The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Wednesday said that it has appointed pianist and professor Chang Hyoung-joon as the new president of the Seoul Arts Center. Starting Friday, Chang will lead the country’s top art complex for the next three years. Born in 1962, Chang received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. He has been teaching piano at Seoul National University since 1995. He has collaborated with world-reno

Pediatric psychiatrist says Korean parents make child-rearing into too much hard work

With his eye-catching gestures, comical facial expressions and mischievous voices, illusionist Lee Eun-gyeol turned even a small studio into a grand stage for his stage performances. “Which version of Lee Eun-gyeol do you want to see today? I don’t think the performer from MBC is available today,” Lee playfully told The Korea Herald during a recent interview. The zany persona that made him so well-loved on MBC’s “My Little Television” might have been absen

Korean activist reveals personal info of parents refusing to pay child support, likens it to ‘#MeToo movement for children’

Former South Korean Navy special warfare officer Rhee Keun, who has reportedly been injured while leading a recent mission in Ukraine, may return home. According to a post by the International Legion of Defense of Ukraine on Thursday, Rhee, also known as Ken Rhee, was treated at a military hospital in Ukraine and will return to South Korea for rehabilitation. “He will soon resume his service and once again defend the Ukrainian people as soon as possible. We wish Ken a speedy recovery an

Choi Eung-chon, an art history professor at Dongguk University, has been appointed the new head of the Cultural Heritage Administration. Choi previously served as chair of the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation from 2019. He succeeds Kim Hyun-mo, who had served in the role since December 2020. Known as an expert in Buddhist art, Choi graduated from Dongguk University and holds a doctoral degree from Kyushu University in Japan. Choi started his career as a curator at the National

Former South Korean Navy special warfare officer Rhee Keun, who left South Korea to fight as a volunteer soldier in the war in Ukraine, said in a YouTube post that he was injured in a recent mission. According to ROKSEAL (Rhee Reun’s YouTube channel) on Sunday, Rhee, also known as Ken Rhee, was injured while leading a special reconnaissance mission. “LT Ken Rhee recently incurred injuries while leading a special reconnaissance mission behind enemy lines. He has been transferred to

103-year-old philosophy professor shares life stories, secrets to healthy living

Famed poet Kim Ji-ha, who died on Sunday at the age of 81, left behind a legacy of decades-long battles against the military dictatorship, followed by disputes later in life. Kim died at 4 p.m. at his home in Wonju, Gangwon Province, after suffering from an unspecified illness for the past year, the Toji Cultural Foundation said on behalf of the bereaved family. He passed away “peacefully, after holding each of their hands and smiling,” it added. The foundation, which supports K

Renowned poet Kim Ji-ha, a dissident figure who spoke out against the military dictatorship of the 1960s and ‘70s, died Sunday at the age of 81. Kim had been suffering from an unspecified illness for the past year before he passed away at his home in Wonju, Gangwon Province, according to the Toji Cultural Foundation. The foundation, which supports Korean writers and scholars, was named after the novel “Toji” written by the late Park Kyong-ni, who was also Kim’s mother-i

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Bestselling author Lee Oi-soo died of COVID-19-associated pneumonia on Monday, according to his family. He was 75. Lee died at around 8 p.m. at a hospital in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, of complications from COVID-19 after he contracted the viral illness in March. He had been in poor health since a collapse from a cerebral hemorrhage in March 2020. He was treated for stomach cancer in 2014. Born in 1946 in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province, he studied education in college for eight years

The 2022 Pro-am Go Competitions, co-hosted by DataStreams and The Korea Herald, were held at the Korea Baduk Association headquarters in Seoul on Friday, aiming to enhance the status and recognition of Korea’s baduk. 　 Baduk, also called Go, is a traditional strategy board game in which players take turns putting black and white stones on the board while aiming to surround more territory than their opponent. “DataStreams is grateful to have sponsored such a meaningful competition,

Keith Motsi, the head bartender at Charles H., a speakeasy-style bar at Four Seasons Seoul, won the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2022 on Tuesday. The award given to personalities who have made significant impact on Asia’s bar sector over the voting period is the only peer-judged award for Asia’s 50 Best Bars. “I am extremely honored and humbled to be recognized by my peers for whom I have the utmost respect,“ Keith Motsi said through a press release. “

Buoyed by the popularity of Korean cultural products, a Korean language learning frenzy is spreading around the world. Unlike in the past, when most Korean learners studied for practical reasons like for academic research or jobs, more people now seem to do so out of interest in the country itself. As of 2020, some 1,669 elementary, junior high and high schools in 39 countries have opened and operated Korean classes, with about 160,000 students enrolled, according to Education Ministry data. I