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Before moving back to South Korea for a full-time position as the Seoul editor at CNNGo, Frances Cha attended Dartmouth College to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Asian Studies. She enrolled at Columbia University for a Master’s degree in Creative Writing and started teaching shortly thereafter, all the while working for a variety of publications.

Despite her busy schedule, Frances took the time to impart us with some journalistic wisdom and to discuss why she flew back to Seoul, K-pop’s influence in South Korea’s tourism, and what it’s like being an editor for a publication that integrates both work and play.

You received your MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University and have also taught writing classes at your alma mater and most recently at Yonsei University. What lured you into online journalism and travel writing?

I’m actually still teaching a fiction workshop right now at Yonsei. It’s so much fun switching in and out of journalism and fiction mindsets – and I like pursuing them together simultaneously. I was doing lit journal and the school newspaper in high school, then college, then in grad school I was working at a fashion magazine a few times a week. You learn to look at events in different ways and tease stories out of them differently. Fiction is a bit like travel writing – in grad school, we read John Garner, who said there are only two real plots in fiction: a stranger comes to town, or someone goes on a journey. So the two feed on each other… and I guess I’ll be travel writing in nonfiction or fiction for the rest of my life.

Tell us how you ended up moving to South Korea to work as the Seoul editor at CNNGo. What are some of your day-to-day tasks as editor?

My family has been based in Seoul since I was in middle school, and so even though I was traveling back and forth since I was fifteen for boarding school, I always thought of Seoul as home. When I got the opportunity to teach fiction at Yonsei, I moved back after graduation, but within two weeks of coming back I heard about this opening, and I interviewed the day I heard about it.

Day to day tasks… I assign and edit articles and have skype or phone editorial meetings with the rest of our staff who are scattered all around the world, from Oregon to Tokyo to Bangkok. For the first year I was doing only Korea content, but these days I moved away more to global homepage content. The line between work and play become very blurred because sometimes I’ll go somewhere on holiday or to a restaurant, and then I’ll write about it afterward for CNNGo, even though I went there without the slightest intention of doing so. What I love best about the job is actually the hilarious emails that we get from our bosses—they really should be printed out and framed. In fact, I might just do that right now.

Frances Cha being interviewed on QTV program Miracle on the 7th St.

CNNGo covers “the best travel, entertainment and lifestyle experiences” in Asia and beyond. What are some of your most memorable travel experiences?

My favorite place in Korea is probably Taebaek. Mountain country. It’s beautiful in any season and has this otherworldly aura about it, especially when it’s snowing and you’re closed in. Plus the hanwoo is amazing up in the mountains.

One of my favorite trips this past year has been with my co-workers at Turner Korea. We rented a car in Gyeongju and went to Andong Hanok Village, which is where one of our unnis’ family is from. They’ve owned the most beautiful estate in that village for 500 years, ever since it was given to them by the king. It’s not open to the public, but we got to stay over and have proper tea and etiquette lessons as they were given in one of the old families, and slept in the same room as a century old sewing machine.Our last summit in Hong Kong two months ago was also spectacularly fun. Our staff went on a scavenger hunt all over the city and we had to do ridiculous tasks, like getting a stranger to have a drink with us, and filming it, and photographing all the 7-11 stores we could find. And having the worst fortune told at a temple. I’m still not over mine.

At an AAJA Seoul panel discussion held earlier this year, you mentioned that the elements for a successful article at CNNGo are: 1) nailing the “voice”; 2) “maintaining ‘snarky, cool’ angles” on already-covered topics; and 3) having an attention-grabbing headline—which you say accounts for 50% of whether or not the article will go viral.

What’s your process for writing a winning headline?

Sometimes we’ll go back and forth on a headline for half an hour and after a while they just get increasingly more inappropriate and outrageous. Then we’ll put it aside and mull over it subconsciously for the next few days until we have an aha! moment in the shower or whatever. Since we’re online, we’re trying to tempt the discerning clicker, and it always helps to be funny, snarky etc. and to avoid clichés like the plague. Except that last one was a cliché, I know, I know.

Why is finding your voice/tone important? How do you bring a fresh spin to an over-covered topic?

The first thing I learned on this job was to avoid chirpy, hackneyed writing on the pain of death. Our boss would give us these brochures and press releases and make us circle pretty much every gushy adjective and verb with a red pen. He wanted us to write the story that you would tell one of your good friends while unwinding at a bar somewhere – and to offer interesting commentary alongside memorable experiences. So yeah, the first step to bringing that fresh spin on an over-covered topic would be to envision what you would actually say about it to your best friend over drinks somewhere, way after work hours.

