Most Popular
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
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Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
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Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
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Samsung chief bolsters ties with Germany’s Zeiss
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Nominee for chief of anti-corruption body pledges 'independence, effectiveness'
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Med schools expect 1,500+ new admission slots next year
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NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
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Ancestors’ relics displayed at Joseon archive
Researcher Song Soon-ok at the Academy of Korean Studies shows a copy of the Royal Genealogy of Joseon Dynasty to the members of Korea’s jongga, the prestigious households descended from distinguished ancestors through the eldest son of each generation, at the newly opened Jangseogak Archives of the Academy of Korean Studies in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. (Claire Lee/The Korea Herald) Ne
July 6, 2011
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‘Translators hold great responsibility in today’s world’
Prof. Choi Mi-kyung wins Grand Prix at 10th Korean Literature Translation AwardsEwha Womans University professor Choi Mi-kyung and former French diplomat-turned-translator Jean Noel Juttet together received the Grand Prix Prize at the 10th Korean Literature Translation Awards, a biennial competition organized by the Korea Literature Translation Institute, for their co-translation work at Korea Pre
July 3, 2011
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Eye Read
Korean allegory on democracy Our Twisted HeroBy Yi Mun-yol(Hyperion)Among many Korean novels published in the 1980s, author Yi Mun-yol’s “Our Twisted Hero” has been considered the modern classic that dealt with the complex transition between fighting dictatorship and establishing democracy.Telling a story of Han Byeong-tae, a 12-year-old boy who moves to a rural town from Seoul, the novel shows wh
July 1, 2011
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New Books
Complex, alluring thrillerKiller MoveBy Michael Marshall(William Morrow)Author Michael Marshall takes a common man and throws him a curveball in this paranoid thriller, “Killer Move.”Bill Moore craves something more than his job selling condos near the Florida Keys. Although happily married, his ambition to start his own business begins to make him a bit selfish and greedy. One morning he arrives
July 1, 2011
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For the French, putting on charm is a way of life
Strategy is everything for the French. That’s what Elaine Sciolino discovers in her book “La Seduction: How the French Play the Game of Life,” a look at why the food is so delicious, the perfumes so beguiling, the languid conversation of Paris cafes so intoxicating, the French so, well, French. It’s all part of a grand game of seduction, a word with a much more expansive definition in French. Rath
July 1, 2011
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How and why urban centers are good for us: Glaeser
American urban economist visits Seoul for Korean publication of his bookThough convenient and efficient, city life isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Yet for American urban economist Edward Glaeser, cities are “the forges of human capital” and even “what make us more human.”“From Seoul to San Francisco to St. Petersburg, cities are more vibrant and productive than ever,” Glaeser told reporters during a
July 1, 2011
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Poetry magazine well-versed in criticism
Poetry makes nothing happen.So said W.H. Auden.Who never lived in Chicago.Or knew Don Share. Share is the senior editor of Poetry magazine, the venerable Chicago-based literary institution. It turns 100 next year and has seen far more than nothing happen, particularly in the past decade. Share arrived at the magazine four years ago, hired away from Harvard University, where he was poetry editor of
June 24, 2011
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Betrayal, war and destiny
The Cry of the MagpiesBy Kim Dong-ni(Jimoondang, 5,000 won)“The Cry of Magpies” is one of the most well-known short stories written by Korea’s late author Kim Dong-ni. A dark and painful account of war and betrayal, the novella engages elements of Korean shamanism to reflect his view on human destiny that controls one’s life and innermost desires.The novel tells a story of Bong-su, who just return
June 24, 2011
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New Books
Miracle told by late Park’s chiefFrom Despair to HopeBy Kim Chung-yum(KDI)The right-hand man of late President Park Chung-hee uncovered inside the brainstorming of Korea’s macroeconomic policies of the 1960s and 70s ― process widely believed to have brought the country’s remarkable development. The memoirs by former chief presidential secretary Kim Chung-yum is reorganized and translated by the Ko
June 24, 2011
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Ann Patchett’s ‘State of Wonder’ evokes magic
