Last Emperor's nephew puts Chinese history on show

BEIJING (AFP) -- His uncle was the last emperor of China, reigning over the Middle Kingdom from the Forbidden City. Now Jin Yulan scours the antique shops of Communist-ruled Beijing for trinkets that might once have belonged to his family.The Qing dynasty ruled over China for 268 years until it was deposed after the 1911 revolution. But interest in the past is growing, and when Jin opened an exhibition of his artifacts this week dozens of enthusiasts attended.A retired teacher dressed in a polo

CultureOct. 26, 2016

SIWA to host huge fundraising bazaar

Seoul International Women’s Association will hold the 2016 SIWA & Diplomatic Community Bazaar next month, providing an opportunity to find high-end craftwork or do some early Christmas shopping while raising money for charity.The event, which the association has run since the 1960s, invites charities, embassies and other sellers and organizations to sell goods there, with money raised going to charity. “It’s going to be a very special mix of a few new embassies who have not been with us before a

Expat LivingOct. 26, 2016

Seoul to hold Seoul Kimchi Festival next month

The third annual Seoul Kimchi Festival is set to kick off its three-day run on Nov. 4 at Seoul Plaza.Organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the festival aims to provide citizens and tourists with a better understanding of how to make kimchi and the importance of its tradition.   A group of participants posing during the Seoul Kimchi Festival in 2014.“Gimjang,” or making kimchi, has long been an important tradition for families across the nation. It involves more than just making kimchi

FoodOct. 25, 2016

[Announcement] “Design for Convergence”

Interactive participation via mobile platforms, social media, Facebook LiveWill take place on Tuesday, Nov. 8Tickets can be reserved until Tuesday, Nov. 1Featuring design experts from around the world, Herald Design Forum 2016 will take place at Grand Hyatt Seoul on Tuesday, Nov. 8. A must-attend forum for industry insiders, Herald Design Forum, now in its sixth edition, offers exciting new features■ More speakersThe scope of our speakers has broadened. From Kickstarter co-founder Yancey Strickl

Arts & DesignOct. 25, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] Fisker stresses ‘emotional connection through design’

Henrik Fisker, a Danish-born automotive designer, is known as the man who turns dreams into reality.For over a decade, he has been engaged throughout the entire process of creating automobiles -- from the early stages of design to giving the finishing touches to iconic luxury cars, such as the Fisker Karma, BMW Z8 and Aston Martin DB9.According to the luxury concept car designer, who will be speaking about automobile design innovation at the Herald Design Forum 2016 on Nov. 8, there is always ro

Arts & DesignOct. 25, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] ‘Clothes should be unique but wearable’

When it comes to fashion, designer Choi Eu-don’s philosophy is one that emphasizes both creativity and practicality.While he believes that his pieces should “contain a different idea, something unique that differentiates them from ready-to-wear collections,” Choi places equal emphasis on how “wearable” an outfit is.“After all, fashion design is for clothes, and clothes become significant when someone wears them,” he said in an interview with The Korea Herald. Choi will be delivering a talk title

Arts & DesignOct. 25, 2016

[Herald Design Forum 2016] More companies seek design management: survey

While more and more Korean companies acknowledge the importance of “design management,” small and medium-sized enterprises face difficulties in seeking it, a survey showed Tuesday. In a Herald Corp survey of some 140 local companies, 72 percent of CEOs said they were aware of the concept of “design business.” The survey was conducted to determine the level of awareness about design management ahead of the sixth Herald Design Forum slated for Nov. 8. Aside from design business, 73 percent of CEOs

Arts & DesignOct. 25, 2016

Apink wraps up album promotions

Apink has officially wrapped up the monthlong promotional activities for its third full-length album “Pink Revolution.”The K-pop girl group marked the occasion with a final performance on SBS’ popular music program “Inkigayo” on Oct. 23, according to the group’s management agency Plan A Entertainment on Tuesday. The nine-track album is Apink’s first group release in over a year. To mark the band’s return to the spotlight, the members actively participated in shaping and producing “Pink Revolutio

PerformanceOct. 25, 2016

Marcia Haydee to direct Korean National Ballet in ‘The Sleeping Beauty’

When John Cranko, the founder and first director of the leading German ballet company Stuttgart Ballet, mentioned Marcia Haydee’s potential as a choreographer, she was adamantly against this outlook. “I told him I just wanted to dance,” Haydee told a group of reporters during an interview held at the Seoul Arts Center’s N Studio in Seoul on Tuesday.A former prima ballerina of the Stuttgart Ballet, she is now recognized as a leading artistic director.Currently leading the Santiago Ballet in Chile

PerformanceOct. 25, 2016

Oxford says Shakespeare will share credit for Henry VI

LONDON (AP) - The Bard was not a solo act.Oxford University Press’ new edition of William Shakespeare’s works will credit Christopher Marlowe as co-author of the three Henry VI plays, underscoring that the playwright collaborated with others on some of his most famous works.Marlowe, a playwright, poet and spy, will share billing in the latest version of the New Oxford Shakespeare being published this week. While scholars have long suspected that Shakespeare’s plays included the work of others, n

BooksOct. 25, 2016

Screen legend Streep says singing badly required work

TOKYO (AFP) -- Oscar-winner Meryl Streep had to learn how to “screw around” with songs when she played a tone-deaf socialite, she told reporters in Japan on Monday.Streep, whose latest work “Florence Foster Jenkins” opens the Tokyo International Film Festival, has an enviable musical pedigree, but had to tamp down her skills when she took on the lead role.“I did try to learn how to sing these arias properly, so I got a very, very good, true opera coach and he taught me the arias correctly,” Stre

FilmOct. 25, 2016

Japan animation auteur Hosoda sees beasts in child's growth

TOKYO (AP) -- Time warps, half-bestial children and parallel worlds are, for Mamoru Hosoda, a natural way to pursue the universal coming-of-age story that has driven all his movies. “A child growing up is fascinating and stunning, a true wonder of the world,” the burly, friendly Japanese animation director said recently in an interview at his suburban Tokyo Chizu Studio. “There is struggle in growth and change, between that wolf, that blood, that drive within you and order or reason needed to li

FilmOct. 25, 2016

7 sugary drinks per day greatly elevates blood pressure: study

Drinking seven or more sweetened drinks per day, including soda and fruit juice, could increase the risk of high blood pressure by 10 times, according to a new study. The study, which was conducted by a research team at Samsung Seoul Hospital, followed 5,853 people aged 19 or older who had previously participated in the survey “Food Security Status in the Korean Population” between 2012 and 2013. The team analyzed the possible risk of high blood pressure for each individual in accordance with th

FoodOct. 25, 2016

Twice's 'TT' sparks dispute over sexual references

South Korean girl group Twice released the music video for “TT,” the title track of its new album, sparking interest and excitement among K-pop fans around the world. But the overly sexual references have left some viewers confused as it doesn’t fit the group’s pure, innocent image. The third EP from the nine-member girl group sounds as expected, but few viewers were prepared for the abrupt sexual symbolism that is jarringly out of sync with the group’s otherwise convincing music track.(JYP Ente

Oct. 24, 2016