Latest news with #Korean-language
Korea Herald
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Meet writer Bernard Werber on classical music stage
Hic et Nunc! Music Festival presents world premiere of 'Chimeric Suite,' a collaboration between the French author, composer Kim Texu and Sejong Soloists French science fiction writer Bernard Werber is no stranger to Korean readers, having sold more than 12.5 million copies of his works in Korea since the publication of the Korean-language edition of 'Empire of the Ants' in 1993. Next month, however, his encounter with Korean audiences will take place on stage at a classical music concert when Werber takes part in the world premiere of Korean composer Kim Texu's 'Chimeric Suite.' In fact, Kim wrote the piece based on Werber's 2023 novel 'Le Temps des Chimeres," ('The Age of Chimeras'), which will be published in Korea later this year. On Aug. 27, the Sejong Soloists and Werber will take the stage, with the writer lending his text and voice for the performance, which will have subtitles in English and Korean provided on screen. The performance will also feature flutist Choi Na-kyung, also known as Jasmine Choi, and Denis Sungho, a Korean-Belgian classical guitarist and producer. 'Le Temps des Chimeres' is set in the near future after World War III, depicting a world where hybrid life forms, created by combining human DNA with animal DNA, begin to appear. The story features 'humans merged with moles' who live underground, 'humans merged with bats' who fly through the skies, and 'humans merged with dolphins' who live in the water. "It's a work that predicts the future, depicting events that could happen in the near future, about 10 years from now," the writer told reporters during an online press conference on Tuesday. Kim's music felt like film music, Werber said. 'It gave me the impression that the music itself became sentences, connecting one sentence to the next.' He added, 'Each instrument expresses a specific element. In this performance, water is represented by the guitar, air by the flute, and earth by the violin.' This will be Werber's first time onstage for a music concert, but music has accompanied him for a long time. While writing this book, Werber said he listened to a lot of Bach, whose music also appears in the novel. Thanks to his mother, who was a piano teacher, he was exposed to music from a young age. At 11, he was inspired by Vivaldi's piccolo concerto and went on to learn the piccolo. While writing his novel 'The Thanatonauts,' he frequently listened to Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun." 'Music has universality. It is free from the barriers of language, whereas literature inevitably undergoes some transformation through translation. In literature, each person reads at their own pace, but music has its own pace,' he said. The Aug. 27 performance is part of the annual Hic et Nunc! Music Festival, founded and supported by the Sejong Soloists. Since its founding in 1994 by renowned Juilliard violin professor Kang Hyo, the Sejong Soloists have earned global acclaim. giving more than 700 concerts in over 120 cities worldwide. "Hic et nunc' means 'here and now' in Latin. This year's festival, which is in its seventh edition, takes place from Aug. 26 to Sept. 4 at the Seoul Arts Center, Ewha Womans University and other venues. Werber and the Sejong Soloists will also take the concert to Sejong, Daejeon, Gwangju, Daegu and Busan.
AFP
10 hours ago
- Politics
- AFP
Photo shows address to students, not 'activist briefing lawmakers about vote rigging in South Korea'
"Ambassador Morse Tan is delivering a speech at the US Congress about fraud in South Korea's presidential election," reads part of the Korean-language text above a photo shared on Facebook on July 1, 2025. "That the US Congress invited him to speak means that it cannot accept Lee Jae-myung as president," it continues, referring to the winner of South Korea's June 3 election (archived link). The photo shows Morse Tan -- a former US State Department ambassador-at-large for the Office of Global Criminal Justice -- speaking to an audience from a podium with the American flag visible in the background (archived link). Days earlier, Tan and other far-right figures held a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, where they promoted conspiracy theories about the legitimacy of the South Korean election (archived link). South Korean newspaper Hankook Ilbo reported that Tan also made inflammatory accusations against Lee during the event, including baseless claims about his past (archived link). Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured on July 1, 2025, with a red X added by AFP The same image was also shared in multiple Facebook groups supporting South Korean conservative politicians. "The US legislature will soon invalidate Lee Jae-myung's election," read a comment on one of the posts. Another said: "The whole world knows Lee is a fake president." The photo, however, has circulated online since at least 2022 -- years before Lee was elected. University courtroom A reverse image search on Google led to the same photo posted on the website of Liberty University, a private evangelical Christian institution in Virginia (archived link). Its caption reads: "Dean Morse Tan addresses the Class of 2022 during the annual Ad Fontes ceremony." Archives of the same webpage show the photo on the university's website since at least November 2022. Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared image (left) and the Liberty University photo (right) Tan was addressing the students in Liberty University School of Law's 330-seat Supreme Courtroom, which the institution's website says "features a nine-seat bench, an exact replica of the US Supreme Courtroom bench" and is used for "mock trials, law convocations, and special law events" (archived here and here). As of July 2, there are no official reports of Tan addressing Congress or being invited to speak before lawmakers on the topic of South Korean elections after Lee's election victory. According to the US Senate's official website, speeches before joint sessions of Congress are typically reserved for heads of state (archived link). AFP has debunked various allegations of fraud in South Korea's previous elections.
