Busan Biennale highlights East Asian avant-garde art movements

Busan Biennale, one of the largest celebrations of contemporary art in Korea, opened on Saturday, bringing together more than 100 artists from 22 countries in the port city of Busan.　This year’s exhibition, themed with “Hybridizing Earth, Discussing Multitude,” highlights East Asian experimental art trends and their historical significance. The show is curated and presented by the curatorial team that consists of Korean, Chinese and Japanese curators.  Visitors view the Busan Biennale exhibition

PerformanceSept. 2, 2016

[Weekender] Gukbap, a warm pot of consolation for the weary

When hungover, most Koreans almost instinctively crave a hot pot of soup, or haejang-guk, hoping that the warm spicy liquid will soothe the unwanted consequences of boozing.While the question of whether haejang-guk has the hangover healing effect still remains, one thing is for certain -- that rice soup, or gukbap, has always been an indispensable factor in Korea’s food culture. Gukbap (Yonhap)According to the traditional Korean food serving protocol, which sets rice and soup in separate bowls a

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2016

[Weekender] Hangover remedies in 20 countries

Despite the different drinking cultures around the world, there is one universal truth that no one can escape from after a night of heavy drinking: the hangover.As studies technically show, the only way to avoid the dreaded hangover is to drink less, but there are other tactics people use to reduce the pain and suffering that come having one too many. While the go-to cure for many people is to drink plenty of water in the morning, different countries have their own designated hangover food, comp

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2016

US experts suspects China of providing SLBM for NK

North Korea’s unexpected advancement in submarine launched ballistic missile program may have been aided by Chinese technology, a US expert on Korean studies said Thursday, raising suspicion that Beijing may have provided their own SLBM for Pyongyang.Bruce Bechtol, a professor of security studies and criminal justice at Angelo State University, said that the recently launched KN-11 SLBM of the North is similar in function and appearance to China’s JL-1. “The missile that the North Koreans launch

DefenseSept. 2, 2016

[Weekender] The aftermath: sobering up

It is not a pretty sight in the streets of Hongdae on a Saturday morning.Famous for being one of the hot spots for young clubbers in South Korea, the pavement mixes chaos and serenity, as the morning calm is broken by random bursts of young men and women staggering from weight of all-night partying.Sprawled unconscious adjacent to M2 club are youngsters who seem to have overestimated their own sobriety. And just around the corner are all-night eateries, serving up gamjatang (spicy pork and potat

Social AffairsSept. 2, 2016

Assembly manages to reopen session for extra budget

The National Assembly managed to reopen the plenary session on Friday evening to pass the 11 trillion won ($9.8 billion) supplementary budget, after an overnight protest and boycott by the ruling Saenuri Party over the speaker’s controversial remarks.Speaker Chung Sye-kyun and Saenuri floor leader Rep. Chung Jin-suk agreed after hours of confrontation to prioritize the passage of the budget bill over a telephone conversation. Vice speaker Park Joo-sun was chosen to preside over the session in pl

PoliticsSept. 2, 2016

Samsung to announce recall of Galaxy Note 7 at 5 p.m.

Samsung Electronics Co. said it will announce the results of its investigation into the Galaxy Note 7 phablet, a few of which caught fire while being charged, and its global recall at its office in Seoul later Friday.The announcement will be made at 5:00 p.m. in Seoul by Koh Dong-jin, head of Samsung's handset business division, the company said. (Yonhap) (Samsung)

TechnologySept. 2, 2016