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Cityscapes Solving riddles of Gyeongui tunnel, Hongdae's 'real' underground

An urban explorer waves a flag inside a tunnel beneath the Hongik University area in 2013. / Courtesy of Ron BandunBy Ron BandunThe area around Hongik University in western Seoul, commonly called Hongdae, has seen major changes over the decades. But rather than originating from the arts university sitting on a mountainside overlooking the neighborhood, most changes here have been driven by infrastructure development.This became apparent to me after roaming through tunnels being dug for subway infrastructure around Hongdae, while a thin metal deck high above my head thundered with the passing of every vehicle on the road surface above. The neighborhood saw its most recent transformation with the arrival of the Airport Express (AREX) line in December 2010 and the Gyeongui (now Gyeongui-Jungang) Line in December 2012. Much of the area was overrun with construction until relatively recently, with the opening of Gyeongui Line Book Street in late 2016 and AK Plaza in August 2018. Before then, Hongdae's development was corralled on one side by construction.Trains have been passing through t

Sep 17, 2019

[Cityscapes] Solving riddles of Gyeongui tunnel, Hongdae's 'real' underground

S. Africans host Heritage Day Braai in Nanji

A scene from the Nanji Heritage Day Braai in 2017 / Courtesy of SAKorNetBy Jon DunbarSouth Africans in Korea are getting ready to celebrate their national Heritage Day, which falls next Tuesday, with a “braai,” a South African variation of a barbecue, this Saturday.The annual holiday celebrates the heritage of South Africans of all backgrounds. Since 2005, a media campaign has been rebranding the holiday as National Braai Day, in recognition of the country's culinary tradition which brings all South Africans together.The Heritage Day braai is the biggest event of the year for SAKorNet, a volunteer organization supporting South Africans living here. It takes place in Nanji Campground near World Cup Stadium in western Seoul.When asked for their funniest braai stories, members of the South African community here shared tales of preparing excess amounts of food.“So I used to work at a school in South Africa that got Canadian exchange teachers,” said Chantal Terblanche, chairperson of the SAKorNet committee. “We decided to welcome the new Canadian teachers wi

Sep 17, 2019By Jon Dunbar

S. Africans host Heritage Day Braai in Nanji

Underground music scene goes 'Behind the Tongue'

Members of Puberty Wounds / Courtesy of Puberty WoundsBy Jon DunbarWhile the trilateral alliance is in tatters, underground bands from Korea, Japan and the U.S. continue to show they are not beholden to geopolitics. Over the next two weeks, local scenesters Dae-min and Haru are promoting five concerts all in Seoul, featuring a total of five Japanese acts and one from America. Their genres range from standard punk to some pretty mind-bending noise music.“Our concept is um...just we want to show Korean people about nice bands from other countries, that's all,” Haru told The Korea Times. Their “Behind the Tongue” concert series, named after the song “Behind this Tongue” by U.S. powerviolence band Infest, has already had three editions, with the fourth happening this weekend and the fifth just one week after.“Behind the Tongue vol.4” presents the Japanese bands Resist with My Arms and Nobody Celebrates My Birthday, both from Sapporo.Also joining the bill is U.S. band Puberty Wounds from Columbus, Ohio, currently on tour through Southeast As

Sep 17, 2019By Jon Dunbar

Underground music scene goes 'Behind the Tongue'

Royal palaces, museums free during Chuseok

Chuseok is the traditional Korean autumn harvest celebration, similar to Thanksgiving in the United States, and many Koreans visit their hometowns for ancestral rituals and to spend time with their families during the holiday.But if you are planning to spend the Chuseok holiday in Seoul, visiting royal palaces and tombs, and national museums and parks in the city could be a good option. Four palaces in Seoul, including Deoksu at the heart of the capital, will keep their doors open throughout the four-day holiday to admit visitors for free.Gyeongbok, Changdeok, Deoksu and Changgyeong palaces ― which, along with Gyeonghui ― represent the five major Joseon-era royal residences, will temporarily do away with admission fees during the traditional holiday from Sept. 12-15. Admission to Gyeonghui Palace is always free. The UNESCO-recognized Royal Tombs of the Joseon Kingdom in the capital and surrounding areas, and major heritage sites will also remain open without charge, according to the local government. The decision is part of efforts to promote domestic tourism during the long holiday

Sep 12, 2019

Chuseok holiday begins with festivals across the country

Renewing F-5 'permanent' resident visas

By Jon DunbarA Sri Lankan holds an enlarged version of the current design of the F-5 permanent resident card at Daegu Immigration Office on Dec. 18, 2018. He was granted the status after saving an elderly woman from a fire. / YonhapWhen it was announced back in 2017 that the F-5 visa for permanent residents would require renewal after 10 years, mixed emotions ran through Korea's long-term foreign resident community. Was the government abolishing permanent residence? Could immigration use this renewal process to strip permanent residents of their status? Would renewal be contingent on passing a Korean language test or other newly introduced requirements? What are the consequences for failure to renew?So far, the panic appears to have been unjustified. Only the card is being renewed, not the visa status. And the renewal process is a breeze.“It's a very straightforward, simple, streamlined process,” said Jeffrey Bohn, an American who has lived in Korea for 22 of the past 30 years and been an official permanent resident since the mid-2000s.When introduced in the early 2000s,

