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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Official campaigning kicks off for April 10 elections
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Lee Jong-sup resigns as envoy to Australia
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Court upholds jail term for man who attempted to murder ex-girlfriend
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S. Korea to boost support for single-parent families
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Yellow dust engulfs S. Korea, advisory alert issued
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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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[Weekender] Prophetic dreams?
What do Abraham Lincoln, Adolf Hitler and Yi Seong-gye, the 14th century founder of the Joseon Kingdom, have in common? They all claimed to have seen their future in their dreams ― years and sometimes days before the actual events occurred.Abraham Lincoln told friends a few weeks before he was killed in April 1865 that he had seen his own body lying in state in the White House.“Before me was a catafalque, on which rested a corpse wrapped in funeral vestments,” Lincoln allegedly said about his dr
March 13, 2015
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‘Study death to live well’
In Ancient Rome, when triumphant generals marched in victory parades, they would hear the words “memento mori,” meaning “remember that you will die,” from a slave whose sole responsibility was to remind them of their mortality. The story of slaves reminding glorious generals of their human limitations may be apocryphal, but it delves into humans’ mortal nature. Death is inevitable, but people rarely bring it up in casual conversation. It’s almost taboo to do so in many countries, including Korea
March 13, 2015
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S. Korean violinist wins Italian concours
A rising South Korean violinist has won the first prize of the Paganini international competition, a local culture foundation sponsoring the artist said Tuesday.Yang In-mo received the top prize along with three special awards at the 54th Premio Paganini international violin competition that closed in Genova, Italy, on Sunday, the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation said.This marks the first time that a Korean has secured the first prize in the competition.The prize entitles him to a one-year spons
March 10, 2015
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Korean musical creators aim big
Buoyed by success at home and hungry for recognition overseas, Korean producers and creators of musicals have for years harbored ambitions for their own shows.Many of their works will unveil in the coming months in what many observers see as a test of their creativity, musicality and a knack for appeasing the audience. Like in previous years, the Korean market is set for an ample supply of foreign imports, namely from Broadway or West End, potentially making their box-office battle a pretty hard
March 8, 2015
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New journal explores Korea’s modern history
The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History has launched a new English-language academic journal to spotlight research and foster the exchange of ideas on contemporary Korean history. The biannual Journal of Contemporary Korean Studies features articles not only on Korean politics and economy but also on contemporary Korean social affairs, culture and the arts. It includes an essay section where contributors offer reflections on their personal experiences of Korean contemporary history, a
March 5, 2015
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Brecht epic to be told through ‘pansori’
“The Caucasian Chalk Circle,” a play written by German playwright Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956), will be told through the soul-piercing sounds of “pansori” in an upcoming theatrical production in Seoul. Korean-Japanese playwright and stage director Jung Eui-shin speaks at a news conference at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul on Monday. (National Theater of Korea)A National Changgeuk Company of Korea production, the experimental work will be directed by Korean-Japanese playwright and stage dir
March 3, 2015
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Around the hotels
Hong Kong cuisine at Sheraton Incheon HotelSheraton Incheon Hotel’s traditional Chinese restaurant YUE is presenting authentic Hong Kong cuisine from March 13 to 22. Two chefs have been invited from Jockey Club, one of the most prestigious social clubs in Hong Kong, for this special promotion. Chef Lap Sun Chan is currently associated with Cook-Po Chun Kitchen and won the silver award in the vegetable category of the 2011 Best of the Best Culinary Awards. Chef Kam Ho Lee is a highly renowned mas
Feb. 27, 2015
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Yeol to offer English lectures on Korean art, culture, history
The Korean Heritage Preservation Society, Yeol, will be presenting an English-language lecture series this year, delving into Korean art, culture and history. The series will deal with subjects ranging from traditional music to K-pop, the Korean War, North Korean films, folktales and Buddhist sculpture. They will feature distinguished scholars and experts in the relevant fields. The next lecture will be given at 11:30 a.m. on March 9 by Bak Sang-mee, professor of cultural anthropology at Hankuk
Feb. 25, 2015
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Remote villages visited by Hangeul creator revamped
Four remote villages where King Sejong, the creator of the Korean alphabet, went to cure an eye infection and put the finishing touches on his unique writing system, have been renovated to attract modern visitors, officials in the central city said Wednesday. Housed within this city, some 137 kilometers south of Seoul, the villages -- Jeogok, Usan, Sangdangsanseong and Hyeongdong -- are part of the Sejong 100 project being pushed by the municipal government. Hangeul, one of the world's simple
Feb. 25, 2015
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Chojeong Mineral Spring that helped King Sejong's creation of Hangeul
