South Korea's health authorities said Saturday they will continue a free flu shots program despite dozens of recent deaths after vaccinations, as they found no links between vaccines and fatalities. The number of deaths following flu shots jumped to 48 as of Saturday after the first suspected death was reported on Oct. 16, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). About 80 percent of the dead were in their 70s and 80s.     "We are not in th

Palaces in Seoul, formerly home to Joseon royalty and now must-see tourist spots, showcase the country’s cultural history. Their architectural style represent what was most aesthetically pleasing at the time of their creation. Hundreds of years have only added depth of time to the stories that are told through aged wood and weighty foundation stones. Given their significance, old palaces awash with bright lights form an out-of-this-world backdrop for pansori performances. At Gyeonghoeru

The Cultural Heritage Administration Royal Palaces and Tombs Center said it will open five more forest trails at Joseon royal tomb sites from Friday. Paths have been opened up at Uireung in Seoul and at four royal tomb sites in Gyeonggi Province: Yungneung and Geolleung in Hwaseong, Jangneung in Gimpo, and Sareung as well as Hongneung and Yureung in Namyangju.  The photo shows a pathway in the traditional tree nursery at Hongneung and Yureung in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province. (Photos

The sunny sky has a bright blue hue in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, near the East Sea on Thursday morning. White clouds are painted across the morning sky as the contrasting colors of the silver grass below bring out its vivid blue. (Photos: Yonhap) By Song Donna (donnadsong@heraldcorp.com)

Fans can still enjoy carrot hummus and other favorites at Mia Nonna

Layers of vigorous brushstrokes are painted on a canvas. It may look like an abstract painting at a glance, but if you examine it carefully you will find objects hidden among the rapid brushstrokes. Jang Jae-min uses all his senses to remember the places he visits -- smell, hearing, sight -- then recalls the memories while he is painting. His works are done intuitively, and the artist’s intuitive nature comes through on the canvas. The semi-abstract paintings will animate the audience&rs

The Korean Film Council announced Wednesday that “The Man Standing Next” by director Woo Min-ho was chosen out of the 13 films that applied for submission for the Oscar for best international feature film. The 13 movie submissions included “Peninsula” by Yeon Sang-ho, “Deliver Us from Evil” by Hong Won-chan and “Beasts that Cling to the Straw” by Kim Yong-hoon, among others. “We had a lot of discussion as to which movie made this year has t

South Korea's tax agency said Saturday it will consider imposing taxes on Google Inc.'s planned enforcement of a 30 percent commission on in-app purchases of digital content from its Play Store next year. In a written answer submitted to Rep. Kim Soo-hong of the ruling Democratic Party, the National Tax Service said it will consider various measures to impose taxes on Google's income from the fees and will closely monitor the size of Google's sales in the domestic application market. The NTS sa

A UN human rights official has denounced North Korea's killing of a South Korean official last month as a violation of international human rights law during a meeting of the UN General Assembly. Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN special rapporteur on North Korea's human rights situation, raised the issue at the UN committee on social, humanitarian and cultural issues on Friday (local time). The 47-year-old fisheries official was fatally shot by the North Korean military on Sept. 22 while adrift in

Recent satellite imagery indicates North Korea has begun repairing flood damage to a reservoir overflow dam used to maintain a constant source of water for the cooling systems of its nuclear reactors in Yongbyon, according to 38 North, a US website monitoring the North. In a report posted Thursday (local time), 38 North said between Sept. 22 and Oct. 17, repair work began on the dam in the Kuryong River, which was breached by the flood waters of August. Imagery from Sept. 22 showed a drama

  South Korea's new coronavirus cases returned to below 100 on Saturday after triple-digit infections were reported for the past two days, as sporadic cluster infections continued at senior care hospitals and other risk-prone facilities. The country added 77 more COVID-19 cases, including 66 domestic infections, raising the total caseload to 25,775, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). New virus cases exceeded 100 for the past two days. Daily new cases came

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday refuted Japan's renewed claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo and warned of stern a response to the unsubstantiated claims. "Dokdo is our inherent territory, historically, geographically and by international law," the ministry said in a statement. "We want to make it clear that whatever attempt Japan makes cannot have an influence over our firm territorial sovereignty." Earlier in the day, the Japan Institute of Inter

South Korea plans to provide $10 million in humanitarian assistance to support Rohingya refugees who fled from Myanmar and hosting countries in the region, the foreign ministry said Friday. Seoul made the pledge on Thursday during the virtual session of the Conference on Sustaining Support for the Rohingya Refugee Response, a multilateral channel set up to discuss humanitarian aid and other support measures for the ethnic minority. In the session, Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho calle

Director of family drama “Minari,” which won top prizes at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, said US audiences have come to embrace Korean films since director Bong Joon-ho’s ”Parasite” won multiple Oscars. “It’s (‘Minari’ winning the awards is) surprising. I think it is less surprising after ‘Parasite,’” director Lee Isaac Chung said during a press conference held via Zoom on Friday as part of the Busan International Film

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won highlighted the importance of creating a “financial story” for its affiliates, and how it can lead to a jump in corporate value when added with trust from the market and support from society. In the closing ceremony of the company’s annual CEO seminar held in Jeju Island, Chey spoke to the group management of the group’s vision. “The previous evaluation of corporate value, which centered on financial achievements such as sales and o