As expenditure on private education continues to soar, a volunteer group is determined to narrow the English divide.Every second and fourth Saturday of the month, Bruce Lee leads a small group of native English speakers to an outer neighborhood in Seoul to offer a free English class for underprivileged children.The nonprofit group, called Beyond the English Divide, is the brain child of Lee. Since its first volunteering session in October 2017, the group’s services have experienced strong growth

Jeju Island has received more than 500 applications for refugee status from people fleeing the war in Yemen this year, most of them coming in April and May via the island’s visa exemption system. But the government’s welcome has been mixed.Faced with the sudden influx, the government has expedited permission for them to work. But at the same time, it has ended the visa-free access Yemeni nationals used to reach Jeju, making future applications more difficult.And official sources have provided al

If timing is all important in stage drama, there will be no margin for error in the Gwangju Performance Project’s next production.Twelve groups will storm through as many plays in two hours as they compete to win Pen in Ten.“We have a great variety of plays this time,” said Kelly Kim, one of the organizers of the competition. “There are comedies, dramas, even a musical. We hope to make our audience laugh, then cry, then sing.”But the GPP did not want to give more away, saying surprises were part

One of Korea’s best-known monks will hold a special talk and question and answer session with expats on Friday,Ven. Pomnyun, will hold a special talk in English with members of the foreign community who want to engage with him and each other on the experiences and challenges they face in Korea, including the uncertainty and fear about what’s happening with North Korea. As part of his activities, Pomnyun is a popular YouTuber and also a best-selling author.He has also been involved in humanitaria

The Itaewon Global Village Center will host a free workshop Friday on Korean job interviews and business etiquette, to help students find jobs and gain a better understanding of the local work culture.The workshop, led by Mee Seong Kim, a business etiquette and image specialist who is also a guest lecturer at Inha Technical College and Career Path Inc.The lecture will be in English, but participants will need basic Korean speaking skills.The session will cover job interview tips and common inter

Seoul Global Center is inviting applications for funding for foreign community events to take place this year.The program is a continuation of one run earlier this year to encourage community building by foreign residents. The events should be scheduled for the period running from July to November.Applications are open until June 24.Communities already receiving support from Seoul Metropolitan Government are not eligible for the funds.Enquiries should be sent to Hyoeun Cho at hyoeun0211@hanmail.

Ven. Pomnyun, a celebrated Buddhist monk here, will hold a special talk with the English-speaking expat community in Korea on June 15 for two hours from 7-9 p.m. at the Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul.The occasion is prepared for the growing population of foreign residents in Korea to join in the conversation regarding the recent developments related to South and North Korean relations. A simultaneous interpreter will help run the program.According to Jungto Society, a humanitarian group led

It’s 20 minutes into the class and children’s illustrator Korky Paul is waving his shin in the air. He pulls back a trouser leg to reveal a shock of yellow and red as he exhorts his elementary school audience to come up with drawing ideas.The class is one of a series of workshops last week at Dulwich College Seoul. School visits are something he tries to fit in twice a month over most of the academic year.“You just see what the kids enjoy doing, what they enjoy reading, and what makes them laugh

Two Busan pubs are holding a scavenger hunt Saturday in aid of a charity for single parent families.The event pitches teams against one another to complete photo and video tasks across the city. Teams must have five people, and fancy dress costumes are mandatory. There will be a prize for the team with the best costumes.Half of the 25,000 won team entry fee is going to the Korea Unwed Mothers and Families Association.The hunt begins at Wolfhound in Haeundae at 1 p.m. The hunt finishes at HQ Gwan

Local stage troupe Seoul City Improv is offering an introductory course on improvisational comedy.The course will take place over four Saturdays in June and July, and cover improv fundamentals to help people develop greater confidence, teamwork and creativity. “Seoul City Improv decided to offer the Improv 101 course because we wanted to get people excited about improv by introducing them to basic improv tools in a fun and supportive environment,” said Kevin Kowalk, the director of the SCI, who

