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SHARING LIFE

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AUGUST 2017

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LITERATURE WALKS

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YANGYANG ISSUE NO. 169

Every student at NLCS Jeju is taught to believe there are no limits to achieving their dreams.

Minha Kim joined NLCS Jeju in 2011, she had no formal dance training and when she stepped into her first Dance Society meeting, she asked “what does contemporary dance mean?” She soon found out; and dance became her life’s passion which she embraced though the curriculum, co curricular activities and even her own Dance Company.

Minha will study Theatre and Performance Studies and Mathematics at Stanford University.

NLCS Jeju is a British international boarding school for girls and boys.

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A Hot Summer’s Day 하늘공원의 여름

Not a soul was at Haneul Park, so hot was the summer day, with so little shade. Because of this, though, we could have the park to ourselves. The summer colors were like a lie. And like a lie, you sat on that bench and smiled happily, the summer day hot, the bench without shade.

You can see Studio J photographer Seo Young-min’s work at sawtiger.blog.me or on Instagram at @sawtiger666

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EDITOR’S NOTE Publisher Kim Hyunggeun (Hank Kim) Editor-in-Chief Robert Koehler Editor Diana Park Producer/Coordinator Park Sinwon Art Director Jung Hyun-young Head Designer Cynthia Fernández Designer Jeong Hyo-ju Advertising & Sales Ha Gyungmin About the Cover Model Kim Jeong Moon at the Yi Sang House Photographed by Dylan Goldby Address 2nd fl., 43 Bukchon-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03061, Korea / Tel 82-2-734-9567 Fax 82-2-734-9562 / E-mail hankinseoul@gmail.com / Website magazine.seoulselection.com / Registration No. 서울 라 09431 / Copyright by Seoul Selection Printed by (주) 평화당 (Tel 82-2-735-4001) All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without the written consent of the publishers.

As society grows more atomized in the face of technological and economic forces, more and more people are looking for a connection, for interactions with others. Young Koreans, in particular, are searching for ways to share their lives on a daily basis, be it at in the kitchen, at the dinner table, or in study groups that meet at local libraries and cafés. Technology, including social media, is enabling people to form relationships and build “tribes” based not on work, family or school, but on shared hobbies and interests.

Also in this issue of SEOUL, we visit historical spots connected to Korean literature, go surfing in Yangyang, talk with artist Lee Wan, fight the summer heat with hot and cold dishes and much, much more.

Contents

AUGUST 2017

ISSUE NO. 169

The Lens

Dining

A Hot Summer’s Day

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ADVERTISING To advertise in SEOUL, call (02) 734-9567 or email seoulad@seoulselection.com or hankinseoul@gmail.com

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Sharing Life

A Cocktail for All Seasons 44 Beating the Summer Heat 46 Nightlife

Arcade Upgrade 48 The Diverse Flavors of the City

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Exploring Seoul

Walking with Poets and Novelists 16

정기구독 안내

Summer Skin

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6 Young people gather in Bukchon Hanok Village space Tium to study Chinese.

Exploring Seoul

Sharing Life Breaking free of rigid social constraints, young people are finding ways to connect in a freer, more personal way Written by Han Hyelim

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Š Robert Koehler

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© Tium

Participants enjoy board game night at Tium.

Recent figures show more and more people are living alone in Korea. According to Statistics Korea, the number of single households has grown to 27.2 percent of total households. Korea’s rapid economic development led to many changes in Korean society, most notable in the increasing urbanization of the country as more and more people, most of them young, have flocked to the cities in the pursuit of economic opportunities. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to find many Koreans living more solitary lifestyles than generations past.

As an increasing number of Koreans find themselves living on their own, it might not be surprising that new trends in doing things alone, from eating, drinking, shopping and even living, have sprung up. However, another new trend seems to be defying the phenomena of doing it alone. The trend of “sharing lives” is spreading among young people. These young people clamor for more varied interactions and comfort in their search for connection, and they’re finding ways to bring it into their daily lives.

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Modern take on finding connection Traditional social relations in Korea were mostly based around work, family or schools. Such relationships, the bedrock of Korean life in the past, were formed regardless of individual members’ wants or personal inclinations. People were expected to attend work, family or school groups purely out of a collective obligation. Many young people find these social masks constraining, growing exhausted from donning social masks. They want more than relationships in the organizations where they work. They want more personal, freer relationships where they’re not defined by their family background, the school they attended or their work. Such pressures are driving some young people to turn to more modern ways to connect, forming relationships of convenience, comfort and personal choice.

With advances in technology and new forms of social media, it’s become easier for young people to instantly connect in many new ways, and this has allowed them to start finding their own tribes. Now young people in

Special Feature

Š Zipbob Members of the online cooking community Zipbob gather to prepare a meal.

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© Robert Koehler

People gather to study English at Tium.

Exploring Seoul

© Zipbob

10 Members of Zipbob discuss food. 7017.

Seoulites enjoy the charms of Seoullo

With advances in technology and new forms of social media, it’s become easier for young people to instantly connect in many new ways, and this has allowed them to start finding their own tribes.

Korea in search of different, less formal relationships with people based upon common interests are gravitating to small communities where they can find like-minded people with the same tastes to share their lifestyles.

Sharing food Traditionally, Koreans ate together in a large group.

This is now being challenged, opening new ways of dining. More and more people are eating alone. On the other hand, social dining is catching on. This is thought to be closely linked with the rise in the single-person household. People who are unable to share meals with their families but want to have healthy eating habits are gathering together based on their common interests. People with similar interests meet through social networking sites and enjoy meals together while forming new relationships. These various dining gatherings are often organized by regions and themes.

“Kinfolk” is the term for a cultural trend that has recently emerged. The term refers to a slow-living approach where strangers gather to share meals and enjoy each other’s company as if they’re a real family.

People adapting the kinfolk style enjoy sharing simple but healthy food instead of eating alone. Kinfolk adherents pursue a simple lifestyle, living in harmony with nature, emphasizing a slow-paced leisurely life which they can enjoy with friends and families. The trend started to gain attention in Korea in early 2014 among those in their 20s and 30s. The rise in singleperson households is said to have added to the number of people living the kinfolk lifestyle.

One table

of several small tables. These one-table restaurants get strangers to sit down together at the same table to enjoy a meal. Diners can have conversations with each other and enjoy the company of other diners as well as the sense of kinship. The opportunity to be social may be a larger part of the dining experience.

While the term honbap was coined to describe the rising phenomenon of people eating alone, a “table community” is also on the rise. Communal tables are certainly nothing new. You can share a table with a stranger at lunch counters and cafeterias. Now, some restaurants offer a more intimate dining experience by seating diners together at one table where talking to a stranger is expected.

Mesiya, a Japanese restaurant located on Gyeongnidan-gil road in Itaewon, has a large communal table. Twelve people can share the table with strangers to partake in a single menu that the chef offers for the day. Diners have conversations with each other as well as with the owner of the restaurant.

At Long Table, opened recently in Jayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, there is only one large table where 12 people can dine together. In a recent interview in a local women’s magazine, Jeong Bo-ram, the owner of this small restaurant in a corner of a traditional market place, said, “Although the number of people eating alone is increasing, sometimes they have to eat alone even if they want to share a meal with someone. When that happens, I hope people come here. If someone is sitting next to you, it’s easier to talk to each other.

It would be nice to drink a glass of wine together.”

Indeed, the long table serves as a meeting place for customers and the restaurant’s owners.

There are restaurants with one communal table instead

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“Sharing” includes connecting over common interests, including film.

“Unlike traditional communities, modern communities are free from obligations, so meeting and dismissing are becoming more active.”

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Cooking together with strangers Zipbob (www.zipbob.net) literally means home food. In this online community, Zipbob is taken to mean eating together. Zipbob has now become a popular online platform for social dining, providing various gatherings arranged according to themes such as food, culture, activities, arts, learning or charity work. Participants can search the platform based on their interests.

Anyone can post on Zipbob to form new groups where users can leave comments to participate. In some cases, people who like cooking invite people under the theme of “I’ll cook for you.” In other cases, lists of places, regions, kinds of food and names of restaurants are provided, and participants just have to go to their choice of restaurant and pay for the meal.

In a column in The Women’s News, Cheon Gyeong-hui, a professor at the Catholic University of Korea, said, “Social dining is part of the business of

Special Feature

© Zipbob

A speaker address the members of Zipbob.

sharing which appeared due to the development of information and communication technologies,” and “We can see social dining as being part of the larger sharing economy.” She added, “Social dining offers opportunities and pleasures to eat together and ease a sense of fundamental loneliness of those who eat alone.”

Some experts believe that the makings of a new kind of community can be found in social dining.

“Unlike traditional communities, modern communities are free from obligations, so meeting and dismissing are becoming more active,” said Sogang University professor Jeon Sang-jin to the the Kyunghyang Shinmun. “With the increased and various media of communication, individuals are starting to make the best of a community through various meetings,” he added.

Social dining is an opportunity for like-minded people to eat together and enjoy the company of each other. Indeed, meeting strangers to sit down together at

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the same table and enjoy a meal provides a comfort to those otherwise eating alone.

Having fun together Among young Koreans in their 20s and 30s, social gatherings where people don’t have to reveal their personal information are increasing. Through internet communities, people gather based on their region, preferences and hobbies. They don’t want to know each other’s personal information, however. They gather for the purpose of the meeting, and as such joining and withdrawing from the clubs are also made simple. Nobody forces you to come to the meetings or asks nosy questions. Young people don’t want others meddling in their lives, and they don’t want to intrude into others’ lives either. That doesn’t mean that they don’t get to know each other well. While they don’t exchange phone numbers, and they only interact via social media, they exchange their thoughts and

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People gather at GongSangOnDo, an café and “alternative space” in Mapo-gu.

© Bright Room

opinions, widely and freely, within their community.

In a recent movie screening held at GongSangOnDo, a café and “alternative space” in Mapo-gu, Seoul, dozens of people gathered for a movie of which the title wasn’t announced in advance. They paid for their drinks and watched the movie Her together.

After the movie was over, some people stayed longer to discuss the movie. Interestingly, they don’t ask questions about what they do for living or where they live, and they don’t make plans together, for example, to go to a cinema. They just make further movie recommendations.

Members of the online book club Chaeksamo, which means “a group of people who love books,” got together one Friday night to have heated discussions.

The members don’t ask personal questions in order to focus on the discussion of books. During their meeting, participants can engage in difficult or heavy subjects which are hard to broach in typical meetings with friends or coworkers.

A salesperson surnamed Ki, who goes to a social meeting for sporting activities in Seoul, said, “Although I got used to doing things alone, that doesn’t mean I avoid meeting people.” She added, “I’m under tremendous stress at work. But when I attend these gatherings, I feel like I have another family. People are so nice and try to help each other.” The online community she joined has more than 1,000 members.

If someone suggests a gathering online, those who are free and feel like participating in the gathering meet together and have fun.

Looser, freer communities People unhappy with conventional relationships are attending various meetings looking for understanding and comfort. These are looser communities where people can freely and easily come and go. Nobody questions if someone stops attending. In these anonymous communities, sharing similar interests, discussing concerns or hardships and connecting in itself can be a healing process.

The younger generations seem to be rejecting strong ties and being forced to maintain only conventional relationships. Instead of being completely alone, they’re looking for new ways of connecting, interacting and forming relations in a less traditional way. As long as young people refuse to be part of systems that force them to have a sense of belonging, more and more people will seek to share their lives.

Participants study ceramics at Bright Room, a work shop in Mangwon-dong.

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Special Feature

© Zipbob

WANNA SHARE? Written by Robert Koehler As more and more people live on their own, many are searching for ways to connect through shared interests, or “life sharing.” Here are just a couple of groups to get you started.

Zipbob Its name taken from the Korean word for eating at home, jipbap, Zipbob is an online platform for social dining, a community that “restores relationships between people and where matters of interest are respected.” Starting in 2012, the service began as one that focused on dining, i.e., letting users set up group meals. Now it’s much, much more, with registered users establishing groups for things such as cooking, arts and crafts, volunteer work and cultural activities. As a general rule, the company doesn’t involve itself in the group making, allowing users to autonomously decide when, where and over what they will get together.

GongSangOnDo Located in Hongdae’s Donggyo-dong district, GongSangOnDo is a café-based alternative space that also functions as a pub, gallery, performance venue and art market. Employing a variety of experimental display methods, the space supports a range of performances, exhibits and creative gatherings, all with the goal of allowing younger, newer artists more opportunities to communicate with the public. Described in a local magazine as a place for all things indie, the underground space – literally, it’s in the basement – is mostly an independent book store and craft shop during the day, but at night, it hosts concerts, artistic performances, film screenings and other events.

Tium Hidden in an alley in Bukchon Hanok Village, Tium is a traditional Korean home that has been turned into a space where different groups pursue a wide range of common interests, including board games, language learning and more. On the night this writer visited, there were two groups, one studying English, the other Chinese.

They’ve hosted Korean learning groups, too. http://blog.naver.com/fistn

www.zipbob.net www.gongsangondo.com Booktique Speaking to the Kyunghyang Shinmun, Booktique founder Park Jong-won described his “urban hideaway for books and people” as a “space not for book lovers, but a space for world-be readers who don’t currently read, a place not for reading books, but for meeting books.”