In 2010, you reviewed JYJ’s first showcase in NYC for V Magazine, and in 2011, you wrote a spot-on piece about the craziness of K-pop fandom in The Believer. How significant is K-pop’s influence in South Korea’s tourism? Do you think K-pop/hallyu will continue to grow and eventually hit mainstream America? More importantly, how do you keep up with all the new 7-member-plus boy and girl groups that debut each week?

K-pop’s influence on Korea’s tourism industry is actually quite huge. I’m always surprised by how fervent the following is – and people who travel here for that have this glint in their eye – like they’re hunting for some kind of cathartic experience and they’re getting it in full. It’s very regional however, and I don’t think there’s any change at all for it to cross over into mainstream Western audiences (2NE1 probably has the most potential of the current acts) unless it is a perfectly bilingual outrageous female singer or group who will have the appeal similar to that of Lady Gaga or Nicki Minaj.

I don’t actively try to keep up with K-pop anymore but I do go to concerts and music shows quite frequently because a lot of my friends are in the industry, and plus they’re just vastly entertaining, with all the dancing and comedy mixed in with the crazy intense fan culture, including the sa-seng that have I written about in the past.

Lastly, what are your three travel tips for people visiting South Korea for the first time?

There are so many…but here goes:

1. Go to the palaces when it’s raining. There will be no one there and they’re unutterably beautiful.
2. You really should try live squid. It’s delicious, I swear.
3. Check out the Furniture Museum. It’s the prettiest place in Seoul.

Read Frances Cha’s CNNGo articles here and keep up to date with CNNGo - South Korea.

[Photos: Courtesy of Sophia Chong, Turner International]

ROKing Korea is a feature column by ROKing Magazine that explores Korean culture and expat life in South Korea. With the growing number of Korean-American expats in Korea, we’ve teamed up with ROKing, a bi-monthly, bi-lingual, Korea-centric magazine, to give you a glimpse of life in South Korea.

Zien Art Space – Art museum combines with daily life

From the outside, Zien Art Space seems to be quite small in size. But as you walk inside, hidden spaces are revealed. The building was designed by architect Jo Sung-ryong, the designer of Seonyudo Park. But this is not the kind of a building that needs renovation as time goes by. This building is continuously evolving, maturing with the nature, with rust, dust and all. The flowerpots placed here and there are lovely and pleasing to the eyes and nose, and the potter-turned-CEO-turned-building director has planned this space for a long time.

The building boasts a unique concept of bringing together living space and art museum with the theme of “an art space within daily life.” Zien Art Space was planned out to draw people to the artwork with a relaxed attitude. And this is why the director built a restaurant, cafeteria and art shop. Because the director is a potter, the exhibition here is mostly about pottery and ceramics. Also, there is a facility for visitors to experience pottery-making first hand. Zien Art Space has a kiln and offers pottery classes. The pottery class is quite popular, especially among children. During school breaks this space gets busy with children and their parents. The director of Zien Art Space is also a famous pottery collector. The flowerpots that are located here and there are all brought from Italy by the director himself. And in the art shop are the precious rare pottery pieces the director collected in Korea and overseas.

You might also easily get hungry walking around the art space, which is why a restaurant called Hide Park was built within the confines of Zien Art Space. Hide Park is an authentic Italian restaurant which is praised for its fresh ingredients and flavorful dishes. The fresh pasta here is all made at the kitchen and boasts a chewy texture. Also, the taste of the pizza stands out because the aromatic herbs decorating the top of the pizza are directly from the plants in the art space.

Zien Art Space
Location: 150-7, SanGil-dong, Kiheung-gu, Yong-in City, Gyeonggi Province
Phone: 031-286-8512
Hours: 11:30~22:00 (Hyde Park)
http://www.zienart.com

Gallery Royal – A bath-accessories exhibition, restaurant and wine bar all in one place

A bath-accessories exhibition combined with a restaurant sounds like quite a contradictory idea. Gallery Royal is a multifunctional space by Royal&Co., a Korean manufacturer and exporter of bathroom products. They built this gallery to reach out to their customers more effectively. Their first objective was to create a place to rest for customers who came to visit their exhibition. With its unique concept, interior and architecture, this building stands out among other buildings in the area, which is why it has become a landmark of sorts around the Hak-dong Station area.

