Archive for 'Culture'
Korean Film Essentials: A Guide Pt. 2 Posted by Tony Kitchen on Aug 21, 2015
Korean film is still on its upswing, and from a film or movie-going experience, from Seoul to Cannes, it is not merely a string of hits. Three Korean movie directors are at the forefront of the movement. What makes Korean film punch above its weight internationally? If it is not his actual films, then it…
A Korean Director to Know: Hong Sang-Soo and Korean Arthouse Film Posted by Tony Kitchen on Aug 8, 2015
The 54-year old Hong Sang-Soo (홍상수), a filmmaker for nearly 20 years, has taken Korean arthouse film–the trendy, day-to-day social life, chain-smoking conversations over soju–to a new level. His films have been highly regarded at international film festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival (considered to be the gold standard for independent film awards), where he…
Korean Movies: Beyond ‘Old Boy’ and off the Charted Path Posted by Tony Kitchen on Aug 6, 2015
Korean film is more than the modern classics like Old Boy (올드보이 2003), The Chaser (추격자 2008), and Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War (태극기 휘날리며 2004). Those titles are internationally acclaimed Korean movies–quirky, disturbing, powerful. Film Festivals in Cannes, Venice, Berlin, among others, represent a steady stream of nominated Korean films from independent to large studios. (In a future post, I…
Korea Embracing Plastic Surgery Norms Through ‘Medical Tourism’ Posted by Tony Kitchen on May 21, 2015
South Korea has been pushing efforts both privately and through government agencies to increase tourism to the ROK in the non-traditional form: medical tourism. In 2014, about 56,000 Chinese alone visited South Korea for plastic surgery, according to China’s Ministry of Health, up from 4,700 in 2009. The social norm in Korea (as well-documented as ever…
Busan Cave Bar’s Makgeolli, Dongdongju Is Korea’s Best City Escape Posted by Tony Kitchen on May 16, 2015
Hidden to even Busan natives, “Dragon Dream” (용꿈) is a makgeolli (막걸리) bar with two twists: a former World War II Japanese bomb shelter carved into the mountain during the colonization of Korea, and a unique version of makgeolli called dongdongju (동동주). The cave (동굴) drips with water seeping through the rock, calcium deposits growing…
A Night in a Korean Bathhouse Posted by sasha on Apr 29, 2015
On both of my visits to South Korea, one of the highlights was spending a night in a traditional Korean bathhouse. Known as jimjilbang (찜질방), these are extremely popular with people of all ages and they represent an important aspect of Korean culture. Unlike spas back home in the States where you’re totally secluded, a…
Beaches, Buddhas, and BBQ in Busan Posted by sasha on Mar 30, 2015
It may live in the shadow of the capital of Seoul, but Korea’s second city has a lot to offer. Hit the beach, hike to ancient temples, munch on fresh seafood, and enjoy some arcade games in Busan.