Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Gyeongbok Palace to resume nighttime tours next month

Gyeongbok Palace at night / Korea Times file Nighttime sightseeing at Gyeongbok Palace, one of the four royal palaces in Seoul, will resume next month, offering visitors amazing night views with spring flowers in full bloom.The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said Monday the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) will open from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. from April 1 to May 29 for the regular nighttime tour program.Up to 1,300 visitors can be accommodated per day, and online ticket reservations are required for all visitors, excluding foreigners. No tours will be offered Mondays and Tuesdays and from May 11 to 15 due to preparations and cultural performances for the Palace Cultural Festival, a festival held every year at the palace.The CHA will also restart an annual guided tour program of the palace's marquee Gyeonghoeru, a pavilion used for royal banquets and special government functions, such as state occasions to welcome foreign envoys during the Joseon e

Mar 21, 2022

Gyeongbok Palace to resume nighttime tours next month

French chef takes enlightening culinary journey in Seoul

Damien Selme, an executive chef at Andaz Seoul Gangnam, poses in the kitchen of the hotel restaurant in Seoul, March 4. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Lee Hae-rinWhen Damien Selme first visited Korea in the winter of 2009 as a Michelin chef, he did not see himself cooking for the G20 luncheon or at a five-star hotel in Seoul. Born in Seoul and adopted by French parents to a northeastern village Mancy of France at the age of eight months, Selme planned a short vacation to discover his roots in Korea. “Back then, I didn't understand the Korean culinary culture, to be honest. For me, everything was just too spicy and red-colored and smelled very strong,” Selme said during the interview with The Korea Times at Andaz Seoul Gangnam, March 4. “Eating ice cream in winter, hot soup in summer. As a foreigner, I was shocked, asking myself, 'Where am I?'” To his surprise, the trip opened a whole new chapter in his career and another dimension of gastronomic experience. Traveling across the country by himself to the provincial cities of Busan, Jeonju, and Gyeongju a

Mar 16, 2022By Lee Hae-rin

French chef takes enlightening culinary journey in Seoul

Seoul's iconic cathedral feeding homeless in times of difficulties

Fr. Paik Kwang-jin makes soup to feed homeless people at Myeongdong Cathedral, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rinIn the past, Myeongdong Cathedral provided refuge for pro-democracy protesters; now it serves the neediest with free mealsBy Lee Hae-rinAt the heart of Seoul's bustling downtown core stands a 68-meter high Gothic-style steeple surrounded by skyscrapers. It's the historic Myeongdong Cathedral. As the country's best-known sacral architecture, it is the national cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul and a symbol of Catholicism's persecution and survival in Korea. It also tells the story of Korea's turbulent modern history as it once provided refuge for pro-democracy protesters in the 1980s. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it has now become a place to serve free meals for the homeless and underprivileged. Over 600 to 800 homeless people and senior citizens who live alone visit the place for food. Free meals are served every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.“Myeongdong Bab-jib,” which means “an eatery for home-cooked meals

Mar 2, 2022By Lee Hae-rin

Seoul's iconic cathedral feeding homeless in times of difficulties

Capella Hotels and Resorts to plant first flag in Korea in 2024

A rendering of the Capella Yangyang, which is slated to open in 2024 / Courtesy of CapellaBy Lee Hae-rinCapella Hotel and Resorts, one of the world's top luxury resort chains along with Aman and One&Only, will open its first Korean property in 2024 near Songjeon Beach in Yangyang, Gangwon Province. Capella Yangyang will be the brand's ninth resort, following six properties operating in China, Bali, Thailand and Vietnam, and two others that will open in Sydney and the Maldives in 2023 and 2024, respectively.The Singapore-based company chose Yangyang over big cities like Seoul and Busan for its unique combination of landscape, heritage and leisure-focused culture. Located between the East Sea and Mount Seorak, the city is known as a surfers' paradise as well as offering scenic attractions such as Naksan Temple and Hajodae Pavilion.Korean architect Lee Ki-chul and Thierry Boon, who designed One&Only Royal Mirage in Dubai, will work on Capella Yangyang. Capella Hotel Group is renowned for the wide range of architectural tones and designs of its properties tailored to the geograph

Feb 22, 2022

Capella Hotels and Resorts to plant first flag in Korea in 2024

Celebrating first full moon of lunar calendar amid pandemic

A family takes a picture in front of a giant full moon displayed at the entrance of the National Folk Museum in Jongno District, central Seoul, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Lee Hae-rinBy Lee Hae-rinAn old Korean saying goes, “A good Jeongwol makes a good year.” Jeongwol Daeboreum is the day of the first full moon of the Lunar Year, which falls on Feb. 15 of this year's solar calendar. Carrying great importance, along with Lunar New Year and Chuseok, it is a day of wishing to the moon for a prosperous year ahead with a good harvest and well-being for one's family and community. The full moon has long been a symbol of abundance in Korea's traditionally agrarian society. The people in any given village would gather to celebrate the year's first full moon by having a special meal together and playing several games to build a spirit of unity and cooperation.Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has suspended almost all regional festivals related to the holiday, there are several events in Seoul and ways to carry on the history and traditions of Jeongwol Daeboreum to mai

