Herald Interview In series
A series of in-depth interviews.
#Interview
# In-depth
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Herald Interview In series
A series of in-depth interviews.
Would you like to subscribe?
How Korea nurtures its next speedskating stars
“Sit down and begin when I count the numbers.” At the coach’s command, some 52 speedskating prospects — dressed in black tracksuits stitched with a small Taegeukgi, South Korea’s national flag, over their left chests and a bold Korea across their backs — steady their breathing and reset their legs for yet another start at the Taereung National Training Center in Taereung, Seoul’s Nowon-gu. Then they launch into another set of dry-land start-and-acceleration drills, rehearsing the first two to th
Feb. 16, 2026 - 16:00:00
What Olympians understand about work that most offices don’t
At the Winter Olympics, where medals are decided by tenths of a second and the difference between the podium and just off it can hinge on a single edge or landing, the competition is not only physical. It is cognitive and emotional. Athletes are navigating not only slippery courses and triple rotations, but also the quiet churn of memory — the crash last season, the near miss, the doubt that resurfaces from time to time. This is what Liane Davey, a team effectiveness adviser and New York Times b
Feb. 14, 2026 - 16:00:00
'I've never once gotten what I aimed for,' Park Jung-min says
Park Jung-min does not seem like a man who just became the most talked-about actor in Korea. "They've got the wrong guy," he says on Monday at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. "I'm more of an antisocial type. I genuinely have no idea what's happening." It all goes back to last year's Blue Dragon Awards, the country's premier year-end film ceremony. Park bounded onstage to perform alongside singer Hwasa and turned an otherwise routine event into a national meme. He walked away empty-handed despit
Feb. 14, 2026 - 16:00:00
'Single’s Inferno' creator on Choi Mi-na Sue, villains, viewer feedback
In an era of franchise-driven programming, sequels often face an uphill battle, with follow-ups frequently falling short of the momentum and expectations set by a breakout debut. Breaking through that curse in Korea are dating reality formats, which have proven to be a notable exception. Among the most resilient is "I'm Solo," which has remained on air since 2021 and is currently airing its 29th cohort, with each seaon's storyline unfolding over seven or eight episodes. "EXchange" has likewise d
Feb. 13, 2026 - 16:18:11
[인터뷰] 구글 지도 반출 19년 교착…"막힌 건 안보가 아니라 수익성"
[코리아헤럴드=문준현 기자] "구글이 한국에 안 들어오는 이유는 정부가 막아서가 아닙니다. 수익이 안 나오니까 안 들어오는 겁니다. 이익이 나면 들어옵니다. 일본에서 그랬듯이." 19년째 이어지고 있는 구글 지도 데이터 반출 논쟁에 대해 유기윤 서울대 건설환경공학부 교수(전 국토지리정보원장)는 지난 11일 코리아헤럴드와의 인터뷰에서 이같이 밝혔다. 구글은 2007년, 2016년에 이어 지난해 2월 세 번째로 1:5000 축척 국가기본도의 해외 반출을 신청했다. 정부는 매번 안보를 이유로 허가하지 않았다. 그런데 지난주 구글이 제출한 보완 서류는 위성 이미지 보안 시설 가림 처리, 좌표 정보 삭제 등 정부가 내건 안보 조건을 사실상 모두 충족한 것으로 알려졌다. 단 한 가지, 국내 데이터센터 설치 계획만은 빠져 있었다. 유 교수는 이 교착 상태를 안보 문제나 서버 위치 논쟁으로 해석하는 것 자체가 본질을 놓치는 것이라고 진단했다. 그에 따르면 핵심은 단순하다. 구글이 한국에 데이터센터
Feb. 12, 2026 - 18:00:53![[인터뷰] 구글 지도 반출 19년 교착…"막힌 건 안보가 아니라 수익성"](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/02/13/news-p.v1.20260212.a1df6a111ac343629a0e9335485a7a2f_T1.jpeg?type=h&h=320)
Google Maps standoff isn’t a ban — it’s a price tag, Korea's ex-mapping chief says
For 19 years, Google has been asking South Korea for permission to take the country's detailed 1:5000 map data overseas. For 19 years, Seoul has said no. The conventional explanation is national security: Korea is technically still at war, and precise maps in foreign hands pose a risk. But last week, Google submitted a revised proposal that effectively undermined that narrative. It now meets virtually every security condition the government had set. The one thing it refused to include was a plan
Feb. 12, 2026 - 15:34:32
Namira weaves Korean folk into EDM on debut EP ‘California Fever’
For Namira, being Korean American wasn’t a tidy blend of two cultural identities — it was a constant lived experience of being in between. “I grew up in a place where my family was the only Korean family for miles around,” said Namira, a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and DJ, during a Zoom interview with The Korea Herald. “You’re not American-American the way everyone around you is. But at the same time, you are American, but you also have this connection to this (Korean) culture.” That in-
Feb. 10, 2026 - 15:25:54
The adrenaline maestro: How Yoon Han-kyeol turns crises into career-defining moments
