Most Popular
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Controversy rekindled over when to name criminals, suspects
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Seoul transit pass for travelers to be available starting July
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Hybe-Ador CEO conflict gets messier
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Battery makers ramp up efforts to diversify graphite supply chain
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Prosecutors to summon pastor who allegedly gave Dior bag to first lady
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‘Monk’ DJ spreading Buddhism goes global
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[LLG] Unseen inheritance: Trauma of transnational adoption 'trickles down' to adoptees' children
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[KH Explains] Hyundai Motor’s plan for new landmark keeps hitting bumps
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Court's ruling set to shape path of medical school expansion
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Seoul vows action over Naver's Line, Yahoo dispute
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Korea’s first electricity plant site found in palace
The site of Korea’s first electricity plant was found during an archaeological excavation at Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Cultural Heritage Administration said on Wednesday. According to the state cultural heritage agency, a year-long excavation effort found the site of the first electricity plant, established in 1887, during the late Joseon period (1392-1910). “It’s a great achievement that gives us an understanding of electricity development in Korea,” said Min Byeong-geun, curator of the Korea E
May 27, 2015
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Only one way out at ‘Code Escape’
Imagine being led, blindfolded, down a hall and into a room behind a big wooden door. The door’s lock clicks, and music begins blaring from the speakers. You take off the blindfold, and the digital clock on the wall starts counting down. You have 60 minutes to find the key and escape. Every item in the room could be a clue.This is the basic setup for the experience at Code Escape in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, an offline escape game that offers a real-life version of popular online and mobile escape game
May 27, 2015
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Stories behind Buddhist art
Around 1247, Empress Hampyeong of Goryeo (918-1392) commissioned an artisan known for his skilled silver engraving to inscribe patterns of clouds and lotuses on a bronze vase in a prayer for the well-being of her family and country. It was after her two sons were sent away as punishment for attempting to remove a general who took power in a coup d’etat, while her daughters had to marry his sons. The vase, made for use as an incense burner at a Buddhist temple, is now considered to best represent
May 26, 2015
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[Weekender] Check in to Hotel Korea
Hotels seem to be the best business in Korea to be in right now. Tourism is booming in Korea with a record number of visitors ― of which the Chinese take up nearly half. Last year’s historic milestone of 14 million foreign visitors looks set to be broken this year, as the travel-loving Chinese continue to throng Seoul streets.New hotels are rising in Seoul. Jejudo Island ― once a favorite destination for Korean newlyweds ― has turned into a giant resort development site, as Chinese vacationers s
May 22, 2015
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Gwangju Universiade to offer cultural festivals
The 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju between July 3 and 14 will not just be about college athletes and teams from around the world completing for shiny medals.The sports gala will also hold festivals, music events and art exhibitions that best represent the host city.The Gwangju Universiade Organizing Committee said the “Cultureversiade” would be held on the sidelines of the games in line with the University Games’ concept of “Eco-friendliness, Peace, IT and Culture,” or “EPIC.”In partnership
May 14, 2015
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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