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Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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Army takes group action against Hybe for neglecting BTS
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Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal
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Some junior doctors are returning: Health Ministry
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Ador CEO's request for exclusive right to terminate NewJeans' contract with Hybe refused in February
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[Weekender] Korean psyche untangled: Musok
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Naver will consider company benefits in deciding on selling Line shares: CEO
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Woman dangling from power lines rescued by residents holding blanket
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Hankook Tire takes over control of Hanon Systems
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Celebrate Lunar New Year with tradition
The Lunar New Year holiday is a chance for Koreans, expats and tourists to enjoy a variety of traditional Korean activities. The five-day holiday will be full of cultural programs and hands-on experiences, offered at public museums and royal palaces. Here is a guide to various holiday programs in major cities. Palaces and folk games Visitors participate in the kite-making session at the National Folk Museum of Korea in Seoul. (The National Folk Museum of Korea)Major royal palaces in Seoul, incl
CultureFeb. 5, 2016
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Changing face of Lunar New Year holiday in Korea
A mass migration is underway this weekend as tens of thousands of Koreans travel home for the Lunar New Year, Seollal. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport estimates that a total of 36 million will be on the move, about 70 percent of the total population. Early in the morning on Monday, Lunar New Year’s Day, families will dress in traditional hanbok for the ancestral rite, charye, during which they will pay respect to their late ancestors. Dozens of dishes will be laid out on the c
CultureFeb. 5, 2016
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[Herald Interview] ‘Reply 1988’ leaves mark on Park Bo-gum
Actor Park Bo-gum poses for a picture before an interview at a Seoul cafe on Thursday. (Yoon Byung-chan/The Korea Herald)Park Bo-gum spoke slowly, his words interspersed with child-like smiles. It was as if Park’s “Reply 1988” character Choi Taek had jumped off screen into real life. “I realized that I’m similar to my ‘Reply 1988’ character in real life. I’m like an iron fist in a velvet glove, just like Choi Taek in the TV series,” the 22-year-old told The Korea Herald in Seoul last Thursday.“I
TelevisionFeb. 5, 2016
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Around the hotels
Ritz-Carlton offers Spring Festival packageThe Ritz-Carlton, Seoul is presenting the “New Year’s Prestige Getaway” package in celebration of the Spring Festival, China’s most important public holiday. The package is available from Feb. 1-18.Available to guests staying for two or more nights during the promotion period, the package includes buffet breakfast at The Garden and dinner at Oksan Buffet for two, for the duration of each stay. The price of the package starts from 300,000 won per night.
FoodFeb. 5, 2016
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Travel bits
The Crane tour in CheorwonKorea Tourism Organization provides tourists with a special opportunity to explore cranes in Cherwon, Gangwon Province, from Jan.18 to Feb.29. Crane, designated as Natural Monument No. 202, is an endangered species having a worldwide population of only about 2,000-3,000. Cranes fly toward the DMZ in Cheorwon which has not been inhabited by human beings for more than six decades.The crane tour will be a day-trip departing from Seoul by DMZ train and exploring red-crowned
TravelFeb. 5, 2016
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More eateries appearing in Korea’s train stations
With Lunar New Year upon us, there is no escaping the elbow-to-elbow crowds that flood the nation’s train stations as millions of locals travel out of the cities to reunite with their loved ones. While long lines at ticket booths are not surprising, over the past few years, a new food culture of has also developed there, with long lines at food places have also started appearing in train stations. Interior look at Daejeon Station‘s bakery Sung Sim Dang. (Julie Jackson/The Korea Herald)Rather th
FoodFeb. 5, 2016
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Spend time away at hotels during Lunar New Year
INCHEON -- On the 12th floor of Grand Hyatt Incheon, guests can get a panoramic view of Incheon International Airport from the lounge and a line of airplanes taking off and landing down on its runway.It is somewhat hard to resist peeking out the window at the Boeing 777s or Airbus A350s coming and going every 5-10 minutes against the beautiful skyline in the background in this quiet and tranquil hotel. It makes you want to disconnect your mobile phone, laptop, and drop everything and just hop on
CultureFeb. 5, 2016
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Hong named Sentinel advisor
Sentinel has appointed Hong Jung-gi, professor at Kookmin University’s College of Physical Education, as its health advisor, the provider of high-functional and intensive crossfit and boot camp training services said. Hong Jung-gi (Emerson K)Hong, who used to be a professional weight lifter, will be providing his expertise in three areas -- educate Sentinel’s crossfit and boot camp coaches; develop and implement new training programs; and offer regular health seminars to members.“My goal is to i
PeopleFeb. 5, 2016
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Painterly ‘The Assassin’ leads nominees at Asian Film Awards
HONG KONG (AP) -- Hou Hsiao-hsien's cinematic kung fu masterpiece "The Assassin" may have missed out on an Oscar nod, but it tops nominees at the Asian Film Awards.The nine nominations include best film, best director, best cinematography, and best actress for Shu Qi. Hou won best director at Cannes last year for his painterly dramatic film.Indian period drama, "Bajirao Mastani" earned five of the nominations announced Wednesday, as did Hong Kong cop thriller "Port of Call," which received 13 no
FilmFeb. 4, 2016
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CNBLUE to pay compensation to Crying Nut
The Seoul Central District Court ordered K-pop rock band CNBLUE to pay 15 million won ($12,500) in compensation to indie punk band Crying Nut for copyright infringement. Crying Nut had sued CNBLUE and its agency FNC Entertainment for unauthorized use of its song “Deathblow Off-Side,” which was written by its member Lee Sang-hyuk to mark the 2002 FIFA World Cup and was released by the band. Crying Nut claimed that CNBLUE used the music on Mnet’s “M Countdown” in 2010 without authorization. CNBLUE
PerformanceFeb. 4, 2016
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Big Bang tops Oricon chart with ‘MADE Series'
K-pop idol group Big Bang topped the Oricon Daily Albums chart and Japanese iTunes chart with its new album “MADE Series,” the group’s agency YG Entertainment said Thursday. Big Bang’s new album sold 80,262 copies Wednesday, the day of its release, the agency added. The album is a compilation of a monthly series from last year that started with “M” in May and continued to August when “E” was released in August. It was released only in Korea. Big Bang (YG Entertainment) The new album for the Japa
PerformanceFeb. 4, 2016
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Guns N' Roses reunion heads to Mexico
NEW YORK (AFP) - The long-in-the-making reunion of Guns N’ Roses has gone international, with the hard rockers announcing a show in Mexico City. The band, performing for the first time in 23 years with the original lineup of Axl Rose and Slash, posted a video on its website giving an April 19 date for a concert at the Foro Sol stadium. The show will come halfway between the rockers' two performances at the Coachella festival, which takes place over back-to-back weekends in the California desert.
