Joan Park

Good selections? Cool venue? Check and check.You can go with an artsy film with a glass of Merlot in your hand, enjoy a selection of classics and grass seating on a weekend summer night or head yourself to a museum for a curated series. Oh, there are special cinema pop-ups as well, so all you movie buffs shall remember to mark your calendar!

From hearty Western breakfast dishes to Michelin-starred Korean cuisine and adventurous delicacies such as fermented skate, this itinerary will make sure you taste the best of the city for a whole 24 hours. And of course, there’s booze, too. Find out what “Mac-geolli” (the mix of Macallan and makgeolli), Drink Me Potion and other refreshing and/or interesting selection of alcohol is offered at these Seoul bars and restaurants.

Five different stages come to create a pentagon surrounding the audience. The lights from the stages go off at different cues, exciting and overwhelming the crowd. House, drum and bass, trap, electro house and trance are going loud while the iconic shade of green fill the space.The only "concept-focused festival" of the world, Heineken 5tardium has been selling out completely for the 4 consecutive years. Dundu the mascot lights up and awesome LED lighting shows and fireworks make the entertainment going. Dance away the summer day, sing along and sweat, then cool off with a pint of ice-cold Heineken.

Eyeliners and makeup powder with bedazzled cover case in a purse, notepads and pens on the desk with adorable animal characters attached to them, and a colorful phone case with a smiling bunny on it. Can you guess whose belongings these are? If you thought these might be an elementary school student’s, then your guess is very off. These are just a few items of a female office worker with more than 10 years of experience in her field. “Let him who is without sin among you cast the first stone at her.” That’s right. The recent phenomenon of matching all of your items with your favorite character came up with a new word derived from “color coordination,” “Character Coordination.” Kidults, a compound word for Kid and Adult, are those who prefer items that society deems are for a younger person, and the kidult culture became popular in the recent years. It is no surprise to see adults collecting kids toys, playing video games, and reading cartoons for younger people, but what’s surprising is that now the kidult culture is so big that these adults are not ashamed of showing off their items that weren’t meant to be made for them. Instead of hiding in the corner of the room, they wander the street wearing their favorite characters embroidered t-shirts. Even if it hurts to see the bank account balance, once a cute character item captures their eyes, the game is over. For instance, when the SPA brand 8seconds introduced its new sneakers collaborated with Kakao Friends, the brand’s onli

Rex Features In her bizarre new comedy ‘Colossal’ Anne Hathaway plays Gloria, an alcoholic writer who develops a psychic bond with a Godzilla-like monster on the other side of the world. The stage is set for a smart social satire tackling everything from toxic masculinity to consequence-free online culture. So what drove this successful movie star to take a gamble on such an oddball project? What was it about ‘Colossal’ that spoke to you?‘I liked the alchemy of grounded and absurd, dark and silly. It reminded me of some of my favourite aspects of life! And my character Gloria, I felt like I knew her, I felt like I’d been her at certain moments.’ She’s more nuanced than your average Hollywood heroine…‘I liked that her thoughtlessness, her self-destruction and self-absorption didn’t necessarily make her a bad person. Lately I’ve been interested in getting out of the binary of good and bad, letting things be a little harder to pin down, a little more uncomfortable. Since starting to explore that, many parts of my life have become much more interesting!’ Did people advise you against making a film so wilfully strange?‘No one looked at this and said “oh, what a brilliant career move”! But everyone understood that I was doing it for me. When you put forward ideas that don’t fit the mould, that lean away from the formula, there’s a tendency to assume audiences won’t understand them. But people are willing to go with it if you have a good entry point.’ Anne Hathaway in ‘Colossal’

The deteriorated elevated-road near Seoul Station, which has been keeping its presence in the center of the city for 45 years, will be soon eliminated. What we’ll see instead is a 10.3-meter wide and 1.24-km long elevated-park, decorated with trees and shrubs. There will be book cafés, libraries, as well as 5 walking-courses: Jungnimmalli-dong Course, Sogong-dong Course, Myeongdong Coursem Namsan Course and Human-dong Course. Among them, Jungnimmalli-gil is an old 2.5km path connecting Jungnim-dong and Malli-dong. From an over-100-year-old cathedral to Korea’s first residential complex and a 45-year-old seolleongtang (ox bone soup) joint, this old neighborhood which seems to finally awaking from a long sleep has unique and one-of-a-kind offerings.

