An abstract twist to tea-inspired pottery

Following is part of a series exploring unique museums, collections and the passionate collectors behind them. ― Ed.Tucked away off the beaten paths of the old-time, traditional streets of Insa-dong lies a museum that provides visitors with a one-of-a-kind tea shop experience. The Beautiful Tea Museum, which is actually a renovated hanok or a traditional Korean house, is not just a museum, but a gallery, a café and a tea shop all wrapped up into one. When it first opened its doors in the winter

Jan. 1, 2013

Year of change and hope

Given that South Korea has never been without drastic ― often turbulent ― changes in the past decades, the year 2013 will be similarly dramatic, if not more so. The Korea Herald has picked 10 trends that are likely to shape the country’s political, economic, social, cultural and other sectors this year, a set of focal points that will certainly engage many policymakers and affect the majority of hard-working Koreans amid growing uncertainties at home and abroad. One of the most fascinating areas

Dec. 30, 2012

The Korea Herald continues to evolve as country’s top English daily

When The Korea Herald published its inaugural edition six decades ago, it pledged to become a bridge between Korea and the world. Through the days of suppression under dictatorial rule and swift changes in the media industry sparked by the Internet revolution, the paper has stood firm as the country’s leading English daily while keeping its initial vow.In early 1953, the U.S.-educated then-President Syngman Rhee ordered then-Public Information Office director Gal Hong-kee to establish a new, gov

Dec. 30, 2012

From voice of newborn republic to heralding a developed nation

Entering its 60th anniversary, Herald Corp. has always sought to play a unique role in Korean society.  The Korea Herald and The Herald Business, the flagship enterprises of the company, have firmly secured their respective statuses as the leading English daily in South Korea and a premier newspaper delivering business and financial news. FoundationIt all began in 1953, when South Korea’s then-President Syngman Rhee sought the creation of an English-language newspaper to be the mouthpiece of the

Dec. 30, 2012

Curious seek destiny in New Year

The man wrote down the birth date and searched through his books. A little later, he scribbled down some Chinese characters and murmured a few words.“So, it seems like you’ve had a tough year,” he said. “Your life has been led by other people’s noses. Your health hasn’t been too good and you have the urge to drop everything and run away only to be stopped by the harsh reality.” The visitor, listening to every word, nodded.“But I don’t think you should quit your job,” the man went on. “You fortun

Dec. 28, 2012

What’s Korea’s fortune for the New Year?

The presidential election is over, and the year 2012 is reaching its end. Korea is heading into a new year with its newly-elected, first female president. So what’s Korea’s fortune for the year 2013?According to fortune teller Kim Deok-young, a nation’s fortune is inseparable from the “saju,” or four pillars of destiny, of its president. The term saju describes the four components creating a person’s destiny or fate: the year, month, date, and hour of one’s birth.Kim posted a video-clip on his w

Dec. 28, 2012

In search of original hallyu stars

Before Korean pop stars became the most welcomed Koreans in Japan, there were Tongsinsa, or diplomatic envoys to Japan, in the Joseon era (1392-1910). These people were more like the rock stars of today as they transmitted to Japan some of the latest international trends from China, the Orient and elsewhere including Joseon itself. Composed of government officials such as diplomats, as well as scholars, artists and others, the group toured Japan ― from Tsushima Island near Joseon to Edo, today’s

Dec. 27, 2012

Play ‘hard-to-get’ works for serious love

Playing “hard to get” works for women who want a long-term relationship, but not for those looking for casual sex, researchers in Australia say. Study author Peter Jonason, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Western Sydney in Australia, and colleagues said playing “hard to get” is a mating tactic in which people give the impression they are ostensibly uninterested to get others to desire them more. The researchers conducted four experiments using a supply-side economics mo

Dec. 27, 2012

Korea National Opera in heavy debt over 2007 fire

Concerns are growing over the Korea National Opera’s struggle to pay over 7 billion won ($6.5 million) in compensation to the Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance for a fire that broke out during a performance five years ago. According to industry insiders, the KNO has yet to pay any of the 4.8 billion won in principal and 2.2 billion won in interest to the insurance firm 10 months after the Supreme Court ruling that ordered the opera company to pay its insurer. The money exceeds this year’s governme

Dec. 26, 2012

Poster couple

“It took us a long-list of nearly 500 names to arrive at Zia,” Sheikh Imtiaz Ali says about the naming of his newborn daughter while making his way on a cold Saturday afternoon to his apartment in Dokbawi in northern Seoul. What’s so special about that? Well, Ali, 34, a Muslim-Bengali from India’s West Bengal, is married to Yun Sue-kyung, 31, a Korean. “Our baby’s name had to have a ‘Muslim sound’ according to my parents, a touch of Korean according to hers, and be fashionable yet short for our

Dec. 26, 2012

Oakwood Premier COEX Center offers home away from home

The Oakwood Premier COEX Center Seoul is the first of its kind, providing luxurious total living spaces and hotel amenities to make guests feel at home. The serviced residence offers 280 furnished apartments including studio and one to four-bedroom apartments ― which range in size from 47 square meters to 228 square meters ― along with 397-square-meter regal penthouses. All apartments have separate living, dining and sleeping areas, as well as a fully equipped kitchen. Each residence includes a

Dec. 25, 2012

Lights here, lights there, lights everywhere

Following is part of a series exploring unique museums, collections and the passionate collectors behind them. ― Ed.One of the men responsible for illuminating the world, Thomas Edison, was an American inventor who transformed the way people live their daily lives by inventing the first practical use light bulb in 1879. From having to solely rely on the sun and the moon as a source of light, to rubbing sticks of wood together to spark flames, mankind can now turn on the light with a simple flick

Dec. 25, 2012

How to cope with holiday blues

It may be the best time of the year for many, but for some, the holidays are the most depressing time of the year, Canadian researchers say.Colleen Carney, a sleep and depression expert and psychology professor at Ryerson University in Toronto, says when people feel down, they often avoid being around others, which increases the likelihood their depression will worsen.Instead, she says, be sure to be around people this holiday season, but don‘t put up with acquaintances, friends or family member

Dec. 25, 2012

Park draws unlikely support from arts community

Following is the third in a series of articles on President-elect Park Geun-hye’s key advisers and close associates. ― Ed.Cultural figures and celebrities across various fields voiced their support for President-elect Park Geun-hye, contributing to her winning the presidential race last week. Those who publicly supported Park include some prominent figures in the literary circuit such as poet Kim Ji-ha, writers, producers, veteran actors and comedians. As the culture industry in general shows st

Dec. 24, 2012

‘Santa may have been mushroom-intoxicated shaman’

As the world embraces the most celebrated Christian holiday, U.S. scholars have presented an unusual theory about the legend of Santa Claus, according to a report on Livescience.com.“Santa is a modern counterpart of a shaman, who consumed mind-altering plants and fungi to commune with the spirit world,” said John Rush, an anthropologist at Sierra College in Rocklin, California. Hundreds of years ago, the shamans in the Siberian and Arctic regions would collect Amanita muscaria -- hallucinogenic

Dec. 24, 2012