With more than 9.4 million people living in the capital city sprawling 605 square kilometers, Seoul is one of the most crowded cities in the world. It boasts a population density of some 15,567 people per square kilometer. New York City, by comparison, has a population density of about 11,313 people per square kilometer. It comes as no surprise that in Seoul, where space is scarce, we build not only above ground and underground, but over and under existing structures as well. We also cover strea

Arts & Design Aug. 30, 2023

CHUNCHEON, Gangwon Province -- Approaching the observatory located across the street from the statue of the Maiden of Soyanggang on the Soyang River, one is struck by its height. The four-story structure is 20.4 meters tall. If you had come expecting something taller – you would not have been wrong to expect something of a greater height since observatories are typically tall structures or situated at some height – you might wonder if you were at the right place. Completed in March 2

Arts & Design Aug. 29, 2023

The three-year COVID-19 pandemic was not only a great disruptor, it also highlighted long-standing problems, including health inequity around the world. “I thought this was the final straw on bragging about our health care system. It showed every weakness, including huge health disparities in mortality and impact,” said Dr. Matthew H. Liang, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and professor of health policy and management at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, ta

Technology July 18, 2023

Whether as innocent as a young child moving to her favorite Disney tune or as highly choreographed and tightly executed as the moves of a K-pop band, dancing is an elemental expression of the self and a universal form of communication. At the Busan International Dance Festival, which took place from June 2-4 in the southern port city, 40 dance teams from around the world communicated pure joy, whimsical caprice, despair and hope, human struggles and victory. Watching the dancers perform on an ou

Viewpoints June 9, 2023

Economic ties may have their ups and downs, but not so with cultural bonds, said Abu Dhabi's leading patron of the arts recently in Seoul, when discussing cultural exchanges between the two sides, whose strategic partnership covering business, energy and defense got a boost in January with a state visit to the United Arab Emirates by President Yoon Suk Yeol. “Once you connect in culture, this is solid because when your culture means something to me, I will protect it no matter what,

Culture June 7, 2023

New York artist Gregory de la Haba’s first show in Seoul is underway at Hangaram Art Museum of the Seoul Arts Center, showcasing some 20 paintings completed over the last two years. As was the case for many people around the world, the pandemic period was a productive one for de la Haba, who set up a studio inside his garage at the back of his house in the borough of Queens when he could not travel to his studio in Brooklyn, New York. Unable to travel or meet friends, de la Haba’s fo

Arts & Design June 2, 2023

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is often referred to as a disease with thousand faces, reflecting the wide spectrum of diverse clinical manifestations of the disease. It can be fatal with major organ involvement. Basically an autoimmune disease, the immune system that is supposed to protect you turns against SLE patients. While autoimmune diseases are usually organ-specific and usually involve one organ, SLE is typically non-organ specific and can attack any organ and thus can lead to many di

Technology May 19, 2023

Speaking at Thursday's session on “Global Challenges,” Dr. Bae Sang-cheol of Hanyang University pointed out that social determinants account for more than 50 percent of population health. One’s genetic makeup and biology as well as personal behaviors contribute only around 25 percent. Medical care, meanwhile, accounts for about 20 percent. In his presentation titled "Access to Health Care," Bae noted that in lower socioeconomic status areas, lupus management is

Technology May 19, 2023

The 43rd Korean College of Rheumatology Annual Scientific Meeting and 17th International Symposium running Wednesday through Saturday at Coex, southern Seoul, features two special sessions aimed at fostering a younger generation of rheumatologists. Dr. Bae Sang-cheol and Dr. Yoo Dae-hyun, both from Hanyang University shared their expertise and experience as leading clinicians and researchers in the field of rheumatology during the Presidential Plenary session on Thursday. The lectures aimed to i

Technology May 19, 2023

At 23, Kim Jin-hye was diagnosed with lupus three days after she was brought to a hospital in an ambulance. “I was bleeding heavily from everywhere, even my ears,” she said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Monday. The very quick diagnosis is very unusual. Most lupus patients often suffer years of complex symptoms -- ranging from fatigue, rashes and joint pain to organ failure -- before they find out what has been ailing them. When Kim told the doctor that her younger sister h

Technology May 19, 2023

As we exchange business cards at the start of the interview, his card catches my attention. The navy blue card with silver letters and an embossed seal of the school is very distinguished looking. The design clearly intends to command respect. I note the unusual design and Dr. Bae Sang-cheol, distinguished professor at Hanyang University, explains that the school’s distinguished professors are given the special cards. Bae, a former director of Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Dise

People May 6, 2023

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- To some, it may look like a tumor is growing on the side of the building; to others, as if an asteroid has hit it. Or it may look like a planet docking against a cube, according to the description given in a brochure prepared by the building's architects. The Taipei Performing Arts Center, the city's latest landmark, is a conversation starter. The center, composed of a central cube with three structures of different shapes -- a globe, a rectangle and a triangle wedge

Arts & Design April 18, 2023

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- One of the goals of architects in undertaking a public architecture project, such as the Taipei Performing Arts Center, is not to be wasteful. “There is a very strong obligation in public work not to be wasteful in any way -- not with the resources, not with the space in the city, not with the opportunities you create,” said David Gianotten, the managing partner at OMA, in an interview with The Korea Herald in Taipei on March 18. Gianotten and OMA founder Rem Kool

Arts & Design April 18, 2023

“When sadness strikes me, I look around, but I am still at a loss. I just want to dig myself into the ground, no longer having the desire to live. My broken heart will steady if, fortunately, I have a book in my hand.” Yi Deok-mu (1741-1793), a Silhak scholar and poet of the late Joseon era (1392-1910), is said to have read almost 20,000 books in his lifetime. He had a nickname -- "ganseochi," meaning "a fool who only reads books." He said he was able to forget hu

Culture April 14, 2023

The Netflix original drama series "Squid Game" was the spark which changed everything. While Jo Hyun-rae, president of the Korea Creative Content Agency, was confident about the power of Korean pop culture and recognized its potential when the KBS drama series "Winter Sonata" and its lead actor Bae Yong-joon achieved popularity in Asian markets outside of Korea in 2002, it was not too long ago that he began to feel Korea could play a more active role in the highly competitive

Culture April 2, 2023