Click! Online gateways to Korea

"The Korea Herald guide to the nation’s most useful websites"


If you want to do a bit of research before taking a trip to or in South Korea, Now you don't have to rely on either in google or in gude book.


Here are 21 cyber destinations covering Korean travel, history, society and language, targeting both tourists and expats. Non-Korean visitors ― and possibly many Koreans, too ― could find these sites surprisingly addictive as they discover online gateways to intriguing aspects of Korea.



Culture/Travel

The official website for Korean tourism, Visit Korea (www.visitkorea.or.kr) proudly introduces essential information on culture, travel, festivals and even recipes. The site is a great source for global citizens as the service is available in 11 languages. The friendly and welcoming site offers superb shopping reviews, festival news and travel highlights. Free language and culture lessons are available.

Searching for something out of the ordinary? Adventure Korea (www.adventurekorea.com) offers adrenaline junkies a range of short trips around the country. There are a variety of thrilling activities to choose from on the tour site. These include trips to Seoraksan hot springs, Hangang booze cruises, templestays and DMZ trips. Whether it is culture, camping, festivals or hiking, the site offers something for everyone.

Virtual Tourist (www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/South_Korea/) is a practical site offering reviews and comments posted by travelers themselves about destinations they have visited. It is a great gateway for travel enthusiasts wanting to read honest reviews and tips from people who have been there themselves. The site offers a chance to connect with over a million travelers around the world to ask questions and share experiences. There are over 7,000 tips and 15,000 photos available on Korea alone.

For those who want to experience Korean country life, a Korean farm stay offers an unusual but memorable experience. The Korea WWOOF (http://koreawwoof.com) arranges farm stays for people who want to embrace the countryside and organic farming. Farm stay guests help with daily chores on the farm such as harvesting, preparing soil for planting, weeding, and seeding in exchange for food and lodging. One can also get to know rural life and culture while mingling with local people. Skimming through feedback from former Wwoofers on the website will give you a sense of what the program is about.

Restaurants, bars, entertainment, travel, shopping and fashion ― you name it, this site has it. Seoulstyle.com (www.seoulstyle.com) is an offbeat site for expats in Seoul or for travelers looking for something missing from normal travel guides. Some of the places or activities introduced on the site may not be too Korean. But the site serves the need of expats in Korea looking for both something of their own and something of Korea. You can download issues of the Korea-based English-language Groove magazine, featuring interesting articles on life in Korea observed by expats.

Food

Korea Taste (www.koreataste.org) takes visitors on a comprehensive tour of Korean food. The Korean tour agency’s official food site features articles on concepts of Korean cuisine, food columns, information on restaurants and recipes in a well organized format with beautiful pictures of dishes and their ingredients.

Maangchi.com (www.maangchi.com) invites visitors to try cooking Korean food themselves in a quick and easy way, with video recipes. The recipes don’t require lengthy preparations and the author’s chirpy tone and witty captions in videos never bore. Kimchi-making is the most popular recipe, viewed over 400,000 times, prompting the site’s author to release a Kimchi app for the iPad in May, 2010.

Do you want to know how to make top secret Korean restaurant recipes? ZenKimchi.com (www.zenkimchi.com) covers food from recipes to restaurant reviews. This is a great website for food enthusiasts wishing to find the finest restaurants in Korea, with articles and reviews including coverage of international cuisine from Saudi Arabia, Italy, India and France. Food reviews are superb with descriptive opinions and ratings on the quality of food, price and ambiance of the restaurant. The blog is definitely worth a visit for its fun and honest comments.

Ongofood.com (www.ongofood.com) is a website promoting Korean food and culture to travelers from all over the world. Worth a visit for those interested in attending a “Korean night dining tour” or “Korean cooking class.” Otherwise, take a peek at Seouleats.com, a popular food blog run by the chief of marketing and tours for the O’ngo Food Communications. Seouleats.com has some entertaining restaurant reviews with tips for dining out in Korea which even native Koreans may find useful.

Hallyu

Soompi.com (www.soompi.com) is a home ground for Hallyu fans worldwide with 1.4 million visitors daily, most of them non-Koreans. It is the best organized K-pop website covering latest albums, music videos, TV dramas, celebrity gossips and photos. The site boasts the largest fan base through fan clubs and forums on the website, which enable ardent K-pop fans to mingle online and share news about their idols.