In the basement is the largest bath-product exhibition space in the building, called “Mokgan (a place for bath).” Here, various products such as faucets,bidets and hand dryers are on display. On the first and the second floor a book cafe, restaurant and wine bar make this no ordinary bath-accessory exhibit, as if such a thing were ordinary in the first place. The furniture in this cafe/restaurant is very special because some come from brands that have yet to be introduced to Korea and are specially ordered from abroad. Other items are vintage and are only one of their kind.

At the book café on the first floor there are a lot of rare architecture and design-related books, which is another reason why a lot of customers are drawn to this place. Gallery Royal is not run for profit, so the food and drinks are not that expensive. The wine list here is selected by the director, who is a wine aficionado, which is good news for wine-lovers. The food here is fusion-style Italian. The salad with stone grilled vegetables and ricotta cheese is a favorite dish among the female visitors. Their scallops with parmesan and tomato sauce, and cream spaghetti with key oyster and lobster are among some other popular dishes. Various exhibitions are held at the art gallery on the second floor, eight to 10 times a year, while most of the artwork can be enjoyed by just about anyone. On the sixth floor of the building is a lecture hall where various art and interior-design classes are held monthly.

Gallery Royal
Location: Royal Building 36-8, Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Phone: 02-3218-6400
Hours: 11:00~1:00 (Restaurant, Book Café, Wine Bar)

Kunsthalle – Picking on mainstream culture

In the middle of the crowded streets of Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul, sits a cargo container that is seemingly out of ordinary. It is none other than Kunsthalle. Kunsthalle are multifunctional art spaces built out of old cargo or shipping containers, and such uses for these giant boxes have been on the rise in Europe and in Asia. The one in Nonhyeon-dong opened in April 2009 and is run by Platoon, an art communications group from Germany. Charmed by the energy and liveliness of Seoul, Platoon chose Seoul as their Asia headquarters. Platoon explained that container boxes are perfect spaces for various cultural outlets that normal art spaces couldn’t take in.

In the main hall of Kunsthalle includes a bar, restaurant and event hall. You can purchase cocktails, beer and German dishes such as pork schnitzel. Various performances and independent movies are shown in the event hall, while the showcase area is used primarily for resident artists who hold their exhibits every month. On the second floor, there is studio for artists, and on one side of the studio are rare art books that can’t be easily found in Korea. The exhibitions at Kunsthalle questions problems that are easily passed by in the daily life. For example, an art exhibition entitled “Supremacists’ Salon” has recently graced the facility with black, white and yellow blocks, which represent race and racism.

Platoon also has an interesting program that selects resident artists with similar ideas to the Kunsthalle way and offers them studio space for six months. After six months, they give the artists an opportunity to hold an exhibition on the first floor for one month.

Kunsthalle
Location: 97-22, Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Phone: 02-3447-1198
http://www.kunsthalle.com/

Written by Eun-Ji Kim. Photos by Han-Bit Im. Cross-published from ROKing Magazine with permission.

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ROKing Magazine
http://www.rokingmagazine.com/ (English)
http://www.roking-korea.com/ (Korean)
To follow ROKing on Facebook, click here.

In an effort to generate revenue through cultural and leisurely trips, both New York City‘s tourism agency and South Korea‘s government have confirmed a partnership to boost tourism between the two bustling cities, reports the Washington Post. As part of the project, New York City will put up 70 posters promoting travel to Seoul while South Korea will be responsible for a little more than 130. Korean Air will also offer airfare to Seoul from New York City between November 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012 starting at $1,295, but these tickets must be purchased by the end of this month, October 28th.

Floating Island in Seocho-gu, Seoul

George A. Fertitta, chief executive of NYC & Company, expressed excitement and told WaPo that NYC and Seoul are “[b]oth pop culture capitals,” as well as “global leaders of business, innovation, design and style.” This will be NYC & Company’s first venture with a city in Asia following projects with London, Madrid, São Paulo, and Miami. Expect to see digital ads of Seoul in Times Square soon!

For more info / to book your flight, click here.

[Photos: NYC & Company and Korea Tourism Organization]

ROKing Korea is a feature column by ROKing Magazine that explores Korean culture and expat life in South Korea. With the growing number of Korean-American expats in Korea, we’ve teamed up with ROKing, a bi-monthly, bi-lingual, Korea-centric magazine, to give you a glimpse of life in South Korea.

