Korea’s oldest hotel celebrates centenary

Today marks an important milestone in Korean hotel history as The Chosun Hotel (currently ‘The Westin Chosun Seoul’) celebrates the 100th anniversary of the opening of its doors on Oct. 10, 1914.As the country’s oldest hotel, the establishment is one of the most iconic structures in the local hospitality industry and represents a long line of pioneering efforts to create fine luxury hotels in the country.  The construction of the Gyeongbu railway line in 1905 led to an increase in freight and pa

CultureOct. 9, 2014

[Herald Interview] ‘Pilgrimage in memory of engineer father’

The Chosun Hotel, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, holds a significant place in the modern history of Korea. It was one of the first modern buildings in Seoul, and served as a temporary residence for presidents, diplomats, businessmen and scholars, who created links between Korea and the outside world after the country opened up in the early 1900s. For Sandra Huet, the hotel has a personal meaning. It’s the place that keeps her memories of her father alive. Huet’s father George

TravelOct. 9, 2014

[Herald Review] Herald Phil’s debut concert befits its mission

The famous trumpet fanfare of “Triumphal March” from Verdi’s opera “Aida” opened the debut concert on Wednesday night of Herald Philharmonic Orchestra, an ensemble founded by Herald Corp., the publisher of The Korea Herald.Befitting its mission of making classical music more accessible, the concert was filled with proven crowd pleasers, each accompanied by witty introductions from the orchestra’s music director and conductor Kim Bong-mee.“Like the orchestra members who rehearsed for hours for th

CultureOct. 9, 2014

TVXQ’s Yunho denies rumored romance with rookie actress

TVXQ member Yunho denied Thursday the relationship rumor with a colleague in a TV drama, saying both are just friends. Earlier in the day, a news outlet reported that Yunho was dating actress Seo Ye-ji who is appearing with him in MBC’s “The Night Watchman.” Acting as cousins in the drama, both became closer and started to feel more than just colleagues for each other, Sports Seoul saidMostly staying in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, to film the drama, the pair dated outside work once a week, mainly

Oct. 9, 2014

Chinese tourist spending boosts economy

Hundreds of Chinese tourists crammed in front of Korean cosmetics brand counters at Lotte Duty Free Shop in Eulji-ro, Seoul, on Tuesday, the last day of their “Golden Week” of holidays that marks China’s National Day. Leaving little room to walk between the counters, female tourists indulged in the last shopping spree of their vacation. The Chinese National Day holiday, which runs from Oct. 1-7, is a peak time for shops in popular tourist spots such as Myeong-dong, Dongdaemun and Insa-dong. Tens

TravelOct. 8, 2014

Guessing game ahead of Nobel literature prize

STOCKHOLM (AFP) ― Amid fevered speculation over who will get the Nobel literature prize this year, punters and experts are considering language, geography, genre and even age to try and pin down the winner.As Stockholm’s literary circles try to draw up an “identikit” of the successor of last year’s winner, Canadian Alice Munro, several much-cited names were considered to be in the running.They range from Japan’s Haruki Murakami via Adonis from Syria to Kenyan Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Czech-born Mil

CultureOct. 8, 2014

Celebrating the beauty of Hangeul

Hangeul, the writing system for the Korean language, has always been a source of pride for Koreans. So much so that they mark Oct. 9 as Hangeul Day, a national holiday celebrating its creation more than 500 years ago. Efforts to cherish King Sejong’s great gift to the people went further this year, resulting in a brand new museum dedicated solely to the alphabet. Hangeul museum The National Hangeul Museum opens to the public Thursday, with the stated mission of raising the public’s understanding

CultureOct. 8, 2014

Cha Seung-won cleared of libel charges

Actor Cha Seung-won was cleared of libel charges as the biological father of his stepson Cha No-ah dropped the case, the actor’s agency said on Wednesday. According to YG Entertainment, No-ah’s biological father, only identified by his surname Cho, dropped his 100 million won ($931,000) lawsuit against the action movie star, after the actor issued an official apology. Cha apologized for telling a “white lie” about his stepson No-ah, a professional gamer, by alleging they were biologically relate

Oct. 8, 2014

Jennifer Lawrence slams stolen nude photos as ‘sex crime’

NEW YORK (AFP) ― Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence has spoken publicly for the first time after naked pictures of her were hacked and posted online, angrily slamming the leak as a “sex crime.”Speaking exclusively to Vanity Fair, the rising siren of the silver screen said she felt violated and was afraid how the hacked photographs would affect her career.“Just because I’m a public figure, just because I’m an actress, does not mean that I asked for this,” she told the November issue of the m