With locations in Nonhyeon-dong and Seogyo-dong, Bootique is a bookshop/ café that hosts a variety of events with the aim of getting people reading again, including overnight book reading sessions, beer parties in which participants read over a brew, lectures, performances, writing groups, exhibits and, of course, book clubs of all sorts.

Chaeksamo Chaeksamo means “gathering of people who love books.” Composed of book lovers in their 20s and 30s, Chaeksamo espouses seven values: promoting reading, deepening human understanding, cultivating critical skills, promoting communication, expanding minds, improving speaking ability and establishing a values system of your very own. Participants read one book a week, which they then discuss and debate. http://cafe.naver.com/lovebook99

booktique.kr

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The Yi Sang House in Seochon is a cafĂŠ and cultural space located where the avant-garde writer Yi Sang lived.

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Exploring Seoul

문학낭만산책

Walking with Poets and Novelists The homes and memorials of Korea’s literary greats offer insight into the Korean soul Written and photographed by Robert Koehler

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Now a tea house, Suyeon Sanbang was the home of 20th century novelist Yi Tae-jun.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote, “Literature transmits incontrovertible condensed experience... from generation to generation. In this way literature becomes the living memory of a nation.” Indeed, there’s no better way to grasp an understanding of a nation, its people and their culture that to read its literature, both classical and contemporary. In an interview, Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) president Kim Seong-kon said, “K-pop or Hallyu cannot represent Korean culture comprehensively. Literature is a good medium of letting the world know about Korea — what we think, how we live — because literature incorporates history, politics, economy, all sorts of things.”

In these walks, we visit the former homes and memorials of some of Korea’s literary giants of the 20th century, novelists and poets who spiritually sustained the country during its darkest hours. Thanks to the work of individual translators and organizations such as LTI

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Korea, much of their work is now accessible to nonKorean audiences. Even if we cannot read their words, however, the houses, photographs, personal effects and other articles they left behind teach us much about the artists, the times in which they lived and their creative visions. These walks also let us explore some of Seoul’s most charming neighborhoods, places where art, leisure and nature come together.

Poet’s Hill Poet Yun Dong-ju (1917–1945) is one of Korea’s most beloved literary figures. Practically unknown when he died in a Japanese prison at the young age of 27, Yun is today a cultural icon. Last year, his life was the subject of a feature film, “DongJu: The Portrait of a Poet.” This year, the Seoul Performing Arts Company staged “Yun Dong-ju Shoots the Moon,” a musical the troupe first produced in 2011. Kwanghee of boy band ZE:A, rapper

Exploring Seoul

A lotus blooms in a stone basin in the garden of Suyeon Sanbang.

Gaeko and Oh Hyuk from Hyukoh performed “Your Night,” a song about the poet, on the popular variety program “Infinite Challenge”; the number subsequently topped seven major music charts.

The beautiful Yun Dong-ju Literature House, perched on a windy hill at the foot of Mt. Inwangsan, is a museum that pays tribute to the poet and his work.

The space, a former water pumping station brilliantly re-purposed by architect Lee So-jin, holds old photos, a well from Yun’s hometown, letters, books and other memorabilia. One of the pumping station’s old water tanks has been turned into a beautiful garden, while another is now used as a theater. The latter, pitch black except for a narrow ray of light that penetrates the room through a small hole in the roof, recreates the dark, dreadful prison cell where Yun’s life came to an end.

Near the Yun Dong-ju Literature House is Poet’s Hill, a park with a commanding view of downtown

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Formerly an inn popular with writers and other artists, Artspace Boan 1942 is now an art gallery.

Seoul. When Yun, then a student at what is now Yonsei University, lived in a boarding house in the Seochon neighborhood, he often hiked the hill with his friend, refining his poetry over views of the city. His poem “Prologue” is inscribed in a stone monument. A section of Seoul’s historic city wall runs through the park, too.

Also on the hill is Cheongun Literature Library.

While the library’s first floor is a typical library space, with shelves full of books, the second floor is a Korean traditional Hanok. The curved tile roof of the Hanok, which is a reading room, strikes a beautiful harmony with Mt. Inwangsan.

The Yun Dong-ju Literature House is located at the entrance of Buam-dong, a quaint, quiet neighborhood hidden in the pass between Mt. Inwangsan and Mt. Bugaksan. The district is home to several museums and galleries, some very cozy cafés and several good restaurants, including a superb dumpling house and two

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The Yun Dong-ju Literature Hall’s inner garden, formerly a concrete water tank, is a thing of beauty.

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Exploring Seoul

Even if we cannot read the writers’ words, the houses, photographs, personal effects and other articles they left behind teach us much about the artists, the times in which they lived and their creative visions.

shops serving excellent fried chicken. Buam-dong is also a good starting point for hikes of Mt. Inwangsan or Mt. Bugaksan.

Village of poets Seo Jeong-ju (1915–2000) was another giant of Korean modern poetry. A five-time nominee for the Nobel Prize in literature, Seo’s combination of traditionalism and creativity became a model for future generations of Korean poets. Critics praise his poetry, with its beautiful command of language, for perfectly capturing the sentiment of the Korean people.

On the road that runs along the west side of Gyeongbokgung, there is a simple, two-story box with a tiled facade. This building is the former Boan Yeogwan, an old-school Korean inn that was also a home to many 20th century writers and artists. Seo was himself a resident here in the 1930s. In fact, it was at the inn that Seo launched his literary career when, in 1936, he, Kim Gwang-gyun, Kim Dong-ni, Oh Jang-hwan and fellow inn resident Ham Hyeong-su published the literary coterie journal Village of Poets.

The inn, which is over 80 years old, was converted into an art space in 2007. Artspace Boan 1942, as it is now called, hosts regular exhibits of art, including sections of the annual Seochon Performing Arts Festival.

Most of the gallery has been left in its original, almost dilapidated condition, allowing the space’s history to show through. The art space includes the modern building next door, which houses more exhibit space, a cafe and a very cool bookstore.

The Boan Yeogwan is also a good starting point for exploring the artistic – and trendy - Seochon neighborhood. The quiet, low-rise maze of alleyways to the west of Gyeongbokgung Palace has long held a special place in the Korean arts scene. In the 20th century, many writers and artists lived and worked in

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Suyeon Sanbang is a well-preserved, early 20th century home.

the neighborhood. Today, its streets, lined by picturesque Hanok homes, are home to galleries, workshops and more than a few cafés, restaurants and boutiques. On a weekend, it can seem as if every young couple in Seoul is strolling about.

One of Seochon’s more significant spaces, literaturewise, is the lovely Yi Sang House, a remodeled Hanok home that is now a memorial hall for avant-garde writer Yi Sang (1910–1937). Yi’s most famous work, “The Wings” (available in English), is a collection of three stories which display the writer’s “inventive manipulation of autobiographical elements, a method which expands his intensely private narratives into broader meditations on love, life and death.” Like Yun, Yi died way before his time at the age of 27 in Japan, following a brief stint in a Japanese prison and years of hard living. Said his friend and fellow writer Park Tae-won, “He loved [women], he loved booze, he loved his friends and he loved literature, but he didn’t love his own body even half as much.”

The Yi Sang House is located on the land where the writer lived, although the Hanok that now stands on the spot was built after the writer’s death. It hosts regular exhibits and performances and also serves as a

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neighborhood lounge, complete with free instant coffee and tea. In the back of the house, behind a cast iron door, is a small theater and a flight of stairs that leads to a small balcony overlooking the courtyard.

Valley of art Nestled in a valley just north of Seoul’s old city wall, Seongbuk-dong is leafy neighborhood so quietly pleasant that it is the preferred place of abode for much of Seoul’s diplomatic community. Its cafés, restaurants and relaxed ambiance make it a popular weekend destination for families and couples, too, especially when the weather is nice. If you’re looking for a place to escape the hustle and bustle of Seoul without physically leaving the city limits, this is it.

Over the years, writers and other artists have found the valley, with its tranquility and proximity to nature, the perfect environment in which to engage in creative endeavors. High on a hillside overlooking the valley is a rustically handsome hanok home with some beautiful old trees in the garden. This is the Simujang, the former home of the Buddhist monk, independence activist and poet Han Yong-un (1879–1944), who is better known by his pen name, Manhae. The house’s name means

Exploring Seoul

A former pumping station, the Yun Dong-ju Literature House is an award-winning piece of architecture.

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23 Artspace Boan 1942 has expanded to include more exhibit space, a cafĂŠ and a bookstore.

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The Yi Sang House is a lovely spot in which to relax over a book or a cup of tea.

Exploring Seoul

Suyeon Sanbang serves excellent teas, rice cakes and shaved ice desserts.

“looking for a lost cow,” a Buddhist metaphor for seeking enlightenment. The poet monk lived here from 1933 to his death in 1944.

Manhae’s poetry addresses social issues, Korea’s struggle for independence from Japanese colonial rule, romantic love and, of course, Buddhist themes. His best known work, “Silence of the Beloved” is a collection of highly symbolic love poems that are expressions of longing for, depending on who you ask, a lover, Korean independence or Buddhist enlightenment. An English translation is also available, titled, “Everything Yearned For: Manhae’s Poems of Love and Longing.”

A short walk above the Simujang is Bukjeong Village, an old but picturesque hilltop community in the shadow of Seoul’s old city wall. A few of the village’s homes have been turned into art spaces. The old wall makes for a scenic hike, too, especially in spring, when the blossoms erupt into a riot of color.

In the valley below is Suyeon Sanbang, an exquisite tea house and the former home of pioneering novelist Yi Tae-jun (1904–1970?). Sometimes called “Korea’s Guy de Maupassant,” Yi was a master of the short story and one of the nation’s most respected writers of the 1930s.

He was also the one who encouraged Yi Sang to write poetry, recognizing the young genius’s talent.

Yi lived in Suyeon Sanbang from 1933 to 1946, when he defected to North Korea. His old home is a beautifully preserved Hanok that incorporates modern, 20th century elements such as glass windows. Yi’s granddaughter runs the tea house, which serves delightful Korean traditional teas and rice cakes. If you can, sit in the raised pavilion space overlooking the garden.

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The Cheongun Literature Library’s reading rooms are housed in traditional Hanok buildings.

Yun Dong-ju Literature Hall Take bus 1020, 7022 or 7212 from Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3), Exit 3.

Seochon (Art Space Boan, Yi Sang House) Art Space Boan is a 500 meter walk from Gyeongbokgung Station (Line 3), Exit 2. The Yi Sang House, meanwhile, is a short walk from Woori Bank.

Seongbuk-dong (Simujang, Suyeon Sanbang) Hansung University Station (Line 4), Exit 6

Seongbuk-gu Jongno-gu

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Exploring Seoul

양양

Yangyang Enjoy the waves and commune with nature in Korea’s surfing capital Written and photographed by Roy Cruz

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Surfing students head out to hit the waves.

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Surfers and families enjoy the calm summer waters at Jukdo Beach.

The atmosphere is laid back. Gone is the ppali ppali, or “hurry up� mood that is so typical of Korean life these days. Instead, people are lounging, cruising the streets on longboards, enjoying a beverage, or getting ready to hit the waves for a surf session. This is Yangyang. This unassuming fishing and farming area has become one of the hottest surfing destinations in Korea.

Yangyang County is located in Gangwondo, in the northeastern part of the South Korean peninsula. With a population of less than 50,000, one would be forgiven for writing it off as a sleepy country town. However,

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Yangyang is blessed with natural beauty that has made it a popular destination for people from all over the country and the world. Located on the eastern seaboard right between Gangneung and Sokcho, Yangyang is lined with numerous white sand beaches, picturesque rock formations and sunrise views that the eastern part of the peninsula is so famous for.

Jukdo Beach Jukdo Beach is one the top destinations for surfing in Yangyang. It is said to have the largest number of surf

Travel

Enjoy drinks and seaside views at Aloha Wave Kitchen and Pub.

shops in the area. Walking around Jukdo Beach and the adjacent Ingu Beach, you will see colorful buildings, a lot of which are surf shops, guest houses, cafĂŠs, pubs or a combination of all these things. It seems that many young entrepreneurs who left the big city looking for a more laid-back lifestyle can be found here. The decor is hip and the crowd is young. This is quite understandable since Seoul is only a couple of hours drive via the Seoul-Yangyang expressway. Crowds of people flock to the coastal town on weekends and holidays to relax and hit the waves.

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29 Colorful cafĂŠs and restaurants are plentiful at Ingu and Jukdo Beach.

Uisangdae Pavillon at Naksansa provides a tranquil view overlooking the East Sea.

30 Boards and flip-flops are the way to go at Jukdo Beach.

Exploring Seoul

Beginner surfers learn the moves before heading out to the water.

Surfers of all levels can enjoy the waves here. In Yangyang, the waves are mild in the summer, which is great for beginners. Many surf shops offer lessons for those who are just starting out. As the temperatures drop in autumn in winter, the waves pick up and draw more experienced surfers. Yangyang has hosted numerous international surfing festivals over the years, many of which happen in the fall.

Before (or after) you go out and hit the waves, visitors can enjoy a wide variety of food and drink in the area.

