Seoul Beauty Fashion Lounge “B the B,” which was introduced together at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), has been drawing explosive responses since its opening on September 30. B the B was created as an experiential exhibition space where citizens and foreign tourists can freely visit and naturally experience Seoul’s beauty and fashion culture. “B the B” was visited by about 100,000 citizens for about two months after its opening through various field events and SNS-oriented promotions, and has produced more than 7.8 billion won in sales support through collaboration with online platforms.

Seoul Beauty Fashion Lounge “B the B” is a beauty fashion brand product exhibition and experiential space in the DDP design market, and consists of four lounges: Brand, Lifestyle, Beauty Tech, and Communication.

“B the B” is a space brand that means “Be the Beautiful” and contains the message of “a space where you discover yourself to be a beautiful person through a new perspective and experience on beauty.”

Seoul Beauty Fashion Lounge “B the B” provides citizens with new public value by harmoniously organizing four different spaces around interior design that adopts the concept of BioPhilia (human instinctive love for nature and life) of coexistence with life. It will serve as a platform between citizens and beauty fashion contents in Seoul, and citizens can experience a new perspective on beauty in a space that combines nature, eco-friendly and beauty.

At the Lifestyle Lounge, products from fashion companies supported by the fashion commerce platform Brandy and the Seoul Business Agency are displayed, giving a glimpse of the Seoul Fashion Trend. (Always in progress)

     <Beauty Tech Lounge> offers innovative AI beauty tech products that show the future of the beauty fashion industry. There is an exhibition where citizens can experience Lulu Lab’s “LUMNI,” which recommends cosmetics products that suit them through skin diagnosis, and Milleroid’s products that find hairstyles that suit them. (Always in progress)

“Communication Lounge” is a space where beauty brands that Musinsa and the Seoul Business Agency are jointly fostered and will be created as a resting place for citizens to use at any time, serving as an oasis in the city center. (Always in progress)

Experiencing Seoul’s beauty fashion, which incorporates the fourth industrial technology, once again confirmed Seoul’s technology and potential to lead a new fashion trend.

It served as an opportunity to promote the differentiation of Seoul, which led the fashion industry in a different way than before, and the positive development direction of Seoul beauty fashion.

Kim Hyun-woo, CEO of SBA, said, “There is a possibility that Seoul’s fashion and beauty industry will not follow the Milan method, but if technology and data are combined.” “If B the B ties DDP and Dongdaemun clusters together, the ripple effect will be inferior,” he said. “We will help Seoul establish itself as a global beauty industry hub.”

Few countries in the world have four distinct seasons. South Korea is one of the few countries with distinct four seasons. The Netherlands of Europe is famous for its wonderful flowers scenery, but the sight of spring in Korea is also spectacular. In summer, you can enjoy the cool sea because of the sunlight which is very hot, fall leaves and cool weather make the sunset more enraptured than usual, and finally make another warm memory in the cold in winter. In particular, many people want to experience Seoul, which has natural scenery and cultural heritage such as Gyeongbokgung Palace. In this way, the Republic of Korea gives us a different experience at every moment. I think that’s why many tourists come to Korea and Seoul.

Various large and small cities in the Republic of Korea have their own tourist Organization. However, the Seoul Tourism Organization is the most active and largest among them. The reason is that tourists visit Seoul the most. Jeju Island is also a representative tourist destination of the Republic of Korea, but  more than Seoul because it is the capital of the Republic of Korea. The meaning of a country’s capital is great. I think that’s why they want to know the charm of Seoul first than other regions.
The Seoul Tourism Organization provides tips, information, and various benefits related to Seoul. The Seoul Tourism Organization serves as the largest official tour guide to Seoul. To convey a lot of information to people who want to heal themselves from abroad or other places, or to make memories they want to remember.
The Seoul Tourism Organization is promoting the Seoul Danurim Tourism.

The word “danurim” means “enjoy everything” in Seoul’s tourism business, and it is a Korean word that means to enjoy sightseeing in every part of Seoul. Seoul Danurim Tourism is a project to create Seoul, a tourist city that is accessible not only to Seoul citizens but also to anyone who visits Seoul. Seoul Danurim Tourism officially opened in April 2019 as Seoul’s first one-stop tourism center for the weak people. It has been conducting various projects to improve the physical environment, strengthen information accessibility, and improve social awareness so far. It is operating projects to improve the physical environment so that not only the disabled but also the elderly, infants, and pregnant women can travel, provide tourism information through the operation of information centers and websites, and improve social awareness of barrier-free tourism.

