The Seoulite

Sasha Fierce she was. Beyonce completely rocked the stage at Olympic Stadium last week with her Seoul leg of her “I AM… Sasha Fierce” tour. The Seoulite’s good friend got us free passes and since it was just Tuesday… on we went.

First off we had to have dinner. So we went to the Family Mart convenience store in the park and ate ramen and boiled eggs! It was The Seoulite’s first time eating ramen while standing inside the store next to the instant coffees. Yummy yummy yummy. Maybe I was too excited about Beyonce to notice that I was getting instantly fat from the ramen.

Unfortunately it wasn't like this.

It was more like this.

I did a little research online before going to the concert. Being out of the states keeps The Seoulite at an arm’s distance from the latest music trends. Sasha said this concert and album represented her need to ‘grow artistically’. How many times have we heard that from pop princesses while the true artists will be discovered long after we’re dead? So I thought it would be an adequate evening to see some American-sized smoke and mirrors with some catchy music.

But BAM! Check out this opening y’all! Never seen something this cool in my life.

By the way f(x) who were supposed to open for Beyonce was a no show. According to sources there was a miscommunication between Beyonce’s concert promoter B4H and the artist herself.

Well, if the diva cancels the opening act, she better be getting herself ready to deliver! And that was the biggest surprise to The Seoulite. In an era of so much mediocrity, Beyonce’s performance was 110% of her magical spirit. So much beauty, humanity and grace flowed right from all those booty shakin’ moves right to the audience. She’s the real deal.

The Seoulite’s personal favorite: Irreplaceable

She be singing Happy Birthday to everyone too!

Tribute to Michael Jackson:

And one more tribute:

Oooh what a tease:

People were crying. Getting ugly-faced with their passion. All because they saw a light so bright and more beautiful than anything they’ve seen before. Really, it was that great.

Note: These are not The Seoulite’s videos. So please don’t attribute those cheesy comments in the background to him! He was making an even bigger fool of himself dancing to Single Ladies!

One note about the concert promoters. They put the venue as ‘Olympic Gym’ on the wristbands. This is the Olympic STADIUM. The 1988 OLYMPICS were held here for cryin’ out loud. It ain’t no high school gym. No wonder they messed up the opening act by f(x)!

Classical Concerts
Goyang City Choir’s Subscription Concert
Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Center
June 9
Under the baton of conductor Ham Shin-ik, Goyang City Choir will hold its 17th subscription concert. They will deliver Verdi’s “Requiem” with soprano Kim Young-mee, alto Lee Ah-kyung, tenor Na Seung-Seo and bass Yang Hee-jun. Tickets cost from 20,000 won to 60,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (031) 967-9155~7. Connected to exit Aramnuri of Jeongbalsan Station on subway line 3.

Kim Jung-eun Piano Recital
Hoam Art Hall
June 20
Pianist Kim Jung-eun will hold a recital. She will play works of Beethoven, Liszt and Brahms. Tickets are 30,000 won. For more information, visit www.credia.co.kr or call (02) 751-9609~10. Located near exit 9 of City Hall station on subway line 1 and 2.

Cellist Song Young-hoon’s “Original Tango”
Seoul Arts Center
June 21
Cellist Song Young-hoon will hold a concert titled “Original Tango” with pianist Pablo Zinger and clarinetist Jose Franch-Ballester. They will perform “A Concagua,” “Milonga Para Tres,” “Tango Callejero” and “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” among others. Tickets cost from 22,000 won to 88,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 2658-3546. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3.

Novus Quartet Concert
LG Arts Center
June 21
Novus Quartet, award-winning musicians from Korea National University of Arts, will hold a concert titled “The Truly Novus.” They will perform Wolf’s “Italian Serenade in G major,” Ravel’s “String Quartet in F major” and Beethoven’s “String Quartet No.15 in A minor Op.132.” Tickets cost from 20,000 won to 50,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 6372-3242. Located near exit 7 of Yeoksam Station on subway line 2.

Martin Stadtfeld Showcase
DS Hall
June 3
German pianist Martin Stadtfeld will visit Korea to promote his music. During the showcase, he will play various Bach works and sign autographs for fans. It’s free of charge and admission will be offered on a first come, first served basis. For more information, e-mail pr@vincero.co.kr or call (02) 599-5743. Located near exit 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal Station on subway line 3.

