[Korean Bapsang] Yeongeun jorim (sweet soy braised lotus root)

Yeongeun jorim is a popular fall side dish that’s made with lotus roots. It’s sweet, savory, and crunchy! It surely deserves a spot on your favorite basic side dish (mitbanchan) list.To make the dish, you first peel and slice the lotus roots, and then pre-boil in water with a little bit of vinegar before braising. This is a technique Korean home cooks use to reduce the starch level and remove any bitterness from the lotus root.  Yeongeun jorim (sweet soy braised lotus root)As for the braising li

FoodOct. 20, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Mother!(US)Opened Oct. 19Psychological horror. Directed by Darren Aronofsky A couple lives inside an idyllic country mansion surrounded by fields. The wife (Jennifer Lawrence) is a homemaker intent on fixing up the rustic house, content on living in isolation amid nature. The husband (Javier Bardem) is a once-famous poet with writer’s block, struggling to find inspiration for the next story. A visitor, a doctor and fan of the poet’s work (Ed Harris) visits the couple’s home one day. The poet wel

FilmOct. 20, 2017

[Travel bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Mindung Mountain Eulalia FestivalThe Mindungsan Eulalia Festival takes place in Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do. Some of the events held include weekend mountain climbing, talent contests, Arirang singing contests, eulalia music concerts, a Mindungsan Gate ball competition and eulalia photo exhibition. Hands-on programs at the festival include a local food program, post card sending, mountain horseback riding and much more.The event is open to visitors of all ages and will be held until Oct. 29. Visit

TravelOct. 20, 2017

[Herald Interview] The professor campaigning for human rights in cyberspace

A man put a question to a group of anonymous people. He asked, “Should I die?” One person replied, “Yes, you should.” Another said, “Why don’t you give me your iPhone before you kill yourself?”These comments posted to an online chat site in an Asian country. The man claimed that he had broken up with his girlfriend.“(After a variety of comments were posted), the man was found to have really killed himself,” Min Byoung-chul, professor at the College of International Studies at Kyung Hee Universit

CultureOct. 20, 2017

[Eye Plus] Letting loose in sea of birch trees

Every year around this time of the season, Korea’s forests turn into a palette of colors, palpably signaling the onset of autumn and advent of winter on the horizon.Wondaeri Birch Forest in Inje County, Gangwon Province, is an ideal place to experience the fall foliage, as groves and greeneries bring out their inner colors of reds, scarlets and ambers toward a clear blue sky. The park, which opened in 2012 as an ecological tourism site, has over 700,000 birch trees that were planted between 1989

CultureOct. 20, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions

Seaside getaway at Hilton Namhae Golf Spa ResortHilton Namhae Golf and Spa Resort is offering a seasonal package of accommodation, food, spa and coffee through Nov. 30. The Colorful Autumn Package features a one-night stay in a suite room, breakfast at the restaurant Breeze and access to the spa, as well as take-out coffee. The Namhae area in the southern coast of Korea is ideal for travel in fall, with its seaside walking trails and close proximity to scenic mountains. The resort has rooms offe

TravelOct. 20, 2017

Photos of traditional marketplace exhibited in Seoul

Photos of Korea‘s traditional markets are being displayed in Seoul, offering a peak at the lives of ordinary people over the past few decades.Jangteo Photo Club -- jangtae meaning marketplace -- is holding an exhibition at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongro-gu, central Seoul from Wednesday to next Tuesday. The exhibition consists of photos taken by the club members, which encompass people from education, cultural and business circles and headed by former Dankuk University professor

CultureOct. 20, 2017

Ode to Kobe: Korean rapper pays tribute to retired NBA superstar

Black Mamba may be gone but he will always be remembered, even among Korean fans as rapper myunDo is set to release a tribute song for the retired L.A. Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant.myunDo said that he decided to release “Black Mamba” because he was deeply sorry for Bryant’s departure as a long-time fan. The Lakers’ shooting guard hung up his sneakers last year after wrapping up his highly-decorated 20-year career. The Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant salutes the crowd after his final game, on Apr

PerformanceOct. 20, 2017

[Weekender] Playground shortage hits low-income families

Children in Korea, especially those living in low-income areas, are missing out on play opportunities because of a shortage of accessible playgrounds, according to a report by Save the Children Korea on Sept. 5.The lack of safe open spaces in urban areas means play options for children from low-income families are lackluster, it said. They often cannot afford pay-per-use playgrounds or the kids cafes now proliferating across cities. Many playgrounds in poorer residential areas also have been clo

CultureOct. 20, 2017

[Weekender] Falling in love with baking at specialty kids cafes

For tired parents and bored children, kids cafes have become a top option to spend family time in Korea. Since the concept was first introduced into the country in the late 2000s, the themes of the cafes also have evolved. Most kids cafes these days feature specific themes, such as racing, swimming and crafting. The interior of Bonbon Kids Goyang (Park Ju-young/The Korea Herald)Baking kids cafes are part of the fast-growing kids cafe businesses in general, targeting children and their parents. B

CultureOct. 20, 2017

[Weekender] Parents with children go for alternative space to relax

Korea is witnessing a boom in the kids cafe business due partly to a shortage of space in which parents with young children can idle away the time. A handful of big shopping malls have noticed the potential for such demand and are taking steps to catch up. One case in point is Starfield shopping mall, which recently opened in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, just west of Seoul. The mega shopping center comes with a variety of children-friendly stores to allow families to spend a day together.While sho

