Lifestyle - The Korea Times

INTERVIEW Marathoner monk's 5,255km US challenge cut short by COVID-19

Ven. Jino from Maha Buddha Temple in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, is sun-burnt and carrying a stroller containing his daily necessities of foods and clothes during his 5,255-kilomter fundraising marathon from Huntington Beach in Los Angeles, California, to the United Nations headquarters in New York City. Courtesy of People Making Dreams Come True By Ko Dong-hwan Venerable Jino, a Korean Buddhist monk, could have been one of the exceptional athletic talents to run from Los Angeles to New York City ― over 5,200 kilometers. Unfortunately, the challenge, which began Feb. 7 from Huntington Beach in Los Angeles, California, ended after 39 days in Oklahoma due to the coronavirus pandemic that started sweeping the United States. This persuaded him that his goal of reaching the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan was no longer a viable proposition.With his charity mission to raise $1 for every kilometer he ran put on indefinite hold, he returned to Los Angeles, fle

Jun 3, 2020By Ko Dong-hwan

[INTERVIEW] Marathoner monk's 5,255km US challenge cut short by COVID-19

INTERVIEW Korean Forest Gump's race for Vietnam

Closed schools reborn as tourist attractions

By Jun Ji-hyeSeveral schools in rural areas have faced closure as the families of many students opted to leave the countryside for larger cities. Among the closed schools, some have become hideous objects that seemed to be haunted, while others have been reborn as tourist attractions such as museums that carry tourists' thoughts back to the past.The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has selected six tourist attractions that evolved from closed schools across the nation, saying they are worthy of a visit in June. Deokpojin Museum of EducationDeokpojin Museum of Education, which opened in 1996 in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, displays about 7,000 items used at schools in the past, bringing back memories of student days.Visitors experience an old classroom in Deokpojin Museum of Education located in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. / Courtesy of Korea Tourism OrganizationThe private museum was set up by former elementary school teacher Kim Dong-seon for his wife Lee In-sook who also was an elementary school teacher and lost her sight in an accident.Kim established the museum to give hope to his wif

May 29, 2020

Closed schools reborn as tourist attractions

Hotel Lobby

By Jun Ji-hyeInterContinental presents icy cold bingsuThe Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas and the InterContinental Seoul COEX announced that summer premium bingsu is available at The Lobby Lounge on the first floor and to-go bingsu at the Grand Deli on the first floor until the end of August.To-go bingsu served at the Grand Deli has seen a 40 percent increase in sales over the past two years, and to-go items are becoming more popular in general among customers this year amid COVID-19 pandemic. As social distancing has become the “new normal” this summer, the hotels present a new approach for bingsu ― the large-sized bingsu for two or three served at The Lobby Lounge is now available in a one-person serving as well. The one-person bingsu is a safe option as it is not meant for sharing. Available in a reasonable size and at an affordable price, it also makes it easier to try different flavors all at once. The Lobby Lounge of Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas serves mango pudding bingsu made with a generous amount of fresh mango pieces and topped with mango-shaped pudd

May 27, 2020By Jun Ji-hye

Night tours of royal palaces to reopen next week

Gyeongbok Palace at night / Korea Times filePopular nighttime tours of royal palaces here will resume next week, months after their suspension due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Saturday.The Gyeongbok Palace Starlight Tour will start Wednesday and run through June 8, while the Changdeok Palace Moonlight Tour will open Thursday until June 21, according to the CHA.Tickets for the nocturnal programs are available for purchase at the e-commerce website Auction (ticket.auction.co.kr).A special program named Gyeongbok Palace Saenggwabang, which provides tourists a chance to experience a traditional tea ceremony and enjoy dessert, will also start a one-month run Wednesday.Music concerts will be also held at Gyeongbok every weekend from May 30 to July 12.At the same time, the changing of the royal guard ceremony at the palace had already restarted Wednesday, the administration added.In June, more events including weekday concerts at Gyeongbok and royal kitchen tours will begin.The CHA said that under strict quarantine guidelines to prevent possible COVID-

May 23, 2020

Night tours of royal palaces to reopen next week

Recommendation: travel accommodations for mental health

By Jun Ji-hyeMany people here have suffered mental fatigue from weeks of limited outdoor activities in line with the government's social distancing campaign that has played a key role in slowing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic here. While the government loosened its high-level physical distancing rules earlier this month amid clear signs of a slowdown in COVID-19 infections, the health authorities continue to stress the need to comply with the basic rules of its “distancing in daily life” plan as “It is too early to relax yet.”The return of warm and refreshing weather, however, has made people want to go out to rejuvenate their tired minds.For those people, Agoda, a Singapore-headquartered digital travel platform, recommends great areas throughout Korea to soothe bodies and minds while still maintaining distancing in isolated natural surroundings.Become one with natureNature provides the perfect respite from a daily hectic working life. From taking in fresh mountain air to having a cup of coffee with a magnificent view of the ocean, getting close to nature

