Gyeranjjim (steamed egg casserole)

Gyeranjjim is a popular side dish. It is a steamed egg casserole. Because it’s so simple to make, this is a side dish that I frequently add to a meal at the last minute. Gyeranjjim is a humble and adaptable dish ― you can make it just with eggs and scallions or with other chopped vegetables such as carrots, onions, mushrooms and/or zucchini. To thin the eggs and enhance the flavor, I use anchovy broth. But water works well, too. Ingredients:● 2 large eggs ● 1/2 cup anchovy broth* or water (use m

FoodSept. 6, 2013

Historic, artisanal soju in Seoul

In Seoul’s historic neighborhood of Bukchon, visitors can experience a centuries-old tradition. Artisan Kim Taek-sang continues his family’s legacy of brewing the capital’s storied Samhaeju, a Korean alcoholic beverage whose history goes as far back as the Goryeo Kingdom. At Bukchon Heritage Studio, which opened in Gahoe-dong this April, visitors can sample Kim’s brews and learn about Samhaeju. According to Kim, it was during the Joseon period that the art of Samhaeju developed by leaps and boun

FoodSept. 6, 2013

Crayon Pop to release ‘Bar Bar Bar 2.0’

Following the surprising late surge in popularity of Crayon Pop’s “Bar Bar Bar” music video with its comical “Straight-Five Engine Dance” choreography, it has been announced that the five ladies are strapping on their signature helmets once again for a soon-to-be released revamped music video titled “Bar Bar Bar 2.0.” Officials from Sony Music Korea announced that the new version of the ladies’ hit music video had already completed the filming and would be released worldwide on Sept. 9. It was a

PerformanceSept. 6, 2013

Kara’s Goo Hara breaks down on ‘Radio Star’

K-pop star Goo Hara has become the subject of much netizen talk after throwing a fit, and a beverage bottle, on a recent episode of the popular talk show “Radio Star.” During an interview alongside fellow Kara members Kang Ji-young and Han Seung-yeon and JYP Entertainment mogul Park Jin-young, Goo became very sensitive and defensive while discussing the topic of dating and ended up breaking into tears and throwing her bottled drink across the table. During the episode, Super Junior’s Kyu-hyun, o

PerformanceSept. 6, 2013

Professor starts ‘sun cafes’ to counter antifan hate

Prof. Min Byoung-chul of Konkuk University, founder of Sunfull, a nonprofit organization against Internet hate, launched a campaign Friday to counter antifan sites by promoting online communities that will post encouraging messages.Antifan sites, called anticafes by local netizens, share a mutual aversion to certain figures and generate hate speech and malignant rumors about them. The campaign is intended to drive out such anticafes from the Internet by proliferating what it calls “sun cafes” or

PeopleSept. 6, 2013

Architect Toyo Ito discusses his inspiration, philosophy

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. Toyo Ito is the winner of the 2013 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the Nobel prize of architecture. The Japanese architect’s career spanning some 40 years is an impressive list of both critically acclaimed and popularly appreciated buildings around the world.The Sendai Mediathique com

Arts & DesignSept. 5, 2013

‘Rural-20’ sheds light on Korea beyond Seoul

It is estimated that approximately 60 percent of tourists to Korea never leave Seoul. Aiming to expose more tourists to the beauty and cultural richness of Korea’s nonmetropolitan areas, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has developed the “Rural-20” program for easy travel to these areas and activities offering a taste of rural life. In March 2010, the ministry, after a series of trips and deliberations, announced its list of 20 villages that best represent the country’s rural

TravelSept. 5, 2013

Temple project promises journey of self-exploration

Haeinsa Temple is hosting “Haein Art Project 2013 MAUM” from Sept. 27 to Nov. 10 as a part of the 2013 Tripitaka Koreana Festival, an event that introduces the 800-year-old example of cultural heritage of the Goryeo. A total of 30 teams of artists, including artists from India, Hong Kong, Spain, Italy, and the United States, are participating in the project. The artists’ pieces will be displayed in and around Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon-gun, South Gyeongsang Province. Artwork will also be exhibit

PerformanceSept. 5, 2013

BoA makes drama debut

K-pop diva BoA is set to put her acting prowess to the test in her first major television drama. Slated to star in KBS’ short, two-episode rom-com “Expect to Date” (working title), this will be the 26-year-old singer’s first small-screen lead. After making a brief cameo appearance in SBS’ “ATHENA: Goddess of War” in 2010, BoA continued to forge a career in television with SBS’ hit music reality show, “K-Pop Star,” earning credibility as a compelling judge in the singing competition.Having establ

TelevisionSept. 5, 2013

Israeli TV drama series wins top prize at Seoul International Drama Awards

Israeli television drama “Prisoners of War” won the grand prize at this year’s Seoul International Drama Awards.The series, originally broadcast on Israel’s Channel 2 from March to May 2010, features three Israeli soldiers who were captured almost 20 years ago while on a mission with their unit in Lebanon. It won the Israeli Academy Awards for Television for Best Drama Series back in 2010.In the hallyu drama section, MBC’s 2012 period horror-romance “Arang and the Magistrate” won the Best Drama

TelevisionSept. 5, 2013

American film co-produced by Koreans competing in Venice

An American eco-thriller coproduced by Koreans has been included in the main competition lineup of the ongoing Venice International Film Festival. Titled “Night Moves,” the film stars American actress Dakota Fanning and actor Jesse Eisenberg in the lead roles. Directed by Kelly Reichardt, it tells the story of three young radical environmentalists who come together and plot to blow up a hydroelectric dam.Two Korean producers, Kim Sae-rom and Kim Sae-mi, participated in the production process of

FilmSept. 5, 2013

Pessl’s strange ‘Night Film’ mesmerizes

Night FilmBy Marisha Pessl (Random)Labeling the films of enigmatic director Stanislas Cordova “scary” is a grotesque understatement. Cordova ― the unseen, menacing, malignant force at the heart of Marisha Pessl’s new novel ― makes movies that are terrifying, catastrophic; they are hypnotic black holes into which viewers plunge and emerge shaken and obsessed.“Maybe your next-door neighbor found one of his movies in an old box in her attic and never entered a dark room alone again,” the prologue s

BooksSept. 5, 2013

‘Year of What Now’ is really a ‘what if?’

The Year of What NowBy Brian Russell (Graywolf)On the surface, Brian Russell’s first book of poems, “The Year of What Now,” seems nothing if not traditional.Winner of this year’s Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference Bakeless Prize, it reads as a confessional, a sequence of reflections by a man whose wife is undergoing treatment for cancer.But if part of Russell’s purpose is to explore the dynamics of a relationship stretched by crisis, there is something else at work here also ― an exploration of genr

BooksSept. 5, 2013

PEN to honor Joan Didion

What do Harrison Ford and Joan Didion have in common? They’ll both be at the PEN Center USA awards dinner in October, where he will present her with the lifetime achievement award. Their connection is personal rather than literary: The actor and author have known each other since 1971, when the not-yet movie star built her beach house.“He was a carpenter,” she explains by phone from New York. “I was happy with his work ― and even happier with his presence in the house because he was a great mora

BooksSept. 5, 2013

Book explores retirement trends in Korea

A recently published collection of academic papers explores retirement trends in the Korean job market, focusing on the impact of forced retirement at a young age ― mid-50s for most workers ― and how it affects individuals. Coedited by scholars Thomas R. Klassen and Yang Yun-jeong, the book, titled “Korea’s Retirement Predicament: The Aging Tiger,” comprises a total of 10 academic papers regarding retirement issues in Korea and overseas, including income security for the elderly, retirement pens

BooksSept. 5, 2013