The Korea Herald

Chinese artist brings childhood nostalgia to Seoul

TheaterJan 6, 2011

Song Yige’s perspective rich, imaginativeShe had a perfect childhood in Harbin, China, and those innocent days made her who she is as an artist today. Song Yige is holding her second solo exhibition at Gallery Hyundai in Gangnam, Seoul, starting Jan. 7. The 30-year-old was discovered by world-renowned Chinese artist Zeng Fanzhi last year. With his support, Song held her first show last year at ART
The King is dead, long live the King’s hair

MusicJan 6, 2011

CHICAGO ― Collectors and auctioneers are getting flush off the lavatories of the rich and famous, which isn’t just a play on words. It’s also a chance to make a bunch of money by selling somebody else’s toilet.If recent months have taught us anything, it’s that dead celebrities’ stuff can hold great value. Among the memorabilia sold since June: John Lennon’s toilet ($15,000) and Marilyn Monroe’s c
World tour in Palm Springs

FilmJan 6, 2011

LOS ANGELES ― Few events straddle the glitz and grit of world cinema quite like the Palm Springs International Film Festival. That’s thanks to the affair’s wildly divergent aims ― to be the U.S.’ definitive, highbrow showcase for international movies, and the Coachella Valley’s starry, hard-partying answer to the Golden Globes.Both objectives will be served at the 22nd annual festival, which opens
Cheap new tinnitus treatment music to some sufferers’ ears

FashionJan 6, 2011

It drives people nuts.Ringing. Buzzing. Hissing.For people with tinnitus, a phantom sound only they can hear plagues their every waking moment. Imagine a Salvation Army bell ringer camped out in your head every day, all day.Despite afflicting an estimated 50 million people in the United States, often as a result of injury or repeated exposure to loud noises, the condition has no cures and few effe
Cute! White lioness bears 3 cubs in Argentina

Jan 6, 2011

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Zookeepers in Buenos Aires showed off triplets Wednesday - three white cubs born to a pair of white lions imported from South Africa.Zoo officials say the two females and a male were born Nov. 16 and are the first white lions to be born in South America. Children who visit the zoo this Argentine summer can take part in a contest to name them.Three white lion cubs ar
Samsung to unveil Q4 earnings guidance this week

IndustryJan 6, 2011

Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest supplier of memory chips, flat-screen panels and TVs, is scheduled to announce an estimate of its earnings for the October-December quarter this week, a company official said Thursday. Samsung will report its guidance of the fourth-quarter earnings on Friday, the official said. The company is estimated to have posted 3.39 trillion won ($3.02 billio
S. Korea to boost safety of rice wine 'makgeolli'

Food&BeverageJan 6, 2011

South Korea plans to beef up safety guidelines for "makgeolli" amid the traditional rice wine's rising popularity at home and abroad, the government said Thursday. The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) said it plans to develop a standardized Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) model for makgeolli manufacturers during the first half of the year. HACCP is a global guideline
Checking cheats: China plans marriage database

CultureJan 6, 2011

BEIJING -- China's exploding wealth has created a culture of secret mistresses and second wives. Now officials are putting marriage records online so lovers and spouses can check for cheaters.State media on Wednesday said Beijing and Shanghai will be among the first places to put marriage databases online this year. The plan is to have records for all of China online by 2015.But the Ministry of Ci
LG Electronics to unveil new smartphone with improved display

IndustryJan 6, 2011

LG Electronics Inc., the beleaguered world's third-largest handset maker, said Thursday that it will introduce a new smartphone model with an enhanced screen display that has significantly lowered power consumption.The Optimus Black is the company's first model to use a "NOVA" display, which cuts power consumption in half in comparison to previous products and features an enhanced visibility even
Artday app adds culture to smartphones

TheaterJan 6, 2011

English version of popular application to be released by the end of FebruaryThe mobile art application artday is increasingly popular among both Android and Apple smartphone users, on the back of its provision of extensive information about local art exhibitions, discount coupons for art cafes and products, and objective user reviews.A screen shot of exhibition information from “artday” app on an
S. Korea's registered cars jump in 2010

Jan 6, 2011

The number of registered cars in South Korea jumped last year as consumers purchased more vehicles amid recovering economic conditions, the transportation ministry said Thursday.The number of registered cars reached 17.94 million at the end of last year, up 616,000 from a year earlier, according to the ministry. The increase was the second largest following a jump of 637,000 in 2003.The ministry a
S. Korean home mortgage loans soar in Dec.

Jan 6, 2011

Mortgage loans extended by South Korean financial firms grew by the largest amount in four years in December, as low borrowing costs and eased rules on home-backed lending spurred demand, data showed Thursday.Home-backed loans handled by local financial institutions grew by 4.9 trillion won (US$4.36 billion) on-month to 379.3 trillion won in December, according to data by the Financial Supervisory
Hynix set to invest 3.4 tln won in 2011

IndustryJan 6, 2011

Hynix Semiconductor Inc., the world's second-largest maker of computer memory chips, said Thursday that it will spend 3.4 trillion won (US$3.03 billion) on plants and equipment in 2011, around the same level as last year.The investment plan is subject to change depending on market conditions, the company said in a regulatory filing.Hynix, which trails its bigger industry rival Samsung Electronics
N.K. proposes unconditional resumption of inter-Korean dialogue

North KoreaJan 6, 2011

North Korea on Wednesday proposed the two Koreas unconditionally reopen governmental talks to resolve the current crisis between the countries."We courteously propose having wide-ranging dialogue and negotiations with the political parties and organizations of South Korea including its authorities," the North said in a joint statement adopted in a meeting of the North Korean government, political
Clinton, Yang meet over N. Korea's conciliatory gestures after provocations last year

North KoreaJan 6, 2011

WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Wednesday met with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi as they seek to prepare for Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Washington this month on North Korea, the trade imbalance and other issues. "We are preparing diligently for the upcoming state visit by President Hu Jintao," Clinton said just before the start of the meeting at