How to get to Everland by train

Train goes to EVERLAND! 

Seoul is known for many things: Gangnam Style, Korean Dramas, and technology just to name a few. This week on my ongoing series about Korea’s implementation of advanced technologies, I’m turning my attention to an old favorite of mine: trains. Seoul has, in my opinion, the best subway system in the world. One can virtually travel to just about every corner of the Seoul metro area via the subway and it’s dirt cheap. At end of April, the metro’s latest line finally opened: The Everline.

Image Credit: Yongin Everline

The newest route isn’t a subway per se, but technically a Light Rail Transit (LRT) system. The term “light rail” was devised in 1972 referring to a new age of street cars in the United States and Europe. Traditionally, light rail systems operate on the same roadways as other vehicles, which sometimes leads to collisions; however, the Everline is different. The Yongin Everline has its own tracks and operates autonomously.

The Yongin Everline begins at Giheung Station. It should be noted that this not the same Giheung Station on the Bundang subway line, but rather one with an identical name. They are located adjacent to one another and allow for T-Money card use, but it will require a short walk between terminals and another ticket purchase.

The Everline is an automated system. This means no one’s driving the train! Well not really. Currently only one car makes the journey at each interval. Because of the space limitations, no driver is on board and the train is controlled remotely. This is similar to Seoul’s other automated line, the Sinbundang, linking Bundang and Gangnam.

The purpose of the Yongin Everline was to link Yongin City with Everland Resort. After a long three-year delay, residents and commuters can now make use of the system. Riding the LRT from its origin to Everland takes between 20 and 30 minutes, far shorter than using other methods of public transportation from surrounding areas. Furthermore, Everline terminal station is located at the car park and shuttle bus depot. This means that passengers can easily transfer from the train to the shuttle bus and zoom away to the land of fun.

Some may think that operating a single car at a time is a waste, but when one looks at the numbers, they tell a different story. Each train accommodates a total of 226 passengers. It may be cramped at that capacity, but it would still be far more comfortable than riding Line 2 during rush hour. The LRT will operate at intervals between two and eight minutes, meaning 25,000 – 30,000 people can be transported per hour. With a speed of just short of 40kph, the Everline is actually faster than most Seoul subway lines.

The Yongin Everline operates between 5:30am and 11:30pm. Trains depart at each terminal at those times. Meaning that if you stay at Everland until closing, you can still get home with ease (and not have to fight traffic in the car park). During the morning rush hour (7-9am), the train operates at a 3 minute interval. This is especially helpful for students commuting from Bundang to Kangnam Universtity. In the evening (5-8pm) trains run at 5 minute intervals, making it one of the more convenient options if heading to or from the park.

Read More

Super Junior ends world tour in Beijing Super Junior By Kim Ji-soo K-pop group Super Junior wrapped up its world tour with a performance in Beijing, Saturday. The group sang about 28 songs, including popular numbers such as “Sorry Sorry,” “Mr. Simple” and “Free & Single,” as well as presenting “character” shows where the members transformed into characters from the movie “The Avengers.” With that performance, Super Junior wrapped up its world tour titled “Super Show 5” which took it through 20 cities around the world. Among the cities they toured were Buenos Aires, Santiago, Lima and Manila, with an estimated audience of some 450,000 fans. Members of the group have been holding the “Super Show” since 2008, with a total of 97 performances in front of 1.35 million fans.

