[Photo News] British Embassy Seoul hosts reception for Tottenham Hotspur

British Ambassador to Korea Colin Crooks (right) and Executive Director of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club Donna-Maria Cullen pose for a photo on Tuesday, holding a statuette of the Club's historic cockerel presented to the ambassador during a breakfast reception at the ambassador's residence. The English football club is on a week-long preseason tour of Korea, playing two matches in the Coupang Play Series -- against Team K-League on Wednesday and FC Bayern on Saturday. (Courtesy of t

July 30, 2024

S. Korean actor quits UNHCR goodwill ambassador due to 'political attacks'

Popular South Korean actor Jung Woo-sung told a local media outlet that he recently resigned as a goodwill ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency due to a barrage of politically charged attacks against him. Speaking with local Hankyoreh newspaper, the 51-year-old said he had been accused of using the post for political reasons. He was named UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador for South Korea in 2015. "There had been unrelenting political attacks against both the organization and myself, implying that

July 22, 2024

South Korean recognized as person with world's highest IQ

South Korean Kim Young-hoon was recognized as the person with the highest IQ in history, scoring 276 at the World Memory Championships, according to the organizer of the competition, the World Mind Sports Council, on Thursday. “The World Mind Sports Council hereby recognizes YoungHoon Kim from South Korea as the person with the highest IQ in the world and congratulates him,” the event organizer said. Before Kim, Chinese-Australian professor Terence Tao held the title of the person wi

July 18, 2024

Trot singer Hyun Cheol of ‘Garden Balsam Love’ dies at 82

Legendary trot singer Hyun Cheol who enjoyed remarkable popularity in the 1980s and 1990s with hit songs such as “Garden Balsam Love” and “Not Anymore,” passed away at the age of 82 on Monday. According to industry sources, Hyun Cheol died of a chronic illness at a hospital in Seoul. Born in Busan, Hyun Cheol was enrolled in Dong-a University when he debuted in 1969 with “My Heartless Love." In 1970, he joined a band -- Hyun Chul & Bees -- but failed to mak

July 16, 2024

Collapsed subway passenger saved by nearby firefighter, paramedic

A stroke of luck saved a woman who had collapsed in a Seoul Metro station during busy rush hour, when a firefighter and paramedic happened to be nearby and came to her rescue, local media outlets reported Tuesday. The woman in her 20s collapsed at 8:02 a.m. inside Wangsimni Station in Seoul on Monday, according to local media outlet Edaily. Officials at the station had found and laid her on the floor, while she was showing signs of hyperventilation, when a man and a woman approached them. The

July 16, 2024

[Herald Interview] UK surgeon recalls how school shaped path to success

David Rew, a UK surgeon and academic publishing adviser, recently shared his journey from his school days at Christ College Brecon, to his esteemed career in medicine. In an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul, Rew recounted how his experiences at the historic Welsh school were instrumental in shaping his determination, compassion and leadership skills. David Rew has built his career as a surgeon in the UK since 1981. Despite partially retiring from surgery in 2023, Rew remains active in th

July 15, 2024

Shelter for comfort women may become museum

Operators of the House of Sharing, the residential building for surviving victims of Japan's sexual slavery before and during World War II, are mulling turning it into a museum dedicated to the women euphemistically called "comfort women." According to local media outlets Friday, all previous occupants of the house have left due to their deteriorating health from old age. Three women, 97-year-old Lee Ok-seon -- not to be confused with confused with another victim of the same nam

July 13, 2024

6 Korean language educators abroad honored

A total of six educators have been awarded for their dedication to the spread of Korean language education and localization, at a celebration event for the 22nd International Conference of Korean Educators Abroad on Thursday at Hana Global Campus in Incheon. Among the winners was Tran Thi Huong, a professor at Hanoi National University in charge of Korean language education in Vietnam. He was awarded for his contribution to the adoption of Korean as a second language in primary and secondary c

July 12, 2024

Foreign Language Newspapers Association celebrates 9th anniversary

The Foreign Language Newspapers Association of Korea, a group of four Korean media outlets publishing newspapers in foreign languages in South Korea, celebrated its ninth anniversary in Seoul on Tuesday. The association comprises three English-language newspapers – The Korea Herald, The Korea Times and The JoongAng Daily – and the Chinese-language The Aju Daily. Delivering a congratulatory speech, Culture Minister Yu In-chon said the newspapers have fulfilled their mission over the d

July 9, 2024

[Photo News] Global Biz Forum wraps up 5th edition

5TH GBF WRAPS UP Herald Corp. Chairman Jung Won-ju (fourth from left in second row) and CEO Choi Jin-young (fifth from left in third row) pose with participants of the 5th Global Biz Forum at its closing ceremony held at the Mondrian Hotel in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday. The forum, organized and hosted by The Korea Herald twice yearly, convened weekly for 13 weeks from March 20 to July 3. The next edition is scheduled to commence in September, continuing as a venue for knowledge-sharing amon

