[Weekender] From lockdown to holiday visits, one nursing hospital’s COVID-19 journey

Some sense of normal life is returning to South Korea’s hospitals for the oldest and the most vulnerable patients. Last weekend, Misodle Hospital for the elderly in Guro-gu, southern Seoul, spent the first Christmas since COVID-19 with in-person visits. With social distancing and other rules already lifted, the government permitted face-to-face encounters at elderly care facilities from October. Up until this point, residents and visiting loved ones could only meet separated by a glass wal

Social AffairsDec. 31, 2022

[Eye Plus] Conveying beautiful Buddhas from the past to the future

“I want to leave drawings that can be publicly praised by people in the present,” Kwak Seon-hye, majoring in traditional fine arts at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage said. Kwak studies Korea’s traditional Buddhist arts in college. She sees her role as a bridge between the past and future, underlining the importance of drawing beautiful and valuable works of the traditional genre. “As (ancestors’ present) became our tradition from the past, what we

weekenderDec. 31, 2022

[Weekender] Last chance to get into the festive mood

It’s getting colder come evenings, but the crosswalks are bustling with people taking photos. Christmas decorations and lights illuminate the streets and alleys. People flock around the seasonal attractions, enjoying the holiday spirit with friends, lovers and family. Hotels and department stores are in a fierce competition to see who puts up the best, brightest and biggest decorations. Social media is bursting with suggestions on the perfect spot to take photos of popular decorations as w

CultureDec. 24, 2022

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Park Hyatt Busan presents festive promotions Dining Room, the Steak & Seafood Grill restaurant, located on the 32nd floor of Park Hyatt Busan, offers a “Festive Lunch,” featuring an appetizer buffet with a variety of fresh seafood items such as sashimi, king prawns, crabs, oysters, abalone, and classic Mediterranean appetizers, followed by scrambled eggs with caviar, grilled lobster tail, Australian beef tenderloin steak and dessert. A five-course dinner menu includes Dining Room

FoodDec. 24, 2022

[Eye Plus] Working with timber to capture traditional Korean heritage

“Sounds from machines and tools echo in this huge space. I feel comfortable listening to the sounds while working with the timbers here,” said traditional architecture students Kim Jun-ha and Kwon Seong-jun as they showed their workspace. Kim and Kwon are students at the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage, which specializes in training students in traditional crafts. With a plane and saw in hand, they are on their way to being masters of traditional Korean building constr

weekenderDec. 17, 2022

[Weekender] Feces heals? Peculiar Korean home remedies and their effectiveness

Korea has had an abundance of home remedies throughout its history. Many of them are as simple and harmless as drinking plum tea when you have a cough, but some can be as extreme as downing water from human feces. These methods have varying levels of effectiveness and most medical experts voice concern about following them blindly. One example of time-old home remedies still practiced by many in Korea is poking your finger with a needle to cause it to bleed in case of indigestion. Although not a

Hashtag KoreaDec. 17, 2022

[Weekender] Spring-warm or winter-cool? Personal color tests, the latest beauty craze

Are you warm-toned or cool-toned? The current craze for South Koreans is to take personal color tests -- or consultations that provide recommendations for people's personal color types. The tests, largely held offline for accuracy, have professional analysts evaluate whether people fall under the category of "warm-tone" or "cool-tone," by scrutinizing their skin tone. According to the tests, warm-toned people generally have a yellow-base skin undertone, while cool-toned

weekenderDec. 10, 2022

[Eye plus] Seonbi's sleeves float again with new 'hanryangmu'

How would "seonbi," Confucian scholars during the Joseon era (1392-1910), have fun, if they lived today? As a response to his curiosity, Hwang Tae-in, 35, created “sansunoleum,” a reinterpretation of “hanryangmu.” The word "hanryang" has had different meanings throughout history, ranging from those who retired from public office to those trying for a military position, but today the word is used to refer to unemployed or carefree people. The hanryangmu

CultureDec. 3, 2022

[Weekender] A year without hagwon, away from concrete jungle

Childhood is no longer filled with dreams. Instead it is beset by competition, pressure and anxiety, as more children are exposed to an overheated education environment from an early age. But some students and their families are taking a step away from the heat, traveling south for a sabbatical at a countryside school. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, in charge of the primary and secondary education of the capital city, has been encouraging students to try out a school life in the cou

Social AffairsDec. 3, 2022

[Weekender] Jeju Biennale shows the island's natural identity

JEJU CITY -- About an hour‘s flight from the South Korean capital of Seoul, Jeju Island is a popular destination for those who want to get away from the grit of the city. The ubiquitous porous basalt, covering more than 90 percent of the island, is evidence that the island was created as a result of volcanic activity. "Dolharubang," or village guardian statues carved out of porous basalt, fresh seafood, mandarin oranges and more than 368 parasitic cones are iconic symbols of t

