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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Foreigners-only casinos hit hard by THAAD row

Paradise Casino Walkerhill in Seoul / YonhapForeigners-only casinos in South Korea have taken a big hit from the fallout of a diplomatic row between Seoul and Beijing over the deployment of an advanced missile defense shield here, industry sources said Wednesday.In March last year, China banned the sale of package tours to South Korea and took other retaliatory measures against South Korean companies following the installation of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in southeastern South Korea.The move has led to a tumble in the number of Chinese tourists to South Korea, battering the local tourism industry and South Korean companies that have made forays into the world's second-largest economy.According to the sources, casino operator Paradise registered consolidated sales of 668 billion won (US$623 million) in 2017, down 3.9 percent from the previous year.The company swung to an operating loss of 30.1 billion won and also switched to a net loss of 32.4 billion won.The worsened performance of Paradise was attributed to a drop in the number of Chinese visitors. Chine

Mar 21, 2018
Foreigners-only casinos hit hard by THAAD row

Hotel briefs

The Ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Gangnam is presenting an afternoon tea promotion at Le Bar on the second floor.The tea promotion guests will choose from two Ronnefeldt teas and coffee served with a variety of snacks and desserts, including toast with apricot jam and cream cheese, cheddar cheese sandwiches with apple, macaroons, egg tarts and strawberry cheese tarts. The tea promotion is available from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day and costs 35,000 won per person, including tax. For more information and reservations, call Le Bar at (02) 3011-8121.The Park Hyatt Busan is presenting three special mango beverages at its Lounge until the end of May.The menu includes mango yogurt consisting of plain yogurt, sliced mango and homemade granola, mango ade and a mango banana smoothie from 17,500 won, including tax and is available every day from 10 a.m. till midnight. For more information and reservations, call (051) 990-1300. The JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul's restaurant, BLT Steak, is organizing a wine dinner featuring six types of Greek wine.Gerovassiliou Malagousia 2016, a white wine,

Mar 15, 2018
Hotel briefs

Hotel packages to enjoy during cherry blossom season

Hotel Hyudai Gyeogju offers a package that fit for cherry blossom season./Courtesy of Hotel Hyundai GyeongjuBy Kim Se-jeongThis year's cherry blossom season is about to begin. The first to be swept by the beautiful sweet-smelling flowers is the touristic island of Jeju around March 24, followed by Busan on March 27, Gyeongju on March 28, Daejeon on April 2, Gangneung on April 4 and Seoul on April 7.Jeju Island will be a sight to behold, as the pink cherry blossoms bloom in harmony with the yellow grape blossom, as will be the historic city of Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province, the northern coastal city of Gangneung in Gangwon Province and a couple of areas in Seoul.Hotels in these cities are helping usher in the cherry blossom season with room packages and spring menus. Jeju IslandSpring is one of the most best seasons to visit Jeju and five-star hotels are offering packages to give visitors exceptional and unforgettable stays on the island.Hyatt Regency Jeju's Terrace Cafe offers a special dining experience with dishes that use fresh local seasonal ingredients. The spring course

Mar 15, 2018
Hotel packages to enjoy during cherry blossom season

INTERVIEW Cheonggukjang master reaches more people

CEO Seo Bun-rye of Seoil Farm, maker of traditional Korean pastes including 'cheonggukjang' / Courtesy of Seoil FarmBy Kim Ji-sooANSEONG,  Gyeonggi Province — “Cheonggukjang,” or thick soybean paste, may be an acquired taste for some, especially young Koreans. But over the years, this often smelly, once expedient source of protein, has become popular for many reasons.First, packaged cheonggukjang is readily available for today’s consumers, but small-batch cheonggukjang is also growing visibly. One artisanal cheonggukjang brand comes from Seoil Farm, which has operated since the mid-1980s and whose CEO, Seo Bun-rye, is also the nation’s sole government-designated master of the food.The well-kept farm is expansive with an area of 30,000 “pyeong” or 99,000 square meters, and is home to an upscale, country-club-style edifice. While the farm’s cheonggukjang has been well-known among some consumers for a while, it has reached a broader market  recently and is selling out through home shopping channels. Whenever the product sell

Mar 14, 2018
[INTERVIEW] Cheonggukjang master reaches more people

Airbnb launches second Korean trip service in Jeju

Airbnb launched its second Korean trip service in Jeju Island, Monday. / Courtesy of Airbnb KoreaBy Yun Suh-youngGlobal home-sharing platform Airbnb which launched its experiential trip service "Experiences" in Seoul in 2016 has introduced Jeju as its second Experiences location in Korea, Monday.Airbnb currently has over 5,000 trips registered in 60 cities across the globe. Seoul has around 120 trips registered and Jeju will begin with 20 trips."Jeju has long been a sought-after travel location among locals and foreign travelers in Korea following Seoul. We will provide trips that only Jeju locals will be able to introduce. Everyone knows about Jeju but the trip hosts will show tourists the Jeju they can never discover on their own," Hong Jong-hee, PR manager at Airbnb Korea, said during a press event in Seoul, Monday.The Jeju experiential trips will be as authentic as it can get. The first batch of hosts include a marine biologist, a singer-songwriter and upcycling designer, kickboarders, a trail runner and an outdoor activities expert to name a few.The marine biologist will offer a