The menus are very western, consisting of burgers, pizza, fries, nachos and other fare quite fitting for the surfer vibe of the area. Have a coffee or beer while enjoying beachfront views at Aloha Wave Kitchen and Pub. Or if you are craving craft beer, Yangyang Chemistry offers a wide variety of local brews as well as great bar chow.

Other popular activities on Jukdo beach include scuba diving, fishing or just enjoying a good swim and barbecue with family and friends.

Naksansa Temple Visitors who are craving a more traditional or spiritual experience will enjoy Naksansa. The 1,300 year old temple was built by Uisang, one of the ancient Silla

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In Yangyang, the waves are mild in the summer, which is great for beginners. Many surf shops offer lessons for those who are just starting out.

Kingdom’s greatest monks. The temple is spread out over a large area and houses numerous cultural assets.

Noteable assets include a seven-story pagoda, the Hongyaemun Gate and a copper bell. There is also a large stone statue of the Bodhisattva of Mercy, the largest of its kind in East Asia.

One of the most picturesque areas of Naksansa Temple is the Uisangdae Pavillon. Built on top of a cliff by the sea, this is the place where Uisang would sit and meditate.

Nearby on an opposite cliff is the Hongryeonam Temple.

This small temple is built on top of a stone cave through which you can view the ocean below.

Naksansa Temple is also a Templestay destination.

Participants of this cultural program can experience the life of Buddhist practitioners, from early morning communes with nature, meditation and connecting

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The sun rises at Hajodae.

with your inner voice. What better place to do this than among the pine trees, seaside cliffs and tranquil surroundings of Naksansa.

Sunrise and landscapes Yangyang’s position along the eastern seaboard makes it an ideal place to view the sunrise. Photographers and landscape enthusiasts will particularly appreciate the prominent rock formations protruding from the sea. Add the uniquely-shaped pine trees, which are ubiquitous in this area, and you have beautiful landscapes that are reminiscent of ancient Eastern landscape paintings.

Hajodae is one of the best places to view such a landscape. Located on the eastern tip of Hajodae Beach, this lookout features a well-known unmanned lighthouse as well as a lone pine tree perched on a cliff.

It is the perfect place go for a morning walk and view the sunrise.

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Yangyang also has other beautiful landscapes located further inland. Micheongeol Valley is a lesser-known, and in effect, a more untouched destination. This valley has a rich forest, clean water and rock formations.

There are also numerous ecological parks in Yangyang.

These protected areas feature an abundance of trees and plants, which is great for nature walks and exploration. One such park is the Namdaecheon Stream Salmon Ecological Park (남대천연어생태공원). The Namdaecheon stream is considered one of the cleanest in the region, and every year during autumn a large population of salmon return to this area, hence the name. The area has long walking trails, tall grass and a sea breeze that will surely ease the mind.

The mighty mushroom Yangyang has two representative products and an annual festival for each of them. One of these products is salmon. Every year during autumn, 70% of Korea’s

Travel

Yangyang has a wide variety of accommodation options, from high-end resort hotels, such as the Sol Beach Resort (T. 1588-4888), to motels and pensions. Those going there for surfing might find it most convenient to stay at the guest houses provided by the surf shops in the area.

For seasonal salmon dishes as well as other local fish dishes such as Yangyang’s staple ddugeoritang, check out Cheonseon Restaurant (T. 33-672-5566).

Songi beosot jeongol is a delicious way to experience Yangyang’s signature pine mushroom.

salmon population returns to Yangyang. The result is fresh catches of salmon and a wide variety of grilled, fried and raw salmon dishes for people to enjoy. The Yangyang Salmon Festival highlights this with contests, exhibitions, performances and other events.

The other representative product of Yangyang is the Pine Mushroom, or Songi. These mushrooms, which grow naturally on the Taebaeksanmaek Mountain Ridge, feature a thick texture and strong scent. Like the salmon festival, the Yangyang Songi Festival also features a wide variety of activities and festivities to celebrate the local delicacy.

Visitors can enjoy pine mushroom dishes at several establishments around the area. This writer recommends the Songi Mushroom Hotpot at Matsutake Mushroom Town.

For a wide variety of mushroom dishes including the wellknown pine mushroom hotpot, visit Matsutake Mushroom Town (T. 33-672-3145).

Buses to Yangyang Intercity Terminal depart from Seoul’s Express Bus Terminal or Dong Seoul Bus Terminal (travel time: 2 hours 50 minutes). There is also the Yangyang International Airport (YNY), which also serves the nearby areas of Sokcho, Gangneung and Pyeongchang.

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Fearless and Unhindered 2017 Venice Biennale artist Lee Wan offers a critical voice from the Korean art scene Written by Diana Park Photographed by Robert Koehler

Lee Wan is taking the art world by a storm.

After winning Leeum Samsung Museum of Art’s first Artspectrum Award and participating in the 10th Gwangju Biennale in 2014, he continues to awe the public with his unpredictable multimedia work ranging from installations and videos to sculpture. He explores the effects of the capitalist system in the contemporary world, particularly in Korea. He also questions the system at large and offers various perspectives to challenge the norm. Through his work, he suggests a way to escape from the system.

“Much of my work stems from fundamental questions like ‘Why am I me?’ and ‘Why did I choose this?’” he says. “When I make a choice, it is not without the influence of the society. This perception affects my personality, what I’ll do in the future, and the decisions I make.

I explore this psychology in my work.”

Entering the international art world Lee just returned from the 57th Venice Biennale, where he was selected to represent the Korean Pavilion, a pavilion that earned a good deal of international

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attention and praise. Running through November 26, the pavilion’s exhibition, “Counterbalance: The Stone and the Mountain,” examines the relationship between individual stories and national histories, spotlighting Lee’s and artist Cody Choi’s work under the direction of curator Lee Dae-hyung. Both artists portrayed “counterbalance” through the puzzling, even destructive, lens of globalization in the contemporary world, especially Korea. “The response was explosive,” said Lee. “Curators and artists worldwide praised the Korean Pavilion. Many people who gave us feedback said we’d touched upon a subject that many other pavilions had closed their eyes to.”

Three of Lee’s works are on display at the Venice Biennale: “Mr. K and the Collection of Korean History,” which symbolizes Korea; “Made In,” which represents Asia; and “Proper Time,” which reflects the world.

The installation “Mr. K and the Collection of Korean History” is a collection of 1,412 photographs and personal objects that belonged to the late journalist Kim Ki-moon. Lee,

himself a keen collector of artifacts and antiques, discovered the collection, which he purchased for just USD 50, at an antique market in Seoul’s Hwanghakdong district. Kim’s life mirrored Korea’s dramatic modern history - he lived through the Japanese occupation period, the Korean War, the post-war economic boom, military dictatorship and the transition to democracy.

Lee explains, “Kim’s life shows how personal history flows into the history of a whole nation.”

In the film series “Made In,” Lee deconstructs the effects of the colonialism that inevitably infiltrates the neoliberal economies of Asian nations. Examining what goes into preparing a breakfast, Lee traveled to 12 nations to take part in the creation of the ingredients, utensils and clothing. He visited rice fields in Cambodia, silk manufacturers in Thailand and sugar farms in Taiwan to participate in and document the primary stages of production. “In Cambodia, I saw young people on smart phones walking around with bare feet,” he recalls. “They don’t have a TV, but they know how to use Google. Young girls walk around with

Interview

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© Lee Wan

If Given a Chance, I Do Refuse It, object & video, 2013

© Lee Wan

Book Sporting Goods, miscellaneous materials, 2006

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Interview

“The future [the previous generations] spoke of is now. But are we living a fulfillment of the future we hoped for?”

pasty white faces to resemble actresses on Korean soaps. Pasty faces with bare feet and smart phones are replacing beautiful, long-held traditions.”

Sacrifices made for progress Through his work, Lee highlights the loss of cultural heritage for the sake of modernization. In “Proper Time,” 686 clocks hang on white walls, ticking time at different speeds, the hands moving at paces adjusted to how long different individuals must work to afford a meal.

Below each clock is the name, date of birth, nationality and occupation of the individual each clock represents.

The work, while encompassing international perspectives and lives, returns home. In the center of the white room is a sculpture of a family, faces carved out. Lee was inspired by the propaganda posters he saw while growing up in Korea in the 1980s.

He recalls, “Many Asian nations that transitioned from dictatorship to democracy spread propaganda messages like ‘Work hard for a bright future!’

Images of families often accompanied such messages.”

Through the carved out faces, Lee asks if Koreans have truly arrived at the future for which they desperately worked. Though the nation has achieved

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economic prosperity, it also sacrificed important values along the way. He asks, “The future they spoke of is now. But are we living a fulfillment of the future we hoped for?”

What did Korea sacrifice for the sake of modernization and progress? “Korea is a leaking pot. We need to pour in more water than the pot can hold to survive.

We work more to make up for the lack.”

The excessive focus on labor may have elevated Korea to First World status, but it also resulted in cultural loss. “We resemble the understanding of Third World countries when it comes to art and culture,” says Lee. “It’s a sad thing to be so caught up in the busyness of life that we don’t have time to even watch movies. Our only access to culture is through TV and smart phones. This is what Korea lacks and the government must invest in.”

Projecting solutions homeward After a successful debut to the international art scene, Lee didn’t just sit back. He rolled up his sleeves to create a special gathering of artists and public in Korea. Using the energy and inspiration he gained in Venice, he set off to encourage young artists.

Along with leading artist Choi Dusu, he assisted with planning Union Art

www.leewanstudio.com

Fair 2017, an arts festival and market held in Seoul from June 23 to July 2.

Over 200 artists participated in the fair, as did over 8,000 attendees, including couples, families and international guests. Sponsored by the Korea Arts Management Service, it was a one-ofa-kind opportunity for the public to engage with artists and for young artists to share space with more renowned artists. Lee says this was more than an event; it was an rare collaborative effort by the artist community, government, corporations and the public.

Lee is optimistic about the future of Korea’s art scene, an art scene in which artists are being treated more equally with one another. “Over time, authoritarianism seeped in to the art world in Korea,” he says. “People with greater fame wanted better treatment.

Things will change now.”

He hopes to take part in more festivals where Korean artists gather and, with luck, capture the attention of international collectors and critics. “I look at Korea optimistically,” he says. “The reason my thoughts sound cynical is because I’m telling you the truth. I’m speaking about hope. When people tell me I’m cynical, I tell them I’m telling it like it is. Things can become beautiful within that, and I envision that kind of hope.”

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Seoul Stories is a monthly exploration of Seoul through the lives of its people.

Written and photographed by Diana Park

open up Bright Room.

Ma Eunbi, Jo Eunsong, Park Hyejin Pottery studio owners

How long have you lived in Seoul? Park: I was born in Gwangju and moved to Seoul in elementary school.

Jo: I grew up in Daegu and came to Seoul for college.

Ma: I lived in Seoul my whole life.

Tell us about your business. M: Since last October, we’ve been running a pottery showroom and teaching classes. We met in college and studied ceramics together. We collaborated for our graduation project and really enjoyed the process. After graduation, we kept in touch and eventually decided to

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Why did you choose the name Bright Room? M: We got the name from a novel “Bright Room” by French philosopher Roland Barthes. The book talks about how an ordinary image can sometimes speak to us more than a renowned one. In the same way, we laugh a lot over ordinary things when we’re together – and we hoped that our small goods can brighten up someone’s room as well.

Why did you open it in Mangwon-dong?

M: When I first visited the Mangwon Market, I loved the friendly atmosphere with people of different ages. The whole neighborhood is quiet yet vibrant.

J: We’re right by an elementary school.

The sound of young children brings energy into our workspace. We also love being in a residential area where we are surrounded by people’s everyday lives.

Your thoughts on Seoul?

P: I love Seoul. When I was having a hard time in college, riding the bus route around the city from Gwanghwamun encouraged me. I enjoy exotic experiences while traveling, but I prefer Seoul.

J: When I was in Daegu, Seoul was the city of my dreams. I don’t see the ppalli ppalli attitude as negative, but as Seoul’s signature vigorous and active lifestyle. It’s like an extremely large market with lots to see and take in.

M: To me, Seoul is the color blue. It’s a place that keeps my mind focused. Even though I’m tired, I’m able to go to work in the morning and find contentment. I’m continuously growing with the city. If I’m elsewhere, I’d be burnt out. If high-rise and aging buildings weren’t standing next to each other and were all organized, it wouldn’t truly be Seoul. The city is in progress.

Seoul Stories

Zach Holmes

Singer-songwriter and producer

Tell us about yourself. I’m a singersongwriter and producer. I’m from Boise, Idaho.

Tell us about your life in Korea. My wife Megan got a teaching job here in 2008.

We lived by the beach in Seokcho for three years, moved to Seattle for three years, and came back to Seoul.

In Seokcho, I had a lot of time to work on my craft. I set up a studio in the house, and wrote over 200 songs. My wife and I grew really fond of the Koreans during that

time. We loved the welcoming and joyful environment. In Seattle, we talked about Korea all the time and even our friends knew we would return soon.

When I came back to Seoul, I started working at a music production agency as a songwriter and producer. In 2016, a friend suggested that I make K-pop cover songs videos on YouTube. I eventually participated in the TV show Fantastic Duo for their Exo episode. It was a surreal experience. Since then, I worked with few corporations for advertisement songs and music videos.

What is Seoul to you? Seoul is discovery.

