Sep 4, 2013 / Issue No. 596
American Idiot
Adaptation of Green Day’s rock opera comes to Korea with orginal cast
The Broadway musical American Idiot will be staged with its original cast and production staff, led by director Michael Mayer. The musical is a one-act, through-sung stage musical, an adaptation of punk rock band Green Day’s rock opera of the same name. The story centers on three disaffected young men, Johnny, Will, and Tunny. Johnny and Tunny flee a stifling suburban lifestyle and parental restrictions, while Will stays home to work out his relationship with his pregnant girlfriend. The screenplay was jointly written by Billie Joe Armstrong and Mayer.
PERIOD: Sep 5–22
VENUE: Blue Square
ADMISSION: KRW 60,000–150,000
MORE INFO: www.bluesquare.kr
GETTING THERE: Hangangjin Station (Line 6), Exit 3
Around the Web
A miscellany of high-quality hyperlinks from the week, courtesy of SEOUL editor-in-chief Robert Koehler.
– CJ’s Miky Lee talks with Wired.
– The Gyeongju culture expo kicks off in Istanbul.
– Dennis Rodman is back in North Korea.
– Park Chan-kyung’s “Manshin” tells the tale of a Korean shaman.
– Dale goes to Golgulsa, famous for its unique martial art.
Events
European Jazz Festival 2013
European Jazz Festival 2013 is devoted to showcasing Europe’s latest jazz scene through recitals and collaborative sessions by eight stellar acts from six European countries. The list of the performers includes Espen Eriksen of Norway, Ulf Wakenius of Sweden, Martin Taylor of the UK, and the Pierrik Pedron trio of France. Although jazz originated from America, the genre was popular in Europe from its earliest days. There was also a number of prominent American jazz musicians who migrated and moved their careers to various European capitals.
PERIOD: Sep 6–7
VENUE: Mapo Art Center
ADMISSION: KRW 40,000–80,000
MORE INFO: T. 010-2693-1632
GETTING THERE: Daeheung Station (Line 6), Exit 2
Boombap Trohh Korea 2013
The Boombap Trohh Korea 2013 is cited as Korea’s first hip-hop/dubstep festival. Dubstep, an electronic music genre where the bass and drum is notably powerful, is sometimes referred to as “electronic heavy metal.” The festival will also feature acoustic rock, street dance, art exhibitions, and fashion trends. Along with American hip-hop artist A$AP ROCKY, Dubstep DJ, and other international acts, top-tier local artists such as Deepflow, Babynine, Dead’ P, JTONG, and MASKUZ will join the festival.
PERIOD: Sep 6–8
VENUE: Songdo Geunlin Park, Incheon
ADMISSION: KRW 55,000–130,000
MORE INFO: http://boombaptrohh.com
GETTING THERE: Int’l Business District Station (Incheon Subway), Exit 1
ECM Music Festival
Celebrated artists affiliated with the ECM label will hold a series of concerts during the multiday ECM Music Festival. On Sep 3, American guitarist Ralph Towner will team up with vocalist Shin Yeah-won. Grammy Award-winning American violist Kim Kashkashian will hold a recital, and British jazz singer and lyricist Norma Winstone will sing a select rendition from her albums Distances and Stories Yet to Tell on Sep 5 and 6, respectively. Maestro Chung Myung-whun will lead the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra to collaborate with pianist Andras Schiff and oboist Heinz Holliger on Sep 7.
PERIOD: Sep 3–7
VENUE: Seoul Arts Center
ADMISSION: KRW 30,000–150,000
MORE INFO: T. 1577-5266
GETTING THERE: Nambu Bus Terminal Station (Line 3), Exit 5
Block 15
French pianist Pascal Amoyel is widely known for his pioneering work in the development of theatrical concerts, as evidenced by the 2005 work he cowrote, Block 15, performed with cellist Emmanuelle Bertrand. The duo will come to Seoul to present Block 15. The concert production depicts the story of two musicians saved by music during the Second World War. Amoyel is famous for his performances of solo piano music by Liszt, Chopin, and Scriabin.
DATE: Sep 10
ADMISSION: Seoul Arts Center
ADMISSION: KRW 33,000–77,000
MORE INFO: T. 02-720-3933
GETTING THERE: Nambu Bus Terminal Station (Line 3), Exit 5
RASKB: 6 Days in Beijing/Xian for Chuseok
Join the RAS on a trip to Beijing and Xian during the Chuseok Holidays. We leave on the Saturday prior and return on the day of Chuseok, so that you have a couple extra days for rest and relaxation before going back to your regular routine. We have 15 spaces available and a several seats are already being held, but we would love to have many of our members join on this special trip. Reserve a space for yourself soon by emailing royalasiatickorea@gmail.com with your full name(s) and scanned copy of your passport.
DATE: Sep 14—19
COST: Member Price: KRW 1,600,000 (shared) / KRW 1,820,000 (single)
MORE INFO: See this link.
Everyday Koreans

Olympic Park

A couple does the heart sign atop the hill behind Olympic Park’s famous Lonely Tree. Photo by Robert Koehler.
*Click the photo to see a full-size version at our website.
NOTE: If you have a photo you would like to see in our Everyday Koreans section, please sent it to story@seoulselection.com. Photos should be AT LEAST 950px wide. Send a one-line bio, too.
Notifications
Tell Us About ‘Your Korea’: If you’re a longtime resident of Korea and would like to share your story in KOCIS’s KOREA Magazine, shoot an email with your story idea to book@seoulselection.com.
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 trans@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 book@seoulselection.com by the preceding Friday in order for it to appear in the following Tuesday’s issue.

Freelance Contributors WantedSEOUL 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 book@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.
SEOUL Magazine
SEOUL (September 2013)

Buy Books at Seoul Selection’s ONLINE Bookshop!
Sponsors
Recommended
Conversations with Ban KI-Moon- What the United Nations Is Really Like: The View from the Top
Happiness for Sale
New Books
History of Korean Architecture
Easy Korean for Foreigners 1
Easy Korean for Foreigners 1 Work Book
Pays lointains, Pays voisins: La Corée
Native Speaker
New DVDs
My Paparotti
An Ethics Lesson
Montage
Fists of Legend
Miracle in Cell No. 7
Publisher: Hank Kim / Editor: Robert Koehler
Seoul Selection reserves all intellectual property rights on information provided in this newsletter. Some event information has been provided by the Korea Foundation. The IPRs are protected by pertinent laws
Seoul Selection Web Site: https://www.seoulselection.com
e-mail: hankinseoul@gmail.com tel: 734-9567 fax: 734-9563