The Korea Herald

Korea re-elected to UNESCO World Heritage Committee

Nov 20, 2013

Korea on Tuesday was elected a member state of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for the third time, the Cultural Heritage Administration said. At the 19th session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in Paris, Korea was selected as a member of the committee responsible for the implementation of the World ...
Russian oligarch opens Faberge egg museum

Nov 20, 2013

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AFP) ― Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg on Tuesday opened a museum to display his glittering collection of Faberge eggs, once owned by the tsars, in the former imperial capital of Saint Petersburg. The new Faberge Museum located in the Shuvalov Palace in the city centre put on display nine of the eggs, once given as Easter gifts by the royal family, as well as thousa...
S. Korea re-elected as member of UNESCO World Heritage Committee

Nov 20, 2013

South Korea has been re-elected as a member state of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to a four-year term for the third time, Seoul's cultural heritage authority said Wednesday. Seoul regained the membership during the 19th session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage that opened at the UNESCO headquarter...
‘Artists in companies lead to innovation solution’

Nov 19, 2013

The arts can be more than “condiments” such as welfare policies or marketing opportunities for businesses. They can become an engine for innovation and development in an organization, a group of academics and businessmen claimed Tuesday. They urged more Korean organizations to adopt “artistic intervention,” which involves artists at all levels, from human resources management to strategic planni...
Selfie tops twerk as Oxford’s word of the year

Nov 19, 2013

LONDON (AFP) ― Selfie is the 2013 word of the year, Oxford Dictionaries announced Tuesday, edging out some stiff competition from twerk. Usage of the word has increased 17,000 percent over the past 12 months, said Oxford Dictionaries, which publishes the mammoth Oxford English Dictionary, styled as the definitive record of the English language. Selfie is defined as “a photograph that one has ta...
Egypt plans renovation for Cairo museum

Nov 17, 2013

CAIRO (AP) ― Egypt unveiled Friday a multimillion dollar renovation project for Cairo’s famed Egyptian Museum, including plans to demolish a scorched building that stands between it and the Nile, in a bid to draw tourists back and restore a sense of normalcy after more than two years of unrest. Organizers said they want to return the dusty 111-year-old museum to its former glory by painting the ...
Three shades of ‘Carmen’

Nov 17, 2013

It is no wonder that a tale of fiery yet innocent romance between a young, naive soldier and a sultry gypsy touches the hearts of many Koreans. “Carmen,” the tragic love story of exotic dancer Carmen and Don Jose by Prosper Merimee, was named the most-loved opera in a National Opera survey in 2012. From November through December, the story and music will be reinterpreted on three very different ...
France’s Pleyel piano maker plays final note

Nov 17, 2013

PARIS (AP) ― Gone are its glory days, when Chopin composed concertos on its pianos. France’s Pleyel piano maker is shutting its doors, unable to keep up with cheaper and more agile competition. Down to just 14 employees after a 206-year history that produced more than 250,000 pianos, the Pleyel piano factory in Saint Denis, north of Paris, announced this week that it’s closing “because of recurr...
National Theater Company releases English book

Nov 14, 2013

The National Theater Company of Korea has released a compilation of three Korean plays translated into English, titled “Three Plays.” The 150-page book features the well-loved plays Bae Sam-sik’s “March Snow,” Ko Yeon-ok’s “The Master Has Arrived,” and Park Geun-hung’s “Red Bus.” The book also contains commentaries written about the writers’ lives and works by honorary professor at Pennsylvania ...
Naju National Museum to open next week

Nov 14, 2013

A gilt-bronze cap from the 9th Tomb at Sinchon-ri (National Treasure No. 295) and gilt-bronze accessories and shoes as well as silverware from Bogam-ri, which are both located in Naju, will be highlighted in the first exhibition hall. Also on exhibit will be a gilt-bronze headpiece from Andong Tomb in Goheung, a nearby county; earthen vessels discovered at Haenam; and other items that show activ...
Lee Charm in hot water over allegations of receiving sexual favors

Nov 13, 2013

Lee Charm, CEO of the Korea Tourism Organization, is in hot water for allegedly receiving favors from a subcontractor by visiting a brothel in Japan last year. While the German-turned-Korean admits to visiting the business, he insisted that he paid for the services on his own, saying it was only a “pure massage to take away the fatigue.” According to a report by jTBC on Tuesday, the KTO CEO vis...
Cultural heritage agency faces tough scrutiny

Nov 12, 2013

The Cultural Heritage Administration has come under fire regarding a number of scandals suggesting internal irregularities, a lack of management skills and indifference to the country’s cultural assets. With President Park Geun-hye ordering a probe and disciplinary measures, the Daejeon-based state organization is now conducting an internal audit and formulating reform plans. Senior Presidentia...
Korea promoter presents 10 things people should know about Korea

Nov 12, 2013

Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor of General Education at Sungshin Women’s University, well-known for his efforts for promoting Korea’s position on sovereignty over the Dokdo Islets, and has recently published a book titled, “Do you Know? 10 Things you Must Know About Korea.” Seo, who is known for his efforts to promote Korean culture, has selected a wide range of issues, historical moments and cultur...
Egypt recovers 90 ancient artifacts on auction in Jerusalem

Nov 12, 2013

CAIRO (AFP) ― Egypt said Sunday that it has recovered 90 ancient artifacts that were put on sale by a Jerusalem auction house, and has asked Israel to find other antiquities and return them to Cairo. The ministry of antiquities said it had asked Israeli authorities to intervene after “spotting in recent weeks a sale of 110 ancient Egyptian artefacts on the website of an auction house in Jerusale...
Park orders probe into shoddy restorations

Nov 11, 2013

President Park Geun-hye ordered her staff Monday to strictly investigate cultural restoration projects, saying those found responsible for shoddy repair work should be severely punished. Park gave the order to her chief of staff Kim Ki-choon ahead of a meeting of senior presidential secretaries early in the day, citing recent revelations that the ancient Sungnyemun Gate was poorly restored, acco...