15-year-old girl saves 5 lives with organ donations after death

The state-run organ donation agency on Monday revealed the story of a 15-year-old middle school student, whose post-mortem donation of her vital organs gave five people a new lease on life. Lee Ye-won, who passed away last year on May 11 after extensive damage to her brain from a cerebral hemorrhage, had her heart, lungs, liver and both kidneys donated to five individuals, said the Korea Organ Donation Agency, an affiliate of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The child collapsed on April 26 of

Nov. 27, 2023

City becomes attractive when social minorities are empowered: Seoul mayor

Strengthening social minorities and developing a city’s competitiveness should not be considered separately from each other when establishing city policies and development projects, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon said at a forum on Wednesday. “The Seoul Metropolitan Government aims to accompany and assist social minorities while transforming Seoul into a more attractive and appealing city for everyone,” said Oh at the Global Business Forum hosted by The Korea Herald. Oh presented a set

Nov. 23, 2023

German ambassador advocates 'de-risking' at Global Biz Forum

The German ambassador to Korea, Georg Schmidt, addressed the need to pursue a "de-risking" strategy to protect the economy in the face of global uncertainties, at the Global Biz Forum in Seoul on Wednesday. In his remarks, Schmidt recalled the perils of relying heavily on a single source, citing Germany's vulnerability caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, when gas supplies from Russia were disrupted. Germany swiftly adapted by diversifying its sources, constructing LNG terminals and

Nov. 23, 2023

Memorial sculpture of US general unveiled at UN Peace Park, Busan

A special ceremony unveiling a memorial sculpture of Gen. Richard S. Whitcomb, who served in the Korean War (1950-1953), took place at UN Peace Park in Busan, Saturday. Titled "Going to the Future Together," the sculpture commemorating the US General was created by sculptor Kwon Chi-gyu, 57, who also created a sculpture of Ahn Jung-geun, an independence fighter during the Japanese colonial period, at the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Museum in Seoul. Gen. Whitcomb served as the commander of t

Nov. 13, 2023

GBF highlights investment opportunities in Kazakhstan, S. Chungcheong Province

Kazakh Ambassador to Korea Nurgali Arystanov and South Chungcheong Province Gov. Kim Tae-heum showcased their expanding business and investment potential at the fourth edition of the Global Biz Forum hosted by The Korea Herald on Wednesday. Arystanov's presentation centered on Kazakhstan's active "multivector" foreign policy, its rising status as an investment destination and the significance of South Korea in the C5+Korea initiative launched in 2007. He highlighted South Kor

Nov. 9, 2023

ArtToken, KAIST sign MOU to cooperate in art, technology fields

Online non-fungible token art trading platform ArtToken and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have signed a memorandum of understanding to push for projects integrated with art and technology. The MOU between KAIST’s Graduate School of Culture Technology and ArtToken, inked on Thursday, aims to foster collaboration in the fields of art and technology such as coding art, interactive art and NFT art based on blockchain technology. Based in Seoul, ArtToken has organized proje

Oct. 31, 2023

Koreans well equipped to overcome global economic turmoil, says ex-FSC chief

A former chief of the Financial Services Commission expressed optimism that the Korean people, who have achieved unprecedented economic growth over the past several decades, possess inherent qualities that will enable them to surmount the global economic crisis. Speaking at the Global Business Forum held at Grand Hyatt Seoul on Wednesday, Kim Seok-dong, chairman of the Jipyong Institute of Humanities and Society, an affiliate of Jipyong LLC, gave a historical overview of the factors that led u

Oct. 26, 2023

81-year-old K-pop star to receive highest national cultural merit

Eighty-one-year-old singer Lee Mi-ja will receive the highest national cultural merit on Saturday for her contributions to Korean pop culture. Lee was selected as the recipient of the Geumgwan Order of Cultural Merit in recognition of her status as the most influential Korean pop artist of the 1960s, the Culture Ministry said Friday in announcing the recipients of various honors for popular culture. Lee is the first K-pop artist to win the highest rank of the Order of Cultural Merit. Lee, who de

Oct. 20, 2023

Strengthening Vietnam-S.Korea cooperation, exchanges discussed at GBF

Given South Korea and Vietnam's complementary roles, there is more room for bilateral cooperation between the two countries, said Vietnamese Ambassador to South Korea Nguyen Vu Tung on Wednesday. "Vietnam and South Korea can formulate such a good partnership. With Vietnam's abundant labor forces, I bet South Korean companies will be able to enjoy a new wave of business opportunities based on their advanced technologies," said Tung at the Global Biz Forum held at Summit Galler

Oct. 19, 2023

[Herald Interview] Park Youn-hee thinks fashion is beyond clothes

Park Youn-hee, the founder and head of fashion brand Greedilous, took the steps that most fashion designers take. She majored in fashion design at a university in Busan and entered the fashion industry as a designer at local women’s clothing brands Obzee and Handsome, which is now run by the Korean fashion conglomerate Hyundai Department Store Group. After 15 years working at the company, she is now in her 12th year of running her own fashion brand. “I was a bit tired of company poli

