Lifestyle - The Korea Times

BTS fans flock to purple-lit Seoul for group's 10th anniversary

Fans of K-pop giant BTS pose in front of Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), the capital's iconic landmark in its fashion district, Monday. Many iconic locations around Seoul, including the DDP, have been illuminated in purple in celebration of BTS' 10th anniversary which fell on Tuesday. YonhapBy Lee Hae-rinQuan Luu, 44, flew to Seoul from Australia last Friday on a seven-day trip to celebrate K-pop giant BTS' 10th anniversary, which fell on Tuesday. Dressed in purple, the signature color of the group and its fans, she posed for a photo in front of the giant graffiti portrait of the seven members still in progress at HYBE's headquarters in Seoul's Yongsan District. She plans to visit some locations where the group filmed episodes of variety shows in the capital and join other Australian ARMY groups for a BTS tour. ARMY is the loyal global fan base of the world-famous boy band. Jialing Wang, 39, from Los Angeles handed out self-made BTS stickers to other fans gathered around the painted wall, as many K-pop fans do with each other at concerts and events. “It's an easy way to start a

Jun 13, 2023By Lee Hae-rin

BTS fans flock to purple-lit Seoul for group's 10th anniversary

'Night Walk at Cheong Wa Dae' pre-opening event delights local residents

Night view of Cheong Wa Dae in Jongno District, Seoul / Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and TourismBy Jung Da-hyunResidents living near Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential office and residence for over seven decades, were invited to a special event on Wednesday night. The event served as a preview to the official opening of "Night Walk at Cheong Wa Dae" on Thursday, the presidential office's first nighttime display this year. The “Night Walk at Cheong Wa Dae,” which takes place from June 8 to 19, is a program that allows 2,000 visitors per day to participate in an evening tour around Cheong Wa Dae for two hours, starting from 7:30 p.m.Following residents' concerns, such as noise and traffic congestion that arose after last year's public opening of Cheong Wa Dae, Wednesday's pre-invitation event was specifically organized for residents of five areas nearby: Cheongunhyoja-dong, Buam-dong, Sajik-dong, Gahoe-dong and Samcheong-dong, all located in Seoul's Jongno District. Visitors are seen enjoying musical performances held in the gardens of Cheong Wa Dae in Jongno

Jun 11, 2023By Jung Da-hyun

'Night Walk at Cheong Wa Dae' pre-opening event delights local residents

More foreign language tours will be offered for Cheong Wa Dae

A group of 31 licensed tourist guides speaking seven foreign languages pose in front of Cheong Wa Dae in central Seoul, Friday, during training on the former presidential office compound's history provided by the Korea Tourism Guide Association. Courtesy of Korea Tourist Guide AssociationBy Lee Hae-rinMore multilingual guided tours of the historic former presidential compound, Cheong Wa Dae, will be offered for international travelers visiting Seoul.The Korea Tourist Guide Association (KOTGA) has launched a training program tailored for Cheong Wa Dae tour guides, aiming to enhance the experience of foreign tourists in Korea in commemoration of the first anniversary of the landmark's public opening.The first session of the four-part training program took place on Friday, focusing on enhancing the trainees' understanding of the compound's history, cultural heritage and arboreal assets, as well as the narratives of former presidents. Most of the participants in the training were freelancers and they are expected to provide tours in multiple foreign languages, enhancing the experience fo

Jun 9, 2023By Lee Hae-rin

More foreign language tours will be offered for Cheong Wa Dae

Yido bridges East, West via fusion cuisine in crafted ceramics

Italian cuisine served at Yido Cheongdam, plated on handcrafted dishes from Yido / Courtesy of Yido CheongdamBy Lee Hae-rinKorean ceramics manufacturer Yido plans to present a fusion of Korean traditional handicraft and western cuisine at its newly opened contemporary dining space in the upscale Cheongdam-dong area of southern Seoul.Named after King Sejong, the inventor of the Korean alphabet, Yido has until recently focused on porcelain tableware. However, in response to the rising global popularity of Korean culture, the brand has decided to showcase Korean handicrafts by opening Yido Cheongdam, a contemporary complex cultural space also featuring a restaurant.“'Yido is a Korean handicraft brand, so wouldn't Korean cuisine be more suitable?' people often ask me,” Yido CEO Kim Young-geun told The Korea Times in a recent phone interview. “However, we wanted to show that Korean handicraft pottery can have a place in the western culinary world as well, where flat plates are often used unlike in Korea, where bowl-shaped dishes for rice and soup are more common.”I

Jun 7, 2023By Lee Hae-rin

Yido bridges East, West via fusion cuisine in crafted ceramics

INTERVIEW DoubleTree by Hilton turns hotel rooftop into urban bee farm in Pangyo

A beekeeper of Urban Bees Seoul takes out a hive frame from a rooftop bee farm at DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, during the hotel's first harvest ceremony, June 2. Courtesy of DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo By Lee Hae-rinSEONGNAM, Gyeonggi Province ― “Here, you can see all these bees growing safe and healthy in the beehive. No need to be afraid of them,” urban beekeeper Park Jin said, lifting a wooden hive frame filled with glittering honey and buzzing bees on the rooftop of a newly built hotel in Pangyo in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.“Honey bees usually forage within a radius of about two kilometers, so this very colony of bees nestled on this rooftop makes significant contributions to building a healthy ecosystem in the area,” he said, looking around at the building's surroundings, full of mountains with acacia forests.Clad head-to-toe in his beekeeping suit, Park and DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo's staffers took the first

