Cloned dogs given to 119 services

Two dogs cloned by former stem-cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk will be donated to the National 119 Rescue Service. The service, which is one of the affiliated organizations of the National Emergency Management Agency, said Monday that it will receive the dogs under an agreement with the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation where Hwang is chief technology officer.Sooam Biotech signed a memorandum of understanding with National 119 Rescue Service on Dec. 26, 2012, on the preservation of pedigree rescue

PeopleJune 17, 2013

‘Gentleman’ jumps to 17th on British chart

South Korean rapper Psy’s new hit “Gentleman” jumped 34 notches to No. 17 in the formal British music chart Sunday, apparently thanks to his recent promotional activities in the country.Released in April, “Gentleman” made it all the way to the No. 10 spot on the chart a week after entering the Official Singles Chart Top 100 at 61st, but its ranking went on a rapid decent until the recent rebound. The song has stayed in the Top 100 chart for its 10th straight week, proving that Psy is no “one-hit

PeopleJune 17, 2013

‘Sexy code’ dominates K-pop stage

With female K-pop singer after singer making their comeback with a “sexy code,” South Korea‘s music scene is bursting with eye-catching performances.Four-member girl group Sistar returned to the stage with their latest single “Give It To Me,” showing off dazzling gold and silver outfits resembling those of the divas of “Moulin Rouge.” The main choreography of the song, dubbed the “touch dance,” where the members tap their own bodies three times, adds to the sexy vibe. After School, often referre

PerformanceJune 17, 2013

Top 5 representative idol-turned-musical actors in South Korea

Pop singers in South Korea enjoy taking on new challenges to expand their careers in the entertainment industry into various fields. Musicals are one such avenue. The profession, which requires talent not only in singing but also in acting and dancing, is sometimes considered overly arduous for idols to manage. However, there are a few who overcame these underestimations of idols’ talents and successfully became competent musical actors. 1. Kim Jun-soo (JYJ)A member of K-pop group JYJ and also k

June 17, 2013

Simon D and Lady Jane split after 6 years

　Rapper Simon D of Supreme Team and his girlfriend and singer Lady Jane have broken up after six years together, Simon D’s agency said. 　“They broke up about a month ago and now they stay as friends and coworkers,” the agency said.  　Sources said the busy schedules of the two musicians were the reason behind the break-up.　They started dating in October 2007 and Simon D revealed their relationship in December 2009 on SBS music program “Kim Jung-eun’s Chocolate.” 　　By Choi In-jeong, Intern reporte

PerformanceJune 17, 2013

Smugglers use auction sites to sell cultural heritage

The Internet has linked the world to a new level, enabling exchanges and trade of nearly everything with just few clicks. But it has become a headache for governments as online auction sites have become a loophole in cultural heritage smuggling. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Friday said that five people have been apprehended for illegal trade of a total of 187 non-designated cultural heritage artifacts using eBay, the world’s largest auctioning site. The authorities have managed to rec

CultureJune 16, 2013

Booking for Accor Super Sale starts today

Accor Hotel Group, operator of 10 Accor Ambassador hotels in Korea, on Monday starts to receive bookings for the Accor Super Sale event which offers up to 50 percent discount for rooms at 2,000 Accor hotels worldwide between July 6 and Sept. 1. The discount program is available at Grand Ambassador Seoul; Pullman Ambassador Changwon; Novotel Ambassador Gangnam, Doksan and Daegu; Mercure Ambassador Gangnam; and the ibis Ambassador Seoul, Myeong-dong, Suwon and Busan. Rates start at $23 per room pe

CultureJune 16, 2013

‘Dam-in-dam’ to be installed to preserve Bangudae petroglyphs

The government on Sunday said it would build a polycarbonate “dam” inside Sayeon Dam in Ulsan to protect the rock faces of Bangudae, located on Daegokcheon Stream Cliff, from erosion. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, a memorandum of understanding was signed by Prime Minister Chung Hong-won, Cultural Heritage Administration chief Byun Young-sup, Culture Minister Yoo Jin-ryong and Ulsan Mayor Park Maeng-woo, which allows the installment of a “kinetic dam,” a portable, transparent protecti

CultureJune 16, 2013

Under ocean currents

Photographer Song Jung-keun captures extreme emotions in nature. In the photograph of a large, spontaneous ocean wave, one feels the rage of Mother Nature and the state of calamity at the same time. The dramatic impact of Song’s photographs reflects the emotions he felt in the early 2000s when the world he was becoming polarized, struggling. “I experienced the low point in my life after the Asian financial crisis in 1997. I had struggled financially and also saw others struggle like I did,” said

PerformanceJune 16, 2013

Unsung singers get solos in ‘20 Feet’

