'Love Letter" Opera...

Homegrown opera 'Love Letter' premieres tonight

A scene from the opening act of ``Love Letter,’’ an original opera produced by Seoul City. The production will premiere Wednesday evening at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, downtown Seoul. /Courtesy of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts By Lee Hyo-won Finally, fans can enjoy a three-act opera featuring poetic, and at times comical, libretto in Korean, and moreover, themes that thoroughly resonate with the local audience. ``Love Letter’’ was born out of Seoul City’s initiative to launch a marketable homegrown opera, and it will finally be unveiled Wednesday evening at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Jongno. As much as the opera was sponsored by the metropolitan government, the piece showcases the many faces of the city through a love triangle that is reincarnated over three different generations. The first act takes the audience a few centuries back to the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), when the capital was called Hanyang, to Gyeongseong, as the city was called at the turn of the 20th century through the colonial period (1910-45), and finally, present-day Seoul. A rehearsal session open to the press Monday revealed the spectacular set design, conjuring to life a colorful market scene of the Joseon era. The first act is a visual feast, with street musicians performing mask dances and a beautiful entourage of ``gisaeng’’ (female entertainers) strutting down the street. Among these women is the heroine Do-sil, the most sought-after gisaeng of the day, who is actually from a ruined noble family. Bitter about her past, she enjoys toying with her admirers until she meets the pure-hearted silk merchant A-reuk. He confesses his love for her by using his own hair to stitch a love letter onto a long piece of silk. Their love is interrupted by Jae-pil, a nobleman who, blinded by his lust for Do-sil, loses his entire fortune. Enraged that the young woman is infatuated with another man, he tries to commit suicide and take Do-sil with him, by dragging her into a burning building. A-reuk sacrifices his own life to save Do-sil by jumping into the flames. The fateful love triangle carries on through two subsequent reincarnations, as Do-sil is reborn as a singer and fashion designer, respectively, while Jae-pil continues to harass her as a wealthy and powerful suitor, and A-reuk roams the world as a lost soul. The second act opens with a strong musical beat, as the audience is introduced to the modern boys and girls of a westernized Korea. In the third part, set amid the tall skyscrapers of present-day Seoul, when Do-sil tries to design a piece using the silk love letter. The opera weaves in strong fantasy elements of reincarnation and karma, as well as the idea of ``han’’ (unfulfilled wishes or painstaking sorrow), which are commonly found in local folktales. The cast of young, up-and-coming singers, particularly the stunningly beautiful soprano-tenor Hahn Yoon-seok (A-reuk) and baritone Kyung-suk (Jae-pil), who are brothers, brings a breath of fresh air to the star-crossed love story. One regret is that this fantasy element does not attribute itself to any sort of religious roots, such as Buddhism or shamanism; only the bookshop keeper who seems to know all the secrets and serves as a narrator of sorts, provides explanations. The flow of the narrative suffers somewhat due to the lack of framework. Nevertheless the strong vocals and eye-catching set designs pave a promising way for future homegrown projects. The production brings together top Korean talent, including Park Se-won, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Opera and Seoul National University professor, as its general director. Cho Kwang-hwa, famous for musicals such as ``Seopyeonje’’ and ``Harmonium in My Heart,’’ directed the production, which features compositions by Choe U-zong, a Seoul National University professor who is known as the music director of the Ensemble TIMF. The opera will be staged at the Grand Theater through Saturday. Kim and Hahn will perform Wednesday and Friday, while soprano Kim Eun-kyung and tenor Choi Seong-soo will play the lead roles on Thursday and Saturday afternoon and Hahn Ye-jin (soprano) and Eom Seong-hwa (tenor) will appear in Saturday evening’s cast. The performances will begin at 7:30 p.m., with an additional performance at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets cost from 10,000 to 70,000 won. Call (02) 399-1114~6

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Probationary Theatre tackles nutrition

