People try traditional Korean games at the newly opened Traditional Culture Experience Center of the Imperial Palace Seoul. The center also allows Korean and foreign visitors to take pictures with a Korean traditional house in the background, wearing hanbok, or traditional Korean clothing. The Club Lounge on the 20th floor features the interior of a traditional Korean house, too. (Imperial Palace Seoul)

Healthy Korean food at JW Mariott DongdaemunJW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul’s restaurant Tavolo 24 offers the promotion Summer 8, featuring dishes inspired by regional food across the nation. Recreating traditional tastes, chefs whipped up the dishes with stylish techniques. Guests who dine at the lunch and dinner buffets can enjoy the promotion. The menu may differ depending on the timeslot. Other European and Oriental menu items have been prepared as well. The promotion will continue until

Loaches or mudfish may not be the first thing that come to mind when thinking of healthy food. But in Korea, when people are exhausted, many look for loach soup, or chueotang. Chueotang is prepared by purging sand out of live loaches by boiling them in salted water. The loaches are then boiled again with various vegetables, such as chives and dried radish greens.  (Shot and produced by Lim Jeong-yeo/The Korea Herald) The soup can be enjoyed with either whole or pureed loaches. A

A remix version of BTS’ “The Truth Untold” will be released soon. DJ and producer Steve Aoki, who is recognized around the world, announced through his social media account Wednesday, he will be releasing a remix version of “The Truth Untold.” The two acts partnered earlier this year, dropping the song through the band’s latest studio album “Love Yourself: Tear” in May.Steve Aoki (Yonhap)BTS (Yonhap)Saying that he is “so proud of the success,” Aoki added, he doesn’t want to make fans wait for lo

Singer-turned-actor Kim Hyun-joong is considering a return to the small screen, his agency said Tuesday. According to KeyEast Entertainment, Kim has recently been offered a leading role in upcoming drama series “When Time Stopped,” a 12-part fantasy-romance. He would play a time traveler living a lonely life. Kim Hyun-joong (KeyEast Entertainment)Kim has not yet decided whether to take the offer, KeyEast said.His latest screen work was drama series “Inspiring Generation” in 2014. A former member

One of tvN’s all-time favorites, “Grandpas Over Flowers” is to make its return after three years.   The travel-reality show is considered the trailblazer of its genre, having first aired in 2013. With veteran senior actors -- Lee Soon-jae, Shin Goo, Park Geun-hyung and Baek Il-seob -- and actor Lee Seo-jin as a guide, the show traveled across Europe and Asia. The previous four seasons’ peak viewership ratings have been increasing, respectively marking 6.8, 7.2, 7.8 and 10 percent. The numbers ha

On the east coast of Korea, Hotel Tops 10 is vying to become the No. 1 holiday spot this summer. Since its opening in last December, the hotel has made its presence in the high-end hospitality scene, preferred for its location and service. With more facilities opening in July, the hotel hopes to further fully satisfy its guests. Geumjin Hot Springs, using local thermal water will open, along with Aqua Park, VR Zone, Kids Zone, Golf Zone and a karaoke.  (Hotel Tops 10)On Saturday, a DJ party will

When stepping inside L’Escape hotel, guests will feel the illusion of being in 19th century Paris. Shinsegae Chosun Hotel is set to launch its first urban French-style boutique hotel brand L’Escape in mid-July, in central Seoul near Hoehyeon Station.L’Escape was designed by French architect Jacques Garcia, known for his work at Hotel Costes in Paris, one of the most renowned boutique hotels around the globe. The new hotel was inspired by the concept of the 19th century Paris aristocracy, aiming

Cable channel tvN is soon to air its new Saturday-Sunday drama series “Mr. Sunshine,” featuring Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-ri as the main leads. The story centers on the two working to save Joseon-era Korea from Japan in early 1900s. The fantasy-romance series is to air through Netflix, a global streaming service. The production has stoked great anticipation, as the team’s previous works, “Descendants of the Sun” and “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” were greatly loved in and out of Korea.  Ki

Cable channel tvN is set to air its blockbuster drama series “Mr. Sunshine.”The fantasy-romance series grabbed the attention of viewers even before its airing, as it will be scriptwriter Kim Eun-sook and director Lee Eung-bok’s third time working together. The famed duo have proven their teamwork through hit series “Descendants of the Sun” and “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God.”The story is set in Korea in the early 1900s, as it is on the verge of being colonized by Japan. “Not much drama or f

