Itaewon Global Village Center has announced its volunteering program for January.The activities include helping people at Yongsan Center for the Disabled make craftworks for sale on Jan. 8.On Jan. 19 native- and nonnative-speaking volunteers will join an English conversation class at a Yongsan Senior Welfare Center as part of an initiative to help old people fight Alzheimer’s disease, and on Jan. 20 the Itaewon GVC will volunteer at Young Aena’s Home for children with cerebral palsy.Activities t

Dec. 30, 2015

A group of volunteers will get together to help out at Angel House, a center in northwest Seoul that is home to about 50 disabled residents. The volunteers go once or twice a month to the house to clean the facilities, do laundry, cook and help with basic personal hygiene for the residents.Joining in requires a 10,000 won donation, which goes toward facility upkeep and food for residents and volunteers.The group meets at 1:30 p.m. at Yeonsinnae Subway Station on Line No. 3.To join in or get more

Dec. 30, 2015

Gwangju International Center is running a program of cultural classes in January on a range of language and other subjects.Adult courses include basic Spanish, Japanese and Italian, as well as classes on K-pop and calligraphy. There are children’s courses on Saturdays. Schedules for the adult classes vary.The weekly classes run from Jan. 5-30 and registration closes Monday.Tuition fees are 40,000 won for all classes except English conversation, which is 80,000 won. Fees do not include textbook c

Dec. 30, 2015

One of Korea’s most high-profile expat blogs has shut off its server space after 12 years online.Robert Koehler’s Marmot’s Hole blog was a mainstay of the expat blogosphere, but was closed Monday, as the author said he was no longer willing to commit the time and money needed to maintain it.“I’ve been doing it since 2003 and, you know, I just wasn’t feeling it anymore. And frankly it was more aggravation than it was anything else,” he said.“To be honest, blogging is, I think to some extent it’s

Dec. 30, 2015

Seorae Global Village Center in southern Seoul will be running beginners’ Spanish classes from next year.The course will run on Thursdays and last 10 weeks, after which participants should be able to introduce themselves and carry out basic conversation.Classes will run at the SGV Center building near Seocho Station from 1:30-3 p.m. Tuition costs 50,000 won but a trial lesson that opens the course on Jan. 7 will be free.The class size is limited to 10, with priority given to foreign residents.Fo

Dec. 23, 2015

The Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch will kick off the new year with some Gallic flavor, with a talk by Hal Swindall on the rise of French restaurants in Korea.Before 2000, there were fewer than five French restaurants in all of Korea, he says, while today, there are 60, as well as bakeries. Swindall argues that the sharp increase indicates a major shift in food preferences here.He will talk about how a new interest in a wider range of foreign food here has drawn young Korean chefs to France

Dec. 23, 2015

Seoul global Center will be changing the way it offers legal counseling from next year.Those seeking advice will need to consult a multilingual counselor to assess their needs. The counselor will then book a session with a legal adviser, who will review the consultee’s situation before the session.Various languages are supported for the initial consultation, including English, Russian and several Asian languages, and the consultation can be made in person or by phone or email.The center said it

Dec. 23, 2015

Galmegi Brewing will be hosting a homebrewing class in Gwangan, Busan, on Sunday.At the second in a series of brewing classes, participants will learn how to make an oatmeal stout.The cost to attend will be 30,000 won and includes instruction, recipes and samples. It also includes 2 liters of the bottled beer made in the class, available for pickup a month later. The proceeds will go toward paying for the facility, the ingredients and the bottles. The class, which will be in English, starts at 2

Dec. 16, 2015

Seoul Global Center will be holding training sessions for volunteers this Friday and Saturday.The center runs a volunteering program with several activities each month that foreign residents can join.The volunteering schedule changes each month, but activities typically include visits to centers for the elderly and underprivileged children, as well as helping out with center activities, such as concerts, flea markets and job fairs.Friday’s training session will be led by art therapist Lee Na-ri

Dec. 16, 2015

Gwangju International Center will be hosting a year-end gathering to look back on the year this weekend.In addition to a review of what the center has done in 2015, there will be a quiz and raffle, musical performances and an awards ceremony for GIC members who have made contributions to the community over the years.This will be followed by a potluck party. Those who bring their own mugs will be given a free soft drink. Drinks otherwise cost 1,000 won, and are the only thing charged for.The even

Dec. 16, 2015

Expat performers will be gathering in Haebangchon, Seoul, for a Christmas show of comedy, music and acting.Performances will include those from improvised comedy troupe Seoul City Improv, who will perform based on audience suggestions. Members of the Camarata Music Company will perform carols, and Stand Up Seoul will provide wry comments on the year gone by. The shows will be at the Camarata Music Company Studio.Admission is 10,000 won, including two drinks. Doors open at 8 p.m., with performanc

Dec. 16, 2015

The Association des Francophones de Coree will hold its annual Christmas market in cooperation with Seocho District Office on Saturday.As well as traditional French fare and a wide variety of wines, champagne, food and gifts on sale, there will be entertainment and a raffle draw.Performances include a clown show at 10:30 a.m., choral performances at 2 p.m. and visits from Santa at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.Money raised from booth rental, raffles and sales will be donated to the French Korean Socia

Dec. 9, 2015

Camarata Music Company’s Chorale and Orchestra will hold their annual Christmas performance of Handel’s “Messiah” in Seoul this weekend.The company has performed “Messiah” each year since 2009 to provide English-language concerts of the Christmas choral favorite. The concerts have become a yearly tradition, attracting around 1,000 people each time.The performance will feature the Camarata Chorale, an amateur singing group made up of members from over 62 different countries since its inception. F

Dec. 9, 2015