The Korea Herald

안녕하세요 Ock Hyun-ju 기자입니다.

Articles by Ock Hyun-ju

Actress ordered to pay advertiser over drug use

Social affairsJan 22, 2015

A Seoul court ruled Thursday that actress Lee Seung-yeon must compensate her former advertising agency, which filed a complaint after she was accused of taking the psychotropic drug propofol. Lee was sentenced to eight months in prison, with two years suspended, in November 2013 for abusing the drug at least 320 times over six years. The Seoul Central District Court ordered Lee to pay 100 million won ($92,000) to her former advertiser Tong Yang Group, which filed for financial compensation from
[Weekender] Corporate culture in transition

Social affairsJan 16, 2015

South Korea has long been notorious for its male-dominant, top-down corporate culture. But recently, Korean workplaces have been experiencing some major changes, including a generational shift and an increase in female representation.“The younger generation is more outspoken and not shy about expressing their opinions to their seniors,” said a director at a media company who wished to remain anonymous. The attitude is somewhat new to him ― a 50-something baby boomer born raised under military-ba
EXO, CNBLUE sweep Golden Disk Awards

Jan 16, 2015

CNBLUE. (FNC Entertainment)K-pop boy band EXO claimed the top prize on the second day of the 29th Golden Disk Awards in Beijing on Thursday. The 10-member group snatched the Album of the Year award, deemed the greatest honor of the day, for the second consecutive year with its album “Overdose.” This year’s Golden Disk Awards recognized both digital and physical album releases on the two-day event. Big Bang member Taeyang snagged the Digital Single of the Year award with his solo track “Eyes, Nos
Bobby Kim probed over sexual harassment on flight

Jan 9, 2015

Bobby Kim (Yonhap)R&B singer Bobby Kim was investigated by the FBI for allegedly causing a disturbance and sexually harassing a flight attendant on an international flight, local media outlets reported Friday. The 41-year-old, who seemed intoxicated, started shouting at the crew five hours after the Korean Air flight left Incheon for San Francisco at 4:40 p.m. on Wednesday, reports said. Creating a ruckus, the U.S. citizen forcibly cuddled the flight attendant, touched her arms and verbally abus
Megahit K-pop stars to return in 2015

Jan 5, 2015

Big BangA host of K-pop idol groups, both old and new, are gearing up to make a comeback, raising hopes of fresh energy in the K-pop scene early this year.One of the long-awaited acts is K-pop sensation EXO, which proved its elevated stature across Asia by nabbing several year-end music awards at home and abroad last year.The 10-member group plans to release a new album in the first half of this year, with the exact date yet to be confirmed. EXOEXO’s return marks a fresh start as the boy band h
EXO’s first Asia tour draws 320,000

Dec 26, 2014

In its first-ever solo tour of Asia, K-pop boy band EXO drew 320,000 concert goers, proving their overseas fame, its label SM Entertainment said Friday. The hottest K-pop act, which debuted in 2012 as a 12-member group, held 30 concerts in major Asian countries including China and Indonesia from May until this week as part of its tour “EXO from Exoplanet: The Lost Tour.” The tour had been a turbulent ride, with Chinese member Kris abruptly departing just before the first concert, and second memb
EXO nabs 4 awards at MAMA

Dec 4, 2014

South Korean music band EXO pose for the photographers after winning the Album of the Year at the 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong on Thursday. (AP-Yonhap)South Korean boy band EXO proved its stature as a K-pop sensation across Asia by nabbing four awards at the 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards held in Hong Kong on Wednesday. EXO won four major prizes ― Best Asian Style, Best Male Group of the Year, Asian Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for its third EP, “Overdose.”The Asian Artist
[Weekender] Language barrier, online security turn foreign shoppers away