July 4, 2024

Doctor fasts instead of joining medical strike

With medical professors at major hospitals joining the nationwide walkout of medical staff, a doctor at a Seoul-based hospital has chosen to continue practicing while showing his support by going on hunger strike. Professor Ko Beom-seok, a breast disease surgeon at Asan University, said he has been taking nothing but water, salt and coffee since June 23. Ko said could not take part in the ongoing walkout because he felt he could not leave his patients. ut also could not turn away from his coll

July 4, 2024

K-pop sensation NewJeans named South Korea's tourism ambassadors

The Korea Tourism Organization will officially appoint K-pop girl group NewJeans as honorary tourism ambassadors for 2024 in a ceremony next week, a KTO official confirmed Thursday. The announcement follows earlier local media reports that the five-member group had been chosen by the state tourism body to promote South Korean culture and attractions around the world. NewJeans joins a cadre of previous high-profile ambassadors, including Premier League soccer star Son Heung-min and K-pop groups E

July 4, 2024

Herald Media Group charity golf tournament held to advocate Hangeul

Herald Media Group, the publisher of The Korea Herald and Herald Business, organized a charity golf tournament Monday in support of the upcoming Sejong Hangeul Olympiad. Sejong Hangeul Olympiad is part of the media group's ongoing efforts to enhance the global significance of Hangeul, the Korean writing system. Some 320 people, including executives, representatives of embassies in Korea, celebrities and professional golfers participated in the event at Riviera Country Club in Hwaseong, Gyeo

July 2, 2024

National Academy of Arts names 2024 award winners, new members

The National Academy of Arts, South Korea's premier artists society affiliated with the Culture Ministry, announced Thursday its annual roster of honorees, celebrating both venerated masters and emerging talents across the arts spectrum. The Academy's prestigious annual award, instituted in 1955 to honor lifelong artistic contributions, recognized four individuals who have left indelible marks on Korea’s cultural landscape. Each recipient receives a grant of 50 million won ($38,0

June 28, 2024

Hallyu guru Sam Richards attributes K-content's success to Korean values

The sense of community embedded in Korean culture is the power behind the popularity of Korean cultural content worldwide, sociologist Sam Richards emphasized during a lecture at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul on Tuesday. The award-winning Pennsylvania State University professor discussed the foundations of Korean content penetrating the world under the theme of “Korea’s Characteristics and Values,” which was held as a program of Sungkyun-Asian Humanities Academy at Sungkyunk

June 26, 2024

[Herald Interview] Grit and resilience bond Koreans, Jews: First Asian American rabbi

For Angela Warnick Buchdahl, a 51-year-old American of Korean and Jewish descent, the opening ceremony of the Israel Education Research Center became was a rare priority, one she flew in from New York City to commemorate. Buchdahl became the first Asian American in North America to be ordained a cantor -- the person who sings and leads prayer in a synagogue -- in 1999, and later a rabbi in 2001. She is now the senior rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York City -- the world’s largest synago

June 19, 2024

Golf legend Pak's complicated relationship with father turns into legal battle

World Golf Hall of Famer Pak Se-ri's father is known for having played a significant role in the golfer's career, but recent revelations involving alleged illegal activities on his part have illuminated a more complicated relationship. Pak addressed the public in Tuesday’s press conference matters related to the Seri Pak Hope Foundation filing a complaint against her father, Pak Joon-chul, who was recently accused of forging a stamp bearing the foundation's name in order to

June 19, 2024

Uzbek envoy to Korea passes away

Uzbek Ambassador to Korea Vitaly Fen died Tuesday in Uzbekistan, the embassy in Seoul confirmed. He was 77. Fen, a Koryoin, an ethnic Korean of the former Soviet Union, was the longest-serving top diplomat in Seoul who continued his mission as Uzbek ambassador since 1999. He was a Korea specialist, as he served his diplomatic mission for 14 years from 1999 to 2013. He began his second mission in Seoul in 2017 and continued his service until his death. Previously, he received the Order of Fidokor

June 19, 2024

Many Koreans say it's OK for partners to be fans of celebrities

A recent survey indicated that many South Koreans react positively toward their girlfriends or boyfriends becoming avid fans of a celebrity. Local matchmaking company Duo surveyed 500 men and women between May 27 and 29, and asked what they felt about their romantic partners joining a celebrity fan club. The survey was conducted on individuals who have both been in a romantic relationship and been a member of a fan club. Some 89 percent of the respondents reacted positively, with 36 percent sa

June 18, 2024

Top factor for women when looking for dates? Survey says 'age'

A recent survey by a local matchmaking agency indicated that women in South Korea may be most concerned about age when looking for a prospective romantic partner. NRise Inc., operator of matchmaking platform Wippy, conducted the survey of 400 women in May, asking them what they thought were important factors when looking at the profiles of prospective romantic partners. About 59.2 percent of the respondents picked "age," followed by "distance between the person and me," at

June 14, 2024