The Daegu Theatre Troupe, a theatrical group of English-speaking expats, is soon to stage William Goldman’s “The Princess Bride.”“The Princess Bride” is a satirical, fantasy love story centering around two adolescents, Buttercup and Westley. Throughout the play, they face a multitude of obstacles that keep them apart.Jarod Clegg, the director of the Daegu Theatre Troupe production, also wrote the script for their adaptation. He describes their version as a “fun, good natured play” in which they

Expat LivingAug. 13, 2013

From traditional Korean folk music and the sounds of pansori, to the heavily Western influence of Korea’s old rock ’n’ roll scene, all the way to the current trends of choreograph-heavy K-pop idol groups, the nation’s music industry has had a number seismic shifts. After the trend of popular music shifted from folk to rock to pop, the modern era of music gave birth to the continually growing, internationally recognized genre that is now referred as K-pop, or Korean pop music. Within the first ha

PerformanceAug. 13, 2013

Dutch architecture and design have played a leading role in the global scene with their functional yet playful qualities. Dubbed “the world’s largest artificial paradise,” the Netherlands has developed distinctive architectural and design styles in battling floods and other natural disasters as much of its land is below sea level. The key architectural and design qualities of the Netherlands can be seen in Seoul at a new special exhibition put together by the Korea Foundation, the state-funded a

Arts & DesignAug. 13, 2013

Crayon Pop, known for their “series five-cylinder engine dance” set to the song “Bar Bar Bar,” has signed with world-famous label Sony Music Entertainment. Crayon Pop differentiated themselves from other girl groups by making a debut decked out in matching polo shirts, track pants, skirts and bike helmets. Instead of going for the stereotypical sexy or cute concept, the group aimed for a girl-next-door style, gaining fans and sparking a slew of parodies of their famous dance. “When Sony Music En

Aug. 13, 2013

Actor Kim Woo-bin has been named the new host of music channel Mnet’s “M Countdown.” The previous hosts of the program were Tony An of H.O.T. and FT Island’s Lee Hong-gi, making Kim the only host who did not debut as a K-pop artist. Kim appeared as a special guest emcee on the program in April and received positive feedback for his hosting abilities.  “Kim Woo-bin has a steady voice and has the ability to be a capable host,” the production team for “M Countdown” stated. “He has gained recognitio

Aug. 13, 2013

Filmmaker Wong Kar-wai’s “Grandmaster,” contrary to what the title suggests, is not exactly a biopic of the legendary Chinese martial artist Ip Man (1893-1972), the grandmaster of Wing Chun who famously taught Bruce Lee.Rather, it is Wong’s poignant, visually stunning tribute to what is now gone ― China before the Japanese invasion and the glory years of Chinese martial arts in the 1930s. Though it features the life of Ip, the film focuses on martial arts itself rather than the individual. What

FilmAug. 13, 2013

The Korean Embassy in South Africa will end about 20 years of residing in a rented office and finally possess its own building.The embassy held a groundbreaking ceremony for its building Monday in the Muckleneuk neighborhood of capital Pretoria, according to foreign ministry officials. The ceremony was attended by Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Lee Kyung-soo, Korean Ambassador to South Africa Lee Yoon, South African foreign ministry officials and leaders of the Kor

PeopleAug. 13, 2013

 Growth from humble beginnings to biggest English newspaperThe Korea Herald has been providing English news to South Koreans and Korean viewpoints to people outside of the country for the past 60 years. Its sister paper, The Herald Business, and other units of Herald Corp. are also leading the local media market. It all started with a four-page tabloid called The Korean Republic, the forerunner of The Korea Herald.In the early 1950s, then-President Syngman Rhee sought the creation of an English

CultureAug. 13, 2013

Chung Mong-koo Foundation will provide 20 billion won ($17.9 million) for five years in the fields of arts and culture in the country.The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the foundation signed an agreement at the ministry in Seoul on Monday to cooperate in the promotion of arts and culture.Under the agreement, both sides will expand arts and cultural programs for children and teenagers, and also push various regional projects jointly. One of the first projects to be pushed is increasi

PeopleAug. 12, 2013

Sungshin Women’s University professor Seo Kyoung-duk posted an ad on the Internet edition of the Wall Street Journal on Monday, criticizing Japanese politicians’ attitude to history.Titled “Making Peace With History,” the advertising compares Japanese politicians with German politicians by placing their photos and captions side by side. The photo of German politicians shows former German Chancellor Willy Brandt kneeling before a monument to the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and current German Chancello

PeopleAug. 12, 2013

Rare original prints by the late Robert Capa are on exhibit in Seoul for the first time to mark the centennial of the photographer’s birth and the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War. Hailed as the world’s greatest war photographer, Capa captured moments that became iconic war images and inspire many photojournalists and filmmakers like Steven Spielberg to this day. The exhibition features 160 photographs selected from the 937 photographs of the Capa collectio

PerformanceAug. 12, 2013

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― If aliens ever target Earth, Jon Gibson and Amanda White are counting on them having an appreciation for pop art and a sense of humor.The duo created an elaborate, Andy Warhol-like design that has been etched into a satellite’s panel, transforming the spacecraft into a replica of an oversized electrical charging device.“If someone is going to invade our planet, presumably they’re going to come in some sort of electronic, electricity-powered ship,” Gibson notes whimsically. “Ma

PerformanceAug. 12, 2013