The Korea Times

Ex-president's son hopes to become pastor

Former president Chun Doo-hwan's second son Jae-guk / Korea Times fileBy Kang Hyun-kyungChun Jae-guk, 57, the second son of former President Chun Doo-hwan, said last week that he has been attending divinity school to become a pastor. On a radio show of the international Christian radio network Far Eastern Broadcasting Company (FEBC) on Friday, Chun Jr. said he was inspired to go to divinity school while he was in prison.He was released from prison after serving two years and eight months. The Supreme Court sentenced him in August 2015 to three years behind bars, which was suspended for four years, along with a 4 billion won fine. He was on trial for tax evasion. Of the 4-billion won fine, he paid only 140 million won (3.5 percent of the total) and performed 32 months of penal labor in prison to pay the rest of the evaded tax.The latest update about the former president's second son was made public when the radio show host Rev. Kim Jang-hwan, also known by his English name Billy Kim, informed his audience that the former president's son is now a divinity school student.Kim said he was

Mar 7, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

Ex-president's son hopes to become pastor

Opinion

Code of conduct for stars

By Kang Hyun-kyungNot so long ago, success was defined narrowly in Korea. People who landed in the top two professions_ namely doctors and lawyers, the toughest survivors of the brutally heavy competition through their years of hard work_ were deemed successful. To succeed in life, they had to attend a prestigious university, and then pass the notoriously competitive state bar exams. Medical school was (and still is) another gateway to a successful career that attracts the nation's smartest students. When people with humble beginnings landed in one of the top two “it-jobs,” they were praised for their hard-won achievements. People who overcame childhood adversities and rose above their working-class family backgrounds were called “creek dragons” because they defied the odds; the mythical creature was believed to live in oceans, not creeks or streams which are too small for then to inhibit.With the ever-widening income gap between the high- and low-income earners after the Asian Financial Crisis hit the region in the late 1990s, education lost steam as the spr

Mar 3, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

Books

Bestseller author apologizes over plagiarism, returns with new fiction

By Kang Hyun-kyung Shin Kyung-sook / Korea Times file Million-seller author Shin Kyung-sook released her new fiction novel “I've Gone to Father” Wednesday, offering her belated formal apology in response to allegations that her 2016 work “Legend” plagiarized the late Japanese author Yukio Mashima's short fiction novel “Patriotism.”Noting it was untended, Shin said she was sorry for causing a stir. “I deliver my sincerest apologies to readers for my carelessness,” she said during an online press conference for her new fiction on Wednesday. “I took my mistake and flawed past seriously and will not forget what I did in my future work.”This is her first in-person apology since the plagiarism allegation was raised six years ago. She resumed her literary career in 2019 with the release of her fiction “The River Never Knows What's Loaded on the Ship.” At that time, she offered a written apology. On Wednesday, a nervous-looking Shin said she had been feeling extremely uncomfo

Mar 3, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

Bestseller author apologizes over plagiarism, returns with new fiction

Trends

The way bullies recall their past

Experts say bullies are forgetful, partly because they have a lack of, or a lower level of empathy with others. gettyimagesbank Some bullies unable to fathom victims' suffering By Kang Hyun-kyungThe recent bullying scandals that have rocked the Korean entertainment and sports scenes show a deep gap in narratives about the same shared experiences of the alleged victims and the people accused of having bullied them. Victims say their lives were ruined as the traumatic experiences continue to haunt them. Some alleged bullies, meanwhile, insist that they don't even remember such horrific incidents and that if such a thing really happened, they were “teasing” and what they had done wasn't meaning that they tried to harass their counterparts. The clash of the two accounts raises a key question: Why do people have different, if not contrasting, memories about the same shared experience? Various interpretations are possible. Either side could have lied about what happened.

Feb 25, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

Victims still reeling from traumatic past, yet bullies forgetful

Trends

Victims still reeling from traumatic past, yet bullies forgetful

K-pop has been increasingly caught in bullying scandals as fresh allegations have been made almost every day since last week. GettyimagesbankK-pop caught in bullying scandals with a series of revelations By Kang Hyun-kyungSinger-actor Kwon Min-a, 27, a former member of the eight-member girl band, AOA, stole the show, Tuesday. Unveiling several dazzling portrait photos of herself on Instagram, she let her fans know that she's still on the entertainment scene, although she had disappeared from the public eye since last year, following her bombshell announcement that she had been bullied by her then bandmate Jimin. In the newly uploaded photos, she's provocative and flawlessly gorgeous. Such stunning images, however, betray her true self. In a recent Instagram post, she admitted that she was still reeling from the consequences of her traumatic past. “I've seen psychiatrists since I was 20 or 21. It was five or six years ago when I realized I couldn't stand that person (who traumatized her) any more… I changed my psychiatrist in March 2018… Now, medication no longer

