The Korea Times

Filmmaker gives Korean War orphans voices

Two Korean War orphans pose with a Hungarian boy in this 1953 file photo. / Courtesy of Kim Deog-young'Kim Il-sung's Children' to hit local theaters on June 25, the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean WarBy Kang Hyun-kyungDirector Kim Deog-young's “Kim Il-sung's Children” is a tale of the doomed fate of thousands of Korean War orphans who found homes in Europe and lived there for several years only to have their “fond” childhood abruptly ended with their forced repatriation to North Korea in 1959. Since their separation, these North Koreans and their European friends missed one another, longing in vain to see each other again. Their hopes, however, never came to pass. The then North Korean leader Kim Il-sung turned a deaf ear to the Europeans' repeated pleas to allow reunions. This sad but informative movie shows how individuals' lives were shattered by the turbulence of Korea's modern history caused by the clash of democracy and communism. In 1952 winter, hundreds of Korean children arrived at a railway station in Bulgaria on board a train. The chi

Jun 14, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung

Filmmaker gives Korean War orphans voices

Global Community

INTERVIEW Former Maoist writes for China's democracy

Chinese dissident Wu Zhenrong prays at the Seoul Chinese Church in Daelim-dong, Seoul, last Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulChinese dissident in exile releases memoir on his 'double life' as a Red Guard and rebel By Kang Hyun-kyungChinese dissident Wu Zhenrong, 71, has been in a lonely fight for a free, democratic China― a daunting goal for the foreseeable future.To make his voice heard, instead of organizing rallies or taking to the street, he writes tirelessly from his home in Seoul to keep issues like democracy in China and the fallacies spread by the Communist Party at the focus of public discourse. His writing mission for China's democracy has continued for five decades against all odds. The past 18 years of his life as the first Chinese to have earned refugee status in South Korea has been rocky. Before he moved to his current place in Guro-dong, Seoul, Wu had lived in a tiny single-room house in an urban slum near Garibong-dong. The neighborhood was dangerous and unsanitary. His mentor Rev. Choe Hwang-gyu called Wu's place “a dog pit,” saying he

Jun 11, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung

[INTERVIEW] Former Maoist writes for China's democracy

Politics

Mr. Mayor, don't cross the line

The members of Sarang Jeil Church in Seoul gathered at the church to worship every Sunday amid the coronavirus pandemic. / Korea Times fileSeoul Mayor Park Won-soon playing hardball with Protestant church By Kang Hyun-kyung“Do not tie your shoes if you are in someone else's cucumber field.” This old Korean saying advises people not to do a certain thing if it makes others suspicious of your motives. Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon is making the same mistake in Seoul City's crackdown on Sarang Jeil Church for the latter's defiance of an urban renewal plan set to uproot the neighborhood of Jangwi-dong in northeastern Seoul. Park's playing hardball with the Protestant church and its leaders has left room for different interpretation other than the implementation of the law. His actions can be seen as politically-motivated religious oppression. What he did to the church seems to be suicidal. The members of Sarang Jeil Church began an overnight rally on Thursday night. Hundreds of members gathered at the church. Some were outside the church, holding banners that they are against Seo

Jun 5, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung

Books

'I am wrongfully charged'

Imprisoned Choi Seo-won, better known as Choi Soon-sil, will release her memoir “Who Am I” on Monday. / Korea Times fileImprisoned Choi Soon-sil's memoir “Who Am I” to be published on Monday By Kang Hyun-kyungImprisoned Choi Seo-won, who was born Choi Soon-sil, claims that she has been wrongfully charged. She is currently serving an 18-year jail term on multiple counts, including abuse of power and obstruction of justice. In her memoir “Who Am I,” to be published on Monday, Choi, 64, claimed that she became the target of political retaliation, denying the allegations against her.“I'm a victim of political retaliation and have been facing consequences that are tougher than that of the purging of any socialist states. The truth will be revealed sooner or later,” she wrote in the preface of the book. It was reported in 2018 that Choi was working on a memoir in which she planned to disclose her side of truth about the Choi Soon-sil scandal that rocked the nation and triggered the candle-lit rallies calling for then-President Park Geun-hye t

Jun 5, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung

Global Community

Korean pastor bears brunt of death threats to save Chinese immigrants

Choe Hwang-kyu, founder and pastor of Seoul Chinese Church in Daelim-dong, Seoul, poses in front of his church, Saturday. He has saved Chinese people from human trafficking, domestic violence, and other abusive practices. / The Korea TimesBy Kang Hyun-kyungRev. Choe Hwang-kyu, 57, has risked his life to save the needy and abused Chinese nationals ― mostly Han Chinese migrants ― for the past two decades. Death threats and blackmail by human traffickers and thugs have become part of his life. They have tried to coerce him to hand over to them people he was protecting, such as Chinese women who fell victim to human trafficking and a man who was almost beaten to death after he failed to pay fees to his broker in exchange for their helping him enter South Korea illegally. They threatened his life would be cut short. But the fearless pastor didn't back down. Choe has been dealing with such life-threatening moments many times for the past two decades since he launched a human rights campaign initially for illegal immigrants and asylum-seekers from China.In 2003, he founded the Seoul Chinese

