Most Popular
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Korean labor force to shrink by 10 million by 2044: report
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[AtoZ Korean Mind] Does your job define who you are? Should it?
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Allegations surrounding BTS resurface, enraged fans demand apology
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Students with history of violence will be barred from becoming teachers
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Top prosecutor pledges 'speedy, strict' probe into first lady's luxury bag allegations
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Medical feud leaves hospitals in financial crisis
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Samsung mocks Apple over iPhone alarm glitch
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'Queen of Tears' riding high on Netflix chart
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'Super Rich in Korea' will leave viewers appreciating Korea more: producers
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Chip up cycle won’t stay long: SK chief
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Korean films attract record-high 39.4m in Q1
The number of moviegoers for Korean films here marked a record-high of 39.4 million from January through March, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday. The figure topped the previously held record of 37.2 million set in the third quarter of 2012.Seven Korean films were ranked among the top 10 movies, accounting for 69.4 percent of the audience, the authorities said. The biggest hit was “Miracle in Cell No.7” with 12.7 million audiences, followed by “Berlin File” with 7.1 milli
CultureApril 4, 2013
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Digital music fees daze and confuse
May 1 will be a pivotal day for the music industry, the day a pay-per-stream fee system will replace the current flat-rate program for online music streaming services. While online music distributors fear that the government-led change will dry out the industry, customers are anxious about whether it will result in a price hike.According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s March 19 blueprint, online music streaming service providers such as Melon, Mnet and Bugs Music should pay 3.6
PerformanceApril 4, 2013
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Popular singer-actor Im files for divorce
South Korean singer and actor Im Chang-jeong has filed for divorce from his wife Kim Hyun-ju, his agency said Wednesday.“He has reached the decision (to divorce) after failing to overcome personality differences with his wife,” said an official from Im’s agency Wellmade StarM.Another official said that the 40-year-old singer was currently staying in an unspecified location in the countryside to “settle his feelings.” Im tied the knot with 29-year-old Kim in March 2006. The popular singer and the
PeopleApril 4, 2013
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Head of Oxford receives honorary doctorate from Yonsei University
Andrew Hamilton, vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford, received an honorary doctorate from Yonsei University on Thursday, the Korean school announced.Yonsei University said that Hamilton received an honorary Ph.D. in science for his contribution in chemistry research, also recognizing his leading role at the top British school.On Thursday, in his first visit to Yonsei University, Hamilton also delivered a special lecture under the title “Broad Horizons: How universities can survive and th
PeopleApril 4, 2013
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Legendary thief caught stealing again
Cho Se-hyung, a famous thief who daringly robbed the homes of wealthy and influential figures in the 1970s and 1980s, was arrested for stealing tens of millions of won worth of valuables at an upscale house Wednesday. Seocho Police Station said Thursday that they caught the 75-year-old breaking into a house for burglary. Cho has so far been convicted 10 times for theft. According to police, he broke into a deluxe villa in Seocho, one of Seoul’s posh southern districts, at around 8:30 p.m. Wedne
PeopleApril 4, 2013
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Ex-leader of Wonder Girls having baby
Former leader of Wonder Girls Min Sun-ye is having a baby. The singer posted on Twitter about her pregnancy on Thursday, saying that she is three months pregnant. Sun-ye and her husband James Park, a Korean-Canadian missionary, had their wedding on Jan. 26. She wrote “I respect all mothers around the world who have experienced the mystery of life. (God has) allowed us a honeymoon baby.” She also asked her fans to “pray for the baby to grow up healthy.” The couple has been living in Montreal, Can
PeopleApril 4, 2013
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Fun Korean neologisms
Many fun, unique words are popping up almost every day, reflecting the trend of people’s use of language. One of such phrases in the United States is “D’oh,” a classic exclamation from “The Simpsons.” The immense popularity of the sitcom even led the expression to be listed in the Oxford English Dictionary in 2002. In Korea, there are also a number of newly coined words that are widely used by all age groups. The following are some of the most popularly used terms:1. Gomunkwan: Gomunkwan, or adv
CultureApril 4, 2013
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Wonder Girls’ Sun-ye says she’s pregnant
Sun-ye, a member of a popular K-pop girl group Wonder Girls, announced Thursday that she is three months pregnant.“It (The pregnancy) entered its third month, so it is safe to announce the good news. Please pray for our baby’s health,” she said via Twitter.Sun-ye said she and her husband had been “blessed with a honeymoon baby,” indicating that she conceived her child during her honeymoon. The 24-year-old singer shocked her fans last year when she revealed her plans to marry Korean-Canadian miss
PeopleApril 4, 2013
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Exhibition: diverse origins of English words
The British Council opened a new exhibition called “The English Effect” in Britain on Wednesday that introduces many English words with foreign origins.According to the exhibition, “booze” came from the medieval Dutch word “busen,” meaning “to drink to excess.” It was first used by beggars and thieves in the 1500s.Unlike people’s belief that “bungalow” was first used by house builders who had to “bung a low roof” due to the shortage of bricks, it is from Bengal, India. It is said to have been t
CultureApril 4, 2013
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Herald Webtoon Contest announces winners