Feb 24, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

Victims still reeling from traumatic past, yet bullies forgetful

Entertainment

Overnight stardom brings stars' past to light

Experts said the popularity of audition shows makes it easier for singers to find themselves at the center of negative attention. gettyimagesbankBy Kang Hyun-kyungKang Hyun, a high school senior who was competing in Mnet's popular hip hop audition show High School Rapper, quit Saturday. His sudden decision to drop out of the popular contest, widely regarded as a springboard to fame for aspiring hip hop singers, came days after his alleged violent past was revealed. In a post uploaded on a hip hop fan community, an anonymous internet user wrote that she had been sexually assaulted by Kang. Her post came shortly after the show aired the first episode of season four, Friday. Kang was one of the 40 contestants vying for the title. The alleged victim claimed that he raped her three years ago at his studio, but was fined a mere 2 million won after a trial, emphasizing that she and her family members were horrified to see him again, this time on TV. Mnet said its staff checked with the 19-year-old contestant to see if the allegations were true. Admitting to the crime, he said he would quit

Feb 22, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

Overnight stardom brings stars' past to light

Books

INTERVIEW UK-based author warns of uncertain future for Hong Kong, Taiwan

The portrait of late Chinese leader Mao Zedong is seen on Tiananmen Gate, which is covered during renovation works, in Beijing, China, in this May 2019 file photo. Reuters-Yonhap'China 1949' tells the story of lingering fallout of Chinese civil war on East Asia and beyondBy Kang Hyun-kyungGraham Hutchings, author of “China 1949: Year of Revolution” / Courtesy of Graham HutchingsGraham Hutchings, an associate at Oxford University's China Center and honorary professor of politics and international relations at Nottingham University, revisited what happened in China about seven decades ago in his recently published book, “China 1949: Year of Revolution,” providing clues as to what to expect in East Asia in the foreseeable future. Calling 1949 “a decisive year” in China's modern history, the British scholar claimed that China and the world still live in the shadow of China's 1946-49 civil war that resulted in the establishment of the Chinese Communist Party. “Unfortunately, the Chinese civil war, so far from being over, might flare up again. And

Feb 18, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

[INTERVIEW] UK-based author warns of uncertain future for Hong Kong, Taiwan

Trends

INTERVIEW UK photographer shares secret to prolific career with celebrities

UK photographer Mick Rock 2021 / Courtesy of Mick Rock By Kang Hyun-kyungFreddie Mercury, David Bowie, Madonna and Lady Gaga are all names known to people around the globe, with their own fan bases in Korea. Besides this, there is one more thing they have in common: They've all worked with renowned British photographer Mick Rock for their album covers or portrait photos. Due to his extensive work with global stars during their “golden days” from the 1970s to the present, Rock is often referred to with his rather lengthy nickname “the man that shot the 70s.” His bond with celebrities goes back to his early age, starting with Syd Barrett, one of the early members of Pink Floyd. Barrett, a singer, writer and guitarist, was one of the founding members of the British rock band which mesmerized music fans in their live shows with their sonic experimentation and philosophical lyrics.Asked about the secret to his prolific career as a photographer, particularly with globally

Feb 12, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

[INTERVIEW] UK photographer shares secret to prolific career with celebrities

Trends

INTERVIEW Irish street artist recreates urban space with Asian muses

Irish street artist Fin DAC is working on artwork in this undated photo. / Courtesy of Fin DACBy Kang Hyun-kyungFor Irish artist Finbarr Notte, the city is a huge canvas to fill in with his art. He began to view the concrete jungle as a space for his art in 2005 when he worked in digital advertising in central London. Back then, graffiti and street art were part of everyday life, inspiring young artistic souls like him to consider becoming an urban artist. But then in 2008, legendary street artist Banksy held the Cans Festival street art event in London, inviting artists from around the world to exhibit their works. It was then that the idea cemented in Notte's head to become a street artist.In his early years, painting walls with graffiti was not appreciated. It was illegal, so he hid behind the alias, “DAC,” at first. But as acceptance of street art has increased in his country, the alias has become more like a penname rather than to protect his anonymity. When asked to define street art in comparison to gallery art, Notte, now better known as Fin DAC, said he doesn't d

Feb 10, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

[INTERVIEW] Irish street artist recreates urban space with Asian muses

Films

Korean animated film 'Red Shoes' competes with 26 others for Oscars

A still from the Korean animated film “Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs” / Courtesy of SIDUS By Kang Hyun-kyungThe homegrown animated movie “Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs” made it onto a preliminary list of nominations for Best Animated Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, becoming the first Korean animation movie to achieve such a feat.It will compete for the final list of Oscar nominations along with 26 other animated movies. “Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs” directed by Hong Sung-ho revolves around a group of heroic princes known as the Fearless Seven who save a fairy princess from a dragon.The movie attracted some 820,000 viewers in Korea in 2019. It was screened in 129 countries, including the U.S. and Australia, and topped the box office in Spain. SIDUS studio said it was an honor for the film to make the cut for the Oscars, as it meant a lot to be selected, albeit in the preliminary round, to compete for Best Animated Feature along with 26 other candidates.

Feb 9, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

Kang Hyun-kyung

Read more

Ex-president's son hopes to become pastor

Code of conduct for stars

Bestseller author apologizes over plagiarism, returns with new fiction

The way bullies recall their past

Victims still reeling from traumatic past, yet bullies forgetful

Overnight stardom brings stars' past to light

INTERVIEW UK-based author warns of uncertain future for Hong Kong, Taiwan

INTERVIEW UK photographer shares secret to prolific career with celebrities

INTERVIEW Irish street artist recreates urban space with Asian muses

Korean animated film 'Red Shoes' competes with 26 others for Oscars

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