Korea is beefing up security ahead of next week’s visit by Pope Francis, as it prepares to escort the Catholic leader while tens of thousands of people are expected to tail his every move. But the pope’s insistence on keeping the distance between him and ordinary people as small as possible will prove challenging for security officials.Despite being one of the most high-profile religious leaders in the world, the famously frugal pope has rejected the use of a bulletproof car, opting instead for

Once a rebel, singer Lee Seung-chul spreads message of inter-Korean peace

Dance“Prince Hodong”: The Korean National Ballet is slated to restage its production of “Prince Hodong,” an original work based on the traditional Korean tale “Princess Nakrang and Prince Hodong” ― a dramatic cultural tale of love, war and death. The ballet is a modernized retelling of the classic tale, combining elements of Western artistic culture with traditional Korean culture. “Prince Hodong” will be staged on Aug. 29 and 30 at the Sungnam Arts Center in Seoul. For more information, call (0

KORAIL’s twice-daily service from Seoul to Dorasan opens new chapter for border tourism

SANTORINI, Greece (AP) ― Whitewashed houses stacked like sugar cubes on the cliffs. Colorful sunsets and black-sand beaches. Donkeys, windmills and a local winemaking tradition that goes back to ancient times. These are some of the things that stood out on a visit to the Cyclades, a Greek island chain in the Aegean Sea. Little wonder the place draws gaggles of visitors ― enough to make even crowd-loving extroverts long for a peaceful island paradise. Oh, wait ― that’s why we were there. And that

Seasonal desserts and pretzel cookies in Cheongdam-dong

Seafood Night at Conrad Seoul Conrad Seoul’s buffet restaurant Zest is holding a seafood night every Tuesday during the month of August. Zest’s open kitchen and live cooking stations will showcase seafood dishes from around the world. Highlights include marinated chili crab in the Korean section, a tuna-carving table at the Japanese corner, and fresh seafood ingredients cooked to order at the Teppanyaki station. In addition, guests can sample steamed snow crab and grilled scallops, to name just

Hobak buchim (zucchini pancakes) (Korean Bapsang)One of my favorite things to make with summer zucchinis is hobak buchim. Like pajeon and kimchijeon, hobak buchim (also called buchimgae) is a variation of savory Korean pancakes. You can make this recipe simply with zucchini, or add some other vegetables such as perilla leaves, chili peppers, scallions or onions to complement. I added sliced sweet onions in this recipe. Salt the julienned zucchinis and squeeze out the liquid for a crunchy texture

Author Kim Jung-hyun shares his thoughts on his new book ‘Ahn Jung-geun Shot Abe

“My voice on the Nixon tapes is really very clear and very good,” says John Dean, adjusting the microphone recording him on a summer day. Aug. 9 marks the 40th anniversary of President Richard M. Nixon’s resignation from office, and Dean is publishing a new book, “The Nixon Defense: What He Knew and When He Knew It,” a day-by-day chronicle of the Watergate scandal.Although Watergate has been explored in books and film, some of the story has not yet been told, Dean says.“I knew enough to know tha

Susan L. Mizruchi was 12 and living in upstate New York when she turned on the TV one day and watched Marlon Brando playing Fletcher Christian in the 1962 version of the seafaring tale “Mutiny on the Bounty.”She was as she described it “struck by the Brando lightning.”Even to this day, his performance affects her. “It’s still very powerful,” said the Boston University English professor, who has written a new biography, “Brando’s Smile: His Life, Thought, and Work” which was published by W.W. Nor

The Magician’s LandBy Lev Grossman (Viking)All lovers of Lev Grossman’s first two books of The Magicians trilogy: This is the end, beautiful friend. So remember which pocket the magic button’s in, and make sure you have your passport, because we have a lot of ground to cover. Several lands, in fact. From Hackensack to uncharted territory.We last saw our glum hero, Quentin Coldwater, getting booted out of the magical land of Fillory, learning the very hard lesson that being the hero doesn’t mean

The String DiariesBy Stephen Lloyd Jones (Mulholland Books)If there’s one thing I hate as a critic, it’s dancing around the possibility of giving too much away in a review. Spoilers are called that for a reason, and critics despise them every bit as much as readers do.Writers, though ― crafty little devils ― seem determined to concoct spoiler-bait books, titles that are just nigh on impossible to discuss. Which is precisely why this review is so short. Like recent favorites “Gone Girl” and “The