‘Please Look After Mom’ author faces plagiarism charges

Shin Kyung-sook, the author of international best seller “Please Look After Mom,” Wednesday denied an accusation that she committed plagiarism in an earlier work published nearly two decades ago. The work in question is “Legend,” included in a short story collection titled “Long Ago, When I Left My Home” published in 1996. A passage in the short story that describes the physical intimacy of a newlywed couple bears striking similarities to a part in a Korean translation of “Yukoku (Patriotism)” b

June 17, 2015

Seoul hopes to reassure tourists with MERS insurance plan

Myeong-dong, a popular tourist destination in Seoul, is quieter than usual Sunday. (Yonhap)As the Middle East respiratory syndrome continues to scare away tourists, the Korean government has come up with a desperate measure to lure them back: free, full-coverage MERS insurance to foreign visitors. The scheme, announced Monday along with other emergency measures to support the MERS-hit local tourism, is a show of confidence in the country’s ongoing efforts to contain the potentially deadly virus

June 15, 2015

[Weekender] Dogs are colleagues to emergency rescue workers

Moran, a black Labrador retriever, can do more than just sit and roll over. She has special skills that no human and most pet dogs lack.With a keen sense of smell, the 30-kilogram Lab can track down missing persons miles away who are trapped in natural disaster areas or deep in the mountainous woods. She can help firemen and police solve mysteries on whether the missing victims are alive or dead.Moran is a rescue dog for the Special Rescue Team in Dobong-gu. The team, which works closely with th

June 12, 2015

Around the Hotels

Cool down with a swim at Sheraton Seoul D Cube City HotelSheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is offering a cool summer vacation in the city with the “Frozen Summer” package, available from June 1 to Aug. 31. The 235,000 won-package includes a one-night stay in a Deluxe Room with an expansive view of the Seoul cityscape, and a sumptuous breakfast buffet for two at the hotel’s signature restaurant Feast, located on the 41st floor. The buffet is free of charge for one child under 36 months. During the

June 12, 2015

Polish art on extensive view in Seoul

Many Polish artists created works intended to raise the morale of fellow citizens after their country lost independence in 1795 to Russia, Prussia and Austria. During this tragic time of history, master painter Jan Matejko reminded Poles of the historical glories of Poland to elevate their spirits. Chopin borrowed melodies from Polish traditional dance and created great piano pieces, mazurkas and polonaises. Such art pieces reflecting the strength and spirit of Poles throughout its turbulent his

June 11, 2015

MERS fears cast pall over culture

Korea’s ongoing MERS outbreak is casting a pall over the country’s arts and culture scene, with festivals, concerts and other crowd-drawing events getting postponed or canceled. The 2015 Seoul International Book Fair, the largest of its kind in Korea which was slated to open next week, announced Tuesday its postponement to mid-October as public fear heightens over the potentially deadly virus. “We decided to hold the fair at a later late and under better circumstances,” said Koh Young-soo, chair

June 9, 2015

Emerging K-pop groups to perform at MIDEM

Four emerging Korean music groups will be performing at the K-pop Night Out concert on the sidelines of MIDEM, one of the world’s biggest music tradeshows, in Cannes, France this week.The four are: The Barberettes, a retro girl group; Loro’s, a modern rock band; Coreyah, a Korean classical music gukak ensemble; and Rock ‘N’ Roll Radio, a rock band.Representing Korean music in their respective genres, they will be performing for about three hours on June 6 at the Palais des Festivals venue, accor

June 3, 2015

From birth to death: Joseon life expressed in white porcelain

“Careful in speech, yet enough to reveal the entire world, and follow murkiness and clearness from time to time. Its emptiness may allow it to fill all things, and its whiteness in quality may reveal its nature.”The poem written on a 17th-century white porcelain work of art decorated in underglaze iron sums up the neo-Confucian virtues of austerity, humility and purity that Joseon scholars upheld. The milky white body, minimal decoration and voluptuous simple curves of white porcelain were some

June 1, 2015

Around the Hotels

Ladies’ luxuries at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul is offering the “Women’s Experience Package” for female guests on vacation or business trips seeking to enjoy more personalized, exclusive services during their stay. The package includes a one-night stay in a luxurious guest room; one bottle of Veuve Cliquot champagne; a special gift set of Aesop hand cream, rose bubble bath, Evian mineral water and seasonal fruit; a late check-out time of 2 p.m.; a 30 percent discount on any spa treatment at

