Rose wines to pop open for spring or anytime

It seems almost unfair to rose to start thinking about it, and talking about it, and looking for it when spring comes around. Then again, how many of us think about turkey and stuffing outside of November? Or corned beef and cabbage outside of March? No one is stopping you from planning those meals on any day of the year, calendar be damned. Yet you don‘t. At least most of you don’t.Did my college roommates and I cook up an entire traditional Thanksgiving dinner one spring semester? Sure we did.

FoodMay 19, 2017

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Yangpyeong Strawberry Festival The Yangpyeong Strawberry Festival is being held through the end of May. Visitors can pick their own strawberries at the strawberry farms and participate in a variety of activities and programs in the village. Reservations are required.Exclusive events for bloggers are on offer at blog.naver.com/yp--nadri. Up to 50 teams can participate. The festival is open to visitors of all ages. Visit www.yp21.net for information provided in Korean, English, Japanese and Mandar

TravelMay 19, 2017

[Home Cooking] Snack on ddangkong jorim

This is a simple but delicious side dish that’s made with peanuts. Made similar to kongjang (soy braised soybeans), this braised peanut dish is sweet, sticky, savory and nutty with a pleasant chewy texture. It’s a popular basic side dish.For this dish, use raw shelled peanuts with skins. Around here, we’re lucky to have good quality Virginia peanuts, one of the largest varieties. Raw peanuts retain the skins intact and absorb the sauce better with a softer texture as a result, but you can use ro

FoodMay 19, 2017

[Eye] ‘Art is necessary in the process of becoming a citizen’

At the Deoksugung branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, an exhibition of Egyptian surrealist art is underway in the west wing that was added to Seokjojeon, the country’s first Western-style building, in 1938 during the Japanese colonial period.It is coincidence that the period covered in the exhibition runs from 1938 to 1965. But nevertheless, the venue seems an apt one for the exhibition that covers a period in Egypt soon after it became fully independent from col

PerformanceMay 19, 2017

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

The Merciless (Korea)Opened May 17Crime, action. Directed by Byun Sung-hyunJae-ho (Seol Kyung-gu) is the maniacal head of a drug smuggling operation. While behind bars, he befriends Hyun-soo (Im Si-wan), a young delinquent who appears equally boisterous. Jae-ho suggests Hyunsoo join his operation, and the two begin working together in Jae-ho’s criminal gang upon their release from prison. The two soon come to slowly reveal their ambitions and hidden sides, however, and embark on a precarious par

FilmMay 19, 2017

[Movie Review] ‘The Wall’ asks tough questions about the nature of war but can’t quite connect

“The Wall,” a story of two American soldiers facing off against an unseen Iraqi adversary, is a men-at-war story more interesting than you might imagine. But not interesting enough. Bringing to mind Steven Spielberg’s debut feature, “Duel,” and similar hidden antagonist fare, “The Wall” benefits from the work of director Doug Liman. His varied filmography (“The Bourne Identity,” “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” the underappreciated “Edge of Tomorrow”) reveals him as a restless cinematic intelligence who li

FilmMay 19, 2017

[Movie Review] More thoughtful thrills in the ‘Alien’ universe

The “Alien” franchise has always been battleground for the philosophical and physical tussles for dominance between human, alien and artificial intelligence. While “Alien” set up the themes, character types, and iconography of this universe, 2012’s prequel “Prometheus” established an origin story and philosophy, bringing up questions of faith, spirituality and the risks of creating life. “Alien: Covenant,” once again directed by Ridley Scott, is the second prequel in the series, chronologically

FilmMay 19, 2017

[Herald Review] Still, always in mourning for Roh Moo-hyun

In the ending scene of the upcoming documentary “Our President,” a man walks around the streets of Busan, shaking people’s hands and introducing himself: “My name is Roh Moo-hyun. I’ll work hard.”The 109-minute film pinpoints the year 2002, a dramatic period in the late president’s political journey, when he was nominated the presidential candidate of the leading liberal party. The film hits Korean theaters May 25, two days after the eighth anniversary of Roh’s death by suicide. 　“Our President”

FilmMay 18, 2017

Park Hae-jin ready for a second take at 'Cheese in the Trap'

Park Hae-jin is ready to demonstrate his acting prowess through the upcoming film “Cheese in the Trap.”  (Mountain Movement Management)Currently starring as Kim Seol-woo in JTBC’s romance series “Man to Man,” Park is also filming the movie version of “Cheese in the Trap,” the hit 2016 tvN webtoon-based drama series. In the film, Park reprises the role of the stoic college senior Yoo Jung, with Oh Yeon-seo playing his love interest. (Mountain Movement Management)Viewers can expect more depth in P