Read More

Rock the world! YB’s guitarist Heo Joon, from left, vocalist Yoon Do-hyun, drummer Kim Jin-won, bassist Park Tae-hee and guitarist Scott Hellowell are caught in this teaser photo for the band’s first English-language digital single “Cigarette Girl.” / Courtesy of Dee Company Veteran rock band YB going global By Park Si-soo “BANG BANG BANG BANG du-dung du-dung ...” Powerful drum beats open the track. The solo performance is soon overrun by the noisy but rhythmic sound of electric guitar. The sound instantly stirs listeners to shake their shoulders and tap their feet. It goes on for seconds and then the voice comes in: “Cigarettes is what she sells, I never saw such a beautiful face. Long hair, smoky eyes looking prettier everyday...” The vocalist sings the story of a man’s witty and tenacious attempts to go out with the girl and marks the end of the song’s first bar by shouting: “Saechimttegi,” a Korean term that can roughly be translated into “mean girl.” This is the beginning of “Cigarette Girl,” an English-language digital single Korea’s top rock band YB released on Feb. 18 on international music websites such as iTunes, Amazon and Spotify, in its very first step toward making inroads into the world’s two biggest music markets: the United States and the United Kingdom. Originally released in 1987 by folk singer Song Chang-sik, the song was transformed into a classic rock piece by YB in 1999. It was recently modified once again, this time for the band’s official foray overseas. To that end, the five-member band — composed of vocalist Yoon Do-hyun, bassist Park Tae-hee, guitarists Heo Joon and Scott Hellowell, and Kim Jin-won on the drums — hired Doug Goldstein, a former manager of the legendary U.S. rock band Guns N’ Roses, as its manager for overseas performances. ‘We’re excited about new journey’ YB members are set to leave for the United States in early March to make its debut there. They plan to travel to the U.S. and U.K. before releasing the band’s first full-length English-language album containing 10 or 12 songs in June. During a recent interview with The Korea Times at the band’s office in Mapo, northwestern Seoul, YB members appeared to have mixed emotions of being excited and anxious ahead of the much-anticipated journey. “We are very excited because YB is the first Korean rock band going overseas,” said YB’s leader and vocalist Yoon Do-hyun. “At the same time, we feel some anxiety because this is something nobody has attempted.” YB was formed in 1995 and has since released nine albums and numerous singles. Not only has the band’s musical prowess been recognized through the several domestic music awards it has received, but it has also hosted sold-out concerts here for many years. Yoon said it was the band’s long-held dream to knock on the door of the international rock scene. This seeming pipe-dream began to take shape after Yoon received an email from a screenwriter American friend last summer. “Sending the email on behalf of Doug, my friend wrote that Doug was interested in YB. He asked me to send YB albums to Doug. So I did it immediately,” the 42-year-old vocalist recollected. “Days later, I received an email from Doug. I could feel from the email that he (Doug) already had a crush on YB. Since then, everything has gone smoothly.” Knocking on the door of the Western market with “Cigarette Girl,” YB will release two full-length albums by 2018 under Goldstein’s guidance. “We are currently selecting songs, in coordination with our American agents, to be included on the first album,” he said. “We already have more than 100 songs released in Korea. They (agents) are reviewing all of them to pick out songs that meet the musical taste of our target audiences ... In the process, I’ve realized that the taste of foreign audiences is very different from that of local fans because our hit songs here were mostly excluded in the selection.” Joining YB in 2011, British guitarist Hellowell said the band’s powerful and dynamic music and performances, as seen in “Cigarette Girl,” will strongly appeal to international rock fans. “You may feel energy with our music and performances,” he said. “It’s not easy to see rock bands playing as actively as we do on stage... But we can make it without stage props, smoke or stuff like that.” Yoon echoed his view, saying “flawless” live performances are the band’s biggest strength. Translation matters YB members said the Korean-English translation of lyrics was the biggest difficulty they faced when making the digital single. “The lyrics were completely re-translated. It was changed at least four times,” Yoon said. “Four different people were involved in the translation in an effort to not lose the cultural context.” Hellowell, who took part in the translation work along with three other translation specialists, said it was “impossibly difficult” to translate the original lyrics into English with the witty storyline and humor of the original preserved intact. Reviewing the English lyrics of the song, Chon Hee-kyong, a professional Korean-English interpreter and translator, said, “Overall, it’s a fun translation of the original Korean version and even gives Western listeners a peek into Korean culture by leaving some of the words unchanged in Korean. Still, I found some parts of the song to be somewhat awkward, both in terms of the translation and the way they sounded as lyrics to a song.” Yoon said he pins high expectations on the band’s broadening of its horizons, adding he won’t be let down even if it goes awry. “Of course I hope to see YB songs ranked on the U.S. Billboard Chart and played globally. It’s not easy, though,” he said. “I just want to enjoy this moment.” Bassist Park echoed that view, saying his hope is that the band’s Western debut will pave the way for other talented Korean rock bands to expand their presence beyond local borders. Drummer Kim was somewhat more confident than the others. “Come and see our performances,” he said. “You will like it.” YB is scheduled to hold concerts in Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles, as well as performing at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, next month.

