Most Popular
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[AtoZ into Korean mind] Humor in Korea: Navigating the line between what's funny and not
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[Exclusive] Korean military set to ban iPhones over 'security' concerns
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Yoon seeks rebound, taps 5-term lawmaker as chief of staff
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Korean, Romanian leaders discuss defense tech, nuclear energy
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Medical standoff deepens as doctors reject new med school plan, talks
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[Graphic News] 77% of young Koreans still financially dependent
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[Herald Interview] Why Toss invited hackers to penetrate its system
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S. Korea calls on Japan to confront history amid Yasukuni Shrine visit
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S. Korean envoys convene to navigate strategy amid Middle East tensions
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North Korea fires several short-range ballistic missiles into sea: JCS
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[Herald Interview] Now is time to talk about Korean literature
Publishers choose the books to put out on bookstore shelves, hoping that some will buy and perhaps read them. Yet, many of them go unnoticed among the countless books that are released every day.This is much more the case with translated materials. The odds are very low that an American would read Korean literature. Ira Silverberg looks for information in a book during an interview with The Korea Herald on Wednesday at Coex in Seoul. (Shim Woo-hyun/The Korea Herald)”It‘s hard for American writer
June 21, 2018
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Poetry of Kim Jong-gil’s Life, ‘A Black Kite’
Kim Jong-gil passed away in 2017 at the age of 92. He was professor emeritus at the Korea University English literature department, and in the 1990s we met and discussed translation of poetry from Korean into English.He encouraged me to translate not only the message, but also rhythm. It was not an easy task. “A Black Kite” (LTI Korea Library)He gently persuaded me to try harder. He was my senior. I still remember all his words vividly. He translated the traditional Korean sijo poems into Engli
June 21, 2018
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Forgetting is bliss, but not always
”White Chrysanthemum“By Mary Lynn BrachtChatto & Windus Books (320 pages, $18.11)One of the victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery passed away Monday at 97. Choi Duk-nye‘s death brings the number of known surviving victims to 28. So far this year, four victims of Japan‘s wartime sexual slavery, including Choi, have passed away. The generation of wartime victims will soon all be gone, as will the people who carry the memories of suffering under Japanese occupation. After one generation and ano
April 25, 2018
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Han Kang's novel shortlisted for Man Booker Int'l Prize
South Korean novelist Han Kang, the 2016 winner of the Man Booker International Prize, has been shortlisted for the British literary award of world authority, the organizer said Thursday (British local time).Han's "The White Book" is among the six finalists for the 2018 Man Booker prize. The 2015 winner, Laszlo Krasznahorkai from Hungary, also made the list."The White Book" was translated by Deborah Smith, who was a joint recipient, along with Han, of the Man Booker award two years ago for her t
April 13, 2018
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A case against ‘creative’ translation of ‘The Vegetarian’
Literary translator and professor Kim Wook-dong asserted in his recently published article that the English version of the novel “The Vegetarian” has a significant number of mistranslations.In his article published online on March 30, Kim wrote that “The Vegetarian,” a winning novel of the 2016 Man Booker International Prize, contains many more mistranslations than what “one would expect from a professional translator.”Professor Kim Wook-dong (Photo courtesy of Kim Wook-dong-Yonhap)Kim is a prof
April 2, 2018
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Book details Joseon’s ‘warts and all’ approach to portraits
Lee Sung-nack, a board member at the Kansong Art and Culture Foundation, has released a new book that attempts to explain how portraits created in the Joseon era depicted their models in a realistic way. Lee, 80, worked as a dermatologist and professor before he got a Ph.D. in art history at Myongji University in 2014. Cover of "Joseon Dynasty Portraits: Expression of Scholar Spirits" (Yonhap)In his book “Joseon Dynasty Portraits: Expression of Scholar Spirits,” published on March 16 by Nulwa, L
March 20, 2018
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Professor BG Muhn’s publication sheds lights on North Korean art
‘When people ask whether I am liberal or conservative, I tell them that I am an artist,’ said Muhn Baum-gong, also known as BG Muhn, an artist and professor at Georgetown University, during a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday to promote his latest publication “Pyongyang Art: The Uncovering the Complex Layers of Chosonhwa.” Dispelling any possible suspicions concerning his ideological orientation and possible ties to North Korea, Muhn emphasized that North Korean art deserves due attention f
March 14, 2018
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Han Kang's latest novel nominated for Man Booker Int'l Prize
South Korean novelist Han Kang, who won the Man Booker International Prize in 2016, has again been longlisted for the British literary award of world authority.Han's "The White Book" was among the 13 contenders picked from 108 entries for the 2018 prize, according to the announcement on the organizer's website Monday (British local time).It was translated by Deborah Smith, who was a joint recipient, along with Han, of the Man Booker award two years ago for her translation of "The Vegetarian."Fir
March 13, 2018
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[Newsmaker] Poet Choi Young-mi reaffirms sexual harassment allegations denied by Ko Un
Poet Choi Young-mi, who revealed her experience of being groped by an unnamed senior poet through her poem, on Monday reaffirmed sexual harassment allegations made against renowned poet Ko Un, who recently denied the allegations.In a statement uploaded on Facebook on Sunday, Choi said, “The statements related to the poem ‘Monster’ are facts. I will reveal the details further, when there is an official body dedicated to investigating claims of sexual wrongdoings in the arts circle here.” Poet Ko
March 5, 2018