The poster for Probationary Theatre’s production of “Nourish” By John Redmond Recent newcomer expat theater group Probationary Theatre will stage a homegrown show entitled “Nourish” at the RUF Project in Noksapyeong, Seoul. It will be a one-time show performed in English on Dec. 19 starting at 7:30 p.m. Inspired by, and with excerpts from, the controversial documentary “Food Matters,” the play aims to educate and empower people to make healthier and informed decisions in everyday lives, with the use of comedy, theatre, stand up and film. The writer warns of the overeating, not getting enough sleep, excessive drinking and the subsequent hangovers of the festive season begin and reminds people to treat the mind and body to some well needed creative TLC. “Learn about what comfort food your body wants, as opposed to what we’ve been conditioned to want … Did you know that celery is an aphrodisiac?” Probationary Theatre was founded in Australia in 2000 with the aim of creating interesting and accessible theatre that people want to see. Probationary Theatre’s first production of David Mamet’s “Sexual Perversity in Chicago” opened at the Melbourne Fringe Festival to packed houses with rave reviews, receiving a best Newcomer award. Since then, Probationary Theatre has produced a variety of shows and toured to various parts of Australia, receiving several awards, before moving its base to the freshly blossoming theater community in Seoul, Korea. Probationary Theatre’s first production in Seoul was the “Summer Shorts Show” ― a one night only event of five short theatre pieces encompassing everything from straight theater, bent theater, mime, music, dance and shadow puppetry. Founder, Desiree Munro, spoke to The Korea Times about where the idea behind “Nourish” came about. “In August this year I attended a screening of the controversial documentary ‘Food Matters’ at Suji’s restaurant in Seoul. It was organized by the team at ‘Healthy Homes Asia’ and I was really impressed with the message, which inspired me to create this piece of theater,” Munro said. What is the message? “I think it’s basically about being aware and informed about exactly what you’re putting into your body, and not just blindly putting faith in the pharmaceutical and food industries.” When asked about what to expect from “Nourish” Munro drew on the broad scope of the piece. “A bit of everything! It’s informative but the delivery of information is quite light. I find that comedy and light entertainment seem to be the best method of delivering messages that are sometimes not that easy to swallow, and so the show is quite light-hearted. There’s comedy in the form of stand up, theatre and film as well as excerpts from various documentaries, and even some recipe ideas.” What’s Probationary Theatre’s aim with producing “Nourish?” “After our show last month ‘10 good reasons not to go home’ someone told me ‘my friends and I spent the rest of your night just talking about the show’ ― which to me was a great sign. I think all good theatre should provoke discussion. I want to entertain, but also get people thinking and perhaps inspire them to research further. I hope ‘Nourish’ can inspire the audience to be more mindful of what we put into our body every day.” What’s next for Probationary Theatre? “The year 2011 will be a busy year for us, we’ll be staging a production of the Tony Award Winning play, ‘Art’ performed in English with Korean subtitles, and we’ll also be holding a one day workshop called ‘play in a day’ where actors, writers and directors will all be locked in a theatre and have 12 hours to write and rehearse a play to an audience in the evening. We’re always looking for new ideas and new talent, and welcome anyone to email us any ideas or projects they’d like to put on or be involved in, or better still, just come and have a chat to us after the show.” The RUF Project is a 15 minute walk from exit 1 of Noksapyeong Station (line 6). Take the underpass to cross the main road and take a right at the Lazy Sue cafe and the army base. Walk up the hill towards Namsan Park for 10 minutes until you come to the Rainbow Children Center on your left. Take a right and walk up the hill, then take the first right. RUF project will be 50 meters away on your right. Tickets are 15,000 won and bookings can be made by simply emailing your name and the number of tickets you require to probationarytheatre@gmail.com Further information available at www.probationarytheatre.com Pig-like extraterr.. Indian sorcerer sa.. Air skirmish might..

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Influential women leaders inspire next generation

