The Korea Times

Ali, singer with soulful voice, to marry salaried man

Singer Ali is in her wedding photo. Her soulful voice makes her quite popular. Courtesy of HayesBy Oh Young-jin Ali, a singer noted for her soulful voice, will get married next month, her agency said Friday.Her husband-to-be is not a celebrity but a salaried man, it said. Only family members and close friends are invited to the wedding slated for May 11 in Seoul. The singer, real name Cho Yong-jin, was quoted as saying, "I am happy to find my better half. Being together will broaden my experience beyond music." Her stage name is said to be based on legendary boxer Muhammad Ali. She debuted in 2009 and gained fame for her vocal ability in the KBS singing contest “Immortal Songs.”

Apr 26, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Ali, singer with soulful voice, to marry salaried man

Politics

Boeing handling Max disasters like Korea did with Sewol

The pile of debris from the deadly crash of Ethiopian Airlines' Boeing 737 Max 8 in March. AP-YonhapBy Oh Young-jin The way Boeing Co. is handling the aftermath of the two recent deadly crashes of its passenger jets bears a worrisome resemblance to Korea's ham-fisted management of the April 16, 2014, sinking of the ferry Sewol, the nation's worst peacetime disaster. What can make the Boeing case worse is its alleged failure to act quickly after the first disaster so as to prevent the second. The world's leading passenger aircraft maker's troubles involve its 737 Max 8 jets, while the Sewol was a maritime tragedy. What brings the two different types of mishaps together is complacency, incompetence and crassness shown by Boeing and its leader, reminding one of what went wrong leading to Korea's sea disaster that killed 304 people, mostly high school students on a field trip. On Oct. 29, a 737 Max 8 jet of Indonesia's Lion Air crashed into the Java Sea near Jakarta, killing all 189 passengers and crew. Less than five months later, on March 10, an Ethiopian Airlines Max 8 crashed just ou

Apr 19, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Boeing handling Max disasters like Korea did with Sewol

FAA sets multi-nation review of Boeing's troubled Max planes

Politics

VIDEO Taiwanese envoy defiant on China, optimistic on future

Daniel D. W. Tang, representative of the Taipei Mission in Korea, pauses during an interview with The Korea Times at his office in downtown Seoul, April 11. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Oh Young-jinA little fuss occurred at the office of Daniel D. W. Tang, representative of the Taipei Mission in Korea, in downtown Seoul last week, as a flag was moved behind him before an interview.Obviously, it is uncommon for the “ambassador of Taiwan” to have a full-fledged interview with a media outlet. Tang wanted to make sure his national flag was included in photos and video for this meeting with The Korea Times. Perhaps that flag best captured the story of Tang's country ― often considered a lost cause amid the onslaught of China, once the rival of the island state that has grown too big and powerful. But at the interview's end, a couple of surprises emerged that made the story of Taiwan not one of despair or defiance but one of hope with a future. It was attributed in no small part to the ambassador's narrative skills. Tang finally felt satisfied with the flag's position.

Apr 18, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Taiwanese envoy defiant on China, optimistic on future [VIDEO]

Law & Crime

Fatal arson attacker showed signs of schizophrenia

The main suspect in the killing and arson spree at an apartment building in Jinju is escorted into a police station in the South Gyeongsang Province city, Wednesday. YonhapA window in the apartment was blackened in the fire that took 20 minutes to extinguish. YonhapBy Oh Young-jin The suspect in an early morning arson and killing spree Wednesday exhibited signs of schizophrenia, claiming his fatal attack was in self-defense against "forces that threatened me," police said at a briefing later in the day. He reportedly had a history of mental illness.Five people were killed and 13 injured in the arson and stabbing attack at an apartment complex in Jinju. Police said that four of the dead were women including a 12-year-old girl and her grandmother. A blind high school senior was also a victim. Some of the injured were listed in a critical condition so the death toll could rise. Seven others were victims of smoke inhalation.The suspect, identified by his surname An, 42, was apprehended at the scene. The arson and murder suspect, identified as An, being escorted by police officers. Yonhap

Apr 17, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Fatal arson attacker showed signs of schizophrenia

Opinion

Holley justice, Korean style

Robert Holley, a TV celebrity, is escorted out of Nambu Police Station in Suwon, Wednesday, for the court's decision about his continued detention for allegedly using methamphetamine. He was released but a probe into his drug use allegation will continue. YonhapBy Oh Young-jin It's a metamorphosis put on super-stimulating methamphetamine ― Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. In a matter of days, Robert Holley, a Mormon from California who became a naturalized Korean named Ha Il, turned from a goofy, jolly-good fellow, international lawyer ― turned-TV-personality into a drug addict, who for years led a secret life as non-binary and even duped his trusting friend into making a fool of himself in his defense. People were left at a loss how to feel about the person ― betrayal or sadness ― ended up in a collective action of tongue clucking. Now, let's step away from the crowd, turn the Holley show in reverse and go slowly for close-ups. A news flash was out Tuesday evening about his apprehension for using alleged crystal meth, a banned drug. Then reports followed about his “partial” admis

