TikTok star Devin Halbal takes Korea and Japan by storm

TikToker, Devin Halbal, also known as “Hal Baddie” on social media, is traveling around Asia, causing a sensation wherever she goes. On Jan. 27, Halbal posted a video of herself in Japan singing, “sushi kudasai,” meaning, “give me sushi” in Japanese. The video went viral, and within days, Halbal was suddenly being recognized by locals all over Korea and Japan. Videos of Halbal bumping into her fans and spontaneously singing the catchphrase with big crowds of p

May 16, 2024

Herald CEO named chief of foreign language newspaper association

Choi Jin-young, the CEO and publisher of Herald Corp., was selected as the eighth president of Korea's Foreign Language Newspapers Association at its executive directors' meeting, the group said Monday. He will serve until 2025 as chair of the association, which consists of The Korea Herald, The Korea JoongAng Daily, The Korea Times and The Aju Daily. The Foreign Language Newspapers Association was established in 2015, with goals for joint research and collaboration among foreign-langu

May 13, 2024

[Bridging Cultures] Czech Center director links ‘true culture’ to quality

In an era of instant messaging, appreciating longer forms of the arts, such as orchestral performances, has become challenging. That’s why quality matters more now than ever, because the way culture is presented determines how people explore their inner thoughts, according to Michal Emanovsky, the director of the Czech Center Seoul. “To be honest, money is a very important part of making decisions about projects,” Emanovsky said in a recent interview with The Korea Herald. The

May 13, 2024

Korea News Editors' Association appoints new secretary-general

Korea News Editors' Association on Thursday named Yang Ji-woon as its secretary-general. The KNEA appointed Yang to his new post at its board of directors' meeting, held at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, central Seoul. Yang joined the KNEA in 2009 and was formerly the association's strategy planning and business director. Launched in 1957, the KNEA is currently headed by Choo Seung-ho of Yonhap News TV.

May 9, 2024

City council member who proposed during assembly meeting to get married

Gwangyang City Council Member Park Chul-soo, who made headlines in March by publicly proposing to his girlfriend during a general assembly meeting, will get married next month. According to the council in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, the 46-year-old council member is set to tie the knot with 41-year-old city official Song Eun-seon on May 25 at a church in Gwangyang. Park, a member of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, made the surprise proposal to his girlfriend when he took to

April 30, 2024

[Herald Interview] Mistakes turn into blessings in street performance, director says

Where to draw the line separating the audience from actors in a street performance is tricky for any director. Some are wary of seeing the script derailed by indulging too much into on-the-spot impromptu interaction with spectators. But not so for Song Jae-sung. The director oversees various shows scheduled at Gyeongbokgung this week as part of the annual Seoul festival promoting five palaces from the Joseon era (1392-1910). The nine-day K-Royal Culture Festival, now in its 10th year, kicked off

April 28, 2024

Former victim of school violence donates organs

The bereaved family of a 37-year-old man who died recently had decided to donate his organs for those in need, the state-run organ agency said Thursday. According to the Korea Organ Donation Agency, Choi Seong-cheol's family decided to donate both his kidneys, liver, lungs, and both his eyes to respect his wishes to help others. Throughout most of his life, he suffered from an intellectual disability that he got as a result of severe school violence from when he was in high school. Choi had

April 25, 2024

Man who died from rare disease donates organs to save 5

The state-run organ agency said Friday that the bereaved family of a man who died from a rare condition had decided to donate his vital organs to help those in need of transplants. Jeong Su-yeon, who was 52, died last month at Inha University Hospital in Incheon, according to the Korea Organ Donation Agency. He had been suffering from Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada disease, a multisystem disease of presumed autoimmune causes that he was diagnosed with 20 years ago. His heart, lung, liver and k

April 19, 2024

Hong Se-hwa, author of 'I'm a Taxi Driver in Paris,' dies at 77

Hong Se-hwa, a journalist, a social activist, and the author of "I'm a Taxi Driver in Paris," died Thursday at the age of 77. He died at Wonjin Green Hospital in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, surrounded by family members. Hong had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in February of last year. Hong graduated from Seoul National University, majoring in political science and international relations. While working at a trading company's overseas office, Hong became associated with the South

April 18, 2024

Mother of student activist, whose death sparked pro-democracy movement, dies

Jeong Cha-sun, the mother of student activist Park Jong-chul, whose death by torture sparked a nationwide pro-democracy movement in 1987, passed away at the age of 91 on Wednesday. The bereaved families of Jeong said she died at around 5:20 a.m. at a hospital in Gangdong-gu, eastern Seoul. Park Jong-bu, Jeong's oldest son, told local media outlets that she "passed away peacefully with a smile on her face." "I think it was because she thought she was going to be with her son,&

