Foreign Language Newspapers Association celebrates 9th anniversary

The Foreign Language Newspapers Association of Korea, a group of four Korean media outlets publishing newspapers in foreign languages in South Korea, celebrated its ninth anniversary in Seoul on Tuesday. The association comprises three English-language newspapers – The Korea Herald, The Korea Times and The JoongAng Daily – and the Chinese-language The Aju Daily. Delivering a congratulatory speech, Culture Minister Yu In-chon said the newspapers have fulfilled their mission over the d

July 9, 2024

[Photo News] Global Biz Forum wraps up 5th edition

5TH GBF WRAPS UP Herald Corp. Chairman Jung Won-ju (fourth from left in second row) and CEO Choi Jin-young (fifth from left in third row) pose with participants of the 5th Global Biz Forum at its closing ceremony held at the Mondrian Hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday. The forum, organized and hosted by The Korea Herald twice yearly, convened weekly for 13 weeks from March 20 to July 3. The next edition is scheduled to commence in September, continuing as a venue for knowledge-sharing amon

July 4, 2024

Doctor fasts instead of joining medical strike

With medical professors at major hospitals joining the nationwide walkout of medical staff, a doctor at a Seoul-based hospital has chosen to continue practicing while showing his support by going on hunger strike. Professor Ko Beom-seok, a breast disease surgeon at Asan University, said he has been taking nothing but water, salt and coffee since June 23. Ko said could not take part in the ongoing walkout because he felt he could not leave his patients. ut also could not turn away from his coll

July 4, 2024

K-pop sensation NewJeans named South Korea's tourism ambassadors

The Korea Tourism Organization will officially appoint K-pop girl group NewJeans as honorary tourism ambassadors for 2024 in a ceremony next week, a KTO official confirmed Thursday. The announcement follows earlier local media reports that the five-member group had been chosen by the state tourism body to promote South Korean culture and attractions around the world. NewJeans joins a cadre of previous high-profile ambassadors, including Premier League soccer star Son Heung-min and K-pop groups E

July 4, 2024

Herald Media Group charity golf tournament held to advocate Hangeul

Herald Media Group, the publisher of The Korea Herald and Herald Business, organized a charity golf tournament Monday in support of the upcoming Sejong Hangeul Olympiad. Sejong Hangeul Olympiad is part of the media group's ongoing efforts to enhance the global significance of Hangeul, the Korean writing system. Some 320 people, including executives, representatives of embassies in Korea, celebrities and professional golfers participated in the event at Riviera Country Club in Hwaseong, Gyeo

July 2, 2024

National Academy of Arts names 2024 award winners, new members

The National Academy of Arts, South Korea's premier artists society affiliated with the Culture Ministry, announced Thursday its annual roster of honorees, celebrating both venerated masters and emerging talents across the arts spectrum. The Academy's prestigious annual award, instituted in 1955 to honor lifelong artistic contributions, recognized four individuals who have left indelible marks on Korea’s cultural landscape. Each recipient receives a grant of 50 million won ($38,0

June 28, 2024

Hallyu guru Sam Richards attributes K-content's success to Korean values

The sense of community embedded in Korean culture is the power behind the popularity of Korean cultural content worldwide, sociologist Sam Richards emphasized during a lecture at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul on Tuesday. The award-winning Pennsylvania State University professor discussed the foundations of Korean content penetrating the world under the theme of “Korea’s Characteristics and Values,” which was held as a program of Sungkyun-Asian Humanities Academy at Sungkyunk

June 26, 2024

[Herald Interview] Grit and resilience bond Koreans, Jews: First Asian American rabbi

For Angela Warnick Buchdahl, a 51-year-old American of Korean and Jewish descent, the opening ceremony of the Israel Education Research Center was a rare priority, one she flew in from New York City to commemorate. Buchdahl became the first Asian American in North America to be ordained a cantor -- the person who sings and leads prayer in a synagogue -- in 1999, and later a rabbi in 2001. She is now the senior rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York City -- the world’s largest synagogue by

June 19, 2024

Golf legend Pak's complicated relationship with father turns into legal battle

World Golf Hall of Famer Pak Se-ri's father is known for having played a significant role in the golfer's career, but recent revelations involving alleged illegal activities on his part have illuminated a more complicated relationship. Pak addressed the public in Tuesday’s press conference matters related to the Seri Pak Hope Foundation filing a complaint against her father, Pak Joon-chul, who was recently accused of forging a stamp bearing the foundation's name in order to

June 19, 2024

Uzbek envoy to Korea passes away

Uzbek Ambassador to Korea Vitaly Fen died Tuesday in Uzbekistan, the embassy in Seoul confirmed. He was 77. Fen, a Koryoin, an ethnic Korean of the former Soviet Union, was the longest-serving top diplomat in Seoul who continued his mission as Uzbek ambassador since 1999. He was a Korea specialist, as he served his diplomatic mission for 14 years from 1999 to 2013. He began his second mission in Seoul in 2017 and continued his service until his death. Previously, he received the Order of Fidokor