CultureOct. 20, 2017

[Weekender] More than just a playground

Son Tae-wook, a father of an 8-year-old, thinks kids cafes have become indispensable for both children and adults in Korea. Son has raised his daughter with trips to kids cafes since she was 3 years old.“There aren’t enough play spaces for children in the urban environment. And the world isn’t safe enough to let kids just frolic about on their own outside,” Son said. News of children abducted and inappropriately touched at public playgrounds has raised alarm among parents, many of whom dote over

CultureOct. 20, 2017

EXO to bring ‘ElyXiOn’ to Gocheock Sky Dome

EXO will hold its fourth solo concert “EXO Planet #4 -- The ElyXiOn” from Nov. 24-26 at Gocheok Sky Dome, Seoul, its agency S.M. Entertainment said Thursday. It is the group’s first concert at the venue in two years since it held “2015 EXO-Love Concert in Dome” in October 2015.Gocheok Sky Dome, the first domed baseball stadium here, accommodates more than 22,000 spectators. EXO was the first-ever act to hold a concert at the site and will again be the first to hold a second concert.  A promotion

PerformanceOct. 20, 2017

TWICE becomes fastest-selling K-pop girl group in Japan

TWICE’s new Japanese single album has sold over 130,000 copies by day two of its release, becoming the fastest-selling K-pop girl group record in the country, its agency said Friday.“One More Time” has so far sold 138,369 copies, with 94,957 and 43,412 purchased on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, according to JYP Entertainment. TWICE has become the fastest-selling K-pop girl group album in Japan based on first week figures. The previous record holder was KARA, which sold 122,820 copies dur

PerformanceOct. 20, 2017

[Album review] BTOB presents best musical mash for autumn

BTOB“Brother Act.”Loen Entertainment It‘s true that BTOB has been underrated to some extent. But just add all 12 tracks of the group’s latest full-length album “Brother Act” to your playlist and bask in the crisp autumn air until it plays out. Without doubt, the autumn-tinged album will provide you with a soothing slow-down to your hectic day. The orchestra-themed album opens with “Prelude: A Day,” an emotional piano melody masterpiece that will immediately soften your heart. The pure instrument

PerformanceOct. 19, 2017

Coming of the era of ‘national producers’

“It’s me who will steal your heart,” sang the 101 contenders of the second season of Mnet’s idol competition show “Produce 101.” And steal hearts they did, as Wanna One, the project group formed with the 11 finalists, has since become one of the hottest K-pop acts of 2017.The viewers, or so-called “national producers,” voted for their favorite trainees to release “hidden” photos of them, to perform specific songs for the competition and to get a spot in the finalist group. The “producers” even g

TelevisionOct. 19, 2017

[Neighborhood Trails] Green trail of Ansan embracing Seoulites seeking quick getaway

Seoul is a city dotted with many mountains. Following is a series that explores some of the easy trails in Seoul’s neighborhood mountains. --Ed.Ancient wisdom of Korea suggests that an area facing the waters with a mountain on its back is the perfect place to reside. As such, Seoul is surrounded by mountains and has the Han River running in front of its centuries-old capital region. Mount Ansan’s Jarak-gil, located in the western part of the metropolis, provides easy-access to mother nature for

TravelOct. 19, 2017

Twice gives sneak peek at ‘Likey’

Twice on Thursday revealed the first teaser images for “Likey,” the lead track for its upcoming album.JYP Entertainment revealed the two photos via its official social media pages, which showed the nine bandmates posing in brightly colored clothes. (JYP Entertainment)The new “Twicetagram” is the first full-length studio album by the K-pop act, which has produced hit songs like “Knock Knock,” “TT” and “Signal” since its 2015 debut.The album is slated to be released at 6 p.m. on Oct. 30, and marks

PerformanceOct. 19, 2017

TV series ‘Witch at Court’ tops ratings

The new crime-solving drama series “Witch at Court” has topped ratings for the 10 p.m. time slot on Mondays and Tuesdays.　Tuesday’s episode reached 12.3 percent of viewership, Nielsen Korea said Wednesday.　The drama series stars Jung Ryeo-won as Ma I-deum, an ambitious ace prosecutor renowned for her aggressiveness and ill temper. 　 Jung Ryeo-won stars in “The Witch at Court.” (KBS)Yoon Hyun-min stars as Yeo Jin-wook, a former psychiatrist-turned-rookie prosecutor who graduated at the top of his

TelevisionOct. 19, 2017

'Oh! Dear Goddesses of Basement!' mirrors women in 20s, 30s via Greek Goddesses in Seoul

“Oh! Dear Goddesses of Basement,” an upcoming digital drama from Studio OnStyle, seeks to enlist sympathy from today’s young women in Korea. Studio OnStyle, the digital contents division of CJ E&M’s cable channel OnStyle, unveiled its first-ever digital drama series in a news conference Wednesday that was attended by actresses Ha Yeon-soo and Cha Jung-won, Sojin of girl group Girls’ Day, Na Hae-ryung formerly of girl group EXID and actor Park Sung-woo. Lee Lang, the producer and screenwriter of

TelevisionOct. 18, 2017