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Hermits' recipes popular on internet

Korea Times graphic by Bae So-youngBy Kang Hyun-kyungFoods that supposedly helped heal wounded souls are popular on the internet. MBN's reality show “Into the Wilderness,” which features the rustic lifestyle of people who live in solitude deep in the mountains or on remote islands with no other inhabitants except themselves, is creating a quiet revolution.A host of YouTube videos and footage capturing food recipes that featured in past episodes of “Into the Wilderness” are popping up online. Some of them are very popular and have hundreds of thousands views. In each episode, the host spends three days with the person living in the wilderness following their daily routines. Comedians Lee Seung-yoon and Yoon Taek take turns hosting the show each week. The people featured lead a simple life and their daily routines are focused on meeting basic human needs. They begin their day with breakfast and then search for food ingredients in the nearby wilderness. Mountain ginseng and other herbs with health benefits are popular among them. Wilderness people are knowledgeab

Aug 7, 2018
Hermits' recipes popular on internet

Explore Seoul with EXO in your pocket

The “Discover Seoul Pass” EXO edition.” Courtesy of Seoul City and SM EntertainmentBy Dong Sun-hwaIf you plan to visit Korea, you can now enjoy your tour with K-pop act EXO in your pocket. Seoul City, the Seoul Tourism Organization and SM Entertainment will sell a special edition of “Discover Seoul Pass,” a card that provides a range of benefits for foreign visitors, such as free admission to popular tourist attractions in Seoul.The EXO edition will come in 10 styles. Eight will have an image of one of the eight members -- Suho, Chanyeol, Chen, Xiumin, Kai, Baekhyun, D.O. and Sehun -- and two will feature group photos. Only 1,000 passes will be available for sale.To reserve a card, go to: http://www.discoverseoulpass.comPeople who receive purchase vouchers via E-mail after making a reservation can buy the passes at SM TOWN THEATER or Myeong-dong Tourist Information Center in Seoul from Aug. 20. However, if too many people try to book a pass, lots will be drawn. If there are passes left over, there will either be another draw or an on-the-spot s

Aug 7, 2018By Dong Sun-hwa
Explore Seoul with EXO in your pocket

Empty rides, closed theme park attracts photographers to Yongma Land

A cat lounges in front of the merry-go-round at Yongma Land, a dilapidated amusement park inactive for over 20 years in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, last Monday. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Park Jin-haiYongma Land, a closed amusement park at the east end of Seoul, is like a hidden gem of the capital, to be discovered by only those with knowing eyes. With no big promotions to advertise the place, visitors should do some online searching and walk 10 minutes uphill to reach this small theme park abandoned more than 20 years ago.Behind the rusty gate, a wear-and-tear merry-go-round stands still in the middle of the park, and on the right are an eerie-looking deserted octopus-shaped ride and a rotating “Disco Pang Pang” ride. The rides that have seen better days sit dormant. Bumper cars draped in spider webs are deserted in the grass and a dust-covered miniature railroad and space fighters stand motionless as if frozen in time. The unfinished five-story building in front of the theme park, abandoned during construction with its steel beams exposed, adds to the bleakness and e

Aug 3, 2018
Empty rides, closed theme park attracts photographers to Yongma Land

Seamarq to host culture festival

Singer Lee Seung-chul performs during last year's Seamarq Festival. / Courtesy of Seamarq Hotel By Kang Seung-wooThe Seamarq Hotel is bringing back its annual festival to meet the growing appetite for cultural life among citizens who have fewer opportunities than Seoul residents. The property, located in the eastern coastal city of Gangneung, Gangwon Province, announced Thursday it will host the eight-day Seamarq Festival starting Saturday, featuring different yet high-quality performances.The event, first held in 2016, will be held at the hotel's Arena outdoor theater and all performances are open to the general public as well as hotel guests free of charge.The Seamarq Hotel, renamed from the Hotel Hyundai Gyeongpodae in 2015, has used the annual cultural event to raise its profile in the Korean hospitality industry dominated by Seoul-based properties _ a rare feat for a non-Seoul-based property to host such a large-scale festival.“As a variety of cultural performa

Aug 2, 2018
Seamarq to host culture festival

Energy-boosting foods top summer menus

The Millennium Seoul Hilton's Genji offers wild eel. / Courtesy of Millennium Seoul Hilton By Kang Seung-wooAs a record-breaking deadly heat wave sweeps the nation, local hotels are sold on offering summer-themed, energy-boosting foods.Eel, regarded as one of the major “stamina” foods in the hot weather here, is headlining every hotel restaurant's summer menu. The Millennium Seoul Hilton is offering wild eel at its Japanese restaurant Genji until the end of August. Available in an eight-course extravaganza, it will be prepared teriyaki-style and served along other fine Japanese dishes. Some of the courses will include: assorted sashimi, Orotson eel teriyaki, assorted vinegared seafood and assorted tempura. The eel for this special meal is Orotson eel, which is a wild, not farmed, eel found in the mudflats on the western coast of Korea. Highly sought after in both Korea and Japan, as well as other countries, this wild eel is a prized treat and the perfect showcase fo

