Global Community

(558) Returns and exchanges (II)

(557) Returns and exchanges (I)

AustCham Korea to host Australia Day event

By John Redmond The Australian Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AustChamKorea) will present the largest Australia Day celebration in Korea on Jan. 27 at the Champagne Room of the Novotel Ambassador in Gangnam, Seoul. From 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., guests are invited to enjoy an Australian menu including Aussie BBQ provided by Meat & Livestock Australia, Western Australian wines courtesy of W.A. Trade and Investment, meat pies supplied by Jesters, fish and chips, traditional Australian desserts including lamingtons and pavlova and a selection of Australian beers. People can also dance to classic Australian rock music and win raffle prizes. The event is one of the high points on the AustChamKorea annual calendar and is attended by senior diplomats and leading business figures. Australia Day (previously known as Anniversary Day, Foundation Day, and ANA Day) is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on Jan. 26, the date commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788 and the proclamation at that time of British

Year of Dragon exhibition opens

By John Redmond A Year of the Dragon exhibition is taking place at the National Folk Museum, Seoul until Feb. 27. The National Folk Museum's “Special Exhibition: The Year of the Dragon” marks the launch of the new year with a display of 85 artifacts of the mythical creature, including drawings, ceramics, furniture, seals, flags and royal robes. “The dragon is a legendary beast bearing all the strengths of several animals: the head of a camel, antlers of a deer, eyes of a rabbit, ears of a cow, neck of a snake, scales of a carp, talons of a hawk and the feet of a tiger. Those characteristics led people to believe the dragon to be the mightiest animal. The dragon, therefore, symbolized power, authority and sanctity, eventually coming to represent the position of the king in the Chinese and Korean royal courts. The exhibition displays a Korean king’s dragon royal robe, dragon throne, and other furniture and fixtures decorated with the legendary beast to symbolize the king’s courage and power.” In Korea, the dragon pattern once dominated by the royal court appe

Expat group to present ’Play in a Day’ Saturday

By John Redmond Probationary Theatre Company, a non-profit expat theater company dedicated to producing local and international works is putting on “Play in a Day,” on Jan. 14 at the White Box Theatre in Yongsan, Seoul. It is an event where teams of artists (writers, directors and actors) meet for the first time at 9 a.m. and are given a very simple form of inspiration to use as a starting point. They will then spend the next 12 hours writing and rehearsing and at 8 p.m. the actors will take the stage and present a brand new play that has been created that day. “A Play in a Day is a theatrical event ― a challenge for the artistic ― high on fun and involvement and low on time commitment. A chance for you to meet like-minded creative people and create something new in just one day,” states a press release. “That’s the whole process ― from blank page to the stage in less than 12 hours.” The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets cost 10,000 won. People interested in participating can register at www.probationarytheatre.com/PIAD.html. The White Box Theatre is loc

Hats off to the chef

By Agnes Yu Everybody needs to eat and preparing food is an art. A chef preparing food is a master of this art and artists need inspiration. Gathering roughly once a month at hotel restaurants or similar venues, a group of executive chefs and those in the related industry share not just inspiration, but good food and camaraderie. Charity work, interaction and networking are also on the menu. Les Toques Blanches (LTB) is French for the white hats. It is the name of a formal, worldwide organization created in 1978 by Jean Rougie, a chef who noticed that there was limited opportunity for communication among culinary specialists. As many professional chefs work outside of their home country, it wasn’t long before the association grew beyond its French borders to open many international autonomous chapters. Here in Korea, LTB began in 1982 with a small gathering of five executive chefs at the Westin Chosun Hotel. Under the umbrella of the Korean Chef’s Association, LTB Korea links hotel chefs, hotel food suppliers, culinary teachers, trade commissioners, and heads of tourism,

(556) Samulnori

(555) Gangnam U-health Park (II)

New Year cruise party on Han River

The New Year Black Water Dragon Cruise Party will take place on the Han River at Yeouido on Jan. 14. From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. participants can enjoy the first All-You-Can-Drink Han River Boat Cruise of 2012. Costing 50,000 won (in advance) and 60,000 won at the gangplank, guests can enjoy unlimited craft-brewed beer and one Craftworks food item. Beers include Indian Pale Ale, Pale Ale, Pilsner (lager), Weizen (German ale), Golden Ale (American Ale), Dark Ale (Irish ale) plus a selection of cocktails. The food selection from Craftworks features chipotle hummus veggie wraps, chipotle honey mustard chicken wraps and Jim Beam BBQ beef wraps. Additional food tickets can be purchased for 6,000 won. Performances are by expat DJ, DJ Marta or Oli Fenn, Korean band No Respect for Beauty, hip-hop artists RYU, expat band Angry Bear and comedians Albert and Rudy from Stand-up Seoul. To get to the dock take subway line 5 (purple) to Yeouinaru Station and leave via exit 3. Walk five minutes toward the river. The boat is on the right-hand side dock (the one slightly further away f

NTS makes expat tax rebates easier

By John Redmond For many expat workers in Korea, preparing to file tax returns with the National Tax Service (NTS) can be something of a nightmare, even though foreigners are eligible for the same basic deductions as Koreans. For this reason the NTS is aiming to raise awareness of year-end tax settlements among foreigners with a downloadable “Easy Guide” booklet explaining tax rebates in English. Expats who reside and work in Korea for a year or more qualify for basic tax deductions including medical and educational expenses and insurance payments. Special tax advantages for expats include the choice of a 15 percent flat tax rate or a progressive rate, which varies depending on income. Tax returns are due at between Jan. 25 and Feb. 20. For more information visit www.nts.go.kr/eng or call 1588-0560.