Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Busan builds future from cultural heritage of Korean War refugees

An aerial view of Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan, which is often dubbed, “Korea's Santorini,” due to the colorful houses built on the hillside / Courtesy of Busan Tourism OrganizationBy Lee Hae-rinBUSAN ― Just a three-hour ride in the KTX “train to Busan” from Seoul is all it takes to get down to the country's largest harbor city, Busan, in the southeastern part of the country. Known as the home of Asia's largest international film festival, with a beautiful seashore and fantastic maritime food, it is one of the most popular destinations for travelers here and abroad. Most of all, Busan is a historical landmark that served as the nation's provisional capital for 1,063 days during the Korean War from 1951 to 1953.If one is already acquainted with Busan's skyscrapers, fancy restaurants and shops along the beaches and is ready to explore more about the city, Busan's “old towns” are recommended for a visit. The towns offer unique historical and cultural heritage that has been regenerated, while still being filled with the stories of both natives and

Dec 23, 2021By Lee Hae-rin

Busan builds future from cultural heritage of Korean War refugees

Egyptian guide offers tours in Korean

Ezzeldin Elhassan Soliman is a veteran Egyptian tour guide with a Korean tour interpreter license. He has guided many Korean tour groups since he first started this job in 1999. Courtesy of Ezzeldin Elhassan SolimanBy Jung Da-min For many Korean tourists who have traveled in Egypt with Ezzeldin Elhassan Soliman, one of the most memorable parts of the trip may have been this Egyptian tour guide's fabulous Korean language skills. For this reporter who visited Egypt from late November to early December, there was an interesting moment when Ezzeldin was giving an explanation of an ancient drawing of a flail, an agricultural tool used for threshing wheat, which is called a “dorikkae” in Korean. The tour group was surprised and amused that Ezzeldin called the flail a dorikkae but got stuck for a moment when asked what it was named in Arabic.Ezzeldin, a 54-year-old veteran guide with a Korean tour interpreter license, has guided many Korean tour groups since he first started this job in 1999. He said it was a miracle that he could be the first Egyptian providing Korean-language

Dec 22, 2021

Communication is key to success amid pandemic at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul

'Lead With Care' program helps customers stay safe, healthyBy Lee Hae-rinRainer Stampfer, the president of hotel operations for the Asia Pacific at Four Seasons / Courtesy of Four SeasonsCOVID-19 has closed international borders and frozen the tourism industry since early 2020, but the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, the brand's first and only property in the country, is one of the few that are sailing downwind amid the pandemic, in terms of sales and customer satisfaction. Rainer Stampfer, the president of hotel operations in the Asia Pacific region, said that he has confronted several pandemics before since joining the brand in 2001, but “nothing could have prepared us to a crisis of this extent.” He said that communication with customers as well as employees is the key to the success of the brand's Seoul branch, amid the ongoing pandemic.“Through this time of crisis, communication ― or over-communication ― is absolutely critical,” Stampfer said in an interview with The Korea Times at the Seoul property, Dec. 8. “We try to deliver value for our customers and

Dec 16, 2021By Lee Hae-rin

Communication is key to success amid pandemic at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul

How kimchi changed Africa Yoon's life

Africa Yoon, author of "The Korean," poses with vegetables and “banchan” (Korean side dish) including kimchi. Getty Images / Marco GarciaBy Kwon Mee-yooThe Cover of Africa Yoon's memoir “The Korean” / Courtesy of BlackyoonicornAfrica Byongchan Yoon, a Cameroonian-American activist, unravels her journey from Suzanne Engo to Africa Byongchan Yoon, sparked by kimchi, in her memoir "The Korean."An experience at a Korean grocery store in New Jersey changed her life completely when Yoon was in her late 20s. Back then she gained weight from stress coming from being an activist and when she was trying a sample of Korean cream bread, an elderly Korean woman told Yoon that she was "fat" and she should eat Korean food. Instead of being offended, Yoon asked the elderly woman, whom she later calls "halmoni" (the Korean word for grandmother), to help her and Yoon began to explore a whole new realm of Korean food and its ingredients. "When I ate the kimchi the halmoni gave me, I started to feel all the ingredients of Korean food. I was like feeling the food with all the sens

Dec 15, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo

Four Seasons Seoul's Charles H. named in 'World's 50 Best Bars 2021'

A view of the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul's bar, Charles H. / Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel SeoulBy Lee Hae-rinFour Seasons Hotel Seoul's bar, Charles H., has ranked 42nd in the “World's 50 Best Bars 2021” list, being the only bar in Korea to make the list in consecutive years. The “World's 50 Best Bars” competition was initiated in 2009 by William Reed Business Media Group in the United Kingdom to promote bar experiences and celebrate high levels of cocktail craftsmanship. A group of 600 evaluators, consisting of bartenders, beverage experts and industry reporters, vote based on their firsthand experiences to select the top 50.The 2021 list of the top 50 bars from 17 countries was released via livestream on Dec. 8.Charles H. was ranked at 42 this year, higher than last year's 49. In addition, Charles H. ranked 13th in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2021 and No.1 in Korea.Located on the lower lobby level of the hotel, the bar is accessible only through a secret passageway covered with Korean artwork. The bar is named after American author Charles Henry Baker Jr., who is be

