Ritz-Carlton, Seoul celebrates 20 years of luxury hospitality

A painting displayed in the lobby of The Ritz-Carlton, Seoul (The Ritz-Carlton, Seoul)Hotel / Luxury The Ritz-Carlton, SEOULNext year, The Ritz-Carlton, Seoul will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its opening and its luxury hospitality service that has left a lasting impression on foreign and Korean guests since 1995. The hotel, one of the first foreign luxury hotel chains in Korea, has become an ideal destination for business and leisure travelers and a frequent home for world stars, includin

TravelDec. 23, 2014

JW Marriott in Seoul’s most vibrant, up-and-coming area

Inside the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul overlooking Dongdaemun, one of Seoul’s historic and cultural landmarksHotel / F&B JW Marriott Dongdaemun square seoulLocated in the heart of Seoul, JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul has become an important landmark along with the newly opened futuristic building Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Park in Seoul’s prominent commercial and historic district of Dongdaemun. As the only luxury boutique hotel in the Asia-Pacific region, the 11-story hotel offe

CultureDec. 23, 2014

Sheraton Seoul D Cube City, hub of southwest Seoul

A night view of Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel (Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel)Hotel / GreenSheraton Seoul D Cube City HotelSince opening in 2011 as the third Sheraton hotel in Korea, Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel has provided business and leisure travelers with access to diverse activities in southwest Seoul. Located near sights, shopping, entertainment and offices in Guro-gu, Seoul, the hotel is also connected to D-Cube Department Store and D-Cube Art Center. It has served as a conveni

TravelDec. 23, 2014

Somerset Palace Seoul brings comforts of home

Serviced Residence / International Luxury PremierSomerset Palace SeoulThe Somerset Palace Seoul is near the largest palace in the capital city, Gyeongbokgung Palace. Its location is ideal for those who seek both homey comforts and urban amenities, not to mention easy access to the magnificent palace, one of Seoul’s flagship tourist spots.The 18-story residential facility is in the heart of Seoul’s diplomatic, business and administrative district. It is within a walking distance from must-see tou

TravelDec. 23, 2014

Let the light shine

Museums and galleries are holding exhibitions in keeping with the festive, yet reflective mood at the end of the year. Two art exhibitions feature different representations of the symbols of Christ and reflections on our modern life, making them timely for the holiday season. Seoul Museum presents a unique painting series by the Korean artist Kim Ki-chang (1914-2001), who imaginatively portrayed the life of Christ set in the Joseon era. Some 30 major scenes from Christ’s life are on display at t

PerformanceDec. 23, 2014

Ad man named chief of creative content agency

Song Sung-gakThe government on Tuesday named an advertising professional as the new president and chief executive of the Korea Creative Content Agency, which is tasked with helping develop local creative industries. Song Sung-gak, 56, will succeed Hong Sang-pyo, whose three-year term is ending. Song will lead the Naju, South Jeolla Province-based agency until December 2017 as its third president. A former executive of Cheil WorldWide Inc., the advertising arm of Samsung Group, the incoming chief

PeopleDec. 23, 2014

In Spanish city saved by museum, Guggenheim digs in

BARCELONA (AFP) ― Locals in Bilbao say an art museum helped save their Spanish city from decline. Now they are glad to know their savior, the Guggenheim, will be staying for some time.With the initial lease set to expire, the U.S.-based Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation on Dec. 9 announced it was signing on to run its museum in the northern port city for another 20 years.That was double the period previously envisaged for the new contract, and for those involved it was another sign that the museu

CultureDec. 23, 2014

Korean films exceed 100 million viewers for third year in a row

Domestic films have sold 100 million tickets in movie theaters this year for the third year running, according to the state-run Korea Film Council. This year, Korean films garnered 100.19 million viewers as of Tuesday, which indicates every Korean has watched an average of two local films on the silver screen in a country of 50 million people. Local films have earned a total of 763.2 billion won ($695.3 million) in box office revenue this year.  People line up at a cinema chain in Yongsan-gu, Se