Oct. 19, 2023

Indo-Korea Business Culture Center chair takes part in India’s tree planting initiative

Zena Chung, chair of the Indo-Korea Business Culture Center, participated in a tree planting event in India in line with the 154th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's birth earlier this week. Chung was invited to the event by India’s Gandhi Mandela Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes the values and ideals of Gandhi and South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela. The event was held at Sri Venkateswara College within the Delhi University campus in New Delhi on Monda

Oct. 6, 2023

Indo-Korea Business Culture Center chairman takes part in India’s tree planting initiative

Indo-Korea Business Culture Center Chairman Zena Chung participated in a tree planting event in India in line with the 154th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's birth earlier this week. Chung was invited to the event by India’s Gandhi Mandela Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes the values and ideals of Gandhi and South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela. The event was held at Sri Venkateswara College within the Delhi University campus in New Delhi on Monday. Chu

Oct. 5, 2023

At 93 and on quest to become Korea's oldest Ph.D. grad

Ninety-three years old and still chasing his dreams, Kwon No-gab, the chairman of the Kim Dae-jung Foundation and adviser to the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, recently attended his first class as an English Literature doctoral student. He said he aims to complete his dissertation by the time he turns 95 in two years' time, an ambitious goal for any doctorate pursuant. The record for the oldest Korean to earn a Ph.D. is held by Lee Sang-suk, who obtained the degree at the age of

Sept. 27, 2023

4th Global Biz Forum kicks off to discuss 'next prosperity'

The fourth edition of The Korea Herald’s Global Business Forum kicked off Wednesday at Grand Hyatt Seoul, under the theme of “Next Prosperity." The 13-week forum, held every Wednesday, is aimed at discussing strategies for shaping the future prosperity and choices of Korea. Attendees of the forum share knowledge of the international community and overseas investment opportunities to expand business networks. Attending the kick-off ceremony, outgoing Indonesian Ambassador Gandi S

Sept. 25, 2023

[Life In Korea] Expectations vs. Reality of teaching English in Korea with Annie Jeong

“Things that you thought you knew, you're going to have to change on the spot every single day, every single hour, whether that's things about work or just in general.” Annie Jeong’s decision to move to Korea was born from a transitional phase in her life. Amid job uncertainties, she found herself at a crossroads. She seized the opportunity to explore her Korean roots and embark on a journey that was both educational and personal by immersing herself in teaching Engli

Sept. 9, 2023

[Herald Interview] Frieze CEO sees permeating local cultural scene as key to fair's success

As the date for the second edition of Frieze Seoul approached, museums and galleries in Seoul unveiled their plans to ensure the fair becomes the highlight of the year. At the same time, galleries and global auctioneers are exploring opportunities to establish permanent spaces within the city. “I was absolutely overwhelmed by the enthusiasm that everybody in Seoul has for Frieze Seoul, and of course for Kiaf Seoul, by the number of events that are happening around the city. It is not somet

Sept. 7, 2023

Digital artist Krista Kim on Zen and healing through art, technology

Korean-Canadian artist Krista Kim seeks to evoke a sense of tranquility in her work, which she creates through the use of digital technologies. Whether viewed on a smartphone or through virtual reality goggles, the vibrant gradients Kim presents have a relaxing effect, akin to basking among the cherry blossoms. Kim captures images of lights, manipulating them using software and crafting minimalistic still images. At times, she transforms these into gradations. Her pursuit of portraying a sense

Sept. 6, 2023

S. African artistic director endeavors to spread joy of music

Pianist, chamber musician, accompanist to a choral conductor and artistic director -- Willem Vogel, 66, has played many roles in the field of music. In a career spanning 30 years, Vogel has hosted more than 6,000 concerts through Salon Music, his impresario business, and has engaged in productions, theater rentals and educational projects since 1993. Vogel is the founder and artistic director of the Brooklyn Theater, a venue in Pretoria, South Africa, established in 2010. He is also artistic dir

Sept. 3, 2023

First lesbian to become a mother in S. Korea on struggle to be a 'normal' parent

On Wednesday, Kim Kyu-jin became the first openly gay Korean woman to give birth. While the birth of her child is a unique event here, it was a casual conversation over lunch which first sparked the idea of becoming a mother. “You are married? You are going to have a baby, right?” The question was posed to her by her boss at a multinational company in France. The question got her thinking, “If this kind of question can be so easily asked over lunch on the first day of work beca

Aug. 30, 2023

[Herald Interview] Proud Korean Peggy Gou aims to make 'timeless' music

Peggy Gou is a superstar DJ doing tours around the world year-round. Her shows are always sold out across mostly European cities. Gou’s latest single “(It goes like) Nanana” has been on the UK top 10 singles chart for 10 straight weeks, and topped the charts in the Netherlands and Belgium over the summer. Although she may not be as widely known as BTS in her home country, Gou is a proud South Korean, born and bred in Incheon. “When people see other Asian performers and as

Aug. 27, 2023