The Korea Herald

New York Times writer who covered JFK assassination dies

Nov 27, 2011

MONTPELIER, Vermont (AP) ― On Nov. 22, 1963, Tom Wicker was in the first press bus following John F. Kennedy’s motorcade when the president was assassinated. Wicker, the New York Times’ White House correspondent, would later write in a memoir that the day was a turning point for the country: “The shots ringing out in Dealey Plaza marked the beginning of the end of innocence.” At that moment, how...
Arizona museum displays bolo ties, symbol of West

Nov 27, 2011

FLAGSTAFF, Arizona (AP) ― The sometimes plain, sometimes heavily decorated bolo neckties are a symbol of the West, worn with everything from blue jeans to tuxedos. Texas links the bolo to the romanticism of the pioneer era and suggests that anyone who wears one refuses to be bound by convention. New Mexico says they reflect the state’s tri-cultural heritage ― a mix of Hispanic, American Indian a...
eye-like

Nov 25, 2011

Lyrics shine in Sheeran’s debut Ed Sheeran “+” (Atlantic Records) The album that sold more than 58,000 copies in the first week of its release in Britain, becoming the highest-selling and highest-charting debut single of 2011 is finally on sale in Korea. British singer Ed Sheeran is indebted to artists such as Jamie T and Damien Rice, as evidenced by a debut that hops between bullish mockney...
Twitter study reveals explosion in Arabic 'tweeting'

Nov 25, 2011

The popularity of Twitter has soared in the Arab world over the past year, a study published Thursday revealed, reflecting the key role of the social networking site in the "Arab Spring" revolutions. Online Twitter messages, or tweets, in Arabic rocketed from 99,000 a day in October 2010 to over two million last month, social media monitor Semiocast showed in its study into the most popular lang...
‘Uigwe’ historian dies in Paris

Nov 23, 2011

Historian Park Byeng-sen, who contributed enormously to the return of Korea’s looted ancient royal texts, Uigwe, died of colorectal cancer in Paris, France, on Tuesday. She was 83. The historian, who studied history at Seoul National University, moved to Paris at age 27. She had heard that the royal books of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), looted by French troops during its 19th century invasion...
KTO produces 2012 tourism calendar

Nov 23, 2011

A 2012 calendar featuring photos of Korea’s landscape, people and culture will be sent to tourism-related agencies and diplomatic missions for overseas distribution to attract more tourists, the Korea Tourism Organization said. Starting in December, the KTO will send 185,000 calendars printed in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese. The calendar, titled “The Story of Korea,” carries work by fo...
Debate rages over who should be responsible for cultural diplomacy

Nov 23, 2011

As controversy grows over which government ministry should manage the promotion of Korean culture overseas, scholars have come together to seek a solution to the issue. During a policy debate session this week, experts agreed that the job should not fall on just one ministry or government agency, but a network of organizations with different functions. “The role should not fall on one ministry,...
Six Korean traditions vie for UNESCO listing

Nov 22, 2011

Tightrope walking and martial art Taekkyon are likely to join UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage, Seoul officials said this week, as the U.N. cultural agency begins deliberating on 84 traditions. Delegates of UNESCO are meeting in Bali Nov. 22-29, where they will discuss which local traditions should be protected and nurtured for future generations under the list of practices with wor...
UNESCO envoys meet to update ‘intangible heritage’ list

Nov 21, 2011

PARIS (AFP) ― Mongolian calligraphy, Armenian fertility rites or French horsemanship? Envoys meet this week to decide which of 84 traditions should join UNESCO’s list of protected “intangible heritage.” The UN cultural agency suspended much of its work this month after the United States suspended funding in a row over Palestinian membership, but delegates will still meet in Bali between Nov. 22 ...
Revival of ancient Asian university hits trouble

Nov 21, 2011

NEW DELHI (AFP) ― Plans to revive Nalanda university in India, one of the world’s oldest seats of learning, as a totem of Asia’s renaissance are facing trouble as supporters admit to little progress in fund-raising. The Indian parliament passed a bill in August 2010 approving plans to rebuild the university, which was founded in the fifth century, close to its ancient ruins in the impoverished e...
Violinist Chung starts 3rd stage of life’ with Seoul concert

Nov 21, 2011

Having lost three of her most precious people, including her mother and eldest sister, during the past five years, violinist Chung Kyung-wha feels she has now stepped into “the third stage” of life. As the first task in this new stage, the world-class musician will hold a solo recital in Korea playing her “beloved” Bach and Brahms. “This feels like a dream,” the 63-year-old said during a press ...
Blogging profitable despite recent controversy

Nov 21, 2011

Regardless of ethical issues, blogging is not just about time-killing or communication these days. For some, blogs are an easy road to money. Earlier this month, seven “power bloggers” were fined by the Fair Trade Commission for promoting sales of certain products without informing consumers they were receiving commission from companies. The term power blogger was first used by Naver, a major p...
Swiss museum clinic tries to cure information junkies

Nov 20, 2011

BERN, Switzerland (AFP) ― The Libyan war, the Greek debt crisis and the Dominique Strauss-Kahn scandal have all been rich fodder this year for news junkies ― but is today’s information overload healthy? A Swiss clinic has set out to help those who feel overwhelmed by such excess with an unusual exhibition that runs until July 15, 2012 at the Museum for Communication in Bern. On arrival the visi...
eye-like

Nov 18, 2011

A touch of sentimental Christmas Kim Dong-Ryul “kimdongrYULE” (Loen Entertainment) He’s finally back. After four years of silence -- which felt like forever for his faithful fans -- singer-songwriter Kim Dong-ryul has returned with a Christmas album that feels happy, sad, lonely and fulfilling all at the same time. Skillfully matching his English name with “Yule,” Kim has created his album w...
Samples of Einstein's brain come to US museum

Nov 18, 2011

PHILADELPHIA (AP) _ A medical museum in Philadelphia has some pieces of Albert Einstein's brain on display. Lucy Rorke-Adams donated 46 slides of Einstein's gray matter Thursday to the Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. The 82-year-old doctor neuropathologist has worked at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for 47 years. She said she wanted to m...