There is always something new to discover every minute. I love exploring and Seoul is perfect for that.

What is the difference between Seoul and other cities? Seoulites are full of energy, like they have a mission. They’re here because they are trying to live life to the fullest.

Future plans? I’m moving down to Jeju for few months with my pregnant wife to do a music project there.

Thoughts on your music career so far?

I hear myself in theatres and radios. As a musician, you strive to be seen and heard.

When I started getting exposure though, I had to rediscover why I’m doing music. My definition of success is not becoming big.

That’s empty and hallow. I just want to be happy with songs I write and make good music that inspire me.

© Zach Holmes

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Chuck Chun Restaurant owner

How did you end up in Seoul? I’m from Orange County, California. In 2013, I came here temporarily to do marketing work for a beauty company. I returned in 2014 to start a private dining service called Chuck’s Table at my house. I asked customers about their preferences and cooked surprise course meals. It did well, led to burrito bowl and burger popups in Haebangchon and a restaurant opening in Gyeongnidan in July 2015.

How did your location influence your restaurant? I opened the restaurant in Gyeongnidan because I live here and

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know the needs of the community. I have a different sense of ownership when I share something here. So when well-intentioned businesses open here, I don’t see them as competition, but celebrate the new contribution to the neighborhood.

Tell us about your food philosophy. I like food more than most people. My grandma used to own a flour factory in Daejeon back in the day. She ran a government-funded four-story restaurant to feed many people.

She told me, “If you decided to work in the food industry, make sure you enjoy feeding people.” We focus on people and food quality over money, and that sets us apart from other restaurants.

Thoughts on western food in Korea?

The Korean dining scene is getting more diverse. But I feel that foreign restaurants look down on Koreans when their food

caters too much to Korean taste. Koreans just need to be taught how to eat foreign ingredients. When you’re introduced to something for the first time, you have an aversion because you need time to adjust.

We incorporate ingredients like cilantro into our cuisine and people are almost tricked into eating it (laughs). They are pleasantly surprised.

What is Seoul to you? It’s hard for me to see Seoul as home. I don’t think I’ll ever be enamored by it like others. But as long as I’m here, I want to be invested in its people.

I don’t want to regret from not giving enough and will continue to extend myself to connect with people. Many people come through the restaurant – on their rough and best days – and our restaurant contributes to making Seoul better by serving the people. We make good food, and through that, care for people in a meaningful way.

Seoul Stories

John Choi Music producer

Tell us about yourself. My name is John Choi. I was born and raised in Seoul and work as a music producer. I participate in various projects, including large-scale concert productions, K-drama soundtracks and artist recordings in local and international platforms.

Any experiences of living abroad? In middle school, I lived in Freiburg, Germany, for three years. I attended an international school and made my first international friends. I remember freely roaming the streets, listening to music and buying many CDs. When I listen to the music from back then, it’s still excellent. This time was foundational for my future music career.

Where do you work? I do most of my work in Gangnam-gu because many private and entertainment agency-owned music studios are in this area. Studios in Hongdae cater more to indie music.

Your thoughts on music and culture in Seoul? I traveled to many places and I’ve not yet found a place that rotates through trends as quickly as Seoul. Different types of music play in the streets and stores, and even people who don’t really know music are quick to judge. For example, when they go to a café, they evaluate how well the interior and music complement the space.

So store owners who lack sensibility and adaptability to trends quickly go out of business.

I find value in observing and adopting these cultural patterns. I pay attention to what people wear and listen to. If I create something I have not lived, I produce an awkward imitation. So when I zone into a specific music genre, even my style

changes accordingly.

Any passions other than music? I’m passionate about the youth. I occasionally speak at youth gatherings about my life and work to aspiring musicians and producers.

I am thankful for the opportunity to help them because I didn’t have these kind of resources when I was growing up.

Words for aspiring musicians and producers? You can’t just be stuck in a studio and make music to become successful. You need to network and meet people. Music comes through relationships, and when you work with people, ideas bigger than yourself come to life.

You also have to realize that the music industry is extremely competitive and critical. I have a strong vision that grounds me in times of failure and disappointment.

It inspires me to keep doing my best and expand my limits.

© John Choi © John Choi

© John Choi

Magazine

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Jeff’s Penthouse Nineteenth floor penthouse in Cheonho is the height of relaxation Written and photographed by Romain John

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Situated northeast of Jamsil, that tony area famous for Lotte World and the giant Lotte World Tower, Cheonho is but a short trip from Olympic Park, another landmark where you can enjoy leisure activities and the great outdoors. Cheonho is home to Rodeogeori, with its many clothing shops; Pungnaptoseong, an ancient fortress and popular scenic spot; and the Gwangjin Bridge, which offers the best views over the Hangang River. The bridge also has a concert hall slung underneath its span. Tourists frequently overlook Cheonho because of its non-central location, but this is a mistake — well connected with the rest of the city by two subway lines, Cheonho is just a few minute’s ride from midtown.

Jeff’s Guesthouse is a brand new penthouse situated on the 19th floor, a height that provides inspiring views over the Cheonho district. Jeff Kang, the owner, plans to put a jacuzzi on one of penthouse’s terraces, an addition that is sure to provide guests with some of the most relaxing sunsets they’ve ever experienced.

Accommodation

And if there’s something Kang knows plenty about, it’s relaxation. He currently owns a massage salon right across the street from the guesthouse. After a decade working in high class hotels and several years studying physical therapy overseas, he opened his own salon where he dispenses some of the best body care in the city.

You’ll find no better place to rejuvenate your knotted shoulders and stiff legs after the long flight to Seoul.

Relaxation is the key to this luxurious place.

Everything is clean, simple and where it should be.

There’s little in the way of clutter. Kang also sees his guesthouse as something of a museum, a place where you can enjoy art, where you can appreciate a piece from the comfort of your couch or rocking chair. He favors impressionism and has set pieces in a very favorable light all over the guesthouse.

Magazine

In a nutshell, Jeff’s Penthouse is not just a luxurious habitation turned into a guesthouse. It is a deeply relaxing and inspiring experience on top of the city, enhanced by your host’s excellent sense of service. If you want your Seoul trip to feel like no other, you know where to go.

660, Olympic-ro, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea Contact info: 강재후 - Jeff Salon phone number: 02-2041-9808 therapy808@naver.com

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To Everything There Is a Season, and a Time to Every Cocktail Cobbler’s head bartender Robin Yoo is helping spark a cocktail renaissance Written by Jennifer Flinn Photographed by Robert Koehler

Cocktails in Korea used to mean fruity concoctions at family restaurants and hotel bars. Sweet, brightly colored, and with the subtlety of blunt force trauma to the head, they were usually fun but not very sophisticated. However, just like traditional alcohol and beer, cocktails are enjoying a bit of a renaissance in Seoul, with a new crop of bartenders serving up delicious concoctions from faithful takes on prohibition classics to reinterpretations and surprising spins on old cocktails and many entirely new drinks that combine top-shelf liquors with a craft aesthetic. A surprising center for this flurry of activity is Naeja-dong, a wedge of Seoul between the old world charms of Seochon and the buttoned-up offices of Gwanghwamun. In the maze of narrow Hanok-filled alleys lies Cobbler, a tiny bar that seems an unlikely home of Seoul’s cocktail revival.

That’s fine by Robin Yoo, the founder and head bartender. “I decided to create this bar as a place where I could work on my craft in an intimate environment. I didn’t want something huge or fancy.”

Visitors approach through the small courtyard and enter a small Hanok that retains elements of Korean tradition combined with a kind of old-world elegance evoked through wood paneling and antique European furniture. The drinks, too, show an incredible level of attention to detail and nuance, each carefully chosen and meticulously balanced to create just the right feelings of sophistication and comfort.

A good cocktail is a personal experience Yoo is no newcomer to the art of mixology: “I’ve been a bartender for twenty years now. I spent ten years working at hotels and family restaurants before starting out on my own.”

When he started, however, there were few signs that it was going to turn into a lifetime pursuit. “I was studying hotel management in Busan and working at a rural hotel. I didn’t think the work of a bartender was something I really wanted to do. I didn’t think I was good at service or really that sociable, but that feeling

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Dining

Cobbler Bar 코블러 23, Jong-ro 12-gil, Jongno-gu | 02-733-6421 | Instagram @barcobbler www.facebook.com/BarCobbler/

changed during my military service. Before that, I wanted to be a writer.”

“People always try to guess why my nickname is Robin, thinking of the bird or the Batman character.

But it really comes from ‘Robinson Crusoe’ because I thought that bartending was a lonesome kind of work.”

The change of heart was a lucky one. Yoo started to see making cocktails as something more than just service, but as a chance to continually work at honing and refining his craft. “Cocktails require mixing lots of things together. It’s never one hundred percent perfect, but you can come close. I try to tailor each drink to the customer, but the flavors will always depend on the conditions. Once I’ve sounded them out, I can start to experiment. I can ask what they’ve eaten, what they’ve been up to and figure out where to go from there.”

Yoo knows well the strangely deep personal feelings that the flavors of a good cocktail can produce. “When I was at one of the big chain family restaurants, one morning we had a training session that started at four in the morning. It was cold, we were hungry, and we’d come back for this education session after working a shift. We were eating donuts and drinking coffee when the instructor made us a drink called ‘Ski Lodge,’ and I’ll never forget the flavors of alternating between this cocktail and the coffee and the donuts as the sun started to come up and stream in the windows.”

Magazine

Always listen to your bartender Cobbler is more than just a place to serve up drinks for Yoo and his staff. When he and some friends started their first independent bar, Robin Square, he figured it would last a few months and serve mainly to give him and the staff some experience. Instead, it lasted for ten years. Cobbler was also started with the idea that it would be a sort of experiment and then fade away, but instead it’s turned into a neighborhood hotspot where Yoo and his staff share their expertise.

Even a quick question about the name of the bar turns into a fascinating lecture on the history of cocktail paraphernalia, with Yoo pulling out examples of different styles of shakers, from antique to modern.

“We started serving cobbler here alongside the drinks because I wanted to do something easy and seasonal, but the name is actually from a style of shaker,” explains Yoo, pulling out a beautiful copper shaker, and then an antique one to compare. That said, the delicious seasonal peach cobbler brings a bright note of summer to the bar, alongside a shimmering concoction of Champagne and lavender bitters or a Ramos gin fizz.

Yoo’s advice for a satisfying cocktail experience is simple: “Listen to your bartenders. There’s a reason for their recommendations. And when you get your drink, don’t rush it – unless the bartender tells you to. Every drink has its own pace. Just act with courtesy to the drink, the bartender and other patrons.”

We’ll drink to that!

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Iyeolchiyeol vs. Inaengchiyeol Written by Cynthia Yoo

There’s a Korean foodie defense to the summer onslaught. Fight fire with fire, by devouring steaming hot stews or fight fire with ice by gorging on chilly but tasty noodles.

Iyeolchiyeol: Fight Fire with Fire

Hosoo Samgyetang

Inaengchiyeol: Fight Fire with Ice

Koreans line around the block to get a bowl of piping hot ginseng chicken stew or samgyetang in summer. It’s such a popular tradition that some foodies advise against it on boknal (the three hottest days of summer). They say that the quality of the chicken is poor on those days because of the overwhelming demand. That’s why it’s important to choose a consistently high quality samgyetang shop, and Hosoo

호수 삼계탕 282, Dorim-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu 02-833-8948

Another popular nutritious or bosin summer dish is the mineo, otherwise known as the croaker fish, named so because of the unusual cries it makes underwater. These cries are made through its air bladders, and Koreans find these bladders make for a special summer-time delicacy, served as a topping for a fresh hoe-deopbap or boiled into a spicy tang or

민어집 병우네 19-13, Samcheong-ro 7-gil, Jongno-gu 02-720-9397

© Romain John

© Romain John

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© Romain John

© Romain John

Byungwoonae

Samgyetang is one such place.

Some diners may not find the samgyetang here very appetizing. Their signature dish, samgyetang with perilla seeds, is not much to look at. A light brown broth covers the small whole chicken filled with chapssal or sweet rice, ginseng, chestnuts and jujubes. The distinctive flavors of the broth balance out the bitterness of the ginseng and the gamey smells from the chicken. Koreans believe the broth made with perilla seeds, peanuts, and chapssal flour is particularly good for women with a weak constitution. The thick broth may be a little too rich for some samgyetang traditionalists but there’s a banchan solution. The long sticks of fresh cucumber, dipped in gochujang, provide a spicy counterweight to the samgyetang broth. Each bowl of samgyetang is served with a simple banchan set of cucumbers, garlic slices, chili peppers and radish kimchi.

stuffed with sea urchin roe and steamed into a soondae.

Byungwoonae is a Jeolla-do restaurant that specializes in everything to do with the mineo. They offer mineo in every imaginable form, freshly sliced, steamed, boiled, braised, grilled or pan-fried. Fresh mineo hoe can cost a pretty penny so if you’re looking for something more affordable, try Byungwoonae’s famed mineo stew or mineojiri. Unlike the usual spicy maeuntang, the mineo stew is mild in taste but boasts rich, savory flavors as the broth is made from boiling fish bones for hours. It’s a popular hangover stew that’s served with a delicious assortment of banchan dishes that are refilled upon request. Make sure to mix your bowl of rice into the stew to finish every last drop of the delicious and healthy soup.

