[Weekender] Reflecting gratitude towards life as you eat: Temple Food

You are what you eat, or so they say. For Buddhist practitioners in Korea, this idea develops further, and eating becomes part of spiritual practice. The dietary culture of Korean Buddhism is not much different from the common Korean cuisine. But its core principles on healthy and humble diet is getting welcomed by nonreligious public, as an independent diet culture. Buddhist nun Hyungmin leads the temple food cooking class at the Korean Temple Food Center on Saturday. (Jo He-rim/The Korea Heral

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2018

[Weekender] Finding the Buddha inside through templestay

Buddhist temples are religious places, but temple stays offer participants a chance to look into themselves and find inner peace, regardless of their religion.For a one-day inner journey, I recently headed out to Heungguksa, located on the mountain ridges of Nogosan in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, an hour drive northwest of central Seoul.  Heungguksa (By Im Eun-byel / The Korea Herald)Because the trip was rather short, I was not expecting much seclusion. Compared to other temples, Heungguksa is mu

CultureNov. 29, 2018

[Weekender] Temple stay, a window into a different world

From ancient structures raised more than 1,600 years ago to modest venues located in commercial buildings, thousands of Buddhist temples dot South Korea.Buddhism is deeply entwined with the history of the Korean Peninsula. At times of oppression, temples secreted away in deep mountains provided refuge to the persecuted. In more modern times, Buddhist temples have provided safe haven for labor and student activists wanted by the authorities. Temples, and life in Buddhism, are also rumored to have

TravelNov. 29, 2018

[Weekender] Prenatal education in Korea focused on having ‘smart kids’

Care for unborn babies, called “taegyo” in Korean, exists both in Asian and Western countries to give birth to a healthy child. But prenatal care takes on a much more ambitious spin in South Korea, with the focus largely on educating – literally -- the fetus in pursuit of having “smarter kids.”“The very first and repetitive phrase that I heard from both the in-laws and my parents during my pregnancy was ‘do this and that to give birth to a smart baby,’” said Kwon Mi-young, a 36-year-old working

Social AffairsNov. 22, 2018

[Weekender] Before you were born

Oh Ha-young, a 36-year-old mother of two in Seoul, remembers when she kept herself busy several years ago for the sake of her children, before they were even born. From knitting to drawing, she even endeavored to learn how to handle a sewing machine, which resulted in a number of handmade crafts during her two pregnancies between 2011 and 2013. “I learned in a prenatal education class that using my hands a lot could affect the brain development of a fetus,” she said. “My first child started to s

IndustryNov. 22, 2018

[Weekender] Prenatal care market becomes blue ocean for retailers, hotels

South Korea’s birthrate has been in free fall in the past several years, but either despite or because of this, the interest in prenatal care among mothers-to-be is on the rise. The result has been increased consumer demand for baby products and prenatal care services.The industries that are benefiting from the prenatal care market boom are retailers and hotels, with a rising number of customers looking for premium baby products or staycation products in line with the popular “babymoon” trips.Lo

IndustryNov. 22, 2018

[Weekender] From Chanel to Gucci: Korean women turn into designer rent-a-holics

It is 7 a.m. on a Monday. Hong Mi-jin, 35, an office worker in Seoul, makes a fresh pot of coffee and jumps into the shower. Twenty minutes later, she comes out with a big towel wrapped around her hair. Rummaging through her closet, she picks out a Theory knit top and matching block skirt, Sandro tweed jacket and Givenchy’s Antigona bag -- a set of items rented from different luxury rental sites. “It is stressful for me to choose what to wear, what bag to carry, which heels to go with the wardro

Arts & DesignNov. 15, 2018

[Weekender] Subscription plans bring readers back to books

The rate at which Koreans read books regularly is hitting new lows each year. Only 60 percent of adults read at least one book in 2017, down 5.4 percent from 2015, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The decline in book readers comes as no surprise, as people are drawn to activities with more instant gratification, such as games, social media and video streaming. One hopeful sign for authors, publishers and booksellers is the emergence of new services built upon what is cal

CultureNov. 15, 2018

[Weekender] ‘Subscription economy’ reshaping Korean pop culture

When the press show for YouTube Premium series “Top Management” was held in Seoul in October, it received a great deal of attention from local media outlets.Starring up-and-coming actor and singer Cha Eun-woo of boy band Astro, the show’s pilot episode was watched nearly 1.7 million times in a week.Nadine Zylstra, head of YouTube Originals for the Asia-Pacific region, said at the event that the company recognizes how influential South Korean pop culture has become on the global stage. “Through t

TelevisionNov. 15, 2018

[Weekender] Korean startups craft mix of beer and subscriptions

Following the rise of the subscription economy, an increasing number of startups have launched services adopting the new business model. One such startup is Daily Shot, which offers a craft beer or cocktail at a pub for a monthly fee of 9,900 won ($8.70).Daily Shot includes a drink at partner pubs and bars to customers who sign up for the monthly plan. The average price of a craft beer or cocktail is set at about 10,000 won at Daily Shot, but subscription customers can enjoy a daily drink for ju

