Brooklyn the Burger Joint launches all-American diner

Sporting a retro neon sign, mint green banquettes and Formica tables, the latest iteration of Brooklyn the Burger Joint’s hit restaurant chain reads like a 1950s American diner.The resemblance, Brookyn the Burger Joint owner-chef Park Hyun revealed, is intentional, as are the diner-like opening hours -- 24 hours, seven days-a-week. “I wanted to do it somewhere big and I wanted to do a 24-hour spot,” Park, 35, explained how he came to launch Brooklyn the Burger Joint’s fourth outlet this June nea

FoodJuly 24, 2015

[Weekender] Korea’s top beaches for a refreshing summer

There’s nothing quite like a sandy beach and open ocean in the summer to wash away the fatigue of everyday stress. With long, stretching coastlines, Korea offers a variety of beaches for midsummer vacations, each with its own unique personality. The Korea Herald suggests some of the nation’s best beaches for relaxation, for crowded fun and for fun experiences.　Quiet seaside paradises　For those seeking a quieter, more relaxing summer getaway, the following are some of the country’s hidden seaside

TravelJuly 24, 2015

[Weekender] Backpack or bikini?

The sizzling heat and torrid humidity of summer is also synonymous with the season of rest, relaxation and the thrill of being in the great outdoors. 　And whether it’s taking the sweltering heat like a bull by the horns, enjoying the most of nature cooling off in the water or putting one’s calf muscles to work tackling the nation’s countless trekking trails, many Koreans choose to spend their summers either on the seaside or mountainside. 　With more than half of the peninsula made of mountain ra

TravelJuly 24, 2015

[Weekender] Rash guard, a must-have beach item

While summer has always offered an excuse to show off some skin, this season, covering up has become more fashionable than shedding clothes. In lieu of scanty beachwear, the long-sleeved, narrow-necked rash guard has hit it big with beachgoers and celebrities both in and out of the country. Photo shoots of Hallyu it-girls like Gain and Hani of girl group EXID posing in rash guards stormed the Internet, gaining a massive number of “likes” and topping the entertainment news section. The rash guard

Arts & DesignJuly 24, 2015

Home Cooking: Dak Kalguksu

 This boiling hot noodle soup is a popular summertime dish in Korea. Kalguksu literally means “knife noodles”, but it actually refers to a steaming hot noodle soup that’s traditionally made with handmade, knife-cut noodles. There are many variations using different ingredients for the soup base or for the dough. Dak (chicken) kalguksu is made with a rich chicken broth, and shredded chicken meat. For convenience, you can use commercially packaged fresh kalguksu noodles available in the refrigerat

FoodJuly 24, 2015

[Weekender] Mountain valleys to check out this summer

With about 70 percent of land in South Korea covered by mountainous regions, hiking is a familiar and accessible pastime for many Koreans.During the summer, Koreans often visit the mountains and spend time in the valleys and riverside to ward off the heat and escape from the daily grind. Here are several popular valleys to visit for the summer.　Achimgari Achimgari (Yonhap)Achimgari, a valley located on Mount Bangtaesan in Inje, Gangwon province, is famous for its trekking course.It has earned it

TravelJuly 24, 2015

[Weekender] Night hiking, a respite from summer heat

(123rf) As the summer sun takes its toll on the best of outdoorsman, some are turning to night hiking. Exploring the wilderness in the dark is a whole new experience that simulates all one’s senses, enthusiasts say, if one only follows key safety tips. Seoul’s Yangcheon-gu, the first district to launch an official nighttime trekking program in 2011, is holding a weekly group hiking program every Thursday evening until Aug. 27.Approximately 100 people sign up for the 2-hour excursion, said Kim Se

TravelJuly 24, 2015

Weekend Box Office Guide

Heading to theaters this weekend but not sure what to watch?The Korea Herald offers a summary of the top box office hits now playing.For the fourth weekend of July, check out "Pixels" or "Three Summer Night" for some slapstick feel-good comedy, or "Assassination" for an edge-of-your-seat historical thriller. If you still haven't seen "Inside Out," this may be your last chance -- "Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation" comes out on July 30 and is sure to gobble up screens.Mission: Impossible -- Rog

FilmJuly 24, 2015

[Album Review] Sonamoo leaves more to be desired on 'Cushion' EP

Sonamoo“Cushion”LOEN EntertainmentSonamoo splashed into the K-pop scene proclaiming that they would be different. With tall, pretty members each with 3 to 4 years of training experience, they seemed ready to bring something fresh to the market. Their first EP “Déjà vu” was favorably received by the public.Unfortunately, Sonamoo’s second album “Cushion” fails to build on that steady first step. The first few lines of the title track “Cushion” are interesting and exciting, but the song quickly dis

PerformanceJuly 24, 2015

[Album Review] Hellovenus 5th EP full of ‘Brave Sound’

