Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Public art invades Anyang

Visitors take a look around Choi Jeong-hwa’s “The Gateless Gate” and Christina Kim’s “Rock Pillow Garden” at the Anyang Pavilion, as part of the fifth Anyang Public Art Project (APAP), in Gyeonggi Province. The APAP 5 runs until Dec. 15.  / Courtesy of APAPBy Kwon Mee-yooAmong commercials screened at Anyang Station on Seoul Metro Line 1 is a video featuring Anyang citizens playing American rock band Guns N' Roses' "Paradise City." This is video artist Park Bo-na's "Paradise City," which aims to connect the past and present of Anyang with its future as a part of the city's efforts to encourage public art.People may think contemporary art is difficult and far removed from daily life, but Anyang citizens are surrounded by it, thanks to the city’s interest.The Anyang Public Art Project (APAP) celebrates its fifth edition this year and some 20 Korean and international artists are taking part to enrich the city.Eungie Joo, artistic director of APAP 5, is a Korean-American curator who worked as the commissioner for the Korean Pavilion at the 53

Oct 20, 2016

Festival celebrates 'Reply 1988,' 'Misaeng'

Actor Ha Seok-jin and actress Park Ha-sun pose at the photo zone of tvN drama series “Drinking Solo” at Kintex in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, Oct., 8. / Courtesy of CJ E&MBy Kim Jae-heuntvN held its 10th anniversary Festival & Award last weekend at Kintex in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, attracting some 10,000 visitors. CJ E&M’s nationwide general entertainment network, tvN aired the awards ceremony “Alive and Alone,” recording high viewer ratings of 6.1 percent, which is considered a successful figure for a cable channel.The anniversary festival began a day earlier on Saturday, where more than 12 booths of tvN’s popular drama series and TV shows were put up at the exhibition venue for people to visit and experience the content.People took photographs in the mock filming spots of “Misaeng,” the drama series that recorded the all-time second-highest viewership ratings for a cable network program in the country. Visitors also experienced a recreation of Ssangmun-dong in northern Seoul and materials that appeared in “Reply 1988

Oct 13, 2016

Festival celebrates 'Reply 1988,' 'Misaeng'

It's Halloween season

A decorated tree for this year’s Halloween season stands near the entrance of Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.  / Korea Times photos by Jung Min-hoEverland offers scary attractions to try, if you dareBy Jung Min-hoSeventeen years ago, a little girl was mauled to death by a lion during her picnic at a safari park. Her parents and a zookeeper ended up killing themselves out of guilt and the park was closed permanently.This is the (fictional) story behind the Horror Safari, which opened last month at Everland for this year’s Halloween season (Sept. 8 to Oct. 31). The park of dozens of zombies is waiting to be explored, if you think you are brave enough for a visit.During daytime hours, visitors can see lions, tigers and bears at the safari park. But after the sun goes down, zombies take over the place.Visitors wait in line to enter the Horror Maze.The Horror Safari trip begins in a bus with spooky music as well as a guide, who will scare you and make you laugh during the 30-minute journey.The guide explains weird things that happened at the safari park, following

Oct 13, 2016

Busan film festival opens on a smaller scale

Stills from the 21st Busan International Film Festival’s opening film “A Quiet Dream”  / Courtesy of BIFFBIFF hit by typhoon, new law and in-fightingBy Park Jin-haiThe 21st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) kicked off for a ten-day run in the southern port city, Thursday.Starting with the opening film “A Quiet Dream,” directed by Korean-Chinese director Zhang Lu, the festival will screen a total of 299 films from 69 countries, a scale almost as large as last year's 304 films from 75 countries.However, crippled by a triple whammy of unexpected issues ― typhoon Chaba that swept the festival’s outdoor venue on Haeundae Beach, Wednesday, the new anti-graft law, which saw many trips and sponsoring events canceled, and most importantly, two years of in-fighting surrounding the festival’s artistic freedom.Asia’s largest film festival will see a fewer number of movie stars and guests from the local film industry this year. Compared with 207 who walked the red carpet for the last event, 158 will be present this year.Dampening th

Oct 6, 2016

Busan film festival opens on a smaller scale

Discovering the beauty of Shanghai

Huxinting Teahouse, a 150-year-old teahouse just outside the entrance to Yu Garden, gives off light in the evening.  / Korea Times photos by Jung Min-ho By Jung Min-ho SHANGHAI ― Shanghai offers plenty of attractions that you would expect from traveling in big cities, including beautiful skyscrapers and swanky shopping malls, but it may not sound attractive to those who have already experienced such things in other parts of the world.Don’t worry. This cosmopolitan city offers some beautiful glimpses of traditional China, too. In Yu Garden, you will see a sort of beauty that you cannot expect elsewhere. On the streets beside traditional Chinese architecture, you may recall the old kung fu or jiangshi films of your childhood.Spending an evening at Huxinting TeahouseHow do you like the idea of having a cup of tea at a 150-year-old teahouse next to a lake?Huxinting Teahouse has been sitting outside the entrance to Yu Garden since 1855. Situated between the classical garden and the Yu Market, the teahouse offers decent Chinese teas and a gorgeous view from above.The b

