The Korea Herald

Restoring medieval Tibetan shrines in Nepal's Himalayas

Aug 3, 2016

LO MANTHANG, Nepal (AFP) - Deep in the heart of a medieval monastery in Nepal's remote Upper Mustang region, the battle to restore sacred murals and preserve traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture is in full swing.Tsewang Jigme is among the artists toiling to safeguard the unique cultural heritage of this former Buddhist kingdom high on the Tibetan plateau, which escaped the ravages of the Cultural Revolution in neighboring China.“These murals are irreplaceable ... I feel nervous every time I touc
Foreign viewers of Naver's webtoons outnumber Koreans

Aug 2, 2016

The number of viewers from outside Korea watching Naver Corp.’s webtoons has surpassed that of Koreans for the first time, according to the search engine on Tuesday, illustrating the growing popularity of the web comics among foreign audiences.Naver began publishing its web comics overseas in 2014 via Line Corp., a Japan-based mobile messaging subsidiary of Naver. Line’s webtoons are offered in five languages, including English, Chinese and Indonesian.In June this year, Line’s webtoons reported
Real-life ‘Pianist’ family wins defamation appeal

Aug 2, 2016

WARSAW (AFP) -- The family of the late Jewish-Polish protagonist of Oscar-winning Holocaust film “The Pianist” said Monday they won an appeal against defamation over claims in a book that he was a Nazi collaborator.Wladyslaw Szpilman’s widow and son brought the case to Warsaw’s appeals court after losing the initial complaint in September 2013.The family took issue with certain quotes by Polish-Jewish singer Wiera Gran in a 2010 biography of her life, written by Agata Tuszynska.The remarks see G
Tibetans gather for horse festival

Aug 2, 2016

YUSHU, China (AFP) - Thundering across the vast Himalayan plateau in their traditional finery, Tibetan horsemen gather for an annual riding festival which is a colorful feast for the eyes.Multicolored prayer flags inscribed with religious texts flutter in the breeze and tents line the green hills surrounding the racing ground in Yushu, in the northwestern Chinese province of Qinghai.The area is home to many of China’s 8 million strong Tibetan minority, some of whom chafe against Chinese rule.Spe
Young women drive Korean hip-hop scene

Aug 1, 2016

Women in 20s-30s heaviest hip-hop consumers
Seoul Plaza to be converted into outdoor camping site

Jul 31, 2016

How about spending a night out at a cool, green-lawned plaza to let off some steam?The Seoul city government on Sunday said it will launch the "Seoul Culture Night" festival next month in various places across the city.On Aug. 27, it will run "MT Seoul," where 100 preselected teams are allowed to set up tents in Seoul Plaza and stay overnight there. At the plaza, a flea market, a talk session and a movie screening will take place.On the previous day, the city will run a number of tour programs i
Visitors to royal palaces in Seoul top 5 million in H1

Jul 28, 2016

The number of visitors to royal palaces in Seoul increased sharply in the first half of the year, due mainly to various cultural festivals and a rising influx of foreign travelers, the government said Thursday.According to the Culture Heritage Administration, more than 5.24 million Koreans and foreign tourists visited the capital‘s four most prominent palaces from the Joseon era (1392-1910) in the January-June period. The total represents a 21.5 percent increase from the same period last year an
Jonathan Pryce makes ‘Merchant of Venice’ a family affair

Jul 28, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) -- Jonathan Pryce is no stranger to William Shakespeare, but one play he has refused to do is “The Merchant of Venice” -- until now.Fresh off two seasons on “Game of Thrones” as High Sparrow, the Tony winner is now on an international tour as Shylock in a Shakespeare's Globe production that co-stars his daughter, Phoebe Pryce. The tour takes him to Washington, D.C., and Chicago this summer before a fall tour of five Chinese cities, including Hong Kong and Beijing, a return to the G
Chicken and beer festival kicks off in Daegu

Jul 27, 2016

Fans of fried chicken and beer will gather in this sizzling hot city of Daegu this week as it holds a festival wholly dedicated to the hugely popular summer night snack in South Korea with various concerts and events. The combination of chicken and beer is called "chimac" in Korean, and it's the theme of the "Daegu Chimac Festival," which runs from Wednesday to Sunday. (Visit Korea)The Korea Chimac Industry Association Corp. hosts the event in the city, located some 300 kilometers southeast of S
World leisure sports festival to kick off in Chuncheon next month

Jul 27, 2016

The world's biggest leisure sports festival will be held in the country's northeastern lake city of Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, next month with foreign and local participants competing in 14 sports events, organizers said Wednesday. The fifth edition of the Chuncheon International Leisure Sports Festival will run from Aug. 12-15 at Songam Sports Town in Chuncheon, 85 kilometers northeast of Seoul, with some 5,600 local and foreign athletes from 31 nations to compete. (Visit Korea)This year's in
Museum sketches bright future for art in Indonesia

Jul 27, 2016

JAKARTA (AFP) -- From Jakarta to Bali and Yogyakarta, the Indonesian art world is flourishing. Buoyed by a growing, affluent middle class at home as well as interest from international buyers, numerous boutique galleries and artists' communities have sprung up, while events such as the Jakarta Biennale, the annual ArtJog fair, and Bazaar Art Jakarta have fuelled interest.But critics warn a lack of government funding and high-quality art museums means many Indonesians are missing out. Businessman
‘Pokemon Go’ players stumble on hidden history

Jul 27, 2016

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP) -- Historical markers have long dotted the landscape, often barely noticed by passers-by -- until they became treasure-filled stops this month on the "Pokemon Go" trail.Players hunting for fictional creatures on their smartphones are now visiting real-life memorial plaques, statues, mosaics and landmarks, ranging from a Civil War battlefield in Chancellorsville, Virginia, to a Hells Angels clubhouse on New Zealand’s North Island.Some don't bother to linger at these
Treasures from Sinan shipwreck on view

Jul 26, 2016

National Museum of Korea unveils artifacts discovered in old Chinese trade ship that sank near Korean Peninsula in 14th century
Mexico finds water tunnels under Pakal tomb in Palenque

Jul 26, 2016

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Archaeologists at the Mayan ruin site of Palenque said Monday they have discovered an underground water tunnel built under the Temple of Inscriptions, which houses the tomb of an ancient ruler named Pakal.Archaeologist Arnoldo Gonzalez says researchers believe the tomb and pyramid were purposely built atop a spring between 683 and 702 AD. The tunnels led water from under the funeral chamber out into the broad esplanade in front of the temple, thus giving Pakal‘s spirit a path
[Foreigners Who Loved Korea] Tang Jiyao, promoter of the Korean-Chinese International Alliance

Jul 25, 2016

Tang Jiyao was born in Huize County, Yunan province on Aug. 14, 1883. After completing his studies in traditional learning at a private school, he was selected to study abroad in Japan on a government scholarship in 1904 where he embraced modern learning at Tokyo Shimbu Gakko, or School for Promoting the Science of War. In August the following year, he registered with Sun Yat-sen’s Tongmenghui (Chinese United League) founded in Tokyo, and organized an Infantry Corps and Military Studies Society