Most Popular
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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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[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
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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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[Grace Kao] Hybe vs. Ador: Inspiration, imitation and plagiarism
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Samsung chief bolsters ties with Germany’s Zeiss
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NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
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China outpaces Korea in smaller OLED shipments for 1st time
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Med schools expect 1,500+ new admission slots next year
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Guessing game ahead of Nobel literature prize
STOCKHOLM (AFP) ― Amid fevered speculation over who will get the Nobel literature prize this year, punters and experts are considering language, geography, genre and even age to try and pin down the winner.As Stockholm’s literary circles try to draw up an “identikit” of the successor of last year’s winner, Canadian Alice Munro, several much-cited names were considered to be in the running.They range from Japan’s Haruki Murakami via Adonis from Syria to Kenyan Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Czech-born Mil
Oct. 8, 2014
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Celebrating the beauty of Hangeul
Hangeul, the writing system for the Korean language, has always been a source of pride for Koreans. So much so that they mark Oct. 9 as Hangeul Day, a national holiday celebrating its creation more than 500 years ago. Efforts to cherish King Sejong’s great gift to the people went further this year, resulting in a brand new museum dedicated solely to the alphabet. Hangeul museum The National Hangeul Museum opens to the public Thursday, with the stated mission of raising the public’s understanding
Oct. 8, 2014
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Seattle women create dating app to filter out creepy guys
SEATTLE ― In her years of dating, Sarah Z. Wexler, a Portland writer who edited the book “Awful First Dates: Hysterical, True, and Heartbreakingly Bad,” has been the recipient of crude, overtly sexual opening lines. “I couldn’t believe that was the first contact this man initiated with me ― to think that that would ever work.”Surprise. It didn’t. But that doesn’t stop thousands of men from inundating women with messages in dating apps ― today’s virtual version of a singles bar ― that are by turn
Oct. 8, 2014
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Sentimental old owners laud new owners’ redo of family home in struggling mill town
PITTSBURGH ― In the Pittsburgh area, it’s common to have a house in one family for multiple generations. What isn’t common is for a family member to write a letter to the newspaper praising what the new owners have done to the family home.“The transformation of the property, in a before and after sense, is amazing,” wrote Jack Ciciarelli. “This is an excellent example of what can be accomplished with a typical house on a typical street in any one of our local struggling mill towns that have seen
Oct. 8, 2014
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When changgeuk meets Greek tragedy
Euripedes’ epic Greek tragedy “Medea” is downright terrifying and brutal. The ill-fated Medea, a princess of Colchis, takes revenge upon her husband Jason for cheating on her by killing the people around him, including their children, one by one. The tale of Medea’s cold-hearted retaliation was told recently through changgeuk, a Korean traditional opera which is performed like a play in pansori (Korean folk narrative) style. The changgeuk version, which explores Medea’s side of the story depicts
Oct. 6, 2014
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Lukewarm welcome for Lindsay Lohan stage debut
LONDON (AP) ― It wasn’t a car crash, but there weren’t fireworks, either. Critics gave a lukewarm welcome to Lindsay Lohan’s professional stage debut last week, which followed months of hype and speculation about whether the wayward star was up to the job. “Shock news: Lindsay Lohan can act a bit,” wrote Dominic Maxwell in The Times on Friday after the opening night of David Mamet’s Hollywood satire “Speed-the Plow.” The Guardian’s Michael Billington called Lohan’s performance “perfectly credita
Oct. 5, 2014
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Marketplace for performing arts to open in Seoul
The Performing Arts Market in Seoul will run from Oct. 7-11 at the National Theater of Korea in Jangchung-dong, central Seoul.The annual event, organized by the state-run Korea Art Management Service, provides a marketplace for people in the performing arts industry to buy and sell performances, while exchanging resources and industry information. The festival aims to help diverse Korean shows advance to other countries, while enhancing a creative collaboration network among participants. “Marki
Sept. 30, 2014
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Book festival returns to Paju
An annual literary festival will be held at Paju Book City in Gyeonggi Province, bringing over 500 writers from home and abroad to present and discuss a wide range of literary works. “Paju Booksori Festival,” marking its fourth year, will kick off this week from Oct. 3-12 for a 10-day run at different venues in Paju Book City, a cluster of some 260 Korean publishing houses in Paju. “Last year, in its third year, the festival was selected as a representative festival by the Ministry of Culture, S
Sept. 29, 2014
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Change afoot in Pyongyang? In fashion, yes
PYONGYANG (AP) ― High heels, with sequins. Brightly colored, tight-fitting dresses. Hairstyles and makeup that are almost like what you would expect on streets of Beijing or Seoul. Something is definitely afoot in the style scene of North Korea’s capital. Most North Koreans remain too poor to think much about fashion, and the country in general maintains a deep-rooted resistance to outside influences. But in Pyongyang, where the standard of living is relatively high, clothes and styles have been
Sept. 28, 2014
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A creature of habit
