[Herald Interview] Rolls-Royce seeks younger, cooler image

Forget about the dark and heavy-body image of Rolls-Royce. The British supercar is now enticing the youth with its customized policies, said Michael Alexander Schneider, general manager of Asia-Pacific at Rolls Royce Motor Cars. “We have a history of 120 years, but we are also very fond of our future. We are giving the brand cooler and luxurious appeals within our lineup, and whatever we do will greatly help the new customer groups,” he said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday. Sch

MobilityMay 25, 2015

[Herald Interview] Rebuilt Galloper SUVs create demand for ‘dream’ cars

A growing demand for diversity and self-expression is creating new trends in many industries in Korea as its economy matures. The nation’s car industry, long dominated by large domestic carmakers like Hyundai and Kia, is no exception. The latest consumer demand is boosting the sales of foreign cars in Korea. Industry watchers forecast the market share of foreign carmakers in the Korean automotive market will hit a record high of 20 percent by the year-end. It has also created a demand for busine

MobilityMay 25, 2015

[Herald Interview] Herald Philharmonic returning with dynamic repertoire of classical and fusion

Looking to fill the month of May with the varied sounds of comfort and artistic intricacy, conductor Kim Bong-mee is gearing up to lead the newly established Herald Philharmonic Orchestra in its upcoming classical summer performance on Wednesday night. The Herald Phil’s new repertoire will feature a variety of crowd-pleasing musical genres including soulful opera arias to traditional Korean, classic symphonies and some old-school American jazz-fusion. Following its instrumental accompaniment of

PerformanceMay 25, 2015

[Herald Interview] ‘N.K. may not put nukes on sub missile'

JEJUDO ISLAND ― North Korea may not place a nuclear warhead on a submarine-launched ballistic missile, as the underwater launch goes against the principle that only its supreme leader has “central control” of its nuclear arsenal, a U.S. scholar claimed Friday.Peter Hayes, executive director of the U.S.-based Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability, noted that the North’s underwater platform does not have stable means for communication, making it difficult for its ruler Kim Jong-un to

North KoreaMay 22, 2015

[Herald Interview] ‘Korean culture boon for luxury brands’

South Korea has become the darling of global high-end luxury jewelers, with more people being educated about luxuries on top of its very unique celebration culture, said Francis Srun, managing director of Asia-Pacific at the French luxury jewelry house Boucheron. “The celebration of ‘100-days into the relationship’ culture (where men and women buy and wear identical rings) is very interesting and very promising. We say why not 200 days? 300 days?” Srun said in an interview with The Korea Herald

IndustryMay 21, 2015

[Herald Interview] S. Sudan to benchmark Korean education

Less than five years since its independence, the fledgling state of South Sudan is looking to use education as the driving force on route to becoming a developed country, the country’s top official in education said.“We want to transform our education into a modern system that meets all the requirements of society. Without education, there can’t be development,” said South Sudan’s Education Minister John Gai Nyuot Yoh.  John Gai Nyuot Yoh. (Yoon Min-sik/The Korea Herald)In order to achieve this,

Social AffairsMay 21, 2015

[Herald Interview] Educating girls ‘way to end poverty’

U.N. Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka does not mince words when she talks about the education of young girls. “It is the right thing to do,” she said emphatically during an interview with The Korea Herald at a hotel in southern Seoul on Monday. Mlbambo-Ngcuka is in Korea to attend the World Education Forum 2015 being held in Incheon May 19-22.For the developing and underdeveloped countries around the world, investing in women brings about fundamental changes in society, Mlbambo-Ng

Foreign AffairsMay 20, 2015

[Herald Interview] ‘Korea-Japan-U.S. ties no zero-sum game’

Despite the strained ties between Seoul and Tokyo and other challenges, the South Korea-U.S. alliance is “more resilient, deeper and broader than ever,” former U.S. ambassador to Korea Kathleen Stephens said. Concerns persist over Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s drive for a “normal state” and ongoing attempts to undercut the country’s imperial past and previous apologies for wartime atrocities such as its sexual enslavement of Korean women on frontline brothels.This has created tension as S

Foreign AffairsMay 20, 2015

[Herald Interview] The woman behind success of ‘Crossfire’

Korea-made online shooting game “Crossfire,” the very game behind its Chinese distributor Tencent’s stunning growth in recent years, is seeking to repeat its success story around the world. And the big push is led by the game’s development chief Jang Ina, who played a key role in its Chinese success. “Gaming trends change fast and there is some skepticism about the future of the 8-year-old ‘Crossfire.’ But our originality and know-how cannot be easily replicated,” she said in a recent interview

TechnologyMay 20, 2015

[Herald Interview] Exploring modern Korea in ancient trappings

Beneath its ultramodern facade, Korea is a country with all the trappings of shamanism and Confucianism, a new book says. In “Contemporary Korean Culture: the Persistence of Shamanistic and Confucian Values and Practices,” coauthors Kim Eun-gi and Choi Joon-sik seek to explain the social fabric and the mindset of Koreans through the lens of shamanism and Confucianism, examining the origins and manifestation of some of the most enigmatic Korean customs as well as their critique. “In the 21st cent

