[box_light]A Funny Story Comedian Sam Hammington Gets Serious [/box_light] Written by Felix Im Photographed by Chae Giwon Sam Hammington had no idea that a career in comedy would one day lead him to serving in the Korean military. “We get no special treatment. We’re living the same way all the other kids do,” Hammington explains. […]
[box_light]Buying Mode: Smart Essentials for Summer Travelers[/box_light] Written by Deanne Nguyen Thoughts of travel induce one of two things: daydreams or dread. After some time, however, a seasoned collector of passport stamps or bus stubs knows that it’s more a mixture of the two. The waiting, the aches, the motion sickness, not to mention the […]
[box_light]A Super Birthday Food How about some seaweed soup (미역국) instead of birthday cake?[/box_light] Written by Ogan Gurel, MD Welcome to the inaugural column in a series that explores the world of “Healthy Living in Korea.” In these pages, traveling through time, melding Korean traditions with modern realities, we’ll cover food, exercise, culture, medical care […]
The New Hongdae: Mangwon, Hapjeong and Sangsu 합정, 상수, 망원 Hongdae was once a corner of the city claimed by aspiring artists, musicians and creative types. This still holds true in many ways, with its occupants remaining as young and trendy as ever. But when areas of the city become popular, big corporations are never […]
[box_light] Take Me Out to the Ballgame Navigating the world of baseball …Korean-style 한국식 야구 관람[/box_light] Written by Thomas St. John Background Koreans have been playing baseball of some form for over 100 years, and professional baseball in its present incarnation since 1982. At that time, former president Chun Doo-hwan instructed six Korean conglomerates to […]
[box_light]June GETAWAYS[/box_light] Wild River Rafting: Yeongwol’s Donggang River 영월 동강 Nestled in the wilds of Gangwon-do, the Donggang River—a tributary of the great Hangang River—is one of Korea’s most pristine waterways thanks to its lush and rugged surroundings. Sometimes compared to China’s famous Li River, this is a landscape of white water rapids, weather-beaten […]
[box_light]Remembering War, Moving Towards Peace DMZ Train and Imjingak Park offer not only views, but also insight into the reality of national division 파주[/box_light] Written and photographed by Robert Koehler The train passes over the railway over bridge spanning the Imjingang River, the passengers standing up—some with camera in hand—to better appreciate the natural beauty […]
[box_light] Reality Walks Visit the locales of some of your favorite reality TV programs [/box_light] Written and photographed by Robert Koehler While Korean soap operas and K-pop music have gotten the most attention overseas, a number of Korean variety shows such as “Running Man” (2010), “We Got Married” (2008) and “2 Days & 1 […]
Seoul’s centuries-long center of gravity Seats of Power In spite of myriad traumas and forced relocations over the past 600 years, the Korean Peninsula’s center of power (the southern half’s, at least) has always gravitated to the same few square kilometers north of Gwanghwamun Gate. It is in this neighborhood that you’ll find Gyeongbokgung […]