Accordingly, Seoul Danurim Tourism is making reservations for wheelchair Lifts Seoul Danurim Bus and minivan. There are seven cars, one Seoul Danurim bus with eight wheelchair seats and 21 general seats, three minivans with two wheelchair seats and seven general seats, and three minivans with four wheelchair seats and four general seats. There are wheelchair seats in all vehicles, and there are seats for the elderly and the disabled. Therefore, people who cannot enjoy sightseeing can enjoy sightseeing together. All vehicles are equipped with safety devices such as wheelchair fixing devices and child seats, and safety is guaranteed. In particular, a child seat for infants can be attached to the minivan. In addition, you can rent strollers, wheelchairs, and portable ramps for free of charge if you reserve a separate rental service for travel aids.
This wheelchair lift Seoul Danurim bus and minivan reservation system have the advantage of being optimized for convenient travel unlike call taxis and public transportation for the disabled. In addition, if you have any travel destinations you want to visit, you can reserve a “free trip” course supported by the personal driver and use the Seoul Danurim bus and minivan as convenient as your car if you pay only the actual cost of playing, gas, and parking.
Seoul Danurim also shares various information such as various food, cultural experiences, and exhibitions that you can enjoy in Seoul on the blog of Seoul Danurim. For example, in April of this month, we introduced famous cherry blossom spots where you can enjoy the cherry blossoms in full bloom. The “Seoul Forest Course” and “Bulram Mountain Butterfly Garden Course,” which are the spring flower outing courses on the Danurim Tour, will give you a chance to enjoy Seoul’s spring to the fullest. It also introduces Seoul’s history, such as the cultural stockpile base, which has been used differently depending on the times, from oil tanks to cultural tanks. As such, you can see from the representative cultural heritage and places of Seoul to spaces with cultural values that are not well known

Not only that. The Seoul Tourism Orgainzation will introduce representative Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, and Gyeonghui Palace as representative cherry blossom spots in Seoul through VisitSeoul.net, an official tourist information site. In addition, the hidden cherry blossom attractions recommended by N-year foreigners living in Seoul. And they introduced from a foreigner’s perspective, so you can get more reliable information as a closer tourist.
Various experience events can be found through ONEMORETRIP, the Seoul’s Official Local Tour and Experience Guide published by the Seoul Tourism Organization. You can get information about various events that can make special memories such as making tea coasters, couple ring DIY class, making therapy perfume, and making neon signs.
The Seoul Tourism Organization’s website also provides information on festivals held in downtown Seoul, such as the  Seoul Lantern Festival held near Cheonggyecheon Street, which began from November 2009. The festival features various sculptures of light, mainly traditional Korean paper, and offers various kinds of fun such as experience programs, busking, and opening ceremonies. Visitors can get information on unique events of Seoul, where visitors can enjoy the beautiful view of Cheonggyecheon Street as well as the traditional Korean traditional Korean paper produced by craftsmen.
All of these benefits are available at a discounted price at the Seoul Tourism Organization via Discover Seoul Pass, and visitors can enter historic sites such as Gyeongbokgung Palace for free. Discover Seoul Pass is also offered as a transportation card, T-money, and can be used for buses, subways, and bicycles in Seoul ,ttareungi, excluding airport trains (AREX) temporarily. Discover Seoul Pass can be picked up by card at Incheon Airport or Gimpo Airport, but it can also be used conveniently on mobile apps.
With the advent of smartphones, Internet access has become smooth, and people around the world are using SNS more than before. Unlike in the past, methods of collecting information are becoming more diverse, and the percentage of the Internet is the largest proportion. As SNS became more active, people can access to various information, and among them, K-culture such as K-pop, K-beauty, and K-content in Korea is also attracting the attention of many people.
In fact, nine out of every 10 foreigners say they want to come to Seoul if they want to travel abroad. The reason is that they want to shop, hotel vacation which is called “Hocance”, and luxury tours, including “Landmark,” a local hot place provided by the Seoul Tourism Organization, and historical attractions.
The Seoul Tourism Organization provides not only information but also benefits of the needs of these tourists. In addition, it provides more convenient sightseeing for the physically challenged elderly, infants, pregnant women and the disabled. It’s really meaningful to provide a memorable memory for the rest of their life.
As they have a strong preference for Korea, I think it is important to provide information and benefits for tourists traveling to Seoul to meet various needs with a large spectrum. It would be even better if we could efficiently improve the quality of information and benefits by providing information and benefits in categories well fit to the differences in travel styles pursued by the MZ generation, who are sensitive to the latest trends, and the older generation and their parents.
Through the Seoul Tourism Organization, I am very happy to introduce and promote Seoul, which has the charm of each season, to foreigners interested in Korea and people from other regions. Just as first impressions are important to everyone, I hope that Seoul’s appearance through the Seoul Tourism Organization will remain a good first impression for all Seoul tourists.

