Most Popular
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Iran’s president found dead at helicopter crash site
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Seoul rolls out W250b package in bid to lure foreign talent
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Yoon vetoes bill for special probe into young Marine's death
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SNU alums nabbed for digital sex crimes
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Korea's increasing US investment mutually beneficial: report
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AI Seoul Summit adopts declaration on safe, innovative, inclusive AI
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South Korea bans viral North Korea propaganda video praising Kim
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Minister warns against trusting NK stated intentions, says Moon misguided
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Samsung replaces semiconductor chief amid heightened AI race
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AI Seoul Summit to discuss ways to make AI equitable in Global South
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Paul McCartney paid a pound for Olympics opening ceremony
LONDON (AFP) ― Paul McCartney and other star performers at the Olympic Games opening ceremony were paid just one pound for their efforts, London 2012 confirmed Monday.Beatles star McCartney ― who closed the showpiece event ― signed a contract for the 1 pound ($1.60) token amount, alongside Mike Oldfield, Dizzee Rascal, Underworld and Emeli Sande.“The top talent basically gave their services for free,” a London 2012 spokeswoman told AFP. “But in order to have a formal contract for their services
PerformanceJuly 31, 2012
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T-ara case reveals K-pop’s sinister side
Industry experts criticize CEO for mishandling the case, pushing artists to compete against each otherThe on-going controversy over bullying rumors involving girl group T-ara is the result of excessive competition among members and their agency’s failure in management, industry critics said.Young singers from idol groups are under huge pressure to steal attention from other members in order to survive in the entertainment industry, they added.“They know their groups will be disbanded in a few ye
PerformanceJuly 31, 2012
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RASKB tour to take in Seoul museums
The Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch is organizing an excursion to three Seoul museums on Aug. 18. The tour starts at the Seoul Museum of History, where Rho Sun-hee, international cultural director of the museum, will guide the group on a 90-minute English lecture tour of the major exhibitions. The tour will cover the Joseon Period, the opening of Korean harbors, the Japanese occupation, modern Seoul, Korean migrants in Japan and Hungson Taewon-gun, the father of King Kojong.Afterward, partici
Expat LivingJuly 31, 2012
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GIC runs percussion class for expats
Gwangju International Center is giving expats the chance to learn traditional percussion instruments on Aug. 18 as part of its Korean Culture Program.Percussion performance group Olssu will give a traditional music performance and teach participants how to play Korean traditional instruments. The class runs from 1-5 p.m. and costs 10,000 won. Class size is limited to 40 people. Registration can be done atthe GIC website, eng.gic.or.kr.The program offers a cultural activity once a month. Previous
Expat LivingJuly 31, 2012
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Busan Immigration center moves
The Busan Immigration Service Center has opened in a new location.The office is now in the Johnson and Johnson Korea building in Jungang-dong. To get there, leave Exit 2 of Busan Station on subway Line 1 and continue straight for two blocks. The building is on the far corner of the third turn on the left, next to the Busan Metropolitan City Association of Child Welfare.The center provides services to those in Busan and the South Gyeongsang Province districts of Miryang, Gimhae and Yangsan. The c
Expat LivingJuly 31, 2012
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Expat soccer school gets kids kicking
Sports have always been seen as a great way to bring different people together. The boys and girls learning soccer with International Football Education in Seoul epitomize this, with kids from places as far flung as Belgium, the United States and Saudi Arabia.About three-quarters of the aspiring footballers at IFE have international backgrounds, according to coach Phil Nieland, each with their own aims.“Kids come with different ideas, different goals. Some just want to have fun, some want to be
Expat LivingJuly 31, 2012
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And the beat goes on …
This is the last in a two-part series chronicling the build-up of the expat hip-hop scene in Korea. ― Ed.Where once expat hip-hop was a fledgling scene, today there is a growing community of artists, producers and promoters ― all talented in their own ways. Each weekend brings any number of music events involving expat hip-hop, with some of the more experienced artists stepping up to help their compatriots begin navigating the murky waters of the Korean entertainment industry. More recording stu
Expat LivingJuly 31, 2012
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Video of “haunted” pizzeria appears online
Security camera footage from a pizza restaurant in Louisiana in the U.S. purports to show the existence of ghosts. Lori Evans, an employee of Stocky’s Pizza in Haughton, Louisiana, discovered that objects were not in the place she left them the night before.She said: “When I came in the next morning, I found both of these ice scoops across the room over on the floor, the Tabasco sauce hidden behind the back, out there (on the kitchen floor).”When she checked the security camera, she saw objects
FoodJuly 31, 2012
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‘Dancer’s’ testimony fuels T-ara bullying claims
Testimony of physical abuse between members of girl group T-ara from a supposed insider has aggravated earlier claims of bullying in the group.A self-proclaimed member of T-ara’s dance team Yama & HotChicks claimed online that Hwa-young, a recently departed member of T-ara who joined after the group’s initial success, had been ridiculed and even assaulted by other members.Two of the members allegedly mocked Hwa-young when she made mistakes during a rehearsal, and one of them is alleged to have s
PerformanceJuly 31, 2012
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NYC movie, pin-up collection slated for auction
