When Alvaro Neil told his boss he wanted to leave his job at a notary’s office in Madrid six years ago, he had more than a career change in mind.The part-time clown hopped on his bicycle and began a trans-continental journey with a mission: to bring smiles to those in despair wherever he went. Sixty-two countries and almost 90,000 km later, 44-year-old “Biciclown” last week arrived in South Korea

Getting savvy with Korean cooking early on helps vegetarians adapt to KoreaWith a homely interior, featuring upside down teacups strung as lamp shades, Itaewon’s Honest Loving Hut is the perfect place to tuck into that hearty meal synonymous with Western comfort food ― a burger. But this one comes served guilt-free: it’s vegan. Atop the wholegrain bun sits lettuce, a slathering of vegan mayonnaise

Director of the Seoul International Forum for Literature speaks about the role of literature in multi-platform worldKorean authors should move on from nationalist writing and learn about the current trends in world literature, Kim Seong-kon, director of the third Seoul International Forum for Literature, said.“What the global audience is interested in can be quite different (from what Korean autho

ANCHORAGE, Alaska ― Who knew those blue-black clusters of crowberries mingled into blueberry patches across the Chugach range could be the key ingredient in an expensive, antioxidant-packed, wrinkle-fighting serum?That’s right. Look out, Oil of Olay. Forget Vitamin C and green tea. Make room for beauty products made with the essences of crowberries, fireweed and Arctic sage. Arctic plants are tren

SAN JOSE, California ― Fawn Lee had big dreams for her family. She would enroll her three young children in the best schools, drive them to soccer, piano, swimming and dancing.Since moving from Vietnam with her parents and 11 siblings when she was 4, Lee had worked hard to create her opportunities. Cum laude graduate from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California. A job she loved at Seagate. A husb

STAR CITY, Russia (AP) ― It was the Soviet Union’s own giant leap for mankind, one that would spur a humiliated America to race for the moon. It happened 50 years ago this Tuesday, when an air force pilot named Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.The 27-year-old cosmonaut’s mission lasted just 108 minutes and was fraught with drama: a break in data transmission, glitches involving antenna

MiYooMo campaigns for the island’s bid to become one of New Seven WondersA group of Koreans attending U.S. universities have composed a song with their foreign friends to promote Jeju island in its drive to be selected as one of the New Seven Wonders.The song, currently available on the group’s website (www.miyoomo.com), describes the beauty of the tourist attraction with English lyrics and a ligh

A Korean acting couple, Choi Soo-jong and his wife Ha Hee-ra, have joined an organ donation drive by Korean Organ Donor Program.Choi Soo-jong (left) and Ha Hee-raAccording to the organization, Choi and Ha pledged support for organ donation on its “Day of Organ Donation,” which fell on Saturday. The couple, together with 100 volunteers of Shinhan Bank, also campaigned for organ donations at an entr

U.S. actress Demi Moore is in Nepal after joining a global campaign to root out human trafficking.She is there as part of CNN’s Freedom Project, a worldwide network which works to eliminate trafficking of women and sex slavery, the Press Trust of India reported Friday. Demi MooreThe 48-year-old actress is there without husband Ashton Kutcher to work with Maiti Nepal, the country’s biggest anti-tra

With awareness of healthy eating greater than ever, people are on the search for food with fewer calories and less sugar.“Sugar Stacks" (http://www.sugarstacks.com/) is a website that lists the amount of sugar contained in popular foods.The website may help in preventing the unintentional consumption of too much sugar.By Kang Yoon-seung (koreacolin@gmail.com)Intern reporterEdited by John Power<한글요

Chic boxed fare for the parkIn a perfect world, picnic-goers would wake up early in the morning to pack hampers full of freshly baked homemade goods. Come weekend, the overworked and exhausted may groan when faced with such a daunting feat yet still want a tasty spread for the great outdoors. Enter the grab-and-go feast as dreamed up by catering veterans who have mastered the art of the packed mea

Biker club cares for safety, fellowship while enjoying majestic countrysideDriving a motorcycle in Seoul is an enthralling real-life trip into the depths of one’s resolution, courage, patience, motor skills and coordination. In a country with one of the highest traffic death rates in the world, the challenge becomes a daunting case of one near miss after the other.Putting all that aside, very few

(Author Shin Kyung-sook at a press conference in New York on Tuesday. Yonhap News)(The cover of Shin Kyung-sook’s “Please Look After Mom,” published by Alfred A. Knopf in the U.S. Yonhap News)Korean novel “Please Look After Mom,” written by Shin Kyung-sook and translated into English by Kim Chi-young, is making an impact internationally, entering the top 40 bestselling books on Amazon.com.The book

Exhibitions“Koo Bohnchang”: One of South Korea’s most renowned photographers, Koo Bohn-chang, is holding a solo exhibition at Kukje Gallery. Not only parts from his different series but also his personal collections of eclectic objects are on display, giving the viewers a hint of Koo’s youth, attitudes towards photography and more. The exhibition runs through April 30 at Kukje Gallery in Sogyeok-d