Park Chan-kyong thinks it’s a shame that most Koreans are forgetting crucial parts of their modern history -- the Korean War and the subsequent division -- and live as if such historical facts don’t impact their lives. “I went to college in 1984. It was a time when students were more often seen in democracy protests on the streets than in classrooms. Political issues made up 80-90 percent of ou...

According to documentary filmmaker Jerry Rothwell, the now global environmental organization Greenpeace originally started out with “a few hippies on a boat.” “It began with a small group of Canadian activists who set out on a fishing boat in 1971,” the British filmmaker told The Korea Herald in an interview last Tuesday in Seoul. The activists were trying to stop then American president Rich...

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I, the Chekhov International Theatre Festival unveiled in 2014 the dramatic Russian play “The War,” which pays homage to the devastation caused by combat. The play premiered at the Edinburgh International Festival and has since toured to countries including Russia, Poland, Romania, France and Portugal. Now gearing up for its Asia debut, “The W...

The first thing Paul Shin, a veteran English-language journalist, asked during an interview in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, Monday was, “What desk do you work at?” “The culture desk did not take up a big part of English-language newspapers back in my day,” he said upon hearing the response. “International audiences were more interested in the authoritarian regime,” said Shin, 76, referring to the period...

Earlier this month, the crystal brand Swarovski launched a wearable activity-tracking device that women might actually consider wearing. The device had a sparkling faceted crystal the size of a coin, which can be inserted into a crystal-studded bracelet, sport band or necklace. Embedded within the crystal is software that monitors your activities during the day and tracks your sleep pattern at ...

Whiskey consumption in Korea has always been tied to a very specific culture: drink-till-you-drop parties among businessmen who enjoy coupling the expensive drink with women in smoky underground bars. As that culture waned, so did whiskey sales. Its consumption in Korea has been falling by roughly three percent each year for the past five years, according to industry statistics. And according t...

Hailed as one of the first Korean ballerinas to achieve widespread international fame, Julia Moon is seeking to expand the global network of Universal Ballet and make it more “universal.” One of the founding members of the Universal Ballet -- among the top ballet companies in the country, rivaling the Korean National Ballet -- Moon has been its general director for the past decade, since retiri...

The Korean government’s push to create a more flexible labor market, which includes plans to ease employment regulations and expand the use of temporary workers, has been hotly debated in the country over the past few years. Despite controversy, President Park Geun-hye’s proposed labor reforms are aligned with the structural changes that labor markets around the world are now undertaking, accor...

Since its launch a decade ago, Pangyo Techno Valley in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, has grown to become the largest venture hub in South Korea. It houses more than 1,000 companies in different industrial categories -- ranging from information technology to biotechnology -- and employs about 70,000 people, generating 70 trillion won ($60 billion) in combined revenues last year. This accounts for mo...

Every Monday morning, Park Ju-gun, co-chief executive of CEO Score, chairs a brainstorming session to discuss timely content about the corporate world and its executives, before pushing out related insights. CEO Score is a four-year-old venture firm whose main business is to mine and analyze data about the top 500 South Korean companies and chief executives. Following this meeting on the first ...

With health becoming a priority for most people around the world, some turn to taking dietary supplements as a potential means to make up for their otherwise unhealthy eating habits and lifestyles. However, supplements are by no means a substitute for a balanced meal or physical activity as there are absolutely no shortcuts to health, according to Amway-based Nutrilite Health Institute’s techno...

In mid-March, financially ailing coffee chain Caffe Bene secured a $13 million investment from an overseas partner with an interesting name: Hallyu Ventures. The company is a joint operation between Singaporean global food chain Food Empire and the Salim Group from Indonesia. It was named by Food Empire’s executive chairman Tan Wang Cheow himself. Reflecting this goal, Caffe Bene has redesigne...

TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province -- This year’s annual Tongyeong International Music Festival opened its curtains Friday, celebrating its new theme, “Sounds of Tomorrow” with a performance by Korea’s first female-led orchestra. Looking to showcase a mix of classic and modern compositions that are rarely heard nowadays, TIMF is holding performances daily until Thursday at the Tongyeong Conce...

Sohn Jie-ae, who has spent 30 years in the English-language media, has written a memoir chronicling her journey. Published last month, “Sohn Jie-ae. CNN. Seoul” resembles its writer: It is ambitious and expansive, touching on everything from career advice to journalism, government work, North Korea, feminism and family life. “So many people seem to think to themselves, ‘This is it for me. Thi...

Pyeongtaek Port aims to lead Korea‘s ports and logistics industry by strengthening a partnership with Chinese companies and focusing on the port’s hinterland complex. “We have a goal of handling a total volume of 600,000 20-foot (6.1 meters) equivalent units this year,” Choi Gwang-il, CEO of Gyeonggi Pyeongtaek Port Corp. said in an interview with The Korea Herald this week. “In order to achiev...