my timesThe Korea Times
South Korea

Global Community

Restaurant of the WeekKorean Temple AdventuresLaughing through HistoryKorea Encounters
Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
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.

Fish cake? South Korea looking for new English name for 'eomuk'

Skewered fish cakes.South Korea's ocean ministry said Sunday it will hold a contest to find a new English name for Korean-style fish cakes to promote the processed seafood around the globe.The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said the move is intended to find a better English name that represents the unique texture and taste of South Korean fish cakes.Exports of Korean fish cakes, called "eomuk" here, came to $57 million in 2017, up 18 percent from $48 million two years ago, ministry data showed, with the number of workers in the industry estimated at around 11,000 as of 2016."We plan to find a new English name that helps global consumers better understand South Korean fish cakes, which will eventually lead to higher sales of the products," the ministry said.The government announced a blueprint to foster the local fish cake industry in December, which aimed at inducing local firms to use more domestically produced seafood and rendering the fish cake as one of the country's new major export products.While fish cakes were consumed mostly as a side dish in the past, a growing number of

May 26, 2019
Fish cake? South Korea looking for new English name for 'eomuk'

Foreign Line

Africa Festival comes to WangsimniThe Seoul Africa Festival will be held this Saturday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Wangsimni Square, located in front of Wangsimni Station on Seoul Metro lines 2 and 5, the Gyeongui-Jungang Line and the Bundang Line. Hosted since 2016 by Africa Insight, a nonprofit NGO working to shift perceptions of the African continent, it gathers various domestic organizations and African embassies to introduce the diverse cultures of Africa in Korea. The “Africa's Got Talent” competition gives prizes to participants who manifest their love for Africa through music, dance, poetry or comedy. Its program also offers cultural experiences, stage performances, African products and foods, exhibitions, live painting and more. “Encountering the deep beauty of the African continent through the festival will make it possible to overcome the unfamiliarity and negative perspective against Africa,” festival organizers said in an online invitation. Visit fb.com/seoulafricafestival or africainsight.org for more information. Concert supports ex-sex workersSix

May 21, 2019By Jon Dunbar

HBC Fest brings music to Seoul's foreign district

Gumiho, a female-fronted punk band, is one of the acts at this year's Hae Bang Chon (HBC) Festival this weekend. / Courtesy of GumihoBy Jon DunbarThe main expat neighborhood of Seoul turns up the volume this weekend, for the biannual Hae Bang Chon (HBC) Festival. With live music performances held in 11 participating establishments across HBC and the nearby Gyeongnidan area, local residents can expect bigger crowds, more noise and lots of entertainment. But according to festival organizer Lance Reegan-Diehl, the police presence will be scaled back this time around, as construction of a new sidewalk has made the area significantly safer for pedestrians sharing the narrow Shinheung-ro street with cars.“The logistical support from local Yongsan Police can be down to a few officers just on the lookout for other issues,” said Reegan-Diehl, also a musician and owner of Deeleebob Music recording studio. As a longtime resident of Korea of 20 years this year, he has seen major changes to the HBC area, which has its origins as a North Korean refugee camp and still hides plenty of fa

May 21, 2019By Jon Dunbar
HBC Fest brings music to Seoul's foreign district

Shade x Femme kicks off Pride celebrations in Seoul

Revelers line up outside clubs Cakeshop and Contra in Itaewon to attend the Seoul Queer Culture Festival afterparty hosted by Shade x Femme last year. The clubs were lit in rainbow-colored lights on the night, representing the colors of the Pride flag.By Celeste KrielJune is international Pride Month, and this year the Seoul Queer Culture Festival is in its 20th year. To mark the occasion, Seoul-based creative collective Shade x Femme will present a week of events, starting June 27, exploring queer culture in Korea and celebrating with free workshops, a panel discussion and film screening for everyone. Celebrations will end with its famous Pride Parade after party on June 1st at Cakeshop and Contra in Itaewon. Six years after its very first monthly event hosted by Shade Seoul, then known as V.O.G.U.E ― a party focused on voguing and ballroom culture ― the collective has grown consistently and its events have become known for providing an inclusive space for unabashed self-expression, fresh music, inclusiveness and a strong non-discriminatory policy. This year they want to “give

May 21, 2019
Shade x Femme kicks off Pride celebrations in Seoul

Big Day South lets Busan's indie scene shine

An artist from Plexiglass Portrait holds up a caricature next to the model during last year's Big Day South festival in Busan. / Courtesy of Kim Joo-chan By Jon DunbarSoutheastern Korea's music scene is growing harder to forget. Even though the capital region often ignores it, bands representing Busan and Daegu are finding success overseas. It's clear this region is doing something right that Seoul has forgotten how to do. This year's Big Day South festival returns for its fifth and biggest year this weekend for three days of music and art at six participating venues in Busan. “The landscape has very much changed from when we made the first Big Day South,” said Philip Brett, an Irish expat who co-founded bilingual online Angle Magazine, which operates the festival. “It's become less about trying to get people to pay attention to what's happening in the south and more about doing what we can to build on what's already going on, and having a bit of fun while we're at

