden is an electronica hotspot, with the big draw being its line-up of guest DJs such as Laurent Garnier, Mondo Grosso, Afrika Bambatta and Goldie. Near Galleria Department Store on the so-called Rodeo Street in southern Seoul. Call (02) 518-5115 or clubgarden.co.kr. Club Evans Hongdae or Hongik University Area This place, located near Hongik University, is great for intimate live performances. The line-up of performers is generally top-notch and the acoustics are good. Located near exit 1 on Sangsu Station on subway line 6 or exit 6 on Hongdae Station on subway line 2. Call (02) 337-8361 or www.clubevans.com. Club Caliente Itaewon The patrons are so diverse, DJ Josh sometimes has a hard job appealing to everyone. But he keeps the dance floor going, playing a variety of standbys and new Latin music. The song selection is what keeps people coming back. Located near exit 4 of Itaewon Station subway line 6. Call (011) 9094 8484 Club M2 Hongdae M2 features top DJs from home and abroad. The dance floor and the D

Sep 6, 2007

Concerts, Museums & Performances

BIG TICKETS Yun Isang Festival - Seoul Isang Yun Ensemble Seoul Arts Center Sept. 18 Celebrating late Yun Isang's 90th anniversary, the Yun Isang Festival takes place in Seoul. The Seoul Isang Yun Ensemble will hold their very first performance at the celebration. Tickets cost from 20,000 won to 30,000 won. Visit www.isangyun.org or call (02) 723-0364. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal Station on subway line 3. German Brass in Korea Seoul Arts Center (Concert Hall) Sept. 30 German Brass shows the power of brass in Korea. Four trumpeters, three trombonists, 2 horn players and a tuba player will present beautiful melodies from Bach to "Mexico Lindo." Tickets cost from 30,000 won to 70,000 won. Visit www.ticketlink.co.kr or call 1588-7890. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal Station on subway line 3. The 5 Browns Seongnam Arts Center (Concert Hall) Sept. 7 The 5 Browns are having their first performance in Korea. The five brothers and sisters, who studied piano at the Julliard School, will reinterpret classic piece

Sep 6, 2007

Bada’s 10-Year Musical Dream Comes True

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Bada has become a household name after her string of hit albums and singles released both as a solo artist and member of S.E.S., the heartthrob girl trio. It is now 10 years since her debut as lead singer of S.E.S. The group, which disbanded in 2002, sparked a boom of girl groups at that time. Now, the 27-year-old is taking on a new challenge with two upcoming musicals, despite a setback caused by a traffic accident. The singer-turned-actress takes on major roles _ as gypsy woman Esmeralda from ``Notre Dame de Paris,’’ in the first Korean production of French blockbuster musical, and as Denise in ``Tell Me On a Sunday,’’ Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest piece. ``Starring in the musicals was not an overnight decision _ it has been my dream ever since I started my singer career,’’ Bada explained in an interview with The Korea Times. ``Early in my career, I planned to begin my `second life’ 10 years later as a musical actress. I slowly prepared to grab that chance,’’ she said. She had her first musical debut in 2003 with a role in ``

Sep 5, 2007

Int’l Festival of National Theaters Begins This Month

By Lee Hwan-hee Staff Reporter The Inaugural International Festival of National Theaters will be held from Sept. 8 through Oct. 27. The festival will feature five international productions from different countries and five productions from Korea, as well as four joint productions between foreign theater companies and domestic ones. The National Theater of Korea is the sponsor of the event. In a press conference Tuesday, the president of the National Theater of Korea, Shin Sun-hi, stated that it is a high time to export Korea's more traditional cultural products, in the light of the current "hallyu" boom, as well as to absorb the cultures of other countries around the world, in their original form. Prof. Kang Choon-ae of Dongguk University, who is a member of the festival's organizing committee, stated "there are a lot of smaller theater festivals that are already flourishing in Korea. What we intend to do is to facilitate interactions between cultures and artists on an international level. The productions to be performed form an eclectic mixture of nations and styl

Sep 5, 2007

B-Boy All Stars to Gather in Seoul

By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter Fans of breakdancing will have a ball this Saturday, as the world’s top class B-boys gather at the Olympic Hall inside the Olympic Park in Seoul to show off their best skills. Top-notch b-boys will be present at the global breakdancing competition include B-boys Machine and Casper from the United States, who is highly respected and popular among Korean breakdancing fans. Sponsored by Kookmin Bank, the KB B-Boy World Masters invited eight teams from around the world. They include frequent world champions such as Mind 180 and Rock Force Crew from the United States, Mortal Combat from Japan, Phase-T and Pockemon Crew from France, B-town Allstars from Germany, Extreme Crew and T.I.P. from South Korea. Extreme Crew was included in the line-up from the beginning because of its several winning awards at local and international competitions. T.I.P., meanwhile, won the country preliminary for the 2008 B-boy Unit World Championship held last Friday and Saturday, which secured them the last ticket to the KB B-Boy World Masters as well. T.I.P. is also

Sep 4, 2007

French Musical Gala to Heat Up Seoul

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter From ``Notre Dame de Paris,'' to ``Les Dix Commandements'' to ``Romeo et Juliette,'' French musicals have become a new buzzword for musical fans here. French musicals have many special qualities about them. They separate performances into dancing and singing. In the French shows, the chorus usually dances as a group, combining dancing with acrobatics and modern dance, while actors sing the musical scores with less dialogue and more songs which resemble chansons (traditional songs with French lyrics) sound very exotic and romantic. In other musicals from Broadway to the West End, actors generally do both singing and dancing. Such characteristics are a welcome change for Korean musical buffs accustomed to Broadway and West End style musicals. To add momentum to the lingering craze of French musicals, which has hit the stage continuously for a number of years, the gala concert featuring seven main cast members will present the musical numbers at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 12-13. The cast members are Matt Laurent (Quasim

Sep 4, 2007

Friendly Modern Art at Gyeonggido Museum

By Lee Hwan-hee Staff Reporter "What is art?" is a question frequently asked when discussing modern art. Because the appreciation of modern art partly involves the answer to that question, modern art tends to be theoretical, experimental and to some, boring and pretentious. Then what would be the best way to engage those who are aesthetically alienated? One solution proposed by the exhibition "Charge Your Imagination," presently being held at Gyeonggido Museum of Art, is that we must be instilled with the belief that art is something to be enjoyed and celebrated. The exhibition is organized around six themes with which art can be equated: mirror, mind, story, question mark, play, and dream. If those smell slightly pretentious, do not despair; the exhibition is filled with wonderfully playful works that can be enjoyed by the people of all ages. The curator of the museum, Lim Keun-hye, believes that "art should be approached with the mind of a child; a child will approach something new that he encounters with natural curiosity and will respond to it with imagination, n

Sep 3, 2007

Music of Shamans to Be Featured

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Korean shamanistic ritual, or ``gut,'' is still deep-rooted in Korean culture even in this modern era, despite being long disregarded as superstition that has to be toppled in many quarters. Shamanistic ritual dies hard as a folk culture, rather than as a religious belief. According to a recent survey, there are an estimated 300,000 shamans in the nation. The public will have a chance to experience gut via a route they may be unfamiliar with. The first Gut Music Festival will kick off in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province Sept. 14-16 to mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation. It is the first major attempt to combine shamanistic ritual with popular music. The festival will include an academic symposium about gut ritual along with spirit-possessed shamans, and an outdoor concert of gut music by well-known musicians. Gut music is the cradle and treasure chest of Korean traditional music and performing arts. ``Pungmul gut'' is nowadays played by ordinary men and women and the audience may join in

Sep 3, 2007
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