FilmOct. 8, 2014

Kim Kyung-ho to wed Japanese in November

Kim Kyung-hoRock vocalist Kim Kyung-ho, 43, will marry next month a Japanese businesswoman 13 years his junior, according to multiple news reports Wednesday. Kim met the bride-to-be through a friend back in 2011 and their new home will be in Seoul, the reports said. The singer has been open about their relationship. “She is much younger than me, but always considerate. She understands that I can’t spend enough time with her due to my schedule as a singer,” Kim said to the press last year. The si

Oct. 8, 2014

BEAST to make comeback with ballad

BEAST (Cube Entertainment)K-pop boy group BEAST will release a new track in mid-October, its agency Cube Entertainment announced on Wednesday. The agency posted a teaser image ― with the caption “Time 12:30” ― on its official social networking site to herald the sextet’s new release. Composed and produced by Good Life, “12:30” is a mellow song about a couple looking in different directions after their break-up, the agency said. It will become available on major online music sites on Oct. 20 at 1

Oct. 8, 2014

Seattle women create dating app to filter out creepy guys

SEATTLE ― In her years of dating, Sarah Z. Wexler, a Portland writer who edited the book “Awful First Dates: Hysterical, True, and Heartbreakingly Bad,” has been the recipient of crude, overtly sexual opening lines. “I couldn’t believe that was the first contact this man initiated with me ― to think that that would ever work.”Surprise. It didn’t. But that doesn’t stop thousands of men from inundating women with messages in dating apps ― today’s virtual version of a singles bar ― that are by turn

CultureOct. 8, 2014

Sentimental old owners laud new owners’ redo of family home in struggling mill town

PITTSBURGH ― In the Pittsburgh area, it’s common to have a house in one family for multiple generations. What isn’t common is for a family member to write a letter to the newspaper praising what the new owners have done to the family home.“The transformation of the property, in a before and after sense, is amazing,” wrote Jack Ciciarelli. “This is an excellent example of what can be accomplished with a typical house on a typical street in any one of our local struggling mill towns that have seen

CultureOct. 8, 2014

Nina McLemore: go-to fashion choice for chic CEOs

You won’t hear her name at Fashion Week or in red carpet coverage. But Nina McLemore designs for some of the most influential and affluent women in America: Hillary Clinton, DuPont Co. CEO Ellen Kullman, former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman.Many more law firm partners, executives, entrepreneurs and civic leaders wear Nina ― pronounced NINE-uh, as her clients refer to her brand ― for their most decisive moments.These are not neutral Armani suits, though the design, tailoring and fabrics

Arts & DesignOct. 8, 2014

Luhan sends message of support to Chinese hit by earthquake

Luhan, a member of the K-pop boy band EXO, sent a message of support on Wednesday to those hit by an earthquake in southwestern China on Tuesday night. 　“May the blessing be with you in the disaster-hit area. I hope my people there are safe,” the Chinese member of the idol band wrote on his Weibo account on Wednesday morning. 　Luhan’s concerned message came after an earthquake with a magnitude of at least 6.0 shook the Weiyuan city area of Yunnan province on Tuesday night, leaving at least one p

Oct. 8, 2014

Seo Taiji reveals mysterious cover image of upcoming album

Legendary K-pop idol Seo Taiji unveiled the cover image of his upcoming album “Quiet Night” on Wednesday. 　The album’s cover, designed by artist Kim Dae-hong, features a hand-drawn girl with short hair and wearing a white dress. The straight-faced girl stares ahead with a purple-colored night sky filled with stars in the background, creating mysterious effect. 　“It is an art work that metaphorically expresses symbols that contradict with a pure girl. We reflected the theme of the entire album th

Oct. 8, 2014

Lee Hyori on date with husband in Jejudo Island

K-pop star Lee Hyori shared a glimpse of herself on a date in the countryside with her singer-songwriter husband Lee Sang-soon through photos on Wednesday. Lee released the photos, titled “Jongdal-ri date,” on her blog. In a photo, the couple firmly hold hands against a blue door while smiling. In the other, they kiss each other. “I live on the beautiful Jejudo Island, but I normally stay at home except when I walk my dogs. Sang-soon might have pitied me and asked me out to the east,” she wrote

Oct. 8, 2014

G-Dragon, Kiko Mizuhara spotted on date: report

G-Dragon, member of K-pop idol group Big Bang, has been dating Japanese model-actress Kiko Mizuhara for four years, according to Korean entertainment news outlet Dispatch on Wednesday. The news went viral after Dispatch unveiled several photos of G-Dragon and Kiko, taken on Sept. 16, while they were supposedly on a date in Seoul. The two were not on their own, but having a party with friends. But they looked as if they were a couple outside a lounge bar located in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul.

Oct. 8, 2014