Bella Kang

Asia Journal

The series consisted of 3 episodes. The first episode was a video that featured BTS, a world-renowned Korean boy band, exploring the city of Seoul. The second episode was a video of a Taekwondo Dance team fighting their way through Seoul. And the last episode was “Eogiyeongcha Seoul Dance Challenge Event”. This was a participatory event. The Seoul Tourism Organization held this event via TikTok to allow anyone to join the last episode.

Seoul City and the Seoul Tourism Organization announced that the “Eogiyeongcha Seoul Dance Challenge Event” finished successfully. Because it’s an era when everyone can easily appeal themselves, the event could gain many participants. “Eogiyeongcha Seoul Dance Challenge Event” was held from October 10th to November 10th. Anyone could easily join the event through TikTok. Participant posted a 15-sec video using the official “Eogiyeongcha” sticker,  music, and hashtag, “ #어기영차서울댄스챌린지”(Eogiyeongcha Seoul Dance Challenge). All participants who made a public posting got a branding postcard from The Seoul Tourism Organization.

South Korean Hip Hop musician team, “DPR crew”, produced the official song for the “Eogiyeongcha Seoul Dance Challenge Event”.  Also, famous Korean choreographer, “Monika”  danced for this event too. HyoYeon, a member of the iconic K-Pop group, Girl’s Generation, and SeulGi, a member of RedVelvet joined this event. Also, famous actor YiKyung Lee and actress Boreum Han danced for this event too. Their appearance at this event attracted K-culture fans from around the world. Sehun Oh, the governor of Seoul city, also accepted the dance challenge to cheer citizens who were fatigued from the pandemic, and it effectively brought up the spirits of the citizens. The governor showed off his moves on TikTok and instantly became a viral sensation.

 Popular Korean TikTokers didn’t miss the event. Kkonya, DoctorWho, and JongminOppa, the most famous TikTokers in Korea,  participated in the challenge as well. They went live after the challenge to talk with their fans.

Jun Lee, the leader of the Global Marketing team from The Seoul Tourism Organization said, “I want to cheer on the citizens of Seoul. And I hope that the message to smile even through difficult situations will be well delivered.”

Daisy Kim

Asia Journal

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Tourism Foundation (CEO Gil Ki-yeon) unveiled the Seoul Global Marketing Campaign, “2021 YOUR SEOUL GOESON”, with BTS on September 9.

Global superstar BTS, who topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for nine weeks with ‘Butter’, has been playing a role as an honorary tourism ambassador in Seoul for five consecutive years from 2017 to 2021. BTS has appeared every year in promotional videos produced to promote tourism in Seoul. “Seoul Life” in 2017 and “My Seoul Playlist” in 2018. It has contributed greatly to promoting Seoul tourism through You in Seoul like me in 2019 and See You in Seoul in 2020.

The new campaign slogan, “YOUR SEOUL GOES ON,” contains a meaning that Seoul continues to develop and change without stopping even amid the pandemic.

Through the campaign, the city government and the foundation aim to raise awareness of Seoul tourism so that the first destination can be dynamic Seoul when the travel industry recovers.

