Japchae is a noodle dish made with sweet potato starch noodles (dangmyeon), also known as glass noodles. The chewy and stringy noodles are nicely paired with thin strips of beef and various vegetables such as carrots, spinach, onions and mushrooms. All of the ingredients, separately cooked to develop the layers of flavor, are combined at the end into a deliciously colorful dish with a smooth balance of sweet and savory flavors. This classic method is what makes this dish special and a Korean fav

Handed-down recipes, a tribute to family traditions

The Korea Coast Guard will get a female captain in command of a patrol boat Sunday for the first time in its 60-year history. Superintendent Ko You-me will be a commanding officer of a patrol boat at Donghae Coast Guard Station in Gangwon Province, the Korea Coast Guard in Incheon said.The 34-year-old currently works at the Korea Coast Guard, managing one of two public communication teams. She will take the commanding job aboard Patrol Boat 1513 of the station in Donghae, becoming the first fema

Seoul Metropolitan Government named Park Hyun-jung, president of the Woman Leadership Research Institute, as the new CEO of Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra on Friday. She is the first female chief executive of the orchestra. The nomination came a year after Kim Joo-ho retired as CEO in February.Park graduated from Seoul National University with a major in education, and completed master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology at Harvard University. She has also held managerial positions at Samsung Lif

The Australian Embassy brought in Australia Day in style on Thursday night with Jessica Gomes opening a fashion show developed by Korean-Australian designer Bae Yeojin. The event took place at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Seoul and showcased Bae’s new Australian winter collection ― with some Korean touches. The models sported the characteristically Australian barracudas in outfits made from Australian Merino wool, while walking the runway to the music of Psy’s “Gangnam Style.” Since being awarded Yo

A New Zealand charity group is constructing what it claims to be the world’s biggest waterslide, as part of its effort to raise awareness about depression.Jimi Hunt and Dan Drupsteen, who cofounded antidepression group Live More Awesome, said they are building a 650-meter-long waterslide for their two-day fund-raising festival on Feb. 23 and 24, in Helensville, 40 kilometers northwest of Auckland.The slide is currently just a mud track through a field of cows, but it is expected to clinch the ti

With the same exercise program, it’s easier for men to slim down and get healthier than women, a recent study has found.The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Missouri on 75 obese people for 16 weeks.The researchers asked the participants to do aerobics exercises and observed each person’s weight loss and health improvement. The level of exercise was adjusted individually as 65 percent of their health improvement was measured by the recovery time after exercise.After 16 week

With a Westernized lifestyle and diet, and an aging society, we live in a time of increasing cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The classic symptoms of heart disease include chest pain, palpitations, and shortness of breath. Many people with heart disease are unaware of any symptoms, so some people can suddenly develop symptoms having previously thought they were healthy. Therefore, if you have any symptoms related to the heart, it is highly recommended that a cardiologist examine you. Even if

A 53-year-old patient was once again on the operating table last month to get another dental implant for his upper right tooth. He found himself trembling with fear when thinking of the past surgeries that caused excruciating pain. But this time, it was different. After only two hours of surgery at S-Plant Dental Hospital in Seoul, the patient felt less pain, bleeding and swelling. He was even able to have dinner on the day of the surgery. All this was possible because Kim received a dental impl

Brad Meltzer’s thrillers gravitate to best sellers’ lists. His contemporary novels, which include “The Inner Circle” and “The Book of Lies,” are steeped in historical facts.But wait, there’s more. Meltzer has written five comic books, including the Eisner Award-winning “Justice League of America,” has two nonfiction books to his credit and is the host of “Brad Meltzer’s Decoded” on the History Channel. His newest thriller is “The Fifth Assassin.”Q: In “The Fifth Assassin,” a killer re-creates th

Kinsey and MeBy Sue Grafton(Marian Wood/Putnam)Sue Grafton’s new collection of short stories, “Kinsey and Me,” is a mixed bag of material.There are gems inside that fans of Grafton’s “alphabet series” of Kinsey Millhone detective capers are sure to enjoy.Her best selling novels, dating back to 1982’s “A is for Alibi” and progressing all the way to 2011’s “V is for Vengeance,” are all readily available in bookstores.But did you know that Grafton also wrote eight mystery shorts featuring her pluck