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, third from left, speaks during the session “Tough Leadership Decisions in Tough Times” at the Global Women’s Leadership Conference at the Shilla Hotel, in Seoul, Tuesday. Other panelists include, from left, Korea Foundation President Kim Byung-kook, leadership consultant Kate Sweetman, Rice, business journalist William Holstein, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley and former Asiaweek editor Ann Morrison. / Korea Times photo by Koh Young-kwon By Cathy Rose A. Garcia, Kwon Mee-yoo Prominent women leaders may have come from different backgrounds and countries, but their success stories of breaking the glass ceiling are serving to inspire a new generation of young women leaders. Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley and other successful women shared anecdotes from their own experiences in male-dominated fields, and advice on how to become women leaders, at the Global Women’s Leadership Conference. ``I know personally how difficult it is to be a woman in a male dominated field... But we should not fall prey to that argument that we should see a woman like you in a field in order to succeed in it. But if there are no women role models, then find another role model anyway,’’ Rice said, during the panel discussion. Rice, who as a young girl wanted to become a concert pianist, advised women to ``to find something you love to do if you’re going to be good at it.’’ For Rice, it was international politics, and she encouraged women to work hard and find good mentors that will help them advance. Parents also play a key role in changing the societal perceptions of women as leaders. Shipley, who was New Zealand’s first female prime minister, said her father, a Presbyterian minister, dared her to believe that anything was possible. ``Unless the conversations at home change, nothing will change. It’s not only what we say to daughters, but also what we say to our sons ... Breaking cultural cliches and allowing them to believe they can be anything they want to be, if we say that to young children, self-belief develops. Break the cultural mold in sons, so they expect their sisters to be as successful as they are,’’ Shipley said. During the Q&A discussion, an audience member asked how women should change a male-dominated working culture in Korea. ``I do think you can change the environment by being confident and by insisting the conversation is carried out in a particular way and decorum and don’t give in to the prevailing way people deal with each other,’’ Rice said. Shipley said most sexist people are merely bullies, who are doing it to provoke a reaction from women. ``Sometimes, it’s better to ignore it but later, go and tell them to stop, and if it happens again, deal with it with your colleagues ... I encourage women to recognize bullying and pick fights that you need to,’’ she said. Governments also play a crucial role in the development of women leadership and increasing gender equality. Kate Sweetman, co-author of ``The Leadership Code,'' cited the successful example in Norway, which ranks second in the WEF Gender Gap Index, where the government encourages men to take more paternity leave to share in the duty of childrearing and allow women to work more. ``Norway’s studies found if they give incentives for men to stay home with the babies and women to come back to work earlier, they find men bond more with the children and they want to stay home and allow women to work more. They get more gender equality in the workplace and at home. Children are also happier spending more time with dads,’’ Sweetman said. Seoul is exerting serious efforts to integrate women-friendly policies, as Mayor Oh Se-hoon introduced the capital’s plans during a special dinner at the conference, Monday evening. ``Seoul has been promoting various women-friendly policies based on the belief that a city where women are happy is a city where all men and human beings are happy,” Oh said. Cho Eun-hee, the vice mayor who was formerly in charge of the "Women-Friendly Seoul" project, said the city is trying to reflect females’ viewpoint and experiences in every single policy. She showed a photo of a woman's high heel stuck in a gap of a sidewalk, eliciting laughter from the audience. ``The project started with applying women's experiences of not wanting their high heels stuck in cracks of pavements, to the city’s policies,’’ Cho said. One of major project of Seoul's women-friendly policies is job creation for females, especially for those who have their careers affected by their family affairs. The project won the 2010 United Nation's Public Service Award in June. cathy@koreatimes.co.kr meeyoo@koreatimes.co.kr

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr

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Positive and Negative Thought

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Design Korea 2010 International Seminar

http://www.designkorea.or.kr/site/en/events/seminar.htm Future Automobile Design Trend Seminar Automobile design experts from around the world talk about the “importance of a design identity that reflects the trends of global philosophy” which is a point that car-makers worldwide are recently focusing on and is emerging in the global automobile market—which has entered the stage of unlimited competition—to have more significance over technology. Theme: Changes in the Global Design Trend “Design Identity with Philosophy, Vision and Technology” Time: December 8 (Wed), 2010, 14:00~18:00 Place: COEX, Floor 1, Grand Ballroom, #103 Event Time Details Registration 12:00-14:00 Registration and entrance Opening ceremony 14:00-14:10 - Opening remarks (undetermined) - Welcome remarks (undetermined) - Congratulatory remarks (undetermined) Thematic speech 14:10-14:40 Importance of a Design Identity with Philosophy, Vision and Technology Session I 14:40-15:10 15:10-15:40 Speech 1 Speech 2 휴식 15:40-16:00 Coffee Break Session II 16:00-16:30 16:30-17:00 Speech 3 Speech 4 Discussion 17:00-17:30 Thematic discussion Visit an exhibition 17:30-18:00 Visit “H Design Gallery” of Design Korea 2010

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Korea on the Road to First Class

Know Korea / Know Korea  2010/11/29 10:35 http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10098366295

  

 

Chairwoman Lee Bae-Yong of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding on November 15 gave a lecture for the KBS program “The Road to First Class.”
  

<Web site of the KBS program “The Road to First Class”>

The lecture was on the subject of Korea’s nation brand and the impact of the G20 Seoul Summit.

“Made in Korea” Impact

“Despite the increasing sales of Korean products globally nowadays,” Chairwoman Lee explained, “they still get about a 30% discount compared to similar products made by some other nations because of Korea’s undervalued nation brand.”

Giving examples of French perfume and wine which are products backed up by the country’s strong nation brand, Lee emphasized the importance of nation brand in generating economic profits.

“We need to work on increasing trust and preference for so-called “Made in Korea.” Also, it is getting more and more important nowadays to have strong “software” such as cultural content, human resources and spiritual values as well as hardware.”

Lee also touched upon Korea’s numerous timeless cultural heritages, saying, “I wish to share Korean values and spirits that are imbued in those historic and cultural legacies with the world. Korea’s astounding growth in the 20th century was made possible only because it was backed up by such virtues as harmony, sharing, communication, regards for life and nature.”

