LONDON ― From a Western viewpoint, Dansaekhwa paintings may seem confusing. They don’t fit into familiar key art movements in Western art history. First created in the 1960s, Dansaekhwa paintings may be in line with minimalism. But behind their simple imagery is much more complex meaning. They resulted from the suppressed freedom of expression that Korean artists experienced under authoritarian ...

Blind, an anonymous mobile message board developed by startup Team Blind, is quickly changing the way communication takes place in corporate offices. First launched in 2013 as an exclusive service for employees of Korean Internet giant Naver, Blind message boards are made upon the request of employees of the same company or of the same industry sector. Since the message board is accessible only...

Throughout his life, Cho Hi-yeon has always had a reputation as a fighter. During his college years, he was imprisoned for going against the dictatorship of former President Park Chung-hee, and he spent much of his life as a civil rights activist. Indeed, he was one of Korea’s most outspoken progressive advocates. Now, the 58-year-old Seoul education superintendent is looking to transform the ci...

China’s takeover appetite for Korean companies will continue to rise, targeting technology firms and consumer goods makers, a market researcher forecast. In the latest deal, Chinese apparel company Lancy Group acquired a 15.3 percent stake in Agabang, Korea’s oldest baby wear brand. Several Chinese companies reportedly have expressed interest in buying out Pantech, the nation’s third-largest sma...

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara was visibly upbeat about his meet-up with President Park Geun-hye at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday, due to growing commercial links and badly needed South Korean investment in a slew of infrastructure projects underway in the West African nation. The former veteran IMF economist also emphasized the role South Korea could play in the fight against the spread of ...

Doota, or Doosan Tower shopping center, has been taking a different approach to globalization. Instead of designers and their designs, it has decided to export its expertise in managing shopping malls. Doota recently provided consulting to two Chinese shopping malls that are now in operation, and is in talks with others to provide similar services. “We have decided that it would be risky to tak...

South Korea’s economy will log slow yet steady growth in the coming years, largely benefiting from the rise of China, with the most significant variable in the forecast being the possibility of unification with North Korea, according to an Asia-Pacific economic expert. “Inter-Korean unification, if achieved in a peaceful and gradual manner, will provide an unparalleled momentum to the economy,” ...

The Chosun Hotel, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, holds a significant place in the modern history of Korea. It was one of the first modern buildings in Seoul, and served as a temporary residence for presidents, diplomats, businessmen and scholars, who created links between Korea and the outside world after the country opened up in the early 1900s. For Sandra Huet, the hotel has...

With the pursuit of using music to connect countries, people and content across geographical boundaries, the annual MU:CON Seoul music conference kicked off on Monday with the opening address of keynote speaker Janice Min, copresident and chief creative officer of Guggenheim Media’s Entertainment Group. As the copresident and CCO, Min oversees the prestigious American entertainment media publica...

As humanity progresses into the 21st century, the ability to cross between previously unrelated fields of study is becoming more important. Whether it is converging biology and engineering, design and technology or Internet technology and nanotechnology, there has been growing demand for individuals to transcend the boundaries of disciplines and address the problems at hand. As the world becomes...

South Korea should no longer expect a “trickle-down” of benefits from conglomerates and the rich to small companies and low-income earners, a local economics professor said, urging the government to seek a paradigm shift in its growth strategy. Korea has been considered a model country of “condensed” economic success from the ashes of the Korean War within a half century, heavily leaning on the ...

With its persistent overconsumption and energy-intensive industry, Korea should step up efforts to curb its ecological footprint by “greening” its economy and adopting environmentally sustainable practices, the head of the Korean chapter of the World Wide Fund for Nature said. The Gland, Switzerland-based nonprofit organization launched the Korean edition of its flagship Living Planet Index on W...

Offering patrons a stage to show how supporting arts and culture can make a better world is a significant factor in convincing them to make contributions, according to the chairman of the Montblanc Cultural Foundation. “So it’s important for us to step up to act and support cultural development,” Lutz Bethge told The Korea Herald in a recent interview in Seoul. The chairman was in the country l...

The resumption of U.S. energy exports after nearly four decades and the rise of shale gas as a next-generation energy source will reinforce South Korea-Houston ties in the future, Houston Mayor Annise Parker said. “About 50 percent of our major economy is fueled by the oil and gas sector. The unconventional extraction of shale gas in the country has invigorated the atmosphere and has become a ga...

South Korea’s renmibi market is still largely passive, especially considering its trade volume with China, but the country is considered a leading candidate as a global offshore hub for the Chinese currency, according to a transaction banking expert. “Korea’s currency market is going through a transition phase, which means that most local banks realize the importance of the renmibi trade but sti...