Most Popular
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal
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[Weekender] Korean psyche untangled: Musok
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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[Eye Interview] 'If you live to 100, you might as well be happy,' says 88-year-old bestselling essayist
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From fake prostitution ring to nonexistent robber, prank calls hamper police
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N. Korea slams US, other countries for seeking alternative to UN sanctions monitoring panel
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Missing S. Korean traveler in Paris found safe after 2 weeks
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Defense chiefs of US, Australia, Japan decry NK-Russia military cooperation
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Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
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[Weekender] Get in the mood for Seollal
Seollal, or the Lunar New Year, is one of the few times in Korea when tradition comes out from behind its ultramodern facade and to the fore. During the holiday, which this year falls on Feb. 18-20, most Koreans rekindle with distant family members and pay respects to one’s ancestors through “charye,” offering up a table full of food on the first morning of the New Year. Koreans and foreigners exchange Lunar New Year greetings. (The Korea Herald)Aside from the ancestral rite, one of the most com
Feb. 13, 2015
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[Weekender] Celebrating holiday with tradition
The Lunar New Year holiday is a great opportunity for locals and expats to experience traditional Korean activities. For those who are at a loss for how to spend these five days off, we suggest you take advantage of the various holiday promotions being offered at cultural sites around Korea. The National Gugak Center’s folk music group giving a “pangut” percussion performance (National Gugak Center)Palaces, tombs and games On Feb. 19, Lunar New Year’s Day, the Cultural Heritage Administration wi
Feb. 13, 2015
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‘The top person must want change’
“Sorry seems to be the hardest word,” crooned singer Elton John; “Hard to say I’m sorry,” belted rock group Chicago ― indeed, the word “sorry” appears to be a difficult word to utter, so caught up are we in not wanting to appear weak.However, according to Kim Hoh, founder and head coach of THE LAB h who specializes in crisis management and communication, “sorry” is the word of the strong. Kim Hoh (sixth from right) conducts a workshop at Hyundai Card last year. (THE LAB h)“People think apology
Feb. 13, 2015
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Highlights: Theatre, Dance, Exhibition, Pop Music, Festivals
Theater“Heavy Metal Girls”: Joo-young, Eun-joo, Jung-min and Boo-jin are all 40-year-old women working at the same small company. When they all face a possibility of layoff, they decide to learn heavy metal, to impress their new boss who is a heavy metal fanatic. “Heavy Metal Girls” runs through March 1 at Yegreen Theatre in Daehangno, Seoul. Tickets are priced at 20,000 won and 30,000 won. For more information, call (02) 744-7090.“The Best in Tragedy”: The play centers on the playwright and Nob
Feb. 13, 2015
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Sejong arts center appoints new CEO
Lee Seung-yeop, art management professor of Korea National University of Arts, has been appointed head of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts this week. Lee Seung-yeop, CEO of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. (Sejong Center for the Performing Arts)Lee, 53, began his three-year term on Thursday with a goal to make the arts center an accessible and friendly place for Seoul citizens. “I will promote the brand value of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts so that it can be the
Feb. 13, 2015
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‘We should be more proud of our history’
CHEONAN, South Chungcheong Province ― In the spacious, multibuilding history museum Independence Hall of Korea, there is a prominent spot dedicated to Yun Bong-gil, hailed as a national hero who willingly sacrificed his life to protest Japan’s colonial rule of Korea. Yun Ju-keyng, granddaughter of independence fighter Yun Bong-gil and president of the Independence Hall of Korea (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)The museum’s president, Yun Ju-keyng, has passed it numerous times, and every time it n
Feb. 6, 2015
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Highlights
TheaterCast members rehearse for the play “The Best in Tragedy.” (Bananamoon)“The Best in Tragedy”: The play centers on the playwright and Nobel laureate Goh Il-bong, who has devoted his entire life to writing tragedies. But what he does not realize is that while he is writing a masterpiece on life and death, his wife is slowly dying. “The Best in Tragedy,” which raises questions about the meaning of life, tragedy and time, runs through Feb. 21 at the Byeoloreum Theater of the National Theater o
Feb. 6, 2015
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Ahn Jung-geun musical to be staged in Harbin
An original Korean musical about independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun will greet audiences in the Chinese city of Harbin, the show’s producer said Thursday. Harbin is where the Korean man shot dead a prominent Japanese statesman more than 100 years ago to protest the then-imperialistic country’s colonization of Korea. A scene from the musical “Hero.” (Acom International)“Hero” will be staged three times at the 1,600-seat Global Theatre of the Harbin International Convention Center on Feb. 7 and 8
Feb. 5, 2015
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Books as new breed of hallyu
With its roots in Korean TV dramas and pop music, the Korean Wave, or hallyu, has generated great interest in Korean culture. Now, the country wants to take this chance to present other cultural areas, including publications, to the world. Kim Seong-kon, president of the LTI Korea, speaks during the business information session held for the publications industry in Seoul on Wednesday. (LTI Korea)The roadmap for the development of the local publication industry, unveiled Wednesday by the Ministr
Feb. 5, 2015
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Michelangelo’s last surviving bronzes ‘identified in Britain’
