A 38-year-old woman with severe back pain died after having an allergic reaction to bee venom at a traditional Korean medicine clinic in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, police said Wednesday. According to the Bucheon Ojeong Police Station, she went into anaphylactic shock during an acupuncture procedure on May 15. (AP)An emergency medical team rushed her to a university hospital in Seoul, but the victim passed away in early June amid recovery. The National Forensic Service’s autopsy report confirmed

Social Affairs Aug. 8, 2018

An unidentified man died from being hit by a city subway train at Dohwa Station in Incheon, Tuesday evening. The man reportedly died on the spot before emergency workers arrived. The body was handed over to police.  (Yonhap)Police are investigating with thorough analysis of security camera footage of the platform where the train entered.Police said they have received witness reports that the man was walking on the tracks prior to the accident.By Park Jin-won (jpark13@heraldcorp.com)

Social Affairs Aug. 8, 2018

A dog hotel operator was booked without physical detention for allegedly violating animal protection laws, police said. Authorities received a report from a dog owner who claimed her pet died in the care of the business owner on July 30 in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province.  Image is not related to the article (Yonhap)Dispatched police officers reportedly found 10 dead dogs in the hotel among the 23 dogs temporarily staying at the facility. Examiners attempted to determine causes of death throug

Social Affairs Aug. 7, 2018

Girl group Mamamoo’s Moonbyul is actively promoting K-pop to Vietnamese audiences as a video jockey on a music chart show in the Southeast Asian country.  (RBW Entertainment)Moonbyul already meets with Vietnamese fans every Thursday through Vietnam’s only chart program, “V Heartbeat,” which airs via Naver’s V app. Now Moonbyul is joining “V Heartbeat” as a VJ to introduce K-pop news and music. Mamamoo’s songs have ranked highly on Vietnam’s iTunes chart, and the Vietnamese audiences have been qu

Performance Aug. 7, 2018

As Korea experiences one of the hottest summers in its history, different cities have held squid festivals to fight the scorching heat. At the festivals, visitors can jump into the water and catch fresh squid with their bare hands. Many people flocked to beaches in Gangwon Province and Ulleungdo to cool off and enjoy the rare experience. At the blow of the whistle, children and adults dive into the water to catch as many squids as they can. Those in luck also catch massive amberjack fish. Photos

Travel Aug. 7, 2018

Fire fighters rescued four kittens trapped inside a street drain in Janghowon, Incheon, Monday. A resident passing by the Janghowon sports center heard the kittens crying from inside the drain and reported it to the town’s fire station.  (Yonhap)Fire fighters entered the drain and went 1.5 meters inside to rescue the kittens, who still had their umbilical cords attached. Rescuers said that the furry creatures appeared only recently born. (Yonhap)“We could not find their mother cat nearby. We res

Social Affairs Aug. 7, 2018

Singer Ailee shed tears while recalling her experience of dieting during the episode of “Hidden Singer” that aired Sunday. “Hidden Singer” is a TV program in which a pop star and impersonators compete in a singing battle while the audience tries to guess the real singer by listening to their voices only. (JTBC)During Sunday’s episode, an impersonator said she had lost 15 kg to become a singer after she saw Ailee had lost weight. In turn, Ailee opened up about her own experience.Ailee said she wa

Performance Aug. 6, 2018

TV drama “My ID is Gangnam Beauty” garnered much praise for its cryptic portrayal of the main character’s childhood after its first episode aired on July 27.The drama revolves around a character named Kang Mi-rae, who undergoes plastic surgery following hateful comments about her appearance dating back to her childhood. Starring actress Lim Soo-hyang, the series follows Kang’s university life as a transformed “beauty.”  (JTBC)In the first two episodes, the bulk of the story was about Kang’s scho

Television Aug. 3, 2018

For many people, Korea is probably not on their list of must-go surfing destinations. However, with the rising popularity of the sport, more people are discovering that they can actually catch some good waves here.  Surfers at Mallipo Beach (Yonhap)Based on recommendations from members of the Korea Pro Surfing Association, pro and amateur surfers, and online surfing communities, The Korea Herald has selected five spots that surfers of all levels can enjoy.1. Busan  Songjeong Beach, Busan (Busan

Travel Aug. 2, 2018

Girl group Twice topped the charts again on the local music show “Inkigayo,” even without making an appearance. This is the group’s sixth win on a music show. Twice took first place Sunday for its new song “Dance the Night Away.” Twice wins No. 1 on a music show (Screen capture from SBS’ ‘Inkigayo’)Since the release of the song on July 9, the group has earned a total of six wins on the main local music shows, including “Inkigayo,” “M Countdown,” “Music Bank,” and “Show! Music Core.”Promotional a

Performance July 29, 2018

YouTube and Facebook grabbed a combined 73.1 percent share of South Korea’s video advertising market in the first half of this year, according to a report by Mezzomedia, a digital marketing firm.Data showed Friday that YouTube garnered 116.9 billion won ($103.2 million) and Facebook 93 billion won from online video advertising between January and June this year. The 73.1 percent share controlled by the two firms marks a 6 percent increase from last year’s 67.5 percent.(Yonhap)Naver, the country’

Industry July 20, 2018

Actress and director Ku Hye-sun addressed recent rumors that she was either pregnant or had undergone plastic surgery. She was invited Saturday to speak with viewers about her new short film “Mystery Pink,” as part of the 22nd Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. 　 Ku Hye-sun at GV event (Naver‘s V live)During an interview, she mentioned the rumors about her weight gain, saying she found it amusing how the matter had garnered attention. She also talked about accepting changes in her bo

Film July 15, 2018

Citizens, a nurse and rest station employees worked together to save the life of a 53-year-old man surnamed Park, who suddenly collapsed at the Hongcheon rest area on the Seoul-Chuncheon expressway. On Sunday, Park was sitting on a bench at the Hongcheon rest station when he felt sudden chest pains and collapsed. When his wife desperately called for help, citizens dialed 119, and CPR was performed.  Citizens form a team to save Park (Yonhap)A nurse at Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital was at the s

Social Affairs July 2, 2018