Manager Hong indicates big changes ahead of final qualifying for OlympicsThe Korean Under 23 team manager Hong Myung-bo has addressed his worries over the team, after his side drew with Jordan 1-1 in the second round of Asian qualifying on Thursday. Having won its first leg of the play-off 3-1, Korea advanced to the final round of Asian qualifier for the 2012 London Olympics.The 42-year-old manage

SOAS attracts students with broad exchange programsLONDON ― Majoring in Korean might sound a little intimidating to most Europeans, but Kevin Fry, a senior at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, was up to the challenge.“I tried to learn Chinese, but didn’t find it particularly enjoyable. So I started to learn Korean, and initially got interested in it,” he said. Kevin

Free University educates German experts in Korean social sciencesBERLIN ― After speaking with Hannes Mosler for five minutes, one might wonder whether he is German or Korean.Although he has no Korean background, Mosler not only speaks flawless Korean, but also perfectly understands its culture and customs. “I first got interested in Korea in 1994, when I visited the country during my backpacking t

 South Korean swimming star Park Tae-hwan notched up three victories at the Santa Clara Grand Prix, winning the men’s 200 m freestyle on Sunday.Park finished first in the 200 m freestyle at the Santa Clara Swim Club in California with a season best record of 1 minute 45.92 seconds. Earlier at the competition, the 21-year-old won the 100 m freestyle in 48.92 sec, ahead of 14-time Olympic gold medal

Film festival and K-pop contest attract young peopleLONDON ― What’s the first place that comes to mind when one thinks of London? Perhaps Big Ben, the River Thames, the London Eye or St. Paul’s Cathedral. But now the Korean Culture Center in London is hoping to be included on the list of the city’s top visitor attractions. Located just next to Trafalgar Square, overlooking the National Gallery, th

K-pop charms Paris, but more support needed for Korean cultureCultural center takes lead in promoting hansik, Korean artsPARIS ― This is a fast-paced city where new trends come and go in the blink of an eye. The fashion capital of the world is also a city that welcomes new ideas and artists from across the globe.And, now it seems that the Korean Wave, or hallyu, has captivated the French capital:

Twenty-four years ago, tens of thousands of college students protested in Seoul, calling for democracy. But thousands of students gathered Friday at Chonggye Square, calling for the government to cut their tuition fees.“Half-price tuition, half-price,” shouted the crowd sitting on the ground, holding a candle in each hand. Student protesters shout slogans, calling for the government to cut their t

LONDON (AFP) ― Prince William and his new wife Catherine laughed and smiled as they mingled with celebrity guests at their first official engagement in the gardens of Kensington Palace Thursday.Wearing a shimmering, dusty-pink cap-sleeve gown by Jenny Packham, the new Duchess of Cambridge and her husband were guests of honor at a lavish gala dinner hosted by financier Arpad Busson for his children

Guus HiddinkFormer South Korean national football coach Guus Hiddink arrived in Seoul on Friday for a five-day visit. The Dutchman, who successfully guided the Taeguk Warriors into the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup, came to attend the opening of “Hiddink Dream Field,” a futsal field in the southeastern city of Ulsan on June 14. During his five-day trip, Hiddink will meet Chung Mong-joon, honora

Swiss Buddhist nun talks about her love and concerns for Korea, where she lived for 14 yearsGENEVA ― It is a strange experience to meet a Buddhist nun, who calls herself a lover of Korean culture, on the main street in Geneva.Donned in her grey Buddhist robes, Ven. Mujin steps into the cafe nearby the train station. Then she starts complaining.“Somebody left food here,” she points to the table, be

Summer is usually time for a rest for the European football league, but for U23 national team manager Hong Myung-bo, it is crucial: Hong’s U23 team is preparing for the 2012 London Olympic qualifiers. But the former national team captain admitted that he was having difficulty preparing for the qualifying matches. Hong named Thursday a 23-man squad for their Asian qualifier against Jordan this mont

South Korea’s rising young striker Ji Dong-won of Chunnam Dragons is set to join Sunderland in the English Premier League, an official from Chunnam said Thursday.Chunnam has agreed on a fee with Sunderland for the sale of the 20-year-old striker, according to the club official. The signing fee has not been disclosed but it is reportedly between $1 million and $1.3 million.Sunderland finished 10th

The government announced Tuesday strong measures to prevent match-fixing in response to an unprecedented match-rigging scandal in the country’s top football league.Players convicted of match-fixing attempts will be banned for life, and the related sports governing bodies will be suspended from receiving government funding, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said. The ministry also said it

Korean football is sliding into crisis as an unprecedented match-rigging scandal involving at least 10 players from the country’s top division league continues to snowball. The Changwon District Prosecutors Office announced on Thursday that former national team striker Kim Dong-hyun, who plays with Sangju Sangmu, was summoned on suspicion of fixing matches and receiving money from a bookmaker. The

Nobel laureate Le Clezio tells of his affection for ‘unique’ KoreaFor the Nobel laureate Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, traveling is an essential part of his job, which provides insights and inspiration for his work. He picks South Korea as one of his favorite places. “Korea still remains a question mark to me,” he says sitting in an office in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul. Le Clezio, 71, who won the

LAUSANNE -- South Korean figure skating star Kim Yu-na is making her debut pitch today for PyeongChang’s 2018 campaign to the International Olympic Committee.The Olympic gold medalist is one of a six-member panel, representing the Gangwon Province city, who are delivering a presentation for IOC members in Lausanne during the 2018 technical briefing. PyeongChang is bidding against Munich and Annecy

PyeongChang steps closer to 2018 Olympics Kim Yu-na pitches to IOC members By Oh Kyu-wookLAUSANNE -- The final race for the 2018 Winter Games has begun and PyeongChang, making its third bid, looks very strong this time after successfully delivering their campaign on Wednesday to International Olympic Committee members. With just 50 days to go before the host of the 2018 Winter Olympics is decided,

Cooking solo grows up, classes offer recipes for oneHave you ever eaten over the sink or in front of an open fridge and felt miserable? Cooking for one is not typically seen as an exciting proposition. Whether you are a student or a single working adult, many people living alone end up eating leftovers or the same thing meal after meal.So it was for 24-year-old student Kim Hye-seon, until she foun

DAEGU ― Daegu has successfully hosted an international athletics competition, which was interpreted as a dress rehearsal for this summer’s IAAF Word Championships, producing some world record-breaking actions from world’s top athletes. But the pre-championships event also showed that the level of Korean athletes still lags far behind other competitors.The Colorful Daegu Pre Championships meeting w