Veteran pizzaiolo brings artisanal pies to Nonhyeon

“Salt, water, yeast,” Darobe founder and primo pizzaiolo Kang Woo-seok, 39, rattled off -- referring to the ingredients needed to craft his pizza dough. “And flour.” At Darobe, those ingredients, transformed into a multi-textured, flavorful crust, formed the foundation for the artisanal pies Kang started serving when he first opened his pizzeria in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong two years ago. Fast forward to August, Kang is at the second location of Darobe in Seoul’s N

FoodAug. 30, 2019

[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions

Savory afternoon tea at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul’s The Lounge presents the Plentifall afternoon tea set.The afternoon tea, served on a three-tier porcelain tea tray customized for the hotel, includes pumpkin soup, mushroom crepe, salmon sandwich, ham, chocolate roll cake, persimmon mousse cake and a variety of chocolates, along with in-house scones and fresh fruit. Guests can choose coffee or tea, or add a glass of champagne at an additional cost of 18,000 won. Priced at 39,000 won

FoodAug. 30, 2019

[Herald Interview] Fine lines and finer art 　

To call Kim Kyeong-ho a master calligrapher seems like an understatement. His transcriptions of the sutras, the Buddha’s teachings, lead viewers to wonder about the limits of human ability. Ultrathin lines no thicker than a fraction of 1 millimeter form intricate designs and paintings that decorate the scripts. One such example depicts Buddha figures, almost invisible if not scrutinized with a magnifying glass, hidden inside minuscule pagodas. “I did this many years ago. I

CultureAug. 30, 2019

[Weekender] A peek at upcycle art in Gwangmyeong

The city of Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, has the country’s first gallery dedicated to upcycling and runs programs for both artists and the general public. The ongoing exhibition at the Gwangmyeong Upcycle Art Center has a child-friendly zoo theme: A tiger, an eagle and other wild animals have been recreated out of various waste materials. But the message isn’t just for kids. “The ‘Upcycle Zoo’ exhibition intends to provoke thoughts about what’s happening on

Arts & DesignAug. 30, 2019

[Weekender] From trash to art

A fancy new building with an inviting lawn yard, public art installations and plenty of Instagrammable photo spots, Seoul Upcycling Plaza looks just like a hip place to be. And that’s what city officials hope it will become -- a magnet for trendsetters and a hotbed of new lifestyle movements. Upcycling is, according to the center’s public relations manager Cho Ara, a step beyond recycling. “It is not just about using things again (recycling). It is about giving them a new

Arts & DesignAug. 30, 2019

Barrier-breaking ‘Kim’s Convenience’ family reflects immigrant experience

Imaging hearing “appa” and “eomma” -- the affectionate words for dad and mom in Korean -- on an English-language TV channel, let alone a regular sitcom series in Canada. One would say, improbable.But that is what has been happening for more than three years now through “Kim’s Convenience,” a much loved sitcom on public broadcaster CBC that depicts a Korean Canadian family’s authentic everyday life.  The story revolves around the Kims, a Korean

TelevisionAug. 29, 2019

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Tune in for Love(Korea)Opened Aug. 28Romance, DramaDirected by Jung Ji-wooIn the year 1994 as singer Yoo Yeol hosts radio show “Yoo Yeol’s Music Album” for the first time, Hyeon-woo (Jung Hae-in) happens to run across Mi-su (Kim Go-eun) at a bakery where she works. Throughout the next decade, fate keeps pulling Hyeon-woo and Mi-su together and pushing them apart again as they try to figure out life on their own, and with each other.Metamorphosis(Korea)Opened Aug. 21Horror, Thri

FilmAug. 29, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland’s ‘Blood City’ Halloween festival　Everland theme park will hold the latest edition of its zombie-themed Halloween festival “Blood City” from Friday through Nov. 17Parts of the theme park will be decorated in a horror theme, with around 100 actors dressed as zombies, clowns and other monsters dispatched around the park. Performances will be available and various photo spots will be arranged, including at the recently unveiled “Raptor Ranger” attr

TravelAug. 29, 2019

Indie-AniFest 2019 to celebrate past, present of animation

Organizers for the 15th Korea Independent Animation Film Festival on Thursday introduced this year’s opening film, the “relay animation” project and other programs for the annual festival.The Indie-AniFest, hosted by the Korean Independent Animation Filmmakers Association and organized by Indie-AniFest Executive Committee will take place at CGV Myeongdong Station Cine Library on Sept. 19-24. It features animation films produced in Asian countries -- or have at least one Asian c

CultureAug. 29, 2019

Multicultural Family Music Broadcasting celebrates 11th anniversary

Multicultural Family Music Broadcasting celebrated on Wednesday its 11th anniversary at its broadcasting station in Seodaemun, Seoul.The broadcaster was launched by Woongjin Foundation, a public service foundation chaired by former Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Shin Hyun-woong, with Korea’s growing migrant population as target audience. According to the foundation, there are currently about 2.37 million migrants in Korea. The Multicultural Family broadcasts are available in

