Song Hye-kyo, Park Bo-gum’s latest drama, ‘Boyfriend,’ gets renewed attention

With Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo heading for divorce, Song Hye-kyo’s comments at a press conference to promote the tvN drama “Boyfriend” have come under the spotlight.The romance drama, starring Song Hye-kyo and Park Bo-gum, aired from November to January.  “The script was great. Along with producer Park Shin-woo, I thought the results could be beyond imagination,” she said at the event in November. “With Park Bo-gum, I knew the production would be gre

June 27, 2019

Song Hye-kyo says divorce comes after ‘careful thinking’

As the “Song-Song” couple files for divorce after some 20 months of marriage, Song Hye-kyo, through her agency, said it is coming after “careful thinking.”  “The divorce proceedings between Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo come after careful thinking,” UAA Korea, the agency representing Song Hye-kyo, said, adding the marriage has come to an end due to irreconcilable differences.The two actors met through the “Descendants of the Sun” drama series

June 27, 2019

Song-Song couple’s divorce sheds light on wedding ring incident

With Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo filing for divorce, an incident involving the couple’s wedding rings has resurfaced. The famed “Descendants of the Sun” couple were married for less than two years. In February, Chinese media outlets suggested the two actors may not be getting along well, as Song Hye-kyo was spotted not wearing her wedding ring on various occasions. In early June, Song Hye-kyo was seen at Incheon Airport by herself without her wedding ring after a vacation in

June 27, 2019

Song-Song couple start divorce proceedings

Actors Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo have started divorce proceedings. On Thursday, Song Joong-ki’s attorney Park Jae-hyun announced that his law firm had filed for divorce on behalf of the actor on Wednesday. “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,” Song said through his agency, Blossom Entertainment.“I ask for your understanding that it is difficult to go into details of

June 27, 2019

Sunfull holds campaign in support of Prince William’s anti-cyberbullying program

Sunfull Foundation held an anti-cyberbullying campaign for youth in Seoul last week, in recognition of Prince William and the Royal Foundation’s efforts to counter cyber violence.Sunfull Foundation on Thursday hosted an anti-cyberbullying campaign at Kwangwoon Middle School in Seoul, calling on students to stay away from violence and hate speech on the internet. The event was held as part of the Sunfull Foundation’s support for the Stop, Speak, Support campaign launched last year by

June 23, 2019

Man Booker-winning writer asks ‘After YouTube, can it be paper books?’

It is often thought that novelists are prejudiced by their love for the printed word. Writer Han Kang, the 2016 winner of the Man Booker International prize for her novel “The Vegetarian,” is among the prejudiced. On Wednesday, Han shared her love for literature and printed books in a special lecture at the 2019 Seoul International Book Fair held at Coex in southern Seoul. Literature critic Kang Ji-hee hosted the event. “I sometimes wonder, what will be the next thing afte

June 21, 2019

[Weekender] Meet Korea’s age-defying social media icons

Social media may still be the domain of millennials. But they are also producing a new crop of age-defying influencers in their 60s, 70s and even 80s. Call it a graynaissance. From fashion blogging to ASMR, seniors are rallying massive followings on YouTube and Instagram with inspiring content drawn from fascinating life stories. Park Mak-rye, 72, YouTuber Park Mak-rye, known as the Korean Grandma on YouTube, is the biggest breakout star of the Korean graynaissance. Born in 1947, three

June 7, 2019

Bernard Werber visits with ‘Death’

Celebrated science-fiction writer Bernard Werber is currently visiting Korea to promote his new book, the Korean title of which translates to “Death.” The best-selling author is known for his unique style of writing that looks at society through the eyes of nonhuman entities. His novels have been successful in France, Korea and other parts of the world, including “The Ants” trilogy, “Les Micro-Humains (The Third Humanity)” and “Le Papillon des Etoiles (B

June 5, 2019

Google Korea launches online language culture campaign with Sunfull Foundation

Google Korea and Sunfull Foundation said Tuesday they would work together to help improve online culture by promoting the National Sunfull Youth Internet Peace Campaign aimed at preventing malicious online comments and hate speech. Google sponsors the Sunfull Youth Supporters project, which involves 100 clubs from elementary, middle, high schools and universities across the country. The project is to support the training and dispatch of professional online language improvement instructors to sch

May 28, 2019

[Herald Interview] How to stay competitive in the era of scandals and influencers

Companies are always vulnerable to a variety of attacks. In the digital era, the nature of such attacks -- for instance, a single malicious post by an influencer with millions of followers -- is far more unpredictable and, if mishandled, critical, due to the sheer amplifying effect of social media.Jeff Cunningham, a professor of practice in global leadership at Thunderbird School of Global Management of Arizona State University, said a new type of leadership is needed to better cope with such on

