JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul named chain’s best hotel in Asia Pacific

JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul was named the best-performer of the hospitality group’s more than 750 properties in the Asia-Pacific region, the hotel said Wednesday.  The global hotel chain recognized the Seoul hotel for its large increase in sales, number of visitors and efforts to adjust to the rapidly evolving trends of the hospitality industry, it explained. “This award further underscores our commitment to putting our customers first, and our efforts to become the lead

TravelDec. 6, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and Packages

Christmas Eve party at InterContinental Seoul Coex InterContinental Seoul Coex is hosting a party on Christmas Eve with jazz performances and wine. Guests will be able to enjoy activities such as making Christmas wreaths, wine tasting and tarot reading from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm.Afterward, a seven-course dinner will be offered with wine and a mellow jazz performance. It costs 180,000 won per guest to attend the party. The “Salon de Noel Room Package” includes an overnight stay for two p

FoodDec. 6, 2019

Exhibition brings Middle East closer to Korea

Middle Eastern countries often face negative stereotypes among Koreans. But Seoul Museum of Art’s “Gohyang: Home” offers a closer look at nations in the region, beyond the stereotypes shaped and fueled by negative press.The exhibition consists of works of art that address social, political and historical issues, such as the history of the Crusades, the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel, the war in Afghanistan, myths of Arab nations and the lives of ordinary people,

Arts & DesignDec. 5, 2019

BLACKPINK cheered by 55,000 fans at Tokyo Dome concert

South Korean girl group BLACKPINK successfully held its first Tokyo Dome concert this week, with the attendance reaching about 55,000 fans, its management agency said Thursday.According to YG Entertainment, the concert as part of the BLACKPINK 2019-2020 World Tour in Your Area in Japan took place at Tokyo Dome on Wednesday, featuring dynamic energy and performances by the four-member girl group amid a festive mood.As the "DDU-DU DDU-DU" intro announced the beginning of the concert, the

PerformanceDec. 5, 2019

'House of Hummingbird' picked as Best Film of Year by KFPA

South Korean film producers chose "House of Hummingbird" as the Best Film of the Year on Thursday.The Korean Film Producers Association said it has decided to give the honor of the 2019 KFPA Awards to the indie movie directed by Kim Bo-ra. Set in a rapidly developing Seoul in 1994, the film is a touching coming-of-age drama centered around Eun-hee, an isolated, lonely 14-year-old girl in a dysfunctional family. As a middle school student, Eun-hee wanders aimlessly while continuously se

FilmDec. 5, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Frozen 2(US)Opened Nov. 27Animation, Adventure, Comedy Directed by Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee Anna (Kristen Bell), Elsa (Idina Menzel), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), Olaf (Josh Gad) and Sven leave Arendelle to travel to an ancient forest in an enchanted land. They set out to find the origin of Elsa’s powers in order to save their kingdom. Ford v Ferrari(US)Opened Dec. 4Action, Biography, Drama Directed by James Mangold American car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and driver Ken Miles

FilmDec. 5, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals and sights across Korea

Little Prince Starlight Festival of Petite France The sixth Little Prince Starlight Festival of Petite France will be held throughout the Petite France Park in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, until Feb. 29. The annual festival is inspired by the southern French town of Montpellier. In addition to lighting decorations at night, one highlight is the 30-meter-long light tunnel installed next to a round structure modeled after asteroid B 612, home of the Little Prince from Antoine de Saint-Exupery

TravelDec. 5, 2019

Wizard, character themed kids rooms at Kensington

Kensington Hotel and Resort has added new types of “character kids rooms” to its Chungju and Gyeongju resort branches in order to appeal to families with young children. The “wizard’s room” at the branch in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, is furnished with various props like a sorcerer’s robe and tools, and its wallpaper bears illustrations of bookshelves, brick walls and magical books. Cocomong Kidsrooms in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, use the an

TravelDec. 5, 2019

Celeb chef Baek Jong-won's new show focuses on farm products

Baek Jong-won has a number of jobs and titles, such as chef, food researcher, entertainer, writer, essayist and businessman. He is busy running big franchise restaurants and coffee shop chains, while appearing on various TV shows, including "Baek Jong-won's Alley Restaurant" of SBS and "High School Lunch Cook-off" of tvN.This winter, the prolific and active Jack of all trades launched a new reality show, "Delicious Rendezvous," to be first aired Thursday night on SB

TelevisionDec. 5, 2019

BTS sweeps top prizes at 2019 MAMA in Nagoya

K-pop sensation BTS picked up nine prizes at this year's Mnet Asian Music Awards in the Japanese city of Nagoya on Wednesday, monopolizing the biggest Asian music awards event.The septet took home the top three prizes at the 2019 MAMA -- Album of the Year, Artist of the Year and Song of the Year -- winning big at the awards ceremony held at Nagoya Dome.Six other awards including Best Male Group, Best Dance Performance-Male Group and Best Music Video also went to BTS. "Year 2019 has been a y

