Most Popular
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Exports to US reach all-time high, widen gap with China
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Trump rekindles criticism: US forces defending 'wealthy' S. Korea 'free of charge'
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[Music in drama] Rekindle a love that slipped through your fingers
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S. Korea discussed possible participation in AUKUS Pillar 2 with Australia: defense minister
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[New faces of Assembly] Architect behind ‘audacious initiative’ believes in denuclearized North Korea
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Seoul Metro to seek legal action against malicious complaints
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On May Day, labor unions blast Yoon's foreign nanny proposal
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Illit, mired in controversy, remains on Billboard charts for 5th week
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[KH Explains] Will alternative trading platform shake up Korean stock market?
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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Palmyra ruins generally 'in good shape': Syria antiquities chief
DAMASCUS (AFP) -- Ancient artifacts in the city of Palmyra are in much better shape than expected, Syria's antiquities chief said Sunday after regime forces recaptured the desert oasis from the Islamic State group. Antiquities director Maamoun Abdulkarim said much of Palmyra’s old city was intact and his department would try to restore relics destroyed during the jihadists' nearly year-long rule over the city. A general view shows the remains of the entrance to the iconic Temple of Bel that was
March 28, 2016
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Has France finally reclaimed Joan of Arc's ring?
ROUEN, France (AFP) - A ring thought to belong to France's most famous historical martyr, Joan of Arc, was unveiled on Sunday at a theme park, even as historians remained sceptical about its authenticity. The Puy du Fou historical theme park in the western Vendee region spent 376,833 euros ($425,000) to buy the ring, which is thought to have been in Britain for almost six centuries, at a controversial auction last month in London. The gold-plated silver ring was dated to the 15th century by an
March 24, 2016
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Stratford Festival to broadcast its ‘Hamlet’ this summer
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Stratford Festival in Canada will this year commemorate the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death by broadcasting three more of the Bard's work in HD, including its "Hamlet." The Ontario-based festival is attempting to broadcast the complete works of Shakespeare around the world over the next 10 years. It will kick off the next block of shows with "Hamlet" starring Jonathan Goad on April 24, "The Adventures of Pericles" beginning May 8 and "The Taming of the Shrew
March 24, 2016
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Mix of innovation, soft power drives 'K-beauty boom' in China
Eating exotic and wild species is nothing new in China, just like a saying well known inGuangzhou: "Chinese will eat everything with four legs except tables and eat everything that swims except a submarine."Their openness to new ingredients and recipes strikes a similar note, as South Korean cosmetics companies embrace such quirky ingredients as snail slime, horse oil and pig skin collagen as long as they are considered good for the skin.With ingredients ranging from an extract from cocoons, goa
March 24, 2016
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French culture bash in Korea
French culture will be celebrated in Korea throughout 2016, as the year marks the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France. “The Korea-France Year invites citizens to the cultural journey of France. French people had a chance to experience Korean culture last year at many cultural events that started with (the) Jongmyo Jeryeak performance and the light performance at Eiffel Tower,” said Henri Loyrette, head of the French organizing committee of the Korea-France Year at
March 23, 2016
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Itching to graffiti? Do it digitally on Florence treasures
FLORENCE, Italy (AFP) - The days of scribbling “I woz here” on Florence’s historic monuments are gone: would-be vandals will now be able to graffiti via app instead, with their messages kept for posterity. “Welcome to Giotto’s Campanile!” reads a message on a digital tablet for visitors scaling the Gothic white, green and pink marble tower by the famed Italian architect, which stands at one corner of the Cathedral in the Tuscan city. “We have been protecting masterpieces for centuries: starting
March 23, 2016
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Palace-viewing after dark draws thousands
Normally, a 100-person-deep queue in front of Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul would hardly raise any eyebrows. After all, it's the most iconic attraction in the city.In a wintry March evening, though, it very well may have -- not only because palaces are often closed after dark, but because these people had braved sub-zero temperatures to come here from as far as Abu Dhabi.To be sure, palace visits after sunset aren't news. South Korea has allowed them for limited periods of time since its capital cit
March 23, 2016
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Deoksu Palace throne halls to open to public next week
A special program to allow the general public to see the interior of four throne halls of Deoksu Palace in central Seoul will kick off from March 29 through April 3, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Tuesday. One of Seoul’s five grand palaces built during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), Deoksugung, meaning “Palace of Virtuous Longevity,” became a palace in 1593 when King Seonjo moved in after all of Seoul’s other palaces were destroyed during the Japanese invasion. Visitors taking part
March 22, 2016
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‘Mockingbird’ tickets selling quickly after author’s death
MONROEVILLE, Alabama (AP) -- The death of “To Kill a Mockingbird” author Harper Lee hasn’t hurt ticket sales for a dramatic version of her novel staged each year in her Alabama hometown. A statement issued by play organizers Monday says only a few hundred tickets remain for the 16 performances, which begin next month in Monroeville. This is the first year the play will be produced by a nonprofit organization formed last year in Lee’s name. The production was previously overseen by a museum locat
March 22, 2016
