Seoul will transform a street in front of Dongdaemun Design Plaza into a “World Traditional Culture” venue on the third Sunday of each month. Called “Walking in the middle of Hallyu: K-Culture Festival,” various cultural fairs will be held on the 310-meter street from this week. Seoul police will ban vehicles from the street that stretches from the crossroad in front of DDP to Doosan Tower between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. The special events are to run through October, barring July and August when the w

Namsan Library in Seoul plans to hold cultural events to celebrate the 100th anniversary of poet Yoon Dong-ju’s birth. Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Tuesday that book concerts, exhibitions and lectures will be placed in the library until the end of May. The library plans to hold a book event titled “Meet Dongju” on Saturday. Professor Kim Eung-kyo of Sookmyung Women’s University will recite Yoon’s poems. Music will be played along with the performance. Kim will also give a lecture

Gijisi Juldarigi Festival seeks to preserve tradition while branching out to global partners

An independent candidate running in a regional by-election revealed a photo of what he claims is a centuries-old instruction book for Hangul, deemed missing since 2008.Bae Ik-gi is running for the National Assembly seat for Sangju, Gunwi, Uiseong and Cheongsong regions in Wednesday’s election.　Bae, a self-claimed scholar and collector of old books, released a photo of what he claims is the Sangju edition of the Hunminjeongeum Haerye, an instruction book on Hangul, the Korean alphabet, published

In a world where the notions of ethnicity, culture and identity are constantly evolving, Korea’s fashion world is taking those influences and turning them into creative expression.Fashion model Han Hyun-min presented a striking image on the Korean catwalk at the 2016 Seoul Fashion Week fall-winter collection in March 2016. Born to a Nigerian father and Korean mother, Han is Korea’s first model with African roots. 　“I’ve always been skinny and tall at 184 centimeters and 56 kilograms. Kids would

Veteran actress Kim Young-ae died Sunday from pancreatic cancer, according to her agency, Starvillage Entertainment. She was 65. Kim starred in KBS2’s “The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop,” which ended its 54-episode run in February. She appeared on the originally planned 50 episodes before opting out of the extra four episodes due to her failing health.Actress Kim Young-ae (Yonhap)She showed her strong will, tenacity and passion for acting by participating in filming the weekend series even a

Tea house opens at Park Hyatt SeoulThe Park Hyatt Seoul’s The Lounge tea house, located on the 24th floor, reopened Monday, offering quality dishes and beverages to customers. With spectacular views of the city, The Lounge features traditional tea, modern cuisine and desserts from 9 a.m. to midnight. The green teas come from tea estates on Jeju Island, Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, and Boseong, South Jeolla Province, while executive chef Federico Heinzmann and his team use seasonal specialt

Spring could not have come soon enough. After wintry months of one piece of gloomy news after another, things are starting to look prettier, at least on the surface.Namsan, nestled in the middle of chaotic Seoul, is finally looking more hopeful, as the barren trees and branches are being coated with blooming magnolia, forsythia and azalea.Groups of hikers and gaggles of friends and families share smiles as they walk up the trails or ride cable cars to reach the landmark N Tower and take pictures

Dubu jorim (braised tofu) is a popular Korean side dish which is typically pan-fried and then braised in a spicy sauce. This braised tofu doesn’t require pan-frying and uses a lot more liquid. It resembles a stew (jjigae), but is actually not a jjigae as the term is used in Korean cuisine. This dish is totally fine just with the onion and scallion, but this recipe also uses mushrooms and a chili pepper. You can also add a little bit of thinly sliced Korean radish to the bottom of the pot before

Jeju Cherry Blossom Festival The Jeju Cherry Blossom Festival will be held in the area of Jeonnong-ro and the entrance of Jeju National University. The peak of the King Cherry Tree blossoms lasts for only two to three days, but the beautiful blossoms can be seen for weeks, until April 9.There is no admission fee. For more information, call the travel hotline at 1330 or visit www.visitjeju.net. Both provide information in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese.Shinan Tulip Festival Shinan Tulip Fe

Baos and more at new restaurant in Hannam-dong

A song dedicated to the victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry tragedy that left 304 dead was released Thursday.The song title roughly translates to “To Touch My Longing (for You)” -- and sings about the devastation of losing someone dear to you in a calm demeanor. On April 16, 2014, the Sewol sank off the country’s southwestern coast in one of the worst maritime disasters in Korea. Most of the victims were students from Danwon High School on their way to Jeju Island for a field trip. Songwriter and pr

With the blooming flowers and warm breezes reminding us that spring has arrived, high-end hotels in Seoul located in areas known for cherry blossoms present room packages for guests to enjoy the season.Conrad Seoul in Yeouido -- one of go-to spots in Seoul for cherry blossom viewing -- has introduced the “Blooming Days” package, suitable particularly for picnic-goers.Conrad SeoulConrad Seoul‘s Blooming days packageThe package offers one night’s stay a in a luxury room with view of the Han River,

“Many Korean movies and novels display a strong sense of social critique, but Korea’s poems have traditionally been more lyrical than political in nature.”