Most Popular
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10-man S. Korea lose to Indonesia to miss out on Paris Olympic football qualification
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Hybe-Ador feud should have limited effect on Hybe's overall performance: analysts
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Second Gimpo civil servant found dead, after apologizing for not finishing work
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DP leader says he will meet Yoon without conditions
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First-ever meeting of president, opposition chief set to finally happen
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NewJeans' singles, Japanese debut to proceed as planned, despite Hybe-Ador feud
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Experts raise concerns about Japan putting pressure on Naver over Line
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Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
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Samsung mobile chief, Google device head meet in Seoul
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Ship linked to NK arms shipments to Russia is moored in China: State Dept.
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[Herald Interview] Activist-turned-lawmaker takes aim at chaebol
Expectations are high that South Korea’s family-run conglomerates, or chaebol, will face increasing pressure to reform their corporate governance, especially with more liberals than ruling conservatives in the current Parliament.One individual in favor of such pressure is Chae Yi-bai, a 41-year-old rookie lawmaker from the minor opposition People’s Party. “The chaebol model is fundamentally flawed and it is crippling the mechanism of Korea’s capital market,” the activist-turned-lawmaker said las
Aug. 23, 2016
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[Herald Interview] Former Saenuri whip says South Korea needs nukes
With North Korea continuing to hone its nuclear and missile capability, possibly to push ahead a fifth nuclear test, South Korea should have its own nuclear weapon for self-defense, the ruling Saenuri Party’s former floor leader told The Korea Herald. Rep. Won Yoo-chul urged the government to shift away from observing a decades-old non-nuclear policy toward embracing nuclear armament for self-defense, proposing to use the North’s potential nuclear test as a “trigger” to begin the armament proces
PoliticsAug. 21, 2016
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[Herald Interview] ‘From nature to history, Suncheon has them all’
Suncheon was just another city in South Jeolla Province until it became famous for its big Suncheon Bay and National Garden. Since the garden was named Korea’s first national garden in August 2013, millions of tourists have visited the city, contributing to the local economy. “We are pleased to hear that Suncheon became Korea’s most visited city last year with over 5 million visitors,” said Cho in an interview with The Korea Herald.“I am pretty sure that Suncheon is the place to wholly satisfy t
Aug. 12, 2016
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[Herald Interview] Body painter Emma Hack creates illusion in camouflage body art
Australian artist Emma Hack paints on a model’s body until it perfectly aligns with the intricate, colorful patterns of the wallpaper behind the model. In other work, she perfectly adjusts the contours of her models to match the detailed patterns of flowers and animals. The artist’s work -- captured in photographs -- have been exhibited in major cities around the world, including New York, Hong Kong and Singapore. She is holding her first solo exhibition in Korea at Savina Museum of Contemporary
PerformanceAug. 11, 2016
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[Herald Interview] Cellist Hans Jorgen Jensen guides budding local musicians
PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon Province -- The Pyeongchang Music Festival & School is still going strong in its 13th year, with its annual classical music festivities kicking off on July 12 under the theme “The Immortal Classics: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Beyond.”It was formerly known as the Great Mountains Music Festival. Organized by classical music stars cellist Chung Myung-wha and violinist Chung Kyung-wha, this year’s event invited top musicians from around to world to perform, while acclaimed arti
PerformanceAug. 4, 2016
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[Herald Interview] ‘Last Princess’ is career-defining film, says actress Son Ye-jin
When Son Ye-jin was a young girl, she would be gripped by fear each time a new school year came around. “I used to be very shy. I hated going to a new classroom and having to make new friends, meet new teachers and adjust to a new environment,” the actress said at a group interview at a cafe in Seoul Wednesday. Son, 34, has come a long way from those days: She is a prolific performer with 19 films under her belt since debuting in 2000 and widely known for romantic roles in films such as “The C
FilmAug. 3, 2016
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[Herald Interview] Korea Post to invest more in foreign, alternative assets
Calling low growth and low interest rates “the new normal” for Korea, the head of Korea Post, Korea’s second-largest investor that manages 108 trillion won ($96 billion), said it will direct more money into overseas bonds and alternative assets, going forward. “Our main focus remains the same -- a big chunk of our holdings will continue to be in safe assets, such as government notes, which we will hold to their maturity,” Kim Kee-deok said in an interview last week with The Korea Herald. Kim Kee
July 28, 2016
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[Herald Interview] Biffy Clyro is done making ‘weird’ music
When three childhood friends, including a pair of siblings, started the band Biffy Clyro over 10 years ago in Kilmarnock, Scotland, they strived to make music that was “as weird as possible.”“That’s what we thought was good,” said Simon Neil, the group’s lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter, in an interview. The band, which is also made up of twin brothers drummer James Johnston and bassist Ben Johnston, met with The Korea Herald before performing at its first show in Korea at the Jisan Valle
PerformanceJuly 27, 2016
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[Herald Interview] Pop duo Tegan and Sara advocate LGBT rights
Though Tegan and Sara Quin of pop duo Tegan and Sara, identical twins and both openly gay, are prominent advocates for the LGBT movement, they’re also aware that “people in other countries don’t always understand.”“We try to be very sensitive to social and religious norms in other countries,” Tegan said at an interview before their first Korean performance at the Jisan Valley Rock Music & Arts Festival on July 22. The sisters have been vocal proponents of LGBT issues for the length of their musi
