Sohn Hong-shik on way to become the first Korean to donate blood 600 timesRetiree Sohn Hong-shik has a long-cherished habit that he says freshens him up like having a haircut or taking a bath, but may sound freakish to others: having a needle stuck in his arm and blood pumped out of it.For Sohn, 61, blood donation has been an almost once-every-two-weeks ritual for the past 27 years. He has donated

People April 3, 2011

Leader of ’80s band Five Fingers uses jazz to teach economic flairLee Doo-heon is no ordinary music star of a bygone era.He not only continues to play but also keeps himself busy as a lecturer to companies.Since 2009, Lee has given lectures to big Korean companies including Samsung, GS Construction, Hyundai Motor, LG Display, Hanhwa and Motorola Korea. A zesty blend of economics and music has made

People March 31, 2011

The Korea Herald, the British Council Korea and IDP Education awarded scholarships to six Korean high school students Wednesday under their joint program to help students prepare to study in the U.S. through IELTS.IELTS, or International English Language Testing System, is the world’s leading test of English for higher education, recognized by schools worldwide, including those in the U.S., Britai

People March 31, 2011

One of youngest Britons to climb Everest finds new challenges in SeoulAlmost five years ago, James Hooper was standing at the summit of the tallest mountain on Earth, with best friend and fellow explorer, Rob Gauntlett. Aged 19, they were the youngest Britons ever to scale Everest.But the adventure did not stop there. The teenagers’ 35,406 kilometer pole-to-pole expedition in 2007, just a year lat

People March 29, 2011

Poet Ko Un, a Korean literary colossus often cited by local news media as a likely Nobel winner, is to receive an honorary doctoral degree in literature from Chonbuk National University.The university said Sunday that the degree recognizes his contribution in letting the world know the beauty and literary value of Korean poems as well as his strong sense of history and active participation in soci

People March 29, 2011

Former presidential chief of staff Chung Jung-kil has been nominated as president of the Academy of Korean Studies.The academy board said Friday that it selected Chung as the successor to Kim Jung-bae, who will retire on April 20. The new president should be approved by the minister of education, science and technology before taking office. Chung Jung-kilThe 69-year-old Chung earned his undergradu

People March 27, 2011

LOS ANGELES ― For years Cristian Gheorghiu craved the thrill of the chase. Spray-paint can in hand, he lived on the edge, always a step ahead of the law. His canvas was L.A.’s lampposts, brick walls and concrete riverbeds where he scrawled ragged images and his own nickname, “Smear” ― probably thousands of times. The graffiti made him a subculture sensation. But just as the East Hollywood graffiti

People March 27, 2011

Cho Don-young, honorary consul of the African state, expects to take on visa workThe Republic of Congo is a central African country little known to the Koreans. Even those who are vaguely aware of a country called Congo are likely to confuse the state with its similarly named neighbor, the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Ending this confusion may be the first task for Cho Don-young, who is the fi

People March 27, 2011

Former North Korean agent Kim Hyun-hee, who blew up a Korean Air flight in 1987, donated 1 million yen ($12,350) to the victims of the devastating quake and tsunami which hit the eastern parts of Japan, the Sankei Shinbum reported on Wednesday.She had her husband deliver the money along with a letter praying for the dead to the Seoul office of the Japanese newspaper on Tuesday. Kim Hyun-hee“I don’

People March 24, 2011

Author Kong Ji-young, 48, will donate the entire royalty from her four novels released in Japan. Kong notified her agency of her plan to help victims affected by the tsunami and earthquakes Wednesday.  Kong Ji-youngKong wrote on Twitter on Thursday: “I will donate the entire amount of royalty for my released books in Japan,” and added “I hope my small sincerity is a help.”Kong’s books in Japan inc

People March 20, 2011

MODESTO, California ― Wayne Hague always wondered whatever happened to the pilot whose crippled plane he refueled and escorted to safety over North Vietnam in 1967.Ron Catton always wondered about that pilot who kept him from having to bail out of his F-4C Phantom fighter and right into a suite at the Hanoi Hilton. More than 43 years have passed since they were linked by their meeting in the skies

People March 20, 2011

Neil French, a big name in advertising, has been appointed as chief judge of the Busan International Advertising Festival, or AD STARS.The British ad celebrity is former Creative Director at WPP Group and the recipient of more than 500 awards in numerous advertising festivals. French is credited with bringing the creative revolution to Asia when he was associated with The Ball Partnership in Singa

People March 17, 2011