Video - The Korea Times

VIDEO We tested Asia’s best models with diet food. Were they fooled?

In a fascinating culinary experiment, three of Asia's top models were stumped by a phenomenon now sweeping the nation: South Korea’s ‘zero food’ trend. It is not merely a diet fad, but a major cultural and commercial movement. Fueled by rising health consciousness and a desire to enjoy traditional tastes guilt-free, the zero food market — which primarily focuses on replacing sugar with non-nutritive sweeteners and lowering overall calories — has exploded. Products like zero-sugar sodas, bread and snacks are now a staple in convenience stores and supermarkets, with consumers actively seeking ways to balance indulgence with their fitness goals. The challenge, hosted by Joel Jay Lane for The Korea Times’s "Foodie Korea" series, leveraged this trend, asking stunning contestants from the Asia Model Festival to blind-taste classic Korean dishes against newly developed, zero-calorie counterparts. Gathered from the prestigious Asia Model Festival at High1 Resort, the panel included Nina from Hong Kong, Bilric from Myanmar and the newly crowned Face of Asia winner, 19-year-old Ryu f

Nov 12, 2025By Yu Seung-eun

[VIDEO] We tested Asia’s best models with diet food. Were they fooled?

4 dishes, 2 worlds: How food explains my journey to K-Pop industry

What if the most honest memoir you could write wasn't in a book, but plated on a dish? In his latest video for Howdy Korea, host Joel Jay Lane conducts a novel experiment in vulnerability, using four iconic Korean meals to navigate the winding path of his life — a journey marked by cultural duality, the Korean entertainment industry and a reckoning with his past. Joel begins his confessional with a bowl of tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and sundae (blood sausage), a food his family bought at grocery store H Mart while growing up in the United States. He recalls the isolation of growing up half-Korean before K-pop’s ascent, when connections to his heritage were sparse. "That was my go-to comfort food, and I used to eat it with my hands in the backseat of my mom's car," he notes, underscoring how this simple street snack bridged a complex cultural gap. This duality is further highlighted by budaejjigae, or army stew, a dish intrinsically tied to his background as a military kid. With a father in the Army, the Spam and hot dog stew was a frequent family staple. The memory sharpens, how

Nov 3, 2025By Yu Seung-eun

4 dishes, 2 worlds: How food explains my journey to K-Pop industry

VIDEO Korean royal cuisine master reacts to 'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty'

“Bon Appetit, Your Majesty,” a Korean drama that follows a chef who time-travels to the past, has taken the world by storm. The drama not only focuses on the romance between the chef and the king she cooks for, but also introduces traditional Korean food that people from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), especially the royals, ate back in the day. But how similar are the dishes shown in the drama to what people ate hundreds of years ago? To find out, Howdy Korea consulted a master in Korean Royal Cuisine. Lim Seung-jeong, designated practitioner of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage: Royal Court Cuisine of the Joseon Dynasty, watched Episode 4 of the drama with Joel Jay Lane, the host of Howdy Korea. In the episode, the chef participates in a competition where she has to make a dish that embodies the spirit of filial piety out of soybean paste and tofu, for the royals. Each contestant made a different dish: eomandu (fish dumpling), yeonpotang (tofu soup) and spinach soybean paste soup. However, according to Lim, soybean paste was not the most-used ingredient in the royal cuisi

Oct 10, 2025By Lee Yun-seo

[VIDEO] Korean royal cuisine master reacts to 'Bon Appetit, Your Majesty'

VIDEO What happens if you 'dine and dash' at a Korean unmanned ramyeon shop?

What happens when you eat at a restaurant with no staff, no cashier and no one watching the door? Howdy Korea host Joel Jay Lane decided to find out, flirting with the idea of a “dine and dash” inside one of Korea’s increasingly popular unmanned ramyeon shops. These self-service eateries are part of a growing trend in Korea, where automation meets dining. Instead of waiters and chefs, customers choose their ramyeon (instant noodles) from shelves lined with dozens of varieties and then cook them on built-in hot plates. Toppings, side dishes and drinks are available in refrigerators, turning the space into something more like a ramyeon playground than a convenience store. Joel walks viewers through the process of building his bowl, showing how a basic instant noodle transforms into a filling, personalized meal. From rice cakes to bean sprouts, the shop’s offerings highlight how simple ingredients can elevate a humble snack. But the real question and the playful twist of the episode comes after the meal: In a place with no staff to watch over the counter, what prevents someone from

Sep 23, 2025By Ro Eun-chan

[VIDEO] What happens if you 'dine and dash' at a Korean unmanned ramyeon shop?

VIDEO Cheongnyangni & Gyeongdong merchants pick my dinner

Cheongnyangni and Gyeongdong offer a glimpse of the city’s everyday life, from seafood and produce to herbal medicine traditions. Near the market, the air is thick with the scent of ginseng and the briny freshness of seafood. Cheongnyangni and Gyeongdong markets have thrived side by side for decades in this part of eastern Seoul. Generations of merchants have built a community here, trading everything from everyday groceries to centuries-old remedies. Though beloved by locals, these markets remain overshadowed by tourist magnets like Namdaemun and Gwangjang; they offer a different kind of Seoul experience, rooted in daily life rather than sightseeing. Both markets trace their origins to the 1960s. Cheongnyangni began when farmers started selling produce near the bustling train station, which still serves as a key hub for domestic travel. Over time, it grew into a maze of stalls offering fruits, vegetables, seafood and household goods. Gyeongdong, just steps away, evolved along a different path, becoming Korea’s largest center for herbal medicine. Today, its shops brim with dried ro

