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Korea Herald
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
'Nikola Tesla' triumphs as DIMF closes 18-day celebration of musical theater
Chinese musical 'Panda,' new musical 'Shakespiece' win awards The 19th Daegu International Musical Festival, Korea's leading global musical theater event, concluded its 18-day run Monday with awards recognizing outstanding productions and talents from both Korea and abroad. The grand prize was awarded to Hungarian production "Nikola Tesla: Infinite Energy," which tells the story of the 19th-century inventor using modern stage technology. The award for original musical went to "Shakespiece," a Korean production developed through DIMF's support program, which imagines the possibility that Shakespeare may not have been a single author. The award for a foreign production was given to Chinese musical "Panda," which closed the festival. The Korean-Chinese co-production uses music, physical performance and set design to follow a panda family's journey, delivering a message of coexistence and environmental awareness. In the performance categories, Jang Eun-joo was recognized as best leading actress for her role in "My Love Oksoon," portraying a woman living with dementia with subtle, sustained emotion. Best leading actor was awarded to Song Yoo-taek in "Seol Gong Chan" for his portrayal of a legendary character from folklore and Shin Jae-beom for "Sidis: The Right to Be Forgotten" for his portrayal of mathematician William Sidis. Emerging performers were also recognized, with Son Woo-hyun and Solji of K-pop girl group EXID receiving awards recognizing new actors for "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" and "Hero," respectively. The College Musical Festival, DIMF's student section, awarded its top prize to Dankook University's "Elaborate Lives." The festival also recognized works by Chung-Ang University, Kyungsung University, Hansei University and Baekseok University, acknowledging the continued development of young talent within Korea's musical theater scene. The Asung Creator Award, presented to contributors advancing Korean musical theater, went to Kim Hee-chul of Daegu Arts Center for his work in producing youth-oriented musicals and supporting local musical ecosystems. Launched in 2006, DIMF is Korea's only international musical festival, serving as a platform for cross-cultural exchange while supporting the development of original productions. This year's festival featured 30 productions from six countries.
The Irish Sun
21-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
I'm Irish skater hoping to qualify for my first Winter Olympics – my previous bid led to me learning whole new language
LIAM O'BRIEN'S mam and dad — from Cavan and Meath respectively — met at a GAA club in Australia. And that is just about the only conventional thing about the speed skater's sporting story. Advertisement 3 Liam O'Brien is targeting the 2026 Winter Olympics Credit: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile 3 He missed out on Beijing due to injury Credit: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile 3 Winter Olympic athletes, back row, from left, Sean McAnuff, Liam O'Brien, Cormac Comerford, with front row, from left, Elle Murphy, Elsa Desmond and Thomas Maloney Westgaard Credit: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile Many of us took up hobbies during Covid-19. O'Brien? Well, he learned Korean, as the only way of staying in the country to train in a bid to qualify for the He was bidding to emulate his sister Danielle who he had watched represent O'Brien explained: 'I moved to South Korea , in Seongnam just outside Seoul, and was stuck there during Covid, so I ended up going to Dankook University . Advertisement Read More on Winter Olympics 'I didn't choose it. When Covid hit, there were no visas and so my only way to secure a visa was through study and I decided to learn Korean. 'I wanted to train out of Korea and to qualify for the Beijing Olympics and that was my only option, to learn Korean and be there training. 'It's not the normal route, but yeah, I'm fluent in Korean now.' That, unsurprisingly, took time after being thrown in at the deep end. He recalled: 'That course was taught purely in Korean, and I hadn't actually learned the language up until that stage and was given 24 hours before I had to do my first exam. Advertisement Most read in Other Sports 'I knew how to sound things out, but I didn't know how to write them, so I spent 24 hours learning the alphabet and how to put them all together because it's different symbols where it forms one character. So that was an interesting afternoon.' He has since followed his coach Lee Kwang Soo to Tianjin outside Beijing but has ruled out trying to master another language. Meet snowboarding's Mia Brookes - the metal-loving record-breaking champ targeting Winter Olympics gold Making himself understood was not the only challenge he faced during a lockdown in a foreign country. He explained: 'I think everyone around the world was a bit isolated there with the quarantining and the masks and not being able to go outside a certain radius. Advertisement 'And you weren't actually able to buy masks. 'They had them on the shelves at first and they were all sold out and then they released that you could only buy five per week. 'You'd have to line up and buy them. But if there were none left, then there were no masks. 'Other places were giving them out, however you needed the Korean visa ID card and at that stage I hadn't gotten the card so there were a few months there where I was without masks. Advertisement 'My girlfriend at the time actually, her mother had bought some online, and she gave me a handful of them so I was using those.' 'There was an Under-16s Cricket World Cup, I think it was in Dubai at that time and I was thinking of coming across. But with skating and everything else, it just never worked out.' The hope was that all of those sacrifices and challenges would be rewarded with a spot at the Olympics but this particular chapter does not have a happy ending. He said: 'I was progressing really well. Unfortunately, nine weeks before the qualifiers for Beijing, I tore my ACL. 'So that was a big setback. I tried to keep myself entertained and not think about it at first. Advertisement 'I was given 12 weeks of no sport whatsoever, no walking, nothing. However, I was back on the ice within four weeks. 