Myeong-dong is a symbolic battlefield in Korea’s franchise world. To be considered successful, one has to have a store or two there -- ideally right at the center of the busy tourist district. New store openings and closures are watched by many for signs of changes in food trends. A visit to the area earlier this week revealed the increased presence of one particular Asian country among Myeong-d...

SEOUL/BUSAN -- From fresh seafood to street snacks, Busan is a city of many delectable delights. That’s why it was chosen as the top travel destination for foodies in a 2017 survey by the Korea Tourism Organization. Busan’s culinary heritage was shaped by the Korean War, during which the city -- serving as the country’s provincial capital -- saw a massive influx of war refugees. Some of its mos...

There are many reasons to love Busan -- the cobalt blue sea, milder weather, delectable food, ultraconvenient mega shopping malls and jaw-dropping oceanfront skyscrapers. The picturesque Gwangan Bridge and the skyline full of luxurious skyscrapers along Haeundae Beach give a stunning first impression, similar to those of other maritime cities such as Hong Kong and Singapore. But if there’s one ...

Male makeup could be the beauty world’s next big thing. And Korean men are leading that revolution as the world’s top consumers of grooming products, according to data and surveys. Men with flawless skin and colors on their eyes and lips often appear on TV here. It has even become the norm for male K-pop celebrities to apply makeup on their full face. Amorepacific, the nation’s largest cosmetic...

Lotte Department Store threw a party for some 200 of its VIP customers last month. About 10 luxury brands, including watchmaker IWC and designer clothing brand Thom Browne, set up booths, and models presented top styles for the upcoming season at a mini fashion show. Only men with annual purchases of over 100 million won ($86,485) were invited. Gone are the days when men were just an afterthough...

Kensington Hotel & Resort, which opened its 23rd branch up in the mountains of Seoraksan last week, has mostly adopted a strategy of acquiring existing brands and remodeling them instead of building from scratch. This has both pros and cons, but it does result in diversity in terms of the look and features of each hotel and resort under its umbrella. Kensington Resort Seorak Valley, the newest e...

Ultra-long down parkas were the king of winter coats here in the past few years, but a warmer winter looks set to bring new styles. According to industry insiders and fashion experts, we will be seeing a lot of fleece jackets and short puffers instead. Fleece is all the rage Fleece, shearling, sherpa or pile, whatever they are called, those warm, snuggly jackets that were once ridiculed as “dad...

Fashionable women in Korea, like their peers elsewhere, are in love with leggings -- and they don’t just wear them to the gym. Leggings’ ascent to casual wear, as described by the dictionary-defined term athleisure, has been a global phenomenon. Seoul, never too far behind a global fad, is fast catching up. Yet, in this country, where revealing, skin-tight and outlandish clothes were once almos...

At Altdif, a boutique teahouse in Seoul’s Seogyo-dong, tea masters don’t just sell a cuppa. They sell a lifestyle. The five-tea course is priced at 30,000 won and the three-tea one is 18,000 won. Altdif serves a la carte drinks to walk-in customers as well. The shop also sells its blends, tea perfumes and other items. By Lee Sun-young ( milaya@heraldcorp.com )

Though the word “dado,” meaning a traditional tea ceremony, may not sound like much fun, it has become a trending practice among young people here, as they seek inner peace and Instagram-worthy shots at the same time. More tea shops are opening across Seoul, branding themselves as cultural complexes that offer more than just a cup of tea. Teaching the art of dado, they offer extra activities suc...

Coffee has a formidable grip on the daily lives of Koreans, but tea is slowly and quietly gaining traction. Social media-savvy hipsters wait for weeks for a tea ceremony experience. Teahouses that claim to sell not just a cuppa, but a lifestyle, are emerging as trendy hot spots. Some see in it as a counteraction to the Starbucks-driven explosion of coffee culture here. Others speak of a refresh...

South Korea’s first pet taxi startup began with co-founder Park Nara’s personal experience of an emergency vet visit back in 2015. Her dog needed to be taken to a vet immediately, but no taxi would take her and the dog. She had to run in the end. The next year Pet Me Up was launched, aiming to respond to the travel needs of dogs, cats and other companion animals and their owners. “It is estimat...

It is just like any kindergarten for kids. A place for playing and learning, a chance to build social skills and a guarantee of safety and well-being while their main caretakers are away. Except for the sound of dogs barking in unison. “We send daily photos and a memo from teachers to dog owners via app. Owners like the service a lot,” said Hong. Pet owners are typically in their 30s to their ...

Technology is making our lives easier. So why not make our pets’ lives easier too? Evolving technology and creative new ideas are bringing changes in pet parenting, with a dazzling array of smart products that make feeding your pets, playing with them and watching them from afar easier. Pet gadgets, some too gimmicky for a mainstream push, come mostly from small tech startups -- but big home app...

An aging dog gets acupuncture treatment for its aching joints. A young puppy attends a “dog kindergarten” two to three days a week to nurture social skills. The number of companies in pet breeding, pet sales and pet cremation and funerals rose to 6,078 in 2018, compared to 4,180 in 2016. There were over 4,000 independent service providers, such as grooming shops, pet day care centers and pet tax...