Most Popular
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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[Weekender] Korean psyche untangled: Musok
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N. Korea slams US, other countries for seeking alternative to UN sanctions monitoring panel
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Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
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Gov't appears to shelve punitive measures against mass walkout by doctors
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[Eye Interview] 'If you live to 100, you might as well be happy,' says 88-year-old bestselling essayist
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From fake prostitution ring to nonexistent robber, prank calls hamper police
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Missing S. Korean traveler in Paris found safe after 2 weeks
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Korean indie movies for English speakers
While there is much hype in the local media about hallyu, especially Korean films and their fame overseas, it would be difficult to claim that the local film industry is foreigner-friendly. Most local commercial films are screened without English subtitles in the country, not to mention subtitles in other foreign languages.Located in posh Nonhyeon-dong in southern Seoul, the state-run theater Indieplus is one of the very few places in Seoul where non-Korean speakers can enjoy Korean movies witho
FilmMay 16, 2013
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Pouring rain, chilly critics dampen Cannes opening
"Great Gatsby" star Leonardo DiCaprio on Wednesday opened the 66th Cannes Film Festival ahead of the European premiere of Baz Luhrmann's controversial 3-D epic, kicking off the world's most prestigious film fest.Steven Spielberg, Nicole Kidman, Carey Mulligan and a troupe of 1920s "flapper" dancers were among those braving driving rain and plunging temperatures on the red carpet.Dresses billowed in the wind outside the festival palace forcing stars to hang on to their hemlines.Inside, Spielberg,
CultureMay 16, 2013
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Mayan pyramid razed for road fill: Belize officials
A construction company owned by a local politician demolished a 2,300-year-old Mayan temple in northern Belize to use the rubble as gravel for road repair work, authorities charged.The ancient 30-meter high pyramid, which was reduced to a small mound of debris, was part of the Noh Mul ceremonial center located 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Belize City near the border with Mexico."This total disregard for Belize's cultural heritage and national patrimony is callous, ignorant and unforgiva
CultureMay 16, 2013
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Psy to present at Billboard Music Awards
South Korean rapper Psy will attend the Billboard Music Awards 2013 on Sunday as a nominee and presenter.Psy is one of the celebrities that will present an award during the ceremony, which is scheduled air live in the United States from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Other presenters include Cee-Lo Green, Miley Cyrus, Celine Dion and Shania Twain, according to the Billboard's Web site Thursday.Psy, whose real name is park Jae-sang, is the first Korean to present an award during the sho
PerformanceMay 16, 2013
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Spain’s premium ham fights for greater prestige
GUIJUELO, Spain (AFP) ― Dozens of Iberian black pigs, with their pointy snouts, large ears, tiny eyes and dark skin, grunt as they forage in a wide green field.The exquisite cured ham called Jamon Iberico made from this breed, which is allowed to roam freely to dine on acorns, is the star of Spanish cuisine and it can be sold for astronomical prices.But the sharp economic downturn gripping Spain since the collapse of a property bubble in 2008 has hurt domestic sales and producers are looking to
FoodMay 15, 2013
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Berlin’s Barbie Dreamhouse a pink feminist nightmare
BERLIN (AFP) ― The opening this month of the first life-sized Barbie Dreamhouse in Europe may be the fantasy of many a little girl, but Berlin feminists are mobilising against what they call a sexist icon.With her ironed-straight blond tresses, doe-like baby blue eyes, blinding smile and super-human measurements, the mistress of the giant Barbie mansion has become a lightning rod ahead of the May 16 inauguration.Just a few steps from Alexanderplatz, the main shopping district of east Berlin, the
CultureMay 15, 2013
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‘Korean language school could be useful for culture promotion’
Hallyu, or the spread of Korean pop culture, has resulted in people around the world wanting to know more about Korea, its language and culture. However, there is a dearth of relevant programs to meet their needs, a government survey showed Wednesday. International institutions, such as the King Sejong Institute, can contribute to becoming a bridge and stepping stone for the promotion of Korean language and Korean culture, experts suggested at a global forum held on Tuesday, a day before the 616
CultureMay 15, 2013
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Vatican turns to art patronage roots for Venice Biennale
VATICAN CITY (AFP) ― Five centuries after Michelangelo, the Vatican has commissioned fresh works on the biblical themes of creation and chaos for a show at the prestigious Venice Biennale art festival.The exhibition explores themes from the Book of Genesis through works by artists including renowned Czech photographer Josef Koudelka ― but there are no depictions of the Madonna and Child or suffering Christs, the Vatican said Wednesday.“Creation, Un-Creation, Re-Creation” brings Koudelka together
PerformanceMay 15, 2013
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Records fall at Sotheby’s contemporary art auction
NEW YORK (AFP) ― A painting by Barnett Newman that Sotheby’s described as an icon of Abstract Expressionism sold Tuesday in New York for a record $43.84 million at an auction peppered with stunningly expensive works.“Onement VI” consists of two vibrant blue rectangles neatly divided by a single, light blue line, an arrangement that Sotheby’s called “a portal to the sublime.”The simplicity of the design “was the core of Newman’s ambition to create paintings free of objects, dogma, precedence or r
PerformanceMay 15, 2013
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Behind Cannes glamour, tougher times for European movies
