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

Culture Dec. 14, 2011

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

Culture Dec. 14, 2011

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

Culture Dec. 13, 2011

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

Culture Dec. 13, 2011

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

Culture Dec. 12, 2011

Grammy award-winner and UNESCO Artist for Peace Jo Sumi will perform for some 500 VIP guests at the Reach Out To Asia gala dinner in Qatar on Monday. The Korean soprano was to be accompanied by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, designers Pierre Cardin and Donna Karan, singers Cher and Bryan Adams in the 4th ROTA event, which also features a charity auction to help children and teenagers.  Jo was to perform with UAE singer Hussein Al Jassmi.ROTA is a Qatari-based non-profit organization that em

Culture Dec. 11, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) ― Comic book industry pioneer Jerry Robinson, who helped create Batman sidekick Robin the Boy Wonder and their arch-nemesis The Joker, has died at age 89.An editor and friend, Charles Kochman, said Robinson was different from most artists in the field because he worked on every kind of comic genre, from political cartoons to theater illustrations.“Jerry brought a realism to comics ― and a sense of humor,’’ said Kochman, his editor at Abrams Comic Arts, which last year published a b

Culture Dec. 11, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) ― Shooting a love scene with Charlize Theron would be a dream come true for many actors, but for Patton Oswalt, who co-stars with the Oscar-winning actress in the new movie “Young Adult,’’ the experience was “a nightmare.’’“Why do I have to be in my underwear next to the most physically perfect person on the planet? Why couldn’t I have been next to John Goodman or Michael Moore in their underwear?’’ said Oswalt at the film’s premiere Thursday night. “It was a dream that turned into

Film Dec. 11, 2011

21 teams from 16 countries compete in ChangwonCHANGWON, South Gyeongsang ― A petite singer from the Philippines and a duo from Kazakhstan won the grand prizes at the 2011 K-pop World Festival Wednesday, where 10 teams from all over the world performed songs by their favorite Korean idols. Karla Carreon from the Philippines and JAM from Kazakhstan bested teams that had flown to the southeastern city of Changwon from Peru, Vietnam, Japan, China, Indonesia, Britain, Russia, the United States and mo

Performance Dec. 8, 2011

‘Readers want a bit of extravagance — art, even’Judging a book by its cover is not a behavior worthy of a wise person ― or so the old saying goes. But for the growing number of trendsetters out there, the way a book looks is just as important as whether it’s interesting or not. “I recently remodeled my living room, filling two entire walls with bookshelves,” Kim Jin-hyun, 33, said. “I filled the shelves, mostly with art and design related books with colorful bindings and covers. I’m pretty sati

Culture Dec. 7, 2011