Most Popular
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Yoon, Lee end first talks with differences, agree to meet more
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What is Hybe’s next move?
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China outpaces Korea in smaller OLED shipments for 1st time
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Medical profs at top hospitals suspend surgeries, clinics
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Police to open alleged stalking probe over pastor over Dior bag scandal
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'Queen of Tears' finale sets record viewership ratings as tvN's most-watched series ending
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Samsung chip business back on track, logs W1.9tr operating profit in Q1
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[News Focus] Lee tells Yoon that he has governed without political dialogue
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Hopes rise for possible Gaza truce deal
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Shinsegae faces showdown with investors over SSG.com's delayed IPO
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Asia's biggest aerospace museum to open in Jeju
Asia's largest aerospace museum is set to open on South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju next month to provide visitors with a chance to learn about aviation and space, its operator said Monday. The Jeju Aerospace Museum in the southwestern part of the island will showcase exhibitions on aviation, space exploration and planetary science, according to the Jeju Free International City Development Center.After some six years of construction with funding of 115 billion won ($106.7 million), t
March 24, 2014
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Embracing the alien spaceship
The alien spaceship that landed smack in the middle of Seoul opened its doors on Friday with much fanfare. And judging by the crowd that flocked to the cavernous belly of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza on the first two days of its opening ― more than 58,000 visitors on Friday and 168,000 on Saturday, according to its overseer the Seoul Design Foundation ― the latest Seoul landmark, often ridiculed as a “spaceship,” may win over the skeptics who argue that the “monstrous building” costing some 500 b
March 23, 2014
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Calendar
Pop music“Travis Live in Seoul”: Scottish rock band Travis is returning to Korea with its first solo concert in Seoul in five years. Led by Fran Healy on vocals, Travis first formed in the early ’90s in Glasgow and made a name for itself as one of the most well-respected acts from the U.K. Although Travis has always seemed to float below the radar, without having joined the ranks of the most iconic rock bands, the rockers are still often credited with having influenced British bands such as Cold
March 21, 2014
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Composer making name for himself
Given Korea’s thriving classical music scene, it is surprising how little support there is in Korea for composers. With little public interest in contemporary classical music and anemic financial support for composition, composers often struggle to make ends meet with the music they make. Ryu Jea-joon, however, is an exception. The 43-year-old is making a name for himself in the tough field, although he is more recognized overseas than domestically. With an album with Naxos, a leading classical
March 20, 2014
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Dreaming ‘the ultimate hallyu’
Investing in a country’s image abroad can be a costly wager. While it requires a well-coordinated strategy on various levels and dimensions, an army of skilled and passionate country marketers, and most importantly, sufficient time and money, there is no guarantee of measurable success, given its elusive target: global citizens. Yet, Won Yong-gi, Korea’s chief PR man, has a clear vision and ideas to realize it. “In the past, we may have lacked the substance (to show to the world.) But now we hav
March 19, 2014
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Old newspapers available via digital archive
Seven of Korea’s oldest newspapers have been made available to the public in an online archive run by the National Library of Korea, the state-run library said Wednesday. “A digital archive of old newspapers published from 1939-1949 is now searchable online,” it said in a press release. At www.dibrary.net, the archive covers a total of 146,736 articles printed in seven dailies ― Kukmin Shinbo, Dongnip Shinmun, Daehan Dongnip Shinmun, Dongnip Shinbo, Minjung Ilbo, Joseon Joongang Ilbo and Joongan
March 19, 2014
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Students press professors to open minds to cheaper textbooks
SEATTLE ― In deciding which classes she’ll take every quarter, Alissa Ramberg often applies the textbook-cost-factor test: She figures out which professors require pricey textbooks, and avoids those classes.The University of Washington senior and student-government senator, who is majoring in political science, has also put off taking classes ― and even chosen alternative courses that still fill the requirement ― to try to control how much she must shell out for books.The price of college textbo
March 19, 2014
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The hearth can sell the home: Fireplaces available in many styles
HACKENSACK, New Jersey ― Vikki Ruisch had a fireplace in her house, but it was in a room her family barely used. So during a remodeling project last year, she had a fireplace built in her heavily trafficked living room, where everyone could enjoy it.Ruisch figured it would add value to her Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, house, but that wasn’t really an incentive. She grew up having a fireplace in her home and just wanted one, or two. She also had one put in the master bedroom.“I don’t know anyone w
March 19, 2014
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Murakami to publish short story collection next month
TOKYO (AFP) ― Best-selling Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami next month will publish his first compilation of short stories in nine years, including one new offering, his publisher said Monday. The compilation titled “Onna no Inai Otokotachi” ― which can be translated as “Men Without Women” ― will be published on April 18, the Bungei Shunju publishing house said. The collection will include five short novels which have already been published separately in magazines and one new offering. Among th
March 18, 2014
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Seoul to create traditional Korean music zone
The Seoul municipal government said Monday it planned to create a special zone in the center of the city dedicated to traditional Korean music to help preserve musical traditions and attract tourists. Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to designate a 770-meter stretch of street from Changdeok Palace to Jongno 3-ga Station as a special zone for traditional music by about 2016.The completion aims to coincide with the completion of the Donhwamun Korean Traditional Performing Arts Center across fro
March 17, 2014
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American accordionist Pauline Oliveros brings ‘deep listening’ to Korea
American musician Pauline Oliveros first picked up the accordion when she was only 9 years old. Now, more than 70 years later, she still hasn’t put it down. Oliveros’ love of the accordion had not transcended into her love of music, but her curiosity of sound and how people hear and process noise. When she was 16, she discovered her inner hearing abilities as a musician and decided to become a composer. This became the launching point for her new love affair with listening. “It became clear to m
March 17, 2014
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Petition starts on stolen seals in U.S.
