Most Popular
-
1
Korean labor force to shrink by 10 million by 2044: report
-
2
Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
-
3
[AtoZ Korean Mind] Does your job define who you are? Should it?
-
4
Allegations surrounding BTS resurface, enraged fans demand apology
-
5
Students with history of violence will be barred from becoming teachers
-
6
Medical feud leaves hospitals in financial crisis
-
7
Samsung mocks Apple over iPhone alarm glitch
-
8
Chip up cycle won’t stay long: SK chief
-
9
'Queen of Tears' riding high on Netflix chart
-
10
Govt. asks hospitals to mitigate impact of medical professors' absence
-
Mali clashes threaten Timbuktu architectural ...wonders: U.N.
PARIS (AFP) ― The “outstanding architectural wonders” in the fabled city of Timbuktu could be damaged in the fighting that has engulfed northern Mali as rebels push forward, the U.N. cultural agency warned Tuesday. “Timbuktu’s outstanding earthen architectural wonders that are the great mosques of Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia, must be safeguarded,” said UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova in a statement.She called on the Malian authorities and on the warring factions to respect the dese
April 4, 2012
-
Multi-tasking comes easier to bilingual kids: study
Children who grow up learning two languages are better at multi-tasking but slower at building vocabulary than their monolingual peers, two Canadian psychologists have found.Raluca Barac and Ellen Bialystok tested a total of 104 six-year-old public school children, then compared the results of monolingual anglophones with their Chinese-English, French-English and Spanish-English counterparts.In a test of their ability to pay attention, plan, organize and strategize, the children were all asked t
April 4, 2012
-
Ministry launches panel to get advice on hallyu
Experts call for government support for cultural exchanges to prevent anti-Korea movementThe Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Tuesday launched an advisory committee of 19 leading figures in the country’s cultural scene to discuss ways for Korea to keep hallyu going and also to introduce the lesser-promoted cultural sectors to the world.The advisory committee will hold monthly meetings to share ideas on developing high-quality and consistent cultural products, revising the legal framewo
April 3, 2012
-
Sex change might not bar wannabe beauty queen
The Miss Universe Organization announced Monday that it might reverse an earlier decision and allow a transgender woman to enter the Miss Universe Canada pageant.Jenna Talackova, 23, was born male, leading organizers to disqualify her last month as a finalist in the 61st Miss Universe Canada pageant in May.The rules of the contest run by Donald Trump’s New York City-based organization say entrants
April 3, 2012
-
Seok named secretary general of regional history institute
Seok Tong-youn, former international advisory ambassador of Gyeonggi Province, has been appointed the new secretary general of the Northeast Asian History Foundation, the state-run history research institute announced last week.Considered one of the leading experts on Korea-China relations, Seok served as the spokesperson of Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade from 2002 to 2003, deputy chief of mission at the Korean Embassy in China from 2003 to 2006, and consulate general in Hong Kong
April 2, 2012
-
Turkey asks museums to return antiquities
LOS ANGELES (AP) ―The government of Turkey has asked the J. Paul Getty Museum and several other American museums to return artifacts that it believes were looted.The Turkish government has contacted the Getty, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Cleveland Museum of Art and Harvard University’s Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection to present evidence that objects in their collections may have been illegally excavated from the country’s archaeological sites, the Los Ange
April 2, 2012
-
Culture Ministry revamps Korean language-learning website
The Culture Ministry has launched an updated version of its online Korean language learning center to promote globalization of the language, officials said on Monday. The website (www.sejonghakdang.org) operated by the state-run The King Sejong Institute is now available in eight different languages, from the previous six languages, including Russian and Indonesian. The institute named after King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), who invented Hangeul, the Korean writing system, has been
April 2, 2012
-
Grammy Museum show reflects L.A. music’s darker side
LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Think of the music that defines Los Angeles and often three words float to the surface: The Beach Boys. Which is why The Grammy Museum’s new exhibition, “Trouble in Paradise: Music and Los Angeles 1945-1975,” has carefully chosen not to overemphasize the group that helped cement L.A.’s reputation as the Land of the Endless Summer, filled with sandy beaches, tricked-out automobiles and beautiful women. Think such songs as Surfin’ USA,” “Little Deuce Coupe” and “California Girls
April 1, 2012
-
Menu from Titanic’s last lunch sells at U.K. auction
LONDON (AP) ― A British auctioneer says that a first class menu from the Titanic’s last lunch has sold for 76,000 pounds (about $120,000.)The menu, kept by prominent San Francisco banker Washington Dodge, bears the date April 14, the day in 1912 that the reputedly unsinkable ship hit an iceberg and fell to the bottom of the Atlantic.Devizes, England-based auctioneer Henry Aldrige & Son says the menu is one of the “rarest items of Titanic memorabilia to be sold in recent years,” adding it made it
April 1, 2012
-
Titanic’s legacy: A fascination with disasters
