my timesThe Korea Times
LifestyleTravel & Food

Travel & Food

Korean believed drowned in Myanmar

A Korean woman is missing in Myanmar. Screengrab of the Irrawaddy News Magazine's websiteBy Jung Min-hoA Korean tourist in Myanmar has been missing for 10 days after being swept away in a swift current.According to Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Myanmar's media reports, the tourist, 45, surnamed Heo, went missing on Nov. 21 while floating on inner tubes in the Namtu River.She was on a group tour at Hsipaw Township, Shan State, with four other travelers and a local guide.Citing witnesses, a police sergeant said Heo suddenly “disappeared beneath the water.” An Italian man tried to rescue her multiple times but to no avail.The guide told police that he had suggested several times that all tourists wear lifejackets, but Heo refused.“The water surface is rough in that river as there are hard-to-see rocks in the riverbed that cause unexpected waves,” the police sergeant said.Local police and tour agency employees have been searching for her since.According to the Tourism Ministry's website, foreigners are not allowed to travel outside the Hsipaw downtown. B

Dec 3, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Korean believed drowned in Myanmar

INTERVIEW Wolfgang's popularizes dry-aged steaks in Korea

Wolfgang's Steakhouse Korea CEO Lee Dong-hoon poses at his restaurant in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, Nov. 19, after an interview with The Korea Times. / Courtesy of Wolfgang's Steakhouse KoreaSteakhouse from New York has eyes on Busan, Jeju, MacauBy Park Jae-hyukWolfgang's Steakhouse Korea, which has been popularizing dry-aged steaks here since the opening of its restaurant in Seoul in March 2015, has begun making efforts to expand here, according to the U.S. steakhouse brand's Korean operator.In a recent interview with The Korea Times, CEO Lee Dong-hoon said the company is considering opening steakhouses in Busan and on Jeju in the near future.The licensee of the New York-based restaurant's operations in Korea and Hong Kong is also pushing ahead with opening a steakhouse in Macau.“We have had plans to open restaurants in Seoul, Busan and Jeju since we brought the brand to Korea. We are trying to figure out when is the best time to open Busan and Jeju stores,” Lee said. “As for the Macau restaurant, we will not rush to open a store there. But we have met operators of int

Dec 2, 2018By Park Jae-hyuk
[INTERVIEW] Wolfgang's popularizes dry-aged steaks in Korea

The old man and the bus terminal

Kim Jae-do, 81, shows Tapri Bus Terminal in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, which he inherited at 17 after the sudden death of his father in 1954. He has been running the terminal for 64 years. / Korea Times photo by Jun Joon-hoTerminal operator recalls good old daysBy Park Jin-haiTapri Bus Terminal, a small rural terminal in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, 260 kilometers from Seoul, has seen better days. The place, once crowded with commuting students and vendors with their hands full of bottari (cloth wrappings tied into bundles) carrying grains and fruit to sell in Daegu's large Seomun Market, is now a desolate and quiet place where only a few elderly people visit. The vintage bus terminal showing the wear and tear of time sits quietly like a granny living in a rural home who waits for a welcome visit from her grownup children who have made their own lives in the city. Kim Jae-do, 81, who inherited control of the intercity bus terminal service at 17 after the sudden death of his father in 1954, has been running the terminal for 64 years. “Now people as old as me mai

Nov 29, 2018By Park Jin-hai
The old man and the bus terminal

PHOTOS La Casa Hotel Gwangmyeong opens casual dining restaurant

La Casa Kitchen / Courtesy of the hotelBy Park Si-sooLa Casa Hotel Gwangmyeong, on the outskirts of Seoul, has opened a new restaurant offering a range of casual dining, wine and alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks at reasonable prices, in a cozy and private five-star hotel atmosphere. The restaurant, La Casa Kitchen, is on the hotel's seventh floor. “The restaurant offers high-quality dishes made with fresh/seasonal ingredients,” hotel general manager Kim Tae-gyeong said. “I hope many people will come and enjoy food and drink we have prepared with all our hearts in the year-end season.”

Nov 28, 2018
La Casa Hotel Gwangmyeong opens casual dining restaurant [PHOTOS]

Hotel Lobby

By Kang Seung-wooLotte Hotel to offer UNICEF charity packageSixteen Lotte hotels across the nation will launch a UNICEF package that will help support quality education for children in 11 Asian countries. Each time the package is sold, 5,000 won ($4.40) will be donated to the Schools for Asia initiative that supports the UNICEF education program. The promotion starts in December and will be available until the end of February. The nation's largest hotel operator has run UNICEF-related charity packages since 2014. The participating hotels include the Signiel Seoul Hotel, the Lotte Hotel Seoul and Jeju and lifestyle hotel L7 in Myeong-dong, Gangnam and Hongdae.Sheraton D Cube City preparing for Xmas, year-end parties The Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is ready to offer the perfect space to celebrate Christmas and the year's end at its signature restaurant, Feast.Through its Festive Season Buffet that will be available in December, the restaurant will provide a special buffet with a generous buffet including lobster tail, premium sushi, sage-roasted turkey, cured salmon and lamb rack

