In July 2011, Seoul was hit by the heaviest rain in a century. Subway stations were closed, tree trunks were ripped from their roots and roads became rivers. The worst came in the early morning of July 27, when a huge landslide swept through one of Seoul’s most affluent areas.The wall of mud and water from Mount Umyeonsan in southern Seoul took the lives of 16 people. Hundreds of residents had to rush outside, puzzled. “‘I’ll be right back’ was the last words I heard from him,” Kim Il-young, 56,

National July 18, 2013

You need not be a millionaire to help others in need. A number of gifted experts and celebrities are proving this through their skills-donation activities. Designer Lie Sang-bong has given not only his clothes but also his time and expertise to the less privileged and social causes for the past four years.The fashion guru sketched on a folding fan to raise awareness of saving energy, made costumes for a low-budget film, and designed a uniform for the national table-tennis players.“I hope sharing

Social Affairs July 12, 2013

On a recent sizzling afternoon, several shops in Myeong-dong, downtown Seoul, kept their doors open, beckoning passers-by with cool air. The government has banned the practice with a threat of penalties, but it apparently fails to pay off. Many merchants would rather pay fines than lose sales.“Our sales drop over 50 percent when the doors are shut,” said Kim Ji-eun, a saleswoman at a boutique in the shopping district. “We’d choose to pay millions of won than see less profit.”Customers do not see

Social Affairs July 7, 2013

President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday appointed Nam Min-woo, a leading venture entrepreneur, as the chief of the presidential committee on youth affairs.Nam, 51, CEO of a local IT firm Dasan Network, will head the committee in charge of providing advices for venture start-ups, job creation and other youth-related policies, senior presidential press secretary Lee Jung-hyun said.The president has also named 18 young leaders as members of the committee. The list includes Kakao Talk CEO Lee Jae-beom, m

Social Affairs June 18, 2013

Overseas Korean leaders opened their annual meeting in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss ways to better nurture young talent and support the government’s “creative economy” initiative. About 380 Koreans from 73 countries are participating in the four-day World Korean Community Leaders Convention organized by the Overseas Koreans Foundation to promote networking among compatriots at home and abroad. President Park Geun-hye attended the opening, calling for their support for her policy to forge new grow

Social Affairs June 18, 2013

A growing number of Hollywood stars make trips to South Korea to promote their films or boost the image of global brands. In 2013 alone, a dozen well-known celebrities flew to the country, and here‘s a list of the top figures. 1. Fanning sisters (Jan. 5)Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning were the first Hollywood celebrities to visit Seoul this year. The sisters reportedly came to Seoul to promote local jewelry brand J. Estina, which is also promoted by figure skater Kim Yu-na. Other than their prom

Film June 13, 2013

Lee Hyo-ri has finally marked her return to the music scene after a three-year hiatus. The K-pop diva’s fifth album “Monochrome” not only highlights Lee’s quest to become a singer-songwriter but also her new retro sound with the help of foreign composers.Including the lead single “Bad Girls,” 12 out of 16 tracks were by songwriters from abroad. Critics are seeing her album more fitting for Lee than any of her previous releases, escaping her hip-hop sounds one tracks like “Chitty Chitty Bang Ban

Performance June 13, 2013

Korean film distributor CJ E&M has announced the release date for director Bong Joon-ho’s upcoming thriller, “Snowpiercer.”Bong’s English-language debut, starring Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton and Chris Evans, will hit local theaters on Aug. 1 and open later in North America, France, Japan and Russia, CJ E&M officials said in a statement on Wednesday.The sci-fi film is based on the French graphic novel “Le Transperceneige” by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette. Set mostly on a train in a post-apoc

Film June 12, 2013

There was a time when critics were not so generous in apprasing idol stars who took to acting on the big or small screen. While that prejudice is still alive, many of them have successfully overcome criticism to grow into full-fledged actors.1. Park Yu-chunNot many people had high expectations for Park Yu-chun in 2010 when the singer said he would start acting. Park made his first appearance on the small screen with “Sungkyunkwan Scandal” and excelled at portraying Lee Sun-joon in the fusion his

June 12, 2013