When it comes to K-pop, Allkpop.com (www.allkpop.com) is the fastest news breaker. Latest celebrity gossips and news draw over 3 million monthly readers worldwide and takes Hallyu to audiences beyond Asia. The easy-to-navigate photo section has glossy-style photos of K-pop stars.

Want the latest celebrity gossip? Then Kokokoreano.com (www.kokokoreano.com) is the place. An entertaining blog for Hallyu fans with the latest celebrity news, photos and fashion reviews, the site also features photo shoots from Korean magazines, designer fashion shows and celebrities’ street style and performance outfits.

Korean Drama Guide (www.korean-drama-guide.com) is an encyclopedia for Korean drama fans. This impressive site has a massive database on Korean dramas, synopsis and information on TV stars. Few websites can beat the Korean Drama Guide index.

Expat blogs

Videos say more than words. Eatyourkimchi.com (www.eatyourkimchi.com) is run by a Canadian couple teaching English in Korea, recording glimpses of everyday life here. Martina and Simon fascinate with entertaining and useful videos on Korean culture, K-pop, teaching and ESL lesson materials, and everyday life.

The Marmot’s Hole (www.rjkoehler.com/) is serious in tone compared to other expat blogs, but the posts dealing with Korean history, politics, North Korea, and U.S. troop presence in Korea draw a lot of readers. Run by 14-year-resident in Korea, Robert Koehler, the blog offers some interesting insights on Korea. The photos taken by Koehler capture the beauty of Korea.



Chrisinsouthkorea.com (www.chrisinsouthkorea.com) offers extensive features on travel and life as an expat in Korea. Chris frequently updates with event reviews, adventurous travel articles and helpful tips for newcomers.

Topics are covered with an honest humor, and include intriguing post titles ranging from “You know Korea is your home when … ” to “Destination: Dream Forest.” For a good laugh, read stories in the “Konglish” category.

History, Society and Language

The official international broadcasting station of South Korea KBS World Radio (http://world.kbs.co.kr) won’t disappoint. The station broadcasts news and information in eleven languages: Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese, Indonesia, Arabic, Vietnamese, Russian, German, French and Spanish. Also, the site has great information on the locations, people, climate, culture and history of Korea. In addition, the site features several recipes for popular Korean dishes, and short language study options are available.

Koreanhistory.info (http://koreanhistory.info) is an excellent site on Korean history. Starting from Paleolithic period (B.C. 5,000-8,000), the site informs on each period of Korea’s history. In addition, the website provides Korean history videos, MP3 audio and photos of old Korea. The site has extensive resources including timelines and information on other major historical events in Korea. Its only drawback is the slightly drab and simple design.

Koreana (www.koreana.or.kr), a quarterly journal on Korean art and culture, helps readers better understand Korea. Sophisticated articles and images depict Korea’s arts, environment, literature, lifestyle and other themes. By clicking the current edition’s e-book, you can flip through the journal and see fascinating and attention-grabbing pictures.

Keen to learn Korean? Sogang University Korean Program (http://korean.sogang.ac.kr/) provides extensive study materials for free on its website. By following the courses from introduction to novice and intermediate levels, non-Koreans can develop their Korean language skills. The module on pronunciation of the alphabet is available in audio files and examples of how to hand-write each character are also available.

P.S : It seems an American man passes on his knowledge on Korean study at Learn Korean Language (www.learnkoreanlanguage.com). This useful site is run by Russell Holloway who calls himself a “hardcore fan” of the Korean language since he first learned it after meeting the love of his life, who is half-Korean.

Source:http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110225000672

S. Korean researchers find way to fight brain tumors with drugs

A group of South Korean researchers said that they found a way to use drugs to fight brain tumors that are currently treated with only surgery and chemotherapy.

The researchers, led by POSTEC chemistry professor Chung Sung-kee, discovered a way to breach the "blood-brain barrier" to permit anti-tumor drugs to work.

The natural barrier protects the brain from contaminated blood, but it also made it effectively impossible to use drugs to treat brain-related diseases, like tumors. Currently, doctors have to operate or resort to chemotherapy to deal with brain tumors or glioblastoma, which can be dangerous and lead to considerable health side effects.