A mineral spring in the central region is well known as a place where King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), the inventor of the Korean alphabet, stayed for months to treat his eye infection at the last stage of the creation. Located approximately 16 kilometers northeast of Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province, the Chojeong Mineral Spring is known to have provided a perfect environment for the king to refresh his heart and mind and devote himself to the invention of Hangeul with its b
Feb. 24, 2015
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Highbrow arts take to the screen
Great news for local Benedict Cumberbatch fans: The 2011 British National Theatre production of “Frankenstein,” in which the “Sherlock Holmes” star played the titular role of a hideous creature, is currently playing here. The original production never came to Korea, but instead will appear on the silver screen. As part of National Theater Live series, The National Theater of Korea is screening the award-winning play ― written by British playwright Nick Dear and produced by Academy Award-winning
Feb. 17, 2015
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Kim Seong-kon gets 2nd term as LTI Korea head
Kim Seong-kon, the incumbent president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, has been tapped to serve a second term at the state-run institution, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday. The ministry endorsed Kim, 66, for his efforts to spread Korean literature abroad through publishing Korean literature in translation in many countries and expanding the curriculum at LTI Korea Translation Academy to nurture native-speaker translators. “I hope Kim will spearhead the
Feb. 17, 2015
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Park Hyo-shin to star as Phantom
Singer Park Hyo-shin will star as the Phantom, a mysterious, disfigured musical genius living in the dark cellars of a Paris opera house, in an upcoming production of a musical based on Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel “Phantom of the Opera.” A Seoul-based EMK Musical Company production, the American musical “Phantom” will premiere in Korea on April 28, with Park sharing the lead role with veteran musical actor Ryu Jung-han and pop-opera singer and musical actor KAI. Park became one of the most sought
Feb. 16, 2015
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Korea leads world in hotel Wi-Fi: study
South Korea has the highest percentage of hotels that offer quality wireless Internet, according to a study released last month by Hotel Wi-Fi Test, a company that collects and analyzes hotel Wi-Fi data from around the world. With 92 percent in Wi-Fi quality, South Korea topped the list by a healthy margin of 7.1 percentage points. Japan came in second with 84.9 percent. In third and fourth places were Ukraine and Switzerland, with 82.1 percent and 79.8 percent, respectively. The study assessed
Feb. 15, 2015
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[Weekender] Get in the mood for Seollal
Seollal, or the Lunar New Year, is one of the few times in Korea when tradition comes out from behind its ultramodern facade and to the fore. During the holiday, which this year falls on Feb. 18-20, most Koreans rekindle with distant family members and pay respects to one’s ancestors through “charye,” offering up a table full of food on the first morning of the New Year. Koreans and foreigners exchange Lunar New Year greetings. (The Korea Herald)Aside from the ancestral rite, one of the most com
Feb. 13, 2015
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[Weekender] Celebrating holiday with tradition
The Lunar New Year holiday is a great opportunity for locals and expats to experience traditional Korean activities. For those who are at a loss for how to spend these five days off, we suggest you take advantage of the various holiday promotions being offered at cultural sites around Korea. The National Gugak Center’s folk music group giving a “pangut” percussion performance (National Gugak Center)Palaces, tombs and games On Feb. 19, Lunar New Year’s Day, the Cultural Heritage Administration wi
Feb. 13, 2015
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‘The top person must want change’
“Sorry seems to be the hardest word,” crooned singer Elton John; “Hard to say I’m sorry,” belted rock group Chicago ― indeed, the word “sorry” appears to be a difficult word to utter, so caught up are we in not wanting to appear weak.However, according to Kim Hoh, founder and head coach of THE LAB h who specializes in crisis management and communication, “sorry” is the word of the strong. Kim Hoh (sixth from right) conducts a workshop at Hyundai Card last year. (THE LAB h)“People think apology
Feb. 13, 2015
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Highlights: Theatre, Dance, Exhibition, Pop Music, Festivals
Theater“Heavy Metal Girls”: Joo-young, Eun-joo, Jung-min and Boo-jin are all 40-year-old women working at the same small company. When they all face a possibility of layoff, they decide to learn heavy metal, to impress their new boss who is a heavy metal fanatic. “Heavy Metal Girls” runs through March 1 at Yegreen Theatre in Daehangno, Seoul. Tickets are priced at 20,000 won and 30,000 won. For more information, call (02) 744-7090.“The Best in Tragedy”: The play centers on the playwright and Nob
Feb. 13, 2015
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Sejong arts center appoints new CEO
Lee Seung-yeop, art management professor of Korea National University of Arts, has been appointed head of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts this week. Lee Seung-yeop, CEO of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. (Sejong Center for the Performing Arts)Lee, 53, began his three-year term on Thursday with a goal to make the arts center an accessible and friendly place for Seoul citizens. “I will promote the brand value of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts so that it can be the
Feb. 13, 2015
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‘We should be more proud of our history’
CHEONAN, South Chungcheong Province ― In the spacious, multibuilding history museum Independence Hall of Korea, there is a prominent spot dedicated to Yun Bong-gil, hailed as a national hero who willingly sacrificed his life to protest Japan’s colonial rule of Korea. Yun Ju-keyng, granddaughter of independence fighter Yun Bong-gil and president of the Independence Hall of Korea (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)The museum’s president, Yun Ju-keyng, has passed it numerous times, and every time it n
Feb. 6, 2015