Read More

'My Love' sparks hallyu sensation “My Love From the Star,” starring hallyu heartthrob Kim Soo-hyun, left, and Jun Ji-hyun, has gained popularity in Korea and China. / Courtesy of SBS Drama fever spills over fashion, food By Chung Ah-young In December, the SBS television drama series “My Love From the Star” got off to a shaky start amid a heated controversy over plagiarism, as it adopted a concept similar to the comic book series “Seol Hee.” But the drama ended up creating a huge hallyu sensation not only in Korea, but in China as well. When the last episode of “My Love” was aired on Feb. 27, some Chinese fans watched it at the Sheshan Observatory in Shanghai, China, eating chicken and drinking beer. The observatory was a special venue for the grand finale of the drama organized by IQIYI, China’s online television and movie portal site, responding to the soaring popularity there as the drama frequently has with constellation and astrological backgrounds. “My Love from the Star” has created a “chimaek” (eating chicken and drinking beer) craze in China. / Korea Times file “My Love” has created a ripple effect in the Korean drama scene, which has seen fewer dramas gaining wide support after “Winter Sonata” and “Jewel in the Palace.” In a recent survey by Gallup Korea, the series was ranked as the favorite TV show for Koreans, followed by “Infinite Challenge,” a variety show which had long topped the rankings. The drama is based on the historical Gwanghae Journal from the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) which records a mysterious UFO appearing in Gangwon Province. The series features an “alien” who appears as a human named Do Min-joon _ played by Kim Soo-hyun. He doesn’t get old and has been living in Korea for the past 400 years. Do lives in modern Korea and falls in love with a famous actress named Chun Song-i ― played by Jun Ji-hyun. The romantic chemistry between Do and Chun is mainly responsible for the drama’s spiking popularity.  Kim is one of the most sought-after actors as every drama or film in which he stars is a success. He became a household name in 2011 in the teen drama “Dream High,” and rose to stardom in MBC’s popular epic drama “The Moon That Embraces the Sun” in 2012. He has also starred on the big screen in the films ”The Thieves” and “Secretly, Greatly.” In this drama, his versatile character performance shifting in time and space appeals to female audiences. Also, supporting roles played by Shin Sung-rok and Park Hae-jin have added a unique flavor to the series. Jun has earned high praise for her portrayal of Chun, which is similar to her previous successful role in the romantic comedy film “My Sassy Girl.” In the drama, everything she wears and eats has been in vogue. Yves-Saint Laurent’s No.52 lipstick sold out in major department stores. The craze goes beyond lipsticks. Fashion brand ShesMiss has seen a steep sales surge because Jun wore a winter coat from the brand in a recent episode. ShesMiss said that after the drama was aired, all 2,500 of the coats in stock at its stores nationwide sold out in just 10 days. A China’s entertainment newspaper recently featured Jun in a six-page article about the recent drama craze there. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Korean TV series have long been popular in China, and “My Love” is one of the most-discussed topics on Sina’s Weibo microblogging platform and it has created a “chimaek” (eating chicken and drinking beer) craze in China The newspaper said that more than 3.7 million posts related to the Chinese term for chimaek have appeared. According to the newspaper, even some Chinese celebrities are fans of the show, fueling the craze. Tourist packages targeting Chinese fans have been launched. Sinsegye Tour has been offering tourist programs connected to the drama since April. The tour includes stops in Seoul and Gangwon Province where the drama is filmed. “After the drama began airing, an increasing number of Chinese fans have asked to see the drama film sets. So our package will satisfy them,” an official of the company said. Seoul Tower’s top-floor restaurant has seen large numbers of tourists because that is where Kim and Jun had dinner together on the show. Petit France, a French cultural village in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, also became a tourist hot spot since the characters kissed there in the 15th episode. The program’s unprecedented success is attributed in part to its online distribution in China, as it has immediately gone viral. The drama has hit more than 600 million views on IQIYI, China’s video site.  “Chinese fans don’t have to wait to watch Korean dramas until they are formally broadcast through TV stations because they can see them via the Internet. It’s immediate and fast, thus helping them gain fast popularity,” a drama critic said.

Read More

2NE1 splashes on Billboard By Chung Ah-young K-pop girl group 2NE1 has set the record for the highest-ranking K-pop album on the Billboard 200 with its latest album “Crush.” 2NE1's second full-length album was No. 61 on the Billboard 200, Wednesday, one of the main charts along with the Hot 100. The album sold 5,000 copies in the week ending March 2, according to Billboard.com, quoting Nielsen SoundScan. "Crush" broke the record for K-pop albums, set by Girls’ Generation’s TTS unit’s extended-play album “Twinkle,” which reached 126th in 2012. The four-member 2NE1 also landed in fifth place for World Digital Songs, Billboard’s genre chart, with "Come Back Home," a song from the new album. The Billboard 200 is one of the two major Billboard charts along with the Hot 100 singles chart, on which Korean rapper Psy held the second spot for seven consecutive weeks with his global viral hit "Gangnam Style" in 2012. 2NE1 made its debut in 2009 under YG Entertainment, one of the nation’s big three talent agencies, which is home to a slew of iconic K-pop stars, including BigBang and Psy.

Read More

Kimchi jjigae

Kimchi jjigae

• 
  

Published : 2014-03-07 19:40
Updated : 2014-03-07 19:40

Kimchi jjigae (Korean Bapsang)

When kimchi gets old, it becomes an excellent ingredient for various other dishes! The most common dish made with aged kimchi is kimchi jjigae. It’s a go-to stew in Korean homes. Growing up in Korea, we had a lot of meals just with kimchi jjigae and a bowl of rice. I don’t remember ever getting tired of it.