IndustryNov 28, 2014

Despite a surge in foreign purchases on Korean online shopping sites, some barriers still hamper the shopping experiences. Common complaints include: poorly translated websites, excessive Internet security and limited delivery options. In a bid to meet the growing demand from foreign nationals, major online retailers have launched foreign language services, mostly in English and Chinese. But much of the content is poorly translated, with some detailed information only available in Korean. “It is
Sandara Park, Steven Yeun’s video gets million hits

Nov 18, 2014

Sandara Park and Steven Yeun stars in the video. (BeFUNNY Studios)A video series featuring Sandara Park, a member of the K-pop girl group 2NE1, and actor Steven Yeun has received a total of more than 1 million views just four days since its release.Released last week under the title “What’s Eating Steven Yeun?” by BeFUNNY Studios, the video series gained immediate attention from viewers.The series, composed of three parody videos and a highlight episode, tells the comical yet serious story of Ye
[Graphic News] World’s fastest elevator to be in China

InternationalNov 9, 2014

The world’s fastest elevator is to be installed in a skyscraper currently under construction in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.The elevator at the CTF Financial Center, to be completed in 2016, will ascend at 20 meters per second, allowing it to reach the 95th floor in just 43 seconds. The second-fastest lift will be in China’s 121-story Shanghai Tower, which will travel at 18 meters per second. The building is to open in 2015. Before Chinese elevators stole its crown, the elevator in th
[Graphic News] Korea ranked 25th most prosperous country

Social affairsNov 4, 2014

Korea was the 25th most prosperous country in the world this year, moving up one notch from last year, according to a global index.The annual prosperity index, compiled by the Legatum Institute, ranks nations on eight indicators, including wealth, health, education and personal freedom. Korea’s ranking of 25th overall made it the fifth most prosperous country in Asia following Singapore at 18th, Japan at 19th, Hong Kong at 20th and Taiwan at 22nd. Norway topped the list for the sixth consecutive
MC Mong tops music charts with sixth album

Nov 4, 2014

MC Mong. (IS Entertainment Group)The embattled South Korean hip-hop artist MC Mong, who was once mired in controversy over draft evasion, topped major local music charts with his latest track for the second straight day. As of Tuesday morning, the single “Did you miss me?” off his sixth full-length album “Miss Me or Diss Me,” took the No. 1 spot on all 10 online real-time music charts including Naver Music, MelOn, Daum and Mnet after its release on Monday. The 13-track album comes five years aft
[Weekender] Restaurants seek to go high-end

Food&BeverageOct 31, 2014

At a glance, Korean restaurants may seem to be far from high-end. People often cram into hole-in-the-wall restaurants looking for wallet-friendly, everyday Korean meals. They are served a bowl of rice, soup and several side dishes all at once, for the whole table to share. In recent years, however, a growing number of Korean restaurants have been seeking to offer a slightly different experience.Among them is Poom Seoul, located on Mount Namsan, with floor-to-ceiling windows that allow diners to
[Weekender] Celebrity chef eyes Korean-French fusion

Food&BeverageOct 31, 2014

For many Koreans, Leo Kang is a celebrity chef who gained overnight fame after appearing as a judge on food-focused cable channel Olive-TV’s culinary competition “Master Chef Korea.”His straight-talking style, exemplary career and eye-catching looks helped put him on the map. But what matters more for him than being a celebrity is finding the true colors of his foods. “I have tried to present the dishes that I imitated from world-famous chefs, but now I want my dishes to show my own colors,” Kan
[Graphic News] Google executive Alan Eustace sets world skydiving record

World NewsOct 26, 2014

Alan Eustace, a senior vice president of Google, has broken the world altitude record for a parachute jump that was set just two years ago. The 57-year-old jumped from near the edge of the stratosphere in a specially-designed spacesuit over the southern New Mexico desert. The American hit a top speed of 1,321 kph during a freefall that lasted four minutes and 27 seconds. He exceeded the speed of sound, setting off a small sonic boom.He set off from a runway in Roswell, New Mexico, connected to a