Ichon Global Village Center is running a photography contest for foreign residents based on cultural aspects of Seoul.Entries should be based on one of three themes: festivals in Seoul, traditional markets or the exotic features of Yongsan.First prize will be 300,000 won, with two second prizes of 200,000 won and three third prizes of 100,000 won each.To enter, send a 2,400-by-3,000-pixel or larger jpeg file to ichonphoto@gmail.com, along with a completed application form by Oct. 20. Contestants

Dongguk University will host a quiz competition for expats on Sept. 20 with a top prize of 1 million won ($980).The quiz is the part of the university’s Nalanda Festival of Korean culture, which runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the campus’ Manhae Plaza.Other festival events include craft making from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., traditional Korean games and a celebration performance at 4 p.m.The quiz runs from noon to 2 p.m., and is open to all foreign nationals. To join, send an email to educham9618@gmail.c

Busan Foundation for International Activities is seeking teachers for its World Language classes.The center is looking for foreigners who are willing to share their cultures and teach their languages to Korean and foreign residents once a week. Classes will be two hours long and held at the Busan Global Center on weekdays excluding Thursday from Oct. 27 to Dec. 20. Any language is acceptable, except English, Chinese and Japanese, and teachers will receive 40,000 won per class.To apply, send an a

Seoul International Women’s Association will run a sign-up event for various classes on Sept. 24.The classes are in English and include language, cooking and craft courses and health and fitness groups. The classes are only open to SIWA members, but women who wish to join can do so on the sign-up day.The event will be at Seoul Global Center from 10 a.m. to noon. For details of the classes and other information, visit siwapage.com.(paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)

Just a day after the government announced an 80 percent hike in cigarette prices, the first hearing for the state health insurer’s high-profile lawsuit against major tobacco firms was held on Friday.The National Health Insurance Service filed a lawsuit against three domestic and foreign tobacco makers ― KT&G, British American Tobacco and Philip Morris ― in April, seeking damages of 53.7 billion won ($52 million) for payouts over tobacco-related diseases. The ongoing legal case is the first lawsu

DUBAI (AP) ― A property development company controlled by Dubai’s ruler outlined plans for the first phase of an entertainment and resort complex in the city that promises the Middle East’s first Legoland theme park.The project is part of a broader push by the Arab world’s commercial hub to ramp up its hotel and tourism offerings as it prepares to host the World Expo in 2020. Meraas Holding said initial work began in February on the $2.7 billion Dubai Parks and Resorts project, and that the firs

The cheapest time to book hotels is in the beginning of the year for many popular travel destinations around the world. Traveling during the off-season can save you up to 40 percent in major cities such as New York or Rome. Hotel booking site Agoda.com offers tips for travelers trying to find the best hotel deals around the world in its latest guide. Based on booking data from guests who made hotel reservations in 2013, the site found that room rates during the first two weeks of January were be