Most Popular
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‘Gimflation’ in S. Korea as dried seaweed prices grow on rising global demand
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S. Korea's gender pay gap worst in OECD
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Yoon to resume diplomatic activity via 3-way summit with Japan, China
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SM, YG Entertainment’s K-pop groups benefit from troubles at Hybe
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South Korea unveils W26tr support program for chip industry
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S. Korea to hold rotating presidency of UN Security Council next month
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Yoon rejects Lee's proposal for pension reform talks
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Student nabbed for biking naked 'due to stress'
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Police arrest mastermind behind last year's palace vandalism
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BOK holds rate at 3.5%, ups growth outlook
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An intimate view of photographers at work
Exhibition photographs are often polished and flawless, making it difficult for viewers to fathom the complex process of choosing and producing such images. Eschewing this facade, three ongoing photo exhibits in Seoul offer viewers a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes process of photographers by displaying their contact sheets and photo-developing materials. Magnum Photos agency and the Museum of Photography, Seoul gathered some 70 iconic images of Magnum photographers and their contact prints, w
PerformanceFeb. 22, 2016
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Conan O'Brien sings on K-pop track yet to be released
American talk show host Conan O'Brien said Sunday he has sung on a new track produced by the prolific South Korean musician Park Jin-young.O'Brien shared a photo of him with Park, Korean-American actor Steven Yeun, the South Korean girl group TWICE and backup dancers on Instagram with the comment: "@SteveYeun and I got to sing on a brand new track by #Kpop king.... Get ready, #Korea!"The photo was presumably taken after shooting the music video for Park's upcoming song Thursday. Park is the foun
PerformanceFeb. 21, 2016
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‘Youth Over Flowers -- Africa’ sets record
The first episode of “Youth Over Flowers – Africa,” which premiered Friday, set a record viewership of 12.7 percent, an all-time high for the reality travel series, according to CJ E&M which referenced TV rating figures from Nielsen Korea. “The show was also the most-watched show on the entire cable channel networks on Friday night, and widely viewed by audience of all ages, ranging from teenagers to those in 50s,” said an official of CJ E&M, which owns the channel. Poster for the “Youth Over
TelevisionFeb. 21, 2016
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China’s increasing presence in Korean entertainment
China is increasing its investments in joint film productions with Hollywood studios, from 3-D animations to drama and fantasy action movies. The world’s second largest economy, which also has the second biggest film market, has moved from being a promoter of local goods through product placements in American blockbusters to a key film investor. Audiences can easily see the Chinese influence in recent movies such as “Kung Fu Panda 3,” “Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation,” “Transformers: Age of
FilmFeb. 21, 2016
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UK design star Anderson mines influences to dazzle London
LONDON (AFP) - British design whiz kid Jonathan Anderson led the charge on the second day of London Fashion Week Saturday with a celebration of individualism that fused inspirations including the natural world, the military and Far-Eastern tradition. British fashion mainstays Jasper Conran and Julien McDonald had earlier set the tone with shows that mixed the spectacular with the sensible, but it was 2015 designer of the year Anderson who was the hottest ticket in town. The 30-year-old Northern
Arts & DesignFeb. 21, 2016
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AOMG returns to U.S. on tour
Record label AOMG will tour the U.S in April said an announcement on Saturday on its official Facebook page. Called the “Follow the Movement 2016 American Tour,” artistes from AOMG will perform over two weeks in eight U.S. cities -- Chicago, New York, Houston, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. Featuring singers Jay Park, Simon Dominic, Loco, Gray and DJ Pumkin, the label will kick off the tour with a concert at House of Blues, Chicago, on April 5.Poster for AOMG’s 2016
PerformanceFeb. 21, 2016
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Umberto Eco: from philosophy to best-sellers
MILAN (AFP) -- Italy’s Umberto Eco, whose death at 84 has been announced by the Italian media, leapt from being an internationally-renowned philosopher to become an author of best-selling novels. Best known for his 1980 historical mystery novel “The Name of the Rose,” which has been translated into more than 40 languages, Eco’s fiction bears all the hallmarks of his academic work as semiologist as he explores the link between fantasy and reality. Often called the study of signs, semiotics is a c
CultureFeb. 21, 2016
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Harper Lee leaves behind questions about her life and work
NEW YORK (AP) -- Harper Lee has died, but the conversation about the author’s life and work has only begun. “I think the retrospective will be more useful than what was said during her lifetime, because there are a lot of things we can get down to that were impossible before,” Lee’s friend Wayne Flynt, an Alabama-based historian, told the Associated Press. Lee’s death Friday at age 89 comes almost exactly a year after her publisher, HarperCollins, stunned the world by announcing that a second no
BooksFeb. 21, 2016
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Refugees documentary ‘Fire at Sea’ wins Berlin festival top prize
BERLIN (AFP) - Italian director Gianfranco Rosi's “Fire at Sea,” a harrowing documentary about Europe’s refugee crisis, clinched the Berlin film festival's Golden Bear top prize on Saturday from a jury led by Meryl Streep.As Europe grapples with its biggest migrant influx since World War II, the picture offers an unflinching look at life on the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, where thousands of asylum seekers from Africa and the Middle East have arrived trying to reach the European Union ove
FilmFeb. 21, 2016
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[The Palate] Winter wellness found in fermented bean paste soup