As part of the campaign, the “EoGiYeongCha series” was released, including promotional videos with BTS.” The first video of the Eogiyeongcha series, “EoGiYeongCha BTS,” expressed a colorful and dynamic appearance of Seoul, with BTS members directly participating in the lead and narration of Eogiyeongcha and performing dance movements and musical instruments. “EoGiYeongCha” is a sound of everyone working together to overcome difficult situations, and in this promotional video, BTS shouts “Eogiyeongcha Seoul!” to convey a message of hope to everyone at home and abroad who is tired of COVID-19. It is also designed to allow tourists from all over the world to indirectly feel Seoul’s passion, including medical staff who took their lumps without obmurmuration for COVID-19 prevention and patient treatment, tourism industry workers and small business owners who have endured difficult times. In particular, it is said that BTS members also expressed their expectations for this year’s promotional video, saying that it was the most sophisticated promotional video they have ever filmed in Seoul.

The second video of the series, “EoGiYeongCha Taekwondo episode”, and the last video, “EoGiYeongCha Dance Episode,” would cheer up and laugh together even in difficult situations. The second film was released on September 23, and the last episode is scheduled to be released in October. The last episode will be followed by the social media campaign “EoGiYeongCha Seoul Dance Challenge” which will promote citizen’s participation. The challenge will play a role in spreading the laughter and joy of participants. You can participate in the challenge by referring to the choreography of the “Eogiyeongcha Dance” and posting the challenge video with hashtags in your style.

You can enjoy the campaign films on Seoul Tourism YouTube channel VisitSeoulTV (www.youtube.com/visitseoul) and social media (www.facebook.com/VisitSeoul/, www.instagram.com/visitseoul_official/)).

Artificial intelligence (AI), a major component of the wave of technological innovation, showed rapid progress since the 2010s. Countries around the globe are sparing large efforts to foster AI industries. Endeavor of the South Korean government is also strong in order to become an AI technology powerhouse. Each local government is also devoted to fostering the AI industry, by supporting particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or startups.

AI Yangjae Hub was established by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in December 2017 as a special cluster for growing creative talents, innovative companies, and promoting exchanges. AI Yangjae Hub, as reflected in its name, specializes in cultivating and promoting the AI industry.

It is located in Yangjae R&D campus. Yangjae district is 10 minutes away from Gangnam and Yeoksam districts which are known for high concentration of wealth, finance and business, and 15-20 minutes away from Pangyo district which is emerging as a new IT techno valley. It is also surrounded by gorgeous green areas, including Yangjae citizens’ forest and Umyeon mountain. There are several research institutes nearby which are run by large conglomerates such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, LG energy solution, and KT Corporation. It will be scaled up as a global cluster by attracting more domestic and foreign universities, research institutes and companies related to future information technology industries such as AI and big data.

In a conversation with Los Angeles Times Asia Journal, the director of AI Yangjae hub, Jong-yung Yoon, explained major programs and his vision. According to the director, as of June 2021, Approximately 88 SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and start-ups are stationed in AI Yangjae Hub. The center leases cozy workspaces for them at low rents, which is also equipped with venues for open communication, collaborative spaces, meeting rooms, rest lounges and several office equipment and services. Actually, being offered a workspace on an affordable rent in Yangjae district is a quite big benefit for startups. Director Yoon explains that he thinks support for startups with weak financial status starts from securing stable and comfortable working conditions.

Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your health. The Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends adults to get seven or more hours of sleep per night for the best health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, according to the CDC, nearly one-third of adult Americans say that they get insufficient sleep, and the CDC even went so far as to call the situation an epidemic. Not getting enough sleep can negatively impact your health, happiness, and longevity. Sleep deprivation has also been linked to the development and management of a number of chronic diseases and conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression, according to the CDC. What do you think you should do if you don’t want to lie staring at the ceiling everynight any longer?

Here is one Korean company that originated from the idea of improving the quality of sleep: LUPLE Inc. The company has researched ways to deal with sleep problems or people lacking light due to longer hours of staying indoors. Finally, it launched a smart gadget named ‘Olly’ for getting a good night’s rest as well as for better quality of life by using HCL (Human Centric Lighting) and artificial intelligence technology.

