[Weekender] Meet Korea’s age-defying social media icons

Social media may still be the domain of millennials. But they are also producing a new crop of age-defying influencers in their 60s, 70s and even 80s. Call it a graynaissance. From fashion blogging to ASMR, seniors are rallying massive followings on YouTube and Instagram with inspiring content drawn from fascinating life stories. Park Mak-rye, 72, YouTuber Park Mak-rye, known as the Korean Grandma on YouTube, is the biggest breakout star of the Korean graynaissance. Born in 1947, three

June 7, 2019

Bernard Werber visits with ‘Death’

Celebrated science-fiction writer Bernard Werber is currently visiting Korea to promote his new book, the Korean title of which translates to “Death.” The best-selling author is known for his unique style of writing that looks at society through the eyes of nonhuman entities. His novels have been successful in France, Korea and other parts of the world, including “The Ants” trilogy, “Les Micro-Humains (The Third Humanity)” and “Le Papillon des Etoiles (B

June 5, 2019

Google Korea launches online language culture campaign with Sunfull Foundation

Google Korea and Sunfull Foundation said Tuesday they would work together to help improve online culture by promoting the National Sunfull Youth Internet Peace Campaign aimed at preventing malicious online comments and hate speech. Google sponsors the Sunfull Youth Supporters project, which involves 100 clubs from elementary, middle, high schools and universities across the country. The project is to support the training and dispatch of professional online language improvement instructors to sch

May 28, 2019

[Herald Interview] How to stay competitive in the era of scandals and influencers

Companies are always vulnerable to a variety of attacks. In the digital era, the nature of such attacks -- for instance, a single malicious post by an influencer with millions of followers -- is far more unpredictable and, if mishandled, critical, due to the sheer amplifying effect of social media.Jeff Cunningham, a professor of practice in global leadership at Thunderbird School of Global Management of Arizona State University, said a new type of leadership is needed to better cope with such on

May 26, 2019

[Photo News] Posing with Basquiat

POSING WITH BASQUIAT -- Choi Jung-wha (third from left, second row), head of the Corea Image Communication Institute, Kim Young-ho (fourth from left, second row), Ilshin Spinning chairman, and H.E. Federico Failla (fifth from left, second row), Italian ambassador to Korea, pose for photos next to artist Jean-Michel Basquiat’s painting “TBT,” along with other guests at “Korea CQ, 5.4 Club,” an event hosted by CICI at the Ilshin Spinning headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. (CICI)

May 15, 2019

[Herald Interview] A walking canvas of tattoos

In a country where tattoos are widely frowned upon, Ahn Li-na, 25, catches attention as a walking canvas of body art, with nearly 80 percent of her skin inked. “The value of all my tattoos, if combined, could easily match that of quite an expensive car,” said Ahn, a tattoo artist herself, adding that only her face, scalp, front neck, knuckles and soles of her feet are left untouched. Living with such overt body art comes with a hefty price here, as tattoos are often associated with deviant behav

May 10, 2019

[Herald Interview] Artistry of movie makeup

Film makeup artist Cho Tae-hee shares stories on his work, ambition to shake up the industry Being a makeup artist for movies takes on a multitude of challenges -- one has to create the perfect look that reflects a character’s personal traits, yet does not leave any impression. “I have to make sure that (the audience) is not aware of the makeup. If the makeup, a costume or a scar lingers in their memories, I feel like I’ve caused trouble for the film. The best makeup is one that is absorbed by t

May 2, 2019

‘It is all about money after all’

Seoul Arts Center’s new President Yoo In-taek, appointed to the position in March, believes improving the arts complex‘s financial situation to be a priority.　The center in southern Seoul is a venue for various art performances. Opened in 1988 in time for the Seoul Olympics, it has functioned as a focal point of diverse art activities. 　 “The current financial structure must be revamped,” said Yoo, 64, at a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday, pointing to the importance of financial resources i

April 30, 2019

HHI Vice Chairman Kwon, ex-Ambassador Choi receive HUFS Awards

Hyundai Heavy Industries Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-gap and former Ambassador to the Netherlands Choi Jong-hyun were two alumni honored at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies’ 65th anniversary celebration Friday.Held at its campus in Seoul, the event celebrating HUFS’ founding involved an annual awards ceremony, the HUFS Awards, which recognizes notable alumni of the university. Kwon and Choi were this year’s recipients.  Kwon Oh-gap (left) and Choi Jong-hyun (HUFS)Kwon was noted for his contributio

April 23, 2019

[Herald Interview] Diminutive ‘Kids Creators’ inject fresh perspective into YouTube

Twenty years ago, celebrity and K-pop idol crept up the list of dream jobs for children in Korea – a list formerly occupied by doctor, scholar, politician or government official. What followed were a flood of TV talent shows and reality programs on youth aspiring for the limelight. Recent surveys suggest the times are changing once more, as children are opting to perform in front of the much smaller camera of a personal computer as a YouTuber, or as it is more commonly known here, “YouTube Cr

