Most Popular
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Hyundai Motor eyes 80,000 jobs, W68tr investment at home by 2026
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Seoul bus drivers go on general strike, cause morning rush hour delays
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Korea enters full election mode
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Official campaigning kicks off for April 10 elections
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Dialogue hopes fade as doctors pick hard-liner as new head
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Immigrant woman stabbed to death by Korean husband
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Coupang pledges W3tr to expand Rocket Delivery nationwide by 2027
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[Election Battlefield] Political novice to face off star politician in ‘swing district’
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[Herald Interview] Son Suk-ku chooses to be swayed by others in navigating life
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Seoul’s bus union prepares for strike
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Record-breaking work displayed at Portland museum
PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) ― The most expensive artwork ever sold at auction is on display at the Portland Art Museum.In New York last month, an anonymous collector paid more than $142 million for the “Three Studies of Lucian Freud,” a 1969 triptych by Francis Bacon. The museum is exhibiting the work for three months before it heads to the owner’s private collection.Two drivers transported the panels across the country, ensuring the climate-controlled truck was always on the move and never left alone
PerformanceDec. 26, 2013
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Dubai promises to break records with New Year’s fireworks
DUBAI (AFP) ― Dubai has promised to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a record-breaking extravaganza featuring over 400,000 fireworks, the largest display the world has ever seen, its government said. The United Arab Emirates city state, home to the world’s tallest tower, largest man-made island and one of the world’s busiest airports, will “break the Guinness World Record for the ‘Largest Firework Display,’” a government statement said.The six-minute show over two of its manmade islands ― The Palm
CultureDec. 26, 2013
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Japan’s ‘Tree Town’ sculptors make living art
SOSA, Japan (AFP) ― With a deft clip here and a gentle tug there, Makoto Ishibashi sculpts trees with the skill of an artisan whose work is far more than just a job.The heir to a centuries-old family business, he creates masterpieces that can turn a pine tree into a work of art that could fetch $40,000. “This tree is a woman ― the leaves are soft,” the arborist says of the pine into a triangle at his farm in the city of Sosa.“Trees are my family ― they don’t say what they want but they are sendi
CultureDec. 26, 2013
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Rare story by Zelda Fitzgerald published
Here’s a look at what’s buzzing in the book world:Tip of the iceberg: The New Yorker has published a “recently unearthed” story by Zelda Fitzgerald (written before she was the wife of Great Gatsby author F. Scott Fitzgerald). Titled “The Iceberg,” Fitzgerald (then known as Zelda Sayre) wrote the story in 1918, when she was about 17 or 18 years old. It tells the tale of a young woman named Cornelia who comes from a rich Southern family, but is seeking something more. It was published in her high
CultureDec. 26, 2013
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Period blockbusters to fill silver screens next year
The Korean film industry attained a meaningful achievement this year by selling more than 200 million tickets for the first time in history. Following this year’s success, the country’s major film producers recently announced their lineups for 2014. And it seems like local moviegoers will be bombarded with period blockbusters next year.Some of the most anticipated films of 2014 are period dramas, including Cannes-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon’s upcoming martial arts flick “Hyeopnyeo” and “Battle
FilmDec. 26, 2013
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Deulgukhwa to split after drummer’s death
The legendary rock group Deulgukhwa, dubbed the Beatles of Korea, has reportedly decided to disband, just one year after reuniting with a sold-out concert series.The death of drummer Joo Chan-gwon earlier this year is seen to have played a major role in the band breaking up, insiders said. According to sources, the band, originally with three members but now consisting of lead vocalist Jun In-kwon and bassist Choi Sung-won, has been under great stress since Joo’s sudden death in October. Joo, co
PerformanceDec. 26, 2013
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K-food expands in select foreign markets
A host of Korean food items have made headway in overseas markets this year, despite little knowledge overseas of Korean cuisine.According to foreign media, CJ Foods saw its exports of Korean food to Britain jump 135 percent this year, with big chain supermarkets such as Tesco and ASDA offering more Korean products. Foodies can now find kkakdugi, a cube-shaped radish kimchi, in a trendy steakhouse chain in London called Hawksmoor, as its chefs serve main dishes with typical Korean side dishes.Th
FoodDec. 26, 2013
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[Photo News] 2PM's Nichkhun being kissed on the cheek by his sister
2PM’s Nichkhun shared a photo on Twitter of him being kissed on the cheek by his sister Cherreen.“Look at what I got this Christmas,” the idol star wrote o n Wednesday. Nickhun looked sulky in the photo despite the hearty kiss from his sister. Ock Hyun-ju, Intern reporter(laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)
Dec. 26, 2013
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Number of social enterprises exceeds 1,000 in six years
Korea saw more than 1,000 social enterprises established in the six years since the related act was enforced in July 2007.The Labor Ministry said Wednesday that it has certified 1,012 social companies so far.Social enterprise certification aims at creating jobs for the underprivileged and returning part of profits to society. The government offers them management consulting, covers personnel expenses for experts and cuts corporate and income taxes by 50 percent.The number of social enterprises i
PeopleDec. 25, 2013
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Barrier-free mountain trail dedicated in Busan