Olly offers a sunlight solution to make you sleep well and have an active day with biorhythm-friendly light and optimized application upon algorithm. It took the Innovation Award at the 2021 CES. The product is currently available on Amazon US and Shopee and scheduled to be available in Japan soon after July. LUPLE Inc. continues to develop more advanced products adapting cutting-edge technology for better-quality life.

Solution for Effective AI Modeling and Data Management Service: SmartMind Inc.

SmartMind Inc. in South Korea provides an artificial intelligence platform for integrated digital marketing and advertising, AI modeling and digital transformation for enterprises. The company developed various specialized AI algorithms.

The algorithm named ‘THANOS’ by the company provides an out-of-box tool for AI modeling and data management service for any vertical applications such as marketing, advertising, smart factory, game development, and pharmaceutical research. ‘THANOS’ drastically reduces the size of the raw data required for the AI modeling, maximizing the speed of repetitive modeling and deriving insight in real-time. When performing AI modelings with massive amounts of structured or unstructured data, it can accelerate machine learning (ML) training, which takes hours to hundreds of hours. It remarkably reduces time to market from data to insight, providing a source of competitive edge for enterprises.

‘LIGHTHOUSE’ is also a software as a service (SaaS) platform which provides AI transformation and data related services. Clients also have options to use vertical business applications such as marketing and digital ads solutions. According to the explanation of the company, many clients have already achieved cost savings and increased sales through the solution. With the latest edition of LIGHTHOUSE, you can experience the easy-to-use dashboards, providing integrated data visualization for digital advertising performance.

SmartMind Inc. will continuously add more patents related to AI and big data to secure further technological competencies and to provide the best experiences to clients.The company said that any talk with entrepreneurs who are seeking a performance boost via AI transformation would be welcome.

Decorate your home virtually using ‘Archisketch’: Archidraw Inc.

As the time spent indoors is increasing due to the pandemic, people are getting interested in interior-improvement. However, everyone must have experienced difficulties while decorating the interior or furnishing. You might have been a little hazy on whether the furniture you are looking at in the offline or online store would be well-matched with your house or office. You might also have experienced that furniture you chose and brought home might not have been as good as you thought.

Archidraw Inc. developed artificial intelligence (AI) technology which allows you to check styles of your own space through online experience. The core technology of Archidraw Inc. enables auto-conversion from 2D to 3D in order to build your own floor plan. Anyone can easily get photorealistic images drawn into 3D models through the web or an application. ‘Archisketch’ creates five different results with a single 3D model: Floor Planner, Panorama 3D, 4K rendering, 360 HD viewer, and AR viewer. You can build a house virtually and decorate it yourself to predict which wallpaper or furniture will go well with your house when using the cloud home-furnishing platform. You can freely place the furniture you want in a virtual space.

The company also designed an AI algorithm which helps you when choosing interior design with your picks. It will give you some recommendations for furniture arrangements. The products shown in the platform service are actually being sold in various brands, so you can even check the expected estimates. Not only interior experts but also anyone who is not confident in decorating their homes can experience more convenient home furnishing.

 

Kayla Hong

Asia Journal

The second floor living room of the Dilkusha House

Albert Wilder Taylor was a special foreign correspondent of ‘Associated Press’ in 1919. Albert accidentally found copies of the Korean Declaration of Independence underneath the hospital bed of his recently born infant son. After the discovery of the hidden paper, Albert wrote an article about the March 1  Independence Movement and sent it to his brother, William. William then smuggled the documents in his shoe to Tokyo, Japan and successfully sent the article to the United States of America. Because of Taylor’s report, the independence efforts of the people of Korea were recognized by the world.

The house was originally built in 1923 by the Taylor family. Albert and Mary resided in this “western-style” red-brick residence until 1942 when the couple was deported. After years of being forgotten, the house was rediscovered when Bruce T. Taylor, the son of Albert, asked for help in relocating it to a professor of Seoil University. Bruce revisited his childhood home for the first time in 66 years with his wife and daughter. After Bruce’s passing in 2015, Jennifer Taylor, the daughter of Bruce, donated the historical data collection of the Taylor family to the Seoul Museum of History and soon after the house and the story of the Taylor family became known to the world.

