Malt’s whole roasted chicken (back), colossal meatballs (right) and Scotch eggs (left). (Ahn Hoon/The Korea Herald)At Malt, a gastropub that opened two months ago in Seoul’s Nonhyeon-dong, drinks and grub take equal standing. Craft beer, cocktails and whiskey are paired with eats that lean toward rib-sticking fare like meatball pasta, roast chicken and Scotch eggs.“One can have a meal here,” said Jo Yun-mi, 27, of the two-chef team at Malt, explaining how Malt is not a small plate-centric spot,

Food Sept. 4, 2015

Yangnyeom gejang (Korean Bapsang)Gejang is a traditional dish that is marinated in a salty soy sauce brine as a way of preserving the crabs for a long time. These days, the crabs are lightly preserved, in either a mild soy sauce-based brine (ganjang gejang) or in a spicy sauce (yangnyeom gejang), to be consumed within a few days. The most important thing is to buy the freshest crabs. Freezing them will help with cleaning. Clean the crabs very well under running water.Making the spicy version is

Food Sept. 4, 2015

South Korean President Park Geun-hye attends a summit talk with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, Wednesday. (Yonhap)A key outcome of Wednesday's summit between South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, was an agreement to hold a trilateral meeting with their Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, potentially representing a significant step toward improving ties among the regional powers mired in history and territorial disputes.Park and Xi agreed dur

Politics Sept. 2, 2015

Eomuk (fish cakes) are processed seafood made with pureed fish. Eomuk bokkeum is a stir-fried side dish that’s quick and easy to prepare. Busan is famous for the most delicious eomuk. You can use any type or shape for this eomuk bokkeum recipe. Slice the fish cakes if they are thick so the sauce can easily penetrate them. Thin rectangular eomuk is most commonly used type for this dish. It’s the type of eomuk we grew up with before the industry became highly sophisticated. This recipe uses onion

Food Sept. 2, 2015

A performance by the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucia, who will take part in the upcoming 18th Seoul International Dance Festival starting Sept. 30 (Courtesy of Luis Castilla)Bringing the engaging sights and sounds of Spain, Turkey, Croatia, Palestine, Africa and more, the 18th annual Seoul International Dance Festival (SIDance) will be kicking off its festivities next month, offering dance-lovers a filling smorgasbord of contemporary dance performances to view from around the world. From traditiona

Performance Aug. 28, 2015

Performers showcase traditional Korean music at the Jongmyo Shrine. (Julie Jackson/The Korea Herald)An annual series of performances of traditional music in Seoul’s royal palaces will reopen next month, offering free gugak and pansori concerts against palatial backdrops. This year’s performances will be held simultaneously at the Changdeokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine from Sept. 5 to Oct. 11. Each venue will vary in its themes and hold a total of 34 performances, and unlike i

Culture Aug. 26, 2015

The King Sejong Institute Foundation’s seventh annual World Korean Educators Conference kicked off Monday, inviting 180 guests committed to the teaching of Korean from 43 countries for a three-day exchange conference in Seoul. With 90 institutions across the world, the King Sejong Institute is dedicated to establishing educational institutions where citizens of all ages can attend to learn the Korean language. Invited as a guest to this year’s conference is Korean teacher Stepanka Horakova from

Culture Aug. 25, 2015

Latvian-born Israeli cellist Mischa Maisky (Courtesy of Hideki Shiozawa)Following the unforgettable performances by the Los Angeles Philharmonic -- under the reign of Venezuelan maestro Gustavo Dudamel and conductor Ivan Fischer -- and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra’s four-day homage to Beethoven in the spring, the next lineup of classical music performances this coming fall has much to live up to.Below are some of the most anticipated performances over the coming months. Kim Sun-wook and Isa

Performance Aug. 20, 2015

A scene from the contemporary dance production of, “Ohna II,” which will be staged as part of the upcoming 2015 Silk Road for Performing Arts cultural dance festival. (Lim AMC)Conceptually bridging the cross-cultural influences of the East and the West along the ancient Silk Road, this year’s Festival Silk Road for Performing Arts will be kicking off its festivities on Sept. 3. Slated to be held as part of the ongoing Silk Road Gyeongju 2015 -- the nearly two-month long Eurasia cultural arts fes

Performance Aug. 19, 2015

Interior view of one of the Citadines Haeundae Busan‘s one-bedroom premier suites. (Ascott Limited Group)Citadines, a global brand of well-appointed serviced apartments, officially launched its first “apart’hotel” in Korea over the weekend, smack dab in the heart of Haeundae, the country’s most popular beachside hot spot.Now accepting reservations, the 468-room Citadines Haeundae offers safe and comfortable accommodations for both tourists and business travelers, whether it be for a short weeken

Travel Aug. 17, 2015

From the cultural staples of Korean folk music and historical soap operas, to love-triangle-plagued TV dramas and the heavily choreographed, modern hodgepodge of K-pop, the nation’s entertainment industry has seen a paradigm shift in its international prominence over the past few decades. Following a number of game-changing TV dramas and musical acts such as KBS’ “Winter Sonata” and first generation K-pop idols BoA and H.O.T., overseas interest in the nation’s entertainment content has shot up,

Aug. 16, 2015

In the aftermath of the recent media frenzy and public shock of discovering former Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra CEO Park Hyun-jung’s alleged mistreatment of her subordinates, new CEO Choe Heung-sik has taken the reigns of the SPO since July 1. Choe, 62, is a former banking executive and former head of Hana Financial Group -- the country’s fourth-largest financial group. After more than a month in office, Choe spoke to members of the media about his plans for the future of the Seoul Phil, emphasi

Performance Aug. 11, 2015