With retirement weighing heavily on her mind, Kim Chung-ja, a mezzo-soprano and music professor of Korea National University of Arts, took a sabbatical from work in 2005. She spent a few months traveling Europe, then a couple of months more in the U.S., but still had no clue as to what her post-retirement life would be like, despite reaching 60. Then a short trip to Africa changed it all. “I b...

Back in the late 1980s, a group of Japanese volunteers visited Korea as part of a small-scale exchange program between the two countries. During their visit to the Independence Hall of Korea, a Korean history museum, some of them broke down after confronting Japan’s atrocities during World War II. “They told me they did not realize Japan had done such terrible things here. It’s something that t...

In her new movie “Cart,” director Boo Ji-young depicts temporary employees of a mega supermarket chain who are facing unfair layoffs. They are ordinary women, including a mother of two kids, a single mom and a college grad. They gather to fight against the company’s exploitative practices. It takes guts for a novice director to tackle a touchy and complex current issue like that of temp workers....

As a young boy during the Korean War, John Lim witnessed his father being forcibly conscripted by the North Korean People’s Army. The incident was only the beginning of a series of greater tragedies. Branded as a communist, his father, who was a fire captain in his hometown of Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, was shot dead by South Korean authorities after the three-year conflict. The entire family was...

HanmiGlobal, South Korea’s leading construction management firm, is focusing on acquiring domestic and foreign engineering and architecture firms to widen its service portfolio. The firm, already a big name in Southeast Asia with multiple projects in the region, plans to enter the U.S. and Europe in the long term. Based on the growing global client base, HanmiGlobal’s ultimate goal is to become...

South Korea is facing a conflict over whether to further ease domestic restrictions to allow financial companies, especially foreign entities, to transfer customers’ information overseas for processing at data centers operated by their global headquarters or third parties. The current regulation restricts offshore data processing and outsourcing without prior consent from the country’s financial...

Korea’s state-run Korea Exchange would perform better if it were privatized once again and went public, according to the chief of the Japanese stock operator. “I think for the sake of South Korea’s economy, its stock market should be operated privately,” said Atsuchi Saito, CEO of Japan Exchange Group, in a press conference on Thursday. The Japanese CEO attended the general assembly and annual ...

Looking to continue her family’s musical background, Gong Min-young, the older sister of popular K-pop idol Minzy of 2NE1, made her official debut as a contemporary Christian music singer on Friday with the release of her first album, “Rebirth.” However, unlike her younger sister, who chose the mainstream pop music route, Gong says it was always her dream to pursue gospel music. “We grew up in ...

Dongchimi is a cold water-based kimchi made with white radish. Its tangy, refreshing liquid and crunchy radishes help with digestion, and it’s a perfect match for meat or starch-heavy foods such as rice cakes or sweet potatoes. For first-timers, this clear watery kimchi may look a bit insipid. Yet this humble side dish has been a part of Korean cuisine for as long as anyone can remember. Actress...

Europe’s peace process can be tailored to promote trust and stability in East Asia, which has been plagued by historical and territorial feuds, a top NATO official said, dismissing the skepticism about its application to the region. During an interview with The Korea Herald this week, Alexander Vershbow, the deputy secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also urged North Kor...

Designer Ko Tae-yong has no doubts that he is one of the hottest and busiest menswear designers in Korea. He recently held his label Beyond Closet’s spring-summer 2015 fashion show at Seoul Fashion Week from Oct. 17-22. The collection won rave reviews from buyers and critics at home and abroad, for its unique, fun and preppy clothing lines. “But the finale never means an ending in the fashion ...

More than 25 years since debuting as Mr. Big, bandmates Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan and Pat Torpey have managed to overcome their past conflicts ― leading the group to part ways for seven years ― and continue to perform and make new music. The ’90s American rock band is currently on a world tour and is scheduled to return to Korea for the first time in three years for a concert on S...

Ahn Chang-ho, also known as Dosan, was a leading independence fighter, social reformer and education activist. He left Korea in April 1910, shortly before Japan annexed Korea and sent its troops marching into Seoul’s royal palace. Ahn had vowed in a poem that he would return home years later, to an independent Korea, with a national flag in hand. But the philosopher failed to fulfill his wish, p...

Luca Rampini, a senior lawyer of the EU’s largest intellectual property agency believes the Korean patent authority’s latest efforts to collaborate with other countries will bring better protection for innovative ideas and inventions created by small and medium-sized businesses here. “Intellectual property is protecting both innovation and creativity. And here in Korea, you know all about both t...

Artist Noh Sun-tag’s work resembles that of a photojournalist. He has taken pictures of tense and sometimes violent protests. Most recently, he was on the site of protests in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, against the construction of a high-voltage power transmission tower there. Over the last decade, Noh has captured highly charged scenes including protests against U.S. troops and mass lab...