BooksMay 20, 2015

[Herald Interview] ‘Abe unlikely to apologize in August speech’

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is unlikely to make any apology for his country’s wartime atrocities in a much-anticipated speech to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in August, a Japanese expert said.Yoshihide Soeya, political science professor at Keio University, said that based on Abe’s personal belief that Tokyo’s past apologies were “excessive,” he may refuse to accept Seoul’s repeated calls to express its sincere contrition.“I think if you expect that, you will be dis

Foreign AffairsMay 19, 2015

[Herald Interview] ‘U.S. may not need Japan’s consent to deploy forces to Korea’

The U.S. may not need Japan’s consent to deploy its forces from Japan to the Korean Peninsula in case of a contingency, a Japanese scholar said, noting that Washington has never sought Tokyo’s agreement for a troop dispatch overseas.The issue emerged as another source of diplomatic friction after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said last July that Washington is required to secure “Tokyo’s understanding” should it want to send its marines to handle a peninsular crisis.Speculation has since bee

Foreign AffairsMay 19, 2015

[Herald Interview] Javer discusses life directions, choices through ‘Freak Out'

Swedish director Carl Javer took home top honors at this year’s Green Film Festival in Seoul, held May 7-14, for his documentary “Freak Out.”“It’s an untold true story about how five young kids in their twenties grew up in the first consumer society,” Javer told The Korea Herald in a sit-down in Seoul on May 13. “Their reaction was to leave it, and to say they wanted something else. They revolted against a society that didn’t fulfill their needs.”“Freak Out” director Carl Javer. (Green Film Fest

FilmMay 19, 2015

[Herald Interview] The making of a hero

On the stage of the Blue Square Theater in Seoul’s Itaewon, Chung Sung-hwa exudes the certain aura of a martyr. Standing tall in the spotlight, the actor sings with a deep and rich voice about the lofty ideals of pan-Asian peace to which he is about to sacrifice his life. At least to those loudly applauding in the audience, Chung seems like the reincarnation of Ahn Jung-geun, a real-life Korean hero who assassinated Hirobumi Ito, a four-time prime minister of Japan and a key figure behind the co

PerformanceMay 19, 2015

[Herald Interview] The art and science of translation

On each desk are two copies of a text, one in Korean and the other in English. A handful of students ― some Korean, some international ― pore over each word, comparing and searching. A heated discussion ensues on the English translation of the Korean word “gap gap ha da,” as some favor “suffocating,” while others, “tedious.” A conclusion is difficult to reach, since the word could mean either of the two, or both, or even neither, depending on the context.Thus goes a typical class at the Literatu

PeopleMay 18, 2015

[Herald Interview] Expedia seeks to change Korean vacation perceptions

Koreans take the fewest vacations in the world, according to a survey by Expedia, the world’s largest online travel company.They go on a vacation for about eight days a year, well below the world average of 20 days. The French take about 30 days of vacation.The company’s 2014 survey showed that this was mostly because of the negative perception of vacation by Korean bosses, and their tight work schedule.Faced with Korea’s longstanding rigid labor policy, Expedia seeks to change this by increasin

TravelMay 18, 2015

[Herald Interview] ‘Indian P.M.’s visit aims to cement Korea partnership’

With evolving business ties and increasingly similar strategic perspectives on world affairs, South Korea is one of the most important Asian partners for India, according to India’s ambassador to Seoul, Vikram Doraiswami.In an interview with The Korea Herald last week, the envoy noted that elevating India’s partnership with Korea was a crucial “prerequisite” to ensure the success of New Delhi’s “Act East” policy ― a core foreign policy initiative to deepen the country’s engagement with East Asia

Foreign AffairsMay 17, 2015

[Herald Interview] Agency calls for health care support for North Korea

When Lee Soo-ku, president of the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare, visited a dental facility in North Korea for the first time in the early 2000s, he was almost speechless. “There was literally nothing except a few very basic instruments,” he said. “There was a mouth mirror and an extractor. That’s about it.”Lee, who is also a practicing dentist, has been serving as the head of the KOFIH since 2012. His organization is the only South Korean public agency that provides health care s

Social AffairsMay 14, 2015

[Herald Interview] Jang Hyun-seung hopes to show new side through solo debut

When onstage as a member of Beast or half of the duo Trouble Maker, Jang Hyun-seung exudes charisma and sex appeal. But offstage, at a group interview on Monday at a cafe in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, Jang was soft-spoken and shy as he talked about his first solo EP, “MY.”“I wanted to come without any makeup, but I was afraid you’d think I didn’t really care about the interview,” he said as he sat down in a red flannel shirt and torn jeans, running a hand through his hair.According to Jang, he wante

PerformanceMay 12, 2015

[Herald Interview] True devotion in ‘With or Without You’

Choi Mag-gi and Kim Chun-hee are two old ladies living together in Yeongdeok-gun, North Gyeongsang Province. Their relationship is difficult to explain at first. After Mag-gi lost her two sons to a typhoon and measles, respectively, she and her husband brought in Chun-hee, who has a slight mental impairment, to live with them and to bear them a son. Although Mag-gi’s husband died decades ago, the two women ― the wife and the concubine ― still live together and look after each other.They are the

FilmMay 11, 2015