Nationwide marathons to fight breast cancer kick off

South Korean cosmetics brand AmorePacific and the Korea Breast Cancer Foundation kicked off the Busan leg of this year’s Pink Ribbon Love Marathon on Sunday. The annual event aims to spread awareness about breast cancer ― the most common form of cancer in women ― and raise funds for low-income breast cancer patients. Over 5,000 men and women gathered at the Busan Yachting Range to take part in the race, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. The Sunday event featured various sponso

PeopleApril 26, 2015

[Up & Coming] Art meets technology

Up & Coming is a series of interviews with emerging artists in various fields of arts and entertainment. ― Ed. Art has no boundaries ― especially when it comes to digital media art.Young media artist Nam Hye-yeon describes her work as a “true collaborative art form.”It requires the skills and talents of many people from diverse fields ranging from computer science and engineering to business and art to create something unimaginable, yet with a social meaning that can help break down social barri

PerformanceApril 26, 2015

[Herald Interview] From teacher’s podium to center stage

After one live performance and just one email, the life of English teacher Micah Hein took a dramatic turn. A little over a year ago, the 24-year-old American theater major arrived in Korea ― traveling abroad for the first time ― to teach English through performing arts. Little did he know that in this alien country, he would realize his dream of becoming a professional actor and debut with a title role.It all started when the theater lover found himself crossing off what is on the to-do list of

CultureApril 26, 2015

Summer fests to burst K-pop bubble

Young K-pop boy and girl groups may take center stage in Korea’s music industry, but the Korea Creative Content Agency is looking to expand K-pop’s scope by promoting a number of emerging small-label artists to the world.The state-run content agency will host the “K-pop Night Out” at music events in Canada, Singapore and Cannes, France.“We hope to introduce global audiences to a wider variety of Korean music,” Song Sung-gak, president of KOCCA, said at a recent press conference.“We also aim to p

PerformanceApril 26, 2015

[Herald Review] ‘Avengers’ sets Korean box office records

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” is setting box office records worldwide, and Korea is no exception to seeing the Disney Marvel superhero action movie hitting it big.The second Avengers film hit local theaters last Thursday, showing at over 44 percent of multiplex screens nationwide.It sold over 3 million tickets, or 21.2 billion won ($19.7 million), as of Sunday morning, according to the Korean Film Council.The movie, about a band of Earth’s mightiest heroes including Iron Man and Thor from Marvel’s c

FilmApril 26, 2015

[Weekender] Islam in Korea, past and present

Korea and the Middle East may look like they have nothing in common.On the surface, the two regions do not seem to have crossed paths as they have totally different economies, cultures and ideals. Above all, religion may be what divides the two. While the religious heritage of Korea derives mostly from Buddhism, Confucianism and more recently Christianity, the Middle East is deeply rooted in the Islamic teachings of Prophet Muhammad. Yet, scholars say the two sides’ cross-cultural relations date

CultureApril 24, 2015

[Weekender] Islam finds way into Korean society

Stepping outside a lecture room at Kyung Hee University amid a flock of Korean students, a 28-year-old Jordanian student heads toward a Muslim prayer room set up in his university campus.Mohammad’s daily ritual in the prayer room demonstrates Korea’s efforts to understand the once-alienated religion, he noted.“These days, Koreans do not discriminate against me on the basis of me being a Muslim,” he said, adding this was not always the case.“When I came here in 2010, Koreans gave the cold shoulde

CultureApril 24, 2015

[Weekender] ‘Violence far from essence of Islam’

When Lee Haeng-lae was introduced to Islam in the 1950s, his image of the religion was like most other people during that time: the Koran in one hand, and a sword in another. But after a trip to Malaysia, he realized that Muslims were not violent people and ultimately converted to the religion in the early 1960s.Embracing Islam was not an easy task in a country where the religion has struggled for years against the perception that it is radical and violent. “My father particularly flat-out said,

CultureApril 24, 2015

[Herald Interview] Restaurant puts halal touch on Korean cuisine

At a cozy restaurant in the multicultural district of Itaewon, Eid serves one of its staple dishes ― bibimbap, a bowl of rice mixed with red chili paste and a variety of vegetables.It is accompanied by side dishes of kimchi, stir-fried anchovies, salad and cabbage soup.The food may look like any other served at Korean restaurants nationwide. But it’s not. Eid cooks its meals, including samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), bulgogi (marinated beef) and grilled fish, with ingredients and techniques i