There are many ways to make it. The popular version, which is also my favorite, is made with fatty pork. Kimchi and fatty pork is a match made in heaven. To add extra flavor, cook the kimchi and pork together before adding the liquid. If you’d like, use beef or canned tuna instead. It’s also good simply made in anchovy broth, without any meat, for a cleaner taste.

Use the juice from the kimchi if available because it will add lots of flavor to the broth. Whether you make it to use up old kimchi or to satisfy a craving, this small pot of comfort food is all you need for a satisfying meal.

Ingredients:
● 2 cups bite-size kimchi (fully fermented)

● 120 grams fresh pork belly (or other pork meat with some fat)

● 2 to 3 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes)

● 1 teaspoon minced garlic

● 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger

● 1/2 cup juice from kimchi (if available)

● 2 cups of water (1/2 cup more if not using kimchi juice)

● 200 grams tofu

● 2 scallions

● Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the meat and kimchi into bite-size pieces. Slice the tofu (about 1.5-centimeters thick), and roughly chop the scallions.

In a pot, cook the kimchi and pork with the chili pepper flakes, garlic and ginger over medium high heat until the kimchi is softened and the pork cooks through, about 10 minutes. Add the kimchi juice and water. Reduce the heat to medium and boil for about 20 minutes. Add more water if necessary.

Add the tofu and scallions. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Salt is usually not necessary, unless kimchi was lightly seasoned and/or kimchi juice is not available.) Continue to boil until the tofu is cooked through. Should be about 5 minutes. Serve while bubbling over from the heat.

By Ro Hyo-sun

Read More

Bossam (boiled pork wraps)

Published : 2014-02-28 19:29
Updated : 2014-02-28 19:29

Bossam (boiled pork wraps). (Korean Bapsang)

Bossam is a boiled pork dish. The meat is boiled in a flavorful brine until tender and served thinly sliced. At the table, each person wraps the meat in salted napa cabbage leaves along with radish salad (musaengchae, or muchae) and saewujeot (salted shrimp). Sometimes, fresh garlic slices, chili pepper slices or fresh oysters are added. Salted napa cabbage is traditional, but you can also use lettuce or perilla leaves to make wraps. Or, enjoy it simply wrapped in a piece of well-fermented kimchi with some saewujeot.

Pork belly (samgyupsal) and Boston butt (moksal) are the most commonly used cuts for this dish. You can also use picnic shoulder (apdarisal). Korean cooks add a variety of ingredients to the boiling liquid to eliminate the smell of pork and flavor the meat. The addition of doenjang is not surprising because pork and doenjang go very well together in dishes like doenjang jjigae. Coffee is commonly used as well. You will hardly taste the doenjang or coffee when you try the boiled meat. They simply enhance the natural flavor of the pork. The result is a rich, but subtly flavored, deliciously moist meat!

Ingredients:
● For the wraps:

● Tender inner parts of 1 napa cabbage, salted (or red or green leaf lettuce)

● Musaengchae (radish salad) ― see recipe below.

● Saeujeot (salted shrimp)

For the meat:
● 1 kg whole fresh pork belly, cut about 8 centimeters in width

● 10 cups water

● 1/2 medium onion

● 2-3 white parts of large scallions

● 7-8 plump garlic cloves

● 1 inch piece of ginger, sliced

● 1 teaspoon whole black peppers

● 1 1/2 tablespoons doenjang (fermented soybean paste)

● 1 teaspoon instant coffee (or a cup of brewed coffee)

● 1 teaspoon salt

● 2 bay leaves

Dissolve 1/2 cup of coarse salt in 4 cups of water, and soak the cabbage leaves until softened, for 2 to 4 hours. Rinse, and drain well.

Bring the water and all the remaining ingredients, except the pork belly, to a boil over medium-high heat, and continue to boil for 5 minutes.

Add the pork belly and boil for 20 minutes, uncovered. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, until the meat is very tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Turn the heat off, and cool the meat in the cooking liquid. This will keep the meat moist.

Thinly slice the meat and serve with the salted cabbage (or lettuce), saewujeot and musaengchae.

Keep any leftover meat in the cooking liquid. Boil the meat in the liquid to reheat. This prevents the meat from drying out.

Musaengchae (radish salad)

Ingredients:
● 400 grams mu (Korean radish)

● 1 teaspoon salt

● 2 scallions, finely chopped

● 2-3 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes) ― add to taste

● 2 teaspoons minced garlic

● 1 teaspoon myulchiaekjeot (fish sauce)

● 1 teaspoon saeu jeot (salted shrimp)

● 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

● 1/2 teaspoon sugar ― add to taste


Clean the radish, and cut into matchstick size. Sprinkle the salt over the radish and toss well. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes until the radish sticks have softened and released some liquid. Drain (or gently squeeze out) excess liquid. Do not rinse. Add all the remaining ingredients. Mix well by hand. Taste and add more salted shrimp or fish sauce if necessary.

