Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Ex-Boyfriend Toast: Jam-packed love story that went viral

Food doesn’t always go viral for its flavor — sometimes, it’s the story that sells. That’s the case with “Ex-Boyfriend Toast.” This simple dish — a slice of toasted bread topped with cream cheese and blueberry jam — has evolved from a viral internet post in Korea to a popular item at a cafe in Brooklyn. “Treat yourself to a delicious toast — made with blueberry preserves and cream cheese — that has an interesting background story as to why it got its name!” reads the item description on PHiL Cafe's Uber Eats menu. Priced at $10, it is reportedly one of the cafe’s most frequently ordered items. The backstory involves a Korean woman who missed the toast her ex-boyfriend used to make for her. After their breakup, she texted him asking for the recipe — making it clear she wasn't trying to rekindle the relationship. To her surprise, he sent back a detailed set of instructions. She shared their text exchange online back in 2018, and it quickly went viral. As the post gained popularity, Korean convenience store chain GS25 briefly sold a “Boyfriend Sandwich” made

May 9, 2025By Kim Se-jeong

Ex-Boyfriend Toast: Jam-packed love story that went viral

Stroll through Seoul’s Catholic past at Seosomun Shrine History Museum

At the heart of Seoul’s bustling downtown, just a 10-minute walk from Seoul Station, is a small, serene park surrounded by skyscrapers — Seosomun History Park. The 21,000-square-meter park is filled with spring blossoms this time of year. However, down a sloping trail with curved red-brick walls, visitors can see beneath the blooms and enter Seosomun Shrine History Museum. It is a memorial space for lives lost to the 19th century Catholic persecutions of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Seosomun, meaning “small west gate,” refers to a gate between Sungnyemun and Donuimun, two of the four main gates of the city walls of Hanyang, the old name of Seoul. The area used to be a passage where all the supplies brought into the city from the Han River were held, at the convergance of routes from outside the city. Joseon scholar and reformist thinker Jeong Yak-yong wrote in “Mokminsimseo” that Seosomun is “where grains are found in abundance, carts rattle and people bump into each other’s shoulders.” Its bustling nature was why the gate was an official execution site during the Jos

May 8, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Stroll through Seoul’s Catholic past at Seosomun Shrine History Museum

G-Dragon enters the alcohol market with cosmic-themed highball

K-pop star G-Dragon’s fashion brand has launched its first alcoholic beverage, expanding his influence into the beverage industry. On April 28, PEACEMINUSONE, the streetwear brand G-Dragon founded in 2016, unveiled the Peaceminusone Highball through its official channels. This marks the brand’s first venture into alcoholic products following multiple collaborations with global luxury labels. The highball product features a unique package design incorporating the PEACEMINUSONE logo in a stylized pattern — personally designed by G-Dragon himself, adding a layer of significance to the launch. On the same day, G-Dragon also shared a new video through his personal account. The content was produced by AI entertainment tech company Galaxy Corporation and builds on a space theme. The storyline follows G-Dragon’s journey from space to Earth and ties in with recent projects, including the HOME SWEET HOME music video — created in collaboration with Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Sora platform, which premiered at KAIST on April 9 — as well as a cosmic music transmission project linked to NA

Apr 30, 2025By KTimes

G-Dragon enters the alcohol market with cosmic-themed highball

Seoul unveils digital newsletter and vlog for foreign residents

Seoul released the first issue of Seoul Life, an online newsletter for foreigners in Korea. It will also unveil the debut episode of a vlog created by international students and foreign residents living in the capital. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday, the newsletter will be emailed to subscribers twice a month. Written and reviewed by 12 foreign content creators and 10 translators, it will be available in both Korean and English. Subscriptions are available through news.seoul.go.kr and an e-book version will later be accessible on global.seoul.go.kr The vlog series, titled Home Sweet Home, offers a glimpse into the daily lives of foreign residents of Seoul. It will be uploaded to youtube.com/@SeoulGlobalCenter. Aimed at providing practical information for foreigners considering studying or relocating to Seoul, the first episode features an international student from Uzbekistan. The video shares her personal experiences and offers valuable tips for those planning to study in Korea. “We hope international residents and students in Korea can share helpful inform

Apr 30, 2025By Park Ung

Seoul unveils digital newsletter and vlog for foreign residents

Forest agency spurs development of first-ever ‘coast-to-coast’ hiking trail

Hiking is one of the most popular outdoor activities in Korea, where mountains cover 70 percent of the land. While the country already boasts a variety of well-maintained trails, 2026 will mark the debut of Korea’s first-ever coast-to-coast hiking trail, offering adventurers a unique way to experience the country's diverse landscapes. Named the East-West Trail of Korea, the hiking route is the Korea Forest Service’s (KFS) ambition to connect 849 kilometers from the western coastal island of Anmyeon in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, to the eastern coastal city of Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province, once fully completed in 2026. The trail is expected to be open to public in 2027. Starting in Taean, the trail will pass through Sejong, Daejeon, and 21 major cities in North Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang provinces. Hikers will also have the opportunity to camp in designated areas along the route. While the trail will be divided into 55 sections, Section 55 in Uljin (20 kilometers) and Section 47 in Bonghwa (15 kilometers), both in North Gyeongsang Province, were opened to the public

