JEJU ISLAND -- Jeju Island is a popular travel destination this summer. As overseas travel is almost impossible due to concerns about COVID-19, more people are flocking to the southern island from the mainland. The island boasts vast natural areas, from oceans to mountains and fields, where tourists can avoid close contact with others. Travelers often stay at private villas and get around in rental cars -- good holiday options in the time of the coronavirus pandemic. But tourists need to b

Pianist Kim Kwang-min is to hold a solo recital for the first time in three years. According to production agency Credia’s announcement Thursday, Kim will perform Aug. 15 at the Lotte Concert Hall in Jamsil, eastern Seoul.  Kim, whose repertoire encompasses jazz, new age and classical music and whose work is often featured in films and dramas, graduated from the Berklee College of Music and has worked with numerous K-pop musicians such as Yoon Jong-shin and IU. The upcoming show

Retro bingsu at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas’ Lobby Lounge presents mugwort bingsu in collaboration with Danish royal porcelain brand Royal Copenhagen. Retro mugwort bingsu, prepared by the hotel’s patissier with Korean herb mugwort, is served in a bowl from Royal Copenhagen. This year, the bingsu is also available in individual servings. Retro mugwort bingsu is available until the end of August at 45,000 won for two to three servings

Taebaek Sunflower Festival The Taebaek Sunflower Festival takes place July 14-Aug. 16 in Guwau Village, celebrating the area’s wide array of colorful wildflowers and endless fields of sunflowers. The village in Gangwon Province has the largest sunflower field in Korea. The festival area is filled with 300 species of wild flowers, along with a walking path nearby the sunflower field. Hands-on programs related to wild flowers will be prepared. For more information in Korean, visit sunf

The curtain went up on the musical “Mozart!” amid tears. The show depicts the great maestro as an ordinary human being that the modern audience can easily relate to. The musical, written by celebrated duo Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay, features Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) as a fragile being trapped by his childhood. Though a grown man, Mozart is consistently haunted by Amade, the personification of his genius.   Though Mozart is an 18th century figure, the musical

The National Theater of Korea is collaborating with the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), featuring contemporary gugak performances held against the backdrop of Korean calligraphy. The 2020 Yeowoorak Festival, an annual festival of traditional Korean music organized by the National Theater of Korea, is to kick off on July 3, featuring 12 performances over its 23-day run. Since March, the MMCA Seoul has been hosting its first calligraphy exhibition, titled “The

In his upcoming contemporary dance show, dancer and choreographer Kim Seol-jin offers a close look at the fine line between art and prank. Kim, who is well known for his modern dance works and has also appeared in many musicals, films and dramas, is to present his latest work at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, July 15-19. The show, “Japari,” is part of the theater’s Contemporary S project, launched last year with ballerina Kim Ju-wo

Returning to the stage after a four month virus-mandated absence, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’s reunion with its audience was full of emotion for both sides. The SPO performed “Related Giants – Mahler & Sibelius” at the Lotte Concert Hall in eastern Seoul on Thursday. It was the first time the SPO had performed in front of a live audience since February. Though the concert had been much anticipated, the concert hall was relatively empty, as the SPO limited the nu

Local hotels, pushed to the brink amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, are reaching out to TV shopping channels with discounted package deals. Four Points by Sheraton Seoul Namsan, a business hotel in central Seoul, will go on air on Shinsegae TV Shopping channel over the weekend, selling a package deal for 60,000 won ($49.50) The hotel is managed by local hotel brand Shinsegye Chosun Hotel under retail mogul Shinsegae. Those who purchase the deal, with more than 50 percent discount, can make a

Unique bingsu at Grand Hyatt Seoul Grand Hyatt Seoul’s lobby lounge cafe Gallery will serve mango basil Champagne bingsu from July 1 to Aug. 31. Mango basil Champagne bingsu features shaved milk ice topped with mango, along with basil Champagne sherbet made with more than 40 percent Champagne. Mango puree, condensed milk and red beans are served along with the bingsu. The bingsu costs 40,000 won and will be available daily from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Staycation at Park Hyatt Seoul

