Most Popular
-
1
10-man S. Korea lose to Indonesia to miss out on Paris Olympic football qualification
-
2
Hybe-Ador feud should have limited effect on Hybe's overall performance: analysts
-
3
Second Gimpo civil servant found dead, after apologizing for not finishing work
-
4
DP leader says he will meet Yoon without conditions
-
5
First-ever meeting of president, opposition chief set to finally happen
-
6
NewJeans' singles, Japanese debut to proceed as planned, despite Hybe-Ador feud
-
7
Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
-
8
Experts raise concerns about Japan putting pressure on Naver over Line
-
9
Samsung mobile chief, Google device head meet in Seoul
-
10
Ship linked to NK arms shipments to Russia is moored in China: State Dept.
-
George Michael thanks hospital for saving life
LONDON (AP) ― Fighting back tears, singer George Michael appeared outside his London home Friday to acknowledge that he had nearly died during his month-long battle with pneumonia.He said it had been “touch and go” while he was in the intensive care unit of a Vienna hospital battling an extremely dangerous form of pneumonia but that his representatives had “played it down” to avoid alarming his fans.“They spent three weeks keeping me alive basically,” said the singer, who appeared to have lost w
Dec. 25, 2011
-
Bullock coaxed into return by ‘Extremely Loud’
NEW YORK (AP) ― Sandra Bullock wasn’t looking to return to acting when Stephen Daldry called about “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.”Bullock’s last film, 2009’s “The Blind Side,” was the kind of career apogee of which most actresses dream, winning her a best actress Academy Award in what essentially amounted to a coronation of Bullock as America’s most beloved female movie star.But the accomplishment ― which would normally be followed by a wave of projects to capitalize on the momentum ― was s
Dec. 25, 2011
-
Big bashes ring in the New Year
Where, how to hail the Year of DragonEvery year has witnessed a progressive growth in the scale and breadth of Seoul’s countdown parties. Single and double star events gave way to multiple act showdowns, then, last year, two game-changers busted out the big guns. Countdown Seoul 2011 transformed the massive Yeongdeungpo shopping complex, Times Square, into a multi-floor over 15-act music bonanza featuring former Daft Punk manager-and-Ed Banger Records’ head Pedro Winter a.k.a. Busy P, the late D
Dec. 23, 2011
-
Calendars
Classical Music“Vienna Strauss Festival Orchestra New Year’s Concert”: Vienna Strauss Festival Orchestra, founded in 1978 by artistic producer Peter Guth, will perform with soprano Im Sun-hae and hold its fourth performance in Korea on Jan. 18. The orchestra performed here as recently as January this year. The orchestra has been touring throughout Europe, Asia and America with a wide repertoire. In the upcoming concert, the orchestra will be performing pieces by composers Johann Strauss, Joseph
Dec. 23, 2011
-
Box Office
My Way (Korea)Opened Dec. 21Drama. Directed by Kang Je-gyu. It’s 1938 in Japanese-colonized Gyeongseong, what is now Seoul, and young Joon-sik (later played by Jang Dong-gun) works for a farm owned by a Japanese family. His dream is to participate in the Tokyo Olympics as a marathon runner. He soon learns that Tatsuo (later played by Joe Odagiri), the grandson of the farm owner, dreams of doing the same thing, making them rivals. As World War II breaks out, however, their lives and destinies are
Dec. 23, 2011
-
Little-known Rooney Mara about to get famous
“Rooney who?” is not a question people will be asking much longer.On Tuesday at 7 p.m., David Fincher’s adaptation of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” ― the first installment in the U.S. version of Stieg Larsson’s mega-selling “Millennium Trilogy” ― opens in theaters. And there Rooney Mara will be, pale, pierced, and punked-out, hacking into encrypted databases, sleeping with Daniel Craig (and with a woman she picks up at a bar), taking vengeance on a sicko state-appointed guardian ... if you’v
Dec. 23, 2011
-
Lee explores theme of utopia
Your Paradise, By Yi Ch’ongjun (Lee Cheong-jun)Translated by Jennifer Lee, Timothy Tangherlini (Green Integer)Well-known for “Snowy Road,” his poignant short story about motherly love, the late author Lee Cheong-jun is considered one of the most prominent 20th-century Korean novelists. Lee’s 1976 novel “Your Paradise” is a moving allegory about utopia which takes place on Korea’s real-life leper colony island Sorok-do. Located near Goheung, South Jeolla Province, the island has been home to peop
Dec. 23, 2011
-
Sarajevans moved by Angelina Jolie war film
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Hercegovina (AFP) ― Sarajevans among the first filmgoers to see Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut, a Bosnian wartime love story, came away deeply moved from a special screening in their city Thursday.“The movie is very realistic, moving and hard to watch for someone who was here during the war. I am very emotional,” Sabira Sokolovic told AFP.A story of love between a Muslim woman and a Serb man against the background of Bosnia’s 1992-95 inter-ethnic war, the movie sparked contr
Dec. 23, 2011
-
Limited, ultra, deluxe: The box set goes beyond
Musical box sets, encapsulating a portion or all of an artist’s catalog, are hardly a new trend. They’ve been around for decades.But as labels begin to search for more sources of income, they’re increasingly using yesterday’s hits to help today’s bottom line, from multi-disc deluxe editions of your favorite old album to over-the-top collections of obscurities complete with cool little tchotchkes.And they’re also reaching new heights in pricing. Love U2 beyond measure? There’s the new “Achtung Ba
Dec. 22, 2011
-
China’s purple sand tea pots on show