May 21, 2020

Recommendation: travel accommodations for mental health

Accor teams up with AXA to offer medical support for guests

A staff member at Raffles Hotel in Singapore, wearing a face mask and gloves, is ready to receive guests. / Courtesy of AccorBy Jun Ji-hyeAccor, a global hospitality operator based in France, has formed a strategic partnership with insurance firm AXA, in a bid to provide unique medical assistance to guests across 5,000 Accor hotels worldwide.Accor, which runs brands such as Raffles, Sofitel, Rixos, Novotel and Ibis, said the partnership will enable its guests to benefit from the expert medical support systems of AXA Partners, the insurance firm's international entity specializing in assistance services, travel insurance and credit protection, by the end of July this year. Among others, Accor guests will be able to benefit from AXA's most recent advances in telemedicine through free access to medical teleconsultations. Guests will also have access to AXA's extensive medical networks with tens of thousands of vetted medical professionals, which will allow hotels to make the most relevant referrals, for example language and specialization, to their guests in Accor's 110 destinations.Acc

May 21, 2020By Jun Ji-hye

Accor teams up with AXA to offer medical support for guests

Beaches, nightclubs? Europe mulls how to get tourists back

Beachgoers walks at the sea water during sunset at an empty stretch of Dome beach hotel at Makrinissos in Cyprus' seaside resort of Ayia Napa, a favorite among tourists from Europe and beyond, on Sunday, May 17, 2020. With coronavirus restrictions gradually lifting, Cyprus authorities are mulling ways to get holidaymakers back to the tourism-reliant island nation. APThe Mediterranean resort town of Ayia Napa is known for its boisterous parties. Each summer, thousands of young foreign tourists pack the dance floors of its nightlife district after a day at the beach.But the pandemic silenced the exuberant Napa Strip district as the island nation of Cyprus went into a lockdown to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Now nightclub owners wonder when social distancing rules will be eased enough for the party to resume _ and what those new parties will look like.``We know at nightclubs, young people will go to dance and have a good time. But then you have to tell them that they have to keep 2 meters (6 feet) apart from each other?'' asked Charalambos Alexandrou, the spokesman for a group re

May 19, 2020

Beaches, nightclubs? Europe mulls how to get tourists back

Shinsegae Chosun Hotel to launch new Grand Josun brand

A computer-generated image of Grand Josun Busan, which Shinsegae Chosun Hotel will open in the southeastern port city in August / Courtesy of Shinsegae Chosun HotelBy Jun Ji-hyeShinsegae Chosun Hotel has named its new brand scheduled to be unveiled this year Grand Josun, the hotel operator said Friday, noting that it plans to open the first two properties of the new brand in Busan and on Jeju Island this year. The accommodation arm of Korean retail giant Shinsegae Group said the new brand will offer a world-class hospitality experience from a five-star hotel, while maintaining its pursuit of upholding traditional values.By showcasing the new brand, Shinsegae Chosun Hotel is aiming to expand its influence in the domestic hospitality industry, while identifying new growth engines to make a new leap forward as a global hotel brand.It has steadily served guests for about 100 years, making itself the hotel with the richest history in Korea. The hotel said it came up with the new brand identity of Grand Josun with due respect to its time-honored tradition, noting that its strong determinat

May 13, 2020

'Learn happiness from the happiest people'

A person does yoga at Repovesi National Park of Finland. Visit Finland has launched the “Rent a Finn goes Virtual” campaign to showcase the Finns' natural way of life. / Courtesy of Visit Finland By Jun Ji-hyeVisit Finland, the Finnish travel promotion organization, has launched a campaign dubbed, “Rent a Finn goes Virtual,” to showcase the Finnish way of life.The campaign in which Finnish people share their habits and traditions that can help people become calmer and happier comes as Finland was chosen by the United Nations as the world's happiest nation for the third year. The 2020 World Happiness Report announced March 20 by the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) determined the ranking of 156 countries, scoring various aspects such as GDP per capita, life expectancy, social support and social freedom.The Rent a Finn goes Virtual campaign is a new social media initiative, which lets people in on the Finns' natural way of life and the daily routi

May 13, 2020

'Learn happiness from the happiest people'

A tale of Jeju citrus

Jeju islanders call the yellow citrus fruit “hagyul” (summer tangerine) as farmers harvest it during summertime from May to June. It has long been used by farmers as an ingredient for homemade summer drinks. / Korea Times photo by Kang Hyun-kyungCitrus cocktail, farmers' favorite summer drink By Kang Hyun-kyungJEJU ― Those who visit Jeju Island around this time of year will easily discover big orange-colored citrus fruit on trees along the streets. They're similar to a grapefruit. The locals call them “hagyul” (summer tangerine). Once the thick peel is removed, it looks just like an orange. Unlike oranges or tangerines, however, the flesh is less juicy and has a sour taste. The citrus trees are so common on the island that people can find them almost everywhere. They are spotted in parks, small orchards of houses, farmlands and even in the compounds of hotels. The citrus has been part of Jeju islanders' lives for a long time. The residents were raised seeing the trees near their homes, even before the island's signature tangerine trees were introduced there fr

May 8, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung

Travel & Food

Travel & Food

INTERVIEW Marathoner monk's 5,255km US challenge cut short by COVID-19

Closed schools reborn as tourist attractions

Hotel Lobby

Night tours of royal palaces to reopen next week

Recommendation: travel accommodations for mental health

Accor teams up with AXA to offer medical support for guests

Beaches, nightclubs? Europe mulls how to get tourists back

Shinsegae Chosun Hotel to launch new Grand Josun brand

'Learn happiness from the happiest people'

A tale of Jeju citrus

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