[Herald Interview] The flag of our fathers

Ahn Chang-ho, also known as Dosan, was a leading independence fighter, social reformer and education activist. He left Korea in April 1910, shortly before Japan annexed Korea and sent its troops marching into Seoul’s royal palace. Ahn had vowed in a poem that he would return home years later, to an independent Korea, with a national flag in hand. But the philosopher failed to fulfill his wish, passing away in 1938, seven years before Japan lost World War II and left Korea.This October, Michael G

Social AffairsOct. 28, 2014

[Herald Interview] Collaboration helps safeguard innovation: legal expert

Luca Rampini, a senior lawyer of the EU’s largest intellectual property agency believes the Korean patent authority’s latest efforts to collaborate with other countries will bring better protection for innovative ideas and inventions created by small and medium-sized businesses here.“Intellectual property is protecting both innovation and creativity. And here in Korea, you know all about both those things,” Rampini, a lawyer with the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market under the Euro

IndustryOct. 28, 2014

[Herald Interview] Complexity of Korean society captured through a lens

Artist Noh Sun-tag’s work resembles that of a photojournalist. He has taken pictures of tense and sometimes violent protests.Most recently, he was on the site of protests in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, against the construction of a high-voltage power transmission tower there. Over the last decade, Noh has captured highly charged scenes including protests against U.S. troops and mass labor strikes.“In the beginning, I visited those places out of pure curiosity to figure out something that

PerformanceOct. 28, 2014

[Herald Interview] TNT Korea eyes growth in medical logistics service

TNT Korea, the South Korean subsidiary of global express delivery company TNT, is pushing ahead with its clinical express service as its core business amid the growing importance of Korea’s health care sector.“TNT Korea was a pioneer in bio and health care delivery service in Korea. It has seen double-digit growth every year since it started the service in early 2000s,” Kim Jong-chul, managing director of TNT Korea told The Korea Herald. TNT’s clinical express service offers a specialized temper

IndustryOct. 26, 2014

[Herald Interview] ‘Museums write history’

French-born Philippe Vergne, director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, has spent most of his career in the U.S. In pursuit of the “American Dream,” Vergne arrived in Minneapolis 17 years ago and worked as a curator for a decade, working his way up to top positions in art in New York and Los Angeles. He served as the director of Dia Art Foundation in New York for more than five years and took the helm of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles earlier this year. Vergne has been

PerformanceOct. 26, 2014

[Herald Interview] Breast cancer expert espouses gender-specific approach

Even for Dr. Moon Byung-in, one of the most respected breast cancer specialists in South Korea, talking to his patients about their condition was not easy at first. “Sometimes I wouldn’t know what to say and cry along with the patient (in my earlier years),” Moon said during an interview with The Korea Herald in his office at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital.“Even a patient in her 70s would break down in tears and sob when she was told that she may have to undergo a mastectomy. Being diag

Social AffairsOct. 23, 2014

[Herald Interview] Deriving 21st-century questions from classic masterpiece

Continuing on the Shakespeare theme after the much-hailed production earlier this month of Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette,” the Korea National Opera is presenting another Shakespeare play-turned-opera ― Giuseppe Verdi’s “Otello.” For the production, which will be staged next month at Seoul Arts Center, the state-run company has brought in British stage director Stephen Lawless, who in previous works has displayed a balance between traditional and nontraditional approaches to the classic opera reper

CultureOct. 23, 2014

[Herald Interview] Mraz says ‘Yes!’ to return to Korea

After performing in Korea for the first time at the 2006 Incheon Pentaport Rock festival, American folk-pop star Jason Mraz is making his way back to Korea next month, marking the start of his seventh concert performance in the country in eight years. Mraz is slated to hold his first nationwide acoustic concert tour here, where he will be performing in Daejeon and Daegu for the first time, before concluding his tour with two performances in Seoul. However, unlike in the past when the singer held

Oct. 23, 2014

[Herald Interview] Graphene oxide new tool in fight against diseases

A leading South Korean biochemistry researcher believes graphene oxide ― oxidized sheets of carbon atoms ― will eventually play a key role in conquering hepatitis C, cancer and genetic diseases.This is mainly because graphene oxide can bind to DNA and RNA molecules and go through cell membranes― making it more convenient for medical uses. “Utilizing graphene oxide in detecting, monitoring and treating hepatitis C is a new approach that would help make a breakthrough in developing drugs for ultim

TechnologyOct. 22, 2014

[Herald Interview] Jambinai: Hybrid of tradition and avant-garde

It’s apparent that Jambinai doesn’t play music for the masses. The three-member crossover band would love to connect with a larger audience, but has no intention of heeding to the public tastes in today’s music market. Yet, it is this determination to pursue their own distinctive music that makes the obscure Korean indie group one of the hottest acts in the global music festival circuit. “We were surprised at first. People over there (in Europe) knew our music already. And they seemed to like it

