Reservations began on Monday for coins to be issued to commemorate the recovery of Sungnyemun, Korea’s national treasure No. 1. The Bank of Korea, Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corp.and the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea unveiled the prototype of the “Sungnyemun recovery commemoration coin” at the Currency Museum of the Bank of Korea in Seoul on Monday and began to receive sales reservations. The front side depicts Sungnyemun and its restored wall, and the back

Slavoj Zizek, a world-renowned philosopher and cultural critic, will teach students and conduct research activities at Seoul’s Kyung Hee University, school officials said Monday. The philosopher from Slovenia will become a professor for the School of Global Communication at Kyung Hee’s College of Foreign Language and Literature on July 1, according to the school’s personnel committee.Zizek will sign a one-year contract under the school’s Eminent Scholar program where the university invites outst

Koreans love to sing, but they hesitate to visit karaoke rooms alone for it is widely known as a place to go with friends or family members. But a growing number of people are venturing to sing by themselves, which is prompting noraebang (Korean karaoke) owners to install one-person rooms to hit the niche market. The single-person singing rooms are for those who want to practice singing without worrying about others. The rental fees are cheaper -- as much as 50 percent lower -- than conventional

An African schoolboy participated in a ceremonial wedding with a 61-year-old woman, British media reported.The wedding ceremony between 8-year-old Sanele and Helen Shabangu was held recently in Tshwane, South Africa, according to Mirror reports. The newlyweds exchanged rings and kissed in front of 100 guests.The boy’s mother, 46-year-old Patience Masilela, said the marriage was to fulfill the dying wish of Sanele’s grandfather.“Sanele is named after his grandfather, who was never had a white wed

Congregations, public frustrated by scandal after scandal

Internet and mobile platforms are facilitating South Korea’s community culture to push its physical limits of time and space.The online community era emerged in the late 1990s when local club-centric portals such as Cyworld and Freechal were introduced. It blossomed as portal sites competed for users with their own services, departing from traditional email and search services. Naver, the nation’s biggest portal service in market share, hosted 9.05 million online communities in 2012, though its

Growing number of Seoul establishments catering to solo diners

Pop Calendar“Shinhwa 15th Anniversary Concert”: The country’s longest-running boy band Shinhwa is celebrating 15 years together with a special anniversary concert. The six-member group first debuted in 1998 and they have since released more than 10 albums and made a name for themselves as one of the nation’s most successful music acts. The group came back to the music scene last year after a four-year hiatus with the album “Return.” “Shinhwa 15th Anniversary Concert” will be held in the Gymnasti

Start your morning routine by waking up the kangaroos, then swimming with dolphins and sea lions in the middle of the day, and finish your day checking the water temperature of the sea ― that’s all it takes do one of the “best jobs in the world.”Tourism Australia is offering six “best jobs in the world” to young people around the world that pays $100,000 under a six-month contract, plus exciting and life-changing opportunities for young people struggling in the economic downturn. Tourism Austral

AROSA, Switzerland ― When on the road with small children, parents have the formidable task of leading them to experiences of surprise and joy that are mixed with security, balance and comfort. That is why, for our ski vacation this year, my wife and I chose to bring our toddler, Ryan, to Arosa, a winter resort in the Swiss Alps. Reached either by train or a famously twisting mountain road, Arosa has traded on its relative inaccessibility to make itself into a genteel and engaging family destina