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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
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N. Korea slams US, other countries for seeking alternative to UN sanctions monitoring panel
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Korean labor force to shrink by 10 million by 2044: report
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[AtoZ Korean Mind] Does your job define who you are? Should it?
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Gov't appears to shelve punitive measures against mass walkout by doctors
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Govt. asks hospitals to mitigate impact of medical professors' absence
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Allegations surrounding BTS resurface, enraged fans demand apology
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Doggy patrol team on the move to protect their cities
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S. Korea's working-age population to dip nearly 10m by 2044 amid low births
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In Spanish city saved by museum, Guggenheim digs in
BARCELONA (AFP) ― Locals in Bilbao say an art museum helped save their Spanish city from decline. Now they are glad to know their savior, the Guggenheim, will be staying for some time.With the initial lease set to expire, the U.S.-based Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation on Dec. 9 announced it was signing on to run its museum in the northern port city for another 20 years.That was double the period previously envisaged for the new contract, and for those involved it was another sign that the museu
Dec. 23, 2014
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[Herald Interview] Craftsmanship behind Joseon woodblocks
Kim Gak-han has spent most of his life working with wood, from cabinetmaking to carving ancient texts and drawing on wood plates.“Now that I think about it, I think I was destined to do it,” the craftsman said in his Seoul studio, which was filled with wood plates of different sizes alongside countless handmade cutting tools and chisels. “One beauty of engraving is that you can’t think about anything else while you are doing it. It requires your full attention and there is something therapeutic
Dec. 21, 2014
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Jangpangak, the woodblock archive
ANDONG, North Gyeongsang Province ― They say to see the real Korea, one must visit Andong, the home of Korean Confucianism. But even in this historic city, the real gems are hidden far off the beaten track. One such treasure waiting to be discovered is the collection of tens of thousands of woodblocks housed at Jangpangak, a storage facility in a peaceful little town called Seobu-ri. Tucked away at the foot of a hill overlooking the hamlet and a nearby lake, Jangpangak is the depository of the 6
Dec. 21, 2014
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Pop music“All Night Stand”: Just as he did last year, Psy will be returning to the stage for his “All Night Stand” holiday concert series. Psy has held holiday concerts each year for the past decade, with last year’s four-day event attracting a total of 60,000 fans. The man who defined Gangnam style will be hosting a series of shows from Dec. 20-24, with two separate performances on Christmas Eve. The shows will be held at Seoul Olympic Park’s Gymnastics Stadium with ticket prices ranging from 7
Dec. 19, 2014
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Seoul to spend big on game industry
The Korean government plans to spend 180 billion won ($163 million) over the next five years to support game developers who have been facing a double whammy of intensifying competition in the global market and tough regulations, and negative perceptions at home. The five-year road map for the development of the game industry, unveiled Thursday by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, envisions efforts to bring about a fundamental change to how the public and policymakers perceive online g
Dec. 18, 2014
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[Herald Interview] Preserving family traditions in 21st century
ANDONG, North Gyeongsang Province ― In his beautiful old “hanok” property in a famous traditional village, there is a shrine to Lee Pang-soo’s distinguished ancestor Lee Sang-jeong. Every morning, the 64-year-old pays respect to his ancestor ― a prominent 18th century scholar ― before leaving the house. He does the same when he returns home at night. The two visits are his daily rituals and delight.“It gives me peace of mind,” Lee said. “It feels like I am being disciplined to be a better person
Dec. 17, 2014
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[Herald Interview] Bringing Joseon treasure to light
ANDONG, North Gyeongsang Province ― Scholar Lim No-jig was born in Andong, home to hundreds of “jongga” ― the prestigious households descended from distinguished Joseon-era scholars through the eldest son of each generation.“Although I wasn’t a member of a jongga family, I certainly benefited from the region’s rich culture, which is heavily influenced by Joseon’s Confucianism and ethics,” Lim said during an interview with The Korea Herald in his hometown. The scholar heads the Woodblock Research
Dec. 17, 2014
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How Koreans spend their free time
A typical Korean spends his or her free time flipping through TV channels or surfing the Internet or social media. When he or she feels like going out, the destination is most likely to be a cinema. That’s how two surveys released Wednesday paint the life of most Koreans when they are free from work, household chores and other personal duties. “The absolute amount of free time has increased, but Koreans continue to spend it mostly resting,” Lee Soo-myoung, an official of the Ministry of Culture,
Dec. 17, 2014
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[Herald Interview] Making sense of Confucian printing woodblocks
ANDONG, North Gyeongsang Province ― Despite their historical and cultural value, Confucian printing woodblocks are barely studied. Most people don’t even know they exist. That’s why Lee Yong-doo and his researchers at the Advanced Center for Korean Studies can’t slow down after the 10-plus-year campaign to salvage the relics from the threat of theft and damage. Deciphering the wisdom of Joseon scholars carved onto the slabs and making them readily available for today’s guidance-seeking Koreans i
Dec. 14, 2014
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Why Confucian printing woodblocks matter
