Seoul springs to life with festivals

With spring in full bloom and the days getting warmer, a number of festivals that focus on outdoor activities are taking place around Seoul. Here is a list of May festivals compiled by The Korea Herald.  Contemporary artist Kildren will hold an exhibition at All Day Out Seoul 2017. (CJ E&M)Nod to street cultureAll Day Out Seoul 2017, which takes place Friday and Saturday at Layer 57 in Seongsu-dong, is an event dedicated to all things hip-hop and street culture, hosted by the entertainment behem

May 2, 2017

[Seoul Saunter] Repurposed park acts as corridor of civic energy

Around sunset each day, Park Bong-soon strolls through the Gyeongui Line Forest Park, back and forth, for a good healthy hour. For the 71-year-old resident of the area near Gongdeok Station in northwestern Seoul, the refashioned esplanade stretching from Hyochang Park Station to Gajwa Station is an urban oasis of recreation and leisure. “I come here every day because it’s safe and comfortable to saunter,” Park told The Korea Herald. “The scenes of families, children and young people enjoying the

May 1, 2017

Jeju’s female diving culture gets heritage listing

Female divers in Korea’s southern island of Jeju have been designated as an Intangible Cultural Property of Korea, Cultural Heritage Administration said Monday. Hanyeo, which roughly translates as “women of the sea,” refers to female divers on Jeju Island who harvest marine products using minimal diving gear. The divers use basic tools like wetsuits, goggles and chest weights, but are not assisted by oxygen tanks.“The culture of ‘haenyeo’ has stood the test of time to represent Korea’s tradition

May 1, 2017

[Weekender] Cafes go beyond coffee

The growth of coffee addicts is explosive, manifested in the rapid spread of coffee shops, big and small, across the nation. Latest data showed that Koreans consumed more than 25 billion cups of coffee last year, translating into a whopping 500 cups per person. The stakes couldn’t be higher for both franchise coffee chains and smaller self-owned businesses. They are now rushing to diversify themes, offer special brews and explore new concepts. 　 Daelim Warehouse Cafe in Seongsu-dong, Seoul (Park

April 28, 2017

[Weekender] Get space for the price of a coffee

Park Ji-min, 23, carries out most of her daily tasks at cafes. The senior college student works on her assignments, reads books and watches movies on her laptop at the cafes, which are located right in front of her house.  (Park Ju-young/ The Korea Herald)“Even though I’m far from a coffee enthusiast, I drink at least three cups of coffee every day so I can stay in a cafe,” Park said in an interview with The Korea Herald. Park is one of many Korean students who frequent cafes not only to quench

April 28, 2017

[Weekender] Franchises experiment with high-end coffee and tea

Cafe franchises in South Korea are going upscale by brewing premium drinks including specialty coffee and high-end tea. Tea cafe franchises offer high-end tea (Chloris Tea & Coffee)It took time, money and effort just to try such premium beverages in the past, but franchises are clearing the barriers to beverages made by veteran professionals with top-end ingredients. Even major coffee shop chains have got in on the act, with Tom N Toms Black, Twosome Place Roastery Cafe and Starbucks Reserve. St

April 28, 2017

[Weekender] Cafes provide solace for sleep-deprived Koreans

Many people turn to coffee to wake themselves up. But that’s the last thing on the minds of customers of a new breed of cafes devoted to helping people relax and, if possible, take a nap. “The (regular) cafes are inconvenient,” said Shin Jeong-sik, a regular customer at a sleeping cafe. “They’re crowded and the chairs are stiff. I like it here because I can rest on a bed.”Shin is not alone in needing a good lie-down. Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development suggests th

April 28, 2017

Travel industry discusses tourism’s ability to change the world

BANGKOK -- The travel and tourism industry today generates over $7.6 trillion globally, supporting over 292 million jobs, and has outstripped the growth of the global economy in the last six years.Such is the economic power of the travel and tourism industry that it was highlighted as a driver of three of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals: inclusive and sustainable economic growth; sustainable consumption and production; and sustainable use of oceans and marine resources.“This sector plays

April 27, 2017

2,917 stairs to the top of Korea’s highest skyscraper

Over 950 people from around the world gathered Sunday at Lotte World Tower to do one thing: climb up 123 floors -- or 2,917 stairs to be exact. Gripping banisters and taking the stairs two at a time, the climbers aimed to run up the top of South Korea’s tallest skyscraper located in Songpa-gu, eastern Seoul, as part of an international race hosted by the Vertical World Circuit.“I’ve always enjoyed pushing myself past the limit,” said Park Soon-eek as he was warming up in the Arena Square near th

April 26, 2017

Political stance comes at a price in Korean entertainment

Jeon In-kwon’s concert on May 7 was canceled Tuesday. The veteran singer did not say why the organizers decided to pull the plug.But rumors have begun to circulate that it was connected to Jeon’s recent endorsement of Ahn Cheol-soo, a centrist presidential candidate of the People’s Party. Last week, Jeon publicly announced that he is supporting Ahn to win the May 9 presidential election. “We don’t know if it was because of the political statement. The promoters decided on it,” his representative

