Rice was the focus of a culinary event jointly organized by the Korean Food Promotion Institute -- affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs -- and the Embassy of Italy in Seoul at the Korean Cuisine Culture Center in central Seoul on Tuesday. Italy and South Korea have very different culinary cultures, but rice is an important ingredient in both.  “I think rice is a great ingredient that works (harmoniously) with the body for both Italians and Koreans,&rdquo

The National Gugak Center presented its much-anticipated production “Man in Red and Lady Youngsan” on Tuesday. The musical production is a gugak (traditional Korean music) fantasy drama based on a myth that originated in Hamgyong Province in North Korea.  The myth has been adapted into a modern tale. The story centers on Ji-hong, who is a biology teacher. While he is on a mountain field trip with his students, a wildfire breaks out. He loses consciousness trying to save wild ani

Lyricist Michael Kunze and composer Sylvester Levay revealed their next production will be about the maestro Beethoven, set for its world premiere here in 2021. The duo behind hit musical productions, including “Mozart!” “Elisabeth,” “Marie Antoinette” and “Rebecca,” recently visited Korea.They made the announcement about their new musical at a press event held Monday at The Shilla Seoul. The musical will have its world premiere here, as it is bein

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s new music director Osmo Vanska will work up a wide repertoire next year, with his signature Mahler and Sibelius being prominently featured among the SPO’s 38 presentations in the 2020 season.The expert of Mahler and Sibelius, appointed as the SPO’s music director in May, will lead six presentations next year upon kicking off his three-year tenure in January. At the inaugural concert on Feb. 14-15, the conductor will present Mahler’s Symp

“Walking Through Sahara”By Ju Hyung-won(Nike Books) Not everyone gets a chance to visit the Sahara Desert. But a writer who has done it in an Antoine de Saint-Exupery-inspired expedition of a lifetime, says we may all be crossing our own desert of life. Writer Ju Hyung-won booked an air ticket to Morocco on the spur of the moment, after reading Saint-Exupery’s philosophical memoir “Terre des Hommes” or “Wind, Sand and Stars.” Her latest book, “Walk

As Peer Gynt enters the hall of the mountain king, he is scared yet fascinated by the sight of trolls. Peer Gynt stands before the king and the trolls roar in harmony, creating echoes throughout the hall. On Wednesday night, cellist-turned-conductor Chang Han-na and the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra turned the concert hall at the Seoul Arts Center into the mountain king’s hall. They presented the Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, a collection of compositions conceived by Norwegian maestro Edvard Greig

Michelin Guide Seoul’s fourth edition was released Thursday at Vista Walkerhill Seoul, despite suspected meddling with the selection process. Highly acclaimed Korean fine-dining restaurants Gaon and La Yeon kept their three Michelin stars, maintaining their stars since the Seoul guide was first published four years ago.  A total of 31 restaurants received at least one star this year.There was no new addition to the three-star list. However, two new restaurants made it to the two-star

YouTube held a mentoring program that focused on the development of Korean game-related content creators this week. Creator mentoring program YouTube NextUp was held for the first time in Korea in Seoul from Monday to Wednesday, inviting 12 game content creators, who shared videos of themselves playing mobile and PC games. According to YouTube, game content creators with 1,000 to 100,000 subscribers were invited to apply for the program. More than 120 creators signed up, and YouTube employe

Cellist-turned-conductor Chang Han-na will embark on a South Korean tour with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra from Wednesday to Sunday. Chang, 37, is the artistic leader and chief conductor of the Norway-based orchestra. The orchestra’s first-ever Korean tour will kick off at the Seoul Arts Center on Friday, followed by concerts in Busan (Thursday), Daegu (Saturday) and Iksan (Sunday). The program includes Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 1

Singer Kim Gun-mo, who will tie the knot with a pianist in January, will wrap up his nationwide concert tour in February. The 51-year-old has been touring the nation since December 2016, a month after he released the EP “50” in celebration of the 25th anniversary of his debut.  The final stop of the two-year tour will be held at KSPO Dome in Olympic Park in eastern Seoul on Feb. 29. Since his debut in 1992, Kim has been one of the most celebrated artists with his unique voice, r

A few years ago, Korea’s cartoon industry saw arguably its biggest triumph with “Pororo the Little Penguin.” The cute, innocent penguin character was a massive hit across the nation and in other countries.Over the past few months, another penguin character has charmed Koreans. This time, the penguin character is far from innocent. Rather, it is blunt, careless and tough. Pengsoo debuted six months ago under Educational Broadcasting System, a public broadcasting station tha

Sportswear brand Nike will soon release a new edition of the iconic Air Force 1 sneaker in collaboration with G-Dragon. Named AF1 (Air Force 1) Para-Nose, the sneakers mark the first project for the leader of Big Bang since being discharged from the military last month.  Air Force 1 is Nike’s signature line, touted as an icon of street fashion and beloved by sports fans around the world since its release in 1982. Trendsetter G-Dragon has been leading his fashion label Peaceminusone s

Wrap up 2019 at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul presents year-end promotions suitable for those planning gatherings to wrap up the year. Guests who make a booking from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3 can choose from a festive menu (buffet or set), a beverage package, or a welcome canape set. All promotional sets are available for events with eight to 60 guests. Prices vary depending on the options. Benefits offered to all guests include vin chaud welcome drinks (one per person), festive table centerpieces, C

For a pottery artist leading a tableware brand, the table is where the magic begins, then spreads to the whole house. Yido, launched in 1990, is a pottery ware brand led by Yi Yoon-shin. Yi has achieved a unique success with Yido. As the local upscale tableware market was ruled by foreign brands, Yido carved out its place as a handcrafted brand inspired by traditional practices.“Though we have worked on interpreting traditional pottery in a modern language, the innate characteristic of pot

Singer Lee Eun-mee is celebrating the 30th anniversary of her debut with a nationwide concert tour and the release of an album.The 53-year-old debuted in 1989 as a guest singer of band Sinchon Blues. Three years later, she began a solo career and has since released more than 10 albums. In 1993, she took her shoes off onstage “to be free.” She has since been performing barefooted, earning the nickname of “barefoot diva.” Two tracks from her upcoming album were prerele