Beaches along the East Sea draw vacationers for their soft sand and clear water. Below are The Korea Herald’s top four picks to check out this summer. 　Gyeongpo Beach, the biggest on East SeaThe Gyeongpo Beach located between the East Sea and Gyongpo Lake in South KoreaWith a sand beach stretching some 6 kilometers, Gyeongpo Beach is a sand bank located between the East Sea and Gyeongpo Lake. It is the biggest beach along the east coast, attracting an average 6.5 million people each summer.　Loca

GANGNEUNG/SOKCHO, Gangwon Province – Gangwon Province and its coastal towns used to be the less developed and less populated in South Korea. But that seems to be changing fast. With accessibility from the metropolitan area greatly enhanced and expected to improve yet more in the coming months, the once laid-back coastal towns and cities are seeing a property development boom, with a number of luxury hotels, resorts and apartment complexes being erected. The Seamarq Hotel in GangneungThe upcoming

Smartphone apps impact the landscape of an age-old pastime activity.

Fishing cafes offer people a chance to break out of their usual patterns.

South Koreans have diversified their leisure activities in the years since the five-day workweek system was introduced in 2004. The increased leisure time is fueling the growth of various industries, and fishing is one of the key beneficiaries. Fishing was usually associated with Korean men, who dreamed of owning a framed photo of themselves holding a big catch. Indeed, fishing had been regarded as a conventional pastime among retirees and a narrow group of devotees, most of whom were men.The si

South Koreans have long enjoyed fishing as a hobby. But the public notion about the pastime is that it’s for the elderly or those who have a lot of free time. Things are changing, though, as a growing number of online fishing communities are catering to Koreans in their 20s and 30s -- a group willing to go for a new hobby to relieve their stress. FMC members enjoy fishing at Gimpo fishery (Kang Pan-soo/FMC)Lee Ji-ah is a case in point. “I used to be easily swayed by unwanted thoughts before I st

Traditional desserts for the royalty make comeback in all their glory

Move over macarons and Frappuccinos. Just as Starbucks made coffee drinks a daily essential for millions of Koreans and consumers around the world, authentic Taiwanese desserts are soaring in popularity here. Taiwanese dessert shop 315 Taiwan Cafe located on Teheran Street in Gangnam, southern Seoul (315 Taiwan Cafe)Seoul isn’t exactly home to the most authentic Taiwanese desserts. But if you take a chance and indulge in freshly crafted milk tea and munch on a heated Taiwanese pancake at 315 Tai

If Italy has gelato and France has sorbet, Korea has bingsu. It is a national dessert made of shaved ice, milk and condensed milk, and often topped with sweetened red beans or fruits. It is a dish beloved across generations, chilling their taste buds and slaking their thirst in the thick of summer. After a meal, Koreans like to go to a bingsu store to dive into a bowl of shaved ice, usually with friends or family. While the original “patbingsu” is made of ice, milk and red beans, more varieties

High temperatures can kill a person in a number of ways, and each year reports of an elderly individual dying during a heat wave makes the headlines in South Korea. However, such incidents could become a regular occurrence with summers set to be filled with killer heatwaves by 2100, should carbon dioxide emissions increase at the current rate, researchers warn. (123RF)According to research, led by Camilo Mora of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Seoul will have up to 67 days of deadly heat wave

The Korean Peninsula can’t escape global warming. Every year heat wave warnings come earlier and earlier, and record temperatures no longer come as a surprise. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Korea’s annual average temperature has increased by 1.7 degrees Celsius between 1912 and 2008. In comparison, the global average saw an increase of 0.74 degrees Celsius over the same period. Korea’s faster climate change is thought to have been aggravated by rapid urbanization. “About

The Korean Peninsula is heating up at an unparalleled pace. As the air and sea temperatures rise, pollack, cod and other staple fish are on the verge of extinction, while mackerel, anchovy and squid are becoming ubiquitous and cheaper. Apple orchards are being replaced by tangerine, banana and kiwi farms. Summer birds like white and night herons are spotted all year round. Double rice harvest, which was once possible on the southernmost island of Jeju only, is spreading to upper regions. The ave

Closet reorganization has long been a seasonal chore for South Koreans, but climate change is prompting some people to do away with the cumbersome task. South Korea’s once distinctive four seasons, spread out almost evenly over 12 months, seem to be giving way to two long and seasons of extreme heat and cold, with short transition periods in between. “I no longer put short-sleeved shirts into boxes. It feels like summer comes right after winter now,” said a 32-year-old office worker Kim Jin-hee.

In South Korea, revealing that you are a vegetarian would often be met with blank looks, as the country is not exactly veggie-friendly -- at least until recently. 　There are signs that Koreans are beginning to take vegetarianism more seriously, as they are increasingly exposed to reports of the destructive impact that meat consumption can have on their health, on animals and on the planet. 　“When I was young, I wondered why human beings destroy the environment when trees, mountains and other ani

Aparna Balakumar, a 21-year-old Australian student visiting South Korea, says she was a little nervous about coming to the country for the first time, fearing that her food options might be limited as a vegetarian. But after weeks of hunting in Seoul, she learned there are a significant number of vegetarian communities here and an increasing number of places to go that are vegetarian-friendly, with many of them located in districts frequented by foreigners such as Itaewon.“Plant in Itaewon, for