Most Popular
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Seoul vows action over Naver's Line, Yahoo dispute
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[KH Explains] Hyundai Motor’s plan for new landmark keeps hitting bumps
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Key S. Korean, USFK special operations officials to hold rare meeting amid NK threats
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Samsung doubles down on Vietnam
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In Beijing, S. Korean top diplomat aims to jumpstart ties with China
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Prosecutors summon pastor involved in Dior bag scandal
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Suspect behind murder of Korean tourist in Pattaya arrested
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NewJeans' members' parents complained to Hybe, email shows
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[Grace Kao] American racism against Stray Kids
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[Graphic News] Over 80% of people filing bankruptcy in Seoul in their 50s and older
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[Weekender] Stereotyping personalities -- by blood type
When getting to know someone in South Korea, there is a good chance that at one point or another, you will be asked, “What’s your blood type?” To outsiders, blood type may mean nothing more than information needed to find a match for a blood transfusion. But in Korea, a person’s blood type -- either A, B, O, or AB -- is widely believed to be predictive of personality and temperament, similar to horoscopes in the West. Under the blood type personality theory, a person with Type A blood is dilige
July 26, 2018
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[Eye]Trailblazing through botany
POCHEON, Gyeonggi Province -- At first, the achievements of Lee You-mi, director general of the Korea National Arboretum, as the first woman to be tapped as the chief of the organization in 2014 may simply sound genteel and classy.But just minutes into talking with Lee, there is so much more to her and her story.While the stereotype of botanists are of those examining plants in a research lab, Lee said they are in fact adventurists, setting out to explore and find rare plants in wildlife.Nicknam
July 26, 2018
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[Weekender] Are men with type B blood really womanizers?
Kim Sang-hoon, 29, with type B blood rarely takes part in conversations about blood types linked with personalities. “Koreans have the misperception that a man with type B blood is selfish, a womanizer or hot-tempered. I don’t want people to judge me in such a way before getting to know me,” he said. Despite no scientific proof that blood types and personalities are linked, Koreans often ask about blood types to predict someone’s personality -- sometimes going further to judge relationships and
July 26, 2018
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Late novelist posthumously receives highest cultural honor
The government on Tuesday bestowed the late novelist Choi In-hun with the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit, the highest class of its kind, for his contribution to Korean literature. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-hwan visited the funeral parlor of the late writer at the Seoul National University Hospital to offer condolences to the bereaved family and present the medal on behalf of the government. Do Jong-hwan (left) talks with the bereaved family of novelist Choi In-hun at a f
July 24, 2018
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[Photo News] 2018 Waterbomb Festival blasts summer heat
The annual WaterBomb Festival was held Friday and Saturday at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. On the first day of the event, K-pop stars, such as Hyolyn and Jessi, appeared as guests with performances that doubled the fun. The second day was a blast as Black Pink members showed up on Sprite Island, the name of a stage at the event, in outfits that matched the soft drink brand’s colors. Jennie donned a green off-the-shoulder top with short pants, while Jisoo wore a green cropped blouse with white shorts
July 23, 2018
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‘Karl Marx is on a train to Busan’
Slavoj Zizek, regarded among the leading intellectuals in the world, made his visit to a monthly gathering of the Gwangju Biennale to lecture on Marxism at the biennale’s conference hall in Gwangju. In the lecture titled “Is Marx Dead, Alive or Living Dead,” attended by some 200 people, Zizek talked about what people can do with Marxism in what he called a contemporary society ever-more disintegrated by increasingly permeating capitalism. Slavoj Zizek speaks at a lecture held on Saturday in Gwan
July 22, 2018
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[Herald Interview] It all began with the house
Looking for Mark Tetto’s house in Gaehoe-dong, Seoul, Monday morning, I encounter groups of foreign tourists -- from the Philippines and Vietnam, mostly -- posing and taking pictures against the backdrop of narrow alleys lined with Korea’s traditional hanok. After walking up and down a hill, going round in circles under the blazing morning sun, I finally locate Tetto’s house, its slim gate hard to find between the walls of houses next to it on either side. I swear I had walked past this street 1
July 19, 2018
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[Video] Sweetness overload at 2018 Seoul Dessert Fair
Thousands of people with a sweet tooth descended on the 2018 Seoul Dessert Fair to satisfy their cravings for all-things sweet on Saturday at the Setec Exhibition Hall.The theme for the two-day weekend event was watermelon. Many stalls infused watermelon elements into their desserts, such as green-and-red sweet bread, watermelon fruit punch and watermelon-flavored macarons.(Video shot and edited by Lim Jeong-yeo/The Korea Herald)Beyond indulging their taste buds, visitors were also treated to a
July 18, 2018
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Baekje king of ancient fables may have been found
King Mu of Baekje, the protagonist of a “Romeo and Juliet”-esque fable, may have been found, as researchers said Wednesday human remains uncovered in April are likely to be his.Buyeo National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage held a press conference to reveal the results of their examination of remains found inside what is believed to be a royal tomb from Baekje Kingdom, which existed in the southwestern Korean Peninsula from 18 BC to AD 660. The tomb in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, was d
July 18, 2018
