The Korea Herald

Peru archeologists find ancient temple

CultureFeb 13, 2013

LIMA (AFP) ― Peruvian archeologists have discovered a temple believed to be about 5,000 years old at the ancient El Paraison archeological site in a valley just north of Lima, the Culture Ministry said Tuesday.If the date is confirmed, it would be among the oldest sites in the world, comparable to the ancient city of Caral, a coastal city some 200 kilometers to the north.The discovery, dubbed the Temple of Fire, was found in one of the wings of El Paraiso’s main pyramid. It includes a hearth tha
Consumer rights activist dies

PeopleFeb 13, 2013

Chung Kwang-mo, chairwoman of the Consumers Union of Korea, died in Seoul on Wednesday after a life devoted to improving consumer rights. She was 84.Chung, born in 1929 in Seoul, started her career at the Pyeonghwa Daily as a journalist in 1951 after graduating from Ewha Womans University and later worked at the Seoul Daily and Hankook Ilbo. She then shifted her career to consumer rights activism, creating the Consumers Union of Korea, the nation’s first private organization for consumer rights
Culture minister donates over 2,000 books to museum

PeopleFeb 13, 2013

Culture Minister Choe Kwang-shik on Wednesday donated 2,013 books to the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History. “I have decided to donate a total of 2,013 books to mark the year 2013, wishing for the museum to flourish this year,” Choe said. The historian-turned-administrator said he had collected the books while he was in academia, as National Museum of Korea director and as head of the Cultural Heritage Administration before taking the helm at the Culture Ministry. Among the collectio
293 lawmakers vow ‘Sunfull’ politics

PeopleFeb 13, 2013

Lawmakers of both ruling and opposition parties have joined a bipartisan campaign to speak and write classy words. According to Sunfull International Headquarters, a Seoul-based nonprofit organization against bullying and hateful comments online, 293 of all 300 lawmakers have signed the National Assembly declaration of “Sunfull politics.” Under the declaration, they have pledged to participate in the Sunfull Movement to encourage and care for other people. They will also make efforts to speak an
First comes work, then comes marriage

PeopleFeb 13, 2013

Nearly 40 percent of U.S. workers in a survey indicated they had dated a co-worker at some point in their lives, CareerBuilder said Wednesday.In addition, the employment firm said in a survey of 4,216 workers conducted by Harris Interactive, 17 percent of respondents indicated they had gone out with co-workers at least twice. And of those who had dated a co-worker, 30 percent indicated the relationship culminated in marriage.Most of those who go out with a co-worker date a peer, but 29 percent
TOPIK applications open Feb. 12

Expat LivingFeb 12, 2013

Applications to take the Test of Proficiency in Korean opened Monday.The TOPIK covers listening, reading, grammar and writing and takes place on April 20 in Africa, Europe and the Americas and April 21 in Asia and Oceania.The test is available in three grades. Beginner (levels 1 and 2) and advanced (levels 5 and 6) exams take place at 9:30 a.m. The intermediate exam for levels 3 and 4 starts at 2:30 p.m.Results of the previous test were made available Feb. 4.Each test costs 40,000 won and lasts
Seoul Global Center to run weekend Korean courses

Expat LivingFeb 12, 2013

Seoul Global Center will open applications this month for weekend Korean language courses that run from March 9 to July 7.The course is free except for textbook costs, but a deposit of 30,000 won is required, refundable for those who attend at least 80 percent of classes.Nine levels are available, from absolute beginner to intermediate and idiom classes. There are also preparation classes for the Test of Proficiency in Korean at beginner and intermediate levels.The classes are twice a week in th
Expat talks on WWII prisoners in Korea

Expat LivingFeb 12, 2013

The Royal Asiatic Society will host a talk on Feb. 26 on the allied prisoners of war held in Korea during World War II.Jacco Zwetsloot will give a talk on the approximately 1,500 allied prisoners of war held in Korea from September 1942, consisting of British and Australian troops captured in Singapore and American soldiers captured in the Philippines. There were three camps run by Japanese officers and staffed by Korean conscripts and civilians. A few of the prisoners died, but most were rescue
Asian language teachers sought in Busan

Expat LivingFeb 12, 2013

Busan Global Center is seeking expats from Southeast Asia to teach their languages and introduce their culture.Languages sought include Vietnamese, Indonesian, Tagalog, Mongolian and Thai.Classes are to be given in Korean and will last 90 minutes. They will take place on weekdays once a week for 10 weeks starting March 18. Several time slots are available.Preference will be given to those with teaching experience and computer access.Teachers will receive 30,000 won to 34,500 won per class, depen
Sri Lankan residents celebrate 65 years of national independence

Expat LivingFeb 12, 2013

Hundreds of Sri Lankans gathered to celebrate Sri Lanka’s Independence Day at Konkuk University’s New Millennium Hall on Saturday.The event was one of several to mark independence from Britain on Feb. 4, 1948, and was capped with a series of traditional music and dance performances by the Channa-Upuli Performing Arts Foundation of Sri Lanka.They opened with a moment of silence for those who had sacrificed themselves for independence, the lighting of a traditional lamp, and religious observances
Survey shows resources a problem for EFL teachers

Expat LivingFeb 12, 2013

A former teacher here has carried out a survey of foreign English teachers to look into conditions in Korea’s foreign teaching community.Christian Thurston, who used to work at a public school in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, said he carried out the survey because he was looking to set up an online service for English teachers, and wanted to see if his impressions of the English teaching market were correct.“Instead of relying on opinions or anecdotal evidence I wanted to see some data,” he said.
PLUR to raise funds with Know Your Seoul

Expat LivingFeb 12, 2013

Volunteer group PLUR will host a quiz night to help spread the word about its activities and raise funds to support its operations.The “Know Your Seoul” quiz night at the Rocky Mountain Tavern will have general knowledge sections as well as more whimsical rounds, such as “Particular Folliculars,” in which contestants have to identify famous people by their moustaches.PLUR runs several regular activity groups such as Feed Your Seoul, Help Your Seoul and Teach Your Seoul for volunteers to help fee
‘Hallyu could be a stepping stone for peace’

CultureFeb 12, 2013

It has been about a decade since hallyu, the Korean pop culture wave, emerged as a buzzword not only in showbiz but in society in general. Korean entertainers are treated as VIPs overseas and Korean films, television dramas and pop songs are a major force in the nation branding of the country. Now, people from countries where Korean pop culture is popular are visiting Korea to see the places they have seen on TV, breathe the same air as their favorite celebrities and even learn the Korean langua
Hallyu seeks sustainability

CultureFeb 12, 2013

Korean pop-wave aims for lasting prosperity through ‘glocalization,’ diversification
Navy SEAL who killed Bin Laden breaks silence

PeopleFeb 12, 2013

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― The Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden broke his silence Monday, recounting in an interview the three bullets he pumped into the al-Qaida leader and the financial anxiety he now faces as an unemployed civilian.The commando kept his identity secret in the Esquire magazine profile but revealed his role in the daring May 2011 raid for the first time, as well as the worries he has for his family’s security.“He looked confused. And way taller than I was expecting,” the SEAL says