A new documentary by an expat director sets out to highlight the struggles of people campaigning for change in North Korea, and hopes to inspire viewers to join the fight.Director of “While They Watched” Jake Smith said he had always been fascinated by North Korea, but was inspired to make the film after reading “Nothing to Envy” by Barbara Demick.“I had previously always seen it from an ideological or political angle, but after reading ‘Nothing to Envy’ I saw it from a personal point of view,”

Ulsan’s expats are set to compete in a sports day Sunday, as the organizers hope to build on the return of the annual event last year.Athletes will compete in soccer and other sports at the event, with teams representing their countries.Ulsan International Volunteer Center, which hosts the event, said the competitors came from a variety of backgrounds, and include multicultural families, migrant workers, English teachers and foreign faculty and students from universities. Participants at last ye

Performers showcase traditional Korean music at the Jongmyo Shrine. (Julie Jackson/The Korea Herald)An annual series of performances of traditional music in Seoul’s royal palaces will reopen next month, offering free gugak and pansori concerts against palatial backdrops. This year’s performances will be held simultaneously at the Changdeokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine from Sept. 5 to Oct. 11. Each venue will vary in its themes and hold a total of 34 performances, and unlike i

Two UNESCO Heritage sites in Iksan show glamour, glory of old Korean kingdom whose influence reached to Japan and Southeast Asia

On the 28th floor of Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel in Guro-gu, southwest Seoul, there is nothing much to see from the window of its fitness center but a panoramic view of the area that includes apartment complexes near Shindorim Station.But after a hearty meal at the hotel’s signature Feast buffet restaurant serving a variety of Asian cuisines ranging from Korean and Chinese to Japanese and Thai, visitors will feel the urge to burn some calories at its 24-hour gym.Once you press the start but

Chadwick International has named Shelly Luke Wille the new head of school as part of its key leadership reshuffle, school officials said Tuesday.Wille succeeded Charles Sachs as the new head of the school located in Songdo, Incheon, effective for the 2015-16 school year that started last week. She has vowed to implement long-term strategies to enhance the learning environment and education program, which is based on International Baccalaureate.  Shelly Luke Wille (Chadwick International)“I’m thr

The King Sejong Institute Foundation’s seventh annual World Korean Educators Conference kicked off Monday, inviting 180 guests committed to the teaching of Korean from 43 countries for a three-day exchange conference in Seoul. With 90 institutions across the world, the King Sejong Institute is dedicated to establishing educational institutions where citizens of all ages can attend to learn the Korean language. Invited as a guest to this year’s conference is Korean teacher Stepanka Horakova from

Barbecue party at Sheraton Grande WalkerhillSheraton Grande Walkerhill’s Korean barbecue restaurant Myongwolgwan is offering unlimited barbecue, salad, dessert and beer on upcoming Saturdays -- Aug. 22, Sept. 5, Sept. 19, Oct. 3, and Oct. 10 -- from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Guests will be able to enjoy Myongwolgan’s high-quality, charbroiled beef prepared with premium hardwood charcoal at the restaurant’s outdoor garden, which boasts a panoramic view of the Hangang River against the backdrop of Achas

As KORAIL president and chief executive, Choi Yeon-hye was sedate, soft-spoken and well versed in the intricate web of railroad technologies, as well as the industry’s inner workings, brandishing her 20-odd years of expertise as a “railman.” Touching on a now-severed inter-Korean railway and the ongoing program to rebuild its southern section, however, she appeared resolute and principled. Reconnecting the line across the border is not a matter of commercial feasibility, she said, but of nationa

Famous Japanese bakery brand expands to Seoul, Pangyo

Ride bikes in ChuncheonThe Korea Tourism Organization will be expanding its bicycle riding tour program in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, in an effort to boost tourism in the region in the aftermath of the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak.It recently launched a pilot program enabling tourists to travel to Chuncheon from Yongsan Station via train and ride their bikes on a 30-kilometer course, and visit various attractions such as an animation museum.Some 70 people participated in the bikin

　“Introduction to K-pop History”　By Zhang Eu-jeong, Suh Byung-kee　(Sung An Dang)  Cover of "Introduction to K-pop History" (Sung An Dang)　Listeners of K-pop may be surprised to find that the content of a book titled “Introduction to K-pop History” goes all the way back to the year 1907. The term “K-pop” has become so synonymous with the global phenomenon of idol groups, dance music and fandoms that it seems hard to imagine anything before that as being Korean pop.The new book, planned by the Kor

Expat comedians based across Asia will battle it out in the Korea International Comedy Competition next weekend.A follow-up of last summer’s Seoul International Comedy Competition, this year’s event will feature 13 performers based across Asia, including Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan and Vietnam.In line with the name change, the contest has also moved location ― from Seoul to O’ Lounge in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Korea’s first expat comedy club.“My original plan was to always hold it in Seoul