April 17, 2024

Sarah Dongmi Choi named one of Korea's top LinkedIn influencers

Writer and influencer Sarah Dongmi Choi has been selected as one of top 15 Korean influencers on Linkedin by Favikon, being noted for her presence as a prominent figure in the country's digital landscape. In a selection made by a leading global influencer AI platform in the B2B and B2C sectors, Choi claimed the highest spot among the female influencers in the nation. LinkedIn is a business and employment-focused social media platform used by over a billion people across the world and has ab

April 15, 2024

[The Calling] Once Buddhist, nurse turns to Bible for healing

For Sovan Meta, nursing was less a calling than finding a job with few ups and downs. Then an encounter with Korean Christians reaching out to the Cambodian national to volunteer as an interpreter led to the soul-searching of a lifetime. She ended up becoming a Christian minister. “In Cambodia, many people become nurses but few become ministers. I decided to become one and preach to those without the benefits of spirituality,” Meta said in a recent interview with The Korea Herald. In

April 10, 2024

Mother of twin boys dies; donates organs to save 4 lives

A 43-year-old dancer and mother of twin 7-year-old boys has passed away, donating after her death her lungs, liver and kidneys, which were used to save the lives of four people. The news of Jang Hee-jae was shared by the Korea Organ Donation Agency on Monday. According to the agency, Jang suffered a heart failure while asleep at her parent's home on March 9. Jang subsequently became brain-dead, despite receiving medical treatment. "(We) decided on the donation because we wanted to sen

April 9, 2024

Parents donate W100m to deceased son's university

The parents of a university student who died last year have donated 100 million won ($74,000) to their son's school, university officials said Monday. According to Changwon National University, the parents of Son Seong-hyeok made the contribution in memory of their son, who died in December due to an acute heart failure. "Our son did not get to realize his dreams at the university, but my wife and I decided to make the donation for the students of CNU who are trying their best, with th

April 8, 2024

Koglo.com CEO talks on entrepreneurship in uncertain times

Business leaders in the era of growing economic uncertainty and rapid technological change must look for new opportunities and prospects for innovation, according to Lee Keum-ryong, chairman of Koglo.com, an online platform connecting US companies with their Korean partners. “If you notice a change early enough, it can become an opportunity for your business. But if you see the change late, it may jeopardize your business as well,” Lee said at the fifth edition of The Korea Herald&rs

April 4, 2024

Actor Nam Il-woo dies at 86

Actor Nam Il-woo, who starred in the film franchise "Along with the Gods" and the 2005 psychological thriller "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance," died Sunday at the age of 86, a management agency official said. Nam died of natural causes, according to the official from the agency representing his wife and fellow actor Kim Yong-rim. Nam debuted as a voice actor for public broadcaster KBS in 1958 before debuting again as a TV actor for the same broadcaster in 1964. He starred in num

March 31, 2024

Herald's new CEO and publisher

The Korea Herald announced Monday the appointment of Choi Jin-young as its publisher, as its parent firm, Herald Corp, undergoes a change of leadership. Choi, who has been serving as CEO of The Korea Herald since 2021, assumed the roles of Herald Corp. CEO and publisher of the 71-year-old media group’s two major publications, The Korea Herald and Herald Business. He succeeded Jeon Chang-hyeop, who served the roles for three years from 2021 and has been named advisor to the company. Choi&

March 31, 2024

[Eye Interview] Seeking redemption -- for church

For former Methodist pastor Lee Dong-hwan, an encounter with one of his congregants in early 2015 changed his life. About a year into his pastoral work at a church in Suwon, a churchgoer came out to Lee, prompting him to learn everything he could about homosexuality. Lee admitted that he did not know enough about it to adequately comfort and advise the congregant. “The thing is, I too thought homosexuality was a crime back then. I said I’d get back to the person with an answer and st

March 28, 2024

Top Chinese envoy highlights synergy of bilateral cooperation in industries

Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming highlighted the potential for South Korea and China to lead in a broader global market by synergizing their respective strengths during his welcome remarks at The Korea Herald’s Global Business Forum on Wednesday. Xing noted that there has been a notable increase in cooperation between Korea and China in recent years, particularly in innovative and future-oriented industries such as electric vehicles, lithium batteries and solar products. &quo

March 28, 2024

How once-beloved actress Kim Sae-ron fell from grace

“We have no idea what Ms. Kim Sae-ron’s intent is with this action," actor Kim Soo-hyun's agency Gold Medalist said as it denied dating rumors between the two Kims. The rumor was sparked early Sunday when the 23-year-old actress revealed on Instagram a photo of her and Kim Soo-hyun, which the agency explained had been taken years before when the two had the same agency. Kim Sae-ron has yet to explain why she posted the photo on social media before the crack of dawn, or why

March 25, 2024