The Korea Herald

New York’s Met to return Cambodian sculptures

MusicMay 6, 2013

NEW YORK (AFP) ― New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art said Friday it was returning two 10th century Khmer sculptures to Cambodia that the country insisted had been looted from a jungle temple.The renowned institution announced that the two Koh Ker stone statues of “Kneeling Attendants” would be sent back after 20 years on display in the Met’s Asian Wing.They were donated piece by piece to the museum in the late 1980s and 1990s and were considered legal. However, “the Met recently came into poss
Chamber music fest offers solace for the forlorn

MusicMay 6, 2013

With spring finally here, it is time to sit back, relax and listen to music. The Seoul Spring Festival of Chamber Music will be held from May 14-26 at various spots in Seoul, bringing noted musicians from around the world to perform one of the most intimate genres of classical music under the theme of “Far from Home.”Music written by composers who stayed far away from their homelands will be interpreted by musicians who are always on the road performing. Featured musicians include violinist Kang
TED tailors lectures for TV audience

TelevisionMay 6, 2013

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) ― The prestigious TED gathering known for perspective-shifting presentations by the brilliant and famous is tailoring “ideas worth spreading” for a television audience.TED teamed with the U.S. Corporation for Public Broadcasting to create an education-focused version of its real-world conferences for a show set to air on PBS stations nationally on Tuesday and again on Thursday.“Re-imagining education is the key to a more hopeful future,” said TED curator Chris Anderson.“What
Youn Myeung-ro: 50 years of life in art

TheaterMay 6, 2013

At his Pyeongchang-dong atelier, artist looks back on his 54-year career and talks about his new goal
Jeong Jae-young, Han Ji-min to co-star in rom-com

FilmMay 6, 2013

Jeong Jae-young and Han Ji-min have been cast as leads for an upcoming romantic comedy, the film’s distributor Lotte Entertainment said. According to Lotte, the movie, titled “Plan Man,” is a story of opposites of contrasting qualities. Actor Jeong is playing a man named Jeong-seok, a borderline mysophobic who also gets extremely anxious when things don’t go as he planned. His love interest, So-jeong, will be played by Han. Her character is everything the opposite of Jeong-seok; she is spontaneo
Will Downey suit up again after $175m ‘Iron Man 3’ haul?

FilmMay 6, 2013

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Iron Man reigns as the standard-bearer of Hollywood superheroes with a $175.3 million U.S. opening weekend for his latest sequel and an overseas haul of a half-billion dollars in less than two weeks.According to studio estimates Sunday, “Iron Man 3’’ has raced to a worldwide total of $680.1 million. That includes $175.9 million in its second weekend overseas, where the film has rung up $504.8 million so far.No other solo superhero ― not even Batman or Spider-Man ― has managed
Musicians find fame and fortune on YouTube

MusicMay 6, 2013

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) ― YouTube is proving to be a powerful launch pad for a new generation of Internet-savvy music stars from Psy to Macklemore and beyond.The Google-owned video-sharing website has catapulted Psy, Macklemore, Justin Bieber and others onto global stages where they can cash in on digital downloads of songs; packed concerts; online ads, or even sponsored music videos.“Music has always been a universal language, and YouTube is a perfect platform to build community around the energy t
Getting acquainted with Psy

MusicMay 6, 2013

Singer Psy plans to release his U.S. debut album this summer.He revealed his plans for the new album release on Saturday during an appearance on the “Ask Anything” segment of “Saturday Night Online Live with Romeo.” “After promoting ‘Gentleman’ I’m about to make an album, so it’s going to be my seventh album in Korea and it’s going to be my debut album in the United States and I’m going to do a lot of collabo(rations) in the album,” said Psy. “Hopefully I can release that during the summer seaso
Baseball players to appear in gorilla film

FilmMay 6, 2013

Top baseball players will have cameo roles in director Kim Yong-hwa’s upcoming flick “Mr. Go,” about a gorilla that plays baseball, the film’s producer Showbox/Mediaplex said. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin and Cincinnati Reds outfielder Choo Shin-soo make brief appearances in a baseball game scene in the movie about a young Chinese girl named Weiwei who moves to Korea with her gorilla after her grandfather ― the only family she had ― passes away.Weiwei’s late grandfather owned a circ
Hallyu fans abroad to get together in Gangwon Province

May 6, 2013

“K-POP Festival in Gangwon 2013” invites hallyu fans to South Korea in September to celebrate becoming a successful host of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.“Unlike the last year’s festival, we are promoting a ‘cover dance preliminary’ which will provide a chance to introduce the upcoming Olympics to be held in PyeongChang and also a chance to promote Gangwon Province’s tourism,” an official said. Hosted by Visit Korea Committee, a quasi-government organization, Gangwon Province and the city of Wo
What’s the secret to K-pop success in the U.S.? Only Psy knows

MusicMay 5, 2013

Pre-“Gangnam Style,” there had been many attempts by Korean talent agencies to spread K-pop beyond the bounds of Asia and finally infiltrate the oh-so-competitive American music market. Before Korean rap sensation Psy’s “Gangnam Style” music video exploded onto the global music scene, the “big three” Korean entertainment agencies ― S.M., YG and JYP ― had all sent some of their most prominent and successful artists to the U.S. with the hopes that one of their own could make an impression in the W
Michael Lee emerges as agonizing Jesus

MusicMay 5, 2013

‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ returns to Seoul after six years away
Snoop Lion knows how to live ‘Young, Wild & Free’

MusicMay 5, 2013

What’s his name? “Snoop Doggy Dogg!” Thousands joined the king of West Coast hip-hop Snoop Lion, formerly Snoop Dogg, at Olympic Park on Saturday night for his first-ever live concert in Korea. The iconic American rapper has been in the music game for more than 20 years and expressed his thoughts on finally making his way to Korea for the first time, at a press conference at the Ritz Carlton in Seoul before his concert. “It feels good to actually be in South Korea for the first time. I have ear
Psy to visit Harvard, Moscow

MusicMay 5, 2013

Korean pop sensation Psy will lecture at Harvard and dance at a Russian music festival in the near future, aiming to keep the “Gangnam Style” fever going. The singer, who released his single “Gentleman” in April and is now holding a worldwide promotion to reprise his “Gangnam Style” success, will give a speech at the Korea Institute of Harvard University on Thursday, about his music and life, the school said last Friday. Psy, a Boston University dropout, has reportedly made his appearance a sold
Eyelike: James Blake shines in electronic glory

MusicMay 3, 2013

James Blake shines in electronic gloryJames Blake``Overgrown‘’(Universal Republic)If you weren‘t convinced of his talent by James Blake’s debut album, his sophomore release, ``Overgrown,‘’ will do the trick.The London-born singer-songwriter-producer returns with an album that shines a light on his 2011 self-titled dubstep debut, which earned him a Mercury Prize nomination. ``Overgrown‘’ is a collection of songs that will break ground in electro soul, and Blake does so impressively in a 40-minute