Touch-free services may be the key focus for hotels in the post-coronavirus era, according to Park Hyatt Seoul General Manager Samuel Dabinett. Luxury hotel Park Hyatt Seoul shut down in March after a guest confirmed with COVID-19 visited the hotel. After a nearly two-month break, it reopened in June, changing some of its service manuals in pursuit of contactless service. During the break, the hotel developed a new QR-code for its compendium, allowing guests to access all the information reg

Zombie thrillers are action movies disguised as horror movies, Gang says

  The Korea Herald publisher and CEO Kwon Chung-won (left) and layout editor Lee Yoon-joo attend an event to mark the 5th anniversary of the Foreign Language Newspapers Association of Korea at Dalgaebi restaurant in central Seoul on Monday. Editor Lee received a plaque for her contribution to enhancing The Korea Herald’s brand with outstanding page layouts and designs. Editor Lee (second from right) poses for the camera along with other awardees from Korea Times, Korea JoonAang Da

A daytime English instructor and pastime photographer wandering through the bustling streets of Seoul

As rumors of Song Joong-ki dating a lawyer spread across the internet, History D&C, Song’s agency since January, issued a warning on Thursday to anyone spreading “false rumors.” “These rumors are not true,” said History D&C. “As an agency, in order to protect our artist’s precious yet basic rights, we will take legal action against people who created and spread the malicious rumor as well as those that routinely write malicious comments.&rdquo

Many Korean celebrities joined the world in supporting the #blackouttuesday movement, posting black square images on their Instagram accounts on Tuesday. #Blackouttuesday was initiated by Atlanta Records marketing chief Jamila Thomas and Platoon’s Brianna Agyemang, who suggested putting the music industry on a pause and to think of ways to help the Black Lives Matter movement, following the police killing of George Floyd on May 25. With famous artists and major music labels joining the

Celebrities joined the #ThanksChallenge this week via their social media accounts to thank the medical personnel who have worked tirelessly to fight the COVID-19 pandemic The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the start of the challenge during its regular briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic situation on April 16. The challenge consists of posting yourself showing the word “respect” in sign language -- placing the right hand with the thumb up on top of the left

The first work of Korean literature to be translated into English was “The Cloud Dream of the Nine” in 1922, translated by Canadian missionary James S. Gale. That was almost a century ago, but until recently Korean literature still did not get much exposure in the global market. “The markets in the US and UK are growing a lot for Korean books,” founder of the BJZ Agency Barbara J. Zitwer told The Korea Herald by email.  Based in New York City, the agency speciali

Last month, Baek Hee-na, a children‘s book author and renowned picture book artist, won the 2020 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the world’s largest children’s literature prize, becoming the first Korean to do so. Many Korean children’s books, however, still have not received the global attention they deserve. “We do not concentrate much on assisting the children’s book genre yet,” a Literature Translation Institute of Korea official told The Korea H

From Korean TV dramas and K-pop to the nation’s cinematic output, Korean content has taken the world by storm. This year, it may be Korean novels’ turn to engage global readers. According to the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, a state-run institute that promotes Korean literature abroad, at least 91 Korean books are being published in 19 countries this year. “There might be more books that will be published overseas, this is the number that we have for now,&rdquo

The Korea National Opera announced its recently reinstated artistic director Yoon Ho-geun quit on Monday, preventing chaos for the troupe that was to be led by two heads. According to the national troupe’s press release Tuesday, Yoon quit his position to “prevent confusion for the opera troupe, and to encourage the advance of the Korean opera scene.”  Earlier this month, the national opera troupe fell into confusion when its former artistic director Yoon Ho-geun retur

Korean American actor Daniel Dae Kim, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, spoke on social media about his coronavirus testing experience and xenophobia. On Friday, Kim posted a 10-minute video on Instagram announcing that he had tested positive and spoke about violence toward Asians stemming from xenophobia. He had also tweeted on Monday against ongoing acts of racism in the US. Kim, known for his roles as Kwon Jin-soo in “Lost” and Dr. Jackson Han in “The Good Doc

Large churches in Seoul are continuing with their Sunday services online, as Korea is still in national battle against COVID-19. Like the past weeks, Sarang Church in southern Seoul, one of the several megachurches here, is going online for its Sunday services this week. On Sunday, more than 40,000 people viewed the online stream by the church.   “The decision was voluntarily made by the church community -- not by someone’s order. A church -- a religious community -- shares

Celebrities in Korea are making donations to help people fight against the spread of COVID-19 across the nation. On Friday, actress Yum Jung-ah donated 100 million won ($82,200) to Green Umbrella Child Fund Korea to help purchase masks and hand sanitizers for children in need. Singer-turned-actress Yoona, members of K-pop band Red Velvet, and singers Kang Daniel and Zico also made donations to the cause. 　　 On Thursday, singer-songwriter IU donated 100 million won each to nonprofit organi

Cho Hee-sook has been named Asia’s Best Female Chef of 2020 by the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, one of the most influential groups in the cuisine industry in Asia. Cho, who owns Hansikgonggan in Seoul, a Michelin-starred Korean restaurant specializing in royal court cuisine, started her culinary arts career more than 20 years ago. She has worked at five-star hotels in Seoul and in 2005, she was appointed executive chef at the South Korean Embassy in Washington. “I s