“To raise Korea’s nation brand, it is important to have active civic participation. The Council will make best efforts to achieve the goal with 5 major areas of work that we designated which include contributing to the international community, cultivating global citizenship, promoting multiculturalism, developing attractive culture and tourism, and showcasing advanced technology.”

<Tripitaka Koreana woodblock at Haeinsa temple (designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site)>

“Korea, as seen in its age-long history and countless cultural relics, has admirable spirits – perseverance, cooperative and pacifist inclination, modesty, warmhearted regards for others. It is important that we remember these timeless virtues of ours,” Lee stressed.

* Chairwoman Lee Bae Yong’s lecture on the program “The Road to First Class” (aired on November 20) can be viewed at the following web page:

 http://www.kbs.co.kr/1tv/sisa/firstclass/vod/

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Surah Rahman - Beautiful and Heart trembling Quran recitation by Syed Sa...

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Seoul City will recruit foreign interns

By Park Si-soo Seoul City will recruit 40 interns among the foreign students studying here, by Dec. 6, as part of its global internship program. Successful applicants will be assigned to diverse departments to work for five weeks starting on Jan. 7. They will work for six hours from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and receive 30,000 won for each day of work. Seoul City has run the internship program since 2008. So far a total of 140 students from 30 countries have completed the program that was launched to extend the city’s global network. “This program is very important for the city to get ideas to make Seoul a more global city,” said Oh Seung-hwan, a Seoul City official in charge of the program. The recruitment started from Monday. For more information, visit seoul.go.kr or global.seoul.go.kr.  http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/11/117_77179.html

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A mosaic of Eurasian cultures

A life-size “yurk” or wooden dwelling used by Kazak nomads, shown here wearing traditional wedding costumes, is on display at the National Folk Museum of Korea, Seoul. / Courtesy of National Folk Museum of Korea Exhibition fetes 20 years of Korea-Russia ties  By Lee Hyo-won At a glance, 19th-century “Menkva” figurines, native to the Khanty tribe in western Siberia, look just like Korean “jangseung” — traditional wooden village guardians that act like scarecrows of sorts against evil spirits. Russia, for Koreans, is often perceived as a geographically close yet distant place, but a current exhibition in Seoul shows just how deep cultural ties actually are between the Eurasian neighbors. “Path Toward: The Cultural Unity of the Peoples of Eurasia” is ongoing through March next year at the National Folk Museum of Korea in Seoul. Featuring over 600 Eurasian and Korean artifacts on loan from the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology in St. Petersburg, the event comes in time for the 20th anniversary of bilateral ties between Korea and Russia. Visitors of the museum will be surprised to see how relics from the Russian ethnographical museum show the meeting points of different Eurasian cultures. The northernmost Yakut people, for example, eat raw horse meat like the natives of Jeju Island, said the National Folk Museum’s curator Vanya Lee. Another interesting fact is that Ondal, a warrior who marries Princess Pyeonggang of the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C.-A.D. 668) in the traditional legend, was mislabeled a “fool” — due to this Yakut warrior’s inability to speak Korean rather than lack of intellect. Ondal remains a common name for baby boys among the nomadic people. Such stories interweave the colorful artifacts from the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology, which is Russia’s oldest state museum and one of the world’s largest and most reputable historical ethnographical institutions. The exhibition begins with an introduction of St. Petersburg and early collections of the museum, such as an intricate 18th-century needle holder fashioned with seal bones by the Chukchi people, who are indigenous to the Arctic Bering Sea region of Russia. The next part of the exhibition displays the ethnically diverse culture of Eurasia, from traditional costumes of the Finn-Ugric and Slav peoples to a representation of a 19th-century Islamic market and even a life-size “yurk,” or wooden dwelling used by Kazakh nomads. Moreover, visitors will be able to see intricate craftsmanship from centuries past, such as a delicate late 19th-century coat made of salmon skin worn by females of the Nanai people (who live along the Armur River bordering eastern Russia and northeastern China) or gilt religious mask belonging to the Evenks from the same period. The latter are native to the Russian North, and were deeply influenced by shamanism, like Korea, and the Evenks believed that the mask, symbolizing the ghost spirit of their ancestors, would protect them. A shaman’s headdress, with a deer antler-like structure, also calls to mind the golden crowns of the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 936). Rare traditional Korean relics belonging to the Russian museum, moreover, are displayed at the third section of the exhibition. Among them is an exquisite silver and gilt gold candlestick with dragon and phoenix motifs, which belonged to Russia’s first consul general in Korea, Karl Ivanovich Weber. The diplomat also took back home a celadon glass with lotus flower patterns that dates back to the 19th century — given to him as a present by Empress Myeongseong, wife of King Gojong, in a special red “hanji” (Korean paper) box. “This is a chance for Korea and Russia to introduce their cultures to each other, particularly in Russia, where Korean culture is not so well known,” Yuri Chistov, director of Peter the Great Museum, told reporters last week in Seoul. “But I believe that Koreans and Russians both have great interest in culture, and I am particularly impressed with how well Korea preserves its cultural treasures.” The exhibition follows a successful showcase of relics from the National Museum of Korea earlier this year at the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. “Path Toward: The Cultural Unity of the Peoples of Eurasia‘’ runs through March 14, 2011. The museum is located in the northern part of Gyeongbok Palace (entrance of Samcheong-dong), near exit 5 of Gyeongbok Palace Station on subway line 3. Admission is free of charge. Introductory texts are in Korean and Russian, but English-speakers shouldn’t have too much trouble exploring the exhibition since labels are also provided in English. The museum also offers fun sideline events, such as voting for the most impressive artifact and displays of magnet paper dolls dressed in traditional Eurasian costumes. For more information, call (02) 3704-3114 or visit www.nfm.go.kr (Korean and English).

