ENGLISH CONTEST -- Winners of the sixth Seoul National University of Education-Korea Herald English Contest pose during the award ceremony at the British Embassy in Seoul on Wednesday, along with (from left, back row) Hong Sun-ho, English education professor at SNUE, British Ambassador Charles Hay, Herald Corp. CEO Lee Young-man, SNUE President Shin Hang-gyun and Yu Kun-ha, head of digital services at Herald Corp. The biannual event seeks to assess students’ ability to write in English and promp

Supporters celebrate while watching a broadcast of International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (on screen) announcing Beijing as the host city of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, at the Olympic Park in Beijing on Friday. (EPA-Yonhap)KUALA LUMPUR -- Beijing was selected Friday to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, becoming the first city awarded both the winter and summer games.Beijing narrowly defeated Almaty, Kazakhstan, in a vote of the International Olympic Committee. The vote was surpris

While summer has always offered an excuse to show off some skin, this season, covering up has become more fashionable than shedding clothes. In lieu of scanty beachwear, the long-sleeved, narrow-necked rash guard has hit it big with beachgoers and celebrities both in and out of the country. Photo shoots of Hallyu it-girls like Gain and Hani of girl group EXID posing in rash guards stormed the Internet, gaining a massive number of “likes” and topping the entertainment news section. The rash guard

With about 70 percent of land in South Korea covered by mountainous regions, hiking is a familiar and accessible pastime for many Koreans.During the summer, Koreans often visit the mountains and spend time in the valleys and riverside to ward off the heat and escape from the daily grind. Here are several popular valleys to visit for the summer.　Achimgari Achimgari (Yonhap)Achimgari, a valley located on Mount Bangtaesan in Inje, Gangwon province, is famous for its trekking course.It has earned it

(123rf) As the summer sun takes its toll on the best of outdoorsman, some are turning to night hiking. Exploring the wilderness in the dark is a whole new experience that simulates all one’s senses, enthusiasts say, if one only follows key safety tips. Seoul’s Yangcheon-gu, the first district to launch an official nighttime trekking program in 2011, is holding a weekly group hiking program every Thursday evening until Aug. 27.Approximately 100 people sign up for the 2-hour excursion, said Kim Se

Taste of Thailand at Sheraton D Cube City  Sheraton D Cube City Hotel is presenting authentic Thai dishes for its “Thai@Feast” promotion from Aug.7-27 at the hotel’s signature restaurant Feast on the 41st floor. The menu will be prepared by guest chefs from Thailand’s Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit in Bangkok. The chefs will present an assortment of Thai dishes including the Kaho Samunprai Nai Kratong Tong, or organic crispy rice, and Kanom Pang Na Goog, a deep-fried shrimp toast with sweet plum sauc

 The Incheon International Airport will hold cultural performances to help travelers beat the heat during this summer vacation season. The “Fantastic Summer Concert” will be held from July 28 to Aug. 2 at the airport’s Millennium Hall on the first floor of its passenger terminal. The concert, which is open to all visitors for free, will be held for about 90 minutes on July 28 at 10 p.m., and at 4 p.m. on July 29 through Aug. 2. 　K-pop stars including Lena Park will hold a live-stage concert. Als

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that the Korean Pavilion at the Milan Expo saw more than 1 million visitors since it opened to the public in May.The ministry in partnership with the Korea Tourism Organization and Korean Air awarded a round-trip ticket from Milan to Incheon to the 1 millionth visitor, who came from Rome. The Korean Pavilion at Milan Expo (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)The ministry said that some 12,000 tourists have been visiting the Korean Pavilion a d

Air Busan has started offering direct flight services to the tourist island of Guam from Busan, making it the airliner’s 15th international route.The budget airliner will be offering Busan-Guam flights four days a week on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.Air Busan flight No. BX612 will take off from Busan at 10:15 p.m. and land in Guam in the Western Pacific at 3:10 in the morning the following day. Flight No. BX611 will leave the island at 4:10 a.m. and arrive in Busan at 7:10 a.m. on t

The No. 3 (right) and No. 4 reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.`s Ohi nuclear power plant in western Japan. AP   TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's government on Saturday approved bringing the country's first nuclear reactors back online since last year's earthquake and tsunami led to a shutdown of reactors nationwide.   Despite lingering safety concerns, the restart could speed the resumption of operations