[Newsmaker] Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner dies at 91

Playboy founder Hugh M. Hefner, the pipe-smoking hedonist who revved up the sexual revolution in the 1950s and built a multimedia empire of clubs, mansions, movies and television, symbolized by bow-tied women in bunny costumes, has died at age 91. Hefner died of natural causes at his home surrounded by family on Wednesday night, Playboy said in a statement.  This Oct.13, 2011 file photo shows American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises, Hugh Hefner at h

Sept. 28, 2017

Herald Corp. chairman appointed to WWF board

World Wide Fund for Nature, the world’s leading conservationist organization, has appointed Jungwook Hong, chairman of Herald Corp. and its premium food brand Organica, as its newest board member. Jean-Paul Paddack, co-chairman of WWF-Korea, visited the company’s headquarters in Seoul on Friday to hand-deliver the letter of appointment to Hong.  Jungwook Hong (right), chairman of Herald Corp., receives a letter of appointment from Jean-Paul Paddack, co-chairman of WWF-Korea, at the company‘s hea

Sept. 17, 2017

Novelist Ma Kwang-soo found dead

Famed novelist Ma Kwang-soo was found dead at his residence in Seoul on Tuesday. His body was discovered by his family around 1:50 p.m. at his house in Yongsan-gu. A will was found next to him leaving his belongings to his family. Ma Kwang-soo (Yonhap)The police are treating the case as a suspected suicide. Ma, 66 was a former professor of Korean literature at Yonsei University. He gained public recognition with his sexually explicit novels, including “Happy Sara,” for which he served an eight-m

Sept. 5, 2017

[Video] From Busan to Britain and back: meet Korean Billy, the internet sensation of 2017

When Kong Seong-Jae, known as Korean Billy, walks the streets of Seoul, not many would blink an eye. Little do they know that he is an online sensation on the other side of the globe, in Britain, and that he has accumulated over 17 million views on YouTube and Facebook combined. Why are so many people tuning into his videos? This 26-year-old Busan-born man can do British accents better than Brits. Kong Seong-Jae, also known by his YouTube name Korean Billy (Kong Seong-Jae)“My favorite accent wou

Aug. 1, 2017

Chung Myung-whun receives Italian honors

Conductor Chung Myung-whun shakes hands with Italian Ambassador to Korea Marco della Seta after receiving the Order of the Star of Italy at a ceremony held at the ambassador's residence in Seoul on Thursday. The order is conferred by the president of Italy in recognition of a person's contributions to promoting friendly ties between Italy and other countries. (Yonhap)

July 6, 2017

Fiction becomes reality: Drama couples who got married in real life

With the internet abuzz over the newly revealed couple of Song Hye-kyo and Song Joong-ki, fans are focusing on other star couples who met on drama sets and ended up tying the knot.The most recent case was the wedding of actors Lee Sang-woo and Kim So-yeon. The couple met while starring in the TV drama “Happy Home” last year and admitted that they are in a romantic relationship a month after it ended. Lee and Kim walked down the aisle on June 9 in a private ceremony in Seoul.Song Joong-ki(left) a

July 5, 2017

Dali’s ‘daughter’ says she wants her identity

BARCELONA, Spain - Pilar Abel, the woman claiming to be Salvador Dali’s daughter, said Tuesday she wanted to recover her identity more than anything else, a day after the artist’s exhumation was ordered.For a decade, the 62-year-old who long worked as a psychic in the northeastern region of Catalonia where Dali was born, has tried to prove she is the painter’s child.Her paternity claim, however, has raised skepticism, with Dali biographer Ian Gibson writing in El Pais that he had doubts, saying

June 28, 2017

KAIST unveils global vision on Embassy Day

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology showcased its academic excellence in front of foreign diplomats Friday in a bid to strengthen global partnerships.“KAIST is gearing up for another round of innovative initiatives in education, convergence research, technology commercialization, future strategies and globalization,” said KAIST President Shin Sung-chul. At the first Embassy Day at Grand Hyatt Seoul, the university presented some of its finest research, including the developmen

June 25, 2017

Maestro Chung Myung-whun cleared of charges

Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday dismissed charges against Chung Myun-whun, former music director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. (Yonhap)The move came after a 10-month-long investigation into allegations of dereliction of duty and embezzlement made against Chung. The case arose from complaints filed by several civic organizations in February 2015. Police sent the case to Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in August 2016.In a statement issued through his legal re

June 23, 2017

[Eye] Acoustical engineer marries arts and engineering

DAEJEON – Although he has not taught classes in the spring semester, the office of KAIST professor emeritus Kim Yang-han looks busy, books stacked on the desks. He was reading about how Friedrich Nietzsche’s use of a typewriter changed his writing style when I arrive for the interview on June 7. The German philosopher’s switch from writing longhand to using typewriter profoundly influenced how he wrote, says Kim. Kim is preparing for his class next semester where he will teach about the relation

