Most Popular
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Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
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Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
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S. Korean children, teens grow taller, mature faster than before: study
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[Graphic News] Number of coffee franchises in S. Korea rises 13%
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Army takes group action against Hybe for neglecting BTS
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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Some junior doctors are returning: Health Ministry
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[Robert J. Fouser] AI changes rationale for learning languages
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Ador CEO's request for exclusive right to terminate NewJeans' contract with Hybe refused in February
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Woman dangling from power lines rescued by residents holding blanket
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Short stories by winners of ‘Canada 150: Creative Writing Contest for Youth’
A collection of 30 short stories written by Korean students have been recently published to mark Canada Day.The collection of short stories is the result of “Canada 150: Creative Writing Contest for Youth” organized by the Embassy of Canada in Korea and the Seoul Metropolitan Government to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary. In commemoration of the 150th Canada Day, South Korean students participated in the writing contest by turning in their short stories on the topic of “150” in English or F
Sept. 18, 2017
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Live cinema performance of ‘2001’ to land in Seoul
Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film “2001: A Space Odyssey” is a sci-fi classic that seems fresh even in 2017 -- particularly as we celebrate the Cassini spacecraft’s plunge into the Saturn last week, ending its 13-year exploration of the ringed planet and its moons. The groundbreaking film has had a lasting influence on popular culture and its discussion of mankind’s place in the universe, particularly with its philosophical outlook.And any mention of the film would be incomplete without reference to t
Sept. 17, 2017
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Han Kang wins Italian literary award for 'Human Acts'
South Korean writer Han Kang has been chosen to win this year's Malaparte Prize, Italy's most-authoritative literary award, for her latest work, the prize's organizer said. Korean author Han Kang, who wrote the three-part novella "The Vegetarian." (Yonhap)Han was chosen Thursday for her 2014 novel "Human Acts" that tells the story of a young boy named Dong-ho who is killed in the military's bloody crackdown on the Gwangju citizens' pro-democracy uprising of May 1980.The book was published Thursd
Sept. 15, 2017
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Celebs build safety net in cafe, restaurant business
Cao Lu,of popular K-pop girl group Fiestar, recently said in a TV show that she hopes to one day open her own store as a side business, confessing even celebrities suffer from financial difficulties and uncertainties. Many celebrities in Korea recently have talked about their struggles with fluctuating income and unsteady employment, even referring to themselves as “nonregular workers.”Whether as an investment for the future or out of pure interest in the business, celebrities are venturing into
Sept. 14, 2017
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Bongeunsa to offer Korean culture program for Chuseok
Bongeunsa Temple plans to hold a tea ceremony celebrating the Chuseok holiday, offering separate sessions for children and adults. The ceremony will take place on Sept. 28, Oct. 5, 6, 12 and 19 for two hours from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The fee for each session is 20,000 won ($18) for both children and adults. (Bongeunsa Temple)For the children sessions, up to 10 Korean or foreign children aged between 6 and 8 can apply on a first-come, first-served basis. The children should be accompanied by guardia
Sept. 14, 2017
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Celebrity muzzling in Korea dates back to Lee Myung-bak administration
In light of revelations that two previous administrations had blacklisted “leftist” cultural figures since 2009, investigators are expected to expand their probe to target the Lee Myung-bak administration as well.A National Intelligence Service investigation on irregularities of past administrations on Monday turned up a blacklist of 82 figures in the culture and entertainment circles that was drawn up during the term of former President Lee.It was revealed earlier in the year that former Presid
Sept. 12, 2017
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[Photo News] ‘Beolcho’: Weeding of ancestral tombs
The annual Weeding around ancestral tombs is ongoing ahead of the Chuseok holidays at Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province.“Beolcho” is an effort by descendants to maintain their ancestors’ burial spots in respectable conditions. It normally takes place two to four times a year following a Joseon-era tradition.(phko@heraldcorp.com)
Sept. 12, 2017
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Ever-expanding universe of ramen
Ramen -- or ramyeon, as instant noodles are known locally -- is widely recognized as Korea’s soul food. Korea is the leading consumer of ramen per person in the world, each person eating about 76 bowls per year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The dish’s popularity was palpable at the annual Ramen Fair that took place at the Coex Convention and Exhibition Center in Seoul from Sept. 9-11. In its third year, some 80 companies set up 230 booth at the fair
Sept. 11, 2017
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UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Award goes to Concordia University, Jordan’s Rana Dajani
The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Award this year went to the Center for the Study of Learning and Performance at Concordia University in Canada and Rana Dajani from Jordan.The annual award honors outstanding contributions made to literacy. The center at Concordia University was recognized for a project that uses technology to develop essential educational competencies in Sub-Saharan Africa. The project, which seeks to increase literacy through mobile apps, is being expanded to North America, Br
Sept. 7, 2017
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Controversial novelist found dead
