Chances of detecting liver cancer are 2.5 times higher for those who have regular checkups than those who do not, a report showed Sunday.Those who have regular medical examinations are also 24 percent less likely to die from this type of cancer than those who do not, according to the report of the state-run National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency, which analyzed statistics of the state-sponsored checkups of liver cancer done by the National Health Insurance Service since 2003.Liv

“The hot and the cold are both so intense, put’em together, it just makes sense!” -- “In Summer,” “Frozen” OSTWithout fail, there is one place that becomes frantically busy when the summer season strikes, and increasingly busier with the rise in temperature -- the ice factory.　At the ice factory in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, run by food company Pulmuone, blocks of ice are inspected, cut up and shipped out to retailers. 　Orders doubled the usual amount in recent days, according to production ma

Fusion bingsu at Park Hyatt SeoulThe Lounge at Park Hyatt Seoul, located on the 24th floor and offering a wide view of downtown, is offering two new types of the icy traditional Korean dessert bingsu -- cold-drip coffee bingsu and peach bingsu -- through Aug. 31, every day from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. The new varieties follow the signature makgeoli bingsu, which was developed by the restaurant and teahouse. The coffee bingsu at 37,000 won uses Yirgacheff coffee beans, almond milk and shaved ice, t

Shedding misconceptions, cats emerge favored pet for their Korean ‘butlers’

Cultural Night Walk in JeonjuCultural Night Walk in Jeonju, a program selected by the Cultural Heritage Administration in a competition, offers visitors the chance to walk through hundreds of traditional Korean houses in Jeonju Hanok Village under the moonlight.Highlights include a moonlight photography competition, traditional music, Jeonju traditional opera, a shadow orchestra and night views of Jeonju.The event is being held until Sept.13. Visit www.jeonju-night.kr for information in Korean,

Custom-made cat products target doting owners with deep pockets

As the number of cat owners in South Korea goes up, so does the number of abandoned cats. Some 250,000 cats were abandoned or lost in 2016, according to the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency. Only 30 percent of them were adopted by new owners. The reason for the low adoption rate is the persistent prejudice against abandoned cats. People assume that rescued cats were abandoned for negative reasons, such as mental or physical issues. Earth Cat Cafe, located near Ewha Womans University in Seoul,

Comic artist’s drawings of feline companions strike a chord among cat lovers in Korea

When Kong Seong-Jae, known as Korean Billy, walks the streets of Seoul, not many would blink an eye. Little do they know that he is an online sensation on the other side of the globe, in Britain, and that he has accumulated over 17 million views on YouTube and Facebook combined. Why are so many people tuning into his videos? This 26-year-old Busan-born man can do British accents better than Brits. Kong Seong-Jae, also known by his YouTube name Korean Billy (Kong Seong-Jae)“My favorite accent wou

HONGSEONG -- A Nepalese worker died from a tick-borne disease earlier this week in South Korea's first case of the illness contracted by a man in his 20s, the South Chungcheong provincial government said Tuesday.The 24-year-old man, who had been working at a livestock farm in Hongseong, a town in South Korea's central province of South Chungcheong, was diagnosed with severe fever and thrombocytopenia syndrome, or SFTS, and treated for the disease before he died on Sunday. This undated file photo

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Monday officially launched a government-civilian joint committee to investigate the previous administration’s blacklist of cultural figures.The committee, co-headed by Culture Minister Do Jong-hwan and artist Shin Hak-chul, consists of 21 local artists and four ministry officials. Its three subcommittees are respectively charged with investigation, drawing up measures to prevent such blacklists in the future and compiling a white paper on the scanda

Jamsu Bridge beach festival (The Seoul Metropolitan Government) Seoul has delayed its Jamsu Bridge beach festival due to the wet weather. The festival, which was to be held from Friday to Sunday, will be postponed by two weeks. In a bid to create a summer vacation spot for citizens who cannot get away from the city, the city plans to turn the bridge into a beach-like playground from Aug. 11-13. Jamsu Bridge beach festival (The Seoul Metropolitan Government)The festival will feature attractions s

This marinade is all you need for Korean barbecue this summer! It takes less than an hour to put this large batch together. You don’t need to assemble a marinade or run to a store to buy a jar of pre-made marinade every time. All the flavor enhancing ingredients are boiled together, so the marinade is very flavorful and the shelf life is naturally long. To make this all-purpose marinade, the ingredients are boiled with umami-boosting vegetables such as dried shiitake mushrooms and dashima. Korea

Famous brunch spot opens new location near Seoul Forest

Champagne, sparkling wine at Park Hyatt SeoulThe Lounge at Park Hyatt Seoul, offering a panoramic view of the city from the 24th floor, has a promotion of champagne and sparkling wine at discount prices.Two types of champagne -- Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque and Billecart-Salmon, Extra Brut -- and nine types of sparkling wine -- including Fantini Gran Cuvee Rose Swarovski and Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Rustico -- are available along with snacks. One glass costs 24,000 won or a bottle is 61,00