[Herald Interview] Forgotten veteran tells pain of war, life after

When Seo Jeong-yeol, now 90, was admitted to a military hospital for an injury in 1953 during the Korean War, he was shocked to learn that he had been enlisted under a different name the whole time: Kim Chil-seok. Amid the chaos of the war, records were lost, families were separated, and the then-28-year-old staff sergeant became someone else.“I had the same service number, but my name was different. There was no way to prove that I was me,” Seo said. “After I was discharged, I knocked on all ki

PeopleJune 24, 2015

[Herald Interview] Stitching different cultures into art

A soothing rhythmic sound is carried by a gentle wind in a wild flower field. It resembles the pleasingly relaxing sound from wooden wind chimes blowing in a breeze. The sound, in fact, comes from the skillful hands of Belgian bobbin lace makers moving wood bobbins from right to left and vice versa repeatedly to create lace patterns. The opening scene of artist Kim Soo-ja’s second chapter of the “Thread Routes” series takes the audience to the centuries-old tradition of handicraft lace making in

PerformanceJune 24, 2015

Actress Kim Jung-eun goes public about new relationship

Actress Kim Jung-eun confirmed Wednesday that she is in a relationship.Following reports that she was in a relationship with a member of an affluent family and was planning to wed in the near future, Kim confirmed the reports through her agency.The 39-year old actress, however, said that marriage was not yet on the cards.   Kim Jung-eun (MBC)“(Kim and her boyfriend) are seeing each other as good friends and a romantic couple. However, as (Kim) is in the middle of shooting a drama, she is focusin

TelevisionJune 24, 2015

[Herald Review] Like Japanese food, ‘Midnight Diner’ is mild but heartwarming

Tokyo is a place where folks from different regions gather, according to "Midnight Diner."Likewise, it is a motley crew that gathers every night at the small eatery tucked away in the back alleys of the capital’s bustling downtown. Open from the odd hours of midnight to 7 a.m., the Midnight Diner is a sort of urban haven for the city’s weary souls, attracting disparate characters from transvestites to yakuza-like mobsters, meek businessmen and chatty ladies who all seek solace in food and conver

FilmJune 23, 2015

AOA goes sporty for summer on third EP

　AOA’s Jimin, Choa, Hyejeong, Seolhyun, Mina, Yuna and Chanmi are back as lacrosse players for their third EP, “Heart Attack,” dressed in sporty blue and yellow outfits for the stage. 　Monday they held a press showcase at the AX-Korea Concert Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, styled in the format of a sports contest.AOA performs "Heart Attack" at AX-Korea on Monday. (Yonhap)　On their long-awaited comeback, Hyejeong noted, “It‘s been eight months since we all performed together as a group. We missed ea

PerformanceJune 23, 2015

Novelist Shin Kyung-sook admits plagiarism

Shin Kyung-sook, the author of international best seller “Please Look After Mom,” finally broke her silence on allegations of plagiarism Tuesday, offering words that were largely seen as owning up to her plagiarism.  “After comparing the sentences in question in Yukio Mishima’s novel ‘Patriotism’ and those in ‘Legend’ several times, I thought that it might be right to raise the plagiarism allegation,” Shin, 52, said in an interview with a local daily. The comment came a week after fellow writer

CultureJune 23, 2015

[Foreigners Who Loved Korea] Tatsuji Fuse, lawyer who fought for justice during colonial era

What did the Japanese look like in the eyes of Koreans in the colonial period (1910-1945)? The images of high-handed military police and officers armed with swords, elementary school teachers who shout “Banzai!” (Long live the emperor!), the coercive landowners who lorded over the tenants and prosecutors, judges and other officers of the Japanese Government-General of Korea could come to mind. From their point of view, the Japanese were invaders and colonialists, or in other words, merciless rul

PeopleJune 22, 2015

‘Assassination’ an ode to Korea’s 1930s independence fighters

The year is 1933. A female sniper, a gun expert and a bomb expert are pulled into an unlikely ragtag team by a political mastermind to assassinate two key figures in the Japanese regime governing Korea. Their plan is slipped to a ruthless paid assassin, who begins to hunt them down.The plot of the upcoming film “Assassination” is thrilling enough in and of itself to be a box office success, but according to director Choi Dong-hoon, the aim of the movie is to tell the story of those who fought fo