TelevisionMay 18, 2017

Korean stars headed to Cannes

With a total of five Korean films invited to the Cannes Film Festival, which opened Wednesday, a handful of Korean directors and movie stars are set to walk the event’s red carpet in the coming days. Director Park Chan-wook, who is attending the event as a jury member, joined the opening festivities Wednesday. Director Park Chan-wook, a jury member of Cannes Film Festival’s competition category this year, attends the event’s opening Wednesday. (AFP-Yonhap)Director-actress duo Hong Sang-soo and K

FilmMay 18, 2017

Gong Yoo featured on 7 magazine covers throughout Asia

Actor Gong Yoo will be featured on the cover of the June issue of men’s magazine Esquire in seven Asian countries. 　Gong’s face will grace the cover of the editions in Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Hong Kong. An in-depth interview with the actor will also be included in the issue and it will also be sold in Vietnam and the Philippines. Esquire is published in 10 countries in Asia. Gong Yoo is featured on the cover of the Korean edition of Esquire’s June issue. (Esqu

TelevisionMay 18, 2017

'The Merciless' tops S. Korean box office on opening day

The crime action film "The Merciless" took the top place at the South Korean box office on its opening day, data showed Thursday.The movie starring Seol Kyung-goo and Im Si-wan sold 95,261 tickets Wednesday, according to the computerized tally from the Korean Film Council. (Yonhap)"The Merciless" is about the friendship and betrayal between Jae-ho, played by Seol, plotting to become the leader of an organized crime ring after being released from prison, and the organization's fearless and ebulli

May 18, 2017

Seoul Players to present ‘homegrown’ plays

Two one-act plays by local expat playwrights take to the Seoul stage from Saturday, in a project that sees Seoul Players show off their writing as well as their stage talents. The two plays have their share of laughs, but will leave audiences something to contemplate, said co-producer Kim Schroeder. “Rent, Boy” (Robert Michael Evans)The first, “Rent, Boy” by Raymond C. Salcedo, is a comedy of errors and unpaid debts centered on youth and bad behavior.“It‘s a wonderful journey. It’s kind of a dra

Expat LivingMay 17, 2017

Together Day events to take place across Korea

Cities across South Korea will be hosting multicultural events as part of the Justice Ministry’s Together Day festival. Together Day, in its 10th year, comprises of events taking place over around 10 days, the first of which was a talent contest for foreign students at Soongsil University. Last year’s Global Gathering in Busan (BFIA)Among the biggest events is Busan’s Global Gathering on Sunday, run by the Busan Foundation for International Activities. The gathering predates Together Day, but is

Expat LivingMay 17, 2017

Michael Breen to talk about new book

Michael Breen will talk about his new book “The New Koreans” at an event in Seoul this Saturday.The book follows up his 1997 book “The Koreans,” a guide to the cultural landscape of modern Korea. Initially intended simply as a new edition, so much has changed that the update grew into a book of its own right.In his foreword, Breen said he had, at the time of his previous book, expected a unified Korea by this point -- a “third miracle” after those of economic development and democratization.Inst

Expat LivingMay 17, 2017

[Exclusive] Document shows Song Joong-ki bought Itaewon house for W10b

Song Joong-ki has bought a house in Itaewon-dong, Seoul for 10 billion won ($8.9 million). The Korean actor, who starred in the hit “Descendants of the Sun,” bought a two-story house with a basement in January, according to a document obtained by The Korea Herald. The house has a total floor area of 371.7 square meters and sits on land measuring 602 square meters, according to the document.An official from Blossom Entertainment, Song’s agency, on Wednesday said he was not aware of the purchase.“

PeopleMay 17, 2017

Chris Norman to perform in Korea

Chris Norman will bring back 1970s nostalgia for fans in Korea this week and next, as the former front man for Smokie will hold a concert in four cities. Norman, 66, will be returning to the country for the second time in less than a year, having performed in Korea last October. He is set to sing hits like “I’ll meet You at Midnight,” and “Living Next Door to Alice,” which are favorites among Korean fans. He will kick off the tour in Seoul on Saturday with a concert at KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul

PerformanceMay 17, 2017

HyunA to perform at Dream Station

K-pop icon HyunA is the latest addition to the lineup for the upcoming Dream Station Live for Now festival to be held May 27 in Seoul.Organizers of the event revealed the final list of artists who will be hitting the stage in Nanji Hangang Park. This includes EDM artists ShowTek, Nervo, Vicetone and StadiumX, along with K-pop stars such as Red Velvet, NCT 127 and DinDin. A poster for Dream Station Live for Now (Dream Maker Entertainment)Dream Station Live for Now is a spin-off of last year’s Spe

PerformanceMay 17, 2017