Read More

Calendar for March

Classical music
London Symphony Orchestra: For the ninth time, the London Symphony Orchestra will be playing in Korea, this time with conductor Daniel Harding. It will hold two concerts at Seoul Arts Center, on March 10 and 11. The first concert will feature works by Mussorgsky, Stravinsky and Schubert. For the second one, the orchestra will play Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2, with soloist Kim Sun-wook, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, “Titan.” Ticket prices range from 60,000 won to 300,000 won. For more information, call (02) 599-5743.

Il Giardino Armonico: Italian ensemble Il Giardino Armonico will present their interpretations of baroque-period music, including the works of their countryman Antonio Vivaldi. Recorder soloist-and-conductor Giovanni Antonini will lead the group. The program includes Vivaldi’s “La Follia” sonata for two violins and basso continuo in D minor, and concertos by George Frideric Handel and Georg Philipp Telemann. The concert will be held on March 12 at Seongnam Arts Center, located near Exit 1 of Imae Station on the Bundang Line of the Seoul Subway. Tickets range from 40,000 won to 100,000 won. Call (031) 783-8000 or visit www.snart.or.kr.

“Don Giovanni”: The Korea National Opera is staging Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s classic opera “Don Giovanni” at Seoul Arts Center for a five-day run beginning March 12. Revolving around the salacious adventures of the Spanish nobleman and libertine of the same name, the opera is the second of a trilogy Mozart wrote with Italian librettist Lorenzo da Ponte. Directed by Jung Sun-young and conducted by Marco Zambelli, the production features baritones Gong Byung-woo and Cha Jeong-cheol as Don Giovanni and sopranos Noh Jung-ae and Hong Ju-young as Donna Anna. It will be staged at the 1,000-seat CJ Towol Theater. Ticket prices range from 20,000 won to 70,000 won. For more information, call (02) 580-1300. 

A poster for the opera “Don Giovanni” (National Opera Company of Korea)

“Shostakovich by Inbal”: Israeli conductor Eliahu Inbal will lead Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in its performance of Russian composer Dimitry Shostakovich’ works at Seoul Arts Center on March 28. The program consists of Swiss composer Ernest Bloch’s “Schelomo,” better known as “Hebrew Rhapsody,” featuring Korean-German cellist Isang Enders as a soloist and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11 in G minor. Ticket prices range from 10,000 won to 70,000 won. For more information, call 1588-1210. 

“Evgeny Kissin Recital”: Child prodigy-turned-master pianist Evgeny Kissin will perform at Seoul Arts Center on March 30, presenting Schubert’s Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Major, Scriabin’s Sonata No. 2 in G Sharp Minor and “Four Sea Interludes” from Benjamin Britten’s “Peter Grimes.” The pianist started his professional musical training at 6, entering the Gnessin State Musical College for Gifted Children, made his debut featuring Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D Minor with the Ulyanovsk Symphony Orchestra, and became an international sensation at 12 when he played and recorded Chopin piano concertos with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. Kissin is also famous for obliging concertgoers, with his 2006 and 2008 concerts going on until after 11 p.m. because of dozens of encore performances. For more information, call 1544-1555 or (02) 580-1300.

Pop music
Travis: Scottish rock band Travis is making its return to Korea, putting on its first solo concert in Seoul in five years. Led by Fran Healy on vocals, Travis formed in the early ’90s in Glasgow and made a name for itself as one of the most well-respected acts from the U.K. Although Travis has always seemed to float below the radar, without having joined the ranks of the most iconic rock bands, the rockers are often credited with having influenced iconic British bands such as Coldplay and Keane. Travis will perform its upcoming solo concert at the Olympic Hall at Seoul Olympic Park on March 25. Tickets range from 70,000 won to 120,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

Travis will perform its first solo concert in Korea in the Olympic Hall at Seoul Olympic Park on March 25. (Travis Facebook)

The Hives: Popular Swedish rock band The Hives, credited for being a driving force in reintroducing garage rock to the 21st century music scene, will perform a live concert for the first time in Korea this April. The Hives was first formed more than 20 years ago. Three years after putting out their demo album “Sounds Like Sushi,” they released their debut studio album “Barely Legal.” The Hives made little to no impact with their first album. However, that all changed with the band’s follow-up album. In 2000, The Hives released their second album, “Veni Vidi Vicious,” featuring the hit tracks “Hate to Say I Told You So” and “Main Offender” and landed themselves a record deal that launched them into the mainstream limelight. The Hives will perform live at the Uniqlo AX Hall in Seoul on April 2 with tickets listed at 66,000. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com. 