FilmDec. 23, 2014

[Herald Review] ‘Happy End’ to sweet, sorrowful year

The four gentlemen of vocal group Sweet Sorrow have returned with a series of year-end concerts to bring 2014 to a happy end. The year-end concert series, titled “Happy End,” comes less than six months after Sweet Sorrow held its nationwide “Harmony” concert series after its fourth studio album, “For Lovers Only,” was released in June. Though Sweet Sorrow is not part of the mainstream K-pop scene, it still managed to attract thousands of concertgoers to each of its shows, making it one of the mo

PerformanceDec. 23, 2014

[Herald Interview] Curative powers of the novel

Can the perplexed teenager Holden Caulfield in “The Catcher in the Rye” or the Finch siblings in “To Kill a Mocking Bird” or the scandalous Anna Karenina of the eponymous novel help people cope with mental or emotional problems?The answer is yes for the bibliotherapists Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin, who believe that suitable fiction can heal, inspire and transform readers and provide new life perspectives. Bibliotherapists prescribe novels instead of medicine or counseling to cure life’s ail

BooksDec. 22, 2014

Muslim-friendly restaurant guidebook published

Despite the increasing number of Muslim tourists and expats in Korea, finding decent halal restaurants is a challenge for many Muslims here. The state-run Korea Tourism Organization has released a guidebook on Muslim-friendly restaurants to help Muslims here find halal cuisine more easily. The guidebook, available only in English for now, classifies 118 selected restaurants into five groups according to their degree of Muslim-friendliness. The five groups are halal-certified, self-certified, Mus

TravelDec. 22, 2014

‘Hobbit’ goes out on top with $90.6 million 5-day debut

NEW YORK (AP) ― While Hollywood continued to wrestle with the fallout of the Sony hacking scandal, the weekend box office offered the solace of a moviegoing truism: Hobbits sell. Peter Jackson’s final installment of his six J.R.R. Tolkien adventures, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” debuted with $56.2 million over the weekend and $90.6 million since opening Wednesday, according to studio estimates Sunday. For an industry reeling from the cancellation of “The Interview” and terrorist

FilmDec. 22, 2014

Elton John weds after 21 years with partner

WINDSOR, United Kingdom (AFP) ― British pop legend Elton John married long-time partner David Furnish in Windsor on Sunday, the ninth anniversary of their civil partnership, with the singer posting evidence on social media.The 67-year-old singer posted a picture on photo-sharing website Instagram of himself and Furnish in blue suits brandishing a pen as they signed a form.“That’s the legal bit done. Now on to the ceremony!” said the caption.The star-studded ceremony was to take place at their Wi

PerformanceDec. 22, 2014

Joo-yeon rumored to be leaving Afterschool

Afterschool’s Joo-yeon. (Pledis)K-pop starlet Joo-yeon may be parting ways from the eight-member girl group Afterschool as well as her label Pledis Entertainment, according to news reports that began circulating Monday. Her contract with Pledis is scheduled to expire on Dec. 31 and it was reported that Joo-yeon had no plans to renew her contract with the agency or remain as a member of Afterschool. The reports also said that her last activity with the group will be Afterschool’s upcoming Chinese

Dec. 22, 2014

Rolling Stone includes 2NE1’s ‘Crush’ in top 20 albums of 2014

Beating out the cream of the crop in pop music such as Pharrell Williams and newcomer Sam Smith, the K-pop idols of 2NE1 have made their mark this year with the album “Crush” named in Rolling Stone’s “20 Best Pop Albums of 2014.” Taking the No. 6 spot on the magazine’s list of the year’s 20 best albums, “Crush” is only the K-pop group’s second full-length album. After its release on Feb. 27, the album went on to shatter a number of records, including becoming K-pop’s biggest selling album in the

Dec. 22, 2014

[Herald Interview] Craftsmanship behind Joseon woodblocks

Kim Gak-han has spent most of his life working with wood, from cabinetmaking to carving ancient texts and drawing on wood plates.“Now that I think about it, I think I was destined to do it,” the craftsman said in his Seoul studio, which was filled with wood plates of different sizes alongside countless handmade cutting tools and chisels. “One beauty of engraving is that you can’t think about anything else while you are doing it. It requires your full attention and there is something therapeutic

CultureDec. 21, 2014