LONDON, (AFP) ― The only two surviving bronzes by Italian Renaissance master Michelangelo are thought to have been identified with the help of a tiny clue in a 500-year-old sketch, British researchers said Monday.The bronzes, “Bacchants Riding On Panthers,” date from 1506-08 and show a muscular pair of nude male revelers, arms raised in triumph to the sky, astride snarling panthers. One of two bronze statues named “Bacchants Riding on Panthers,” thought to be by Italian Renaissance master Michel
Feb. 3, 2015
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Myanmar coffee scene fueled by middle class caffeine high
YANGON (AFP) ― Behind a wooden counter in downtown Yangon’s Coffee Club, the unmistakable hiss of a barista steaming milk briefly drowns out a funky soundtrack piped through a store filled with students glued to their smartphones.In any other Asian capital it would be a ubiquitous sight. But in Yangon, this is something new.Long absent from the region’s booming cafe culture, Myanmar’s commercial capital is now witnessing a surge in swish coffee bars providing an alternative to the treacly instan
Feb. 2, 2015
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A million rare documents damaged in Moscow library blaze
MOSCOW (AFP) ― A fire that ripped through one of Russia’s largest university libraries is believed to have damaged over one million historic documents, with some describing the fire as a cultural “Chernobyl.”The blaze, which started Friday and was still not completely out on Saturday evening, ravaged 2,000 square meters of the Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences in Moscow, which was created in 1918 and holds 10 million documents with some dating back to the 16th century. Fire
Feb. 1, 2015
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Calendar
Exhibitions“New Wave: The Road of Memories”: A group exhibition of Asian artists will run at and.n gallery from Feb. 3-21. The exhibition invites emerging artists from South Korea, China, Taiwan, India and Indonesia whose works have gained international recognition. Six artists showcase some 20 paintings that portray their individual memories. South Korean artist Shim Bong-min depicts childhood memories in gray concrete apartment settings. Chinese artist Liu Xia captures the past memories in sti
Jan. 30, 2015
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Smithsonian working to finalize deal for new site in London
WASHINGTON (AP) ― As London works to redevelop its Olympic park from 2012 with a new cultural center, it could eventually include an import from the United States. The Smithsonian Institution is working to establish its first international museum outpost in Britain.London’s mayor and developers for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park site have secured $50 million in private contributions for the Smithsonian, the world’s largest museum and research complex, to help anchor in a new “Olympicopolis” cu
Jan. 29, 2015
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‘Hallyu needs next big thing’
The popularity of Korean culture and entertainment in some Asian countries, namely pop music and TV dramas, has generated much excitement at home over the past few years. The entire country is intent on figuring out the best way to capitalize on it. Yet, for the Korean Wave, or “hallyu,” to continue amid the rising tide of cultural protectionism overseas, Korea must create the next big thing in the near future, said the chief of the Korea Creative Content Agency. “The next three years are crucia
Jan. 27, 2015
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Joseon-era exam papers to be revealed
More ancient Korean documents will be revealed to the public as part of a project of the Academy of Korean Studies to highlight Korea’s rich history and tradition, said Lee Bae-yong, president of the AKS, at a news conference on Tuesday in Seoul. “The Academy has an extensive archive of valuable ancient materials, but we haven’t been active in sharing the ancient treasures with the public. We plan to bring the valuable resources to people and let their important lessons be told in contemporary s
Jan. 27, 2015
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‘Comfort women’ testimonies available online
Testimonies given by 12 Korean victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery are now available online, courtesy of a Seoul-based governmental institute.The Northeast Asian History Foundation announced Tuesday the launch of a webpage with the testimonies as part of its ongoing efforts to raise public awareness on the so-called “comfort women,” who were forced to provide sex for front-line Japanese soldiers during World War II. Titled “Stories Making History,” the section features the detailed life st
Jan. 27, 2015
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Learn Korean vocabulary online
The King Sejong Institute has launched an online resource to help people studying Korean learn common phrases more easily using pictures and sounds. The institute, run by the International Korean Language Foundation, will begin a new section on its website starting Thursday, which explains key Korean words and phrases with pictures. The section also includes sounds, helping users hear how the Korean words are pronounced. For the first week, the section will feature vocabulary related to fruits a
Jan. 27, 2015
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Spanish casket bears ‘Quixote’ author’s initials: researchers
MADRID (AFP) ― Researchers looking for the remains of Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes said Monday they had found part of a casket at a Madrid convent bearing the initials of the “Don Quixote” author.The team made the find over the weekend inside an alcove in the crypt at the Convent of the Barefoot Trinitarians during excavations aimed at solving the mystery of the writer’s final resting place. “Remains of caskets were found, wood, rocks, some bone fragments and indeed one of the fragments of
Jan. 27, 2015
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Botched repair of Tut mask reversible: German conservator
CAIRO (AFP) ― The damage caused by a botched repair of the mask of Tutankhamun that left dried glue on the priceless relic may be undone with careful treatment, a German conservator said Saturday.The golden funerary mask, one of the main tourist attractions at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, bears the sticky aftermath of what appears to have been overzealous use of glue to fix its beard in place.The beard had fallen off accidently when the mask was removed from its case last year to repair the lig
Jan. 26, 2015