IKSAN, North Jeolla Province -- Restoring the seventh-century Baekje-era stone pagoda at the UNESCO-registered Mireuksa Temple site in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, has been a daunting task for archaeologists. There were no proven historical records that could guide experts to recreate the original form of the ancient Buddhist pagoda.  “I went through every historical record from the 13th-century Samguk Yusa -- memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms. But no book had a record of how tall it was,” said

CultureDec. 29, 2015

Ten stars, each with different individual strengths in creativity, math or games, lock themselves in a room eight stories underground for JTBC‘s new entertainment program “Code.”The show is an adaptation of popular “escape room” games that began online with versions like “Doors & Rooms” and “The Mansion,” and eventually grew into physical off-line versions. In the games, players are required to find clues in anything from paintings on the walls to bar codes on the backs of books to help them unl

TelevisionDec. 29, 2015

Balladeer Kim Bum-soo will hold a two-day concert in March to celebrate the 17th anniversary of his debut.　The program will feature the hits of the popular vocalist, including “Promise,” “I Miss You,” “Last Love” and “It Will Pass” in addition to a number of new songs, according to a statement released by the concert's planning agency Delight Company Inc. on Tuesday.Kim Bum-soo (Polaris Entertainment)　Kim, 36, known for his smooth vocals and flawless technique, has come to occupy a key position

PerformanceDec. 29, 2015

International girl group Cosmic Girls, set to debut early next year, has collaborated on a special New Year’s release with boy band UNIQ, the girl group’s agency announced Tuesday. 　The two groups have released a track titled “Happy New Year” and its music video in China, marking Cosmic Girls' first video debut. From left: Xuan Yi, Eunseo and Yeoreum from 12-member girl group Cosmic Girls, set to debut early 2016 (Starship Entertainment)　“The video is filled with warm colors and a fun, quirky st

PerformanceDec. 29, 2015

Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul, urban oasis in the heart of city Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul is an award-winning urban resort located in the heart of South Korea’s capital. Overlooking the lush greenery of the Mount Namsan, it is the ultimate place to fully enjoy the serenity and privacy offered by the resort. The 21-story hotel is designed to offer relaxation and comfort with only four guest rooms on each floor. Each guest room is equipped with the hotel’s signature Relaxation Pool and other lux

TravelDec. 29, 2015

The Ritz-Carlton Seoul offers guests a unique city experience with its private balconies overlooking Korea’s capital.　Located in the heart of the buzzing Gangnam area, the Ritz-Carlton Seoul boasts easy accessibility while setting itself apart from the busy cityscape, allowing guests to find a moment of quiet and luxurious retreat. 　In addition to its private guest room balconies -- provided by no other hotel in Seoul -- the Ritz-Carlton Seoul’s all-day fine dining restaurant also features an ou

TravelDec. 28, 2015

Banyan Tree Club and Spa Seoul is an award-winning urban resort located in the heart of South Korea’s capital. 　Overlooking the lush greenery of the Mount Namsan, it is the ultimate place to fully enjoy the serenity and privacy offered by the resort. 　The 21-story hotel is designed to offer relaxation and comfort with only four guest rooms on each floor. Each guest room is equipped with the hotel’s signature Relaxation Pool and other luxurious amenities. 　The hotel also offers diverse indoor and

TravelDec. 28, 2015

Located just minutes away from central of Seoul, Fraser Suites Insadong offers all its guest a rich cultural experience with palaces, traditional markets and museums all within walking distance.　Fraser Suites has 213 fully furnished suites from a single up to four bedrooms, along with its penthouse suite. The luxury apartment hotel also features a heated indoor swimming pool, with a separate children’s pool, and a fully-equipped gym to ensure its guests stay fit during their stay. 　As a leading

