• Streak interrupted

    Hollywood blockbusters halt Korean films’ local dominance After dominating the local box office for most of 2012 and 2013, Korean films are off to a slower start this year with moviegoers showing more love for Hollywood films. According to the Korean Film Council, Korean movies combined for a 48 percent…

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  • Korean authors arrive for London Book Fair

    The “Korea Market Focus” of the London Book Fair, a major publishing trade event, opened Tuesday with the attendance of several major Korean literary figures. The Korea-centric event, which aims to highlight the Korean publishing industry, is being held under the theme, “Books opening the mind, doors opening the future.”…

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  • Amhaeng-eosa: secret royal inspector in Joseon Kingdom

    These days, news of a modern version of the “amhaeng-eosa” or secret royal inspector prevails throughout the country. There was a story about a military unit that introduced an undercover system to unearth internal problems in its barracks. Meanwhile, undercover election observers have reportedly worked against fraudulent and manipulated elections.…

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  • Eating vicariously?

    Food-centric TV shows becoming hot trend Yoon Hoo, the son of singer Yoon Min-soo, was catapulted to stardom by “eating voraciously” on MBC’s high-rating reality show “Where Are We Going, Dad?” Choo Sa-rang, the daughter of Korean-Japanese combat sports star Choo Sung-hoon, is winning the hearts of viewers mainly for…

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  • East Asia

    Dancing to the top

    Son enjoys breakthrough in Lisbon World Cup Rhythmic gymnast Son Yeon-jae, 19, wrapped up her most successful international competition on Sunday with four gold medals at the FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Lisbon. After winning Korea’s first title ever in the individual all-around with 71.2 points on Saturday, she…

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  • Throwing new light on old treasures

    National museum’s latest acquisitions highlight traditional Asian art The National Museum of Korea (NMK) has been ambitious in purchasing of Asian artworks since moving into its massive complex in Yongsan, downtown Seoul, in 2005. The museum’s new exhibition, “New Acquisitions of Asian Art,” provides the first glimpse into this expanding…

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  • American critic falls for indie K-films

    Darcy Paquet launches Wildflowser Film Awards The local film industry has been on a roll recently. The shooting for the Hollywood blockbuster “Avengers: The Age of Ultron” is still underway in Korea, suggesting that the country and its capital city is an attractive location for international moviemakers. A number of…

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  • ‘Fatal Encounter’ slated for N. American release in May

    Will top Korean actor Hyun Bin ignite “hallyu,” or the Korean wave, in films in North America? His soon-to-be released film, “The Fatal Encounter,” is expected to be shown on 25 screens in North America starting May 23, Lotte Entertainment said Monday. The release in North America follows just a…

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  • East Asia

    Korean stars grace Hollywood movies

    A record number of actors will play major roles in US blockbusters Are Korean actors increasingly wanted in Hollywood, or is it a sheer coincidence that a record number of them will have the opportunity to feature in Hollywood films this year? So far five Korean actors — Lee Byung-hun,…

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  • East Asia

    Nichkhun, Tiffany are dating

    Nichkhun from K-pop band 2PM and Tiffany from Girls’ Generation are dating, their agencies said Friday. JYP Entertainment, Thail and-born Nichkhun’s agency, admitted that the two stars had been close friends in Korea since they first met in the United States and they recently started dating. SM Entertainment, Tiffany’s agency,…

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