A few years ago, Korea’s cartoon industry saw arguably its biggest triumph with “Pororo the Little Penguin.” The cute, innocent penguin character was a massive hit across the nation and in other countries.Over the past few months, another penguin character has charmed Koreans. This time, the penguin character is far from innocent. Rather, it is blunt, careless and tough. Pengsoo debuted six months ago under Educational Broadcasting System, a public broadcasting station tha

Sportswear brand Nike will soon release a new edition of the iconic Air Force 1 sneaker in collaboration with G-Dragon. Named AF1 (Air Force 1) Para-Nose, the sneakers mark the first project for the leader of Big Bang since being discharged from the military last month.  Air Force 1 is Nike’s signature line, touted as an icon of street fashion and beloved by sports fans around the world since its release in 1982. Trendsetter G-Dragon has been leading his fashion label Peaceminusone s

Wrap up 2019 at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul presents year-end promotions suitable for those planning gatherings to wrap up the year. Guests who make a booking from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3 can choose from a festive menu (buffet or set), a beverage package, or a welcome canape set. All promotional sets are available for events with eight to 60 guests. Prices vary depending on the options. Benefits offered to all guests include vin chaud welcome drinks (one per person), festive table centerpieces, C

For a pottery artist leading a tableware brand, the table is where the magic begins, then spreads to the whole house. Yido, launched in 1990, is a pottery ware brand led by Yi Yoon-shin. Yi has achieved a unique success with Yido. As the local upscale tableware market was ruled by foreign brands, Yido carved out its place as a handcrafted brand inspired by traditional practices.“Though we have worked on interpreting traditional pottery in a modern language, the innate characteristic of pot

Singer Lee Eun-mee is celebrating the 30th anniversary of her debut with a nationwide concert tour and the release of an album.The 53-year-old debuted in 1989 as a guest singer of band Sinchon Blues. Three years later, she began a solo career and has since released more than 10 albums. In 1993, she took her shoes off onstage “to be free.” She has since been performing barefooted, earning the nickname of “barefoot diva.” Two tracks from her upcoming album were prerele

A “fuga” -- Italian for fugue -- is a musical composition that introduces two or more themes in the beginning that recur throughout the piece.In the play “Human Fuga,” which began its run Wednesday at the Namsan Arts Center in central Seoul, the themes are the painful memories, scars and ill health of the victims of the 1980 Gwangju massacre, the dictatorial government’s response to the Gwangju Democratic Uprising.Theater troupe Tuida’s production takes its le

Contemporary ballet “La Fresque” is surreal and dreamy, featuring barefooted dancers carrying out explosive and exuberant movements.Led by legendary French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj, Ballet Preljocaj is touring Korea with “La Fresque.” It performed at the LG Arts Center in southern Seoul over the weekend.The performance began in complete darkness. The soundtrack created by Nicolas Godin -- half of the groundbreaking French electronic music duo Air -- evoked a myster

Ahead of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit, a celebratory concert will be held in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. As culture is a valuable asset that helps nations build bridges, various cultural events are set to take place before the summit such as a fashion show, a K-beauty festival and food demonstrations. One of these events is the music festival “ASEAN Fantasia,” which will be held Nov. 24 in Changwon. The aim of the concert is to promote harmony between South Korea

Jeon Jung-kook, better known as Jungkook of K-pop boy band BTS, was involved in a car accident Saturday.Big Hit Entertainment issued an official statement Monday, saying, “As the case has not been closed yet, further details cannot be revealed, but Jeon was involved in a car accident due to his mistake. Both Jeon and the victim (other driver) did not suffer a major injury.” “After the accident, Jeon immediately admitted that he violated the traffic law, made his statement

The Tongyeong International Music Foundation announced the winners of the 2019 Isang Yun Competition on Saturday, with pianist Lim Yun-chan taking the top honors.The annual competition, held in homage to the late contemporary music composer Yun I-sang, alternates annually among cello, piano and violin. This year’s competition was for pianists, with violinists slated to compete next year. After a final round in the competition Saturday, Lim was announced as the first prize winner, foll