Sep 29, 2016

Zandari Festa turns Hongdae to city of music

The New Investors bring Denmark’s sunshine and beaches to Zandari Festa, playing Freebird Saturday 6 p.m. / Photo by Camilla HyllebergBy Jon DunbarThis three-day weekend, over 100 of Korea’s greatest least-known musical acts will take part in the fifth annual Zandari Festa, the country’s greatest showcase of its indie music scene.First held in 2012, the music festival is named after a street running through the Hongdae area which means small bridge in Korean. “I hope people will experience the broader world through this small bridge,” said festival founder Kong Yoon-young, better known as Dalse.Over 160 bands playing rock, folk, surf, psychedelic and many more genres will perform 163 individual concerts at 12 venues throughout the Hongik University area in western Seoul, known as Hongdae, ground zero for Korean indie music culture. More than 100 Korean bands will joined by musicians from 18 countries, coming from as far away as the U.S., South Africa and Denmark, plus music industry delegates from around the world.At Zandari Festa 2015, Japanese punk ban

Sep 29, 2016

Zandari Festa turns Hongdae to city of music

It's official! Seoul's 10 must-visit sites

Top Indian chef to open pop-up dinner in Seoul

Chef Gaggan AnandBy Yun Suh-youngIndian chef Gaggan Anand, who won the prestigious dining award "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants" for two consecutive years, will visit Seoul next month to run a two-day pop-up dinner event.Anand runs the fine dining restaurant Gaggan in Bangkok, Thailand, which has been receiving rave reviews since opening in 2010.Chef Anand's pop-up dinner event will be held on Oct. 8 and 9 at Moonshine, a wine bar located in Itaewon, Seoul. The event is part of the Gourmet Series themed "Asian Chefs in SEOUL" organized by La Main, a local food magazine.Anand will be visiting Jeju Island ahead of the pop-up dinner event to seek inspiration from local ingredients there. He will come up with new recipes from his Jeju trip and create a course menu for the Seoul dinner."Asian Chefs in SEOUL" is also planning future events, such as Andre Chang of Andre in Singapore offering a collaboration dinner prepared with Lee Jun, owner chef of Soigne in Seoul, in November. Chef Shinobu Namae of L'effervescence in Tokyo will be collaborating with chef Kang Min-goo of Mingles in Seoul in l

Sep 28, 2016

Top Indian chef to open pop-up dinner in Seoul

Top 10 dishes unveiled for PyeongChang Winter Games

Modern bulgogiBy Yun Suh-youngThe top 10 dishes to represent Korea at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics were  announced Monday by the Korean Food Foundation (KFF) and the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG).The selected foods include grilled dried pollack with rice, potato bibimbap in buckwheat wraps, mushroom and corn porridge, simple glass noodles with sauteed vegetables, modern bulgogi, beef garlic kimchi rolls, rolled chicken in soup, tteokgalbi (short rib patties) with soup, three types of white kimchi and marbled rice cakes.The dishes were unveiled during a presentation held in the Korean Cuisine Cultural Center at the K-Style Hub in Jung-gu, central Seoul.Grilled dried pollack with riceThe “Top 10” menu project was a collaborative effort between the two organizations to promote Korean food to foreigners visiting Korea for the Olympics and encourage them to experience Korean cuisine during their stay.To promote Korean food to people from around the world, the two organizations selected the top 10 dishes

Sep 27, 2016

Tropical paradise on Bintan Island

People stroll along the beach at the Bintan Lagoon Resort. / Courtesy of BLRBLR offers unique leisure and MICE solutionsBy Kim Jae-kyoung With beautiful beaches and countless activities, Bintan Lagoon Resort (BLR) is an ideal destination for those wanting to have fun and socialize at a beach resort.In particular, for those seeking a getaway from hectic city life, this resort offers a complete set of experiences, ranging from sea sports and indoor activities to a variety of dining experiences and cultural tours.Set among 300 hectares of beachfront gardens overlooking the South China Sea, the Indonesian-style 470-room resort has the largest and longest operating beach on Bintan Island, part of the Riau Islands province, Indonesia.It is a particularly attractive place for Korean travelers because it is the only resort on the island with its own ferry terminal and direct ferry service from Singapore.A family watch wild animals during the Mangrove discovery tour through the Sebung River on BintanIsland.  /Courtesy of BLRThe resort, which was rebranded BLR a year ago, has been un

Sep 22, 2016

Welcome fall with hotel packages

By Kim Se-jeong Fall is the most favored season among Koreans. Hotels’ seasonal packages further enrich experiences for those who want to create memorable moments. ibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Myeongdongibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Myeongdong’s autumn package is available until Nov. 30. Courtesy of ibis Style Ambassador Seoul Myeongdongibis Styles Ambassador Seoul Myeongdong’s autumn package will last until Nov. 30. The package consists of a one-night stay in a standard room, breakfast for two at Le Style Bar, access to the fitness center and free Wi-Fi. Also part of the package is a set of fried chicken and beer, a combination known as “chimaek,” two glasses of Kloud draft beer and a cheese platter served at the hotel’s rooftop bar between 10 p.m. and midnight.The package costs 160,000 won during weekdays and 180,000 won for weekends, excluding tax and service charges. For more information and reservations, call (02) 6020-8888. Lotte Hotel World Lotte Hotel World in eastern Seoul is offering three seasonal packages available un