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘Squid Game' finale lays bare a reality: The wealthy win and nice guys finish last
Rich people suck. The message was loud and clear when Netflix's Korean thriller 'Squid Game' arrived in 2021. Imagining wealth and class disparity at the heart of a high-stakes competition, it featured cash-strapped contestants playing a series of children's games to the death while uber-wealthy spectators bet on their odds of survival. The show's masked elites watched the carnage from a luxe, concealed spectator box, chomping on cigars and chortling as player after player met a gruesome death. The Korean-language show became the streamer's most watched series ever. Comeuppance for the hideously affluent seemed imminent and likely at the hands of protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae). The winner of Season 1's 'Squid Game' deserved vengeance after surviving a series of horrific scenarios — a hopscotch-type match played on a fragile glass bridge above a deadly chasm, a red light-green light contest where players who moved at the wrong time were 'eliminated' by machine gun fire. He watched as good people were killed by pink guards, other contestants and their own stupid actions. But no. The last six 'Squid Game' episodes, now streaming on Netflix, did something entirely unsatisfying. They veered from the prospect of timely, eat-the-rich vengeance porn to unflattering commentary about the rest of us, the other 99% who aren't Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg or Jeff Bezos. What did we ever do to deserve a lethal game of double dutch with two giant mechanical children swinging a 10-ton metal rod in place of a jump rope? A lot, apparently. 'Squid Game' shows that under the right circumstances, regular folks are just as greedy and morally corrupt as the obscenely prosperous, no matter if their money problems stem from unforeseen medical bills, wanton gambling or generational poverty. Press the little guy or gal hard enough and they're just as ruthless as the mogul that's suppressing them. Season 3 picks up exactly where 2 left off. Gi-hun, who'd found his way back in the clandestine gaming complex (situated inside a mountain on a remote island), is Player 456 again among a new round of contestants. He'd planned to infiltrate the operation from inside, staging a coup against the VIPs and Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) who run the games. But now it's clear he's failed. He's cornered by guards, the players who fought alongside him are dead, and he's thrown back in with the remaining players, many of whom survived because they're the most craven of the group. Free and fair elections are at the heart of every democracy, or so 'Squid Game' reminds us each time the bedraggled players are asked for their vote regarding the next round: Continue to compete and thin the herd for a larger reward or stop and split their winnings with their fellow contestants? Majority rules, and each time the group opt to sacrifice their lives — and everyone else's — in pursuit of money. Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has spoken about his dwindling faith in humanity as it relates to his concerns about South Korea's democracy, and you'll hear him loud and clear in Season 3: Voting is power, but look what happens when the population increasingly puts its own self-interest above that of the greater good. It's a scenario that should be recognizable to Americans by now. 'Squid Game' Season 3 takes that idea to the extreme, and quite fearlessly, Hwang puts the series to bed without punishing the rich. Instead he dares to lay bare a truth that's become all too apparent of late: Wealth wins over morality and money trumps accountability. Nice guys not only finish last, they wind up pulverized like everyone else below a certain tax bracket, no matter their dedication toward humanity. The Korean show's run has ended, but not before a finale that alludes to a Hollywood sequel. The episode, set in Los Angeles, shows a familiar scene. A down-and-out man is approached by a mysterious, well-dressed figure who uses a simple kid's game to test his want of money against his tolerance for pain and humiliation. Those who've watched 'Squid Game' will recognize it as the beginning of Gi-hun's journey, which ended with a sliver of redemption in an abyss of darkness. The mysterious figure appears to be a recruiter for a new, English-language 'Squid Game.' She's played by an A-list celebrity — Cate Blanchett — operating in a city renowned for its self-involvement and privilege. 'Squid Game' has a whole new playing field.
