The Korea Herald

V-Day Seoul to stage monologues in aid of rape crisis center

Mar 21, 2017

The V-Day Seoul 2017 Project will present a bilingual Korean and English reading of “The Vagina Monologues” on Saturday and Sunday in aid of the Korean Sexual Violence Relief Center.The reading is part of V-Day, an international collaboration to end violence against women and girls, which also has Korean events in Busan and Gwangju.The award-winning 1996 play by V-Day founder and playwright Eve Ensler is based on interviews she conducted with more than 200 women. It has since been performed arou
Gwangju center to hold protest song concert

Mar 21, 2017

Gwangju International Center will be holding a concert of protest songs Saturday.Soprano Park Su-yeon and baritone Kim Dae-su will be accompanied by pianist Chun Hyeon-joo in performing a mixture of protest songs from Korea and overseas.The concert starts at 7 p.m. at GIC Hall. Families are welcome, but children under 7 will not be admitted.The center is also looking for volunteers for its cultural programs for children and teenagers. The programs involve introducing foreign cultures to children
Seoul Shakespeare Company to stage ‘Winter’s Tale’

Mar 21, 2017

Seoul Shakespeare Company will perform the tragicomedy “The Winter’s Tale” next month.A story ultimately of reconciliation and forgiveness, the play follows a chain of events that start with a fit of jealousy between two kings.The company notes in its introduction to the play that the production builds upon and contrasts with last year’s staging of “Much Ado About Nothing,” saying director Michael Downey “brings us two contrasting mythicized worlds of a stark, melancholic and tragic Sicilia and
V-Day fundraiser to be held Sunday

Mar 18, 2017

The organizers of V-Day Seoul will be holding an early-bird fundraiser ahead of its main show, at the Hidden Cellar in Haebangchon on Sunday.The event will have live performances from acoustic musicians, alongside fundraising events such as raffles and drink specials. Prizes include many offerings from local businesses, including vouchers for local bakeries, art classes and free yoga sessions. All proceeds will go toward the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center, which provides counseling and shel
IAK St. Patrick’s Day fest invites Seoulites to ‘be Irish for a day’

Mar 7, 2017

The Irish Association of Korea will be filling the amphitheater in Seoul’s D-Cube City plaza with Celtic sounds to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 18.It’s an opportunity for Seoulites to hear some traditional Irish instruments and watch some dancing, and is a family friendly way of celebrating the day before evening celebrations in bars and pubs. Performances at the event include traditional Irish music from Jigs and Reels and Ceoiltoiri Seoul, folk from Boss Hagwon and Scott Hildebrand, an
Holi to bring the color back to Korea

Mar 7, 2017

With spring about to bring some color back to the Korean landscape, Holi celebrations in Seoul and Busan this year are set to beat nature to it. Two separate groups -- through both are called Indians in Korea -- will mark the Indian spring festival famous for its throwing of colored powder, in Seoul on Sunday and in Busan on March 18. Holi Hai in Busan, usually the larger of the two events, will be held on the city’s Haeundae Beach. Last year’s Holi Hai celebrations in Busan (IIK)“People are sh
Gwangju Performance Project promises ‘seductive’ cabaret

Mar 7, 2017

Expats in Gwangju will gather for a night of cabaret Saturday, courtesy of the Gwangju Performance Project.Previous cabaret nights have focused on music, but this year the troupe is broadening the range of entertainment and adding a “masquerade” theme.“This year I wanted to diversify the lineup a bit, really make sure that we had something for everyone in the Gwangju community,” said Ender Waters, the show’s director.“So I went back to the original cabarets in Paris in the late 19th, early 20th
Registrations open for Ulsan Cup soccer tournament

Mar 7, 2017

The Ulsan Cup, Korea’s largest expat soccer tournament, is taking registrations for its 10th outing in May.The tournament will take place on May 5 and 6 in the southeastern city. Sixteen teams will play a round-robin tournament in four groups on the first day, with the top two teams going through to the cup knockout stage on the second day.There is also a plate tournament for teams not progressing to the second day. A wooden spoon tournament for the unsuccessful teams will ensure that teams play
Treasure hunt inspires EFL adventure book

Feb 22, 2017

A historical novel isn’t the most obvious next step from citywide treasure hunts, but organizing two such events inspired Brian Van Hise to pen a story for middle school English learners.“History’s Mysteries: The Missing Years of Gutenberg” is novel for English-language learners that follows two pairs of siblings from Korea and the US as they try to solve a mystery surrounding the German inventor.The idea for the book came from two treasure hunts Van Hise set up, one in Daegu and one in Seoul. I
KOTESOL invites speakers for international conference

Feb 22, 2017

Korea TESOL, an organization for English education professionals, is inviting presentation proposals for its 25th international conference this autumn. The conference, to be held in conjunction with the Pan-Asian Consortium of Language Teaching Societies, will be held in Seoul on Oct. 21 and 22. The KOTESOL international conference typically attracts about 1,000 attendees from Korea, Asia and beyond. This year’s conference theme is “Why Are We Here? Analogue Learning in a Digital Era.” It is int
YEOL to host talk on preserving, moving traditional architecture

Feb 22, 2017

This story has been updated to reflect the fact that lunch is no longer offered at the event. — Ed.YEOL, the Society for Korean Cultural Heritage, will continue its lunchtime lectures, this year in partnership with Seoul Museum of History, with a talk on preservation of traditional houses in March.DaaRee Architect and Associates founder Cho In-souk, who has completed work on a Ph.D. in architectural conservation and restoration, will look at the subject from the perspective of preserving authent
City supports adoptees’ Korean language studies

Feb 22, 2017

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will commence the first Korean language program exclusively for overseas Korean adoptees from next week. The first program of its type will provide free Korean lessons every Monday and Wednesday evening at the Seoul Global Center.The program came about through a proposal to the Seoul City Foreign Residents’ Council, where two overseas adoptees, John Compton and AK Salling, hold positions as council members. The Seoul Metropolitan Government currently offers a va
Orientation session for foreign residents offered in Itaewon

Feb 22, 2017

The Itaewon Global Village Center will provide a free orientation session Friday to introduce the services and cultural opportunities available for foreign residents in Seoul. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session and refreshments. All those who attend will receive a package of brochures, maps and guides.The session will be held from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Itaewon Global Center offices, which are a 200 meter walk straight out of Exit 2 of Itaewon Station.To attend, register at
Speech contest to test NK refugees

Feb 22, 2017

North Korean refugees will be showing off their English skills Saturday in a biannual speech contest.The contest run by Teach North Korean Refugees, a volunteer organization that helps refugees learn English, will focus this year on the theme “That Moment, My Escape From North Korea.”TNKR founder Casey Lartigue said the “That Moment” concept was designed to give the speakers room for interpretation. North Korean refugee Cherie Yang works on her script with a TNKR coach.(TNKR)“We wanted a topic t
Applications open for April TOPIK

Feb 8, 2017

Applications have opened for the Test of Proficiency in Korean, to take place on April 16.Test takers can choose to sit for the lower-level TOPIK I in the morning or the higher level TOPIK II in the afternoon.The TOPIK I test consists of listening and reading sections and runs from 9:20-11:40 a.m. The TOPIK II has a listening and writing sections, followed by a separate reading exam, with the whole test running from 12:30-4:30 p.m. The number of test centers has been expanded to 43, covering all