Writer Bae Su-ah is prone to carsickness and cannot travel to Seoul for the interview, I am told. So on the Friday afternoon before the long Chuseok holiday, I get on a bus to Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, for an hourlong ride, hoping that I can keep my nausea in check.Bae works at home and does not feel comfortable doing an interview there, so she has picked out a cafe to meet at. Upon arrival, I find it has been the venue for several previous interviews, recognizing the particular blinds from phot
Sept. 26, 2014
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Calendar
ROYAL MUSIC AT NIGHT ― Musicians practice Jongmyo Jeryeak, the UNESCO-listed royal ancestral ritual music, at Jongmyo, a Confucian shrine for Joseon kings and queens in Seoul, on Thursday. The grandiose royal music will be performed at night from Sept. 26-28. (Yonhap)Classical musicChung Myung-whun piano recital: Maestro Chung Myung-whun will hold his first recital tour of Korea as a pianist, not as a conductor as he is widely known now, starting in Changwon on Oct. 5. He will play in Daegu on
Sept. 26, 2014
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Seoul brims with art, culture and fun
In Korea, the arrival of fall is signaled by many things: cooler, dryer, but still pleasantly warm weather, the national Chuseok holiday, a bountiful harvest, and hikers flocking to mountains to take in the fall foliage. Marking the season, the nation’s capital is hosting a variety of fall festivals, offering its citizens and visitors a chance to indulge in music, arts, food, culture or just fun. In the performing arts scene, the buzz is all about the inaugural Korea Art Festival Autumn 2014 whi
Sept. 24, 2014
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Terrariums can update indoor greenery
Easy-to-make miniature landscapes, or terrariums, make for interesting accessories in just about any room in your home. They seem fitting for all seasons of the year, but it’s during the colder months that the green is so welcome. It doesn’t take much time or money to fill your home with these tiny gems. Just follow these three easy steps and create terrariums to dress up your home or a friend’s home, make them as gifts and even sell them at fundraisers! Easy-to-make miniature landscapes, or ter
Sept. 24, 2014
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[Herald Interview] Following the call of a creative mind
Musically, Steve Barakatt has little left to prove in Korea. The New Age composer and pianist from Quebec, Canada, is so adored by Koreans that he finds himself returning again and again to give concerts, collaborate with top local artists or just to meet fans. From “Rainbow Bridge,” one of his earliest hits from the late ’90s, to his 2011 work “He is from Seoul, She is from Pyongyang,” his music has gained popularity that not many other artists ― Korean or non-Korean ― have achieved here. “Rain
Sept. 23, 2014
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‘Lion King’ sets musical box office record
NEW YORK (AP) ― Here’s something the folks at Disney can take real pride in: “The Lion King” is the top ticket of all time. With a worldwide gross of over $6.2 billion, “The Lion King” stage musical has now achieved the most successful box office total of any work in any media in entertainment history, The Associated Press has learned. The show quietly took over top spot from the $6 billion-earning “The Phantom of the Opera” late this summer, according to representatives from both shows. “Phanto
Sept. 23, 2014
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‘Nutcracker’ set in desert
JOHANNESBURG (AFP) ― It’s danced to Tchaikovsky’s famous melody, but it’s not your traditional Christmas “Nutcracker”: the Joburg Ballet has set it in the Kalahari desert among ancient Bushmen paintings.The winter theme has been replaced with sun, sand and baobab trees.The role of the Sugar Plum Fairy is instead played by a sangoma or traditional healer, and the famous “Russian Dance” is performed in overalls and gumboots.“The Nutcracker Reimagined” comes with the original music and story line o
Sept. 22, 2014
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Calendar
Exhibition“The Art of Dansaekhwa”: Kukje Gallery in Seoul brings together the works of key Dansaekhwa artists from the 1970s and 1980s in the exhibition “The Art of Dansaekhwa,” which runs through Oct. 19. Curated by Yoon Jin-seob, art curator and promoter of the term Dansaekhwa in the global art world, the exhibition showcases some 18 monochrome paintings, offering insight into the Korean Dansaekhwa movement and its distinctive style. For more information, call (02) 735-8449. “Conjunction” by
Sept. 19, 2014
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The art of reading trends
This is the 15th in a series highlighting women and their accomplishments in the various facets of the Korean entertainment industry. ― Ed. While you may be unfamiliar with the name Lee Shin, chances are you’ve come across her work on album covers or even used one of the series of emoticons she designed for KakaoTalk. “Foul-Mouthed Grandma” and the “Dog Series” have been particularly popular. As the design director at Hansigan, Lee develops the concepts for characters and leads the team that des
Sept. 18, 2014
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Peter Fonda’s ‘Easy Rider’ bike going to auction
NEW YORK (AP) ― The customized Captain America chopper Peter Fonda rode in “Easy Rider” has come to symbolize the counterculture of the 1960s. Now it’s for sale. The auction house Profiles in History told The Associated Press that it estimates the Harley-Davidson will bring $1 million to $1.2 million at its Oct. 18 sale being held online and at its galleries in Calabasas, California. The seller is Michael Eisenberg, a California businessman who once co-owned a Los Angeles motorcycle-themed resta
Sept. 18, 2014
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Chinese vases soar 120 times past estimate to fetch $1.2m
NEW YORK (Bloomberg) ― A pair of Chinese porcelain vases sold Monday for $1.2 million at Doyle New York, soaring 120 times past its low estimate. The two 16-inch tall glazed vases, painted with branches of blooming peonies on a turquoise background, each had a Qianlong-era seal on its base, referring to the reign of the Qianlong Emperor from 1736 to 1795. Estimated at $10,000 to $15,000, they were part of Doyle’s “Asian Works of Art” sale in New York. The price includes buyer’s commission. A pa
Sept. 17, 2014