As an actress, Lea Thompson considers herself a “long-distance runner” ― someone who keeps up a steady pace instead of a sprint.“I always felt like my best years would be from 50 to 65 years old,” Thompson said. “I don’t know why. It was a feeling I had even when I was really young. My kids are kind of all grown up now and I can be in a difference space where I can put everything into it.”Just a few months shy of her 51st birthday, the gamin former ballerina could easily pass as a 30-something.

The Moon of the Mind Rises in Empty SpaceBy Prime Dharma Master Kyongsan(Seoul Selection) Many foreigners will find Won Buddhism unfamiliar compared to other forms of Korean Buddhism. It was in fact founded in the 20th century, and is claimed to be a “reformed and modernized Buddhism” which combines Buddhism with Confucianism and Daoism.By picking up this English-language book written by the Ven. Kyongsan, who is the fifth Prime Darma Master of Won Buddhism, one can learn about the key ideas of

In the world of legacies, Oak Park, Illinois, has a couple of biggies.The brilliant, scandalous architect Frank Lloyd Wright spent the first 20 years of his career there, leaving the western suburb with the world’s largest collection of buildings he designed.Then there’s the brilliant, scandalous writer Ernest Hemingway, who was born in Oak Park and spent nearly his first 20 years there, writing his earliest pieces, gaining an appreciation for nature and dreaming of worldly adventures.Frank Lloy

The Korea Herald Youth English Choir launched in ceremonySixth-grader Kwak Se-mi always wanted to sing, but she was always too busy for it.“There are certain things that you have to learn as a young student, like English,” Kwak told The Korea Herald on Wednesday. “So I’ve been doing that and it’s been fun. But being a part of this choir is super fun because I get to perform while I sing in English as well.”Kwak is one of the 30 members of The Korea Herald Youth English Choir, which officially la

IDFA-winning documentary delves into human connection to the universeOf all our senses, the sense of touch arguably is the most intimate. It develops before all the other senses, and it’s one of the first ways in which children learn about their environment and bond with others. It brings pleasure, protection and emotional support. Even after our sight weakens and hearing fades, this sense usually stays with us. Director Yi Seung-jun’s award-winning documentary, “Planet of Snail,” is an exquisit

Arirang TV, an English-language network based in Seoul, is revamping its news and entertainment programs starting March 5, in hopes of promoting Korea and its culture to a wider international audience.“Many countries around the world promote themselves through their English-language news shows, including Japan’s NHK World, Russia Today, China’s CCTV News and France24,” said Sohn Jie-ae, president and CEO of the state-run, English-language station.“In Korea, K-culture, which goes beyond K-pop, ac

Six Indian films will be screened for free in Seoul between Thursday and Monday, according to the Embassy of India and CJ CGV.The Indian Film Festival at CGV Apgujeong features acclaimed Indian films with Korean subtitles. All of the movies to be shown have won awards at national and international film festivals, according to the Embassy of India.“India is the biggest producer of feature films in the world and over 1,000 feature films are produced annually in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and other c

Popular actor Lee Byunghun this month started shooting a historical epic based on the life of Gwanghaegun — a 17th century Joseon ruler who was dethroned in a coup — the movie’s producer CJ Entertainment announced on Monday.The movie, whose working title is “King of Joseon,” is written by “Oldboy” screenwriter Hwang Jo-yoon and directed by “Mapado” and “Late Blossom” auteur Choo Chang-min. The fictional plot of the film develops as the eccentric king runs into Ha-seon, a man from the lowest clas

Architecture 101 (Korea)Opening March 22Drama. Directed by Lee Yong-joo. Seung-min (Kim Soo-hyeon and Uhm Tae-woong), a 20-year-old university student, meets Seo-yeon (Suji and Han Ga-in) while attending his introduction to architecture class. Though he falls for his female colleague, Seung-min does not know how to express his feelings, and ends up not talking to her due to a trivial misunderstanding. Fifteen years later, Seung-min, who now works as an architect, receives a sudden visit from Seo

Leonardo DiCaprio likes his coffee smooth ― a light roast, nectar-like, no bitterness.Just ask Todd Carmichael and Jean-Philippe Iberti, who spent more than a year perfecting a blend to suit the palate of the Hollywood star.The founding partners of La Colombe, a Philadelphia-based roastery with cafes here and in New York and Chicago, paid repeated visits to DiCaprio’s West Hollywood abode to brew him single-batch roasts and to test blends, working to come up with a new La Colombe label that woul