June 16, 2017

Scholar honored by SUNY for cultural ambassadorship

Kim Seong-kon, president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea and Seoul National University professor emeritus, was honored by the State University of New York last month for his lifelong contributions to strengthening academic and cultural ties between the US and Korea. Kim was conferred with a SUNY Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters during the commencement ceremony on May 19 at the University at Buffalo campus. He also gave a speech at the event for graduating students.SUNY, whic

June 6, 2017

KCCI chairman re-elected ICC executive member

Park Yong-maan, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry, was re-elected an executive board member of the International Chamber of Commerce, officials said Tuesday. Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry Chairman Park Yong-maanHe was re-elected at an ICC general assembly held in Nairobi. His term ends in June 2020. The ICC is the world’s largest business organization, with more than 6 million members from 130 countries. It was the first private organization to hold an observer status a

June 6, 2017

Hyundai Motor hires VW China designer

Hyundai Motor has hired Simon Loasby, head designer of Volkswagen Group China, to lead its design team in China, the company said Tuesday.Loasby will become the head of Hyundai China Design in Hyundai Motor’s Technology and Engineering Center in the Chinese northeastern coastal city of Yantai later this month.Hiring the British designer, who worked in China for nearly 10 years, was seen as the South Korean carmaker seeking a breakthrough in its declining sales in the neighboring country.  Simon

June 6, 2017

Asia-Pacific Bridge Federation championship kicks off in Seoul

The 51st Asia Pacific Bridge Federation championship opened in Seoul, Monday with 69 teams from 16 nations taking part.The championship, which runs until June 7, has six categories: Open, Juniors for those below 25, Seniors for those over 60, Youngsters for those below 20, Ladies without age restrictions and Girls for those below 25.Players compete in the 51st Asia Pacific Bridge Federation championship held in Seoul from May 29 until June 7. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)The teams in the uppe

May 29, 2017

Che Guevara’s son, poet Omar Perez, comes to Seoul

Poet Omar Perez, the son of the late Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara, visited Korea to attend the Seoul International Literature Forum on Tuesday, according to reports.Perez, 53, spoke at a session titled “Us and Others” at the event, hosted by the Daesan Culture Foundation. The poet said that misunderstanding between people rises when one is unable to clearly express one’s thoughts. “We need to foster the ability to express our thoughts as they are,” he said.  Omar Perez in the studio of Denn

May 25, 2017

[Exclusive] Document shows Song Joong-ki bought Itaewon house for W10b

Song Joong-ki has bought a house in Itaewon-dong, Seoul for 10 billion won ($8.9 million). The Korean actor, who starred in the hit “Descendants of the Sun,” bought a two-story house with a basement in January, according to a document obtained by The Korea Herald. The house has a total floor area of 371.7 square meters and sits on land measuring 602 square meters, according to the document.An official from Blossom Entertainment, Song’s agency, on Wednesday said he was not aware of the purchase.“

May 17, 2017

Veteran actress Kim Young-ae dies of pancreatic cancer

Veteran actress Kim Young-ae died Sunday from pancreatic cancer, according to her agency, Starvillage Entertainment. She was 65. Kim starred in KBS2’s “The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop,” which ended its 54-episode run in February. She appeared on the originally planned 50 episodes before opting out of the extra four episodes due to her failing health.Actress Kim Young-ae (Yonhap)She showed her strong will, tenacity and passion for acting by participating in filming the weekend series even a

April 9, 2017

(Video) Sewol tribute song released

A song dedicated to the victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry tragedy that left 304 dead was released Thursday.The song title roughly translates to “To Touch My Longing (for You)” -- and sings about the devastation of losing someone dear to you in a calm demeanor. On April 16, 2014, the Sewol sank off the country’s southwestern coast in one of the worst maritime disasters in Korea. Most of the victims were students from Danwon High School on their way to Jeju Island for a field trip. Songwriter and pr

April 7, 2017

‘Sewol ribbon’ cloud highlights salvage operation

Even the heavens appeared to celebrate the long-awaited resurfacing of the sunken ferry Sewol. As authorities on Wednesday kicked off the salvage operation of Sewol, the internet buzzed with a photo of a cloud seen in Wonju, Gangwon Province.The cloud seemed to take the form of the yellow ribbon used to symbolize those who lost their lives in the Sewol tragedy.“It was sent by my brother-in-law in Wonju. What does it remind you of? I wish success for the salvage operation!!” said a netizen who po

March 23, 2017