A group of Korean-Americans have started an online petition asking U.S. President Barack Obama to bring a set of Korean national treasures ― apparently stolen by U.S. nationals and currently under the custody of U.S. authorities ― to Korea when he visits the country in April. The motion, posted March 13 on We the People, an online petition site of the White House, calls for the retrieval of a total of 11 national seals and royal court signets from the Joseon era (1392-1910), Korea’s last ruling
March 16, 2014
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London music festival to highlight Korean artists
This summer, Korean music will have its moment in London. A series of events showcasing Korean classical music, pop and gugak are planned throughout the city as part of the annual City of London Festival, which will take place June 22-July 17. It is a brand new project that the festival is starting since a new director ― Paul Gudgin who led the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 1999 to 2007 ― took charge in April last year. “We are creating a strand in the 2014 City of London Festival called ‘Seoul
March 16, 2014
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Around the Hotels
Special dinner package at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul’s signature restaurant The Lounge is presenting a special dinner package for couples looking for a romantic night out together. The “Special Moments at the Park” package features a three-course dinner for two and half a bottle of premium champagne prepared at a special window table decorated with flowers and candles. Upon request, a personalized letter can be placed inside the menu as a special surprise for someone. The package also incl
March 14, 2014
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[Newsmaker] Korean Catholics deserve spotlight
It’s official: Pope Francis is coming to Korea. His visit was widely predicted. In multiple news reports, sources at the Vatican and Seoul had said the papal visit was highly likely. Still, the announcement by the Vatican on Monday was a source of surprise, and of course joy, for many Catholics here because the holy man decided to commit the entire five days of his trip to Asia, his first as pontiff, to Korea. Since becoming pope a year ago, he has received invitations from a number of countries
March 12, 2014
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It’s hats off, and everything else, as nudist resort marks 50 years
ORLANDO, Florida ― Hans Stein is 86 years old and ― except for tennis shoes ― naked as the day he was born.Fit and looking much younger than his years, he has a simple explanation: “It’s the nudist lifestyle!”Stein and his wife, 81-year old Lisa, are part of a cadre of longtime members at Cypress Cove, a nudist resort near Kissimmee, Florida, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.Like the Steins ― who are German-born Canadians ― a number of members are foreign-born, and they use words such
March 12, 2014
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‘Hola, Salsa’: Disputed origins of Latin music’s most popular genre
Latin music as we know it comes from a harmonious marriage of African drums and Spanish guitar, and salsa, perhaps the most popular and complex of all Latin musical genres, is no exception. However, the origin of salsa remains a hot topic of debate.Yet the exotic allure of its exciting sound is immensely popular all over the world, including right here in South Korea.The sizzling Afro-Cuban rhythms of son montuno, guaguanco, mambo, cha-cha-cha, guaracha and rumba, together with plena and charang
March 12, 2014
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New breed of cafes lures Iranian coffee lovers
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ― Shoulder to shoulder, cheek to cheek, young women and men sit next to each other while a thick film of cigarette smoke fills the dimly lit cafe in central Tehran. Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” blares from the speakers. Young Iranians with slick smartphones and packs of American-made cigarettes who frequent the cafe come for the chance to hang out, away from the eyes of moralizing elders. They also form a bloc of strong support for moderate President Hassan Rouhani a
March 12, 2014
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Pope Francis to visit S. Korea in Aug.
SEOUL, March 10 (Yonhap) – Pope Francis will meet with President Park Geun-hye and attend a gathering of Catholic youths from more than a dozen Asian nations in his first visit to South Korea this August, Seoul's presidential office said Monday.The Aug. 14-18 visit by the symbol of modest living and neighborly love will be a good opportunity to spread a message of love and peace not only to the Korean Peninsula, but also Northeast Asia, presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook said.During the trip,
March 10, 2014
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Three operas, three different charms
The arrival of spring means the opening of an opera season. Kicking off this spring opera lineup are three classic operas, each with a different color and charm: comedy, tragedy and something in between. ‘Don Giovanni’The National Opera Company of Korea brings an experimental, small-scale production of Mozart’s classic opera “Don Giovanni” to Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul. Taking place at a 1,000-seat CJ Towol Theater at the center, which opens this spring after renovation, the production
March 9, 2014