FilmJune 22, 2015

Summer promises musical fanfare for all tastes

From world premieres to international revivals with original Broadway cast members, summertime in Korea will surely live up to the country’s growing reputation of having one of the most dynamic and burgeoning musical scenes outside of Broadway and the West End. 　Here are some of the most anticipated shows of the season. Promotional image of the new local musical "Arirang" (Seensee Company)Korean originals　The upcoming production of musical “Arirang” will mark a historic moment as the show will b

PerformanceJune 22, 2015

Plagiarism suspicions raised on novelist Shin Kyung-sook

Renowned South Korean novelist Shin Kyung-sook is suspected of having copied the titles of two poems by a local writer for her short stories. Yonhap News Agency found on Monday that "Footprints of Heavy Bird" and "Away, on the Endless Road," the titles of two of her short stories published in the March-April 1990 issue of the "Korean Literature" magazine and the autumn issue of "Munye Joongang" in 1992, were identical to those of two poems published in 1987 and 1989 by Yoon Hee-sang, a poet.  Sh

CultureJune 22, 2015

[Herald Interview] Jane Jang eager to dive back into the limelight with ‘Liquid’

Singer-songwriter Jane Jang spent three years away from the public eye fighting a creeping paralysis resulting from a neurological condition called dystonia.Although it must have been a difficult period for the 24-year-old singer-songwriter, Jang did not let any negativity break her bubbly mood as she spoke with The Korea Herald at a cafe in Seoul on June 17.“The past three years? I had a great time,” she said. “I got to hang out with friends, enjoy the small everyday things.”“Still, I feel rela

PerformanceJune 21, 2015

Korean monochrome art shines in Basel

BASEL, Switzerland – At Art Basel, the world’s biggest high-end art fair, top artworks were sold in the first hours of its VIP preview. This year, 284 leading galleries from 33 countries brought some of their best artworks for the six-day event last week, including the two-day exclusive VIP showing before the official kickoff on Thursday. Some of the most expensive, top-quality works are sold quickly to major collectors from all parts of the world.“It seems all the galleries brought very high-qu

PerformanceJune 21, 2015

[Up & Coming] Webtoon artist Kim tells stories of hardships with humor

Comic artist Kim Mi-kyung is a realist. She also has a bit of a dark side. People had often told her that she was too honest to create funny, cute characters and cartoons. But Kim said her character traits have proven to be useful in creating comics such as “How I Got Married” and “Fantastic Cosmetic.” She has been writing comics under a pseudonym Kim Fanta, named after a soft drink she used to enjoy drinking when she was young.“Comics that I have created over the years were mostly based on my e

CultureJune 21, 2015

[Weekender] Leisure drones gaining popularity among hobbyists

Drones are becoming a common sight at city parks in South Korea, with the small aircraft emerging as a new toy for “kidults” ― adults enjoying hobbies considered better suited to children. Korea’s largest online shopping mall 11st said it saw drone sales rise 560 percent from January to April this year compared to the same period in 2014. Park Seung-wook, 29, a researcher at a chemistry company, is one of the many “kidults” enjoying the luxury hobby. “I like the sound of the propellers, which ma

CultureJune 19, 2015

[Weekender] Corporate Korea falls in love with drones

Corporations in South Korea from a wide variety of industry sectors are turning their eyes toward drone technology, which is expected to create a great number of new business opportunities down the road.South Korea’s 10th-largest conglomerate, Hanwha, is one of those firms aiming to make headway into the unmanned aircraft industry.The company, which has placed importance on the defense and military businesses since its foundation in 1952, recently acquired Samsung Techwin, the defense business a

CultureJune 19, 2015

The unstoppable dreamer

DANGJIN, South Chungcheong Province ― Sailing solo, nonstop, unassisted by motor power for 41,900 kilometers to circumnavigate the globe: That is the feat achieved by Kim Seung-jin. Returning to Waemokhang Harbor in South Chungcheong Province on May 16 after 209 days on the high seas, Kim became the sixth person in the world and the first Korean ever to have successfully completed the challenge.I met up with Kim, 53, at his trailer base camp at Waemokhang Harbor, a small village known for its be

TravelJune 19, 2015

Eyelike: James Taylor, Robert Glasper, Third Eye Blind

James Taylor solid, at times sublimeJames Taylor “Before This World”(Concord Records)Taylor’s new album, “Before This World,” arrives 13 years after his last studio album of original songs. And it does nothing to threaten his legacy.The 67-year-old has retained his abilities to craft and deliver a song. His simple, elegant acoustic fretwork and supple tenor sound much as they did in his 1970s hit-making heyday. The new collection sounds familiar without being a retread.“Montana” evokes “Sweet Ba

FilmJune 19, 2015