Just a short subway ride from Seoul, fortress is a favorite hiking spot

Namhansanseong is a mountain fortress on the southern outskirts of Seoul. (Yonhap News)Namhansanseong, a mountain fortress on the southern outskirts of Seoul, has become a UNESCO World Heritage site, joining the ranks of such natural and cultural wonders as Angkor Wat, Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands. Representatives of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, currently meeting in Qatar, voted Sunday to inscribe the Korean fortress on the much-coveted list for its “outstanding universal value

Photographer Joon Choi returns with precious cache after year among women divers on Udo Island

‘City of Gold’ appeals to Asian tourists with Arabian cultural charms

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) ― Universal Orlando Resort opened its new, richly detailed Harry Potter-themed area to media and other travel industry insiders on Wednesday night. The new park zone, called The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-Diagon Alley, will delight fans of the hit book and movie series with a marquee ride, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. But Diagon Alley is also heavy on experiential retail, with stores so entertaining and visually stimulating that you almost forget you’re

Roaster Alex the Coffee serving up 24 hour-extracted cold brews

Skin refining program at Sheraton Seoul D Cube City HotelSheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel’s Aequalis Spa is offering the “Ultimate Skin Refinery” treatment program for guests looking to perfect their skin before the summer season. The program includes Intraceutical’s “Opulence Facial Treatment,” which delivers pressurized, therapeutic-grade oxygen to the skin by using hyaluronic acid technology to inject concentrated vitamin C and natural extracts into the skin. The treatment brightens up skin t

Bibim guksu (spicy cold noodles) (Korean Bapsang)Bibim guksu is a cold noodle dish that is usually made with thin wheat flour noodles (somyeon) or buckwheat noodles (memil guksu). The noodles are typically mixed in a sweet and sour gochujang sauce along with crisp fresh vegetables. You can toss it all together before serving, or arrange everything in a serving bowl so it can be mixed at the table. The latter allows each person to adjust the amount of sauce to his or her liking. As with its rice

An employee of Waterstones poses with a copy of “The Silkworm” by author Robert Galbraith, aka Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, as it goes on sale for the first time at a bookshop in London on Thursday. (AFP-Yonhap)NEW YORK (AP) ― J.K. Rowling’s latest novel has quickly climbed up the best-seller lists now that it’s finally available for purchase on Amazon.com. Rowling’s detective novel “The Silkworm” was in the top 100 by late Thursday for both print and e-book sales. She wrote it under the pe

WASHINGTON (AP) ― The government’s top drug abuse experts struggled Wednesday to find ways to expand use of a medicine which is widely-considered the best therapy for treating heroin and painkiller addiction, but which remains underused a decade after its launch.Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan pressed officials from the White House, the National Institute of Drug Abuse and other agencies to increase access to the buprenorphine, a medication which helps addicts control drug cravings and withdrawal sy

What is athlete’s foot?Athlete’s foot is an infectious disease caused by a type of fungus (dermatomyces) that infects the skin between the toes, the lower surface of the foot and the hands. Dermatomyces reproduces actively in a warm, moist environment, so athlete’s foot is common during summer, particularly during the rainy season.Types and symptomsThere are three types of athlete’s foot, which differ according to the location of the infection and the symptoms ― hyperkeratotic, interdigital and

The summer has arrived early in Korea this year, as the weather has been unusually warm in June.While it offers more opportunities for outdoor activities and sports, the warm weather also increases the prevalence of summer diseases. The Health Ministry says it is particularly important to be aware of illnesses such as eye infections and mosquito-borne diseases, as well as food-borne illnesses. The best way to avoid eye infections and food-borne diseases is to wash your hands properly and regular