Eyelike: Busker Busker’s 2nd album doesn’t disappoint

Busker Busker’s follow-up repeats winning formulaBusker Busker “Busker Busker 2nd Album”CJ E&MBusker Busker’s 2nd album sounds a lot like their first album, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The band’s signature acoustic sound mixed with Jang Beom-jun’s smooth voice is a breath of fresh air compared to the many repetitious, electronic beat-ridden songs currently in the charts. The album starts with a sentimental classical instrumental track, “Autumn Night,” which demonstrates the obvious t

PerformanceSept. 27, 2013

Box Office: Runner Runner, The Face Reader, The Spy

Runner Runner Opened Sept. 26 Crime. Drama. Thriller. Directed by Brad Furman. Richie Furst (Justin Timberlake) is a student at Princeton University who pays his tuition by online gambling. When he gets cheated out of his money, he learns the site is being run from a remote island and decides to confront the site’s owner. He meets the cunning online gambling tycoon Ivan Block (Ben Affleck), and instead of getting his money back, Richie is lured into becoming Ivan’s protege with the promise of go

FilmSept. 27, 2013

Porn addict meets Ms. Right in ‘Don Jon’

Don Jon’s a dog.He cares only about his car, his pad, his boys, his family, his gym, his church (Sundays only), girls and porn ― lots and lots of porn. That is, until he meets Ms. Right ― actually two Ms. Rights ― and his bro-licious world is turned upside down when he learns that women are people too.That’s the simple premise for “Don Jon,” the feature directorial/writing debut for actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but it’s handled with such a deft sense of humor and pathos that it transcends any rom

FilmSept. 27, 2013

‘Tourism will continue to grow in Korea’

Korea will continue to see an influx of visitors in the coming years as it plays host to major upcoming sporting events ― namely the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon and 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang as well as the 2020 Olympics in neighboring Tokyo ― on top of the constant tourist arrivals from other Asian countries, according to Paul Wright, general manager of Hyatt Regency Incheon. “It should be an exciting time. … Korea is going to benefit with Tokyo holding the Olympics because more people

TravelSept. 27, 2013

Paju getaway: a calming bonsai garden

On a small hill in the northern Gyeonggi Province city of Paju, Soulone, a newly opened tree garden, could become a key attraction in the border city. Close to some popular destinations such as Imjingak ― a park just 7 kilometers from the DMZ ― and the dynamic cultural scenes in Heyri Art Village and Paju Book City, the garden is an accessible and inviting respite from city life.Soulone is home to some rare forms of garden trees, bonsai trees and viewing stones that are part of the collection Le

TravelSept. 27, 2013

Nouveau tapas in Itaewon

Tapeo is not a traditional tapas bar, though at first glance, the menu might give rise to the impression that the cuisine will be classic and straightforward. “We wanted to do food that was tasty with a modern and sophisticated presentation,” said owner-chef Yoo Ho-sung. Yoo, 30, who spent two years racking up experience in restaurants in Spain, parlayed his understanding of Spanish cuisine into his fledgling, 2-week-old establishment, aptly named Tapeo. Tapeo essentially means going to tapas ba

FoodSept. 27, 2013

Around the Hotels

Hyatt Regency Jeju offers autumn packageHyatt Regency Jeju is offering the Autumn Escape package for guests to enjoy the season from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30. The package includes a night’s stay in a Mountain View guestroom, rental car service, breakfast buffet for two at Terrace Café, and complimentary use of the sauna. Guests can enjoy exploring areas of Jeju Island using the rental car with guidance from the Jeju Tourist Attraction Coupon Book and Jeju map. A trekking equipment rental service is al

FoodSept. 27, 2013

Ganjang gejang (Raw crabs marinated in soy sauce)

Ganjang Gejang is a popular dish made by marinating raw crabs in a mild soy sauce-based brine. To make the brine, Korean cooks tend to use a wide variety of aromatic ingredients. The goal is to eliminate the raw, fishy taste while enhancing the flavor of the crabs at the same time. The brine should be flavorful, but not overpowering or too salty. Female crabs are preferred for making gejang, but you can also use male crabs, especially in the fall when they are fat and bountiful. As is the case w

