Seek health and well-being at wellness tourism destinations

Although the pandemic brought the tourism industry worldwide to a virtual standstill starting in 2020, the years 2015 to 2017 saw the global wellness industry’s average growth rate reach 6.4 percent, according to the Global Wellness Institute in 2018. That was almost double the global economic growth rate during the same period. In 2020, the global wellness tourism market was estimated at 908 trillion won ($735.8 billion), according to the GWI’s Wellness Tourism-Global Market Trajec

TravelApril 23, 2022

[Visual History of Korea] Hanji flowers for all life events, from birth to afterlife celebrations

Flowers are omnipresent in Korean life, which is a series of celebrations, one after another. One of the essential components of the Korean psyche is the “heung” and the “kki.” Heung represents the rhythms of life, while the kki is the enthusiastic energy that moves us. While modern greenhouses today produce an almost unlimited selection of colorful flowers throughout the year, fresh flowers were not always readily available in Korea until the late 20th century. Not to

CultureApril 23, 2022

[Holly’s Korean Kitchen] Kongnamul muchim, Korean bean sprout side dish

This Korean bean sprout side dish is made with soybean sprouts. It has a crunchy texture and nutty taste. This salad side dish recipe is easy to make and is one of the many healthy banchan, Korean side dishes, that can accompany any Korean or Asian meal. We call this soybean sprout side dish, kongnamul muchim in Korean. It is perhaps the most common Korean side dish of all. For that reason, Koreans call it a “national side dish of Korea (gukmin banchan)” because every household cons

FoodApril 23, 2022

‘Next Sohee’ to close Critics’ Week

“Next Sohee,” starring Bae Doo-na, will close Critics’ Week, a sidebar event dedicated to showing directors’ first and second films alongside the Cannes Film Festival, from May 18 to 26. The 75th Cannes Film Festival runs from May 17-28. “I am grateful to screen the film, in which all the staff and actors worked together last winter, on a splendid spring day. We are proud to introduce our precious actors to audiences around the world,” the film’s dir

FilmApril 23, 2022

Baduk world champions participate in pro-am Go competition

The 2022 Pro-am Go Competitions, co-hosted by DataStreams and The Korea Herald, were held at the Korea Baduk Association headquarters in Seoul on Friday, aiming to enhance the status and recognition of Korea’s baduk. 　 Baduk, also called Go, is a traditional strategy board game in which players take turns putting black and white stones on the board while aiming to surround more territory than their opponent. “DataStreams is grateful to have sponsored such a meaningful competition,

PeopleApril 22, 2022

Gen Z fuels Y2K fashion revival

Fashion trends constantly change but they also come back full circle every two or three decades, backed by generational changes as well as fashion designers taking inspiration from old trends to translate them into “modern” styles. Y2K era fashion trends from the late 1990s and early-to-mid 2000s were seen on the runways at many spring-summer 2022 shows and Generation Z -- those born between mid-1990s to early 2010s -- can’t seem to get enough. Y2K fashion was a fad among ce

Arts & DesignApril 22, 2022

Hangang Park named third most picturesque park in the world

South Korea’s Hangang Park, or Han River Park, has been named the world’s third most Instagram-worthy park. With the goal of helping to reduce metropolitan cities’ carbon emissions, green energy experts at the United Kingdom-based comparison website Uswitch analyzed Instagram data to find the most picturesque parks and gardens around the world in an article published earlier this month. Hangang Park, made up of 12 riverside parks along the Han River, is one of the beloved sp

TravelApril 22, 2022

[Well-curated] Up for some indoor sports? How about plant-watching and coffee-tasting?

Looking to grow your own greens this spring, but don’t know how? Sikmulsung Dosan, a cafe and showroom that presents indoor farming methods, is the place to visit. Located near Dosan Park in a fashionable Gangnam-gu neighborhood of luxury fashion houses, Sikmulsung Dosan serves salad bowls, coffee and other beverages made using vegetables grown in the store’s own indoor farm. Customers can peek at the vegetable cultivation room, where plants are grown under a controlled environmen

CultureApril 22, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Fairmont Ambassador Seoul unveils new signature bakery collection The Atrium Lounge at Fairmont Ambassador Seoul presents a new collection of signature bakery goods, crafted by head baker Morgan Muller in accordance with authentic French recipes combined with natural Korean ingredients. The signature collection features natural sourdough-style fermentation techniques. Options include the plain sourdough baguette, multigrain sourdough baguette and pistachio, apricot and cranberry sourdough.

