Most Popular
-
1
Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
-
2
New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
-
3
Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
-
4
Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
-
5
[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul
-
6
Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
-
7
Doctor group's incoming head renews call for govt. to scrap medical school quota hike for dialogue
-
8
Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
-
9
[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
-
10
NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
-
[Up & Coming] Webtoon artist Kim tells stories of hardships with humor
Comic artist Kim Mi-kyung is a realist. She also has a bit of a dark side. People had often told her that she was too honest to create funny, cute characters and cartoons. But Kim said her character traits have proven to be useful in creating comics such as “How I Got Married” and “Fantastic Cosmetic.” She has been writing comics under a pseudonym Kim Fanta, named after a soft drink she used to enjoy drinking when she was young.“Comics that I have created over the years were mostly based on my e
June 21, 2015
-
[Weekender] Leisure drones gaining popularity among hobbyists
Drones are becoming a common sight at city parks in South Korea, with the small aircraft emerging as a new toy for “kidults” ― adults enjoying hobbies considered better suited to children. Korea’s largest online shopping mall 11st said it saw drone sales rise 560 percent from January to April this year compared to the same period in 2014. Park Seung-wook, 29, a researcher at a chemistry company, is one of the many “kidults” enjoying the luxury hobby. “I like the sound of the propellers, which ma
June 19, 2015
-
[Weekender] Corporate Korea falls in love with drones
Corporations in South Korea from a wide variety of industry sectors are turning their eyes toward drone technology, which is expected to create a great number of new business opportunities down the road.South Korea’s 10th-largest conglomerate, Hanwha, is one of those firms aiming to make headway into the unmanned aircraft industry.The company, which has placed importance on the defense and military businesses since its foundation in 1952, recently acquired Samsung Techwin, the defense business a
June 19, 2015
-
[Newsmaker] Plagiarism claims haunt literary icon
In Korea’s moribund literary scene, novelist Shin Kyung-sook has been almost the only source of excitement. With a growing international profile, the author of 2011 New York Times bestseller “Please Look After Mom” seemed to be Korea’s best shot at producing a world star, like what Murakami Haruki is for Japan. Shin’s seemingly unassailable reputation here, and perhaps her fledgling global career, now faces a grave challenge after allegations of plagiarism surfaced. On Tuesday, fellow writer Lee
June 18, 2015
-
Special sermon at Namdaemoon Presbyterian
The Namdaemoon Presbyterian Church is holding a special sermon, history forum and concert in commemoration of 130 years since the First State Sunday service was held in Korea on June 21, 1885.The service is recorded to have been held at the house of Horace Newton Allen, a Protestant medical missionary and diplomat from the United States to Korea at the end of the Joseon Dynasty. It was also attended by missionaries John William Heron and the mother of missionary Mary F. Scranton, records say. Th
June 18, 2015
-
‘Please Look After Mom’ author faces plagiarism charges
Shin Kyung-sook, the author of international best seller “Please Look After Mom,” Wednesday denied an accusation that she committed plagiarism in an earlier work published nearly two decades ago. The work in question is “Legend,” included in a short story collection titled “Long Ago, When I Left My Home” published in 1996. A passage in the short story that describes the physical intimacy of a newlywed couple bears striking similarities to a part in a Korean translation of “Yukoku (Patriotism)” b
June 17, 2015
-
Seoul hopes to reassure tourists with MERS insurance plan
Myeong-dong, a popular tourist destination in Seoul, is quieter than usual Sunday. (Yonhap)As the Middle East respiratory syndrome continues to scare away tourists, the Korean government has come up with a desperate measure to lure them back: free, full-coverage MERS insurance to foreign visitors. The scheme, announced Monday along with other emergency measures to support the MERS-hit local tourism, is a show of confidence in the country’s ongoing efforts to contain the potentially deadly virus
June 15, 2015
-
[Weekender] Dogs are colleagues to emergency rescue workers
Moran, a black Labrador retriever, can do more than just sit and roll over. She has special skills that no human and most pet dogs lack.With a keen sense of smell, the 30-kilogram Lab can track down missing persons miles away who are trapped in natural disaster areas or deep in the mountainous woods. She can help firemen and police solve mysteries on whether the missing victims are alive or dead.Moran is a rescue dog for the Special Rescue Team in Dobong-gu. The team, which works closely with th
June 12, 2015
-
Around the Hotels
Cool down with a swim at Sheraton Seoul D Cube City HotelSheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is offering a cool summer vacation in the city with the “Frozen Summer” package, available from June 1 to Aug. 31. The 235,000 won-package includes a one-night stay in a Deluxe Room with an expansive view of the Seoul cityscape, and a sumptuous breakfast buffet for two at the hotel’s signature restaurant Feast, located on the 41st floor. The buffet is free of charge for one child under 36 months. During the
June 12, 2015
-
Polish art on extensive view in Seoul
