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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Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
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[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
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Yoon, Lee end first talks with differences, agree to meet more
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Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
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China outpaces Korea in smaller OLED shipments for 1st time
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[Grace Kao] Hybe vs. Ador: Inspiration, imitation and plagiarism
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NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
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Samsung chief bolsters ties with Germany’s Zeiss
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[Seoul Saunter] Sharosugil, where exotic eateries rub shoulders with traditional marketplace
Guarding the entrance of Seoul National University, located at the foot of the city’s southwestern mountains, is a monument that looks like a triangle with a pronged pole to its right. Created by rearranging the Korean letters in the school’s name, the sculpture resembles the letters for the sound “sha,” which is why a newly bustling alleyway near the university has come to be called “Sharosugil.” The street, located behind the large boulevard that stretches in front of Seoul National University
May 15, 2017
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[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights around Korea
Icheon Ceramic Festival Icheon Ceramic Festival introduces visitors to celadon, white porcelain, buncheongware and other premium Korean ceramics along with various hands-on programs.This includes uncovering ceramics and painting on ceramics, the most popular programs. The area is also well-known for hot springs that Joseon kings often visited.The festival is held in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, and runs yntuk Sunday.Admission and all programs are free of charge. Visit www.ceramic.or.kr for informa
May 12, 2017
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Korea culture schools to be established around the globe
Institutions to serve as base camp for those from other countries to experience Korean culture will be set up in 20 places around the world, a state-run institution that aims to spread the use of Korean language announced.According to King Sejong Institute Foundation, 20 Sejong Culture Academies will be established in 20 cities by the end of this year. This includes institutes in Moscow, Russia; Sofia, Bulgaria; Vilnus, Lithuania; Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; Tehran, Iran; and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam,
May 9, 2017
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[Eye Plus] Children tell us what happiness is
When flowers are in full bloom, trees are green and spring is in the air, children show us happiness comes from little things. On one sunny day of early May that is the beginning of spring, family theme park Seoul Children’s Grand Park, located in the Gwangjin district of eastern Seoul, was full of children having fun with their parents. Many of them looked happy and laughed out loud, simply running on the grass or smelling the scents of flowers. Some screamed out of excitement on a ride rotatin
May 5, 2017
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[Eye] ‘Arirang’ travels the world
After the Iron Curtain fell in 1991, Koreans were free to travel to formerly forbidden countries such as China.The following year, 29-year-old Jin Yong-sun traveled to China looking for traces of “Arirang” in the foreign land.There it was. Deep within the vast continent were remnants of the Korean folk song carried by Koreans relocated there throughout history. Joyful and beautiful, yet there is a hint of longing and tragedy in the unofficial national anthem of Korea.“Tracking down the history (
May 5, 2017
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Seoul springs to life with festivals
With spring in full bloom and the days getting warmer, a number of festivals that focus on outdoor activities are taking place around Seoul. Here is a list of May festivals compiled by The Korea Herald. Contemporary artist Kildren will hold an exhibition at All Day Out Seoul 2017. (CJ E&M)Nod to street cultureAll Day Out Seoul 2017, which takes place Friday and Saturday at Layer 57 in Seongsu-dong, is an event dedicated to all things hip-hop and street culture, hosted by the entertainment behem
May 2, 2017
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[Seoul Saunter] Repurposed park acts as corridor of civic energy
Around sunset each day, Park Bong-soon strolls through the Gyeongui Line Forest Park, back and forth, for a good healthy hour. For the 71-year-old resident of the area near Gongdeok Station in northwestern Seoul, the refashioned esplanade stretching from Hyochang Park Station to Gajwa Station is an urban oasis of recreation and leisure. “I come here every day because it’s safe and comfortable to saunter,” Park told The Korea Herald. “The scenes of families, children and young people enjoying the
May 1, 2017
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Jeju’s female diving culture gets heritage listing
Female divers in Korea’s southern island of Jeju have been designated as an Intangible Cultural Property of Korea, Cultural Heritage Administration said Monday. Hanyeo, which roughly translates as “women of the sea,” refers to female divers on Jeju Island who harvest marine products using minimal diving gear. The divers use basic tools like wetsuits, goggles and chest weights, but are not assisted by oxygen tanks.“The culture of ‘haenyeo’ has stood the test of time to represent Korea’s tradition
May 1, 2017
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[Weekender] Cafes go beyond coffee
The growth of coffee addicts is explosive, manifested in the rapid spread of coffee shops, big and small, across the nation. Latest data showed that Koreans consumed more than 25 billion cups of coffee last year, translating into a whopping 500 cups per person. The stakes couldn’t be higher for both franchise coffee chains and smaller self-owned businesses. They are now rushing to diversify themes, offer special brews and explore new concepts. Daelim Warehouse Cafe in Seongsu-dong, Seoul (Park
April 28, 2017
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[Weekender] Get space for the price of a coffee