Dec 9, 2021

Four Seasons Seoul's Charles H. named in 'World's 50 Best Bars 2021'

Urban regeneration projects turn derelict facilities into scenic attractions

People look around the inside of a former oil container at Oil Tank Culture Park in Mapo District, Seoul. Courtesy of Korea Tourism OrganizationBy Lee Hae-rinUrban regeneration is the process of transforming old buildings and facilities to give them a new form and use. It adds new value to forgotten sites and aims to take an eco-friendly approach to preserving the sites' historical identity and creating a new harmony with its surroundings. For those who are interested in protecting the environment and learning about the country's modern history, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) recommends visiting these urban regeneration sites.Seonyudo Park / Courtesy of Korea Tourism OrganizationSeonyudo Park, SeoulSeonyudo Park is an eco-friendly ecological park built in the ruins of a former water purification plant in the middle of the Han River in Yeongdeungpo District, southwestern Seoul.Seonyudo was originally a small island. For its beautiful scenery, it was named to mean “where Taoist hermits come to play,” and was praised by many poets and artists of the 1392-1910 Joseon Ki

Dec 9, 2021By Lee Hae-rin

Urban regeneration projects turn derelict facilities into scenic attractions

Nighttime eating affects body clock, can lead to glucose intolerance

gettyimagesbank Eating at night may increase a person's risk for glucose intolerance, or prediabetes, a study published Friday by the journal Science Advances found.Confining meals to daytime can help maintain healthy blood glucose levels, allowing the body to more effectively process sugars, the researchers said.After assessing the effects of nighttime eating on night shift workers, it appears that food consumption during the overnight hours causes a misalignment between the body's central and peripheral circadian "clocks," they said.Circadian clocks are the body's natural timekeepers that regulate physical, mental and behavioral changes throughout the day.In addition to applying to night shift workers, the findings could have implications for others who eat meals at atypical times, such as those experiencing jet lag or sleep disorders, or people who tend to sleep late on weekends, the researchers said."Of the participants studied, those with the biggest disruption

Dec 4, 2021

Nighttime eating affects body clock, can lead to glucose intolerance

Purple Island, Ungok Village designated 'Best Tourism Villages'

Banwol and Bakji Island of Sinan County, South Jeolla Province, known together as the “Purple Island,” have been included in the United Nations World Tourism Organization's “Best Tourism Villages” list, announced Thursday. Korea Times fileBy Kwon Mee-yooTwo Korean tourist sites ― the Purple Island and Ungok Village ― made their way onto the list of “Best Tourism Villages” awarded by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The U.N. agency dealing with tourism announced its inaugural “Best Tourism Villages” list during its 24th General Assembly in Madrid, Spain, Thursday. There, the Purple Island of Sinan County, South Jeolla Province, and Ungok Village in Gochang County, North Jeolla Province, were recognized as outstanding examples of rural tourism destinations.The initiative aims to encourage tourism to rural villages, while safeguarding them and resolving regional imbalances through sustainable development in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals. This year, 44 villages from 32 countries were included in the

Dec 3, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo

Purple Island, Ungok Village designated 'Best Tourism Villages'

Food columnist continues disparaging Korean-style fried chicken

gettyimagesbankBy Lee Hae-rinKorean food columnist Hwang Kyo-ik, who created a stir by saying Korean-style fried chicken is not tasty due to the small size of the birds, has raised a question about its global popularity.He referred to a survey about Korean food, conducted by the Korean Food Promotion Institute and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of 8,500 people in 17 major cities around the world who have tried Korean food, released Sunday.According to the survey, 30 percent said they like Korean-style fried chicken the most and intend to eat it again. Chicken was followed by kimchi at 27.7 percent, bibimbap (rice mixed with assorted vegetables) at 27.2 percent and tteokbokki (rice cakes stir-fried in spicy sauce) at 18 percent.Hwang raised the question whether fried chicken can be considered a “Korean” food, saying no traditional Korean ingredients are used ― chicken breeds were from the U.S. and the U.K., the feeds consisted of grains imported from the U.S. and the oil used to fry them comes from beans or corn from the U.S.“Are we really proud

Nov 29, 2021By Lee Hae-rin

Food columnist continues disparaging Korean-style fried chicken

4 tucked-away alleys in Seoul to enjoy

Mullae Arts Village / Korea Times fileBy Jun Ji-hyeKey social distancing measures have been eased, as the first stage of the government's “Living with COVID-19” scheme began at the start of this month. But concerns over COVID-19 infections still abound, with the country's daily caseloads remaining in lower four digits. For those who want to avoid popular, crowded places due to concerns over the risk of infections, global hotel search platform HotelsCombined recommends hidden alleys in Seoul where they can take a load off.Mullae Arts Village Mullae Arts Village, located just a five-minute walk from Mullae Station, has a unique concept that is quite different from other attractions in Seoul. This neighbourhood saw new life starting in the 2000s when artists who were looking for new studios due to rising rent prices in areas around Hongdae and Daehangno gathered in the aging industrial area of Mullae-dong where ironworks were concentrated. It is a factory area with a lot of urban decay, but once visitors get past that they will discover that the alleys are rife with art. The

Nov 25, 2021By Jun Ji-hye

Travel & Food