PerformanceDec. 5, 2019

Exhibit takes place around discarded power plant

An exhibit is underway at an outdoor space near retired thermal power plants in Mapo-gu, Seoul, which await to be transformed into a cultural complex. The event, titled “Kraftwerk 2019: Homo Symbious,” features sculptural works that address ecological and environmental issues. Forty-four local artists are participating in the exhibition, showing works made of a wide range of materials, including wood, stone, earth, iron, copper, stainless steel, synthetic resins, fiber reinforced pla

Arts & DesignDec. 4, 2019

Park Ji-hoon returns with seductive second EP '360'

K-pop singer and actor Park Ji-hoon returned Wednesday as a musician following his recent acting project, with his second solo EP "360."The album's title track is an alluring pop number that sheds light on the heartthrob star's seductive side. Park described the song as reflective of his three major qualities -- purity at the zero-degree point, youthfulness at the 180-degree point and professionalism as an artist at the 360-degree point."I hoped to put into the new album the music

PerformanceDec. 4, 2019

[Herald Review] Two’s company: Hopkins and Pryce enliven papal buddy film ‘The Two Popes’

This was honestly not what I expected from a film about papal succession: a delightful buddy film about an unlikely friendship that took place -- of all places -- at the Vatican. Forget about grappling with faith or messages about the Catholic Church reaching out to the world in a humble way. “The Two Popes” director Fernando Meirelles has created a perfectly riveting drama brought to life by the fascinating back-and-forth performance by Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce.The story t

FilmDec. 4, 2019

Plastic surgeon devotes decades to facial rejuvenation

Dr. Kim Jong-hwan, a South Korean plastic surgeon who has devoted 26 years to developing facial rejuvenation procedures, says he has made the search for beauty his life’s mission.Dr. Kim is founder and president of Gold Happy Mirae Aesthetic Clinic, located in Gangnam, southern Seoul.“I was an orthopedic surgeon, but I abandoned the field because personally, I felt there was no ‘beauty’ there,” he said. Dr. Kim, a graduate of Korea University College of Medicine, sa

PeopleDec. 4, 2019

‘Facial rejuvenation therapy revolutionized’

Plastic surgeon Dr. Kim Jong-hwan, who specializes in facial rejuvenation, says anti-aging is fundamentally about defying gravity.“First thing one must understand about anti-aging procedures that I pursue is that they are about making you actually younger, rather than making you ‘look’ younger,” he said. Kim emphasized that plastic surgeons “should not focus merely on making patients temporarily ‘look younger,’” but instead seek to revitalize the s

PeopleDec. 4, 2019

BTS to perform on popular Japanese year-end TV show

K-pop sensation BTS will perform at "FNS Music Festival," one of the biggest and most prestigious year-end musical events in Japan, later this week, the TV network broadcasting the show said Tuesday.BTS will make its appearance on the first day of the annual music show on Wednesday, Fuji Television said. The second show will be aired on Dec. 11.  The Japanese TV broadcaster said it will be the first time BTS has participated in the annual music gathering, which has been held since

PerformanceDec. 4, 2019

Cho Yeo-jeong shows off different side in TV drama

After what many would call a career-defining performance in Cannes-winning film “Parasite,” Cho Yeo-jeong is demonstrating a different side of her acting spectrum with a role in a new KBS series.In the upcoming “Woman of 9.9 billion,” Cho plays a woman who used to live a hopeless life but becomes relentless when it comes to money, a far cry from the naive housewife that has become familiar to international audiences.“I had a desire to play a different role from the

TelevisionDec. 4, 2019

Mount Bukak to be fully open to public starting in 2022: Cheong Wa Dae

The mountain just behind the presidential compound will be fully opened to the public in stages before mid-2022, more than a half century after it became off-limits to the public for security reasons, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday. It means citizens will be able to walk across the 1.1 million-square-meter Mount Bukak, 4.8 times bigger than Yeouido in western Seoul.The region had been off limits to the public since the so-called Jan. 21 incident in 1968. At the time, 31 North Korean commandos sneake

TravelDec. 3, 2019

S. Korea updates travel advisories on 18 countries

South Korea adjusted its travel advisory for 18 countries on Tuesday to reflect the latest developments that may affect travelers, the foreign ministry said. The special travel advisory currently placed on Caracas and some other parts of Venezuela has been updated, with high “red”alerts being issued, meaning people should refrain from traveling and should seriously consider leaving the Latin American nation. Venezuela has been plagued by violent riots and anti-government demonstratio

TravelDec. 3, 2019

Exhibit sheds light on ancient confederacy of Gaya

The National Museum is holding an exhibition on Gaya, an ancient confederacy of small city-states in the central-southern region of the Korean Peninsula around AD 42-562. Titled “Gaya Spirit -- Iron and Tune,” the exhibit comprises archeological findings of the past three decades, shedding light on the entity, which has often been overlooked in history due to the more powerful three kingdoms -- Baekje, Silla and Goguryeo -- that thrived on the peninsula in Gaya’s last centuries

CultureDec. 3, 2019