A mountain trail has been blazed free of physical barriers in Busan so that even those with limited mobility can go along the full path.The office of Bukgu district said Wednesday that the barrier-free trail consisting of four stages will be dedicated in Gupo on Dec. 30.It is a wooden deck path set up on 272-meter-high Beombangsan Mountain with a low grade of slope and no barriers along the way.The trail is 1.9 kilometers long and 1.5 to 2 meters wide, enough for electric scooters, wheelchairs o
PeopleDec. 25, 2013
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Mao’s triumphs outweigh mistakes: state media poll
BEIJING (AFP) ― More than 85 percent of respondents in a Chinese state media survey said that Mao Zedong’s achievements outweigh his mistakes, as the country prepares to mark 120 years since the “Great Helmsman’s” birth.Mao’s legacy remains mixed in China, where he is revered for the 1949 founding of the People’s Republic but authorities have called for restraint in commemorating the anniversary.Mao is blamed for the deaths of tens of millions due to famine following his “Great Leap Forward” and
PeopleDec. 25, 2013
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N.Y. mayor’s daughter confesses to drug, alcohol use
NEW YORK (AFP) ― The teenage daughter of New York’s incoming mayor confessed on Christmas Eve to smoking pot and underage drinking in a video aimed at helping others battling depression.Nineteen-year-old Chiara de Blasio features alone in the nearly five-minute video, announcing that she suffers from clinical depression, had smoked weed and drank alcohol.The professionally produced, slick video was posted on YouTube and emailed to reporters by her father, Bill de Blasio, who takes office as New
PeopleDec. 25, 2013
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Italian ‘Slave’ posters pulled amid racism claims
LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― The U.S. studio behind Golden Globe-nominated historical drama “12 Years a Slave,” has asked the film’s Italian distributors to withdraw posters which triggered an online storm over alleged racism.Lionsgate did not specify why it was asking for the publicity material to be pulled, but a source linked to the Italian distributors said they were in the process of removing “unauthorized” posters of the movie, tipped for glory in Hollywood’s annual awards season.The Italian poster
FilmDec. 25, 2013
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Korean galleries bet again on Chinese art market
It was ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics when the Korean galleries’ ambitions for entering the Chinese art market were at their highest. From 2005, major Korean galleries flocked to China in search of big spenders and potential buyers in the booming art market. The reality was different. Galleries struggled to make ends meet with skyrocketing rent, complex shipping processes and different art-market dynamics. Now Pyo Gallery 798 remains the sole Korean gallery in Beijing, once a hopeful place f
PerformanceDec. 25, 2013
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The pretty to the ugly: fashion round-up
NEW YORK (AP) ― It was a year for pixie haircuts, chunky flat shoes, bangs on our first lady and bare skin ... lots of it, on movie actresses and pop stars. Fashion always has its royalty, and this year, Kerry Washington was a queen. For real royalty, we had Kate Middleton, making the rest of us mortals feel a little better by flashing her mommy tummy. If Kate made us feel good, Lululemon didn’t, when its chairman appeared to blame women’s own bodies for problems with those popular yoga pants. A
Arts & DesignDec. 25, 2013
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Debbie Allen’s twist on ‘The Nutcracker’ wins
NEW YORK (AP) ― It’s not yet Christmas, but Debbie Allen has already gotten a nice present ― the Goldstar National Nutcracker Award.The ticket discounter has declared the award-winning director and choreographer’s school the winner of the 7th annual contest that crowns the best version of “The Nutcracker” in the land. The Debbie Allen Dance Academy’s show, “The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker” that was mounted earlier this month in Los Angeles, beat out nearly 60 other productions of “The Nutcracker.”
PerformanceDec. 25, 2013
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Choe’s essays released posthumously
The literary remains of the late novelist Choe In-ho (1945-2013) were published on Tuesday, three months after his death. Choe’s eight-year battle against salivary gland cancer, involving pain, tears, meditation and epiphany, is reflected in “Nunmul (Tears),” based on a batch of manuscripts found by Choe’s wife and others. The novelist, who was once called an “enfant terrible” for entering the literature scene at the tender age of 17, while he was still in high school, released some of the most
BooksDec. 25, 2013
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Justin Bieber announces retirement on Twitter
Pop star Justin Bieber on Wednesday announced via Twitter that he is retiring.“My beloved beliebers I’m officially retiring,” he wrote on his Twitter account. “The media talks a lot about me. They make up a lot of lies and want me to fail but I’m never leaving you, being a belieber is a lifestyle.” The announcement was re-tweeted more than 200,000 times in just four hours of being posted. Bieber has nearly 48 million followers. No official reaction has been made by his record label or management
PerformanceDec. 25, 2013
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JYP to launch three K-pop groups next year
JYP Entertainment, one of the three most influential showbiz agencies in the country, on Tuesday announced a set of plans to launch three new K-pop groups next year. In January, a seven-member boy band consisting of singers and dancers from the U.S., Thailand, Hong Kong, China and Korea will be unveiled. Tentatively named “Post 2PM,” the group will be an “enhanced version” of the megahit group 2PM, the agency said. The members are reportedly planning to present martial arts performances on stage
PerformanceDec. 25, 2013
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Tang Wei returns to Korean theaters as pregnant woman
Chinese actress Tang Wei has a huge fan base in Korea, especially after the release of her 2010 film “Late Autumn,” in which she co-starred with popular Korean actor Hyun Bin.In the romance film directed by Korean director Kim Tae-yong ― the film is also a remake of Korean director Lee Man-hee’s iconic 1966 movie of the same title ― Tang starred as Anna, a Chinese-American prisoner who murdered her husband years ago and is released from jail for three days to attend her mother’s funeral in Seatt
FilmDec. 25, 2013