Exhibition“Poem and Drawing”: Literary critic Kim Jae-hong and art critic Yun Beom-mo have organized a chance to see works by Korea’s best poets and artists together. This exhibition showcases poems by 74 Korean poets, accompanied by more than 80 artworks by 43 artists that serve as visual aids for the words. The participating poets include Ko Un, Kim Ji-ha, Kim Gwang-kyun and Kang Eun-gyo and art

Confessions (Japan) Opening Feb. 17Thriller. Directed by Tetsuya Nakashima. Middle school teacher Yoko (Takako Matsu), whose 4-year-old daughter has recently died, tells her class that she believes two of her own students murdered her beloved girl. Though the police have closed the case without pressing charges, Yoko announces that she will punish the two students herself. Yoko’s revenge then begi

Park, Lee hint at retirement from national squadSouth Korean manager Cho Kwang-rae has stressed he is determined to keep his squad to playing their best football on Friday night against Uzbekistan, despite a heartbreaking loss to Japan only three days earlier in the Asian Cup semifinals.Cho was left crestfallen after watching his side lose 3-0 to its archrival in a penalty shootout, following a 2-

Sandwiched by two traditional powers and an upstart nation poised to mount a challenge, South Korea will try to remain among the top three regional winter sports leaders at the upcoming Asian Winter Games.The seventh edition of the quadrennial winter sports competition will kick off on Sunday in Kazakhstan and run until Feb. 6. Astana and Almaty, the country’s two largest cities, will split the op

South Korean pitcher Kim Byung-hyun has signed with the Rakuten Golden Eagles in the top-flight Japanese professional baseball league, ending winter-long speculation about his playing future.The Nippon Professional Baseball club announced late Wednesday that Kim, a former Major League Baseball All-Star, has inked a one-year deal worth $400,690. The right-hander with a submarine delivery will compe

Chung Mong-gyu, chairman of South Korean construction firm Hyundai Development Co., was nominated Wednesday as the new chairman of the first-division football league in South Korea.If approved, Chung, 49, will replace Kwak Chung-hwan, who recently resigned as head of the K-League. The league will convene a general assembly Thursday to formally elect him.Chung also serves as the owner of Busan I’Pa

South Korea clipped 3-0  on penaltiesDOHA (AP) ― Japan beat its fierce rival South Korea in a penalty shootout at the Asian Cup while Australia routed 10-man Uzbekistan 6-0, setting up a dream final between the region’s top two teams.The two games late Tuesday couldn’t have been more different. In a back-and-forth encounter, Japan came from a goal down to take the lead before South Korea equalized

Pittsburgh Steelers embrace underdog status in Super BowlPITTSBURGH (AP) ― The mighty Pittsburgh Steelers, equipped with a record six Super Bowl titles, a 14-4 record, the No. 2 AFC seed and a veteran roster on the verge of three championships in the past six seasons, are underdogs for Super Bowl XLV.Really?Don’t worry. It’s not you. It doesn’t make much sense to the Steelers, either.But here Pitt

Amgen Inc., the world’s largest biotechnology company, said fourth-quarter profit rose 9.8 percent on rising sales of its top two drugs, Neulasta and Enbrel, and lowered expenses for research and taxes. Net income rose to $1.02 billion, or $1.08 a share, from $931 million, or 92 cents a share, a year ago, the Thousand Oaks, California-based company said in a statement. Excluding certain costs, ear

India’s central bank said reducing inflation is the “dominant” goal at the moment, signaling the possibility of an interest-rate increase on Tuesday. “The anti-inflationary focus of monetary policy would have to continue,” the Reserve Bank of India said in a report on Monday. “Since a lower inflation regime is essential for sustainable high growth, containing inflation becomes the dominant policy

PITTSBURGH (AP) ― The Pittsburgh Steelers found a fitting way to shut down the New York Jets’ season.What started with “Hard Knocks,” ended with hard knocks.For the third time in six seasons, Terrible Towels will twirl at the Super Bowl. The Steelers silenced Rex Ryan’s wild bunch with a fumble return for a touchdown and a goal-line stand in a 24-19 victory for the AFC championship Sunday. They wi

Korea, Japan meet again ― this time a trip to the final is at stakeIn Asian soccer, there is no bigger game than South Korea versus Japan. It is a match that attracts the interest of fans around the world. The two rivals have been the leading teams on the continent for years and will get another chance to fight it out in Tuesday’s 2011 Asian Cup semifinal in Qatar. It will be the fourth time that

Sara Lee Corp. received a takeover bid from Apollo Global Management LLC, Bain Capital LLC and TPG Capital that is higher than the food company’s current share price of $18.70, said three people with knowledge of the matter. The offer gets close to the $20 a share that Sara Lee’s board is seeking, said one of the people, who declined to be identified because the process is private. JBS SA, the Bra

Prices paid to Australian producers rose less than forecast in the fourth quarter, recording the smallest increase in a year as a stronger currency lowered the cost of imports. The producer prices index advanced 0.1 percent in the October-December period from the prior quarter, when it gained 1.3 percent, the Bureau of Statistics said in Sydney Monday. The median estimate of 19 economists surveyed

Nationa team to battele Japan for place in Asian Cup finalDOHA (AP) ― Substitute midfielder Yoon Bit-garam drilled a left-foot shot from the edge of the penalty box in extra time Saturday to send South Korea into the semifinals of the Asian Cup with a 1-0 victory over perennial rival Iran.Yoon found the lower right corner of the net during injury time of the first added period after South Korea ha

Exhibition“Christian Marclay: What You See Is What You Hear”: Three of U.S. artist Christian Marclay’s labor-intensive media works are on display at Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art’s Black Box in Hannam-dong, central Seoul. It is the museum’s first “Black Box Project” which aims to introduce world-renowned media artists to the Korean public. The exhibition runs through Feb. 13 at Leeum, Samsung Museu

Shanghai (U.S.)Opening Jan. 27Thriller. Directed by Mikael Hafstrom. Paul Soames (John Cusack) is an American agent from the Naval Intelligence Office. He arrives in Shanghai during World War II to visit his friend who also serves as an agent. But soon after his arrival, Soames finds out his friend has been murdered. In the process of investigating what’s behind his friend’s death, Soames falls in

Grand Hyatt SeoulThe Grand Hilton SeoulThe hotel offers a range of special overnight packages for the Lunar New Year from Feb. 2-6. The four packages ― PEACE, CALM, MEMORY and FAMILY ― offer different choices and rates. The PEACE package, priced at 95,000 won offers a one-night stay in a deluxe room and complementary coffee or ginseng tea at the Atrium Cafe. The CALM package, 125,000 won, adds a b

Jo Tong-sop's squad heads home with zero goalsDOHA (AP) ― Defending champion Iraq reached the Asian Cup quarterfinals by defeating North Korea 1-0 on Wednesday.Iraq will play Group C winner Australia in the quarterfinals on Saturday.Midfielder Kerrar Jasim scored in the 22nd minute, sealing Iraq’s place in the knockout round behind Iran, which topped Group D.Iraq coach Wolfgang Sidka praised his t

Korea’s 4-1 thrashing of India sets up Iran clash in quartersKorea finished second in Group C behind Australia after cruising past India 4-1 Tuesday at the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in its final group game in Qatar.Korea and Australia both finished their group games with two wins and one draw, but the Taeguk Warriors came in second place on goal difference.Had Korea scored one more goal against India, on