Jeff Beck: The legendary English rock guitarist Jeff Beck will be putting on a special solo concert performance in Seoul this April. Beck was once ranked No. 5 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and was described as “one of the most influential lead guitarists in rock.” The 69-year-old has had one of the most illustrious rock and roll careers as a former member of the Yardbirds playing alongside other rock legends Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page and has landed himself in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, both as a solo artist and as a member of the Yardbirds. Beck will be performing live at the Olympic Hall on April 27. Tickets range from 88,000 won to 154,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

John Mayer: The multiple Grammy Award-winning U.S. pop-folk singer John Mayer will be putting on his first concert in Korea since he made his musical debut more than 10 years ago. Mayer released his first album, “Room for Squares,” in 2011. It featured a number of hit singles including “No Such Thing,” “Why Georgia” and “Your Body Is a Wonderland,” which snagged Mayer his first Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 2003. The upcoming concert event is the 14th installment of the Hyundai Card Culture Project series, which in the past brought acts such as The Killers, Keane, John Legend, Ke$ha, Jason Mraz and many other. Mayer will perform on May 6 at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul. Tickets are priced from 110,000 won to 132,000 won, with a special “couple package” listed at 300,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3141-3488 or visit www.interpark.com.

Exhibitions
“Eliminate Points, Lines and Planes”: Artist Kim In-bai is presenting faceless, abstract sculptures for his solo exhibition celebrating the reopening of Arario Gallery Seoul. Titled “Eliminate Points, Lines and Planes,” the exhibition seeks to break stereotypes about human figures. Instead of faces or heads for his sculptures, the artist has used geometrical forms. His latest works are a combination of geometrical forms and muscular body structures. The exhibition runs until April 13 at Arario Gallery Seoul in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. For more information, call (02) 541-5701.

“Pin Hue” by Kim In-bai (Arario Gallery)

“Kang Yo-bae Drawings: 1985-2014”: Drawings and sketches by Jejudo Island-based artist Kang Yo-bae are being showcased at Hakgojae Gallery until March 30. The art works that he has created in conte, charcoal and pastel over the past 30 years portray the landscape of Jejudo Island in rough texture. Kang has largely depicted the distinctive characteristics of the island, such as its fickle weather, clear seasonal changes and varying sea colors. The gallery is in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. For more information, call (02) 720-1524~6. 

“6-8”: Artworks have escaped the spaces and hours of a regular exhibition at ArtSonje Center in Seoul’s Jongno-gu. At unlikely places, like the rear door of the formal exhibition space, a utility room and the rooftop, installation artworks are being displayed from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Finding the artworks feels like going on a treasure hunt as they are placed in inconspicuous spots, and a museum map guides viewers to each of their locations. If you don’t concentrate on the map, you might miss some of them. The exhibition is open from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. until March 29. It is closed on Mondays. Admission is free. For more information, call (02) 733-8945, or visit www.artsonje.org.

“Julian Opie”: Kukje Gallery is presenting a solo exhibition of Julian Opie featuring some of his new works portraying the lifestyles of pedestrians in Seoul. The new works, results of his observations of people walking by on the streets of the capital city, showcase his signature style of depicting people in bold colors and outlining them prominently in black. The works on display are paintings, sculptures and pieces made using light-emitting diodes. The exhibition is running from Feb. 13 to March 23 at Kukje Gallery in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. For more information, call (02) 735-8449. 

“Park Soo-keun Retrospective”: As Park Soo-keun would have turned 100 this year, a retrospective seeks to revive public interest in the master painter. The exhibition is being held at the Gana Insa Art Center in Insa-dong, a major Seoul tourist destination lined with antique shops, from Jan. 17 to March 16. The retrospective will feature about 120 works by Park, including 90 oil paintings, watercolor paintings and 30 sketches on loan from private collectors. Its focus is on unveiling works of his that haven’t been shown in previous exhibitions. For more information, call (02) 720-1020, or visit www.ganaart.com.

Festivals
“Jinhae Gunhangje Festival”: One of Korea’s largest cherry blossom festivals will be held from April 1 to 10 in Jinhae, home to the Korean Navy base. Cherry trees covered with beautiful pink and white blossoms will grace streets, parks and mountains in the city. Gorgeous blossoms will line the road from the Naval Academy to the Naval Base Command. Other cherry blossom sites include the 5.7 km-long Anmin Road, Mount Jaehwangsan and Yeojwacheon Romance Bridge. The bridge road was once selected as one of the 100 most beautiful roads in Korea. The festival is held throughout Jinhae. For more information, visit http://gunhang.changwon.go.kr, or call (055) 225-2341.

