Controversy has flared up over South Korean authorities' recent approval of a new drug that premises to treat both high blood pressure and erectile dysfunction.In early May, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety gave the green light to the antihypertensive and anti-impotence medicine developed by Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., a leading South Korean drugmaker. It marks the first time that an antihypertensive medication combined with anti-impotence treatment has been approved in South Korea. The new dr

The Seoul city government announced a set of guidelines on providing subsidies for the construction of Korean traditional houses Thursday amid efforts to preserve such buildings in the city.According to the new guidelines set up by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, those who erect new hanok, or Korean traditional accommodations, can receive up to 100 million won ($86,700), including 20 million won in special loans. If they are built within the special zones designated for the conservation of ha

Would-be entrepreneurs are being invited to enter a national Startathon competition to show off their work as part of Korea’s efforts to identify promising new start-ups. The competition, organized by the Science Ministry-affiliated Next Generation Convergence Contents Industry Association, will offer a first prize of 5 million won ($4320), with a second prize of 2 million won and three third prizes of 1 million won each.Teams should compete in one of four preliminary rounds to get to the final.

Expat musician Philip Knudsen has released “Children Don’t You Play On Earth,” a reggae single in Korean. Knudsen, a vocal coach of 15 years who was trained in his home country of Denmark, also runs barbershop quartet the Barbers of Seoul, but performs reggae as a solo artist.The song’s original lyrics were written by high school friend Stig Geer while the two worked on a songwriting project in 2004, and rewritten in Korean -- as “Jigu-eso Noljima” -- by local songwriter Sung Nock-won.“Stig’s id

As many as 1,000 Chinese tourists will visit South Korea's capital city this week to experiences first hand Korea's seasonal customs of "Dano" which falls on Thursday, the Seoul metropolitan government said Wednesday."Dano" is a major Korean traditional festival which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. It was celebrated in the past by farmers who wished for a good annual harvest after rice planting season. Titled "Seoul Dano," the tour program has been jointly devel

The state-run Jeju Tourism Organization on Wednesday teamed up with the Jeju Olle Foundation, the caretaker of the Olle Trail on South Korea's largest tourist island of Jeju, to jointly develop a walking route in Mongolia, the local tourist body said.Jeju Tourism Organization chief Choi Kab-yeol and Olle Trail Foundation head Suh Myung-sook signed a business pact on the development of the Mongolian Olle Trail. The two sides reached the deal as part of efforts to expand tourism and cultural excha

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The United States returned more than 200 precious artifacts to India on Monday in a ceremony with visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Justice Department said.The items included religious statues, bronzes and terra-cotta pieces -- some of them 2,000 years old -- which were recovered in an operation involving several US government agencies. “The United States is committed to ensuring that no nation is robbed of the objects that inform its identity, shape its traditions a

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) -- Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday it plans to showcase the arts and grow its media industry to counter negative stereotypes of the kingdom, whose rights record is regularly criticized abroad.The initiatives are part of the wide-ranging National Transformation Program which sets targets for diversifying the oil-dependent economy.“The intention also is to transform the society,” Culture and Information Minister Adel al-Turaifi told reporters on the sidelines of a briefing

NEW YORK (AP) -- When customers at Indigo Books in Johns Island, South Carolina, ask for a good beach read, Mary Alice Monroe’s “A Lowcountry Wedding” is an obvious choice. Not only does Monroe live nearby, her book is set along the South Carolina coast.“It’s a surefire hit,” says Indigo owner Linda Malcolm, who also recommends Louise Penny’s upcoming “A Great Reckoning” and John Sandford’s “Extreme Prey.”With summer approaching, bookstores are offering local favorites and national hits, faraway