Italian beer night at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul’s Italian restaurant Cornerstone presents the Italian Craft Beer Flights promotion, featuring three varieties of beer from craft beer brewery Barley.On offer are Barley’s signature beers Friska, Macca Meda and Tuvi Tuvi, made from a unique blend of fruits and herbs. Served with a selection of four pairing dishes -- sausage with grilled vegetables, potato fries with truffle oil and assorted Italian antipasti, grilled chicken and p

The Philadelphia Orchestra is to go on the stage at the Seoul Arts Center on Nov. 10, under the baton of the music director Yannick Nezet-Seguin and featuring pianist Cho Seong-jin. The highly acclaimed orchestra, which had been led by Eugene Ormandy for some 40 years, is counted in artistic stature among the Big Five orchestras in the US, along with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra.The program for Nov. 10 features Rachmaninoff’s Piano Co

Ballet Preljocaj, a dance company led by legendary French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj, is in Korea with “La Fresque,” also known as “The Painting on the Wall.” The company will perform the 2016 modern ballet piece that takes its motif from an old Chinese tale at the LG Arts Center in southern Seoul from Friday to Sunday, followed by more performances in Busan and Daejeon.  The story revolves around a man who visits an old temple and falls in love with a long-hair

Arts Center Incheon in Songdo International City will celebrate its one-year anniversary on Nov. 16. Since opening last year, the center’s concert hall -- a mix of shoebox and vineyard styles -- has been praised for its exceptional acoustics.  The center was originally envisioned to house a concert hall, a museum and an opera house. But only the concert hall has been completed. While the center has secured land for construction, its plans have not been finalized due to financial issue

Despite the fact that it has been only three years since he launched his own label, designer Yoon Choon-ho is an established name in the fashion scene here.Yoon, a graduate of Istituto Marangoni in Milan, is widely known for having starred in fashion-related TV shows “Project Runway Korea” and “New Sold Out.” The 37-year-old also headed fashion label Arche prior to YCH.  This September, his presence became more internationally established, following his debut at Lon

The first edition of the Escape: Psycho Circus Korea music festival lit up the pre-Halloween weekend in Seoul.The Halloween-themed festival, organized by US festival company Insomniac, landed in Korea this year at the parking lot of Seoul Grand Park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. The lot was transformed into a circus-themed wonderland, filled with sounds from more than 27 notable dance music names. The mainstage Slaughter House set up inside a large circus tent featured a stage designed in

In spite of numerous hiccups -- the biggest one being the unexpected absence of Polish maestro Krzysztof Penderecki -- the 11th Seoul International Music Festival kicked off as planned and continues to introduce classical music to a wider audience. The 86-year-old composer and conductor was to visit South Korea for a concert Saturday at the Seoul Arts Center, but canceled a few days prior due to health concerns. Polish composer Maciej Tworek filled in and led the KBS Symphony Orchestra for

Bestselling Swedish novelist Jonas Jonasson visited South Korea upon the release of his latest novel, “The Accidental Further Adventures of the 100-Year-Old Man,” a sequel to his bestseller “The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared.” Jonasson’s first story about 100-year-old Allan Karlson sold more than 10 million copies around the world and was made into a film. Though the sequel came out in English in July 2018, it took more than a year f

 Trick or treat at Millennium Hilton Seoul Millennium Hilton Seoul’s all-day buffet dining restaurant Cafe 395 will feature a special Halloween-inspired dessert buffet station in addition to its usual buffet spread, from Saturday to Oct. 31. Creepy fingers cake, eyeball gelatin, witch cupcakes and much more will be prepared at the station, alongside jack-o’-lanterns and other Halloween decorations. Children who come dressed in Halloween costumes will receive a special gift.Cafe

Though the word “dado,” meaning a traditional tea ceremony, may not sound like much fun, it has become a trending practice among young people here, as they seek inner peace and Instagram-worthy shots at the same time. More tea shops are opening across Seoul, branding themselves as cultural complexes that offer more than just a cup of tea. Teaching the art of dado, they offer extra activities such as public lectures, yoga classes and more.One of the highly sought-after tea places is M