Apr 29, 2025By Jhoo Dong-chan

Forest agency spurs development of first-ever ‘coast-to-coast’ hiking trail

Jeongdong Culture Night: Explore Seoul’s historic hub

George Nathaniel Curzon, a British politician who later became the viceroy of India, traveled to Korea in the early 1890s. To his eyes, Seoul appeared as a sea of uniform tiled rooftops, with two notable exceptions: the grand, hooded roofs of the palace audience halls, and the district where foreign legations were clustered. “A few elevations spring up from the general level of the city basin; and these have been opportunely occupied by foreigners with a superior appreciation of site, the British, Russian, and Japanese Legations and the French Catholic Establishment being from any altitude the most conspicuous objects in the town,” he wrote in his 1894 book. The neighborhood that had once housed the British and Russian legations — now their embassies — is now surrounded by skyscrapers, yet it still retains Seoul's old charms. This May, the city invites visitors to explore this historic area. Jeongdong Culture Night will run from May 23 to 24, featuring 35 modern-era heritage sites, street performances near the former Russian Legation and a rare tour of the grounds of the British

Apr 28, 2025By Park Ung

Jeongdong Culture Night: Explore Seoul’s historic hub

What makes Korean food special? For these culinary masters, it’s all in the 'jang'

Kang Min-goo, chef of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Mingles, dedicates his latest book to four women: his late mother, mother-in-law, Buddhist nun Jeong Kwan, and chef Cho Hee-sook — two of whom are Korea’s most respected authorities on traditional cuisine. In his newly published book "JANG," which explores traditional Korean fermented sauces and pastes, Kang writes, “To my four mothers: the beloved women in my family who have passed, and the mothers of Korean cuisine, Ven. Jeong Kwan and chef Cho Hee-sook.” Together, Kang, Jeong Kwan, and Cho represent the past, present and future of Korean cuisine. On April 9, the three gathered for a rare joint discussion about the growing global interest in Korean food and the foundational element at the heart of it all: jang, the fermented sauces that define Korean flavor. Masters of Korean culinary tradition Known globally through her appearance in Netflix’s "Chef’s Table," Ven. Jeong Kwan is the head monk at Cheonjinam Hermitage in Baegyangsa Temple in South Jeolla Province and an expert in temple cuisine. Chef Cho, often referr

Apr 25, 2025By KTimes

What makes Korean food special? For these culinary masters, it’s all in the 'jang'

Time-traveling in Gyeongju, ancient capital of grand royal tomb mounds

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — Documentary producer Lee So-yoon, in her book about the ancient city of Gyeongju, offers a simple guide for travelers: “If you don’t want to get lost in Gyeongju, you only need two things — a copy of the Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms) and your imagination.” The southeastern coastal city, often compared to Kyoto, Japan, for its rich history, was the ancient capital of the Silla Dynasty (57 B.C.-A.D. 935) for nearly a thousand years. Much like how the legacy of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) lives on in Seoul, Gyeongju — often called the “roofless museum” — beautifully showcases the natural splendor, historical depth and cultural richness of the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), along with the artistic and technological achievements of the Silla Kingdom. Upon arriving in Gyeongju, one of the city’s most striking historical features is immediately apparent: a cluster of ancient royal tombs known as tumuli. These large, grass-covered burial mounds rise quietly throughout the downtown area, blending the ev

Apr 23, 2025By Lee Hae-rin

Time-traveling in Gyeongju, ancient capital of grand royal tomb mounds

Why Korea’s payment systems leave tourists frustrated

If you're carrying paper money and coins in Korea, you might get a few curious looks. Most Koreans stroll the streets carrying nothing more than a small purse — or nothing at all — thanks to the widespread use of credit cards and mobile payments. But for foreign nationals, the experience can be quite different. Long-term residents with a Korean credit or debit card typically report few issues. However, short-term visitors tend to face the most difficulties, particularly in small shops or transportation settings, such as subway and train stations. "Many stores claim that most cards can be used, but in reality, when using a card issued outside of Korea, payments sometimes fail due to communication errors with the store's card reader," one Reddit user wrote, recommending that visitors carry multiple types of cards when in Korea. The most common and frustrating obstacle appears to occur when using public transportation. Despite Korea’s reputation for technological advancement, the contactless or near-field communication (NFC) technology systems used in its public transportation do not u

Apr 23, 2025By Lee Yeon-woo

Why Korea’s payment systems leave tourists frustrated

Korea kicks off Welcome Week with crafts and travel tips

Visitors arriving in Korea this weekend will be greeted by a booth offering regional travel tips, transportation and shopping advice — and even a glimpse of traditional Korean crafts. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Visit Korea Committee announced Wednesday that they will host “2025 Korea Welcome Week” beginning Friday and continuing through May 16, featuring special events for foreign visitors. The welcome booths will showcase traditional Korean crafts — such as patchwork, hanji (traditional Korean paper) and mother-of-pearl inlay — while also connecting visitors with hands-on craft experience programs available across the country. Multilingual staff fluent in English, Japanese and Chinese will be on hand to provide regional travel tips, as well as practical guidance on mobile services, transportation and payment options. The booths will operate daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Incheon and Gimpo international airports from Saturday to May 10, and at Jeju International Airport from May 2 to 16. At Busan Port International Passenger Cruise Terminal, the welco

Apr 23, 2025By Park Ung

Travel & Food