This is Paradise! My North Korean ChildhoodBy Kang Hyok with Philippe GrangereauTranslated by Shaun WhitesideFrench journalist Philippe Grangereau first met North Korean refugee Kang Hyok back in 2003 in Prague. Kang, who was 17 at the time, had been invited by the People in Need Foundation to the fourth conference of the South Korean NGO “North Korean Human Rights.” The young boy was asked to share his life story in North Korea with two other refugees in their forties.The journalist recalls Kan

Even the biggest secrets have secrets lurking behind them.And, Thomas Mallon suggests in his absorbing new novel “Watergate,” America’s biggest and dirtiest revealed secret was no exception.The 30th anniversary of the break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate Hotel is this June, and for many Americans, the cover-up and scandal that followed has become both a time marker and trivia.But the drama that led to the first and only resignation of a sitting U.S. president w

Hollywood actress stars in romantic comedy thriller ‘This Means War’Hollywood actress Reese Witherspoon said on Thursday it’s only natural for women to have wrinkles as they age, and she finds it wonderful to be an example of that on screen.During her first visit to Seoul the 35-year-old actress seemed unaffected when asked by a reporter whether she is “all right” with having visible wrinkles in a scene from her rom-com action film “This Means War.”“I’ve been making movies since I was 14,”the ac

The Korean Film Council is re-opening its media education institute, “Seoul Media Center,” in Chungmuro district in Pil-dong, Seoul, on Thursday, the organization said.The institute was first established as “Mediact” in 2002 on the fifth floor of the Ilmin Museum of Art building near Gwanghwamun, central Seoul. Until 2010, the institute had been run by the Association of Korean Independent Film and Video (KIFV) on commission. The Gwanghwamun office closed down in August of last year, as Ilmin Mu

A cosmetics company canceled a Feb. 21 preview of a Japanese commercial featuring actress Kim Tae-hee, as Japanese netizens criticized her for advocating Korea’s sovereignty over Dokdo.Dokdo is a group of rocky islets in the East Sea that Japan has claimed as part of its territory and calls Takeshima.Kim, who has been enjoying popularity as an actress and a model for television commercials in Korea since the early 2000s, served as a Dokdo advocate in 2005 with her younger brother Lee Wan, who is

For those who have missed the chance to experience Seoul’s royal palaces at night or see a gugak concert in the court garden last year, the year 2012 will come as an exciting one. More cultural events and educational programs will take place in the four royal palaces in Seoul ―Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, and Deoksugung ― as well as Jongmyo shrine this year, including court cuisine sessions, gugak concerts, and late-night tours, Cultural Heritage Administration announced during

Kim Ki-duk, one of the best known South Korean auteurs overseas, started shooting his 18th film this month, according to production house NEW.The film, entitled “Pieta,” will star actor Lee Jeong-jin and actress Jo Min-soo. According to NEW, Kim thought of the initial plot of the film as he wanted to delve into the theme of evil, and whether or not “human beings have evilness as one of their innate qualities.”The upcoming film tells the story of a heartless man whose job is to threaten debtors t

University of Edinburgh to commemorate late President Yun Bo-seon in autumnThis is the third of the series introducing cultural centers of different countries in Seoul ― Ed.For anyone interested in studying abroad ― especially in the U.K. ― the British Council office in central Seoul is the place to be next month. The British cultural institution will be holding a special event where representatives from six or seven of the U.K.’s world-class universities will share information on what each scho

Artist residency program in Sindang Jungang Market offers unusual art sceneFor anyone who has been to Jungang market near Sindang Station in Seoul, it would be hard to imagine that more than 30 artists have their working studios underground. And that some practically live there.The area is known for its merciless traffic and its overcrowded and colorful market. Stepping through the main gate of the market, you are overwhelmed by the aroma of pickled fish and mung bean pancakes, while endless foo

Helpless (Hwa-cha) (Korea)Opening March 8Thriller. Directed by Byeon Young-joo. Just one month ahead of their wedding, engaged couple Moon-ho (Lee Seon-gyun) and Sun-young (Kim Min-hee) head off to the countryside to visit Moon-ho’s parents. When Moon-ho returns to their car after getting coffee at a highway service area, Sun-young is nowhere to be found. Her phone is off. After not hearing from her for more than a week, a distraught Moon-ho asks his detective cousin Jong-geun for help. After Jo