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Professor advises on ways to become global-minded citizens
Choi Jung-wha, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, has released “Global Etiquette,” a book that offers suggestions on etiquette to observe in various circumstances. Through the book, Choi, the founder and president of the Corea Image Communications Institute, provides basic guidelines of proper etiquette while also offering English language expressions that readers can easily use outside of the country. (Yes24)People in Korea appear to have a different concept of ”the other,“ Ch
Feb. 1, 2018
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Borrowing Weberian perspective to dissect North Korea, knotty world
Max Weber (1864-1920), a German scholar who founded sociology, wrote of his contemporary leader Otto von Bismarck: “He consumed a nation without political education. The German people, deprived of will to politics, have become prone to thinking they should merely abet politics of their ‘great leader.’ They are meek lackeys of a government machinated by him, regardless of the deeds it carries out.”Such a statement by the mastermind of modern social science struck a chord for Yang Sung-chul, a Sou
Jan. 11, 2018
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[Photo News] Poet Ko Un’s library reproduced, revealed to public
Korean poet Ko Un was contemplative at the launching ceremony of the Maninbo Library, Tuesday, where his old study was recreated and officially opened to the public. The Maninbo Library is situated at Seoul Archival Services, on the third floor of the Seoul Metropolitan Library. Ko Un (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald) Ko Un at the Maninbo Library (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald) The Maninbo Library (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald) Inside the Maninbo Library (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald) The Ma
Nov. 21, 2017
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[Herald Interview] Peering into Korean society with sociological imagination
“Korean Society: An Introduction” by Andrew Eun-gi Kim; Korea University Press (732 pages, $30) For observers of Korean society, including all its idiosyncrasies and mystique, a new book attempts to help interpret the country by offering a sweeping elucidation on crosscutting issues.“Korean Society: An Introduction” is an academic compilation scrutinizing wide-ranging topics, covering ethnological culture, gender politics, family patterns, educational fever, nationalist religion, ageing society,
Oct. 26, 2017
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Congress of Korean-language writers kicks off in Gyeongju
An event celebrating Korean-language literature by writers from around the world kicked off Tuesday in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.The 3rd International Congress of Writers Writing in Korean will run until Friday at the city’s Hwabaek International Convention Center.Some 63 writers from 17 countries are participating in this year’s event organized under the theme, “Korean literature, dreaming of peace in the global world,” to discuss Korean-language literature’s significance and globaliz
Sept. 12, 2017
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Rushdie crafts masterpiece in ‘The Golden House’
“The Golden House” by Salman Rushdie; Random House (400 pages, $29)If you read a lot of fiction, you know that every once in a while you stumble upon a book that transports you, telling a story full of wonder and leaving you marveling at how it ever came out of the author’s head.“The Golden House” is one of those books. The title refers to the lower Manhattan residence of the Golden family. It’s the home of Nero and his three sons, Apu, Petya and D. The narrator is a neighbor named Rene, an aspi
Sept. 7, 2017
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Scholars: Refuse to bow down to China censorship pressure
BEIJING - Scholars are petitioning Cambridge University Press to restore more than 300 politically sensitive articles removed from its website in China after a request from authorities, underscoring concerns about freedom of speech and the Chinese government‘s increasing leverage over academic organizations. Cambridge University Press said Friday that it had complied with a request to block certain articles from "The China Quarterly" within China. They touch on politically sensitive subjects in
Aug. 21, 2017
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Chae Man-shik, compromised conscience of occupied nation
Chae Man-shik was a prolific Korean novelist, playwright, literary critic, journalist and essayist who boldly confronted society’s pretensions and predicaments under the restrictions of Japan’s colonial occupation using satire.Born in 1902 in Okgu, present-day Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, Chae lived true to his calling as a public intellectual, practicing his “publish-or-perish” ethos until succumbing to tuberculosis in 1950. In a span of about 25 years he produced some 290 novels, tales, play
July 20, 2017
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Mistranslation of ‘The Vegetarian’?
A slew of controversies surrounding the English translation of Han Kang’s award-winning "The Vegetarian" have started numerous conversations about accuracy and readability. Even if there were some mistranslations, they should not offend the masses, a literary critic said."The Vegetarian," winner of the 2016 Man Booker International Prize with translation by British translator Deborah Smith."The Vegetarian" tells the story of a woman who decides to become a vegetarian after waking up from a blood
July 3, 2017
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Underdog status pays off for Korean novelist
A chronic inability to talk to attractive women can eventually reap rewards. That was the takeaway message from author Cheon Myeong-kwan as he addressed the Seoul Literary Society at the Swedish Ambassador’s residence in Seongbuk last week.Thirty years ago, the now critically acclaimed novelist lived a markedly less glamorous life. The only gig he could find was selling golf clubs, and he had to mooch off friends just to get by. Chronically miserable, his only source of joy was riding the bus an
June 23, 2017
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Korean authors to attend overseas literature events
Popular Korean authors will get to meet readers and translators in overseas literature events, the Literature Translation Institute of Korea said Tuesday. The photos provided by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea shows Kang Young-sook (left) and Jeong Ho-seung. (Yonhap)Novelists Hwang Sok-yong will attend the Turin International Book Fair in Italy from May 18-22. His book, including "Mr. Han's Chronicle" and "Princess Bari," have been translated into Italian.At the book fair, Hwang wi
May 16, 2017