Most Popular
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Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul
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Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
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Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
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Doctor group's incoming head renews call for govt. to scrap medical school quota hike for dialogue
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[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
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NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
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‘Hello, Mr. K’ concert series invites expats
The Korean Culture and Information Service said on Thursday that it would launch a program called “Hello, Mr. K,” aimed at promoting the Korean culture and arts to foreigners living in the country.The agency, which is part of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will begin the series with a concert at Yonsei University in Seoul on Friday, inviting some 1,600 foreign students studying in Korea. The event will include a live dance performance using LED technology, and nongak, a traditional
May 14, 2015
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Tracing Korea’s traditional shoemaking
No outfit is complete without shoes. But when it comes to the hanbok look in modern times, a vital part has been missing. Platform heels or loafers have replaced shoes traditionally matched with a hanbok. A team of academics and an artisan shoemaker launched a rare project to rekindle the tradition. The project, launched by the private cultural heritage foundation Yeol with sponsorship of GRI Korea ― importer of Nine West and Steve Madden ― revived 30 pairs of shoes worn by kings and nobility du
May 12, 2015
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Brilliant birthday for Buddha at Lotus Lantern Fest
Once again, the Seoul night skies will be lit up with colorful orbs celebrating Buddha’s Birthday, as the Lotus Lantern Festival approaches this year on May 15.Held annually since over 1,300 years ago in honor of the venerated sage, the festival is a deep-seated tradition that has been carried down since the Unified Silla Period. Today, it attracts swarms of crowds to the Jogyesa Temple and Cheonggyecheon Stream areas ― from devout Buddhists to curious tourists and passersby.The celebration offi
May 11, 2015
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[Weekender] A wealth of multiplex malls to choose from
Whether it is groceries, clothing, furniture, jewelry or electronics, shopping has never been easier than in South Korea, where it is possible to buy just about anything from the comforts of one’s home using a smartphone or computer. Regardless of the convenience, thousands of Koreans today continue to head to city centers to visit shopping malls, which have evolved from singular department stores into mega “multiplex malls” ― urban hotspots offering not only shopping opportunities, but also a w
May 8, 2015
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[Weekender] From shopping centers to shopping experience
The start of shopping malls in Korea is hard to pinpoint. Up until the late 1990s, the concept of a “mall” was not established. People who were looking to buy new items would head to big traditional market areas like Dongdaemun or Namdaemun, or to the clusters of underground shops located at subway stations with large waves of foot traffic. The most famous underground shopping centers were located at Seoul’s Express Bus Terminal and Gangnam Station, both in southern Seoul. Although these undergr
May 8, 2015
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A glimpse into Park Soo-keun’s world
Children play in an alleyway. Women wash clothes by a stream. Girls carry their baby sisters and brothers on their backs. These are the scenes from the lives of ordinary Korean people in the 1950s and ’60s captured in the paintings of artist Park Soo-keun. Fifty major paintings by Park depicting life immediately after the Korean War are on display at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in an exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the artist’s death. Park is one of Korea’s first generation of W
May 5, 2015
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[Herald Interview] MapleStory ― 12 years old and still growing
Koo Kyo-seong has a lot on his mind these days.Whether riding his skateboard during lunch hour or sitting at his office desk surrounded by animated figurines, all Koo thinks about is how to make “MapleStory” more visually engaging and entertaining.As the chief concept artist for MapleStory, Nexon Korea’s fantasy adventure multiplayer online role-playing game, he is faced with the heavy burden of making the company’s all-time favorite PC game sustainable in this rapidly-changing mobile environmen
May 3, 2015
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Korea’s mountain temples seek UNESCO recognition
GONGJU, South Chungcheong Province ― Nestled in the hills of Mount Taehwasan sits Magoksa Temple, a serene haven with cozy tiled-roof shrines dotting sprawling courtyards and a five-story stone pagoda as its centerpiece. The spring mountain scenery surrounding the temple is lush and pristine, as if this were the first spring it had ever known. But the temple, founded in 640, bears the signs of history in its time-worn walls. It is this history that the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism hopes to cel
April 30, 2015
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Parents, kids differ on gift choice: survey
With Children’s Day looming, many Korean parents are looking for gift items that can satisfy the whims of their kids without breaking the bank. According to a survey by online shopping mall 11st, a toy from almighty mega-franchise Power Rangers ― Power Ranger Dino Force, to be precise ― was picked as kids’ most wanted gift, with 25 percent, followed by an Avengers 2 action set with 20 percent. Robot car series such as Hello Carbot and Tobot took the third place with 18 percent. Parents’ plans, h
April 29, 2015
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How to keep your little ones amused on Children’s Day
