[Herald Interview] Thriving as a freelancer in era of social media

Do you find it difficult to feel a sense of achievement and self-fulfillment at work? Are you considering a career switch to freelance work? If so, you might get some useful information from Seo Eu-ra, who has transformed herself from an office worker into a freelance translator, author and YouTuber. Seo, also known as Seo Merry on social media and YouTube, is gaining in recognition for her tips and guidance to Korean workers interested in exploring new opportunities beyond their current jobs.&n

July 26, 2019

Song-Song couple divorces without division of property: Song Hye-kyo’s agency

Actors Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo have finalized their divorce, as the court approved the divorce settlement Monday.The settlement comes one month after Song Joong-ki filed for divorce from Song Hye-kyo at the Seoul Family Court. According to Song Hye-kyo’s agency UAA, there will be no division of property or settlement money.The two tied the knot in October 2017 after meeting as the co-stars of hit TV drama series “Descendants of the Sun” in 2016.By Im Eun-byel (silverstar

July 22, 2019

Song Hye-kyo, Song Joong-ki’s divorce final: court

Song Hye-kyo and Song Joong-ki’s divorce was finalized at a Seoul court Monday.The two settled their divorce at a closed-door hearing held at 10 a.m. Monday at Seoul Family Court. The hearing lasted for about 20 minutes, a court official said. Their divorce was granted 26 days after the petition was filed June 26. Both cited irreconcilable differences as the reason. Korean law allows a marriage to be dissolved without a trial on the condition of mutual consent.The divorce settlement did no

July 22, 2019

Linkin Park’s Joe Hahn shares epiphany through photo exhibition in Korea

Joe Hahn of US rock band Linkin Park is holding a photo exhibition titled “Carry On” in Korea, in which he will be showcasing memorable moments.“Carry On” is a collection of photos that Hahn took during the band’s most recent world tour “One More Light” in 2017. Around 70 photos capture the moments that band members connect with fans on stage.  Prior to the official exhibition, the Korean-American musician held a pop-up event on Thursday at culture

July 19, 2019

Peace park to be built in memory of late victim of Japan's sex slavery

A peace park named after the late Kim Bok-dong, an iconic Korean victim of Japanese wartime sexual slavery, will be built in her hometown, officials said Thursday.The municipal council of Yangsan, a South Gyeongsang Province town about 420 kilometers southeast of Seoul, said it and 21 civic groups have jointly formed a preparatory committee to construct a public park in memory of Kim, who died in January aged 93. The park, tentatively named "Kim Bok-dong Peace Park," will serve as a pl

July 18, 2019

FINA President Maglione receives honorary degree from Honam University

FINA President Julio C. Maglione received an honorary doctorate degree from Honam University on Monday for his contributions to promoting world peace through the proliferation of sports.The Gwangju-based university cited Maglione’s efforts as a medical practitioner to achieve advancements in proliferation of health and welfare for humanity. An awarding ceremony was held on Monday morning at the school, attended by Maglione himself who had been visiting the city to attend the 2019 FINA Worl

July 15, 2019

Song Hye-kyo makes first appearance after divorce announcement

Actress Song Hye-kyo made her first official public appearance on Saturday, about a week after her husband, Song Joong-ki, announced that he had filed for divorce. On July 6 the actress attended an event in Sanya, on the Chinese island of Hainan, to promote South Korean cosmetic brand Sulwhasoo.Photos of her at the event immediately went viral as Harper’s Bazaar Hong Kong shared them on its Instagram page.The pending divorce between the two was announced June 27 through Song Joong-ki&rsquo

July 7, 2019

[Herald Interview] Living the Korean dream at the pool table

Sports stars often say they never expected to become such big players. This is easy to believe from Sruong Pheavy, the Cambodian-born Korean billiards star. She had absolutely no reason to believe she would become the women’s three-cushion champion in South Korea: She had never grabbed a cue before coming here.Pheavy, 29, came to Korea about 10 years ago to marry her husband, Kim Man-sik. Kim, twice her age, runs a small printing shop in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. Like so many c

July 5, 2019

[Herald Interview] Chef without restaurant but 1 million diners

Though she does not have a restaurant, there are still nearly 1 million diners who enjoy Gabriela Kook’s food around the globe. 　More widely known as Kook Gabie, or Gabie Kook, Kook, 30, is a content creator, who shares her life via YouTube. Her videos have diverse subjects from lifestyle to beauty, but she is most well-known for her recipe videos. “Everything led me to cooking and eating,” Kook said during an interview held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on Wednesday as a part of th

July 4, 2019

[Herald Interview] Drag queen singer opens up new future for traditional Korean music

Korean singer Lee Hee-moon sometimes goes onstage in gender-bending attire. Wearing a curly wig and high heels, Lee commands the stage, backed by a rock band.The music, however, is inspired by traditional Korean music. 　Though gugak -- Korean traditional music -- singers are usually associated with an old-fashioned image, Lee sets himself apart with his music, manner and appearance. The Korea Herald met with the 44-year-old singer for an interview at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on Wednesday. He was a