Sep 10, 2019By Jon Dunbar

Plenty to do if you're staying In Seoul for Chuseok

A market is crowded in Cheongnyangni in eastern Seoul, before the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving that falls Friday. The country is celebrating the Chuseok holiday from Sept. 12 to 15 this year. / YonhapBy Hallie BradleyChuseok, the Korean equivalent to Thanksgiving, is one of the biggest holidays in Korea which means Seoulites disperse to their hometowns or travel. Seoul this week will feature quieter and calmer vibes that is seldom seen, with most shops and restaurants shuttered. Even though the city may feel a bit sleepy during the holiday and plenty of people will likely take the time to sleep in a bit and relax, there are mountains to hike, museums to visit and palaces to explore. If you're looking for what to do this Chuseok in Seoul, here are some of the spots that will be open and likely hosting special Chuseok events. Make some traditional songpyeon or take in the sights.Lotte World Seoul Sky: If you haven't visited the tallest building in Korea yet, this weekend is the time. Open 365 days a year, this 123-floor skyscraper offers stunning views out over the sprawling city

Sep 10, 2019

Plenty to do if you're staying In Seoul for Chuseok

Joseon Images Hori Rikitaro: Hotelier of Jemulpo

Daibutsu Hotel is in the center left in this photo of Jemulpo area in modern-day Incheon in the early 1900s. / Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffIn the spring of 1883, Jemulpo (Jung-gu in modern Incheon) was nothing more than “a very small village, consisting of wretchedly-built huts.” But change was in the air and by the end of the year there was a Japanese consulate and a large number of “plank buildings” which served as offices and businesses for the ever-increasing numbers of Japanese merchants. One of these merchants was a rather rotund gentleman named Hori Rikitaro.At first, Hori was only a small-time trader ― offering provisions for the handful of ships that visited the port ― but he soon realized that as the port grew in size and importance, a hotel would be needed. So, in early 1884, he began to build a two-story Japanese-style hotel.Even before it was completed, he had at least one Western guest ― William R. Carles, who wrote, “From the windows I command a view of the sea, and, through the floor, of my landlord and his friends.”By the e

Sep 10, 2019

[Joseon Images] Hori Rikitaro: Hotelier of Jemulpo

Call 119, 129 or 120 in event of medical emergency during Chuseok

By Park Si-soo Call 119, 129 or 120 in the event of a medical emergency during the Chuseok holidays.Seoul City announced this on Tuesday, along with information about hospitals and drug stores available during the national holidays.While general hospitals and their ERs are supposed to do business as usual, 470 smaller hospitals and pharmacies will open in rotation.Detailed information is available at the National Fire Agency, Seoul City, and the National Emergency Medical Center. “I recommend people check in advance which hospitals and pharmacies are available during Chuseok,” said Na Baek-joo, director of Seoul City's public healthcare management division.

Sep 10, 2019

Call 119, 129 or 120 in event of medical emergency during Chuseok

Chuseok holiday begins with festivals across the country

N. Korean refugees share experiences at TNKR speech contest

The winner of TNKR's English Speech Contest receives prizes from TNKR co-founder Casey Lartigue at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, Sept. 1. / Courtesy of TNKR By Vlad SaksinIn a rare opportunity to meet and listen to North Korean refugees, nine North Koreans residing in South Korea gave 10-minute speeches at an English speech contest held by the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center (TNKR), last Sunday.The 10th English Speech Contest was held with the theme “I am from North Korea” at the Grand Hyatt in Itaewon, Seoul. It was hosted by TNKR co-founders Casey Lartigue, Jr., and Lee Eun-koo, who are sponsored by law firm Shin & Kim and The Korea Times. The nine contestants spoke of their experiences living in North Korea, as well as the new challenges they faced once they arrived in South Korea. Being able to make their own choices in a free country, the contestants distinguished themselves by speaking of the pursuit of their dreams, be it sports, medicine or jour

Sep 3, 2019By Jon Dunbar

N. Korean refugees share experiences at TNKR speech contest

Searching for Korea's ever-elusive live music

Dain Leathem, left, former Korea Gig Guide contributor, and Patrick Connor, founder of DoIndie.co.kr, talk shop at Hanagae Beach, June 15. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar By Jon DunbarFinding one's way into Korea's live music scene these day is proving a challenge, as the music community is becoming less concentrated in Seoul's Hongik University area, and more spread out online across social media channels.Two of the best English-language resources for finding upcoming concerts have been the Korea Gig Guide (KGG) and the bilingual DoIndie. Before those two came along, there was no place to go for comprehensive upcoming concert listings. But we seem to be returning to that state, as KGG went offline early last year after months of inactivity, and DoIndie's upcoming shows calendar currently has only three entries, all at the same venue. These two sites lost some of their momentum to social media platforms such as Facebook, and both continue to maintain an active pre

Sep 3, 2019By Jon Dunbar

Global Community

Global Community

Cityscapes Solving riddles of Gyeongui tunnel, Hongdae's 'real' underground

S. Africans host Heritage Day Braai in Nanji

Underground music scene goes 'Behind the Tongue'

Royal palaces, museums free during Chuseok

Renewing F-5 'permanent' resident visas

Plenty to do if you're staying In Seoul for Chuseok

Joseon Images Hori Rikitaro: Hotelier of Jemulpo

Call 119, 129 or 120 in event of medical emergency during Chuseok

N. Korean refugees share experiences at TNKR speech contest

Searching for Korea's ever-elusive live music

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