Travel Bits

Lotus Lantern Festival in SeoulThe Lotus Lantern Festival will take place from May 15-17 in celebration of Buddha’s Birthday in the Jogyesa Temple, Ujeongguk-ro and Gwanghwamun areas. A 1,300-year-old tradition with over 300,000 Korean and foreign participants each year, the festival features 100,000 lotus lanterns of various shapes and colors lighting up the Seoul night, alongside hands-on activities and family-oriented programs. The exhibition of traditional lanterns will be held from May 15-2

TravelMay 8, 2015

Aqaba: Cozy gateway to Red Sea

AQABA, Jordan ― Jordan is well known for its archeological city, Petra, and the big salt lake, the Dead Sea, in the western part of the Middle East.Officials from the tourism board in the country, however, noted that a large proportion of Jordanians say they love Aqaba, the only port city of Jordan, more than Petra or the Dead Sea.The name of Aqaba, initially, reminded this reporter of Aruba on the Caribbean Sea: the latter was familiar as the first word in the lyrics of the theme song, “Kokomo,

TravelMay 8, 2015

Around the Hotels

Dim sum at Lotte Hotel SeoulLotte Hotel Seoul’s restaurant Dorim is inviting chef Mak Kwai Pui from Hong Kong’s Tim Ho Wan, a Michelin star restaurant with worldwide chains and renowned for its specialty in dim sum. From May 19 to 22, chefs Mak Kwai Pui and Yeo Kyeong-ok will collaborate on a tasting promotion, featuring signature dishes and exotic ingredients such as braised shark’s fin in soy sauce and blood bird’s nest bouillon. The lunch course is priced at 138,000 won and 158,000 won, while

FoodMay 8, 2015

Trendy merveilleux at Meringue Meringue

Merveilleux, those traditional meringue morsels prevalent in France and Belgium, seem ready to take over the world as the new hot dessert.These little delights are spreading to other cities outside of France and Belgium, like London, Los Angeles, New York and Seoul, with some predicting that it will trump its meringue-based cousin, the macaron, as the latest trendy sweet. Classically a combination of two meringue cookies sandwiched around and topped with cream, the over 100-year-old treat has ga

FoodMay 8, 2015

Themed film festivals in May

The mild weather in May makes it a great month to get out and enjoy Seoul’s vibrant cultural scene. This year, that culture comes with a dash of awareness about the world around us at three film festivals themed around social issues such as the environment, animals and gender equality. First up is the Green Film Festival in Seoul, which kicked off its 12th year on May 7. The festival was established by environmental activist Choi Yul and is now hosted by the Korea Green Foundation. This year, th

FilmMay 8, 2015

Children’s book guru on ‘chew up mom’ poem controversy

A poem by a 10-year-old girl has stirred up a controversy in Korea that touches upon an array of thorny issues from the literary freedom of expression to the country’s obsession with private education. The poem, titled “Days I Don’t Want To Go To Hagwon,” depicts how the author would like to “chew up mom” as painfully as possible, “digging out her eyes and pulling out all her teeth” to escape hagwon, private educational institutes. Accompanied by an illustration, cruel words from the fifth-grade

BooksMay 7, 2015

Fondazione Prada venue opens with show of classics

MILAN ― Light pours through the glass walls of the exhibition space where the Fondazione Prada is hosting a special show, “Serial Classic,” to mark the unveiling of its new Milan venue. The statues from Greek and Roman antiquities ― the originals, often only surviving in fragments, and their imagined copies ― fill the airy space that is part of the acclaimed architect Rem Koolhaas’ design for the Fondazione Prada’s new home, a sprawling “campus” of more than 19,000 square meters.Koolhaas and his

PerformanceMay 7, 2015

Jeonju film fest announces winners

“Poet on a Business Trip” by Chinese director Ju Anqi won the grand prize in the International Competition of the 16th Jeonju International Film Festival, while the top honor in the Korean competition section went to “Alice in Earnestland” from Ahn Gooc-jin, it was announced Wednesday. “Blossom” by Han In-mi took the trophy in Korean Competition for Shorts category. “Poet on a Business Trip,” which made its Asian premiere in Jeonju, follows a poet named Xiou as he travels through the mountains,

FilmMay 7, 2015

[Book Review] Asan delves into ‘Pax Americana 3.0’

Amid the rise of China in the economic and military domains, academic discourse has been focused on the waning U.S. power and a looming shift in the global order that America has led since the end of World War II. The growing Sino-U.S. rivalry has triggered speculation that the U.S.-led global system would be reshaped by the ascendant, revisionist power ― China. And the decline of U.S. power appears to be viewed by many as a fait accompli.However, “Pax Americana 3.0,” a new book published by the

BooksMay 7, 2015

Hagwon group to hold charity walking event

The Korea Association of Foreign Language Academies will hold a charity walking event next week to raise money to help earthquake victims in Nepal.The walk is expected to last two hours, along a route that snakes around the city’s historic Bukchon area, with spot prizes along the way. Participants will be given a detailed map and clues on where to find chests with prizes in them.Those who find a chest will draw an envelope from it, with details of prizes inside, which can vary from a free hug to

Expat LivingMay 6, 2015

Eased F-4 visa rules lead to rise in senior migrants

The number of seniors here on ethnic Korean visas has risen sharply in the last four years, as visa conditions have eased.However, there are no checks on senior ethnic Koreans’ ability to support themselves, and little in the way of assistance for them, as existing support centers are geared mainly toward migrant wives, workers and entrepreneurs.The number of long-term foreign residents in South Korea stood at 1.38 million at the end of 2014, up from 1.02 million at the end of 2010, according to

Expat LivingMay 6, 2015

Korea’s bare face captured in ‘Sketches’

Teenagers huddle in the subway, taking a selfie while raising two fingers in a peace sign. A man dunks a soju shot into his beer glass, then puts up a hand to cover his mouth as he laughs at his boss’ joke. Middle-aged delivery ladies carry trays full of dishes on their heads, nonchalantly strolling along as if simply wearing a hat. If you are a foreigner roaming the streets of Korea, these are sights that would have drawn your attention and caused you to tilt your head in curiosity and, perhaps

BooksMay 6, 2015

Lee Byung-hun lands another Hollywood role

Actor Lee Byung-hun has landed another Hollywood role, U.S. media reported Wednesday. According to the U.S.-based entertainment magazine Deadline.com, Lee has been chosen for the role of “Billy Rocks” in the remake of the 1960s western “The Magnificent Seven.”The movie will be directed by Antoine Fuqua, and Lee will work alongside Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke and Vincent D’Onofrio.  This will be Lee’s fifth Hollywood project.Lee starred in both G.I. Joe movies, RED 2 and Terminato

May 6, 2015

Jo Kwon to star in musical ‘Chess’

Jo Kwon, a member of K-pop boy band 2AM, has been cast as the male lead role for the musical “Chess,” his agency JYP Entertainment said Wednesday. “Chess” is a stage musical, with music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA, and lyrics by the award-winning Tim Rice, who is behind the musicals “Jesus Christ Super Star,” “Evita” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” The musical, which opened in London’s West End in 1986, centers on a Cold War-era chess championship b

PerformanceMay 6, 2015