Boy band 2PM and girl groups 2NE1 and Girls’ Generation received major awards at the MTV Japan music video awards on Saturday, beating other internationally famous artists. 2PM won the Best Group Video with “I am Your Man” and 2NE1 received the Best New Artist Video with “I am the Best.” Girls’ Generation won Best Album with “Girls Generation,” their first regular album in Japan, released in June last year. The album has sold 206,979 copies, making it the 11th best-selling album in the first hal

June 24, 2012

Campsites with full amenities offer the best of urban and rural experienceFor Park Mi-jeong, a 29-year-old Seoul resident, camping is the easiest way to escape hectic city life and enjoy nature. “Camping is a good rest for tomorrow,” said Park. “It also brings your family together through outdoor activities. And it brings you closer to nature.” Camping has gained popularity in recent years thanks to the five-day work week that began in 2004 and the five-day school week earlier this year. Accordi

Travel June 22, 2012

Norway is a country that has a lot to offer to those looking for exceptional natural beauty, according to Norway’s vice tourism minister. “We see that many aspects of nature in Norway such as fjords, waters and coasts are the things that have attracted tourists because they are really special,” said Norway State Secretary of Ministry of Trade and Industry Halvard Ingebrigtsen, who also serves as the tourism vice minister, in an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday. “Even for us Norwegians

Travel June 22, 2012

Chinese singer Li Yuchun was named a goodwill ambassador for the Korea Tourism Organization on Wednesday. According to the KTO, Li will visit famous tourist spots in Korea through Saturday this week as her first mission to promote Korean tourism to the Chinese people. The trip will be filmed and broadcast by Hunan Provinces’ Entertainment Channel. It will also be broadcast live on Weibo, a Chinese equivalent to Twitter, and the KTO’s website introducing Korea’s famous tourist attractions at www.

People June 20, 2012

Three 2012 Young Architect Awards were handed out to architects on Wednesday.The winners of the annual prize given by the Culture Ministry are Kwon Hyung-pyo and Kim Soon-ju from Bau Architects, Lee Dong-joon of Stocker Lee Architetti and Lee So-jin of Atelier Lion Seoul. The award, started in 2008, recognizes the achievements of up-and-coming architects for excellence in design, capacity to balance architecture and nature and to sustain local ecosystems and cultures. Kwon and Kim of Seoul-based

Arts & Design June 20, 2012

Following is the seventh in a series of articles in which leading architects discuss their representative work. ― Ed.There is no neighborhood architecture for those of us who are familiar with the exit numbers of subway stations and brand names of apartment complexes. No matter how small or insignificant, neighborhood architecture should have public value as entities. We should meet ordinary but well-designed architecture and spaces, which are created to have their unique and distinct features

Arts & Design June 20, 2012

The Korea Tourism Organization has set a goal of attracting more than 20 million foreign tourists by 2020 as part of its proclamation marking the state tourism organization’s 50th anniversary this week.The KTO is aiming for Korea to be the most competitive country in tourism in the Asia-Pacific region, and for the number of days locals use for domestic travel to rise from eight to 30, also by 2020. The number of foreign tourists has surged from 15,000 when the tourism organization was founded in

Travel June 19, 2012

 Hotel chain eyes expansion within country, starting with BusanKorea has emerged as a major international tourist destination and Hyatt, a major international hotel chain, expects more openings in the country including a Park Hyatt in Busan to meet the growing tourism demand, said the North Asia area vice president of Hyatt Hotel Corporation Peter Walshaw. “We are expecting new hotels in high growth markets and Korea is one of those. We do see very strong growth here and expect more inbound gues

Travel June 18, 2012

Ulala Session, the winner of the country’s hit TV talent show “Superstar K3,” decided to establish its own company to pursue its music, according to CJ E&M.According to the cable channel which produced the show and the group’s first mini album, the quartet will launch its own Ulala Company, despite love calls from major entertainment agencies.The quartet, which consists of leader Yim Yoon-taek, Kim Myung-hoon, Park Seung-il and Park Kwang-sun, rose to fame after winning on the reality talent sho

June 15, 2012

Perfectly timed shots by  Henri Cartier-Bresson and  Marc Riboud captivate viewers Every photographer dreams of capturing a perfect moment that becomes the iconic image of the time. Separate photo exhibitions of work by two acclaimed Magnum photographers of the 20th century ― Henri Cartier-Bresson and Marc Riboud ― present a series of perfect moments that leave a lasting impact. Looking at photos by Cartier-Bresson makes viewers wonder how long the photographer must have waited and how carefully

Culture June 14, 2012

Try conservative necklines, tone-on-tone looks and play with patternsWith the recent government drive to save energy, civil servants and office workers have been encouraged to adopt casual wear ― shirts without a tie, shorts and even sandals. But while the relaxed and more casual look may keep office workers from turning on the air conditioner, it doesn’t help them look professional. Now, fashion brands have met the challenge, presenting men’s summer office wear in light, cool fabrics that will

Arts & Design June 13, 2012

The southern resort island of Jeju has been selected as the most sought after summer holiday destination in Korea by Chinese tourists, the Korea Tourism Organization said Tuesday. The poll, conducted on Weibo, a Chinese equivalent to Twitter, from May 10 to 24, involved 1,148 people who are members of the KTO micro-blogging website. The poll found 374 people preferred Jeju Island as a holiday spot, followed by Seoul and Busan. Other places mentioned by the respondents include Yeosu, Mokpo, Gwang

Travel June 12, 2012

Top Korean singers and groups will hold concerts at the Yeosu Expo this weekend, the organizing committee said on Tuesday. Rain, currently serving in the military, will be the first to go on stage on Saturday, followed by rock-ballad singer Kim Jang-hoon on Sunday and YB Band on Monday.  The concerts will be held at 8:30 p.m. on a special stage built for concerts during the expo period. The special outdoor stage arena is capable of hosting an audience of 20,000. For Rain, it will be his first bi

Performance June 12, 2012