Takacs Quartet & Son Yeol-eum Concert
LG Arts Center
June 18
Takacs Quartet visits for a concert with pianist Son Yeol-eum joining as a special guest. The program includes “Haydn String Quartet Op. 77 No.2,” “Bartok String Quartet No. 4, Sz91” and “Schumann Piano Quintet Op. 44.” Tickets cost from 30,000 to 70,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 2005-0114. Located near exit 7 of Yeoksam Station on subway line 2.

Opera `Carmen’ Gala Concert
Seoul Arts Center
June 22
Prominent singers of Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater perform famous arias from Bizet’s opera “Carmen” to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the construction of CBS. Tickets cost from 30,000 to 100,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 2650-7480~2. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3.

Jerry Jae-il Chae’s Clarinet Recital
Hoam Art Hall
June 17
Clarinetist Jerry Jae-il Chae, winner of the 2008 Dos Hermanas International Clarinet Competition, will hold a recital. The program includes Henri Rabaud’s “Solo de Concours,” Schumann’s “Fantasiestucke for Clarinet and Piano, Op.73” and Brahms’ “Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano in A minor, Op. 114.” All tickets are 20,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-1555. Located near exit 9 of City Hall station on subway line 1 and 2.

Kim Jun-hee’s Piano Recital
Hoam Art Hall
June 19
Pianist Kim Jun-hee, a prize winner of 2007 Concours Long-Thibaud, will hold a recital. He will offer various works including Bartok’s “Two Rumanian Dances for Piano, Op.8/a” and Chopin’s “Barcarolle in F flat Major, Op.60.” All tickets are 20,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-1555. Located near exit 9 of City Hall Station on subway line 1 and 2.

Pipe Organ Meets Handel
Sejong Center for the Performing Arts
June 27
rganist David Sanger will deliver a variety of Handel’s works including “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba,” “Zadok the Priest,” “Oboe Concerto in B flat, HWV 301″ and “Organ Concerto, Opus 7 No.5 in G minor” with the Seoul Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and the Grande Opera Choir. Oboist Lee Yun-jung and cembalo player Lee Seung-hee will appear as special guests. Tickets cost from 10,000 to 50,000 won. For more, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 399-1618. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3.

Lendvay & Friends’ Concert
Seoul Arts Center
June 1
Hungarian gypsy violinist Jozsef Lendvay and his quintet will return to Korea. The program includes Leo Weiner’s Divertimento” and Vittorio Monti’s “Csardas,” among others. Tickets range from 33,000 to 88,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-1555. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3.

Ditto’s Ditto Carnival
Seoul Arts Center
June 27
Chamber ensemble Ditto greets its third season with “Ditto Carnival” as a part of “Ditto Festival.” Popular young artists, including violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill, violinist Johnny Lee, double bassist Daxun Zhang and cellist Patrick Jee, will perform Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” Suite, Op. 71a and Saint-Saens’ “The Carnival Of Animals.” Tickets range from 20,000 to 50,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-1555. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3.

Big Tickets
Shim Su-bong’s “Beautiful Day”
Sejong Center for the Performing Arts
June 17-18
Famous singer Shim Su-bong will hold a concert titled “Beautiful Day” to celebrate her 30th anniversary of debut. Tickets cost from 33,000 won to 120,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 522-9933. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3.

Encore Opera `My Cup of Flours’
National Theater of Korea
May 30-31
Under the direction of filmmaker Park Su-gil, the original domestic opera “My Cup of Flours” will be on stage again from May 30 to 31. Tickets cost from 20,000 to 100,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 586-0945. Located near Dongguk Univ. Station on subway line 3.

Opera `Norma’
Seoul Arts Center
June 25-28
The National Opera Company will perform “Norma.” This will be a rare chance to see Vincenzo Bellini’s work in Korea. Tickets cost from 10,000 to 100,000 won. For more information, visit www.nationalopera.org or call (02) 586-5282. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3.

