Sleepless summer in Seoul

As summer is in full swing, many Seoulites are finding it hard to sleep at night without the air conditioner on.But the city offers a number of ways to escape the heat outside the house at night, from outdoor concerts to film screenings by the Hangang River. Here are some events and spots to check out to help you cool down, have fun, and relax. Outdoor concerts Seoul Arts Center is throwing free night concerts this month every Saturday at its spacious outdoor property. The four concerts feature

CultureAug. 9, 2013

Calendar

Festivals“The Great Battles of Hansan Festival”: A reenactment of a heroic sea battle during the Hideyoshi Invasion of Korea more than four centuries ago will be conducted from Aug. 14-18 in the waters off Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. In the Hansan Daecheop, or Great Battle of Hansan, Korean naval ships led by Adm. Yi Sun-sin destroyed an invading Japanese armada. Over 100 ships will take part in the reenactment, which will be the highlight of the commemorative Hansan Daecheop Festival.

CultureAug. 9, 2013

Box Office: The Flu, The Place Beyond the Pines, The Terror Live

The FluDrama. Action. Directed by Kim Sung-soo.Opening Aug. 14A deadly strain of the avian influenza virus H5N1 suddenly spreads, causing widespread destruction in Bundang, a city of high-rise apartments outside of Seoul. The disease infects its victims through the respiratory system and it takes only 36 hours for the infected to die. People are helpless against the airborne disease and the number of infected increases quickly, spreading chaos. As a precaution against the worst-case scenario, th

FilmAug. 9, 2013

Eyelike: Expect the unexpected in ‘Pink Tape’

Expect the unexpected in ‘Pink Tape’f(x)“Pink Tape”(KT Music)Filled with catchy, weird-in-a-good-way tracks, “Pink Tape” stands out from the usual mainstream pop affair.Title track “Rum Pum Pum Pum” compares a first love to the first time a wisdom tooth comes in, pushing other teeth aside and leaving a hole when removed. The track features a bass line with a muted guitar riff, resulting in a one-of-a-kind song.“Shadow” is also a standout track about a girl stalking a person and calling it a “dat

PerformanceAug. 9, 2013

Taking the scenic route on the Rocky Mountaineer train

ABOARD THE ROCKY MOUNTAINEER IN WESTERN CANADA ― The land, baronial and steep, dwarfs this 20-car train as it snakes through the wilderness.Go ahead, smudge your nose up against the wide windows. Slip outside into the warm, pine-scented vestibule between the cars.At times, the Canadian Rockies seem one misty dreamscape. There are almost too many thrashing waterfalls, too many forests, too many vistas that look as though they’ve never been hiked.Grizzly bears, elk, moose and big-horned sheep stil

TravelAug. 9, 2013

Around the Hotels

Happy hour promotion at Renaissance Seoul HotelThe hotel’s bar Trevi Lounge presents a happy hour promotion where draft beer with a sausage side dish can be enjoyed at an affordable price every day from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The bar has six different kinds of European, Japanese and Korean draft beers such as Jirisan Moon Bear, Seorak Oatmeal Stout, Asahi and Hoegaarden, paired with delicious grilled sausage. One glass of draft beer and grilled sausage is priced at 19,500 won, and two glasses with the

FoodAug. 9, 2013

Kongguksu (chilled soy milk noodle soup)

Kongguksu is a cold noodle soup that’s served in creamy soy milk. Making soy milk is less work than you might imagine. Soaked soybeans are cooked, then pureed and filtered through a sieve. The secret to making delicious soy milk for kongguksu is not to overcook the beans so that they retain their natural flavor. More often than not, a small amount of sesame seeds and/or nuts (such as pine nuts, peanuts, almonds and walnuts) are pureed with the soybeans for an extra-nutty flavor. Nothing beats th

FoodAug. 9, 2013

Cronut trend hits Seoul

After chef Dominique Ansel launched his croissant-meets-donut dessert at his New York-based bakery this May, the pastry, christened the Cronut, quickly went on to become the sweet of the moment. Even the bakery is aware of its dessert’s overwhelming popularity, stating that the Cronut “is taking the world by storm.”The site goes on to explain what a Cronut is, detailing how it is crafted from “a laminated dough which has been likened to a croissant.” It is almost as if the bakery foresaw the glo

FoodAug. 9, 2013

Sinawe returns after 7 years with album, DMZ show

Heavy-metal rock band Sinawe, nationally recognized as being the very first metal band in Korea, has made its return to the big stage. Last week the iconic rock band released “Mirrorview,” its first album in more than seven years.Members Shin Dae-cheol, Kim Jung-wook and Yoon Gee-hyun had previously commented that the concept of their latest album was “bibimbap.” The veteran rockers who are known for the hard-core rock tunes have tried to incorporate a variety of different styles into their newe

PerformanceAug. 9, 2013

[Photo News] Tackling tourism

TravelAug. 9, 2013

Heritage office lifts travel ban on ‘Pensive Bodhisattva’

The Silla-period gilt-bronze Buddha statue “Pensive Bodhisattva” will be traveling to New York for an upcoming show after the Cultural Heritage Administration on Friday rescinded its ban on the National Treasure No. 83 from being taken out of the country. The reversal came 11 days after the National Museum of Korea was notified of the travel ban on July 29. With the green light from the state-run heritage agency, “Pensive Bodhisattva” will take its place as the highlight of the “Silla, Korea’s G

CultureAug. 9, 2013

Son seeks real identity after DNA testing

CHICAGO ― In April 1964, Paul Joseph Fronczak, less than two days old, was kidnapped from a Chicago hospital by a woman posing as a nurse.A few months ago, in a way, he vanished again. Because of a DNA test taken this April, Paul Fronczak learned that he is a Fronczak only in name.After getting the test result, he realized “I didn’t know my birthday. I didn’t know anything about me,” he said.The mystery over Fronczak’s identity began 49 years ago in hospital room 418B at the former Michael Reese

PeopleAug. 9, 2013

Guitarist apologizes to Korean Air over false accusation

A renowned U.S. guitarist has offered an apology to Korean Air Lines Co. on Thursday for his false accusation that the carrier damaged his guitar.Steve Vai said in a message posted on Facebook that the broken neck of his guitar was discovered at a rock festival in South Korea. The music event came before the guitarist took the Korean Air flight.Korean Air “was not the airline that damaged my guitar,” Vai said. “My apologies to Korean Airlines for this misinformation.”He said the largest South Ko

PeopleAug. 9, 2013

IU, Lee Hyun-woo deny dating

The respective agencies of South Korean singer IU and actor Lee Hyun-woo denied on Friday rumors that the two 21-year-old stars are an item.Earlier in the day, photos of IU and Lee entering a movie theater at midnight circulated on the Internet, sparking speculation that the two are in a romantic relationship.Lee’s agency Keyeast admitted that the two had watched a movie together but said they were “just close friends.” Loen Entertainment, IU’s management company, said agencies’ other staffers w

TelevisionAug. 9, 2013

[Newsmaker] Abe struggles to get a grip on Fukushima

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe indicated that his patience with the operator of the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant had worn out when it ordered his government to help with the clean up.Tokyo Electric Power Company announced last month that about 300 tons of radioactive groundwater had been flowing into the sea every day. It was criticized for its lack of openness and slowness to report the leaks or the risk of them happening. The announcement added to a growing consensus that TEPCO’s respo

Expat LivingAug. 8, 2013