GWANGJU -- The unmistakable smell of spicy cabbage greets visitors at Gwangju’s Kimchi Town, where everything exudes Koreans’ love for that fermented dish ubiquitous on dining tables in the country. The grandiosely named World Institute of Kimchi occupies a building next to the kimchi museum in a corner of the complex. There, scientists and experts from various disciplines of research have gathered for a national mission: unraveling the science behind kimchi.  “We study ev

Food Nov. 29, 2019

Ipsa is the traditional Korean art of inlaying thin threads of silver or gold onto harder surfaces such as iron to create exquisite decorative patterns or images. The craft reached its pinnacle in the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392) and expanded under the ensuing Joseon Kingdom, when it was widely used for everyday objects such as incense burners, metal jars and candlesticks. In ipsa art, everything is done by hand. From preparing thin wires to hammering them onto the finely chiseled and engraved surf

Arts & Design Nov. 29, 2019

Korea is in the midst of the kimchi-making season. In early winter, when temperatures just start to fall below zero, Koreans go through the annual ritual of gimjang -- making large quantities of the spicy, fermented cabbage dish to last the coming year. It is such an important family event that “have you done this year’s gimjang already?” becomes a typical icebreaker among housewives during this time of year. Added to UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage in

Culture Nov. 29, 2019

Wine aficionados have wine coolers and cabinets at home. Fish-loving Japanese have fridges with special features for raw fish storage. Koreans, likewise, have a refrigerator for their beloved kimchi. Although Korea’s very first kimchi refrigerator dates back to 1984 (Gold Star, now LG Electronics, was its inventor), the market only began to take shape in the late 1990s, with the rise of apartment complexes as the norm of urban dwelling. Traditionally, kimchi was stored in earthenware burie

Food Nov. 29, 2019

Long overshadowed by Asia’s two gastronomical giants China and Japan, cuisines from Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian nations are tantalizing taste buds and adding new flavors to South Korea’s diverse food scene. A visit last week to the Shinsegae Department Store’s basement-level food mall, where only the hottest eateries in Korea are invited to set up, reconfirmed the geographical diversification. A section was created to resemble a food street in an imag

Food Nov. 22, 2019

Myeong-dong is a symbolic battlefield in Korea’s franchise world. To be considered successful, one has to have a store or two there -- ideally right at the center of the busy tourist district. New store openings and closures are watched by many for signs of changes in food trends. A visit to the area earlier this week revealed the increased presence of one particular Asian country among Myeong-dong’s cafes and dessert shops -- Taiwan. Taiwanese tea chain Tiger Sugar has an impre

Food Nov. 22, 2019

There are many reasons to love Busan -- the cobalt blue sea, milder weather, delectable food, ultraconvenient mega shopping malls and jaw-dropping oceanfront skyscrapers. The picturesque Gwangan Bridge and the skyline full of luxurious skyscrapers along Haeundae Beach give a stunning first impression, similar to those of other maritime cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore. But if there’s one thing that sets South Korea’s second-largest city of 3.4 million apart from other tourist d

Travel Nov. 15, 2019

Male makeup could be the beauty world’s next big thing. And Korean men are leading that revolution as the world’s top consumers of grooming products, according to data and surveys. Men with flawless skin and colors on their eyes and lips often appear on TV here. It has even become the norm for male K-pop celebrities to apply makeup on their full face.  But off-screen, how open is Korea to male makeup? “For me, a little something to fix the complexion is OK, but eye an

Culture Nov. 8, 2019

Lotte Department Store threw a party for some 200 of its VIP customers last month. About 10 luxury brands, including watchmaker IWC and designer clothing brand Thom Browne, set up booths, and models presented top styles for the upcoming season at a mini fashion show. Only men with annual purchases of over 100 million won ($86,485) were invited. Gone are the days when men were just an afterthought for retailers. They are emerging as power shoppers who exercise their spending power with a new sens

Culture Nov. 8, 2019

Ultra-long down parkas were the king of winter coats here in the past few years, but a warmer winter looks set to bring new styles. According to industry insiders and fashion experts, we will be seeing a lot of fleece jackets and short puffers instead. Fleece is all the rage Fleece, shearling, sherpa or pile, whatever they are called, those warm, snuggly jackets that were once ridiculed as “dad fashion” are the hottest item in the local fashion scene right now.  At Discov

Arts & Design Nov. 1, 2019

Fashionable women in Korea, like their peers elsewhere, are in love with leggings -- and they don’t just wear them to the gym. Leggings’ ascent to casual wear, as described by the dictionary-defined term athleisure, has been a global phenomenon. Seoul, never too far behind a global fad, is fast catching up. Yet, in this country, where revealing, skin-tight and outlandish clothes were once almost certain to invite stares of disapproval, the propriety of leggings as streetwear is a con

Arts & Design Nov. 1, 2019

At Altdif, a boutique teahouse in Seoul’s Seogyo-dong, tea masters don’t just sell a cuppa. They sell a lifestyle.“We’re not just a tea shop. We’re a lifestyle shop that centers on tea and the tea-drinking lifestyle,” explained Ryu Gyeonghyeong, general manager of the shop. Since its opening in late 2016, Altdif has stuck to its unique concept by offering a five-tea course for seven guests only. Just like a full meal, it starts with a straight tea, as ent

Food Oct. 25, 2019

Ven. Myoudeok cut quite a conspicuous figure at last week’s coffee and tea fair in Yangjae-dong, southern Seoul.  In her light-gray Buddhist robes, she sat among coffee and tea masters who had come from across the country to discuss the latest trends in brewing and blending. Her trade is the centuries-old tradition of Korean green tea. “I see a lot of confusion in our tea culture -- what makes good tea, how tea should be made and consumed,” the Buddhist nun said. “I

People Oct. 25, 2019

Coffee has a formidable grip on the daily lives of Koreans, but tea is slowly and quietly gaining traction. Social media-savvy hipsters wait for weeks for a tea ceremony experience. Teahouses that claim to sell not just a cuppa, but a lifestyle, are emerging as trendy hot spots. Some see in it as a counteraction to the Starbucks-driven explosion of coffee culture here. Others speak of a refreshing return to the country’s own sipping traditions. “I think we’ve grown too acc

Food Oct. 25, 2019

South Korea’s first pet taxi startup began with co-founder Park Nara’s personal experience of an emergency vet visit back in 2015. Her dog needed to be taken to a vet immediately, but no taxi would take her and the dog. She had to run in the end. The next year Pet Me Up was launched, aiming to respond to the travel needs of dogs, cats and other companion animals and their owners. “It is estimated that nearly 1 in 5 Korean households own pets, but many still face difficulties li

Culture Oct. 18, 2019