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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.

Korean girl groups take center stage this summer

By Rachel Lee Power K-pop girl groups such as Wonder Girls, 2NE1 and T-ara are returning to local stages this summer. 2NE1 will release their new single “I Love You” on Thursday. The New Evolution world tour will start at the Olympic Gymnastics Gymnasium in southern Seoul on July 28 and 29. The girls will head to 10 cities in seven countries including Japan, the United States and Hong Kong. The Wonder Girls new EP “Wonder Party” came out last month, and they will be in concert at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in southern Seoul on Saturday. The five-member group, managed by JYP Entertainment, is one of the few K-pop acts that have broken into the U.S. market. T-ara, a five-member group known for “Bo Peep Bo Peep,” also follows suit by holding a first solo concert at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in southern Seoul on Aug. 11. Girl groups have been at the forefront of the K-pop scene thanks to their musical talent and the diversity and popularity of their music. “Korean girl groups have consistently worked hard on their albums and performances,” popular culture critic Jung Duk-hy

Jul 2, 2012

Park Eun-hee to head D-Cube Arts Center

By Kwon Mee-yoo Park Eun-hee, 60, was named as the new president of D-Cube Arts Center in Sindorim, Seoul. She studied at Manhattan School of Music and Seoul National University and worked actively as a pianist, performing with noted orchestras such as Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. Park established chamber orchestra Korea Festival Ensemble in 1986 and has worked as its music director since then. She will take the D-Cube Arts Center post on July 1 and act as president as well as an artistic director for the theater. Having opened in September, D-Cube Arts Center is the largest theater in southwestern Seoul, with a 1,242-seat musical theater and a 500-seat multi-purpose hall. The musical "Chicago" is currently playing there.

Jun 28, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

KIPA, ASPA agree to increase exchanges

By Park Chang-seok The Korea Institute of Public Administration (KIPA) and the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) agreed Thursday to increase academic, professional and personnel exchanges relating to administrative science. As a practical way to promote ties of friendship and cooperation between the two institutions, KIPA and ASPA particularly concurred on the need to jointly arrange and sponsor academic workshops, colloquia and conferences. In a meeting between KIPA President Park Eung-kyuk and ASPA president Tom Liou at the KIPA office in southern Seoul, the two institutions agreed to develop specific areas and details of research cooperation through annual consultations. KIPA is a flagship state-run think tank under the Prime Minister’s Office which has been the core organization of public administration research to advance the theory and practice of administrative mechanisms. ASPA, founded in 1939, is a 9,000 member non-profit professional organization, representing a wide range of professions in public service, government, and nonprofit agencies, includ

Jun 28, 2012

(41) Im Kwon-taek brought Korean tradition to screen

By Andrew Salmon A master of pansori ― a form of vocal Korean opera ― leads his adopted son and daughter through the backwaters of rural Korea. The troupe scratch an increasingly precarious living as itinerant musicians while their master, refusing to compromise with modernity, strictly trains them in the traditional art which is his only skill and his motive passion. But with the country swept up in massive social upheavals between the 1940s, 50s and 60s, their art form is losing its cachet, relevance and audiences. The son decides to abandon his life as a wandering troubadour and embrace modern music. The father ― believing that suffering is essential to create great art, unwilling to change with the times and desperate to keep his hold on to his adopted daughter, an extraordinary vocal talent ― is driven to commit an act of unforgettable cruelty. Thus outlines 1993’s movie “Sopyeonjae.” (The title is a form of pansori from Korea’s southwest.) The plot, based on a short story, was simple but compelling. It also masked deep themes: the endless battle between tradition a

Jun 27, 2012

Ethiopian envoy sees Korea as ‘best model’

Dibaba Abdetta, Ethiopian ambassador to Korea, said that he views Korea as the "best model country," for Ethiopia to emulate for its developmental experience and nation-building expertise. In a discussion with Park Eung-kyuk, president of the Korea Institute of Public Administration (KIPA), Amb. Abdetta praised the KIPA-published book "Korea: From Rags to Riches," a collection of articles portraying how Korea industrialized quickly and progressed to an advanced level. In Ethiopia the book is now in wide use as a guide book for government officials and enterprises, which are engaged in nation-developing projects he said. Other topics included ways of promoting cooperative ties in the sector of public administration, focusing on exchanges of personnel and administrative information. Park gave another book, "Discover Korea in Public Administration" published by KIPA to the ambassador, with an explanation that the book is an encyclopedia to introduce the role of administrators and bureaucrats. Ambassador Abdetta said that he was deeply moved after reading Korea's 60 su

