HyunA opts for ‘honest’ route, confirming relationship with E’Dawn

HyunA confirmed she has been dating E’Dawn, a fellow member of the group Triple H.The confirmation came as local news outlets reported Friday the stars have been dating for two years. HyunA and E’Dawn perform together on stage as two-thirds of Triple H. (Yonhap)HyunA said she had met E’Dawn when he was a trainee and they became friends while working together, before starting a relationship around May 2016.She said she got closer with E’Dawn while making music together, particularly when E’Dawn h

PerformanceAug. 3, 2018

Expect ‘Better Boracay’ in October: Philippines

The resort island of Boracay is to reopen to visitors in October, the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources said Thursday.Boracay, one of the Philippines’ major tourism destinations, has been closed since April 26, as part of the local government’s efforts for the environmental rehabilitation of the island.Secretary Roy Cimatu of the DENR said that visitors will be able to enjoy a “Better Boracay” when the resort island opens again on Oct. 26.Boracay (Philippine Department o

TravelAug. 3, 2018

[Photo News] Learning skills for water survival

With summer vacation in full swing, August is prime time for swimming. It is also high season for water survival classes for schoolchildren. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has teamed up with the Incheon Coast Guard to provide lessons to practice survival floating techniques at Yeouido and Ttukseom Hangang Park swimming pools this summer.Basic techniques taught from these classes can help anyone, including children, stay afloat until someone comes to rescue them, instructors say. Participants

TravelAug. 2, 2018

[Weekender] 5 surfing spots to ride the wave

For many people, Korea is probably not on their list of must-go surfing destinations. However, with the rising popularity of the sport, more people are discovering that they can actually catch some good waves here.  Surfers at Mallipo Beach (Yonhap)Based on recommendations from members of the Korea Pro Surfing Association, pro and amateur surfers, and online surfing communities, The Korea Herald has selected five spots that surfers of all levels can enjoy.1. Busan  Songjeong Beach, Busan (Busan

TravelAug. 2, 2018

‘Counters’ shows raw anger in face of brazen xenophobia

How does someone shouting into the microphone, “Dear s--- Koreans whom I hate the most in the world, how are you?” make you feel? A civilized reaction would be to call the police, file complaints, or request a reasonable conversation about how we should all live together.One gut feeling for many people, of course, would be to get in the xenophobic jerks’ faces for a shouting match, or something more violent.“Counters” is a documentary about a civic group of the same name in Japan, who fought aga

CultureAug. 2, 2018

[Video] BT21 characters hit Incheon Airport

BT21 collection, co-produced by BTS and Line Corp., the Japanese subsidiary of Korea's biggest portal Naver, is witnessing an explosive growth in less than a year since its launch.While BT21 may seem like eight fluffs of pure cutness on the outside, one should be careful not to underestimate the fictitious octet's star power.BT21's RJ at Incheon Airport's Terminal 2 (The Korea Herald)Mang, Tata, Chimmy, Cooky, RJ, Shooky, Koya and Van have become some of the hottest names anywhere since their de

PerformanceAug. 2, 2018

Vixx’s Leo fills ‘Canvas’ with splashes of his unique color

For the past six years, the versatile singer had his hand in everything from songwriting to pursuing a musical theatre career, except for filling an album only with his voice. And for his ever first solo album “Canvas,” Leo of Vixx transformed himself into a meticulous artist and splashed a blank canvas with colors only the artist himself could create. The seven-track album is led by lead track “Touch & Sketch,” a groovy bass-driven song that bounces between the digitized beat and Leo’s clear br

PerformanceAug. 2, 2018

[Weekender] Korean surfers break away from ‘surfer dude’ stereotypes

Surfing has become a new growing scene for Koreans in recent years. It is a sport or hobby more and more Koreans are eager to give a try amid the sweltering heat. Only a decade ago, hitting the waves on a surfboard would have been considered bizarre to many locals. “If you searched for ‘surfing’ on the internet, the only results you would have gotten were either ‘wind surfing’ or ‘surfing the web’ 10 years back,” Lee Hyung-joo said in an interview with The Korea Herald. Lee Hyung-joo, one of the

CultureAug. 2, 2018

[Herald Review] Words spark tension in ‘The Spy Gone North’

As a child of the ’90s when James Bond films first started to take the loud, bombastic, shoot-’em-all approach, it feels weird to watch a spy film in which not one bullet is fired.To be fair, “The Spy Gone North” is like the love child of a political thriller and a spy film, but director Yoon Jong-bin’s attempt to raise tension through words, not actions, is admirable and quite effective.The film is based on a real-life event that occurred during the 1990s, with the creators taking liberty with

FilmAug. 2, 2018

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Coex Na Hit! AquariumCoex Aquarium is holding the “2018 Summer Na Hit! Aquarium” event, with special underwater performances and an extension of operating hours.Special summer activities include underwater performances by the Octonauts at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Other attractions include an exhibition of 20,000 sardines along with music, lighting and commentary at the Deep Blue Sea zone.During the event, operating hours for the aquarium will be extended by one hour to 9 p.m. The event is held f

