Oscar-nominee Youn Yuh-jung reaches career peak at age of 73

Youn Yuh-jung has a career that spans over half a century, with a number of hit films and TV series under her belt. At the age of 73, the veteran actress has made South Korean film history by being nominated for best supporting actress at the 93rd Academy Awards for her performance in the US immigration film "Minari." No other Korean actor, even stars from the Oscar-winning "Parasite," has received an Oscar nomination. Born in 1947, Youn rose to fame in South Korea with her

March 15, 2021

Historic Buddhist temple destroyed in suspected arson attack

While the main hall at Naejangsa, one of the country’s oldest Buddhist temples, burned down Friday in a suspected arson attack, a monk representing the temple denied the claim that there was a disagreement between the monks there. According to reports citing local police, the fire at Naejangsa in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, was reported Friday at 6:37 p.m., a few minutes after it is believed to have started. A Buddhist monk reportedly called the fire authorities and was apprehended

March 7, 2021

Allegations of school violence by stars cast gloom over entertainment scene

A series of claims accusing celebrities and sport stars of school violence is spreading like wildfire in Korea via social media. The claims, also being dubbed the “school #MeToo” movement, began with the controversy regarding volleyball athletes and twin sisters Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-yeong. After the Lee sisters admitted to the charges, accusations of school bullying by sport stars and celebrities followed swiftly. Actors Cho Byeong-kyu, Park Hye-su, Kim Dong-hee and K-pop s

March 1, 2021

YMCA hosts 2nd International School Ski Racing Competition

It was a tough season for skiers this winter with many events canceled or scaled down to meet the COVID-19 safety requirements. However, Seoul YMCA managed to go ahead with its series of competitions for junior ski racers, while strictly complying with all COVID-19 regulations. The organization persevered to give youth skiers a sense of continuance after training hard all season. “Despite the hardships brought on by COVID-19, we believed it would be important to hold the competitions as

Feb. 25, 2021

Kyung Hee University law professor elected to lead Korean Association for Property Law

Professor Tsche Kwang-jun of Kyung Hee University Law School has been elected to head the Korean Association for Property Law, the university said Tuesday. In addition to the new post, Tsche heads Kyung Hee University Law School’s Legal Research Institute and the Institute for International Affairs. He also serves on a Fair Trade Commission committee and on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. “(I) will research with the association focusing on issues regarding property laws in

Feb. 23, 2021

Actor Yoon Jeong-hee’s daughter files for guardianship over Yoon in Korea

Violinist Paik Jin-hee, daughter of actor Yoon Jeong-hee and pianist Paik Kun-woo, asked a Korean court to designate her as Yoon’s legal guardian in Korea last year, while she and her father were in conflict with her mother’s siblings over Yoon’s legal guardianship in France. According to news reports, Paik Jin-hee filed a case with the Seoul Family Court in October to be designated Yoon’s legal guardian in Korea. Yoon suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. The court

Feb. 22, 2021

Yoon Jeong-hee’s siblings speak up about neglect accusations against Yoon’s husband Paik

With pianist Paik Kun-woo and his wife Yoon Jeong-hee at the center of attention over accusations of Paik‘s neglect in the care of Yoon, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, Yoon’s siblings released an official statement Tuesday, acknowledging it was they who posted the petition on the Blue House website that accuses Paik and his daughter of neglecting Yoon. The siblings apologized for going public with family matters. “Paik kept his distance from his wife and her f

Feb. 10, 2021

Pianist Paik Kun-woo's management agency denies accusation of neglect of wife Yoon Jeong-hee

Pianist Paik Kun-woo’s agency has denied the accusation that Paik and his daughter have been negligent in the care of Paik’s wife actress Yoon Jeong-hee, who suffers from Alzheimer‘s disease. A petition accusing Paik and his daughter of neglect was uploaded Friday, some three months after Yoon’s siblings lost a lawsuit in the French courts challenging the designation of Paik and the couple’s daughter as Yoon‘s legal guardians. On Sunday, Paik’s agency

Feb. 7, 2021

PyeongChang Peace Forum 2021 to open Sunday

PyeongChang Peace Forum 2021 will open Sunday for a three-day run in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, featuring discussions on recent challenges to peace on the Korean Peninsula and the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Marking the third anniversary of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, the PyeongChang 2018 Legacy Foundation will hold its third annual forum at the PyeongChang Alpensia Convention Center from Sunday to Tuesday under the auspices of Gangwon Province, PyeongChang County and t

Feb. 4, 2021

KAIST hopes to revolutionize disease control with mobile clinic module

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology on Thursday unveiled a mobile clinic module for building negative pressure isolation facilities to combat infectious diseases. Developed by a team led by professor Nam Tek-jin, the head of KAIST’s industrial design department, each module is a negative pressure unit that can be connected to other modules to form a larger facility that can be expanded as required. According to KAIST, the module is designed mainly to accommodate patie