The Pussycat Dolls Live in Seoul
Olympic Cycling Stadium, Olympic Park
June 6
American pop group Pussycat Dolls will hold their first concert in Seoul, as part of their “Doll Domination” world tour. Tickets cost from 80,000 to 150,000 won. For more information, call CP Entertainment (02) 545-5395 or email cp.ent.mail@gmail.com. Located near exit 3 of Olympic Park Station on subway line 5.

Opera `La Boheme’
Seoul Arts Center
Through May 30
Under the direction of Yang Soo-hwa and Bang Jeong-ug, Gloria Opera Group will perform “La Boheme” with the Gangnam Symphony Orchestra, the Operaphil Chorus and the Song-pa Children’s Chorus. Tickets cost from 30,000 to 200,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 543-2351. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3.

Opera `Tosca’
Sejong Center for the Performing Arts
June 4-7
The Korea Opera Group will perform “Tosca” under the direction of Pier Luigi Pizzi and Massimo Gasparon. Tickets cost from 30,000 to 310,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 587-1950~2. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3.

Ennio Morricone’s `Cinema Concerto Part II’
Gymnastics Stadium, Olympic Park
Through 27
Legendary Italian composer-conductor Ennio Morricone returns to offer more of his film scores from beloved movies such as “Cinema Paradiso.” Tickets cost from 50,000 to 160,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.auction.co.kr or call (02) 3444-9969. Located near exit 3 of Olympic Park Station on subway line 5.

Russian National Orchestra
Seoul Arts Center
June 30
Internationally renowned conductor Mikhail Pletnev and the Russian National Orchestra will visit Korea from June 29 to July 1. They will perform in three cities including Seoul. Tickets cost from 50,000 to 180,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 541-6235. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3.

Museums
Egypt, the Great Civilization
National Museum of Korea
Through Aug. 30
The National Museum of Korea presents 231 artifacts chosen from `Egypt-Oriental Collection” from Kunsthistorisches Museum of Austria, covering 300 years of Egyptian civilization. Tickets cost from 10,000 won for adults and 8,000 won for children. For more information, call (02) 2077-9199. Located near exit 2 of Ichon Station on subway line 4.

Special Exhibition for Donated Cultural Assets
National Museum of Korea
Through July 12
The National Museum of Korea presents 200 valuable cultural assets donated by various collectors worldwide. Autographed music by composer Ahn Eak-tai will also be displayed. Located near exit 2 of Ichon Station on subway line 4.

Dance
2009 World Ballet Star Festival
Seoul Arts Center
June 4-5
International ballet stars from around the world will appear at the 2009 World Ballet Star Festival. This will be a rare chance to see the finest dancers, such as Polina Semionova of the Staatsballet Berlin, Friedemann Vogel of the Stuttgart Ballet, Yekaterina Osmolkina of the Kirov Ballet and Viengsay Valdes of the Cuban National Ballet. Tickets cost from 30,000 to 200,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 751-9630. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3.

Lena Park Concert
LG Arts Center
July 1-5

As a part of Adiologie concert series, R&B singer Lena Park will hold a concert. She will entertain fans with beautiful vocals. Tickets cost from 44,000 won to 88,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 3485-8700. Located near exit 7 of Yeoksam station on subway line 2.

Wheesung Live Concert
LG Arts Center
June 4-7
Singer Wheesung will hold a concert titled “The Man.” He will entertain fans with his rhythmical music. Tickets cost from 70,000 to 99,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 517-0394. Located near exit 7 of Yeoksam station on subway line 2.

Mocca Live in Seoul
Mapo Arts Center
June 21
Indonesian group Mocca will visit Korea with Peppertones and Lee Han-cheol joining as special guests. Tickets cost from 44,000 won to 66,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 322-0014. Located near exit 2 of Daeheung station on subway line 6.

George Winston’s Summer Concert
Seoul Arts Center
June 23
Jazz pianist George Winston will hold a concert titled “Summer Concert.” He will play “New Orleans Rise Again #4,” “Cat & Mouse,” “Urban Lullaby” and “Pixie” among others. Tickets cost from 30,000 to 120,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 548-4480. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3.

Bobby Kim’s Encore Concert
Auditorium, Yonsei University
May 30-31
Soul vocalist Bobby Kim will perform his hit songs including “Mama” and “Only you,” among others. Tickets cost from 66,000 to 77,000 won. Visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 512-9496. Located near exits 2 and 3 of Sinchon Station on subway line 2.

