The National Archives of Korea on Monday disclosed Christmas cards received by former presidents through its Web portal (www.pa.go.kr).The archives also released six photos and 10 records related to Christmas as well as 14 Christmas cards sent by kindergartners, elementary and middle school students.Presidents receive Christmas cards from people of all walks of life, including members of the public and ethnic Koreans living overseas, not to mention heads of state and political and business leade

LONDON (AFP) ― British celebrity chef Nigella Lawson faces a police investigation into claims of cocaine use which emerged during her personal assistants’ fraud trial after a U-turn by Scotland Yard, the Sunday Telegraph reported.Italian sisters Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo were cleared Friday of fraudulently spending 685,000 pounds ($1.12 million) on a company credit card owned by Lawson’s then-husband, the millionaire art collector Charles Saatchi.The assistants claimed Lawson had allowed t

The Sunfull Movement, which promotes a positive online culture, said Saturday that the total number of encouraging comments posted on its website topped 5 million on Dec. 9.Sunfull is currently driving a campaign urging young students to leave encouraging messages on its online bulletin board in a bid to prevent school violence and help with their personal development. The number of postings exceeded 4 million in April.The group plans to include parents and other members of the public across the

PREAH VIHEAR PROVINCE, Cambodia (AP) ― Rising out of the jungle on white pillars, the new Preah Vihear Museum’s largest building stands empty. But Cambodian officials hope that one day it will be the place where nine ancient statues depicting a dramatic battle scene are reunited from around the world.They came a step closer to that goal last week, when Sotheby’s auction house in New York agreed to return one of the statues to Cambodia, ending a heated legal battle that began when the U.S. govern

Very few people manage to do it. The richer they are, the more difficult it is, they say. But more people are vowing to leave no inheritance for their children and donate everything to society when they die, carrying out the concept of “noblesse oblige” in Korea, where inheriting wealth is still regarded as a natural way of showing one’s love and passing down tradition to the next generation. “It is pretty tough at the beginning but once you understand that everything you have in fact came from

Many Korean celebrities and even ordinary fans regularly take part in charitable giving throughout the year.But with the holiday season just around the corner, the spirit of thankfulness and being mindful of those less fortunate is more alive and present than at other times. Pop singer Kim Jang-hoon, is one of the nation’s best-known celebrity philanthropists. Often referred to as the “Donation Angel” Kim has reportedly donated more than $10 million to charity during his more than 20 years as a

Pop music“2013 Psy Concert All Night Stand”: Psy will be ringing in the holiday season by holding a special four-day solo concert series in December. The upcoming performances will mark his first concerts in Korea in nearly eight months after his globally broadcasted “Happening” show in April, where he attracted around 45,000 concertgoers and more than 130,000 fans who tuned in online for the live feed. The rapper has been busy this year promoting his single “Gentleman,” which was nominated for

NEW YORK (AP) ― The Olympics, the World Cup and commemorations of World War I, D-Day and the fall of the Berlin Wall are some of the events that will spotlight destinations like Sochi, Brazil, Sarajevo, Normandy and Berlin in 2014.Elsewhere abroad, a potentially game-changing high-speed rail service has just launched linking Paris and Barcelona. Some travelers may now prefer the train over a plane, with the train ride cut in half to just over six hours between the two cities.Back in the U.S., St

For travelers looking to tough it out in the frigid winter temperatures, there are a number of worthwhile winter festivals where visitors can experience a wide range of snow and winter-fun activities whether it be ice-fishing, sledding or even ice soccer. The Pyeongchang Trout Festival is one of the most popular winter festivals, and is held annually in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province ― known for having one of the coldest, snowiest winters in Korea. Because of the region’s frigid climate and clear