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Fourth Hangeul Idea Award to be held
A state-organized contest for Hangeul-themed content will be held in July and August.The fourth Hangeul Idea Award -- hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency and sponsored by Naver -- is about creating new products based on Hangeul.The poster for the fourth Hangeul Idea Award (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)The award categories are: content, referring to product plans introducing Hangeul-themed content, such as publications,
July 18, 2018
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Tourism agency seeks to expand vacation subsidy, border tourism
The newly appointed chief of the state-run tourism body presented his vision on its future operation, including expansion of government vacation subsidy programs and inter-Korea border tourism, during a press meeting Monday.Ahn Young-bae, newly appointed president of the Korea Tourism Organization, expressed hopes that the KTO would lead the trend of work-life balance for Koreans. “I learned that so far this year, some KTO employees have not taken a single day off. ... Maintaining a high quality
July 16, 2018
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[Photo News] Korean students go all-out for yearbook photos
Students at Uijeongbu High School in Gyeonggi Province dressed up for their yearbook photo shoot Monday, keeping their wacky tradition of creating eye-catching graduation photos. Uijeongbu High is an all-boys school that has made headlines both at home and abroad for its unconventional graduation pictures. The class of 2018 chose to dress up as Hog Rider of the mobile game “Clash of Clans,” a demon clown from the horror movie “It,” Sanrio’s lazy egg character Gudetama, South Korean Skeleton Olym
July 16, 2018
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Daegu Chimac Festival to offer a mix of fried chicken and beer
The 2018 Daegu Chimac Festival will run from Wednesday to July 22 in Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province. The festival's name is based on a compound word of chicken and beer in Korean that reflects Koreans’ enthusiasm for pairing fried chicken with beer. Daegu started the festival in 2013 with a crowd of 270,000. The number of attendees steadily grew in the following years, and topped 1 million in 2016 and 2017.Photo from 2017 Daegu Chimac Festival (DaeguChimacFestival)This year’s event is set to t
July 16, 2018
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19th Seoul Queer Culture Festival kicks off with preliminary roundtable
The 19th Seoul Queer Culture Festival kicked off Friday with the event “PRISM OF ART: Human rights bloom in culture and art.” Sponsored by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Seoul, the event took place on the 11th floor annex of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The occasion served as a preliminary roundtable discussion for the exhibition of the “Amsterdam Rainbow Dress,” featuring Arnout van Krimpen and Diederik Lujit from the Amsterdam Rainbow Dress Foundation,
July 13, 2018
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Culture Minister meets Vatican diplomat to S. Korea
Do Jong-hwan, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism met Friday with Archbishop Alfred Xuereb to discuss exchange and cooperation between South Korea and the Vatican, the ministry said.According to the ministry officials, the meeting between Do and the Vatican envoy to South Korea was held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul. Do Jong-hwan, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, shakes hands with Archbishop Alfred Xuereb in Seoul on Friday. (Yonhap)“Minister
July 13, 2018
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[Eye Plus] Indulging in books near the border
When you think of Paju, a city in Gyeonggi Province northwest of Seoul, the first thing that comes to mind is its vicinity to the de facto border with North Korea. Driving along Jayuro toward Paju on a good day, you can even get a glimpse of the northern side. Paju, through which the Imjin River flows into the Han River, was loved by ancient sages. As if to live up to its heritage, the city has developed into a cultural site for visitors in recent decades. At the heart of the city’s culture are
July 12, 2018
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Have a ‘mud-tastic’ time at Boryeong Mud Festival
Boryeong Mud Festival, a “feast of mud,” is set to open Friday at Daecheon beach in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province.The festival is an extravaganza of mud, first held in 1988 to promote mud-based organic cosmetics. Similar to Spain’s iconic tomato-throwing Tomatina festival, the mud festival has settled in Korea as one of its most representative summer events. Since 2009, the mud festival has been exported to China, England, Spain and New Zealand.This year’s festival runs to July 22, offeri
July 12, 2018
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Amateur cartoonists rush to Instagram in search of new path
Choi Seol-a, better known by her nickname “Tyeodya,” had never thought she would make her name as a cartoonist until she uploaded her first comic in October 2017. She was not formally taught how to draw cartoons, nor had she decided to become a professional cartoonist before. In her spare time, Choi just doodled some episodes that came straight from her daily life and posted it on her Instagram page. The comics grew into the popular Instagram account @Tyeodya, which has amassed more than 51,
July 11, 2018
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Bringing flowers into everyday life
Flowers do not have to be only for special days. Over the past few years, they have acquired an increasing presence in daily life. It is easy to spot flower cafes all over Seoul -- a kind of cafe-flower shop combination. Decorated heavily with greenery, visitors can enjoy cafe spaces themed like a botanical garden.“A lot of people walk in for coffee and buy flowers after seeing the decorations,” said Jang Jung-in, who runs flower cafe Heima in Yeonhui-dong, Seoul. At her cafe, flower vases are p
July 10, 2018
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Government clamps down on copyrights infringement from abroad
The Korean government on Tuesday said it has shut down 12 illegal websites related to cartoons and other media content, and announced plans to continue its watch over such activities for the next two to three years.The pangovernmental task force announced the results of a crackdown that commenced in May, and which monitored foreign-based illegal websites that allowed users to share content without regard of the copyrights. Officials from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Com
July 10, 2018