Events planned ahead of diplomatic anniversary of two countries next year

Sohn Hye-won, woman behind numerous local household brands, bets on Korea’s mother-of-pearl art

South Korean actress Bae Doona has won the best actress award for her performance in the Korean film "A Girl at My Door" at the ninth Asian Film Awards in Macau, China, her agency said Friday. (Yonhap)Bae won the honor during the awards ceremony held on Wednesday, beating Gong Li of the Chinese film "Coming Home" and Tang Wei of another Chinese film, "The Golden Era," Saetbyuldang Entertainment said.Directed by July Jung, "A Girl at My Door" tells the story of a female police officer (played by

Bold, unpredictable color coordination fast becoming staple of Korean fashion

Preparing for a foray here last year, Ikea, a global home furnishing giant, did some research on Korean consumers, collecting as many images of their homes as possible. What it ended up with were hordes of images of almost identical-looking apartment units: white wallpaper, cookie-cutter room and furniture layouts and, above all, the decided lack of decorative items. Lee Yu-rim, who runs home interior shops in Seoul, calls this the “dark age” of Korean homes. For decades, furniture was something

The demand for home decor items is growing among Koreans today, in a sensation that has been dubbed the “candle effect.” A spinoff of the “lipstick effect,” which refers to a hike in consumption of cosmetic goods during recession, the newly coined term indicates the increasing popularity of small home decor items such as scented candles, cushions and figurines that are more affordable than furniture but effectively liven up the home ambience.Virtually nonexistent just five years ago, the Korean

Theater”Cats“: The international production of the Broadway classic “Cats” is having its Seoul run from April 10 to May 10. The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2011, is the second longest-running show in Broadway history. It tells the story of the Jellicles, a tribe of cats who assemble for their annual junkyard gathering when one is chosen to be reborn for a new life. One-by-one the kittens take center stage to make their case for rebirth, singing and danci

Korea plans to adopt common branding for all government departments and agencies, government officials said. According to a blueprint unveiled Tuesday, a new government identity will be developed by October and will be phased in from next March until 2017, replacing the existing brands and symbols of some 750 public institutions. “From development to application, the all-of-government brand is estimated to cost around 23.6 billion won ($20 million),” Won Yong-gi, director at the Ministry of Cult

From ancient royals to modern working moms, Korean women practice traditional prenatal care ‘taegyo’

Instead of sipping lattes, visitors to one cafe in Gye-dong, central Seoul, get into hammocks and doze off, indulging in a short break from a hectic day in Korea’s busiest city.Nazzzam has attracted a lot of attention since opening last year as the nation’s first “nap cafe.” But its owner, Jeong Ji-eun, claims the place offers more than just shut-eye. “It’s not a sleeping area per se, but a place where people can take a break from their busy lives,” she said. Originally a freelance English teach

Lee Jae-in woke up one day from an uneasy dream. The 31-year-old, who rarely dreams, could vividly recall what was disturbing her. “Someone was pulling my teeth out,” she said. Feeling leery, she grabbed her smartphone to search online for clues about what the dream meant. Immediately, a portal site pulled up a long list of dream-interpreting websites and Q&A pages filled with answers. “Everyone said losing teeth was a bad omen,” said Lee. “I don’t trust dream interpretation 100 percent, but the

History shows leaders claiming to have foreseen their futures