[Weekender] The new KFC: Korean fried chicken

With a crispy crust, juicy meat and a variety of flavors to choose from, South Korean-style deep-fried chicken seems to be the food world’s latest craze. Call it the new KFC. Korean fried chicken joints are springing up in the homeland of Kentucky Fried Chicken, drawing rave reviews from food lovers and critics. Falling hard for the East Asian fare, people even ask on Reddit, “Why is Korean fried chicken so good?” Well, it didn’t happen by chance. With a population o

CultureJune 21, 2019

[Weekender] Perfect your summer look

Summer is here, which means it is time to update your wardrobe to match the warmer weather. From neon colors to tie-dye, summer 2019 is going to be a season of bright colors and playful fun. Here are some style tips, from runways, concept stores and local brands’ catalogs, for you to perfect your look this summer. Tie-dye The retro megatrend has brought the hippie era’s tie-dye prints back to life this season. From Prada to R13 and Stella McCartney, 2019 spring-summer runways ma

Arts & DesignJune 14, 2019

[Weekender] Beat the heat with cool apparel

In the world of menswear, mesh, seersucker and linen have long been traditional summer fabrics. But the latest trends show innovative, new cooling fabrics and technologies at the forefront of men’s fashion, from performance wear all the way to formal business attire.With the summer heat swooshing in earlier than expected, outdoor brand K2 is seeing an early pickup in sales of its Ossak line of cool apparel, the company said. “Sales of cooling shirts have increased since May, and our

Arts & DesignJune 14, 2019

[Weekender] Meet Korea’s age-defying social media icons

Social media may still be the domain of millennials. But they are also producing a new crop of age-defying influencers in their 60s, 70s and even 80s. Call it a graynaissance. From fashion blogging to ASMR, seniors are rallying massive followings on YouTube and Instagram with inspiring content drawn from fascinating life stories. Park Mak-rye, 72, YouTuber Park Mak-rye, known as the Korean Grandma on YouTube, is the biggest breakout star of the Korean graynaissance. Born in 1947, three

PeopleJune 7, 2019

[Weekender] Korea’s ‘graynaissance’ stars

It seems age really is no barrier to success nowadays. A 72-year-old Korean vlogger who clumsily tries things that her granddaughter and her generation are into is an international YouTube star, with over 900,000 subscribers to her channel. On Instagram, 75-year-old grandparents post their drawings daily for grandkids, which has eventually developed into a new career for them as artists with 387,000 followers.A 63-year-old owner of a humble eatery in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, Kim Chil-doo is n

CultureJune 7, 2019

[Weekender] At 77, silver model dreams of big show

News last month that Fenty, a luxury fashion house Rihanna launched with LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, chose 67-year-old model JoAni Johnson to represent its new collection created much buzz in the fashion world. With long, graceful silver hair, she is a model in every aspect, and the epitome of what’s been called a fashion “graynaissance”: the rise of gray-haired models to the forefront of fashion. Choi Soon-hwa may be Korea’s Johnson. At 77 years old, she strut

Arts & DesignJune 7, 2019

[Weekender] Korean cinema: 100 years in the making

Last Saturday, renowned Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” became the first South Korean film to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. As the auteur said, it was a “timely gift” to commemorate the centennial anniversary of Korean cinema, which has grown in leaps and bounds to become the fifth-largest player in the world film industry by the number of box office admissions, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Although the box offi

FilmMay 30, 2019

[Weekender] Border-area tourism on the rise

One of the last vestiges of the Cold War, the Demilitarized Zone is often described as the world’s most heavily fortified border. But it is also a tourist magnet, attracting 1.2 million visitors annually. From the bustling metropolis of Seoul, tour buses take hundreds of foreign and local tourists to security-related tourism spots on a daily basis -- from Imjingak, a family-friendly theme park that serves as a starting point for border-area tourism, to the historic truce village of Panmunj

TravelMay 24, 2019

[Weekender] An eerie reminder of precarious peace at DMZ Peace Trail

Don’t take the Gangbyeonbuk highway during rush hours in Seoul.That was what I screamed in my mind as the bus took the road fare more traveled, an agonizingly slow path eastward, toward Gangwon Province, where the government recently decided to open a new section of the Demilitarized Zone to civilians.The DMZ Peace Trail in Cheorwon County, Gangwon Province, some 90 kilometers from the capital, is the second of the project located at the inter-Korean border, which the authorities hope will

TravelMay 23, 2019

[Weekender] Meet ordinary but extraordinary people who travel around world

The Korea Herald interviewed seven adventurous world travelers whose journey across continents could provide an inspiration for South Koreans for their next trip. Yoon Jin-young (right) and his wife, Shin Seon-a, traveled around the world in a Toyota SUV for three years. They said travels led them to exotic places and fun adventures, but somewhere along the way, they also experienced self-discovery and gained new attitudes toward life.From amateur stargazers on a quest to capture cosmic wonders

