[Weekender] Mango bingsu, a summer delight

A bowl of shaved ice topped with sweet red bean paste has long been a classic summer dessert for Koreans. The traditional combination of ice, red bean paste and condensed milk has been an inspiration for many other creative summer desserts, too. This summer, the traditional summer treat, “bingsu,” has become tropical, as mango has emerged as a new variant. Sweet, fragrant chunks of mango have become a substitute to the classic red bean paste. For Homibing, a local shaved ice dessert chain that o

July 17, 2015

[Weekender] Surviving summer

The blazing sun, sticky air, sultry sleepless nights and mosquito bites -- yes, it’s summer again. You know what it brings. Iced drinks and shaved ice desserts called “bingsu” will be selling like hot cakes on streets of Seoul. Women will pay extra attention to shield their skin from the sun, with layers and layers of sun block and sun visors with the widest possible brims. Popular beaches and swimming pools will crowd to a mixture that locals joke is “half people and half water.” (Yonhap)And fr

July 17, 2015

[Weekender] Beat the heatwave, traditional way

Traditionally, when the summer heatwave strikes, Koreans tuck in to hot bowls of stamina-boosting soups under the mantra of “battling heat with heat.”Although seemingly counterintuitive, it was believed that the internal organs in your body became cold during the hot weather, and eating hot food restored balance by warming your body inside and cooling your body outside through sweat. Regardless of the scientific validity of this theory, this tradition is still alive and well.  On three “bok” day

July 17, 2015

[Weekender] Spine-chilling horror for mid-summer goosebumps

Haunted houses, horror films and even venturing into abandoned estates: such fear-inducing activities have long been a way for many Koreans to escape -- or at least momentarily forget -- the country’s sweltering summer, and chill the spine. Between the months of June and August every year, Korean cinemas see mass premieres of horror flicks, while a number of Halloween-ish festivals take place, with zombie marathons, goblin-themed mazes and booths where professional makeup and costume artists hel

July 17, 2015

The making of a Joseon queen

Wedding gown of Empress Consort Sunjeong, 1919 (Seojong University Museum)Stories of women at the royal court of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) do not occupy major chapters in the 518 years of history for the monarchy. Rather than being major players, queens and concubines are often seen as symbols of jealousy or, sometimes, victims of political strife. Despite little attention paid to their individual lives, these women shaped the sophisticated and splendid royal culture of Joseon that people o

July 13, 2015

Ancient Baekje historic areas named a UNESCO world heritage site

Eight ancient Baekje historic areas were collectively named as a UNESCO World Heritage site Saturday, becoming Korea’s 12th item on the much-coveted World Heritage list. It joins the ranks of the volcanic island of Jeju, Seoul’s Changdeokgung Palace and the mountain fortress of Namhansanseong. The Baekje historic areas are a collection of sites built over the different periods of Baekje, spanning nearly 700 years from B.C. 18 to A.D. 660. The sites, including royal palaces and fortresses, tombs,

July 5, 2015

'Nanta' creator appointed Pyeongchang Olympic ceremony artistic director

Song Seung-hwan, creator of the famous percussion performance “Nanta,” will direct the opening and closing ceremonies of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the organizing committee said Thursday. Song, 58, was chosen as artistic director of the ceremonies, the committee said in a press announcement, citing his “directorial skills” and “understanding of the audience, media and human network.”Song Seung-hwan (Yonhap)An acclaimed show producer, Song runs PMC Production Co. in

July 2, 2015

Korean culture industry awakes from MERS slumber

The Korean culture industry is slowly awakening from its pronounced slump, which came following the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak and the public’s ensuing reluctance to visit populated areas. As the past four days have seen no new cases and the anxiety begins to abate, movies that had postponed their premieres are now on screen and thriving, concerts once indefinitely postponed are revving up again and on-stage performances are seeing full theaters.Cinemas regained their pre-MERS att

July 1, 2015

Baekje historic sites likely to win UNESCO heritage nod

Archaeological Site in Wanggung-ri (Cultural Heritage Administration)A vast historic site that belongs to the ancient kingdom of Baekje is expected to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site, becoming Korea’s 12th item on the coveted list. A motion to inscribe it is scheduled for a final vote at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee on July 4 in Germany, following a recommendation from the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the Korean Cultural Heritage Administration

June 29, 2015

[Weekender] Charms and concerns of artistic districts

In recent years, Seoul’s Yeonnam-dong and Mullae-dong areas have risen as havens for struggling artists and free-spirited entrepreneurs. Located near enough the bustling Hongdae district to attract visitors but far enough to be removed from the noise of the area’s wild nightlife and expensive real estate prices, the neighborhoods have been seeing a growing number of artistic tenants and tourists for the past five years or so. According to Song Hye-jung, Yeonnam-dong’s charm lies not only in its