May 31, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung

Korean pastor bears brunt of death threats to save Chinese immigrants

Books

Japanese pastor, who saved Korea's urban poor, releases photobook

Two children walk on an unpaved road between thatch-roofed houses in Gangchon, Gangwon Province, near Bukhan River, in this 1968 photo taken by Japanese pastor Nomura Motoyuki. / Photo from Noonbit PublishingBy Kang Hyun-kyungJapanese pastor Nomura Motoyuki, 89, is a self-appointed civic ambassador having dedicated his entire life to helping Koreans and Japanese reconcile with each other to move forward from their tragic past. Rev. Nomura, also a photographer and author of three photobooks, has been campaigning for Korea, claiming that Japan owes a sincere apology to its neighbor. “As a national of the country that occupied Korea, I think Japan needs to offer a heart-felt apology to Koreans,” he said in the foreword of his latest photobook titled “Gangchon in Korea” published by Noonbit Publishing, Wednesday.He reiterated his decades-old demand that Japan take measures to mend ties with Korea. Nomura visited Seoul's urban poor in the 1970s to feed the poorest of the poor as his government turned a deaf ear to his repeated calls.The Japanese pastor raised money

May 27, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung

Japanese pastor, who saved Korea's urban poor, releases photobook

Books

Tech-free childhood captured in photography

Romanian-American artist Mari Calai's son Samuel blows the seeds off a red-seeded dandelion in the woods located in Falls Church, Virginia, in this September 2016 file photo. Calai released a photobook titled “ADAGIO” featuring her son and daughter growing up with nature, last week, five years after the photos were taken. / Photo from Noonbit PublishingRomanian-American artist chronicles her kids growing up with nature in 'ADAGIO'By Kang Hyun-kyungRomanian-American artist and photographer Mari Calai's two children depicted in her recently published photobook, titled “ADAGIO,” are very different from Korean kids of the same age group.Unlike Korean children who rush to test prep institutions once their schools are over and spend several hours there to hone their testing skills, Sofia and Samuel learn from nature. They spend most of their time in an “outdoor classroom” and have free time to explore the world surrounding them.Unlike Korean kids whose lives are inseparable from smartphones as they constantly communicate with their parents and friends th

May 25, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung

Tech-free childhood captured in photography

Books

'I am Korean yet culturally black'

Cindy Wilson, author of “Too Much Soul: The Journey of an Asian Southern Belle” / Courtesy of Cindy WilsonKorean American author speaks about her journey to find true self By Kang Hyun-kyungCindy Wilson, author of “Too Much Soul: The Journey of an Asian Southern Belle,” was born I Wol-yang in Seoul and adopted by African-American parents in 1975 when she was a few months old. Her name was changed to Cindy and she was brought to America by her adoptive parents the following year. Unlike some other adoptees who have spent a great deal of time and energy to find their birth parents, Wilson has never tried to find her roots. She said she considers her adoptive parents, not birth parents, to be her true family. Raised in Mississippi, Wilson identifies as being part of the African American community, even though she is Asian. In a recent Korea Times interview, she spoke about her upbringing, how it has impacted her journey to find her true self and her book which was published in 2018.Q: You appear to be more outgoing and positive than the other adoptees I've interv

May 19, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung

Books

Fabulous characters entertain pandemic-weary readers

A scene from Walt Disney's 1998 animated action film Mulan. The box office-hit was based on the Chinese folk tale of the female warrior Hua Mulan. / Korea Times file'Folk Tale Characters' ushers readers to literary creatures By Kang Hyun-kyungShin Dong-hun's new book “Folk Tale Characters” is a readable literary analysis that compares characters of Korean and international folk tales to draw their fascinating, yet unrealistic common nature. These exuberant characters are ordinary people born with extraordinary capabilities, entertaining coronavirus pandemic-weary readers and further ushering them to exciting adventures. Shin, a professor of Korean literature at Konkuk University in Seoul, said he hopes the characters he revisited in his book can inspire readers stressed out amid the lingering pandemic to regain hope and energy in their lives.His new book is also for himself. In the foreword, the author describes himself as a person having lived a life for others while forgoing happiness and personal gain to lead an ethical life. “Regarding an ethical life, I don't m

May 15, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung

Fabulous characters entertain pandemic-weary readers

Trends

Democracy can be hacked

People sort ballots for the general election before sending them to machines designed to tabulate votes at a multi-purpose badminton stadium in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul after polls closed April 15. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulQR codes on ballots, tabulation sheets trigger conspiracy theoryBy Kang Hyun-kyungThe Colorado secretary of state announced in September last year that the U.S. state would remove QR codes from ballots to prevent possible election meddling by outsiders. “I am proud that Colorado continues to lead the nation in election cybersecurity,” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a press release on Sept. 16. One of her duties is ensuring the integrity of elections. “Voters should have the utmost confidence that their vote will count. Removing QR codes from ballots will enable voters to see for themselves that their ballots are correct and helps guard against cyber meddling,” Griswold went on to say. Once QR code-less ballots are introduced, votes will be tabulated using marked ovals on the ballot. In South Korea, QR codes

May 14, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung

High-tech elections vulnerable to cyberattacks

Kang Hyun-kyung

Read more

Filmmaker gives Korean War orphans voices

INTERVIEW Former Maoist writes for China's democracy

Mr. Mayor, don't cross the line

'I am wrongfully charged'

Korean pastor bears brunt of death threats to save Chinese immigrants

Japanese pastor, who saved Korea's urban poor, releases photobook

Tech-free childhood captured in photography

'I am Korean yet culturally black'

Fabulous characters entertain pandemic-weary readers

Democracy can be hacked

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