Dining

Sagyejinmi 사계진미 63, Songpadae-ro 49 gil, Songpa-gu 02-417-0060

© Cynthia Yoo

© Cynthia Yoo

Namgyeong Makguksu

Namgyeong Makguksu is an unusual noodle shop that regularly tops foodie lists for cold noodles. But it’s not easy to become a regular. First of all, it’s difficult to find, tucked away in the small alleyways near Sincheon’s Saemaeul Market. Then you’ll find that parking is impossible, and the lineups in summer can be intolerable.

Lastly, even if you do find yourself a table,

남경 막국수 52-29, Baekjegobun-ro 7-gil, Songpa-gu 02-417-0060

© Henry Kim

© Henry Kim

Magazine

made from soybeans ground with water and is often just seasoned with a little salt.

This simple dish is the highlight of the menu at Sagyejinmi. Actually, it’s not easy to make great kongguk, with great texture but with none of that funky soybean smell.

At Sagyejinmi, the soybean broth is done so well that customers often buy bottles of the broth sold on site, after finishing their kongguksu meal. The broth is so thick that it’s hard to make out the noodles underneath. The restaurant specializes in soybean or tofu dishes including soybean pancakes and grilled soybean patties kongtteokgalbi that go well with kongguksu.

Not all Koreans prefer to sweat out bad chi by eating a piping hot stew. Some prefer a well air-conditioned noodle shop where they can dine out on a cold dish that’s equally nutritious and delicious. One such popular summer-time dish is noodles in cold soybean broth or kongguksu.

Soybeans provide an exceptional source of vitamins and minerals and are a great protein alternative to meat. Kongguk is

you may be more than a little irritated by the slow and uneven service. Nonetheless, the memories of the fragrant buckwheat noodles like some Proustian madeleine effect, make you return again and again.

The makguksu here is closer to Pyongyang naengmyeon in that the cold broth is very mild to the point of blandness. In fact, the owner remembers many customers leaving, while cursing about the “tasteless” noodles. But some return, hooked on the fragrant buckwheat noodles that are handmade to order by the owner and noodle-maker. If the noodles in cold broth or mul makguksu is not to your liking, try the spicier bibim makguksu or noodles mixed with vegetables in a tangy gochujang sauce. The potato pancakes with strips of cabbage are especially good with a bottle or two of makgeolli.

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Arcade Upgrade A brand new way to play Written by S. C. Clarke Photographed by Robert Michael Evans The arcade hath returned, but this time they’ve brought booze. While gaming bars have proved popular over the last decade abroad, they have only just begun to find their way to Seoul. In the land of televised eSports, PC bangs, and stadium-filling MOBA tournaments, these venues offer a fresh, fun spin on the social gaming space.

RetroGameBar 레트로게임바 Freshly opened this past July, RetroGameBar wears its passion on its sleeve. Situated amidst the clubs of Hongdae, the very act of entering feels like stepping into a digital realm. Light up Tetris tiles illuminate the counter, while retro Mario blocks hang overhead. Grim Fandango’s Manny proudly guards the smoking room. A trophy case of consoles displays rare relics of the past. Half the fun of this place is discovering all of its little details for yourself.

Rasberry Pi consoles packed with old school classics are set up by the window, offering a way to simultaneously play and observe the streets below. Two enclosed booths offer opportunities for more intimate multiplayer sessions, while a myriad of other screens and cabinets mean you’ll never wait long to play.

Game-wise, they’ve got just about everything you’d want. If they don’t, they’ll be getting it in soon.

Jandari-ro 7, Mapo-gu (Seogyo-dong 407-26) | 010-2237-6681 4 p.m. – last guest

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Nightlife

Rabbithole Arcade Pub 래빗홀 The first of all the barcades to open their doors in Seoul, the Rabbithole can be found halfway up the main drag into expat haven Haebangchon.

The interior looks like an eclectic mix of a park and your best friend’s basement, much of the venue’s decorations being contributed by patrons themselves. Between the comfy couches and their towering Totoro beanbag, it’s all too easy to let “just one more game” turn into an entire night.

Two arcade cabinets come preloaded with over 500 games apiece with options for both Korean and English languages available. Consoles from the NES to PS4 are there to be played on whim, with wallets packed full of titles never too far from reach. The Rabbithole also prides itself on being LGBTQ-safe venue. Each Saturday heralds a live drag show, with all proceeds raised from the event going directly to the performers.

37, Sinheung-ro, Yongsan-gu | 010-8259-2280 7 p.m. – last guest (Closed on Mondays)

The Dice Latte 다이스라떼 Although not actually a barcade, the Dice Latte deserves a mention for one important reason: it is widely regarded as the best tabletop game café in Seoul.

It’s not difficult to see why. Their game selection is second to none, with a carefully cultivated collection that grows larger every week.

Impressively, the staff somehow seem to know the rules for all of them and are more than happy to help you out should you find yourself confused.

A separate room is set up for those who fancy figure painting, with rentable lockers available to store materials on location. A variety of events and tournaments take place on a regular basis, drawing in enthusiasts seven days a week. Coffee, cakes and craft beer round out the cosy café vibe, making this one well worth the trip to Heogi if you feel the need to roll some dice.

29, Imun-ro, Dongdaemun-gu | 02-960-7159 1 p.m. – 11 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. weekends

Fountain 더 파운틴 Located on the pedestrian street behind Itaewon’s Hamilton Hotel, Fountain is hard to miss. The entrance has been decked out like a European courtyard, with the aesthetic only amplifying once you get inside. Decorated dangerously close to decadence, the large central space is surrounded by smaller, self-contained sections that all offer their own distinctive vibe.

One of these is the gaming lounge, which you can find on the venue’s second story. There are a total of ten arcade cabinets available, each equipped with a wealth of retro titles to choose from. All are free to play as long as you buy yourself a drink. Thankfully, the cocktails are well made and respectably priced.

16-5, Itaewon-ro 23-gil, Yongsan-gu | 02-794-4655 6 p.m. – 3 a.m.

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The Diverse Flavors of the City Seoul has plenty of places to learn international cooking Written by Marina Brenden Photographed by Robert Michael Evans

Mad & Hygge

From cooking at home to online tutorials to chef shows on TV, the popularity of food and cooking is booming in Korea. Tourists curious about Korean cuisine are eager to bring the spicy, tangy and sweet flavors back to their hometown tables, and those who call Korea home are using cooking to build community or deepen their expertise in the kitchen. If your hands are ready to do a bit of work and your taste buds excited for a treat, the following classes are an ideal way to learn a new aspect of gastronomy in your Seoul backyard.

Mad & Hygge 맷 오 흐께 With its white décor, baking pans ready to be filled and beautiful cookbooks on display, Mad & Hygge makes you feel like you’ve come home. This cooking studio’s name means “food and coziness” in Danish, and the environment embraces the country’s “hygge” concept of coziness and small pleasures which has become popular in Korea and across the world. Mad & Hygge’s owner, AK, is a Korean-American adoptee from Denmark who wanted to share her country’s tradition of community

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Mad & Hygge

dining with Seoulites. Nestled in a quiet corner of Mapo-gu near Yeonnam-dong, her studio offers baking and cooking classes on the weekends as well as community dinners on Thursdays. Visit to learn to make Scandinavian-style baked goods and treats, or visit on a community night to help AK with dinner and share an evening of conversation with new friends.

Hyundai Card Cooking Library 현대카드 쿠킹 라이브러리 Part of the Hyundai Card branded spaces that include four libraries across the city, Cooking Library is a beautiful building that combines a café atmosphere, a cookbook and spice library, original artwork and cooking classes. Opened in April, the library encompasses aspects of cooking and community in the design of the space itself, with an eye for detail as exquisite as its collection of 10,000 cookbooks. Cooking instruction is offered in both group and “self-cooking” classes, the latter of which is an original take on what is normally chef-directed learning. In self-cooking,

Nightlife

Four Seasons

Four Seasons

library staff select seasonal recipes from the library’s cookbooks, prepare ingredients in advance and offer support as you follow along. Currently, entrance is only granted to Hyundai credit card holders, so if you don’t have your own card, grab a card-holding friend and make an afternoon of it! For classes, reservations should be made in advance online.

Four Seasons 포시즌스 호텔

Hyundai Card Cooking Library

La Cuisine

Mad & Hygge www.madoghygge.com | book@madoghygge.com 2-53 Changjeon-dong, Mapo-gu Hyundai Card Cooking Library library.hyundaicard.com/cooking | 46, Apgujeong-ro 46-gil, Gangnam-gu Four Seasons www.fourseasonscooking.com | 15, Sinsu-ro, Mapo-gu

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Unrelated to the global luxury hotel chain, Four Seasons cooking classes are held in the home of Celine, a Korean-cooking aficionado who noticed a surge in interest in Korean cuisine and decided to both expand her own learning and share her knowledge with guests.

Celine is a graduate of the Korean Food Institute at Sookmyung Women’s University and enjoys providing a professional, traditional experience to her guests.

Her classes pay close attention to details, from the decoration of her space to the ceramic cookware in which food is served. Celine also shares important cultural and historical aspects of Korean food along with the cooking instructions themselves. Classes are held in small groups in order to encourage interaction and curiosity. Schedules and signups can be found on her website, and custom courses are available on request.

These certainly don’t encompass all of the cooking classes that Seoul has to offer. A few others of note include La Cuisine (lacuisine.kr), which is located in Hannam-dong and offers home cooking, catering and customized classes in a beautiful four-story studio.

Le Saigon, the ubiquitous Vietnamese restaurant, hosts Vietnamese cooking classes at their Gangnam location (email jungeun.choi@lesaigon.co.kr for more information). Lastly, Jakola (jakola.co.kr), a kitchenware store in Apgujeong, also hosts seasonal Korean cooking classes on weekday mornings. Sign up for a great date, skill building activity, a way to cultural insight or just a great afternoon!

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Summer Skin This season’s complete K-beauty skincare guide Written by Dot Moore The summer weather in Korea can be a nightmare for skin troubles. Battling the sweltering heat during the most humid months of July and August, many Seoul expats find their skin woes to be at their worst. Adding a few essentials to your summer skincare routine, however, can make a big difference. More important at this time of year are lotions and potions that will help calm, heal, balance and protect.

Luckily, Korean skincare systems rarely disappoint, and cropping up on cosmetic shelves the peninsula over are new and innovative ingredients designed to combat and control skin that suffers during the summertime. In addition, the vast range of sunscreen types available in Korea offer a convenient solution for maintaining all day protection for any skin type.

Charlotte Cho, cofounder of Soko Glam (www.sokoglam.com) and editor-in-chief of The Klog (www.theklog.co) says, “I’m obsessed with all the latest sun care coming out of Korea. There is always something new and interesting happening, so there is never a dull moment with K-beauty!”

We take a look at some of the top beauty picks for your skin this summer.

Sunscreen As your first and best line of defense against damaging UVA/UVB rays, sunscreen takes absolute priority during these sun-soaked months.

Finding a formula that has the highest amount of protection without causing breakouts and clogging your pores, however, can be a challenge.

Many new sunscreens are formulated with ultra-moisturizing yet light ingredients for optimum levels of hydration, helping ensure a supple and clear complexion.

1. Make p:rem Blue Ray Sun Gel SPF 50/PA+++, a mattifying gel, is formulated with chia seed extract for moisture and contains Niacinamide which doubles as a skin brightener. Its formula is unique in that it also, literally, cools the skin’s temperature by several degrees!

2. Huxley Secret of Sahara: Sun Safe Cream SPF 50/PA++++ offers the highest protection with added moisture from prickly pear seed oil. As a bonus, this product is certified “green” by the environmental workers group (www.ewg.org).

3. Aromatica Calendula Non-Nano UV Protection SPF 30/PA+++ is a hypoallergenic/organic formula infused with calendula, green tea, coconut oil and shea butter. Ideal for sensitive skin, it’s even safe for children and pregnant women.

After-sun Should your skin find itself suffering after a little too much time in the sun, try one of many new products focused on helping calm and heal irritated skin.

4. Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream is formulated with guaiazulene. derived from chamomile oil and Centella asiatica, which calms and hydrates red and irritated skin.

5. Dr.Jart Cicapair Re-Cover is a mint-toned cream that helps to calm skin with traditional tiger grass (Centella asiatica) and acts as a colorcorrecting light BB cream to neutralize redness.

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Shopping

6. Holika Holika Aloe 99% Soothing Gel is your skin’s best friend, should you accidentally find yourself cooked like a lobster this summer.

A crowd favorite, this product contains 99 percent fermented aloe vera juice as well as extracts from watermelon, cucumber and ever-popular Centella asiatica.

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Moisture Although it may seem counterintuitive to apply extra lotion to your face during this humid heat, it is actually vital to keep your skin moisturized during a heat wave. The key is to identify ingredients that plump and hydrate without clogging pores. For this reason, many Korean and global brands are turning to alternative sources of hydration, rather than the usual “filler” ingredient, water. Charlotte Cho says, “I am all about products containing birch juice, which is one of the most hydrating ingredients and often replaces water in formulation. Water does not provide the level of nutrients, amino acids and hydration that birch juice can bring, which is why a lot of Korean products are starting to use birch juice instead.”

