Retro-mod soft-serve on Garosugil

REMICONE owner Kim Ye-lim and team racked their brains over how to bring a fresh vibe to summer-friendly soft-serve ice cream. After some serious brainstorming, a retro-mod ice cream parlor was born. Located near Garosugil, REMICONE opened on April 25, dishing up its take on soft-serve to the masses.“We went for ice cream that would be tasty and cool and chic,” Kim, 25, explained.Kim detailed how before she decided to jump into the ice cream business, she was working as editor-in-chief for an in

FoodMay 16, 2014

Putbaechu doenjang muchim

Putbaechu (young cabbage) doenjang muchim (Korean Bapsang)This recipe is a country-style vegetable side dish. It’s simply seasoned with doenjang, fermented soybean paste, hence the name doenjang muchim. Young cabbage, called putbaechu or eolgari, is one of the vegetables commonly used for this dish. Any other green leafy vegetable would also work. Just remember to adjust the blanching time. You can add a little gochugaru (red chili pepper flakes) or gochujang (red chili pepper paste) to make it

FoodMay 16, 2014

[Weekender] Around the Hotels

Korean food in ceramic art at Lotte Hotel SeoulLotte Hotel Seoul’s Korean restaurant Mugunghwa is presenting the “Elegance of Korean Cuisine” promotion from May 12-31, during which a special menu featuring traditional banga and royal cuisine will be offered. The courses will be served on dishes crafted by Korean ceramic artists. The lunch course, priced at 100,000 won, includes fish dumplings, bamboo sprouts, grilled chicken, abalone soup and bamboo rice. The dinner course, priced at 135,000 won

TravelMay 16, 2014

Electronic dance music fest to open in Seoul next month

The hottest outdoor electronic dance music festival of the summer is once again happening in Seoul next month.This year’s Ultra Music Festival Korea, a.k.a. Ultra Korea 2014, will take place at the Sports Complex Stadium in Jamsil, Seoul on June 13-14.More than 80 internationally renowned and local EDM acts will be making their way to Seoul to perform at the two-day electronica festival. The final artist line-up was announced by UMF Korea on Wednesday.The first day of the festival will be headli

May 16, 2014

MC Mong prepares for return

Singer and TV personality MC Mong is preparing for a comeback, two years after he was cleared by the Supreme Court of the possibly career-killing accusation that he dodged military conscription. According to music industry insiders, the 35-year-old has recently signed a contract with label Wellmade Yedang and set up a plan to release a comeback album this fall.MC Mong won a two-year battle in 2012 when the Supreme Court acquitted him of the charge of violating the military service law, citing a

May 16, 2014

IU sweeps charts with covers album

Popular singer IU is sweeping the local music charts with her first covers album “A Flower Bookmark,” which was officially unveiled Friday.All seven tracks included in the album immediately topped the major music charts including Melon, Naver Music, Daum Music, Olleh Music and others upon their release at midnight. The title track “My Old Story” continues to retain the No. 1 spot while other tracks remain inside the “Top 10” list.“A Flower Bookmark” features IU’s reinterpretations and rearrangem

May 16, 2014

EXO-M's fan launches online petition

(OSEN)An EXO-M Kris' fan launched an online petition in support of the idol group's leader Kris who filed a lawsuit Thursday against his agency, demanding his contract be nullified. The fan opened the petition, seeking more participation and support from other EXO fans on portal site Daum Agora on Thursday. As of 2:00 p.m. on Friday, the petition has attracted 2,078 signatures.“This kind of lawsuit is not the first SM Entertainment has faced. Is it really a coincidence?” the petitioner wrote. SM

May 16, 2014

EXO-K’s Suho talks about ‘Kris crisis’ in interview

  EXO-M's Kris (SM Entertainment)Suho, a member of boy band EXO, finally opened his mouth about bandmate Kris’ sudden decision to file a lawsuit against group’s management company.“It is an irresponsible action. (He) should apologize to the members of EXO and the company,” Suho said in an exclusive interview with OSEN, a Korean entertainment news company.It was the first time that an EXO member had talked about Kris since his claims about SM Entertainment and lawsuit against the company.“All of

May 16, 2014

Why did EXO-M‘s Kris sue SM?