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Britain’s Dulwich College to open in Seoul

Posted Nov. 08, 2010    ShareThis

• Source : Seoul Metropolitan Government

Britain’s Dulwich College held an official celebration of the opening of its Seoul facilities on Wednesday, opening doors to first-class British education to foreign students in Seoul, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said.

The school symbolizes Seoul’s successful efforts in securing one of Britain’s leading educational institutions, underscoring the city’s chance to improve the quality of education for foreign residents here, while boosting foreign direct investments.

A general view of Dulwich College Seoul

Unlike the other foreign schools in Seoul, Dulwich College Seoul is the first world-class foreign school successfully directly secured by Seoul City in order to strengthen international competitiveness of the nation’s capital.

Dulwich College, a world-class private school based in London, also operates branches in Shanghai, Beijing and Suzhou.

Its Seoul branch, which opened on Sept. 2, has three stories including one basement floor with a total floor space of 12,618 square meters.

The number of students from kindergarten to elementary school totals 500, and the enrolment quota placed on Korean nationals is 25 percent.

The school has 37 teachers, which means one teacher for a group of six students. All classes are conducted in English.

Seoul currently has 20 foreign schools, including the Seoul Foreign School in the Seodamun Yeonhui-dong area and the Seoul Yongsan International School in Yongsan-gu. However, the lack of a foreign school in the Gangnam area, equipped with the facilities, scale and curriculum on par with that of leading institutions abroad, had been hindering Seoul’s effort to attract foreign investment.

Seoul City said it expects the establishment of Dulwich College in Gangnam (southern Seoul) to significantly help improve the foreign education environment in the area.

* Government press release (November 5)

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Park wins gold at Guangzhou Asian Games | Korea.net

Park wins gold at Guangzhou Asian Games | Korea.net
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Stress, Anxiety and Depression (Part 2)

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Stress, Anxiety and Depression (Part 1)

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How To Avoid Stress or Depression in Your Life

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Miss Korea 2010

Jung crowned Miss Korea 2010

Jung So-ra, a 19-year-old university student, was crowned Miss Korea 2010 on Sunday. The pageant winner beat 55 competitors at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, after going through a range of programs from community service activities to a swimsuit contest. Jung, who currently is enrolled at the University of California, Riverside, said that she wants to be a diplomat. She speaks English, Chinese and Japanese aside from her native Korean. Jung will represent South Korea in the Miss World 2010 and Miss Universe 2011 competitions. She has admirable qualities including her multilingual ability, but her father is now in the spotlight, as well. Her father, Jung Han-young, is CEO of Humantech China and chairman of Korean Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, according to local reports. The father of Miss Korea of 2010 is a well-known figure among Korean immigrants in Shanghai, China, not only for his outstanding position in the local business community, but for his career that includes a stint as an actor in MBC, one of the three biggest TV stations here. The senior Jung was reportedly very proud of his daughter when she advanced to the second place in a preliminary stage, beating other competitors from Seoul. "My wife took good care of kids' physical appearance since they were very young. Also, my daughter, So-ra is a girl with lots of talents just like me," he was quoted as saying in an interview after the preliminary stage on July 6. However, Jung So-ra, the winner of the country's biggest beauty contest, does not have interest in entertainment, saying that she rather wants to engage in studying and volunteering, according to reports.

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