‘I’m not allowed to give that much away, actually,’ says Pearl Mackie, grinning. ‘There are still so many things I can’t say. But it’s such a relief to be allowed to talk about it at all.’ Last year, the 29-year-old Londoner was plucked from the West End stage, where she was starring in ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’, and given free run of the Tardis in ‘Doctor Who’. We meet just a week before her debut appearance as Bill Potts – the first gay ‘Doctor Who’ companion – airs on BBC One. Mackie is fairly new to the TV business: her only other credit is daytime soap ‘Doctors’. But she’s clearly having the time of her life. She gushes about the Soho hotel room we’re in – the wallpaper is ‘incredible’, the chairs ‘amazing’, our hour together ‘really fun’. We’re running late and somewhere upstairs her lunch is getting cold, but she’s in no rush. Mackie was born and bred in Brixton, and still lives there near her mum. ‘She sometimes reads lines with me,’ she tells me. ‘I’ve wanted to be an actress for as long as I can remember, from when I could talk, really. But I never thought I’d get a role as big as this.’ How was your first day on the new job?‘The sheer scale of “Doctor Who” is immense. After we’d rehearsed all the crew came in and they just kept coming through the door. I was like, “How am I going to remember all these people’s names?” It was very nerve-wracking.’ There’s a lot you can’t talk about. Are you good at keeping secrets?‘No! I’m absolutely dreadf

In the rough and raw neighborhood of Mullae-dong, complete with small-sized ironworks crowded together in tightly-woven alleys, the sounds from the steel machineries in the crumbling sight of an apparent urban decay have accommodated local artists of diverse fields for the past decade. What was happening before that? The former name for Mullae-dong is Sacheon-ri (roughly translates to ‘Sand Village’), which refers to the mudflats that existed in abundance in the area during the Chosun era. This ancient title is even included in a map created in 1872, but following the Japanese colonization of Korea, it changed to Saokjeong (‘Weaving Village’).   Due to the proximity to the waterbody (Han River) as well as a rail station (Namgyeongseong Station built in 1936, now Yeongdeungpo Station), a significant number of Japanese textile companies moved into the area, which is the reason why many of the old structures contain Japanese architectural elements. Those who were working in textile manufacturing were residing in temporary living quarters which still remain, as gritty buildings in Mullae Arts Village. It was after the independence that the area got the name we know it as now.  In 1960, the textile industry transformed into modern steel plants as President Park Chung-hee pushed for national self-sufficiency in iron industry. In the 1980’s, however, Mullae  saw a huge decline in activity as cheaper raw materials and manufactured goods started flooding in from China. The number of c

Hong Kong cuisine has been bridging the east and west in its delicate and justifiably famous world of flavors. Incorporating an impressive variety of fresh ingredients and cooking methods it is certainly one that offers something for everyone, remaining the favorite of millions of people. Check out our list of places in Seoul offering delicious Hong Kong eats and discover your favorite dish.

Match of the century is always worth watching. The strong can't but decide the strongest. Think of 1962's film King Kong vs. Godzilla or, more recently, 2016's Batman v Superman(and yes, I know that it was a total disaster.) Here are 3 pairs of films being released on the same day. See the list, get the gist.

Song Kang-ho takes a trip down memory lane in high summer offering A Taxi Driver, a stirring tale that revisits the atrocities committed during the Gwangju Democratization Movement of May, 1980. Under the steady hand of director Jang Hoon, the film mostly steers clear of histrionics while recent political happenings (which happened after production) have made this the must-see event of the season. What sets A Taxi Driver apart from other Gwangju dramas is the inclusion of foreign star Thomas Kretschmann, who features as a German reporter that hires Song’s cab to take him south and cover the protests. This outsider perspective allows us to experience the unique flavor of Korean protesting, which anyone who witnessed last year’s peaceful candlelight marches to remove former President Park Geun-hye will recognize. Throughout, the story is anchored by Song’s central performance, as he—with his inimitable mash of humor and pathos—once again masterfully conveys an average Korean man who finds himself in exceptional circumstances. Where other western actors have failed, Kretschmann triumphs in his Korean film debut, while Ryoo Jun-yeol and Yoo Hae-jin charm in key roles. Calculated though it may be, the latest from Secret Reunion director Jang Hoon succeeds due to its stellar screenplay by Um Yoo-na, which never wavers in its devotion to its characters. Paired with a top notch cast led by Song in his element, A Taxi Driver earns the melodrama that it eventually arrives at.   Written

