[Newsmaker] Hong Sang-soo wins Best Director at Locarno

Korean director Hong Sang-soo’s latest film “Our Sunhi” has nabbed the filmmaker the Best Director award at this year’s Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland. The award marks Hong’s first win at the annual film fest, which was held Aug. 7-17.“Our Sunhi” is Hong’s 15th film, starring actress Jeong Yoo-mi and actors Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Jae-young. It tells the story of a young film studies graduate student named Sun-hi, who is about to leave for the United States to continue her stud

FilmAug. 18, 2013

David C. Jones, ex-Joint Chiefs chair, dies

STERLING, Virginia (AP) ― David C. Jones, a retired Air Force general who helped set in motion a far-reaching reorganization of the U.S. military command while serving as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has died at 92.The general’s son, David Curtis Jones, said Wednesday that his father died Saturday at a military retirement community in Potomac Falls, Va. He had Parkinson’s disease.  During the Korean War, he flew more than 300 B-29 bomber missions over North Korea and also flew aerial t

PeopleAug. 18, 2013

America ready for female president: Michelle Obama

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama says in remarks published Friday that America is ready for a woman president, but would not comment on prospects for Hillary Clinton getting the job.Obama’s comments came in an interview with Parade magazine, excerpts of which were published on its website.Asked if she thinks the country will see a female president in her lifetime, the wife of President Barack Obama said: “Yes, I think the country is ready for it. It’s just a question of who’s th

PeopleAug. 18, 2013

U.S. Eighth Army to name Paik honorary commander

The U.S. Eighth Army said Friday it will name retired Korean Army Gen. Paik Sun-yup as the honorary commanding general for its command post to pay tribute to his service during the 1950-53 Korean War. The U.S. Eighth Army in June renamed its Combined Joint Task Force’s Operational Command Post after the 93-year-old Paik in honor of his service during the three-year conflict and for his contribution to the alliance between the two nations. “He was a witness to a number of historical events in Kor

PeopleAug. 18, 2013

Bucheon University students showcase comic art

Bucheon University students majoring in cartoon and 2-D visual graphics showcased their works at Bucheon International Comics Festival in Gyeonggi Province, from Aug. 14 to 18.The annual event is Korea’s only comics festival that features cartoonists from home and abroad.Bucheon University’s cartoon and 2-D visual graphics program is known for its 2010 animation “Robot Zzibba,” based on local cartoonist Shin Moon-su’s manhwa of the same title, which was broadcast on KBS2 as a 26-episode series.

PerformanceAug. 18, 2013

Artists turn old factory neighborhood into vibrant art space

Over the past five years, young artists have been moving into Mullae-dong in northwestern Seoul in search of affordable space. The influx of artists into the former steel workshop site has made the area one of the most vibrant artistic spots in Seoul with the number of artists reaching an estimated 200. Often compared to Willamsburg in Brooklyn, New York City, Mullae-dong is now seeking to get closer to local residents and citizens in Seoul with its annual art festival. The 7th Mullae Arts Festi

PerformanceAug. 18, 2013

Keeping it fresh

This is the second in a series on producers, MCs, DJs and artists working in the Korean underground hip-hop scene. ― Ed.According to Korean rapper Paloalto, promotion is difficult for independent labels in Korea. Lack of financing limits their promotional reach and makes it difficult for promotion companies to want to work with them.But a recent show put on by underground hip-hop label Hi-Lite Records saw hundreds crowd into the venue to support the artists, while the musicians jumped from one s

PerformanceAug. 18, 2013

'Snowpiercer' surpasses 8 mln viewer mark

South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's English language debut film, "Snowpiercer," has attracted more than 8 million viewers in 19 days since opening, the national film promotion agency said Sunday.The film, starring top Korean actor Song Kang-ho alongside Hollywood thespians Chris Evans, Ed Harris and Tilda Swinton, attracted a total of 8,004,089 viewers as of Sunday morning, the 19th day since first playing on local screens, the Korean Film Council said. The feat marks a faster speed in attract

FilmAug. 18, 2013

Records return

It was only a few decades ago that buying records seemed like little effort for the listening pleasures it promised. But over time, LPs started collecting dust and filling up empty boxes in the back of garages. Today, with the advent of the Internet, MP3 players and smartphones, music lovers can play songs in the palm of their hand with the touch of a button. The music industry releases singles online before CDs ever hit the shelves of music stores. However, the unpredictable nature of trends di

PerformanceAug. 16, 2013

Korea’s only LP manufacturer seeks niche

The LP Factory stands alone as South Korea’s only manufacturer of LP records. Its founder and CEO, Jason (Gil-yong) Lee is a music industry expert and devoted LP fan who started the factory on a whim. Today, the factory churns out more than 4,000 records a year to export overseas. The factory is a mid-sized warehouse in an industrial park in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. Large machinery imported from Germany and France stands inside, along with boxes of cardboard, plastic and PVC lining along the fl

PerformanceAug. 16, 2013

Is gluten Korea’s new food focus?

While the term “gluten-free” is still relatively new to the Korean food industry, this year might witness the gluten-free movement as well as the related wheat-free trend take hold here. According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, a gluten-free diet omits all food containing gluten, a natural protein that can be found in wheat, barley, rye and triticale. While a gluten-free diet originated primarily as a course of treatment for people diagnosed with celiac disease, it appears more people are cutting

FoodAug. 16, 2013

Calendar

Pop music“Hyundai Card Super Concert 19 City Break”: Joining the club of blowout summer music festivals, this year the Hyundai Card Super Concert 19 City Break two-day music festival is bringing some of the hottest bands in the rock music industry. The lineup includes headlining acts Metallica, Muse, Iggy and the Stooges, Limp Bizkit, Rise Against as well as popular local bands Jang Ki-ha and the Faces, Kwon Soon-kwan and much more. The two-day music Hyundai Card Super Concert will be held on Au

CultureAug. 16, 2013

Eye like: MBLAQ average on ‘Love Beat’

MBLAQ average on ‘Love Beat’MBLAQ“Love Beat”(CJ E&M)MBLAQ has released its fifth album, “Love Beat,” with a whole new concept that drifts away from its usual bad boy flair. The group has gone for the charming, boy-next-door concept with tracks that may appeal to tween fans, but overall the album lacks a depth, meaning more mature listeners are likely to be disappointed. “No Love” has a classic boy band sound with a bright piano melody led by a steady beat and a layered chorus. “I Don’t Know” is

PerformanceAug. 16, 2013

Box Office: The Grandmaster, The Flu, The Place Beyond the Pines

The GrandmasterAction. Directed by Wong Kar-wai. Opening Aug. 22Ip Man (Tony Leung) is a martial arts specialist who enjoys a peaceful life with his wife (Song Hye-kyo) and two children in southern China. While Ip is training, he is challenged to a duel by Gong Yutian, a martial arts master known for his 64 hands technique. Ip wins, much to Gong’s surprise. He later runs into Gong’s daughter, Gong Er (Zhang Ziyi), who visits Ip to regain her father’s honor. The two form a special bond through an

FilmAug. 16, 2013

The incomparable Karen Black in 1970s cinema

Though actress Karen Black never stopped working, news of her passing last week at age 74 sent me back to the 1970s. That era ― a transformative cultural moment for women in general ― had the films I remember the actress in most.It actually starts on the eve of the decade with 1969’s “Easy Rider,” the movie that put Black on Hollywood’s radar. (She had already made an imprint on stage.) It’s hard to forget her portrayal of a leggy prostitute with a long tangle of brown curls taking an LSD-fueled

FilmAug. 16, 2013