Pop music“Unite all Originals Live with Snoop Dogg”: Snoop Dogg will perform in Seoul for the first time this month. After a trip to Jamaica last year, the rapper revealed his conversion to the Rastafarian movement and announced his rebirth under the name Snoop Lion. The rapper was previously known for his violent lyrics, but shifted his gears from hip-hop to reggae following his conversion. Snoop Lion will perform live at the Olympic Park Soccer Stadium on May 4, along with special guests 2NE1.

TOKYO (AP) ― Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji looks likely to win recognition as a World Heritage site.The Agency for Cultural Affairs issued a notice Wednesday saying Mount Fuji was recommended for World Heritage status by the International Council on Monuments and Sites, a body affiliated with UNESCO.Formal approval is expected in June at a World Heritage Committee meeting in Cambodia.A collection of cultural sites in Kamakura, a scenic town near Tokyo that once was the nation’s capital, were not rec

Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn, the author of “No Death, No Fear,” “The Art of Power,” and “The Miracle of Mindfulness,” on Thursday encouraged sufferers of depression, anxiety and stress to never give up on life. “Emotion is just an emotion but we are much larger than emotions. Why do we have to kill ourselves because of such feelings that come and go?” he said at a press conference held in central Seoul on the day. Korea has topped the suicide rankings among OECD countries for the past several

NEW YORK (AP) ― Violence, gore and gunplay were staples on prime-time television even in the most sensitive period directly following the Newtown school shooting.A study of 392 prime-time scripted programs on broadcast networks shown during the month following Vice President Joe Biden’s January meeting with entertainment industry executives on the topic revealed that 193 had some incident of violence, according to the Parents Television Council. Some are cartoonish ― quite literally, with Homer

The board meeting of the Foundation for Broadcast Culture on Thursday nominated Kim Jong-guk, president of Daejeon MBC, a branch of the nationwide broadcasting network, as the new CEO of the mother company. The foundation holds a 70 percent stake in MBC.Kim, a Korea University graduate, began his career at MBC in 1982 as a reporter. Kim is reported to have received five votes out of the total nine at the board meeting. He previously served as president of Masan/Jinju MBC as well as Gyeongnam MBC

Rhee In-yong, president of Samsung Group, invited the winners of Corea Image Communication Institute’s 2013 speech contest to a luncheon and discussion on cultural topics on Thursday.Rhee and the winners discussed and exchanged ideas about the “Meaning of the success of the Korean wave and new areas of the Korean wave,” “New keyword for 2013 Korea” and “Multicultural Korea.” “Korea is opening up to the world and I hope you will become the bridge between Korea and the outside world,” he said at t

Seo Kyung-duk, a PR expert in promoting Korean culture, said he would post a new ad for makgeolli in the Wall Street Journal later this month.The professor of Sungshin Women’s University in Seoul commented on Twitter on Thursday that “the actor Song Il-kook, who has become a world star thanks to the worldwide success of his drama ‘Jumong,’ will participate in this project.”The ad will be financed by crowdfunding, a method that enlists financial support from ordinary citizens interested in the pr

Sungnyemun, or the South Gate from the Joseon era (1392-1910), will be unveiled to the public on Saturday after 63 months of restoration. A lavish ceremony is planned to mark the return of the National Treasure No.1 in central Seoul. The restoration was the fruit of around 35,000 people’s dedication, from the selection of the best wood and stone to adhering to the most traditional method possible.The Cultural Heritage Administration said it reinforced fireproofing and the fire alarm system since

Content format industry seen likely to grow into W100b market by 2015

Sungnyemun is back.After five years and three months of restoration costing 25 billion won ($22.5 million), the National Treasure No. 1, which served as the South Gate of the capital city during the Joseon era (1392-1910), will be open to the public May 5, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Monday. On Saturday, a grand celebration stretching all the way from Sungnyemun to Gwanghwamun Plaza in central Seoul will be held from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., marking the restoration of the gate that was se

With his bushy gray hair and Issey Miyake pleated shirts, he seemed more like an ascetic onstage than a musician. But on May 6 Latvian cellist Mischa Maisky will perform his all-time favorite, Suites for Unaccompanied Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach. Sans pianist Martha Argerich ― one of his lifelong musical partners and who was to perform Beethoven, Schubert and Stravinsky with him in Korea but cancelled last week due to a health condition ― Maisky is to feature Bach’s Cello Suite Nos. 1, 3 and