7. Cosrx Oil-free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion made from 70 percent birch sap calms and hydrates acne-prone skin without clogging pores 8. Huxley Secret of Sahara Oil Essence’s primary ingredient is prickly pear seed oil, which is high in linoleic acid and also contains ingredients such as yerba mate leaf, quinoa and camu camu. It absorbs quickly into the skin with no greasy film.

9. Erborian Seve de Bamboo Eye Matte utilizes bamboo sap to hydrate the delicate eye area as well as bamboo fibers to lock in moisture while creating a matte finish 10. Olivarrier Fluid Oil contains 100 percent squalene derived from only the highest potency olives, to mimic the skin’s natural barrier. Squalene is an ingredient tipped to be big over the coming months in Korean skincare.

Anti-blemish If you do still find yourself burdened by the occasion blemish or acne prone skin, K-beauty also has you covered.

11. A’pieu Cica Clear Spot Patch are hydrocolloid patches that soak up moisture and oil to speed up the healing process, while protecting delicate skin during a breakout 12. Medicube Red Serum Plus is a powerhouse cocktail of acne-fighting ingredients! Formulated with colloidal sulfur and ovalicin to help control sebum production as well as ingredients such as salicylic acid and 19 botanical extracts to further combat acne.

13. Mizon Acence Blemish Out Pink Spot contains both a calaminebased, dual-layered solution for calming and another layer of AHA/ BHA-infused liquid to slough away blackheads and dead skin cells.

1. Make p:rem Blue Ray Sun Gel SPF 50/PA+++ KRW 22,000 | 2. Huxley Secret of Sahara: Sun Safe Cream SPF 50 PA++++ KRW 28,000 | 3. Aromatica Calendula Non-Nano UV Protection SPF 30/PA+++ KRW 22,000 | 4. Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream KRW 21,900 | 5. Dr. Jart Cicapair Re-Cover KRW 42,000 | 6. Holika Holika Aloe 99% Soothing Gel KRW 6,300 | 7. Cosrx Oil-free Ultra Moisturizing Lotion KRW 19,000 | 8. Huxley Secret of Sahara Oil Essence KRW 43,000 | 9. Erborian Seve de Bamboo Eye Matte KRW 36,1000 | 10. Olivarrier Fluid Oil KRW 36,000 | 11. A’pieu Cica Clear Spot Patch KRW 2,800 12. Medicube Red Serum Plus KRW 39,000 | 13. Mizon Acence Blemish Out Pink Spot KRW 18,000

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Cinema

◆The Books and TV columns will return next month.

The Subjectivity of Film Criticism Noir-thriller ‘Real’ critically panned, but not everyone agrees Written by Jason Bechervaise Photos courtesy of CJ E&M

The release in June of Lee Sa-rang’s “Real” starring Kim Soo-hyun about a tenacious trouble-shooter set in a city controlled by the criminal underworld sparked off a critical bashing of sorts. It was so fierce that even to suggest anything on the contrary seemed like an audacious move.

I saw the film after its opening weekend having read much of the reaction and saw the disastrous box office figures.

I, therefore, walked into the screen at an early morning showing with some trepidation, but was also aware there were a small number of enthusiastic supporters of the film. Where was I going to stand on this film, I asked myself.

‘Real’ is flawed but unique I came out understanding its criticisms: It has little narrative cohesion, and the portrayal of female characters in the film is unashamedly problematic. Yet, the visual aesthetic is so alluring and the ostensibly vibrant but bleak Seoul backdrop pulled me right in. It reminded me of watching Lee Myung-se’s films for the first time, especially “M,” which focuses on innovative visuals rather than a traditional narrative structure to tell a story, which also bombed at the box office. Both films

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are daring, singular and visually enticing.

It is too early to say whether it will turn into a cult classic, but it is important that supporters of the film are vocal in its praise rather than allowing the film to be quickly dismissed as garbage. Going against the tide in film criticism takes courage, but like a functioning democracy, every opinion counts.

Korea’s cinematic icons ignored Going back in Korean cinema, it is apparent that even some of the masters were not initially given proper recognition. The cinematic mastery of Kim Ki-young (“The Housemaid,” 1960) wasn’t fully acknowledged until the Busan Film Festival did a retrospective of his work in 1997. Rather tellingly, a number of his films were also invited to the Berlin Film Festival just months afterwards. But he tragically died in a house fire just days before his departure.

Interestingly, he was and remains a huge influence on directors Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook. And both Bong and Park were largely ignored following their feature debuts. Bong’s “Barking Dogs Never Bite” (2000) even received an apology from Korea’s leading film magazine Cine 21 through a later article admitting they were wrong in their initial

reaction.

Subjectivity and honesty at heart of film criticism This is certainly not to say Lee Sa-rang is to become Korea’s next revered auteur, but it is important to highlight films that are noteworthy, even if the critical consensus would suggest otherwise.

Subjectivity is indeed at the heart of criticism, but I think so is honesty.

Sometimes it is easy to pan a film everyone else has dismissed or praise a feature that has been acclaimed, but as a critic one loses all integrity when simply siding with popular opinion if it actually runs counter to this.

Audiences have become vocal critics With the widespread use of social networks, audiences too have in many ways become critics themselves, and their opinion certainly counts – even more so than professional critics. In Korea, netizen scores, although not an accurate reading of the critical reaction to a film, are a strong indicator of whether wordof-mouth will help or hinder a film’s performance. The message here: Don’t be afraid to praise or criticize a film even if it means going up against the overall consensus.

Arts & Entertainment

Music

A Breath of Fresh Air To An Old Art Opera festival delights eastern Seoul Written by Kristina Manente

The Seoul Opera Festival ran June 20 to 30 at the special outdoor stage at Cheonho Park and at Gangdong Arts Center in Myeongil-dong. The festival was a celebration of all things opera with eight different events, presentations and performances, all of which were utterly delightful.

A particularly interesting presentation was the “Opera and Jazz” evening where sopranos, baritones and tenors performed iconic pieces of Puccini, Mozart and Donizetti to guitars, upright basses and the saxophone. It was unlike anything I had ever heard. And it worked. It absolutely worked. It was new and exciting and exactly what a festival was meant to showcase.

It was a feeling I maintained throughout the entire festival with each event I attended and read about. Koreans love their opera and their music, but they want to celebrate it in different, unique ways. They want to experiment and make it widely accessible to all walks of life.

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Absent were snobs who upturned their noses at new takes on Mozart’s “Figaro”; instead, you found children with their parents, couples in matching outfits cheering as a soprano hit that pitch perfect note, and an overall intense enthusiasm for the art.

The festival culminated in a two-day run of Verdi’s masterpiece “Rigoletto” at the Hangang Grand Theater at the Gangdong Arts Center. Nowhere was the Seoul Opera Festival audience’s excitement and joy more palpable than at this performance. The staging was wonderful, the singers top notch, and the story well acted. But it was the audience I was most captivated by. Choruses of “Bravo!”s and cheers and even wolf whistles as Gilda’s beautiful “Caro nome” came to a dramatic end and The Duke finished the infamous “La donna è mobile.” it was a wonderfully contagious joyous atmosphere that made watching what ultimately was an ironic tragedy all the more interesting.

I left the final performance of the Seoul

Opera Festival with a new appreciation of the operatic arts and what artists in Seoul are doing with it.

Credit also needs to go to the Gangdong Arts Center for putting on a festival with such a wide range of interesting performances and talks. It’s a facility that should be on any arts and culture lover’s list. On the schedule for August is the 2017 Summer Music Festival featuring orchestral arrangements of popular K-pop songs and sound track numbers, the St. Petersburg State Ballet on Ice and a production of The Jungle Book aimed at child audiences. Additionally the art center always has some sort of photography or art exhibition going on and puts on numerous music and orchestral concerts every year. There’s simply something for everyone.

The Gangdong Arts Center is located just a short walk from Godeok Station (Line 5), Exit 4. You can find more information, including what’s on, at www.gangdongarts.or.kr.

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Concerts, Festivals and More © Tim Walker

VOGUE: LIKE A PAINTING

Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul Arts Center Jun. 24-Oct. 7 KRW 13,000 T. 02-332-8011 Nambu Bus Terminal Station 남부터미널역 (Line 3), Exit 5.

Transfer to shuttle bus, or green bus No. 4429.

“Vogue: Like a Painting” explores anew the relationship between fashion photography and classic painting through carefully selected images from renowned fashion magazine Vogue’s archive. Some of the world’s top fashion photographers, including Peter Lindbergh, Paolo Roversi and Irving Penn, find inspiration in the works of the masters of the past, including the Spanish Golden Age, Flemish portraits and impressionist landscapes. It’s an opportunity to look at the art of the past in a very modern way.

Tim Walker Stella Tennant, Eglingham Hall, Northumberland, 2007

UNIVERSAL BALLET: SWAN LAKE Aug. 4-6 | Chungmu Arts Center | Sindang Station 신당역 (Line 6), Exit 9 | KRW 20,000-80,000 | T. 1544-1555

Korea’s Universal Ballet brings you Tchaikovsky’s classic, “Swan Lake.” The ballet “Swan Lake” was created in Moscow in 1877 to a score commissioned from Tchaikovsky, the earliest of his three major ballet scores. The version widely known today was produced in St. Petersburg at the Mariinsky Theater. Over the years, alterations were made at various times by the staff at the Mariinsky Theater, most notably the revisions made in 1950

by Konstantin Sergeyev. The version performed by Universal Ballet also includes further changes by Oleg Vinogradov, who succeeded Sergeyev as the head of the ballet company at the Mariinsky, and Bingxian Liu, Universal Ballet’s current artistic director.

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LIFE PHOTO EXHIBIT: TO SEE LIFE; TO SEE THE WORLD Thru Oct. 8 | Hangaram Art Museum | Nambu Bus Terminal Station 남부 터미널역 (Line 3), Exit 5. Transfer to shuttle bus or green bus No. 4429. | KRW 13,000 | T. 1588-5953

Lotte Card brings you this fascinating photographic journey through modern history as seen through the lenses of Life’s photographers. There was a time when the greatest honor a photographer could receive was an opportunity to shoot for the cover of Life, the first all-photographic news magazine in the United States, a magazine that was so popular that at it’s height it sold more than 13.5 million copies a week. This exhibit shows about 140 so-far unrevealed photos from the Life Picture Collection, as well as a documentary film.

Previews

NOVUS QUARTET Mapo Arts Center Aug. 22 KRW 30,000-40,000 02-3274-8600 Daeheung Station 대흥역 (Line 6), Exit 2

“This ensemble’s playing is incredibly solid and well-balanced. All four musicians perform at the same level and their music-making is enthralling.” That’s high praise coming from renowned Austrian violinist Lukas Hagen, but the Novus Quartet has earned it. Founded at Korean National University of Arts in 2007, Novus Quartet has been rewriting the history of chamber music in Korea. The group became the first Korean ensemble to take First Prize at the International Mozart Competition, held in Salzburg in 2014. Tonight’s program includes Haydn, Mendelssohn and Beethoven.

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SEOUL CULTURE NIGHT 2017

Seoul Plaza and Gwanghwamun Square Aug. 11, 12 Free T. 02-550-2561

Seoul Culture Night will take place at Seoul Plaza and Gwanghwamun Square on August 11 and 12. Have a cultural holiday in Seoul at this summer festival. This year’s festival theme is a “summer of music,” and festival-goers will get to enjoy world music and other music from a range of genres set against a backdrop of lighting effects.

The festival will run from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day and the festival program will feature many fun events. Attend a night fashion show or a night film screening into the early dawn. Visitors can also take up a bit of exercise with other attendees at the festival's sports night! Listen to great music and explore the night at Seoul Culture Night.

© Studio Bob

KOREAN POPS ORCHESTRA: BEYOND THE SYMPHONY

SUMMER CLASSIC ‘DITTO IN WONDERLAND’

Aug. 27 | Seoul Arts Center | Nambu Bus Terminal Station 남부터미널역 (Line 3), Exit 5. Transfer to shuttle bus or green bus No. 4429.

KRW 20,000-120,000 | T. 02-581-5404

Aug. 19-20 | Sejong Center for the Performing Arts | Gwanghwamun Station 광화문역 (Line 5), Exit 1 or 8 | KRW 20,000-30,000 | T. 1577-5266

Part of the Korean Pops Orchestra’s Amazing Orchestra Series, “Beyond the Symphony” delights audiences with a program of classical favorites, K-pop, songs from movies and musicals like “La La Land,” and even the music from the hit video game “Lineage.” Led by artistic director Gina Kim, the group has many local and international fans thanks to its extensive repertoire, which includes world music, pop and cinema sound tracks, as well as, of course, classical music.

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Inspired by the imagination and fantastic imagery of the Lewis Carroll, director Adriel Kim gives us a classical music concert for children we’re unlikely to forget. Violinist Zia Hyunsu Shin leads the youthful Ditto Orchestra, one of Korea’s best loved chamber groups, and some guest performers for an afternoon of Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Saint-Saëns. Founded in 2008 as the orchestra in residence for the Ditto Festival, the Ditto Orchestra is composed of young artists in their 20s and 30s, all of whom have international careers.