CultureNov. 15, 2018

[Weekender] Salted shrimp adds spice to Korean soul food

Korean cuisine wouldn’t be what it is today -- spicy, savory and soupy -- without jeotgal: fermented seafood used as a seasoning or condiment. And salted shrimp, or saeu-jeot, is a key ingredient in quintessential Korean food such as kimchi, as well as an indispensable relish enriching broths such as dwaeji gukbap and sundaeguk. Along with salted anchovies, salted shrimp is the most popular jeotgal variety used in Korean cooking. It often replaces salt in dishes such as steamed egg. Salted shrim

FoodNov. 8, 2018

[Weekender] Macau much more than casino chips

MACAU -- China’s autonomous region of Macau is one of Asia’s top tourist destinations to enjoy gambling, entertainment and nightlife. The mesmerizing nighttime view of extravagant casinos shows why the city became known as the Vegas of the Orient, but Macau also has rich tourist attractions for travelers of all ages.The historical background of Macau, which was a Portuguese territory until 1999, creates a unique atmosphere that permeates every nook and cranny of the city, including its food scen

TravelNov. 8, 2018

[Weekender] Artistry of fermented seafood

Jeotgal, or salt-fermented seafood, continues to be loved Next time you are in Seoul, pay a visit to the heart of the city. Take a gander at Dongdaemun Gate, and tumble onto Jongno 5-ga, where you will stumble across the vibrant Gwangjang Market filled with merchants welcoming regulars, hagglers seeking to put a little more into their bags, and the pungent smell of a mixture of dishes floating in the air.Enter the South 1st Gate into the food zone, and you will find stalls with colorful delicaci

FoodNov. 8, 2018

[Weekender] Fishy business: Know your garibi from your eorigul

Though the phrase “pickled seafood” may not sound so appetizing to the uninitiated, savor jeotgal, the fruits of days, weeks or even months of preparation, and everything changes . Jeotgal is salt-fermented seafood. A wide variety of seafood can be used to make it, including fish, roe, clams, oysters and tiny shrimps, as well as fish gills and intestines.  Assorted jeotgal (Im Eun-byel / The Korea Herald)When naming a specific type of jeotgal, the word “jeot” is used as a suffix. Most types of j

FoodNov. 8, 2018

[Weekender] Korean medicine: How it all comes together

Lee Noh-hyun, 32, who introduces himself as a “taeeumin,” or a person with the taeeum physiological type, said he has been trying to eat more beef and less chicken and pork since he was told of his type by his Korean medicine doctor.  “Although I don’t have blind faith in the relation between the diet based on physiological type and health, I can’t still completely ignore it because Korean medicine, I believe, is reliable to some degree,” he said. Lee is one of many Koreans who have had their ph

IndustryNov. 1, 2018

[Weekender] No more chicken? Getting pulse read in Korean medicine and matching dietary habits

The contents in this article are subjective and not intended as a professional recommendation. – Ed. Believe it or not, I am to stay away from chicken.Or at least that was the result of my recent trips to a traditional Korean medicine clinic.While most Koreans are used to herbal medicine and acupuncture, finding out one’s body type based on constitutional typology and sticking to respective dietary recommendations requires slightly more devotion and well, faith. With constitutional medicine trea

CultureNov. 1, 2018

[Weekender] Traditional Korean medicine a game changer in medical tourism industry

It has been a decade since South Korea started issuing short-term visas for foreigners seeking medical treatment here as part of measures to boost medical tourism.Since then, the medical tourism market has expanded rapidly, with the number of annual foreign visitors for medical treatment here rising 52.2 percent in the four years through 2017 to some 321,600, according to data compiled by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute.However, the number dropped by 11.7 percent on-year in 2017

TechnologyNov. 1, 2018

[Weekender] Homeless animals in Korea: Finding homes for those who fall through the cracks

Emily Doran, an English teacher in Seoul, has found homes for more than 140 dogs over the past two years -- many of them “last-day dogs” from city shelters, where unclaimed strays can be killed after a 10-day holding period under South Korea’s Animal Protection Act. Her rescue group, Domo’s Friends, has more than 1,000 followers on Facebook. Doran is one of a number of advocates concerned about the animal rescue system in Korea and trying to mitigate its shortcomings through private efforts.  (H

CultureOct. 25, 2018

[Weekender] Seoulites seek coexistence with stray cats

Change is taking place on the streets of Seoul for human-cat cohabitation.The Seoul city government’s stray cat policy centers on population control, but there’s more to homeless cats’ lives than reproductive impediment. Where the city government fails to fill in, people who are in touch with their feline neighbors on a daily basis are paving the way for humans and street cats to live together.For as long as anyone can remember, cats have not been the most beloved animals in Korea, often perceiv

CultureOct. 25, 2018

[Weekender] College students extend helping hands for feral cats

A stray kitten named “Popo” died after someone laced its food with rat poison and other chemicals. Another cat hid after suffering in a similar way. Last spring, there was even a couple trying to poach cats, dragging a bag around Ewha Womans University campus and asking where the strays were. They said they wanted to make “cat soup,” and that it was good for old people as it boosts cartilage.Photo news card made explain about the incident of “cat soup” (Ewha Cats)These are just some of the chall

Social AffairsOct. 25, 2018