Most Popular
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Korea enters full election mode
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Seoul bus drivers go on general strike, cause morning rush hour delays
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Immigrant woman stabbed to death by Korean husband
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Lee Jong-sup resigns as envoy to Australia
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Official campaigning kicks off for April 10 elections
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Yellow dust engulfs S. Korea, advisory alert issued
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S. Korea to boost support for single-parent families
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Court upholds jail term for man who attempted to murder ex-girlfriend
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Kia EV9 wins world car of year
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Korea misses out on global bond index boost
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Pastor hopes to give courage to people going through hardship
“Grace That Cannot Be Repaid” By John Philip Song Nachimban Pastor John Philip Song has written a memoir titled “Grace That Cannot Be Repaid.” “It was the year when I turned 77. My friends all know about the hardships that I went through. Since I survived through them, they said it would be a good idea for me to write a book about it,” Song said during an interview with The Korea Herald. “They convinced me that it can give courage to people in a tou
July 1, 2021
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Labor activist-turned-poet chronicles travels in new book, exhibition
Walking along the narrow alleys of Tongeui-dong where modern and contemporary Seoul coexist in harmony, one will come upon a two-story cafe that greets visitors with colorful trees and flowers at its entrance. The first floor of Ra Cafe Gallery operates like any ordinary cafe, serving beverages and sandwiches during the day, and desserts by night. Upstairs, an unexpected trip beyond borders awaits. Ra Cafe Gallery first opened its doors in April 2012 in Buam-dong in Jongno, as part of poet Pa
June 16, 2021
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[Herald interview] ‘It’s not Koreanness that matters in our story, only Batman’
The rumors of Batman making a brief landing in Seoul, Korea, had been around for weeks, but were proven true when DC Comics officially announced “Batman: The World,” due out on Sept. 14. “Batman: The World” is an anthology comic book in which the stage is set in 14 countries, including Korea. The writers work from their respective countries, introducing local elements into the synopsis and drawings. The Korean part of the anthology is titled “Batman: Moonin,&rdquo
June 7, 2021
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National Library of Korea sends 1,000-plus books to libraries abroad
The National Library of Korea received more than 1,000 books on Tuesday and will send them to major libraries around the world through its International Materials Exchange Program. The library signed an agreement in 2016 with the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, the publisher of the books, to carry out and expand overseas research on Korea while promoting Korean cultural assets overseas. The National Library of Korea plans to send books donated by the foundation to 35 libraries th
June 5, 2021
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Korean children’s book wins BolognaRagazzi Award
A Korean children’s book has won the prestigious BolognaRagazzi Award from the Bologna Children‘s Book Fair in Italy. The Korean Publishers Association announced Lee‘s win for comics in the early reader category on Tuesday. Two other Korean writers, Bamco and Park Hyun-min, won special mention in the nonfiction and debut work categories for “Rice Rice Rice” and “So Much Snow,” respectively. The BolognaRagazzi Award is awarded for originality, educatio
June 4, 2021
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When Batman faces gangsters in Jongno
The iconic superhero Batman will be created by a Korean writer and cartoonists, this time against the backdrop of Seoul. DC Comics is to publish a series set in 14 countries around the globe -- Korea, China, Japan, US, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Poland, Turkey, Mexico, and Brazil -- working with writers from the respective countries. Spurred by the Dark Knight’s realization that his fight for justice should not be limited to Gotham city, the global collaborati
May 30, 2021
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Korean Diaspora Literature Essay Contest calls for submissions
The Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) is calling for submissions for this year’s Korean Diaspora Literature Essay Contest to expand the base of literary exchange through discovering and supporting writers of Korean diaspora literature. The writing contest will be based on 25 essays, novels, and poems written by people of Korean ancestry living in Central Asia, Europe, Japan, the US and North Korean defectors chosen by LTI Korea. “Diaspora literature exists than
May 29, 2021
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Culture Ministry appoints Kwak Hyo-hwan as LTI Korea head
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Friday appointed poet Kwak Hyo-hwan as the new president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. His term will run through May 13, 2024. “With new president Kwak Hyo-hwan, we hope that LTI Korea expands its role as the key player in exporting Korean literature overseas,” a Culture Ministry official said. “The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will continue to reinforce our support for LTI Korea and boost global inte
May 14, 2021
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[Eye interview] New book offers unfettered look into life in North Korea
“So, how much can you really know a place?” asks Lindsey Miller in her just released book “North Korea: Like Nowhere Else.” Miller, who lived in North Korea from 2017 to 2019, accompanying her husband who held the post of political secretary at the British Embassy in Pyongyang, still grapples with that question two years after returning home. And she is not alone. North Korea is an enigma that perplexes experts, visitors and even casual observers who hear about the co
May 8, 2021
