More people in Korea than in the West complain of symptoms related to the gastrointestinal system. However, many people tend to dismiss such symptoms and do not see a doctor about it, which can sometimes lead to the progression of serious illnesses, such as gastric cancer. The best methods to maintain a healthy life is to practice the usual good lifestyle habits and have regular checkups to diagnose conditions early. Here, we will look at gastritis, gastric ulcers and gastric cancer, which are s

A triangular-shaped face is popular among young Koreans in their 20s and 30s because they think it is beautiful. Demand for surgical operations to have this “V-line” shape is growing. But many of those who want to change their looks often find difficulty choosing surgical methods because many facial surgeries carry a high risk of side effects and cause excruciating pain.To this, Siot osteotomy has been grabbing attention because it cuts a smaller part of the chin bone than other existing methods

A Man Without Breath, By Philip Kerr (Marian Wood/G.P. Putnam’s Sons)Through nine Philip Kerr novels spanning the rise and fall of Nazi Germany and the subsequent pursuit and prosecution of some of its creators, lead character Bernie Gunther has become an old friend.Each visit of the always wisecracking, sometimes compromised detective, private investigator and German soldier is eagerly awaited.A year ago, I read Gunther’s then-latest adventure while in the hospital recovering from open-heart su

Board StiffBy Elaine Viets (Obsidian)With few exceptions, characters in mysteries change and grow throughout the series. Not only does that reflect real life ― are any of us the same person we were last year? ― but it also allows authors to stretch their storytelling skills. Elaine Viets’ “Dead-End Jobs” series started with her heroine taking low-paying, off-the-grid jobs following a horrific divorce. Viets’ lively plots and broad humor complemented these highly entertaining novels while also sh

WASHINGTON (AP) ― While most Americans have never seen Ernest Hemingway’s home in Cuba where he wrote some of his most famous books, a set of 2,000 recently digitized records delivered to the United States will give scholars and the public a fuller view of the Nobel Prize-winning novelist’s life.A private U.S. foundation is working with Cuba to preserve more of Hemingway’s papers, books and belongings that have been kept at his home near Havana since he died in 1961. On Monday at the U.S. Capito

Park Bum-shin’s 40th novel ‘Salt’ portrays aging fathers as victims

Former U.S. ambassador to Korea Kathleen Stephens and celebrated actors Cha In-pyo and Shin Ae-ra were named the recipients of the 32nd Sejong Munhwa awards, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday. Stephens, who served as the U.S. ambassador between 2008 and 2011, was nominated in the Korean culture category for maintaining a friendly relationship with the country since 1975 when she came to Korea as part of the Peace Corps and served as an English lecturer.  Cha and his wife

President Park Geun-hye’s official visit to the U.S. drew the attention of even those normally indifferent to politics. It was the first overseas trip by Korea’s first woman president and the public was eager to see how she would present herself to the global audience.And it seems that Park has developed her own way of wearing powerful suits and feminine hanbok, or traditional Korean dress. Starting with a gold-green silk jacket with a turquoise mandarin collar, paired with brown trousers, the o

Everyone knows about the four jolly town musicians of Bremen. The musical “The Bremen Town Musicians,” now on at the National Museum Theater Yong in Seoul until May 26, is a pleasant mix of adventure, dreams and self discovery. The four animals, which were depicted as useless, outdated and almost abandoned fixtures in the original Grimm Brothers’ story, were revamped as a curious donkey, a dog with bad breath, a sympathetic cat, and an aspiring-star hen. And they take on a journey to become memb

An international school here is attracting growing attention thanks to its high record of acceptance to universities and colleges abroad.The Korea Christian International School in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, announced that for the fifth consecutive year all its seniors had been accepted to foreign colleges and universities.This year, the KCIS produced 17 graduates with all being accepted to colleges and universities around the world, mostly in the U.S., including Cornell University and the Unive

Back home in Switzerland, he was nicknamed, “The Singing Diplomat,” and for good reason. The artistic life of Raoul Imbach, a counsellor-level envoy at the Swiss Embassy in Korea, has long accompanied his diplomatic profession. His singing career started at age 5, and 50 years later he is still going strong as a singer-songwriter. Now he is celebrating his 10th studio album and the completion of a five-year posting here. The 14-track LP features what Imbach described as a “light and fun tune” de

Women gorging or vomiting are generally considered those who have failed to adapt to cultural pressure and are obsessed with thin bodies. However, according to a recent study from Michigan State University, women are biologically born to be more likely to overeat than men.The researchers led a feeding experiment on 60 rats, half of them male and half female. Scientists studied the eating habits of each gender group by regularly replacing the food pellets with vanilla frosting.The experiment res