Audition show band dominates K-pop charts with debut albumBusker Busker, who rose to fame through Mnet’s “Superstar K3,” became the talk of the town when the band swept the K-pop charts after the release of their debut album late last month. As of April 7, eight songs from their album “Busker Busker” ranked among the top 10 on Olleh Music’s weekly chart, easily beating out popular local stars. The album also ranked top on Billboard’s K-pop Hot 100 album chart on the same day, setting an example

 The tiny Pacific atoll of Niue is attempting to lure U.S. pop superstar Lady Gaga to its shores by pledging every single person from the island will attend if she performs there.Singer Lady Gaga (MCT)The island, about 2,500 kilometers northeast of New Zealand, has about 1,600 inhabitants and Niue Tourism spokesman Mike Hogan said they were all keen to see a concert by the chart-topping diva."It's

NEW YORK (AP) ― Last season Willy Decker’s radical restaging of Verdi’s “La Traviata’’ took the Metropolitan Opera by storm, with soprano Marina Poplavskaya giving a vocally flawed but dramatically riveting performance as the doomed courtesan Violetta.This season seemed to promise more of the same with the title role taken over by Natalie Dessay, who is noted for her acting ability and has struggled with vocal problems in recent years.But Dessay canceled Friday night’s opening because of a cold,

Russia’s legendary choreographer calls KNB professional, its members enthusiasticHe is back in Seoul to showcase one of his most famous productions, the heroic tale of a Roman slave who sparked a rebellion during the Third Servile War (73-71 B.C.)Russia’s legendary ballet choreographer Yury Grigorovich is to present his 1968 work “Spartacus” with Korea National Ballet this week. “The piece requires high level of techniques and energy from the dancers,” said the choreographer during a press meeti

NEW YORK (AP) ― CBS newsman Mike Wallace, the dogged, merciless reporter and interviewer who took on politicians, celebrities and other public figures in a 60-year career highlighted by the on-air confrontations that helped make “60 Minutes’’ the most successful primetime television news program ever, has died. He was 93.Wallace died Saturday night, CBS spokesman Kevin Tedesco said. On CBS’ “Face the Nation,’’ host Bob Schieffer said Wallace died at a care facility in New Canaan, Connecticut, wh

Korean entertainer and race car driver Ryu Si-won is reported to be in divorce proceedings. Local dailies reported Monday that Ryu’s wife had filed for divorce on March 22, seeking to end the couple’s 18-month marriage. The reasons for the split have not been disclosed. On Monday, Ryu canceled the annual pre-race event for his team, EXR Team 106, scheduled for April 17. R’s Company, Ryu’s entertainment firm, explained that the cancellation was due to personal matters. R’s Company said through a

Movie sensation “The Hunger Games” survived fresh competition from the “Titanic” and the gross-out “American Pie” gang to notch its third domestic box office win over the weekend.“Hunger Games” took in $33.5 million at U.S. and Canadian theaters from Friday through Sunday and lifted its domestic sales through three weekends to $302.8 million, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.The Easter weekend receipts for “Hunger Games” topped “American Reunion,” a sequel to one of film’s bigges

Korean entertainer Ryu Si-won (The Korea Herald)Korean entertainer and race car driver Ryu Si-won was reported on Monday to have filed for divorce. Local dailies reported Monday that Ryu’s wife had filed for divorce on March 22, seeking to end the couple’s 18-month marriage. The reasons for the split have not been disclosed. On Monday, Ryu canceled the annual pre-race event for his team, EXR Team

The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea has won an international award for its innovative digital catalog.“National Museum of Contemporary Art Digital Publishing Campaign” received the silver prize at the Fourth Annual Internationalist’s Awards for Innovation in Media held last week in New York.The digital catalog project contains materials related to a 2011 MOCA exhibition featuring 23 Artists of the Year from 1995 to 2010.  A joint project between MOCA and Digital D Folio, the iPad-base

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― To fans and the countless collectors who helped build painter Thomas Kinkade’s commercial art empire, his idealized vision of the world usually served as a simple, soothing addition to the living room wall: a soft depiction of a churning seascape or a colorful garden or a cottage brimming with warm light.Kinkade’s vision, and the artworks he prolifically created from it, paid off handsomely for the self-described “painter of light,’’ whose business grew into franchised galle