Most Popular
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[Exclusive] Korean military set to ban iPhones over 'security' concerns
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Korean, Romanian leaders discuss defense tech, nuclear energy
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[Graphic News] 77% of young Koreans still financially dependent
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S. Korea calls on Japan to confront history amid Yasukuni Shrine visit
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Yoon’s jailed mother-in-law excluded from latest parole list
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Hybe and Min Hee-jin, CEO of Hybe sublabel Ador, lock horns
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[Pressure points] Leggings in public: Fashion statement or social faux pas?
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Yoo Jae-suk, Yoo Yeon-seok team up in 'Whenever Possible'
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Korea’s homegrown nanosatellite successfully launches into space
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Aging population to drive down Korea's housing prices from 2040: experts
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Chang promises ‘an intimate song without words’
Cellist says she finds happiness growing in conductingWhile the world-renowned musician says she regrets “not having done enough things” as she draws closer to the age of 30, Chang Han-na has had many unequivocal achievements in her decades-long musical career. While holding at least 40 concerts around the world each year, the cellist has managed to expand her musical scope through five years of conducting. Chang, 29, promised an “intimate interaction” with the audience during her upcoming recit
Nov. 28, 2011
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'Taekkyon,' 'tightrope walking' added to UNESCO intangible heritage list
Korea's martial art taekkyon and tightrope walking received world intangible heritage status from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Monday, the world body said.In a meeting in Bali, Indonesia, the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding
Nov. 28, 2011
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After centuries, Bethlehem church to get new roof
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) -- Preparations for a long-needed renovation of the 1,500-year-old Church of the Nativity are moving ahead in Bethlehem, the town of Jesus’ birth, in the face of political and religious conflicts that have kept one of Christendom’s holiest sites in a state of decay for centuries.The first and most urgent part of the renovation, initiated by the Palestinian government in the West Bank, is meant to replace the building’s roof. Ancient wooden beams pose a danger to visitor
Nov. 27, 2011
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Tintin auction in Paris fetches 1.8 mn euros
PARIS (AFP) -- A Paris auction of items related to Herge’s comic book reporter Tintin, whose adventures have been adapted for the big screen by Steven Spielberg, fetched more than 1.8 million euros Saturday.Auctioneers Arcturial said the sale, including costs, had brought in 1,873,396 euros ($2,480,095) -- far more than the one million euros expected.The 856 lots up for grabs were equally divided between recent objects and older material, including some very rare items, said Arcturial. In all, 8
Nov. 27, 2011
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UNESCO adds two items to ‘intangible heritage’ list
DENPASAR, (AFP) -- Chinese shadow puppetry and Belgian set ritual repertoire, both passed down through the generations were added Saturday to UNESCO’s list of “intangible cultural heritage” of humanity.Envoys on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali added the two new entries to UNESCO‘s intangible cultural heritage of humanity list for 2011.Chinese shadow puppetry is a form of theatre acted by colorful silhouette figures made from leather or paper, accompanied by music and singing and manipulated by
Nov. 27, 2011
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New York Times writer who covered JFK assassination dies
MONTPELIER, Vermont (AP) ― On Nov. 22, 1963, Tom Wicker was in the first press bus following John F. Kennedy’s motorcade when the president was assassinated. Wicker, the New York Times’ White House correspondent, would later write in a memoir that the day was a turning point for the country: “The shots ringing out in Dealey Plaza marked the beginning of the end of innocence.”At that moment, however, all he knew was that he was covering one of the biggest stories in history. “I would write two pa
Nov. 27, 2011
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Arizona museum displays bolo ties, symbol of West
FLAGSTAFF, Arizona (AP) ― The sometimes plain, sometimes heavily decorated bolo neckties are a symbol of the West, worn with everything from blue jeans to tuxedos.Texas links the bolo to the romanticism of the pioneer era and suggests that anyone who wears one refuses to be bound by convention. New Mexico says they reflect the state’s tri-cultural heritage ― a mix of Hispanic, American Indian and Anglo influences.In Arizona, where the bolo tie was declared the official state neckwear in 1971, an
Nov. 27, 2011
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Lyrics shine in Sheeran’s debutEd Sheeran“+”(Atlantic Records)The album that sold more than 58,000 copies in the first week of its release in Britain, becoming the highest-selling and highest-charting debut single of 2011 is finally on sale in Korea. British singer Ed Sheeran is indebted to artists such as Jamie T and Damien Rice, as evidenced by a debut that hops between bullish mockney rap and quavering sentimentality. Surprisingly, there’s also a Justin Bieber-like quality to Sheeran’s appeal
Nov. 25, 2011
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Twitter study reveals explosion in Arabic 'tweeting'
The popularity of Twitter has soared in the Arab world over the past year, a study published Thursday revealed, reflecting the key role of the social networking site in the "Arab Spring" revolutions.Online Twitter messages, or tweets, in Arabic rocketed from 99,000 a day in October 2010 to over two
Nov. 25, 2011
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‘Uigwe’ historian dies in Paris