FoodApril 24, 2015

Flying on the wings of moths

Professor emeritus of Kangwon National University Park Kyu-tek is a man of conviction. It is conviction that has enabled him to stick to a single, arduous path for more than four decades. As a renowned taxonomist who specializes in moths, his path was far from glamorous and has only gained him recognition after decades of hard work in the lab and collecting specimens in the field. Over his career, he has single-handedly identified more than 500 new species of moths from around the world. This fe

PeopleApril 24, 2015

Eyelike: Brian Wilson, Calexico, Cama Incendiada

Brian Wilson is back with evocative albumBrian Wilson“No Pier Pressure”(Capitol)Brian Wilson‘s “No Pier Pressure” offers ample reason to celebrate the extended solo career that has followed his Beach Boys’ journey. 　 His 11th solo studio offering opens with “This Beautiful Day,” a short track that captures all of Wilson‘s yearning and desire in the simplest, most direct way, offset by lovely harmonies and some fine trumpet work. 　 Of course, the entire CD does not reach that level, and some of t

PerformanceApril 24, 2015

Box Office

Coin Locker Girl (Korea)Opening April 29Drama. Directed by Han Jun-heeThe dark underworld of loan sharks, drugs, and commissioned kills are all Il-young (Kim Go-eun) knows as she grows up under the wing of Mother (Kim Hye-soo), the crime boss who bought Il-young when she was a little girl. Il-young is blindly loyal to Mother until she catches a glimpse of a normal life through her unlikely friendship with Suk-hyun (Park Bo-gum), the son of a debtor. Chaos ensues as Il-young slowly turns her back

FilmApril 24, 2015

Travel Bits

Experience German tradition, customsGermany is known for its strong manufacturing industry consisting of high-tech small and medium enterprises that drive its economic growth. It holds also one of the biggest consumer electronics fairs called IFA in Berlin.But the German National Tourist Board seeks to make other parts of its country well-known beyond technology by launching a tourism campaign, enabling Koreans to experience its tradition and customs.Germany will offer tourism programs enabling

TravelApril 24, 2015

Around the Hotels

A decade of excellence at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a dining promotion at Cornerstone. A five-course lunch and dinner menu featuring 10 of the restaurant’s most beloved signature dishes will be served. Appetizers include fresh octopus salad and olives, lobster ceviche, oxtail mushroom terrine, seared crabcake, Mediterranean seafood soup, and more. Main dishes include oven-roasted beef entrecote, horse steak tagliata and New Zealand rack of lamb. Fo

FoodApril 24, 2015

Celebrity chef opens new fusion spot

A food skeptic might be cautious when they enter the newly minted restaurant of celebrity chef Lee Chanoh. After seeing a chef on a food television show, they are bound to develop certain expectations. If their expectations are too high, then disappointment inevitably ensues ― but that is not the case at Manu Terrace, veteran chef Lee’s new fusion establishment. Lee, who is currently appearing on “Olive Show 2015,” spent years honing his talent at restaurants in Australia, France and the Netherl

FoodApril 24, 2015

‘The Shameless’ gears up for Cannes

“The Shameless,” a new film from director Oh Seung-uk starring Jeon Do-yeon and Kim Nam-gil, is described by its filmmakers as a “hardboiled melodrama-romance.” As one of the official selections invited to the sidebar “Un Certain Regard” competition of the 68th Cannes Film Festival, the film has been stoking curiosity about how Oh would bring together the seemingly antithetical genres of hardboiled and romance.“In terms of genre, the movie is closer to romance,” Oh said at a press conference at

FilmApril 24, 2015

Charity dinner with renowned monk Hyemin put on auction

A dinner with Ven. Hyemin, one of the most influential Buddhist monks in Korea, is up for auction, with a starting price of 3 million won ($2,780).The winning bidder of the online auction may take three of his or her friends to the dinner with the monk, scheduled to be held from 7-9 p.m. on May 15 at Dugaheon restaurant in Samcheong-ro, Seoul. “This is a chance to have dinner with Ven. Hyemin and listen to his good words and donate the proceeds to charity,” said Sohn Yi-cheon of art K Auction, w

PeopleApril 24, 2015