The Korea Herald

[Serendipity] An ode to office

ViewpointsJan 15, 2021

There was a spring in my step as I walked up the stairs to the office after the longest stretch away since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hollering “Best health for the new year!” to security...
[Serendipity] I love you. That is why I am staying away, for now

ViewpointsDec 25, 2020

I have been working from home for most of the last two weeks after the government implemented the Level 2.5 social distancing scheme. During the period, I have stepped outside the house on three occa...
[Serendipity] Got time? Keep records

ViewpointsDec 12, 2020

Like many people living through this pandemic year, I suddenly found myself with time on my hands as events and meetings were scheduled, rescheduled and, in most cases, canceled altogether. Once the...
[Eye interview] ‘Everyone is born with ability to do magic’

CultureDec 4, 2020

Magicians are variously called wizards and conjurers as well. “‘Wizard’ is a combination of art and wiz, wiz meaning wise. Wizard is a wise man,” Kwon explained. “The word ‘magician’ derives from the...
[Serendipity] Light at the end of the tunnel, for everyone

ViewpointsNov 27, 2020

Putting up the Christmas tree over the weekend, I was reminded once again of all the plans that came to naught this year, including long-planned trips. Among the ornaments that hang on the tree are ...
[Eye interview] German musician who put Tongyeong on international map

CultureNov 27, 2020

When I met Florian Riem, CEO of the Tongyeong International Music Foundation, for the first time at the Tongyeong International Music Festival in the spring of 2015, I noticed he was speaking through...
[Eye interview] ‘Peace and love is the best vaccine!’

MusicNov 20, 2020

A turning point came when he was invited to perform at a Fukuoka rock festival in 1997. Here, the Korean media “rediscovered” the old rocker. “All major Korean channels invited me. There were TV spec...
[Serendipity] Beautiful country: Living up to its name

ViewpointsNov 6, 2020

As I write this, Thursday afternoon in Seoul, more than a full day after the 2020 United States presidential election came to a close, it remains unclear who is the winner. The Democrats, who had la...
[Eye interview] Trailblazer who cut new path for women seeks to change lives through coaching

BooksOct 23, 2020

A late start did not stop Yun Yuh-soon from making her mark in South Korea’s notoriously male-dominated corporate world. In fact, Yun was appointed executive director of LG Academy, LG Group’s human...
[Serendipity] Magical evening at the palace

ViewpointsOct 16, 2020

An unseasonal cold snap did little to deter hundreds of people, young and old, from taking in the enchanting view of Gyeongbokgung at night on Wednesday. The colorful dancheong that decorate the pal...
[Serendipity] Old habits die hard

ViewpointsSept 18, 2020

I am a lists person. I am constantly making lists: the to-do list, the shopping list, the weekly menu list, the book list and the potential interviewee list, not to mention the list that tops them a...
DMZ documentary fest gets underway Thursday with closed-door screenings

FilmSept 15, 2020

After a week of repeated changes of plan due to the resurgence of COVID-19, the 12th DMZ International Documentary Festival released its final schedule Tuesday, two days ahead of the kickoff. Origin...
[Serendipity] In these unusual times, adversity may be unforeseen opportunity

ViewpointsSept 4, 2020

The young men have done it yet again. The trailblazing K-pop boy band’s latest single, “Dynamite,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the first South Korean music ever to do so. The announcement, w...
[Eye Interview] ‘When people dance, they laugh!’

CultureAug 28, 2020

Getting people to move Ahn began dancing at the age of 5, spurred on by the sight of colors she had never seen before. What she had seen at a marketplace all those years ago was a group of dancers, ...
[Serendipity] Wishing it were a movie

ViewpointsAug 21, 2020

It felt as if I were a character in a zombie movie. I was driving home from the office Monday evening when, over the airwaves, I heard a crisp, measured male voice announcing the number of new daily ...