Most Popular
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1 in 3 Koreans live alone, family types becoming diverse
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Korea, Japan finance chiefs vow to tame rampant FX market volatility
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K-pop group's manager dismissed for setting up spycam in theater dressing room
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Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote
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Why is Apple Pay struggling to get purchase in Korea?
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Yoon's office denies considering liberal figures for key posts
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Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
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Will tug-of-war between doctors, government end soon?
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Climate impacts set to cut 2050 global GDP by nearly a fifth
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[Today’s K-pop] BTS pop-up event to come to Seoul
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India’s colonial-era opera house restored to past glory
MUMBAI (AFP) – India’s only surviving opera house has been restored to its colonial-era glory, reopening to the public more than two decades after it closed in disrepair. Once the place to be seen for Mumbai’s great and good it was forced to close in the 1990s after years of financial struggles. But a painstaking seven-year project has transformed the century-old building in Mumbai from a crumbling wreck in danger of collapse to an ornate replica of its 1916 glory days, albeit with some importan
Dec. 11, 2016
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France opens new Lascaux prehistoric art cave replica
MONTIGNAC, France (AFP) -- A new replica of the stunning Lascaux cave paintings was unveiled Saturday in the Dordogne region of southwest France, more than seven decades after the prehistoric art was first discovered.“This is more than a copy, it’s a work of art!” said French President Francois Hollande as he visited the center in Montignac, the village at the foot of the hills where the original cave complex is located.The new project dubbed “Lascaux 4,” which opens to the public on Thursday, a
Dec. 11, 2016
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Dylan expresses awe over Nobel Prize, alludes to Shakespeare
STOCKHOLM (AP) -- Bob Dylan has expressed awe at receiving the Nobel Prize in literature and thanked the Swedish Academy for including him among the “giants” of writing.Dylan was absent from Saturday’s award ceremony and banquet in Stockholm. But in remarks read by the US ambassador, he alluded to the debate about whether the award should go to a songwriter.Dylan said when Shakespeare wrote “Hamlet,” he probably was thinking about which actors to pick and where to find a skull.In his words: “I’m
Dec. 11, 2016
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[Travel Bits] Upcoming festivals, travel news
Everland Romantic IlluminationsEverland’s Romantic Illumination festival is continuing its celebrations until March 1 with beautiful and enchanting illuminations for a romantic and memorable holiday season.The festival will feature an extravagant 26-meter-high Romantic Tower Tree, which will be displayed at the fountain area between Four Seasons Garden and Rose Garden. The hollowed out Christmas tree tower can accommodate up to 50 people.The tree’s interior showers the visitors with enchanting l
Dec. 9, 2016
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Sports ministry discovers budget misuse at football governing body
South Korea's sports ministry on Wednesday said it has asked local law enforcement to investigate former and current employees of the national football governing body for apparently misusing the organization's budget. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that its sports corruption center found that 23 former and active workers at the Korea Football Association (KFA) exploited their group's money for private use. Following its probe, the ministry asked the Korean Olympic Committee (
Dec. 7, 2016
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Blast Theory wins Nam June Paik Art Center Prize
Artist group Blast Theory has won the 2016 Nam June Paik Art Center Prize, the art institution announced Wednesday.The UK-based group, formed in 1991 by Matt Adams, Ju Row Farr and Nick Tandavanitj, uses new forms of performance and technology that engage audiences both online and offline through digital broadcasts and live performances. The group is known for its experimental and interdisciplinary works such as “Operation Black Antler,” a 2016 live performance inviting audiences to participate
Dec. 7, 2016
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[Foreigners Who Loved Korea] Paul Yu Pin, the Roman Catholic Cardinal Who Supported the Korean Independence Movement
In late December 1945, when the issue of trusteeship over Korea became a political issue a mere two months after the Korean Provisional Government returned to the country, KPG President Kim Gu introduced the Roman Catholic bishop Paul Yu Pin to the Korean people through a newspaper article. Virtually unknown to Koreans, Yu was a great contributor to the Korean independence movement.Unknown Chinese supporter of the Korean independence movementThe following is quoted from the Dong-a Ilbo article f
Dec. 6, 2016
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Bob Dylan sends speech for Nobel ceremony
STOCKHOLM (AFP) -- Music icon Bob Dylan won’t be at the Nobel prize ceremony this week to accept his award, but he has sent along a speech to be read aloud, the Nobel foundation said Monday.The 75-year-old, whose lyrics have influenced generations of fans, has had a subdued response to the honor, remaining silent for weeks following the news in October he had won the prize for literature.“This year’s Laureate in Literature, Bob Dylan, will not be participating in the Nobel Week but he has provid
Dec. 6, 2016
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Korean intangible heritage week opens in Mexico
This year's Korean Intangible Cultural Heritage Week will open in Mexico City to provide the locals chances to learn and enjoy Korea's traditional arts, organizers said.The Korean Cultural Center in Mexico said on Sunday it is planning a variety of special events to mark the weeks between Dec. 5 to 23 in cooperation with the National Intangible Heritage Center and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation.The events are to provide education sessions on art as well as performances and exhibitions of
Dec. 5, 2016
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Keys, lightbulbs tied to Thomas Edison sell at auction