“What’s good for the body is not so good on your taste buds” may be an old Korean saying, but we found three dessert spots in Seoul that would disagree with that statement. Meet various Korean well-being desserts made with traditional Korean ingredients that prove that dessert is no longer a mere omissible sweet food!

Tea Loft – Reinterpretation of Korean dessert

Homemade ddeok (rice cake) sandwich

When you walk in, you’ll notice that its high glass ceiling is harmonized with grass and trees. The modern and natural interior of Tea Loft is open and inviting. Here you can enjoy sweet ddeok (rice cake) cakes with blended lattes. Tea Loft invokes curiosity with their interesting menu. They have developed charming little desserts and various health drinks which are made with traditional ingredients. Tea Loft has risen as the leading health conscious café with their rice cakes, blended lattes and fresh smoothies that are made on spot. Also, each season they launch new menus which are another reason for their immense popularity. Visit Tea Loft and try their delicious summer menu: Ripe persimmon sherbet, sweet rice drink, and citron ice cream.

Muhwagwa Yaksik (Sweet Rice with Nuts and Korean Dates)

Tea Loft
Location: 1 Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul (Lotte Department Store). The café is located on the 14th floor.

Tea Therapy – Blurring the boundary between health center and café

If you can think of a tea that is good for your health, you’d probably think of bitter, yucky tasting tea served at dabang or the retro-style tea house for elderly. “Trot music” is played on the radio as you sip date-tea or herbal medicine-tea, and you think it’s boring and not so cool. Well, now you can enjoy your cup of tea at a hip and modern hot spot in the city! The place is none other then Tea Therapy in Apgujeong. Here the interior is modern and eco-friendly. You can also browse on the internet while checking out various brunch menus are available. Among the trendsetters of Korea this place has risen as the hottest place! You can figure out just the right tea for yourself by using their “Body color chart.” Also, with an additional 2,000 won the owner Sangjae Lee who’s a Korean medicine doctor will blend a traditional tea just for you.

Tea Therapy
Location: 1st Fl. of Ago building, Shinsa-dong 616-6, Gangnam-gu (parking available)
Hours: 10am-11pm
ROKing’s Tip: When you order a Korean traditional tea, the server will bring out a glass teacup, a glass tea pot, filter and an hourglass. If you are a first timer and don’t know how long to brew, you can simply use the hourglass. It normally takes 3 minutes for one bulb to empty, and that is the perfect brewing time.

W.E. – Where West meets East

Berry Hoddeok (Korean sweet pancake)

At Café W.E. (West and East) you can introduce yourself to new desserts. Hoddeok (Korean sweet pancake) is reborn as a western-style pancake. Grilled sweet potatoes are blended with milk and become “sweet potato latte.” The unique menu breaks the rule of the usual Korean food combination formula. Forget about your routine Korean food, such as grilled sweet potato with kimchi and honey with ddeok (rice cake). Here at W.E., you get to enjoy grilled potato with butter and coleslaw, Häagen-Dazs icecream with rice cake. W.E.’s very popular drinks are not only limited to coffee. You get to choose from a variety of drinks made from Korea’s traditional ingredient. Make sure to pay a visit to W.E.!

Granita (left)

W.E.
Location: Gangnam Building #102,  Shinsa-dong 518-8, Gangnam-gu
Hours:  Mon-Sat (11am-11pm)  Sun (2pm-10pm)

If you can’t visit these lovely (and healthy) dessert spots, learn how to make an easy well-being snack right in your own kitchen!

Recipe: Korean-style Bokboonja (Black Raspberry) Mousse

Ingredients: Bokboonja a.k.a black raspberries (100g), sugar (40g), gelatin (4g),  squeezed lemon (1Ts), whipped cream (150g), castella (sponge cake)

Instructions:

1. Combine Bokboonja and sugar (10g) and then boil the mixture over medium heat until it turns to liquid.
2. Place 1 in blender container and blend until smooth or strain it out through a strainer.

3. Place 2 into a pot and boil them with sugar (30g) and squeezed lemon juice.
4. Squeeze gelatin dry and then combine it with Bokboonja mixture. Allow to cool.

5. Make whipping cream smoother using handy mixer.
6. Fold in whipping cream and mix it well.

7. Cut castella (sponge cake) and put it into a cup.
8. Place 6 in the cup, refrigerate for minimum of 4 hours and enjoy!

Written by Sang-aa Park. Cross-published from ROKing Magazine with permission. BokboonjaMousse recipe and photos provided by “Yaongyang.” ———————————————————————————————————————————————–
ROKing Magazine
http://www.rokingmagazine.com/ (English)
http://www.roking-korea.com/ (Korean)
To follow ROKing on Facebook, click here.

