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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.

Daughters of the sea

The bold, female divers of Jeju known as “haenyeo” have long impressed the world by harvesting from the ocean with the simplest of tools. Their unique ways have become symbols of empowerment and community. As the aging divers approach their twilight years, society grapples with the potential collapse of their tradition.By Kim Young-jin The ‘last generation’ of Jeju’s female diversHADO-RI, JEJU ㅡ This wind is not good, says Kang In-sook, peering out of a seaside shelter as she untangles a traditional fishing basket. As the waters are choppy, she may not able to use her equipment this day, despite the early morning sun.Squatting, Kang assesses the weather, hoping to fill her basket with abalone, conch, octopus and sea urchin as she has since childhood, diving alongside other women from her village.“Let’s wait and see,” Kang tells other divers as they file into the small space. They are among some 4,500 remaining “haenyeo,” or women divers in Jeju, who free-dive without breathing equipment. At 66, Kang is a senior div

Apr 11, 2013
Daughters of the sea

Hotel Lobby

Millennium Seoul HiltonThe Millennium Seoul Hilton’s Chinese restaurant Taipan offers culinary delights from Macau in April. Diners can choose from two set menus to experience Macanese flair. Priced at 109,000 won and 145,000 won per person, the menus include such dishes as deep fried prawns and potato in tomato chili sauce, braised whole shark’s fin in Chinese ham and porcini broth, stir-fried abalone with coriander and lime sauce. Diners can also enjoy a selection of a la carte menus.Guests who order one of the Macau dishes in April get a chance to win a trip to Macau ourtesy of the Macau Government Tourism Office. For more information, call Taipan at (02) 317-3237. The Westin ChosunFrom April through June 30, the Westin Chosun Seoul offers a “Be Green” package for those planning to enjoy a city retreat while contributing to saving the environment.The package comes in two types, “Be Green Smart” and &ldq

Apr 4, 2013
Hotel Lobby

'Pure rooms' arrive as new trend

Interior of a “pure room” at Grand Hyatt Seoul. Rooms that undergo several purifying cleaning processes are available at handful of leading hotels in Seoul.                                                                        / Courtesy of Grand Hyatt SeoulAs the popularity of healing therapies continues, the next-in-line may well be the “purifying” experience.Last month, the Grand Hyatt Seoul introduced a total of 38 hypo-allergenic rooms, called “pure rooms,” designed to offer guests a pure experience.In collaboration with Pure Solutions Korea, the hotel cleans such rooms every day in a special routine that eliminates up to 98 percent of airborne viruses and bacteria in addition to pollens and other irritants typically found in indoor environments.The 38 rooms have state-of-the-art air purification systems, as part of a seven-step process that reduces airborne pa

Apr 4, 2013By Kim Ji-soo
'Pure rooms' arrive as new trend

'Sheraton Incheon is our preferred address'

The Sheraton Incheon Hotel, right, is surrounded by high-tech buildings but also greenery and nature.By Kim Ji-sooRichard Suter, general manager of Sheraton Incheon Hotel, talksin an interview held at the hotel in Songdo, Incheon.    / Courtesy of Sheraton IncheonWhen Richard Suter took office as general manager of the Sheraton Incheon Hotel last August, he faced a two-pronged task. He had to promote the hotel as well as the city of Songdo that was a relatively new concept.“Songdo itself, they say, is the future city. You want to have cities built like this where the environment is the center. But it is also about people. There is space. You live with each other but don’t sit on each other,” said Suter, 46, in a recent interview.Suter wants people to think of the three-year-old hotel when they think of the future-looking city.“We want to be the preferred address in Songdo, Incheon. We want that when people think of Incheon, they think of the Sheraton Incheon. When they think of Korea, we hope they think of the Sheraton Incheon,” Suter said

Apr 4, 2013By Kim Ji-soo
'Sheraton Incheon is our preferred address'

A heart-thumping ride on a retro tour train

V-trainBy Yun Suh-young The lure of travel is irresistible. If you can’t feel your heart thump packing your backpack, setting out for a mysterious journey away from your usual domain, then something is probably wrong with you.For those who can’t imagine a life deprived of exploration, a simple, old-fashion ride on the train could be deceptively enthralling.Passing the beautiful scenery and humming to the songs of Paolo Nutini, your mind is cleared of the mundane details that have been eating into your soul on weekdays. The sound of the train clattering along the tracks is so comforting you find yourself falling asleep like a baby. You abruptly wake up after the engine stops and find yourself staring at a delightfully strange environment outside of the window.Unlike in Europe where touring on a train is considered the most cost-efficient and popular method among travelers, in Korea, trains have been considered a commuting device mostly for business purposes.Passengers look out the window from the V-train, a train from which travelers can enjoy stunning canyon views. &