CANNES, France (AFP) ― Europe’s top film festival opens in Cannes on Wednesday to its annual show of glitz and popping champagne corks, but for many in the continent’s movie business, times are tough and likely to get tougher still.The financial crisis that erupted in 2008 is now biting hard into state and regional subsidies and TV programming budgets that are a key support for film-making. Added to that in some countries is the problem of rampant piracy, as people snub a trip to the cinema and
FilmMay 15, 2013
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HotSechGodRG to deliver memories of the ’90s
Project group HotSechGodRG released their first music video Tuesday through their cable channel reality show “Handsome Boys of 20th Century.” HotSechGodRG is a group formed of members from former idol groups H.O.T, Sechs Kies, g.o.d, and NRG. The music video is the group’s first project marking the creation of the group. NRG’s debut song “I Can Do It!” was picked for the music video in which the former idols salute their past by presenting a perfectly synchronized group dance, wearing orange jum
PerformanceMay 15, 2013
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Global Icon plays up boyish charms
At first glance the five girls of Global Icon (GI), with their rainbow colored boy-cut hair and dark attire, may come off as tough and intimidating, but members Ha Yun, One Ket, Eun Ji, A I and A Ram assure that it is only in keeping with their group’s tomboy image. “Honestly, the president of our agency really wanted to form a boy band,” Ha Yun explained. “It was later decided that we would train and debut with the concept of being a boyish girl group.” On April 4 GI released its debut single “
PerformanceMay 15, 2013
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Seo Taiji to marry actress Lee Eun-sung
The iconic ‘90s singer and musician Seo Taiji announced on Wednesday his engagement to actress Lee Eun-sung, who is 16 years his junior. Seo Taiji, 41, and Lee, 24, reportedly met in 2008 when she appeared in one of the singer’s music video. They revealed they began dating a year later and are currently living together with his parents in his newly built house in Pyeongchang-dong, Seoul. Seo Taiji made the announcement on his official website and claimed that he been waiting a long time and was
PeopleMay 15, 2013
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Gay filmmaker to tie the knot
Gay filmmaker and producer Kim Jho Kwang-soo is to marry his longtime partner, according to queer film house Rainbow Factory, a subsidiary of Kim’s film company Youth Films.The 48-year-old has been dating his partner, the head of Rainbow Factory who is said to be 19 years his junior, for more than 8 years. The filmmaker said that he’d marry his current partner if the couple got their parents’ blessing during the press premiere of his queer film “Two Weddings and a Funeral” last year.One of the f
FilmMay 14, 2013
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Violinist Eugene Park opens up on rumors
Violinist Eugene Park discussed rumors about him in a documentary that aired Saturday, revealing that he suffers from bipolar disorder. Last month, a photo of Park performing at a small local restaurant in a shabby outfit shocked his fans, coming just four years after he made headlines for being practically enslaved by his agency for five years. Explaining the photo on Saturday, Park said that he was working at the restaurant of an acquaintance for his mother. He added, “My mother is sick. So I
May 14, 2013
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Baek Ji-young, Chung Seok-won to have a baby
Singer Baek Ji-young and actor Chung Seok-won are to become parents in the fall.Contradicting their statement denying the pregnancy last month, when they announced their June wedding, Chung’s agency Forestar Entertainment said Tuesday that the couple decided to release the news of the pregnancy in response to “widespread media speculation concerning their wedding.” According to an insider, Baek is now four months pregnant and getting prenatal checkups. The source also stated, “Since Baek is in t
May 14, 2013
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Tradition meets science in the art of making kimchi
Kimchi is viewed through an entirely different kind of lens by the chefs at the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul. These hotel chefs have meticulously developed an innovative approach to the complicated science of making kimchi, the key word being “science.” In 1989, the Walkerhill Hotel established its first kimchi laboratory to allow its chefs to study the science of fermentation and the process behind the making of the country’s most representative dish. Stepping into this kitchen, on
May 14, 2013
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New Zealand Wine Festival planned in Seoul and Busan
The New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Korea will host wine tasting events in Seoul and Busan as part of its New Zealand Wine Festival this month.The event is in its fifth year in Seoul. Based on its success, the chamber says, the Busan event has been added this year. They will offer 80 red and white wines from 25 wineries.“The mission of The Kiwi Chamber is to continuously assist in promoting New Zealand industries, and our vast array of vintage wines provides us an excellent vehicle to achieve
Expat LivingMay 14, 2013
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Artist explores ideas of identity
Expat artist Loren Rudisuela is running an exhibition on identity in Seoul.“You Keep Me Under Your Spell” looks at how people’s image of themselves matures and adapts to social obligations.Rudisuela said the exhibition had been divided into two parts to explore the theme. “The first room represents our youth, when we are struggling to find ourselves,” he said. “The pulling and pushing we can feel from family and social groups to become a certain person is explored here. The second room explores
Expat LivingMay 14, 2013
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Visiting scholar seeks funds to save husband
When Le Quynh Nga left for Korea in August she had high hopes, despite leaving her husband and two young children behind.A lecturer of history at the National University of Vietnam, Le had been given a grant by the SK Foundation to study for a year at Inha University in Incheon, but just months into her stay her husband fell seriously ill. Thieu Van Ly found he had acute lymphoid leukemia in November, and treatment options in Vietnam were limited. “I can sell my house for my husband to get treat
Expat LivingMay 14, 2013