Jan. 21, 2021

[Herald Interview] An interaction designer talks about Silicon Valley

Encountering the word “designer,” one generally imagines a creative person with artistic talent -- someone who shows artworks at a gallery, or who takes the commercial route and sells stylish, sleek items they have created. But an “interaction designer” is something else. Silicon Valley-based Han Seung-heon, who holds this position at Google, works for the Google Assistant team. He and his colleagues recently launched a service called Family Notes, which can be used wi

Jan. 3, 2021

[Herald Interview] Woman who saved Statue of Peace in Berlin

The Statue of Peace, which symbolizes the victims of Japanese military sexual slavery during World War II, stands in a central district in Berlin known as Mitte. It was the first of three such statues to be installed in a public place in Germany. But in October, it was on the verge of being removed due to strong opposition from the Japanese government. Many activists and nongovernmental organizations in Germany gathered around the statue and raised their voices about the importance of keeping i

Dec. 14, 2020

Body of S. Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk likely to be cremated in Latvia

The body of South Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk, who died from COVID-19 complications in Latvia, is likely to be cremated in the Baltic country, a diplomatic source familiar with the matter said Saturday. Kim's family has asked the South Korean Embassy in Latvia to take care of the funeral process, the source said, citing difficulties in travel over the COVID-19 pandemic. The South Korean Embassy is in talks with the family over the funeral process. The 59-year-old director died early Friday (l

Dec. 12, 2020

Renowned Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk fell from grace after MeToo allegations

Filmmaker Kim Ki-duk, who is known to have died from COVID-19 complications in Latvia, was one of South Korea's most decorated film directors, especially on the international stage. He rose to global fame after winning best director and best film awards at two of the three major international film festivals. But he left his home country after becoming embroiled in the #MeToo movement, facing accusations of sexual and physical abuse from an actress in 2017. Born to an impoverished family in th

Dec. 12, 2020

[Herald Interview] Korea spots ‘silver lining’ amid pandemic with transparent, responsible public sector

In a year that has witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic disrupt lives and devastate economies around the world, South Korea is seeking innovations to meet the challenges it presents. The following is the last article in a four-part series on how Korea is creating a new normal during the pandemic, produced in partnership with The Korea Foundation -- Ed. Since the beginning of the year, the whole world has been desperately navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic, the worst public health crisis i

Dec. 10, 2020

2020 Linnaeus Medal goes to Korean surgeon

A surgeon at a hospital in Seoul has become the first South Korean to receive the Linnaeus Medal. The Hallym University Medical Center said Wednesday Dr. Yoon Dai-won, the chief director of the hospital’s Ilsong Foundation, has been awarded the Linnaeus Medal in gold for 2020. The medal is organized by Uppsala University in Sweden. The university said Yoon was recognized for his contributions in creating opportunities for research exchanges between Korea and Sweden, one of which is joi

Dec. 9, 2020

Rev. Park Ock-soo hopes for joy and hope for youth with the IYF amid COVID-19

Rev. Park Ock-soo, the founder of International Youth Fellowship (IYF), is seeking to build an education program for young people. Park shares his prospective ideas and outlook on possible alternatives to the program and for the youth amid the COVID-19 crisis. Park has developed “mind education,” which seeks to create a mindset that enables students to overcome difficulties, fulfill responsibilities and help prevent things such as abuse, cruelty and suicide. And he has promoted this

Dec. 4, 2020

Two Koreans on ArtReview’s Power 100 list

Two South Koreans made ArtReview’s Power 100 list this year: Kim Sun-jung, international curator and president of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, and Lee Hyun-sook, chairwoman of the Kukje Gallery in Seoul. Kim ranked No. 72, up five places from No. 77 in 2019. Lee ranked No. 83, having fallen from No. 60 last year. The British art magazine offers an annual ranking of the most influential movers and shakers in contemporary art at the end of each year. ArtReview mentioned Kim’s di

Dec. 4, 2020

[Herald Interview] Why Korea needs a bank for modern-day Jean Valjeans

“Welcome to our bank that’s always running out of money!” said Hong Se-hwa. Despite its precarious situation, the 74-year-old head of Jean Valjean Bank seemed cheerful. Hong, who runs the bank as a microcredit program for people in need, greeted visitors with a humble smile, documents held tightly in one arm and a large coffee mug in his other hand. As the name suggests, Jean Valjean Bank helps petty offenders avoid going to jail just because they can’t afford to pay

Dec. 1, 2020

[Herald Interview] Korean entrepreneur wins business rights for cable car project in Sri Lanka

A Korean entrepreneur has won the business rights to a cable car project in Sri Lanka’s Kandy -- home of the Temple of the Tooth Relic, which is one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in the world. The entrepreneur is 71-year-old Sky Asia Chairman Yoo Sun-ha. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the construction will begin next year and the cable car is expected to open by the end of 2022. It will connect 2.2 kilometers from downtown Kandy and Hanthana Mountain. A total of $35 million will b

Nov. 23, 2020