Nov 22, 2018By Kang Seung-woo
Hotel Lobby

INTERVIEW British florist brings Christmas magic to L'Escape

Tony Marklew poses with one of his five Christmas installations at the L'Escape Hotel in Seoul. / Courtesy of L'Escape HotelBy Kang Seung-wooWhen L'Escape Hotel, the first stand-alone brand of Shinsegae Chosun Hotel, reached out to London-based flower designer Tony Marklew two years ago to create decorations for its grand opening this July, he jumped at the chance to make his first trip to Korea.The British floral designer lived up to the expectations of his first-ever Korean clients. The spectacular decorations throughout the hotel received rave reviews from guests.Marklew has returned to Korea to once again dazzle visitors with his creative installations. This time, it's for Christmas, and will feature elements of Korean culture as well as accentuate the Parisian theme of the hotel.“It is important to use something which transcends the period and also not to be religious,” Marklew said in an interview with The Korea Times earlier this month when he was still working on the decorations.“So it wanted something that was Christmas seasonal but not too specific, so I w

Nov 22, 2018By Kang Seung-woo
[INTERVIEW] British florist brings Christmas magic to L'Escape

'Our blood is Korean, but our flavor is Latin'

Korean-Venezuelan chocolate makers Jon Kim, right, and his younger brother Dan pose for a photograph at P.Chokko Laboratorio in Seoul on Nov. 9. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulKorean-Venezuelan brothers craft chocolates in their parents' homelandBy Kwak Yeon-sooKorean-Venezuelan Jon Kim, 34, and his younger brother Dan grew up in Caracas, Venezuela. After graduating from high school, they went on to Pepperdine University and the University of Southern California, respectively, in the United States. Then both returned to their homeland, Venezuela, to start careers in marketing and accounting, respectively.However, their home country was no longer the livable, safe one it used to be when their parents emigrated there to do business. Venezuela was in dire straits.Since the early 2000s, Venezuela has been notorious for its high crime rate and the country has become one of the world's most dangerous places ― the murder toll in the country is even higher than that of some war zones, according to Jon.“Venezuela wasn't a promising land for those who want to do business because the

Nov 22, 2018By Kwak Yeon-soo
'Our blood is Korean, but our flavor is Latin'

Dragon City celebrates 1st anniversary

The Seoul Dragon City Hotel has gained recognition as a perfect place for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions. / Courtesy of Seoul Dragon City HotelBy Kang Seung-wooThe Seoul Dragon City Hotel marked its first anniversary, Thursday, celebrating its establishment as a landmark in Yongsan as the country's first-ever lifestyle hotel-complex. The property caters to the needs of every demographic as it houses four AccorHotels brands ranging from economy to luxury. It also features large-scale convention centers, multiple restaurants, and bars and lounges, allowing visitors to enjoy a variety of activities.The four brands are the Grand Mercure Ambassador Seoul Yongsan designed for families and long-stay guests; the Novotel Suites Ambassador Seoul Yongsan for long-stay business and leisure guests who like more space and flexibility; the Novotel Ambassador Seoul Yongsan appealing to business and leisure guests; and the Ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Yongsan for business and leisure groups.In particular, given that the hotel has 1,700 rooms and the widest range of multi-function c

Nov 22, 2018By Kang Seung-woo
Dragon City celebrates 1st anniversary

American tourist killed by arrow-shooting Indian tribe

An American tourist was killed by arrows shot by protected tribesmen living in one of the world's most isolated regions tucked in India's Andaman islands, police said Wednesday.John Chau, 27, had taken a boat ride with local fishermen before venturing alone in a canoe to the remote North Sentinel Island where the indigenous people live cut off completely from the outside world.As soon as he set foot on the island, Chau found himself facing a flurry of arrows, official sources told AFP.Contact with several tribes on the islands, set deep in the Indian Ocean, is illegal in a bid to protect their indigenous way of life and shield them from diseases.Police have registered a case of murder and seven accused persons have been arrested."The investigation in this matter is on," senior police officer Deepak Yadav said in a press release.Chau had made several trips to the Andaman islands recently before finally managing to make it to the remote stretch by offering money to local fishermen."He tried to reach the Sentinel island on November 14 but could not make it. Two days later he went well p

Nov 21, 2018
American tourist killed by arrow-shooting Indian tribe

Korean tourist killed in train accident in Switzerland

Tourists enjoy the view over fog-covered valleys during sunny weather near the peak of Mount Rigi, Switzerland, Oct. 22. ReutersA cogwheel train on Mount Rigi. / Screengrab of the Local websiteBy Jung Min-ho, Park Si-sooA Korean tourist has died after being hit by a train on Switzerland's mountain railway.According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wednesday, the man, 69, who had been traveling in a group, was hit by a train between the Rigi Staffel and Rigi Kulm stations on Mount Rigi's cogwheel railway line about 2.45 p.m. Monday (local time).His injuries were so severe that he died before medical workers arrived, police said. They also said the fog was very thick at the time. “He had lost contact with his travel group, but we do not yet know how he ended up on the train tracks,” a police spokesperson was quoted as saying.The ministry said it has sent officials to the scene to help the police investigation and provide assistance to the man's family.

Nov 21, 2018By Jung Min-ho
Korean tourist killed in train accident in Switzerland
previous page
158159160161162
next page

Most Read in Lifestyle