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Hanbok back in fashion among youths
The hanbok is coming back in vogue among young people in Korea. It has become a common sight to spot teenagers and those in their 20s donning the colorful Korean traditional costume in places such as palace tourist attractions and traditional neighborhoods Bukchon and Insa-dong. There has also been an increase in the number of local visitors looking for hanbok rental shops in Insa-dong, according to Han Min-jung of the Insa Traditional Culture Preservation Association. “Teenagers and those in t
March 22, 2016
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Bear bone discovery rewrites human history in Ireland
LONDON (AFP) -- Analysis of a bear bone found in an Irish cave has provided evidence of human existence in Ireland 2,500 years earlier than previously thought, academics announced Sunday. For decades, the earliest evidence of human life in Ireland dated from B.C. 8,000. But radiocarbon dating of a bear’s knee bone indicated it had been butchered by a human in about B.C. 10,500 -- some 12,500 years ago and far earlier than the previous date. “This find adds a new chapter to the human history of I
March 21, 2016
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Uninspired tour programs discourage return visits to Korea: survey
Substandard tours and a dearth of activities are the top reasons why foreign visitors do not want to return to Korea, according to a survey released Thursday. The online survey of 206 local opinion leaders and 203 foreigners who have been to Korea was conducted by the cultural and tourism promotion body 5.4 Club. The organization was founded by Corea Image Communication Institute President Choi Jung-wha and Didier Beltoise, president of Cs, a hospitality consulting firm. 5.4 Club members pose a
March 17, 2016
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Still 'Viva Las Vegas' for Elvis Presley? Less so lately
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- For decades, Las Vegas has loved Elvis Presley tender _ and loved him true _ but the King's presence in modern day Sin City has lately been diminishing, one impersonator at a time. "Vegas really is, ironically, a challenging market for Elvis," said Jack Soden, CEO of Elvis Presley Enterprises, which runs the Graceland attraction in Memphis, Tennessee, and manages many of the official business deals on behalf of the estate. The group had loaned hundreds of artifacts to a much-hy
March 16, 2016
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Japanese professor says private sector should lead Korean food promotion
Koreans share warmth and affection through food, and this tradition could bolster bilateral relations between South Korea and Japan, a Japanese professor who has dedicated much of his career to culinary exchange said Wednesday."Korean and Japanese food culture is similar in that both countries have rice as their staple. But Koreans are more generous with their food. A guest is served with a heaping bowl of rice with many banchan (side dishes). You can feel 'jeong' from a Korean dining table."Asa
March 16, 2016
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Government introduces new logo
A new standard government logo was unveiled Tuesday with the aim of promoting a unified government identity. The new taegeuk logo, featuring blue, red and white – the three main colors of the Korean national flag -- will replace the current logo in the shape of the mugunghwa national flower, which has been used since 1988. It will also replace individual logos used by more than 750 ministries and government-affiliated organizations. Kim Jong-deok, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (left
March 15, 2016
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Korea unveils unified gov't emblem
South Korea unveiled a unified emblem for its government Tuesday in an effort to save costs and help people easily recognize government organizations. A dynamic, open-ended "taegeuk" mark will be used as the new government symbol, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said. The new design is based on the taegeuk, a symbol that is most prominently displayed on the country's national flag.South Korean government ministries and state-run agencies have been using different symbols to represent
March 15, 2016
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1,000-year-old Indian statues seized from NYC auction house
NEW YORK (AP) — Two Indian statues that are more than 1,000 years old were seized Friday from Christie’s auction house after investigators discovered they had been smuggled out of the country, eventually landing in New York.The antiquities were to be part of an auction next week called “The Lahiri Collection: Indian and Himalayan Art, Ancient and Modern.”Both are made from sandstone. One statue called “Stele of Rishabhanata” depicts a cross-legged teacher flanked by standing attendants. It is va
March 13, 2016
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Louvre and Rijksmuseum to share Rembrandts bought from Rothschild
A pair of Rembrandt portraits owned privately for more than 130 years went on public display in Paris on Thursday, bought under shared ownership by the French capital’s Louvre museum and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.The portraits date back to 1634 and depict Amsterdam trader Marten Soolmans and his wife Oopjen Coppit. They were painted by the Dutch master for the couple’s wedding and are considered a defining example of his work.Bought by Baron Gustave de Rothschild in 1877 and kept in France ev
March 13, 2016
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Asia Culture Center offers rich spring events
No more staying indoors, cowering from the cold. Spring is just around the corner and along with it comes various fun and vibrant cultural activities around the country.The Asia Culture Center (ACC), a state-run arts and concert venue in the southwestern city of Gwangju, is planning to hold various events in the coming month.Every Saturday from March 26 until April 30 the center will stage the "ACC Spring Festival" with a slew of dance and music performances, art shows and participatory events l
March 11, 2016
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The science of conservation
Since 1964, some 120 pottery pieces have been kept in national artifact storage with other relics excavated from Geumgangsa Temple in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province. For 46 years, they were filed under the label “unidentified artifact,” without any records pointing their original form, until Hwang Hyun-seong, conservator at the National Museum of Korea, started to put the pieces together in 2011. It took about a year to assemble the hundreds of pieces and discover that they formed a 1.5-mete
March 10, 2016