TravelNov. 26, 2022

[Weekender] Revived G-Star back with bang

BUSAN -- For Ji Young-hoon, a 22-year-old South Korean who had just finished his mandatory military service duty in September, this year’s G-Star -- the country’s largest annual gaming exhibition felt like seeing an old friend after a long time. “I was here three years ago right after I took Suneung (Korea’s national college entrance exam). I have been looking forward to this year’s G-Star because the last two years’ events were not enjoyable,” Ji told T

TechnologyNov. 19, 2022

[Eye plus] Connecting strings, weaving tradition

“The process attracts me more than the results,” says Kim Na-yeon a spinner and weaver of Hansan ramie fabric, which is made from the plant ramie, used to make traditional summer costumes. Ramie fabric from Hansan, South Chungcheong Province, has a long tradition that goes hundreds of years, and its production process was designated as a cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011. The making process of Hansan ramie fabric starts with making strings with parts of ramie stems to weaving the

PeopleNov. 19, 2022

[Weekender] In hyper-connected Korea, a growing urge to unplug

Smartphones brought the world to our fingertips. But they have also brought endless notifications, social feeds and a deluge of information and distractions. Fatigue from this ever-persistent and ultra-fast connectivity has led to a growing interest in ‘digital detox’, or unplugging from the digital and online world, among South Koreans. Kim Young-jae, a 40-year-old office worker, felt a strong urge to disconnect recently. It was after the Oct. 29 Itaewon crowd crush which left 156 p

CultureNov. 12, 2022

[Weekender] Medicine for better college, does such panacea exist?

The annual Sunung, or College Scholastic Ability Test, that will decide the outcome of 12 years of education for many Korean teens is a month away. The test is a major event that pushes back working hours and the opening of the stock market by one hour, and even halts airplanes for 25 minutes for the English listening test. The Korean passion for academic achievements, coupled with Koreans’ obsession with health supplements, has given rise to a big market for supplements and traditional me

weekenderOct. 29, 2022

[Weekender] Mountain temples perfect place to enjoy autumn

As the temperature starts to drop, the heavy jackets come out from the depths of their closets and trees everywhere start to dress up in their seasonal flaming reds, dazzling yellows and brilliant oranges. With autumn in Korea seemingly getting shorter every year, travelers are gearing up and preparing to traverse the country to get the most out of the season at popular destinations for leaf peeping. With the fall foliage expected to be most spectacular from late October through early November,

TravelOct. 22, 2022

[Eye Plus] Korean dance embodies harmony, everyday life

Korean traditional dance is something that comes out “naturally” in the everyday life of Koreans, says Park So-young, a 28-year-old dancer of the National Dance Company of Korea. Park specializes in Korean dance at the national dance troupe, performing works inspired by traditional dances. She focuses on displaying the features of Korea’s traditional emotions and lifestyle into dance while seeking ways to share the tradition with contemporary audience. The young professional da

PerformanceOct. 22, 2022

[Weekender] Strong dollar, weak won: What does it mean for ordinary people?

Over the past year, the Korean currency has lost nearly 20 percent of its value against the dollar. A dollar is equal to about 1,429 won, according to the currency’s closing rate on Wednesday. But a year ago, you needed 19 percent less of the Korean currency, or 1,196.5 won, to buy a dollar. The won’s depreciation, driven largely by the dollar’s gains worldwide, has sent the exchange rate into a territory trodden only during major financial crises. A won-dollar rate above 1,400

Social AffairsOct. 15, 2022

[Eye Plus] Digging for answers

Chi Hye-seol was crouching down inside a pit 1 meter deep. With her face covered in dirt and one hand holding a "homi," a Korean hand plow, she was carefully digging. “I am looking for clues into the past that are deeply asleep under this dust,” said Chi, a senior student majoring in convergence archaeology at Korea National University of Cultural Heritage. When The Korea Herald met her on Sept. 30, she was working on an excavation at Hongsan-myeon, Buyeo, South Chungcheong

PeopleOct. 8, 2022

[Weekender] Drone's new mission: Light up the sky

Drone light shows are taking over local festivals and company promotion events as a new crowd pleaser. The small vehicles, equipped with colorful LED lights and capable of flying at speeds of 6 meters per second, quickly gather and scatter to form various shapes and relay messages, with the night sky serving as a black canvas. At one moment, the light-bearing quadcopters morph into a slow-moving whale and the next into an angry bull, dazzling spectators on the ground. South Korea is fast catchin

CultureOct. 8, 2022

[Weekender] Customize your image with fragrances at perfume 'gongbang'

“Perfume and fragrances are ways I can present myself as I want,” said 24-year-old Lee Seo-hyun, who frequently uses perfume craft workshops to create her own perfumes. For Lee, perfume is not just a luxury item, but a tool for self-expression. “I admire people who use perfumes skillfully. It feels like they really have a deep understanding about themselves," she said. Lee says that different perfumes convey different impressions of a person, ranging from tender to profess

weekenderOct. 2, 2022