For most conductors, a phone call 48 hours before a major international concert across the continent is a nightmare scenario. For Yoon Han-kyeol, it is becoming a signature move. The 32-year-old conductor and composer was originally slated to return to his native South Korea to lead a New Year’s concert -- his first homecoming in January after 15 years abroad. But when the phone rang with an urgent request from the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, plans changed instantly. Yoon flew to Canada to step
Feb. 8, 2026 - 15:29:33
'AI's real challenge is data, not infrastructure': NetApp CEO
As South Korea doubles down on artificial intelligence, one of Silicon Valley's longest-running enterprise data CEOs says most organizations are overlooking the real bottleneck. "Eighty-five percent of the time in an AI project is spent finding, organizing and preparing data, before you even start working on the solution," said George Kurian, chief executive of NetApp, a US-based firm that builds the infrastructure behind enterprise data platforms. Speaking with The Korea Herald during a visit t
Feb. 8, 2026 - 10:33:25
Lim Yunchan's dream recitals: One preserved forever at Carnegie Hall, the other in his head
For pianist Lim Yunchan, Bach’s Goldberg Variations have lived close to his heart since childhood. He first encountered the work at the age of eight, after discovering a box set of Bach recordings by Glenn Gould. “When I first listened to it, I was amazed by its grandeur and beauty, and it has remained close to my heart ever since. I’ve dreamt of releasing this piece as a live album from Carnegie Hall,” Lim, who became the youngest person ever to win gold at the Van Cliburn International Piano C
Feb. 6, 2026 - 08:00:00
Korea’s top lenders face delicate balancing act: Bloomberg Intelligence analyst
South Korea’s top lenders — KB, Shinhan, Hana and Woori — are being pushed into an increasingly delicate balancing act: expanding policy-driven lending to support economic growth while preserving capital strength and boosting shareholder returns, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst said. Under “productive finance,” a policy priority of the Lee Jae Myung administration, the parent groups of the four banks have pledged to channel a combined 345 trillion won ($240 billion) into productivity-enhancing
Feb. 5, 2026 - 13:08:04
'I'm not too sure about myself,' Choi Woo-shik says
By any measure, Choi Woo-shik has made it. "Parasite" made him a global name, while a string of subsequent local hits like "Our Beloved Summer" and "Would You Marry Me" turned him into Korea's baby-faced heartthrob. Yet sitting across from him in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, on a Tuesday afternoon, you wouldn't have guessed it. Soft-spoken and unassuming, the 37-year-old comes off like a shy teenager, his gaze drifting downward and rarely holding eye contact for long. Ask him about his strengths as an
Feb. 4, 2026 - 17:25:43
Ahn Eun-me’s ‘Post-Oriental Express’ rides toward a new Asia
When told that overseas audiences had “never seen anything like this before,” choreographer Ahn Eun-me shot back without missing a beat: “Of course not! I’m here for the first time!” Delivered half in jest and half with defiant pride, the remark captures the irrepressible confidence that has long made Ahn one of the most singular forces in contemporary dance. Her latest work, “Post-Oriental Express,” has been rolling across Europe like a relentless train, cutting through borders and expectations
Feb. 4, 2026 - 16:24:05
Choi Woo-shik on 'Number One': 'I always took the safe path -- this one scared me'
Choi Woo-shik was 24 when he and director Kim Tae-yong worked on "Set Me Free" together. Both were nobodies: Choi was still doing bit parts on the side and Kim was directing his first feature. The film became an indie sensation. It swept that year's awards circuit, won Choi Best New Actor at Busan, and set everything in motion. A decade later, they've reunited for "Number One," a fairy-tale family drama about a son who begins to see numbers floating above his mother's head: a countdown, he later
Feb. 4, 2026 - 16:00:00
'I'd love to do something in English': Choi Woo-shik on Hollywood, and why it hasn't happened yet
Korean stars crossing over to Hollywood isn't exactly rare anymore: Park Seo-jun popped up in "The Marvels"; Jeon Jong-seo did "Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon" and has "Highlander" coming up. You'd think Choi Woo-shik would be a natural fit. The guy grew up in Vancouver, speaks fluent English and has one of the most recognizable faces in Korean cinema thanks to "Parasite." Yet the credits haven't come. What's the holdup? "Schedule," he says. "After 'Parasite,' there was tons of talk, lots of back
Feb. 4, 2026 - 15:20:53
