Gamaek Festival The Gamaek Festival began 2015 with the aim of revitalizing the local economy, securing small business markets, promoting community and contributing to society. Like chimaek, the popular term for fried chicken and beer, gamaek is a portmanteau of two Korean words: “gagae (store)” and “maekju (beer).” It refers to chilling out in the evening with beer at the outdoor tables of small neighborhood pubs or supermarkets. Held in Jeonju, it is open to everyo

SOKCHO, Gangwon Province -- A bustling port city on the east coast with Seoraksan in the backdrop, Sokcho, a three-hour drive from Seoul, is a much-favored summer destination for South Koreans.Defined by its lively beaches, abundant seafood and vibrant city atmosphere, the city is packed with vacationers in summer. Its recent rise as a surfing destination has led to even more visitors. Though Gangwon Province does not have a thriving culinary scene, Sokcho is still home to various delicacies cre

Grand Hilton Seoul is gearing up for Oktoberfest. The 14th Grand Hilton Seoul Oktoberfest will be held Sept. 7 at the hotel’s Convention Center, ahead of Oktoberfest, the famed beer festival held in Munich, Germany.General Manager Bernhard Brender, who is from Germany, has hosted the hotel’s event since 2007, inviting more than 1,000 guests each year.  The festival features a German buffet, including homemade sausages, schweinshaxe -- roasted pork knuckle -- and pretzels. This y

The Dokdo islets are drawing more attention as a summer getaway for South Koreans, while diplomatic and economic conflicts between Korea and Japan show no signs of abating. The number of visitors to Dokdo is on the rise, while the number of outbound travelers to Japan is plummeting since the Abe administration slapped retaliatory measures against Korea.  A total of 172,516 people have made the trip to Dokdo this year, up 29.7 percent from the same period last year, according to data from Ul

A woman, 79, who received a partial artificial heart transplant has lived for over 1,000 days since surgery, Samsung Medical Center said Wednesday.The patient was fitted with the then-latest third-generation left ventricular assist device in September 2016. This is the longest a patient has lived with a third-generation heart assist device in South Korea, according to the hospital.The hospital’s heart failure/transplantation team, which performed the surgery, said the patient was healthy a

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Yang-woo said Wednesday that the ministry is planning a special campaign to promote local tourism around the Liberation Day holiday Aug. 15, as more South Koreans boycott travel to Japan in response to Tokyo’s recent decision to impose retaliatory export restrictions.“If we could turn the falling demand for overseas travel into domestic travel, it would greatly help stimulate regional economies and boost domestic demand,” Park said d

NEW YORK (AP) -- Nobel laureate Toni Morrison, a pioneer and reigning giant of modern literature whose imaginative power in "Beloved,'' "Sula'' and other works transformed American letters by dramatizing the pursuit of freedom within the boundaries of race, has died at age 88.Publisher Alfred A. Knopf announced that Morrison died Monday night at Montefiore Medical Center in New York after a brief illness."Toni Morrison passed away peacefully last night surrounded by family an

　Sales of cigarettes in South Korea edged down 0.6 percent in the first half of 2019 from a year prior, data showed, amid an anti-smoking campaign and higher prices.　South Korean smokers purchased 1.67 billion 20-cigarette packs in the January-June period, compared to 1.68 billion packs in the same period last year, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.　The figures represent a 17.8 percent drop from the first half of 2014. (Yonhap)

Pop superstar Rihanna will be visiting Seoul in September to host the second makeup masterclass of her beauty brand Fenty, local promoters said Tuesday.The 31-year-old founder of Fenty will hold the “Fenty Artistry & Beauty Talk with Rihanna” at Lotte World Tower in Songpa-gu, southern Seoul, on Sept. 17. Rihanna held the first such event in Dubai last year. Makeup artist Priscilla Ono and Hector Espinal will join her to showcase the pop star’s makeup techniques and know-ho

On the gallery walls hang paintings of facades that show entrances to different houses the artist found during her trip to Venezuela’s Los Roques archipelago. These paintings, which portray doors and windows in a colorful yet simple manner, are lined up so as to remind viewers of an alley lined with houses.The paintings by Sol Calero are part of the latest exhibition at Arario Gallery in the Samcheong-dong area of Seoul.  The exhibition, titled “A Shiver in Search of a Spine,&rd

The night can hold a beauty unseen in the daytime, especially in Seoul. Though the capital city is often defined by its towering skyscrapers and busily rushing people, the atmosphere abruptly changes as darkness descends on a summer evening.And when the mercury does not fall even after the sun does, a visit to a hip rooftop bar can help beat the heat.Though rooftop bars have long been the thing for cities with warmer climates -- Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong -- more spots in Seoul are now embrac

Stylish afternoon tea time at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton’s Cilantro Deli presents a stylish afternoon tea set consisting desserts that resemble fashion items.On top of their choice of coffee or tea, customers can enjoy either a blue high heel shoe or a pink clutch bag, both made out of chocolate, along with other miniature sweets in the shape of a lipstick, a perfume bottle and other accessories. Also included in the set are “fatcarons,” or thick macarons st

Foot baths, rejuvenating tea and naps with ‘bamboo wife’ were effective

Vacation, staycation or no vacation? A snapshot of summer holiday scene in Korea

One of Disney's most successful animated films, "Frozen," has come alive on South Korean ice."Disney on Ice: Frozen" opened at Mokdong Ice Rink in western Seoul on Wednesday for a 12-day run, featuring the full story of the Academy Award-winning animated film. "What makes it so unique and exciting is that 'Frozen' and ice make a perfect match," Gig Siruno, performance director of the show, said in a press conference on Thursday. "We are excited to bring these i