The Korea Herald

Seniority biggest communication problem: foreigners

Apr 5, 2012

Foreign nationals see hierarchy in organizations such as companies and school as one of their main obstacles in communication, a survey showed on Thursday.Fifty-nine percent of the 209 foreigners who have some experience living or working in Korea said the lack of communication is most serious between higher and lower level positions in schools and offices, according to a survey by the Corea Image Communication Institute. Thirty-six said lack of communication among different generations is also
Mali clashes threaten Timbuktu architectural ...wonders: U.N.

Apr 4, 2012

PARIS (AFP) ― The “outstanding architectural wonders” in the fabled city of Timbuktu could be damaged in the fighting that has engulfed northern Mali as rebels push forward, the U.N. cultural agency warned Tuesday. “Timbuktu’s outstanding earthen architectural wonders that are the great mosques of Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia, must be safeguarded,” said UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova in a statement.She called on the Malian authorities and on the warring factions to respect the dese
Multi-tasking comes easier to bilingual kids: study

Apr 4, 2012

Children who grow up learning two languages are better at multi-tasking but slower at building vocabulary than their monolingual peers, two Canadian psychologists have found.Raluca Barac and Ellen Bialystok tested a total of 104 six-year-old public school children, then compared the results of monolingual anglophones with their Chinese-English, French-English and Spanish-English counterparts.In a test of their ability to pay attention, plan, organize and strategize, the children were all asked t
Ministry launches panel to get advice on hallyu

Apr 3, 2012

Experts call for government support for cultural exchanges to prevent anti-Korea movementThe Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Tuesday launched an advisory committee of 19 leading figures in the country’s cultural scene to discuss ways for Korea to keep hallyu going and also to introduce the lesser-promoted cultural sectors to the world.The advisory committee will hold monthly meetings to share ideas on developing high-quality and consistent cultural products, revising the legal framewo
Sex change might not bar wannabe beauty queen

Apr 3, 2012

The Miss Universe Organization announced Monday that it might reverse an earlier decision and allow a transgender woman to enter the Miss Universe Canada pageant.Jenna Talackova, 23, was born male, leading organizers to disqualify her last month as a finalist in the 61st Miss Universe Canada pageant in May.The rules of the contest run by Donald Trump’s New York City-based organization say entrants
Seok named secretary general of regional history institute

Apr 2, 2012

Seok Tong-youn, former international advisory ambassador of Gyeonggi Province, has been appointed the new secretary general of the Northeast Asian History Foundation, the state-run history research institute announced last week.Considered one of the leading experts on Korea-China relations, Seok served as the spokesperson of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade from 2002 to 2003, deputy chief of mission at the Korean Embassy in China from 2003 to 2006, and consulate general in Hong Kong
Turkey asks museums to return antiquities

Apr 2, 2012

LOS ANGELES (AP) ―The government of Turkey has asked the J. Paul Getty Museum and several other American museums to return artifacts that it believes were looted.The Turkish government has contacted the Getty, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Cleveland Museum of Art and Harvard University’s Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection to present evidence that objects in their collections may have been illegally excavated from the country’s archaeological sites, the Los Ange
Culture Ministry revamps Korean language-learning website

Apr 2, 2012

The Culture Ministry has launched an updated version of its online Korean language learning center to promote globalization of the language, officials said on Monday. The website (www.sejonghakdang.org) operated by the state-run The King Sejong Institute is now available in eight different languages, from the previous six languages, including Russian and Indonesian. The institute named after King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), who invented Hangeul, the Korean writing system, has been
Grammy Museum show reflects L.A. music’s darker side

Apr 1, 2012

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Think of the music that defines Los Angeles and often three words float to the surface: The Beach Boys. Which is why The Grammy Museum’s new exhibition, “Trouble in Paradise: Music and Los Angeles 1945-1975,” has carefully chosen not to overemphasize the group that helped cement L.A.’s reputation as the Land of the Endless Summer, filled with sandy beaches, tricked-out automobiles and beautiful women. Think such songs as Surfin’ USA,” “Little Deuce Coupe” and “California Girls
Menu from Titanic’s last lunch sells at U.K. auction

Apr 1, 2012

LONDON (AP) ― A British auctioneer says that a first class menu from the Titanic’s last lunch has sold for 76,000 pounds (about $120,000.)The menu, kept by prominent San Francisco banker Washington Dodge, bears the date April 14, the day in 1912 that the reputedly unsinkable ship hit an iceberg and fell to the bottom of the Atlantic.Devizes, England-based auctioneer Henry Aldrige & Son says the menu is one of the “rarest items of Titanic memorabilia to be sold in recent years,” adding it made it
Titanic’s legacy: A fascination with disasters

Apr 1, 2012

Epic disasters ― the anguished cries, the stories of heroism ― are the central narratives of our age, both enthralling and horrifying. And our obsession began a century ago, unfolding in just 160 terrifying minutes, on a supposedly unsinkable ship, as more than 1,500 souls slipped into the icy waters of the North Atlantic. And the band played on.It was the Titanic. And ever since, we’ve been hooked on disasters, in general ― but the tale of the great luxury liner, in particular. And the approach
Dogs on the job drive down workplace stress: U.S. study

Apr 1, 2012

Employers looking to ramp up productivity in these dog-eat-dog times might consider letting their staff bring Fido to the office, a scientific study published Friday suggests. (Bloomberg image)Dogs at work can not only bring down stress levels among their owners, but they can also help make work more satisfying for other employees as well, according to the study in the latest issue of the Internat
2 boys, woman, allegedly sacrificed

Apr 1, 2012

Two 10-year-old boys and a woman whose bodies were found in northern Mexico were sacrificed to Santa Muerte, the saint of death, investigators say.Figurine of Santa Muerte. (MCT image)The Sonora State Investigative Police announced Friday that eight people have been charged with the killings, CNN reported. Most of the suspects are members of a single family and one is only 15.The bodies were disco
CICI holds essay contest to seek better communication

Mar 29, 2012

The Corea Image Communication Institute is holding an essay contest on April 28 as part of effort to facilitate better communication among different generations, genders and social classes, the private non-profit group said on Thursday. The institute is currently receiving essays and applications from Korean undergraduate and graduates students for the contest. Foreigners younger than age 35 can also enter the contest. The essays must be written in Korean.“We wish to get creative ideas from part
Korean traditional culture, K-pop presented to leaders’ spouses

Mar 27, 2012

First Lady Kim Yoon-ok offered the spouses of global leaders currently in Seoul for the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit a chance to appreciate both Korean traditional culture and K-pop at an official luncheon held in Cheong Wa Dae, on Tuesday.Kim, a strong advocate of the globalization of hansik, or Korean cuisine, hosted a luncheon at Sangchunjae, meaning “a house used during spring.” Sangchujae, built in 1983 to serve VIP guests, is the only traditional-style building at the Blue House complex.