With Children’s Day just around the corner on May 5, many Korean parents are stressing over how to entertain their kids on the special day. Designated a national holiday in 1975, the day is devoted to the welfare and enjoyment of children and a rare opportunity for modern working parents to create an entire day of memories with their little ones. The Korea Herald suggests five events for a holiday full of both entertainment and education: Outdoor activities at the Lighting Museum Festival (Light
April 29, 2015
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Rare shamanism archive unveiled
Despite the long history of shamanism in Korea, remaining shamanistic relics and records are considerably few partly due to oppression following the dominance of Confucianism and modernization. Folklorist Kim Tae-gon (1936-1996) was the first scholar who paid attention to the disappearing shamanistic practices in the 1960s when it was considered a “primitive, backward and outdated culture.”The National Folk Museum of Korea sheds light on the lifetime work of folklorist Kim, who collected more th
April 27, 2015
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[Weekender] Itaewon -- where Korea meets the Islamic world
On a drizzly afternoon in Itaewon, Seoul, people busily walk up and down the hilly street leading to Korea‘s largest Islamic mosque.The 200-meter street looks like any other in the city. But these days, “The Islamic street,” as it is better known as, is frequented by Muslims and is home to shops with Arabic signs and restaurants selling halal cuisine. ”Nowadays, there are more people coming here to wander around and visit the mosque,“ said Talat Masood, a 68-year-old Pakistani worker at a superm
April 27, 2015
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[Herald Interview] From teacher’s podium to center stage
After one live performance and just one email, the life of English teacher Micah Hein took a dramatic turn. A little over a year ago, the 24-year-old American theater major arrived in Korea ― traveling abroad for the first time ― to teach English through performing arts. Little did he know that in this alien country, he would realize his dream of becoming a professional actor and debut with a title role.It all started when the theater lover found himself crossing off what is on the to-do list of
April 26, 2015
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[Weekender] Islam in Korea, past and present
Korea and the Middle East may look like they have nothing in common.On the surface, the two regions do not seem to have crossed paths as they have totally different economies, cultures and ideals. Above all, religion may be what divides the two. While the religious heritage of Korea derives mostly from Buddhism, Confucianism and more recently Christianity, the Middle East is deeply rooted in the Islamic teachings of Prophet Muhammad. Yet, scholars say the two sides’ cross-cultural relations date
April 24, 2015
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[Weekender] Islam finds way into Korean society
Stepping outside a lecture room at Kyung Hee University amid a flock of Korean students, a 28-year-old Jordanian student heads toward a Muslim prayer room set up in his university campus.Mohammad’s daily ritual in the prayer room demonstrates Korea’s efforts to understand the once-alienated religion, he noted.“These days, Koreans do not discriminate against me on the basis of me being a Muslim,” he said, adding this was not always the case.“When I came here in 2010, Koreans gave the cold shoulde
April 24, 2015
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[Weekender] ‘Violence far from essence of Islam’
When Lee Haeng-lae was introduced to Islam in the 1950s, his image of the religion was like most other people during that time: the Koran in one hand, and a sword in another. But after a trip to Malaysia, he realized that Muslims were not violent people and ultimately converted to the religion in the early 1960s.Embracing Islam was not an easy task in a country where the religion has struggled for years against the perception that it is radical and violent. “My father particularly flat-out said,
April 24, 2015
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Visit Joseon palaces during royal culture festival
Royal life will unfold at Seoul’s four historic palaces during the first Royal Culture Festival in May. From May 2-10, the Joseon-era palaces ― Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung and Deoksugung ― and Jongmyo Shrine invite locals and foreigners to immerse themselves in all things royal. “The Cultural Heritage Administration has held programs that would bring citizens and foreign tourists closer to royal palaces such as the night tour program at Changdeokgung Palace. This festival bring
April 22, 2015
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[Weekender] Analog’s allure in a digitized world
In this digital age, the word analog has taken on new meanings. In a highly connected society swamped by hand-held digital devices, more and more people are harking back to simpler times. Times when electronic devices were not “smart” and the word application usually meant a paper document to be submitted when seeking an academic or professional position.This sense of longing has led to all things “old” being referred to as “analog” in Korea, and has given rise to the term “analog sensibilities.
April 17, 2015
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Think on your feet: Standing desks
While technology has evolved more than ever before, our posture, it seems, has grown increasingly Neanderthal.In an era where everything can be done with the touch of a finger, hunched over a laptop or smartphone, releasing energy has become the issue. To deal with this, a number of modern offices have brought in the standing desk, allowing employees to literally think on their feet.Jeong Jae-kyung, a communications director at IBM Korea, is all for her company’s latest office procurement. An em
April 15, 2015
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Korea’s mass tug-of-war awaits UNESCO recognition
Experts from across Asia flocked to Korea’s Dangjin to discuss the international preservation of “juldarigi,” a traditional Asian folk game similar to tug-of-war. The game is currently waiting to be designated an Intangible Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO, following an intergovernmental joint application submitted in 2013. Results will be announced this November at a conference in Namibia. A symposium on the organized protection of juldarigi was held at the annual Dangjin Juldarigi Festival at G
April 13, 2015