Mar 12, 2018
Airbnb launches second Korean trip service in Jeju

Bringing 'soul' of Napoli to Seoul

This is the first in a series of articles covering restaurants specializing in authentic international food. Authentic here doesn't mean sticking to the way things should be, it's about representing the "heart and soul" of the culture. This series is produced in collaboration with Todd Sample and Sara Park of food consulting brand ToddSample Eats that recommends authentic international food in Korea. This monthly series will be a "dine & talk" journey exploring food from different regions and the people who are behind making them. -- ED.Lee Young-woo (Giulio), owner chef of Spacca Napoli, presents one of his signature Napoli pizzas, the Pizza Margherita, at his restaurant in Sinchon, northern Seoul, Feb. 21. / Courtesy of ToddSample Eats Spacca NapoliBy Yun Suh-young Finding "real" Italian pizza in Seoul is easier now than 10 years ago, but there are still only a handful in the city that can actually qualify as "authentic."Authentic isn't about branding or the look and feel of a place or the plate -- it's the taste, and the soul that's put into the food that brings aliv

Mar 4, 2018
Bringing 'soul' of Napoli to Seoul

Tourists to get VAT refund on hotel expenses

Glad Hotel Yeouido, a designated “special tourist hotel.” / Courtesy of Glad Hotel YeouidoBy Kang Aa-young, Jung Min-hoOverseas tourists will be able to receive a 10 percent tax refund on accommodation fees in Korea this year.The Ministry of the Culture, Sports and Tourism said its enforcement ordinance came into force in January to allow guests at government-designated “special tourist hotels” to receive the benefit.All short-term visitors (less than 30 days) can enjoy the benefit if they choose to stay in one of the 113 hotels across the country.The ministry originally implemented the policy for a year from April 2014 to boost tourism.For the refund, tourists must receive a Hotel Tax Refund Checklist from their hotels upon check-in and submit it to a Tax Refund Center at the airport or seaport“The policy will reduce the burden of hotel expenses for tourists,” a ministry official said. “We will continue to come up with policies that will make Korea more attractive destination.”For the latest updated list of designated hotels, check the

Mar 2, 2018
Tourists to get VAT refund on hotel expenses

Celebrate arrival of spring with Seoul hotel packages

Grand Ambassador Seoul associated with Pullman is offering a spring package until May 31. /Courtesy of Grand Ambassador Seoul associated with PullmanBy Kim Se-jeongAs the bigger coldness of the winter draws to a close, many are anticipating the warmth of spring. Hotels around Seoul are offering packages to celebrate this exciting transition of seasons.Grand Ambassador Seoul associated with PullmanGrand Ambassador Seoul associated with Pullman is offering a spring package until May 31. The package includes a night’s stay in a Supreme room; a gourmet picnic lunch; access to the hotel’s indoor swimming pool and fitness center and executive library. The picnic lunchbox includes either bibimbap or sandwiches with two glasses of wine to go. The wine selection for the lunchbox was not available for this story.The package starts from 148,000 won for two, excluding tax and service fees.Grand Ambassador Seoul is close to Namsan which is ideal for hiking. At the top of the hotel building is N Seoul Tower, which is a major tourist attraction in the city. For more information and rese

Mar 1, 2018
Celebrate arrival of spring with Seoul hotel packages

Hotel briefs

InterContinental Seoul COEX recently appointed Maksood Mohammad as head chef for Indian cuisine at the hotel’s restaurant, Asian Live. Born in northern India, the chef worked in hotels and restaurants across India for 20 years. Before joining InterContinental, he was with the Sheraton Bangalore at Brigade Gateway located in southern India where he served as sous chef for five years.With his new job, Mohammad is launching the “Holi Festival” at Asian Live in March, celebrating the arrival of spring. He will feature six dishes including chole bhature (fried bread dipped in masala made with split chickpeas), masala mini gujiyas (dumpling-shaped fried dessert stuffed with dried fruit), Aloo Tikki (croquette) and chicken biryani (a steamed rice dish using stir-fried chicken). “Indian cuisine is as diverse as the country’s 1.3 billion population and 13 official languages,” the chef said, adding he’d like to “bring as much diversity as possible to Asian Live and create new exciting recipes through various combinations of flavors.” JW Mar

Mar 1, 2018
Hotel briefs

Airline quick to cash in on 'Young-mi' sensation

By Kwak Yeon-soo, Park Si-sooYou may have heard of “Garlic Girls” and “Young-mi” even if you do not know much about the women’s national curling team.The two words -- “Garlic Girls,” the team’s nickname and “Young-mi,” the given name of a player that became a national chant of support for the team -- have gone viral internationally after the team stunned the world by defeating the top teams and snatching surprise silver in its Olympic debut in PyeongChang. The Games were over, but not the sensation. Businesses are already moving in to cash in.T'Way Air said Tuesday it would give round-trip tickets to selected citizens whose names are Young-mi. To be eligible, you must be registered as a member of T'Way Air and have the same name on your passport.Among those who apply on the T'Way Air website (Feb. 27 to Mar. 6), the company will pick 200 people on a first reply basis and give away round-trip tickets from Daegu, South Korea, to Nagoya, Japan.Passengers will be allowed to travel from Mar. 16 to Apr. 14."Having its base at Daeg

Feb 27, 2018
Airline quick to cash in on 'Young-mi' sensation
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