Most Popular
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[Exclusive] Korean military set to ban iPhones over 'security' concerns
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Korean, Romanian leaders discuss defense tech, nuclear energy
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[Graphic News] 77% of young Koreans still financially dependent
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S. Korea calls on Japan to confront history amid Yasukuni Shrine visit
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Yoon’s jailed mother-in-law excluded from latest parole list
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Hybe and Min Hee-jin, CEO of Hybe sublabel Ador, lock horns
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[Pressure points] Leggings in public: Fashion statement or social faux pas?
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Yoo Jae-suk, Yoo Yeon-seok team up in 'Whenever Possible'
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Korea’s homegrown nanosatellite successfully launches into space
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Aging population to drive down Korea's housing prices from 2040: experts
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‘Snowpiercer’ to get special screening at Berlinale
Bong Joon-ho’s dystopian sci-fi thriller “Snowpiercer” has been officially invited to this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, according to the film’s producer CJ Entertainment.The film, which is also Bong’s English language debut, will get special gala screenings at the festival’s “Forum” sidebar from Feb. 7 to 8. The International Forum of New Cinema of Berlinale, “Forum” in short, is dedicated to featuring experimental works as well as historically significant films. Kim Tae-yong’s “La
FilmJan. 26, 2014
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New and old stars vie, or team up, for Grammys glory
LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Music’s top stars gather Sunday for the Grammys, with artists ranging from the Beatles and veteran rapper Jay-Z to French electro duo Daft Punk and newcomers like New Zealand’s Lorde up for honors.Rapper Kendrick Lamar, pop diva Taylor Swift, chart-topper Justin Timberlake and Seattle hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are also among those vying for prizes at music’s version of the Oscars in Los Angeles.The show will also feature some eye-popping collaborations, including ro
PerformanceJan. 26, 2014
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K-pop artists bask in different popularity by region
K-pop artists have established different popularity turfs in different countries, a global survey conducted by CJ E&M showed.According to the poll results released Friday, the most popular K-pop artist globally turned out to be the girl group f(x) who won the highest percentage of votes at 16.4 percent, thanks to their Chinese fandom. K-pop boy band Shinhwa won 15.1 percent and SS501 leader Kim Hyun-joong 9.3 percent, placing them second and third, followed by boy bands EXO and SHINee. EXO won t
Jan. 26, 2014
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[Weekender] Redefining meaning of Seollal
Tens of thousands of Koreans will hit the road Thursday, the official start of the Lunar New Year holidays, to head for their hometowns to spend time with parents and relatives. Among them will be Lee Yeon-ju, a 42-year-old housewife living in Seoul. As always, her family will spend the first two days of the holidays with her husband’s parents in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. What is usually a three-hour drive could easily turn into a tedious five- to six-hour journey, but that is not what Lee dr
CultureJan. 24, 2014
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[Weekender] Rice-cake soup remains Seollal staple
Tteokguk, that steaming bowl of hot broth studded with slices of white rice cake, is a classic Seollal staple. “In Korea, placing a bowl of tteokguk on the ancestral table for rites on Lunar New Year’s morning is tradition,” said Dadam executive chef Jeong Jae-deok. Even at Dadam, a Korean fine dining restaurant located in Seoul’s Cheongdam-dong, Jeong makes a point of serving rice cake soup on both New Year’s Day and Seollal in lieu of the customary porridge that accompanies meals. The symbolic
FoodJan. 24, 2014
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[Weekender] Korea strives to revive fading interest in traditional clothes
Han Hyun-young, a 29-year-old office worker in Seoul, had a hanbok custom-made for herself when she got married in 2011. But she has worn the traditional Korean clothes only twice ― on her first visit to her in-law’s house after her honeymoon and on her sister-in-law’s wedding day. “I wore it because I had to. I wouldn’t wear it if I didn’t have to,” she said. Han is not the only one feeling reluctant to wear a hanbok on special occasions. As hanbok are no longer a daily outfit for most Koreans,
CultureJan. 24, 2014
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[Weekender] Celebrating Seollal in old Korean fashion
Seollal, the Lunar New Year, is one of the most celebrated holidays in Korea: It is not only a time to pay respects to one’s elders and ancestors, but is also an opportunity to spend time with family and friends to celebrate the New Year immersed in tradition. With the colorful hanbok (traditional Korean costume) and the traditional food and folk games, Seollal gives people the chance to experience some real Korean culture. Whether it be traveling to the countryside to reunite with extended fami
CultureJan. 24, 2014
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Capturing sublime nature
Sitting in front of a large table in the second-floor library of photographer Bae Bien-u’s studio in Hyeri, an artists’ village near the DMZ in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Bae’s passions ― aside from the obvious, photography ― are apparent. Several thousand books ― on topics ranging from art, photography and history to cookbooks, all arranged alphabetically by title ― fill the bookcases lining the walls, and the marble-top kitchen counter and the professional-grade stainless steel pots that sit ato
CultureJan. 24, 2014
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Box Office: My Place, The Nun, Miss Granny
My Place (Korea)Opening Jan. 30Filmmaker Park Moon-chil offers a personal account of his sister’s unexpected pregnancy and what followed in his latest documentary “My Place.” Park’s sister, Peace, became pregnant in 2006, and decided to have the child alone. She had never been married and had broken up with the baby’s father. Park weaves his sister’s story with his family’s unique history of migration, from Korea to Toronto and back again to Korea. English subtitles will be provided for all scr