Mar 28, 2013
A heart-thumping ride on a retro tour train

Hotel Lobby

Grand Hyatt Soul From March 21 to 31, The Grand Hyatt Soul offers Hong Kong's finest delicacies from the Hyatt Regency, Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui.Guest Chef Lo Kwai Kai will showcase a wide array of traditional specialties to the delight of fans of Chinese cuisine.The veteran chef, with more than 30 years of culinary experience, will prepare a range of genuine Chinese dishes including steamed cod fish fillet, bean curd with homemade pickled chili, Shanghai-style stir-fried sea shrimp with preserved salted eggs, and stir-fried sliced U.S. prime beef short ribs.Guests can enjoy the diversity of this authentic Chinese cuisine at the Chinese Restaurant with prices ranging from 14,300 won to 58,300 won (including taxes and service charges). For more information, call (02)799-8163. Grand Hilton   The Grand Hilton Seoul is hosting a prize promotion in association with Renault Samsung Motors to commemorate its 25th anniversary. Guests at the restaurants or rooms can enter the event from March 1 to May 15. Winners will be selected by lucky draw to win giveaways includin

Mar 21, 2013
Hotel Lobby

Moveable feast

Clockwise from top left: Sous-chef Yoon Dae-hyun, head chef Lee Jun, sous-chef Kim Doo-chan, patissier Kim Jin-bo, and sommelier Park Jong-geun.                                                                      / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-youngIn Seoul’s cut-throat restaurant sector, experimental ventures are rare these days due to dwindling disposable income among consumers and relentless rent hikes inflicted on proprietors by landlords.Eateries are playing it safe, striving to survive rather than impress, and, except for a few flashes of color in areas such as Itaewon, the city’s dining choices are becoming increasingly predictable and bland.So where can people savor new culinary delights in this increasingly uniform market? Foodies could do much worse than trying out temporary eateries popping up in unexpected places, where young chefs are infusing an experimental edge to cuisine in the capi

Mar 21, 2013
Moveable feast

3rd-Generation hotelier helms Ritz-Carlton

Marc R. Handl, general manager of the Ritz-Carlton Seoul in Nonhyeon-dong poses against the view the hotel commands over southern Seoul. Just six months into his post, he is working to ensure that the hotel’s success continues while keeping up-to-date with the times.                                                                            / Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton, SeoulBy Kim Ji-sooMarc R. Handl, general manager of the Ritz-Carlton, Seoul, is a third-generation hotelier to whom the hotel industry is second nature.From that “privileged” platform, Handl is looking to upgrade and refine the competitive service that defines the hotel.“What people enjoy about the Ritz-Carlton is about the service ... serving ladies and gentlemen. We strive to give a very personalized service, recognition. We try our best to learn the likes and the dislikes of the guests, especially

Mar 21, 2013By Kim Ji-soo
3rd-Generation hotelier helms Ritz-Carlton

Plastic Island

The cosmetic surgery boom and Korea’s superficial, hyper-competitive societyWith interest in Korea growing, so too is a fascination with the country’s soaring plastic surgery rate. Shocking before-and-after images of beautified patients, which line subways here, are going viral. What is driving the nation’s zeal for the knife, and does it mean we are becoming a superficial society? Understanding the fixation on appearance, experts say, could help widen views on beauty and personal success.  By Kim Young-jin, Jung Min-ho“I have a complex,’’ explains Won Hee, a petite 27-year-old office worker as she points to her chin, which she says is unshapely. “This surgery is for me. It’s to improve my self-confidence.’’Won is sitting in the courtyard of a medical complex in Apgujeong-dong, southern Seoul ― the nexus of the nation’s plastic surgery boom. She has just consulted with a doctor about a procedure to shave her jawbone into the narrower “V-shape” favored among Koreans.From where she sits, one looks up and

Mar 14, 2013
Plastic Island

Hotel Lobby

Grand Ambassador SeoulGrand Ambassador Seoul, located in downtown Jangchung-dong area in Seoul, offers “Happy Hour.” The hotel’s pub,  Gran*A, on the first floor will host “Happy Hour” from Monday through Saturday, from 6 p.m. through 8 p.m. For the price of 29,000 won (tax included), guests can enjoy unlimited access to draft beer and snacks buffet featuring around 10 menus including chop steak, grilled fish, sausage, spring rolls, nacho, mini-cake and salad. There will be three types of red wine and two types of white wine as well as draft beer.The hotel offers an additional 50 percent discount or 14,500 won for female customers during the happy hour. For more information, call (02) 2270-3181. Hyatt RegencyHyatt Regency has a Spring Spa Package that will include a one-night stay along with a visit to the spa. Guests can choose from Detox Moor Mud Body Treatment, Detox Moor Mud Facial Treatment or a spa credit of KRW 150,000. Guests who select the Detox Moor Mud Body or Detox Moor Mud Facial will be treated with organic mud from Hungary contai

Mar 7, 2013
Hotel Lobby
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