With almost 30,000 North Korean escapees calling South Korea home now, many of their stories have been printed in novels, essays or poems. In fact, there are so many that literary works by or about North Korean defectors now form a new genre in South Korean bookstores. North Korean refugee Jang Young-jin’s debut novel “A Mark of Red Honor” departs from the typical conventions of this genre. In the 368-page book, written in Korean, he narrates his own childhood, growing up and major events that l

If you think the locks fixed to railings on Seoul’s Mount Namsan are a dime a dozen, think again. One of them could be worth 500,000 won ($450).The first person to solve the puzzles to find one of three keys hidden in public places in Seoul that open the special lock will claim the top prize.Brian Van Hise, who runs the group organizing the treasure hunt, Stompy Ruffers Cultural Fusion, estimated that about 500 people were working on the clues, but said that the hunt was still wide open. He got

JobSeekr, an English- and Korean-language job hunting website in Seoul launched last year by two expats, is holding its first job fair and networking event Sunday to connect foreign entry-level job seekers with Korean start-ups.British entrepreneur Simon Chan, cofounder of parent company SeekrLab, said his team handpicked fewer than 10 startups that would make the best use of international members, such as those going global, those dealing with translation and language-related services or those

The site of Korea’s first electricity plant was found during an archaeological excavation at Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Cultural Heritage Administration said on Wednesday. According to the state cultural heritage agency, a year-long excavation effort found the site of the first electricity plant, established in 1887, during the late Joseon period (1392-1910). “It’s a great achievement that gives us an understanding of electricity development in Korea,” said Min Byeong-geun, curator of the Korea E

Offline escape game arena offers puzzles and thrills in the hunt for a hidden key

Seven internationally renowned star chefs gathered at the JW Marriott Seoul, making for something of a culinary “Avengers” team, to participate in the hotel’s Culinary Art event, a global gourmet project featuring talented chefs from around the world.Each shared his distinct philosophy behind food, passion for cooking and enthusiasm for the “authentic” Korean food experience at Wednesday’s press conference for the event. For acclaimed chocolate master Andres Lara, a graduate of Chicago’s famous

The National Museum of Korea highlights devout patrons of Buddhist art

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday that it has appointed professor Song Cheol-eui of Seoul National University’s Department of Korean Language and Literature as the 10th director general of the National Institute of the Korean Language.Song, who will head the institute over the next three years, has written a number of articles in the fields of language policy and education for academic journals. As a well-known figure in the Korean language academic circles, he has contrib

Bae Suah’s fiction gives rise to the underrepresented voice of the young, female working class of South Korea. Her latest novella, “Nowhere to Be Found,” echoes her excellent short story “Highway with Green Apples” which also follows a young, socially displaced female protagonist who flits from job to job unable to find meaning in her life while the people around her strive for material love and success. Bae’s prose is stark and dreary, effectually framing the life of our nameless protagonist. W

Korean hospitality industry strives to accommodate tourism boom

In the heart of Jongno-gu, just east of Gyeongbokgung Palace, lies the quaint hillside neighborhood of Samcheong-dong, well-known for its abundance of chic cafes and small gift shops. From offering simple one-room hanok stays to the more sophisticated options of established hanok boutique hotels ― such as the Cheong Yeon Jae Hanok Hotel or the Haeinjung Boutique Hanok Hotel ― this area has been a magnet for tourists looking to regale in the out-of-the-box lodging experience and a taste of past-t

When Paul McCartney was planning a visit to Korea for his first concert in Seoul on May 2, he requested his team to find a hotel with a room that comes with a balcony.In the overpopulated business district of Gangnam, a hotel room with a balcony is rare. When everyone was curious where the 72-year-old rock star stayed, his fans on a hunt to spot their star found out that McCartney was staying at the Ritz-Carlton, Seoul, located just 5 kilometers from the concert venue at Jamsil Sports Complex. L

At its core, the function of a hotel is to offer guests a place to stay the night. However, in Korea, luxury hotels are widely known for another function: hosting gatherings of various types and sizes. These events have become an important source of revenue for hotels, which are facing fierce competition from guest houses offering cheaper accommodations and rental services like AirBnB. “If you look at the sales figures, banquets such as conferences and weddings make more than rooms,” said Hannah

Urban dwellers have, at least once, dreamed of taking a spontaneous trip with little or no planning.Kim Ka-young, cofounder of Bonbonlab, the developer of hotel booking application Hotel Now, was one of them.When Kim was in her senior year at a local university, she randomly took a train to Busan without planning what to do and where to stay. She then realized that there was no affordable accommodation available for her that night. She contacted some 20 hotels and hostels, but they demanded a su