Reporter’s book chronicles history of Korean airports

Sungnyemun, a historic gate in downtown Seoul whose restoration is near completion, was unveiled to the press on Thursday ahead its unveiling to the general public in April. Along with the gate, parts of the Seoul City Wall, of which Sungnyemun was one of its four main gates during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), were also restored to portray the original atmosphere of the gate. The National Treasure No. 1 was severely damaged on Feb. 10, 2008 in an arson attack by a mentally disturbed man in hi

A set of postage stamps featuring Psy, the singer of the global hit “Gangnam Style,” will be released next week, the performer’s local management agency said Thursday.The stamps will hit shelves Monday to “commemorate the global success of ‘Gangnam Style,’” YG Entertainment said.The video for the song became the most-viewed YouTube clip in December, topping 1 billion hits, and broke the 1.3 billion mark early this week.The stamp series includes six stamps on three artistic cards, both featuring

Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission chairman Lee Sung-bo has been elected as one of three Asian directors of the International Ombudsman Institute, the commission said Thursday.The institute was established by 147 ombudsman institutions from around 100 countries in Vienna, Austria in 1978 to share their experiences of promoting civil rights.Six candidates, including Lee, ran for Asian director in an electronic vote held Wednesday. Three contestants ― Lee, Panit Nitithanprapas, chief ombuds

Hallyu actress Lee Young-ae appeared in the Feb. 13 edition of the New York Times as a model advertising bibimbap. The advert in the U.S. daily newspaper was taken out by professor Seo Kyoung-duk of Sungshin Women’s University in Seoul, who has promoted Korea overseas.The advertisement shows Lee in hanbok, smiling under the large headline “Bibimbap?” It also introduces her as an actress who shot to hallyu fame after playing a historical cook-turned-royal physician in the Joseon Era in a Korean T

Some teens and adults are so connected with their smartphones they answer the buzz in their sleep and don‘t know they’re “sleep texting,” a U.S. expert says.Elizabeth Dowdell, a nursing professor at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, said her research involves Internet safety and many have told her about texts other people tell them they made but don‘t remember making.“Many parents tell me, ’My child is so connected they never leave their cellphone and they have it on their nightstand and the

In the far southern villages of Sinan and Yeonggwang in South Jeolla Province, there are endless salt farms glaring with white crystalline under the sizzling sun. They are the so-called salterns, and appear on the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tentative List. “Salterns are the result of human interaction with the environment and are also an outstanding example of sea water usage. They show the continuity of a living culture in which people have long employed the natural environment to produce items

Salt existed before mankind. Indeed, animals noticed the true value of salt before any humans became aware of it. All animals naturally eat salt based on their natural appetite. Humans observed animals’ behavior and slowly followed their lead. Salt was very difficult to find back when humans carried no tools; people had to find tiny specks of saline crust on shore rocks and from tidal pools that had dried up. It finally became easily attainable when humans started to use tools to obtain salt fro

NEW YORK (AP) ― Rain, snow, ice. There’s a lot of grumbling about the stiletto-adverse weather during New York Fashion Week. But there’s a silver lining: cozy coats, especially styles with oversized fur hoods, never looked better.Phillip Lim, for his 3.1 brand, sent out his big coats in navy and black during a show in a cavernous space south of the Lincoln Center tents.Houndstooth set off one of Tommy Hilfiger’s coats for women. On a bomber jacket, he moved the comfy lining to the outside, putti

Coffee shops and cafs are an important part of Seoul’s cultural atmosphere. Indeed, their incredible popularity becomes apparent walking down almost any street in Seoul. Multiple cafes line the streets, some several stories tall. And they are packed with people. Most of the cafes on the main streets are chain brands, offering space of one’s own for those who need a quick escape from the cramped city life. If there is one thing that all of these cafes have in common, it is that they are very mund