Korean cuisine has long been associated with the practice of fermentation and the healthful benefits of a variety of pickled and salted foods. As health trends from around the globe are becoming more popular among conscientious eaters, the culinary history of Korea which is rich in flavor and focused on wellbeing, offers much to learn. One dish that stands out among Korea’s most pungent holistic foods is cheonggukjang, fermented soybean, with a unique aroma which makes it an acquired taste.Going
FoodFeb. 19, 2016
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‘Youth Over Flowers’ heads to Namibia
Star producer Na Young-seok describes the four young men he whisked away to Namibia for his tvN show “Youth Over Flowers -- Africa” as being “just kids these days.”In a way, that was what he had intended when he recruited Ryu Jun-yeol, Park Bo-gum, Ahn Jae-hong and Go Kyung-pyo, all castmates on the tvN drama “Reply 1988,” for the third installment of the “Youth Over Flowers” series. Speaking to press at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Seoul on Thursday, Na said he made his decision to take the qua
TelevisionFeb. 19, 2016
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[Weekender] Moveable feasts: Street foods shed humble beginings
Cheese-topped lobster, grilled steak, steaming bowls of Vietnamese rice noodle and deep-fried whole squid on a stick -- these are but some of the foods from around the globe that can be had on the go on Seoul streets.Myeong-dong and Hongdae neighborhoods today boast street foods that have shed any trace of their humble origins as a cheap, quick bite for people short of money and time. Even staple street foods like tteokbokki and fishcakes have been given new twists -- spicy tteokbokki served smo
FoodFeb. 19, 2016
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[Weekender] Seoul City pushes to legalize street vendors for better control
Trying out diverse types of street food may be tempting, especially for tourists who wish to experience Korea‘s unique food culture. About 8,000 street vendors operate in Seoul, mostly food vendors, attracting visitors with a wide variety of offerings ranging from Korean traditional desserts to hot meals.Most of them, however, are illegal, as occupying streets with unauthorized facilities is officially banned in Korea. Acknowledging the public’s complaints over the overcrowding of the city’s maj
FoodFeb. 19, 2016
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[Weekender] Newly legalized food trucks face systemic hurdles in Korea
Korea is famous the world over for its vibrant street food culture, with stalls, carts and booths selling time-tested delicacies at every turn. So it may come as a surprise to some that food trucks -- vehicles outfitted to accommodate cooking facilities -- were just legalized in Korea in August 2014 as a part of the deregulation efforts pushed by the Park Geun-hye administration.Although food trucks were touted as a way to increase opportunities for young entrepreneurs who may not have the capit
FoodFeb. 19, 2016
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Seoul street foods seeing culinary rebirth
A city that once saw its street foods limited to greasy fried foods on a stick and traditional doughy dessert snacks, Seoul’s streets are now seeing new culinary creations and out-of-the-box dining options like never before. Like many urban cities, one of the dynamic aspects of Seoul’s city life for both tourists and locals alike is the wide-ranging options of hot-off-the-street eats. And one cannot talk about Seoul street foods without mentioning the city’s street food mecca -- Myeong-dong.Seou
FoodFeb. 19, 2016
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Busan’s street foods stay true to their origins
Overview of food alley at BIFF plaza, Busan. (Korea Tourism Organization)Along with the spread of social media, there has been a rapid change in street food trends, from previously focusing on taste to being increasingly fixated on providing visual pleasure. People who once enjoyed the food itself are now seeking fancy or extravagant presentations to show off on Facebook or Instagram.Although Busan also has picture-worthy street foods, such as water drop mochi and skewered fruits covered with sy
FoodFeb. 19, 2016
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Grand Hyatt Incheon seeks to be hotel for weekend leisure
Four months into his new job as the general manager of Grand Hyatt Incheon, Adam Myott is trying to learn everything he can about Korea -- its language, people, food. Adam Myott, Grand Hyatt Incheon general managerComing to Korea for the first time from Australia, the 51-year-old Hyatt executive said it was always a challenge when relocating to a new place with a different culture, people and business climate.“Although it is challenging to learn about different culture, that’s what makes this jo
TravelFeb. 19, 2016
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Around the hotels
Banyan Tree introduces ‘Taste Odyssey’ diningBanyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul’s Club Member’s Restaurant is presenting “Taste Odyssey V” from Feb. 26-27. Taste Odyssey is held once a month and this month’s featured ingredient is fresh Byeolgyo cockles. This uniquely Korean dining event will use chamkkomak and pikkomak varieties of these little clams, delivered directly from Yeojaman, the area famous for cockles, located in the Byeolgyo coastal area. Chamkkomak is famous as one of the dishes served t
FoodFeb. 19, 2016
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[Album Review] Rainbow takes another shot with 'Prism'
Rainbow“Prism”(Loen Entertainment) Rainbow is one of those girl groups that everyone seems to like, but just can’t seem to get a break. On their fourth album “Prism,” titled with the hope of each member’s personality (“color”) shining through, the group demonstrates that its slow takeoff was certainly not for want of talent.The first track establishes the members’ vocal skills, with each singer giving a solid performance on a classic K-pop ballad reminiscent of songs from the 2000s. Even withou
PerformanceFeb. 19, 2016
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[Album Review] SS301 is suave on ‘Eternal 5’
SS301"Eternal 5"(Interpark)The three members of SS501 who returned as the unit group SS301 -- Heo Young-saeng, Kim Kyu-jong and Kim Hyung-jun -- may have been away from the scene for seven years, but on their EP “Eternal 5” they showed that they have not lost their touch. Catchy and dramatic, the five tracks follow the latest trends in K-pop, creating structures that highlight their vocal talents.The record starts off smooth with a R&B-infused vibe in “Dirty Love,” then gets big, loud and catch
PerformanceFeb. 19, 2016