FoodSept. 27, 2013

Bridge

The most common question that bridge experts are asked is when you should draw trumps when playing a suit contract. It is quite a difficult question, but we can simplify it by pointing out that about 25-40 percent of experts will lead a trump at the first opportunity.Facing an opening lead of ♣Q, South was careful to win in the dummy. If somebody had a singleton club, it was likely to be East, and it was important not to give him the opportunity to ruff an honor.To draw even one round of trumps

CultureSept. 27, 2013

‘Emotional, skirmishing scenes exhausted us’: ‘Accomplice’ actors

Actress Son Ye-jin and actor Kim Kap-soo said their latest film cost them a great deal of effort to deal with detailed portrayals of emotions.In the emotional thriller “The Accomplice,” Son played a daughter who becomes suspicious that her father might be a culprit in a kidnap-turned-murder case.The film took the motif from a true story that shocked the nation in 1988, about a man who killed two children in his neighborhood and threw their bodies into the sea. In “The Accomplice,” with only 15 d

FilmSept. 27, 2013

[Newsmaker] Writer captured the spirit of his time

Author Choe In-ho, a literary legend whose works have been made into numerous movies and TV drama series, died of cancer on Wednesday, about seven months after the publication of his latest collection of essays, “Choe In-ho’s Life.” He was 68.Born in 1945 in Seoul, Choe is one of the very few Korean authors who started their writing careers as a teenager, along with Hwang Sok-yong. He made his literary debut at age 18, while attending Seoul High School, by winning a writing competition hosted by

BooksSept. 26, 2013

[Photo News] K-pop fever

Sept. 26, 2013

Green, ethical design inspires fashion labels

This is the sixth installment in an eight-part series that examines the social role of design beyond its aesthetic aspect. The weekly series is a precursor to Herald Design Week 2013 from Oct. 7-11, which is organized under the theme “Re-imagine the World.” ― Ed.Sustainability is the buzzword in many fields of design, but in fashion, the concept jars with its need to follow rapidly changing trends and cycles. But following in the footsteps of some leading design sectors in sustainability, such

Arts & DesignSept. 26, 2013

Leading changes through ‘design thinking’

The Korea Herald is publishing an interview series on some of the world’s most creative minds who are invited to Korea to share their design philosophies and vision during the Herald Design Week 2013, Oct. 7-11. ― Ed.Design is no longer just about enhancing the aesthetic qualities of products, but it can be applied to every level of an organization, product or service to achieve innovation and efficiency. Tim Brown, CEO of international design consulting firm IDEO, is a leader of this new approa

Arts & DesignSept. 26, 2013

Style matches substance in eco-friendly fashion

When designer Han Song set out to develop a new fabric in 2003, little did he know that it would take some 10 years of research and development to arrive at a final product that would be hanging at some of the most well-known stores around the world.“I was doing Paris Haute Couture shows at the time and a French fashion journalist, while interviewing me, stressed the importance of having a new, innovative fabric,” recalled Song at his TROA studio in Samseong-dong, Seoul last week.“I felt virtual

Arts & DesignSept. 26, 2013

S-Oil gives jet fuel to Air Force

S-Oil said Thursday it had pledged to donate jet fuel to the Air Force ahead of the upcoming Armed Forces Day on Oct. 1.S-Oil CEO Nasser Al-Mahasher visited Air Force headquarters in Gyeryongdae, South Chungcheong Province and promised Air Force chief of staff Sung Il-hwan a donation of 160,000 liters of jet fuel, worth some 150 million won ($140,000), to be used for fighter jets such as the T-50.This is the first time a company has donated jet fuel to the Air Force.“We decided to donate jet fue

PeopleSept. 26, 2013

Outgoing USFK commander receives top military award

Gen. James Thurman, the outgoing commander of U.S. Forces Korea, on Thursday received a top military award from the local government for successfully leading American troops in defending South Korea amid heightened tension with North Korea.President Park Geun-hye granted the Order of National Security Merit’s Tongil Medal to Thurman in a ceremony, which was attended by South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and other top commanders. “I am deeply honored and humbled to serve in the Republic o

PeopleSept. 26, 2013