Over its long history, Korea has suffered, losing at times and recovering her land, language, history and culture. But Koreans never lost their indispensable national dish, kimchi. Kimchi is the staple of Koreans everywhere, including the Korean diaspora, which stretches as far as North and South Americas, Europe and the Middle East, Africa and all of Asia. Growing up in the US, I didn‘t always have kimchi on my dining table, but I enjoyed it when I could. When journalists from Korea ac

When it comes to nightlife, Seoul may be a restless city with its glittering building signs, rowdy car horns and packed crowds spilling out from work. But there is always a place to take a break from urban life and take a small emotional refuge. With numerous ancient sculptures and artworks, the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, is a home to art from Korea and beyond. But the serene museum is also a place of peace and silence.  In a darkened part of the museum, a bl

Delivery apps evolve beyond midnight snacks and Chinese food to groceries, even laundry

It almost looks like an egg pudding that is about to explode, doesn’t it? This fun Korean egg side dish is one of the “experimental” dishes of Korean cuisine. In other words, people like to make this unique Korean side dish not only for the delicious eggy taste, but also because it’s like doing a science experiment to see the result -- without the mess. The moment you open the lid of your stone pot, you will get a surprising view of volcanic eggs with piping hot steam sh

Two Korean novels have been named on the long list to qualify for the annual International Booker Prize, formerly known as the Man Booker International Prize. “Love in the Big City” by Park Sang-young and “Cursed Bunny” by Chung Bora are among 13 works announced as in the running for the international literary award announced Friday. In 2016, “The Vegetarian” by Han Kang won the prestigious international prize given to a book translated into English and pub

The recent art fever is likely to continue at the upcoming Galleries Art Fair 2022, the first major art fair of the year, with the largest number of galleries participating at a new venue in Seoul. The five-day art fair will kick off Wednesday at Seoul Trade Exhibition and Convention in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. This is a change of venue for the annual fair which has been taking place at COEX in Seoul. Some 143 galleries will participate in this year’s art fair, continuing the momentu

Amid the global popularity of Korean cultural content, an online education platform for learning traditional Korean music in German has been launched. The Korean Cultural Center in Germany has started the service to assist Germans interested in studying traditional Korean music, according to the KCCG on Thursday. The platform was built in collaboration with the Hamburg University of Music and Theater with funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany, as part of the J

Popular TV series have recently made their presence felt not only on the global viewership charts but also on local bestselling book lists. The script book of the romantic comedy "Our Beloved Summer," published on Feb. 16, placed second on the weekly bestsellers list for the third week of February by Kyobo Book Center, the biggest bookstore chain in South Korea. On the weekly sales list of Yes24, a local online bookstore, preorders of the series' screenplay book also ranked third in th

The culture of daily teatime with guests and acquaintances is prevalent in most ASEAN countries. Many artists have been inspired by the soothing ritual that offers a moment of quiet contemplation and an opportunity to recharge. A special exhibition, “Teatime and Coffee Break,” is being held at ASEAN Culture House’s Exhibition Gallery in Haeundae, Busan. The exhibition centers around three concepts -- coffee, tea and moments of pause.  The exhibition features some 40 work

Taean World Tulip Flower Festival The World Tulip Flower Festival is scheduled to run from April 9 to May 9 at Korea Flower Park in Taean, South Chungcheong Province. Some 200 types of flowers, including flamingo, lambada, red proud tulip and more, will be on full display. On-hand experiences, like a flower planting program, will not be offered at this year’s event to prevent any spread of COVID-19. The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and tickets are 12,000 won for adults and 9,000

JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents sakura teppanyaki Tamayura, the luxury Japanese dining destination on the second floor of JW Marriott Hotel Seoul, is showcasing an authentic teppanyaki course crafted from diverse seasonal ingredients. The main dish of the eight-course dinner menu is the hanwoo tenderloin, a cut of the highest grade of beef. Other highlights include a welcome dish of Sakizuke, hanwoo roast beef, grilled sirloin served with Tamayura’s own special sauce, live seafood Karas

During the presidential campaign that ended with a narrow victory for opposition candidate Yoon Suk-yeol early Thursday morning, cultural issues took a backseat as the candidates focused on issues like soaring housing prices and recovery from the ongoing pandemic. But the culture industry, still reeling from the trauma of the previous conservative administrations’ blacklist of artists and cultural figures and hit hard by the pandemic, is urging the incoming administration to provide supp

Whether you like it or not, South Korea voted for Yoon Suk-yeol to lead the country for the next five years as the president. Here are some fun facts about him, from the book that changed his perspective on the economy to his favorite home-made comfort foods.  1. Avid baseball fan Proclaiming himself as an avid fan of baseball, President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol used to frequently visit baseball stadiums with colleagues when he worked as a local prosecutor in Daejeon, Daegu and Gwangju. &ld

As White Day approaches, beauty and fashion brands are rushing to roll out new products to help men mark the occasion. In Korea, March 14 is White Day, when men usually give candy or gifts to women as a way to thank them for the gifts they received on Valentine’s Day. Italian neoclassical brand Metrocity has launched a crossbody bag to commemorate White Day. The miniature sized bag is described as one that suits young women’s free lifestyle. The square-shaped bag with a catena ch

The organizers of Daegu International Musical Festival on Tuesday said it has decided to scrap plans to close the weekslong festival with a Russian musical, joining a growing movement in the art world to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. DIMF organizers said they had planned to introduce the Russian musical, which would have been the first overseas musical in two years at the festival, and that talks had been underway. They declined to name the musical. “We worked hard over t