PerformanceJuly 25, 2016
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[Herald Interview] Birdy, somewhere between rebel and good girl
ICHEON, Gyeonggi Province -- With a precocious melancholic voice and a shy demeanor that, in her words, “doesn’t give too much away,” British singer-songwriter Birdy might be best described as the antithesis to chirpy K-pop girl groups.“For me, it’s always been a bit darker,” the 20-year-old replied when asked if she would ever take on a “cutesier” style, before her performance Saturday at the Jisan Valley Music & Arts Festival. “Where I grew up, it was very beautiful but reflective and moody,”
PerformanceJuly 24, 2016
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[Herald Interview] Activist-turned-scholar urges action on N.K. abductees
On April 29, 1992, South Korea’s top intelligence agency arrested dozens of activists for plotting to overthrow the government by building underground socialist organizations. The authorities described the groups as the biggest antistate entity ever established in the country’s modern history. One of those arrested was Baik Tae-ung, who served as leader of the South Korean Socialist Coalition of Workers or “Sanomaeng” in Korean. Despite the plea that he was exercising the right to political free
North KoreaJuly 22, 2016
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[Herald Interview] 'Future growth is not in your familiar markets'
JEJU -- Economic power is shifting to Asia and Africa, with technology challenging every sector. Add to these changes, ageing populations and more people feeling left behind, unhappy and even angry at society. Korea, which depends on global consumers to drive economic growth, must understand these worldwide changes and respond quickly to them, said Dominic Barton, a global managing director of consulting firm McKinsey & Company. “Korea did very well, responding to the (2008) crisis. It actually
July 21, 2016
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[Herald Interview] Wolfgang’s USDA steaks speak for themselves: CEO
Wolfgang‘s Steakhouse in Seoul is an unusually large restaurant, especially for the upscale Cheongdam-dong area of Seoul. Step inside and walk past the mahogany reception desk, and the main dining hall seems to spread out endlessly, countless tables covered in white tablecloths floating above wooden floors. Overhead, private dining rooms line the second floor.“Our Seoul branch is about twice the size of some of our other restaurants,” said Peter Zwiener, who currently heads up the franchise, on
IndustryJuly 18, 2016
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[Herald Interview] Data analysis helps Memebox find beauty market niche
Memebox is a relatively new face in the South Korean beauty industry which is largely dominated by cosmetics giants such as Amorepacific, Estee Lauder and MAC. Entering a market occupied by such established corporations poses challenges for any newcomer. But Memebox saw an opportunity in what seemed an already crowded market. It jumped into the sector as a cosmetics subscription and delivery service in 2012. “Other cosmetic companies are good at making products. What we do better is to try to
IndustryJuly 15, 2016
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[Herald Interview] Gaon’s modern take on Joseon royal cuisine
The kings of the Joseon era (1392-1910) tucked into a total of seven meals daily and each one involved meticulous planning. The day would begin with a medicinal herbal soup early in the morning, followed by breakfast, lunch and dinner with light meals and snacks between the three meals. All the meals were carefully planned and prepared by court doctors and kitchen staff, who regarded King’s food as an important part of national politics in the kingdom, which existed more than 500 years before Ko
FoodJuly 14, 2016
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[Herald Interview] China slowdown weighs on Korea
Economic challenges in China such as slow growth, market restructuring and an aging population, are expected to hurt the Korean economy in the mid to short term, according to Brian Jackson, a senior economist at IHS, a global business analytics provider. “China’s slowing growth by itself is a negative for Korea, given Korea is exposed to Chinese domestic demand, supply chains, and the same global factor impacting China -- sharply slower growth in global trade,” Jackson said in a recent interview
July 10, 2016
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[Herald Interview] Korean indie's awkward couple
The members of indie duo Kim Sawol X Kim Haewon were nearly complete strangers when they recorded their award-winning album “Secret” back in the summer of 2014 in a cramped studio in Seoul. At first, it was “intensely awkward” to be cooped up together, writing songs and recording for long hours that often stretched into dawn, the band told The Korea Herald in an interview last week at a café in Itaewon. But if it hadn’t been for that shabby room, the sweltering heat and that tension between them
PerformanceJuly 10, 2016
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[Herald Interview] KATUSA fraternity aims to be voice of alliance
When U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump started accusing Seoul of getting a “free-ride” from Washington for its defense, many South Koreans reacted angrily, since they collectively pay nearly 1 trillion won ($865 million) each year for the upkeep of U.S. troops here. There were also concerns about the future of the security alliance. For Kim Jong-wook, the chairman of the KATUSA Veterans Association, Trump’s remarks highlighted the sheer absence of robust voices at home and in t
DefenseJuly 8, 2016
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[HERALD INTERVIEW] Go grandmaster gets first taste of politics
Long before South Korea’s Go master Lee Se-dol was thrust into the limelight for his historic match against Google’s artificial intelligence AlphaGo, many of his predecessors left indelible marks on the history of the Chinese board game. Topping the list is inarguably Cho Hun-hyun, the 63-year-old who became the first Korean Go player to be promoted to 9th dan, the highest level assigned to professional players. Throughout his more than 50 years playing the game, Cho amassed 160 titles, more t
PoliticsJuly 6, 2016
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[Herald Interview] Park Yoo-jin blazes trail for violins in jazz
While the thought of jazz may conjure up images and sounds of Miles Davis on the trumpet and John Coltrane on the saxophone, it’s a safe bet to say few would ever consider, or know of, a jazz violinist. The jazz scene is dominated by the uniquely free-styled sounds of brass, woodwinds and percussion. Up-and-coming Korean jazz violinist Park Yoo-jin is looking to slowly tear away at this genre stereotype. “It is true that the world does not have that many well-known jazz violinists, I mean you ca
PerformanceJuly 6, 2016