Visitors gaze at cherry blossoms in the garden of the Korean Navy Command during the 2013 Jinhae Gunhangje Festival. (Yonhap)

“Gwangyang International Maehwa Festival”: This festival welcomes spring each year with apricot blossoms in Gwangyang, a southwestern city famous for its many apricot trees. The festival, running from March 22 to 30, will take place in different venues in the city in South Jeolla Province. Visitors will be able to enjoy a variety of events amid the apricot blossoms such as a photography contest and concerts. Local dishes cooked with Gwangyang apricots will be introduced at an apricot food contest. For more information, visit www.gwangyang.go.kr/gymaehwa. 

“Yangpyeong Strawberry Festival”: Visitors are invited to pick as many strawberries as their baskets can hold at more than 10 strawberry farms in Yangpyeong, northern Gyeonggi Province. The strawberry festival, to be held from Feb. 25 to May 31, also offers diverse strawberry foods such as strawberry rice cakes, sauce and jams. Those wishing to participate in the festival can choose a strawberry farm and book their trip at the chosen farm in advance online at festival.ypnadri.com. A single trip to a strawberry farm costs 26,000 won. Participants can spend about five hours at the farm picking strawberries and trying out various foods made with strawberries. For more information, call (031) 774-5427, 5431.

Dance
“Bul-Ssang”: The Korea National Contemporary Dance Company is opening its 2014 season with “Bul-Ssang,” a 2009 piece choreographed by the troupe’s artistic director Ahn Ae-soon. The dance is known for its use of pop art Buddha statues and choreography that combines traditional dance and martial arts from different Asian countries including China, Japan, Korea and Mongolia. The dance is known for its exploration of Asian traditions and their conflict with modernity and the West, with a lot of humor and twists in the choreography. It is one of the most famous pieces created by Ahn, who was appointed the troupe’s head last year. “Bul-Ssang” runs from March 21-22 at Seoul Arts Center’s CJ Towol Theater in Seocho-dong, Seoul. Tickets range from 30,000 won to 50,000 won. For more information, visit www.kncdc.kr.

A scene from “Bul-Ssang” (KCNDC)

“Kiss & Cry”: Belgian choreographer Michele Anne De Mey and filmmaker Jaco Van Dormael’s unique collaboration “Kiss & Cry” is having its Seoul premiere in March. The piece is an emotional account of an old woman reminiscing about the five greatest loves of her life, including the first one. As the show begins, viewers see two dancers onstage, whose hands are “dancing” around miniature stage sets. On the screen, viewers will see a film in real time, with the hands as the main characters ― the old woman’s younger self and her lovers from the past. A Korean-language narration will be played throughout the piece, which was specially recorded in advance by popular actor Yoo Ji-tae for the Seoul run. “Kiss & Cry” runs from March 6 to 9 at LG Arts Center in southern Seoul. Tickets range from 30,000 won to 70,000 won. For more information, call (02) 2005-0114.

“La Bayadere”: The Korean National Ballet is presenting “La Bayadere,” an 1877 piece choreographed by Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus. Set in India, the ballet first features a passionate romance between temple dancer Nikiya and young warrior Solor. It eventually turns into a tragedy as the High Brahmin, who has fallen for Nikiya, and Gamzatthi, the ruler’s daughter, herself desperate to marry Solor, make plans to break them apart. “La Bayadere” is the first performance the troupe is presenting after welcoming its new artistic director and famed ballerina Kang Sue-jin. “La Bayadere” will run from March 13-16 at Seoul Arts Center’s Opera Theater in Seocho-dong, Seoul. Tickets range from 5,000 won to 100,000 won. For more information, call (02) 587-6181 or 1566-1369.

“Full Moon” by Pina Bausch: It’s been almost five years since Germany’s legendary choreographer Pina Bausch died, but her works are still as popular as ever. Bausch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal is returning to Seoul this year with her 2006 work “Vollmond (Full Moon).” The troupe last performed in Korea in 2010. The dance is well known for using a giant rock and deep water that take up a large part of the stage, while its themes include the celebration of life as well as its dangers and joys. “Full Moon” runs from March 28 to 31 at LG Arts Center in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul. Tickets range from 40,000 won to 120,000 won. For more information, visit www.lgart.com.

Theater
“Are You OK?”: Local troupe Gori’s 2012 play “Are You OK?” is back for its second run. The play tells the story of Sook, a migrant worker from Southeast Asia living in a rural town in Korea, and her struggles to adjust to the new surroundings. Themes of prejudice and discrimination are explored in the play, which is set in a small town where everyone knows everyone else and their business. “Are You OK?” is being staged until April 6 at Daehangno Studio 76 in Hyehwa-dong, Seoul. For more information, call 1599-7813.

