The Korea Herald

New biography of C.S. Lewis explores the man behind ‘Narnia’

BooksApr 11, 2013

C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), the author of “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “Mere Christianity” and “The Screwtape Letters,” was far from a perfect human being, and, Christian that he was, would have been the first to admit it.Nonetheless, in a new biography of the writer and scholar, Alister McGrath quickly piles up good reasons for a reader to like Lewis. The writer disliked denominational squabbling and literary theory; he stood in favor of animals, alcohol and reading old books.To the tip the scales e
Nominees named for English translation prize

BooksApr 11, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) ― A novel by Romanian-born German Nobel laureate Herta Muller is among the finalists for prizes given for best English language translations of fiction and poetry.Muller’s “The Hunger Angel’’ was translated from German by Philip Boehm and has been nominated for a Best Translated Book Award.Ten fiction works and six poetry books were announced Wednesday by Three Percent, a center for international literature that’s based at the University of Rochester in New York. Winning authors an
Clearer rubbing of newly found Goguryeo stele in China released

CultureApr 11, 2013

A clearer ink rubbing of a recently discovered rare stele from the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo was made public for the first time in South Korea Thursday.The rubbed copy is expected to serve as a crucial catalyst for the study of the monument by local historians since it has the best quality of all others that have been released so far.The monument believed to date from Goguryeo, which controlled the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and northeastern China for more than 700 years unti
Lev Dodin shares passion for Chekhov

BooksApr 11, 2013

Legendary Russian theater director brings Chekhov’s ‘Three Sisters’ to Seoul
Belgian dream ends for France’s richest man

PeopleApr 11, 2013

PARIS (AFP) ― France’s richest man Bernard Arnault has withdrawn his application for Belgian citizenship, he said in an interview on Wednesday, after the move caused a huge outcry in the country. The head of luxury group LVMH applied for the citizenship last year as Paris moved to impose a 75 percent tax on incomes above one million euros ($1.6 million), although he had always denied doing it for tax reasons. “I explained several times that I would remain a resident in France and that I would co
Hyundai Department head fined for missing hearings

PeopleApr 11, 2013

A Seoul court on Thursday imposed a 10 million won ($8,870) fine on the chairman of Hyundai Department Store Co. for missing parliamentary audits over the company’s alleged infringement of business rights of small retailers. Chung Ji-sun, 41, the chief of the country’s third-largest department store chain, was found guilty of not responding to the call to appear at the hearings and audits of the National Assembly between October and November of last year, citing different reasons such as oversea
Singer Nah Youn-sun named jazz goodwill ambassador

PeopleApr 11, 2013

Local jazz vocalist Nah Youn-sun has been appointed Korea’s goodwill ambassador for UNESCO’s International Jazz Day, according to representatives of the Korean National Commission for UNESCO. In 2011, UNESCO honored jazz music as a source of enhancing global unity and peace and deemed April 30 International Jazz Day. As a representative of Korea, Nah will perform alongside other local jazz artists at Olympus Hall in Seoul on April 30. The 44-year-old musician first debuted as a jazz vocalist in
Poet Ko appointed honorary fellow at Italian university

PeopleApr 11, 2013

World-acclaimed poet Ko Un has been appointed an honorary fellow at Ca’Foscari University of Venice, the Italian university announced on Thursday.The school, founded in 1868, has been offering courses in Korean studies since 1997, and launched the King Sejong Institute ― Korea’s state-run language institute operating overseas ― on campus last year.The Buddhist monk-turned-poet is the third person to be appointed an honorary fellow for the university, and the first Asian to receive the honor. The
Ancient Rome’s influence on America

BooksApr 11, 2013

A growing number of Koreans learn English, consume fast food and watch Hollywood movies regularly as in other places of the world, but the idea of what America really is still evokes, if anything, fuzziness.In "Rome, the Stolen Gem of America," author Choi Yong-sik attempts to draw up a clearer picture of America by identifying its cultural and historical link with ancient Rome.Choi shows how the present-day U.S. evolved from the Roman Republic since the Declaration of Independence in the 18th c
Young Korean designer attracts attention at Milan Furniture Fair

Arts&DesignApr 10, 2013

Milan Furniture Design is one of the most important design events, attracting the most innovative designs from around the world. It is also a great opportunity for young designers to introduce their work on a global stage and to test themselves out in the market. Korean designer Park Bomi and five other Korean designers were selected by the organizers to showcase their works at Salone Satellite, which gathers promising international designers under age 35. A separate Korean group exhibition fea
Male grooming: New trend or old tradition?

FashionApr 10, 2013

History abounds with men who sought to make themselves attractive
South, North Korean architectural history to showcase at Venice Biennale

Arts&DesignApr 10, 2013

Korean commissioner says he plans to focus on modernity, national identity in Korean architecture
Koh gets 5 years, anklet for sex attacks on minors

PeopleApr 10, 2013

A Seoul court on Wednesday sentenced TV personality Koh Young-wook to five years in prison for raping and sexually assaulting minors.Koh, 37, the former member of the 90s popular singing group Roo-La, was found guilty of a total of four accounts of rape and sexual assault against three teenagers between July 2010 and December 2012.The Seoul Western District Court also ordered that Koh wear an electronic monitoring anklet for 10 years and that his personal information be made available to the pub
PGA star Choi to open youth golf center here

PeopleApr 10, 2013

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Yonhap News) ― South Korean PGA Tour veteran Choi Kyoung-ju on Tuesday unveiled his plan to open a huge golf center in his native land, saying he wants to help young players hone their skills without worrying about costs.Ahead of the Masters, the season’s first major, at Augusta National Golf Club, Choi told reporters about his project, tentatively titled, “Build a Dream Nest.”“Young players in South Korea don’t really have a place where they can practice comfortably, and the s
Face width linked to baseball skills: study

HealthApr 10, 2013

For male baseball players, having a wide face may mean they can hit more home runs, a new study suggested.Psychologists from the University of London looked at data concerning 104 Japanese professional baseball players, and found a correlation between the players’ facial width-to-height ratio and their batting power.The researchers analyzed the players’ game data in the 2011 and 2012 seasons, and compared it to the width of the players’ faces. They found that players with relatively wider faces