Soprano Cathleen Kim refrains from talking before performing. Sparing the vocal cords helps not only vocally, given that she has to pull off stratospheric coloratura arias on stage. It also helps her stay focused on the character she has to become. Then as she walks on stage, she feels that something inside her flips the switch that turns her stage persona on. “From the very first step onto th...

This is the last installment in an 11-part series of interviews with chiefs of United Nations offices in Korea. ― Ed. Amid concerns over its dwindling commitment to climate initiatives, South Korea should muster the political will to follow through on its international pledges to curb emissions and the green growth initiative, the chief of the U.N. Office for Sustainable Development said. Seoul...

The key for women seeking to break through the glass ceiling is to stop thinking too much about it and focus more on getting their work done, according to Hwang Mi-young, chief customer officer of Kyobo Life Insurance. “A keen awl is visible even when you try to hide it inside your pocket. What I am trying to say is that if you have the ability to prove your worth, everyone will acknowledge it a...

Lab Series, an Estee Lauder skin care line for men, believes less is more when it comes to men’s cosmetics. “For beginners, starting with one or two ― perhaps all-in-one products ― is enough. When they are ready, they could mix some more,” said Paul Jarrod Frank, a skin care expert at Lab Series, in a recent interview with The Korea Herald. “I would rather have customers buy a single classic pr...

When people think of Kim Nam-gil ― a 33-year-old actor with a lean, masculine physique ― they often describe him as coldhearted and intense with sad, mysterious eyes, thanks to the revenge-seeking characters he played in 2010 TV drama “Bad Guys” and recent show “Shark.” But little has been shown of what lies beneath his dark and weighty roles: a hilarious, talkative, laid-back man who at times “...

Uber, a fast-growing car-sharing app based out of Silicon Valley, said it can boost a wider range of transportation choices for consumers, and encourage the local cab industry to improve its services and abolish malpractices such as ride refusals and overcharging. Calvin Kang, general manager of Uber Korea, said that it hopes to convince the Seoul government via a dialogue to see these positive ...

Hana Financial Group executives should first gain the trust of Korea Exchange Bank employees before taking steps to merge KEB with Hana Bank, KEB union spokesman Kim Bo-heon said. “The 2012 agreement with Hana, which guaranteed KEB’s managerial independence for the following five years, basically embodies our hopes to secure KEB’s identity and competency. Breaking that promise means breaking the...

Takehiko Kikuchi, president of Nissan Korea, said he had the most exciting and memorable moments of his career over the past year as its Korean business gained sales momentum. “It was the most exciting year of my life,” Kikuchi recalled during an interview with The Korea Herald. He joined the Korean unit of the Japanese auto giant last July. With the successful launches of several new models ra...

Within four years, Paris-based baker Gontran Cherrier has grown a solitary bakery into an international, multi-location behemoth. While people can now gnaw on Cherrier’s creations in countries as far away from his native France as Singapore, Japan and as of July 17, South Korea, the far-reaching global spread of the star baker’s bread does not seem to have diminished the artisanal bent of his wo...

Climate change is emerging as a critical factor in the development of a sustainable water management model as many countries across the world have suffered from various water-related natural disasters, such as unprecedented drought and floods triggered by changing climate conditions. “Climate change is no longer a story that we are far from, but it is a serious problem that we are facing today,”...

South Korea and China are now in the final steps of signing a bilateral free trade agreement in a move triggering concerns among local farmers of the possible havoc that low-cost, mass-produced Chinese products may wreak on the local agricultural sector. But a senior agriculture industry official believes the FTA deal with Asia’s biggest economy will not be without substantial export opportuniti...

This is the 10th installment in a series of interviews with chiefs of United Nations offices in Korea. ― Ed. The Sewol ferry disaster in April raised global alarm over disaster prevention and crisis management. A public furor persists over the government’s flawed response, while the state auditor billed it a “man-made debacle” resulting from a concoction of official negligence, corruption and co...

Maserati, the maker of niche sporty, exotic Italian driving machines, is betting big on South Korea, where its car sales are expected to soar almost sevenfold to some 700 vehicles this year. “Nothing comes as surprise,” Umberto Maria Cini, Maserati’s managing director of overseas markets, told The Korea Herald in Seoul on Thursday. “It’s definitely a success that we have prepared over the years...

Jeongdong Theater, established and run by the government, has a clear mission: to introduce Korea’s traditional arts to foreign visitors. Tucked away behind Deoksugung Palace in Seoul, the small theater with 250 seats has been mounting traditional arts performances every day for the past 17 years. On Sunday, it celebrated its millionth audience member, a milestone in its devoted history since i...

Winix, once a parts supplier for Samsung Electronics’ refrigerators and water dispensers in the 1980s, has grown into a leading dehumidifier manufacturer in South Korea, beating home appliance giants including LG Electronics. Dunstin Yoon, senior director of Winix’s management innovation, said the company will make all-out efforts to retain its leadership in the dehumidifier market, especially d...