May 21, 2019By Jon Dunbar
Big Day South lets Busan's indie scene shine

Man behind French School of Seoul's impressive new building

The French School of Seoul has been refashioned. Courtesy of David-Pierre JaliconBy Jung Min-hoDavid-Pierre JaliconThe French School of Seoul, a French international school with a 45-year history, celebrated the official opening of its new building last month.The addition, which increased the school's capacity to 650 students from 450, has since been welcomed by students, teachers and parents.David-Pierre Jalicon, chairman of the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) and an architect, shared his stories behind the design in a recent interview.“The purpose of the construction project was to extend the capacity of the school (creation of 11 new classrooms), to reorganize the connection between all the buildings and provide better general services through up-to-date facilities,” Jalicon said. “At the same time, most of the existing areas have been renovated and the classrooms have been standardized in order to welcome any class age, depending the demand.”Before proceeding with the project, the school reviewed all possibilities, including relocati

May 16, 2019By Jung Min-ho
Man behind French School of Seoul's impressive new building

Foreign Line

Itaewon club celebrates 1 yearHustle Rooftop Lounge, located on the western end of Itaewon near Noksapyeong Station on Line 6, marks its first anniversary on May 18. To celebrate, it is hosting a “glow party,” with glowing jewelry and accessories available for those who arrive early enough. Customers earn “Hustle bucks” with each purchase of a drink or hookah, which can be put toward more drinks, clothes, hookah accessories and more. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the night ends around 4 a.m., maybe. Visit fb.com/hustleitaewon for more information.Korea Legacy Committee hosts rooftop partyThe Korea Legacy Committee is hosting a party on the rooftop of the lifestyle hotel RYSE located near Hongik University in western Seoul. Special bartenders will provide high-end cocktails and DJs from London will provide the music. Dress code is smart casual. The Korea Legacy Committee's mission is to engage, educate and inspire a new generation of Koreans on the issues that face the country's elderly. The event is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets cost 40,000 won at the door, or 20,000 won for students with

May 14, 2019By Jon Dunbar

Challenge-based app Duuple launches in Asia

Duuple CEO Abby Frimpong, right, and Mona Hanson, chief marketing officer of East Meets West and Seoul Cosmetic Surgery, host the launch of Duuple Asia at Some Sevit floating island in Seoul on April 26. / Courtesy of Julien Baek PhotographyBy Celeste Kriel Korea-based marketing agency East Meets West (EMW) teamed up with Duuple to introduce the new challenge-based app in Asia last month, with Seoul as its launch city. The interactive app has been making waves with influencers, brands and social media users already. The introduction started with a VIP party, and continued with the main event, which was emceed by TV host and YouTuber Serina Hwang, and was co-hosted by Seoul Cosmetic Surgery, KWORLD , Be Mused Korea, and SUIT MAKE. The glittering black-tie party was held April 26 at Marina Park on the Han River with influencers such as Claudipia, Nalu, and Hallie Bradley ― who were brand ambassadors ― and Khalid & Lee Seul were in attendance.With guests dressed to the nines, and their smartphones in tow ― with the app already downloaded ― the party was part gala celebration, part i

May 14, 2019
Challenge-based app Duuple launches in Asia

Yongsan Legacy Motorcycle memories around Yongsan

Teenagers pose with their minibikes near the Han River in Seoul in the 1970s. / Courtesy of Rocco SerratoBy Rocco SerratoMy interest in motorcycles started when I was three or four years old, before my brother was born in 1960. My mom and her friends would rent scooters with drivers and ride around Mount Nam. Once she let me go for a ride around the block and I was hooked. In 1966, we transferred stateside to Fort Carson. I was 10 and begged my mom to buy me a minibike after seeing one on display at Sears in Colorado Springs. She convinced my dad and for Christmas I received a lawnmower-engine powered minibike.In 1969, my dad retired from the service and we moved back to Seoul where we rented a home near a bus station just outside of Camp Coiner. I was now in the seventh grade and rode the minibike all over Mount Nam and down the other side, and explored all the areas I could reach without running out of gas. I often rode it on base. I rode it to the pool, library, and at night took my girlfriend out on dates.One evening, on the way to drop my girlfriend off, I ran a stop sign where

May 14, 2019By Jon Dunbar

Museum village freezes Seoul's former life

Two human figures representing evicted business owners hang from a building slated for remodeling, beneath a giant figure of a police officer, in Saemunan Village, on Jan. 29, 2016. The area was renovated into Donuimun Museum Village which opened in April 2018. / Korea Times photo by Jon DunbarBy Jon DunbarThere has been so much attention on various new public parks and facilities across Seoul, that Donuimun Museum Village seemed largely forgotten.It first opened up to visitors in September 2017 in time for the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism, but didn't officially open to the public until April 2018. Even now over a year later it still feels sort of incomplete.Donuimun Museum Village is built on the former site of Saemunan Village. Essentially the city took an old neighborhood, known mainly for its restaurants, then hollowed it out, reinforced some buildings to bring them up to code, and repurposed them for various exhibition spaces.Additionally, a newly constructed hanok village offers 11 sparkling new houses, built on land previously occupied by historic hanok houses.M

May 14, 2019By Jon Dunbar
Museum village freezes Seoul's former life
previous page
180181182183184
next page

Most Read in South Korea