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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.

Oakwood Premier Incheon appoints GM

Kim Sung-hyun was appointed general manager of the Oakwood Premier Incheon, which will open in July. / Courtesy of Oakwood PremierBy Park Jin-haiThe Oakwood Premier Incheon has appointed 20-year veteran Kim Sung-hyun as its general manager.The serviced residence will open in July in Songdo, Incheon.Kim, who is a graduate of Ryde College in Sydney, Australia, started his career at the Seoul Hilton Hotel in 1992. He also worked as the founding member of the Hayatt Regency Incheon that opened in 2003. Since 2008, he has served as the general manager of the Rolling Hills Hotel in Gyeonggi Province, owned by Haevichi Hotel & Resort, the Seo Kyo Hotel in Seoul and the Jeju KAL Hotel.“Kim’s business management and leadership as a hotelier have been highly considered before being appointed to the top position,” said an official of Han Moo Convention, which owns the Oakwood hotel chain.In commenting on his appointment, Kim said, “I am pleased to work in the city of Songdo ... the new center of change and growth.“Since our hotel is designated as the

Mar 6, 2014By Kim Ji-soo
Oakwood Premier Incheon appoints GM

Ecuadorian cuisine rooted in Earth

Ecuadorian chef Maria Moreno holds an Ecuadorian shrimp dish that she prepared for the special event to promote the food of the South Americancountry at the Orangerie buffet restaurant at the Millennium Seoul Hilton, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Millennium Seoul HiltonBy Kim Ji-sooMaria Moreno, 36, was a student of agriculture before she became interested in cooking. It’s a complete cycle of knowledge that helps her in cooking and communicating the flavor of Ecuador.“I find that the knowledge of the product, and knowing all the energy and the effort that went into the product, makes me appreciate the final result,” said Moreno, currently in Seoul to promote the diverse cuisine of Ecuador.The chef traveled 36 hours for the event taking place at the Millennium Seoul Hilton near Mt.Nam, Seoul, throughout March.“We love salty food, acidic food and we use a lot of lime juice in our food. When my fellow cooks tried the ceviche, right away they said ‘too acidic,’” Moreno said.“In Ecuador, ceviche is marinated in lime juice overnight — unlike P

Mar 6, 2014By Kim Ji-soo
Ecuadorian cuisine rooted in Earth

Hapjeong, hipster's paradise

Anthracite Coffee is one of Hapjeong’ s best known hangout spots. / Courtesy of Anthracite CoffeeSeoul's trendy Hapjeong district is boomingBy Kim Young-jinWhen it comes to a city’s “hot” neighborhoods, there’s a fine line between trendy and a-little-too-trendy. Once the masses discover an area, large retailers swoop in, diluting the hipness that was there.Hapjeong, a western Seoul neighborhood rife with colorful cafes, restaurants and boutiques, is enjoying that beautiful moment when people are still discovering its artsy and independent spirit.Hapjeong’s rise, business owners say, goes hand-in-hand with the gentrification of neighboring Hongdae, the area near Hongik University once known as an incubator for starving artists.The two areas flow seamlessly into one another. But clearly, Hapjeong is Hongdae’s more sophisticated sibling.Mecenatpolis is a new commercial district connected to Hapjeong Station that includes residential towers, office space and a shopping mall. / Courtesy of Mecenatpolis MallTristan Choi, owner of Fell + Cole“

Feb 27, 2014
Hapjeong, hipster's paradise

'Hanok' guesthouse opens in Jangchung-dong

Exterior of Dagaon / Courtesy of DagaonBy Yun Suh-youngA guesthouse modeled after a “hanok,” or Korean traditional house, has opened in Jangchung-dong, central Seoul.The “Dagaon” guesthouse, located below The Shilla hotel, combines the amenities of an upscale hotel with Korean elements, such as a traditional floor-heating system called “ondol.”The name “Dagaon” suggests a warm house filled with the fragrance of tea; a comfortable place to rest.Foot spa areaIt’s located near the Shilla Duty Free Shop, offering convenience for tourists looking for gifts to buy.The guesthouse consists of four floors. The first floor has a guest lounge, dining room, laundry room, foot spa area and information booth. The second and third stories are room floors. The fourth floor has a roof garden where barbecues can be held. There are 18 rooms in all.There are single and double rooms to choose from; as well as a “bunk room” for up to four people and a dormitory-style room that can accommodate six. Each room has a restroom with a shower

Feb 27, 2014
'Hanok' guesthouse opens in Jangchung-dong

What's your 'real' trip?

My Real Trip’s co-founder Lee Dong-gun, back row left, poses with staff members at the company’s office in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province. / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-youngMy Real Trip offers customized, guided trips for travelersBy Yun Suh-youngLee Dong-gun remembers what it was like to plan a vacation, but then have the experience ruined by impersonal travel agents and guides who ushered travelers around like cattle.For Lee — now the CEO of a budding online travel agency — the final straw came when he joined a tour to Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province, which advertised the chance to pick strawberries to take home.To his dismay, he was forced to buy strawberries when the group arrived at the farm. Not only that, the group was given no dining options and whisked instead into a bland restaurant selected by the guide.The experience got Lee dreaming about creating a more personalized travel experience. In 2012, he launched My Real Trip, which prides itself on offering a more personal experience by employing guides who have intimate knowledge of the travel destin

Feb 27, 2014
What's your 'real' trip?

