Flower-filled royal banquets of Joseon Era recreated at exhibition

What is the name of the U.S. president? Barraco Barner, as a British beautician spelled it in her now world-famous tweet in March? Well, ask some lawmakers in Korea and you might get this: Barak Obama. Rep. An Min-suk and 39 other members of the National Assembly misspelled the U.S. president’s name in a letter they sent to him through an official channel. In the letter, dated April 4, the lawmakers asked Obama to bring a 16th-century royal seal, stolen from Korea and now in the custody of U.S.

NEW YORK (AP) ― Soprano Kristine Opolais has made Metropolitan Opera history, becoming the first singer in its 131 years to debut in two major company roles within 24 hours.The 34-year-old Latvian soprano sang Cio-Cio-San in Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” on Friday night, went to dinner and got to bed at 5 a.m. Met General Manager Peter Gelb called 2 hours later, asking if she could replace ailing Anita Hartig as Mimi in a performance of Puccini’s “La Boheme” that was broadcast live to movie theat

Dance“Vortex”: The National Dance Company of Korea, which has been solely focusing on Korean traditional dance, is collaborating with a foreign choreographer for the first time since its inception in 1962. Their upcoming performance, “Vortex,” is choreographed by Finnish artist Tero Saarinen. Participating dancers include Kim Mi-ae, the troupe’s principal dancer, and Park Hye-ji, an apprentice who was surprisingly selected by Saarinen to play one of the leading characters in the piece. “Vortex”

ORLANDO, Florida ― Kevin Rose doesn’t claim he can cure anyone, but he’s convinced he can teach people to manage their stress.“The animals,” he says, “are fantastic assistants for that.”Those animals include a black bear, three tigers, a cougar and two Asian black leopards. Abandoned by owners, the menagerie now lives at the CARE Foundation, a wildlife center in Apopka, Florida, that works with Rose and his fledgling business, Predatory Perceptions.Rose escorts clients through the center, stoppi

Native son, the late composer Yun I-sang still a controversial figure

LONDON (AP) ― You can learn a lot from a tooth.Molars taken from skeletons unearthed by work on a new London railway line are revealing secrets of the medieval Black Death ― and of its victims. This week, Don Walker, an osteologist with the Museum of London, outlined the biography of one man whose ancient bones were found by construction workers under London’s Charterhouse Square: He was breast-fed as a baby, moved to London from another part of England, had bad tooth decay in childhood, grew up

Classical Music“Bang on a Can All-Stars”: Renowned for its ultra-dynamic live performances and recordings of today’s most innovative music, the Bang on a Can All-Stars will hold their first performance here. Consisting of clarinet, cello, electric guitar, piano-keyboard, percussion and double bass, the New York-based ensemble will perform on March 29-30 at the Tongyeong International Music Festival in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, and on April 2 at LG Arts Center in Seoul. Its repertoire

Thai cuisine at JW Marriott Hotel SeoulJW Marriott Hotel Seoul’s all-day dining restaurant The Cafe is offering authentic Thai cuisine made by guest chef Somkiat Dongprateep from JW Marriott Bangkok from March 28 to April 13. Throughout the promotion period, Chef Somkiat will present a range of popular Thai dishes including hot chili and Thai herb salad, yellow curry chicken, traditional satay kebabs, tom-yum goong and pad thai. The special dishes will be available at the restaurant’s dinner buf

More operas, ballets and classical music concerts are coming to movie screens in Korea, offering a chance to watch and listen to world-renowned artists at a fraction of the cost. Megabox, the nation’s largest cinema chain, is launching a new program Thursday, showing famed pianist Lang Lang’s solo recital held at the Royal Albert Hall in London in November last year. Arguably one of the most beloved living pianists, Lang Lang mesmerized the 5,300 audience members who filled the prestigious Briti

‘The Prince’ manuscript, other original works on display at National Library

MILWAUKEE ― You might have thought rubber stamps and embossers had gone the way of buggy whips and common sense, but not so at Schwaab Inc., which has been making stamps and embossers for 133 years.The Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, firm, at one time the world’s largest manufacturer of watch fobs, has added a third work shift to meet the growing demand from Internet sales.The company once known for having a small army of door-to-door sales people now generates more than a third of its business from websi

BEIJING ― A Peking duck dinner might inspire a twinge of guilt about indulging in some decadent, fatty fowl. But health-conscious diners at the high-end Da Dong restaurant chain here in the Chinese capital can at least rationalize that they did a little weightlifting before their meal.That’s because the menus at Da Dong are heftier than a small gym dumbbell ― 2.4 kilograms, to be exact. Measuring 45 centimeters tall, 38 centimeters wide and more than 2.5 centimeters thick, the 140-page menu outw