Ever since a shipwrecked Robinson Crusoe scrambled ashore and found Friday, the novel has been exploring lost continents in search of what’s missing at home.Anybody who has read Ann Patchett’s masterfully constructed “Bel Canto” won’t be surprised to learn that in “State of Wonder,” her latest novel, she, too, has made an outbound voyage.“Bel Canto” revolved around a hostage crisis in an unnamed c
June 24, 2011
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Seoul International Book Fair features books by pastor
About 60 books written by Korean pastor Lee Jae-rock of Manmin Central Church, translated into 25 foreign languages, were exhibited by Urim Books at the 17th Seoul International Book Fair from June 15 to 19 at COEX in Seoul. Urim Books exhibited Lee’s books on his Christian faith and spiritual experiences along with their translated copies. Having translated Lee’s books into 25 different languages
June 23, 2011
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Park: I would rather be an artist than a writer
Veteran writer’s 39th novel coincides with 39-year-long careerFor the past 39 years, author Park Beom-shin has been a busy man. He has raised his three children with his wife, taught at a university, and published almost 40 books. “I’ve always gone for the second best options in my life,” Park told reporters at a press meeting held in central Seoul, Wednesday. “It was the only way to compromise. I
June 23, 2011
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New Books
Secret, famous pseudonymsNom de Plume: A (Secret) History of PseudonymsBy Carmela Ciuraru(Harper/HarperCollins)In the annals of literature, pen names have long created as much intrigue about the authors as the pieces they write.Carmela Ciuraru‘s “Nom de Plume” deftly tells the stories of some of literature’s most famous pen names by weaving in details about these secretive, often eccentric writers
June 17, 2011
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A teen’s quest could be the start of something bigger
Got a tweener child with a taste for creepy horror and time-travel stories?Send them “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.”This first novel by Ransom Riggs deals with young Jacob Portman and his quest to find out the truth behind his Grandpa’s wild stories.What he finds is the classic quest story and more. The story has elements of fantasy, adventure, adolescence and grief. (Note: The open
June 17, 2011
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Ancient Korean royal books welcomed back home
Lee stresses efforts to recover Korean artifacts kept by foreign countriesKorea celebrated the return of nearly 300 copies of its ancient royal documents that were looted by French troops 145 years ago with welcome ceremonies and performances in Seoul and Ganghwa Island on Saturday. The ceremonies came after the final batch of 297 volumes of Uigwe arrived in Seoul from Paris late last month. The b
June 12, 2011
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New Books
Dreaming of ideal unification The 21st Century’s Dream of Korea: Great Advancement and Peaceful UnificationBy Park Se-il(Hansun Foundation)Park Se-il, professor of law and economics in the Graduate School of International Studies at Seoul National University, has published a collection of newspaper columns that he wrote over the last 10 years.Park, who is the founder and chairman of the board of H
June 10, 2011
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Rediscovering Joseon’s royal library
Kyujanggak By Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies(AcaNet, 30,000 won)Founded in 1776 during the reign of King Jeongjo, the Kyujanggak served as the Joseon Dynasty’s royal library. It housed countless royal books and documents that are now considered priceless Korean historical records. The Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies of Seoul National University ― where the library is now located ―
June 10, 2011
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Hijuelos finds his Latin roots through writing
The last scene of Oscar Hijuelos’ new memoir, “Thoughts Without Cigarettes” (Gotham Books, $27.50), is a moment of contact with a ghost -- that of his father, Pascual.“I remember when that moment came to me,” says Hijuelos. “It was a mystical reaching of a different dimension. I don’t know what happens when you die, but there is a mystical presence in our lives that extends to people who are no lo
June 10, 2011
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Award-winning author publishes new book inspired by life in Bali
Kim In-sook’s new novel talks of hope in extreme despairAuthor Kim In-sook started her writing career early. She made her literary debut when she was barely a university student, at the age of 20. Now 48, she has won Korea’s three major literary awards ― Yi Sang, Dong-in, and Daesan ― with more than 30 books published. But Kim says she still longs to write something different, something new.“It’s
June 10, 2011
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New Koreana: more visual, story focused
Koreana, a quarterly on Korean culture and arts published by the Korea Foundation, has gone through a major editorial and design revamp this year, with a more visual and story-focused concept. Its 2011 summer edition, its first issue with the newly-designed layout and stories, was published in late May.The revamped edition is bigger in size so the all-color magazine can effectively mix photographs
June 9, 2011