Playing hide and seek around the small alleys along the residential area of Mangwon Dong is quite fun. The old buildings turned shops are not sophisticated, nor are they grandiose, but each and every one of them has its own uniqueness. In the midst of theses cafes and restaurants full of character, Viva Salon with its vivid scarlet color exterior instantly draws your attention. The small space of around 200 ft2 is filled with dolls and tons of teeny tiny miscellaneous goods, and it makes you feel as if you are invited to your doll lover friend’s house. Looking through authentic Disney character dolls, Mario figures, Iron Man goods and kitsch design items including Coca-Cola design products, you won’t even realize you are in the “doll loop” already. All the items on display are available for purchase. Once you take enough photos of the cuteness overwhelmed dolls and items, move on to the next fun stop of Viva Salon – the “Gacha Gacha” machine. It’s a Japanese vending machine with capsule toy prizes, so test your luck and see if you can get what you wished for. Now, it’s time to quench your thirst with Viva Salon’s signature menu, Monster Latte. This latte is made after Cookie Monster from “Sesame Street,” and it just looks too good and too cute to eat. The mocha latte is topped with soft blue colored whipped cream, 2 marshmallows for Cookie Monster’s eyes and one Oreo cookie for his mouth. The drink is served on a small wooden tray with his friend Elmo and Big Bird sitting nex

You’ve probably heard of ‘soboro bread’ here in Korea. It’s actually a variant of Hong Kong’s ‘pineapple bun’, the original sweet bun of its kind. Although listed as one of Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage, it is also sold in high quantities in neighboring countries and many Chinatowns around the world. In February of 2017, Seoul saw the introduction of Oh Hoo Hong Kong, a café that is dedicated to providing its customers with some delicious pineapple buns, their main menu item. ‘Oh Hoo’, which means noon time in Korean, refers to the time the golden buns are freshly out of the oven and available for purchase. The café’s interior remains simple, with chairs and tables resembling those that are very often found on the streets of Hong Kong. There is a slightly clinical feeling to the café, but after you take a bite of the pineapple bun, you’ll get a warm feeling. The pineapple bun comes either plain or with a slice of Anchor Butter (a premium). Don’t be surprised if you don’t taste or smell any sort of pineapple on your sweet and crunchy first bite. The fruit is only referred to because of hard exterior shell (made with a mixture of corn starch and sugar) that resembles the skin of a pineapple. The plain bun is a little on the dry side, but a sip of milk tea completes the experience. The bun with butter on the other hand, can be enjoyed thoroughly by itself. A fair warning, the iced milk tea could seem a little watered down — we recommended that you order a warm cup of

Directed by Nabuhiro Ymashita, Over the Fence is a contemporary Japanese drama based on the short story Ogon no Fuku by Yasushi Sato. The lead character Shiraiwa (played by Joe Odagiri), who is recently divorced, heads back to his hometown of Hakodate to enroll in a vocational school for carpentry. While living a rather mundane life there, Shiraiwa visits a local hostess bar with a classmate. When he meets Satoshi, an eccentric hostess, his plain life finally begins to take color.   Odagiri’s acting is best described as nonchalant. In portraying relaxed yet over-the-top characters, as seen in the role of gay man in Maison de Himiko and of a police officer in Late Night Restaurant, he seems comfortable enough to add original, subtle and dynamic tones to them. In Over the Fence, too, Odagiri nonchalantly shows off his indeed effortless style: without being completely immersed or trying his hardest to escape, the pained character confronts the audience (as if commenting: "Don't act surprised") while successfully veiling all of the misery, shame and self-pity inside.   Aoi Yuu’s role as Satoshi is also eye-catching. Sweet and troubled at the same time, she beautifully portrays unique contradictions and naiveté in her role. As for director Nabuhiro Ymashita, who, in large part, has focused on comedy films in the past, Over the Fence will serve as an artistic turning point.

Korean cinema’s action maestro Ryoo Seung-wan has gone from strength to strength in recent years (The Berlin File, Veteran), with bigger budgets along the way. Unfortunately, The Battleship Island, his most audacious work yet, buries several strong elements in an overstuffed narrative, fueled by a tad too much nationalist sentiment. Set on Japanese mining island Hashima (you may recognize it as the villain’s lair from Bond outing Skyfall) during WWII, Korean characters from different backgrounds fight for their survival and eventually plot a daring escape. The setting is mostly drawn from history—though the climax is an invention—but parts are included purely to provoke a reaction, including a horrific flashback to the torture of comfort women. The film is notable for its superstar wattage (Song Joong-ki and So Ji-sub), yet it’s young actress Kim Su-an who steals the show as the daughter of the bandmaster played by a genial Hwang Jung-min; She’s the only person whose fate we become invested in during a story bogged down by too many characters. Sublimely shot and designed, and terrifically choreographed by long-time Ryoo collaborator Jung Doo-hong—especially in one tile-crunching bout of bath fisticuffs—The Battleship Island is a technical marvel. It all comes to a close in a rousing climax choke full of striking images, but the film’s narrative machinations scupper the fun, never delivering their intended emotional punch.   Written by Pierce Conran