TravelAug. 2, 2018

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days(Korea)Opened July 1Action, Drama, Fantasy Directed by Kim Yong-hwaGangrim (Ha Jung-woo), an agent of the afterlife, attempts to clear his client Kim Su-hong’s (Kim Dong-wook) charges in a trial after death, while his colleagues Haewonmak (Ju Ji-hoon) and Lee Deok-choon (Kim Hyang-gi) try to bring an elderly man living past his due time to the underworld. But the trio’s past threatens both missions.Mission: Impossible - Fallout(US)Opened July 25Action, Advent

FilmAug. 2, 2018

[Herald Interview] ‘We don’t expect anything from our new song,' says iKon

In August last year, iKon fans were enraged at YG Entertainment for the group’s lack of promotion in Korea, even announcing a boycott of products produced by the agency. The coin was flipped with its release of “New Kids: Return” EP earlier in January. The group became one of the most prolific K-pop acts in the scene, releasing two albums a year and enjoying its heyday with the first smash hit “Love Scenario.” Seven months later, the group returned Thursday with “New Kids: Continue,” the last of

PerformanceAug. 2, 2018

Agency denies snowballing rumors of HyunA dating E’Dawn

HyunA’s agency has denied rumors that the singer is dating E’Dawn, a fellow member of mixed-gender pop trio Triple H.Dating rumors between the two swirled after a report by Korean online media outlet TV Report claimed they began dating after meeting via Triple H.A source close to both singers’ agency Cube Entertainment denied the rumors in talks with multiple media outlets.HyunA (middle) and E'Dawn (right). (Yonhap)But speculation continues unabated, as the detailed report outlined the timeline

PerformanceAug. 2, 2018

Former prison lives with vestiges of Korea’s patriotic past

In the 1975 book “Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison” by Michel Foucault, the late philosopher builds on Jeremy Bentham’s concept of the panopticon -- a type of institutional building for social control, where prisoners are surveilled by a watchman at the center -- as a disciplinary tool of the modern state machinery. In the course of its ruthless imperial expansion and oppression, Japan constructed a long chain of panopticon-shaped penitentiaries across the Korean Peninsula from the

TravelAug. 2, 2018

Bugs on the table! Wait, they’re on the menu, too!

We have been told that insects will be a valuable food source in the future. But it is not easy to embrace the idea of having worms, crickets and grasshoppers on our plates. There are pioneers, however, bringing the future closer to us. While figuring out more efficient ways of farming and retailing edible bugs, they also work on developing recipes, inviting those with brave hearts. Dried crickets (Im Eun-byel/The Korea Herald) Edible Coffee at Seocho-gu, Seoul (Edible Coffee)Edible Coffee is a

FoodAug. 2, 2018

Enjoy Oktoberfest at Grand Hilton Seoul

For those seeking to experience the largest beer festival in the world while still staying in Seoul, Grand Hilton Seoul presents the 2018 Oktoberfest.　The hotel has been hosting Oktoberfest since 2007, attracting more than 1,000 visitors each year. This year’s event will take place on Sept. 8 at the hotel’s Convention Center. 　 Oktoberfest in Seoul (Grand Hilton Seoul)“If there is Chuseok in Korea, in Germany, the largest traditional festival is the Oktoberfest,” general manager Bernhard Brender

FoodAug. 2, 2018

[Home Cooking] Oi buchu kimchi: cucumber kimchi made with garlic chives

Oi buchu kimchi (Korean Bapsang)Cucumbers are in their peak season. This recipe is a quick and easy kimchi you can make with summer’s abundant cucumbers. It’s crisp, crunchy, and delicious.Buchu, or Korean garlic chives, is commonly added to oi kimchi, but you can use scallions instead if you like. Although not used in this recipe, a little bit of julienned carrot or red pepper will give the kimchi a nice pop of color. To make kimchi, you will need to salt the cucumbers first to draw out some wa

FoodAug. 2, 2018

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Eels for summer at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton’s Japanese restaurant Genji prepared a special eight-course set menu for guests who have lost their energy in the scorching summer heat. The course menu includes classic Japanese dishes such as sashimi and tempura. But what stands out the most is the Orotson eel teriyaki. Orotson eel is a wild, not farmed, eel found in the mud flats on the western coast of Korea. It is considered a great delicacy both in Korea and Japan, greatly n

FoodAug. 2, 2018

[Epicurean Challenge] Snake-like creature writhes, squirms on grill

Gomjangeo, often mispronounced as ggomjangeo, refers to inshore hagfish in Korean. Hagfish may not sound, or look, appealing, with its degenerated eyes and a snake-like body that produces slime when distressed. But that does not stop Koreans from taking up a culinary challenge with the sea-dweller.  (Shot and produced by Lim Jeong-yeo/The Korea Herald) After being thoroughly skinned, gomjangeo goes on the grill. Restaurants and pubs often grill them outside on a strong fire, such as

FoodAug. 2, 2018

[Photo News] What’s redder than the sun?

A woman was spotted carefully drying the year’s precious harvest of chili peppers at a traditional Hanok village in Hamyang-gun, South Gyeongsang Province, on Thursday.Vegetable harvest in Korea this summer has suffered due to 21 days of hot weather, resulting in a fall in supply and a rise in the prices of vegetables.On Wednesday, Korea saw a record high of 41 degrees Celsius in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province. Staff of the national weather agency personally traveled to the region to verify the unp

CultureAug. 2, 2018