Controversial novelist and literary scholar Ma Kwang-soo was found dead at his home Tuesday, in what appears to be a suicide.The writer‘s family members found Ma’s body around 12:51 p.m. at his home in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and reported it to the police. Officials believe it to be a suicide.It was reported that Ma, 66, had been suffered from depression since retiring as a professor of Korean literature at Yonsei University last August. Ma Kwang-soo (Yonhap)Ma’s bumpy career was marked by years of c
Sept. 5, 2017
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Translators uplift Korean literature to global heights
Every time Goksel Turkozu browsed through a bookstore in Turkey, he felt there could be more books of Korean literature in translation in his country where the passion for everything Korean runs high.A devotee of Korean literature and professor at Erciyes University in the city of Kayseri, Cappadocia, Turkozu has adapted several well-known Korean novels into the Turkish language since he first set foot in Seoul in 1990 as a student. His decadeslong dedication to spread Korea’s literary imaginati
Sept. 5, 2017
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[Eye Plus] Chinatown in Incheon, still at the heart of Korea-China ties, history
A gold-embellished, red-lacquered pailou, or Chinese arch, looms over a street on the shore of South Korea’s port city of Incheon.The blue-colored board attached to the 11-meter high structure reads Zhonghuajia, Chinese for ‘Chinese avenue,’ marking the entrance to Incheon Chinatown, the largest Chinatown in the nation. For over 130 years, Incheon Chinatown has been standing as the only officially recognized one of its kind in Korea since 1884, when Joseon Dynasty leased parts of Incheon to Qing
Sept. 1, 2017
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New cultural heritage chief vows ‘attitude overhaul’
Kim Jong-jin, the recently-named head of Cultural Heritage Administration, emphasized the importance of preserving cultural heritage and vowed changes in the CHA employees‘ attitude in achieving the goals of the organization.Kim who has been with CHA since 2001, however, stopped short of suggesting specific plans for revamping the system that has been criticized for lacking expertise, resulting in such fiascos as the recent “fake royal seal” controversy. Kim Jong-jin, head of Cultural Heritage A
Aug. 31, 2017
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[Herald Interview] BBC journalist Francine Stock talks about Korean films’ richness, complexity and honesty
Francine Stock, a broadcaster for BBC Television and Radio and formerly a movie critic, has been enthralled by the richness and delicacy of Korean films, ever since they began to make waves in her country about a decade ago. Having previously interviewed Korean director Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho as a host of BBC Radio 4, Stock said globally acclaimed Korean films such as "Thirst" and “The Handmaiden,” both directed by Park, have paved the way for Korean cinema in England. Francine Stock (P
Aug. 30, 2017
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2017 CCF forum discusses image of Korea through eyes of the world
A cultural exchange event discussing Korea’s image, seen through the eyes of the global community, took place in Seoul on Monday and Tuesday.The eighth annual Culture Communication Forum 2017 brought together several leading figures in arts and culture from across the world to discuss “Korea’s image felt through sight,” at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on Tuesday. “I was born in Korea, and got adopted by a French family when I was 7 years old. I’ve been visiting Korea for the last seven years, and each
Aug. 29, 2017
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[Seoul saunter] Overrated, but charming ‘town of selfies’
Seoul is a vibrant megalopolis with modern high-rises crowding the city’s major arteries. Nestled among the gleaming buildings are labyrinthine alleys that appear to have escaped the passage of time. We explore Seoul‘s many nooks and crannies. - Ed. Cafes and stores alongside “Mangridan-gil,” the main street of Mangwon-dong, Seoul, are seen in these photos. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)At first glance, it is not immediate what is so special about “Mangridan-gil,” a nickname for the main stre
Aug. 28, 2017
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[Herald interview] Adidas Women’s Wannabe Linda styles her life beyond body
Before earning the name Wannabe Linda, the body stylist, and being tapped by Adidas Women as its ambassador last year, Linda Shin was a typical office worker whose life was swamped with work and daily stress. And just like any other women in her mid-20s, Linda started working out in a small gym with the goal of losing weight and most importantly, looking pretty and slim like K-pop idol stars. Nine years later, more than 271,000 Instagram users are now following the fitness icon’s Instagram page
Aug. 27, 2017
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‘Fake royal seal’ controversy mars special exhibition
What was supposed to have been a ceremonious occasion marking the return of long-lost Joseon-era royal seals has turned into a dogfight between the state-run Cultural Heritage Administration and civic groups over the legitimacy of one of the artifacts.Last week, the CHA held a press conference heralding an exhibition of royal artifacts from the Korea’s Joseon era (1392 to 1910). The Golden Royal Seal for the Bestowal of Honorific Title upon Queen Munjeong and Royal Seal of King Hyeonjong are amo
Aug. 24, 2017
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Racism in Korea, from TV to real life
A decade ago, history textbooks in Korea started to refrain from saying that Korea is a mono-ethnic country, as state-wide controversy about the cited phrase can prompt racism against ethnic minorities in the country.While the widespread belief that Korean people are of single ethnicity has been challenged and debunked -- for the most part -- over years, insensitivity toward actions or words that may be offensive to other ethnicities continue to ail Korean society. Earlier in the year, comedian
Aug. 20, 2017
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[Herald Interview] Jung Saem-mool explains what goes into flawless K-beauty
The flagship store of makeup artist Jung Saem-mool’s cosmetics brand is like a sun-soaked garden of colors. Nestled in a corner of the trendy Garosu-gil in southeastern Seoul, the three-story building, opened in June, boasts white walls with multi-colored decorations. It’s like a palette, a playground where customers can fiddle with makeup to their hearts’ content, an employee there explains. On the store’s second floor, a library space stacked with beauty books and surrounded by plants, sits ar
Aug. 18, 2017