Jun 27, 2012

Novelist to promote UNICEF Korea

By Kim Ji-soo Renowned Korean novelist Shin Kyung-sook will serve as goodwill ambassador for Unicef Korea. The Korean Commission of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) made the announcement Wednesday. Shin, 49, is a popular author whose most recent work “Please Take Care of Mom” sold more than 2 million copies in Korea. It has been translated into various languages around the world including English for the United States, and also won the Asian Man Booker Prize. Shin made her debut in 1985 with the novella “Winter’s Fable” and found continued success with “Where the Organs Lay”, ”Deep Sorrow” and “A Lone Room.” She is the second novelist to become a goodwill ambassador after the late Park Wan-seo, who died last year. In her new role, Shin will write stories for children, visit children's facilities and appear in public advertisements. Korean actor Ahn Seong-ki and cellist Chung Myung-wha are currently serving as UNICEF Korea goodwill ambassadors while conductor Chung Myung-whun and figure skater Kim Yu-na are international ambassadors for the U.N. agency.

Jun 27, 2012

Int’l journalists learn from Korea’s development

By Kim Young-jin Korea’s fast rise from the chaos of 1950-53 Korean War to become an important global player continues to prompt interest from the international community, but the secret of success could boil down to a simple factor: people. That journey was the topic du jour when 16 senior representatives of media outlets worldwide visited The Korea Times Wednesday as part of a visit to learn about the nation’s development hosted by The Korea Foundation. Korea Times President-Publisher Park Moo-jong told the delegation that Koreans’ industriousness, willingness to work for the country and especially their ardor for education were keys to become Asia’s fourth-largest economy. “Even though our parents suffered from war and poverty, their only goal was for their children to have a better education,” he said. “That zeal has resulted in plentiful human resources that have greatly contributed to building the country to what it is now.” Alok Mehta, chief editor of Indian magazine National Duniya and head of the delegation, was struck by a sense of harmony among the peopl

Jun 27, 2012

Korean musicians to perform at Japan's urban festival

By Rachel Lee Popular Korean indie band “Jang Gi-ha and Faces,” rock band “Guckkasten” and duo “Goonamguayeoridingstella” will take to the stage at Japan’s “Summer Sonic” music festival next month. The website for Japan’s urban music festival slated for Aug. 18-19 made the announcement Tuesday. The three groups are to perform on a special stage of the show, titled “Island Stage Asian Calling,” which is to be held in Tokyo and Osaka. The special stage was first set up in 2011 to further promote music exchanges among such Asian countries as South Korea, Taiwan and China. Other up-and-coming musicians from Asian countries such as China and Taiwan have also been cast to grace the stage. “Summer Sonic,” Japan's annual music festival, has appealed greatly to Korean fans for its mainstream line up and k-pop artists Big Bang, Girls' Generation and BoA have performed in past concerts. In association with Japan's music event, Seoul also hosts “Super! Sonic,” a similar platform encompassing a wide range of genres such as pop, electronic and rock. This year’s line-up include

Jun 26, 2012

Cho Seung-woo to star in MBC historical drama

By Rachel Lee Actor Cho Seung-woo will appear in a television drama for the first time in his 13-year acting career. The 32-year-old has been cast with actress Lee Yo-won, also 32, in “Maeui” (working title), slated to air in September this year, according to Kimjonghak Production. “Maeui,” meaning a vet who specialized in the treatment of horses during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), is about the life of a low-class vet of that era becoming a high official, in charge of the King’s health. The historical drama will be produced by Lee Byung-hoon, known for his previous works “Jewel in the Palace,” “Hur Jun” and “Dong-yi.” Writer Kim Yi-young is also involved in the project. Cho made his debut in 1999 in the film “Chunhyang” and has starred in numerous musicals such as “Jekyll and Hyde” (2010), “Zorro” (2011) and “Doctor Zhivago” (2012). The actor has won a number of awards including Best Actor at the 41th Baeksang Arts Awards 2005 and at The Musical Awards in 2012.

Jun 25, 2012

Irish scholar traces Dasan’s Christianity

By Kang Hyun-kyung An Irish scholar characterized Jeong Yak-yong (1762-1836), a Korean philosopher and prolific writer often referred to by his pen name Dasan here, as a secret Catholic because he could not speak about his Christian beliefs in public. “In no uncertain terms, Dasan lived during a period of religious terror,” Kevin Cawley, a Korean Studies professor at University College Cork in Ireland, wrote in an email interview with The Korea Times, Monday. “His cousin refused to perform the traditional Korean memorial rite when his mother died, and instead performed Catholic rites and as a result he was beheaded. This brutal event forced many to withdraw from the church, at least publicly.” Dasan was later praised as one of the great scholars of his time. But his life was far from easy because he was exiled to the southernmost city of Gangjin, South Jeolla Province in 1801 for 18 years. His links with the Catholic religion, which was banned at that time, caused him to live in isolation for nearly two decades. During his exile, he produced numerous writings on tou

Jun 25, 2012By Kang Hyun-kyung
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