Around the hotels

Charcuterie specialties at The Deli at Grand Hyatt SeoulThe Deli at Grand Hyatt Seoul is showcasing the award-winning recipes and charcuterie specialties of artisan charcutier Benito Plasschaert. Plasschaert is a key figure in traditional homemade meat and has been working as a charcutier for more than 45 years. The Deli will showcase delicacies such as handmade sausages, hams, pates, terrines, rillettes and much more. The menu will also feature dishes such as venison pate with cognac, Italian m

FoodNov. 8, 2013

Tacos by way of Texas and L.A.

Coreanos Kitchen, one of the latest Mexican fusion restaurants to open in Seoul, promises to pull in loyal patrons with its wallet-friendly, made-from-scratch menu.Located on Apgujeong-dong’s Rodeo Street, the new establishment spins out tasty tacos for around 3,300 won a pop, handcrafting thick soft shells with masa, putting them through the tortilla press, giving them a stint on the griddle before piling on the meat, cabbage slaw or other tidbits and spiking the whole thing with artisanal, in-

FoodNov. 8, 2013

Beoseot jeongol (mushroom hot pot)

This recipe is a simple version of jeongol (Korean hot pot). Jeongol is a hearty, steaming one-pot meal that’s usually cooked at the table. To make it, you basically arrange a variety of ingredients neatly in a shallow pot, then add a flavorful broth and cook.Beoseot (mushroom) jeongol is made with an assortment of different types of mushrooms. It’s a great way to enjoy the strong, earthy flavor of mushrooms. Here, I made it simple and completely vegetarian! You can add other vegetables, beef,

FoodNov. 8, 2013

SBS to launch world’s first 3-D TV program series

With the rise of 3-D technology in the filming industry, SBS ― one of the nation’s leading television networks ― is scheduled to be the first terrestrial TV station in the world to broadcast regular weekly programs in 3-D, according to officials at the broadcasting station. Starting Saturday, the network will be airing one of two programs each week ― the fourth season of “Knowledge Sharing Concert ― I Love People” and new program “The 3D” ― both of which are shot and made for 3-D screening. The

TelevisionNov. 8, 2013

Filming last moments of Kennedy sobering for Lowe

On his first day on the set of “Killing Kennedy,” Rob Lowe saw Ginnifer Goodwin donning a replica of the pink suit worn by first lady Jacqueline Kennedy when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Immediately, the intensity and the reality of what they were about to depict in the film hit home.“Seeing her in that beautiful pink Chanel with bloodstains on it was unbelievably emotional,” Lowe said in an interview with the Associated Press on the set, briefly suppressing the accent he groomed

TelevisionNov. 8, 2013

D-Cube City receives award from Urban Land Institute

D-Cube City, a complex of shopping malls and other facilities located in Seoul’s Sindorim-dong, was named among 12 winners of the 2013 Urban Land Institute Global Award for Excellence. Designed by Jerde Partnership, a California-based architecture and design firm, D-Cube City opened in September 2011. It is outside one of Seoul’s busiest metro stations, Sindorim, and includes an extensive department store, art center, park, academy, apartment, and the Sheraton Seoul D-Cube City Hotel. “The desig

PeopleNov. 8, 2013

Snaps capture spirit of youth

An extensive survey of star photographer Ryan McGinley’s works is on exhibit in Seoul for the first time. The New York-based photographer has been known for his portrayal of youth and diverse emotions associated with it such as freedom, passion, liberation, anxiety and rebellion. The Seoul exhibition presents his major series featuring youthful images, which have caused a sensation in the art world and offered hope to his viewers of all generations. McGinley is also known for being the youngest

PerformanceNov. 7, 2013

Daesan Literary awards winners announced

Poet Jin Eun-young, author Kim Soom, playwright Koh Yeon-ok and translator Choi Yang-hee were chosen as the winners of the 21st Daesan Literary Awards. Kim Soom, 39, won the prize for her sixth novel “Women and their Evolving Enemies,” which deals with a woman and her conflicting relationship with her mother-in-law. Jin, 43, received the prize for her poem titled “A Stealing Song,” while playwright Koh Yeon-ok, 42, won the honor for her play “Father in a Scabbard,” a tale about a son who plots r

