KOCIS celebrates 40th anniversary with exhibitions, performances

Over the past four decades, the Korea Culture and Information Service has grown into an organization with 24 overseas offices, promoting the nation’s culture and image all over the world.The state-run organization held a festival on Monday to celebrate its 40th anniversary, entertaining some 400 guests from in and out of the country with photographs of Korea’s past and present, performances by K-pop stars and Korean modern dancers, and a fashion show of Korea’s traditional hanbok. The Monday’s f

Dec. 19, 2011

‘Become a mom and get a miracle’

Actress Lee Yoon-mi speaks on joys of sharingOf the 24 children she has all over the world, Lee Yoon-mi gave birth to only one. But to this actress, who says she has experienced the miracle of sharing many times, all 24 children are equally precious.Lee, currently the leading character in the musical “The Golden Days,” has been sponsoring the children via Compassion Korea, where she has been especially active in helping newborns to 3-year-olds. “It’s no longer an issue of me helping them. I’m th

Dec. 16, 2011

Skin products go au naturel

Consumers search for natural, organic cosmetics and some make their ownFed up with factory-made cosmetics that seemed to cause skin problems, housewife Lee Yu-mi signed up for classes at a natural cosmetics workshop two months ago. “I have been free of skin troubles ever since I started using the products I made myself,” said Lee at Jullie’s Aroma, a natural cosmetics workshop in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. She and another student were busy making lavender toner and avocado emulsion at the worksh

Dec. 16, 2011

Calendar

Theater“Guess How Much I Love You”: Korean adaptation of “Guess How Much I Love You,” a musical based on children’s book of the same title by British writer Sam McBratney, is being staged once again in Seoul. The show premiered in Korea in January at Wonderspace Triangle Theater in Daehangno, Seoul, and was staged in more than eight venues nationwide, including KBS Ulsan Hall and MBC Art Hall in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. A story of two hares telling how much they love each other, the

Dec. 16, 2011

Eye like

‘Audition prince’ releases first albumShayne “The Gift” (Sony Music) The 19-year-old singer’s angelic voice and imperfect pronunciation might satisfy females who can’t resist younger men with a cute voice, but general music fans may be in for some disappointment with Shayne Orok’s first album. The third prize winner of MBC’s “Star Audition: Season 1” has unveiled five songs that include one composed by Yoo Hae-joon, widely known for his participation in the original soundtracks of popular TV dra

Dec. 16, 2011

‘Korean language scientifically superior’

University of Hawaii professor Sohn receives 3rd Korea Foundation award As a scholar who has spent the past four decades studying his mother-tongue and language in general, professor Sohn Ho-min should know what he’s talking about when he says Korean is the world’s most superior language. “When we say Korean is superior, we are basing this on scientific examination. The Korean language’s method of making sound through a combination of vowels and consonants is very scientific and economical, even

Dec. 15, 2011

Brooks brings burning need to tell stories to Seoul

Despite more than 100,000 Facebook fans and nearly 20 million plays on MySpace, British singer-songwriter Joe Brooks is humble enough to say he has “yet to reach the top” and is “still on his way up” at the age of 24. But when it comes to writing songs, the young musician makes it clear that he is pretty sure of what he’s doing. “It inspires me to dig below the surface and look honestly at myself,” Brooks said in an email interview with The Korea Herald. “The core of what I do is a burning need

Dec. 15, 2011

Booie, the smoking chimpanzee, dies at 44

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ A chimpanzee that kicked a smoking habit and used sign language to beg for candy has died at a California animal refuge.Martine Colette of the Wildlife WayStation says Booie was being treated for a heart condition when he died Saturday at 44. The chimp had been living at the anima

Dec. 15, 2011

Sexual violence affects one in five US women: study

Nearly one in five American women have been victims of rape or attempted rape at some point in their lives, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said Wednesday in a disturbing report on sexual violence in the United States.Releasing the results of a first-ever survey of nearly 10,000 women contacte

Dec. 15, 2011

Jogye Order names Ven. Jinje as new chief spiritual leader

Ven. Jinje was elected as the new spiritual leader of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, Wednesday. The 77-year-old succeeds Ven. Beobjeon and will serve for five years as the 13th Jogye Order spiritual chief. Twenty-three senior members unanimously approved of Ven. Jinje, who was the only candidate, according to the order. The new leader will officially take the post after March 25, when his predecessor’s term ends, it said. The post “jongjeong,” or spiritual leader, is considered the core of

Dec. 14, 2011

Kimchi still SHINee’s No.1 after taste of Barcelona

Boy band releases travel book on Spanish cityAs drivers of K-pop fever abroad, SHINee had long regarded hotel room service as the “best foreign food.” That’s all they ever got a chance to eat overseas thanks to their tight touring schedules.After taking “a real trip” to Barcelona as travel authors and tasting the dishes on offer outside their hotel rooms, three of the group say they are now qualified to reveal their favorite food of all time.“Kimchi still rules over all other food. It tastes goo

Dec. 14, 2011

The new college-admission essay: Short and tweet

Let’s say you are confronting one of the most important decisions of your life. But first, you must answer this:My favorite thing about last Tuesday?And do it in 25 words or less.The query may seem like it’s taken from Twitter or an online dating survey, but it is designed for a match of a different sort: Getting into college.The essay question is new for 2012 applications to the University of Maryland and is just one example of a wave of quirkiness and brevity that has swept the usually staid w

Dec. 14, 2011

English-language guide to Korean drama published

The Korean Culture and Information Service published “K-Drama: A New TV Genre with Global Appeal” this week as its third publication in a series designed to help foreigners better understand Korean pop culture. The full-color book explains in detail the history of Korean dramas, how the shows began to receive attention overseas, how they started off the so-called Korean Wave and also introduces the shows considered the “top 10,” including Yonsama’s “Winter Sonata.” Affiliated with the Culture Mi

Dec. 13, 2011

‘Korea a tool, not goal for Korean Connection’

Founder of French culture society Paquet receives presidential citationIn a world where communication and interaction are becoming very important, a country like Korea can be an excellent tool in making more people meet and more nations interact with one another, the founder of France-based Korean culture society “The Korean Connection,” said. “I have many goals in mind with the Korean Connection, but I see Korea more as a tool than a goal,” Maxime Paquet, told The Korea Herald. “Amazed by how m

Dec. 13, 2011

Same-sex penguin pair find female partners

(AP)TORONTO (AP) _ It appears a female has come between one of Canada's celebrity couples.Toronto's zoo split up a pair of male penguins whose affection for each other drew headlines last month and jokes about ``Brokeback Iceberg.''The zoo said Monday Buddy and Pedro have been officially separated a

Dec. 13, 2011

‘Best night in Korea’ a click away with Benikea

KTO lists mid-price  hotels around country An affordable hotel room with a good view and prompt service is a must for many a traveler. “Benikea,” an abbreviation of “Best Night in Korea,” is a list of Korea Tourism Organization-affiliated hotels with branches in Seoul, Busan, the southern provinces of Jeolla and Gyeongsang, Jeju Island and more.KTO introduced the budget hotel brand with the goal of linking independent travelers with reasonably priced hotels run by small and mid-tier companies he

Dec. 12, 2011