Hanwha Eagles’ first baseman Kim Tae-kyun is the highest-paid pro baseball player in Korea this year, according to statistics released by the Korea Baseball Organization last Thursday.Kim’s annual contract with the Eagles landed him a 1.6 billion won ($1.3 million) salary. Broken down by position, the highest-paid pitcher was Kia Tigers’ Yoon Suk-min with 1.25 billion won, while Samsung Lions’ Lee Seung-yeop took top spot among designated hitters with 1 billion won, the same as SK Wyverns’ third

Baseball Feb. 14, 2016

By Molly Born　Pittsburgh Post-GazetteAt first Bryan Stevenson was conflicted about whether writing a book on his life’s work was the best use of his time.Since 1989 the lawyer and activist has led the Equal Justice Initiative, the Alabama legal practice he founded, which represents death row prisoners, juvenile offenders sent to adult prisons and the wrongfully convicted.“I felt like if more people saw what I see on a regular basis, they would think differently about those issues, and that is ul

Books Feb. 11, 2016

By Sasha Frere-Jones　Los Angeles TimesM.I.A.‘s single, “Borders,” isn’t the official theme song for journalist Atossa Araxia Abrahamian‘s nonfiction debut, “The Cosmopolites” (Columbia Global Reports), but we can pretend it is. In the first verse, M.I.A. asks, “Borders -- what’s up with that?” “The Cosmopolites” is one answer.Both the book and the song are reactions to the movement of populations, the increasingly permeable divisions among states. This condition bridges classes and countries: It

Books Feb. 11, 2016

Christine Cho, a Korean-American expat in Seoul, has been eating and cooking her way around the world for 16 years as a private chef. -- Ed.The list is long as to what one should eat on Jejudo Island as a visitor, but it is a top culinary destination. Some of the most flavorful fruits and vegetables in the country grow on the island and it is prized for its Jeju black pigs and the abundance of seafood from the surrounding waters. Jeju black pig is a heritage breed indigenous to the island and pr

Food Jan. 22, 2016

Non-profit publishing house Olje released the 17th set in its “Olje Classics” series Thursday, focusing on the art of writing.The four-book series includes “Classic of Poetry,” the oldest collection of Chinese poetry in existence, “The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons,” a treatise on Chinese literary aesthetics, Aristotle’s “Poetics,” and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter.”According to Olje, these classic texts have been reinterpreted for the series. “Classic of Poetry” has been

Books Jan. 22, 2016

K-pop sensation Psy accepted an award from a nonprofit organization as a representative on behalf of the “creativity of hallyu,” Tuesday night. At the Corea Image Communication Institute’s annual awards ceremony, CICI Korea Image Awards 2016, in Seoul, Psy was joined by the cast of the popular cable TV talk show “Non-Summit” and violinist Clara Jumi Kang in accepting awards for spreading Korean culture overseas.Awards recipients pose for press photos with CICI president Choi Jung-wha (third from

Culture Jan. 13, 2016

　My Korea: Musings with a Camera and Pen　by Baek Seung-woo　(Canopus)Baek Seung-woo may have worked more than 30 years as finance director for Hyatt Hotels Corp., but his real passion is photography. His new book, “My Korea: Musings with a Camera and Pen,” an English photo essay book, features a variety of photographs introducing Korean sites foreign tourists would be interested in knowing more about.Baek’s photographs of the Deoksugung Palace, Sareung or the Royal Tomb of Queen Jeongsun and a jj

Books Dec. 17, 2015

The latest “Star Wars,” which will hit theaters Dec. 17 in Korea, will introduce an entirely new story with fresh characters colliding and bonding emotionally with old characters like Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, who appeared in the original trilogy. J.J. Abrams (right) poses for a photo with actors from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ahead of a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday. From left: Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, and John Boyega. (Yonhap)J.J. Abrams, the director of the new space saga,

Film Dec. 10, 2015

Heading to theaters this weekend but not sure what to watch?The Korea Herald offers a summary of the top box office hits now playing or movies that are coming soon.For the first weekend of August, check out "Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation" for Hollywood action blockbuster or “Assassination” for an edge-of-your-seat historical thriller. "Veteran," starring actors Hwang Jung-min and Yoo Ah-in, comes out on Aug. 5.Veteran (Korea)Opening Aug.5Action. Directed by Ryoo Seung-wanWhen hot-headed ve

Film July 31, 2015

9Muses targets club scene with new EP9Muses “9Muses S/S Edition” (KT Music)9Muses are a group known mostly for their stunning looks. Nicknamed the “model idol” group, the eight members boast an average height of 172 centimeters and are known for their sexy choreography in songs like “Dolls” and “Wild.”On their new EP “9Muses S/S Edition,” the group continues to do what they are best known for, choosing consistency over variety. Thumping club-style beats underline both the lead track “Hurt Locker

Performance July 10, 2015

Inside Out (U.S.) Opened July 9Animation. Directed by Pete Docter, Ronaldo Del CarmenThe latest movie from Pixar takes the audience into the head of 11-year-old Riley, where all emotions are controlled at a switchboard run by Joy (Amy Poehler), together with Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling). A mishap sets off a chain reaction threatening Riley’s emotional balance, and Joy tries her best to set things right.The Piper (Korea) Opened July 9H

Film July 10, 2015

Throughout his interview with The Korea Herald at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul, 53-year-old director Im Sang-soo had a wary smile on his face. His personal ambience was in many ways what one would expect after watching his most well-known movies such as “The Housemaid” or “The Taste of Money” -- caustic, satirical depictions of society‘s ultra-elite.  Filmmaker Im Sang-soo (Yonhap)So it was surprising that he was able to shed his brand of biting wit in his latest crime thriller comedy “Intimate En

Film July 6, 2015

Madonna (Korea) / Opened July 2 Drama. Directed by Shin Su-wonHae-rim (Seo Young-hee), a jaded nurse working in the VIP ward of a luxe hospital, is approached by Sang-woo, the son of a wealthy patient awaiting a heart transplant. He asks her to acquire a signature for a comatose young woman’s organ donation papers in exchange for a handsome sum. While tracking down the woman’s next of kin, Hae-rim discovers a world of hurt in the young woman’s past. Terminator Genisys (U.S.) Opened July 2Action.

Film July 3, 2015

You can’t tease everyone.Unfortunately, the hotly anticipated stripper sequel “Magic Mike XXL” tries to do just that, resulting in a Bud Light version of Steven Soderbergh’s original, surprise-hit home brew. By trying to appeal to young women, middle-aged moms, gay men and spring-break bros at the same time, the movie spreads itself too thin, filling time better spent on manly moves with too much talk and obvious demographic pandering.Still, it’s pointless to resist the five-pointed charisma bom

Film July 3, 2015

Joy Williams goes solo and bares soulJoy Williams “Venus” (Sensibility/Columbia)Nearly 20 minutes into “Venus,” an acoustic guitar emerges from the computer clamor that fills most of the album. The refreshing sound of an actual musical instrument nudges Joy Williams into the set’s best song, the soul-baring ballad “What a Good Woman Does.”“I can’t carry the weight of this war,” she sings.Williams’ acrimonious split with Civil Wars partner John Paul White is at the core of “Venus,” her first solo

Performance July 3, 2015