Most Popular
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Korean labor force to shrink by 10 million by 2044: report
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[AtoZ Korean Mind] Does your job define who you are? Should it?
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Allegations surrounding BTS resurface, enraged fans demand apology
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Students with history of violence will be barred from becoming teachers
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Probe of first lady on Dior bag allegations set to begin
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'Super Rich in Korea' will leave viewers appreciating Korea more: producers
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Top prosecutor pledges 'speedy, strict' probe into first lady's luxury bag allegations
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Medical feud leaves hospitals in financial crisis
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'Queen of Tears' riding high on Netflix chart
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Chip up cycle won’t stay long: SK chief
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Korean mountain fortress wins UNESCO heritage status
An ancient mountain fortress in South Korea made the UNESCO world heritage list, Seoul officials said Sunday.The 38th meeting of the World Heritage Committee that opened a week ago for a 10-day run in Doha, Qata, decided to give World Heritage status to the Namhansanseong mountain fortress in Gwangju, just southeast of Seoul, South Korea's Cultural Heritage Administration said.The inscription brought to 11 the number of South Korean items on the UNESCO list. If North Korea is included, the numbe
June 22, 2014
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[Weekender] Haenyeo up close and personal
Larger-than-life photographs of Jejudo Island’s iconic female divers in wetsuits hang on the walls of the second and basement floor spaces of POSCO Art Museum on Tehran-ro in southern Seoul, the women’s weathered faces bearing witness to a lifetime of struggles with the sea. The photographs are part of “Mother in the Sea, Haenyeo,” an exhibition of 165 works by celebrated photographer Joon Choi, running through July 3.Choi captures the faraway look in the eyes of an aged diver just out of the wa
June 20, 2014
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Lotte Hall to open in 2015 with Seoul Phil concert
Lotte Hall, a classical music hall currently under construction in Jamsil-dong, southern Seoul, will open on Sept. 3, 2015, with a concert by maestro Chung Myung-whun and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the chief executive of the hall said Wednesday.The opening will be followed by a four-month music festival, during which the hall will make some necessary adjustments in acoustics and other installations.“From March onward, the hall will be made available to rent for concerts,” Kim Eui-joon sai
June 18, 2014
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A musical treat in store this summer
Musicals of diverse genres, themes and origins await fans this summer, taking the stages of almost all major performing arts venues in Seoul. From a Broadway classic and an Australian drag show getting a Korean premiere to a suspensful thriller and a jukebox show, this season’s musical lineup has something for everyone. Here’s a look at some of the most anticipated shows this season. Broadway classics Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary musical “Cats” is back, with an international cast. As in many
June 17, 2014
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Inca trails, French cave vie for World Heritage status
DOHA (AFP) ― Inca trails spanning six countries and a French cave with some of the earliest known paintings are among the sites expected to get World Heritage status at a UNESCO meeting that started Sunday in Doha.Altogether at least 30 natural and cultural sites, including the Arbil Citadel in Iraq’s Kurdistan, are vying to get the United Nations cultural body’s prestigious distinction and add their names to an already 981-strong list.The June 15-25 World Heritage Committee gathering will also
June 16, 2014
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San Francisco ups campaign to win Lucas museum
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― San Francisco politicians and property groups are rolling out the welcome mat for George Lucas’ collection of American art and movie memorabilia in an effort to keep the “Star Wars” creator from building his proposed museum in Chicago or Los Angeles. Mayor Ed Lee had banners reading “George Lucas, please build your museum in San Francisco for the world to enjoy” hung Friday at both City Hall and the waterfront parcel known as Seawall Lot 330 that the city hopes will be the f
June 15, 2014
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[Weekender] An unlikely love affair with Korean music
When time allows, Hilary Finchum-Sung travels to rural villages on Jindo Island, South Jeolla Province, interviewing elderly people and recording songs that they used to sing in kitchens, on farms or during special occasions like funerals. She is on a self-imposed mission to study and preserve a disappearing musical tradition in Korea which its people don’t seem to care much about. “It (the music) is real. It’s not something performed on stage for an audience,” she said, as she sat down for an i
June 13, 2014
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Calendar
Pop musicUltra Music Festival Korea: The annual Ultra Music Festival, one of the world’s largest outdoor electronica music fests, will be in full swing in Seoul once again. Last summer’s event drew more than 80,000 EDM fans. Like last year, this year’s lineup will include a handful of world famous DJ acts including Steve Aoki, Above & Beyond, Steve Angello and Paul van Dyk. The festival will host its final event as part of its two-day show on June 14 at Seoul Olympic Park’s Olympic Stadium Compl
June 13, 2014
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Big Bang’s Taeyang 112th on Billboard 200 with album “Rise”
Taeyang, a member of K-pop band Big Bang, landed on the Billboard 200 chart on Friday with his new album “Rise.” (YG Entertainment)“Rise” placed No. 112 on the chart, surpassing all the Korean male singers who have made it to the chart before him. Earlier, “Overdose” by the subunit of idol group EXO, EXO-K, was No. 129, the previous highest ranking for a Korean singer.Taeyang also placed first on both the Billboard World Albums Chart, which ranks albums in terms of sales in non-English speaking
June 13, 2014
