Japanese cartoonist Akiko Higashimura, who is known to be a fan of Korean culture, has apologized to her Korean audience for using the Rising Sun flag in the past.The sudden apology came after Korean fans unearthed images of the flag used at the cartoonist’s fan meeting event in 2007.In a statement released alongside the second episode of “Fake Affair,” a webtoon which is being serialized on Korea’s Naver portal, Higashimura said she was not aware of the seriousness of the flag’s implications 11

Social Affairs July 5, 2018

With the monsoon season in full swing, South Koreans are venting their frustration over hot and humid summer weather.One Twitter user sounded very upset that there was no air conditioning while she was on the subway on Thursday morning. “I always ride in the same carriage. They had put the AC on until yesterday since last week but why? It was pouring down on Monday. Why? I don’t understand, really.”She is not alone in voicing her displeasure. The number of complaints about hot temperatures in th

Social Affairs July 5, 2018

미술치료로 비행청소년의 재범을 방지하고 사회로 진출할 기회를 주는 상상과 미래 프로젝트 7기가 막을 내렸다. 숙명여대와 서울서부지방검찰청이 주관하는 이 프로그램은 2015년 처음 시작한 이후 매년 청소년들에게 미술이라는 매개체를 이용해 자아를 탐색하고 본인들의 꿈을 찾도록 도와주고 있다.지난주 이틀에 걸쳐 “Re:Play 展”이라는 이름 아래 숙명여대 캠퍼스에서 열린 전시회에는 프로그램 참가자들과 진행에 도움을 준 회화과 교수들과 관계자 및 학생들이 참여했다.본인 이름으로 심리상담센터를 중이며 회화과에 겸임교수로 활동하는 길은영 교수는 “회화과 친구들과 교육대학원의 중학교 미술 선생님들, 그리고 미술치료학과 등 교육, 치료, 예술계열 학생들이 자원봉사를 하며 예술을 매개로 아이들을 돌보는 이 프로그램이 7기가 됐다. 특히나 이번 (7기) 아이들이 잘했다”고 말했다.김 교수는 또 “보통 청소년들은 자기표현에서 말을 잘 하지 않으려고 한다. 하지만, 미술을 통해서는 자기표현을 한다. 그

한국어판 July 5, 2018

A three-year-old child has died from heatstroke after being left in a hot car for nearly four hours while a grandparent was at work, police said. The grandparent, who may face charges of manslaughter, was meant to drive the child to a daycare center in Uiryeong, South Gyeongsang Province, on Wednesday, but instead headed straight to work after forgetting about the grandchild in the backseat. (Yonhap)After parking the car in an outdoor parking lot, the grandparent went into the office. The grandp

Social Affairs July 5, 2018

Amid the cacophony of political voices and questionable claims, critics of Yemeni asylum seekers on Jeju Island are dominating the online refugee debate. Proponents and opponents of refugees took to the streets of Seoul on Saturday to voice their support for and in opposition of the government’s asylum program, which has emerged as one of the touchiest subjects following an influx of over 500 Yemeni asylum seekers onto Jeju Island this year. While Saturday saw passionate protestors from both sid

Social Affairs July 4, 2018

Over half of children of major South Korean business group owners went to a university abroad, a new report has revealed.The report released by the business rating site CEO Score on Wednesday showed that nearly 53 percent of children from owner families of the top 100 conglomerates, who are also involved in management, have graduated from a university outside Korea.The site found most chaebol heirs receive higher education abroad after analyzing 114 out of 157 children whose academic records wer

Industry July 4, 2018

Environmental activists staged a protest against the use of excessive plastic packaging in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap)In celebration of International Plastic Bag Free Day on Sunday, members of environmental groups including the Korea Zero Waste Movement Network staged a protest outside a supermarket near Seoul Station. (Yonhap)Monday’s protest follows another on Sunday, which saw protestors shop around wearing rolled up plastic bags, leaving onlookers startled with their bold fashion statement.  (

Social Affairs July 3, 2018

BTS fans are in for a treat as speculation continues to grow over the next collaboration between the K-pop sensation and other pop stars.Canadian pop singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes became the latest artist to hint at working with BTS when he told listeners of Kiss 92.5’s “Roz & Mocha Show” last month that a BTS collaboration “will happen.”“I have no lyrics on their collaboration yet. It’ll happen,” Mendes told Damnit Maurie from the show, while declining to give a specific date. (Big Hit Enterta

Performance July 3, 2018

A growing number of foreign cartoonists are debuting in South Korea’s webtoon industry, as the local market is expanding at a rapid pace. Japanese cartoonist Akiko Higashimura is one of the foreign cartoonist to join Naver Webtoon, one of the biggest online comic portals in Korea, with “Fake Affair” (literal translation). A screenshot of Akiko Higashimura‘s online comic series “Fake Affair“ (Naver Webtoon)Known for her romance comic series “Princess Jellyfish,” Higashimura’s new work entitled “F

Culture July 3, 2018

A Seoul court has ruled in favor of a police officer who was dismissed from his job over lewd videos he filmed off duty. The Seoul Administrative Court recently struck down the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s decision to fire an officer over filming and exchanging videos of himself performing sexual acts, sources close to law enforcement said on Monday.The officer, who was appointed as a probationary constable in 2016, was found to have sent a pornographic video he filmed at home to someone h

Social Affairs July 2, 2018

As South Korea officially kicks off its 52-hour workweek this week, many South Koreans are cautiously optimistic over the possibility of having better work-life balance. “I have just six hours to go before I leave work. I’m feeling great,” said a user of online portal Naver.Another user praised the implementation of the new labor policy, saying, “I welcome the news as someone who can’t stand traffic during rush hour. Hopefully different operating hours will ease traffic congestion.” (Herald DB)A

Social Affairs July 2, 2018

An art therapy program organized by Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul and the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office is helping wayward teens get back on track. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)Friday marked the seventh run of the project, Imagination and the Future, which is designed to give young people who have run afoul of the law a chance to open up and reconnect with their innate artistic abilities. A two-day exhibition showcasing works of the program’s participants also kicked off

Arts & Design June 29, 2018

Tiffany from Girls’ Generation on Wednesday expressed support for the LGBTQ community in an open letter. Writing for Billboard, the K-pop artist said she wanted to give “thanks” and express her “love” to the LGBTQ community for having given a great amount of “love, beauty, inspiration, and light in every corner of the world.”The singer, who recently released the single “Over My Skin” in the US under her new stage name, Tiffany Young, said she was inspired by some of the uplifting themes of the c

Performance June 29, 2018

A 78-year-old man in the city of Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province, has been arrested after taking home someone else’s child.According to local police, the elderly man, who suffers from dementia, was able to pick up the 2-year-old boy from a child care center in Gwangyang on Wednesday after telling a staff member he was there to see his grandchild.The man was arrested on charges of child abduction an hour after police watched CCTV footage to track him down to his daughter’s apartment.(Yonhap)The

Social Affairs June 29, 2018

Hundreds of shoppers flocked to the first branch of E-mart’s new discount store chain Pierrot Shopping on its opening day Thursday. Located at Coex in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, the two-story shop garnered anticipation on the internet before its opening. Curious shoppers flooded the store, forming long checkout lines, while onlookers at the shopping mall turned their heads.(Shot and edited by Park Ju-young / The Korea Herald)The new discount store chain by Shinsegae, which runs discount reta

Industry June 28, 2018