Previews

LOUIS VUITTON: VOLEZ, VOGUEZ, VOYAGEZ Dongdaemun Design Plaza Thru Aug. 27 Free T. 02-2153-0000 www.louisvuitton.com Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station 동대문역사문화공원역 (Line 2,4,5), Exit 1

Curated by Olivier Saillard, a master of fashion exhibition, “Louis Vuitton: Volez, Voguez, Voyagez” exhibits 160 years of history, following the footsteps through the present and future of Louis Vuitton. This exhibition suggests a fresh perspective toward Louis Vuitton’s past, present and future with 1,000 pieces from a collection that has been in the making since 1854, spanning from fashion to craft design and travel. The exhibit also spotlights a historical encounter between Korea and Louis Vuitton, the 1900 Exposition Universelle de Paris, in which both the nation and the design house participated. The exhibition introduces a traditional musical instrument of Korea that was exhibited at that time with the support of the Musee de la Musique, affiliated to Philharmonie de Paris.

THE DWARF WHO LOVED SNOW WHITE KT&G Sangsang Madang Daechi Art Hall Aug. 12-20 KRW 45,000 T. 02-556-5910 Samseong Station 삼성역 (Line 2), Exit 1

Since its debut in 2001, the Korean musical “The Dwarf Who Loved Snow White” has been setting records with 4,000 performances in 170 regions, drawing 1 million spectators in the process. A children’s production that will make adults cry, or so they say, “The Dwarf Who Loved Snow White” is a twist on the original Grimm Brothers tale, approaching the story from the perspective from one of the dwarfs, supporting characters in traditional tellings of the story. Pulling a “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” if you will, but with fewer Danes and more little people. Banadari, a mute dwarf, risks his life to save Snow White from her evil stepmother’s various attempts to snuff her. Just as he’s about to confess his love for her, that entitled little toff Prince Charming asks Snow White to come back with him to his kingdom. See the musical to find out what happens next.

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Expat Buzz AWC: NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA Aug. 1 National Musem of Korea

SEOUL SKETCH

Noticing the Small Things Illustrated and written by Louis Barnard

Get a tour of Korea’s antiquities.

AWC is taking a group tour of the National Museum of Korea in English.

Free awckorea.com

SEOUL HIKING NATURE GROUP: STUNNING INWANGSAN NIGHT HIKE Aug. 3 Mt. Inwangsan Come and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and stunning views from Inwangsan with crisp refreshing air. This is a meditative night hike.

KRW 5,000 www.meetup.com/ seoulhikingnaturegroup

SEOUL EXPAT GLOBAL MEETUP GROUP: NAMISEOM AND CHUNCHEON LAKE STARLIGHT NATION FESTIVAL Aug. 4 Chuncheon Let’s take a Friday afternoon trip to watch the sunset at Nami lsland and enjoy a light festival by the lake.

USD 49 www.meetup.com/globalexpats

SEOUL HIKING NATURE GROUP: ULTIMATE RAFTING, ATV, PAINTBALL, RIVER CROSSING ZIPLINE, BUNGEE JUMP Aug. 5 Inje, Gangwon-do Let’s head to “Inje” in Gangwondo.

There is a wonderfully clear and cool river from Mt. Seoraksan.

Rafting is the best way to enjoy the stunning, beautiful valley and cool off.

KRW 32,000 www.meetup.com/ seoulhikingnaturegroup

Summer in Korea is hot and humid. The alleyways of Seoul seem to lock in the tepid heat and you find yourself constantly flicking away drops of sweat that collect above your brow. Wading through these narrow alleyways sometimes makes an expat become more reflective; questions about why you moved here may arise and sudden pangs of homesickness pluck at your heart. But, you also start becoming more mindful of your surroundings. You notice the little things: steam billowing from the vents of hole-in-the-wall restaurants, two ajumma fussing over chillies they have sprawled across the sidewalk to dry in the sun, a group of cheerful ajeossi slapping each other on the back as they eat ice cream outside a small GS25. It’s when you notice the small things in Seoul that you start developing appreciation for the city and its people.

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SEOUL EXPAT GLOBAL MEETUP GROUP: YANGPYEONG LOTUS FLOWER FESTIVAL Aug. 5 Yangpyeong Taking a walk along ponds full of lotus flowers is one of the mustdos during summer in Korea. We will get to observe elegant lotus flowers both by day and by night at Semiwon.

USD 57 www.meetup.com/globalexpats

Expat Buzz

SEOUL HIKING NATURE GROUP: STUNNING GWANAKSAN NIGHT HIKE Aug. 10 Mt. Gwanaksan This trail is good to get great views of the Gangnam area.

KRW 5,000 www.meetup.com/ seoulhikingnaturegroup

SEOUL EXPAT GLOBAL MEETUP GROUP: SNORKELING AT JANGHO BEACH Aug. 12 Samcheok, Gangwon-do Located on the east coast of Korea in Samcheok, Jangho Beach is a dazzling beach that boasts spectacular crystal clear water, making it the perfect place to go snorkeling.

USD 52 www.meetup.com/globalexpats

SEOUL HIKING NATURE GROUP: JOMURAK VALLEY Aug. 12 Gapyeong The Jomurak Valley gets its name from the fact that the valley is so deep and untouched, the birds sing and dance all day long.

KRW 32,000 www.meetup.com/ seoulhikingnaturegroup

AWC: NATIONAL HANGEUL MUSEUMSHARE EVENT Aug. 15 National Hangeul Museum AWC is discovering the history of the Korean national language, Hangeul. Be part of a fascinating group tour in English.

Free awckorea.com

BASS: BOOK CLUB: FATES AND FURIES Aug. 17

TBA Fates and Furies is a literary masterpiece that defies expectation. A dazzling examination of a marriage, it is also a portrait of creative partnership written by one of the best writers of her generation Free for members, KRW 5,000 for non-members www.britishseoul.com

SHERATON GRAND INCHEON

SHERATON GRAND INCHEON: SUMMER STAYCATION PACKAGE

SEOUL HIKING NATURE GROUP: BUGAKSAN NIGHT HIKE Aug. 17 Mt. Bugsaksan The trails of this mountain are right next to Cheongwadae and have a view to the heart of Seoul.

KRW 5,000 www.meetup.com/ seoulhikingnaturegroup

SEOUL EXPAT GLOBAL MEETUP GROUP: SURFING AT YANGYANG BEACH Aug. 20 Gangwon-do Three hours away from Seoul, on the east coast of Korea, Yangyang boasts great waves and good wind conditions making it the best destination to go surfing in Korea.

USD 45 www.meetup.com/globalexpats

AWC: KIMCHI MUSEUM TOUR Aug. 22 Kimchi Museum The American Women’s Club will be getting a tour of the Kimchi Museum. The tour guide will explain the history of kimchi making in English.

Free awckorea.com

SIWA: KOREAN ANTIQUE MARKET DAPSIMNI Aug. 24 Dapsimni Antique Shopping Complex

The trend of staying at a hotel while enjoying hotel facilities, also known as a “staycation,” keeps on growing. The newly coined term “staycation” is a compound of “stay” and “vacation,” and it stands for a vacation trend without driving far from one’s home.

Located only 30 minutes away from Seoul is the Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel, presenting the Summer Staycation Package with which guests can keep themselves comfortable and relaxed without having to deal with heavy traffic or a hectic crowd.

The package includes a one night stay at a Deluxe City View room with exotic views of Songdo, along with a dinner at BENE, the Italian restaurant of the hotel, where super salad and two pasta dishes will be ready. Even more relaxation follows with free access to the indoor swimming pool with natural lighting and Sheraton fitness. On top of that, amenities consist of slippers and a travel pillow from Sealy, the global brand that was the first to cooperate with orthopedic doctors for its bedding products.

The package is available through August 31 starting from KRW 188,000, service charge and V.A.T not included. For more information, call T. 032-835-1004.

“Brighten your Smile, Brighten your Life” International Prosthodontics & Implants Dental Clinic.

CERECTM is a cutting edge CAD/

CAM system for providing all-ceramic restorations in a single visit. Patients receive custom, hand-crafted inlays, veneers, crowns & bridges in our clinic.

Cerec Doctor : One-visit IP&I is a name you can trust.

Dr. Paik, Sung ki

dentistry. Over 6,000 restorations since 2005. Korea’s leading Cerec specialist.

Serving our patients with customized, doctor’s hand-crafted restorations.

DDS, MSD, Ph. D Member of American Prosthodontic Society

Magazine Somerset Palace Seoul, Suite #306, 2gil 7 Yulgok-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-140 KOREA Telephone: 82(2)735-1135 Toll free: 080-735-1135 E-mail: ipidc@hotmail.com On the web: www.ipidc.co.kr

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An area of 150 shops awaits at Dapsimni Antique Shopping Complex. Our tour guide, Yvonne Stehle, is a trinket hunting expert.

She will probably find things for you that you weren’t even looking for.

KRW 5,000. Members only. siwapage.com

SEOUL HIKING NATURE GROUP: PEACEFUL NIGHT HIKING, ACHASAN Aug. 24 Mt. Achasan We will be hiking Mt. Achasan and Mt. Yongmasan. There is an extensive system of trails on the mountains with numerous entrances.

KRW 5,000 www.meetup.com/ seoulhikingnaturegroup

SEOUL HIKING NATURE GROUP: ACHIMGARI VALLEY Aug. 26 Gangwon-do We can enjoy an exciting trek along the Achimgari Valley and cliffjump into the water. We will also go white-water rafting in Inje, near Seoraksan, to cool off.

KRW 32,000 www.meetup.com/ seoulhikingnaturegroup –––––––––––––––––––––––––––– REGULAR EVENTS ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

SEOUL TOASTMASTERS Every Thursday 7:15 p.m.

Jongno We won’t teach you to make great toast. But if you want to learn to speak in front of people and get over your fear of public speaking, consider Seoul Toastmasters.

Jonggak Station (Line 1) Exit 10, TOZ study center KRW 6,000 for all attendees www.seoultm.org

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LEARN CERAMICS WITH SARAH’ MICS

Want to learn the art of ceramics?

Ceramic designer and former Emirates flight attendant Sarah Kang offers a full range of classes for adults and children, including introductory workshops, in English.

Basic classes include the “wheel and hand-building” class and kids’ pottery class. Regular classes meet once or twice a week, while oneday classes are held every Saturday.

You will learn the skills to produce your own functional or artistic ceramics. Reservation required.

KRW 70,000 (one-day class) T. 010-9515-3180

SEOUL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY

The Seoul Shakespeare Company is the city’s only English-language theater company devoted entirely to performing Shakespeare’s works.

See their website for audition and show information. www.seoulshakespearecompany. org

THEATRE AMOEBA

Theatre Amoeba is an international physical theater project created in 2002. Amoeba’s ambition is to create, educate and exchange through intercultural performances and rigorous workshops around the planet. www.theatreamoeba.org

SELF-STUDY KOREAN CLASSES Every Tuesday at 4 p.m.

You Are Here Café Bring your Korean books and any questions you may have to this café in Hongdae every Tuesday. A teacher from talktomeinkorean. com will be present to provide free assistance as you practice your fluency and ask questions. Talk to Me in Korean suggests that you RSVP before attending, as space is limited.

Free Hongik University Station 홍대입구역 (Line 2), Exit 3 www.talktomeinkorean.com

MAGPIE BREWERY CLASSES Offered monthly Magpie Brew Co. in Gyeongnidan and Hongdae Learn how to brew your own beer while acquiring some history and insight into what makes this beverage so tasty. Participants can choose to take just one introductory class or take the fullmonth course, which includes four classes.

KRW 50,000-180,000 www.magpiebrewing.com

MAKGEOLLI MAMAS & PAPAS Regular monthly meetings Throughout Seoul Makgeolli Mamas & Papas seeks to build a community for those interested in Korea’s makgeolli culture. This means home-brewing resources, bar information and regular meetings. mmpkorea.wordpress.com

BREW POTLUCK Every first Saturday Seoul Homebrew, Itaewon An opportunity for brewers in Korea to share some beer and chat about brewing. Let the Seoul Homebrew Club know if you are interested in attending. Bring two or three bottles of your own brew to share.

Free www.seoulhomebrew.com Itaewon Station 이태원역 (Line 6), Exit 4

TRADITIONAL PERFORMING ARTS SATURDAYS Saturdays at 4 p.m.

National Gugak Center Each month, the National Gugak Center will present a collection of shows that display the beauty and diversity of Korean performing arts.

Concerts will specifically feature dance and/or music, with a total of 50 performances this year.

www.visitseoul.net KRW 10,000 Nambu Terminal Station 남부터미널 역 (Line 3), Exit 5. Transfer to bus No. 4429 and get off at National Gugak Center.

VOLUNTEERING AT ANGEL HOUSE First Saturday of the month, 1:30-7 p.m.

Angel House Angel House is a home for disabled individuals in need of round-theclock care. The facility depends on the help of volunteers, and a monthly program is in place to allow people to help out just by giving up an afternoon of their month.

KRW 10,000 for donation (and a meal) Meeting point: Yeonsinnae Station 연신내역 ( (Line 3 or 6), Exit 3

WORDSMITHS Every second Sunday of the month, 6-9 p.m.

Southside Parlor, Yongsan

Check out Wordsmiths, where spoken word and live music collide.

