[Herald Interview] An interaction designer talks about Silicon Valley

Encountering the word “designer,” one generally imagines a creative person with artistic talent -- someone who shows artworks at a gallery, or who takes the commercial route and sells stylish, sleek items they have created. But an “interaction designer” is something else. Silicon Valley-based Han Seung-heon, who holds this position at Google, works for the Google Assistant team. He and his colleagues recently launched a service called Family Notes, which can be used wi

Jan. 3, 2021

[Herald Interview] Woman who saved Statue of Peace in Berlin

The Statue of Peace, which symbolizes the victims of Japanese military sexual slavery during World War II, stands in a central district in Berlin known as Mitte. It was the first of three such statues to be installed in a public place in Germany. But in October, it was on the verge of being removed due to strong opposition from the Japanese government. Many activists and nongovernmental organizations in Germany gathered around the statue and raised their voices about the importance of keeping i

Dec. 14, 2020

Body of S. Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk likely to be cremated in Latvia

The body of South Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk, who died from COVID-19 complications in Latvia, is likely to be cremated in the Baltic country, a diplomatic source familiar with the matter said Saturday. Kim's family has asked the South Korean Embassy in Latvia to take care of the funeral process, the source said, citing difficulties in travel over the COVID-19 pandemic. The South Korean Embassy is in talks with the family over the funeral process. The 59-year-old director died early Friday (l

Dec. 12, 2020

Renowned Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk fell from grace after MeToo allegations

Filmmaker Kim Ki-duk, who is known to have died from COVID-19 complications in Latvia, was one of South Korea's most decorated film directors, especially on the international stage. He rose to global fame after winning best director and best film awards at two of the three major international film festivals. But he left his home country after becoming embroiled in the #MeToo movement, facing accusations of sexual and physical abuse from an actress in 2017. Born to an impoverished family in th

Dec. 12, 2020

[Herald Interview] Korea spots ‘silver lining’ amid pandemic with transparent, responsible public sector

In a year that has witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic disrupt lives and devastate economies around the world, South Korea is seeking innovations to meet the challenges it presents. The following is the last article in a four-part series on how Korea is creating a new normal during the pandemic, produced in partnership with The Korea Foundation -- Ed. Since the beginning of the year, the whole world has been desperately navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic, the worst public health crisis i

Dec. 10, 2020

2020 Linnaeus Medal goes to Korean surgeon

A surgeon at a hospital in Seoul has become the first South Korean to receive the Linnaeus Medal. The Hallym University Medical Center said Wednesday Dr. Yoon Dai-won, the chief director of the hospital’s Ilsong Foundation, has been awarded the Linnaeus Medal in gold for 2020. The medal is organized by Uppsala University in Sweden. The university said Yoon was recognized for his contributions in creating opportunities for research exchanges between Korea and Sweden, one of which is joi

Dec. 9, 2020

Rev. Park Ock-soo hopes for joy and hope for youth with the IYF amid COVID-19

Rev. Park Ock-soo, the founder of International Youth Fellowship (IYF), is seeking to build an education program for young people. Park shares his prospective ideas and outlook on possible alternatives to the program and for the youth amid the COVID-19 crisis. Park has developed “mind education,” which seeks to create a mindset that enables students to overcome difficulties, fulfill responsibilities and help prevent things such as abuse, cruelty and suicide. And he has promoted this

Dec. 4, 2020

Two Koreans on ArtReview’s Power 100 list

Two South Koreans made ArtReview’s Power 100 list this year: Kim Sun-jung, international curator and president of the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, and Lee Hyun-sook, chairwoman of the Kukje Gallery in Seoul. Kim ranked No. 72, up five places from No. 77 in 2019. Lee ranked No. 83, having fallen from No. 60 last year. The British art magazine offers an annual ranking of the most influential movers and shakers in contemporary art at the end of each year. ArtReview mentioned Kim’s di

Dec. 4, 2020

[Herald Interview] Why Korea needs a bank for modern-day Jean Valjeans

“Welcome to our bank that’s always running out of money!” said Hong Se-hwa. Despite its precarious situation, the 74-year-old head of Jean Valjean Bank seemed cheerful. Hong, who runs the bank as a microcredit program for people in need, greeted visitors with a humble smile, documents held tightly in one arm and a large coffee mug in his other hand. As the name suggests, Jean Valjean Bank helps petty offenders avoid going to jail just because they can’t afford to pay

Dec. 1, 2020

[Herald Interview] Korean entrepreneur wins business rights for cable car project in Sri Lanka

A Korean entrepreneur has won the business rights to a cable car project in Sri Lanka’s Kandy -- home of the Temple of the Tooth Relic, which is one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in the world. The entrepreneur is 71-year-old Sky Asia Chairman Yoo Sun-ha. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the construction will begin next year and the cable car is expected to open by the end of 2022. It will connect 2.2 kilometers from downtown Kandy and Hanthana Mountain. A total of $35 million will b

