The Korea Times

Why 'Ode to My Father' remains relevant today

If a house is on fire and a mother and three of her children are safely outside, should she risk her life to run in and save the remaining child? “Yes, of course!” you think. All life is sacred. Each individual precious. But the answer from a Korean mother in the 1950s might be "no." Because if she went inside and died, who would be left to feed the other children? Despite the grief of losing a husband and a child, she is expected to bury her trauma, endure the anguish, and continue dedicating her life, irrespective of her own feelings, to her children. That’s what Korean mothers do.

Oct 5, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Why 'Ode to My Father' remains relevant today

Opinion

Narrating Korean life - Part 3

Autumn in Korea is magical. You can even smell it coming, walking the streets late at night. Barbeque joints, chicken houses, and all sorts of other cafes, bakeries, and places selling food and booze finally open their doors and windows, putting customers out in the road. People no longer run from building to building seeking either the sweet solace of an air conditioner or the safety of an umbrella. Now, instead, they dawdle. Loitering outside, catching the breeze, and drinking long into the night. A local joke has it that it’s not just the horses that get fat in autumn, it’s the people too. Love and mischief can be heard and seen everywhere. It feels like this is a season when not only are a lot of babies made, the divorce count and counselling rates probably jump up as well.

Sep 28, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

Who was Park Chung-hee?

I’ve often made the argument that history in Korean society is one of the most dangerous topics to explore. One is obliged to consider sensitivity rather than facts, to be cognizant of the prevailing national mood, and to tread carefully around issues of colonization, culture, and important figures. The trepidation one feels is added to by the presence of national defamation laws which can see people sued for saying things about people, living or dead, that might affect their reputation in a negative manner, even if what is said is true. Consider that rather complex sentence one more time to make sure you understand it. You can get sued for defamation even if you are telling the truth.

Sep 21, 2024By David A. Tizzard

Opinion

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

David A. Tizzard

Read more

Why 'Ode to My Father' remains relevant today

Narrating Korean life - Part 3

Who was Park Chung-hee?

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'

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