Jun 6, 2023By Lee Hae-rin

[INTERVIEW] DoubleTree by Hilton turns hotel rooftop into urban bee farm in Pangyo

INTERVIEW Korean food undergoes renaissance in US

By Pyo Kyung-minEdward Lee, a Korean American celebrity chef who is better known in Korea for preparing the state dinner at the White House for President Yoon Suk Yeol in April, believes that Korean food in the United States is at its peak right now.Chef Edward Lee / Courtesy of Edward LeeHowever, the Brooklyn native has found subtle yet significant changes occurring in how Americans enjoy Korean flavors ― a phenomenon he describes as a renaissance of Korean food. “It has captured the taste buds of Americans, and it has found its way into so many American food menus,” Lee said in an interview with The Korea Times last month.“Korean food has entered a phase in America where it's not just about the traditional dishes, like 'kimchi jjigae' or 'doenjang jjigae,' but it's how we interpret it into how it looks and feels Korean,” he added. The changes, according to Lee, are also apparent at his new restaurant ― Nami Modern Korean Steakhouse ― in Louisville, Kentucky. Its dishes are based on traditional Korean flavors but with a more modern touch, Lee said. “C

Jun 5, 2023By Pyo Kyung-min

[INTERVIEW] Korean food undergoes renaissance in US

K-food transforms global culinary industry

An instructor explains Korean food preparation to foreign correspondents at E:eum, a Korean food cultural venue in Jongno District, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Korean Food Promotion InstituteKwon Jae-han, deputy minister for agricultural innovation policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural AffairsBy Lee Hyo-sikInterest in Korean culture is higher than ever today, in line with the ever-growing popularity of K-content, which encompasses K-pop, movies, entertainment, and food sectors.Recently, TV programs have been featuring the launch of Korean restaurants overseas to promote the country's food to local people. In 2022, ATOMIX became the first Korean restaurant to be listed on the World's 50 Best Restaurants (W50B) ― known as the Oscars of the culinary industry.With the increasing recognition of Korean food brands globally, Kwon Jae-han, deputy minister for agricultural innovation policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, said in a recent interview with The Korea Times that the government has been introducing a range of policies to promote Korean food

Jun 4, 2023By Lee Hyo-sik

K-food transforms global culinary industry

INTERVIEW Michelin-starred Australian chef takes creative approach to Korean cuisine

Evett showcases Korea's local ingredients in innovative ways. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-minBy Lee Gyu-leeSurrounded by water on three sides with plenty of mountainous terrains, Korea is a land full of ingredients, offering four distinctive seasons of greens and seafood. Chef Joseph Lidgerwood of Evett / Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-minSo to Koreans, sea pineapple caught by “haenyeo” (female free divers), wild “dureup” (shoots of angelica trees) gathered by foragers and years-old “jang” (a traditional fermented food paste) are just other ingredients available in the country. But for Australian chef Joseph Lidgerwood, owner of the Seoul-based Michelin-star restaurant Evett, these ingredients, and others, attracted him to the country's cuisine.“I've worked in the U.K. and the U.S., in really good restaurants. (But) all the ingredients felt the same … But when I came to Korea, the ingredients were so different, so amazing. There's so much life,” the chef said during a recent interview with The Korea Times at the restaurant. &ldq

May 31, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

[INTERVIEW] Michelin-starred Australian chef takes creative approach to Korean cuisine

INTERVIEW Korean chef aims to change Hong Kong's dining scene

Bomnamul Bibimbap or Korean mixed rice with assorted spring vegetables presented by chef Lee Sang-gun / Courtesy of Hansik GooAward-winning chef delights Hong Kongers' taste buds with authentic Korean cuisine with modern twist By Kang Hyun-kyungLee Sang-gun, better known as chef Steve in Hong Kong, the head chef of fine-dining Korean restaurant Hansik Goo in Hong Kong / Courtesy of Hansik GooLee Sang-gun, better known as chef Steve in Hong Kong, was in disbelief when his name was announced as the winner of the Young Chef Award during the 15th edition of the Michelin Guide ceremony held on April 26 at the Grand Lisboa Palace in Macau.It was a nice surprise for Lee. “It was surreal,” he said during a Zoom interview with The Korea Times on Wednesday. “I had never thought I would be the one to get the prestigious award.” The Young Chef Award was recognized on the sidelines of Michelin's unveiling of a total of 96 restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau, which received Michelin stars. The award recognizes “a young chef working in a restaurant of the selection and

May 27, 2023By Kang Hyun-kyung

[INTERVIEW] Korean chef aims to change Hong Kong's dining scene

Korea hiking trail weeks kick off to promote regional tourism

Visitors walk along Oryukdo Sunrise Park in Busan, the starting points for the Haeparang and Namparang trails, in this photo taken in March 2013. Courtesy of Korea Tourism OrganizationBy Lee Hae-rinThe Korea hiking trail weeks, a promotional campaign for the Korea Dulle Trail, was launched Friday by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). The two-week event runs until June 9. The ministry held the campaign's kick-off ceremony at Oryukdo Sunrise Park in the southeastern port city of Busan, a starting point for two of the four trail routes constituting the Korea Dulle Trails ― Namparang Trail and Haeparang Trail.The Korea Dulle Trail system includes 4,500 kilometers of walking routes stretching along the eastern, western and southern coasts, as well as the border area in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The trail system is woven through 10 metropolitan areas and 78 local municipalities across the country.Haeparang Trail on the eastern coast starts from Busan's Oryukdo Sunrise Park and ends at the unification observatory in Goseong, Gangwon Pro

May 26, 2023By Lee Hae-rin

Travel & Food