In late December 1945, when the issue of trusteeship over Korea became a political issue a mere two months after the Korean Provisional Government returned to the country, KPG President Kim Gu introduced the Roman Catholic bishop Paul Yu Pin to the Korean people through a newspaper article. Virtually unknown to Koreans, Yu was a great contributor to the Korean independence movement.Unknown Chinese supporter of the Korean independence movementThe following is quoted from the Dong-a Ilbo article f

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) - Representatives from dozens of countries gathered in Abu Dhabi on Friday to focus on setting up a $100 million fund to protect and restore heritage sites threatened by extremism and conflict.The two-day conference reflects growing international alarm over the destruction of ancient artifacts by Islamic State group jihadists using sledgehammers, bulldozers and explosives.Another key aim is to establish “refuge zones” around the globe for endangered works of

Desire for patience, refinement puts calligraphy in spotlight again

There was a time when Chinese character calligraphers criticized Hangeul calligraphy for being “too unsophisticated.” Luckily, a few calligraphers ignored the comments and mastered their craft in Hangeul, the Korean alphabet. Looking back, they served as the trailblazers for the now-burgeoning market for Hangeul calligraphy.“Years ago, the term ‘Hangeul calligraphy’ was virtually nonexistent among graphic designers,” Kang Byung-in, one of the first-generation Hangul calligraphy gurus, told The K

Vania Heymann’s work may feature people swimming in the sky, but the music video director is rooted in reality

Nestled in the design books section of Kyobo Book Center in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, calligraphy workbooks are displayed in a separate stall as a special collection.　According to Kyobo Book Center, calligraphy books began gaining traction since 2012, with the number of new publications and demand for them steadily growing each year.A reader flicks through books in the calligraphy section of Kyobo Book Centre in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. (Lim Jeong-yeo / The Korea Herald)In 2013, eight new books on calligra

‘Haenyeo’ culture recognized for empowering women, eco-friendly fishing and embodying regional identity

BAMIYAN, Afghanistan (AFP) -- For centuries they stood, two monumental ancient statues of Buddha carved into the cliffs of Bamiyan, loved and revered by generations of Afghans -- only to be pulverized by the Taliban in an act of cultural genocide.It felt like the loss of family for many who live and tend their crops nearby -- but some 15 years on they are hopeful these awe-inspiring relics can be reconstructed. But experts are divided on the value of rebuilding the artefacts, with some insisting

Celebrities are voicing anger via social media over President Park Geun-hye’s Tuesday announcement, in which she said she would let the National Assembly decide the fate of her presidency.“I am so angry,” celebrity writer Heo Ji-woong posted to his Instagram account Tuesday with a photo of a television screen depicting Park’s address. “She is tossing the ball over to the National Assembly, which will obviously be unable to reach an answer at this point. I am so angry at the president and the spe

PARIS (AP) -- Pirelli on Tuesday unveiled the 2017 edition of its famed calendar, which sees photographer Peter Lindbergh mature beyond snaps of seminude models and set his lens on Hollywood.The calendar, entitled “Emotional” and launched in Paris, stars 14 Oscar-winning actresses featured in black-and-white close-ups, in clothed poses with invisible makeup. The photos, while beautiful, show wrinkles, lines and imperfections. It’s a dramatic move away from decades of risque shots that made the c

THE HAGUE (AFP) – Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum ruled out Tuesday a public debate over the authenticity of a book of sketches that an art historian has said belonged to the Dutch impressionist.Bogomila Welsh-Ovcharov, a University of Toronto academic, has declared the apparent find to be “the most revolutionary discovery” in the history of Van Gogh’s work. But the Dutch museum says the sketches, said to be from the artist’s stay in the French city of Arles, are fake.Welsh-Ovcharov’s French publish