The Korea Herald

Camarata to perform ‘Messiah’

Dec 9, 2015

Camarata Music Company’s Chorale and Orchestra will hold their annual Christmas performance of Handel’s “Messiah” in Seoul this weekend.The company has performed “Messiah” each year since 2009 to provide English-language concerts of the Christmas choral favorite. The concerts have become a yearly tradition, attracting around 1,000 people each time.The performance will feature the Camarata Chorale, an amateur singing group made up of members from over 62 different countries since its inception. F
H.Art tours to introduce Hongdae history

Dec 9, 2015

Two guided tours of Hongdae will run Saturday as part of Seoul City’s efforts to promote the area’s cultural side.The H.Art Road tours, run by Human Hong Art with English interpretation, will look at the artistic and musical sides of the Seoul neighborhood.In the first, art curator Lim Na-rae will lead a shopping tour of the area, including galleries, art markets and workshops. She will introduce some of the history of the area, explaining how Hongik University became a center for visual artists
Gwangju center offers tea tour

Dec 9, 2015

GIC will run a tour to Boseong, South Jeolla Province, on Dec. 19 to explore one of the region’s specialties: green tea.The tour will visit the Bohyang tea plantation to take in the scenic tea fields. At the plantation, they will also learn how tea leaves are prepared and processed for sale, and be able to try their hand at preparing some leaves themselves.The tour will then stop for lunch based around steamed rice wrapped in lotus leaves before going to Yulpo pine tree beach.The tour costs 30,0
Church musical brings touch of Christmas tradition

Dec 9, 2015

Seoul International Baptist Church will be putting on its first Christmas musical Saturday, with a reworking of the traditional Christmas story.According to stage manager Angi Belsly, “Bethlehem’s Big Night” portrays the traditional tale of the nativity from the perspective of the townspeople.“It’s the Christmas story, of course, but it’s more from the people who were in Bethlehem at the time, and looking at their lives there.”“There’s a few calmer, quieter songs and moments, but there is a lot
Intro to homey Korean dishes

Dec 9, 2015

For those who wish to enjoy popular dishes such as bulgogi and bibimbap in the comfort of their own homes, “Easy, Home-Style Recipes from the Korean Kitchen,” a new cookbook written in English, provides 20 recipes that can be easily replicated by even those unfamiliar with Korean cuisine.“This book is meant to serve as an introduction to Korean food and Korean culture to people who may have little knowledge of either,” the authors, Han Kyung-im and Jeon Mi-hyang, said in a statement.The book con
Apple Korea under antitrust investigation

Dec 9, 2015

South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission said Wednesday it is investigating whether Apple Korea, the local unit of the Cupertino, California-based iPhone maker, had wielded undue influence over the repair policy of local service centers. Apple`s logo. (Yonhap)The latest probe came after six service firms ― all authorized by Apple ― recently revised their unfair repair policy following the recommendation of the antitrust watchdog. “We have found unfair business contracts between Apple Korea and its a
U.S. ‘largely’ OKs fighter tech transfer

Dec 9, 2015

Washington has agreed in principal to transfer the 21 sets of technologies essential for Seoul’s drive to introduce its own fighter jets, officials here said Wednesday, though uncertainties remain over some undecided subcategories. A delegation of officials from South Korea’s defense and foreign ministries and state arms procurement agency held meetings with their U.S. counterparts in Washington last week to drum up their support for the KF-X program, after the State Department vetoed export lic
Park urges passage of labor, terror bills

Dec 8, 2015

President Park Geun-hye reiterated her calls Tuesday for the National Assembly to pass the pending bills on labor reforms, lambasting the political bickering among lawmakers which she said “only magnifies the pain of the young generation.”Presiding over a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, she also stressed the need for legislation designed to head off possible terrorist attacks on the back of the surge of the Islamic State extremist group and its threats against Seoul as a staunch U.S. ally. “Wh
Korea seeks to rev up green car sales

Dec 8, 2015

More than 1 million environmentally friendly cars could hit the roads in the next five years under a plan unveiled by the government Tuesday, as part of efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions and generate new sources of economic growth.The government plan approved in a Cabinet meeting on the same day aims to increase the proportion of green cars among new vehicles sold in the country to 20 percent, from the current 2 percent, by the year 2020. About 80,000 green cars including hybrids, electric-
In digital age, teen violence takes new turn

Dec 8, 2015

The South Korean government has been striving to curb violence in various corners of society, including at schools, homes, workplaces and online. The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles delving into the reality and the country’s efforts to restrain the violence. This is the first installment. ― Ed.With technological development, the earlier constraints of time and space have slowly vanished as social networking enables people from across the world to instantly communicate online when
National Library holds exhibition of award-winning content

Dec 8, 2015

The National Library of Korea is hosting an exhibition of award-winning content, including webtoons, photography and videos, at its digital library until Dec. 23, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Culture and Information Service. The National Library of Korea holds the “Hello, Korea” exhibition featuring award-winning content through Dec. 23 in Seoul. (KOCIS)KOCIS held two competitions ― “Talk Talk Korea” and “Peace Flag Campaign” ― last May to mark the 70th Libe
Controversy rekindled over late Chun Kyung-ja’s painting

Dec 8, 2015

Chun’s descendants give state-run museum ultimatum to dispose of ‘fake work’
Sliding oil prices weigh on Korea

Dec 8, 2015

Economic policymakers in the government said early this year sliding oil prices would be a blessing for the Korean economy. Their argument was that a decline in oil prices would result in an increase in household income and consumption while helping manufacturing companies cut production costs.But such expectations have proved simply wrong, even as oil prices fell to the lowest level since 2009.The policymakers, who set this year’s growth target at 4 percent, now concede the annual growth rate w
Moon shoots down demands to step down

Dec 8, 2015

Main opposition party leader Rep. Moon Jae-in Tuesday rejected demands by dissenting party members that he step down in an escalating power game between the current leadership and the sidelined faction ahead of next year’s parliamentary race.The chairman of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy refused to accept a proposal from former cochairman Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo and other nonmainstream lawmakers to hold a national caucus early next year and elect new leadership before the 2016 general electi
3 Indonesians deported for supporting al-Qaida

Dec 8, 2015

Three Indonesian migrants who were illegally residing in Korea have been deported on suspicion of supporting an international terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaida, South Korea’s spy agency said Tuesday. The government deported a 32-year-old Indonesian man from South Korea on Dec. 1 and two others whose identities were withheld on Nov. 24 for violating the Immigration Control Act, the National Intelligence Service said. This undated file image posted on a militant website on Jan. 14 shows fig