Lotte to open L7 lifestyle hotel in January

Lotte Hotel, part of Lotte Group, will open a new lifestyle concept hotel called “L7 Myeongdong” in Seoul on Jan. 12.The L7 will offer stylish facilities, where hotel staff will sport jeans, oxford shirts and slip-on shoes in bright and lively colors in order to appeal to guests as “friendly and caring,” the hotel affiliate said.The hotel, situated in Myeong-dong ― Seoul’s downtown shopping district frequented by hallyu tourists ― will primarily target female guests in their 20s-40s who enjoy st

CultureDec. 23, 2015

‘Design your life through sports’

This is the last installment in a three-part series featuring athletes who help people transform their lives. ― Ed.Jung A-reum (Jung Areum)Beauty must be gained through hard work and perseverance, said Jung A-reum, a celebrity lifestyle and fitness trainer and former Miss Korea beauty contest winner.Those in pursuit of it must first learn how sports or regular exercise can help improve their physical and mental beauty.“The problem in Korea today is that people take sports or exercise too lightly

CultureDec. 23, 2015

Exhibition offers taste of ‘glitch art’

We’ve all been there ― a downloaded video that won’t play properly, the image distorted on the screen.But it is more than a computer error for a number of artists, who are exploring these gremlins as “glitch art,” and expat Mathieu St-Pierre wants to introduce viewers to the concept through his exhibition “100dpi.”Showing large images ― printed at 100 dots per inch to break conventions not only in video but also in print ― the exhibition features a variety of abstract work.St-Pierre studied fine

Expat LivingDec. 23, 2015

Showul goes one-to-one to reach out to expats

Looking to introduce Korea to foreign nationals here in a friendlier way than the standard tours, a group of Korean undergraduates is offering group events to help expats build bridges.On Jan. 2, a group of Showul volunteers plans to take 30 foreign participants on a tour of the War Memorial of Korea before letting them try their hands ― and feet ― at breaking some boards with martial arts at Korea Arirang Taekwondo in Seoul. But rather than having one or two guides, Showul takes a one-to-one ap

Expat LivingDec. 23, 2015

Tech meets workmanship at craft fair

The impact of evolving technology on the arts and crafts was a major undercurrent in the four-day Craft Trend Fair 2015 that began on Dec. 17.　The fair, in its 10th year, explored the possibilities of craft’s future in its main exhibition “Future in Hands,” featuring works that were created with 3-D printing, 3-D mapping and media art.　The fair, hosted by hosted by the state-run Korea Craft & Design Foundation, is the largest craft festival in Korea. 　“We wanted to capture the current craft envi

CultureDec. 23, 2015

Gracias Choir holds concert, spreads Christmas spirit

Korea’s award-winning Gracias Choir held its last winter concert Wednesday in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, ending its monthlong national Christmas concert tour. The 15th annual “Christmas Cantata” concert tour, helmed by Russian conductor Boris Abalyan of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, presented a nativity musical and classical yuletide tunes to audiences in 19 cities in Korea, including Seoul, Goyang and Ansan. The first act showcased an opera on the birth of Christ, while the second act

PerformanceDec. 23, 2015

BTS to hold second fan meeting

Boy group BTS will hold its second official meetup with fans at Korea University’s Hwajung Gymnasium, Seoul, on Jan. 24.  (Big Hit Entertainment)Big Hit Entertainment revealed the fan-meeting poster, notifying that the event will held in two rounds at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.The septet, who dropped its fourth EP “The Beautiful Moments in Life, Part 2” last month, is gearing up diverse segments to present for fans. Meanwhile, BTS recently also made headlines for their charity donation of 7 tons of rice.