European Jazz Trio Live in Seoul
LG Arts Center
June 20
The European Jazz Trio will host a concert here after a nine-year absence, entertaining fans with their romantic sounds. Tickets cost from 22,000 to 88,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 720-3933. Located near exit 7 of Yeoksam Station on subway line 2.

Plays & Musicals

Grease
Dongsoong Art Center
Open Run
The musical tells the love story of high school students Danny and Sandy. Enjoy the rock and roll performance. Tickets cost from 40,000 to 60,000 won. Visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-1555. Located near exit 1 of Hyehwa Station on subway line 4.

Dreamgirls
Charlotte Theater
Through July 26
The Broadway musical “Dreamgirls” makes its big debut in Korea. The musical tells the story of a young female singing trio, called “The Dreams,” who become music superstars. Tickets cost from 40,000 to 130,000 won. Visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-1555. Located near exit 3 of Jamsil Station on subway lines 2 and 8.

My Scary Girl
The Stage
Through July 19
“My Scary Girl,” based on the Korean film of the same title, is now on stage at The Stage. All tickets are 45,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-1555. Located near exit 3 of Sinchon Station on subway line 2.

Chicago
Seongnam Arts Center
June 5-29
Based on a 1926 play of the same name, the hit musical “Chicago” will be put on stage at Seongnam Arts Center June 5-29. Veteran musical actor Choi Jung-won, singers Insooni and Ock Ju-hyun star in the musical. Tickets cost from 40,000 won to 110,000 won. For more information, visit www.musicalchicago.co.kr or call 1544-8117 or 1544-1555. Located near exit 1 of Imae Station on the Bundang subway line.

Mamma Mia!
National Theater of Korea
June 21 - July 23
Musical “Mamma Mia!,” based on hit songs of ABBA, such as “Dancing Queen” and “Waterloo,” is currently in Korean production. Tickets cost from 40,000 won to 120,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1544-1555. Located near Dongguk Univ. Station on subway line 3.

Romeo & Juliette
Seoul Arts Center
July 4- August 2
Musical “Romeo & Juliette” will be put on stage at Seoul Arts Center July 4- Aug.2. It will be adapted into Korean language. Musical actors Shin Sung-rok, Im Tae-kyung, Kim So-hyun and Park So-yeon star in the musical. Tickets cost from 55,000 won to 150,000 won. For more information, visit www.romeonjuliette.com or call 1588-5212. Located near exits 4 and 5 of Nambu Bus Terminal on subway line 3.

* Info from the Korea Times

The Seoulite is expanding his online offerings… now all kpop fans can unite… and date each other! Tired of so-gae-ting? Want to find someone new? Need to just waste some time online by flirting with fellow kpop fans? Well, well, well… go to my new website: www.kpopsingles.com.

Everything is free. You can chat, send messages, do video conferencing and even browse through the kpop zone. We’re just getting started so if anyone wants to volunteer to update the kpop pages with more recent stars, let me know. I only put up my favorites from back in the day…!

A love like this... how romantic.

The 10th Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) kicks off its nine-day run today in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province with “Short! Short! Short! 2009,” a digital omnibus film created by 10 up-and-coming Korean directors.

The opener “Short! Short! Short! 2009″ illustrates the festival’s identity as a key venue for experimental filmmakers in Asia by providing a humorous yet thought-provoking glimpse into today’s Korean society and its obsession with money.

http://eng.jiff.or.kr/

It’s been only 2 months since he debuted, but Tae Goon (태군) is going overseas. He will be on his way to continue the Korean Wave. He recently concluded his promo activities here in Korea for his debut track Call Me and will launch promo activities in Pattaya and Bangkok in Thailand from March 21-22 under the title ‘Call Me Tae Goon’.

Tae Goon will also perform 'My Girl' there for the first time. The trip will also see to the launch of his official fan club in Thailand and a fan meeting marking the establishment of his official website.

His schedule includes an appearance on 9 Entertain, on Thailand's Channel 9, and on the nationwide radio station Seed 97.5, as well as interviews with newspapers and magazines. MTV will also trail him throughout the trip to cover the entire itinerary.