Wordsmiths is the only event in Seoul that focuses on spoken-word poetry.

Free www.facebook.com/ SouthsideParlor Noksapyeong Station 녹사평역 (Line 6), Exit 2

ITAEWON JAM NIGHT Every Thursday Livewire, Itaewon A weekly live jam session that anyone can get involved in. Sign up on the Facebook page to book a slot for your act.

Free www.facebook.com/ itaewonjamnight Itaewon Station 이태원역 (Line 6), Exit 3

JSA/DMZ COMBINED TOUR

Every Tuesday to Friday DMZ, near North Korea This journey takes you closer to North Korea than most people will ever get. On the trip you will visit the JSA security force camp, Peace House, Freedom House, the Military Armistice Commission building, the Bridge of No Return and the site of the ax-murder incident at Panmungak, as well as the Third Infiltration Tunnel, Dorasan Observatory, Dorasan Train Station and Imjingak.

KRW 93,000 www.adventurekorea.com Euljiro 1-ga Station 을지로입구역 (Line 2), Exit 1

BULL & BARREL OPEN MIC Thursdays, 9 p.m.

Bull & Barrel, Itaewon The organizers invite the audience to enjoy the musings of “Seoul’s best talent” at the regular event hosted by DJ iDub. Itaewon Station 이태원역 (Line 6), Exit 1

REGULAR LIFE DRAWING CLASSES Fridays, 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Saturdays, 6-8 p.m.

Jankura Artspace Tips and basic instruction can be provided for anyone in need, but this is mostly an open session for people to practice drawing and painting from the life model. Most nights are nude, but they also have special costumed drawing sessions, which are a lot of fun.

KRW 10,000 T. 010-6227-4244, jankuraseoul.com Itaewon Station 이태원역 (Line 6), Exit 3

ITAEWON TOASTMASTERS Every Sunday Samgakji Want to increase your confidence at speech-giving? Or learn the correct way to toast? Join the

Expat Buzz

Itaewon Toastmasters to practice speaking in public and to listen to the words of others.

Free for first-timers, KRW 2,000 for regular members www.itaewontm.org Samgakji Station 삼각지역 (Line 4 or 6), Exit 10 –––––––––––––––––––––––––––– NEWS ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

CINE IN KOREA

If you want to take a trip to the cinema but are worried about turning up and the show being sold out, use Cine in Korea, a very reputable website, to book your tickets. www.cineinkorea.com/movie/ index.php

YNOT TAKEOUT

Live in Itaewon, Haebangchon, Gyeongnidan, Hannam-dong or Banpo, or on the Yongsan Army Base? Love foreign food but are too lazy to leave your apartment?

Ynot Takeout is here to help. The start-up has 10 drivers so far and is working on expanding to deliver local international cuisine straight to your door. www.ynot-takeout. com

AUTOMATED FREE BICYCLE RENTAL

Yongsan District Office has an automated free bicycle rental facility equipped with 20 bikes in the first basement area of the building near the entrance to the Yongsan Community Health Clinic.

The bikes can be rented for free by Yongsan-gu residents.

T. 02-2199-7750 global.seoul.go.kr/itaewon

USEFUL WEBSITES FOR EXPATS

Know someone who is on their way to live in Seoul? Recommend to them The Arrival Store, a one-stop online shop that sells everything needed to start a life in Korea, from duvets to smartphones. If they order today,

they can pay for their goods up to 60 days after their arrival date. www.thearrivalstore.com The Beautiful Store is a social enterprise that sells old, donated clothing to raise money for charity.

If you have anything to give away, please fill in a form on their website, www.beautifulstore.

The blogs My Seoul Searching (myseoulsearching.com), My Destination Seoul (www. mydestination.com/seoul) and Trazy (www.trazy.com) give upto-date, inspirational advice on traveling and enjoying Korea and its culture.

For the latest in art on the Peninsula, we like Blouin ArtInfo for their great modern art coverage. enkr.blouinartinfo.com Angloinfo Seoul, an extensive directory, is a great resource for expats living in Seoul due to its listing of basic, useful info and simple, easy-to-read design. seoul. angloinfo.com WWOOF, the worldwide agency that organizes work placements on organic farms, has launched an organic food delivery service with varied packages available. All food is local and affordable, and the choices change on a regular basis. wwoofcsa.com/products/ Waygook.org is useful for English teachers living in Seoul as a space for sharing lesson plans but is also vital for its non-teaching message boards full of Korea-based knowledge from people living on the peninsula.

Find indie music events: Try searching on Indistreet (indistreet. com/en/korea/), Do Indie (www. doindie.co.kr) or the Korea Gig Guide (www.koreagigguide.com) for listings of local venues, concerts and bands in the underground music scene in Seoul.

KOREAN BUZZ WORD

FACT PONGNYEOK: FACT VIOLENCE 팩트 폭력 Koreans inflict mental damage on each other through verbal violence Written by Diana Park

Fact pongnyeok, or fact violence, is a Korean word for verbally abusing a target with factual information.

FACT PONGNYEOK Due to the undeniable truth packed into these arguments, fact pongnyeok victims are unable to fight back. As a result, they are susceptible to extreme humiliation and distress. People who inflict fact pongnyeok are called factnyeokbae, which is a combination of fact and pongnyeokbae, the Korean word for gangster.

This word first began circulating in online international soccer forums. For example, fans of Lionel Messi, the Argentine professional footballer, often sarcastically shared inglorious facts about opposing teams, performing fact pongnyeok as a pre-game intimidation ritual. This unarguable tactic silenced the fans of the opposing team and left no room for retaliation.

In a recently aired episode of the KBC variety show “Happy Together 3,” singer Lee Hyori made a comeback on the channel after a four-year hiatus. She claimed that she toned down her notorious outspoken personality through extensive yoga training while living in Jeju Island during her break. However, her true colors surfaced when she inflicted fact pongnyeok on MC Yoo Jae-suk. While discussing the fashion style of the show participants, she commented that his attire was too goody two-shoes – and then laughingly added that his face was the actual problem. This resulted in explosive laughter in the room, with Lee eventually admitting that her claimed transformation may have been wishful thinking.

‘Hair in its Natural State’

Quno Hair

served as Art Director at London’s renowned Rush Salon and nominated by the Guardian for ‘Best Hairdresser’ EXPAT BUZZ Trained at Toni & Guy and Vidal Sassoon Academy in UK Color, Perm.

Magic Straight & Treatment Highlight &Lowlight...etc English Spoken

Gangnam/ Apgujeong Branch 02-549-0335 www.qunohair.com www.hairandjoy.com

HAIR & JOY

3F, 168-3, Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul

Lotte Cinema (8F) UNIQLO (1F)

coco bruni About Me

NH Bank

Exit 8, Hongik Stn., Line 2

Magazine

For more info, call Johnny 63

Phone : 02-363-4253 Mobile : 010-5586-0243

SEOUL

CAFÉ TTEURAN Café Tteuran is the first Hanok teahouse in the historic Ikseon-dong area, an increasingly popular neighborhood of old Korean-style homes. It serves medicinal teas made from the best ingredients and excellent red bean porridge and patbingsu made with the finest Korean red beans. Be sure to check out its lovely courtyard garden.

166-76 Ikseon-dong, Jongno-gu T. 02-745-7420, @cafe_innergarden (Instagram)

IMPERIAL PALACE SEOUL HOTEL: VIETNAMESE GUEST CHEFS PRESENT ‘TASTE OF VIETNAM’ The Imperial Palace Seoul Hotel’s Buffet Familia is inviting local Vietnamese chefs from Windsor Plaza Hotel Vietnam to present “Taste of Vietnam” from July 29 to August 12. Buffet Familia presents a variety of Vietnamese dishes and desserts in addition to Vietnamese rice noodles, Vietnamese style spring rolls and more.

The “Taste of Vietnam” is available from July 29 to August 12 for both lunch and dinner buffet. The price for weekday lunch is KRW 68,000, weekend lunch is KRW 78,000 and weekday and weekend dinners are KRW 88,000 (inclusive of tax and service charges). T. 02-3440-8090–2.

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NETWORK

SHERATON GRAND INCHEON HOTEL: OUTDOOR BBQ AND FREE FLOWING DRAFT BEER The Sheraton Grand Incheon Hotel presents its outdoor BBQ promotion through September 9, every Friday and Saturday, and everyday through August 6, 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Three sets of barbecue menus are available with free-flowing Cass or Hoegaarden draft beer. Moreover, you can use the salad bar as much as you like for free.

The BBQ menu price is KRW 120,000 for assorted grilled meat, KRW 88,000 for assorted grilled seafood and KRW 130,000 for assorted grilled seafood and meat. All prices are for two persons. For reservations and inquiries, call T. 032-835-1712.

GLOBAL DIASPORA MULTICULTURAL COACHING NETWORK We provide professional psychotherapy and coaching services to help and support personal growth and happiness. Our counselors and coaches are proficient in more than one language and have earned advanced professional degrees in various mental health fields.

Counseling services include individual, couple, family, pre-marital, crisis intervention and group therapy and coaching services include life, business, cultural adaptation and parenting coaching.

Appointments can be made by calling 070-4040-3081 or by e-mailing globaldiasporamn@gmail.com.

Address: 136, Worldcupbuk-ro, Mapo-gu, Shin-An Building, 6th floor Website: www.globaldiaspora.or.kr

GANGNAM-UC RIVERSIDE (GNUCR): ENGLISH, KOREAN, CHINESE CLASSES Study English in the heart of Gangnam and earn University of California credit and transcripts! Or brush up on your Korean with GNUCR’s Korean classes from Seoul National University. If Chinese is more your thing, GNUCR’s got that, too. Join the more than 20,000 students who have studied at GNUCR since the school’s opening in 2001. www.gnucr.kr | Gangnam-gu Office Station

강남구청역, Exit 1 | info@gnucr.net | Kakao: @gnucr |

02-546-3260

SHERATON SEOUL D CUBE CITY HOTEL: COCKTAIL CRUSH Enjoy all-you-can-drink cocktails, beer and wine during happy hour for the reasonable price of KRW 35,000 in the Lobby Lounge Bar. There is a selection of cocktails such as apple martini, cosmopolitan, sea breeze, dcube dream, paradise and peach crush.

Guests can make one choice of canapes from among smoked salmon roll, cherry tomato canape with olive tapenade and seasonal fruits.

Monday to Friday, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. KRW 35,000 per person, inclusive of tax. T. 02-2211-1740.

Seoul Network

Enjoy Beverages Using the Best of Jeju Starbucks Korea introduces new items using local specialties at Jeju shops

Starbucks Korea now offers nine new beverages and food items in 15 shops in Jeju.

The new menu items were crafted using locally produced specialty items of Jeju itself.

From July 10, Starbucks began offering a total of six new beverages: Jeju Hallabong Green Tea Sherbet, Jeju Summer Lemonade, Jeju Malcha Shot Latte, Jeju Hoji Shot Latter, Jeju Malcha Shot Cream Frappuccino and Jeju Hoji Shot Cream Frappuccino.

It also introduced three food items from July 18: Jeju Gamgyul Cheese Cake, Carrot Basalt Cake and Hallabong Oreum Danishes.

The new beverages and food items were developed based on analysis of customer opinions regarding regional products available only in Jeju. Starbucks Korea undertook big data analysis and market surveys, using April’s My Starbucks Review and surveys conducted with partners.

The customers’ favorite Jeju ingredients were gamgyul, or tangerines; hallabong, a locally produced hybrid orange; malcha, or powdered

green tea; hojicha, a reddish brown variant of green tea; and carrots. As for their favored images, they chose Hallasan, basalt rock and a few others. Using the selected Jeju ingredients, Starbucks Korea created menu items with colors and visual elements that bring to mind Jeju and its natural environment. Starbucks Korea also reflected these elements in the name of the products.

The Jeju Hallabong Green Tea Sherbet expresses beautiful Mt. Hallasan at the height of summer using hallabong syrup, tangerine chips and malcha powder. Jeju Summer Lemonade is a cocktail-esque beverage that visually brings to mind Jeju’s sunset scenery. It uses hallabong syrup, tangerine chips, lime and apple mint.

If you order an iced Jeju beverage for consumption at the shop, you’ll get it in a special cup that lets you see the beverage inside.

Stabucks Korea will continue to develop new menu items that reflect the special character of Jeju based on the opinions and preferences of

visitors to Jeju as part of its activities aimed to boost local societies and economies.

In July 2016, Starbucks Korea began offering the Jeju Hallabong Green Tea Latte and Jeju Hallabong Green Tea Lemonade for a limited time. In December, it began offering, likewise for a limited time, other beverages, like Jeju Honey Peanut Latte and Jeju Yeonggyul Green Tea, that use local specialty ingredients. The new beverages proved a hit, becoming the most popular items at Jeju shops behind Americanos and Cafe Lattes.

In 2016, Starbucks Korea won a monthly award for cooperation to bring about co-prosperity for its newly released Mungyeong Omija Fizzio. In April of this year, Starbucks Korea released its Gwangyang Hwangmaesil Fizzio, using Gwangyang’s famous plums.

Starbucks will continue to dedicate efforts towards cooperative management with local farming communities by developing beverages and foods using locally produced ingredients and tailored to Korean tastes.