The Korea Herald

Tango fever sweeps capital

May 10, 2011

The sultry South American tango is winning a big following in South Korea, and Seoul’s third festival celebrating the passionate dance drew an international cast of enthusiasts.Dancers from Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Canada and Argentina got into the swing with scores of Koreans for the Seoul Tango Festival from May 5-9.“I didn’t know so many dancers would come from so
Korea promoter to release ‘Four Seasons’ theme song

May 10, 2011

The Corea Image Communication Institute, which promotes Korea’s brand home and abroad, said it will release a theme song “Four Seasons of Love” on May 24.As the title suggests, the song depicts Korea’s four seasons with an easy-to-sing-along melody and rhythm, the CICI said.Architect and singer Yang Jin-seok composed the song and wrote the lyrics.The launching ceremony will be held at the German E
Korean Buddhists concern decreasing candidate monks

May 10, 2011

(Yonhap News)Korea’s biggest Buddhism sect “Jogye” is reportedly anxious about a decreasing number of people seeking to be monks. The religion prospered in Korea until the end of the Koryo dynasty and, although it has declined since, remains one of the major religions in Korea.But according to statistics the number of new monks is on the wane.There were 466 new Jogye monks in 2005, but just 274 i
Exhibit aims to inspire next Indiana Jones

May 9, 2011

MONTREAL (AFP) ― A museum in Montreal is showcasing the on-screen discoveries of Hollywood’s fictional adventurer Indiana Jones, in hopes of inspiring a new generation of young archaeologists.“Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology: The Exhibition,” marking the 30th anniversary of the famed character’s silver screen debut, takes visitors on a virtual tour of sites depicted in the adventure
Aussie festival comes to Ewha Womans University

May 8, 2011

The Australian Embassy is holding the “Meet Australia at Ewha” festival in May at Ewha Womans University, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Australia. “Ewha Womans University was chosen as it frequently hosts popular cultural events for the younger generation,” said Ambassador Sam Gerovich. “This exchange with the university will hopefully become a steppin
Best wedding video ever?

May 8, 2011

An American couple -- Emre and Joya -- wanted something different for their wedding.The couple presented a MTV-version of wedding video, featuring the entire wedding party and guests.Set to the Black Eyed Peas' "The Time (Dirty Bit)," the groom plays the role of will.i.am, and the bride standing in for Fergie.Enjoy the full wedding party, made into five minutes of music video and compare with the
Sail away from city center

May 6, 2011

Yachting gaining popularity among urbanites as marinas open along Han RiverLike many other sports fans, Lim Sang-hyun, a 31-year-old office worker living in Seoul, was excited to hear that a new marina had opened on the Han River near the National Assembly last month. Although he spends practically all of his winter vacations skiing, he was looking for a summer water sport to immerse himself in du
Forum to bring literary giants to Seoul

May 5, 2011

World’s leading writers will discuss globalization and its effectInternational literary events can be a great opportunity for writers not only to market their work to new readers, but also to foster creative ideas across borders, languages and cultures. This year’s Seoul International Forum for Literature is such an event, with writers from across the globe, including Nobel Prize winners Jean-Mari
Pandora adds comedy to Internet radio line-up

May 5, 2011

OAKLAND, California (AFP) ― U.S. Internet radio darling Pandora has added comedy to its line-up of stations that listeners can personalize to their tastes.“We’re excited to say that we are officially in the business of telling jokes,” Pandora founder Tim Westergren said in a blog post online Wednesday.“As with music, we hope that the Comedy Genome Project will let people enjoy comedy they know as
Architect dispels myths about hanok

May 5, 2011

Cho Jung-goo interprets hanok in contemporary ways, while respecting traditionThe following is the final story in a series of articles on the contemporizing of Korean culture ― Ed.The area nestled between Seoul’s Gyeongbokgung to the west and Changdeokgung to the east, known as Bukchon, is a little gem of a place where time seems to stand still.The neighborhood where myriad alleys and “hanok,” or
‘Top hotels must have Korean restaurants’

May 4, 2011

Minister Choung says hotels without should not be granted ‘five-star’ gradeCulture Minister Choung Byoung-gug said on Tuesday local hotels should not be granted a “five-star” rank if they do not have a restaurant specializing in Korean cuisine. Korean hotels are rated differently from those in the West, being rated by the number of mugunghwa, or Rose of Sharon they are awarded. Top hotels in Korea
No ‘five-star’ hotels without Korean restaurants: minister

May 4, 2011

Culture Minister Choung Byoung-gug said on Tuesday local hotels should not be granted a “five-star” rank if they do not have a restaurant specializing in Korean cuisine. Korean hotels are rated differently from western ones, being rated by the number of mugunghwa, or Rose of Sharon they are awarded. Top hotels in Korea have five mugunghwa. Choung’s comments came several weeks after he vowed to tak
Gwacheon art museum tightens storage security

May 3, 2011

The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Korea said on Tuesday it will tighten security on its collections by doubling the checks at the door to the storage room and digitizing its collections database.The announcement came after the Culture Ministry’s audit last week revealed that the museum had loopholes in managing artworks in storage.“We will enhance the storage room’s security system by setti
Korean literature's overseas success 'still a long way to go'

May 3, 2011

Renowned Korean author says he will resume podcast soon but never return to TwitterKorean author Kim Young-ha in New York (Kim Yoon-mi/The Korea Herald)NEW YORK ― It has been quite a while since Korean novelist Kim Young-ha was last heard from. Apparently burned by the heated online debates over systemic problems in Korea’s literary scene and the tragic death of aspiring screenwriter Choi Go-eun,
Maestro Chung to conduct chorus for 2018 PyeongChang

May 3, 2011

Maestro Chung Myung-whun will conduct a grand scale chorus assisted by the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra as a part of efforts to promote PyeongChang’s bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics, the event organizer announced Tuesday.World Harmony Chorus, non-profit organization supporting PyeongChang’s bid campaign, announced that a record member chorus, conduced by Chung, will perform at 7p.m. on May 14 at