A scene from the Korean play “Come to See Me,” which is on an open-run at the Myeongdong Theater until Feb. 21. (Pro’s LAB)In 1986, the quiet rural town of Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, was left in horror when a young local woman was found bound, raped and murdered in a ditch near a grassy field. At the time, no one could have predicted that the victim was only the first of what is estimated to be 10 woman killed over a five-year period at the hands of Korea’s most notorious serial killer -- who

The number of global hallyu fan club members surpassed 35 million across 86 countries last year, up from 21.8 million in 2014, according to new data from the Korea Foundation Tuesday. There were a total of 1,493 official hallyu fan clubs worldwide, a 21 percent increase from 2014 when there were 1,229 clubs.  A total of 26.21 million fan club members were reported in Asia-Pacific -- a 48 percent increase from 2014. The Americas had 7.58 million fans, a staggering 182 percent rise from 2014 to 20

 A prosecutor overly reliant on using his fists in the name of justice and a corrupt politician looking to take advantage of that hot temperament -- the underlying premise of director Lee Il-hyeong’s newest flick, “A Violent Prosecutor,” may appear grim on the surface, but do not be fooled. The prison comedy doles out its fair share of laugh-out-loud moments.The film stars the contrasting combo of the stoic-faced Hwang Jung-min as Seoul district prosecutor Byun Jae-uk and Gang Dong-won as the sl

Fans of ’70s pop music will soon have a chance to indulge their nostalgia as stars Olivia Newton-John and Tom Jones are set to hold concerts in Korea at Seoul Olympic Park in May and April, respectively.It has taken a long time for both musicians to return to Korea -- 16 and 33 years, respectively, for Newton-John and Jones.Olivia Newton-John (Official Facebook)Newton-John, a four-time Grammy award-winner recording five No. 1 and ten other Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 singles, will perform old favor

Adding fuel to the thriving electronica music craze in Korea, international electronic dance music phenom Zedd kick-started this year’s Hyundai Card “5 Nights” concert series with his solo performance at the AX-Korea stadium Friday night. Dance music fan or not, it would be hard to come across a music lover who has never once listened to a Zedd collaboration. Since his U.S. debut in 2012, the young artist has become one of the music world’s most popular mainstream DJs.A visual concert if there e

Near the shopping district of Myeong-dong, cultural street of Insa-dong and Gwanghwamun in downtown Seoul, Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong seeks to “kill two birds with one stone.”Launched as Lotte Hotels & Resorts’ biggest Lotte City Hotel brand hotel in Myeong-dong Jan. 6, the “premium business hotel” aims to attract both business travelers and foreign tourists to Seoul’s well-known travel sites.With 430 rooms, including 140 Superior Double-Bed rooms and 70 Standard Double-Bed rooms, the hotel is

Director of the World Jewelry Museum Lee Kang-won remembers vividly an Ethiopian woman she saw 37 years ago in the corner of a local market in Addis Ababa. The woman, dressed in a white cotton dress, was wearing a meticulously detailed, “ultramodern looking” silver necklace. Her necklace captivated Lee, who had just arrived in the country. “Her necklace was breathtaking,” said Lee, in an interview last month at the museum in Hwa-dong near Samcheong-dong.Lee Kang-won, director of the World Jewelr

Museums and galleries in Seoul are getting ready to excite art audiences with an impressive lineup of artists this year. Some of the most anticipated names include Korean art masters Lee Jung-seob, Yoo Young-guk, Chung Chang-sub and Nam June Paik, while international artists to be featured include Anish Kapoor and Olafur Eliasson.   “Work” by Yoo Young-guk. (MMCA)This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of two giants of Korean art -- Lee Jung-seob and Yoo Young-guk. The National Museum

British tenor Paul Potts is making his way back to Korea, performing an exclusive concert in front of exactly 99 select fans on Jan. 14 at the Stradeum concert hall in Seoul. In keeping with the concert theme of “99,” based on the idea that 99 fans plus Potts equals 100, tickets to the tenor’s upcoming performance will be sold in an auction. The bidding war for the concert tickets opened at m.allwin.co.kr Wednesday morning, with prices capped at 199,000 won ($166).According to concert promoter A

With the new year comes new beginnings, and with new beginnings comes a new season of ballet productions.From all-time classics to Korean originals and contemporary pieces, the 2016 season offers an array of revamped choreographies for local dance enthusiasts. Below are this year’s lineups from the country’s two biggest ballet companies. Korean National BalletThe Korean National Ballet company will be kicking off its 2016 season with Marius Petipa’s exotic tale of “La Bayadere,” which will be he

Vienna Boys Choir (Lukas Beck)The Vienna Boys Choir is holding auditions in Korea in search of local talents wishing to join the prestigious and historical ensemble, according to Credia, the choir’s local concert promoter.The announcement comes just a few weeks before the choir’s upcoming concert recitals in Korea, which are slated to be held later this month. Starting Wednesday, the Vienna Boys Choir will be accepting the first round of applications for boys aged 9 and older. Successful applica