The new chairman of the Korea Copyright Commission said on Monday that he will enhance copyright protection of Korean content overseas, especially as Korean pop music, TV dramas and animation are quickly spreading in cyberspace.Yu Byong-han, who took office on Friday, said he will expand its overseas offices from the current three in Beijing, Shanghai and Bangkok to other destinations including Lo

                                        Moon Jong-hoonSK Networks Co., Walkerhill has named COO Moon Jong-hoon as new president of the company as of Friday.Moon graduated from Korea University with a major in Business Administration and has actively worked for SK since 1983 as division director of Car Life Division of SK Co., executive director of Marketing Solution Business Unit of SK M&C and COO

Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim will lead his youth orchestra, consisting of artists from the Middle East including Israelis and Palestinians, to perform at Imjingak near the demilitarized zone to promote peace on the Korean peninsula.The concert will be held on Aug. 15, Liberation Day in Korea, the organizer said.Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which the conductor formed in 199

Exhibitions“Pilgrim”: Hollywood actor Richard Gere is holding a photo exhibition in Seoul. The show is composed of 64 photographs taken by the actor, capturing Tibet, its people and community, as well as 24 photos by 24 artists including Annie Leibovitz, Jerry Uelsmann and Steve Meisel. Gere has established and is running The Gere Foundation to aid those suffering because of wars and natural disas

Peyroux explores rootsier sound Madeleine Peyroux“Standing on the Rooftop’’ Emarcy/DeccaMadeleine Peyroux impressed on her 1996 debut “Dreamland,” singing early jazz and blues standards with a tone uncannily reminiscent of Billie Holiday, re-emerged as an innovative interpreter of more contemporary fare by Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and others on 2004’s best-selling “Careless Love” and established h

The coastline of Samcheok in Gangwon Province is quite complicated and heavily indented, unlike the usual simple and smooth coastline of the Korean Peninsula’s east coast.Jangho-ri in Samcheok is a village consisting of a beach, a natural port and rocks on the seashore. Jangho Beach may be the best place for marine sports, according to the Korea Tourism Organization.In Jangho Beach, you can try sn

MOSCOW ― South Korean artists clinched five prizes, including two top vocal prizes, in one of the world’s most prestigious classical music competitions.Bass Park Jong-min, 24, and soprano Seo Sun-young, 27, of Korea won first prizes in the male and female solo vocal categories of the 14th International Tchaikovsky Competition that closed here on Thursday.In the two-week-long contest, Korea’s risin

The French Ministry of Culture and Communication conferred the country’s top French cultural order “Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters” on Maestro conductor and pianist Chung Myung-whun Wednesday, making him a recipient of all three French cultural honors.The medal is the highest honor among the three “Order of Arts and Letters,” awarded to an artist who has made significant contribution t

Guinness World Records Ltd. has recognized a piece of traditional Korean pottery, also known as “onggi” in Korean, as the world’s biggest.Guinness World Records, the world’s leading authority on record-breaking achievements, on Tuesday presented a certificate to the Ulju municipal government that declares the “Ulsan Oegosan Onggi” as the world’s “Largest Earthenware Pot.”  “Ulsan Oegosan Onggi,” a

Contemporary Christian music band Markers, which has sold more than 100,000 albums since its 2007 debut in the Christian music market, is planning an overseas tour to provide English worship services later this year, the leader of the band said. The Korean CCM band was formed in 2003 for a “culture ministry” through which they help lay believers lead a “Christian cultural life” with easy-to-follow

Located just minutes away from Incheon International Airport, Hyatt Regency Incheon forms an integral part of the city’s primary business and leisure destination -- the International Business Centre. With more than 3,300 square meters of flexible conference and meeting facilities, the hotel is an ideal venue for conferences, conventions and corporate or private functions. The hotel has a spacious

Located in southern Seoul’s vibrant center for commerce, Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas has a reputation for its top quality facilities and service, and success in hosting the most heads of state during the G20 Seoul Summit 2010. Along with 25 years of experience, the hotel is committed to achieving sustainable growth as a global leading hotel through strengthening its premium brand image. De

Late works of great composers to be heard on the hills of Gangwon ProvinceInternationally renowned sister musicians Chung Myung-wha and Chung Kyung-wha said they will combine their decades of musical experience to help the Great Mountains Music Festival & School become a world-class chamber music festival.Cellist Myung-wha and violinist Kyung-wha have become new artistic directors for the GMMFS, t

 

CHENNAI, India (AFP) -- Strong religious belief and spirituality coupled with sky-rocketing demand from fashion-conscious Western women has made India the world-leader in the hair extension trade.The South Asian country has long been the world’s biggest exporter of human hair and companies involved in the sector estimate that the business is now worth up to 8.5 billion rupees (nearly $200 million)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― The red and black leather jacket worn by Michael Jackson in his “Thriller” video went under the hammer for $1.8 million on Sunday, a day after the second anniversary of the pop icon’s death.The jacket, which fetched several times its estimate of between $200,000 and $400,000, has “Love Michael Jackson” written on the sleeve, and a dedication in the lining to his long-time costu

GABORONE (AP) ― Michelle Obama wielded a brush Friday and helped paint a mural at a children’s HIV/AIDS clinic here as she opened the second leg of a weeklong visit to southern Africa.The disease is a major public health challenge in Botswana, a country as big as Texas with about 2 million people. That includes an estimated 300,000 HIV/AIDS carriers.The first lady has promoted health and wellness

British alternative rock band to play for first tims in Korea since reunionAs the U.K. rock group Suede had a strong presence in the Britpop movement in the 1990s, the disbanding of the act in 2003 was quite disappointing to alternative rock fans around the world.However, the band was reunited last year and is coming to Korea to hold their first here since the reunion. The act is to be on the fina

Eliane Elias “Light My Fire”Concord PicanteEliane Elias stands out from other Brazilian singers because she has not only a deep-rooted feel for the rhythms of her native land but also is fluent in the American jazz idiom after spending some 30 years in the United States. “Light My Fire” showcases her talents as a four-tool player -- singer, pianist, arranger and songwriter -- with a romantic colle

Pierre Gagnaire a Seoul, the first French restaurant of the hotel run by a three Michelin-starred chef, offers new summer special menu. The special summer menu has three to seven course dinners that include coffee and desserts and are priced at 130,000 won, 180,000 won, and 220,000 won per person. The restaurant also sells 60 different wines carefully selected by sommelier Lee Yong-moon at a 20 pe