PerformanceDec. 23, 2015

Se7en finally opens own agency ‘Eleven9’

Singer Se7en on Wednesday officially launched his own label, “Eleven9.” The agency is situated in the Hongik University area of Seoul. Se7en officially announced in July that he would establish his own agency. The newly built label aims to cover a wide range of segments including music and acting, while also fostering rookies to become a comprehensive entertainment agency.  (OSEN)“Se7en was involved in many details throughout the construction process. Since the label officially kicked off, he wi

PerformanceDec. 23, 2015

Adhesive portable recorder wins Herald Design Tech 2015 award

The winning team of Herald Design Tech 2015 and CEO of Herald Corp. Lee Young-man (second from left) pose at the award ceremony on Tuesday in Seoul. Lee Sang-sub/The Korea HeraldA team of three university seniors won the top award at Herald Design Tech 2015, the design-meets-technology contest co-organized by Herald Corp. and Seoul Design Foundation. The team won the competition with their innovative adhesive portable recorder “Spicki,” which can be carried around easily to record any sound. The

Arts & DesignDec. 22, 2015

[Herald Interview] Suran wraps up 2015 with single ‘Calling in Love’

It’s unusual to see a pop artist in Korea who speaks about her music with as much confidence and assurance as Suran. Actually, there is a lot about Suran that is surprising. There’s her unusual voice, which was shaped in the underground jazz scene and now has the dreamlike future-pop feel of Lim Kim, Jung In or Jinsil of Mad Soul Child. There’s the fact that as soon as she appeared in the mainstream music scene, she worked as a songwriter, producer and featured artist with hip-hop steady sellers

PerformanceDec. 22, 2015

Adhesive portable recorder wins Herald Design Tech 2015 award

A team of three university seniors won the top award at Herald Design Tech 2015, the design-meets-technology contest co-organized by Herald Corp. and Seoul Design Foundation. The team won the competition with their innovative adhesive portable recorder “Spicki,” which can be carried around easily to record any sound. They received a prize of 10 million won ($8,500). “I am so happy to receive the prize. It started as a school graduation project. We were able to develop our idea at the Herald Desi

Arts & DesignDec. 22, 2015

Academy of Korean Studies publishes Korean independence textbook series

The Academy of Korean Studies on Tuesday unveiled its latest publication series on Korea‘s 70-year history since its liberation from Japanese colonial rule.The new anniversary series consists of six volumes dealing with the past seven decades of Korea from different perspectives: diplomacy, security and unification; environment; culture; education; politics; and economy.  The Academy of Korean Studies’ latest publication series on Korea’s 70-year history since its liberation from Japanese coloni

CultureDec. 22, 2015

Turbo returns after 15 years as trio, tops charts

The once hugely popular 1990s electropop duo Turbo has made its much-awaited return to the spotlight after 15 years -- only this time around, Turbo has returned as a trio.Kim Jung-nam and Kim Jong-kook, reuniting with past member Kim Jung-nam, have joined the ranks of g.o.d and Seo Taiji as ’90s music icons making a comeback to today’s K-pop scene, with the Turbo members dropping the 19-track comeback album “Again” on Monday. Members of the ’90s band Turbo pose during a press conference at the R

PerformanceDec. 22, 2015

Animated films to evoke nostalgia this Christmas

This Christmas, big screens in Korea will bring two animated films that will put a child-like spark back in the hearts of grown-ups -- “The Peanuts Movie” based on the classic comic strip by Charles M. Schulz and “The Little Prince,” an English-language French film based on the 1943 masterpiece by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. While remaining true to the classic works that inspired them, both films catapult the stories’ visuals into the 21st century.  Still from "The Peanuts Movie" (20th Century Fox

FilmDec. 21, 2015

Actress Kim Jung-eun to marry in March

Actress Kim Jung-eun, 39, will tie the knot in March next year. 　Following a local media report on her upcoming wedding, Kim released an official statement saying she will marry her boyfriend of three years next March. Kim‘s boyfriend is a Korean-American working at a foreign financial institution in Korea. Kim publicly acknowledged their relationship in June.　The wedding date and venue have yet to be confirmed, but it will be a small wedding in the U.S., with only family and relatives invited. 

TelevisionDec. 21, 2015