"The breakthrough was made by developing a 'drug delivery vector' extracted from a substance called Sorbitol that can allow potent drugs like Paclitaxel to reach the glioblastoma through the barrier," the professor said.

He said tests conducted on laboratory mice in the past four years showed good results, and tests on more advanced animals and humans are expected to take an addition four or five years. After clinical tests have been completed, work could start with pharmaceutical companies to develop a workable drug for human patients.

The discovery has been published in the latest online issue of MedChemComm, a British medical publication.

Korean shorts win awards

Korean film director Park Chan-wook’s latest short film “Paranmanjang (Night Fishing)” in collaboration with his brother Chan-kyong, won the Gold Bear for Best Short Film at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival, which wrapped up Sunday.

Shot entirely on an iPhone, the film competed with 26 other shorts. Park and his artist brother co-directed the fantasy flick starring singer-turned-actress Lee Jung-hyun and actor Oh Kwang-rok. “Paranmanjang” is about a man who goes fishing at night and meets a female shaman. The film portrays images of shamanistic rituals and depicts the transition between life and death.



Park was awarded the Grand Prix for “Oldboy” at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, the CinemAvvenire Award for “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” at the 2005 Venice Film Festival and the Jury Prize for “Thirst” at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. His brother, recognized as a media artist, directed shorts such as “Sindoan” and “Flight.”

Meanwhile, rising director Yang Hyo-joo received the Silver Bear award of the International Short Film Jury for her film “The Unbroken.” The film is about a story about two swindlers who are involved in a real accident one evening after contriving a fake car accident to claim insurance payments.



Yang graduated from the Korea National University of Arts this year and “The Unbroken” was her graduation project. She has won numerous awards for her earlier shorts films “One Last Day” and “Jouissance.” Most recently she received the Asian New Force award at the 15th Hong Kong Independent Short Film and Video Awards.

Lee Yoon-ki’s much anticipated film “Come Rain, Come Shine” starring heartthrob Hyun Bin and Lim Soo-jung competed for the Golden Bear top prize as the only Asian film but did not win. Hyun’s film “Late Autumn” co-starring Chinese actress Tang Wei directed by Kim Tae-yong was also invited to screen at the festival.

This year, nine Korean movies were shown in various sections of the festival.
source: Korea Times

Overseas authors introduce Korea to the world

Recently, two overseas writers have been spotlighted by the media for introducing Korean culture and history to the world through their books. (Left: Linda Sue Park (Yonhap News))


Though they were not born or raised in Korea, they have one thing in common: a strong literary passion for Korean culture and history.

Linda Sue Park, an award-winning Korean-American children’s novelist, and Emanuel Pastreich, a U.S. professor teaching in Korea, have helped bring international attention to Korea and its past through their works.

With her book, "A Single Shard," in 2002, Park became the first Asian-American author to win the prestigious Newbery Medal Book, one of the most prestigious children's literature prizes. The story of a potter in the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), the book has sold hundreds of thousands of copies since winning the award. Last year, Park's latest book, "Storm Warning," sold 400 thousand copies.

Recently, Park visited Korea on February 12 to mark the publisher's 90th anniversary with lectures, interviews, fan meetings and other events. This was her second trip to the country since her first visit nine years ago.



In an interview with Yonhap News on Feb. 13, Park said that she decided to write novels to introduce Korean culture to Americans after she discovered the beauty of Korean culture. A photo of Goryeo celadon she found in a library book inspired her to write "A Single Shard."

Park has written about Korean-American children and Korean culture and history in seven of her nine published books, including "Seesaw Girl," "The Kite Fighters," "When My Name Was Keoko" and "Archer's Quest." Her books are used as study materials for Asian history classes in junior high schools in United States, introducing Korean culture and history to American children. Emanuel Pastreich, a U.S. professor who also writes under the Korean name "Yi Man-yeol," recently published an English translation of ten short stories from "The Novels of Park Jiwon" (1737-1805). Park, also known as his pen name "Yeonam," was a leading "Silhak" (School of Practical Learning) scholar during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). (Right: Professor Emanuel Pastreich (from the Solbridge School of Business in Daejeon))

Pastreich is the first person to translate all Yeonam’s novels into English, including "The Tale of the Horse Traders," "The Tale of the Yangban Scholar," "The Tale of Student Heo" and "An Upbraiding by the Tiger."

