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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[Grace Kao] American racism against Stray Kids
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In Beijing, S. Korean top diplomat aims to jumpstart ties with China
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NewJeans' members' parents complained to Hybe, email shows
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Suspect behind murder of Korean tourist in Pattaya arrested
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Prosecutors summon pastor involved in Dior bag scandal
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[Graphic News] Over 80% of people filing bankruptcy in Seoul in their 50s and older
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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
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Corporate sponsorship of arts win-win: Mecenat chief Park
Companies promoting their products and services through art sponsorships and cultural events are often frowned upon in Korea. But Park Sam-koo, chief of Kumho Asiana Group, has questioned why.Park, who has recently taken up the chairmanship of the Korea Mecenat Association, said it can be a “win-win situation for both enterprises and the artists,” during his first press conference in Seoul on Thursday as chief of the association, a local advocacy group for corporate sponsorship of the arts. Comp
April 9, 2015
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Biographies of Korean patriots to be published
The Independence Hall of Korea announced Wednesday the launch of a five-year project that traces the legacies of thousands of Korean independence activists and compiles them into an encyclopedia. “The Who’s Who in the Korean Independence Movement” will feature 16,000 patriots who campaigned against Japanese colonial rule, including well-known heroes Ahn Jung-geun and Yun Bong-gil. The encyclopedia is expected to be published in 2019, the year that marks the 100th anniversary of the foundation of
April 8, 2015
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Keeping records of Sewol sinking
Posters of a K-pop boy band and a big stuffed bear imply the owner of the room must be a teenage girl. Indeed, sitting at the center of the room is a large portrait of a girl with the typical look of a Korean high school student with short, straight hair. But she hasn’t been home since April 16, 2014. Seventeen-year-old Danwon High School sophomore Han Se-young was one of the 304 who perished when the Sewol ferry sank off the southern coast of Korea. She was on a school trip to Jejudo Island, wi
April 8, 2015
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Poet Ahn Do-hyun's work to be published in English
An English translation of a fable by poet Ahn Do-hyun will be published in Britain this week, his agency said Wednesday. The book, titled "The Salmon Who Dared to Leap Higher," will be released on Thursday (in British time) by Pan Macmillan, one of the largest British book publishers, according to KL Management, which had planned the book's overseas release. This is the first of Ahn's books to be translated into English. It was translated by Deborah Smith, who specializes in English-language
April 8, 2015
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Exploring the bounds of Korean art at Seoul Station
A peculiar sculpture greets visitors at the old Seoul Station building. Dangling from the ceiling in the main lobby of the building is a tangled clump of twisted wooden ropes that are studded with rocks. All of the materials are from nature, but the wooden stalks are painted red, yellow, blue and white ― colors that conjure images of the cluttered manmade chaos of electrical wires. Artist Cha Ki-youl, who created the piece, “The Journey of Circulation/A Period Between Ark and Kangmok,” said it w
April 5, 2015
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Korea, France to launch cultural exchange programs
Korean culture will be on display throughout France starting this September as part of a cultural exchange program to mark the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and France next year. The first lineup of 85 Korean cultural programs were announced Tuesday by the Korean committee of the cultural exchange program. Programs range from concerts, performances and exhibitions of major modern and contemporary Korean artists to a retrospective of revered filmmaker Im Kwon-taek.
March 31, 2015
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From branding guru to traditional arts patron
At the hill of Mount Namsan, where a sprawling metropolis of 10.5 million starts to give way to a forest of leafy trees, a small museum opened in December. Nestled inside are wooden chests, tables, jewelry boxes and other intricate craftworks lacquered and decorated with exquisite mother-of-pearl inlays. Everything inside is the private collection of Sohn Hye-won. “I never thought that I would really do this -- open a museum,” said Sohn, 60, in an interview at the Korea Mother-Of-Pearl Art Museu
March 27, 2015
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S. Korea's Bae Doona wins best actress at Asian Film Awards
South Korean actress Bae Doona has won the best actress award for her performance in the Korean film "A Girl at My Door" at the ninth Asian Film Awards in Macau, China, her agency said Friday. (Yonhap)Bae won the honor during the awards ceremony held on Wednesday, beating Gong Li of the Chinese film "Coming Home" and Tang Wei of another Chinese film, "The Golden Era," Saetbyuldang Entertainment said.Directed by July Jung, "A Girl at My Door" tells the story of a female police officer (played by
March 27, 2015
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Seoul city to create cinema park on central street
The city government of Seoul said Wednesday it will create a cinema-themed park on the centrally located Chungmuro film street in effort to help support the development of the local film industry.The cinema park will be completed by 2018 on the old film street that symbolizes South Korea's history of modern movie making as the location of the country's first movie theater, according to the city.Now the street stands languid as most of the film studios have moved to more vibrant southern areas. T
March 25, 2015
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Two Korean films among 2014's top 10 foreign movies in North America
Two Korean films -- "Roaring Currents" and "Ode to My Father" -- ranked among the top 10 best-selling foreign films that opened in North American theaters last year, the movies' investor-distributor said Wednesday."'Roaring Currents' and 'Ode to My Father' took sixth and ninth place, respectively, garnering $2.59 million and $2.28 million in cumulative sales," CJ E&M said, citing recent data from Rentrak Corp. that provides a box office tracking service in North America.This marks the first time
March 25, 2015
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Seoul Fashion Week amps up color in vivid womenswear
Brown and burgundy are no longer the go-to colors for the cooler seasons in Korea, it seems. Brimming with color, experimental fabrics and unexpected twists, the first day of Seoul Fashion Week 2015 Fall/Winter Womenswear kicked off on March 23 at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza.“So many designers elsewhere use similar colors, especially for the fall-winter season, but the color mix of Korean fashion is unique.” said Ritta aka Miss X, a buyer from the Chinese city of Chongqing. Kaal E. Suktae: Carto
March 24, 2015
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[Weekender] Home awakening
Preparing for a foray here last year, Ikea, a global home furnishing giant, did some research on Korean consumers, collecting as many images of their homes as possible. What it ended up with were hordes of images of almost identical-looking apartment units: white wallpaper, cookie-cutter room and furniture layouts and, above all, the decided lack of decorative items. Lee Yu-rim, who runs home interior shops in Seoul, calls this the “dark age” of Korean homes. For decades, furniture was something
March 20, 2015