TravelMay 17, 2019

[Weekender] World travel -- living the dream

Shin Seon-a at the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve in Bolivia. She has traveled 47 countries in this rugged 4x4 off-load vehicle with her husband Yoon Jin-young for nearly three years. (Photo provided by Shin)A trip around the world may sound like an unrealistic dream. Especially so for South Koreans, for whom a two-week vacation from work is a rarity and taking years off work can risk a career altogether, unless one has special skills that are in unusually high demand. Yet there se

TravelMay 17, 2019

[Weekender] Traditional liquor-based cocktails beckon adventurous drinkers

Fancy a glass of sujeonggwa-tini? Sujeonggwa is persimmon punch made with cinnamon and ginger, usually served as dessert. To create sujeonggwa-tini, local distilled spirit is added to the sweet traditional drink, and the mixture is shaken with ice in a reinterpretation of traditional Korean liquor. As its name suggests, sujeonggwa-tini is similar to martini, with strong soju serving as the base. Pine nuts are sprinkled on top as a garnish. The drink is one of nine cocktails mixed with Korean liq

FoodMay 10, 2019

[Weekender] Wine aficionado’s love affair with Korean traditional liquors

What is South Korea’s representative booze? Most people would probably say soju. But Lee Ji-min, a wine aficionado-turned-Korean liquor promoter, begs to differ. In her view, there are many local liquors more qualified for that title. “This may sound radical, but I want to see those green soju bottles on grocery store shelves replaced by our finest traditional spirits one day. I want to contribute to making that happen,” she said. Lee Ji-min, a PR expert and promoter of Korean traditional liquor

FoodMay 10, 2019

[Weekender] Makgeolli makes a comeback

123rfLong overshadowed by soju and beer, makgeolli is poised for a grand comeback, with more brewers blending tradition with a modern twist. The oldest alcoholic drink in South Korea, the milky, unfiltered rice wine was traditionally the drink of farmers, but latest renditions have taken on a new variety of tastes and flavors, plus a premium image, to win over young, sophisticated sippers. At E-mart, the country’s largest retailer, makgeolli was the fastest growing liquor, logging a 24.6 percent

FoodMay 10, 2019

[Weekender] Hottest makgeolli variations leading old spirit's revival

Feel like you’re missing out on the evolution of makgeolli? Don’t worry. The following are some of the hottest brews now for you to catch up with the ongoing revival of South Korea’s oldest booze. The selection is based on recommendations from industry insiders as well as sales tallies from traditional liquor shops. Premium line 1. Haechang Made from freshly harvested rice, glutinous rice and nuruk (a fermentation starter) from Haenam, South Jeolla Province, this premium makgeolli took the No. 1

CultureMay 10, 2019

[Weekender] Where to picnic in Seoul

Spring is upon us, which means the picnic season is here. Seoul has its fair share of greenery, and below are some of the most frequented parks for spring outings in the city. Yeouido ParkYeouido Park (Kim Arin/The Korea Herald)Yeouido Park (Kim Arin/The Korea Herald)Yeouido Park is a gigantic municipal park in central Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu. The park, which sits in the center of the island, divides Yeouido’s east and west areas. Originally built as an airfield during the Japanese colonial era

CultureMay 3, 2019

[Weekender] Back in the day: Sweet memories of picnics

In South Korea, spring outings are a grand, communal affair that bring people together. Schools, churches, companies and various social clubs and communities start planning way before spring arrives. It is one of the biggest annual events. The culture of grand picnicking can be traced back to “hwajeon nori” during the Joseon era (1392-1910) -- a picnic enjoyed mostly by women on the third day of the third lunar month. “Young Joseon wives would travel to an attractive outdoor site and pitch a ten

CultureMay 3, 2019

[Weekender] Picnic rentals: Skip the hassle, enjoy the season

Sometimes, the best picnics happen on the spur of the moment. And South Korea’s thriving picnic rental services, conveniently clustered near popular destinations, make last-minute outings a breeze. You can have a perfect day out in the sun, without the early-morning packing hassle that exhausts you even before setting off or shelling out on fancy picnic gear you may only use once or twice a year. Rent the shade Camping has become commonplace in Seoul, especially in parks along the Han River that

CultureMay 3, 2019

[Weekender] Branded pop-ups liven up retail scene

Branded pop-up stores play an increasingly important role in South Korea’s retail scene as a source of creativity, innovation and a brand new consumer experience. Many customers associate pop-ups with an experience different from what they expect from conventional brick-and-mortar stores.  (Louis Vuitton)“If this were a regular shop, I wouldn’t have stepped inside,” said Nam Yong-il, who visited LG Uplus’ fifth-generation-themed pop-up in Gangnam, Seoul, earlier this week. “But since it’s a pop-

IndustryApril 26, 2019

[Weekender] Spring in full bloom at open-air markets

It is the best season for outdoor markets right now -- whether they are flea markets, farmers’ markets or art markets. On weekends, stalls sprout up on streets and in parks, beckoning visitors to come enjoy a pleasant spring day at a lively marketplace. Some of them draw larger crowds, as they have made a name for themselves via word of mouth and social media. These markets have their home turf, but they also tour. They put up notices about upcoming dates and locations on social media, then shop

TravelApril 26, 2019