Actor Park effectively wraps up active-duty Navy service

Actor Park Bo-gum began his final military vacation Monday, effectively ending his active-duty service as he is not required to return to his base under an antivirus guideline, Navy officials said. Earlier in the day, Petty Officer Second Class Park left his Navy unit in the Gyeryongdae military headquarters, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, as he started the vacation that would last until his official discharge date on April 30. Troops were usually obligated to be present at their bases on the fi

Feb. 21, 2022

[Herald Interview] French expat seeks to connect place and people through shared community

Living in a foreign country, finding hidden cultural gems is not easy and in these pandemic times, such discoveries are even rarer. But Cristina Clisson, 50, felt the charms and beauty of Korean handicrafts the moment she set her eyes on Insa-dong, an old Seoul neighborhood known for its alleys of craft galleries and art shops. In 2017, two years after her arrival, Clisson co-founded Les Francaises Consulting company with a colleague, to promote and support independent Korean craft designers

Feb. 14, 2022

Farming evolves with the help of IT, AI

Becoming a farmer carries a high risk, with volatile weather and soil conditions affecting farm crops in a blink. The risk, exacerbated by global warming, has been mitigated for Lee Kyung-ju, a former IT office worker-turned farmer who has been growing cucumbers with the help of a smart farm system since 2020. He kicks off his day by checking his smartphone application showing the farming weather forecast and agricultural commodity prices. He then arrives at his 6,000 square-meter farm in C

Feb. 11, 2022

‘Crash Landing on You’ stars Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin to wed in March

Star actors Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin are tying the knot after a two-year relationship. The actors’ agencies confirmed Hyun and Son’s upcoming marriage with a press release Thursday night, announcing the wedding will take place in March in Seoul. Son announced the upcoming wedding first in an Instagram post earlier Thursday night. In the post with a picture of a miniature white wedding gown, she wrote that she “found someone to spend the rest of my life with.” Hyun sha

Feb. 11, 2022

Actor Lee Byung-hun tests positive for COVID-19

Actor Lee Byung-hun has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, his management agency said Wednesday. "Lee got tested for COVID-19 since he didn't feel well and received a positive result on Monday," BH Entertainment said. "He currently has no serious health problems." He is fully vaccinated and boosted, according to the agency. The infection immediately halted the filming of the new tvN drama "Our Blues," starring Lee. All other members of the cast and the crew

Feb. 9, 2022

[Herald Interview] Korea’s first professor for influencers: Find your own attractiveness and they will follow you

Self-assessment of one‘s attractive qualities is a critical step to becoming a successful influencer, according to Ryo Chu-hyeop, a 36-year old YouTuber and South Korea’s first professor of “influencer affairs.” In order to make other people follow you online, aspiring influencers need to ruminate on their own ideas and thoughts and what kind of attributes they have to attract others. “Attractiveness does not necessarily mean (physical) beauty. It can be somet

Jan. 26, 2022

[Video] Do you remember Korea’s top beatboxer Bigman who appeared on the Ellen show?

Bigman dropped by our studio and shared his story with us! Check it out! By Team Konnect Kim Min-jung (minjung.kim@heraldcorp.com) Jung Ji-eun (jungje@heraldcorp.com) Choi Jeong-yoon (jychoi@heraldcorp.com) Kim Jeong-ryul (ryul@heraldcorp.com)

Jan. 10, 2022

[Herald Interview] Korea culture promotion agency seeks bigger role in elevating national branding

Despite being founded 50 years ago to promote Korea’s national brand, Korean Culture and Information Service is far from a household name within Korea, though it intends to change that this year. The organization plans to push for greater cultural exchange with Korea‘s partner nations, according to Park Jung-youl, the director of the KOCIS, who took the helm in September 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of Hallyu. A veteran government official, Park told the Korea He

Jan. 7, 2022

Singapore ambassador, Herald Corp. chairman discuss emerging areas in post-pandemic

South Korea and Singapore should use the pandemic as an opportunity to plan and prepare for the future, the Singaporean ambassador and Herald Corp. chairman said in a meeting on Wednesday. Singapore Ambassador to Korea Eric Teo paid a courtesy visit to Herald Corp. headquarters in central Seoul where he, The Korea Herald CEO Choi Jin-young and Herald Corp. Chairman Jung Won-ju exchanged views on the emerging trends amid the COVID-19 pandemic, such as education trends, carbon neutrality, d

Jan. 5, 2022

COVID-19 lessons pave way for cooperation between Indonesia, Korea: Indonesian charge d’affaires

   COVID-19 provided valuable lessons for future cooperation between Indonesia and South Korea in health, biopharmaceuticals, energy and technology, said Indonesian charge d’affaires Zelda Wulan Kartika at the Eurasian Economic and Cultural Forum on Wednesday. According to Kartika, by promoting strategic projects and investments in infrastructure, the food industry and the digital economy, and expanding market access through e-commerce, tourism and digital platforms, Indonesia

