The resort island of Boracay is to reopen to visitors in October, the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources said Thursday.Boracay, one of the Philippines’ major tourism destinations, has been closed since April 26, as part of the local government’s efforts for the environmental rehabilitation of the island.Secretary Roy Cimatu of the DENR said that visitors will be able to enjoy a “Better Boracay” when the resort island opens again on Oct. 26.Boracay (Philippine Department o

With summer vacation in full swing, August is prime time for swimming. It is also high season for water survival classes for schoolchildren. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has teamed up with the Incheon Coast Guard to provide lessons to practice survival floating techniques at Yeouido and Ttukseom Hangang Park swimming pools this summer.Basic techniques taught from these classes can help anyone, including children, stay afloat until someone comes to rescue them, instructors say. Participants

Korean beaches develop into surfers’ paradise

How does someone shouting into the microphone, “Dear s--- Koreans whom I hate the most in the world, how are you?” make you feel? A civilized reaction would be to call the police, file complaints, or request a reasonable conversation about how we should all live together.One gut feeling for many people, of course, would be to get in the xenophobic jerks’ faces for a shouting match, or something more violent.“Counters” is a documentary about a civic group of the same name in Japan, who fought aga

Koreans explore new world of surfing while building own niche across coastlines

Coex Na Hit! AquariumCoex Aquarium is holding the “2018 Summer Na Hit! Aquarium” event, with special underwater performances and an extension of operating hours.Special summer activities include underwater performances by the Octonauts at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Other attractions include an exhibition of 20,000 sardines along with music, lighting and commentary at the Deep Blue Sea zone.During the event, operating hours for the aquarium will be extended by one hour to 9 p.m. The event is held f

The prisons in post-reform Japan and its colonial territories served as cauldrons for molding loyal imperial subjects, and decimating the revolutionary enemies of the empire.

Edible Coffee works on making edible insects appeal to wider population

For those seeking to experience the largest beer festival in the world while still staying in Seoul, Grand Hilton Seoul presents the 2018 Oktoberfest.　The hotel has been hosting Oktoberfest since 2007, attracting more than 1,000 visitors each year. This year’s event will take place on Sept. 8 at the hotel’s Convention Center. 　 Oktoberfest in Seoul (Grand Hilton Seoul)“If there is Chuseok in Korea, in Germany, the largest traditional festival is the Oktoberfest,” general manager Bernhard Brender

Oi buchu kimchi (Korean Bapsang)Cucumbers are in their peak season. This recipe is a quick and easy kimchi you can make with summer’s abundant cucumbers. It’s crisp, crunchy, and delicious.Buchu, or Korean garlic chives, is commonly added to oi kimchi, but you can use scallions instead if you like. Although not used in this recipe, a little bit of julienned carrot or red pepper will give the kimchi a nice pop of color. To make kimchi, you will need to salt the cucumbers first to draw out some wa

Eels for summer at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton’s Japanese restaurant Genji prepared a special eight-course set menu for guests who have lost their energy in the scorching summer heat. The course menu includes classic Japanese dishes such as sashimi and tempura. But what stands out the most is the Orotson eel teriyaki. Orotson eel is a wild, not farmed, eel found in the mud flats on the western coast of Korea. It is considered a great delicacy both in Korea and Japan, greatly n

Gomjangeo, often mispronounced as ggomjangeo, refers to inshore hagfish in Korean. Hagfish may not sound, or look, appealing, with its degenerated eyes and a snake-like body that produces slime when distressed. But that does not stop Koreans from taking up a culinary challenge with the sea-dweller.  (Shot and produced by Lim Jeong-yeo/The Korea Herald) After being thoroughly skinned, gomjangeo goes on the grill. Restaurants and pubs often grill them outside on a strong fire, such as

A woman was spotted carefully drying the year’s precious harvest of chili peppers at a traditional Hanok village in Hamyang-gun, South Gyeongsang Province, on Thursday.Vegetable harvest in Korea this summer has suffered due to 21 days of hot weather, resulting in a fall in supply and a rise in the prices of vegetables.On Wednesday, Korea saw a record high of 41 degrees Celsius in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province. Staff of the national weather agency personally traveled to the region to verify the unp

With sunflowers in full bloom, the sixth annual sunflower festival is being celebrated in the host county of Haman, South Gyeongsang Province. Local farmers have reportedly planted 1 million sunflowers on 48,000 square meters of land. Festivalgoers can take part in activities such as music performances, cheese-making classes and face painting. The festival, which began on July 21, runs through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. General admission is 2,000 won ($1.80), which will used to support

As the summer weather turns sultry, exhibitions can provide a cool escape. Recent exhibitions in Seoul have been creating hype as renown and talented artists take over the local art scene.Here are five must-see exhibitions in Seoul:"Penking: Making Mistakes”Aug. 8, 2018 – Sept. 4, 2018  (WTFM)Up and coming artist Penking is set to exhibit his black comedy art at Backroom in Hannam-dong, Seoul. His work reinterprets the fable of the rabbit and the turtle, questioning if earnest hard work can stil