Nov. 23, 2020

[Newsmaker] Ven. Haemin ceases all public activities following real estate controversy

Bestselling author and popular Zen Buddhist teacher the Ven. Haemin announced late Sunday night that he was ceasing all activities and returning to a meditation center. The announcement came upon criticisms concerning his lifestyle and alleged profiteering from a real estate transaction. The Harvard- and Princeton-educated author of “The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down” and “Love for Imperfect Things” appeared on Nov. 7 on tvN entertainment show “On &am

Nov. 16, 2020

Kevin Laurence O’Rourke dies at 81

Kevin Laurence O’Rourke, a trailblazer of Korean literature translation, passed away Friday at the age of 81. O’Rourke, who has translated more than 2,000 Korean literary works into English, was a leading foreign figure in the Korean literature scene. According to Kyung Hee University, O’Rourke was born in Ireland in 1939. He became a Catholic priest in 1963. The following year, he started to serve as an assistant priest at Soyangro Catholic Church in Chuncheon, Gangwon Pr

Oct. 25, 2020

TV personality Tyler Rasch turns to environmental activism with 'There is No Second Earth'

What would you think of a friend who earns $2,000 a month but spends $3,500? Most people would see it as an unsustainable lifestyle bound for bankruptcy. In his latest book “There is no second earth,” which addresses climate issues in a palpable way, TV personality Tyler Rasch compares the status of humanity’s exploitation of nature with that spendthrift friend. He warns that we are all debtors to the earth because we are using resources 1.75 times faster than the rate at wh

Oct. 17, 2020

Female entrepreneur receives prestigious award from India

Entrepreneur Zena Chung, also known as Seon D. Chung, became the recipient of the 2020 Dr. Sarojini Naidu International Award presented by the Asian Academy of Arts. The award honors Indian writer and political activist Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949), the first Indian woman to preside over the Indian National Congress and India’s first female state governor. Called the Nightingale of India for her poetry, Naidu is recognized as an important force in India’s independence movement aga

Sept. 20, 2020

[Herald Interview] Ex-minister Kang Kum-sil envisions peace and life at DMZ

JeongSeon Forum 2020, hosted by the Gangwon Provincial Government and Gangwon Convention & Visitors Bureau, successfully finished its three-day session last week. On the second day of the forum, former Justice Minister Kang Kum-sil held an interview with The Korea Herald. Freshly appointed as chair for Gangwon Art and Culture Foundation this spring, she openly discussed her vison to make a better environment for artists and citizens living in the province. “I have two goals for now

Aug. 29, 2020

[Herald Interview] Busan Biennale resists adversities in pandemic time

The Busan Biennale, an international contemporary art show that takes place in the southern port city, is ready to demonstrate that the role of art has become more essential than ever in these pandemic-hit times. “In a situation of a crisis, an art space can be a space of reflection. It can be a space where you can think and share your thought with other people,” Busan Biennale Artistic Director Jacob Fabricius told The Korea Herald during an interview last week in central Seoul.

Aug. 24, 2020

Jazz legend dies at 77

Jazz vocalist Park Sung-yeon died Sunday at the age of 77. Park, who had kidney failure for more than two decades, had been in a nursing home in western Seoul for the past few years. The singer is often called the “godmother of jazz music” in South Korea. She opened Janus, the country’s first jazz-only club, in the college district of Sinchon, western Seoul, in 1978. “Korea, which had been a dead land of jazz music, has now become a thick forest, being home to numer

Aug. 24, 2020

[Herald Interview] How to declutter home and simplify life

Home is where most people start their day and wrap up the night. Yet, keeping your living space clean and tidy is no easy task. Remember how often you were instructed as a child to keep the space around you clean, but how you always found it terribly difficult, if not impossible? By now, you might have given up and forgotten about getting your house organized -- until you move to a new home. In a new abode, you and your family might be tempted to declare “a new beginning,” but afte

Aug. 11, 2020

[Herald Interview] Hotels prepare for post-coronavirus era

Touch-free services may be the key focus for hotels in the post-coronavirus era, according to Park Hyatt Seoul General Manager Samuel Dabinett. Luxury hotel Park Hyatt Seoul shut down in March after a guest confirmed with COVID-19 visited the hotel. After a nearly two-month break, it reopened in June, changing some of its service manuals in pursuit of contactless service. During the break, the hotel developed a new QR-code for its compendium, allowing guests to access all the information reg

Aug. 1, 2020

[Herald Interview] Gang Dong-won falls for zombie genre while filming ‘Peninsula’

Actor Gang Dong-won was not a big fan of zombie flicks until he starred in “Peninsula,” a zombie thriller that hit the theaters Wednesday. While filming the movie, he found himself physically challenged and his thoughts on zombie flicks have changed -- they are actually action movies disguised as horror movies, he said. “Before I filmed ‘Peninsula,’ I was not really interested in zombie movies because I always thought that Asian ghosts that hold grudges were much

July 15, 2020