Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt will not race in South Korea.
The Korea Athletic Federation (KAF) said Saturday that it had tried to invite the Olympic triple gold medalist to the Daegu Pre-championships Meeting next month, but the offer was turned down.
The annual event, which started in 2005 to promote Daegu’s bid for the 2011 World Championships, will take place on Sept. 25 at Daegu Stadium.
Bolt, who set world records of 9.69 seconds in the 100 meters and 19.30 in the 200 at the Beijing Olympics last month, won gold with a time of 9.83 at the Zurich Golden League meet Saturday.
The 22-year-old is likely to wrap up the season after running at the Super Grand Prix in Lausanne, Switzerland Tuesday and the Golden League in Brussels, Belgium Friday.
“Bolt’s side has informed us that he will not be able to compete in Daegu because of his busy schedule,” the KAF said.
Instead of Bolt, hurdler Dayron Robles of Cuba will show off his top-tier skills in front of local fans.
The 21-year-old won a gold medal in the men’s 110-meter hurdles in Beijing and holds the world record of 12.87 seconds, set at the Golden Spike Ostrava meet in June.
The athletics governing body is also negotiating with star pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia.
The defending two-time Olympic champion has attended the last two competitions in Daegu.
The KAF will announce the final roster of the competition Monday.
Source:Korea Times
World Bodypainting Festival finishes up in Daegu, but not without any raised eyebrows and brouhaha over nudity from media and local government. Welcome to Daegu!
Source: Imaeil
We are organizing another Spanish conversation class at Club That on Sunday, Sept. 7 from 1-3pm. Last one had 14 Spanish enthusiasts show up and this one is expected to be at least that many. Lots of people with varying levels, so don’t be shy if you don’t know anything or if you know a lot. Please RSVP on Facebook, if interested.
Last week, Koreana Wind Orchestra performed at the outdoor music hall at Duryu Park. Here is some footage of the performance and some familiar melodies:
Sungwoo Entertainment and Power Entertainment are certain of their success with two musicals soon to open in September.
Sungwoo will present the world-renowned ‘Chicago’ from Sept. 3rd to 13th at the Daegu Opera House and Power will showcase ‘Cats’ from Sept. 5th to 21st at Daegu Citizen’s Center.
Sungwoo’s confidence is being boosted by Interpark.com’s reservation ratings for Chicago, in 9th place, compared to Cats in 25th place, as of 5pm on July 8.
In addition, having a show at the Daegu Opera house, where its facilities and reputation is well-established, Sungwoo is all the more confident of its success.
In Chicago, big musical stars such as 옥주현, 남경주, 배혜선, and the head of Japanese SHIKI Theatre Company, 김지현 are all acting, which offers a lot for musical-lovers to take in. The downside for expats, but upside for Koreans, is that Chicago will be all in Korean. Therefore, it is expected to have a better turnout than Cats.
A Sungwoo official says “Sungwoo has laid out the schedules first and Power entertainment has followed suit with Cats, and judging from the size of the theater, quality, performance and internet ticket sales, everything is showing positive signs of our success”
Power entertainment is also sure of its success with Cats and its original cast.
Source: Daegu Ilbo
Translated by Aesook Shin
Proofed and edited by Craig White
2008 Ddegul-Ddegul Art Exhibition (until Sep 28th)
The Hoban Gallery at Suseong Artpia is hosting an educational exhibition for children. It will show children the various ways and methods on how to experience art. (Tel:053-666-3266)
’Five Fools 2’ an English play for kids (July 25th -27th 1PM-4PM)
At Dong-gu Culture & Athletic Center, visitors can take in a humorous children’s play about a man who bought a team of circus performers, but unexpected follies begin to ensue when a clown disappears and another falls in love and can’t focus on his performance. (tel:02-560-0999)
Opera Chunhyang by Royal Opera (July 25th-27th, 7:30pm)
At the main hall of the Civic Center, Royal Opera will perform composer Jae Myoung Hyun’s 1949 original piece.(Tel 053-656-4732)
2008 world wide well known Ballerina Sujin Kang & her friends(July 26th, 7pm)
At Yongji Hall of Suseong Artpia, is a gala show which combines ballet and music, performed by Sujin Kang (German Stuttgart’s lead ballerina) and her friends (international top artists).
The 5th Daegu Horror Art Festival(July 29th –Aug 3rd)
Daegu Stadium hosts the yearly horror fest, where participants from a total of 9 teams from Korea and abroad don all sorts of creepy attire and vie for awards. ( Tel 053-606-6343)
2008 Bejing Olympic Commemorative/Kang Wewon photo exhibition (July 23rd-28th)
Located at Debec Plaza Gallery and the Green Hall on the 11th floor of Daegu Department Store you can find a photo display from Kang Wewon, who had been in China for a year prior to the Bejing Olympics and took all these photos during his stay, featuring 2 different themes of “Bejing Report” and “The life and culture of minorities in China”.(053-420-8015-6)
Source article: Maeil
Translated by Haeyoung Shim
Whichever Korean city you go to, Jung-gu is always at the center. Just as in Daegu. Here, Jung-gu is not only the geographical center but also the cultural and commercial center.
Within Jung-gu, there are as many as 11 street markets, 4 department stores, 4 large fashion
malls and 4 underground malls. Loads of entertainment and culture to choose from. 49 movie
theaters, 22 art galleries, 14 drama theaters and 4 museums.
Let’s take a further look at Jung-gu, the face of Daegu.