HOTEL LOBBY

The Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas is back, after 10 months of remodeling, to fete its 25th anniversary. The hotel has an all-new lobby, banquet halls and exterior.The remodeling was designed by Rockwell Group and Ilya Corporation.The remodeling adopted the theme of “Western magnificence and Eastern fluidity” evident in the new lobby. The buffet restaurant Grand Kitchen has been moved to the lobby floor, and the hotel, will provide a special 25 percent discount. A guestroom package is on offer for only 250,000 won  through March 15. For more information, call (02) 555-5656.The Grand Hyatt Seoul will present Tianjin Delights, with guest chefs from Hyatt Regency Jing Jin City. Guest Chefs Bernard Ding and Stan Shi will be featuring Beijing and Guangdong cuisine. This veteran team has a collective experience of more than 40 years, acquired throughout China. Guests can expect specialty dishes including fried fish with a spicy sauce perfectly suited to the Korean palate, pork boiled in soy sauce, spicy stir-fried chicken with peanuts and chili, Sichuan-style noodles.

Feb 20, 2014

Korea's 'webtoon' industry: boom or bust?

Cover of the comic book “Hi, friend” by cartoonist Kang Full / Korea Times fileKeeper of the lost artCartoonists continue to struggle, despite online readership boostBy Baek Byung-yeulKoreans love cartoons as long as they don’t have to pay for them.Free online comic strips, or “webtoons,” are the reason many commuters keep their eyes glued to smartphones on buses and subways. It’s a safe assumption that more people are reading cartoons than ever.But despite the increased readership, the majority of Korean cartoonists continue to struggle simply because not enough people are buying their comic books.It would be inaccurate to blame webtoons for the decline of traditional, paid content.A truer assessment would be that the market for Korean comics never really recovered from the overweening government suppression during the 1990s when cartoons were demonized as harmful influences to young people, displaying paternalism at its worst.School children were discouraged from buying comic books, punished for simply carrying them in their bags. A slew of publi

Feb 20, 2014
Korea's 'webtoon' industry: boom or bust?

Art meets reality TV

  Television art contest stirs up controversyBy Kwon Mee-yoo Yoo Jin-sangWoo Jung-ahHong Kyoung-hanKoreans love reality competition shows. While this is true for many countries, there’s a palpable verve here for watching contestants sing, dance or cook their way into the hearts of the judges and nation.Like them or not, such programs are a major launching pad for the careers of talented individuals or groups. A perfect example is Busker Busker, the troubadours who won fame when they came in runner-ups on on the show “Superstar K.”But what happens when you introduce massive public scrutiny and competition to the world of fine art?An upcoming reality show, “Art Star Korea,” is stirring debate because it will pit painters, sculptors and other artists against each other in competition. While the creators believe it will bring more attention to artists, critics fear it may impose an overly commercial element in the artistic community.Slated to broadcast in late March, the show is a product of StoryOn, a channel of media and entertainment giant

Feb 13, 2014By Kwon Mee-yoo
Art meets reality TV

Jeju's unique geological heritage

A visitor takes photos of Suwolbong.   By Yun Suh-youngJeju Island has always been a popular destination for travelers in search of natural beauty and serenity.There are so many places to go on Korea’s most-visited resort island, and if you are wondering which to pick and choose, borrowing a list from UNESCO wouldn’t be a bad idea.In 2010, the island was included in the Global Geoparks Network (GGN), a UNESCO assisted project aimed at the promotion and preservation of geological heritage.Jeju qualified on the strength of nine key sites that convey the unique value of the island’s beauty — Mt. Halla, Manjang Cave, Seongsan-ilchulbong, Cheonjiyeon Falls, Seogwipo layers, columnar joints in Joongmoon Daepo, Mt. Sanbang, Yongmeori Haean, and Suwolbong.In an effort to capitalize on the UNESCO listing, the Jeju Tourism Organization is planning to develop trail routes around the nine spots, focusing on places that don’t have proper trails at the moment. The trails are expected to open by June at the latest although some may open earlier.A view of

Feb 13, 2014
Jeju's unique geological heritage

HOTEL LOBBY

The Millennium Seoul Hilton’s international buffet restaurant, Orangerie, welcomes two guest chefs from the Colombo Hilton in Sri Lanka this month. The two will present Sri Lankan favorites including a Rotti station and flavorful curries.Sri Lankan cuisine has long been renowned for its spices. Since ancient times, traders from all over the world who came to Sri Lanka brought their native cuisines to the island, resulting in a rich diversity of cooking styles and techniques. One of the most complex cuisines in the world, the food of Sri Lanka uses bountiful local ingredients including some of the hottest peppers in the world.The Orangerie lunch buffet is priced at 67,000 won for adults and 39,900 won for children aged twelve and under. The dinner is priced at 72,000 won for adults and 42,900 won for children aged twelve and under. Tax and service charge are already included in these prices.For more information, call (02) 317-3143.  The Lotte City Hotel Mapo is offering a few interesting packages for February.Those looking for a special way to watch the Olympic Games c

Feb 6, 2014
HOTEL LOBBY
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