[Weekender] Around the Hotels

Strawberry afternoon at Sheraton D Cube CityFor those who are unsure who filling a buffet of strawberries can be, Sheraton Seoul D Cube City has prepared a strawberry afternoon tea set. On an intricately designed tea tray, 12 sweets and snacks, all centered on the use of fresh strawberries, are prepared. The hotel’s Lobby Lounge on the 41st floor is widely known for its panoramic view of the city. While enjoying the tea set, one can get a bird‘s eye view of the city. The tea set is offered until

FoodFeb. 23, 2018

[Weekender] ‘What’s your flashing green light?’

“Gatsby and I, it was such a perfect coincidence. I just immediately related to him.” When PH-1, a 25-year-old rapper from the US, finished recording two tracks for his latest EP -- both of which take critical aim at society -- he couldn’t find an overarching theme for the album. And while flipping through Netflix, he stumbled upon “The Great Gatsby” film based on F. Scott Fitzgerald‘s 1925 novel. And a light bulb switched on. “I thought of Gatsby as a person who has everything but at the same t

PerformanceFeb. 23, 2018

[Weekender] Dress down to be hip, hop on fashion stage

The hip-hop scene is characterized by its own style of dress -- its loose yet cool sense of fashion. Thanks to the music genre’s recent boom, more people than ever are seeking to dress like the rappers and DJs that they admire. Hip-hop fashion is more commonly referred to as street fashion in Korea. Though the term was originally used to differentiate the “realway” look from the runway one, it is now used to signify a hip-hop style. Rap has been creating a buzz in the last couple of years. Audit

Arts & DesignFeb. 23, 2018

[Weekender] Hip-hop: More than music

In the summer of 2013, Korea was set ablaze by a series of “diss tracks” shot out rapid-fire by local hip-hop artists. Rapper Swings kick-started it with a track attacking the entire Korean hip-hop scene to the beats of “Control” by Big Sean. It soon spread to engulf the scene within a month.Put aside the head-butting of the rappers, the amount of attention it got -- making headlines and being parodied by comedy shows, video games and celebrities across the country -- was a reminder that when so

PerformanceFeb. 23, 2018

[Weekender] Koreans spend century standing by Lunar New Year

A scene that may seem weird or unique to foreign bystanders is the common ritual in South Korea to celebrate the Lunar New Year: younger family members make a full bow, or saebae, to their elders, as they receive envelopes -- of cold, hard cash -- as gifts carrying messages of the best wishes for the future.As relatives gather for the Seollal holiday, usually at the home of the “highest-ranking” member of the extended family, they dress in neat garments, sometimes traditional hanbok, and take pa

CultureFeb. 14, 2018

[Weekender] Seollal as much a time for business as family

The holidays are a time for cheer and spending quality time with family, but it is also an important time of year in South Korea for solidifying business relationships -- with boxes filled with seaweed, Spam or shampoo.On the largest traditional holiday of the year, the Lunar New Year, or “Seollal” in Korean, retailers and logistics companies are flooded with bulk orders for gift sets to be sent to business acquaintances.An employee at Hanaro Mart in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, adjusts a displayed gift

IndustryFeb. 14, 2018

[Weekender] Whose family first? Seollal depicts gender inequality at its rawest

Lunar New Year, or Seollal, like Christmas season in the West, is supposed to be a fun and relaxing family time. But for some -- especially married women in Korea -- the holiday is more regarded as a time of endurance with long hours of domestic labor. Stemming from the Confucian tradition in which making the home is the sole “virtue” of wives, visiting the home of the husband’s parents is prioritized during the holidays. While at their in-laws, it is mostly the women’s’ responsibility to cook t

IndustryFeb. 14, 2018

[Weekender] Around the Hotels

Valentine day at Millennium Seoul Hilton Millennium Seoul Hilton has prepared everything needed for the special day, from dinner to gifts. Gourmet six-course dinner can be met at the hotel’s Italian trattoria, Il Ponte. The set menu consists of carpaccio, pasta, entree and dessert, a gratifying combination. The course costs 110,000 won and requires a minimum order for two. The hotel’s Cilantro Deli, located on the first floor, offers the classic but romantic gifts for lovers, including premium c

FoodFeb. 9, 2018

[Weekender] PyeongChang official stores greet sports fans nationwide

(Shot by Park Ju-young / Edited by Park Ju-young)The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games will kick off Friday and its official stores opened nationwide in Korea are welcoming sports fans from all over the world. The PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games launched its first official merchandise store in May 2017, and since then expanded the number of the stores to 22.Korea’s retail giant Lotte Group, one of the sponsors for the PyeongChang Olympic Game

More SportsFeb. 9, 2018

[Weekender] Finding nostalgia and comfort in Korean soul food

The term “soul food” was coined in southern US states by African-Americans in the 1960s. Soul food reflected the sorrow and pain among slaves in the region who had to make do with the food they were given. These days, however, the meaning has somewhat changed to convey nostalgic dishes that give people comfort.The English term is now also commonly used among South Koreans to describe dishes that are quite different to traditional meals that hark back to the Joseon era.As Koreans’ soul food has i