The district is planning to build eco-friendly living spaces and recreate the city landscape and beautify the urban culture.
A big priority for Jung-gu is ‘Dongseongno improvement project’ and ‘Cultural Alley renovation project’.
The city has allocated a 4.4 billion won budget dedicated to the renovation and improvement of Dongseongno and for it live up to its potential of being a vital cultural identity. Plans call for a permanent outdoor stage in from of Debec, as well as park and sculpture enhancements, etc..
The mayor of Jung-gu district, Yoon Sun-young, said that the projects’ aim is to improve Daegu’s image for the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Athletics, in addition to bolstering citizens’ esthetic appreciation and play as a role model to other provinces.
The goal of the ‘Cultural Alley renovation project’ has been given 1.6 billion Won to make better use of the historical alleys in the city center, such as the Samil Movement street in Dongsan-dong and to the entrance of the Yangyeongsi medicine street. The district plans to restore the old houses of famed citizens of Daegu yesteryear and improve the overall design of the street.
By connecting the main streets of Yangyeongsi and Dongseongno, this will enhance the walking tourism of the area and improve the value of local cultural education.
Jung-gu is also focusing on revitalizing the local economy by designating the Yangyeongsi herb medicine and the Gyodong Jewelry street, as special districts.
They built the Yangyeongsi arch for the 280 herb medicine stores in the area and completed the infrastructure by establishing a herb medicine theme street, Yangyeongsi park, a new public parking lot, broadcasting system, etc.
With a 4.9 billion won budget, Jung-gu is planning to build a herb medicine quality certification center for herb medicine inspection, quality certification, and inspector education. They are also going to make a herb medicine well-being experience area (budget of 3 billion won).
In the Gyodong Jewelry Market, there are around 300 precious metal companies (manufacturing and selling) with over 1,500 employees. The size of the market is 50 billion won and yearly exports amount to over 30 billion won.
The Fashion Jewelry special town, completing next year, will be located in currently the Dong-a Department store parking lot. There will be manufacturing facilities, a buyers office and exhibitions in this building.
In a word, it will be all about jewelry.
With the budget of 2.5 billion won, Jung-gu will bury utility cables, repair the roads, install more street lamps and symbols in the effort to help the Kyodong jewelry street revitalizing project. They are going to hold a ‘Jewelry Fair Daegu 2011′ in which over 100 companies from in and outside of Korea will participate in.
Jung-Gu is pushing for various cultural experience for the citizens along with lots of festivals on schedule.
Yoon Sun-young, the mayor of Jung-gu district, said, ‘We’ll recreate Jung-Gu as the center of Daegu so that it can be the center of culture and art’.
In order to blow away the summer heat, knowing that Daegu is the hottest city in the month of August, this festival is ready to take the heat on.
It will use water and ice as a hands-on tool to provide the public with joy and fun, unlike other routine exhibition events. The main program area, which is 900 square meters, will be home to with water guns and water bombs and having a chance to be hosed down from fire engines.
There also will be a dozen programs such as 2-meter deep ice bowls to play in, icy roads to freeze your feet on, water wrestling, making traditional water pistols of bamboo, and a small animal farm for the whole family to participate in.
At Suseong Lake and Sangdan Park near the festival site, there will be hot air balloons to ride in, food festivals to whet your appetite, plus musical displays, b-boy dancing, a magic show in the park, fishing and a high-speed radio controlled boat show on the lake.
In the evening, there will be an opening night celebration by the Suseong Philharmonic Orchestra, an art fashion show, and an ice and water performance by Nanta. Every evening, the water fountain music show will take place twice, and a firework display is to culminate the festival finale.
You can also expect to indulge in some Korean cuisine from the nearby Deurangil food street. The Suseong-gu district office will do their utmost effort to accommodate and facilitate in every possible way for a fun festival for all citizens to beat the summer heat in the city.
Translated by Aeseook Shin
Preview: World Bodypainting Festival 2008
Since 1998, Europe’s most colourful event has taken place in Seeboden, Austria.
The “World Bodypainting Festival” is the largest Art event in the Bodypainting theme and spreads the art form to thousands of interested visitors each year.
Now, the Festival is expanding with a vibrant and dedicated team in South Korea to host a second event.
The World Bodypainting Festival, with the Asian Awards will be held in the World Cup Stadium, in Daegu from August 25 – 31, 2008 for the first time. Much of what people know from the main event in Austria will be carried on in Daegu.
The Festival-Academy organizes workshops from August 25-28 at Daegu Health College, that are sponsored or presented by our partners. Only the best in their professions teach the classes. And because you never finish learning, the workshops offer possibilities not only for beginners, also for advanced artists to further their knowledge. Group arrangements for schools can be organized on request.
The Festival-Academy offers classes in the areas of bodypainting, airbrush bodypainting, facepainting, special effects, beauty make-up, uv effects as well as photography and more.
The evenings are full of socializing as well as a major highlight on Wednesday, August 27th, with the ‘BodyCircus’, a costumed fantasy ball in the new Novotel Hotel in downtown. Guests will be arriving in costumes ranging from bodypainting, body decoration and masks, to extreme make-up and fantasy fashion. International DJ’s, shows, costume prizes and entertainment will guarantee a magic night. The ‘BodyCircus’ promises to be an evening of magic, of pushing boundaries and of letting imagination run free.
Stay indoors this wet weekend and go to the Art Daegu event at EXCO! The festival runs from now until the 29th, but you can tag along with other foreigners and Koreans, through the Facebook event.
