The Korea Creative Content Agency, affiliated with the Culture Ministry, will open an integrated support center for content providers this month as well as a specialized team for the export of hallyu-related contents, its new head said Friday.Hong Sang-pyo, president and CEO of KOCCA, told reporters that the plan was part of the agency’s restructuring process and was aimed at supporting content providers in different genres. The planned center will provide a wide range of consulting services on

ISTANBUL (AFP) ― Can the Muslim headscarf be synonymous with glamour? Turkey’s first fashion magazine for conservative Islamic women looks set to prove that it can.In less than a year since it was launched last June, the monthly Ala ― meaning “beauty” ― has become a mainstream glossy.With a circulation of 20,000, it is only slightly behind the Turkish versions of Cosmopolitan, Vogue and Elle magazines.Ala’s pages are splashed with models reflecting a conservative Islamic style, all wearing heads

Torch Trinity Graduate University, situated in a business hub in southern Seoul, is the only university in the metropolis with an English focus. While far smaller than its peers with approximately 600 students, the school has drawn students from 32 different countries. Its draw, according to school officials, is its genuine and intentional English-only curriculum.Other prestigious universities in the country have enticed international students with English-only programs in an attempt to become m

The Culture Ministers of Korea, China and Japan agreed to expand cultural cooperation and promote exchanges between the three countries at a trilateral meeting held in Shanghai on Saturday, officials said.The action plan includes programs designating “cultural cities” in each of the three countries in 2014, and hosting joint art exhibitions in a way to draw interest from world’s leading traditional and modern artists.  The annual meeting was attended by Korean Culture Minister Choe Kwang-shik, C

Jogye Order shocked by transfer of ‘Hunminjeongeum’ ownership stateThe Jogye Order, Korea’s largest Buddhist sect, on Friday protested the planned donation of a missing relic to the government.The “Hunminjeongeum Haeryebon Sangjubon” was stolen in 2008 and its whereabouts is still unknown, but the rights of ownership are being transferred by a man who was awarded legal ownership of the 15th century text by a court in February.In a press release issued Friday night, the Jogye Order questioned whe

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the nation’s largest Buddhist sect, on Friday protested the planned donation of a missing relic to the government by an individual.In a press release issued Friday night, the Jogye Order questioned whether a proper investigation into the original source of the “Hunminjeongeum Haeryebon Sangjubon,” which it claims was looted from one of its temples, had taken pla

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico ― The walls around Old San Juan are tall and very imposing.They are as tall as 42 feet and as thick as 45 feet at the base, 2 feet at the top. The muralla or city wall features two walls of sandstone blocks, filled with sand, mortar, limestone and water.The walls served San Juan well, thwarting pirates and foreign invaders for hundreds of years. That includes the English, the Dutch and the Americans.Slaves began building them in 1630 and continued for 150 years. The walls f

The National Library of Korea opened a resource room at a library in Copenhagen last week as part of its effort to improve understanding of Korea abroad, officials said on Wednesday.The project, titled “Window on KOREA,” provided more than 1,800 books on Korea written in Korean and English to the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies located in Copenhagen. Korea’s state-run library will send 200 reading materials annually to the Danish library, for the next five years.Shim Jang-sup, chief executive

A Texas auctioneer said one of the first coins to ever be struck at the U.S. Mint was sold for $1,150,000 at an Illinois auction. This photo combination made with images provided by Heritage Auctions shows the front and back of a copper and silver 1792 experimental penny that sold at auction in Schaumburg, Ill. on April 19. (AP-Yonhap News)Heritage Auctions of Dallas, which conducted the auction i

French office worker wins the grand prize of 2012 CICI ‘Communicating Korea’ contestA Russian-born woman who described her experience living with her Korean in-laws, a Frenchman who criticized Korea’s hierarchical work culture, and a Chinese student who commented on Korea’s dating culture were among the winners of a communication-themed speech contest Saturday.Twenty finalists of the 2012 CICI “Communication Korea” speech contest shared their personal views on a diverse range of subjects regardi

U.S pop star Lady Gaga wowed some 50,000 people in the audience at the Olympic stadium in Seoul with her provocative but creative stage costumes and performances.　Riding on to the the stage on a horseback, clad in a futuristic body suit and metal headpieces designed by Italian fashion power house Giorgio Armani specially for the concert, Lady Gaga made her first official appearance here, saying th