The Korea Herald

Slow food cooking contest for expats

Expats are invited to enter a cooking contest as part of a “slow food” event in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, on Oct. 3.The International Residents Cooking Contest is run in partnership with WWOOF Korea, the local branch of an international group that arranges for public volunteers to help on organic farms, and Asio Gusto, a slow-food festival for the Asia-Pacific region. Slow food is a movement encouraging the use of local and regional foods and sustainable farming methods.Kota Fukuyama, who he

Expat LivingJuly 9, 2013

Korea Muslim Federation provides Ramadan services

As Ramadan begins Wednesday, the Korea Muslim Federation has uploaded a timetable of sunsets, sunrises and other times.The timetable is available at koreaislam.net and includes a list of places of worship.The fast-breaking meal of iftar will be provided at the Seoul Central Masjid every day after magrib prayers. Taraweeh prayers will be held throughout Ramadan at the masjid.(paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)

Expat LivingJuly 9, 2013

Irish expats petition for better pension agreement

The Irish expat community is petitioning the Irish government to reform the existing pension agreement between Ireland and South Korea. The petition has close to 500 signatories and was created by Kenneth Quillinan, a professor at Kyungpook National University. “I strongly believe that it is only a matter of time that this outdated agreement is altered,” Quillinan said.In a growing Irish community living and working in South Korea, many are frustrated at not having access to a substantial amount

Expat LivingJuly 9, 2013

Industrial Theater goes back ‘Into the Light’

Ulsan’s Industrial Theater Troupe is returning with a rapid-fire performance of short plays this weekend. “Into the Light” features 30 plays performed in random order over 60 minutes.This is the Industrial Theater Troupe’s third production in this format, after last summer’s “Too Much Light” and February’s “Fade to Black.” “We changed the name the second time and now again for our current show so that people would not assume it is exactly the same as previous performances,” said Pete Musto, the

Expat LivingJuly 9, 2013

Industrial Theater goes back ‘Into the Light’

Another British royal baby, this time for Zara Tindall

LONDON (AFP) ― Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest granddaughter, eventing champion Zara Tindall, and her rugby player husband Mike Tindall are expecting their first child at the beginning of next year, Buckingham Palace announced on Monday.The couple married in July 2011, three months after Tindall’s cousin Prince William and Catherine, and announced their pregnancy just days before the second-in-line to the throne is expecting his first child.“Mr. and Mrs. Mike Tindall are very pleased to announce tha

PeopleJuly 9, 2013

SNU to name library room after U.N. chief

Seoul National University said Tuesday it would rename a library room after United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in appreciation of his donation to the university. Ban recently contributed an undisclosed amount of money to SNU to help pay for a new library building, according to the school.In recognition of his donation, SNU will name one of 50 study rooms at the new library after the U.N. chief, it said. SNU earlier launched a campaign to raise funds for the new library project with the

PeopleJuly 9, 2013

Girls’ Generation to sing national anthem at July 28 Dodgers game

Taeyeon, Tiffany and Sunny from girl group Girls’ Generation will sing the Korean national anthem at the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Cincinnati Reds game on July 28, S.M. Entertainment announced Tuesday. One of the members will also throw the opening pitch at the game. It will be Tiffany’s second visit to Dodger Stadium since May. She threw the ceremonial first pitch at the Dodgers game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 6. She had trouble throwing the ball over the plate to pitcher Ryu Hyun-ji

PeopleJuly 9, 2013

Girls’ Generation to sing national anthem at July 28 Dodgers game

Chinese Korean War vets visit comrades’ cemetery for 1st time

Three Chinese Korean War veterans who fought against South Korea as allied troops of North Korea visited a cemetery containing their fallen comrades in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday.Chen Ruo Bi, Lian Deng Gao and Lai Xuex Ian were invited to South Korea by the provincial government through the Seoul-based Korea-China Cultural Association.It was the first time since the armistice 60 years ago that Chinese Korean War veterans had visited the graves of their compatriots in South Korea. “We he

PeopleJuly 9, 2013

Chinese Korean War vets visit comrades’ cemetery for 1st time

National troupes unveil new programs

It’s been a year since the National Theater of Korea introduced its “repertoire season” system, where the state-run organization announces its troupes’ schedules ahead of the start of its yearly season.A total of seven troupes belong to the NTOK, including the National Theater Company of Korea, the Korea National Ballet, the Korea National Opera, the National Dance Company of Korea, the National Changgeuk Company of Korea, the National Orchestra Company of Korea, and the National Chorus of Korea

PerformanceJuly 9, 2013

Newseum in D.C. makes changes as funding falls short

WASHINGTON (AP) ― The Newseum has become a major attraction with 4 million people visiting its exhibits about journalism and freedom of speech. Yet, in five years since moving to its new home overlooking the U.S. Capitol, it’s been struggling mightily to cover its costs.Public financial documents reviewed by the Associated Press show revenue fell short of expenses by millions of dollars in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Its parent organization, the Freedom Forum, has used its endowment to provide the bulk

CultureJuly 9, 2013

Seven Korean fashion designers selected for 8th Concept Korea

Seven Korean fashion designers will showcase their collections in world fashion hub New York during New York Fashion Week as part of the state-sponsored project that supports Korean designers in promoting their brands overseas. The selected designers are Kathleen Hanhee Kye (Kye), Kim Seoryong (Kimseoryong homme), Kim Hongbum (Cres E. Dim), Ko Tae-yong (Beyond Closet), Park Youn-soo (Big Park), Lee Suk-tae (Kaal E.Suktae), and Choi Bo Ko (Choiboko).Kathleen Hanhee Kye, Kim Hongbum and Choi Bo Ko

