In July 2011, Seoul was hit by the heaviest rain in a century. Subway stations were closed, tree trunks were ripped from their roots and roads became rivers. The worst came in the early morning of July 27, when a huge landslide swept through one of Seoul’s most affluent areas.The wall of mud and water from Mount Umyeonsan in southern Seoul took the lives of 16 people. Hundreds of residents had to rush outside, puzzled. “‘I’ll be right back’ was the last words I heard from him,” Kim Il-young, 56,

You need not be a millionaire to help others in need. A number of gifted experts and celebrities are proving this through their skills-donation activities. Designer Lie Sang-bong has given not only his clothes but also his time and expertise to the less privileged and social causes for the past four years.The fashion guru sketched on a folding fan to raise awareness of saving energy, made costumes for a low-budget film, and designed a uniform for the national table-tennis players.“I hope sharing

Nearly half of Korean universities with laboratories have taken advantage of loopholes in supervision and broken wastewater discharge regulations, with some releasing toxic chemicals, the Ministry of Environment said Wednesday.The ministry and local governments conducted an inspection of wastewater disposal at 215 universities across the country between March 20 and April 2.The inquiry found that 105 universities, or 49 percent, have dumped contaminants which were either unauthorized or in exces

On a recent sizzling afternoon, several shops in Myeong-dong, downtown Seoul, kept their doors open, beckoning passers-by with cool air. The government has banned the practice with a threat of penalties, but it apparently fails to pay off. Many merchants would rather pay fines than lose sales.“Our sales drop over 50 percent when the doors are shut,” said Kim Ji-eun, a saleswoman at a boutique in the shopping district. “We’d choose to pay millions of won than see less profit.”Customers do not see

If the past is any guide, President Park Geun-hye’s plan to build a peace park in the Demilitarized Zone may be close to infeasible. Previous attempts by governments to bring symbols of peace into the no-man’s land, fortified with heavy arms and strewn with land mines, ended in smoke. Worse, inter-Korean ties are at one of the lowest ebbs in recent years.But regional governments bordering the 4-kilometer-wide buffer zone are brimming with hopes and already embarking on plans to host the envision

Labor and management failed to agree on the minimum wage level for next year in their last-minute talks by the legal deadline on Thursday. The two sides came up with compromise proposals at the sixth meeting of Minimum Wage Council but failed to narrow differences, officials said. The 27-member panel consists of the same numbers of union, business and public interest representatives. When the negotiations began in April, labor unions demanded a 21.6 percent increase to 5,910 won ($5.18) per hour

The ministries of science, environment and oceans and the weather agency signed an agreement to jointly develop two geostationary satellites and utilize information and related space technologies.Through the 669.7 billion won ($578.4 million) project, the government plans to launch a satellite in 2017 to monitor weather conditions and natural disasters and another to observe oceanic pollution and resources and climate change the following year. The agreement was signed by the Ministry of Science

A state-run human rights organization advised Seoul’s Mapo District Office not to reject outdoor advertisements supporting gay rights, a small victory for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in the area.The National Human Rights Commission of Korea handed down its decision last week, on the petition filed by the Mapo Rainbow Resident’s Solidarity against the Mapo office not allowing controversial outdoor banners it submitted last November.The district officials notified the gay

President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday appointed Nam Min-woo, a leading venture entrepreneur, as the chief of the presidential committee on youth affairs.Nam, 51, CEO of a local IT firm Dasan Network, will head the committee in charge of providing advices for venture start-ups, job creation and other youth-related policies, senior presidential press secretary Lee Jung-hyun said.The president has also named 18 young leaders as members of the committee. The list includes Kakao Talk CEO Lee Jae-beom, m

Overseas Korean leaders opened their annual meeting in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss ways to better nurture young talent and support the government’s “creative economy” initiative. About 380 Koreans from 73 countries are participating in the four-day World Korean Community Leaders Convention organized by the Overseas Koreans Foundation to promote networking among compatriots at home and abroad. President Park Geun-hye attended the opening, calling for their support for her policy to forge new grow

