Jarasum Int’l Jazz Festival

The Jarasum International Jazz Festival, held on Jaraseom Island in Gapyeong, is a large-scale jazz festival that attracts over 100,000 visitors every year. With fresh autumn air and the island’s colorful mosaic as a backdrop, the festival will invite some 50 acts from Korea and abroad. Headliners of the four-day annual event include Ibrahim Maalouf, Madeleine Peyroux, Erik Truffaz Quartet, Abdullah Ibrahim, and the Steve Gadd Band. The event will kick off with Jo Young Deok Trio, who won the Jarasum International Jazz Concours 2012. PERIOD:...

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The 18th Busan Film Festival

The 18th edition of the Busan International Film Festival will run from from October 3 to 12, 2013. Opening on the first Thursday of October, BIFF will last for 10 days and cover two weekends. The Asian Film Market and Asian Project Market will take place from October 7-10, 2013. During the festival’s ten day run, the city hums with cinemaphiles, starlets, screen gods and other industry types. For those familiar with the Asian film scene in particular, it’s a great place to catch a glimpse of much admired film stars and idolized directors. However,...

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South Korea rebrands 'scariest place on Earth' FROM BBC

South Korea rebrands 'scariest place on Earth' By Lucy WilliamsonBBC News, Seoul The Demilitarised Zone in South Korea draws about 6.5 million visitors each year Continue reading the main story Related Stories N Korea pledges action on SouthWatch North Korea's missile programme Obama visits Korean DMZWatch As tourist sites go, the frontier between North and South Korea offers more than the usual souvenir T-shirt - though it sells those, too. A living piece of the Cold War, the so-called Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is guarded by a million soldiers...

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Explore the hidden attractions of Seochon

You may have heard of Bukchon, but how about Seochon? During the Joseon Dynasty the town located near the gate to the west of Gyeongbok palace was called Seochon, literally meaning “west village.”  Cheong Wa Dae and Chilgung behind it King Sejong was born in Seochon, and King Yeongjo lived there before he became the king. Most of the residents of Seochon were professionals such as interpreters or doctors. In the modern era, Seochon was the home to writers and artists, including Jeong Seon, Kim Jeong-hui and Lee Jung-seob. Seochon’s spider-web...

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Clubs of Note: Hidden Gems of the Jazz Scene

By Michael Berry  Mo Better Blues by Aaron Brown Although there are plenty of people quick to comment on the negative influence that more puerile forms of Western music have had on K-pop, it’s possible to find positive influences in other musical genres. Jazz, the music that Wynton Marsalis described as “the music of now” has reached across cultural boundaries to enter the Korean musical consciousness with a vigor unmatched in previous decades. If the true core of jazz music is best served through live performance, where are...

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