FilmJan. 24, 2014
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Eyelike: ‘Mr. Gae’ takes Korean hip-hop to the edge
Mr. Gae’ takes Korean hip-hop to the edgeGary “Mr. Gae”(LOEN Entertainment)Gary’s first solo album “Mr. Gae” is best described as R-rated. Although the title track “Shower Later” has hit the number one spot on Korea’s major music charts, the song and its accompanying music video were deemed “inappropriate” for public airing.Indeed, the songs on Gary’s new album are filled with vulgar lyrics that are questionable even by Korean hip-hop standards. The listening becomes pleasant only through the m
PerformanceJan. 24, 2014
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Homeless teen searches for sanctuary in ‘Gimme Shelter’
“Gimme Shelter” is a simplistic, faintly emotional account of a pregnant teen’s desperate search for help, support and compassion with the huge decision she faces. It’s simplistic because the script discounts debate over that decision and glosses over the messy details of the path she chooses. But it’s emotional because we, and plainly some of the characters, know those messy details, even if other characters do not.Agnes (Vanessa Hudgens) is 16 and poor, the daughter of a drug addict (Rosario D
FilmJan. 24, 2014
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Betting on snow
GOHAN-EUP, Gangwon Province ― Driving into Gohan-eup, it’s easy to mistake the isolated hamlet for just another ski town. Gohan serves as the gateway to the High1 Resort, and shops stocked with skis and snowboards line the road through the narrow mountain valley. In between the rental shops, though, attentive visitors will notice just as many pawn shops and loan agencies. The pawn shops (labeled “jeondangsa” in Gohan) don’t target ski bums, but gamblers. They signal the proximity of Kangwon Land
TravelJan. 24, 2014
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Music lovers flock to Nashville for free stuff
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) ― Nashville’s history is so intertwined with music and creative expression that tunes seem to pour from every door and window. From Music Row to the Honky Tonk Highway, the city recognizes its past, while also celebrating emerging artists who are drawn to the city just like music lovers. Learn a little about the great artists that defined the Nashville scene for decades, hear new music that may soon be hitting radio waves, and take a sniff of Tennessee sipping whiskey,
TravelJan. 24, 2014
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Hong Kong tops Koreans’ travel destinations
Hong Kong ranked No. 1 among Koreans’ popular overseas travel destinations in 2012 and 2013, followed by Tokyo, Bangkok and Osaka. A recent Hotel Price Index survey by Hotel.com on the travel habits of Koreans has found that they prefer short-distance travel. The survey forecast that more Koreans would visit tourist spots not far from Korea during the increased number of holidays this year. Hotels.com promotes hotels on its website until Feb. 16, offering special rates for major hotels in Asia,
TravelJan. 24, 2014
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KTO recruits foreign tourism supporters
The Korea Tourism Organization is recruiting expats in Korea or those planning to stay in Korea for more than two months this year as tourism supporters. The supporters, who will act as goodwill ambassadors, will promote tour programs, events and Korean culture through social networking sites of their own countries. The foreign supporters can also participate in popular cultural events such as R-16, an international b-boy tournament, and Korea in Motion, a festival of musical performances. Those
TravelJan. 24, 2014
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All in the tortilla
For Paco Loco owner-chef Kwon Si-hyun, a good taco begins with the tortilla. Every morning, Kwon and his culinary team of one craft their own with corn masa flour and water.“We make them every morning, about 100,” said Kwon, 28. To make their tortillas, corn masa flour and water are kneaded into dough. The dough is then hand-cranked through a rolling tortilla press and the resulting flat circles of dough are tossed on a griddle. Fragrant with that mouthwatering, nutty scent characteristic of cor
FoodJan. 24, 2014
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Marriott expects to open Rwanda hotel by December
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) ― Marriott International’s chief executive says a planned hotel in Rwanda should open by the end of this year. He also says that will make Marriott the first big international hotel chain to enter the country since its genocide two decades ago. Arne Sorenson says the Kigali hotel should be ready to open by December and that the company is working with local partners to fill jobs. Those about to get employed “feel like they’ve won the lottery,” Sorenson said on a panel Wed
TravelJan. 24, 2014
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Gungjung tteokbokki
Gungjung tteokbokki is the traditional version of tteokbokki. Gungjung means “royal court” in Korean, and this version dates back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). As the name suggests, it was part of the royal cuisine and regarded as a high-class dish ― an interesting contrast to the modern spicy version which is pretty much street food. One story behind the origin of this royal dish is that it was inspired by japchae (stir-fried starch noodles with vegetables) and created to help regain the k
FoodJan. 24, 2014
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Around the hotels
The ‘Big Dipper’ course meal at The PlazaThe Plaza’s Japanese restaurant Murasaki is introducing the special “Big Dipper” course meal in celebration of the Lunar New Year. The meal is part of The Plaza’s “Gourmet Cruise” series which features ingredients selected by the chef under the theme of “premium,” “rare” and “taste.” The six-course lunch (150,000 won) features two types of gobachi, three kinds of raw fish, gratin made with wild rock oyster and soybean sauce, filefish pot, Korayaki, a roas
PeopleJan. 24, 2014
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A night of “Entertainment”
Phoenix performs at its first concert in Korea at Uniqlo AX Hall, eastern Seoul, on Thursday night. (VU Entertainment)“Hello Seoul, this is Phoenix from Paris!” shouted French alternative rock band Phoenix amidst an explosion of red lights and fans roaring in deafening unison as the band launched into its first Seoul concert on Thursday. The concert, held at the UNIQLO AX hall in eastern Seoul, drew thousands of fans in their 20s and 30s, both Korean and non-Korean. Phoenix, which features hard
PerformanceJan. 24, 2014