More than 200 international experts will gather in Seoul for a U.N. conference aiming to set bioethical standards in step with fast developing life science and technologies. The 20th annual UNESCO International Bioethics Committee will open Wednesday for a three-day run to discuss equal access, human rights and other various issues arising from biotechnological and medical advances. The committee launched in 1993 will announce a draft report on the principles of non-discrimination and non-stigma

A growing number of Hollywood stars make trips to South Korea to promote their films or boost the image of global brands. In 2013 alone, a dozen well-known celebrities flew to the country, and here‘s a list of the top figures. 1. Fanning sisters (Jan. 5)Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning were the first Hollywood celebrities to visit Seoul this year. The sisters reportedly came to Seoul to promote local jewelry brand J. Estina, which is also promoted by figure skater Kim Yu-na. Other than their prom

Lee Hyo-ri has finally marked her return to the music scene after a three-year hiatus. The K-pop diva’s fifth album “Monochrome” not only highlights Lee’s quest to become a singer-songwriter but also her new retro sound with the help of foreign composers.Including the lead single “Bad Girls,” 12 out of 16 tracks were by songwriters from abroad. Critics are seeing her album more fitting for Lee than any of her previous releases, escaping her hip-hop sounds one tracks like “Chitty Chitty Bang Ban

Korean film distributor CJ E&M has announced the release date for director Bong Joon-ho’s upcoming thriller, “Snowpiercer.”Bong’s English-language debut, starring Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton and Chris Evans, will hit local theaters on Aug. 1 and open later in North America, France, Japan and Russia, CJ E&M officials said in a statement on Wednesday.The sci-fi film is based on the French graphic novel “Le Transperceneige” by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette. Set mostly on a train in a post-apoc

There was a time when critics were not so generous in apprasing idol stars who took to acting on the big or small screen. While that prejudice is still alive, many of them have successfully overcome criticism to grow into full-fledged actors.1. Park Yu-chunNot many people had high expectations for Park Yu-chun in 2010 when the singer said he would start acting. Park made his first appearance on the small screen with “Sungkyunkwan Scandal” and excelled at portraying Lee Sun-joon in the fusion his

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Friday appointed Jeong Hyun-wook, the head of children’s theater Sadari Theater Company, as the new general director of Chongdong Theater. Jeong, 46, will serve a three-year term at the Myeongdong Chongdong Theaters Foundation’s Chongdong Theater, replacing Choi Jung-im, whose term ended on March 28.The 400-seat theater was established in 1995 near Deoksugung Palace in Jeong-dong, Seoul, at a site where the country’s first Western-style theater, ope

Rainbow Island Music and Camping will be back on Nami Island this weekend with an eclectic lineup.Now in its third year, the three-day outdoor festival kicks off Friday with international artists scheduled to perform on three stages: Rainbow Stage, Island Stage and Forest Stage. Korean band Clazziquai, electronic trio Idiotape and R&B singer Junggigo are scheduled to perform on the first day. DJ duo Squatters will also excite fans with their unique style of electronica. The most anticipated line

Big Bang is hitting the road in November for a concert tour in Japan, the members revealed during the Nagoya leg of G-Dragon’s world tour last Saturday.Big Bang is slated to hold a total of 15 concerts in six cities starting with two sets at the Seibu Dome on Nov. 16 and 17.The idols will continue their shows at the Kyocera Dome Osaka from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, Fukuoka Yahoo! JAPAN Dome on Dec. 7 and 8, Nagoya Dome on Dec. 14 and 15, Tokyo Dome on Dec. 19 and 21, and Sapporo Dome on Jan. 4 next yea

JYJ member Junsu is set to return to the local music scene next month with his second solo album, his agency said Monday.Junsu, also known by his stage name Xia, is currently working on his next full-length album and music video focusing on modern pop ballads, according to C-JeS Entertainment.“As sensational as his music video was last year, we’re putting in all our efforts to show another ‘evolution’ with the album,” an official said in a statement. The soon-to-be-released record is the follow-

Fewer people are buying equipment for outdoor activities over fears of a deadly tick-borne virus.According to multiple retailers, sales of outdoor products such as hiking boots and climbing equipment have shrunk since the national disease control agency issued a public alert last month after the death of the country’s second infected patient.“It’s quite uncommon to see camping equipment and outdoor gear’s sales drop before the summer vacation season,” an official from a local retail store was qu