July 4, 2019

CCF 2019 discusses content creation culture of Korea and beyond

As a part of the 2019 Culture Communication Forum, a debate on the internet content market and Korea’s place in it was held Tuesday at Grand Hyatt Seoul. The delegates present were: bestselling author Ito Ogawa from Japan, US pop columnist Jeff Benjamin, film director Ilya Khrzhanovskiy from Russia, think tank director Bronwen Maddox from the UK, film director Shakun Batra from India, Korean folk singer Lee Hee-moon, photographer Andreas Muhe from Germany, film director Herve Demers f

July 2, 2019

Actor Lee Min-ho named as promotional envoy for Korean language education institutes

The government said Tuesday it plans to designate South Korean actor Lee Min-ho next week as a promotional ambassador to promote overseas institutes, established by South Korea, that offer foreigners Korean language courses and Korean culture activities.The culture ministry and the Seoul-based King Sejong Institute Foundation are scheduled to hold a ceremony in Seoul next Tuesday to mark the designation of Lee, an icon of "hallyu," or the Korean wave, as an envoy for the state-run King

July 2, 2019

Song Hye-kyo and her counterparts in TV dramas

Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo, the two top-profile couple, are taking legal procedures for a divorce after two years of marriage. As the two met on set, the other male actors Song Hye-ko have acted with are gaining attention. In 2000, Song Hye-kyo played a central character in a romantic television drama “Autumn in My Heart’ with Song Seung-heon and Won-bin. A year later, she starred in a TV drama series “Guardian Angel” along with Kim Jong-min.  In 2003, Song appea

June 27, 2019

‘Respect their choice’: Zhang Ziyi on Song-Song couple

Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi seems to be one of the first celebrities to have broken her silence on the pending divorce between Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo.On Thursday Zhang wrote on her official Weibo account, “Respect their choice, believe it to be the best choice, and hope to see them at their best in the future.” While she did not mention the high-profile couple by name, many believe the post alluded to Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo, who on Thursday announced their plans t

June 27, 2019

Song Joong-ki’s divorce announcement has people guessing who is responsible

Actor Song Joong-ki’s announcement Thursday morning that he has filed for divorce from Song Hye-kyo has raised speculations about whether one of them was responsible for breaking up the marriage. While some are claiming that Song Hye-kyo must be responsible for the divorce as it was Song Joong-ki who announced it, others have argued against such excessive speculation. Song Joong-ki filed for divorce through law firm Lee & Ko on Wednesday. According to the law firm, it was the acto

June 27, 2019

Song Hye-kyo to continue acting

Actress Song Hye-kyo is reportedly planning to continue her acting career regardless of the divorce proceedings underway. Local media reported Thursday that Song would soon begin work on a film titled “Anna.” Her agency, UAA, said, “Song Hye-kyo is positively discussing her appearance in the new movie directed by … Lee Joo-young.”  Song had been offered the role of a lawyer in “Haena,” which is set to air later this year, but turned it down. She sa

June 27, 2019

Song Hye-kyo suffered distress from marital problems: report

A source close to Song Hye-kyo has disclosed that she has suffered from both mental distress and physical weight loss due to marital problems, according to a local media report. Newsen on Thursday cited a source allegedly close to Song as saying that she cried while talking about her marital problems and had lost around 5 kilograms from related distress.“(Song) is usually quiet and doesn’t normally talk about her feelings, but she cried as she talked about her marital problems,&rdquo

June 27, 2019

Fairytale TV romance proved untenable in real life

Actor Song Joong-ki has filed for divorce from actress Song Hye-kyo, 18 months after their much-celebrated marriage. On Thursday, Joong-ki’s attorney announced that the law firm Lee & Ko has filed for divorce on behalf of the actor. The 34-year-old actor revealed his position through his agency Blossom Entertainment. “Rather than criticizing one another and arguing over who is to blame, both of us hope that the divorce process can be wrapped up smoothly,” a statement f

June 27, 2019

Song-Song couple’s divorce brings Itaewon luxury house into spotlight

With Song-Song couple’s marriage coming to an end, the house known to be owned by Song Joong-ki in the posh neighborhood of Hannam-dong, has drawn media attention again.In May 2017, The Korea Herald reported Song Joong-ki’s purchase of a luxury house in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul in January. After the couple announced their engagement in July, speculation rose that the newlyweds would move into the house. According to a report by the Ilyo Sinmun newspaper Thursday, the house

June 27, 2019

Will Song Joong-ki’s divorce affect ‘Arthdal Chronicles’?

Following the Song-Song couple’s shocking divorce announcement, attention is being drawn to “Arthdal Chronicles” featuring Song Joong-ki. The actor stars in the fantasy drama as the main character, playing two characters, Eunseom and Saya.As the tvN Saturday-Sunday drama is a pre-produced show, it will not be affected by the latest development concerning the star. The production team said it is currently editing the latter half of the series. The share price of Studio Drag

June 27, 2019