Now we all know that South Korea as a whole is very male dominated.  We have female friends who live in South Korea and they’ll naturally mention the inequality between men and women in the work force.  But in politics, it might be more glaring.  Old habits are hard to break, especially in the world of politics but the re-elected mayor of Seoul, Oh Se-Hoon, is trying to make a paradigm shift towards gender sensitivity.   Newsweek interviewed the mayor to ask him about his women-friendly initiative, which includes expanding women’s restrooms and making them safer and accessible.  Restrooms you say?!  How does that have any importance in making Korea more women sensitive?  Well it may not sound much, but as you read the short interview, you’ll see that it’s these little things to start the shift going.  You be the judge.

Source: Newsweek

From our friends at Seoul Eats, a featured article on the Best Burgers of Seoul.

Today is the day that my diet begins. Finding and ranking the best hamburgers in Seoul has been a joy and a curse. Luckily, the restaurants have gotten better but there are more of them as well. Suffice it to say, hamburgers are not just a fad in Seoul; you’ll find burger restaurants dotted all over the city.

The first review that I did a year ago was received with an equal amount of praise and scrutiny. I found people are passionate about their burgers. For this review, I went to over 20 restaurants – a few more than once. This year I decided to not include franchise burgers to this list. Also, I decided to look at the signature burgers of each restaurant. My criteria for ranking were on the quality of meat, bun, toppings, service, and overall enjoyment.
Slyders

10. “Slyders” from Julio in Gangnam. This Mexican joint serves up some tasty mini burgers. Does this mean that they will be the new trend? I can see it happening. They use all Austrian beef and they have three different options: classic cheese, chili, and teriyaki (not recommended).
Price: Three slyders for 7,000 won
Phone: (02) 568-5324
Where: Gangnam
Jack Sauce Burger

9. “Jack Sauce Burger” from Bistro Corner in Itaewon. The sauce was a bit too sweet for my liking, but the hickory char-grilled hamburger patty is excellent.
Price: 7,500 won
Phone: (02) 792-9282
Where: Itaewon
Bacon and Egg Burger

8. “The Bacon and Egg Burger” from Tony’s Aussie Bar and Bistro in Itaewon. It’s breakfast on top of a burger. You get a cooked egg, bacon, and cheese on top of Australian beef. The burger is great with their hand-cut fries.
Price: 7,500 won
Phone: (02) 790-0793
Where: Itaewon
Sliders from Yaletown

7. “Sliders” from Yaletown in Sinchon. Yaletown is the youngest restaurant in the group, but they are making waves with their delicious cuisine and attention to quality. Their char grilled sliders (mini hamburgers) come on homemade bread with a dollop of mayonnaise and a single leaf of lettuce.
Price: Three mini burgers come for 8,900 won
Phone: (02) 333-1604
Where: Sinchon
The Webby

6. “The Webby” from Beer O’Clock in Sincheon. By the way, char-grilled= delicious. Here you get a char-grilled handmade patty topped with cheese, jalapenos, onions, mushrooms, lettuce, ham and BBQ sauce. Sure, it might sound like a train wreck of toppings, but it works damn well.
Price: 9,000 won
Phone: (02) 333-9733
Where: Sinchon
Paddy Mac’s Big Beef

5. “Paddy Mac’s Big Beef Burger” from Wolfhound Pub in Itaewon. Weighing in at over a half a pound (240 grams), you get a fist full of meat topped with two slices of cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and 2 strips of bacon. The paddy is made from savory wagyu beef and it is well seasoned. You also get an option of fries, mash potatoes (recommended), or salad with your side of cow.
Price: 12,800won
Phone: (02) 749-7971
Where: Itaewon
The Hamburger

4. “The Hamburger” from Sam Ryan’s Sports Bar and Grill in Itaewon. If you want a classic bacon cheeseburger that’s the size of a baby’s head, then this is the place. The burgers at Sam Ryan’s are massive. They are manly burgers that should be enjoyed with a beer and football.
Price: 13,500 won
Phone: (02) 749-7933
Where: Itaewon
Mushroom Burger

3. “Mushroom Burger” from Banana Grill in Hannam (near the U.N. Village). Sauteed onions and mushrooms with a hint of balsamic vinegar and mayonnaise is a great combination. Banana Grill is all about flavor and they don’t ruin the burger by adding unnecessary ingredients such as lettuce, tomato, and onion when they are not needed. The meat is plush and well seasoned, the buns are toasty, and they serve great fries.
Price: 7,000 won
Phone: (02) 792-3088
Where: Hannam
The Chili Burger