Think you can finish a movie masterpiece in two days? That’s the challenge laid down by KIX48, in which teams compete to produce a film over a single weekend.The competition starts on June 22 with a kick-off event. Teams will be given five elements they have to include in their film, and 48 hours to get it in the can.The five elements will be three from last year -- a line of dialogue, a prop and a location -- plus a scene and an emotion in close-up.“We chose these two elements to highlight acti

In June last year, BTS fans in the UK helped raise 3,000 pounds ($4,100) for a billboard in London to celebrate the group’s fourth anniversary. This year they plan to do it again, and are nearing their slightly higher goal of 3,500 pounds.With such a dedicated fan base, it’s a surprise that BTS -- who became the first K-pop act to enter the official albums chart in the UK in October 2016 -- only recently announced its first headline concert in the UK as part of its world tour that will also visi

Events across the country will be held to celebrate the expat population as part of Together Day.Officially falling on May 20, Together Day was introduced as a nationally observed celebration in 2008, as part of the Act on the Treatment of Foreign nationals.Most areas with a significant population have events, although some are held at other times of the year.One of the biggest is the Global Gathering in Busan. The Busan celebration was started in 2006 before Together Day was created , but has u

HBC fest is to return to the bars pubs and cafes of Haebangchon in Seoul next week for a weekend of live music. The festival runs biannually in spring and autumn, bringing together solo acts and live bands in genres ranging from folk and funk to punk and pop.This year’s spring festival will be held across 12 venues in the area, with acts starting at 9 p.m. on May 25 at some of the venues before all venues open up from mid-afternoon until midnight on May 26. An acoustic night is planned for May 2

Camarata Music Company will stage the musical version of “The Wizard of Oz” starting next week.Filled with famous songs, the story follows Dorothy as she tries to find her way home from a magical land with the help of a brainless scarecrow, a cowardly lion and a tin man in need of a heart.The shows are in English and run at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturdays and 4 p.m. on Sundays from May 26 to June 10, at Chungdam Hall in Gangnam-gu’s King Kong Building.Tickets are 25,000 won or 20,000 won for chil

Seoul Global Center is running a demo day for new expat-run startups, as well as offering incubation offices to fledgling companies.A Big Think is a demo day for expats with tech-related business ideas who are in search of a startup visa. Would-be entrepreneurs are invited to submit their plans, with selected applicants going on to pitch their ideas at the event itself on June 29.The best pitch will win 1 million won ($950) and free office space for a year. The winner, along with second and thir

South Korea’s second-largest city Busan will support foreign entrepreneurs, seeking to grow into a global startup hub similar to Silicon Valley of the US.The Busan Metropolitan City Government and Busan Economic Promotion Agency on Wednesday announced plans to recruit participants to their startup support project for foreigners by the end of May.The project offers support to foreigners or immigrants who have registered businesses in Korea, or aspiring entrepreneurs that wish to start new busines

Angle Magazine is opening its flagship showcase event in the largest city in the south. The audiovisual festival of creativity in the south of the Republic of Korea is back after a year’s hiatus, with its biggest ever lineup. The festival will take place over four venues in the Pusan National University area, culminating with a main stage at Someday with performances from TFO, the Magus, Billy Carter and Drinking Girls and Boys Choir. “Well, for starters, I guess the headline band is Drinking Bo

The Camarata Music Company will be presenting its annual spring concert, featuring Faure’s masterpiece “Requiem,” and Ariel Ramirez’ Latin-American “Misa Criolla.” CMC is a nonprofit set up to provide opportunities for locals and expats in Korea to perform music.Conducted by CMC director Ryan Goessl, the concert features the Camarata Chorale and Camarata Chamber Orchestra, with soloists tenor Seung Wook Ryu, bass-baritone SungHoon Kim, bass-baritone Scott Stout and soprano Elaine Snider. Latin-A

As a diplomatic turning point augurs in the wake of the PyeongChang Olympics, the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch will host a talk on changes in South Korean diplomacy around the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.Kathryn Weathersby, a visiting professor of history at Korea University, will talk about how the Seoul Olympics were South Korea’s international debut as a modern, prosperous country but also a turning point in foreign relations, including with Hungary and the Soviet Union. Weathersby will