For many people, the coming of spring brings an urge to renew their home interiors. But decorating can be a daunting challenge for those who have not kept up with the latest trends. Revamping one’s home doesn’t necessarily cost a fortune or require much knowledge about what’s in vogue, according to veteran interior designer Kwon Soon-bok. A new look can start with a simple change. One just needs to think outside the box, she suggests. “Don’t buy furniture first. Use your own furniture first. It

It may come as a surprise how many young people in Korea know their way around a power drill. One example is Kim Ji-eun, a 33-year-old woman who was carefully drilling a small oval into a rectangular piece of wood at Intro M Wood Shop in Dobong-gu, Seoul. “I’m making a cellphone dock. The hole is for the charger,” she explained as she flipped the switch to get the drill going again. As she blew the wood shavings off the finished block, she said she had been coming here for about a year. At Intro

The demand for home decor items is growing among Koreans today, in a sensation that has been dubbed the “candle effect.” A spinoff of the “lipstick effect,” which refers to a hike in consumption of cosmetic goods during recession, the newly coined term indicates the increasing popularity of small home decor items such as scented candles, cushions and figurines that are more affordable than furniture but effectively liven up the home ambience.Virtually nonexistent just five years ago, the Korean

The oversized, domineering gate of rusty steel topped by the nameplate Devil’s Door is never meant to make guests feel at ease. Inside, an awe-inspiring interior of the top-flying brewpub in southern Seoul welcomes beer lovers longing for new tastes, choice and experience. The 10-meter-high ceilings, retro benches and chairs, brick wall art and a web of vintage metal pipe lamps combine to create the feel of a cottage brewery that has breathed a new life into an old abandoned factory in Brooklyn,

Theater”Cats“: The international production of the Broadway classic “Cats” is having its Seoul run from April 10 to May 10. The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2011, is the second longest-running show in Broadway history. It tells the story of the Jellicles, a tribe of cats who assemble for their annual junkyard gathering when one is chosen to be reborn for a new life. One-by-one the kittens take center stage to make their case for rebirth, singing and danci

Growth is conspicuously absent in Korea’s book industry, as evidenced by the number of bookstores closing down in Seoul.Yet, a new type of publishing is on the rise, attracting readers, writers and sellers with rarely-written about topics, creative new designs and a niche approach. Independent publishing, which covers both self-publishing and small, independent press, is a rare bright spot in the country’s moribund book industry, said Kim Kwang-chul, the owner of Propaganda Press, an independent

The Plaza has appointed veteran hotelier Kim Young-cheol as its new general manager, the hotel’s parent company Hanwha Hotels and Resorts said Thursday. Kim, who started his career with the hotel in 1987, is the first to climb all the way to the top. Kim Young-cheol, general manager of the Plaza. (The Plaza)In his nearly three decades with the Plaza, Kim has served in every department from marketing, finance and management to food and beverage. He has been credited for placing the hotel at the t

Many expats in Korea think they have a novel in them. Some even go on to write and publish them. Few, however, manage to get a whole trilogy published. But Christina Farley has done just that with “Gilded,” a trilogy of young adult fantasy novels.“It’s one of those dreams come true for me,” Farley said. “Sometimes I pinch myself.”But it was something she only really dared to dream of once she began working in Korea. Christina Farley (Liga Photography)She used to often write as a child and submit

A children’s book that encompasses the theme of environmental awareness and sustainability was published Wednesday in English and Korean. “Our Beautiful Earth” was published by the Korea office of World Wide Fund for Nature, an international conservation organization. The picture book centers on the critical threats the Earth will face if people keep their consumption-oriented habits and do little to protect the nature.  “Scientists continue to say that we are at a critical point, where if we do

Fans of Wolfgang’s Steakhouse in New York can now expect to get served sizzling, dry-aged USDA prime porterhouse steak on a tilted platter in classic fashion right in Cheongdam-dong, in the heart of Seoul.  Slated to open to the public on March 23, this is the dry-aged steakhouse chain’s first restaurant in South Korea.“Wolfgang’s Steakhouse started in 2004, and since then we’ve grown,” said Wolfgang’s Steakhouse managing partner Peter Zwiener at the South Korean launch press event on Wednesday

The “Koryosa choryo” (Essentials of Koryo History) is arguably one of the most substantial historical records of the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392).Written in 1452, few decades after the fall of the kingdom, the 35-volume book is an abridged version of the 135-volume annals “Koryosa” (History of Koryo).  Photocap: “Koryosa choryo II” translated by Edward J. Shultz and Hugh H.W. Kang (Jimoondang)In an effort to provide in-depth understanding of Korea’s history internationally, the English version “Kor