'And that was after being in a brace with my knee and not able to walk. I was unlucky. I missed out by one spot in the end. So there were 36 qualified for the 1500m and we placed 37th.' He is hoping for better luck this time around as he bids to book his spot for Milano Cortina but the route there is not straightforward. Although he prefers longer distances and Seán McAnuff, the other Irish skater competing at that level, favours shorter ones, they are competing for the one place and O'Brien is not sure what criteria will be applied if they post comparable results. But he remains undeterred, fuelled by wanting to follow in the grooves left by his sister, nine years his senior, as he first did as a toddler. Advertisement He recalled: 'She went to a birthday party at an ice rink and just loved skating and kept hassling mum wanting to go back. 'And so she started ice figure skating and someone said, 'Would you think about doing ice dance?' 'So she went into ice dance and when I was born, I was just born into an ice rink, so I started skating at the age of three, figure skating, and then slowly moved into speed skating. 'At the age of ten I gave up figure skating, it wasn't for me, so it was purely speed skating.' Advertisement PARTNER IN THRIVE When Liam was 15, he travelled to the Russian city and watched his sister and partner Gregory Merriman — who welcomed their first child Myla Grace last month — come 20th. He said: 'After watching her compete at the Olympics, it really drove me to want to become an Olympic athlete as well. 'It was only after that that I'd really seen the goal and that target there in short track speed skating as well and really went for it then.' It meant ditching other sports. Although he dabbled in He said: 'Growing up, I was always playing football or cricket . Advertisement 'I actually went to a school for cricket, a sports school there and I was playing great cricket at the same time. I was a wicketkeeper batsman. I tended to bat at the top of the order but I wasn't very good at working the ball around. 'There was an Under-16s Cricket World Cup , I think it was in Dubai at that time and I was thinking of coming across. But with skating and everything else, it just never worked out.' Initially, he represented Australia too but, as proud as his folks were of their daughter's achievements, he admitted his mother Mary takes particular pride that he now competes for his ancestral home. He said: 'She loves it. Mum's always joked about — I wouldn't say joked about it, she was quite serious — but she always wanted Danielle to represent Ireland as well. However, growing up in Australia, we never saw that connection — not the connection but there was never an association to start with when we were there.' Advertisement A meeting between his dad Seán and Karen O'Sullivan — chief executive of the Ice Skating Association of Ireland, established in 2007 — helped provide the pathway. He said: 'We've kept in contact ever since and when the opportunity came up to switch across to Ireland, I took that chance and Danielle and mum and dad were all very supportive and well, they loved it.' He is the only non-Chinese athlete in his training group and with McAnuff based out of Hungary , their paths rarely cross as they engage in a long-distance contest for an Olympic spot for which the rules are not entirely clear. O'Brien said: 'I've no idea. That's all to find out.' Advertisement
News18
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
BTS' Jin Buys $13 Million Apartment In Seoul, Pays Entirely In Cash: Report
Last Updated: According to Koreaboo, this latest deal did not involve any bank loan or mortgage. Jin's purchase marks his third property within the same upscale complex. BTS member Jin has reportedly expanded his real estate portfolio with another luxurious purchase in Seoul. On June 5, Korean media reported that the 32-year-old K-pop star bought a third unit at the ultra-luxurious Hannam The Hill apartments, paying a staggering 17.5 billion KRW (approximately $13 million USD) entirely in cash. According to Koreaboo, this latest deal did not involve any bank loan or mortgage. Jin's purchase marks his third property within the same upscale complex, making it a standout addition to his growing assets. The BTS vocalist had earlier acquired two apartments at Hannam The Hill back in 2019—one priced at 4.5 billion KRW ($3.3 million USD) and another at 4.3 billion KRW ($3.1 million USD). Based on current market estimates, Jin has earned more than 10 billion KRW (~$7.36 million USD) in property value appreciation from those two earlier investments alone. Hannam The Hill, located in the heart of Seoul, is known as South Korea's most expensive residential complex. Built on the former site of Dankook University, it comprises 32 buildings with 600 high-end units. It boasts top-tier security, privacy, and amenities, making it a favorite among Korean celebrities and influential personalities. Notable residents include Rain and Kim Tae-Hee, So Ji-Sub, and Han Hyo-Joo. Jin, who completed his mandatory military service in June 2024, has had a packed post-discharge year. He released two solo EPs—Happy in November 2024 and Echo in May 2025—and returned to the small screen with a season of his variety show Run Jin, which featured appearances by his celebrity friends. He also joined the cast of the recent season of Kian's Bizarre B&B, gaining praise for his natural on-screen charm. Most recently, Jin, alongside fellow member J-Hope, launched the 2025 BTS FESTA—a special edition of the K-pop group's annual debut celebration. This year's FESTA carries added excitement as it builds anticipation for BTS' full reunion once all members complete their military service. First Published: June 06, 2025, 04:23 IST
South China Morning Post
24-04-2025
- South China Morning Post
South Korean bus driver rushes unconscious Chinese student to hospital, saves her life
A South Korean bus driver rushed an unconscious student from China to hospital and paid her medical bill because she reminded her of her two daughters. Advertisement The driver's life-saving actions have moved people online in both countries. It was recently reported by South Korean media outlets that a bus driver in Yongin city, in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, rescued a Chinese international student who fainted on her bus. Lee Si-young, 54, immediately stopped her vehicle and went to check on the unidentified student. Lee said the young woman went pale and developed a cold sweat. She also realised the stricken woman was a foreigner because she did not speak Korean. Soon the passenger fell unconsciousness. Driver Lee Si-young wasted no time in acting after the student collapsed. Photo: Dankook University The driver sought the permission of other passengers and drove the bus directly to a nearby hospital with an emergency treatment clinic.