ANDONG, North Gyeongsang Province ― The legacy of Joseon, Korea’s last ruling dynasty, is alive and strong in this historic town. Billed as the heartland of Korean Confucianism, Andong boasts a number of private Confucian academies and clan villages from the 1392-1910 Joseon era, living proof that this region was home to many of the most prominent Confucian scholars of the time. What’s little known to the outside world, and even to many Koreans, is that the essence of the spiritual world of Jose
Dec. 14, 2014
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Trailblazer in globalizing Korean classics
Choi Byong-hyon, a professor of English literature at Honam University in Gwangju, is widely regarded as one of the top translators of the Korean classics, especially historically important texts that are written in hard-to-decipher Chinese characters. Choi has already published four translated books in the category. The latest one, published in June by Harvard University, is a 1,056-page tome, “The Annals of King T’aejo: Founder of Korea’s Choson Dynasty.” He completed the massive translation p
Dec. 12, 2014
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Pop musicPsy Concert: “All Night Stand”: Just as he did last year, Psy will be returning to the stage for four energy-filled nights for his upcoming “All Night Stand” holiday concert series. Inarguably the world’s most famous K-pop star to date, Psy has held some form of a holiday concert annually for the past decade, with last year’s four-day event attracting 60,000 fans. The man who defined Gangnam style will host five shows from Dec. 19-24, with two separate performances on Christmas Eve. The
Dec. 12, 2014
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Winnie-the-Pooh illustration sells for record price
LONDON (AFP) ― The original drawing of an iconic literary illustration depicting Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends playing “poohsticks” sold at auction in London on Tuesday for a record-breaking 314,500 pounds ($490,000).The sale of E. H. Shepard’s ink drawing of the much-loved A. A. Milne characters Pooh, Christopher Robin and Piglet broke the world record for any book illustration in the sale at Sotheby’s auction house.The drawing, which has become one of the most famous book illustrations of it
Dec. 10, 2014
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Students learn compassion through solar project
WINTER GARDEN, Florida ― Valencia College student Thomas Dillen held a solar panel as high as he could, trying to catch the waning sunlight.Two dozen fourth- and fifth-grade students at Tildenville Elementary School clustered around him, hoping the panel would power the portable generators they’ve been building to send to an orphanage in Africa. “Yay!” the students cheered when an LED light bulb attached to one of the generators lit up.The students are working on a project that’s one part scienc
Dec. 10, 2014
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Helping kids embrace new rituals when holiday tinged by loss
Sometimes the most wonderful time of the year arrives at the worst time of your life.Divorce, death, layoffs ― grief-inducing losses don’t take a holiday, and they can wreak havoc on yours, particularly if you’ve got children looking for you to uphold the annual traditions that bring them so much joy.A familiar face no longer at the dinner table, fewer gifts, even a new, unfamiliar home ― all can feel like an affront to the senses at a time of year when rituals are sacred.We contacted a handful
Dec. 10, 2014
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‘Metamorphosis’ depicts ever-changing society
How do people react to the waves of change in society? Theater director Choi Won-seok pondered this question before writing “Metamorphosis” in 2009. Some people ride the tides, while others swim against the current or just evade the turmoil. There is no right or wrong answer. It is only a matter of choice, says the director. “Byeontae,” a homonym for a pervert, is the play’s title in Korean. The poster, showing half-naked body of an actress, gives an impression that the play is R-rated or contai
Dec. 8, 2014
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’Tis the season for ‘Nutcracker’
A year-end tradition continues as Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Nutcracker,” Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Choral” and other seasonal favorites all return to Seoul’s cultural scene. From Seoul Arts Center in the south to the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in the north, the always-popular returning classics take up a large part of the lineup, while some new productions add a spice of diversity.Here’s a guide to the music and performing arts scene this festive season, including seasonal favorites as
Dec. 7, 2014
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Seoul Philharmonic CEO claims artistic director behind accusations
Park Hyun-jung, CEO of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, who faces demands for her resignation from employees accusing her of sexual harassment and arbitrary personnel management, said Friday that artistic director Chung Myung-whun may have been behind the recent accusations against her.She also refused to step down and vowed to cooperate with investigations into the complaints.“I am willing to cooperate with the national auditing agency, prosecutors or anyone in investigating this case,” she sa
Dec. 5, 2014
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Work on Rome subway digs up ancient farm, tools
ROME (AP) ― Archaeologists have unearthed an ancient commercial farm in the heart of modern Rome, taking advantage of subway construction to explore deeply in urban settings. They worked some 20 meters down near St. John in Lateran Basilica. Today’s Rome rests upon medieval layers and, under those, more ancient strata of life. Rossella Rea, the dig’s leader and a culture ministry official, said Wednesday that archaeologists discovered a first-century agricultural business, the closest to Rome’s
Dec. 4, 2014
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Outdoor play returns to indoor theater
During the fall harvest season and in the first month of the lunar year in Korea, people used to gather at their village square and watch art puppet dances, mask dances or acrobatic shows, all to the beats of various traditional percussion instruments. Some would dance to the music and beat instruments in time with energizing refrains, “Ul-ssi-gu!” or “Ul-ssu!” to interact with the performers in the madangnori, a traditional outdoor performance. “Simcheongjeon,” a famous classical story about fi
Dec. 4, 2014