Many Polish artists created works intended to raise the morale of fellow citizens after their country lost independence in 1795 to Russia, Prussia and Austria. During this tragic time of history, master painter Jan Matejko reminded Poles of the historical glories of Poland to elevate their spirits. Chopin borrowed melodies from Polish traditional dance and created great piano pieces, mazurkas and polonaises. Such art pieces reflecting the strength and spirit of Poles throughout its turbulent his
June 11, 2015
-
MERS fears cast pall over culture
Korea’s ongoing MERS outbreak is casting a pall over the country’s arts and culture scene, with festivals, concerts and other crowd-drawing events getting postponed or canceled. The 2015 Seoul International Book Fair, the largest of its kind in Korea which was slated to open next week, announced Tuesday its postponement to mid-October as public fear heightens over the potentially deadly virus. “We decided to hold the fair at a later late and under better circumstances,” said Koh Young-soo, chair
June 9, 2015
-
Emerging K-pop groups to perform at MIDEM
Four emerging Korean music groups will be performing at the K-pop Night Out concert on the sidelines of MIDEM, one of the world’s biggest music tradeshows, in Cannes, France this week.The four are: The Barberettes, a retro girl group; Loro’s, a modern rock band; Coreyah, a Korean classical music gukak ensemble; and Rock ‘N’ Roll Radio, a rock band.Representing Korean music in their respective genres, they will be performing for about three hours on June 6 at the Palais des Festivals venue, accor
June 3, 2015
-
From birth to death: Joseon life expressed in white porcelain
“Careful in speech, yet enough to reveal the entire world, and follow murkiness and clearness from time to time. Its emptiness may allow it to fill all things, and its whiteness in quality may reveal its nature.”The poem written on a 17th-century white porcelain work of art decorated in underglaze iron sums up the neo-Confucian virtues of austerity, humility and purity that Joseon scholars upheld. The milky white body, minimal decoration and voluptuous simple curves of white porcelain were some
June 1, 2015
-
Around the Hotels
Ladies’ luxuries at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul is offering the “Women’s Experience Package” for female guests on vacation or business trips seeking to enjoy more personalized, exclusive services during their stay. The package includes a one-night stay in a luxurious guest room; one bottle of Veuve Cliquot champagne; a special gift set of Aesop hand cream, rose bubble bath, Evian mineral water and seasonal fruit; a late check-out time of 2 p.m.; a 30 percent discount on any spa treatment at
May 29, 2015
-
[Up & Coming] The art of hand stitching
Up & Coming is a series of interviews with emerging artists in various fields of arts and entertainment. ― Ed.Threads and needles were playthings for artist Jo Ha-na during her childhood. She grew up stitching leftover pieces of fabric her grandmother gave her after making hanbok, or traditional Korean dress, outfits at home. She stitched the fabrics together to make miniature hanbok or clothing for her dolls. Bags created by artist Jo Ha-na. (Yeol)Sewing is now her secret weapon to make unique
May 28, 2015
-
Korea’s first electricity plant site found in palace
The site of Korea’s first electricity plant was found during an archaeological excavation at Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Cultural Heritage Administration said on Wednesday. According to the state cultural heritage agency, a year-long excavation effort found the site of the first electricity plant, established in 1887, during the late Joseon period (1392-1910). “It’s a great achievement that gives us an understanding of electricity development in Korea,” said Min Byeong-geun, curator of the Korea E
May 27, 2015
-
Only one way out at ‘Code Escape’
Imagine being led, blindfolded, down a hall and into a room behind a big wooden door. The door’s lock clicks, and music begins blaring from the speakers. You take off the blindfold, and the digital clock on the wall starts counting down. You have 60 minutes to find the key and escape. Every item in the room could be a clue.This is the basic setup for the experience at Code Escape in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, an offline escape game that offers a real-life version of popular online and mobile escape game
May 27, 2015
-
Stories behind Buddhist art
Around 1247, Empress Hampyeong of Goryeo (918-1392) commissioned an artisan known for his skilled silver engraving to inscribe patterns of clouds and lotuses on a bronze vase in a prayer for the well-being of her family and country. It was after her two sons were sent away as punishment for attempting to remove a general who took power in a coup d’etat, while her daughters had to marry his sons. The vase, made for use as an incense burner at a Buddhist temple, is now considered to best represent
May 26, 2015
-
[Weekender] Check in to Hotel Korea
Hotels seem to be the best business in Korea to be in right now. Tourism is booming in Korea with a record number of visitors ― of which the Chinese take up nearly half. Last year’s historic milestone of 14 million foreign visitors looks set to be broken this year, as the travel-loving Chinese continue to throng Seoul streets.New hotels are rising in Seoul. Jejudo Island ― once a favorite destination for Korean newlyweds ― has turned into a giant resort development site, as Chinese vacationers s
May 22, 2015
-
Gwangju Universiade to offer cultural festivals
The 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju between July 3 and 14 will not just be about college athletes and teams from around the world completing for shiny medals.The sports gala will also hold festivals, music events and art exhibitions that best represent the host city.The Gwangju Universiade Organizing Committee said the “Cultureversiade” would be held on the sidelines of the games in line with the University Games’ concept of “Eco-friendliness, Peace, IT and Culture,” or “EPIC.”In partnership
May 14, 2015