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Culture Ministry seeks to revitalize arts scene after Sewol disaster
Korea’s performing arts scene suffered a major blow when the ferry Sewol sank in April with over 300 people trapped inside. Concerts, musicals and various other stage performances were canceled, postponed or scaled down, as the nation mourned. Even those who avoided such a fate struggled with low ticket sales. About two months after the disaster, the country is slowly returning to pre-Sewol normalcy, but many artists are still grappling with financial hardship and a bitter taste of the reality o
June 12, 2014
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[Herald Interview] Kicking an old habit
On March 23, the Cultural Heritage Administration held a ceremony to mark the 15th anniversary of its foundation. Instead of festive celebrations, the state-run body marked the occasion with a solemn oath that it would change the way it has been working. For Rha Sun-hwa, the CHA’s chief since January, it felt like the end of a chapter ― one that has been brutally tough on her and her staff ― and the beginning of a new one. “The past five months (leading up to the anniversary) was like a ceaseles
June 10, 2014
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‘Gentleman’s Guide,’ McDonald, Cranston win Tony Awards
NEW YORK (AP) ― The murderous romp “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” got a lot of love at Sunday night’s Tony Awards, nabbing the best new musical trophy on a night that also saw Audra McDonald make Broadway history, Bryan Cranston win as a rookie and four-time host Neil Patrick Harris get his own award. “A Gentlemen’s Guide,” in which a poor man comically eliminates the eight heirs ahead of him for a title, opened rather quietly and has had a steady increase in interest, peaking with its
June 9, 2014
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[Art of Diplomacy] Envoy puts Indonesia on art world map
This is the second in a series of articles in which foreign envoys to South Korea show the art of their countries displayed in their homes. ― Ed.It is no accident that guests visiting the residence of the Indonesian ambassador here are greeted by art works from some the most sought-after East Asian artists.Signature works by South Korea’s Park Sae-bo, Indonesia’s Arin Dwihartanto Sunaryo ― who was one of the hottest artists last year in April at a Sothby’s auction in Hong Kong ― and Yue Minjun o
June 4, 2014
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Forum to discuss women’s leadership
Women leaders in media, fashion and culture will talk about women’s leadership and style at the Beautiful Women Conference, scheduled for June 13-14 in Seoul. The conference, in its second year, will bring seven figures from media, fashion, makeup, interior design and classical music, who will give tips on enriching life as well as leadership among women. The conference will be held at Auditorium at Coex, Samseong-dong, Seoul. The invited speakers are Sohn Ji-ae, former president and CEO of Arir
June 2, 2014
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[Weekender] ‘Religious leaders should provide stability’
Located across the narrow street from the western wall of the heavily wooded Changdeokgung Palace, Eun Deok Cultural Center is an oasis of serenity in the bustling metropolis of Seoul.Overseeing this rare gem is Lee Seon-jong, 70, a Won Buddhist priest who has occupied many of the top posts in the indigenous Buddhism founded by Master Sotaesan in 1924. While the center is operated by Won Buddhism, there is no trace of religion here.“It is run as a cultural center, not a house of worship,” explai
May 30, 2014
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Madman, retired detective square off in Stephen King’s fast-paced thriller
In “Mr. Mercedes,” Stephen King gives the ghosts and ghouls a rest and returns to the non-supernatural suspense genre of such earlier novels as “Cujo” and “Misery.” He also resists the bloat that has crept into his books over the last decade, keeping the story moving at lightning speed ― I dare you not to read the last 100 pages in one sitting ― and focusing primarily on two characters, antagonists about to embark on an elaborate dance of wits.One is Bill Hodges, a retired 62-year-old detective
May 29, 2014
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Ellen Gilchrist returns with fine new stories, unsentimental characters
The forces at work in Ellen Gilchrist’s latest story collection ― her first in eight years ― are not trifles. Nature. Time. Plain bad luck. And yet her characters remain undaunted. These flinty, practical, God-fearing Southern folk do not hold with complaining.“Life’s harder than we know it might be when we’re young,” acknowledges the widowed Arkansas First Responder in the National Guard in “Collateral.” She must leave her teaching job and son to travel to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. A
May 29, 2014
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New Ferris novel stars alienated dentist
To Rise Again at a Decent HourBy Daniel Akst (Newsday)Until now, the only novel I could think of with a dentist as a protagonist was Frank Norris’ melodramatic “McTeague” from the turn of the 20th century.So it may not be saying much to award the laurels for Best Novel with a Dentist in a Starring Role to the alternately sad and hilarious new book by Joshua Ferris. “To Rise Again at a Decent Hour” showcases the wit, intelligence and keen eye for workplace absurdity the author displayed to such g
May 29, 2014
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The life of Neil Gaiman (so far)
The Art of Neil GaimanBy Tish Wells (McClatchy Washington Bureau)If you haven’t heard of Neil Gaiman, you’ve missed a major force in creative fiction in the last 20 years. His offbeat writing runs from comics to films to television series to books.The best way to meet the man, other than at a book reading, is in the new biography, “The Art of Neil Gaiman” by Hayley Campbell. Lushly illustrated, it’s a rich treat of an introduction to Gaiman and his work.That “work” is imaginative fiction, scienc
May 29, 2014
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A whole new palace experience
Nestled in the middle of ultramodern skyscrapers, Seoul’s royal palaces are a perfect refuge from the stress of city life. Shrouded in history, the five grand palaces of Korea’s last ruling dynasty of Joseon (1392-1910) seem almost unnaturally hushed, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The ambience of peace and tranquility is not all one can experience at the historic sites. A variety of cultural programs take place there, aimed at taking visitors a step back in time to when people liv
May 28, 2014