Park Ji-min, 23, carries out most of her daily tasks at cafes. The senior college student works on her assignments, reads books and watches movies on her laptop at the cafes, which are located right in front of her house. (Park Ju-young/ The Korea Herald)“Even though I’m far from a coffee enthusiast, I drink at least three cups of coffee every day so I can stay in a cafe,” Park said in an interview with The Korea Herald. Park is one of many Korean students who frequent cafes not only to quench
April 28, 2017
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[Weekender] Franchises experiment with high-end coffee and tea
Cafe franchises in South Korea are going upscale by brewing premium drinks including specialty coffee and high-end tea. Tea cafe franchises offer high-end tea (Chloris Tea & Coffee)It took time, money and effort just to try such premium beverages in the past, but franchises are clearing the barriers to beverages made by veteran professionals with top-end ingredients. Even major coffee shop chains have got in on the act, with Tom N Toms Black, Twosome Place Roastery Cafe and Starbucks Reserve. St
April 28, 2017
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[Weekender] Cafes provide solace for sleep-deprived Koreans
Many people turn to coffee to wake themselves up. But that’s the last thing on the minds of customers of a new breed of cafes devoted to helping people relax and, if possible, take a nap. “The (regular) cafes are inconvenient,” said Shin Jeong-sik, a regular customer at a sleeping cafe. “They’re crowded and the chairs are stiff. I like it here because I can rest on a bed.”Shin is not alone in needing a good lie-down. Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development suggests th
April 28, 2017
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Travel industry discusses tourism’s ability to change the world
BANGKOK -- The travel and tourism industry today generates over $7.6 trillion globally, supporting over 292 million jobs, and has outstripped the growth of the global economy in the last six years.Such is the economic power of the travel and tourism industry that it was highlighted as a driver of three of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals: inclusive and sustainable economic growth; sustainable consumption and production; and sustainable use of oceans and marine resources.“This sector plays
April 27, 2017
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2,917 stairs to the top of Korea’s highest skyscraper
Over 950 people from around the world gathered Sunday at Lotte World Tower to do one thing: climb up 123 floors -- or 2,917 stairs to be exact. Gripping banisters and taking the stairs two at a time, the climbers aimed to run up the top of South Korea’s tallest skyscraper located in Songpa-gu, eastern Seoul, as part of an international race hosted by the Vertical World Circuit.“I’ve always enjoyed pushing myself past the limit,” said Park Soon-eek as he was warming up in the Arena Square near th
April 26, 2017
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Political stance comes at a price in Korean entertainment
Jeon In-kwon’s concert on May 7 was canceled Tuesday. The veteran singer did not say why the organizers decided to pull the plug.But rumors have begun to circulate that it was connected to Jeon’s recent endorsement of Ahn Cheol-soo, a centrist presidential candidate of the People’s Party. Last week, Jeon publicly announced that he is supporting Ahn to win the May 9 presidential election. “We don’t know if it was because of the political statement. The promoters decided on it,” his representative
April 26, 2017
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Click here to subscribe - and learn how to drive
Imagine the shock when a boy, 8, drove up to a local McDonalds drive-through and asked for a Happy Meal. The news of the Ohio boy who learned how to drive on YouTube to get a late-night snack was a cutesy tidbit, but it also demonstrated just how easy it has become to educate oneself via new media. “With the way technology is, more kids will learn how to do anything and everything,” a local patrolman told the Weirton Daily Times, upon witnessing the boy obeying all traffic laws and driving “eff
April 23, 2017
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Recreating fragments of a bygone empire
At the turn of the century, Emperor Gojong declared Joseon an empire in a last-ditch attempt to retain independence. A re-enactment of foreign envoys’ audience with Emperor Gojong (Cultural Heritage Administration)The move turned out to be futile, as the short-lived Daehan Empire (1897-1910) saw the country taking its last breath before being colonized by Japan. This year’s Royal Culture Festival -- from Friday to May -- will re-enact the ceremonies and rituals from the last monarchy on the Kor
April 23, 2017
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Korea treads steadily toward cyclists’ haven
Wearing a skintight outfit on his steely, muscled frame, Lee Sang-won has hit all corners of Korea on two wheels over the last decade. “The sceneries of rivers, coastlines, mountains and rice paddies were ineffably beautiful,” the 62-year-old man recalled with a nostalgia-tinged smile. Lee, the pacesetter for the nation’s growing legion of cyclists, has clinched nearly 50 amateur titles, including two national championships last year. As Koreans are increasingly becoming more concerned with thei
April 21, 2017
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[Weekender] South Koreans try blissful bike routes
As the weather starts to heat up, many are taking up cycling for either commuting or sport. The number of bicycle riders has gone up steadily over the past few years here. According to the Korea Transport Institute, it now stands at more than 13 million people, translating into 1 in 4 Koreans.The growing affection toward bikes is hardly a surprise for commuters. People in metropolitan cities with notorious rush-hour traffic need an alternative transportation option. Ho Sung-hyun bikes downhill.
April 21, 2017
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Pure beauty of Joseon era’s white porcelain
More often, beauty is found in things that are simple and naive, or thrifty and pure, rather than with a fancy appearance. Among porcelains, plain white porcelains from the Joseon era are viewed as the most beautiful, as opposed to splendid blue porcelains during the Goryeo kingdom. The No. 309 and No. 310 national treasures are widely called Dal Hangahri, meaning moon-shaped porcelains. Made of white clay and glazed with milk-color enamel, the porcelains resemble the moon against a dark sky. (
April 21, 2017