Renowned former weathercaster Kim Dong-wan dies at 89

Kim Dong-wan, who was known as the country's first weathercaster, died Sunday at the age of 89, the state weather agency said. Kim began working as a weather forecaster for what is now the Korea Meteorological Administration in 1959. In the 1970s, he started giving weather forecasts at then broadcaster TBC, using catchy phrases, such as "heat that feels like a fly is falling asleep," to grab listeners' attention. He later worked for broadcaster MBC starting in 1982 and made w

Sept. 15, 2024

New season, new members, new ideas: Global Biz Forum kicks off fall run

The 6th edition of The Korea Herald’s Global Business Forum kicked off its three-month run in Seoul on Wednesday, with a packed agenda aimed at sparking discussion on global business trends and opportunities in an era of rapid change. The forum will convene weekly on Wednesdays, except on public holidays, for a total of 13 sessions, to facilitate knowledge exchange among global business leaders, finance experts, academics, diplomats and top civil servants. The goal is to build valuable

Sept. 12, 2024

Bereaved families act as 'suicide watchmen'

South Korean government on Tuesday held a commemoration of the state-designated Suicide Prevention Day, on which it commended welfare foundation employee Kim Dong-ho for his activities as a "suicide watchman" for over three years. Kim, 31, was among the 67 individuals and 23 organizations who received certificates of appreciation from the Ministry of Health and Welfare for their contribution suicide prevention. A fire safety manager for the South Jeolla branch of the Miral Welfare Foun

Sept. 11, 2024

South Gyeongsang Province inks deals for international, local investments

The South Gyeongsang Province government has signed multiple memorandums of understanding with international and local firms in the defense, aviation, industrial and automobile parts sectors for investments in the province's industrial zones. Delegations for the province, headed by Gov. Park Wan-su, visited European countries including Poland and Czech Republic to elicit cooperation with companies that have expanded their operations into the region. On Sept. 2 in the Polish capital Warsaw,

Sept. 10, 2024

27 years later, reformed boy thief leaves 'I'm sorry' note at temple

A Buddhist monk's tolerance toward a boy who stole from a temple led the boy to become a better person, a man who had stolen from a temple's offering box 27 years ago wrote in a letter of gratitude he sent to the temple recently. Tongdosa, a temple of the Jogye Order, has revealed that its monks recently found a letter with 2 million won ($1,490) inside the temple's offering box. The letter writer identified himself as having stolen money from the temple 27 years earlier, but

Sept. 10, 2024

'Please find her': Man dies amid 25-year search for missing daughter

A 71-year-old man who dedicated a large part of his life to searching for his missing daughter has died, a civic group said Wednesday. Song Gil-yong, whose daughter, Song Hye-hee, went missing in 1999, died Monday in a car accident, according to the local group dedicated to finding missing people here. The head of the group, Na Ju-bong, said in a media interview that Song had been suffering from deteriorating health, even showing signs of dementia in recent years. Na described Song as "a

Aug. 28, 2024

Table tennis star Shin Yu-bin lands BHC Chicken ad after Olympic snacking fame

Table tennis star and Paris Olympic double-bronze medalist Shin Yu-bin has become a favorite in the Korean food industry, landing major ad deals with top brands. The 20-year-old athlete brought home medals in mixed and women’s doubles, ending the country’s long medal drought in table tennis. Cameras caught her munching on snacks -- bananas, rice balls, and energy gels -- during breaks as the competition heated up. These endearing moments quickly went viral, adding to her charm alongs

Aug. 28, 2024

[Herald Interview] YouTube star seeks reach in creator economy

For Ddoddunam, a creator who runs an eponymous YouTube channel, his first career in marketing was something he entered by accident, but which, in hindsight, readied him for a more fulfilling life as a creator. “I never thought I would end up as a marketer in the credit card business, fresh out of college. I was thinking more retail,” said the video creator, who shares travel tips with about 512,000 subscribers on his channel. The 37-year-old quit Shinhan Card in April after nine year

Aug. 26, 2024

Rapper San E under police investigation for alleged pedestrian assault

Rapper San E is under police investigation for allegedly assaulting a pedestrian. The Seoul Mapo Police Station said it started an official investigation of San E last Saturday on charges of aggravated assault. The 39-year-old rapper is accused of assaulting a pedestrian with a mobile phone and other objects at a park in Mapo-gu, Seoul, at around 8:30 p.m. July 28. San E reportedly told the alleged victim, “Walk your bike properly,” before the alleged assault. The alleged victim clai

Aug. 19, 2024

[Photo News] Promising columnists

The winners of the 2024 Student Column Contest and officials of The Korea Herald pose for a photograph at the award ceremony held at Herald Media Group is Seoul on Monday. The contest was co-hosted by The Korea Herald and Seoul National University’s English-language journal The SNU Quill. From left: The Korea Herald chief copy editor Paul Kerry, The Korea Herald managing editor Lee Joo-hee, first place winner Kim Ha-jin of Seoul National University, second place winner Chae Song-hwa and th

Aug. 19, 2024

[The Calling] Deaf priest calls out scant teachings about deaf people

Ordained Asia’s first-ever deaf Catholic priest in July 2007 at the age of 39, Father Park Min-seo is a trailblazer. Park reached another milestone in May, earning a doctor of ministry with a dissertation on how the Korean Catholic Church could better serve deaf Catholics. He worked on his dissertation while serving a three-year term as a chaplain at St. Francis of Assisi Deaf Church in Maryland. The Archdiocese of Washington had asked the Archdiocese of Seoul to dispatch Park, who is prof

Aug. 19, 2024

Suga's agency issues another apology over 'kick scooter' mention

Big Hit Music, the agency of BTS member Suga, issued a new apology Thursday morning related to the K-pop megastar's recent drunk driving, stating that it referring to the vehicle used in the incident as "a kick scooter" was in no way intended to understate the gravity of the situation. "There was no intention at all to downplay the situation as suggested by some. We once again apologize for hastily addressing the issue without more consideration," the company said, rel

Aug. 8, 2024

[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