June 19, 2024

Many Koreans say it's OK for partners to be fans of celebrities

A recent survey indicated that many South Koreans react positively toward their girlfriends or boyfriends becoming avid fans of a celebrity. Local matchmaking company Duo surveyed 500 men and women between May 27 and 29, and asked what they felt about their romantic partners joining a celebrity fan club. The survey was conducted on individuals who have both been in a romantic relationship and been a member of a fan club. Some 89 percent of the respondents reacted positively, with 36 percent sa

June 18, 2024

Top factor for women when looking for dates? Survey says 'age'

A recent survey by a local matchmaking agency indicated that women in South Korea may be most concerned about age when looking for a prospective romantic partner. NRise Inc., operator of matchmaking platform Wippy, conducted the survey of 400 women in May, asking them what they thought were important factors when looking at the profiles of prospective romantic partners. About 59.2 percent of the respondents picked "age," followed by "distance between the person and me," at

June 14, 2024

Son Heung-min is S. Koreans' favorite sports star: survey

The athlete most beloved by South Koreans is men's national soccer team captain Son Heung-min, a recent poll by Gallup Korea showed, while the late former President Roh Moo-hyun topped the list of favorite political leaders. The survey, conducted with 1,777 people aged 13 and above in March and April, released the first part of results on South Koreans' favorite things across 50 categories. The first leg of the survey included favorite president, entrepreneur, novelist and sports star,

June 13, 2024

Mayor pitches ‘renaissance’ for tech-savvy Yongin City

Yongin Mayor Lee Sang-il painted the future of a technologically advanced and culturally vibrant city during The Korea Herald Global Business Forum 2024 held at Marina Park in Seoul on Wednesday. The meeting, attended by business leaders and academics as well as senior government officials, included Polish Ambassador to South Korea Piotr Ostaszewski. Offering congratulatory remarks, the envoy lauded the annual gathering on the global political and business landscape. Ambitious but prudent, Lee,

June 6, 2024

Teen commended for helping neighbors evacuate in fire

A 16-year-old high school student received a certificate of appreciation from local police Wednesday for alerting his neighbors and helping them escape during a fire earlier this month. Kim Min-jun, in his second year of Gwangdong High School in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, was commended by the Namyangju Bukbu Police Station for his contribution during the June 1 fire at an apartment complex in the town of Jinjeob-eup. When the fire broke out at around 9:25 p.m. at a second floor unit, Kim -- a

June 6, 2024

[Bridging Cultures] Ask questions, Goethe-Institut director says

The arts are all about asking questions, even if the answers to everything are not presented all at once, according to the director of the Goethe-Institut Korea. In a recent interview with The Korea Herald, Clemens Treter, director of the Goethe-Institut Korea, said his mission is to help open up space for such exploration -- a job he has been busy performing since he took the post in September 2022. “We will also then get back to society and maybe influence and get other people to think,&

June 4, 2024

[Photo News] Tanzanian leader meets singer Cho Yong-pil

President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania met with the legendary South Korean singer Cho Yong-pil at the JW Marriott Hotel in Seoul on Monday. The meeting took place as Hassan visited Seoul ahead of the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. During their meeting, Hassan highlighted the deep connection the singer has with Tanzania. Cho released the megahit song "Leopard of Kilimanjaro," part of his eighth album released in 1985, which has remained one of his sign

June 3, 2024

Meet global ambassadors for Korean heritage

K-pop was only a trigger; ancient Korean history was the real pull, said Mutiara Chaerani, a 28-year-old Indonesian national who will mark four years living in Korea this August, a month after she wraps up her role as a global national heritage ambassador for Korean heritage. “I’m just fascinated by the ancient Korean kingdoms like Goguryeo and mythologies associated with them,” Chaerani said of why she decided to promote Korean heritage as one of the 23 brand ambassadors, all

June 1, 2024

[Herald Interview] Heritage chief eyes fashioning ‘the old’ to modern tastes

An agency whose mission has long centered on protecting national heritage, the newly renamed Korea Heritage Service has a new mandate: to fashion heritage to modern tastes. Choi Eung-chon, the inaugural administrator of the agency, said renaming the 79-year-old Cultural Heritage Administration on May 17 reflected a change in the institution’s focus toward providing “services” that enable the public to take advantage of national heritage. “Take Gyeongbokgung for example. T

May 29, 2024

Lee Moon-sae to return as radio DJ after 13 yrs

Singer and legendary radio DJ Lee Moon-sae is returning to radio. MBC announced on Wednesday that Lee Moon-sae will take on the role of DJ for the new MBC FM4U radio show "Hello, This is Lee Moon-sae," marking his return to radio hosting after 13 years. "Hello, This is Lee Moon-sae" will air daily at 11 a.m. on MBC FM4U, with the first broadcast scheduled for June 3. Lee teased the upcoming radio show on his personal Instagram account with a short post saying, "Hello, th

May 23, 2024