PerformanceFeb. 4, 2016
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Art house theaters face identity crisis
CGV Arthouse, which is run by theater chain CGV, will be presenting 20 top Academy Award-nominated films in a special five-week program set to begin Feb. 11. The lineup for the “Academy Award Special Program” includes films nominated for the award’s top honors, such as “The Revenant” and “The Martian.” Also included will be ten films that have not been released in Korea yet, including “The Danish Girl,” “Room,” “Brooklyn” and “45 Years.” The program will also have special events, such as a liv
FilmFeb. 4, 2016
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France bans Von Trier‘s ’Antichrist‘ for sex, violence
PARIS (AFP) - A French court banned Lars von Trier‘s ultra-violent film “Antichrist” on Wednesday, nearly seven years after it won a major prize at the Cannes film festival. It is the third time a traditionalist Catholic group has succeeded in persuading French judges to pull the film since it was first released in 2009. The same group has also managed to have two other sexually explicit films temporarily withdrawn from French cinemas and DVD stores in the past year. Gaspar Noe’s erotic odyssey
FilmFeb. 4, 2016
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Seoul city revamping travel information website
The Seoul metropolitan government said Thursday it will soon revamp its official travel website and include more travel information for visitors' convenience. It said the city's website, currently in its beta version, will begin trial service within this month after overhauling it with more information, pictures and images.The new website will be available on personal computers as well as mobile phones, according to a city official.It will also add more convenient functions so that visitors can
TravelFeb. 4, 2016
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Los Angeles is new icon of menswear cool
NEW YORK (AFP) - Long derided for flashiness or faded grunge, Los Angeles and a new generation of designers are bringing a new brand of chic to American menswear. It's only the second edition of New York Men’s Fashion Week, which kicked off Monday and ends Thursday. But already the capital of American fashion is recognizing that innovations on its runways often come from the West Coast. Models present creations during the Duckie Brown show at the Fall/Winter 2016 New York Men‘s Fashion Week, in
Arts & DesignFeb. 4, 2016
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BigBang's 'MADE SERIES' tops Japanese music charts
South Korean boy band BigBang has cruised to the top of Japan's Oricon chart with its new album "MADE SERIES," its agency said Thursday.The band sold 80,262 copies of the album on Wednesday, the day of its release, and has comfortably sat atop Oricon's Daily Albums and the Japanese iTunes Albums charts since, YG Entertainment said."MADE SERIES" is the group's first Japanese album in over 3 1/2 years, with its last album "ALIVE-MONSTER EDITION-" having come out in June 2012.The album contains eig
PerformanceFeb. 4, 2016
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Major tourist hot spots in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, crowned as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, is home to some of the finest spectacles of natural beauty known to mankind. An island considered to be en route to paradise, surrounded by both the Indian Ocean and the mystique of an enduring and diverse history -- fascinates both the eyes and soul.Arab, Portuguese, Dutch and British influences all in their own time have converged in the present day to leave a markedly distinct cultural flavor and experience; only to be found in countries wi
TravelFeb. 3, 2016
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Seoul government to assist foreign community cultural events
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has announced it will continue to support its foreign community members by offering financial assistance for related activities.Subsidies will be offered for cultural events hosted by embassies and expat communities in 2016 for the eighth consecutive year, it said. Subsidies can cover up to 80 percent of total expenses for events, up to a maximum of 6 million won ($4,900). The government has reached out to a number of foreign communities through the support prog
Expat LivingFeb. 3, 2016
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Royal Asiatic Society offers excursion to Cheorwon
The Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch is hosting an excursion to Cheorwon, a county in Gangwon Province, on Feb. 14. The excursion, hosted by Robert Koehler, will offer an opportunity to explore the “new” Cheorwon, a city that was reconstructed kilometers away from the original, following its destruction during the Korean War. Commencing at 9 a.m. from Yongsan Post Office, the excursion will also take participants along the Civilian Control Zone -- a limited-access area just south of the DMZ --
Expat LivingFeb. 3, 2016