FoodApril 22, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Anchor (Korea) Opened April 20 Thriller Directed by Jeong Ji-yeon Se-ra (Chun Woo-hee) is a famous news presenter with a mother, So-jung (Lee Hye-young), who micromanages her life. One day, Se-ra receives a phone call from a woman named Mi-so, five minutes before her news program goes on air. Mi-so claims she is about to be killed by a stranger and asks Se-ra to report her story, adding that Se-ra is her idol. Se-ra tries to ignore the phone call, but later visits Mi-so’s home and dis

FilmApril 22, 2022

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Cheongnamdae Spring Flower Festival The Cheongnamdae Spring Flower Festival will run through May 8 at Cheongnamdae in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. Once a private villa used by former presidents of South Korea, Cheongnamdae opened to the public in 2003. Surrounded by spring flowers, the festival welcomes visitors of all ages with various sculptures, art paintings and wild flowers. Cheongnamdae is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and closed every Monday. Admission fees range from 3,000

TravelApril 22, 2022

[Venice Biennale 2022] ‘Gyre’ at Korean Pavilion questions absolute power

VENICE, Italy -- As the 59th Venice Biennale kicked off Wednesday, 80 national pavilions unveiled their shows at the Giardini, a waterfront park located on the eastern edge of Venice, bringing art that resonates with the world today. The opening of the international art exhibition, which was delayed a year due to the pandemic, drew art-craving crowds waiting in long lines to enter the park. Entering the Giardini, one may notice a huge change at the 59th edition of the art exhibition -- an e

Arts & DesignApril 21, 2022

Lee Jun-ho, Yoona to star in new rom-com ‘King the Land’

Singers and actors Lee Jun-ho and Yoona are set to star in an upcoming rom-com with the working title “King the Land.” According to local production company Npio Entertainment, the actors are confirmed to play the lead characters in the series and filming is scheduled to begin in the fall. While Lee plays an heir to a conglomerate, Yoona takes the role of a hotelier. Lee, who debuted as part of JYP boy band 2PM, made his name as an actor after starring in various hit series, inc

TelevisionApril 21, 2022

Anger mounts over tvN talk show that featured president-elect Yoon

Though cable channel tvN and President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol might each have had their own motivations for the talk show, the latest episode of “You Quiz on the Block” arguably backfired, raising growing criticisms against both the cable channel and Yoon. Hosted by the comedian duo Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho, “You Quiz on the Block” invited four guests to this week‘s episode, including Yoon. Nearly 20 minutes of the 100-minute talk show were dedicated to Yoon, who sh

TelevisionApril 21, 2022

Seoul Jazz Festival unveils star-studded lineup for in-person concerts

With the landmark Seoul Jazz Festival resuming in-person this year after a three-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the lineup of stars for this year’s festival has been unveiled. The 14th Seoul Jazz festival will be held over three days outdoors, starting May 27 at the Olympic Park’s 88 Jandi Madang in southern Seoul, according to the festival’s organizer Private Curve. It is set to feature a number of big-name artists who will come to Korea for the first time, officia

PerformanceApril 21, 2022

Oscar-winning Youn Yuh-jung eyes Emmy for 'Pachinko'

Oscar-winning actress Youn Yuh-jung has emerged as a key contender for an Emmy Award for her role in the drama "Pachinko," raising hopes she could be the first South Korean to win both an Oscar and an Emmy. At the Academy Awards last year, Youn was named Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the livewire grandmother role in the American immigration film "Minari" (2020), becoming the first South Korean to win an acting Oscar. About a year later, she stars in the latest Apple T

TelevisionApril 21, 2022

[Photo News] Hanbok Talk

Front row from left: Didier Beltoise, president of Cs ; Hye-kyung Kim, vice-president of Enzychem Lifesciences ; Kim Young-jin, CEO of Tchai Kim ; Sripriya Ranganathan, Indian Ambassador to Korea; Choi Jung-wha, president of Corea Image Communication Institute CICI; Mukund Santhanam, RE 100 Strategic advisor; Mozes Csoma, Hungarian Ambassador to Korea and Nam Sun-mi, spouse of the Hungarian Ambassador, pose for a photo at the Indian ambassador‘s residence in Seoul on Tuesday before atten

CultureApril 20, 2022

Netflix star Park Ju-hyun excited to present her first romance series

Actor Park Ju-hyun, 27, who caught local and global viewers’ attention with her portrayal of thieving high-schooler Bae Gyu-ri in Netflix’s “Extracurricular” (2020), has come back as a badminton player in “Love All Play,” a new sports romance on KBS. “I was also surprised to find that ‘Love All Play’ is my first romance drama. But, the biggest reason that I chose to star in the series was the charm of my character Park Tae-yang,” Park

TelevisionApril 20, 2022

Screening of ex-justice minister documentary at Jeonju IFF sparks controversy

The Jeonju film festival organizer’s decision to screen “The Red Herring,” a documentary about the beleaguered ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk, at the festival that kicks off next week has sparked controversy. Those who are critical of the screening and the film said that it is inappropriate to present a film that takes Cho’s side after a court found that his wife had forged documents in their daughter’s university application. “We have witnessed that films l

FilmApril 20, 2022

World-class pianists head to Korea after COVID-19 restrictions lifted

Several world-class pianists are poised to perform in Korea in the coming months, as the country returns to normalcy with most of the social distancing measures removed. The list of acclaimed pianists coming to Korea includes many familiar names, such as Maurizio Pollini, Yuja Wang and Rudolf Buchbinder. Legendary pianist Maurizio Pollini, 80, will take the stage twice in May in what would be his first recital in Korea. Also making a debut in the country is Yuja Wang, a Chinese pianist kn

PerformanceApril 20, 2022