Epic disasters ― the anguished cries, the stories of heroism ― are the central narratives of our age, both enthralling and horrifying. And our obsession began a century ago, unfolding in just 160 terrifying minutes, on a supposedly unsinkable ship, as more than 1,500 souls slipped into the icy waters of the North Atlantic. And the band played on.It was the Titanic. And ever since, we’ve been hooked on disasters, in general ― but the tale of the great luxury liner, in particular. And the approach
April 1, 2012
-
Dogs on the job drive down workplace stress: U.S. study
Employers looking to ramp up productivity in these dog-eat-dog times might consider letting their staff bring Fido to the office, a scientific study published Friday suggests. (Bloomberg image)Dogs at work can not only bring down stress levels among their owners, but they can also help make work more satisfying for other employees as well, according to the study in the latest issue of the Internat
April 1, 2012
-
2 boys, woman, allegedly sacrificed
Two 10-year-old boys and a woman whose bodies were found in northern Mexico were sacrificed to Santa Muerte, the saint of death, investigators say.Figurine of Santa Muerte. (MCT image)The Sonora State Investigative Police announced Friday that eight people have been charged with the killings, CNN reported. Most of the suspects are members of a single family and one is only 15.The bodies were disco
April 1, 2012
-
CICI holds essay contest to seek better communication
The Corea Image Communication Institute is holding an essay contest on April 28 as part of effort to facilitate better communication among different generations, genders and social classes, the private non-profit group said on Thursday. The institute is currently receiving essays and applications from Korean undergraduate and graduates students for the contest. Foreigners younger than age 35 can also enter the contest. The essays must be written in Korean.“We wish to get creative ideas from part
March 29, 2012
-
Korean traditional culture, K-pop presented to leaders’ spouses
First Lady Kim Yoon-ok offered the spouses of global leaders currently in Seoul for the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit a chance to appreciate both Korean traditional culture and K-pop at an official luncheon held in Cheong Wa Dae, on Tuesday.Kim, a strong advocate of the globalization of hansik, or Korean cuisine, hosted a luncheon at Sangchunjae, meaning “a house used during spring.” Sangchujae, built in 1983 to serve VIP guests, is the only traditional-style building at the Blue House complex.
March 27, 2012
-
Culture Minister vows to diversify international cultural exchanges
Korea will shift the focus of cultural exchange from developed countries to Third World countries, said Choe Kwang-shik, minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Tuesday. Choe announced plans to enhance international cooperation and exchanges in culture, sports and tourism and promote cultural welfare at a media briefing at the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit media center at COEX, Samseong-dong, Tuesday. The basic plans for Korean cultural policy include finding creativity in tradition, promotion
March 27, 2012
-
Japan classic paintings, pop idols hit U.S.
WASHINGTON (AFP) ― Japan is presenting to the United States highlights of its culture both old and new, with a rare exhibition of elaborate centuries-old nature scrolls and performances by a top-selling pop band.Japan is seeking to make the most of the 100th anniversary of Washington’s cherry blossom trees, which were initially a gift from Tokyo and have turned into one of the U.S. capital’s most popular tourist draws.As thousands strolled central Washington to enjoy the fleeting beauty of the c
March 27, 2012
-
Why sad movies make us happy
“Tragedies bring to mind close relationships, which makes us happy.”Surprisingly enough, sad movies make people happier in the short term, according to a study. But the reason is not because viewers feel better comparing themselves with unhappy characters, says Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, lead author of the study. Rather, it is because negative feelings cause them to feel more appreciative after a sad flick.In the study conducted by a research team of Ohio State University, 361 college students
March 27, 2012
-
Media center showcases traditional and pop culture
Among the side programs running during the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit, promotional booths organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Presidential Council for Nation Branding are noteworthy. The Culture Ministry’s Korea Culture & Tourism booth is set up at the Media Center at COEX in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, from March 25-28, and offers summit participants and the general public a glimpse into Korea’s traditional and contemporary culture. The nation’s representative
March 25, 2012
-
Traditional culture is root of hallyu: Chief of branding council
Universal values are deeply embedded in South Korea’s history and traditional culture, said Lee Bae-yong, Chairperson of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding.Asserting that Korea must strive to become a country that contributes to the international community and one that is trusted and loved by the citizens of the world, Lee pointed out on Sunday five key strategic tasks for Korea to acquire global recognition as a reliable and dignified country. The media briefing was held as part of the
March 25, 2012
-
Japan university to study Peru’s Nazca Lines
TOKYO (AFP) ― A Japanese university will open a research centre near Peru’s Nazca Lines to study the ancient geoglyphs which are designated a UNESCO world heritage site, Kyodo news agency said Wednesday.The new facility set up by Yamagata University will operate for 15 years to study the large designs etched into the ground in Peru’s southern plains, with Japanese and local researchers expected to take part in the project.The research lab is scheduled to open in September, Kyodo said.“It’s not k
March 22, 2012