Pastreich first learned about Park and his works in 1995, when he came to Seoul National University as an exchange student from Harvard University, where he studied classical East Asian literature.

In a recent interview with the Donga Ilbo on Feb.10, a major Korean daily newspaper, Pastreich said Park's stories are charming and show the scholar's realistic insights and contributions to the modernization of the Joseon Dynasty, and his belief that he could change people’s mindsets through his novels.


Pastreich spoke of Park’s sympathy with the lower classes in the Joseon Dynasty as a major characteristic of the scholar’s novels. Detailed descriptions of farmers, beggars, widows and laborers t are not easily found in other Joseon literary works, said Pastreich.(Left: The cover of "The Novels of Park Jiwon" (courtesy of Seoul National University Press))

The professor said he plans to sell his books in both online and offline book shops, in hopes that greater exposure will lead to a re-evaluation of Park and Joseon literature in the West.

Pastreich is currently serving as the director of the Asia Institute at the Solbridge School of Business in Daejeon, Korea. He received his M.A. from the University of Tokyo and Yale College and his Ph.D. from Harvard University. He also served as the Minister for Political Affairs at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the United States and has taught at several universities, including Harvard University and the University of Illinois.

source:http://www.korea.net/news.do?mode=detail&guid=53269

Another Hallyu impact : 'Late Autumn,' a modern fairytale for adults

Heart-stopping and transcending sentimentality, Kim Tae-yong’s “Late Autumn” is a remake with a greater purpose than simply pairing superstars in a new setting.

The Hyun Bin-Tang Wei vehicle is the fourth retelling of Lee Man-hee’s 1966 “Full Autumn,” which itself is based on a novel. Taking the story to Seattle heightens the feeling of urban alienation and the urgency of an unexpected romance, as two of Asia’s biggest stars become socially outcast ethnic minorities. The film was perhaps unjustly excluded from the Berlinale’s competition pool — though it will vie for the top prize at the Fribourgh Film Festival next month.



While serving her seventh year for killing her violent husband, Anna (Tang, the unforgettable heroine of Ang Lee’s “Lust, Caution”) heads to Seattle to attend her mother’s funeral on a 72-hour parole — “the first compassionate release ever granted a murderer,” one of her relatives reminds her, before another reprimands his insensitivity.

But her home is no escape. Having grown accustomed to being called Inmate No. 2537, she feels at a loss to see how much the world outside bars has changed. Little children — apparently her nieces and nephews — return curious stares; an old flame is now happily married but still makes her heart flutter with his causal remarks; and her own brother is preoccupied with the inheritance, though their mother has not yet been buried.

She finds solace in the least expected of places — in a complete stranger with questionable motives. Hoon (“Come Rain, Come Shine” heartthrob Hyun), a Korean immigrant who makes a living as a callboy, chances upon Anna and makes it a point to please her, no questions asked. “Hoon appears before Anna like an angel and shines a ray of warmth on her difficult life,” Tang told reporters in Seoul last Thursday following the local press preview.


The actors bring a fine balance to the emotionally dense narrative, with Tang expressing more with her silence (or the occasional rambling monologues in Chinese), and Hyun providing the dynamism and unwarranted humor.

The director brings a subtle, nuanced lyricism to the story, which maintains a strong arthouse appeal, complete with elements of fantasy, while not alienating general audiences. Some of the most intense moments unravel quite unexpectedly, such as the funeral scene which incisively portrays a deep divide that exists within a family and an individual.

In the end, “Late Autumn” is a simple story of girl meets boy — but sometimes the lives we lead as older children come with more strings attached than we wish. Anna is destined to return behind bars in a few hours’ time while Hoon’s hunters trail all too near.

Now showing in local theaters. Distributed by CJ Entertainment.
Source: Korea times

KT chief honored for women-friendly policies

Lee Suk-chae, CEO of KT, received the 17th Gold Award given by the Korea Federation of Business & Professional Women (BPW Korea) during its annual ceremony at the Plaza Hotel, Thursday evening.