Aug 2, 2018
Energy-boosting foods top summer menus

Hotel Lobby

By Kang Seung-woo Kensington Jeju unveils champagne promotion The Kensington Jeju Hotel provides the All That Sparty Package featuring two bottles of champagne from French fine winery Moet & Chandon.While enjoying the brand's special summer editions Moet & Chandon Ice Imperial and Chandon Summer, each for a package guest, guests can also have access to its rooftop pool party “Sparty.” Their champagne offering is worth 300,000 won ($270). Along with them, the package features a one-night stay in a deluxe pool view room and a complimentary summer kit, comprised of a clutch, a waterproof bag, bandanna and aloha hairpin by local premium beachwear brand Balibiki.The event is available until Sept. 2 at a starting price of 400,000 won. Novotel Dongdaemun offers exhibition-themed package The Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels and Residences has launched a promotion combining art with staycations.Available until the end of October, the

Aug 2, 2018
Hotel Lobby

Full of fun: Festival guide for August

# Busan Sea FestivalWhen: Aug. 1-5Where: Haeundae and other major beaches in BusanThe Busan Sea Festival has opened Aug. 1 every year since 1996 on various beaches in Busan, including Haeundae and Gwangalli. The festival in the country's largest port city consists of various programs and cultural performances showcasing the city's attractions. Festival events include the following: an international rock music festival, hip-hop and magic festivals, K-pop concerts and activities, such as swimming, yachting and windsurfing.For more information, call 051-501-6051 or visit http://www.bfo.or.kr.# Gangjin Celadon FestivalWhen: July 28-Aug. 3 Where: Gangjin, South Jeolla ProvinceGoryeo celadon is one of Korea's unique cultural assets and enjoys international acclaim. For those who want to see for themselves the secrets to making a Goryeo celadon, a trip to Gangjin, the birthplace and a major production base of the pottery in South Jeolla Province, will certainly be a good experience.Programs include workshops, exhibitions, performances of traditional and contemporary music, dances and o

Jul 31, 2018
Full of fun: Festival guide for August

Rural activist promotes traditional alcohols

Kyeong Ki-ho, left, co-CEO of Sejong Brewing, poses with his wife Lee Seung-ae at their brewery in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. / Korea Times photo by Kim Tae-heonBy Yoon Ja-youngKyeong Ki-ho, who runs Sejong Brewing jointly with his wife in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, introduces himself as a rural activist. He led a campaign to develop underdeveloped rural communities while living in Goesan, North Chungcheong Province, but had to leave as it lacked an education infrastructure for his children.After moving to Cheongju, he got a delivery job for breweries. The job led him to acquire a local brewery in Cheongju that went out of business in 2007. He developed quality traditional liquor, successfully nurturing it to represent the region. While most breweries made makgeolli, a fermented alcoholic beverage, using cheap imported rice and wheat back then, he decided to use high-quality local rice instead. Though people around him were concerned that his product would lose price competitiveness, Kyeong stuck to his decision. “I started brewery not just to make money.

Jul 26, 2018
Rural activist promotes traditional alcohols

Marriott eyeing food and beverage as revenue driver in Korea

By Kang Seung-wooTaking a closer look at the Korean hotel industry, gone are the days when a hotel was just a place to bed down. Peggy Fang Roe, chief sales and marketing officer of Asia Pacific at Marriott InternationalRather, it is increasingly serving as a venue, where guests can dine, drink and party as well as sleep.Buying into the trend, Peggy Fang Roe, chief sales and marketing officer (CMO) of Asia Pacific at Marriott International, is putting a heavy focus on food and beverages as a revenue driver in Korea and other Asia Pacific countries.“In Asia, 40 percent of our revenue comes from food and beverages. That includes restaurants, bars, catering and weddings,” Fang Roe said in an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul.“That is different than anywhere else in the world. It is not the same in the United States and Europe. As a result, we focus a lot on making sure we have right chef's quality, and execution like food quality.“They are a really big focus.”In most markets for hotels, it is mostly about rooms, but Asian countries, including Korea, a

Jul 26, 2018
Marriott eyeing food and beverage as revenue driver in Korea

Hotel Lobby

By Kang Seung-wooHyatt Hotels in Korea to reduce single-use plastics from SeptemberAll five Hyatt Hotels in Korea have announced plans to eliminate single-use plastic straws and drink stirrers beginning this September. Korea's move away from single-use plastics follows the global policy announcement by Hyatt Hotels Corp. July 9. In line with the Hyatt Worldwide direction, the five Hyatt Hotels in Korea have announced plans to eliminate single-use plastics. First, all straws and drink sticks, which the hotels currently offer, will now be available only on request. After current stocks run out, these plastic items will be converted to eco-friendly alternatives. Second, at the end of 2018, plastic take out boxes and tableware will be replaced with eco-friendly alternatives. Third, cocktails ordered at the bar, previously served with plastic straws, will now be served with stainless steel straws. Through the adoption of these environmental sustainability programs, Hyatt Hotels in Korea expects to make a positive impact on the environment. Hyatt International joins the growing internation

Jul 26, 2018
Hotel Lobby
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