2. “The Chili Burger” from Chili King in Itaewon. You need a fork to get started with this burger because you have to get through the generous heaps of chili on top of the beef patty topped with real cheddar cheese (we are not talking about the plasticy individually wrapped stuff). The chili is excellent on it’s own (what else would you expect from the Chili King) but magical on the beef patty and between the rolls. The jalapenos on this dish are an added bonus.
Price: 8,900 won
Phone: (02) 795-1303
Where: Itaewon

1. “The Fresco Burger” from Jacoby’s Burger in Haebangchon. This is the Eiffel tower of hamburgers in Seoul. You have a moist and richly favored hamburger patty topped with mozzarella cheese, bacon, tomato sauce and a tower of onion rings. It is a beautiful thing to behold and a tad difficult to eat. The crunchy onion rings with the tar tar sauce, plush garlic beef patty, and mozzarella cheese fuses beautifully. After your burger you will be smiling with a halo of shiny beef grease around your mouth. Oh, and you can customize your burger just the way you want.
Price: 10,000 won
Phone: (02) 3785-0433
Where: Haebangchon

The Best Burger Franchise in Korea: “W-burger.” Woah, they have excellent meat that’s a little pink in the middle just like I like it.
Price: 4,700 won
Where: Throughout Seoul

Honorable Mention: “The USO Hamburger” at the USO near Samgaki Station. Get the military burger with fries for only $2.
Phone: (02) 795-3063
Open: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Weekdays
Where: USO

In a Class of their Own: The W-hotel Hamburger. Now I’m not talking about the X-burger (150,000 won) but its little brother. It’s a classic hamburger on an oat-wheat bun speckled with pumpkin seeds and topped with melted cheese. The meat is a mix of lean sirloin and marbled wagyu beef. The meat is so good that I’m sure that Buddha change his religion just to have it.
Price: 25,000 won
Phone: (02) 465-2222
Where: W-hotel

By Daniel Gray

Perhaps the New York Times isn’t so harsh on Koreans after all?  Or maybe not, but at least we know they have a serious Korean fetish with all the quirky and esoteric stories they wrote about in 2009.   In the New York Times “31 Places to Go in 2010,” Seoul comes in at #3!

Forget Tokyo. Design aficionados are now heading to Seoul.

They have been drawn by the Korean capital’s glammed-up cafes and restaurants, immaculate art galleries and monumental fashion palaces like the sprawling outpost of Milan’s 10 Corso Como and the widely noted Ann Demeulemeester store — an avant-garde Chia Pet covered in vegetation.

And now Seoul, under its design-obsessed mayor, Oh Se-hoon, is the 2010 World Design Capital. The title, bestowed by a prominent council of industrial designers, means a year’s worth of design parties, exhibitions, conferences and other revelries. Most are still being planned (go to wdc2010.seoul.go.kr for updates). A highlight will no doubt be the third annual Seoul Design Fair (Sept. 17 to Oct. 7), the city’s answer to the design weeks in Milan and New York, which last year drew 2.5 million people and featured a cavalcade of events under two enormous inflatable structures set up at the city’s Olympic stadium.

Source: New York Times

This past weekend was the concert of the year in South Korea – the Dream Concert.  There were 19 acts who performed and of course all the big names were out: Big Bang, SNSD, etc.  Enjoy the music!

Have you ever been to a pay-by-the-hour hotel in Seoul?  You guessed it; these hotels are not for taking a nap during a layover but for quick sex and affairs.  These Love Hotels are not exclusive to Korea but are found in many countries.  New York photographer Grace Kim went to Seoul and she brings to light the residue and remnants of these rooms, after they’ve been used.  Her photographs are on display at the Melanie Flood Projects in Brooklyn until October 7th.

“Love hotels in South Korea are commonly known to be where lovers go to carry on secret affairs. I was given access to photograph the rooms of a love hotel in Seoul after couples had checked out and before the rooms had been cleaned. Korean culture has many rules and formalities that have always felt very restrictive to me, so I was intrigued by the idea of being where I shouldn’t be and observing things I shouldn’t be observing — remnants of love affairs that were presumably forbidden as well. Absence of color, like the absence of identity, extracts the bed from their original context and realism, leaving space for personal projections and imagination.”