The Korea Herald

‘Star Wars’ creator marriessecond time

PeopleJun 25, 2013

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― It’s marriage, episode II for George Lucas. A Lucasfilm spokeswoman confirms the “Star Wars” creator married longtime girlfriend Mellody Hobson in a weekend ceremony at Skywalker Ranch north of San Francisco. It’s the second wedding for the 69-year-old Lucas, who was married to film editor Marcia Lucas from 1969 to 1983. It’s the first marriage for Hobson, 44, an investment firm president and contributor to ABC TV’s “Good Morning America.” The two have dated since 2006. Former
‘Freedom comes with a price,’ says U.S. Korean War veteran

PeopleJun 25, 2013

Edward Rowny, a retired U.S. Army general, says that if he learned anything from the Korean War, it is that “Freedom comes with a price.”Rowny, now 96, still recalls the days when he worked as a spokesman for U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, the commander of the Allied Forces which fought against invading North Korean troops during the three-year war.Rowny said MacArthur had to overcome opposition from more cautious U.S. generals to push through with the risky Incheon landing that turned the tide of
Angelina Jolie urges world to end rape in war

PeopleJun 25, 2013

UNITED NATIONS (AP) ― Angelina Jolie made her debut before the U.N.’s most powerful body as a special envoy for refugees Monday and urged the world’s nations to make the fight against rape in war a top priority. The actress told the Security Council that “hundreds of thousands ― if not millions ― of women, children and men have been raped in conflicts in our lifetimes.” Jolie, a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, said the Security Council has witnessed 67 years of w
Korean travel to S. Africa rising fast: deputy minister

PeopleJun 25, 2013

With increased political stability in Africa and economic growth to match, it is not surprising that more travelers are turning to the region to spend their holidays.International tourism in Africa as a whole has nearly doubled since 2000 to 50 million visitors a year. Korean tourists are also rising, and many are choosing South Africa as their travel destination, according to the country’s Deputy Minister of Tourism Tokozile Xasa.She was in Korea for a daylong trade and tourism workshop at a ho
Korean War sites considered for national cultural heritage status

CultureJun 24, 2013

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Monday said it would push to register five historical sites of the Korean War (1950-1953) as cultural heritage subject to state management. Those being considered are the Resistance Shrine at Mount Gamaksan in Paju; the Norwegian field hospital in Dongducheon; a military bunker in Pocheon; the joint cemetery of the Taegeukdan resistance in Goyang, all in Gyeonggi Province; and the joint cemetery of policemen who died during battle against North Korean mili
Ministry seeks to revive Joseon portraiture

CultureJun 24, 2013

Portraits in Korea are much more than simple artworks. Rather, they are signs of respect for ancestors that have been passed down through generations. Portraits of the Joseon era (1392-1910) are known for their realistic description and details. They are also called jeonsinhwa, a painting that passes down the spirits of ancestors. Unlike in neighboring countries, painters were devoted to portraying subjects as realistically as possible based on the belief that “if things as small as a strand of
Korea America Friendship Society to honor American soldiers, civilian

PeopleJun 24, 2013

The Korea America Friendship Society will hold “Korea America Friendship Night,” its 22nd anniversary reception, in the grand ballroom at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on Thursday. Four U.S. soldiers and one Department of Defense civilian will receive “Korea America Friendship Society Awards” during the event. The awards recognize their volunteering to teach English, hold cultural exchanges, athletic events and festivals for young Korean students, and projects to promote mutual understanding with the lo
FSS governor becomes volunteer interpreter

PeopleJun 24, 2013

Financial Supervisory Service governor Choi Soo-hyun will double as a volunteer English interpreter. The 58-year-old official was recently recruited as a volunteer interpreter by BBB Korea, a corporation which provides interpretation services by telephone 24 hours a day. BBB Korea posted openings for 431 volunteer interpreters in April, and about 1,300 applied. In late April, he passed the third and final round of the test, a three-way telephone conversation involving a foreigner and a Korean. H
Most Korean travelers dream of overseas romance

TravelJun 24, 2013

The majority of South Korean travelers have fantasies about an unexpected romantic encounter with a stranger while traveling, a survey found on Monday.Skyscanner, a flight information website, conducted a survey of 1,000 South Koreans aged 18 or over who have overseas travel experience. The survey found 61.4 percent of the respondents had thought about a possible romantic date with a stranger during their journey.The most favored place to have such a moment was the beach at 48.2 percent.In the
NBA star, model seen ‘cozying up’: media

PeopleJun 24, 2013

Rumors that Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers may be dating model Kate Upton has mushroomed online after U.S. media reported on Thursday that the stars had been witnessed “cozying up” at a nightclub in New York.E! Online, quoting an unnamed source, reported that Griffin and Upton got intimate last Wednesday while hanging out with their friends. The 21-year-old Upton is believed to have joined Griffin and his friends, including teammate DeAndre Jordan, around 11:30 p.m.According to the so
South Africa: Nelson Mandela in critical condition

PeopleJun 24, 2013

Nelson Mandela's health has deteriorated and he is now in critical condition, the South African government said Sunday.The office of President Jacob Zuma said in a statement that he had visited the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader at a hospital Sunday evening and was informed by the medical team that Mandela's condition had become critical in the past 24 hours.“The doctors are doing everything possible to get his condition to improve and are ensuring that Madiba is well-looked after and is comf
Reality TV hypes plastic surgery craze

CultureJun 23, 2013

Cosmetic surgery reality TV shows shape public perception and attraction for plastic surgery, beauty
[Photo News] Herald chairman lectures on leadership

PeopleJun 23, 2013

Herald Corp. chairman Jungwook Hong gives a lecture on leadership to about 100 members of the Future CEO Academy at Novotel Ambassador Gangnam in Seoul on Thursday. The academy is an association of alumni of a Korea Management Association program for second- and third-generation chief executives. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald)
Korean War veteran reminds people of ‘forgotten war’

PeopleJun 23, 2013

Larry Kinard’s Korean War memories come back to him with a vivid clarity, which makes him shudder at the recollection of being so close to death.One of them is of an incident that took place in 1952, three years after he became a U.S. Army second lieutenant to serve in the 3rd Infantry Division on the front-line. He was 22. Looking out at the enemy territory over the Imjin River, an artillery shell exploded just 22 meters in front of a four-member observation team. “It literally blew us out of t
Putin claims no memory of ‘stealing’ Super Bowl ring

PeopleJun 23, 2013

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia (AFP) ― Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he had no recollection of allegedly stealing the Super Bowl ring belonging to the National Football League’s New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.The New York Post reported on June 14 that Kraft had told a U.S. audience that he had once met Putin in 2005 and showed him the $25,000 ring team players and owners are awarded for winning the U.S. football league final.Kraft said that Putin took the ring in his ha