DALLAS (AP) -- Keys to the New Jersey lab where Thomas Edison invented the phonograph and some of the lightbulbs that he perfected sold for more than $60,000 at auction on Saturday.The keys sold for $10,625 at an auction run by Heritage Auctions in Dallas. A bulb created by a German inventor who claimed to have invented the incandescent lightbulb before Edison did was sold for $23,750, while a set of five Edison bulbs used in a court case sold for $30,000.The items were acquired by Charlie Knuds
Dec. 4, 2016
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International push aims to protect endangered heritage
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) - Representatives from dozens of countries gathered in Abu Dhabi on Friday to focus on setting up a $100 million fund to protect and restore heritage sites threatened by extremism and conflict.The two-day conference reflects growing international alarm over the destruction of ancient artifacts by Islamic State group jihadists using sledgehammers, bulldozers and explosives.Another key aim is to establish “refuge zones” around the globe for endangered works of
Dec. 4, 2016
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French choreographer Millepied starts anew in LA
LOS ANGELES (AFP) -- French choreographer Benjamin Millepied, who spectacularly left the Paris Opera Ballet earlier this year, will mark his return to Los Angeles this week with a new show.The dance star -- husband of Hollywood actress Natalie Portman -- also revealed he is working on a feature film as he held rehearsals this week with his dance troupe from the L.A. Dance Project at a studio in downtown Los Angeles.The performances Dec. 9 and 10 will consist of four dances, including the world p
Dec. 4, 2016
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[Weekender] The art of writing in spotlight again
The rapid adoption of digital devices in recent years is reshaping the concept of writing. A growing number of people view writing as a synonym of typing on PC or taking notes on their smartphones. For tech-savvy people, a traditional pen is nothing but an outdated and inconvenient tool. But this tech-oriented perspective is yet to convert the growing group of calligraphy enthusiasts with a penchant for beautiful writing. Calligraphy is making a comeback in Korea. Signs in favor of what people h
Dec. 2, 2016
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[Weekender] Hangeul calligraphy goes mainstream
There was a time when Chinese character calligraphers criticized Hangeul calligraphy for being “too unsophisticated.” Luckily, a few calligraphers ignored the comments and mastered their craft in Hangeul, the Korean alphabet. Looking back, they served as the trailblazers for the now-burgeoning market for Hangeul calligraphy.“Years ago, the term ‘Hangeul calligraphy’ was virtually nonexistent among graphic designers,” Kang Byung-in, one of the first-generation Hangul calligraphy gurus, told The K
Dec. 2, 2016
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[Eye Interview] Head full of dreams, feet on the ground
The music video for British rock band Coldplay’s track “Up & Up,” released last year from the album “A Head Full of Dreams,” has been described as “magical.”The video features a montage of moving images that transform the everyday into extraordinary scenes. Synchronized swimmers dance inside a teacup, while a green kitchen sponge becomes a football field for tiny players. Popcorn is popped from the crater of a volcano. The sky is the sea; the earth becomes a stage.Music video director Vania Heym
Dec. 2, 2016
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[Weekender] Beautiful writing goes beyond words
Nestled in the design books section of Kyobo Book Center in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, calligraphy workbooks are displayed in a separate stall as a special collection. According to Kyobo Book Center, calligraphy books began gaining traction since 2012, with the number of new publications and demand for them steadily growing each year.A reader flicks through books in the calligraphy section of Kyobo Book Centre in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. (Lim Jeong-yeo / The Korea Herald)In 2013, eight new books on calligra
Dec. 2, 2016
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[Newsmaker] Jeju's women divers gain UNESCO recognition
When the female divers of Jeju Island emerge from their minutes-long foray underwater, they let out a much-awaited sigh. Called “sumbi,” the exhalation releases carbon dioxide from the lungs with a sound that is similar to whistling. When the divers pop up in groups, a chorus of singsong breathing echoes through the coast.“Haenyeo,” or women divers who have been diving in the waters off Jeju for centuries to gather seafood, were inscribed onto the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Dec. 1, 2016
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Rebuilding history? Debate rages over lost Afghan Buddhas
BAMIYAN, Afghanistan (AFP) -- For centuries they stood, two monumental ancient statues of Buddha carved into the cliffs of Bamiyan, loved and revered by generations of Afghans -- only to be pulverized by the Taliban in an act of cultural genocide.It felt like the loss of family for many who live and tend their crops nearby -- but some 15 years on they are hopeful these awe-inspiring relics can be reconstructed. But experts are divided on the value of rebuilding the artefacts, with some insisting
Dec. 1, 2016
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Celebrities express fury over President Park’s address
Celebrities are voicing anger via social media over President Park Geun-hye’s Tuesday announcement, in which she said she would let the National Assembly decide the fate of her presidency.“I am so angry,” celebrity writer Heo Ji-woong posted to his Instagram account Tuesday with a photo of a television screen depicting Park’s address. “She is tossing the ball over to the National Assembly, which will obviously be unable to reach an answer at this point. I am so angry at the president and the spe
Nov. 30, 2016
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Pirelli launches covered-up 2017 calendar with top actresses
PARIS (AP) -- Pirelli on Tuesday unveiled the 2017 edition of its famed calendar, which sees photographer Peter Lindbergh mature beyond snaps of seminude models and set his lens on Hollywood.The calendar, entitled “Emotional” and launched in Paris, stars 14 Oscar-winning actresses featured in black-and-white close-ups, in clothed poses with invisible makeup. The photos, while beautiful, show wrinkles, lines and imperfections. It’s a dramatic move away from decades of risque shots that made the c
Nov. 30, 2016