Olympic marathon gold medalist Hwang Young-jo will tie the knot with a high school teacher in December.The 41-year-old, who won the 1992 Olympic gold in marathon, told the local media that he is planning to marry a woman het met through his hometown friend. Hwang’s fianc studied computer engineering at Ewha Womans University, and now teaches at a high school in Seoul.Hwang gained his nickname “Hero of Montjuic,” during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics where he came in first to the applause from the c

While a group of Mongolians in their native costumes sang songs and played traditional instruments, an elderly man sat in a wheelchair listening with his eyes closed, almost meditatively. He was one of the residents marking a birthday at Seoul Dongbu Senior Care Center, but he never expected he would celebrate it with his foreign neighbors. To celebrate recent 80th and 90th birthdays, a volunteer group of 25 expats from the Seoul Global Center visited the center in Hongik-dong, on Friday. On the

Probationary Theater’s new play “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me,” explores the idea of nationalism and its importance in the way people see themselves.The play, by Frank McGuinness, is based on the Lebanon hostage crisis in the 1990s and shows an American, an Irishman and an Englishman locked together in a windowless room. The men struggle with their national differences as well as their own senses of longing, despair, bewilderment and fear.The three men struggle with their own misgivings and misu

For workers with health bills, losing a job can cost far more than a monthly wageFor illegal migrant worker “Luis,” his current hospital stay for dialysis is a major financial worry. Working without a visa and not covered by Korean National Health Insurance, the Filipino will have to pay for his latest round of treatment out of pocket.“Right now I have to pay for my treatment. … All foreigners who have no visa should be covered under the insurance system. Because right now, foreigners who have n

Heidi Kang, Ahn So-hyun win Daesan Literary Award for TranslationHeidi Kang, a German-born translator and former professor, is the co-winner of the 19th Daesan Literary Award, Daesan Foundation announced Tuesday. The award was given for her German translation of author Kim Hoon’s highly acclaimed novel, “Schwertgesang” (The Song of the Sword).Kang jointly translated the novel, which chronicles the life of Joseon’s most celebrated naval commander Admiral Yi Sun-sin (1545-1598), with translator Ah

MANILA (AFP) - Asia welcomed the world's first symbolic "seven billionth" baby on Monday, but celebrations were tempered by worries over the strain that humanity's population explosion is putting on a fragile planet.The United Nations says that by its best estimates the seven billionth baby will be

Microsoft founder Bill Gates coolly parried some harsh criticism from late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, in an interview with ABC television Sunday, saying their professional rivalry was positive.Bill Gates (Bloomberg)Gates, who maintained a long rivalry with the Apple innovator, was asked about an a