Korea plans to adopt common branding for all government departments and agencies, government officials said. According to a blueprint unveiled Tuesday, a new government identity will be developed by October and will be phased in from next March until 2017, replacing the existing brands and symbols of some 750 public institutions. “From development to application, the all-of-government brand is estimated to cost around 23.6 billion won ($20 million),” Won Yong-gi, director at the Ministry of Cult

From ancient royals to modern working moms, Korean women practice traditional prenatal care ‘taegyo’

“Gangnam Style” superstar Psy is embroiled in a legal battle with a tenant in his building in Seoul’s southern district of Gangnam, it was reported on Monday. The 38-year-old musician filed for an eviction suit last August against the tenant running a cafe in his building, even after the contract expired. Local news media reported that Psy’s contractors got into a tussle with the tenant and the cafe’s staff members on Friday while trying to forcibly drag them out of the building.One of the cafe’

Instead of sipping lattes, visitors to one cafe in Gye-dong, central Seoul, get into hammocks and doze off, indulging in a short break from a hectic day in Korea’s busiest city.Nazzzam has attracted a lot of attention since opening last year as the nation’s first “nap cafe.” But its owner, Jeong Ji-eun, claims the place offers more than just shut-eye. “It’s not a sleeping area per se, but a place where people can take a break from their busy lives,” she said. Originally a freelance English teach

Lee Jae-in woke up one day from an uneasy dream. The 31-year-old, who rarely dreams, could vividly recall what was disturbing her. “Someone was pulling my teeth out,” she said. Feeling leery, she grabbed her smartphone to search online for clues about what the dream meant. Immediately, a portal site pulled up a long list of dream-interpreting websites and Q&A pages filled with answers. “Everyone said losing teeth was a bad omen,” said Lee. “I don’t trust dream interpretation 100 percent, but the

History shows leaders claiming to have foreseen their futures

Contemplating death earlier can lead to a more fulfilling life, explains professor Choi Joon-sik

New York cafe chain opens first overseas store in Seoul

This recipe is a simple Korean-style dandelion salad, mindeulle muchim. Dandelion is a wild spring vegetable that is used various ways in Korean cuisine. It’s packed with vitamins A, B, C and D as well as minerals such as iron, potassium and zinc. Dandelion has been used in herbal medicine to treat infections and kidney, liver and stomach problems. Look for the ones that are young and tender. The salad is lightly dressed with a basic Korean sauce, which is slightly spicy, sweet and vinegary. I u

Millennium Seoul Hilton offers Spring package Millennium Seoul Hilton is offering a spring package promotion until April 5 in celebration of the upcoming spring season. The Deluxe Room package is priced at 190,000 won and the Premium Room package at 220,000. Both include a one-night stay for two and, for an additional fee of 50,000 won, breakfast for two at Cafe 395. The Executive Room package for 300,000 won offers breakfast for two with access to the Executive Lounge, where guests will be serv

Stressed teenagers in South Korea are vulnerable to temporomandibular disorders, a condition that affects the muscles and nerves surrounding the jaw, experts say.The condition is known for pain and restricted movement, and stress is thought to be a major contributing factor, along with poor posture and overuse of the joint muscles.According to the National Health Insurance Service, some 457,500 teenagers were treated for TMD in 2012, making up the highest proportion of all patients with the diso

During the spring, there are increased changes in the daily temperature and biorhythms become unstable so that the body’s immune system becomes weaker, making you more susceptible to diseases. The spring season is particularly a concern for children who have weak immune systems but are highly active, or other people who have allergic conditions or respiratory diseases. Yellow dust can cause various diseases, or make preexisting conditions worse. The main conditions associated with it include res

A memorial service honoring the late sociologist Ulrich Beck, considered one of Germany’s most renowned intellectuals for his academic works on modernity and future society, will take place in Seoul next week.Joongmin Foundation for Social Theory will hold a commemorative event for Beck, who recently died at age 70 on Jan. 1, under the title “Beyond Risk Society” at the Korea Press Center on Mar. 17, the foundation announced Thursday.Beck first gained prominence for his work “Risk Society: Towar

South Korea may soon join the ranks of the world’s top tourism destinations such as Thailand, if it continues to achieve double-digit growth in the number of inbound travelers over the next five years, said the Asia-Pacific chief operating officer of French hotel operator Accor. The country attracted some 14 million foreign visitors in 2014 and has seen an average 12 percent growth in foreign arrivals for the past three years.“That’s heavy growth,” said Patrick Basset, who oversees Accor’s busin