April 26, 2017

Click here to subscribe - and learn how to drive

Imagine the shock when a boy, 8, drove up to a local McDonalds drive-through and asked for a Happy Meal. The news of the Ohio boy who learned how to drive on YouTube to get a late-night snack was a cutesy tidbit, but it also demonstrated just how easy it has become to educate oneself via new media.  “With the way technology is, more kids will learn how to do anything and everything,” a local patrolman told the Weirton Daily Times, upon witnessing the boy obeying all traffic laws and driving “eff

April 23, 2017

Recreating fragments of a bygone empire

At the turn of the century, Emperor Gojong declared Joseon an empire in a last-ditch attempt to retain independence.  A re-enactment of foreign envoys’ audience with Emperor Gojong (Cultural Heritage Administration)The move turned out to be futile, as the short-lived Daehan Empire (1897-1910) saw the country taking its last breath before being colonized by Japan. This year’s Royal Culture Festival -- from Friday to May -- will re-enact the ceremonies and rituals from the last monarchy on the Kor

April 23, 2017

Korea treads steadily toward cyclists’ haven

Wearing a skintight outfit on his steely, muscled frame, Lee Sang-won has hit all corners of Korea on two wheels over the last decade. “The sceneries of rivers, coastlines, mountains and rice paddies were ineffably beautiful,” the 62-year-old man recalled with a nostalgia-tinged smile. Lee, the pacesetter for the nation’s growing legion of cyclists, has clinched nearly 50 amateur titles, including two national championships last year. As Koreans are increasingly becoming more concerned with thei

April 21, 2017

[Weekender] South Koreans try blissful bike routes

As the weather starts to heat up, many are taking up cycling for either commuting or sport. The number of bicycle riders has gone up steadily over the past few years here. According to the Korea Transport Institute, it now stands at more than 13 million people, translating into 1 in 4 Koreans.The growing affection toward bikes is hardly a surprise for commuters. People in metropolitan cities with notorious rush-hour traffic need an alternative transportation option.  Ho Sung-hyun bikes downhill.

April 21, 2017

Pure beauty of Joseon era’s white porcelain

More often, beauty is found in things that are simple and naive, or thrifty and pure, rather than with a fancy appearance. Among porcelains, plain white porcelains from the Joseon era are viewed as the most beautiful, as opposed to splendid blue porcelains during the Goryeo kingdom. The No. 309 and No. 310 national treasures are widely called Dal Hangahri, meaning moon-shaped porcelains. Made of white clay and glazed with milk-color enamel, the porcelains resemble the moon against a dark sky.  (

April 21, 2017

[Herald Interview] Kim Ki-soo, blurring gender barriers with makeup

Kim Ki-soo makes sure to captivate the audience when he films a makeup tutorial: he winks, chortles, bats his eyelashes and daintily lifts a brush with impeccably manicured fingers. “Smudge, smudge, smudge,” he repeats, patting pigment onto his eyelids. “Touch, touch, touch,” he chants while coloring his cheeks in rhythmic strokes.　“I’ve given my eyes a feline flick today,” he said at an interview with The Korea Herald last Thursday. The 39-year-old comedian-turned-beauty creator walked into the

April 18, 2017

[Seoul Saunter] Remnants of good ol’ days

Seoul is a vibrant megalopolis with modern high-rises crowding the city’s major arteries. Nestled among the gleaming buildings are maze-like alleys that appear to have escaped the passage of time. The Korea Herald explores the many nooks and crannies of Seoul, proclaimed the capital of Joseon in 1392, that reveal a multifaceted city. -- Ed. Halfway up the stairs of Euljiro 3-ga Station in central Seoul, a sharp smell of metal pierces your nose. Stepping away from the passing vehicles into the na

April 17, 2017

[Eye Plus] Tugging for luck, for 500 years

The Gijisi Juldarigi Festival is a 500-year-old tradition that takes place annually in the city of Dangjin, located on the Asan Bay jetting out into the Yellow Sea, on the west coast.　The festival features a traditional tug-of-war game that has kept to the rules and methods from back when the game began during the reign of King Seonjo (1567-1608). The game was meant to promote unity in the community and pray for good fortune.　Today, youths and elders alike congregate around the gigantic rope use

April 14, 2017

Ancient metal print types not used for ‘Jeungdoga’

The Cultural Heritage Administration on Thursday decided not to register “Jeungdogaja” as a national treasure, after examination results confirmed that they could not be the 13th-century metal print types used to print “Jeungdoga.”Hwang Kwon-soon, an official from the Cultural Heritage Administration, announces the results of the examination of movable metal types claimed to have been used to print “Jeungdoga.” (Yonhap)However, the agency said it was still possible that they are metal types from

April 13, 2017