The Korea Herald

Foreign tourists fall 27 pct last month amid THAAD row

TravelMay 22, 2017

The number of foreign tourists to South Korea fell 27 percent in April from a year earlier as demand from China fell dramatically, the country's tourism agency said Monday. Last month, a total of 1.07 million foreigners visited the country. Chinese travelers plunged 67 percent year-over-year to 227,811, according to data from the Korea Tourism Organization. China banned the sale of travel packages to South Korea from March 15 in retaliation against the deployment of the Terminal High Altit
S. Korea sees steep fall in Chinese visitors on THAAD spat

TravelMay 22, 2017

The number of Chinese tourists in South Korea more than halved last month from a year earlier, dragged down by China's ban on sales of Korea-bound trips amid a diplomatic row over a U.S. anti-missile system, the state tourism body said Monday. The tally of Chinese visitors came to 227,811 in April, down 66.6 percent from 682,318 recorded the previous year, according to the data by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). On a cumulative basis, the number dipped 25.8 percent on-year to 1.74 milli
[Weekender] Places fading into memory

CultureMay 19, 2017

Bookstores expand their commercial horizons Bookstores were the intellectual sanctuaries for Korea’s youngsters and libertines, who burned with passion for democracy, prosperity and humanity there from the postwar years through the late 1990s. However, with the explosive rise of the internet and online media, they have fallen prey to become either ancient relics or forgotten memories of yesteryear. By and large, some of the remaining book shops are now cluttered and dusted with outdated wisdom.
[Weekender] Old things worth holding on to

CultureMay 19, 2017

With strides in technological advances, old-fashioned items and places are rapidly fading into obscurity
Rose wines to pop open for spring or anytime

Food&BeverageMay 19, 2017

It seems almost unfair to rose to start thinking about it, and talking about it, and looking for it when spring comes around. Then again, how many of us think about turkey and stuffing outside of November? Or corned beef and cabbage outside of March? No one is stopping you from planning those meals on any day of the year, calendar be damned. Yet you don‘t. At least most of you don’t.Did my college roommates and I cook up an entire traditional Thanksgiving dinner one spring semester? Sure we did.
[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

TravelMay 19, 2017

Yangpyeong Strawberry Festival The Yangpyeong Strawberry Festival is being held through the end of May. Visitors can pick their own strawberries at the strawberry farms and participate in a variety of activities and programs in the village. Reservations are required.Exclusive events for bloggers are on offer at blog.naver.com/yp--nadri. Up to 50 teams can participate. The festival is open to visitors of all ages. Visit www.yp21.net for information provided in Korean, English, Japanese and Mandar
[Home Cooking] Snack on ddangkong jorim

Food&BeverageMay 19, 2017

This is a simple but delicious side dish that’s made with peanuts. Made similar to kongjang (soy braised soybeans), this braised peanut dish is sweet, sticky, savory and nutty with a pleasant chewy texture. It’s a popular basic side dish.For this dish, use raw shelled peanuts with skins. Around here, we’re lucky to have good quality Virginia peanuts, one of the largest varieties. Raw peanuts retain the skins intact and absorb the sauce better with a softer texture as a result, but you can use ro
Gwangju center to run mountain tour

Expat LivingMay 17, 2017

Gwangju Cultural Center is hosting a tour to Mudeungsan National Park on the edge of the city on May 27.The guided tour will combine the main sights on the city’s most famous mountain with cultural activities. Guided by Mishra Harsh Kumar, the tour will stop at Silla-era temple Wonhyosa and move up to a “dangsan tree,” which was home to a village’s guardian spirit according to shamanistic tradition. After that, the group will move to Jeungsimsa, a temple founded in 517 and home to several listed
Seoul Players to present ‘homegrown’ plays

Expat LivingMay 17, 2017

Two one-act plays by local expat playwrights take to the Seoul stage from Saturday, in a project that sees Seoul Players show off their writing as well as their stage talents. The two plays have their share of laughs, but will leave audiences something to contemplate, said co-producer Kim Schroeder. “Rent, Boy” (Robert Michael Evans)The first, “Rent, Boy” by Raymond C. Salcedo, is a comedy of errors and unpaid debts centered on youth and bad behavior.“It‘s a wonderful journey. It’s kind of a dra
Together Day events to take place across Korea

Expat LivingMay 17, 2017

Cities across South Korea will be hosting multicultural events as part of the Justice Ministry’s Together Day festival. Together Day, in its 10th year, comprises of events taking place over around 10 days, the first of which was a talent contest for foreign students at Soongsil University. Last year’s Global Gathering in Busan (BFIA)Among the biggest events is Busan’s Global Gathering on Sunday, run by the Busan Foundation for International Activities. The gathering predates Together Day, but is
HBC live music festival to return to Seoul

Expat LivingMay 17, 2017

HBC fest will return to Seoul this month with nearly 100 bands playing across two days.The biannual event, which started 11 years ago, takes place at bars and cafes around the Haebangchon area north of Noksapyeong Station, with free admission to all the venues. The festival begins 9 p.m. on May 26 at seven venues, with the main event the following day.May 27’s music will start at around 4 p.m., depending on the venue, with seven acoustic venues and five stages for full bands opening a couple of
Michael Breen to talk about new book

Expat LivingMay 17, 2017

Writer Michael Breen to talk about ‘New Koreans’　
[Exclusive] Document shows Song Joong-ki bought Itaewon house for W10b

PeopleMay 17, 2017

Song Joong-ki has bought a house in Itaewon-dong, Seoul for 10 billion won ($8.9 million). The Korean actor, who starred in the hit “Descendants of the Sun,” bought a two-story house with a basement in January, according to a document obtained by The Korea Herald. The house has a total floor area of 371.7 square meters and sits on land measuring 602 square meters, according to the document.An official from Blossom Entertainment, Song’s agency, on Wednesday said he was not aware of the purchase.“
‘Looking’ to see if love really is blind

Expat LivingMay 17, 2017

First dates weren’t always about Tinder swipes and photo-approved introductions. Blind dates used to be just that -- meetings with someone without knowing what they looked like.Changwon Community Theatre is going back to that time with “Looking,” Norm Foster’s tale of singles looking for love as they approach middle age. Two of them meet for a date in a bar via a newspaper personal ad. Nicole Heker, Ifoma Genevieve Rothblatt, Jordan Schauer and Brendan Thompson will appear in Norm Foster’s “Look
International cultural forum holds visual contest

CultureMay 16, 2017

An international cultural forum in Seoul in late summer will assemble the world’s creative opinion leaders to discuss and promote Korean culture, while also inviting foreigners in Korea to take part in a visual contest. The Culture Communication Forum, organized by the Corea Image Communications Institute, will be held on Aug. 29 at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, inviting five influential figures from the media, culture and arts sectors. Unlike previous forums, where foreign opinion leaders spent severa