Seoul Selection is looking for talented and experienced English translators and copyeditors. Those interested should send a resume and cover letter to atoz@seoulselection.com
2015 Coffee Expo Seoul Korea’s coffee industry under one roof
Coffee lovers will want to check out Coffee Expo Seoul 2015, Korea’s premier coffee-related event. On display will be hundreds of varieties of premium coffees and teas from around the world, every coffee ingredient you can think of, the latest in coffee-making equipment and technology, lots of gourmet foods and and franchise and shop supplies.
Co-hosted with the Korean Coffee Association, the expo is an opportunity to see the entire Korean coffee industry under one roof. Over the last seven years, Korea’s coffee industry has exploded – Korea now ranks as the world’s 11th largest coffee market, and the country is home to over 12,300 coffee shops. What makes the Korean coffee industry particularly interesting is the emergence of new coffee tastes and trends particular to the country.
And don’t miss the World Super Barista Championship!
VENUE: COEX Hall 1 PERIOD: Apr. 9–12 MORE INFO: coffeeexposeoul.com GETTING THERE: Samseong Station, Line 2
AROUND THE WEB
A miscellany of high-quality hyperlinks from the week, courtesy of SEOUL editor-in-chief Robert Koehler
What better way is there to enjoy spring than by dancing to delightful music? Pink Martini is a pop-jazz ensemble formed in Portland, Oregon, that is sure to gratify the senses. The group calls itself a âlittle orchestraâ and features guitar, violin, bass, vocal, cello, trombone, trumpet, percussion and piano. Performing a diverse repertoire of music melding genres such as classical, jazz, world, pop and Latin jazz, even those not familiar with instrumental music will likely have heard their first single âSympathique,â which became an overnight sensation in France. This event will be a standing concert, so be prepared to dance to the bandâs buoyant sounds.
VENUE: Olympic Hall, Olympic Park DATE: April 8, 20:00 MORE INFO: T. 02-599-5743, www.olympicpark.co.kr ADMISSION: KRW 40,000-120,000 GETTING THERE: Olympic Park Station ì¬ë¦¼í½ê³µìì (Line 5), Exit 3
Ceremony 64
The National Dance Company of Korea will stage their new work âCeremony 64,â a piece that will showcase dances that were done in Korean traditional ceremonies and rituals. This style of traditional dance is one of the earliest forms of dancing in human history. Forty members of the dance company will reinterpret dances that were done in harvest ceremony, royal ancestral rites and Buddhist chants, transforming them into contemporary art.
VENUE: National Theater of Korea PERIOD: April 9-11 MORE INFO: T. 02-2280-4114/6, www.ntok.go.kr ADMISSION: KRW 20,000-70,000 GETTING THERE: Dongguk Univ. Station ëëì 구 (Line 3), Exit 2
Dreamgirls: The Musical
Before it was made into a motion picture in 2006, âDreamgirlsâ was a Broadway-hit musical that debuted in 1981. Broadway crews and Korean producers have gathered to adapt the musical as a Korean-language production, retaining the groove of classic R&B songs such as âListenâ and âOne Night Onlyâ with a new stage concept. The Korean production revives the retro feel of the late â60s and early â70s and incorporates pop-art in its design and lighting. While the original show focused on the drama and heartbreak of the entertainment business, this updated incarnation delves into the love, friendship and forgiveness between performers who find themselves pitted against one another.
VENUE: Charlotte Theater PERIOD: Thru May 25 MORE INFO: T. 1644-0078, www.charlottetheater.co.kr ADMISSION: KRW 60,000-140,000 GETTING THERE: Jamsil Station ì ì¤ì (Lines 2 or 8), Exit 3. Walk straight ahead past Lotte Department Store and cross the street. Walk straight and turn right.
YEOL Lecture: An Ever-Evolving Image: Representing the Ideal Korean Woman in K-Pop
This will be a highly interactive presentation in which we will watch a number of music videos and together make observations about what we perceive is the underlying message being portrayed in the images we are presented, focusing primarily on the representations of âidealâ men and women. This topic has long been of interest for several reasons, including the dichotomy between what was once accepted on stage, but not in public; the portrayal of women on popular music television shows and later music videos; and the power of the production companies in Korea.
VENUE: Education room (1st floor), Seoul Museum of History DATE: April 13, 11:30 AM to 1 PM MORE INFO: T. 02-745-5878, info@yeol.org ADMISSION: Free GETTING THERE: Walk 600 m from Exit 4 of Seodaemun Station.
RASKB Excursion: From Temple to Spaceship: A Walk Through Dongmyo and Dongdaemun
Although itâs a popular destination for wholesale shopping, there are many areas of the Dongmyo-Dongdaemun district that are little-known to foreigners and even to some Koreans. This excursion will explore both some of the hidden corners and the major sights of this historic yet gritty part of Seoul.
VENUE: Seoul DATE: Apr. 4 MORE INFO: See this link. ADMISSSION: KRW 20,000 for members, KRW 25,000 for non-members GETTING THERE: See link above.
EVERYDAY KOREANS
Pimatgol alleyway on a rainy night, Photo by Robert Koehler.
NOTIFICATIONS
Seoul Selection’s Free Book Giveaway – Our free book give-away continues! Check out the list in last week’s newsletter here.
Seoul Selection Offline Bookshop Sale –One of the greatest repositories of Korea-related English-language books anywhere, Seoul Selection is offering a 10% sale on any and all books published by Seoul Selection purchased from our OFFLINE bookshop next to Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Looking for Translators – Seoul Selection is looking for a few good translators (Korean to English) for general translation work. Those interested should send a resume and cover letter to Kyehyun at atoz@seoulselection.com. Experienced translators only.
Seoul Selection eBooks – You can purchase some Seoul Selection titles in ebook format via Amazon.com (for Kindle) and Apple’s iBookstore. Titles include Ask a Korean Dude, Moon Tides, Doing Business in Korea, Once Around the Sun, and seven volumes of our Korean Film Directors series: BONG Joon-ho, IM Kwon-taek, KIM Jee-woon, LEE Chang-dong, LEE Man-hee, PARK Chan-wook, and SHIN Sang-ok.
Send Your Event Info – If you would like to advertise any upcoming events you are organizing, please send us the press release material at pubco@seoulselection.com by the preceding Friday in order for it to appear in the following Tuesday’s issue.
Freelance Contributors Wanted – SEOUL Magazine needs writers who are fluent in both Korean and English. Writers should have a strong interest in Korean culture and be able to interview Koreans. Send your resume and writing samples to english@seoulselection.com.
We Buy & Sell Used Books – Seoul Selection buys and sells used books in English. Unlike our regular selection of publications that specialize in Korea-related topics, our Used Book section carries books on all subjects. It’s all part of our effort to make life easier for the English-speaking community.