Arts & DesignJuly 9, 2013

Seven Korean fashion designers selected for 8th Concept Korea

Art exhibition pays tribute to baseball hero Park Chan-ho

Park Chan-ho, the first South Korean baseball player to play in Major League Baseball in the U.S., was hailed as a hero during the gloomy days of the Asian economic crisis in the late 1990s. Despite retiring last year, Park still remains a sensational figure in the history of Korean baseball, having won 124 games in the majors during his 19-year professional baseball career.A new art exhibition at Seoul Museum pays tribute to the baseball hero, displaying his game-winning baseballs, uniforms, gl

PerformanceJuly 9, 2013

Art exhibition pays tribute to baseball hero Park Chan-ho

Statue of Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy rises from lake

LONDON (AP) ― It’s Colin Firth, but not as we know him. He’s 3.7 meter tall and made of fiberglass.A statue of brooding Mr. Darcy, the character played by Firth in “Pride and Prejudice’’ was installed Monday in London’s Serpentine lake.The figure shows Darcy emerging from the water in a soaked shirt, recreating a scene from the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel.The scene helped turn Firth into a sex symbol and is regularly voted among Britain’s most memorable TV moments.One of th

FilmJuly 9, 2013

Mariah Carey hospitalized with shoulder injury

NEW YORK (AP) ― Mariah Carey is in the hospital for a shoulder injury.The pop star’s representative says the singer went to the hospital in New York late Sunday after injuring her shoulder while filming a music video.Her rep adds Monday that “doctors reset her shoulder’’ and that “she is fine.’’Carey was filming a video for a remix version of her song “Beautiful’’ with rapper Young Jeezy. The video was being directed by her husband Nick Cannon.The singer will still perform Saturday with the New

PerformanceJuly 9, 2013

Rain finishes scandal-hit military service

K-pop superstar Rain, or Jung Ji-hoon, was officially discharged from his mandatory military duties on Wednesday after nearly two years of service. The entertainer entered the military in October 2011 and served as a PR officer for the Defense Media Agency. As a celebrity soldier, Rain was caught in a string of controversies during his service that raised the question of whether disciplinary actions would force the entertainment solider to be discharged later than originally scheduled. The milit

PerformanceJuly 9, 2013

Rain finishes scandal-hit military service

CNBLUE’s new single hits No. 1 on presale charts

Four-member band CNBLUE’s new single “Lady,” which is slated for release in Japan on July 31, has hit No. 1 in the presale album charts. “Lady,” the band’s sixth single in the country, topped Japanese album franchise HMV’s “Korea & Asia” daily presale charts on July 4. The pop band also rose to No. 2 on its weekly charts, raising fans’ expectations for the upcoming release. “Lady” is to be released along with two other tracks, “Don’t Care” and “Monday,” which were written by member Jung Yong-hwa

July 9, 2013

CNBLUE’s new single hits No. 1 on presale charts

Boyfriend battles burden of good looks in Japanese film

K-pop group Boyfriend attended the premiere of Japanese romantic comedy “GOGO Ikemen 5” at United Cinemas Toyosu in Tokyo on Saturday. The members of Boyfriend play leading roles in the film.The group landed the roles six months after their Japanese debut with single “Be My Shine” in August 2012. In “GOGO Ikemen 5,” the five “pretty boys” who excel in sports, academics and looks are tired of girls paying attention only to their looks. When the innocent and pure Kanna, a girl who does not care fo

July 9, 2013

Boyfriend battles burden of good looks in Japanese film

FT Island’s Lee paints nails to book success

FT Island vocalist Lee Hong-gi’s nail art book has topped a book-magazine pre-order chart in Japan, Tower Records announced Sunday. “Lee Honggi Nail Book” has remained on top since last week. It also topped the Korean online bookstore Interpark’s weekly bestseller chart last week. The 144-page book includes photos of Lee and his self-done nails with some useful tips on how to apply nail polish and accessories on nails. In the book, Lee also talks about his philosophy and recounts a number of ane

July 9, 2013

FT Island’s Lee paints nails to book success

Prodigies offer hope for future of Korean classical music

Twelve-year-old Han Yeo-jin won the 18th Biwako International Flute Competition in May, beating much older competitors to become the youngest-ever winner with her performance of complex pieces such as Theobald Boehm’s “Grand Polonaise.” The elementary school student from Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, started playing the flute when she was 5 years old, inspired by her mother who was a flute teacher. Her mother Oh Hyun-suk was hesitant about her daughter’s direction at first, knowing that pursuing m

PerformanceJuly 9, 2013

Prodigies offer hope for future of Korean classical music

Lee paves way for displaying Hangeul on electronic devices

Lee Ki-sung, professor emeritus at the Kaywon School of Art & Design and the director of the eBook Academy in Korea, is considered by some as the modern-day King Sejong for his work in the development of Korean characters for electronic publishing.One of Lee’s greatest academic contributions is the standardization of a communication output code for 11,172 electronic Hangeul fonts. He was the driving force behind the development and implementation of these character fonts in the field in the Kore

PeopleJuly 9, 2013

Lee paves way for displaying Hangeul on electronic devices