Korea’s performing arts scene suffered a major blow when the ferry Sewol sank in April with over 300 people trapped inside. Concerts, musicals and various other stage performances were canceled, postponed or scaled down, as the nation mourned. Even those who avoided such a fate struggled with low ticket sales. About two months after the disaster, the country is slowly returning to pre-Sewol normalcy, but many artists are still grappling with financial hardship and a bitter taste of the reality o

Heritage administration chief envisions radical change in management, protection of relics

This is the second in a series of articles in which foreign envoys to South Korea show the art of their countries displayed in their homes. ― Ed.It is no accident that guests visiting the residence of the Indonesian ambassador here are greeted by art works from some the most sought-after East Asian artists.Signature works by South Korea’s Park Sae-bo, Indonesia’s Arin Dwihartanto Sunaryo ― who was one of the hottest artists last year in April at a Sothby’s auction in Hong Kong ― and Yue Minjun o

Women leaders in media, fashion and culture will talk about women’s leadership and style at the Beautiful Women Conference, scheduled for June 13-14 in Seoul. The conference, in its second year, will bring seven figures from media, fashion, makeup, interior design and classical music, who will give tips on enriching life as well as leadership among women. The conference will be held at Auditorium at Coex, Samseong-dong, Seoul. The invited speakers are Sohn Ji-ae, former president and CEO of Arir

Won Buddhist Rev. Lee Seon-jong lambastes clerics for their greed, calls on mothers to set the country right

In “Mr. Mercedes,” Stephen King gives the ghosts and ghouls a rest and returns to the non-supernatural suspense genre of such earlier novels as “Cujo” and “Misery.” He also resists the bloat that has crept into his books over the last decade, keeping the story moving at lightning speed ― I dare you not to read the last 100 pages in one sitting ― and focusing primarily on two characters, antagonists about to embark on an elaborate dance of wits.One is Bill Hodges, a retired 62-year-old detective

The forces at work in Ellen Gilchrist’s latest story collection ― her first in eight years ― are not trifles. Nature. Time. Plain bad luck. And yet her characters remain undaunted. These flinty, practical, God-fearing Southern folk do not hold with complaining.“Life’s harder than we know it might be when we’re young,” acknowledges the widowed Arkansas First Responder in the National Guard in “Collateral.” She must leave her teaching job and son to travel to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. A

To Rise Again at a Decent HourBy Daniel Akst (Newsday)Until now, the only novel I could think of with a dentist as a protagonist was Frank Norris’ melodramatic “McTeague” from the turn of the 20th century.So it may not be saying much to award the laurels for Best Novel with a Dentist in a Starring Role to the alternately sad and hilarious new book by Joshua Ferris. “To Rise Again at a Decent Hour” showcases the wit, intelligence and keen eye for workplace absurdity the author displayed to such g

The Art of Neil GaimanBy Tish Wells (McClatchy Washington Bureau)If you haven’t heard of Neil Gaiman, you’ve missed a major force in creative fiction in the last 20 years. His offbeat writing runs from comics to films to television series to books.The best way to meet the man, other than at a book reading, is in the new biography, “The Art of Neil Gaiman” by Hayley Campbell. Lushly illustrated, it’s a rich treat of an introduction to Gaiman and his work.That “work” is imaginative fiction, scienc

Free concerts offer visitors a taste of ‘pungnyu’

AUSTIN, Texas ― Jaime Morin, 9, was diagnosed with autism at age 2 and has been nonverbal his whole life. When the therapy he was receiving at school became insufficient, his mother, Lupe Santander, sent him to Big Sky Pediatric Therapy, where he went for speech and occupational therapy once a week. It was there that they heard of Zach’s Voice, a nonprofit group that provides iPads to autistic children with communication deficiencies.“He can say exactly what he wants with the iPad,” says Santand

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina ― When Alenoosh Kohl travels to her mother’s home, she doesn’t have to get into her car and take the interstate. She’s just one door down the hall.Living in a home designed specifically for multigenerational families, Kohl, 44, and her mother Anna, 67, each have private residences under one roof: separate living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and even laundry rooms.“We have the convenience of her being with us, because she wants to be part of our lives, and it mak

PARIS (AFP) ― Competition, pressure and harassment: France’s white-collar employees are facing a growing litany of “brutal” psychological risks in the workplace, according to experts.Despite France’s labor laws, some of the strongest in the world, depression, long-term illness, professional burnout and even suicide are becoming increasingly common among service-sector workers.Fabienne Godefroy became severely anorexic, losing 30 kilograms, and developed paranoia after two years of sexual and emo

Dance“Mookhyang”: Fashion designer Jung Kuho’s dance “Mookhyang (Scent of Ink)” is returning for its second run in June. The piece is his second collaboration with the National Dance Company of Korea, a group that specializes in traditional Korean dance. It is inspired by Korean traditional ink painting and pays special attention to the “four noble ones,” the four plants believed to epitomize Korea’s Confucian aesthetics: bamboo, the chrysanthemum, the plum blossom and the orchid. The four were