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Korean lawyer’s webtoon about copyright published jointly with WIPO
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the World Intellectual Property Organization on Monday announced the joint publication of webtoon “Let’s draw a dream” about the importance of copyrights, created by Korean lawyer Lee Young-wook. “We are glad that we could work with a professional from our country to create a webtoon that can increase the understanding of the importance of copyrights,” a Culture Ministry official said in a statement. Lee is currentl
April 19, 2021
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KNDA chancellor casts critical eye on Korea-US alliance in new book
Korean National Diplomatic Academy Chancellor Kim Joon-hyung chronicles the 150-year-old South Korea-US alliance in his new book, “The Paradox of the Eternal Alliance,” published by Changbi Publishers on Monday. The KNDA is the state-run institution that trains diplomats and researches international security affairs. Chancellor is a vice minister-level post. Kim, an expert in international politics and South Korea-US relations who has served as an adviser to Cheong Wa Dae’s O
April 3, 2021
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[Weekender] A trip around unique bookstores in Seoul
While some head to mega bookstore chains like Kyobo Book Center and Aladdin Store to find books, others head to smaller neighborhood nooks or unique retailers in hopes of coming across interesting titles. Unique bookstores like Seoul Book Bogo, Arc N Book and Starfield Library have attracted both tourists and Koreans alike looking to both check out books and take lasting photos of the stores’ stunning interior. However, smaller independent bookstores are vastly different from those which
March 20, 2021
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Niche magazines thrive while industry shrinks
Are paper magazines dying out, or are they seeing a renaissance? The magazine market has shrunk steadily since 2012. According to the Korea Press Foundation’s “2020 Magazine Industry Market Research” report published in January, the magazine market was worth 777.5 billion won ($681 million) last year, a 24.9 percent decrease from 2017. Magazines’ average annual revenue stood at 438 million won, compared with 1.26 billion won in 2012. With the decline of the magazine mar
March 15, 2021
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Book of 50 essays offers a glimpse into the mind of Jungwook Hong
Jungwook Hong, a former National Assembly representative and former chairman of Herald Corp., has released a book of 50 essays about his journey to find his life’s purpose. Hong is a bestselling author whose 1993 autobiography, “Seven Acts, Seven Scenes,” sold over 1 million copies. That first book, which centered on his personal experience of studying in the US at Choate Rosemary Hall and Harvard University, led many wealthy South Korean parents to consider sending their tee
Jan. 30, 2021
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Culture Ministry to address plagiarism plaguing literary awards
Democratic Party lawmaker Jeon Yong-gi, a member of the National Assembly‘s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee announced Sunday that the Culture Ministry would conduct an investigation of all literary awards in Korea. The literary community was shocked earlier this month to find out Sohn Chang-hyun had won multiple literary awards with work that plagiarized author Kim Min-jung’s “Ppuri,” or root, the winner of the 2018 Baekma Culture Award. The Baekma Culture Award i
Jan. 24, 2021
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TV shows boost book sales
Books that have been shown on TV entertainment shows are sweeping bestselling charts, reaching bestsellers lists in travel, poetry and cooking categories in the second week of January, according to the country‘s largest bookstore chain Kyobo Book Center. “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson, for example, became the bestselling travel book after screenwriter Kim Eun-hee introduced the book on KBS2’s “The Book U Love.” After the episode with a 2.3 percent vie
Jan. 18, 2021
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Novelist Lee Seung-u wins 44th Yi Sang Literary Award
Lee Seung-u’s “Heart’s Buoyancy” won the 44th Yi Sang Literary Award, one of the most prestigious literary awards in Korea given by publishing company Munhaksasang, on Monday. “A novelist getting a prize for his work is like unfamiliar guests suddenly coming into the clerk’s office full of rules and repetition,” said Lee in receiving the award. “Why did the guests come find me? Instead of asking the guests the reason, I will once again continue t
Jan. 5, 2021
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LTI Korea announces winners of 2020 Korea Translation Award
The Literature Translation Institute of Korea announced the winners of the 2020 Korean Literature Translation Award, with Mariko Saito winning the grand prize. For this year’s prize, 115 translated works in 24 languages were considered. Mariko Saito, who translated the short story collection “To Hyun Nam Oppa” by Cho Nam-joo and six others into Japanese, won the top prize and 20 million won ($18,500) in prize money, last Thursday. Translators Jeong Eun-jin and Jacques Batil
Dec. 7, 2020
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Poet Jeong Ho-seung speaks of relationships in ‘Loving’ and ‘Lonesome Jar: Poetic Fables’
Two fairytales by poet Jeong Ho-seung, “Loving” and “Lonesome Jar: Poetic Fables,” have been published in English by Seoul Selection. Born in 1950 in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, Jeong is known for his poetry collections “Seoul’s Jesus” (1982), “Dawn Letter” (1987) and “Stars Are Warm” (1990), among others. His poems have been turned into songs by popular singers including Yang Hee-eun and the late Kim Kwang-seok. The sto
Nov. 28, 2020
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Obama memoir sells a record 1.7m copies in first week
Former President Barack Obama’s "A Promised Land" sold more than 1.7 million copies in North America in its first week, roughly equal to the combined first week sales of memoirs by his two immediate predecessors and among the highest ever for a nonfiction book. Crown announced Tuesday that it had increased its initial print run from 3.4 million copies to 4.3 million. Sales also include audio and digital books. "A Promised Land," the first of two planned volumes, was
Nov. 25, 2020