[Herald Interview] Forgotten veteran tells pain of war, life after

When Seo Jeong-yeol, now 90, was admitted to a military hospital for an injury in 1953 during the Korean War, he was shocked to learn that he had been enlisted under a different name the whole time: Kim Chil-seok. Amid the chaos of the war, records were lost, families were separated, and the then-28-year-old staff sergeant became someone else.“I had the same service number, but my name was different. There was no way to prove that I was me,” Seo said. “After I was discharged, I knocked on all ki

June 24, 2015

[Foreigners Who Loved Korea] Tatsuji Fuse, lawyer who fought for justice during colonial era

What did the Japanese look like in the eyes of Koreans in the colonial period (1910-1945)? The images of high-handed military police and officers armed with swords, elementary school teachers who shout “Banzai!” (Long live the emperor!), the coercive landowners who lorded over the tenants and prosecutors, judges and other officers of the Japanese Government-General of Korea could come to mind. From their point of view, the Japanese were invaders and colonialists, or in other words, merciless rul

June 22, 2015

[Foreigners Who Loved Korea] Hulbert’s legacies live on

On May 21, 1886, in the port city of San Francisco, 23-year-old Homer Bezaleel Hulbert and the husband and wife pair Delzell A. Bunker and George W. Gilmore were about to embark on a journey to the unknown land of Joseon. After launching on June 1 and sailing for 18 days, their vessel arrived in Yokohama, Japan. Moving to Nagasaki, they took another vessel to their final destination of Jemulpo, Incheon. They sped down the Seoul-Incheon road, rode a small ferry across the Hangang River and then e

June 8, 2015

Linguistics expert Song appointed head of Korean language institute

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday that it has appointed professor Song Cheol-eui of Seoul National University’s Department of Korean Language and Literature as the 10th director general of the National Institute of the Korean Language.Song, who will head the institute over the next three years, has written a number of articles in the fields of language policy and education for academic journals. As a well-known figure in the Korean language academic circles, he has contrib

May 26, 2015

[Newsmaker] Steve Yoo asks to be taken back

So, Steve Yoo wants to be taken back into Korea, the country he abandoned 13 years ago to avoid military service. In an interview in Hong Kong late Tuesday night, the ’90s pop star who performed as Yoo Seung-jun ― but is now better known here as a high-profile draft-dodger ― knelt down, shed tears and apologized for his “foolish” decision in 2002 to renounce his Korean citizenship and become a U.S. citizen.The move, made just three months before the scheduled conscription and despite his repeate

May 20, 2015

[Herald Interview] The art and science of translation

On each desk are two copies of a text, one in Korean and the other in English. A handful of students ― some Korean, some international ― pore over each word, comparing and searching. A heated discussion ensues on the English translation of the Korean word “gap gap ha da,” as some favor “suffocating,” while others, “tedious.” A conclusion is difficult to reach, since the word could mean either of the two, or both, or even neither, depending on the context.Thus goes a typical class at the Literatu

May 18, 2015

Yoo to discuss controversial exile over military service

Singer Yoo Seung-jun, whose successful career came to a halt 13 years ago over controversies about his military service, will talk in detail for the first time about the circumstances surrounding his decision not to enlist in the Korean army in an online broadcast next week.Korean-American Yoo, also known as Steve Yoo, was a K-pop sensation who debuted in 1997.His career came to an abrupt end in 2002, when he decided not to enlist in South Korea’s mandatory military service. He originally announ

May 12, 2015

[Herald Interview] Bringing Christianity, Islam closer together

Kim Ah-young, director of the Center for Islamic Studies, often finds herself in the middle of a tug-of-war between Christianity and Islam.As a devout and open-minded Christian who seeks deeper understanding of Islam, her action is sometimes branded as “dovish” by hawkish Christians. Muslims don’t always find her stance convincing and trustworthy either, given centuries of hostility between the two religious groups.But her mission is clear ― to bring the two religions closer together through mut

May 4, 2015

[Herald Interview] ‘Be tenacious, commit, execute’

Lee Seung-hun’s career story is filled with failures. But when he looks back and adds all those failures up, Lee said, it equals success.He is now living his dream, working as a creature technical director at the world’s biggest special effects movie company, ILM, with his family in San Francisco. “Star Wars” producer George Lucas founded ILM, which is currently part of the Walt Disney Company.“Be tenacious, commit and execute. It’s really hard, but that’s the best advice I can give to the young