Hellovenus“I’m Ill”Neowiz InternetGirl group Hellovenus joined forces once again with hit-making composer Brave Brothers for its fifth EP “I’m Ill.” He composed all but one of the tracks (“Whatcha Talk About”) on the EP, which was composed by Brave Entertainment’s producing team Galactika* and ChaKun of Brave’s hip-hop group Electroboyz.So it’s no surprise that the EP is one big party album. It starts with a club-style EDM punch on the album’s title track “I’m Ill,” where the girls sing about “s

PerformanceJuly 24, 2015

Around the Hotels

Taste of Thailand at Sheraton D Cube City  Sheraton D Cube City Hotel is presenting authentic Thai dishes for its “Thai@Feast” promotion from Aug.7-27 at the hotel’s signature restaurant Feast on the 41st floor. The menu will be prepared by guest chefs from Thailand’s Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit in Bangkok. The chefs will present an assortment of Thai dishes including the Kaho Samunprai Nai Kratong Tong, or organic crispy rice, and Kanom Pang Na Goog, a deep-fried shrimp toast with sweet plum sauc

FoodJuly 24, 2015

[Album Review] No surprises from Gfriend’s 2nd EP

Gfriend“Flower Bud”(KT Music)Gfriend played it safe for their second EP “Flower Bud,” opting to nestle comfortably into the bubble-gum pop niche in a market saturated by EDM and hip-hop beats. The group, which debuted in January with “Glass Bead,” was often referred to as the next Apink during their last promotions. That sweet, innocent vibe -- complete with matching white dresses and schoolgirl outfits -- continues into this second EP. Excluding the intro and instrumental track, there are four

PerformanceJuly 24, 2015

[Travel Bits] Incheon Airport to hold summer concert

 The Incheon International Airport will hold cultural performances to help travelers beat the heat during this summer vacation season. The “Fantastic Summer Concert” will be held from July 28 to Aug. 2 at the airport’s Millennium Hall on the first floor of its passenger terminal. The concert, which is open to all visitors for free, will be held for about 90 minutes on July 28 at 10 p.m., and at 4 p.m. on July 29 through Aug. 2. 　K-pop stars including Lena Park will hold a live-stage concert. Als

TravelJuly 24, 2015

[Travel Bits] Korean Pavilion at Milan Expo attracts 1m visitors

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that the Korean Pavilion at the Milan Expo saw more than 1 million visitors since it opened to the public in May.The ministry in partnership with the Korea Tourism Organization and Korean Air awarded a round-trip ticket from Milan to Incheon to the 1 millionth visitor, who came from Rome. The Korean Pavilion at Milan Expo (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)The ministry said that some 12,000 tourists have been visiting the Korean Pavilion a d

TravelJuly 24, 2015

[Travel Bits] Air Busan launches flights to Guam

Air Busan has started offering direct flight services to the tourist island of Guam from Busan, making it the airliner’s 15th international route.The budget airliner will be offering Busan-Guam flights four days a week on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.Air Busan flight No. BX612 will take off from Busan at 10:15 p.m. and land in Guam in the Western Pacific at 3:10 in the morning the following day. Flight No. BX611 will leave the island at 4:10 a.m. and arrive in Busan at 7:10 a.m. on t

TravelJuly 24, 2015

‘Memories of the Sword’ set to join summer box office battle

“Memories of the Sword” is set to hit the big screen next month, intensifying summer box office competition with “Assassination,” “Veteran,” “The Beauty Inside” and the Hollywood blockbuster “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation.” 　Starring a stellar ensemble cast of actor Lee Byung-hun, actresses Jeon Do-yeon and Kim Go-eun and directed by Park Heung-sik, the film is a martial arts epic about a man of humble beginnings (Yu-baek, played by Lee) who uses his swordsmanship and cunning betrayal to gain

FilmJuly 24, 2015

Mystic, Afreeca TV team up for new venture

Music label Mystic Entertainment, home to artists such as Lim Kim, Eddy Kim and Jane Jang, and peer-to-peer content streaming site Afreeca TV have joined to create a new content company, the companies announced Thursday. Afreeca TV Seo Soo-kiel (left) and Mystic Entertainment CEO Yoon Jong-shin pose for press at CGV Apgujeong Thursday. (Mystic Entertainment)The joint venture, called Freec, will be used to create and share content in a way that integrates and maximizes the advantages of new and o

PerformanceJuly 23, 2015

International forum to ignite discussion of Korean culture

An international cultural forum in Seoul in late summer will assemble the world’s creative opinion leaders to experience, discuss and globalize Korean culture. The Culture Communication Forum, organized by the Corea Image Communications Institute, will be held from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2, inviting 14 influential figures, including a festival director, dance director, museum director, performance producer, policy advisor, architect, curator, journalist, former broadcaster, cartoonist, musician, singe

CultureJuly 23, 2015