SEOUL Weekly: SEOUL September Issue Out

If the recent autumnal temperatures are anything to go by, the fall is here, and what better way to celebrate than with a copy of the September issue of SEOUL, Seoul Selection’s monthly travel and culture magazine.

In this issue of SEOUL, we stroll around the charming Yeonnam-dong neighborhood, take in the beautiful vistas of Mt. Daedunsan, enjoy some homestyle eats, check out some celebrity bars, and much, much more.

And as always, don’t miss our Goings On Around Town section, our roundup of the best concerts, exhibits, festivals and events in the coming month.

English Korean Folktales
Learn more about Korean culture the fun way

“English Korean Folktales” are in stock at Seoul Selection. These 12 bilingual volumes are a series of 23 fun traditional tales written in clear Korean and plain English. With engaging translations and humorous illustrations, this captivating collection from MediaChangbi will heighten your interest in Korean culture.

Each volume is KRW 13,000.

Enjoy SEOUL on the Go: Download our magazine app for your tablet! (iOS, Android)

Hot Pot: Iyeol Chiyeol
Fight fire with fire

Late Night Desserts
Sweet spots for after-hours sugar binging

A miscellany of high-quality hyperlinks from the week, courtesy of SEOUL editor-in-chief Robert Koehler

• Korea uses kimchi to connect to the world, reports NPR.
• Over 70,000 Korean cultural assets are still in Japan.
• The US remake of “Grandpas Over Flowers” seems to have gotten off to a good start.
• Korea’s Chinese restaurants are trying something new.
• Can food porn lead to overeating?
• Rainbow over Seoul.
• The sunflowers of Jeju Island.
• The seascapes of Gyeongju.
• Geojedo’s Sinseodae.
• Another week passes at Robert Koehler’s photo blog.

Simple Plan: Taking One for the Team Tour

French-Canadian pop-punk band Simple Plan returns to Korea for the first time since 2011, when it headlined at the Pentaport Rock Festival. The Seoul show is part of a tour marking the release of the group’s fifth studio album, “Taking One for the Team,” described by AllMusic’s Neil Z. Yeung as “pure, no-frills, feel-good fun, a start-to-finish crowd-pleaser for fans of that classic pop-punk sound.” The band is a Canadian favorite that even performed in the closing ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

VENUE: Blue Square
DATE: Sept. 1
ADMISSION: KRW 88,000-110,000
MORE INFO: T. 02-3141-3488
GETTING THERE: Hangangjin Station­ (Line 6), Exit 2 or 3

Against The Current: Live In Seoul

Young pop-rock group Against the Current (ATC) returns to Seoul. This performance is part of the Asian leg of a world tour to mark the release of the group’s first full-length album, “In Our Bones.” Founded in New York in 2011, ATC earned a sizable fan base on Youtube with their covers of popular songs before released their debut EP, Infinity, in 2014. The group’s first performance in Korea last year was enthusiastically received by local fans.

VENUE: Yes24 MUV Hall
DATE: Sept. 6
ADMISSION: KRW 77,000
MORE INFO: T. 02-925-1818
GETTING THERE: Hongik University Station (Line 2), Exit 9

Jarasum Musical Festival

Can’t wait until next month’s Jarasum International Jazz Festival? Autumn comes a bit early to Gapyeong’s beautiful island of Jarasum this year with the Jarasum Musical Festival. Come see some of Korea’s top musical actors, including Hong Gwang-ho, Kim Sun-young, Michael Lee and Cho Jeong-eun. U.S.-born, Germany-based tenor Ian Jon Bourg will also be performing. Side events include a midnight screenings of musical movies and a nighttime poetry party. Jarasum is also one of Korea’s most popular camping sites, so take the opportunity to relax and recharge in the island’s beautiful natural surroundings.

VENUE: Jarasum, Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do
DATES: Sept. 3-4
ADMISSION: KRW 88,000 (one day), 132,000 (two days)
MORE INFO: T. 1588-5212
GETTING THERE: Shuttle bus service from Hapjeong and Sadang stations – see ggoggama.com (Korean) for more details.

Spectrum Dance Music Festival

Spectrum Dance Music Festival bills itself as the “next music paradise” bringing together EDM, K-pop, hip hop and other music genres in an interactive audience environment. This year’s lineup features 60 of the world’s hottest dance music acts, including headliners Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Kaskade. K-pop favorites SHINEE will also be making their first music festival appearance.

VENUE: Nanji Hangang Park
DATES: Sept. 1-2
ADMISSION: KRW 120,000 (one day), KRW 160,000 (two days)
MORE INFO: T. 02-323-8500
GETTING THERE: World Cup Stadium 월드컵경기장역 (Line 5), Exit 1

Disney in Concert

The Lotte Department Store Park Concert “Disney in Concert” promises to be a treat for the whole family. Disney Original Singers Andrew Johnson, Aaron Phillips, Lisa Livesay and Whitney Claire Kaufman and special guest singer “Jejuboy” Oh Yeonjoon of Mnet fame perform your favorite tunes from the Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Jungle Book, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Frozen and more. The Ditto Orchestra, led by Adriel Kim, will handle the instrumentals.

VENUE: Olympic Park 88 Jandi Madang
DATE: Sept. 4
ADMISSION: KRW 40,000-80,000
MORE INFO: T. 1577-5266
GETTING THERE: Olympic Park Station (Line 4), Exit 3

Seonunsa Temple and an Onggi Potter

Brother Anthony of Taize guides you to beautiful Seonunsa Temple in North Jeolla Province. In springtime Seonunsa is celebrated for the flowering of the forest of native Korean camellias standing just behind it. In September, a special festival celebrates the blossoming of another flower, the Lycoris radiata or red spider lily, which has always bloomed here but has recently been planted in large quantities. On the way back to Seoul, participants will visit the last remaining maker of onggi pottery in a village where Catholics hid and made onggi during the persecutions of the 19th century. An Si-seong is still young and his onggi are brilliant combinations of tradition and innovation.

VENUE: Jeollabuk-do
DATE: Sept. 10
ADMISSION: KRW 69,000-82,800
MORE INFO and GETTING THERE: See this link.

Gwanghwamun Sunset. Photo by Robert Koehler of SEOUL.

Seoul Selection Offline Bookshop Sale – One of the greatest repositories of Korea-related English-language books anywhere, Seoul Selection is offering a 10% sale on any and all books published by Seoul Selection purchased from our OFFLINE bookshop next to Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Looking for Translators – Seoul Selection is looking for a few good translators (Korean to English) for general translation work. Those interested should send a resume and cover letter to Kyehyun at atoz@seoulselection.com. Experienced translators only.

Seoul Selection eBooks – You can purchase some Seoul Selection titles in ebook format via Amazon.com (for Kindle) and Apple’s iBookstore. Titles include Ask a Korean Dude, Moon Tides, Doing Business in Korea, Once Around the Sun, and seven volumes of our Korean Film Directors series: BONG Joon-ho, IM Kwon-taek, KIM Jee-woon, LEE Chang-dong, LEE Man-hee, PARK Chan-wook, and SHIN Sang-ok.

Send Your Event Info – If you would like to advertise any upcoming events you are organizing, please send us the press release material at sense@seoulselection.com by the preceding Friday in order for it to appear in the following Tuesday’s issue.

Freelance Contributors Wanted – SEOUL Magazine needs writers who are fluent in both Korean and English. Writers should have a strong interest in Korean culture and be able to interview Koreans. Send your resume and writing samples to marmotshole@gmail.com.