Actor Jung Woo-sung has been criticized by some for showing support for Yemeni refugees on Jeju Island, with Koreans divided over whether or not to grant them official refugee status.Around 500 Yemeni refugees are now on Jeju Island after fleeing from the war in Yemen, with most of them having applied for refugee status. While many Koreans have called for the government to accept them on humanitarian grounds, others demanded for refugees’ expulsion.　Jung as an honory ambassador for the UN Refuge

It isn’t common to come across a magician on the streets, but meeting a young professional magician who is also a college student is much more rare. Ed Kwon, or Kwon Joon-hyuk, is a 23-year-old Korean magician based in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Despite his young age, he performed as a headliner act last Christmas at The Magic Castle in Los Angeles, the world-famous private club for magicians.  Ed Kwon 　On Tuesday, Kwon spoke with The Korea Herald before staging a magic show at an event held by

Italian getaway at Park Hyatt SeoulPark Hyatt Seoul presents its Summer at the Park package for guests looking for a staycation. The package includes a breakfast buffet for two people at the hotel’s Italian restaurant Cornerstone. Italian-style popcorn and beer are prepared in the rooms and guests in a suite will receive a bottle of red wine.A limited number of family guests with kids younger than 7-year-old will be provided special kids’ amenities. The price starts from 325,000 won for a standa

Andaz, a luxury boutique hotel brand under Hyatt, is set for its first launch in Korea. The brand under the global hotel chain Hyatt plans to open its first hotel in Seoul by 2019, Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced Wednesday. A Hyatt affiliate has entered into agreements with Kt estate Inc. and Hotel HDC Co., Ltd. for the development of Andaz Gangnam. An architectural rendering of Andaz Gangnam (Baum Architects)The new boutique hotel will be situated near Apgujeong Station.Andaz Gangnam is expected t

K-pop act Mamamoo’s Hwasa sparked a gopchang craze earlier this month with her appearance on the MBC reality show “I Live Alone.” She visited a gopchang restaurant by herself and devoured the dish of cow’s small intestines. The very next day, people lined up in front of the featured eatery, waiting for two to three hours. Sales also soared at other gopchang restaurants across the nation. In reality, however, eating gopchang alone is not easy. Most of the people who lined up to have gopchang came

Many Korean dishes contain jeotgal whether we realize it or not. Jeotgal refers to a category of seafood pickled with salt. When naming a specific type of jeotgal, the word “jeot” is used as a suffix. A wide variety of seafood can be used as a jeotgal ingredient, including oysters, clams, fish, roe and tiny shrimps, as well as fish gills and intestines. Depending on the ingredient, fermentation period may differ, from a few days to three months. But most Koreans these days purchase jeotgal at lo

The Korea CQ Forum of the Corea Image Communication Institute held a ceremony Tuesday at Grand Hyatt Seoul to recognize envoys to Korea for their work in promoting ties between Korea and the countries they represent.The Korea CQ Culture Award was given to Malaysian Ambassador to Korea Dato Rohana Ramli for bridging cultural exchanges between Malaysia and Korea during her more than five-year tenure in Seoul. Members of the Korea CQ Forum pose for a group photo at Grand Hyatt Seoul on Tuesday. (CI

DJ Soda has partnered with Warner Music Group. The 28-year-old DJ signed a distribution deal for her upcoming record with Warner Music Group, according to her agency House of Music on Wednesday. Warner Music Group is home to big-name pop artists such as Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and Coldplay.  DJ Soda (House of Music)“I am happy to work with Warner Music Group, which many global artists are a part of. I will work on making better music,” DJ Soda said through her agency. Recently, DJ Soda, whose rea

Comedian Lee Young-ja made her first public appearance since she was hit by the “Omniscient” crisis last month. Lee attended a press event held Monday in western Seoul for Olive TV’s upcoming show “Bob Bless You,” a new food reality show about healing oneself through eating tasty foods. Lee Young-ja poses for photos before a press event held Monday at Times Square mall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. (Olive TV)The comedian was involved in an unexpected controversy last month, when the production team

Judge Moon Yoo-seok’s first attempt at script writing has so far been well-received by local viewers for its fresh perspective. Moon, a senior judge of the Seoul Central District Court, wrote the script of the drama series “Miss Hammurabi,” which airs Mondays and Tuesdays on JTBC. Rather than dealing with large corporate cases or gruesome murders, the series features stories of desperate ordinary people, from the perspectives of three different judges. Despite being a late-night series on a cabl