The second online auction held by Herald artday, a subsidiary of Herald Media group, closed on Wednesday with 64 percent of items on the bidding block sold. A total of 68 pieces among 106 artworks were sold, marking a total sales of 186 million won ($145,000). Among the articles, Lee U-fan’s piece “With Wind” was sold at the highest price of 65 million won. Competition was tough during the six-day event where artworks by up-and-coming figures such as Mari Kim, Lee Woo-lim and Heo Yang-gu and vet

AMSTERDAM (AP) ― It’s getting surprisingly easy to light up in the Netherlands these days ― cigarettes, that is.Even as the Dutch government hardens its famous tolerance policy on marijuana, it is taking an increasingly relaxed stance toward tobacco, bucking the trend in nearly every other developed country.Last year it exempted some bars from a smoking ban and now it has unveiled plans to reduce spending on anti-smoking advertising campaigns and end funding for health care programs to help peop

WASHINGTON (AP) ― John Shoemaker visited six doctors in his quest to find the best treatment for his early stage prostate cancer ― and only the last one offered what made the most sense to the California man: Keep a close watch on the tumor and treat only if it starts to grow.Very few men choose this active surveillance option. Yet Shoemaker is one of more than 100,000 men a year deemed candidates for it by a government panel. That’s because their prostate cancer carries such a low risk of morph

Housewife’s eczema is a type of hand eczema named for its frequent occurrence among housewives. In particular, it affects mothers who regularly engage in a wide range of chores that involve putting hands in water. The most common factor leading to this dermatitis is repeated exposure to and chronic irritation from water and synthetic detergents. Housewife’s eczema, unlike other types of eczema, is not normally accompanied by itching. However, the affected skin at the fingertips may become thinne

Japanese magician Mariko Itakura, also known by the stage name Princess Tenko, has been invited to attend North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s funeral, Japanese media reported on Wednesday.According to reports, Itakura was invited by a member of Kim’s family by telephone and e-mail to attend the funeral on Monday when his death was announced. Kim’s funeral is scheduled to be held on Dec. 28 in Pyongyang, and he will be interred within the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in the North Korean capital. The in

K-pop star, emcee and actor Lee Seung-gi is the most popular television model among Koreans, a poll showed Thursday.In the annual survey on some 6,000 consumers by the Korea Broadcast Advertising Corp., the country’s sole TV ad sales agency, Lee topped the list for a second straight year with 12.5 percent of the vote, followed by figure skater Kim Yu-na with 7.2 percent.Coming in third was Hyun Bin, who starred in the drama “Secret Garden,” ahead of actress Kim Tae-hee by 0.2 percentage point wi

 Progressive deafness profoundly influenced Beethoven's compositions, prompting him to choose lower-frequency notes as his condition worsened, scientists said on Tuesday. This is an undated auction house photo of Beethoven's manuscript of the Ninth Symphony, prepared for the printer and us

Although most feel the urge to offer a helping hand to the poor and the homeless at this time of year, fewer people have been able to open their wallets due to the lingering impact of the economic downturn, unemployment and inflation over the past few years. None of this seemed to matter, however, to a gray-haired couple who made a repeat visit to the Salvation Army building in central Seoul this week to donate 200 million won (about $180,000). The couple in their 90s, who refused to disclose th

Local, global producers increasingly take part in the search for new talentWith the world-wide popularity of Korean pop music, local auditions to find new singers are becoming bigger, serving as a golden ticket for producers and musician aspirants alike. Audition programs became big in Korea following the success of “Superstar K: Season 1,” which was aired on cable channel M.net beginning July 2009. The program’s success led major broadcasters MBC and SBS to start their own programs “Star Auditi