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'Hallo Chunhyang' play-within-a-play explores foreign experience in Korea's arts scene

It’s said that "The Tale of Chunhyang" (or "Chunhyangga" in Korean) is one of the most iconic love stories of Korea, a centuries-old folk tale that originated as a work of pansori. What would happen if a foreigner performed the starring role? German-born actress Anna Rihlmann explores this scenario in “Hallo Chunhyang: The Tale of Anna,” about a fictional production of "The Tale of Chunhyang." She stars as herself, a foreign actress with a master's degree in acting from the Korea National University of Arts (K-ARTS), playing the iconic Korean role of Chunhyang. The show examines the experiences of foreign artists seeking acceptance, work and fame in Korea, while facing barriers because of their language, nationality, appearance or other reasons, as they overcome their limitations, discover themselves and find their own identity. Besides Anna, the play includes Anupam Tripathi, an Indian actor who played a role in the Netflix drama "Squid Game," but is usually cast to play the role of a foreign laborer, and Songa, a Chinese actress who can pass as Korean, but her distinctly Chinese

Jan 23, 2024By Bereket Alemayehu
'Hallo Chunhyang' play-within-a-play explores foreign experience in Korea's arts scene

Seoul indie band Audrey No's members ask 'So What's My Prize?'

With their atmospheric and emotionally charged music, indie rock band Audrey No has been captivating audiences since 2018. After a two-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, the band returned in 2023 with a string of live dates and their first EP, "Somewhere You Can See Me." This weekend, they'll be playing again with a stellar lineup that includes Hyangni and Soombee. Ahead of that, they talked to The Korea Times about their journey so far. Audrey No were never supposed to be a band. Founding members Jay Marie (vocals) and Ha Yang-su (guitar) met at a club for artists, where they connected over their shared passion for music. "We got talking," Jay explained, "and I mentioned that I was interested in trying to record something for the experience. I had always loved to sing but never had the confidence to give it a real try before." After deciding to work together, Yang-su, who had some success with ska band Witches, recruited musician friends Park Yeong-sin (bass), Kim Myung-hwan (keyboard) and Sohn Gyeong-ho (drums). And just like that, Audrey No was born. Sort of. "We started to ar

Jan 22, 2024By Jamie Finn
Seoul indie band Audrey No's members ask 'So What's My Prize?'

Ride or freeze: cyclist shares advice for biking in winter

Mark Thorrowgood, a New Zealander-Australian, is a keen cyclist who has lived in Korea for about 18 years and now resides just outside the capital in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province. Thorrowgood is the administrator of a popular Facebook group for Korea-based cyclists, Korea Cycling Community, which has over 4,900 members. "The group is really about building community among expats and Korean cyclists," he told The Korea Times. "Everyone is welcome to join the group, they don’t need to be a current cyclist or even in Korea. The group is a place for support and for learning about cycling in Korea, so all can join. To me, it exists mainly as a resource, a place where people can get advice about cycling in Korea, where they can meet other people for rides and where they can share the pictures, words and thoughts with others." Thorrowgood emphasized that the group members are always willing to help out beginners looking for recommendations for various things, from good routes to necessary purchases." The group also plans and promotes group rides, and supports other events such as the Seoul Bi

Jan 21, 2024By Bereket Alemayehu
Ride or freeze: cyclist shares advice for biking in winter

RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK Songtan's foxiest sandwich place

By Mark Boesch On the busy main street of Songtan’s Shopping-ro, a short jaunt from the main gate of Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, you’ll find a number of really great restaurants, including Sand Fox Gourmet Sandwiches, the area’s most popular sandwich shop. For those in search of the perfect sandwich bread, look no further. Founder and avid baker Dongoh Lee bakes his bread from scratch daily. While earning his culinary degree, Lee cultivated an interest in baking, and following his graduation in 2016, he opened a gourmet sandwich shop. Today, he produces a stellar lineup of internationally inspired sandwiches with tastes and flavors from around the world. The most popular item on the menu is the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. It consists of thinly sliced layers of juicy beefsteak and melted American cheese on a delicately crusted hoagie roll. The beef is served with sautéed onions and green peppers, which add a range of savory and sweet flavors into the mix. The Sand Fox version is famously greasy and hearty, making it an instant crowd-pleaser which panders to t

Jan 16, 2024
[RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK] Songtan's foxiest sandwich place

KOREA ENCOUNTERS Experimental artists challenge 'suffocating' conformity in 1960s Seoul

In December 1967, three experimental art groups, whose members were mostly graduates of Hongik University, held an exhibition at the Central Information Center gallery near Gwanghwamun in central Seoul. This exhibition might have passed with little media notice had the artists not gone out into the streets to picket and decry public indifference and the fact that Korea had no galleries for modern art. The highlight of the exhibition was Korea’s first-ever “happening.” The term “happening” had been coined by American artist Alan Kaprow in the late 1950s after he became interested in the performative aspects of making art. For him, the line between art and life was to be made as fluid and indistinct as possible. Titled “Happening with Plastic Umbrella and Candle,” this Korean event involved participants from two art groups circling a seated woman holding a plastic umbrella and finally tearing it apart. The spectacle was described by its scripter, Oh Kwang-soo, as “a sort of criticism on civilization by comparing a plastic umbrella symbolizing the modern material civilizati

Jan 14, 2024By Matt VanVolkenburg
[KOREA ENCOUNTERS] Experimental artists challenge 'suffocating' conformity in 1960s Seoul
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