June 26, 2015

[Weekender] The rise of ‘ordinary places’ as hot spots

On Wednesday afternoon, 23-year-old university student Kim Eun-young and her friend Lee Ha-young strolled the narrow alleys of Chebu-dong in Jongno-gu of Seoul. They had a meal at the Tongin traditional market and sipped coffee while looking around the neighborhood, busily taking pictures. Instead of high-rises, the neighborhood is crammed with one- or two-story buildings, many in an early 20th century-style. The interior is decorated in European styles, with mostly bare wood or white and pastel

June 26, 2015

Around the Hotels

Private cabanas at Banyan Tree Macau 　Urban luxury resort Banyan Tree Macau -- located in Galaxy Macau, the region’s largest resort complex -- has opened Pool Cabana, a luxurious, private poolside shelter.　The pool deck is surrounded by palm trees and provides a well-serviced space for relaxation. The cabana is located nearby the Grand Resort Deck, the world’s largest man-made wave pool located on the rooftop of the Galaxy Hotel.　The newly launched eight cabanas hold six persons per room. Large,

June 26, 2015

[Best Brand] Banyan Tree, hidden oasis on slopes of Mount Namsan

A view of “The Oasis,” Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul’s rooftop luxury swimming pool area (Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul)An urban oasis nestled away in the slopes of Seoul’s Mount Namsan, Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul is a fully equipped urban resort that lives up to its high global reputation of offering its guests exclusive opportunities to experience true luxury. For travelers and city dwellers alike, Banyan Tree offers an escape from the chaotic bustle of urban city life to bask in its exclusive

June 25, 2015

Novelist Shin Kyung-sook admits plagiarism

Shin Kyung-sook, the author of international best seller “Please Look After Mom,” finally broke her silence on allegations of plagiarism Tuesday, offering words that were largely seen as owning up to her plagiarism.  “After comparing the sentences in question in Yukio Mishima’s novel ‘Patriotism’ and those in ‘Legend’ several times, I thought that it might be right to raise the plagiarism allegation,” Shin, 52, said in an interview with a local daily. The comment came a week after fellow writer

June 23, 2015

Plagiarism suspicions raised on novelist Shin Kyung-sook

Renowned South Korean novelist Shin Kyung-sook is suspected of having copied the titles of two poems by a local writer for her short stories. Yonhap News Agency found on Monday that "Footprints of Heavy Bird" and "Away, on the Endless Road," the titles of two of her short stories published in the March-April 1990 issue of the "Korean Literature" magazine and the autumn issue of "Munye Joongang" in 1992, were identical to those of two poems published in 1987 and 1989 by Yoon Hee-sang, a poet.  Sh

June 22, 2015

[Up & Coming] Webtoon artist Kim tells stories of hardships with humor

Comic artist Kim Mi-kyung is a realist. She also has a bit of a dark side. People had often told her that she was too honest to create funny, cute characters and cartoons. But Kim said her character traits have proven to be useful in creating comics such as “How I Got Married” and “Fantastic Cosmetic.” She has been writing comics under a pseudonym Kim Fanta, named after a soft drink she used to enjoy drinking when she was young.“Comics that I have created over the years were mostly based on my e

June 21, 2015

[Weekender] Leisure drones gaining popularity among hobbyists

Drones are becoming a common sight at city parks in South Korea, with the small aircraft emerging as a new toy for “kidults” ― adults enjoying hobbies considered better suited to children. Korea’s largest online shopping mall 11st said it saw drone sales rise 560 percent from January to April this year compared to the same period in 2014. Park Seung-wook, 29, a researcher at a chemistry company, is one of the many “kidults” enjoying the luxury hobby. “I like the sound of the propellers, which ma

June 19, 2015

[Weekender] Corporate Korea falls in love with drones

Corporations in South Korea from a wide variety of industry sectors are turning their eyes toward drone technology, which is expected to create a great number of new business opportunities down the road.South Korea’s 10th-largest conglomerate, Hanwha, is one of those firms aiming to make headway into the unmanned aircraft industry.The company, which has placed importance on the defense and military businesses since its foundation in 1952, recently acquired Samsung Techwin, the defense business a

June 19, 2015

[Newsmaker] Plagiarism claims haunt literary icon

In Korea’s moribund literary scene, novelist Shin Kyung-sook has been almost the only source of excitement. With a growing international profile, the author of 2011 New York Times bestseller “Please Look After Mom” seemed to be Korea’s best shot at producing a world star, like what Murakami Haruki is for Japan. Shin’s seemingly unassailable reputation here, and perhaps her fledgling global career, now faces a grave challenge after allegations of plagiarism surfaced. On Tuesday, fellow writer Lee

June 18, 2015

Special sermon at Namdaemoon Presbyterian

The Namdaemoon Presbyterian Church is holding a special sermon, history forum and concert in commemoration of 130 years since the First State Sunday service was held in Korea on June 21, 1885.The service is recorded to have been held at the house of Horace Newton Allen, a Protestant medical missionary and diplomat from the United States to Korea at the end of the Joseon Dynasty. It was also attended by missionaries John William Heron and the mother of missionary Mary F. Scranton, records say. Th

June 18, 2015