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― In the span of American pop music, few performers have gone as unrecognized as the backup vocalists who harmonize and contextualize the songs of many a heralded lead musician. With “20 Feet From Stardom,’’ some of the most notable finally get their due, but more than a tribute, the film is a recognition of the talent and sacrifice that many of these vocalists have invested in often challenging careers.With a documentary career that’s richly profiled the likes of Muddy Waters,

FilmJune 16, 2013

Kanye West’s ‘Yeezus’ leaks, Internet goes crazy

LOS ANGELES ― “Yeezus,” the highly anticipated new album from Kanye West, leaked online on Friday morning, resulting in immediate Twitter trending and sending less-ethical fans all over the world to various illegal download and mirror sites to get a free copy.The back cover of the CD has also leaked, which shows the many samples and songwriters involved in West’s newest construction. Among those sampled include Nina Simone, whose version of “Strange Fruit” gets center stage on “Blood on the Leav

CultureJune 16, 2013

EXO debut hits top spot on Billboard World Albums Chart

Korea’s showbiz powerhouse S.M. Entertainment’s latest product, 12-member boy band EXO, topped the Billboard World Albums Chart as of June 22, the agency said Friday. The band’s full-length debut album, “XOXO(Kiss&Hug)” with the title track “Wolf,” was released worldwide on June 3 through iTunes and other music file distribution sites. It received 299,280 preorder sales and has become the best-selling album at Hottracks and others, while topping music charts on KBS, MBC and SBS over the weekend.

PerformanceJune 16, 2013

Nick Vujicic to guest star on local talk show

Inspirational figure Nick Vujicic is back in town to make his guest appearance Monday on a local television talk show, “Healing Camp,” according to the broadcaster SBS.The 30-year-old Australian evangelist who was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by the absence of arms and legs, will be the first foreign guest to appear on the show, officials said.Vujicic, who has become an icon of iron will against all odds, has given motivational speeches to some 4 million people

TelevisionJune 16, 2013

Green as far as the eye can see

BOSEONG, South Jeolla Province ― Since being first introduced to the country in the early ninth century by merchants returning from China, green tea has acquired a long history and rich culture in Korea. Today, one of the nation’s best-known green tea plantations is the Daehan Tea Plantation here. The vibrant green tea fields of Boseong attract around 1 million visitors every year, who come to experience green tea in its most natural state while marveling at the beauty of the fields’ picturesque

FoodJune 14, 2013

Good cup of green tea bestowed by nature

Korean green tea has been traditionally well known for its taste and quality thanks to the clean water found in Korean nature, according to Park Kwang-ok, director of the eastern Seoul office of the Korea Tea Culture Association. “The quality of water and temperature affect the taste of tea. Korea is known for the clean water, one of the important factors for making a good-quality tea,” said Park in an interview with The Korea Herald. “The high quality of tea has affected the tea ceremony of Kor

CultureJune 14, 2013

Wining and dining on the African railway

CAPE TOWN ― The landscape transformed as we neared Cape Town. Mountainous scrubland that could have been plucked from a Hollywood Western gave way to the vineyards of Hex River Valley, the source of 20 percent of South Africa’s wine production.Copper peaks, ringed by low-hanging clouds, soared above endless vineyards turned red and gold by the South African autumn. Inside our dining car, we drank the fruits of the region in the form of a dry Thelema Riesling, recommended by our waiter to accompa

TravelJune 14, 2013

Calendar

Exhibitions“Gauguin and After: Voyage into the Myth”: Masterpieces of the French post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin are on exhibition in Seoul. The exhibition, which runs from Friday to Sept. 29 at the Seoul Museum of Art, is the first-ever comprehensive survey of Gauguin’s artistic career presented to a Korean audience. It showcases about 60 artworks on loan from 30 major museums around the world, created during the two major periods of the artist ― Brittany, Paris (1873-1891) and Polynesia

CultureJune 14, 2013

Eyelike: Box Office: White House Down, World War Z, Man of Steel

Vampire Weekend turns down tempo on 3rd CDVampire Weekend“Modern Vampires of the City”(XL Recordings)After releasing two bouncy albums of reggae-flavored pop laced with African rhythms, Vampire Weekend turns down the tempo and ups the indie-rock vibe on its third effort. “Modern Vampires of the City,” which the band characterizes as the culmination of a trilogy, puts singer-songwriters Ezra Koenig and Rostam Batmanglij‘s guitars and harmonies front and center. The New York quartet maintains the

PerformanceJune 14, 2013

Box Office: White House Down, World War Z, Man of Steel

White House DownOpening on June 27Action. Drama. Directed by Roland EmmerichCapitol policeman John Cale (Channing Tatum) has just been denied by the Secret Service a job protecting President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx). Although he was rejected, he takes his young daughter on a tour of the White House to avoid disappointing her. Then the place gets attacked by a heavily armed paramilitary group and Cale faces a situation where he needs to save the president, his daughter and the nation at the same

FilmJune 14, 2013