TravelDec. 28, 2015

Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas has achieved a series of outstanding recognitions both in Korea and abroad this year.　It has gained the five-star hotel status this year as the first foreign luxury hotel chain in Korea. Also, the hotel has earned the ISO 22000 certification for its excellence in food safety management system.　Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas topped the country’s Korean Standard-Service Quality Index, which measures companies’ quality of services, for seven consecutive year

TravelDec. 28, 2015

The director’s cut of the hit webtoon-turned drama film “Inside Men” is set to be released at the end of the year with 50 additional minutes of footage, bringing the running time to three hours. The added footage to the story -- which follows a deeply corrupt triangular conspiracy involving politics, corporate interests and the media -- focuses mainly on providing personal histories and context for the complex relationships between the main characters. Baek Yoon-sik (left) and Lee Byung-hun star

FilmDec. 28, 2015

Broadcaster SBS’ long-awaited year-end music festival “Gayo Daejeon” was a huge disappointment for fans after sound, camera work and captioning mishaps put a damper on the all-star performances.The most noticeable mistakes were in sound coordination. The sound volume of the artists’ tracks and microphones continued to fluctuate, with recorded tracks frequently drowning out the artists’ voices. At times, the microphones did not function at all, cutting out the vocals for EXO’s performance of “Cal

TelevisionDec. 28, 2015

Upheaval at the controversy-plagued Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra continued as its board of directors decided to postpone its decision on renewing maestro Chung Myung-whun’s contract as the city orchestra’s music director.Members of the orchestra’s board of directors met Monday morning to discuss whether to keep Chung, who has promised to fulfill next season’s conducting commitments with the SPO regardless of his contract status.  Conductor Chung Myung-whun (Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra)Earlier i

PerformanceDec. 28, 2015

WONJU, Gangwon Province -- Very much overshadowed by the neighboring snow-filled scenes of bliss in PyeongChang, the site of the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics, Gangwon Province’s Wonju seeks to attract the attention of travelers. The small-time city of Wonju, less than a two-hour drive from central Seoul, has always flown under the radar in terms of its tourism pull. While it does not have a reputation as one of the peninsula’s “must-see” destinations, it beckons a second look as an unlikely hav

CultureDec. 28, 2015

Actress Lee Min-jung is to return to the small screen for the first time in two years in a new TV series set to air in February, her agency MSteam Entertainment said Monday. 　Lee will star in TV drama series “Goodbye, My Beloved” as struggling widow and part-time employee Shin Da-hye. The show is based on the Japanese novel “Seven Days of Manager Tsubakiyama,” by Asada Jiro. 　Lee will play alongside singer-turned-actor Rain, who last week confirmed he will star as male lead Lee Hae-joon, an offi

TelevisionDec. 28, 2015

GWANGJU ― If you exit the subway station connected to the Asia Culture Center in Gwangju thinking that the multicultural complex will be similar in scale to the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul, you should think again. Asia Culture Center in Gwangju (Culture Ministry)With its five interconnected buildings based on different yet synergistic and convergent themes, the Asia Culture Center strikes awe in visitors, who marvel at the architecture and the interior maze of exhibition and performance

CultureDec. 27, 2015

The Independence Hall of Korea has received a presidential accolade for its contribution to promoting patriotism and national symbols. “This prize recognizes the museum’s diverse programs using national symbols and its contribution to attracting interest in national symbols and promoting the understanding of national symbols,” the museum said in a press release.  A Korean flag decoration marks the 70th anniversary of Korea’s independence from Japan. (IHK)The state-run museum, which pays tribute

CultureDec. 27, 2015

American broadcaster NBC will be airing its version of Korean reality program “Grandpas Over Flowers” early next year, marking the first time an exported Korean television format is being produced and broadcast in the U.S.　The travel reality show, which primarily aired on Korean cable network tvN and starred four elderly actors on backpacking trips abroad, will be titled “Better Late Than Never” in the U.S. and is set to begin airing on NBC early next year, the original show’s producer-director

TelevisionDec. 27, 2015