What makes this photo exhibit particularly special is perhaps best summarized by Sun Il, the curator of Seoul National University Museum: “Koreans could finally see themselves from their own perspective, and they could turn from objects captured on film to the subjects who record. They could finally begin to create their own memories about themselves. This is why we should pay attention to these photographs. This is why they are invaluable.”
Read MoreOn Saturday, September 8, about 120 people gathered at the Flushing Town Hall for a magical evening of traditional Korean dance and music performed by members of the Korean Traditional Music and Dance Institute of New York (KTMDI) and led by sisters Yusun Kang and Hosun Kang. Titled “Yusun and Hosun Kang’s Korean Traditional Dance and Beyond,” the show featured six unique performances that showcased the beauty, depth, and breadth of traditional Korean music and dance.
Read MoreJudges included Jung Bong Choi, a professor of cinema studies at NYU; Hee Jun Han, who finished in 9th place on this year’s American Idol; Donnie Kwak, senior editor of ESPN The Magazine; and Benjamin Meadows-Ingram, music editor at Billboard magazine. Hee Jun Han also gave a special vocal performance of “When a Man Loves a Woman” at the end of the festival, to which the audience applauded enthusiastically.
Read MoreEvery once in a while, there comes along a movie that is so powerful and shocking that it leaves an indelible impact on an entire nation and even generates social change.
Read MoreKorean superstar actors Ha Jung-woo (The Chaser, Nameless Gangsters) and Jang Hyuk (Windstruck, Volcano High) star in this 2011 suspenseful crime thriller directed by Sohn Young-sung.
Read MoreI was lucky to catch up with Ms. Jung the day before her concert for an interview, during which I learned so much about traditional Korean folk music and its evolution in North and South Korea.
Read MoreOn Tuesday, July 10th, about 250 people piled into two theatres at Tribeca Cinemas (54 Varick Street) to watch the free screening of director Ryu Hoon’s Secret Love (Korean title: Bimilae), presented jointly by the Korean Cultural Service and The New York Asian Film Festival. The audience was treated with an appearance by the beautiful lead actress herself, Ms. Yoon Jin-Seo, who is only 28 years old but already a veteran of the Korean film industry, with roles in numerous Korean blockbusters including A Good Day to Have an Affair (2007), Beastie Boys (2007), All for Love (2005) and Oldboy (2003).
Read MoreOn June 30, 2012, a press conference was held with veteran Korean actor Choi Min Sik at the Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery of the Lincoln Center as part of the 2012 New York Asian Film Festival. For half an hour, the media had the chance to get up close and personal with the star of several Korean films featured in the festival, most notably Oldboy.
Read MoreFor a long time now, I’ve been feeling frustrated at the way that many Koreans and foreigners alike view Korea (and yes, I mean the southern half, in case anyone was wondering).
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