The Star
5 days ago
- Business
- The Star
North Korea eyeing Russian tourists for new beach resort: Seoul
North Korean leader Kim Jong-y-un (left) and his daughter Kim Ju-ae (front right) visiting the Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area in Kangwon Province, North Korea.- AFP SEOUL: North Korea is expected to court Russian tourists following the completion of its Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone, which is set to open first to domestic travellers in July, South Korea's Unification Ministry said on Thursday (June 26). It noted that construction – which was suspended for an extended period – resumed in 2024, possibly with support from Russia and expectation of attracting Russian tourists. North Korean state media reported on June 26 on the completion ceremony of the Wonsan-Kalma beach resort. It was held on June 25 and attended by leader Kim Jong Un and family members. The resort is set to open to domestic visitors on July 1, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. It reported that the tourist zone is 'equipped with hotels and inns capable of accommodating around 20,000 people, allowing domestic and international visitors to choose accommodations that suit their preferences' in a Korean-language report. The Russian ambassador to North Korea and embassy members were invited as special guests, according to the state media report. A Unification Ministry official said on condition of anonymity during a closed-door briefing: 'Operations are expected to gradually expand to include Russian tourists, beginning with domestic tourism on July 1. 'The fact that the Russian ambassador was invited and highlighted (in the state media report) also appears to have been intended with Russian tourists in mind.' The official added: 'North Korea has regarded tourism as very important while recognising it as a key means of earning foreign currency. 'Tourism itself is not a violation of sanctions. However, tourism operations that involve bulk cash transfers or are conducted in the form of cooperative projects or joint ventures with North Korea could constitute a violation of sanctions.' 'On the other hand, individual tourists paying their own expenses on a cost-reimbursement basis would not be considered a sanctions violation,' the official said. UN Security Council Resolution 2270 prohibits the transfer of bulk cash to North Korea, and Resolution 2375 bans all UN member states from creating any new joint ventures with North Korean entities or individuals. North Korea's decision to resume years-long construction of the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone in 2024 could be related to a closer alignment with Russia during the country's grinding war against Ukraine. 'Since North Korea's involvement in the Ukraine war, it is believed that the country has received various forms of material support from Russia – support that may have contributed economically to the completion of the Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone,' the official said. 'Additionally, there is a possibility that North Korea will actively seek to attract Russian tourists, which could explain the renewed push to promote the project.' North Korea initially designated the area along the coast connecting Wonsan and Mount Kumgang as a tourist zone in 2014. KCNA previously reported that a groundbreaking ceremony for the Wonsan region took place in May 2015. North Korea originally set a goal of completing the tourist zone by April 15, 2019 to mark the birth anniversary of the country's late founder Kim Il Sung. However, the project was repeatedly delayed due to difficulties in securing construction materials under international sanctions. Construction was halted following the outbreak of Covid-19 and remained suspended until 2024. The official, however, underscored that Seoul needs to watch how much tourism in the Wonsan-Kalma coastal zone can actually be realised 'due to various limitations in transportation infrastructure'. Based on the number of flights and the size of aircraft operating between Pyongyang and Vladivostok, the maximum number of people who could travel via Pyongyang to the Wonsan-Kalma coastal zone in a single day would be around 170. The official also explained that there has been no progress in resuming Chinese group tours, which were suspended after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in January 2020. - The Korea Herald/ANN
Korea Herald
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Interview: Vampire classic ‘Let the Right One In' casts haunting, melancholic magic on stage
Some stories never grow old. Neither does Eli, the eternally young vampire at the heart of "Let the Right One In," the 2004 Swedish novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist that has spawned numerous adaptations -- film, television and stage. This July, the haunting tale returns to Seoul as a chilling, yet tender coming-of-age love story, just in time for the summer heat. Running from July 3 to Aug. 16 at the National Theater of Korea's Haeoreum Theater, the Korean-language stage production makes its long-awaited return nine years after its 2016 local premiere. 'Luckily, the production seems to be timeless like Eli,' said John Tiffany, the Tony and Olivier Award-winning director behind "Once" and "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." Speaking to the press via video call following an open rehearsal on Tuesday, Tiffany reflected on the enduring life of the piece, which first opened with the National Theatre of Scotland before traveling to London, New York and beyond. 'But it's changed with every new audience and every new actor that's come to work with us,' he said. The story follows Oskar, a lonely, bullied teenage boy who lives with his mother on the outskirts of town. When a string of grisly murders begins to plague the neighborhood, Oskar meets Eli -- the strange girl who moves in next door. What unfolds is a dark, poignant bond between two outsiders: one human, the other something else entirely. Tiffany described "Let the Right One In" as a retelling of the Peter Pan story, which has always fascinated him. 'It's got these melancholy and quiet stories about death and living forever," he said. "And in James Barrie's 'Peter Pan,' you realize that the only way truly to live forever like Peter is to be dead. The dead are immortal. And that's certainly true for Eli, obviously. And you get the sense as the story goes on that Eli is like Peter and Hakan is like Wendy and Oskar is Jane, Wendy's daughter." Tiffany found the dynamics compelling -- not only the vampire mythology, but also its connection to fairy tales and the supernatural. 'These stories reflect aspects of our lives, even though our lives aren't fairy tales or supernatural — though they may feel that way at times,' he said. 'And yet, what 'Let the Right One In' and 'Peter Pan' both tell us is that it's desperately lonely and sad to stay alive and immortal." The director, who has helmed several adaptations from screen and book to stage, including "Once" and "Wild Rose," described the process as one of discovering a story's DNA and rebuilding it using the cells of theater. 'I enjoy seeing how something that's purely cinematic can become purely theater. And theater, to me, is really a genre for horror. I quite like the idea of terrifying people in a live experience." Set to the hauntingly beautiful score by Icelandic composer Olafur Arnalds, which flows like an emotional undercurrent throughout the 140-minute performance, the production also draws its emotional power from dance-like movement sequences created by Tiffany's longtime collaborator, movement director Steven Hoggett. "Oskar finds it hard to describe what he's feeling. He finds it hard to connect and to be understood emotionally," Tiffany explained. "In theater, movement is an incredibly powerful way to explore the desire to communicate, or how to articulate emotion in an emotional story." Tiffany noted how naturally the story fits into the Korean cultural landscape, citing the country's rich tradition of horror storytelling. 'There's a strong tradition of horror in Korean cinema -- films like 'Thirst,' 'The Host' and 'Train to Busan,'" he said. "So it felt like it was coming home in lots of ways."