May 4, 2015

Nationwide marathons to fight breast cancer kick off

South Korean cosmetics brand AmorePacific and the Korea Breast Cancer Foundation kicked off the Busan leg of this year’s Pink Ribbon Love Marathon on Sunday. The annual event aims to spread awareness about breast cancer ― the most common form of cancer in women ― and raise funds for low-income breast cancer patients. Over 5,000 men and women gathered at the Busan Yachting Range to take part in the race, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. The Sunday event featured various sponso

April 26, 2015

Flying on the wings of moths

Professor emeritus of Kangwon National University Park Kyu-tek is a man of conviction. It is conviction that has enabled him to stick to a single, arduous path for more than four decades. As a renowned taxonomist who specializes in moths, his path was far from glamorous and has only gained him recognition after decades of hard work in the lab and collecting specimens in the field. Over his career, he has single-handedly identified more than 500 new species of moths from around the world. This fe

April 24, 2015

Charity dinner with renowned monk Hyemin put on auction

A dinner with Ven. Hyemin, one of the most influential Buddhist monks in Korea, is up for auction, with a starting price of 3 million won ($2,780).The winning bidder of the online auction may take three of his or her friends to the dinner with the monk, scheduled to be held from 7-9 p.m. on May 15 at Dugaheon restaurant in Samcheong-ro, Seoul. “This is a chance to have dinner with Ven. Hyemin and listen to his good words and donate the proceeds to charity,” said Sohn Yi-cheon of art K Auction, w

April 24, 2015

[Herald Interview] ‘Personalized service key to success of Hilton Namhae resort’

Dedicated and personalized service is key to the success of Hilton Namhae Golf & Spa Resort in South Korea, which has been awarded as the country’s leading resort by the World Travel Awards for eight consecutive years, its general manager said. “People are now searching for a lot more information through the various media and this makes them want a more personalized holiday matching their own preference not the travel agents’ preference,” said Jesper Bach Larsen in an interview. “The backbone of

March 24, 2015

Plaza names new general manager

The Plaza has appointed veteran hotelier Kim Young-cheol as its new general manager, the hotel’s parent company Hanwha Hotels and Resorts said Thursday. Kim, who started his career with the hotel in 1987, is the first to climb all the way to the top. Kim Young-cheol, general manager of the Plaza. (The Plaza)In his nearly three decades with the Plaza, Kim has served in every department from marketing, finance and management to food and beverage. He has been credited for placing the hotel at the t

March 19, 2015

Psy mired in legal wrangling with building tenant

“Gangnam Style” superstar Psy is embroiled in a legal battle with a tenant in his building in Seoul’s southern district of Gangnam, it was reported on Monday. The 38-year-old musician filed for an eviction suit last August against the tenant running a cafe in his building, even after the contract expired. Local news media reported that Psy’s contractors got into a tussle with the tenant and the cafe’s staff members on Friday while trying to forcibly drag them out of the building.One of the cafe’

March 16, 2015

Traditional memorial service to honor Ulrich Beck in Seoul

A memorial service honoring the late sociologist Ulrich Beck, considered one of Germany’s most renowned intellectuals for his academic works on modernity and future society, will take place in Seoul next week.Joongmin Foundation for Social Theory will hold a commemorative event for Beck, who recently died at age 70 on Jan. 1, under the title “Beyond Risk Society” at the Korea Press Center on Mar. 17, the foundation announced Thursday.Beck first gained prominence for his work “Risk Society: Towar

March 12, 2015

Kumho Asiana chairman to head mecenat association

Kumho Asiana Group chairman Park Sam-koo has been elected as the chair of Korea Mecenat Association, a nonprofit body that encourages corporate support of the arts. He will replace Park Yong-hyun, former chief of Doosan Group and current chair of the group’s philanthropic body, Doosan Yonkang Foundation, who will go on to serve the mecenat organization as an honorary chairman.  “Corporate patron programs of the arts are a cornerstone of the government’s vision for cultural enrichment and what th

Feb. 25, 2015

Pernod Ricard Korea donates scholarship

Pernod Ricard Korea CEO Jean-Manuel Spriet (left) delivers a scholarship to a student at Gugak National High School in Seoul at a ceremony on Monday. Chung Hee-cho/The Korea Herald

Feb. 10, 2015

Inha professor to be listed in Who’s Who

A Korean computer engineering professor will be listed in this year’s Marquis Who’s Who in the World, an international encyclopedia of short biographies.  Professor Jo Tae-hoJo Tae-ho, 45, who teaches at Inha University in Incheon, was chosen for his academic contributions to the data processing field. He has published more than 100 papers on machine learning, soft computing and data mining in international journals and participated in academic conferences. The encyclopedia is known as one of th

Feb. 10, 2015