“Seopyeonje”: A musical adaptation of late author Lee Cheong-jun’s celebrated novel of the same title, “Seopyeonje” is back for another run in Seoul. The musical tells the poignant tale of pansori singers trying to make a living in the modern world by performing their traditional vocal and percussion music. The show debuted in 2011 with much acclaim, winning five prizes at the 2011 The Musical Awards. Popular pansori singer Lee Ja-ram and musical actress Cha Ji-yeon share the lead role of Song-hwa, while Korean-American actor Michael Lee and actor Song Yong-jin star as Dong-ho, Song-hwa’s love interest. The show will run from March 20 to May 11 at Universal Art Center in Seoul. Tickets range from 50,000 won to 110,000 won. For tickets and information, call 1577-3363.

A scene from “Seopyeonje” (Onel Company)

“Sheer Madness”: The Korean adaptation of the popular German play “Sheer Madness” is back for its second run in Seoul. Premiered in 1963, the play takes place in a hair salon owned by a gay hairdresser named George. After he and his flirty assistant Suji welcome two customers, one a wealthy housewife and other an antiques dealer, the landlady of the shop is murdered upstairs. The audience is asked to participate in solving the case, helping to figure out who the murderer is among the four in the salon. “Sheer Madness” is currently on an open run at Daehangno Culture Space Feeling 2 in Hyehwa-dong, Seoul. Tickets cost 30,000 won. For more information, call (02) 744-4334. 

“Still Life (Jeongmulhwa)”: Award-winning Japanese playwright of Korean descent Miri Yu’s early work “Still Life” will be performed in the Korean language in Seoul this month. The play revolves around five high school girls who form a literary club to share their thoughts about life, writing and friendship. One of the girls, Nanako, constantly thinks about the meaning of death and the afterlife. Yu wrote the play when she was in her early 20s and directed the stage production herself. “Still Life” runs from Feb. 14 to March 16 at Daehangno Arts Theater in Hyehwa-dong, Seoul. Tickets cost 25,000 won. For more information, call (02) 764-7462.

Read More

EMILYBNB #4

Emilt loft #4 is ideal for couple but also suitable for a family or up to 6 adults looking to explore the best of rich historical cultural past and its dynamic present at this center of Seoul city and you can look at  mountains from room on the highest floor.


★The surrounding landscape from emilybnb 

■ THE NEIGHBORHOOD
I love Jong-ro for many reasons, but especially there are a lot of different places that you can visit just by walking around, JONGRO is basically a long avenue that stretches all the way from the City Hall to Dongdaemun the avenue is devided into 6 main sections, which are called jongro 1ga, 2ga, 3ga, 4ga, 5ga, and 6ga. From any of these jongro's sections, you can easily walk to Cheonggye creek  and if you're in jongro 5ga, you can walk to Daehak-ro within 30 minutes, and if you're in jongro3ga, you can walk to Insadong and from there, you can walk up to Samcheongdong,Gyeongbok palace, Gwanghwamun as well. All of these other places have very interesting shops and restaurants and art galleries and theatres as well

■ LOCATION
Famous Sight-seeing can be reached easily from Emilybnb
10 mins walk to – Gyeonbok palace, Bukchon, Insadong
30 mins walk to -  UNESCO World Heritage – Jongmyo, Changdeokgung Palace
20 mins walk to - Myeong-dong, Namdaemun Market
10 mins by metro – Dongdaemun Market
20 mins by metro  – HongDae, Itewon
Convenient transportation
5 mins walk to # 3,5 MTR station, airport bus stop
5 Mins walk to Large discount supermarket (HANARO MART)

■ APATMENT(DUPLEX) OVERVIEW :
- two bedrooms, one bathroom, and  kitchen with everything you need :
- FREE fast wireless Internet / LCD TV
-  queen bed – the first floor bedroom/ High quality two double beds – the second floor bedroom
  /sofa,table and lounge chair
- Easy kitchen with equipment - Washing machine, Refrigerator, toaster, Electric kettle ,coffee makers, more
- Heating / air-conditioning to be controlled to your convenience
- All linens, bath towels and hair dryer

■ INCHEON AIRPORT /GIMPO AIRPORT ACCESS
BUS---Take  Limousine Bus(No:6011) to Gyeongbok palace (better choice)
My apartment is only 4 minutes away from Airport bus stop
- 50mins from Incheon International Airport by Limousine Bus
TRAIN-----Take train to Gyeongbokgung(#3line) or Gwanghwamun station(5 line)
My apartment is only 5 minutes away from MTR station

Thanks for looking! Feel free to contact us any time with questions about the apartment, travel planning, or sightseeing ideas for your next trip to Seoul.

Read More