May 26, 2019

[Photo News] Posing with Basquiat

POSING WITH BASQUIAT -- Choi Jung-wha (third from left, second row), head of the Corea Image Communication Institute, Kim Young-ho (fourth from left, second row), Ilshin Spinning chairman, and H.E. Federico Failla (fifth from left, second row), Italian ambassador to Korea, pose for photos next to artist Jean-Michel Basquiat’s painting “TBT,” along with other guests at “Korea CQ, 5.4 Club,” an event hosted by CICI at the Ilshin Spinning headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. (CICI)

May 15, 2019

[Herald Interview] A walking canvas of tattoos

In a country where tattoos are widely frowned upon, Ahn Li-na, 25, catches attention as a walking canvas of body art, with nearly 80 percent of her skin inked. “The value of all my tattoos, if combined, could easily match that of quite an expensive car,” said Ahn, a tattoo artist herself, adding that only her face, scalp, front neck, knuckles and soles of her feet are left untouched. Living with such overt body art comes with a hefty price here, as tattoos are often associated with deviant behav

May 10, 2019

[Herald Interview] Artistry of movie makeup

Film makeup artist Cho Tae-hee shares stories on his work, ambition to shake up the industry Being a makeup artist for movies takes on a multitude of challenges -- one has to create the perfect look that reflects a character’s personal traits, yet does not leave any impression. “I have to make sure that (the audience) is not aware of the makeup. If the makeup, a costume or a scar lingers in their memories, I feel like I’ve caused trouble for the film. The best makeup is one that is absorbed by t

May 2, 2019

‘It is all about money after all’

Seoul Arts Center’s new President Yoo In-taek, appointed to the position in March, believes improving the arts complex‘s financial situation to be a priority.　The center in southern Seoul is a venue for various art performances. Opened in 1988 in time for the Seoul Olympics, it has functioned as a focal point of diverse art activities. 　 “The current financial structure must be revamped,” said Yoo, 64, at a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday, pointing to the importance of financial resources i

April 30, 2019

HHI Vice Chairman Kwon, ex-Ambassador Choi receive HUFS Awards

Hyundai Heavy Industries Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-gap and former Ambassador to the Netherlands Choi Jong-hyun were two alumni honored at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies’ 65th anniversary celebration Friday.Held at its campus in Seoul, the event celebrating HUFS’ founding involved an annual awards ceremony, the HUFS Awards, which recognizes notable alumni of the university. Kwon and Choi were this year’s recipients.  Kwon Oh-gap (left) and Choi Jong-hyun (HUFS)Kwon was noted for his contributio

April 23, 2019

[Herald Interview] Diminutive ‘Kids Creators’ inject fresh perspective into YouTube

Twenty years ago, celebrity and K-pop idol crept up the list of dream jobs for children in Korea – a list formerly occupied by doctor, scholar, politician or government official. What followed were a flood of TV talent shows and reality programs on youth aspiring for the limelight. Recent surveys suggest the times are changing once more, as children are opting to perform in front of the much smaller camera of a personal computer as a YouTuber, or as it is more commonly known here, “YouTube Cr

April 21, 2019

Award-winning author Han Kang to contribute writing to foreign art project

International award-winning South Korean author Han Kang has been named the fifth author in a Norwegian government-sponsored project to collect the works of 100 renowned writers, one author a year, and publish them in 2114, Seoul's embassy in Oslo said Friday.Han, a 2016 Man Booker International Prize winner for her novel "The Vegetarian," is also the first Asian writer to be selected as a contributor to the Future Library project, which aims to connect current and future generations through wri

April 19, 2019

[Video] Sound is universal language: ASMR creator Miniyu

Yu Min-jung, a YouTuber specializing in spine-tingling ASMR videos, changes her role once or twice a week. From a late-night barber to a dermatologist, then from a scalp therapist to a caring friend removing makeup from a roommate’s face -- Yu becomes a “healer” for those craving sounds of comfort. Believed to be the first to make a Korean ASMR channel, Yu has been working as a full-time creator for almost five years now. Her channel -- Miniyu -- has 500,000 subscribers and her most watched vide

April 19, 2019

BTS ranked among Time's 100 Most Influential of 2019

South Korean K-pop group BTS has been ranked among Time magazine's 100 most influential people of 2019.The seven-member band, whose albums have topped Billboard music charts, appeared on the annual list unveiled Wednesday on the magazine’s website.By category, BTS was among the 17 artists of 2019. The other four groups were called pioneers, leaders, titans and icons.(Time Megazine)“Over the past few years, the K-pop group has taken the music industry by storm -- shattering sales records, gatheri

April 18, 2019

S. Korean photographer wins Pulitzer Prize

Reuters' South Korean photographer Kim Kyung-hoon won a Pulitzer Prize on Tuesday for his work on Central American migrants.According to the website of the Pulitzer Prizes, photography staff of Reuters, including Kim, Loren Elliott and Lucy Nicholson were named the winner of the breaking news photography award.(Yonhap)They took images of a caravan of Central American migrants heading to the US border in November last year."For a vivid and startling visual narrative of the urgency, desperation an

April 16, 2019