PerformanceOct. 21, 2014

[Herald Interview] Snarky Puppy gears up for first concert in Korea

Led by Grammy Award-winning musician and composer Michael League, fusion instrumental band Snarky Puppy is holding its first concert in Korea on Tuesday night at the Blue Square theater in Hannam-dong, Seoul. The large-scale band was started by League more than 10 years ago while he was attending jazz school at the University of North Texas. Gathering together nine of his pals, the band was initially launched as an opportunity for the budding composer to play out the jazzy hybrid funk music that

PerformanceOct. 20, 2014

[Herald Interview] Saudi Arabia to benchmark Korea’s transport systems

A top official of Saudi Arabia’s capital city of Riyadh said that he would like his country to adopt Korea’s smart transportation system, which was unlike anything he has seen before. “I was impressed by Seoul’s clean, efficient and safe public transportation system which also covers most parts of the city at reasonable fares,” Mohammed Bin Ali Alsheikh, Economic Studies Unit Director of Arriyadh Development Authority, told The Korea Herald Oct. 17. Nine officials, including Alsheikh, from Arriy

IndustryOct. 19, 2014

[Herald Interview] TriBeluga to support Korean tech start-ups

TriBeluga, a Chinese start-up incubation center, said it will “spare no effort” in supporting South Korean tech start-ups seeking to make inroads into China’s environment, health care and education sectors. Lili Luo, president and founder of TriBeluga, said the incubator will not only provide seed money to early-stage innovative start-ups, but also help them grow via initial public offerings or mergers and acquisitions, two key factors that determine the success and sustainability of start-ups.“

TechnologyOct. 16, 2014

[Herald Interview] ‘Dansaekhwa is a miracle’

LONDON ― From a Western viewpoint, Dansaekhwa paintings may seem confusing. They don’t fit into familiar key art movements in Western art history. First created in the 1960s, Dansaekhwa paintings may be in line with minimalism. But behind their simple imagery is much more complex meaning. They resulted from the suppressed freedom of expression that Korean artists experienced under authoritarian governments of the past. Artist Ha Chong-hyun, 80, recalls his selection of materials, looking at his

PerformanceOct. 16, 2014

[Herald Interview] Blind offers platform for frank communication

Blind, an anonymous mobile message board developed by startup Team Blind, is quickly changing the way communication takes place in corporate offices.First launched in 2013 as an exclusive service for employees of Korean Internet giant Naver, Blind message boards are made upon the request of employees of the same company or of the same industry sector.Since the message board is accessible only to those from the same firm or same industry, the subjects discussed on the board are mostly linked to t

TechnologyOct. 15, 2014

[Herald Interview] ‘Time to change outdated education system’

Throughout his life, Cho Hi-yeon has always had a reputation as a fighter. During his college years, he was imprisoned for going against the dictatorship of former President Park Chung-hee, and he spent much of his life as a civil rights activist. Indeed, he was one of Korea’s most outspoken progressive advocates.Now, the 58-year-old Seoul education superintendent is looking to transform the city’s education system through offering equal opportunities in learning.“I believe that the competition-

Social AffairsOct. 13, 2014

[Herald Interview] Chinese eyeing more M&A deals in Korea: expert

China’s takeover appetite for Korean companies will continue to rise, targeting technology firms and consumer goods makers, a market researcher forecast.In the latest deal, Chinese apparel company Lancy Group acquired a 15.3 percent stake in Agabang, Korea’s oldest baby wear brand. Several Chinese companies reportedly have expressed interest in buying out Pantech, the nation’s third-largest smartphone maker.According to Merger Market, a global deal news provider, China’s takeovers of Korean comp

IndustryOct. 12, 2014

[Herald Interview] Korea, Ivory Coast talk Ebola fight

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara was visibly upbeat about his meet-up with President Park Geun-hye at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday, due to growing commercial links and badly needed South Korean investment in a slew of infrastructure projects underway in the West African nation.The former veteran IMF economist also emphasized the role South Korea could play in the fight against the spread of the Ebola virus thanks to its world-renowned scientific and medical prowess.Ouattara said he and Park d

Foreign AffairsOct. 12, 2014

[Herald Interview] Doota to export fashion know-how

Doota, or Doosan Tower shopping center, has been taking a different approach to globalization. Instead of designers and their designs, it has decided to export its expertise in managing shopping malls. Doota recently provided consulting to two Chinese shopping malls that are now in operation, and is in talks with others to provide similar services. “We have decided that it would be risky to take everything abroad. So, instead of rushing to export our fashion hardware, we will be selling our soft

IndustryOct. 9, 2014

[Herald Interview] ‘Reunification biggest variable in Korean economy’

South Korea’s economy will log slow yet steady growth in the coming years, largely benefiting from the rise of China, with the most significant variable in the forecast being the possibility of unification with North Korea, according to an Asia-Pacific economic expert.“Inter-Korean unification, if achieved in a peaceful and gradual manner, will provide an unparalleled momentum to the economy,” Rajiv Biswas, senior director and APAC region chief economist at IHS Global Insight, told The Korea Her

Oct. 9, 2014