In 2016, the Seoul Metropolitan Government finalized a deal for the restoration of Dilkusha. As a result of the deal, the house was designated as the Registered Cultural Heritage No. 687 in August 2017. The actual construction work for restoration started in November 2018 and was completed in December 2020. After the construction was finished, the interior of living rooms was recreated, based off of the pictures of the original rooms.

The display of documents and articles of Albert W. Taylor about the independence movement in Korea

The living room of the first floor was usually used as a space for dinner parties. The walls are painted yellow and a fireplace is installed in the back wall with the official emblem of the  Taylor family displayed at the top. The second floor living room was the heart of Dilkusha, where Albert and Mary spent most of their spare time. Taylor’s collection of Goryeo (the name of a time period in Korea; 913-1392) celadons is showcased on the mantel of the fireplace. The couple also used a traditional-styled folding screen to create a partition when needed. The recreation of living rooms of both the first and second floor was based on left-over photos of the original house. All furniture and accessories of the living rooms were bought through antique wholesalers that sell authentic original antique furniture of the specific time period of when Taylor bought the original furniture. Few items that are not available today such as the traditional folding screen were recreated by hand by Korean artists.

The Dilkusha House holds a constructional significance as well as its historical importance. The ‘rat-trap bond’ method allows space between inner and outer brick walls, which increases structural stability and better insulation. It is such a rare and unique method of building that it is almost impossible to find a similar precedent in the modern architecture of Korea.

The unique experience of walking through the actual residence of a historic notable and the important story told about foreigners who stood in solidarity in a turning point of Korea are what makes the Dilkusha House a must-visit spot – not only for foreign tourists, but also Koreans. The doors to this house that became a historic monument of South Korea opened to the public on March 1, 2021.

Jenny Hwang

Asia Journal

Los Angeles Times Asia Journal

Ahn is currently the recruitment chief of the center-right Bareunmirae Party, which has been struggling with low support ratings and difficulties finding competent candidates to run in the local and gubernatorial elections slated for June 13.

Ahn Cheol-soo (Yonhap)

“With the belief that South Korea will change when Seoul changes, I aim to give you plans to innovate Seoul City and would like to be chosen to lead the city,” Ahn said in a press meeting at the Seoul City Council.

“I remember the time just a year ago, as painful. I was surprised and touched by the passion and support you showed me. But I disappointed you,” Ahn said, referring to last year’s presidential election, in which he ranked third in the race against incumbent President Moon Jae-in and main opposition Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hong Joon-pyo.

“I also remember the fall seven years ago, when I also did not answer to the passionate calls of Seoul citizens who sought changes in the city from me. I apologize, and I will start again,” said Ahn. His bid for the mayoral position comes seven years after he gave way to incumbent Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon in 2011.

At the time, Ahn was viewed as a potential candidate for Seoul mayor, garnering a support rating of over 50 percent in polls. But he dropped out to support then-candidate Park, who won the election and is aiming for his thirdterm this year.

“The Seoul mayoral post should not be used to manage the popularity of a person for the next election,” Ahn said, referring to Mayor Park.

In his announcement, Ahn vowed to promote the city’s development by introducing new technologies that offer convenience to citizens.

“I am a politician who has successful experiences as a doctor, professor, IT expert and an entrepreneur. I will apply all of my experiences to reform Seoul City,” he said.

Ahn also said he would introduce new technologies to the management of the city and offer effective solutions to issues.

In the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, incumbent Mayor Park appears to be the prominent candidate, while Reps. Woo Sang-ho and Park Young-sun have also declared candidacies for the post. The main opposition Liberty Korea Party seeks to nominate former Gyeonggi Province Gov. Kim Moon-soo for its mayoral candidate.

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)

Millennium Seoul Hilton offers multicourse specials at its Chinese and Japanese restaurants, Taipan and Genji, only on the weekends.

Taipan, the hotel’s Chinese restaurant, offers a gourmet meal comprising six dishes, at 65,000 won per person. The menu features abalones, crab meat, prawns, beef and pine mushrooms as its main ingredients.

Genji, the hotel’s Japanese restaurant, also offers a weekend special at 86,000 won. The weekend special set-course menu comprises 10 dishes, including sushi, sashimi and soba. For reservations or inquiries, call Taipan at (02) 317-3237 or Genji at (02) 317-3240.