Singer SEVEN has revealed a teaser video for his US debut track, ‘Girls’. The video was released through his Myspace page and the full video is to be released on the 10th, local time, or 11th
Korea time.

The 38 second long teaser video showed entering a club with sexy women. Fans are saying that he looks more mature and masculine. ‘Girls’ was produced by renown US producer Dark Child and has also drawn attention for Lil’ Kim’s participation. The song will be released through some 200 online music sites including iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon and Napster.

Birth name Choi Dong-Wook
Born November 9, 1984 (1984-11-09) (age 24)[1]
Origin Seoul, South Korea
Genre(s) K-pop, J-pop, R&B, Pop
Occupation(s) singer, actor, dancer
Years active 2003–present
Label(s) YG Entertainment (South Korea)
NEXSTAR Records (Japan)
Gold Label Records (Hong Kong)
21 East Entertainment (China)
EMI (Taiwan)
GMMInternational (Thailand)
Website Hello7.com
Hello7.jp

Choi Ji Woo (최지우) who shot to stardom in 2002 for her lead role in Winter Sonata (겨울연가) has been reportedly been dating lesser-known star Lee Jin Wook (이진욱) for the past 2 years. The two have not denied the reports, but they aren’t speaking up either.

According to reports, the two had met on the set of a Korean drama Air City in 2007, and became a couple. Sources say that Lee gave Choi chocolates a day after Valentine’s Day because of their conflicting schedules. But like a Seoulite knight, he had the chocolates delivered in his Porsche. Sounds like he wasn’t in the car then… eh?

Choi and her co-star Bae Yong Joon (배용준) became one of the first Hallyu stars thanks to Winter Sonata. Now fans are crushed that their fantasy of the Winter Sonata characters’ love must remain in their imaginations.

Miley Cyrus… Hannah Montana… bigot.
She made chinky eyes in a recent photo.
Another Asian guy was in the group picture.
Americans said it’s no big deal because everyone does it.
Who exactly is ‘everyone’?
‘Everyone’s’ proof that it wasn’t racist?
There was an Asian guy in the photo!
That must mean all Asians think it’s ‘okay.’

I’ve been in pictures like this more than once before.
And never once did I think it was ‘okay’ after I saw the photos.

America… please use some of the economic stimulus package for ignorance education.
If you’re going to send the country into massive debt.
Please get rid of some of the stupidity in the process.
There may be a rising division between rich and poor.
But the war on poverty should include the starving intellect of the middle class.

Imagine if she offended blacks or Jews.
She’d make more than a half-attempted apology.
People should just admit Asians have no power in America.
The debate centers around whether Asians have the ‘right’ to be upset.
That’s scary.
Everyone should have the ‘right’ to have an opinion in a democracy.
Except Asians.
For now.

Below is poignant advice on how to call someone out in these modern times. Well said brotha!~

Singer Son Dam Bi (손담비) is gearing up for her move into Hollywood with a role in a sitcom here in Korea. In a cameo apperance on That Person’s Coming (그 분이 오신다), she’ll be playing a singer, and a younger sister of Jeon Jin (전진), who plays a broadcasting program director in the show.

In the episode, she creates the song Crazy (미쳤어) by looking at the family members of Jeon Jin's (전진) on screen girlfriend, Suh Young Hee (서영희).

Her appearance in the sitcom is drawing attention because it's like a warm-up prior to the filming of her hollywood debut movie, Hype Nation.

Makers of the sitcom said that they had initially just seen her as a singer, but she also appears to be a skilled actor.

Meanwhile, filming of the Universal Studios pic Hype Nation will begin in April or May. In the film she plays a dancer who's the little sister of a gambler.

Who's playing the brother? East of Eden's Dennis O’Neil. He was born in 1981 to a Korean mother and a former American GI father. He is known in South Korea as Dennis Oh.

Still don’t know why Son Dam Bi is famous? Here’s the ubiquitous song ‘Crazy’.

Hi, I’m Sean Lim, an American expat living in South Korea.  This is my blog about becoming a Seoulite.

What is a Seoulite?
A ‘Seoulite’ (서울깍쟁이) is a citizen of Seoul, just as a ‘New Yorker’ is a citizen of New York. Of course the label ‘Seoulite’ doesn’t simply denote a place of residence [...]