April 21, 2019

Award-winning author Han Kang to contribute writing to foreign art project

International award-winning South Korean author Han Kang has been named the fifth author in a Norwegian government-sponsored project to collect the works of 100 renowned writers, one author a year, and publish them in 2114, Seoul's embassy in Oslo said Friday.Han, a 2016 Man Booker International Prize winner for her novel "The Vegetarian," is also the first Asian writer to be selected as a contributor to the Future Library project, which aims to connect current and future generations through wri

April 19, 2019

[Video] Sound is universal language: ASMR creator Miniyu

Yu Min-jung, a YouTuber specializing in spine-tingling ASMR videos, changes her role once or twice a week. From a late-night barber to a dermatologist, then from a scalp therapist to a caring friend removing makeup from a roommate’s face -- Yu becomes a “healer” for those craving sounds of comfort. Believed to be the first to make a Korean ASMR channel, Yu has been working as a full-time creator for almost five years now. Her channel -- Miniyu -- has 500,000 subscribers and her most watched vide

April 19, 2019

BTS ranked among Time's 100 Most Influential of 2019

South Korean K-pop group BTS has been ranked among Time magazine's 100 most influential people of 2019.The seven-member band, whose albums have topped Billboard music charts, appeared on the annual list unveiled Wednesday on the magazine’s website.By category, BTS was among the 17 artists of 2019. The other four groups were called pioneers, leaders, titans and icons.(Time Megazine)“Over the past few years, the K-pop group has taken the music industry by storm -- shattering sales records, gatheri

April 18, 2019

S. Korean photographer wins Pulitzer Prize

Reuters' South Korean photographer Kim Kyung-hoon won a Pulitzer Prize on Tuesday for his work on Central American migrants.According to the website of the Pulitzer Prizes, photography staff of Reuters, including Kim, Loren Elliott and Lucy Nicholson were named the winner of the breaking news photography award.(Yonhap)They took images of a caravan of Central American migrants heading to the US border in November last year."For a vivid and startling visual narrative of the urgency, desperation an

April 16, 2019

Grey Youth Choir to perform on Carnegie Hall main stage

The Grey Youth Choir, a leading senior choir from South Korea, will perform at New York’s Carnegie Hall on May 6 at the invitation of the Korea-US Choir Festival for the 100th anniversary of the March 1st Independence Movement. Grey Youth ChoirThe Grey Youth Choir, headed by Hunet Chairman Kwon Dae-wook, will stand on the Isaac Stern Auditorium, the main stage of Carnegie Hall with 2,804 seats, presenting Korean traditional folk songs such as “Arirang,” “Milyang Arirang” and “Saeya Saeya Parang

April 15, 2019

[Herald Interview] The agent behind Korea's global literary growth

If you are living outside Korea and happened to have just finished your first volume of Korean fiction, the chances are that the book you’ve read was brought to you by literary agent Joseph Lee and his partners around the world. Specializing in foreign rights of Korean titles, both fiction and nonfiction, Lee, 54, has a pretty impressive list of clients, including Shin Kyung-sook, the author of the 2011 New York Times best-seller “Please Look After Mom,” and Han Kang, the author of the 2016 Man

April 12, 2019

Tracing Korean diaspora through unsung hero

In 2015, young Korean-American lawyer Joseph Juhn went backpacking in Cuba for a well-earned break, indulging in the beach, mojitos, salsa and, of course, Cuban cigars. What he found instead were traces of a man who had fought to keep the Korean identity alive among descendants of those forced to leave the country nearly a century ago -- Jeronimo Lim.“The first person I met at the Havana Airport was someone who was supposed to pick me up, this Korean lady who didn’t look anything like Cuban. ...

April 3, 2019

France shares ‘Provencal cuisine,’ promotes sustainable dining

The French Embassy in Korea will look to promote French gastronomy through the works of two chefs from its Provencal region, to be demonstrated at the annual Gout de France/Good France celebration Thursday.Since 2014, French Embassies across the globe have been organizing the event in their respective residing nations under the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development.  From left: French Ambassador to Korea Fabien Penone and chefs Fanny Rey and Guillaume Sourrieu speak at

March 20, 2019

Le Cordon Bleu-Sookmyung Academy invites high school students to mark Gout de France

On March 21, chefs from around the world will work to create a French-style dinner for the Gout de France/Good France celebration. The event, now in its fifth edition, aims to promote French gastronomy to the world. Launched in 2015 by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, French Embassies all over the world organize the event in their respective residing nations.  High school students sit down to a traditional French dinner at Le Cordon Bleu-Sookmyung Academy. (L

March 13, 2019

[Herald Interview] Cultivating hope through ‘Boccia’

Indonesian moviemaker Natalie Tjahja hopes to promote the para-sport through nonprofit documentary filmUnlike Cristiano Ronaldo, Floyd Mayweather and Lebron James of the sports world, boccia players are not buried in fame and riches, nor do they have the ability to leap off the ground and perform near-superhuman feats. On the contrary, hurdles often loom large for them, even more so than for most people.What they do have, however, is an unconquerable spirit that transcends their wheelchair-bound

March 6, 2019