The Korea Herald

Japan’s ‘Tree Town’ sculptors make living art

Dec 26, 2013

SOSA, Japan (AFP) ― With a deft clip here and a gentle tug there, Makoto Ishibashi sculpts trees with the skill of an artisan whose work is far more than just a job.The heir to a centuries-old family business, he creates masterpieces that can turn a pine tree into a work of art that could fetch $40,000. “This tree is a woman ― the leaves are soft,” the arborist says of the pine into a triangle at his farm in the city of Sosa.“Trees are my family ― they don’t say what they want but they are sendi
Rare story by Zelda Fitzgerald published

Dec 26, 2013

Here’s a look at what’s buzzing in the book world:Tip of the iceberg: The New Yorker has published a “recently unearthed” story by Zelda Fitzgerald (written before she was the wife of Great Gatsby author F. Scott Fitzgerald). Titled “The Iceberg,” Fitzgerald (then known as Zelda Sayre) wrote the story in 1918, when she was about 17 or 18 years old. It tells the tale of a young woman named Cornelia who comes from a rich Southern family, but is seeking something more. It was published in her high
Up-and-coming Yeonnam-dong emerges as new hangout

Dec 25, 2013

Just a few minutes away from the vibrant and crowded neighborhood of Hongdae, known for its art scene and nightlife, is the often overlooked area of Yeonnam-dong. Although it has certainly not reached the status of a must-see hot spot, its growing number of boutique shops and galleries is turning it into Seoul’s next up-and-coming neighborhood. There is still something to be said for being able to go to a quiet coffee shop with your friends without having to worry about whether a table will be a
Wrap artist puts pizzazz in presents

Dec 25, 2013

My family members don’t even need to look at the tags anymore to know which Christmas presents come from me.Almost always, they’re adorned with wide ribbon tied in a simple shoelace bow.I like to think the look is classy. Alton DuLaney would probably say it’s a little plain.DuLaney has me rethinking my wrapping strategy. The 2008 winner of Scotch Brand’s Most Gifted Wrapper Contest puts my stripped-down style to shame with his elegant embellishments, which run the gamut from silk flowers to cook
Hollies dazzle in holiday landscape

Dec 25, 2013

There is nothing that quite says Christmas like a holly showing out with its festive bright red berries. A specimen holly kissed by frost or draped with a blanket of snow is a sight and memory to be treasured.After years of being mesmerized by their beauty I am now being treated to a new look at our garden in Savannah, Ga., the holly adorned with Spanish moss, looking as though they have been carefully decorated with a special tinsel of nature.Regardless of where you live, Spanish moss or not, t
Maestro Chung comes back to piano

Dec 24, 2013

60-year-old’s first solo piano album in decades reflects his life, love
Royal palaces to open until late in February

Dec 24, 2013

Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changgyeonggung Palace in Seoul will open until late at night in February, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Tuesday. The Changgyeonggung Palace will remain open until 10 p.m. and Gyeongbokgung Palace until 9 p.m. from Feb. 12-17, as part of the CHA’s cultural programs to help citizens and visitors immerse themselves in the rich history of the Joseon period. The CHA have set the quota for admission to 1,700 visitors a day at Changgyeonggung Palace and 1,500 at Gy
Greece to build Holocaust museum in Thessaloniki

Dec 23, 2013

THESSALONIKI, Greece (AFP) ― Greece’s second-largest city Thessaloniki unveiled plans on Friday to build a Holocaust museum to honor some 46,000 Jewish residents deported and killed at German Nazi death camps during World War II.“This is the fulfillment of a historic responsibility for Thessaloniki,” said Yiannis Boutaris, mayor of the city once known as the “Jerusalem of the Balkans.”The museum will be created at the old railway station where the trains left Greece’s northern city for the notor
Men and women have different idea of ‘perfect female face’

Dec 23, 2013

Men and women differ on what they perceive as the perfect female face, according to an online survey.Online beauty retailer Escentual.com recently asked 1,000 British men and women to pick the best features of celebrities in order to form a woman’s perfect face.Men selected Kate Middleton’s eyebrows, Shakira’s blonde hair, Jennifer Aniston’s forehead, Miranda Kerr’s nose and Angelina Jolie’s cheekbones and lips.Women, on the other hand, picked Cara Delevingne’s eyebrows, Freida Pinto’s dark hair
Momentum gains to unite ancient Cambodian statues

Dec 22, 2013

PREAH VIHEAR PROVINCE, Cambodia (AP) ― Rising out of the jungle on white pillars, the new Preah Vihear Museum’s largest building stands empty. But Cambodian officials hope that one day it will be the place where nine ancient statues depicting a dramatic battle scene are reunited from around the world.They came a step closer to that goal last week, when Sotheby’s auction house in New York agreed to return one of the statues to Cambodia, ending a heated legal battle that began when the U.S. govern
Vienna Philharmonic strips ex-Nazis of honors

Dec 22, 2013

VIENNA (AP) ― The famed Vienna Philharmonic orchestra has quietly stripped six former senior Nazi officials of honors awarded them ― a late act of contrition for its embrace of the Hitler era that included purging Jewish members from its ranks.The decision was divulged to the Associated Press by an orchestra member on Friday and confirmed by historian Oliver Rathkolb.Rathkolb led research earlier this year documenting the orchestra’s close cooperation with Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbel
‘Koreans are most frequent moviegoers’

Dec 22, 2013

Koreans watch an average of 4.12 films at cinemas a year, the most in the world, a report said Sunday. According the Screen Digest report, Koreans topped the list with 4.12 films, followed by Americans with 3.88 films, Australians with 3.75 and the French with 3.44. This is the first time for Koreans to claim the title of most enthusiastic moviegoers. According to the Korean Film Council, more than 200 million tickets were sold in cinemas this year as of Dec. 18, boosting the domestic movie thea
Celebrities and fans find common ground in philanthropy

Dec 20, 2013

Many Korean celebrities and even ordinary fans regularly take part in charitable giving throughout the year.But with the holiday season just around the corner, the spirit of thankfulness and being mindful of those less fortunate is more alive and present than at other times. Pop singer Kim Jang-hoon, is one of the nation’s best-known celebrity philanthropists. Often referred to as the “Donation Angel” Kim has reportedly donated more than $10 million to charity during his more than 20 years as a
Calendar

Dec 20, 2013

Pop music“2013 Psy Concert All Night Stand”: Psy will be ringing in the holiday season by holding a special four-day solo concert series in December. The upcoming performances will mark his first concerts in Korea in nearly eight months after his globally broadcasted “Happening” show in April, where he attracted around 45,000 concertgoers and more than 130,000 fans who tuned in online for the live feed. The rapper has been busy this year promoting his single “Gentleman,” which was nominated for
Koreans take pride in cultural heritage, K-pop

Dec 18, 2013

Koreans take great pride in their culture, especially their pop culture, thanks to the K-pop boom, and think that the level of culture is way above the level of their economy, a government survey showed Wednesday. In the “mindset and values of Koreans 2013” survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, involving 2,537 people aged between 19 and 79, the respondents showed pride in cultural heritage (93.1 percent); the traditional costume hanbok and Korean food (92.7 percent); Confucian v