Sep 12, 2025By Yu Seung-eun

[VIDEO] Cheongnyangni & Gyeongdong merchants pick my dinner

VIDEO An American host battles Korean high schoolers with fire noodles

Howdy Korea’s new host, Joel Jay Lane, has already proven he’s not afraid of the spotlight — or of spice. In one of his first challenges, Joel went head-to-head with three Korean high school girls in a fiery showdown to see who could endure the heat of Samyang Foods’ legendary Buldak Ramen. Korean teens are known for their spice tolerance, thanks to years of eating kimchi and chili peppers. So when Joel decided to test himself against them, the stakes were high from the start. The competition began with a spicy snack trending on TikTok among teenagers, but that was only the warmup. Next, the real test arrived: a lineup of Buldak flavors progressing from the creamy Carbonara to the classic Original and finally the notorious 2x Spicy Buldak — marketed as the world’s spiciest Buldak Ramen. The rules were simple: no milk, no Coolpis (a popular Korean peach-flavored yogurt drink that cools spicy flavors), no shortcuts. The students declared with confidence, “We’re Korean high school girls — of course we can handle it.” Joel, refusing to back down, matched them bite for bi

Sep 1, 2025By Ro Eun-chan

[VIDEO] An American host battles Korean high schoolers with fire noodles

VIDEO The only restaurant where you can dine with a view of North Korea

Greewool, a restaurant beside the Ganghwa Peace Observatory, overlooks the confluence of the Han, Imjin and Yeseong rivers. Across the expanse, North Korean houses sit in plain view, and through the telescopes, a passerby on a distant road can sometimes be seen. It was here that the Howdy Korea team invited Soyeon Kim, a singer and entertainer whose life traces the divide between the two Koreas. Kim first attempted to defect at age 11, and at 13 finally crossed barbed wire into China, alone after her parents fled earlier without her. She lived there until 24, before resettling in South Korea and launching a career that has brought her into the limelight with programs like "Miss Trot 2." In an interview, Kim reflected on her journey and the growing presence of North Korean-born entertainers in the South, including the debut of idol group 1VERSE, which includes two defectors. “North Korea and South Korea — we are both people of joyful spirit. The fact that more of us are appearing on screen shows that North Koreans can shine just as brightly in culture as South Koreans," she said. Her s

Aug 22, 2025By Yu Seung-eun

[VIDEO] The only restaurant where you can dine with a view of North Korea

VIDEO Six foreign girls vs Korea’s scorching summer — first-time climb on Mount Bukhan

Seoul, South Korea — For many, hiking is a weekend ritual. But for this group of foreign residents, it was a brand-new adventure — and a climb they won’t soon forget. In this episode of Howdy Korea, international residents living in Seoul laced up their boots and set out to climb Mount Bukhan in Bukhansan National Park, one of the capital’s most iconic peaks. Just a short subway ride from downtown, the mountain welcomes first-time hikers with steep trails, shady pines and wide-open views. The day began with excitement and a bit of nervous energy as they rented gear at the Seoul Hiking Tourism Center, packed snacks and applied sunscreen. But once the trail started to climb, so did the challenge. “It’s like a sauna,” one participant gasped, as sweat began to soak through their shirts. There were moments of silence and laughter, and more than a few queries of, “Wait, how far is it to the top?” After a mid-hike break with cucumbers and tangerines, the group was faced with a choice. Some decided to continue upward, aiming for the summit despite the heat, the incline and the

Jul 29, 2025By Ro Eun-chan

[VIDEO] Six foreign girls vs Korea’s scorching summer — first-time climb on Mount Bukhan

VIDEO Only in Korea: internet cafes with AI boyfriends and all-night gaming

More than gaming: Korea’s PC bangs are next-level Korea’s internet cafes — known as "PC bangs" or PC rooms — have evolved far beyond their roots to become hybrid spaces for entertainment, dining and relaxation. In the latest episode of Howdy Korea, host Yasmin Alaadin visits one of Seoul’s most high-end PC bangs and quickly realizes that in Korea, an internet cafe is part entertainment hub, part restaurant, and part rest area. Private oasis for gamers and snack lovers alike Forget rows of cramped computers and cheap snacks: This PC room offers VIP private zones, couple booths and set-ups equipped with plush chairs, personal monitors and even mounted phone chargers. The couple zone, where Alaadin spends most of her visit, is a pastel-pink alcove that feels more like a date spot than a gaming station. “I’ve never seen an internet cafe like this,” she says. “They even have cotton swabs and lotion in the bathroom. You could move in.” Amenities extend beyond hygiene. Guests can access Netflix, YouTube and even Disney+ without logging in — a convenience rarely seen elsewher

Jun 13, 2025By RO EUNCHAN

[VIDEO] Only in Korea: internet cafes with AI boyfriends and all-night gaming

VIDEO First time at a Korean sauna (jjimjilbang): More than just a sauna!

“Strangers lay stretched out without the slightest inhibition. A young woman beside an elderly man, teenagers sprawled next to grandparents — nobody seemed to mind. In this space, the so-called 'Land of Etiquette' let its guard down. People lay in zigzags, exposing pale thighs with no shame.” — Choi Young-chul, Chosun Ilbo (2004), as cited in Culture and Society, Vol. 10 (2011) Nearly two decades after this observation was made, it still holds true. In Korea’s "jjimjilbang" — public saunas where people gather to sweat, sleep and snack — hierarchies dissolve. Bodies of every age and background lay scattered on tile floors, sprawled together in quiet camaraderie. If Korea is a society built on rules, the jjimjilbang is where those rules seem to soften. But this softness may carry a weightier meaning. In a country increasingly marked by generational separation, jjimjilbang might be one of the few places where old and young not only coexist but connect. In a recent episode of Howdy Korea, a YouTube channel produced by The Korea Times, host Yasmin Alaadin visits a jjimjilbang fo

Jun 5, 2025By Seungeun Yu

Howdy Korea