A webtoon about a young woman and her domestic helper has won the top prize at the first Herald Webtoon Contest, organized by the Herald Corporation. The winner, Seung Jeong-yeon, will receive 15 million won ($13,000) in prize money.Titled “Your House Helper,” Seung’s piece tells the story of Mi-rae, who lives in her boyfriend’s house while he’s on a long-term business trip to New York. She is insecure about their relationship and is afraid that he’ll leave her for his attractive ex. The story d
PerformanceApril 3, 2013
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Diggin’ in: It’s time for daffodils
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,Tossing their heads in sprightly dance...And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.(“Daffodils” by William Wordsworth)It’s been a rainy winter with early spring winds blowing away any remnants of fall leaves.Through it all, daffodils by the thousands emerge to remind you spring is here.Daffodils are easy, enjoyable and enchanting, looking like oversized cousins to the smaller buttercups that later fill meadows and open fields. Voles, squi
Arts & DesignApril 3, 2013
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Time to get the kitchen knives professionally sharpened
I have beautiful kitchen knives. I received my set of hand-forged J.A. Henckels knives on my first day of cooking school 25 years ago, and the instructor told us that if we cared for them properly we would have these knives for life.I think about that often as I note the knives in their wooden block and think, “Wow, I really have to get these sharpened.”I don’t use these high-carbon knives, forged from a proprietary mixture of metals that make them very hard and more or less rust-free. When my 1
FoodApril 3, 2013
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Webtoons in process of evolution
Aspiring webtoon artists should be conscious of future smart devices and how they work, famed cartoonist Lee Doo-ho said. The artist, best known for his 1984 iconic work “Taoist Mutul,” was the chief judge of the first Herald Webtoon Contest, organized by the Herald Corporation. He selected a total of 14 winners among the 160 contestants.“I’ve been working with hard copies and books for most of my life,” Lee said in an interview with The Korea Herald. “But those who are working in today’s cartoo
PerformanceApril 3, 2013
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Splendor of royals, aristocrats seen through artifacts
Korean crafts have largely been associated with modesty and purity as seen in white porcelain and costumes dating mostly from the Joseon era (1392-1897). But extravagance and glamour were dominant aesthetics of many crafts made before Confucianism became the ruling ideology. Jewelry boasted delicate and refined designs in gold and silver, and various precious materials such as amber, mother-of-pearl and turquoise were used extensively. Some of the opulent artifacts of ancient Korea are on displa
PerformanceApril 3, 2013
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Stars Lee Seung-gi and Suzy
Both Lee Seung-gi and Bae Sue-ji (a.k.a. Suzy) -- stars of MBC’s upcoming fantasy drama “Kangchi, the Beginning” -- boast a massive following. Girl group member-and-actress Bae tweets to over 1.6 million followers, while singer-actor Lee is back to the small screen after a successful debut in Japan, where he dropped his first Japanese single and held a solo concert at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan arena. Now Lee and Bae are ready to tackle their first period piece in what looks like a surefire Monday-T
TelevisionApril 3, 2013
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G-Dragon, Lee Hi to perform at Psy concert
Big Bang leader G-Dragon and super rookie singer Lee Hi are scheduled to perform as guest acts for Psy’s upcoming “Happening” concert on April 13, according to news reports. Psy’s concert promises to be one of the most anticipated shows of the year with the unveiling of “Gentleman,” the superstar Korean rapper’s follow-up single to “Gangnam Style.”G-Dragon, who recently kicked off his first worldwide solo concert tour, “G-Dragon 2013 1st World Tour: One of a Kind” on March 30 at the Olympic Gymn
PerformanceApril 3, 2013
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Samsung announces Ho-Am Prize winners
Samsung Group on Wednesday announced the six winners of its Ho-Am Prize for this year in the fields of science, engineering, medicine, arts and community service.The prizes, which will be given at an event in Seoul on May 31, were awarded to Harold Y. Hwang, a professor at Stanford University, in science; Kim Sang-tae, distinguished professor at Purdue University, in engineering; Lee Se-jin, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, in medicine; novelist Shin Kyoung-sook, in arts; and Rhee Chong-
PeopleApril 3, 2013
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Monk Hyemin quits Twitter in ‘vow of silence’
Ven. Hyemin, a well-known Buddhist monk and an influential figure on South Korean social networks, announced Monday that he is quitting Twitter to “look back” at himself.“Recently I came to think that I may have been speaking too much since starting to use Twitter,” he wrote on his account. “I will now take a vow of silence and look back at myself.”He added that communicating online had brought him “much joy.” Ven. Hyemin had been giving online advice and thought-provoking comments to his half
PeopleApril 3, 2013
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Namgung elected president of Motion Pictures Association
Veteran actor Namgung Won was elected the president of the 25th chapter of the Motion Pictures Association of Korea at its annual board meeting on Tuesday. Namgung is slated to serve in the post for three years. “As someone who has spent almost his whole life as an actor, I want to dedicate the rest of my life to the preservation, rights and development of films,” said the actor. The 78-year-old Namgung, whose real name is Hong Kyung-il, made his acting debut in 1958 while still a college studen
PeopleApril 3, 2013
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Madonna inspects schools in Malawi
KASUNGU, Malawi (AFP) ― American pop queen Madonna on Tuesday visited villages in Malawi where her charity has built several schools, but where many other pupils still learn under trees.Accompanied by adopted children David Banda and Mercy James as well as her two biological children, a smiling Madonna could be seen chatting with the mostly barefoot pupils.Madonna has built 10 schools in the impoverished African country, the native home of her two adopted children, her manager said earlier Tuesd
PeopleApril 3, 2013