Apr 12, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Entertainment

Holley scapegoat of 'dirty' cops, says his friend Peterson

Robert Holley is escorted to Suwon Nambu Police Station, Tuesday, after being questioned at the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency over allegations of using illegal drugs. YonhapBy Oh Young-jin Mark Peterson, professor emeritus at Brigham Young University in Utah, claimed Tuesday that popular TV personality Robert Holley, known by the Korean name Ha Il, who was arrested for allegedly using methamphetamine, was the victim of “dirty” Korean cops. In a posting on historian Robert Neff's Facebook, Peterson, a Korea Times columnist, wrote: "Rob's a friend of mine. The police have been dogging him for about a year because another entertainer who is guilty has accused Rob as a way of lightening his own sentence. "Rob refutes every accusation, and the police will not give it up. Several months ago they gave him a clean bill of health, but they will not give up. Rob doesn't do drugs ― he doesn't even drink. This isn't a drug story; it's a dirty cop story." Peterson spoke similarly to Yonhap News over the phone. He was quoted as saying that police didn't have any evidence and

Apr 9, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Holley scapegoat of 'dirty' cops, says his friend Peterson

TV personality Robert Holley detained for meth use

Politics

No red faces?: Chinese give Seoul mayor wrong portrait, take it back

Surprise gift: Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, left, holds a portrait from Guangdong Province governor Ma Xingrui at Seoul City Hall, Friday. The portrait turned out to be that of Lee Jae-myung, governor of Gyeonggi Province, not Park. From the look on Park's face, he didn't realize what went wrong. YonhapBy Oh Young-jin If somebody believes that Guangdong Province is being groomed to rival Silicon Valley and is ready to plunk money into it, think again. The Chinese rise may not be as promising as thought. The Chinese province governor Ma Xingrui, airspace engineer, handed over a portrait as gift during his meeting with Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, Friday. But it turned out not to be of Park but of Lee Jae-myung, governor of Gyeonggi Province. It may be passed off as honest mistake but what made it a farce was the Chinese kept this portrait a secret, telling Seoul city that it had a "surprise" gift. The exchange of gifts was originally scheduled for Thursday but was delayed at the request of the Chinese. It proved a surprise but of the wrong kind.At first, Park apparently didn't know the po

Apr 5, 2019By Oh Young-jin

No red faces?: Chinese give Seoul mayor wrong portrait, take it back

Films

Two 'Girl Cops' team up to fight sex crimes advance-noticed online

Ra Mi-ran, left, and Lee Sung-kyung, team up in the new buddy movie “Girl Cops”By Oh Young-jinTwo actresses, known for overcoming their supposed weaknesses, are joining forces in the new movie "Girl Cops," to be released in May.In a CGV movie house in Gangnam Friday, Ra Mi-ran and Lee Sung-kyung talked to the media about their movie that is about two women out to solve sexual crimes which are noticed 48 hours online before they are committed.Lee, a former award-winning model, has proved she is more than a pretty face with a good physique by playing the title role of "Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo," a 2016 MBC drama inspired by the true story of the Olympic gold medalist Jang Mi-ran. Ra Mi-ran is a late bloomer whose acting skills alone helped propel her to stardom."I don't give an extra meaning to the fact that it is a girl buddy movie," Ra said. "But I feel uneasy about taking on the title role." Ra plays a down-on-her-luck former cop who still is talked about as a legend, while Lee is a rookie with passion ― a wrong combination.Lee complimented her veteran counterpart

Apr 5, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Two 'Girl Cops' team up to fight sex crimes advance-noticed online

Opinion

Mr. President, stop acting like amateur

President Moon Jae-in welcomes Jeffrey Jones, chairman of the board of American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) Korea, during a meeting Moon hosted for foreign businesspeople at Cheong Wa Dae, March 28. YonhapBy Oh Young-jin Take a step back and it is easier to see how political battle lines are moving.The conservatives are concentrating their fire power on President Moon Jae-in's nominees for Cabinet ministers. Two were knocked out. In the process, a presidential spokesman was forced to resign. The new senior secretary, an immediate senior to “the President's mouthpiece,” was seriously wounded for jumping into the fray when he was not supposed to. He is keeping his job just because he is new and, more importantly, Cheong Wa Dae doesn't want to give satisfaction to the opposition.Of course, I am using a figure of speech to describe the current political goings-on. After all, politics is a game of winning the hearts and minds of the voters, and making it difficult to play is the unpredictable part of politics, which the late political master Kim Dae-jung compared to a living

Apr 5, 2019By Oh Young-jin

North Korea

Summit: 3rd time could be charm, if it happens

Protesters wearing masks of U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stand during a rally demanding the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and peace treaty near the U.S. embassy in Seoul, March 21. APBy Oh Young-jinAgain, it is hard to predict the future of the Korean Peninsula after the no-deal summit in Hanoi between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un late last month. So far, the two adversaries have tried to exercise restraint, being careful not to provoke each other, in an attempt not to lose their dialogue momentum. But the Hanoi summit shows, if anything, the fundamental differences in their stances on how to get the North's denuclearization and the U.S.'s compensation going. The U.S. wants a “big deal” for the North to be completely disarmed at once, while the North wants the U.S. to ease sanctions in return for partial action. One fear is a return to the tension before the PyeongChang Olympics in February 2018, when evidence showed the U.S. was seriously contemplating a preemptive strike for a potential fir

Mar 26, 2019By Oh Young-jin

Summit: 3rd time could be charm, if it happens

North Korea: Is Trump failing?

Oh Young-jin

Read more

Ali, singer with soulful voice, to marry salaried man

Boeing handling Max disasters like Korea did with Sewol

VIDEO Taiwanese envoy defiant on China, optimistic on future

Fatal arson attacker showed signs of schizophrenia

Holley justice, Korean style

Holley scapegoat of 'dirty' cops, says his friend Peterson

No red faces?: Chinese give Seoul mayor wrong portrait, take it back

Two 'Girl Cops' team up to fight sex crimes advance-noticed online

Mr. President, stop acting like amateur

Summit: 3rd time could be charm, if it happens

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