CultureAug. 29, 2019

Famed skater Lee Sang-hwa, singer Kangnam to marry this year

Former South Korean star speed skater Lee Sang-hwa and singer Kangnam will tie the knot in the fall this year, their management agencies said Thursday.They will hold their wedding on Oct. 12 at a Seoul hotel, according to Lee's Bonboo Entertainment and Kangnam's Dmost Entertainment.They first met on SBS' reality show "Law of the Jungle" in September last year and became a couple. They confirmed their relationship in March. Lee, 30, is the most successful athlete in South Korean speed s

PeopleAug. 29, 2019

Israeli TV series tops Seoul International Drama Awards

Israeli TV series “On the Spectrum” won the Grand Prize at the 2019 Seoul International Drama Awards.The awards ceremony for the 14th edition of the event was held at the Grand Peace Hall at Kyung Hee University in central Seoul on Wednesday.  “On the Spectrum” is a 10-part comedy series about three roommates, each diagnosed with a disorder on the autistic spectrum. Rather than depicting those afflicted to be talented with an exceptional ability in mathematics or sci

TelevisionAug. 29, 2019

[Herald Interview] YouTuber showcases power of ‘fair’ review of books

In Korea’s sluggish publishing industry, YouTubers are emerging as new power players through their personal book recommendations, which translate into real sales figures at both offline and online bookstores.As with other product placement deals on YouTube channels, however, book recommendations are rarely delivered free of charge. Publishers have to pay for such advertising. The question is, how much can you trust a YouTuber’s pitch for the book in question?For Pi Eugene, an up-and-

PeopleAug. 28, 2019

Do not try to read between the lines -- just walk right in

Tautly stretched lines in different colors form geometric shapes in and outside of the gallery space. They extend from the basement all the way to the high ceiling of the upper floor. Some lines define quadrangles that are leaning against a wall, while others come out from one wall just to meet another. The sculptures, made of yarn, appear lightweight. In terms of visual presence too, they are “barely there.” But the yarn sculptures are visually intriguing, after all. Gallery Hy

Arts & DesignAug. 28, 2019

Short, flashy web-based dramas appeal to binge watch-loving new generation

As new digital media, like YouTube, has become a mainstream content distribution platform, web-based series have carved out an independent genre in South Korean show business based on explosive popularity among teenagers.Drama "A-Teen," produced by Playlist Global, a web drama studio under the wing of South Korea's largest internet portal operator Naver, is one of the biggest smash hit mini-dramas in the country.Premiering in July 2018, the series of 24 eight-minute episodes created a

TelevisionAug. 28, 2019

X1 defies vote-rigging scandal to debut as one of highest-profile

Vote-rigging allegations and an ongoing police probe surrounding new boy band X1 mattered little as the 11-member group made a high-profile debut Tuesday through an idol audition TV show known for producing breakout K-pop stars.It took only four months for the 11 members to rise from obscurity to stardom in the Mnet audition show, "Produce X 101,"through which three sensational bands -- I.O.I, Wanna One and IZ*ONE -- were formed and thrived.On Tuesday, the 11 final winners of the show'

PerformanceAug. 27, 2019

'Let Them Eat Money. Welche Zukunft?!' to get Korean premiere

Political drama constitutes one of the backbones of German theater, particularly that of the 20th century, and “Let Them Eat Money. Welche Zukunft?!” is a contemporary production in that tradition.The German play -- which premiered in Germany last September, the latter part of whose title means “Which Future?” -- will have its South Korean premiere Sept. 20-21 at the LG Arts Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.Directed by award-winning film and theater director Andres Veiel, the

PerformanceAug. 27, 2019

‘Super Show’ in October to herald return of ‘complete’ Super Junior

Super Junior on Tuesday announced that it will hold a standalone concert in October in Seoul, its first since 2008 to feature all nine members. All the band’s musicians have now been discharged from the military after fulfilling their mandatory military service.The promotional image released for “Super Junior World Tour -- Super Show 8” showed that the Seoul concert will be held Oct. 12-13 at the KSPO Dome at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, southern Seoul. Tickets will be available

PerformanceAug. 27, 2019

BTS honored at annual MTV music awards

Proving its massive success on the American pop scene once again, K-pop boy band BTS has picked up two trophies at the annual MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) held in New Jersey, the United States.The septet won in two categories -- best group and K-pop -- out of the five it was nominated for in the awards ceremony held at New Jersey's Prudential Center on Monday (US time). The other categories BTS was nominated for were art direction, collaboration and choreography. Currently on its first-ever off

PerformanceAug. 27, 2019

Art-filled staycation at JW Marriott Dongdaemun

Riding the staycation wave, JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul presents the Artractive Holiday package for the Chuseok holidays.The package offers three tickets to L’Atelier, an exhibition hall in Dongdaemun, featuring works by leading 19th century artists, including Vincent Van Gogh. Located in nearby Hyundai City Tower, L‘Atelier is less than a 10-minute walk from the hotel. L’Atelier, an experience-oriented art theme park, features famous paintings in light displays, allowi

CultureAug. 27, 2019