The Korea Herald

Multicultural theater releases album based on in-house musical

Dec 16, 2015

Multicultural theater Salad released Friday an album of songs from a musical it produced.The album, “Ara & Jjimin,” features songs from the musical of the same name, about a second-generation Mongolian girl, a Vietnamese immigrant and their experiences with Korean teachers and students in preparing for a national music competition.The songs were composed by Gil Hizon, musical director and conductor for the Philippine Hyehwa-dong Catholic Church, with the scripts and lyrics penned by Korean write
Beer brewing class offered in Busan

Dec 16, 2015

Galmegi Brewing will be hosting a homebrewing class in Gwangan, Busan, on Sunday.At the second in a series of brewing classes, participants will learn how to make an oatmeal stout.The cost to attend will be 30,000 won and includes instruction, recipes and samples. It also includes 2 liters of the bottled beer made in the class, available for pickup a month later. The proceeds will go toward paying for the facility, the ingredients and the bottles. The class, which will be in English, starts at 2
Seoul Global Center offers volunteer training

Dec 16, 2015

Seoul Global Center will be holding training sessions for volunteers this Friday and Saturday.The center runs a volunteering program with several activities each month that foreign residents can join.The volunteering schedule changes each month, but activities typically include visits to centers for the elderly and underprivileged children, as well as helping out with center activities, such as concerts, flea markets and job fairs.Friday’s training session will be led by art therapist Lee Na-ri
Gwangju expat center to host year-end event

Dec 16, 2015

Gwangju International Center will be hosting a year-end gathering to look back on the year this weekend.In addition to a review of what the center has done in 2015, there will be a quiz and raffle, musical performances and an awards ceremony for GIC members who have made contributions to the community over the years.This will be followed by a potluck party. Those who bring their own mugs will be given a free soft drink. Drinks otherwise cost 1,000 won, and are the only thing charged for.The even
Expat performers to put on Christmas show

Dec 16, 2015

Expat performers will be gathering in Haebangchon, Seoul, for a Christmas show of comedy, music and acting.Performances will include those from improvised comedy troupe Seoul City Improv, who will perform based on audience suggestions. Members of the Camarata Music Company will perform carols, and Stand Up Seoul will provide wry comments on the year gone by. The shows will be at the Camarata Music Company Studio.Admission is 10,000 won, including two drinks. Doors open at 8 p.m., with performanc
Oil price lower than bottled water

Dec 16, 2015

The pretax price of gasoline per liter fell to 522 won (44 cents) this month, lower than that of bottled water, largely due to the continuous drop in international crude oil prices, officials said Wednesday.According to Opinet of the Korea National Oil Corp., the price of gasoline before tax took a dive to 522 won on average this month, a 27 percent drop from a year ago and 44 percent lower than the same month in 2013. (Yonhap)The price is comparable to that of a half-liter bottle of water, sold
Union group stages strike to protest labor reforms

Dec 16, 2015

By Ock Hyun-ju South Korea’s second-largest umbrella labor union held a partial strike nationwide Wednesday in protest of the government’s push for labor market reform.The third partial strike of the year by the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions was staged for two to four hours in the afternoon in 12 cities ahead of the third antigovernment rally scheduled for this weekend.The KCTU, which encompasses 2,043 unions and more than 691,000 members from sectors including construction, public transpo
‘Proud’ Saudi women win seats

Dec 16, 2015

RIYADH (AFP) ― At least 14 women won municipal council seats in Saudi Arabia’s first ever election open to female voters and candidates, officials said Sunday, far exceeding expectations in the ultra-conservative kingdom.“Even if it was only one woman, we’re really proud of that. Honestly, we weren’t expecting anyone to win,” said Sahar Hassan Nasief, a women’s rights activist in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.But with 2,106 seats up for election in Saturday’s polls, the 14 women will comprise less
‘Long way’ to reforms, but Saudi vote a start for women

Dec 16, 2015

RIYADH (AFP) ― The election of at least 20 women to local councils in Saudi Arabia for the first time could indirectly lead to longer-term reforms in discriminatory policies, activists said Monday.They said Saturday’s vote in the ultraconservative Islamic kingdom is a step toward improving the rights of the Gulf nation’s roughly 10 million females.But it will not directly help end a ban on women driving ― the only prohibition of its kind in the world ― or the “guardianship” system, they said.Mal
Business leaders, officials pledge family-friendly corporate culture

Dec 15, 2015

In tune with the government’s recent plan to tackle the nation’s record-low birthrate, business leaders said Tuesday that they would help firms create a family-friendly culture for their employees.“We share the view that the problem of marriage and births no longer belongs to individuals only, but is an urgent task that needs to be solved together with the government, businesses and individuals,” said representatives from South Korea’s five major business lobby groups in a declaration read durin
Graduate job seekers to outnumber employment openings for next 10 years

Dec 15, 2015

A government report showed Tuesday that the number of university and college graduates will exceed demands in the job market by 792,000 from 2014 to 2024.According to a Labor Ministry report on job prospects by college degree, 3.02 million four-year university graduates and 1.72 million two-year college graduates are expected to enter the job market from 2014-2024. But the number of available jobs for them in that time will be roughly 2.69 million and 1.25 million, respectively.The report pointe
[Newsmaker] Ahn’s ‘new politics’ slogan fades out after NPAD exit

Dec 15, 2015

“New politics” is a catchphrase that has helped Ahn Cheol-soo become the political figure he is today.This vision for new politics was the reason voters welcomed Ahn with open arms in the 2012 presidential election campaigns, despite his total lack of political experience. It was also a title he clung to when merging with the opposition camp last year.But now that years have passed since his grand political debut, the information technology guru-turned-politician leaves crucial questions to obse
Ford’s Schuldt named new AMCHAM chief

Dec 15, 2015

John SchuldtThe American Chamber of Commerce in Korea on Tuesday named John Schuldt as the new president replacing incumbent Amy Jackson. Schuldt, who serves as the vice president and chief marketing officer at Ford Motor Korea, is currently the chairman of the golf committee and cochairman of auto committee of the business lobby group. He will start his term on Jan. 7 as a full-time AMCHAM executive, .“John comes to AMCHAM with a wealth of private sector experience that will serve him well in h
CJ chairman receives jail term in retrial

Dec 15, 2015

On Tuesday afternoon, CJ Group chairman Lee Jae-hyun showed up at the Seoul High Court in a wheelchair, armed with a bulky winter coat, a muffler and a face mask.It was the day of his retrial for embezzlement, breach of conduct and tax evasion. Much to his dismay, he was found guilty and handed a 2 1/2-year prison term and a 25.2 billion won ($21.2 million) fine. Lee was charged with creating a 620 billion-won slush fund by embezzling 160 billion won from the company coffers, thus dodging 54.6 b