The Korea Times

I received present from Kim Jong-un…

Shortly after the Korean election in 2017, I received a gift set from President Moon Jae-in. It arrived in a special case with the symbols of the Blue House and the presidency all over it. It was a set of commemorative glasses and some high-end soju, the latter of which was enjoyed with some meat and cheese. I’m not sure I had done anything to deserve such a present. Indeed, the cynical observer might suggest that it was a way for the administration to try and get foreign journalists and media figures onside for their domestic and international policies, one of which focused very heavily on North Korea and engagement with Pyongyang.

Sep 14, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

'The Frog': K-drama that promises much and delivers little

I wanted to like "The Frog." I really did. And, after three episodes, I had great hope for what was unfolding. I was struggling to keep up with the non-chronological narration. I was fascinated by the occasional glimpses of the unconscious. And I was in love with Go Min-si’s character: a femme fatale shrouded in mystery and oozing sex appeal. I spoke of my predictions to the people around me. “I think it might be their grief playing out” or, “It might be like Lost and the hotel is a form of purgatory or something.”

Sep 8, 2024By David A. Tizzard

'The Frog': K-drama that promises much and delivers little

Opinion

Narrating Korean life - Part 2

I often find myself standing at the local school gates, waiting for my children to emerge. I love the responsibility of picking up our kids from school, watching them all come running out, seeing the mums chatting away with each other, the hordes of yellow buses waiting to whisk children to the next lesson, and the occasional dad, shuffling restlessly on two feet. The 10-15 minutes standing there is a wonderful break from everything else that happens in life: you forget your bills, you don’t think about work. You are lost in a moment, poised for one thing and one thing only. The sight of your children.

Aug 31, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Narrating Korean life - Part 1

I stumbled into the pharmacy. The door made an uncomfortably loud sound and the sweat was already forming on my forehead. I had just dropped off my son at his golf lesson and now had to pick up my daughter from her K-pop class. I decided I’d get some hangover medicine from the doctor on the way. “Sukchwiga itgo hal iri manaseo yak pilyohamnida (I have a hangover and a lot of work so can you give me some medicine please),” I said to the woman in the white coat. To be fair, the doctor was familiar with both my Korean and my weekend consumption habits so she quickly prepared the drink, the tablets, and a space on the counter for me to down them while she scanned my card.

Aug 17, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Korea in ten words: (6) Rice

Growing up, I often encountered the cliché that Innuits had anywhere between 50-100 words for snow. The numerous different terms and expressions reflecting not only the importance but also the prominence of snow in their daily lives. The same might be said for rice in Korea. We often think of rice as just a single entity, but for Koreans it lives a multilayered life. It is "byeo" when it’s in plant form, "ssal" as husks, and "bap" when it’s the thing placed on the table. By the same token, "bap" also means meal. You can test this by asking a Korean person what "bap" means: shome will shout rice while others will tell you it means something like food or meal. Some of them will also say that if a meal doesn’t include rice, it’s not a real meal. I know when I order bossam from a local restaurant and tell the lady I don’t need the scorching hot stainless steel rice bowl filled with white stuff, she will give me a funny look. I must be joking! No rice with your lunch? Nonsense.

Aug 10, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Couples in Korea

A deep-seated sense of familiarity sets in as you age. Life becomes comfortable. The ego disappears. Anxiety fades. Things don’t continually grab you with the fire that they once did and so you are left searching for that spark. Something that reminds you are still alive. Something that stops every song sounding the same, every movie playing out the same plot. You’re left looking for that feeling you once had when you were 23. Because in your mind, you still are 23. Despite what the wrinkles say.

Aug 3, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

BOOK REVIEW 'The Melancholy of Untold History'

I first came across the work of Kang Minsoo when someone shared an article he had written refuting the notion that Korean people possess an untranslatable profound sorrow or regret known locally here as "han." For a modern scholar, particularly one versed in literature, to challenge something that has been so instrumental in the creation and reproduction of Korean poetry, music, and film over the past few decades was extremely refreshing. Minsoo was writing something that many felt and often expressed in social media posts. However, few if any had gone to the same lengths in playing out their ideas publicly with such a degree of sophistication and, perhaps most importantly, empathy.

Jul 27, 2024By David A. Tizzard

[BOOK REVIEW] 'The Melancholy of Untold History'

Opinion

Bong Joon-ho and abyss in Korean cinema

A few days ago I told my students that the difference between Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho is that while the former tells his stories through themes and symbolism, Bong’s movies are far more direct and focused on pushing the plot forward through action. Though we might want to see signs and symbols in the stairs and so on, ultimately, Bong is telling stories through plot. He’s putting certain characters in a specific situation, and then seeing what happens.

Jul 20, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Korea in ten words: (5) Jeong

Korean summers are brutally humid. You sweat just looking out the windows. Nevertheless, we had broken down a large wardrobe and had to now carry these large planks of wood outside to a recycling area familiar to anyone who lives in Korean apartments. Illuminated, slightly removed, and watched over by a passionate "ajjoshi" seemingly desperate to make sure you take off every piece of paper and wash every piece of plastic. Even without cameras, there's always the fear that failing to recycle properly will result in a notice going up in the elevators about "somebody" not doing their job properly. The public gaze in this country is super real. People don't act right and avoid stealing stuff because they're inherently better people than elsewhere. It's often because there's an inescapable feeling that you're always being watched. It's known locally as either "nunchi" or "namui siseon."

Jul 14, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Oldboy: revisited

It’s fascinating to me just how much and how little my international students know about Korea and its culture. Many of them will talk passionately with me about each member of NCT, recount the various releases of Seventeen, and provide opinions about the ongoing saga between Bang Si-hyuk and Min Hee-jin. Then, these very same students will look pensively at the board and ask, “Professor, what does BoA mean?” or “Who is Lee Hyori? Is she an actor?”

Jul 6, 2024By David A. Tizzard

David A. Tizzard

Read more

I received present from Kim Jong-un…

'The Frog': K-drama that promises much and delivers little

Narrating Korean life - Part 2

Narrating Korean life - Part 1

Korea in ten words: (6) Rice

Couples in Korea

BOOK REVIEW 'The Melancholy of Untold History'

Bong Joon-ho and abyss in Korean cinema

Korea in ten words: (5) Jeong

Oldboy: revisited

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