Korea’s largest international film festival will welcome stars from all over the globe as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.The Busan International Film Festival will kick off Thursday with a ceremony hosted by Afghan actress Marina Golbahari and Korean actor Song Kang-ho. For the gala presentations, the festival will feature visits from Japanese actress Nagasawa Masami, who appears in “Our Little Sister” and British actress Tilda Swinton, from “A Bigger Splash.” Nagasawa Masami (Toho Entertain

Chuseok is always one of the biggest weekends of the year for box offices in Korea, and this year’s lineup of new films offers movies that can be enjoyed by anyone -- whether you’re heading to the theaters with family or friends.　　With family　Korean movies playing this weekend feature stories of families that will be easy to empathize with as you spend the long holiday with your own relatives: Historical drama “The Throne” depicts the difficulties of paternal strife, while “The Accidental Detect

A thundering crowd of 14,000 fans greeted the classic American rock band Bon Jovi as they took to the stage in Seoul for the first time in 20 years Tuesday night.After opening the concert with “That’s What the Water Made Me” from their 2013 album “What About Now,” Bon Jovi got the crowd roaring with “You Give Love a Bad Name” from their 1986 album “Slippery When Wet,” the record that rocketed them to stardom. That song was followed up by “Born to Be My Baby,” and front man Jon Bon Jovi took a br

To say the year has been kind to Yoo Ah-in is quite an understatement. With two major box office hits landing back-to-back in August and September, he is undoubtedly the star of the summer.Although the 29-year-old actor has long been a familiar face to the public thanks to his successful appearance on TV shows like “Sunkyunkwan Scandal,” Yoo had not been able to make a strong impression in the film market since 2011’s “Punch.” Yoo Ah-in (Yonhap)Then came “Veteran,” directed by respected director

A scene from "Quidam" (Mast Entertainment)Nothing short of jaw dropping, Cirque du Soleil’s performance of “Quidam” is a shining example of how a live production can both defy gravity and Murphy’s Law by making the impossible possible.Returning to Korea for the first time in eight years, the Franco-Canadian circus extraordinaire introduced itself to the Korean masses for the first time in 2007 and set a new record for performances, ranking No. 1 in ticket sales for more than nine consecutive wee

Video streaming service website Netflix’s announcement that they would be rolling out in South Korea early next year has been received with enthusiasm by local TV fans.The expansion plans are welcome news to a market that has a high demand for content from the U.S. and the U.K., with past seasons of various TV shows being aired on cable and fans searching for ways to stream shows online. Many Korean fans unable to find their favorite shows locally have turned to piracy. A quick search for “mi-de

The new thriller from director Kwon Hyung-jin is interesting in its simplicity. There are basically no twists in the plot, and the terror of the film does not come from surprise moments where things pop out from the darkness. Instead, it builds up a sense of entrapment slowly, almost tediously, and makes it easier for the audience to relate to the protagonists’ desperate situation.The film is about a young married couple who are struggling to restore their troubled sex life and marriage after a

GENEVA (AFP) - The United Nations' top official in charge of migration said Tuesday that the crisis rocking Europe needs a "global response", insisting that countries worldwide must be asked to do their share."We should have a European response as part of a global response," UN Special Representative for Migration and Development Peter Sutherland told reporters in Geneva, hinting at the need for an international conference "where every country is held up to the spotlight and asked what they are

President Park Geun-hye pledged Tuesday to inject $100 million over the next five years to help 13 poor countries combat infectious diseases.Park said South Korea's financial support will begin next year. South Korea "will make utmost efforts to ensure that many people in those countries can have a hope toward a better future by living a secure life free from the threat of infectious diseases," said Park in a welcoming dinner for delegates of the Global Health Security Agenda.The global health s

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis, making the most substantial changes to Catholic marriage annulment procedures in centuries, on Tuesday radically simplified them and said bishops should give greater help to divorced couples.In a move that again showed his desire for the Church to bemore merciful to Catholics in difficulty, Francis reaffirmed traditional teaching on the "indissolubility of marriage", but streamlined annulment procedures many considered cumbersome, lengthy, outdated and expe