Feb 16, 2022By Lee Hae-rin

Celebrating first full moon of lunar calendar amid pandemic

Air Busan launches Incheon-Vladivostok direct flights

An Air Busan jet / Korea Times fileBy Lee Hae-rinAir Busan initiated direct scheduled flights between Incheon and Vladivostok on Feb. 5, the airline said Feb. 6.The Incheon-to-Vladivostok flight is scheduled to operate every other Saturday. A 180-seat Airbus A320 will depart from Incheon International Airport at 11:15 a.m., arriving in Vladivostok International Airport at 3 p.m. and returning to Incheon at 6 p.m., arriving at 8 p.m.Vladivostok is an administrative center of the Russian Maritime Province and one of the largest geo-economic hubs in the Russian Far East region. Despite the high demand for various flight options, only Russian airlines have served direct flights for over 20,000 passengers last year, hindering exchanges between the two countries.If Gimhae International Airport grants international flights greater access, the airline is likely to offer more diverse flight options connecting Busan and the capital area, which is expected to bring significant benefits to passengers and the local economy.In celebration of the flight launch, Air Busan is offering a promotion to

Feb 8, 2022

Air Busan launches Incheon-Vladivostok direct flights

Over half of holiday-makers seek human interaction in travel experience

Rooftop pool at L7 Hongdae by Lotte Seoul / Courtesy of Hotel.comBy Lee Hae-rinAs the lingering COVID-19 pandemic limits travel plans and human contact, chances for human interaction have emerged as a crucial factor in choosing a hotel or holiday destination for travelers, a recent survey shows.According to the survey taken by Hotels.com from Dec. 15 to 23, 2021, on 500 Koreans over the age of 18 who have traveled before or plan to travel after the pandemic, 44 percent of Korean travelers admitted they have experienced a holiday romance while traveling. Over half of respondents consider “the opportunity to meet new people important when choosing a hotel and/or holiday destination,” while 38 percent aim to meet new people with their travel mate. Twenty-two percent are willing to travel alone to do so, while 9 percent could leave their travel companion to hang out with new people who they met on the trip.In their booking experiences, 34 percent of respondents said they are “more likely to book a hotel based on the social activities, communal areas and group tours avai

Feb 8, 2022

Over half of holiday-makers seek human interaction in travel experience

2 in 3 young people positive about plant-based meat consumption

Dishes made with plant-based meat / Courtesy of Shinsegae FoodBy Kim RahnMore than two out of three young people are positive about consuming plant-based meat, mainly because they believe such food consumption will help protect the environment and enhance animal welfare, a survey showed, Sunday.According to an online survey conducted on 1,000 people from the MZ Generation ― both Millennials (born 1981-1995) and Generation Z (born 1996-2005) ― last month by Embrain at the request of Shinsegae Food, 67.6 percent said they were positive about consuming plant-based meat.This figure outnumbered the 14.6 percent of people who don't intend to consume such meat and another 3.8 percent who said they don't understand why people consume it.More than 71 percent of the respondents said that consuming plant-based meat will help protect the environment, and 53 percent said that it will help resolve the problem of animal abuse by resulting in changes such as the shutting down of concentrated animal feeding operations, where livestock are confined for industrial meat production, when multiple answers

Feb 7, 2022By Kim Rahn

2 in 3 young people positive about plant-based meat consumption

Indonesia's Bali to open for all international travelers

A man kitesurfs at a beach in Kuta on Indonesia's resort island of Bali, Jan. 26. AFP-Yonhap Indonesia's holiday island of Bali will start welcoming back travelers from all countries from later this week, officials said Monday, more than three months after announcing it was open to selected nationalities.Though Bali officially opened to visitors from China, New Zealand, and Japan among other countries in mid-October, there have since been no direct flights, Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno told a press briefing.The reopening follows similar announcements by Thailand and the Philippines, which put quarantine waivers on hold in December over initial uncertainty about vaccine efficacy against the Omicron variant of COVID-19.The decision comes amid a steady rise in Indonesia's COVID-19 cases this month, despite having brought outbreaks under control in the second half of last year. Health authorities have attributed the increase to Omicron.Known for its surfing, temples, w

Jan 31, 2022

Indonesia's Bali to open for all international travelers

Andaz Seoul Gangnam launches 'Love Yourself' package for MZ generation

Andaz Seoul Gangnam presents a “Love Yourself” package, in which guests can have a body profile photo session during their stay, in limited quantity from Jan. 24 to Apr. 30. / Courtesy of Andaz Seoul GangnamBy Lee Hae-rinAndaz Seoul Gangnam, the Hyatt brand's lifestyle hotel, located in Apgujeong, central Seoul, is presenting a “Love Yourself” package, in which guests can have a body profile photo shoot and a relaxing timeout. Shooting one's “body profile,” or having a professional photo session after months of intensive exercise and diet management, has been a major trend among the young people in their 20s to 30s, the so-called MZ generation ― Millennials and Generation Z ― here, as they wish to keep records of their young and healthy selves.In the package, the hotel offers a photo session with Balance Button, a photography studio specializing in body profile photography. In addition to the photo shoot, the package includes breakfast, vouchers to the hotel's restaurant, and use of the hotel swimming pool and gym during their stay.The “Love

Jan 27, 2022

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