Historian Park Byeng-sen, who contributed enormously to the return of Korea’s looted ancient royal texts, Uigwe, died of colorectal cancer in Paris, France, on Tuesday. She was 83.The historian, who studied history at Seoul National University, moved to Paris at age 27. She had heard that the royal books of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), looted by French troops during its 19th century invasion of Korea, were housed at the National Library of France.She started working at the national French ins
Nov. 23, 2011
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KTO produces 2012 tourism calendar
A 2012 calendar featuring photos of Korea’s landscape, people and culture will be sent to tourism-related agencies and diplomatic missions for overseas distribution to attract more tourists, the Korea Tourism Organization said.Starting in December, the KTO will send 185,000 calendars printed in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese. The calendar, titled “The Story of Korea,” carries work by four Korean photographers who traveled around the country to capture the depth of Korean traditional cultu
Nov. 23, 2011
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Debate rages over who should be responsible for cultural diplomacy
As controversy grows over which government ministry should manage the promotion of Korean culture overseas, scholars have come together to seek a solution to the issue. During a policy debate session this week, experts agreed that the job should not fall on just one ministry or government agency, but a network of organizations with different functions. “The role should not fall on one ministry, but the whole government,” professor Lee Joon-hyung of Hanyang University said during the “Internation
Nov. 23, 2011
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Six Korean traditions vie for UNESCO listing
Tightrope walking and martial art Taekkyon are likely to join UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage, Seoul officials said this week, as the U.N. cultural agency begins deliberating on 84 traditions.Delegates of UNESCO are meeting in Bali Nov. 22-29, where they will discuss which local traditions should be protected and nurtured for future generations under the list of practices with world cultural importance.Korea is promoting six of its traditions, which also include the Joseon Dynasty
Nov. 22, 2011
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UNESCO envoys meet to update ‘intangible heritage’ list
PARIS (AFP) ― Mongolian calligraphy, Armenian fertility rites or French horsemanship? Envoys meet this week to decide which of 84 traditions should join UNESCO’s list of protected “intangible heritage.”The UN cultural agency suspended much of its work this month after the United States suspended funding in a row over Palestinian membership, but delegates will still meet in Bali between Nov. 22 and 29.There, they will ponder which local traditions merit inclusion on the organization’s list of pra
Nov. 21, 2011
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Revival of ancient Asian university hits trouble
NEW DELHI (AFP) ― Plans to revive Nalanda university in India, one of the world’s oldest seats of learning, as a totem of Asia’s renaissance are facing trouble as supporters admit to little progress in fund-raising.The Indian parliament passed a bill in August 2010 approving plans to rebuild the university, which was founded in the fifth century, close to its ancient ruins in the impoverished eastern state of Bihar.Backers hope the proposed new campus will one day attract thousands of the finest
Nov. 21, 2011
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Violinist Chung starts 3rd stage of life’ with Seoul concert
Having lost three of her most precious people, including her mother and eldest sister, during the past five years, violinist Chung Kyung-wha feels she has now stepped into “the third stage” of life. As the first task in this new stage, the world-class musician will hold a solo recital in Korea playing her “beloved” Bach and Brahms. “This feels like a dream,” the 63-year-old said during a press conference in Seoul, Monday. “I’d been given a chance to look back and reorganize my life,” Chung said,
Nov. 21, 2011
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Blogging profitable despite recent controversy
Regardless of ethical issues, blogging is not just about time-killing or communication these days. For some, blogs are an easy road to money. Earlier this month, seven “power bloggers” were fined by the Fair Trade Commission for promoting sales of certain products without informing consumers they were receiving commission from companies. The term power blogger was first used by Naver, a major portal site here, which chose and listed 786 of the most popular and interesting blogs. Moon Sung-sil, a
Nov. 21, 2011
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Swiss museum clinic tries to cure information junkies
BERN, Switzerland (AFP) ― The Libyan war, the Greek debt crisis and the Dominique Strauss-Kahn scandal have all been rich fodder this year for news junkies ― but is today’s information overload healthy?A Swiss clinic has set out to help those who feel overwhelmed by such excess with an unusual exhibition that runs until July 15, 2012 at the Museum for Communication in Bern.On arrival the visitor walks into a darkened room with 12,000 books lined up on shelves, in an illustration of the sheer amo
Nov. 20, 2011
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A touch of sentimental Christmas Kim Dong-Ryul“kimdongrYULE”(Loen Entertainment) He’s finally back. After four years of silence -- which felt like forever for his faithful fans -- singer-songwriter Kim Dong-ryul has returned with a Christmas album that feels happy, sad, lonely and fulfilling all at the same time. Skillfully matching his English name with “Yule,” Kim has created his album with songs he wrote as far back as 13 years ago. Title track “Replay,” written in 2000, shows off what fans w
Nov. 18, 2011
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Samples of Einstein's brain come to US museum
PHILADELPHIA (AP) _ A medical museum in Philadelphia has some pieces of Albert Einstein's brain on display.Lucy Rorke-Adams donated 46 slides of Einstein's gray matter Thursday to the Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.The 82-year-old doctor neuropatho
Nov. 18, 2011