Plastic can be a valuable material if effectively upcycled, argued Dutch designer Dave Hakkens in his speech, “The Power of an Open Source” at the Herald Design Forum 2019 held at Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul on Thursday. “Less than 10 percent of the plastics (used around the world) get recycled. For companies, it’s just easier to buy new plastic. The plastic waste is burned, sent to landfills or to the ocean,” he said. Hakkens said, he started to

Arts & Design Oct. 10, 2019

While the construction of a building or a house may be a familiar concept, establishment of a neighborhood or a community is a relatively new notion. Assemble is a London-based multidisciplinary collective that builds neighborhoods, responding to the actual needs of the community. More than just renovating a building, it rejuvenates the whole area, working across the realms of architecture, design and art.Maria Lisogorskaya, one of the founding members of Assemble, took the podium at the 2019 He

Arts & Design Oct. 10, 2019

Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde believes that it may be possible to turn space waste into light in the near future. The artist leads projects that use technology to raise awareness on environmental issues while maintaining esthetics. Based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the artist is the leader of Studio Roosegaarde, a social design lab comprising 20 engineers, designers and artists.Taking the podium at the Herald Design Forum 2019 on Thursday at Grand Hyatt Seoul, Roosegaarde delivered a lectur

Arts & Design Oct. 10, 2019

Chamber music ensemble Trio Owon is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the recent release of a new album of Russian elegies. Trio Owon, consisting of cellist Yang Sung-won, pianist Emmanuel Strosser and violinist Olivier Charlier, released its latest album on Oct. 1, including Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50, Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67 and Weinberg’s Piano Trio, Op. 24. Philip Bullock, a professor of Russian literature and music at the Uni

Performance Oct. 9, 2019

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will hold a wide range of events Wednesday to celebrate the 573rd Hangeul Day in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul.Hangeul is the writing system for the Korean language, consisting of 24 letters. King Sejong the Great (1397-1450) led the invention with a team of scholars and Hangeul was promulgated in 1446.  This year’s event, “Hangeul Opens the World” (unofficial translation), is expected to attract more than 10,000 attendees -- studen

Culture Oct. 8, 2019

Two Francophone Baroque music ensembles will go onstage here this month. One of the groups, Les Arts Florissants, is a French ensemble founded in 1979 by William Christie. It is credited with efforts to revive 17th to mid-18th century European music. Christie, a conductor and harpsichordist, is often referred to as “a pioneer in the rediscovery of Baroque music” in France, introducing lesser-known French Baroque music pieces. On Oct. 17, the ensemble will present Handel’s

Performance Oct. 7, 2019

GAPYEONG, Gyeonggi Province -- The Jarasum International Jazz Festival took place from Friday to Sunday on Jarasum in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province.The event, launched in 2004, is one of the most successful music festivals here. Hosted on a once-abandoned island, it has garnered a total of 2 million attendees over the years.  On Friday, with the sun glaring, the 16th edition of the annual festival kicked off, featuring 121 artists, 15 overseas acts and eight local acts. Gugak-inspired ja

Performance Oct. 6, 2019

Suite escape at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul presents a suite room promotion, offering a 15 percent saving on regular suite rates with a complimentary bottle of red wine. A Park Suites room, featuring separated bed room and living room areas, will be offered at a starting price of 420,750 won. Guests will have free access to the hotel’s sauna, swimming pool and fitness facilities. The deal is available for bookings made until Nov. 14 for stays until Dec. 13. Reservations are available

Food Oct. 4, 2019

Short-form video sharing app TikTok stresses it can be a powerful tool in promoting the ongoing K-pop trend around the world. On Thursday, TikTok officials took to the podium for at the 2019 Seoul International Music Fair held at Coex in southern Seoul to give a presentation titled “The New Kid on the New Music Block: TikTok.”The Chinese app, launched in 2016, is available in 150 countries in 75 languages, and bills itself as a music discovery app, allowing “TikTokers” (T

Performance Oct. 3, 2019

Saemoonan Church, the oldest Presbyterian church in the country, was recognized with the Architecture MasterPrize, a prestigious architectural award given by the Farmani Group. The new church building in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, was listed under the award’s Cultural Architecture category, announced Thursday.  The award introduced it as the “Mother Church” of Korea, referring to the history of it being the first organized church in the nation. Saemoonan Church was establ

Arts & Design Oct. 3, 2019

The new general manager of Millennium Hilton Seoul was surprised by strong demand for staycations here. German-born Felix Busch, who joined the Hilton group 17 years ago, took the post here in August following stints in Edinburgh, London, Sydney and Nagoya, among others. “It is very popular for Koreans to escape for one night. Although they may live in Seoul, they check into a hotel in Seoul to have a night away from home. I think this is slightly unique to Seoul,” Busch told The Kor

People Oct. 2, 2019

Fashion designer Jung Ku-ho has stepped down as executive director of Seoul Fashion Week after four years at the helm of the country’s largest fashion event.Taking his place is Jeon Mi-kyeong, a former editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar Korea with more than 25 years of experience in the fashion magazine industry. She will head Seoul Fashion Week with the Seoul Design Foundation for two years. The 2020 spring-summer Seoul Fashion Week -- the first edition led by Jeon -- is slated to t

Arts & Design Oct. 1, 2019

Over the weekend, jazz music took over Seoul Forest, a park in eastern Seoul. The third Seoul Forest Jazz Festival took place Saturday and Sunday, and one of the highlights was a performance by the legendary jazz vocalist Park Sung-yeon. Park paved the way for jazz musicians in South Korea with Janus, the first jazz-only club in the country.    At 76, Park appeared onstage in a wheelchair but her voice was as powerful as ever, with soulful touches that gave the songs a sorrowful y

Performance Sept. 30, 2019

The Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Korea announced a recent jump in the number of Koreans visiting the country, saying it aims to attract 2 million Korean tourists by the end of the year.“Last year, we were able to achieve 1.6 million (Korean) tourists. Because of that we aim to work for 2 million Korean tourists this year of 2019. By the end of 2019, in December, I will be proud to say we achieved 2 million. I look forward to that,” Ambassador Noe Albano Wong, who too

Travel Sept. 27, 2019

Fiery seafood at JW Marriott DongdaemunJW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul’s all-day dining restaurant Tavolo 24 presents the Taste of Sea promotion featuring Sichuan-style seafood favorites. The menu includes cold dishes made with fan mussels, sea squirts, abalone, white sea snails, clams, squid and conch, flown in fresh from China. There are also hot dishes including steamed scallops, snow crab and blue crab, Sichuan specialty mala crawfish, crispy deep-fried sea cucumber and eel, and Hu

Food Sept. 27, 2019