Taste of Vietnam at Sheraton Seoul D Cube City

Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is hosting the “Vietnam @Feast” promotion from April 6 to 26, offering diners a chance to experience Vietnamese delicacies.

The promotion, held by the hotel’s buffet restaurant Feast, is to showcase a variety of authentic Vietnam cuisine, prepared by visiting chefs from Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers. More than 10 Vietnamese dishes will be prepared along with a selection of mouth-watering buffet items at 66,000 won per person.

All diners at the Feast are eligible to participate in a lottery with the prize of a two-night stay in Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers. For more information or reservations, call Feast at (02) 2211-1710.

Sipping traditional tea at Grand Hyatt Seoul

As the weather warms up, fine dust is covering the city of Seoul. For people who suffer from sore throats due to the bad air, Grand Hyatt Seoul has prepared medicinal teas.

The hotel’s lobby cafe Gallery offers 10 types of traditional tea, including ginseng, ginger, citron and pomegranate tea. Visitors can enjoy a scenic view of the city while enjoying a cup of tea at the cafe. Prices of the teas range between 16,000 to 22,000 won. Call (02) 799-8165 for more information.

Outdoor swim at Seoul Shilla Hotel

Seoul Shilla Hotel’s outdoor pool Urban Island is to open on March 31. While enjoying a peaceful nighttime swim, guests can enjoy a scenic view of Namsan’s cherry blossoms.

Responding to concerns that the weather might not be warm enough, all the sunbeds have been equipped with warmers, along with additional heaters placed at the poolside. The pool is maintained at a temperature of between 32 degrees Celsius and 34 C. A separate kids’ pool and a Jacuzzi are available for guests.

The hotel is offering the “Urban Island” package, which includes one night in a deluxe room, two tickets for the pool and a breakfast for two, until the end of April. The package costs 310,000 won.

Rose-scented stay at Park Hyatt Seoul

For those looking for a relaxing urban escape, Park Hyatt Seoul has prepared the “Spring at the Park” package. After a relaxing night enjoying the city’s night scape, guests can enjoy Korean or western-style breakfast in their rooms. A rose-scented air freshener from premium perfume brand Diptyque will fill the rooms with the fragrance of the flower. For those staying in suite rooms, a bottle of red wine will be provided as well.

The package will be available until the end of May. Prices start from 360,000 won for regular rooms and 510,000 won for suite rooms. Call (02) 2016-1100 for more information or reservations.

Apartment lease prices in Seoul have been on a steady decline for the past four weeks, and prices fell 0.08 percent this week compared to the previous week, according to a weekly report released by the Korea Appraisal Board.

(Yonhap)

The figure is the largest since a 0.09 percent dip in the third week of July in 2012.

The drop in lease prices stems from the surging supply of new apartments in satellite cities surrounding Seoul, reports say.

(doo@heraldcorp.com)

“Seoul designated 52 days from Jan. 26 as special welcoming days and released five special support packages during the period (for foreign visitors),” Park told reporters, adding that the city will provide joint support with the government to ensure the success of the Winter Games.

Seoul City Mayor Park Won-soon speaks at a press conference held for Seoul foreign correspondents in central Seoul on Tuesday. (Yonhap)

This year’s Winter Olympics have already drawn huge attention from abroad, with issues such as the expected joint entrance of South and North Korean athletes, the two Koreas’ joint team and cultural events (that will be held throughout the period), said Park.

“The 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul showcased South Korea’s national strength, but the 2018 PyeongChang Games will be symbolized mostly by peace and prosperity,” Park said. “The Olympics should never be a simple competition among nations, but a festive arena for global citizens to share friendship,” Park added.

The two Koreas are expected to enter the Olympic opening ceremony on Feb. 9 side by side under the Korean Unification Flag in a show of unity, according to the PyeongChang Organizing Committee.

A joint women’s hockey team of the still-warring nations is also expected to compete as “Korea” in their first time doing so at an Olympic event.

During the Olympics, the games will be held across three main venues: PyeongChang, Jeongseon and Gangneung in Gangwon Province, some 200 kilometers east of Seoul.

By Se-hwan Bak

(Korea Herald)