Root, with a clean white interior and modestly chic vibe, is the place to go for a healthy and hearty meal in Hannam-dong, especially if you love avocados.  Almost all of the dishes on the menu contain this flavorful and filling fruit. One of our favorites, the Avocado Toast comes with a nicely poached egg, crispy bacon and cherry tomatoes topped with shredded radish. It is Root’s take on eggs Benedict, with the difference being the use of whole wheat bread instead of an English muffin and guacamole instead of Hollandaise sauce. The guacamole is refreshing, with a good amount of onions and herbs. While some might prefer the whole wheat bread toasted, it is overall an extremely satisfying dish. Another awesome avocado dish offered here is the Salad Sushi (a popular story claims that the use of avocado in sushi was first started by a Japanese chef in California who was looking for an ingredient of a texture similar to fatty tuna — the result is what is known as the California rolls). A reinterpretation of the California roll, its rich flavors and texture from well-ripe avocados feels hearty, without any meat or fish in the ingredients. The mixture of rice, veggies, avocado and seaweed topped with savory sesame sauce create a delightful meal, which will be certainly filling for even non-vegetarians.

The owner at Mok-shin started his business in 1988 and has been making the same sauce with the same recipe for about 30 years. The thick sauce is made with roux (butter and flour cooked together), which is stirred on a light fire until it turns the desired brown color. After vegetables are added, it is cooked a bit more. Although previously this special sauce was poured on top of the tonkatsu, it now comes served in a separate bowl. As for the tonkatsu itself, the pork sirloin is pounded thin and covered with bread crumbs in an old-fashioned way. Unlike the traditional Japanese tonkatsu which uses thick pork (which add texture), this place offers a more crispy alternative. The taste? The dubious look and atmosphere of this restaurant vanished with one bite of their specialty, the tonkatsu. The deep fried pork cutlet comes in the size of a hand, served with brown sauce and salad with dressing.  The interesting thing about Mok-shin is that they serve a whole variety of food including fish egg stew and even Korean style sashimi. Even so, their specialty tonkatsu and hamburg steak are solid. The hearty and comforting tonkatsu made me reminisce of the times when my mother would take me to have this comfort food back when I was a child. I'm not saying it's in any way jaw-droppingly good, but Mok-shin is worth visiting for old time’s sake.  

1965년 처음 개봉한 영화 를 다시 극장에서 만난다. 알프스를 배경으로 한 영상과 사랑스러운 줄리 앤드류스의 노래가 많은 사랑을 받는 이 영화는 1965년 첫 개봉에 이어 1978년, 1995년, 2012년에 꾸준히 재상영되어 왔다. 주된 줄거리는 물론 음악을 사랑하는 수녀 마리아가 명문 해군 집안의 일곱 아이들의 가정 교사가 되며 펼쳐지는 사건들이다. 좀처럼 마음을 열지 않는 아이들의 마음을 열기 위해 마리아는 노래를 택했다. 사실 이 영화는 실화를 바탕으로 했다. 바로 게오르크 루트비히 폰 트라프 남작의 두 번째 부인 마리아 아우구스타 폰 트라프 남작부인이 그 주인공이다. 그녀는 2차 세계 대전이 터진 후 미국으로 망명해 트라프가 합창단을 결성, 단장을 맡았다. 재즈 버전으로도 유명한 'My Favorite Thing', 아이들의 귀여운 목소리와 퍼포먼스가 돋보이는 'So Long, Farewell'를 비롯해 한국에서도 도레미송으로 알려진 'Do Re Mi Song'과 명곡 'Edelweiss'를 운치 있는 화면과 함께 감상할 수 있다.  

은 총 여섯 편으로 구성된 의 최종작이다. 폴 앤더슨이 감독과 각본을 맡은 이 영화는 동명의 게임을 소재로 했다. 앨리스(밀라 요보비치)와 그녀의 친구들이 알버트 웨스커(숀 로버츠)에게 배신을 당한 뒤 엄브렐라의 총력을 소집해 재앙에서 살아 남은 자들에 맞서 대항한다.    이전작인 2012년의 직후의 상황을 그린 이 영화에서 좀비들에게 포위되어 위기에 처한 인간의 마지막 구원자로써 앨리스는 이 모든 악몽이 시작된 장소인 라쿤 시티에 돌아가야 한다. 그녀의 초인적 능력을 빼앗길 위기와 엄브렐라의 공격 사이에서 앨리스는 인간을 구하기 위해 가장 험난한 모험을 펼친다. 엄브렐라의 지도자인 리 역할을 맡은 한국 배우 이준기의 헐리우드 데뷔작이기도 하다.