Korean-American diplomat to start work in Foreign Ministry

A Korean-American diplomat will start her one-year stint at the Foreign Ministry this month as part of a Seoul-Washington diplomat exchange program, officials said Thursday.The 37-year-old diplomat, Booyeon Lee Allen, will replace Dewey Moore, who was dispatched to the Seoul ministry a year ago as the first U.S. diplomat working in the local Foreign Ministry under the joint program. “It has yet to be determined which department she will be placed in,” a ministry official said. Allen previously s

PeopleAug. 8, 2013

Former U.S. 8th Army chief improperly accepted gifts in South Korea: report

Joseph F. Fil Jr., the former commander of the U.S. Eighth Army in South Korea, was found to have improperly accepted gifts while commanding U.S. troops here, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing a confidential investigative report by the Pentagon’s Office of Inspector General. According to a redacted version of the undated report, obtained by the Washington Post under the Freedom of Information Act, he improperly accepted a $1,500 gift of Montblanc Meisterstuck Classique roller-bal

PeopleAug. 8, 2013

‘Just Juice Cleanse’ chefs talk healthy, tasty liquid detox

Christine Cho, a Korea-American raw cook chef from New York City, and Kim Yong-hui, an internationally trained pastry chef, have joined forces with Herald Ecofarm, a sister company of The Korea Herald, to create “Just Juice Cleanse.” “Just Juice Cleanse” is Korea’s very first brand of detox juices created to promote a healthier lifestyle by naturally ridding the body of unwanted chemicals and waste. “Detox programs get rid of toxins in your body very quickly,” said Kim. “Compared to just eating

PeopleAug. 8, 2013

Crayon Pop's comic code captivates fans

A motorcycle helmet, a polo shirt buttoned up to the neck and loose jogging pants under a skirt: These are the costumes that members of girl group Crayon Pop decided to wear while hitting the stage with their latest single “Bar Bar Bar.”When South Korea’s music industry is flocked by girl groups competing with each other to show who can be sexier or sweeter, Crayon Pop’s tactics to distinguish itself from others with a comic concept seems to be working well. Hwang Hyun-chang, the chief executive

PerformanceAug. 8, 2013

Cellist-conductor Chang continues sharing music through orchestra

Now dedicating the majority of her time to conducting, cellist and conductor Chang Han-na is one of the brightest conducting talents of her generation as she takes up the roles of music director of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and principal guest conductor of the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. Both appointments immediately followed her debut appearances with the orchestras. QPO is one of only two professional orchestras in the Gulf region and TSO is a Norwegian professional orchestra that per

PerformanceAug. 7, 2013

Wind band festival to gather Korean, foreign ensembles

The 4th Korea International Wind Band Festival kicks off Aug. 25 with a grand opening ceremony at Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul. Under the slogan “Dynamic Korea,” the festival will feature bands and ensembles from Korea as well as abroad, with a select number of special invitees including world-renowned conductor Philippe Langlet and president of World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles Bert Alders. The opening ceremony for the festival will feature performances by Jeju Provincial Seogwi

PerformanceAug. 7, 2013

Ku Hye-sun to hold art exhibition in Shanghai

Popular actress, filmmaker, singer and artist Ku Hye-sun is to hold a solo art exhibition in Shanghai, according to her local agency YG Entertainment.The upcoming exhibition, scheduled to be held at the Korean Cultural Service Shanghai from Aug. 17 to 31, will feature some 20 artworks by Ku. The 28-year-old’s works are said to explore the themes of nostalgia and memories.On the opening day of the exhibition, Aug. 17, Ku will attend a special event where she will meet underprivileged children in

Aug. 7, 2013

Media Rating Board OKs screening of Kim Ki-duk’s controversial ‘Moebius’

The Korea Media Rating Board has lifted its ban on the screening of filmmaker Kim Ki-duk’s “Moebius” in Korea, after the director re-submitted the film twice and cut two minutes and 30 seconds from the original version. “Moebius” received an R rating, which prohibits teenagers under 18 from seeing the movie.The film initially received a “restricted screening” rating from the state-run rating agency in June, for its controversial subject matter ― especially for scenes that depict incestuous encou

FilmAug. 7, 2013

Super Junior to release travel book

K-pop group Super Junior members are becoming tour guides with their new travel book, “Super Junior’s Experience Korea NEWS+Seoul.” The two-volume guide, which will include four separate sections titled “Tasting,” “Feeling,” “Making” and “Enjoying,” is set to hit the shelves Aug. 16.For the making of the book, 10 of the group’s members traveled in pairs around Korea during different seasons. Siwon and Donghae traveled to the northern part of the country, Kyuhyun and Yesung to the east, Shindong

Aug. 7, 2013

Mnet’s ‘M Countdown’ to hit L.A. this month

Mnet, a cable music channel owned by CJ E&M, will be bringing its popular weekly music program “M Countdown” to Los Angeles later this month. Titled “M Countdown What’s Up LA,” the program will be part of the Korean culture festival “KCON 2013” that will run for two days starting on Aug. 24. The lineup for the event includes K-pop artists G-dragon, 2AM, Dynamic Duo, f(x), EXO, You Seung-woo and more. Marking Mnet’s first entry into the U.S., the event aims to show just how influential K-pop is b

Aug. 7, 2013

Modern luxury meets Soviet retro chic as GUM turns 120

MOSCOW (AFP) ― In Soviet days, people queued here to buy Romanian boots or East German bras, but Moscow‘s vast GUM shopping arcade, which turns 120 this year, is now a luxury emporium that plays on Soviet nostalgia.The official 120th birthday celebrations will take place in several months at the Gosudarstvenny Universalny Magazin (GUM), or State Universal Store, whose three cream-walled arcades topped with a 16,000-square meter glass roof opened opposite the Kremlin in the Tsarist era on Dec. 2,

Arts & DesignAug. 7, 2013

Kim Yu-na No. 6 on Forbes rich list of female athletes

Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yu-na has earned the sixth most among female athletes in the world in the past year.The Internet edition of Forbes business magazine on Tuesday ranked Kim as sixth on the list of the world’s best-paid female athletes between June 2012 and June this year.Forbes estimated Kim’s yearly earnings at $14 million. Russia’s Maria Sharapova topped the list, earning a total of $29 million. Tennis took the top four positions. World No. 1 Serena Williams of the United Sta

PeopleAug. 7, 2013

Joe Yun set for post as U.S. envoy to Malaysia

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― Joseph Yun, a Korean-American diplomat, plans to begin his work as the new top U.S. envoy in Malaysia in late August or early September, a diplomatic source said Tuesday.Yun, principal deputy assistant secretary of state handling Southeast Asian affairs, underwent a Senate confirmation hearing last week for his nomination as ambassador to Malaysia.“He was confirmed by the Senate last week. He is expected to start his work in late August or early September,” the source

PeopleAug. 7, 2013

Scholar discloses diary by manager of WWII Japanese military brothels

New evidence showing that the Japanese military methodically mobilized so-called comfort women, or sex slaves during World War II, has been revealed. It also shows that frontline Japanese units had brothels as part of their organization and that they took comfort women as well as set up brothels whenever they moved. Ahn Byong-jick, a Seoul National University honorary professor, on Tuesday disclosed a diary kept by a Korean who had managed comfort stations, or de facto brothels, for Japanese sol

PeopleAug. 7, 2013