The Korea Herald

American Center opens with new services in Seoul

May 2, 2011

The United States Embassy Library has enhanced its public services.With the launch of the new services, the Information Resource Center will now be known as the American Center Korea and will issue membership cards while expanding its public hours, staying open from 1-6 p.m. on weekdays.The center at 10 Namyong-dong in the Yongsan district will circulate books, DVDs and magazine back-issues to its
Korean documents in U.S. to make digital return

Apr 28, 2011

Korea University’s research institute to digitalize 2,200 rare Korean documents held at UC BerkeleyMore than 2,000 old documents taken from Korea to the U.S. during the Japanese colonial period will return home in digital form. Korea University’s Research Institute of Korean Studies announced Thursday that its Center for Rare Materials Abroad finished digitalizing 738 of the 2,200 old Korean docum
Japan passes bill on return of Korean books

Apr 28, 2011

The lower house of the National Diet of Japan passed a bill on Thursday on ratifying an agreement on the return of ancient Korean texts to Seoul. With the legal process necessary for the repatriation of the books virtually completed, officials in Seoul expect the books to be returned sometime next month.The House of Representatives passed the bill a day after its committee on foreign affairs endor
500-year-old “the Nuremberg Chronicle” found in Utah

Apr 27, 2011

One of the oldest copies of “the Nuremberg Chronicle” has been found during a fundraising event for a museum in Utah, according to reports.The German textbook, which was published in 1493, is an illustrated world history book that relates to the Bible. Printed by Anton Koberger, it is one of the most luxurious books of the 15th century.The owner claimed that he received the book from his great unc
Time for changes in Korean churches

Apr 26, 2011

Protestant church leaders call for reform of churches, organizations riddled with corruption and infightingEaster Sunday is one of the most sacred Christian holidays. But this year, it became a day for repenting of the infighting and trouble within Protestant churches.South Korea has one of the fastest-growing Protestant populations in the world. Christian missionaries first landed here in 1885. T
World’s rarest language on verge of extinction

Apr 26, 2011

Linguists from the University of Oxford are striving to preserve the Dusner, an endangered Indonesian tribal language, as its only three speakers were reportedly injured in natural disasters. Two of them narrowly escaped death during a flood and the other was living next to a volcano when it erupted, the Astralian newspaper said. The scholars including Mary Dalrymple, a professor of syntax, have v
Ancient Korean books in Japan may return in May: official

Apr 25, 2011

Large volumes of ancient Korean books stored in Japan, including key royal texts, could return to Seoul sometime next month, an official said Monday.Lee Sang-geun, a member of a committee dedicated to retrieving ancient archives, said at a press conference that 1,205 volumes of Korean books, including royal texts known as "Uigwe," could be shipped back by late May after Seoul and Tokyo finalize so
Brain surgery during ancient times

Apr 22, 2011

After long period of research on Tibetan Tripitaka, a Buddhism text, researchers found out that brain surgery was practiced even during ancient times.The text contained information that originally had been passed down orally until being written down in the third century B.C. It was then translated into the Tibetan language from Sanskrit.“The 2,900-year-old Tibetan Tripitaka states clearly why and
Royal books finally come home

Apr 14, 2011

Joseon-period manuscripts return to Seoul on loan 145 years after they were looted by the FrenchThe first batch of Korea’s ancient royal books, looted by the French army in the late 19th century and kept by France until recently, arrived in Seoul on Thursday afternoon, their ownership still remaining in the hands of France.The 75 books of “Uigwe,” or manuscripts for royal protocols created during
Korea’s royal books returning from France

Apr 13, 2011

Korea’s royal books, looted by the French navy in the late 19th century and kept by the National Library of France until recently, will be returning to their home country Thursday, the government said.The 297 books of “Uigwe,” or manuscripts for royal protocols created during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), will be delivered to the National Museum of Korea in four separate air transports. The firs
Shilla Hotel bans hanbok, offers apology

Apr 13, 2011

The Shilla Seoul CEO Lee Bu-jin (Yonhap News)The Shilla Seoul on Wednesday apologized for banning a hanbok-clad customer from entering its restaurant, the Park View, which provoked fierce criticism in the nation’s cyber space.The controversy sparked when well-known hanbok designer Lee Hye-sun of Damyeon was reportedly banned from entering the Park View on Tuesday evening by a restaurant staff, who
Korea opens international tourism internship

Apr 11, 2011

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization said they are recruiting international tourism interns to provide experience and reduce unemployment for young Koreans.A total of 36 interns will be placed at foreign tourism companies such as hotels or travel agencies in Singapore, Australia, and the United States for six months. In addition to a salary, the interns wi
Korean novel gets world’s attention

Apr 8, 2011

(Author Shin Kyung-sook at a press conference in New York on Tuesday. Yonhap News)(The cover of Shin Kyung-sook’s “Please Look After Mom,” published by Alfred A. Knopf in the U.S. Yonhap News)Korean novel “Please Look After Mom,” written by Shin Kyung-sook and translated into English by Kim Chi-young, is making an impact internationally, entering the top 40 bestselling books on Amazon.com.The book
[Herald interview] Culture budget should double: minister

Apr 5, 2011

SYDNEY ― Funding for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism takes up about 1 percent of the Korea’s total budget this year, but spending should be doubled, Culture Minister Choung Byoung-gug said.“The cultural content industry is a new growth engine for the Korean economy and about 1 percent of the national budget should go to investment for cultural content development,” Choung told The Kore
More marriages end due to financial conflicts

Apr 5, 2011

The number of South Korean couples who got divorced due to conflicts over money surged almost 78 percent in the past decade, a survey said Tuesday, indicating that financial problems are becoming a major factor in the rising divorce rate. According to the survey of 4,405 divorced people conducted between 1990-2009 by one of the country's leading matchmaking firms Sunwoo, 12.7 percent of marria