Mountainous Muju now home to world’s largest taekwondo training grounds

Long known for its upscale Deogyusan ski resort, the mountainous and remote countryside of Muju-gun, North Jeolla Province, has now become the new go-to destination for all things taekwondo. About a 2 1/2-hour drive from Seoul stands the Taekwondowon, the world’s largest taekwondo training space. Situated at the foot of Mount Baekunsan, the vast area spans across 2.3 square kilometers and nine valleys and equates to approximately three-quarters of the land mass of New York City’s Central Park. T

May 23, 2014

Mount Jirisan area reveals rich heritage and culture

Mount Jirisan offers stunning scenery from every peak and ridge, but also holds a trove of unique culture and rich tradition well preserved for centuries. The biggest mountain range in South Korea sprawls across seven cities and counties in the Jeolla region and South Gyeongsang Province. Hikers visit there year-round to appreciate its majestic peaks, the highest of which towers 1,915 meters above sea level, and to tread trails that weave in and out of the foothills of the mountain. The popular

May 23, 2014

[Weekender] Around the Hotels

Chef of Cantonese cuisine at The Ritz-Carlton Seoul The Ritz-Carlton Seoul’s Chinese restaurant Chee Hong is inviting guest chef Ku Chi Fai, the director of Chinese cuisine at The Ritz-Carlton Beijing, from June 19-30 to present authentic Cantonese cuisines. Chef Ku will present two special set menus -- priced at 228,000 won and 288,000 won -- consisting of eight traditional Cantonese dishes including grouper balls, lobster balls, baked crab legs, noodles with scallions and mushrooms, and sea cu

May 23, 2014

Have fun at floating five-star hotel, safely

The Diamond Princess Cruise ship is one of the three cruise ships deployed in Asia by Princess Cruises for the 2014-2015 season.At first glance, the Diamond Prince ― set to sail from Busan to Japan ― looks like a high-rise building placed horizontally. A staff member hints that the ship is longer than the length of the South Korea’s tallest 63 building. The ship, one of the 17 cruise ships owned by U.S. cruise line Princess Cruises, was on a 10-day cruise to Japan. It was anchored in Busan on th

May 16, 2014

Chicago’s new ‘Tilt!’ puts you over the edge

CHICAGO ― Step into the new Tilt! attraction on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Center and at first nothing happens.You are holding big metal bars. You are peering through a full-length window. But you know what is about to occur, and your insides, you are not ashamed to say, are like a crowded butterfly garden.And then there’s a sound ― think noisy dentist’s office, or airplane engine at the gate ― and the eight-window chunk of wall you are clinging to begins to quit its right-angle orientat

May 16, 2014

Family time at Oakwood Premier Coex Center

Coex Aquarium (Oakwood Premier Coex Center)Oakwood Premier Coex Center, a leading luxury serviced residence in Seoul, offers family-friendly accommodation packages in celebration of Family Month. The “O My Junior” package includes a one-night stay at an apartment, two Coex Aquarium tickets, free entrance to the children’s play area and an indoor swimming pool, free DVD rental and a discount for the breakfast buffet. Two types of apartments are available under the package: One is a 96-square-mete

May 16, 2014

[Weekender] Around the Hotels

Korean food in ceramic art at Lotte Hotel SeoulLotte Hotel Seoul’s Korean restaurant Mugunghwa is presenting the “Elegance of Korean Cuisine” promotion from May 12-31, during which a special menu featuring traditional banga and royal cuisine will be offered. The courses will be served on dishes crafted by Korean ceramic artists. The lunch course, priced at 100,000 won, includes fish dumplings, bamboo sprouts, grilled chicken, abalone soup and bamboo rice. The dinner course, priced at 135,000 won

May 16, 2014

Jumping into Normandy, 70 years after D-Day

COMMES, France (AP) ― Weather conditions over Normandy had been iffy for days. Showers and wind in the morning gave way to glorious spring sunshine in the afternoon, then electric green lightning storms over the sea at night. We watched the sky and waited for the go sign ― the signal that meant it was time to jump. With a brief window of only a few hours in which it would be possible, I began to doubt our chances. Finally the message my companions and I had been waiting for arrived: The jump was

May 9, 2014

In landlocked Sun Valley, a small ship is taking shape

LOS ANGELES ― He grew up on the sea. So maybe it’s only natural that Dillon Griffith still has some salt water in his blood.It would help explain why the 82-year-old retired heavy-duty mechanic has spent the last 37 years ― miles from the ocean ― meticulously assembling a 64-foot boat in the backyard of his Los Angeles home.“The Mystic Rose” has slowly taken shape on quiet Arminta Street, a project so ambitious that it has passed through the generations with his children, in-laws, grandchildren

May 7, 2014

Italy’s Costa Cruise offers round-trip Japan tour embarking from Korea

Italian cruise operator Costa Cruise has launched a round-trip cruise for tourists in South Korea.According to Lotte Tour in Seoul on Friday, the tour package will take tourists to Japanese sights. It is available twice this month.The Italian cruise ship, the Costa Victoria, can accommodate 2,349 passengers and 790 crew members. The vessel is as high as a 14-story building, and is 253 meters long and 32.5 meters wide and weighs 75,166 tons.The ship is equipped with a casino, restaurants, bars, d

May 6, 2014

Real and virtual exploration of Munich’s dark past

MUNICH (AP) ― With all of the cheery things to see and do in this sumptuous city just north of the Alps ― drink beer, admire palaces and old churches, visit museums, soak up Bavarian hospitality, and drink more beer ― why would anyone want to visit sites associated with Adolf Hitler? Because unlike the man himself, the fascination with Hitler never dies. Standing on Marienplatz, Munich‘s bustling main square, Eric Loerke is addressing nine English speakers who signed up for the “Third Reich Tour

May 2, 2014

Last bastion of mountain gods

From west Daejeon, Mount Gyeryongsan can be seen through the ring of mountains that encloses the plain. It appears rounded and slump-backed, but with a ripple on top like a rooster’s comb. Daejeon, a base for science and technology research and development, had a brief spell of fame in 1993 as host of the World Expo. Since then, it has sunk back into a calm, provincial slumber. While the leftover monuments of the Expo have come to look dated, the national park on the outskirts has aged remarkabl

May 2, 2014

Around the Hotels

Culinary Art @ JW brings global star chefs to JW Marriott Hotel SeoulJW Marriott Hotel Seoul is hosting a special gourmet project titled “Culinary Art @ JW,” which will showcase gourmet cuisines made by seven star chefs from around the world -- many who are Michelin star-holders -- from May 9-31. From May 9-10, the hotel’s buffet restaurant The Cafe will feature traditional royal palace dishes prepared by Chef Han Bok-jin, an expert on Korean culinary traditions. From May 11-20, Arabian cuisine

May 2, 2014

Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Pangyo to open

As more travelers pursue efficiency, new hotels opening in Korea have become smaller and more functional.Courtyard by Marriott Seoul Pangyo is the latest example of such functional hotels that aim to meet modern travelers’ expectations. Its target customers are young business travelers and tourists wishing to stay close to landmarks and attractions. It is scheduled to open on April 29 in the newly developed residential city of Pangyo, which is home to Korea’s major IT companies. NCsoft, AhnLab a

April 25, 2014