Night of Ganghwa & Heritage Story Organized by the Ganghwa County Office and Incheon Tourism Organization, Night of Ganghwa & Heritage Story offers eight different programs to visitors, introducing the cultural heritage of Ganghwa. The festival, held Sept. 11-12 at the Yongheunggung Palace Park in Ganghwa, Incheon, west of Seoul, involves traditional art performances, a media facade and a parade, along with hands-on experiences for visitors of all age. Call the travel hotline at 1330

Violinist Clara Jumi Kang and pianist Son Yeol-eum are to embark on a tour of South Korea in September. The seven-city tour will run Sept. 2-10 and take them to Jeju, Suwon, Goyang, Daegu and more. It will mark the two virtuosos’ first performances together in four years. Having attended the Korea National University of Arts together, the two debuted as a duo at Carnegie Hall in New York in 2012. They held a national tour in 2013, followed by another in 2016 celebrating the release

A violinist will perform the solo repertoires of Bach and Ysaye, to take the audience on a “music trip” to Europe in July. Violinist Lim Ji-young, 25, will present the unaccompanied violin sonatas by Bach and Ysaye at central Seoul’s Seoul Anglican Cathedral on July 1 and the Seosomun Shrine History Museum on July 11. Lim rose to stardom in the classical music scene as the first Korean violinist to win the 2015 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, Belgium. Since then,

Though no one is sure when the current coronavirus crisis will end, things will never be the same again for the performing arts scene, which has come to a near-complete halt for the past few months. 　 The global performing arts scene has suffered a major blow, as virus containment measures severely restrict gatherings in enclosed spaces. Even the most prestigious performing art venues, including Broadway in New York and the West End in London, have had to shut down. 　　 Numbers prove the impact

Solo bingsu at Conrad Seoul Conrad Seoul’s rooftop bar Vvertigo is to launch single-serve bingsu from Monday. Typically, bingsu is shared among two to three people. However, as one-person bingsu has become the norm amid social distancing, Vvertigo is offering tropical-flavored pina colada bingsu and coffee-flavored Irish ice bingsu, adequate for a single guest. The bingsu varieties are liqour based, but can be enjoyed as non-alcohol desserts upon request. Pina colada bingsu costs 18,

Jeongnamjin Jangheung Water Festival The Jeongnamjin Jangheung Water Festival in Jangheung, South Jeolla Province, celebrates the clean and refreshing water of the Tamjin River and Jangheung Lake. The water festival takes place in areas along the river and in the Cypress Forest Woodland, allowing festivalgoers to take part in refreshing water activities from day to night. For more information in Korean, visit festival.jangheung.go.kr. Call the travel hotline at 1330 for help in Korean, Eng

The annual Yeowoorak Festival, a gugak-themed festival organized by the National Theater of Korea, is to kick off on July 3, featuring 12 performances over 23 days. This year’s festival, titled after an abbreviation for the Korean sentence meaning “our music (gugak) is here,” will focus on the “here and now” of gugak, with an emphasis on the expansion of the traditional music genre. Cheolhyeongeum (steel-stringed zither) player and percussionist Yoo Kyeong-hwa,

The international tour production of musical “The Phantom of the Opera” is to collaborate with the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA), sharing an online performance by its lead actors singing iconic numbers from the musical in front of the MMCA Seoul. The live outdoor performance will be streamed online Friday on MMCA’s YouTube channel and local video sharing platform Naver TV. The three lead actors will sing “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Agai

Staycation at Park Hyatt Seoul Park Hyatt Seoul is to present the Experience More package, marking the hotel’s official reopening Tuesday. The package features a breakfast for two served in-room, complimentary one-tier room upgrade applicable up to City View Deluxe level and a Park Hyatt Seoul signature teddy bear. A bathrobe for kids will be offered to guests staying with children on a first come, first served basis. Stays between Tuesday and June 30 are available for reservation thr

Centum Beer Festival The Centum Beer Festival, sponsored and managed by the Centum Beer Festival Committee, is held at KNN Centum Plaza in Busan every summer.  The festival offers unlimited beer and snacks for all visitors. Though the event takes place every May, this year, it has been postponed to August in concerns over the COVID-19 spread. It will be held Aug. 20-30.  Performances will take place throughout the festival from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. For more information in Korean, vi