BooksNov. 7, 2013

Korea, U.K. ink creative industry deal

Korea and Britain have agreed to bolster cultural ties to support the creative economy by holding a joint cultural forum, researching cultural infrastructure and reinforcing support for relevant industries, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday. Cooperation between the two countries is expected to boost mutual understanding and expand market opportunities, the government said.  According to the memorandum of understanding signed by the Korean Culture Minister Yoo Jin-ryong an

CultureNov. 7, 2013

Tongyeong Concert Hall opens after seven years of construction

The new Tongyeong Concert Hall, located in the port city in South Gyeongsang Province, will open to the public Friday, seven years after the idea for a home for the music festival honoring composer Isang Yun was first conceived in 2006.Inaugurated in 2002, the Tongyeong International Music Festival has now grown into an internationally acclaimed contemporary music festival.The five-story, 14,618 square-meter facility costing 52 billion won ($48 million) is the fourth-largest concert facility in

PerformanceNov. 7, 2013

A modern-day Cassandra in rural Korea

About two years after the release of his successful 2011 feature debut “The King of Pigs,” animation film director Yeon Sang-ho is back with another grim and powerful portrait of human nature. Titled “The Fake,” the animated film manages to be an engrossingly dark tale of truth and deception. It takes place in a rural Korean town on the verge of becoming submerged. Most of its residents ― undereducated and isolated ― have little to their name. Some are terminally ill, while others are desperate

FilmNov. 7, 2013

SM to hold star-studded weeklong concert series

SHINee, Girls’ Generation, TVXQ, Super Junior, f(x) and EXO will all combine forces next month in S.M. Entertainment’s first weeklong concert series festival. “SMTown Week,” will parade the six leading teams of the SM family starting Dec. 21 in an eight-day back-to-back solo concert performance series being held at KINTEX exhibition center in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. It is expected to attract around 100,000 fans, including those coming in from overseas on special travel packages. SHINee will op

PerformanceNov. 7, 2013

Actor Choi Min-sik to star in a Luc Besson movie

Korean veteran actor Choi Min-sik (“Oldboy,” “Nameless Gangster”) is to star in the latest project by French filmmaker Luc Besson (“The Lady,” “The Fifth Element”), along with American actors Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman. He left for France to shoot the movie on Nov. 1.The movie, titled “Lucy,” is about a drug mule (Johansson) who is endowed with superhuman abilities. Choi’s participation in the film was revealed during the French director’s upcoming lineup announcement at the Venice Fi

FilmNov. 7, 2013

A filmmaker’s inner world of fantasy, horror

Over the last two decades, filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has become known as one of popular culture’s great visionaries. He’s channeled his wild, restless imagination to create dark worlds of fantasy and horror, crafting beautifully rendered stories that function as modern fairy tales. Del Toro is interested in innocence and evil, and his tales are populated with winged, multi-limbed creatures and human monsters.His new book, “Cabinet of Curiosities: My Notebooks, Collections, and Other Obsession

BooksNov. 7, 2013

Books focus on J.F. Kennedy’s conservatism

When we think of John F. Kennedy, we can’t help but bring to mind images of his assassination, but if there’s anything surprising about the 50th anniversary of his killing, it is the books that look back at his life.That may be because there’s no new ground to be broken on the assassination, although Life magazine’s magnificent “The Day Kennedy Died” (Life Books: 192 pp.) does offer a lavish retrospective that takes us through the tragedy, ending with the president’s funeral. There is perspectiv

BooksNov. 7, 2013

History of PBS’ ‘Masterpiece Theatre’

Making Masterpiece: 25 Years Behind the Scenes at ‘Masterpiece Theatre’ and ‘Mystery!’ On PBSBy Rebecca Eaton (Penguin, NY) Do you remember Alistair Cooke? Besides being a renowned journalist, he also was the first host of PBS’ “Masterpiece Theatre” when it started in 1971.Now you can find out all about that history of that long-running program in Executive Producer Rebecca Eaton’s amusing biography “Making Masterpiece.”She took over in 1985 when “Masterpiece Theatre” was 15 years old. It was kn

BooksNov. 7, 2013