The Korea Herald

Sales of Han Kang's novel soar after Man Booker nomination

BooksMar 17, 2016

Sales of "The Vegetarian," a novel by South Korean author Han Kang, have soared since it was nominated for the 2016 Man Booker International Prize, an online bookseller said Wednesday.According to the Internet-based bookstore Aladin, the book was sold 12 times more from Thursday to Tuesday compared to a month ago. The prize's organizer announced on its website on Thursday that Han's "Vegetarian," translated by Deborah Smith, was among the 13 books contending for the 2016 prize. She has become th
2016 Paris book fair opens with Korea as guest of honor

BooksMar 17, 2016

PARIS (Yonhap) -- An international book fair kicked off in Paris on Wednesday, highlighting Korean books and authors.　Launched in 1981, the Paris Book Fair is considered one of the biggest publishing trade fairs in Europe. More than 250,000 publishers, booksellers, authors, literary agents, librarians, and media and industry suppliers attended the fair last year. 　Korea is taking part in the event as the guest of honor for the first time as it celebrates the 130th anniversary of diplomatic ties
Dongdaemun global center to hold Sunday advice session

Expat LivingMar 17, 2016

Seoul Global Center will offer an onsite counseling session to advise expats in Dongdaemun on Sunday.The Dongdaemun Global Village Center will open its doors to offer consultations on legal, labor and immigration issues, among others. Advice will be available in English, Filipino, Mongolian, Russian, Uzbek and Kyrgyz. The area is known for its Russian and Central Asian community.The session will run from noon to 4 p.m. For more information, contact (02) 2075-4136.(paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)
Written driving test classes offered in Seoul

Expat LivingMar 17, 2016

Jongno Police Station and Seoul Global Center will run road safety and written driving test classes every month starting March 28.The two-day course will run once a month. It will cover the written exam for the driver’s license and know-how related to driving. The classes are given in Korean, though special interpreted classes may be offered for foreign community groups if requested.There is no charge for the course and those who attend will get a free textbook on the driving exam. Applications
Expat art tour to stop in Daegu

Expat LivingMar 17, 2016

“Look But Don’t Touch,” a nationwide art tour showcasing the work of artists from across Korea, will be holding its second last stop in Daegu on Saturday.Artwork by nine artists, including Christopher Cote, Sebastian Montes and Sybille Cavasin, will be on display. The venue will also host performances from spoken word artists Sean O’Gorman and Carlos Williams, artist and poet Ben Miller, and music from Andrew Blad, among others.“Look But Don’t Touch,” is touring four cities around Korea, with it
‘Holy grail’ set of Shakespeare folios for sale

BooksMar 17, 2016

LONDON (AP) -- William Shakespeare died 400 years ago, but his stock has never been higher.　To coincide with the anniversary of the Bard’s death, Christie’s is selling copies of the first four editions of his plays -- a collection the auctioneer’s head of books, Margaret Ford, calls “the holy grail of publishing.”　The four folios are going on display in New York April 1-8 and London April 20-28 before being sold in London on May 25. A Christie`s staff displays an unrecorded copy of the First Fo
Fans use Lovecraft‘s fame to promote Providence’s weird side

BooksMar 17, 2016

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- Fans of H.P. Lovecraft's writings are trying to use the growing fame of the early 20th century fantasy-horror writer to promote Providence’s weird side.　Lovecraft so identified with Rhode Island's capital city that he wrote "I am Providence" in a letter. His headstone bears the phrase. Some of Lovecraft’s best-known works are set in Providence. 　Tuesday marked the 79th anniversary of his death. A light rain fell as about 20 people gathered where Lovecraft's childhood hou
Hot-button issues in suspenseful ‘Off the Grid’

BooksMar 17, 2016

　Best-seller C.J. Box’s series about Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett is known for showing how environmental issues not only affect ecology, but also people, jobs and lifestyles. 　In “Off the Grid,” Box goes a bit off the grid himself by tackling the hot-button issue of terrorists and government interference, delivering an even-handed look that illustrates the perception of a situation isn't always reality. 　　“Off the Grid” isn't so much Joe’s story as it is his friend's Nate Romanowski, a war ve
Rise of the unmarried American woman

BooksMar 17, 2016

“All The Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation” 　By Rebecca Traister　Simon and Schuster (339 pages, $27)Employing the tools of social history and narrative journalism, “All The Single Ladies” paints an upbeat portrait of the unmarried life, concluding with a call for policy changes to support “the epoch of single women that's upon us.”　Rebecca Traister traces the trend of happy singlehood back through American history to its pre-Colonial roots in England. In 1563,
What America taught Hitler about eugenics

BooksMar 17, 2016

Writing in 1927 for an 8-1 Supreme Court majority in Buck vs. Bell, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes upheld a Virginia law authorizing sterilization of the “feebleminded.” 　In “Imbeciles,” Adam Cohen outlines the collision course between Carrie Buck -- a woman who was poor and unfortunate but no imbecile -- and a scion of one of Boston’s oldest families who was wrongly reputed to be liberal.　Cohen's chapters on Holmes make clear that Buck was no anomaly; Holmes was a longtime eugenicist who’d previ
Holi festival to cover Haeundae in color

Expat LivingMar 17, 2016

Busan’s Haeundae Beach is set to become awash with color as the Holi Hai festival runs for the sixth time on April 3. Holi, a spring festival that formally falls on March 23, is one of India’s most popular festivals, and the Busan celebration is now one of the biggest multicultural festivals in Korea. Organizer Amit Gupta said it was the largest event organized by a foreign community here, according to data from the Busan Foundation for International Activities, the city’s support center for ex
5 brings 10 for Gwangju theater group

Expat LivingMar 17, 2016

Theater group Gwangju Performance Project is marking its fifth birthday with a 10-minute play festival. The GPP is inviting playwrights from across Korea to enter the “Pen In Ten” competition, to be staged June 24-26. There will be cash prizes for the best script, best production and best actor, as well as a people’s choice award. Laura Prantner, a publicity representative for the GPP, said that the troupe had not held a 10-minute play festival before, but decided to do so as it is something tha
Jacques Attali to speak at Korea-France Leaders Forum

PeopleMar 16, 2016

Jacques Attali, one of the world’s greatest scholars, will speak at the Korea-France Leaders Forum on March 24 at The Shilla Seoul hotel.　The forum, which will serve as the opening of a year-long celebration in Korea of the 130th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, aims to discuss ways to strengthen the partnership between the two countries in various fields, including diplomacy, economy, culture and technology.　Attali, a French economist who served as the first presid
Fashion KODE to open during Seoul Fashion Week

FashionMar 16, 2016

Fashion KODE, an annual trade show for Korean fashion designers, will run March 23-24, during Seoul Fashion Week. 　The fifth edition of one of Korea’s largest fashion fairs will take place at J-Gran House near Mount Namsan, Seoul. It will feature some 70 Korean fashion brands and is expected to be attended by more than 500 local and foreign buyers. 　There will be local womenswear and menswear brands such as Isabel Moon, Gaze de Lin, Navy Factory Lab and Sling Stone. 　This year’s fashion event w
Polarized luxury jewelry market

FashionMar 16, 2016

Jewelry seen as either investment or affordable luxury