Yixing Purple Sand Pottery Arts Factory leads tea-making culture and art investment in ChinaA small tea pot made headlines around the world in 2010 when it was sold for 12.32 million RMB ($1.94 million) at China Guardian’s auction in Beijing. It was not made of diamonds or gold, but of purple sand by renowned Chinese potter Gu Jingzhou. Acclaimed artist Wu Fan did the tea pot’s engravings.Though unfamiliar to many, purple sand has been considered a top-quality material for making tea utensils s
Dec. 22, 2011
-
Hollywood still struggling to focus 3-D technology
LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Two years after breakthrough 3-D megahit “Avatar,” Hollywood is still struggling to decide how best to use the new technology, as filmgoers tire of the novelty and say no to annoying glasses.While 2011 ends with a couple of well-received 3-D movies ― including Steven Spielberg’s holiday smash “Tintin” and Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” ― filmmakers need to focus on what works in three dimensions and what doesn’t, say experts.Following a series of 3-D flops over the last 12 months,
Dec. 22, 2011
-
Cannes fest head Jacob wins new term
PARIS (AFP) ― Gilles Jacob, the 81-year-old president of the Cannes film festival, has secured a new term at the helm of the international movie showcase, along with its director Thierry Fremaux.Jacob has received the world’s top filmmakers in the Riviera city for the past 30 years, first as Cannes festival director then from 2001 as president, with a mandate that was due to expire after its 65th edition on May 16-27, 2012.Meeting on Tuesday, however, the Cannes board of administrators voted to
Dec. 22, 2011
-
Three films, three cities
Special project offers films shot in Bucheon, Pohang and GwangjuIt’s been to Seoul, Busan, Jeju, Chuncheon, Daegu, Incheon, Yeosu and Gangleung.English language network Arirang TV’s annual film project featuring Korean cities is back with its third edition, this time offering three movies shot in Bucheon, Pohang and Gwangju. The upcoming films are not about the cities (no road movies to the cities!) but rather use them only as their background. The three featured directors ― Kim In-sik, Lee San
Dec. 22, 2011
-
Deafness shaped Beethoven’s music
PARIS (AFP) ― Progressive deafness profoundly influenced Beethoven’s compositions, prompting him to choose lower-frequency notes as his condition worsened, scientists said on Tuesday.Beethoven first mentioned his hearing loss in 1801 at the age of 30, complaining that he was having problems hearing the high notes of instruments and voices.By 1812, people had to shout to make themselves understood and in 1818, he started to communicate through notebooks. In his last few years before his death in
Dec. 21, 2011
-
Russian enamels bequeathed to Walters Art Museum
BALTIMORE (AP) ― Hundreds of Russian enamels collected over decades by a Washington arts patron have been given to the Walters Art Museum, which said Tuesday that the gift reaffirms its position as a leading center for the study of Russian art.More than 260 enamels from the 17th through the early 20th centuries are in the collection amassed by Jean M. Riddell, who died last year at the age of 100. The private collection was internationally recognized as the finest of its kind in the United State
Dec. 21, 2011
-
George Michael ‘well,’ Christmas at home unclear
VIENNA (AFP) ― British pop star George Michael is doing well in hospital in Vienna but whether he will be able to spend Christmas back in Britain was still uncertain, one of his Austrian doctors said Tuesday.“We know that he is doing well. And we are generally optimistic,” Christoph Zielinski of Vienna’s General Hospital (AKH) told ORF radio.On whether Michael would be able to return home for the holidays or have to spend Christmas in hospital, Zielinski only said that the matter still had to be
Dec. 21, 2011
-
Pets, songs and babies top 2011 YouTube videos
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) ― Online singing sensation Rebecca Black topped a 2011 most-viewed YouTube videos list Tuesday that included spoofs starring pets, talking babies and pop music star Michael Bolton.The collection of the year’s most popular YouTube snippets was based on an analysis of the more than one trillion video views logged at the Google-owned website.“That’s about 140 views for every person on the Earth,” YouTube trends manager Kevin Allocca said in a blog post. “More than twice as many
Dec. 21, 2011
-
Thousands pay last respects to ‘barefoot diva’ Cesaria Evora
MINDELO, Cape Verde (AFP) ― Thousands of mourning fans, from ordinary people to national leaders, gathered Tuesday for the funeral of Cape Verde’s legendary singer Cesaria Evora.The beloved “barefoot diva” died Saturday at age 70 on her native island of Sao Vicente and her body was taken from the hospital Tuesday to her family’s home in Mindelo.Her fans, many in tears and singing her songs, lined the streets to see her casket pass, accompanied by 30 honour guards from the army of Cape Verde, an
Dec. 21, 2011
-
‘Unbowed’ portrays real-life ‘crossbow terror’ case
Director Chung Ji-young makes comeback with courtroom dramaA mathematics professor gets demoted a year after pointing out an error on the school’s entrance exam. He soon loses his job, as the university won’t renew his contract. Arguing he was fired unfairly, he sues the school administration and asks for reinstatement. When the court upholds the school’s decision, the professor decides to visit the court judge with a crossbow in his hand. Celebrated director Chung Ji-young, who is most well kno
Dec. 21, 2011
-
Taiwan anchorwoman replaced after parodying N.K. announcer
The Taiwanese anchor woman who created controversy by parodying North Korean announcer Ri Chun-hee has been replaced, announced the China Television System on Wednesday. Liang Fang-yu, host of CTS’ evening news program, delivered election information on Monday imitating Ri’s hair style, fashion and voice as was seen on the N.K. broadcaster on Monday when Ri announced the death of Kim Jong-il. Introduced as “Liang Chun-hee,” Liang appeared wearing a hanbok, or Korean traditional costume, and mimi
Dec. 21, 2011