Sisters’ unique harmony goes out to flood, landslide victims in KoreaFor violinist Chung Kyung-wha, it was almost her first stage performance since she hurt her hand. For her elder sister, cellist Chung Myung-wha, it was the first time performing chamber music with Kyung-wha in six years.On Friday evening, the artists showcased the first concert of Distinguished Artists Series of the 2011 Great Mo

Geoje Island, located at the center of southern coast of South Gyeongsang Province, is often called the “paradise of Namhae” because it offers 13 beautiful beaches as well as many historical tourist sites and museums.The country’s second-largest island, after Jeju, has beaches in both northern and southern parts of the island. In general, visitors to southern beaches outnumber those visiting north

The Seoul Arts Center, located under Mount Wumyeon in southern Seoul, said it will resume concerts on Friday, as most of the center has recovered from Wednesday’s landslide at the mountain that killed at least 16. It had canceled all concerts, exhibitions and cultural programs on Thursday due to the heavy rains and landslide Wednesday.SAC spokesperson Jeong Da-mi said concerts will resume Friday,

Conductor determined to prove Koreans’ passion for music at SPO’s second Europe tour in Aug.South Korean conductor Chung Myung-whun said he wishes to see South Korean and North Korean musicians interact some day, as music can be used to seek a common goal beyond differences.His comments came as he was talking about his upcoming Asia tour with Asia Philharmonic Orchestra, which he founded 15 years

S.M. Entertainment chief suggests using advertising to enable free downloadsLee Soo-man, chairman of S.M. Entertainment, said Wednesday although K-pop is increasingly popular around the world, it needs a strong boost in the local market first, to further advance to the next level.The local music market needs a new digital music distribution platform ― an iTunes-like one or an entirely different on

OSLO (AFP) -- The lawyer for the Norwegian gunman who has claimed responsibility for killing 76 people in twin attacks last week said Tuesday that everything about his client's case indicates he is "insane.”   "This whole case indicates that he's insane," Geir Lippestad told journalists of Anders Behring Breivik, adding that a medical evaluation would take place to establish his psychiatric condit

State-run broadcaster KBS said it has recruited Lee Chang-hoon, a disabled man with first-degree visual impairment, as a news anchor. Lee was selected from among 10 final candidates on Monday. A total of 523 people applied for the job. Lee Chang-hoonThe 25-year-old received high scores from all the judges during a news reading test, as he was able to quickly and precisely deliver news while his ha

The World Festival of National Theaters to kick off with Korea’s pansori opera in fallNational theaters from nine countries including France, the Czech Republic and China will come to Seoul this fall to participate in the 5th World Festival of National Theaters, the organizer said Tuesday.“Coming into the fifth year, we can say the festival is still at a development stage. But there will be as man

The gold crown of Silla, excavated from the Cheonmachong, or “Heavenly Horse Tomb,” of the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.― 935 A.D.), will make its first overseas trip in October. The National Treasure No. 188, currently kept at the Gyeongju National Museum, will be shown at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney as part of an upcoming exhibition on Korea’s metal crafts.Gold crown of Silla, excavated from the Ch

OSLO (AFP) -- Police on Sunday said twin attacks by a crazed gunman in Norway claimed their 93rd victim, when one of those injured in Friday's bombing and shooting spree died in hospital."The total is now 93 dead," Oslo police spokesman Anders Fridenberg told AFP with the search for missing persons also ongoing both in government buildings hit by explosives and around the island scene of the gun r

STOCKHOLM (AFP) -- Security services in Norway and elsewhere in the region had recently shifted their focus to Islamist extremism, letting other forms of terror slip under the radar, experts said.   While there had been initial fears that Friday's twin attacks might have been an act of revenge for Norway's participation in the campaigns in Afghanistan and Libya, everything changed when it emerged

PALM DESERT, California (AP) ― Linda Christian, the Hollywood starlet of the 1940s who married heartthrob Tyrone Power and went on to become the first Bond girl, has died.Her daughter, Romina Power, says Christian died Friday in Palm Desert after battling colon cancer. She was 87. A 1948 file photo shows actors Tyrone Power and Linda Christian in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. (AP-Yonhap N

PARIS (AP) ― Jazz great Herbie Hancock wants his music to build bridges between cultures, a mission that fits perfectly with his new role as a U.N. cultural ambassador promoting peace through culture and education.The 71-year-old ― imbued with boundless energy, curiosity and cool-cat poise ―is a natural for the job. His “The Imagine Project” album is a multicultural potpourri featuring collaborati

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ― The gray, concrete, heavily scarred slabs that arrived at the National World War II Museum in the United States this week are more than just chunks of an old wall to historians.The slabs are part of Nazi Germany’s Atlantic Wall, a string of defenses ordered by Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler in 1940. The defenses, also known as “Hitler’s wall,” stretched 3,200 miles (5,150 kilometers

LONDON (AFP) ― Realist painter Lucian Freud, grandson of the inventor of modern psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud and widely seen as Britain’s top contemporary artist, has died in London aged 88, his lawyer said.Freud was known for his signature nudes and self-portraits such as the powerful 1993 work of himself as a naked older man waving his brush like a weapon. A painting entitled “Self Portrait, Ref

When nine-member female pop group Girls’ Generation had their first solo concert in Korea in December 2009, the members on stage felt somewhat nervous and awkward with each other’s moves.A year and a half later, the group’s international fame has helped them learn how to manage a big stage through numerous concerts around the world and members of the group have reached a point where they enjoy the

Popularity of talent contests reflects people’s desire for fair competition, fameTV programs searching for talent among the public have always been around. A KBS program called “Jeonguk Norae Jarang” (Korea Local Music Show) has been on air for more than 30 years, giving prizes to the best singers every week. But these programs were never really popular enough to create a major buzz among the publ

“Great Mountains Music Festival & School”: The 8th Great Mountains Music Festival & School will take place from July 24 to Aug. 13 at the Alpensia resort in Gangwon Province, gathering renowned and rising artists for 55 programs and master classes. The focus this year will be showcasing final works of great composers when they were grappling with age or illness. Under the theme “Illumination,” the

Going to a beach during summer vacation is almost a must, but there are a lot of things to pack for a perfect day on the beach. You may need beach towels, cool drinks and fruits in an ice box, plus books, perhaps toys for children, and maybe even nail care kits. Lotte Hotel Jeju said it has opened a private beach lounge on Jungmun Saekdal Beach, a 10-minute walk from the hotel, consisting of a boo

Veteran film actor Namgung Won will make his television drama debut this weekend, starring in the SBS TV drama “Scent of a Woman.” The 77-year-old has starred in 302 Korean movies since 1959 and has won a number of film awards, including two Best Male Actor Awards at the Daejong Film Awards.Namgung Won in a scene from SBS drama “Scent of a Woman” (SBS)His latest role will be the first in 10 years since he starred in the 2001 movie “Saulabi.” The actor, whose real name is Hong Kyung-il, is the fa