May 29, 2015

[Up & Coming] The art of hand stitching

Up & Coming is a series of interviews with emerging artists in various fields of arts and entertainment. ― Ed.Threads and needles were playthings for artist Jo Ha-na during her childhood. She grew up stitching leftover pieces of fabric her grandmother gave her after making hanbok, or traditional Korean dress, outfits at home. She stitched the fabrics together to make miniature hanbok or clothing for her dolls.  Bags created by artist Jo Ha-na. (Yeol)Sewing is now her secret weapon to make unique

May 28, 2015

Korea’s first electricity plant site found in palace

The site of Korea’s first electricity plant was found during an archaeological excavation at Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Cultural Heritage Administration said on Wednesday. According to the state cultural heritage agency, a year-long excavation effort found the site of the first electricity plant, established in 1887, during the late Joseon period (1392-1910). “It’s a great achievement that gives us an understanding of electricity development in Korea,” said Min Byeong-geun, curator of the Korea E

May 27, 2015

Only one way out at ‘Code Escape’

Imagine being led, blindfolded, down a hall and into a room behind a big wooden door. The door’s lock clicks, and music begins blaring from the speakers. You take off the blindfold, and the digital clock on the wall starts counting down. You have 60 minutes to find the key and escape. Every item in the room could be a clue.This is the basic setup for the experience at Code Escape in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, an offline escape game that offers a real-life version of popular online and mobile escape game

May 27, 2015

Stories behind Buddhist art

Around 1247, Empress Hampyeong of Goryeo (918-1392) commissioned an artisan known for his skilled silver engraving to inscribe patterns of clouds and lotuses on a bronze vase in a prayer for the well-being of her family and country. It was after her two sons were sent away as punishment for attempting to remove a general who took power in a coup d’etat, while her daughters had to marry his sons. The vase, made for use as an incense burner at a Buddhist temple, is now considered to best represent

May 26, 2015

[Weekender] Check in to Hotel Korea

Hotels seem to be the best business in Korea to be in right now. Tourism is booming in Korea with a record number of visitors ― of which the Chinese take up nearly half. Last year’s historic milestone of 14 million foreign visitors looks set to be broken this year, as the travel-loving Chinese continue to throng Seoul streets.New hotels are rising in Seoul. Jejudo Island ― once a favorite destination for Korean newlyweds ― has turned into a giant resort development site, as Chinese vacationers s

May 22, 2015

Gwangju Universiade to offer cultural festivals

The 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju between July 3 and 14 will not just be about college athletes and teams from around the world completing for shiny medals.The sports gala will also hold festivals, music events and art exhibitions that best represent the host city.The Gwangju Universiade Organizing Committee said the “Cultureversiade” would be held on the sidelines of the games in line with the University Games’ concept of “Eco-friendliness, Peace, IT and Culture,” or “EPIC.”In partnership

May 14, 2015

Tracing Korea’s traditional shoemaking

No outfit is complete without shoes. But when it comes to the hanbok look in modern times, a vital part has been missing. Platform heels or loafers have replaced shoes traditionally matched with a hanbok. A team of academics and an artisan shoemaker launched a rare project to rekindle the tradition. The project, launched by the private cultural heritage foundation Yeol with sponsorship of GRI Korea ― importer of Nine West and Steve Madden ― revived 30 pairs of shoes worn by kings and nobility du

May 12, 2015

Brilliant birthday for Buddha at Lotus Lantern Fest

Once again, the Seoul night skies will be lit up with colorful orbs celebrating Buddha’s Birthday, as the Lotus Lantern Festival approaches this year on May 15.Held annually since over 1,300 years ago in honor of the venerated sage, the festival is a deep-seated tradition that has been carried down since the Unified Silla Period. Today, it attracts swarms of crowds to the Jogyesa Temple and Cheonggyecheon Stream areas ― from devout Buddhists to curious tourists and passersby.The celebration offi

May 11, 2015

[Weekender] A wealth of multiplex malls to choose from

Whether it is groceries, clothing, furniture, jewelry or electronics, shopping has never been easier than in South Korea, where it is possible to buy just about anything from the comforts of one’s home using a smartphone or computer. Regardless of the convenience, thousands of Koreans today continue to head to city centers to visit shopping malls, which have evolved from singular department stores into mega “multiplex malls” ― urban hotspots offering not only shopping opportunities, but also a w

May 8, 2015