NEW YORK (AP) ― Movie Star News amassed a staggering amount of film stills, posters and negatives over the past 73 years ― nearly 3 million, including 1,500 prints of Bettie Page, known as the queen of pin-ups. But last week, the once-lively store in lower Manhattan was lifeless. The classic movie posters that once covered its narrow 610-meter space were rolled up or covered in cellophane, its bins and racks empty. Everything was packed up in cardboard boxes that lined the floor.The legendary Ma
FilmJuly 30, 2012
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Summer concerts pull crowds to French wine country
SAINT EMILION (AFP) ― Fresh air, fine wine and world-class performers are pulling the crowds to Bordeaux’s wine country for an ever-rising number of summer jazz and classical concerts in the French region.“It’s a trend, and it works. It attracts people who are not the usual jazz music audience,” the pianist Francois Faure said as he stepped off stage at the Saint Emilion Jazz festival last week.“They are not so much jazz fans as wine fans” who come to taste the music and the wine country setting
PerformanceJuly 30, 2012
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Art along the tense border
Works on display at tour sites of Cheorwon Security Tour show realities of a divided peninsulaSecurity is of utmost importance at the heavily fortified 250-kilometer-long Demilitarized Zone along the 38th parallel that divides the Korean Peninsula into South and North Korea. And though Cheorwon Peace Observatory boasts a panoramic view of North Korea, well into the propaganda village close to the border, tourists are often prohibited from taking photos for security reasons. On the third floor of
CultureJuly 30, 2012
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Batman clings to top of box office in North America
LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Batman flick “The Dark Knight Rises” held on to the top spot at North American box offices this weekend despite last week’s mass shooting in Colorado, according to figures released Sunday.Twelve people were killed and 58 wounded when a gunman sprayed bullets into a midnight premiere of the final installment of the Batman trilogy in Aurora, Colorado on July 20.The film finished its debut weekend with the third-largest earnings ever, and this weekend raked in earnings well abov
FilmJuly 30, 2012
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Russia courts Hollywood with vast new studios
MOSCOW (AFP) ― A Russian company has spent $89 million building eastern Europe’s largest production facilities in a field outside Moscow and hopes to lure Hollywood majors to shoot and produce movies.The idea is to create a modern flagship studio that will make Russia a competitively priced destination for film projects and in turn modernise the local industry.“It is one of the targets for us to invite international projects to get their experience, to get their technologies,” general-director o
FilmJuly 30, 2012
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Hwa-young to leave T-ara after rumors of bullying
Girl group T-ara’s agency said Monday that it is canceling Hwa-young’s contract.“After a discussion with the members of T-ara and staff, (the company) has decided to end the contract with Hwa-young with no conditions attached,” said Kim Kwang-soo, head of Core Content Media, in a written statement. However, he did not give a specific reason for canceling the contract.On Wednesday, five members of the eight-member group sent controversial tweets allegedly directed at Hwa-young. Hwa-young, the rap
PerformanceJuly 30, 2012
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Global travel industry gears up for Muslim tourist boom
SINGAPORE (AFP) ― From halal spas to prayer rooms at airport terminals, the global tourism industry is gearing up for a projected boom in Muslim travel over the next decade, experts say.Their growing number and affluence means Muslims ― especially from the oil-rich Middle East ― are traveling like never before, and it is a trend that looks set to gather pace.Spending by Muslim tourists is growing faster than the global rate and is forecast to reach $192 billion a year by 2020, up from $126 billi
TravelJuly 30, 2012
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Japanese Kobe beef debuts in Hong Kong
HONG KONG (AFP) ― Rarely exported Japanese Kobe beef made its way to Hong Kong dining tables Friday as supermarkets and high-end restaurants started selling the previously exclusive Japanese culinary delicacy.Hong Kong is only the second foreign market after the nearby Chinese territory of Macau to receive exports of officially certified Kobe beef, the industry’s marketing association said.“The response has been overwhelming ― most of our stock has been sold out in a few hours,” Taste supermarke
FoodJuly 30, 2012
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Underground university helps immigrants achieve dreams
ATLANTA ― Despite the “model minority” stereotype that presumes all Asian-Americans are prosperous and well educated, Keish Kim’s family is not well-to-do and she can’t get into her dream college.The first blow to Kim’s quest for success came when the lawyer hired by her family to handle their immigration from Seoul, South Korea, in 2000 (when Kim was 8) missed a crucial deadline, making it impossible for them to attain citizenship. The second came in 2010 when the state Board of Regents barred
PeopleJuly 30, 2012
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Fair opens market for designers, customers
Young designers find new opportunities, visitors discover unique designsAn annual design fair brought together young independent designers and customers under one roof in Seoul last week, serving as an open market for innovative designs. In its second year, The Handmade Korea Fair 2012, held from July 26-29 at COEX, Samseong-dong in Seoul, featured 180 small design companies that offered unique products ranging from clothes, accessories and jewelry, to stationary, furniture, home-ware and childr
Arts & DesignJuly 30, 2012
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‘Future menu may include insect burgers’
With global population and food prices rising rapidly, humankind may have to depend on some unconventional food supplies like insects in the future, according to a report on BBC magazine.“Rising prices mean we are now starting to see the return of meat as a luxury. As a result we are looking for new ways to fill the meat gap,” said food futurologist Morgaine Gaye during an interview with the magazine. “Things like crickets and grasshoppers will be ground down and used as an ingredient in things
FoodJuly 30, 2012