Eleven female rappers will bring their “swag” for the second season of “Unpretty Rapstar,” the female spin-off of the rap competition program “Show Me the Money.”The show is structured around the creation of a compilation rap album including the work of hip-hop’s top producers, under the guidance of MC rapper San-E. Each week, a new producer presents a new track, and the 11 contestants battle each other for the chance to be featured on it. The 11 rappers span the underground and mainstream rap s

Midsized Korean builder Dongbu Corp. recently sent a letter explaining the sales process and qualities of the firm to attract potential Chinese investors, local reports said Tuesday. According to the reports, NH Investment & Securities, which manages the company’s sale, sent the letter written in English and Chinese to about 10 Chinese firms that are interested in expanding into Korea and Japan. If successful, Dongbu will mark the first large construction firm in Korea to be sold to a Chinese co

Rookie hip-hop boy group Monsta X of Starship Entertainment was blessed with a crew of the most in-demand names in hip-hop for their second EP “Rush.”The six-track EP includes songs worked on by Mad Clown, Crybaby and Rhymer, as well as the lead track “Rush” produced by Giriboy. Monsta X’s rapper Jooheon took part in writing the lyrics for five of the six tracks, with fellow rapper I.M joining him on four, including “Rush.”The lead track “Rush” is a pounding hip-hop track with cute, witty lyrics

Amazon.com Inc is adding staff for a new division dedicated to restaurants in Seattle and New York, with indications the unit is trying to rapidly expand a meal delivery service, according to posts on LinkedIn and the company's jobs site.Amazon, which declined to comment on Friday, is best knownas a place to buy millions of products including books and electronics. It has increasingly moved into services, offering customers the ability to book everything from plumbers to local getaways.The onlin

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- Puerto Rico's financial crisis loomed over dueling Friday campaign appearances by Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican Marco Rubio, two presidential contenders with sharply different positions on a key issue for Puerto Rican voters whose influence is growing in U.S. politics. In a speech delivered entirely in Spanish, Rubio blamed Clinton supporters for the U.S. territory's economic problems as he railed against giving Puerto Rico bankruptcy protection to

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) -- A fleet of Hungarian buses has delivered more than 1,000 migrants to the border of Austria, where charity workers have offered the surprised newcomers beds, hot tea and a warm welcome. Saturday's pre-dawn move eases immediate pressure on Hungary, which has struggled to manage the flow of thousands of migrants arriving daily from non-EU member Serbia. Officials warn that the human tide south of Hungary is still rising. Hungary relented in its demand for the travelers to

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A senior member of Hillary Rodham Clinton's inner circle testified before a House panel investigating the deadly 2012 attacks in Libya as a nasty spat erupted between a Republican staffer and a Democratic lawmaker who insists it's time for the committee to disband. Jake Sullivan, a former policy director and deputy chief of staff under Clinton at the State Department, was questioned by the panel in a daylong session of testimony behind closed doors on Friday. Sullivan said at

CHANGCHUN, China, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- A total of 24 North Korean business entities took part in an annual trade fair hosted by China, showing off a range of food and medicine, including a blood thinner. The 10th China-Northeast Asia Expo in Changchun, the capital city of China's Jilin province that shares a border with North Korea, drew hundreds of companies from South Korea, North Korea, China, Russia, Mongolia and Japan. Among products displayed by North Korean firms were a blood thinner, an o

BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has brushed aside the Japanese complaints over his attendance at this week's huge military parade in Beijing marking the end of World War II, saying the U.N. is an "impartial body." China displayed its fast-growing military capabilities during the Thursday military parade with leaders such as South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Russian President Vladimir Putin watching the event. Most Western leaders snubbed the military parade

BICSKE, Hungary (AP) -- After misery, delivery. Hundreds of migrants, exhausted after breaking away from police and marching for hours toward Western Europe, boarded buses provided by Hungary's government as Austria in the early-morning hours said it and Germany would let them in. Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann announced the decision early Saturday after speaking with Angela Merkel, his German counterpart -- not long after Hungary's surprise nighttime move to provide buses for the weary trav