American professor uncovers Korean culture intertwined with the mountain trailDavid Mason couldn’t understand why Baekdu-daegan had remained overlooked for so long.After his first visit to Korea in 1982, his “heart got stuck” to Korea, so four years later he decided to go back, and eventually became a fan, and an expert of Baekdu-daegan .It is 25 years since Mason returned to Korea in 1986 to brin

The power of culture and the arts will be enlisted to help integrate divided Korean society, said Choung Byoung-gug, who took office as the new culture minister Thursday.“During the past 10 years working in the cultural sector, I have realized how powerful culture and arts are in narrowing differences of language, religion and nationality,” Choung said at a press conference at the Ministry of Cult

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Sir Elton John is “fed up” with being a treated like a “second-class citizen” in the U.S.That’s why the 63-year-old gay singer said he took a stand last week during a performance at a private Beverly Hills fundraiser for the ongoing legal challenge to California’s gay marriage ban. The outspoken British piano man, who became a parent to a baby boy on Christmas Day with partner D

The Booyoung Group, a Korean housing developer, has donated 10,000 digital pianos and 30,000 blackboards to schools in Indonesia. The donation ceremony took place at the Indonesian education ministry in Jakarta. Lee Joong-keun, the founder and chairman of the group, National Education Minister of Indonesia Muhammad Nuh, South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Kim Ho-young and about 400 teachers and s

Denmark, the first country to work on an aggressive plan to rid itself of dependence on fossil fuels, is looking towards Korea as one of the countries to bring its dream to fruition.“We like to say that Denmark is a first mover; Korea looks like a fast mover and sometimes if you put a first and fast mover there some interesting things that come out of that synergy,” said the chairperson of the Dan

After wife suffers accident, former journalist propels campaign for disabledPaik Kyung-hak was in his car, and had just opened the trunk so that his wife could find something for their daughter.A moment later, an intoxicated driver in a Mercedes struck the back of their car, where his wife was standing. Paik was thrown from the car in the impact, inexplicably landing underneath the vehicle.In shoc

Mel Gibson appears in last year’s box office dud “Ege of Darkness” which was supposed to be the iconic actor’s comeback film. (GK Films)Hollywood actor, Mel Gibson is set to be charged for hitting ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva and could face four years in jail.According to the British tabloid The Sun, the 55-year-old actor has been accused of breaking two of Grigorieva’s teeth at the home they s

Franklin D. Roosevelt, who led the United States through the Great Depression and World War II, has been voted the most successful of all time among U.S. presidents.According to the BBC report, the poll was conducted by U.K. academics on U.S. presidential performance and was published by the U.S. Presidency Center of the Institute for the Study of Americas on Monday. Roosevelt was the nation's 32n

Singer Sean and his wife, actress Jung Hye-young, have pledged to sponsor an additional 100 children through Compassion Korea on Tuesday.The couple has been giving support to 100 children, including six Haitians, in 26 countries. The additional sponsorships bring the total number of children supported to 200. They began sponsoring needy children around the world three years ago.  Sean and his wife

The Korea-Israel Friendship Association held new year greetings and a membership party at the Diplomacy Center on the 12th floor of Forever Leader’s in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, on Jan. 18.Israeli Amb. Tuvia Israeli said the two countries have being steadily developing their cultural exchanges and that many Koreans have visited Israel as part of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.  (From left) Ofer Fohrer,

(Yonhap News)Growing number of migrant women seeks legal advice on divorce, child rearingA growing number of migrant women living in South Korea sought legal advice on divorce and children last year, a state-funded aid center said Thursday, raising concerns about difficulties at home faced by multicultural families.According to the Emergency Support Center for Migrant Women, 54,194 people have con

Popular cartoonist and author Rhie talks about writing overviews of world historyAccording to ancient Greek sage Thales, the hardest thing is to know yourself and the easiest to advise others. Perhaps it is a certain cartoonist of the 21st century who best follows the drift of what the ancient sage tried to impart. Rhie Won-bok, a famous cartoonist and author, has a world view resembling that of T

Professor Ahn Jae-hwan, of Ajou University’s department of chemical and new materials engineering, will head the university as its 14th president, the university board announced on Monday.The new president earned his bachelor’s degree in metal engineering at Seoul National University, and a master’s and doctoral degree in material engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.  Ahn Jae-hwa

News of a 13th zodiac sign may be better viewed as an astronomer’s personal suggestion rather than an official change made by an internationally recognized astronomical organization. Astronomer Parke Kunkle of the Minnesota Planetarium Society has promoted the new sign, named Ophiuchus. Astronomer Parke Kunkle talks with a reporter about the changing astrological signs in his office in Minneapolis