Dec. 26, 2021

Lee Sook-kyung of Tate Modern to helm Gwangju Biennale in 2023

A London-based Korean curator has been appointed to head the 2023 Gwangju Biennale. Lee Sook-kyung, senior curator of International Art at the Tate Modern, will take on the role of artistic director of the 14th Gwangju Biennale scheduled to take place in April 2023, the Gwangju Biennale Foundation announced Tuesday. Lee, who has been active in the global art scene for the past 28 years, specializes in “transnational curating.” Her previous posts include being commissioner and curat

Dec. 22, 2021

India offers huge opportunities to Korean investors: Indian ambassador

India is an attractive investment destination for Korean entities, with the country’s $1.4 trillion infrastructure development plan representing attractive opportunities, Indian Ambassador to Korea Sripriya Ranganathan said at the Eurasian Economic and Cultural Forum 2021, hosted Wednesday by The Korea Herald. The ambassador said that the size of Indian economy, India’s infrastructure development plans, demography and digital ecosystem, outstanding human resource, private equity, v

Dec. 19, 2021

Kim Jong-kook puts end to steroid abuse allegation

Singer and entertainer Kim Jong-kook released his doping test results Thursday, in a bid to clear himself of suspicions of steroid use. Kim uploaded an 18-minute video on his YouTube channel on Thursday, showing clips of videos showing himself submitting to doping tests on Nov. 13 and receiving the test results on Dec. 9. The video included his message to the public and to the Canadian bodybuilder Greg Doucette, who had alleged steroid use by Kim. Kim’s doping tests were conducted by th

Dec. 17, 2021

[Herald Interview] ‘Guerilla artist’ leaves encouraging messages all over city

Walking through the bustling streets of Seoul and encountering a rose sprouting from a piece of charcoal, one might wonder, “Is this installation art or a personal message to someone?’ The artist who made the piece says it is both. Lee Hyo-yeol, 36, better known as Yeol, considers himself a freelance advertiser by day and a guerilla artist by night. Since 2014, when he made “Flowers Bloom Through Heat,” Lee has worked on over 20 guerilla installation projects in the c

Dec. 12, 2021

Korean pianist Lee Hyuk wins Animato Piano Competition, special Mazurka award in Paris

Korean pianist Lee Hyuk was declared the winner of the 17th Animato Piano Competition and also took home the special Mazurka award, Lee’s management agency Etoile Classic announced on Friday. The recital competition, held by the Animato Association, ended on Tuesday (local time) in Paris, France. The contestants were young pianists in their late teens to mid-20s recommended by prominent pianists and educators under the slogan of “The Future Great Pianists Today” (unofficial

Dec. 10, 2021

Yoo Jae-suk named best comedian of the year for 10th consecutive year in poll

Entertainer Yoo Jae-suk has been chosen as the top comedian of the year for the tenth consecutive year. According to the survey released by Gallup Korea on Thursday, the 49-year-old took first place in the entertainment broadcaster/comedian category of the "person of the year" for the tenth straight year, gaining 56.9 percent of votes. The pollster canvassed 1,700 people aged 13 or over across the country from Nov. 5-28, and those surveyed were asked to select up to two comedians who

Dec. 10, 2021

First British envoy to NK to receive Woodang Award

  The Woodang Foundation for Education and Culture is honoring James Edward Hoare, former member of the British diplomatic service and current research associate in Korean studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies University of London, for his contributions to the nation with this year’s Woodang Award. Initiated in 2019, the annual award goes to domestic and foreign figures who follow the spirit and vision of Woodang Lee Hoi-young, who worked for the nation’s indepe

Dec. 6, 2021

Israel proposes new Western policy for Korea

South Korea should implement a “new Western policy” to further strengthen ties with Israel, Israeli Ambassador to Korea Akiva Tor proposed at the Eurasian Economic and Cultural Forum on Dec. 1. Tor recommended forging a new defense alliance, as Korea and Israel are both democracies facing severe nuclear and missile threats. “We need a new Western policy for Korea and a new Eastern policy for Israel: Korea should seek to form an alliance in West Asia based on relations with t

Dec. 5, 2021

South African who stopped Han River suicide wins Seoul honorary citizenship

One September day, a South Africa-born resident of Seoul, Harvey Justin John was walking along the Han River with his parents, who were visiting him, when he saw what appeared to be a suicide attempt. He immediately threw himself into the water and rescued the drowning person. His act of bravery was officially recognized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday, which conferred honorary citizenship upon him and eight other foreigners here. During a ceremony held at City Hall, th

Dec. 1, 2021

New CEO takes helm at LG Arts Center

LG Arts Center’s new CEO Lee Hyun-jung officially took the reins of the cultural institution Wednesday. The 50-year-old Lee replaces Sim Woo-seob. Her appointment was announced in the annual reshuffling of conglomerate LG Group’s executives last week. Lee joined LG Arts Center, operated by LG’s nonprofit organization LG Yonam Cultural Foundation, in 1996 as the group was gearing up to launch the cultural complex and served as the head of programming for 22 years. Lee play

Dec. 1, 2021