FoodFeb. 2, 2018

[Weekender] Occupation-period restaurant secures ethnic recipe

Soul food and comfort food come in many different forms, from a multitude of recipes and origins. The word first originated from the US southern cuisine that provided comfort to Africans forced into slavery. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the food African slaves ate was said to take root in both triumph and anguish. After laboring all day, soul food was essentially a reminder of the home and family they had left behind.A modern-day reinterpretation of soul food shows that it is a dish that

FoodFeb. 2, 2018

[Weekender] Time travel across modern Korea through food

Each generation of South Koreans seems to cherish a different type of soul food that reflects the socio-economic mood of its respective era.The Korea Herald spoke with people from various walks of life to find out what constitutes soul food for them. The conversations resulted in a wide selection of memory-triggering snacks, and a surprisingly revealing journey spanning the nation’s modern history from 1945.Budding economy, sticky riceFor 58-year-old economic researcher Park Sung-il, chalbap, or

FoodFeb. 2, 2018

[Weekender] Services to help you make the most of your time in Korea

From superfast delivery to near ubiquitous Wi-Fi, Korea has a wealth of conveniences that would make many rivals blush.But the language barrier and an idiosyncratic internet environment have often made it difficult for visitors to take advantage. With a growing foreign population and tourism industry -- a record 17 million people visited the country in 2016 -- Korea has worked hard to make the country more accessible, with tech a particular plus if you know where to look.Apps and assistance exis

TravelJan. 26, 2018

[Weekender] Make the most of Korea: Plot your own course

Coming from the tropical Philippines, Korea was a wintry wonderland for Jane Galvez, who has visited the country four times since 2012. Galvez journeyed across Korea in search of off-the-beaten path locations and arty spots where movies and TV dramas had been filmed. With her sister Ellaine, Jane visited Busan, Seoul and Incheon over seven days in April last year. “South Korea will always be my favorite place to visit,” Galvez told The Korea Herald. “I can never get enough of it. It has changed

TravelJan. 26, 2018

[Weekender] Korea moves to improve transit convenience for independent travelers

With the proportion of visitors in South Korea traveling individually continuing to rise -- reaching some 75 percent last year -- catering to their needs has become crucial in recent years, all the more so with the hosting of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games next month.The country’s state-run railway operator and the tourism agency have been stepping up their moves to improve convenience to foreign tourists who are traveling independently.In March, in anticipation of the hosting the gam

IndustryJan. 26, 2018

[Weekender] Incheon Airport takes it up a notch

For many years, extensive renewal or expansion may have seemed unnecessary for Incheon Airport, as it has indisputably positioned itself as one of the world’s top-tier aviation hubs.Incheon International Airport (Yonhap)But South Korea’s largest airport did not rest on its laurels. As part of its long-term vision to become the world’s third-biggest airport by year 2023, the airport has opened its second passenger terminal, marking the culmination of a nine-year construction project that cost som

IndustryJan. 19, 2018

[Weekender] How to use Incheon Airport’s new terminal

After nine years of construction, South Korea’s main gateway airport finally opened its sleek new terminal this week. Incheon Airport’s second terminal cost approximately 5 trillion won ($4.7 billion) to build. Armed with smart technologies, its impressive new features are evident from the moment passengers step into the new terminal. Shilla Duty FreeBy using the Incheon Airport mobile application, passengers can find their way around and locate check-in kiosks and restaurants with the help of a

IndustryJan. 19, 2018

[Weekender] Art on the run at new Incheon terminal

Newly opened second passenger terminal of Incheon International Airport is drawing attention not just for the numbers involved, but also its art.Under a project called “Artport,” Incheon International Airport has spent more than 18 billion won on displaying artworks throughout the terminal, ranging from paintings to installations. The latest 4.6 billion won project is highlighted by five artworks by renowned artists including French sculptor Julius Popp and German media artist Xavier Veilhan. Th

Arts & DesignJan. 19, 2018

[Weekender] Korean bakery chains go upmarket

Buoyed by vast popularity at home, major Korean bakery chains are wooing consumers overseas with premium offerings, hoping to capture a share in emerging markets for high-quality bakeries.Paris Baguette, a leading bakery chain here operated by food group SPC, and Tous Les Jours, operated by CJ Foodville, have been operating branches overseas focusing on the Chinese and American markets since 2004. Paris Baguette currently operates 311 overseas stores, with 231 in China, and Tous Les Jours has 38

IndustryJan. 12, 2018

[Weekender] Walking down bread’s memory lane

Bread was first introduced to Koreans in the 19th century, when Catholic missionaries from Europe brought bread with them. But it was during Japan’s 35-year colonization that bread started to find its way onto the tables of ordinary citizens in Korea, eaten as a refreshment between meals. It is for this reason that Koreans call bread “ppang,” a word originating from the Japanese pronunciation of “Pao-de-lo,” which means bread in Portuguese. After gaining more popularity in the 1990s, as Korea op

IndustryJan. 12, 2018