The award is given to an individual or a group that has uplifted the status of women and also contributed to enhancing their working environment.



``Some 50 percent of our customers are women and we now cannot manufacture products without considering their styles and preferences. I believe this award is a reminder for me and my company to show further interest and support for our female consumers and also employees,’’ Lee said after receiving the award.

Lee was recognized for the telecom giant’s various women-friendly programs, including leadership programs and smart working centers that allow working mothers to work from home ― part or even full time.

``We will do our best to push the status of professional women. That’s the only way our company and moreover society as a whole can survive,’’ Lee added.

BPW Korea is the local branch of the BPW Foundation, one of the biggest organizations for women in the world. Its aim is to transform workplaces by strengthening the capacity of organizations and business to create a work environment that values the contribution of women.

The ceremonies are held every February in some 100 member nations.

Source: Korea times

Korean Mushrooms Occupies the Tables of the Swiss

The superior species and high production quality of Korean mushroom is proved through its great texture and taste, already having been renown overseas. Today Korean mushrooms have attracted the Swiss people being one of their favorite dishes.


Korean mushrooms spotlighted as high-quality food. Jelomli, a grand department store of Zurich, the largest city in Swiss has Korean mushrooms on their sales list, sold at the lower ground grocery section, along with a variety of other raw mushrooms. Here Korean king oyster mushrooms are sold by 30-40 franc per kilogram, quite expensive which is equivalent to 35,000 ~ 47,000 won in Korean dollars.








Swiss people, on sunny days, often enjoy barbeque parties with their family and friends sharing grilled meat and sausages, and the Korean king oyster mushrooms as the only vegetable to be added on the main grill list. Taken as a high-quality food item, the king oyster mushrooms are enjoyed for its bigger size and thick texture that is much suitable for a grill party compared to button mushrooms.
In Swiss, now it is not that difficult to meet these mushrooms from Korea in Swiss as they are not only supplied to department stores but also to Migros, the largest supermarket franchise in Swiss.



a Swiss restaurant in Itaewon, Korea> (Photo: Naver blog)



In Swiss, mushrooms are widely enjoyed by the people being one of the most popular food often used as an ingredient for sauces or even as main dishes. Regarding the sales of button mushrooms the amount of its consumption are 13,000 tons annually; 8,000 tons of raw mushrooms and 5,000 tons of cooked mushrooms. Here 7,000 tons of raw mushrooms are produced in Swiss and the import! rate of the total market consists of 15 percent. The Swiss people do seem to favor mushrooms a lot!





Cannot imagine a life without mushrooms!

The Swiss people in love with mushrooms



Even the economic crisis did not stop the Swiss fondness for mushrooms. In the second half of 2008 when the economic situation was not favorable, consumers did not cease to spend money on mushrooms. In 2009, rather the total consumption increased adding 300 tons compared to the former year. In fact, the fastidious Swiss customers looking for the best qualities seem to continuously increase the needs for fresh mushrooms.
Button mushroom is the most largely produced and consumed one in Swiss, which is a very traditional kind. However, Asian kinds started to receive attention along with the rising popularity of foreign mushroom species. These days foreign mushrooms that have been introduced during the 1980~1990s including shiitake, king oyster mushroom, grifola frondosa are now receiving some spotlight. Especially shiitake is enjoying popularity being ranked second in the consumer preference.


It may be no surprise that Korean mushrooms with high quality and taste has successfully created its market in Swiss. It had past 3~4 years since Korean king oyster mushrooms joined the dishes of the Swiss dining table.

Now the annual amount of mushroom import!s are over two hundred million Korean won. This was possible by both continuous efforts put to improving species and through quality control.


In 2009 renowned chefs from all over the world have visited Korea to participate in the ‘Amazing Korean Table,’ and Korean mushroom was used by all chefs. A variety of mushrooms were grilled or slightly boiled to be used as ingredients or become the main dish itself.

The taste and flavor of Korea mushrooms seems to prove its real worth no matter where it is. As the Swiss fondness for mushroom continues the future of the Korean mushroom overseas market is expected to be positive; we hope to create a broader international market, in addition to Swiss, for all consumers who want high quality mushrooms.