LONDON (AP) ― Fighting back tears, singer George Michael appeared outside his London home Friday to acknowledge that he had nearly died during his month-long battle with pneumonia.He said it had been “touch and go” while he was in the intensive care unit of a Vienna hospital battling an extremely dangerous form of pneumonia but that his representatives had “played it down” to avoid alarming his fans.“They spent three weeks keeping me alive basically,” said the singer, who appeared to have lost w

Television Dec. 25, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) ― Sandra Bullock wasn’t looking to return to acting when Stephen Daldry called about “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.”Bullock’s last film, 2009’s “The Blind Side,” was the kind of career apogee of which most actresses dream, winning her a best actress Academy Award in what essentially amounted to a coronation of Bullock as America’s most beloved female movie star.But the accomplishment ― which would normally be followed by a wave of projects to capitalize on the momentum ― was s

Film Dec. 25, 2011

Jenkins creates her own genre in 8th album Katherine Jenkins“Daydream” (Warner Music)While “junior Sarah Brightman” might not be the worst nickname for a popera diva, Katherine Jenkins may have longed for a chance to establish her own identity. The Welsh musician does more than that in her eighth studio album “Daydream,” which sees the record-breaking multi-platinum-selling mezzo soprano not only returning to her musical roots, but creating her very own musical genre once and for all. As her mos

Culture Dec. 23, 2011

Although most feel the urge to offer a helping hand to the poor and the homeless at this time of year, fewer people have been able to open their wallets due to the lingering impact of the economic downturn, unemployment and inflation over the past few years. None of this seemed to matter, however, to a gray-haired couple who made a repeat visit to the Salvation Army building in central Seoul this week to donate 200 million won (about $180,000). The couple in their 90s, who refused to disclose th

Culture Dec. 21, 2011

Local, global producers increasingly take part in the search for new talentWith the world-wide popularity of Korean pop music, local auditions to find new singers are becoming bigger, serving as a golden ticket for producers and musician aspirants alike. Audition programs became big in Korea following the success of “Superstar K: Season 1,” which was aired on cable channel M.net beginning July 2009. The program’s success led major broadcasters MBC and SBS to start their own programs “Star Auditi

Culture Dec. 21, 2011

Actress Kim Hye-ja will receive the first artist award established by the Shin Young-kyun Arts and Culture Foundation for her work on screen as well as charity activities, the foundation said Tuesday. Kim, the heroine of director Bong Joon-ho’s crime film “Mother,” will be the first winner of the “Beautiful Artist Award” established by the foundation this year. The Shin Young-kyun foundation was set up in October last year, based on a donation made by the veteran actor and former legislator Shin

Culture Dec. 20, 2011

The Korean Culture and Information Service published “K-Classics: A New Presence on the World’s Musical Stage” on Monday, as the last publication in its English-language book series for foreigners to better understand Korean culture. The fourth book highlights the growing influence of young Korean classical musicians who have been bagging top prizes at international competitions, including the Queen Elisabeth International Competition and the International Tchaikovsky Competition. The full-color

Culture Dec. 19, 2011

Over the past four decades, the Korea Culture and Information Service has grown into an organization with 24 overseas offices, promoting the nation’s culture and image all over the world.The state-run organization held a festival on Monday to celebrate its 40th anniversary, entertaining some 400 guests from in and out of the country with photographs of Korea’s past and present, performances by K-pop stars and Korean modern dancers, and a fashion show of Korea’s traditional hanbok. The Monday’s f

Culture Dec. 19, 2011

Actress Lee Yoon-mi speaks on joys of sharingOf the 24 children she has all over the world, Lee Yoon-mi gave birth to only one. But to this actress, who says she has experienced the miracle of sharing many times, all 24 children are equally precious.Lee, currently the leading character in the musical “The Golden Days,” has been sponsoring the children via Compassion Korea, where she has been especially active in helping newborns to 3-year-olds. “It’s no longer an issue of me helping them. I’m th

Culture Dec. 16, 2011

Theater“Guess How Much I Love You”: Korean adaptation of “Guess How Much I Love You,” a musical based on children’s book of the same title by British writer Sam McBratney, is being staged once again in Seoul. The show premiered in Korea in January at Wonderspace Triangle Theater in Daehangno, Seoul, and was staged in more than eight venues nationwide, including KBS Ulsan Hall and MBC Art Hall in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. A story of two hares telling how much they love each other, the

Culture Dec. 16, 2011

University of Hawaii professor Sohn receives 3rd Korea Foundation award As a scholar who has spent the past four decades studying his mother-tongue and language in general, professor Sohn Ho-min should know what he’s talking about when he says Korean is the world’s most superior language. “When we say Korean is superior, we are basing this on scientific examination. The Korean language’s method of making sound through a combination of vowels and consonants is very scientific and economical, even

Culture Dec. 15, 2011

Despite more than 100,000 Facebook fans and nearly 20 million plays on MySpace, British singer-songwriter Joe Brooks is humble enough to say he has “yet to reach the top” and is “still on his way up” at the age of 24. But when it comes to writing songs, the young musician makes it clear that he is pretty sure of what he’s doing. “It inspires me to dig below the surface and look honestly at myself,” Brooks said in an email interview with The Korea Herald. “The core of what I do is a burning need

Culture Dec. 15, 2011