(SM Entertainment)As controversy swirls over EXO-M leader Kris‘ abrupt decision to launch a legal battle against his management agency, K-pop watchers are still struggling to grasp the reasons behind it. Kris, a Chinese member of the popular boy band EXO-M, filed a lawsuit Thursday with the Seoul Central District Court, demanding the termination of his exclusive contract with nation’s biggest talent agency, SM Entertainment.Kris claimed that his agency had never respected his opinions or health

May 16, 2014

Netizens' responses to EXO Kris’ lawsuit mixed

Netizens have had mixed reactions to K-pop group EXO Kris’ lawsuit against SM Entertainment. 　EXO members expressed confusion and accused Kris of betrayal, while Internet users and fans conveyed support for the idol.SM as of Friday morning has yet to make a public comment about the lawsuit’s effect on EXO’s concert on May 23.Kris filed a suit asking the Seoul Central District Court to nullify his contract with Korea’s largest entertainment agency Thursday, despite the boy band’s rising popularit

May 16, 2014

'Jessica & Krystal' trailer reveals their sisterhood

A teaser trailer for “Jessica & Krystal” on the On Style cable channel was revealed Friday. The footage featured the lifestyles of the two celebrities in the nation‘s entertainment business.Jessica and Krystal are members of Girls’ Generation and f(x), both K-pop girl groups widely popular around the world.In the trailer, the two quarreled, apologized and laughed like most sisters do, unveiling their real personalities as ordinary girls in their 20s, rather than K-pop superstars.The program will

May 16, 2014

The power of a dream

This is the third in a series highlighting women and their accomplishments in the various facets of the Korean entertainment industry. ― Ed.For producer and CEO of SouLime SounD Jung Mi Sung, also known as Melody, there has always been one dream in her life: music.The 26-year-old started playing piano and attending music academies at age 5. However, her parents had other plans for the enthusiastic musician, saying they wanted her to live a normal life and pursue a normal path. Still drawn to mus

PerformanceMay 15, 2014

Kim Sung-ryung returns to stage

Popular TV and film actress Kim Sung-ryung is returning to the stage after seven years away, following the recent release of her latest films “The Fatal Encounter” and “The Target.”Starting Thursday, Kim is starring in “Miss France,” a Korean adaptation of the French comic play “Jamais 2 Sans 2.” The last time she performed in theater was back in 2007, in “Melodrama.”In the play, Kim takes on three different roles at once. She first appears as Fleur de Senlis, the president of a local pageant co

May 15, 2014

‘Grace of Monaco’ mauling opens Cannes

Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon (second from right) and other jury members arrive on the red carpet for the opening ceremony of the 67th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, Wednesday. (Xinhua-Yonhap)CANNES, France (AFP) ― The world’s biggest film festival opened in Cannes Wednesday with a blast of controversy as critics mercilessly savaged the opening movie about Hollywood-darling-turned-princess Grace of Monaco.The movie’s star Nicole Kidman, Sofia Coppola, Willem Dafoe, Audrey Tautou and jury

FilmMay 15, 2014

Jung Woo-sung appointed as honorary advocate for UNHCR

Actor Jung Woo-sung (left) poses with UNHCR representative Dirk Hebecker after being appointed the honorary advocate of the agency in Seoul on Thursday. (UNHCR Korea)Actor Jung Woo-sung has been appointed an honorary advocate for the U.N. Refugee Agency in Korea, the agency said.Jung is the first celebrity to serve in the role since the establishment of the agency’s Seoul office in 2001. As the honorary advocate, the actor will help support some 45 million refugees worldwide, by participating in

May 15, 2014

EXO-M’s Kris wants out, files suit against SM

EXO-M leader Kris has shocked fans throughout the K-pop world as he officially filed a lawsuit against his agency SM Entertainment, the country’s biggest K-pop talent enterprise, demanding that his exclusive contract be nullified. The suit was filed with the Seoul Central District court on Thursday, and although representatives at SM Entertainment have not yet released any official statements, it appears it came as quite a shock. A spokesperson told Yonhap News that they were “perplexed by the i

May 15, 2014

Sultan of the Disco, Jambinai to play at Glastonbury

Sultan of the Disco. (Sultan of the Disco Website)Local indie band Sultan of the Disco, Korean traditional/rock music crossover band Jambinai and solo artist Gonne Choi will be making an appearance at the upcoming Glastonbury Festival in England next month.The artists will join internationally renowned headline acts such as Arcade Fire, Kasabian, Jack White, Robert Plant, Skrillex, Dolly Parton, Blondie and much more in the annual five-day music festival that will take place near Pilton, Somerse

May 15, 2014

‘Age of Ambition’ observes China’s split personality

For more than a year, a portion of my apartment complex in Beijing has been a construction zone; squat, old buildings have been razed, and new towers are sprouting in their stead. The area is blocked off by walls covered with large, professionally printed green banners that stretch perhaps 15 feet high. A slogan on one reads: “The China Dream, My Dream.”Such posters ― inspired by President Xi Jinping himself ― can be found all over the country, and in six brief Chinese characters, the motto unwi

BooksMay 15, 2014

Larry McMurtry talks about his new novel

Not quite five years ago, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry greeted the arrival of his novel “Rhino Ranch” by saying it would be his last, his fiction-writing finale. But on May 7, McMurtry released his 46th book. It, too, is a novel, titled “The Last Kind Words Saloon.”So what changed?“Oh, I don’t know,” the 77-year-old icon said by phone from his bookstore in his native Archer City, Texas. “You never know about these things.”“The title is ripped off from a very legendary blues calle

BooksMay 15, 2014