Satire, which was pushed to the fore following the Charlie Hebdo affair in January, is an irreverent art form that intends to shock, provoke and offend, aiming to elicit a change in perspective through sometimes taboo representations.But the shock and grief in the wake of the Jan. 7 Paris shootings was accompanied by considerable anger by more moderate Muslims. Their reaction to the cartoons showed that satire is a double-edged sword that can be used against marginalized people, and should there

NAHF president says lessons of independence movement could help address inter-Korean tensions

While locals ring in Year of Sheep with Confucian traditions, opportunities for fun abound for expats

After eating a bowl of tteokguk (rice-cake soup) and giving older family members a big bow on Seollal, chances are you will consider seeing a movie, a TV show or both, during the five-day holiday.From local family-friendly flicks to beloved animations and star-studded variety shows, here’s the handy guide to this year’s Seollal holiday entertainment on the small and silver screens.Movies For those searching for local films to watch with their family, the comedy flick “Detective K: Secret of the

The Lunar New Year holiday is a great opportunity for locals and expats to experience traditional Korean activities. For those who are at a loss for how to spend these five days off, we suggest you take advantage of the various holiday promotions being offered at cultural sites around Korea. The National Gugak Center’s folk music group giving a “pangut” percussion performance (National Gugak Center)Palaces, tombs and games On Feb. 19, Lunar New Year’s Day, the Cultural Heritage Administration wi

As Koreans empty the usually bustling streets of Seoul, spending the Lunar New Year holiday with parents and relatives, their travel-loving neighbors from China will surge in.This year, an unprecedented number of Chinese tourists are expected to arrive. The country hopes to greet some 126,000 Chinese visitors for the Lunar New Year holiday starting next week, up by 30 percent from the previous year, according to the state-run Korea Tourism Organization. A Lotte duty-free shop in Seoul is crowded

International criticism is escalating over Tokyo’s apparent attempts to whitewash its wartime wrongdoings as a group of U.S. historians issued a strong protest against the moves, arguing no government has the right to “censor history.”In a joint statement, a group of 19 American scholars decried Tokyo’s recent request for a U.S. publisher to change the description of the issue of the “comfort women” ― a euphemistic term referring to Asians forced into sexual servitude by Japan during World War I

Home ownership no longer a symbol of wealth and pride

Jeonse, a system that allows people to rent houses with a lump-sum deposit and no monthly payments, is a real estate system unique to South Korea.The system arose due to the lack of mortgage availability in Korea, which pushed people to turn to jeonse as a form of private financing, and spurred by the general expectation for rising real estate prices, which allows property owners to profit without charging interest.But some claim that the history of jeonse dates back to before industrialization

In terms of uniquely Korean housing culture, one can’t leave out the humblest abode: the “gosiwon,” a low-cost, sparsely furnished, month-to-month rental room that does not require a deposit.The hallway of a typical gosiwon (jointroom.com)A typical gosiwon room, with basic furniture squeezed into about 4 square meters (gosiwonhome.com)A gosiwon, a residential room as tiny as 3.5 square meters, is furnished with a desk, bookshelf and bed. The business originally took off to temporarily accommodat

“Superfood” is not a scientific term. It is a marketing term for nutrient-rich food and a growing number of food-makers and restaurants are adopting the word in their sales and marketing strategies. Korea’s top hotel restaurants and food franchises agree that true superfoods share something more than just nutrition. While this year’s superfoods are not necessarily “better” than those of a decade ago, they are seasonal, fresh, and preferably grown locally. Locally grown fresh seaweed and shellfis

Eating seasonally and locally is a great way to maintain a healthy diet, observes a veteran food consultant and Korea’s first accredited vegetable sommelier. “To me, superfoods are local foods grown in season. They taste better, are cheaper and rich in nutrition,” Kim Eun-kyung, president of the Korea Vegetable Sommelier Association, told The Korea Herald.The 49-year-old fruit and veggie guru said that fruit and vegetables eaten in season have a higher phytochemical content and contain more nutr

As Koreans have become more health-conscious over the past few years, the popularity of superfoods, particularly internationally renowned multigrains like quinoa, has increased across the country. According to Lotte Mart, sales of imported grains in the first half of 2014 increased by 330 percent compared to the same period a year ago. Here are some of Korea’s favorite grains.QuinoaQuinoa hails from the Andes, and is referred to as “the grain of the gods.” According to Japan’s Ministry of Educat

While Koreans are increasingly consuming imported superfoods, there are also some Korean foods that are recognized overseas for their nutritional benefits. Here are some homegrown foods that have been mentioned in foreign publications over the past few years for their health benefits. SeaweedIn a story covering Wando Seaweed Festival, held in Korea last September, the Wall Street Journal highlighted seaweed soup, traditionally eaten by mothers after giving birth in Korea, as it contains iodine,