Former ambassador to Russia Lee In-ho has been elected the new chairwoman of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, the body said on Jan. 31.Born in 1936 in Seoul, Lee began her college studies at Seoul National University, but completed her undergraduate degree in history at Wellesley College in 1960, earned a master’s degree from Radcliffe College and a Ph.D. in history from Harvard. She taught

People Feb. 1, 2011

Lee Jung-mi, a senior judge at the Daejeon High Court, has been nominated to serve in the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court said Monday.She will succeed outgoing Constitutional Court Justice Lee Kong-hyun, who will retire from his six-year term on March 31. The nomination was made by Supreme Court Chief Justice Lee Yong-hoon. Lee Jung-miIf she passes the confirmation hearing, the incoming ju

People Feb. 1, 2011

A cappella group Suade perform Korean pop songs with an Aussie twistWhen a group of five burly Australian males take the stage at a music show, the last thing you anticipate is a classic Korean pop song performed in perfect harmony. But that is exactly the type of unexpected performance Australian a cappella group Suade hope will get them noticed on the Korean music scene.Suade completed their thi

People Jan. 30, 2011

HSINCHU, Taiwan (AFP) ― China’s most famous philanthropist began distributing cash in Taiwan on Thursday, the first day of a controversial trip that has sparked criticism and protests from anti-China groups.Chen Guangbiao, who made his fortune recycling construction materials, handed T$7 million ($241,000) to charity groups in Hsinchu county in the island’s north, amid accusations he was promoting

People Jan. 30, 2011

Hallyu star Ryu Si-won, 39, is now the father of a baby girl.The birth comes three months after his marriage to Jo Soo-in, 33, on Oct. 26.Jo gave birth to a healthy baby girl around 5:40 p.m. on Jan. 27, his management agency said. Ryu Si-wonWeeks before their wedding, he surprised his fans by saying that he would be a father next year.Ryu debuted in 1994 as a KBS actor and has gained popularity f

People Jan. 30, 2011

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. ― A Cal Poly professor’s mission to turn a 45-million-year-old yeast into an ingredient for beer has proven successful ― and now he hopes to grow his operation locally.Raul Cano, a Cal Poly biology professor, discovered the yeast in amber that came from Myanmar, which was previously known as Burma, while conducting research in the 1990s.Cano gained international recognition

People Jan. 30, 2011

First-generation jazz percussionist talks about the music genre in KoreaHolding a small bongo, Ryu Bok-sung commands the stage instantly. His performance outshines the brass instruments in front of him, and sweeps the audience off their feet.Ryu is Korea’s a first-generation jazz percussionist who has devoted 54 years to the discipline. Now 72, he continues a to lead a life of jazz. The Bible says

People Jan. 27, 2011

SINGAPORE (AFP) ― Chinese kung-fu superstar Jet Li publicly confirmed Tuesday that he had become a Singaporean citizen, saying he wanted his children to receive a bilingual education in the city-state.Li ― whose film accolades include Hollywood blockbusters “The Expendables” and “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” ― said his decision was also influenced by the absence of paparazzi in the stric

People Jan. 27, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) ― Daniel Bell, a leading sociologist of the past half-century who wrote groundbreaking books about the demise of revolutionary politics and about the economy and lifestyle of what he helped label a “post-industrial” society, has died. He was 91.Bell died Tuesday at his Cambridge, Massachusetts, home after a short illness, said his son, David Bell.Daniel Bell was a teen radical who in

People Jan. 27, 2011

The Booyoung Group, a Korean housing developer, has donated 10,000 digital pianos and 30,000 blackboards to schools in Indonesia. The donation ceremony took place at the Indonesian education ministry in Jakarta. Lee Joong-keun, the founder and chairman of the group, National Education Minister of Indonesia Muhammad Nuh, South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Kim Ho-young and about 400 teachers and s

People Jan. 23, 2011

Denmark, the first country to work on an aggressive plan to rid itself of dependence on fossil fuels, is looking towards Korea as one of the countries to bring its dream to fruition.“We like to say that Denmark is a first mover; Korea looks like a fast mover and sometimes if you put a first and fast mover there some interesting things that come out of that synergy,” said the chairperson of the Dan

People Jan. 23, 2011

First storm of hijacked ship shows shift to hardline responseThe government in Seoul has taken military action against the Somali pirates, which have targeted an increasing number of South Korean ships for ransom.Not only South Korean vessels are seized by pirates in the Arabian Sea. Many foreign freighter ships have been captured there for ransom.Somali pirates seized a Korean-flagged freighter a

Politics Jan. 21, 2011

The Korea-Israel Friendship Association held new year greetings and a membership party at the Diplomacy Center on the 12th floor of Forever Leader’s in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, on Jan. 18.Israeli Amb. Tuvia Israeli said the two countries have being steadily developing their cultural exchanges and that many Koreans have visited Israel as part of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.  (From left) Ofer Fohrer,

People Jan. 20, 2011

Popular cartoonist and author Rhie talks about writing overviews of world historyAccording to ancient Greek sage Thales, the hardest thing is to know yourself and the easiest to advise others. Perhaps it is a certain cartoonist of the 21st century who best follows the drift of what the ancient sage tried to impart. Rhie Won-bok, a famous cartoonist and author, has a world view resembling that of T

People Jan. 19, 2011

The Shilla Seoul hotel has something new at its arcade. But it isn’t western-style haute-couture or designer labels that catch the eye. What grabs your attention are the four big Chinese characters in vermeil red ― Jeon Tong Han Bok ― meaning traditional hanbok boutique.The shop is run by Kim Young-seok. His bold signature transformation of conventional hanbok is what lures in the visitors.Unlike

People Jan. 16, 2011