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Park Ji-won

Korea Times Politics & City Reporter

Park Ji-won is a writer for The Korea Times who has been covering a wide range of topics from Korea’s culture to its politics. An avid journalism enthusiast to the core, Ji-won brings a thoughtful and unique perspective to every topic she covers. On weekends, you'll often find her contemplating life’s purpose on a yoga mat — with a cup of quality tea in hand. A native Korean speaker by birth and fluent in English through her work, she went to college in Japan and is learning Chinese and French — hoping to add Polish, Russian and Thai to the mix.

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Jogye Order apologizes for drinking monks violating distancing rules

Seen is a photo showing a group of monks having a drinking party in an accommodation facility owned by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the largest Buddhist sect, on July 19. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonThe Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, the largest Buddhist sect here, has apologized for its monks violating social distancing rules by holding a “drinking party,” pledging to take action in response to the misdeed.“We apologize to the people and the members of our sect for the inappropriate incident while COVID-19 is spreading throughout the nation and threatening people's lives,” the sect said in a press release Wednesday. “The Jogye Order has been following the authorities' guidelines faithfully since the outbreak of the coronavirus, and has made great efforts to protect the lives and safety of the people. However, some monks' misdeeds greatly damaged the dedication and efforts of most temples and monks.”The sect added it will take steps based on its internal rules and order the temples to take pre-emptive measures to prevent similar incidents from happ

Jul 22, 2021By Park Ji-won
Jogye Order apologizes for drinking monks violating distancing rules
People & Events

Former president-publisher of The Korea Times dies at 79

By Park Ji-won Yoon Kook-byung, former president-publisher of The Korea Times / Korea Times file Yoon Kook-byung, former president-publisher of The Korea Times, died of cancer Thursday. He was 79.Born in 1941, he began his career in 1965 as a staff reporter for the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of the country's oldest English daily.Yoon became the president-publisher of The Korea Times in April 2002 and served until March 8, 2004. He also served as the president-publisher of the Hankook Ilbo in 2002 from Aug. 30 to Dec. 31. He retired at The Korea Times.He also served as the politics editor and the managing editor in the Hankook Ilbo. He also worked as the president-publisher of the Sonyeon Hankook Ilbo, a daily published for elementary-school readers from February 1998 to March 2002.He was one of the survivors of the 1983 Rangoon bombing, where 16 Cabinet members and one journalist, as well as four Burmese citizens were killed by two North Korean bombers in a terror

Jul 22, 2021By Park Ji-won
Former president-publisher of The Korea Times dies at 79
Music

More than 7,000 indie musicians active in Korea, most of them in Seoul

SEODo Band. From left are: keyboardist Kim Seong-hyun, percussionist Park Jin-byeong, vocalist sEODo, guitarist Yeon Tae-hee, bassist Kim Tae-joo and drummer Yang Jung-hoon. / Courtesy of Universal MusicBy Park Ji-wonThere are around 7,000 indie musicians in Korea and most of them are active in Seoul, according to a study published Wednesday.According to data compiled by the Record Label Industry Association of Korea based on performances and albums released between 2017 and 2020, there are 2,814 indie bands in Korea, including 7,004 musicians.The data showed 353 indie bands are signed to record labels, while the others are on their own.The number of Seoul-based indie bands that are not signed with record labels accounted for 74.8 percent of the total (2,105 bands). The data also showed that 100 indie bands are active in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, while 72 are active in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province.

Jul 21, 2021By Park Ji-won
More than 7,000 indie musicians active in Korea, most of them in Seoul
Arts & Theater

Classical musicians feel the pinch as corporate donations fall

The audience waits for The Korea Times' annual spring concert to begin at the Grand Hall of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul, March 4. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Park Ji-wonAfter the coronavirus pandemic hit, corporate donations for the arts have dropped sharply and classical music has been hit especially hard. According to the survey conducted on 695 companies from March to June by the Korea Mecenat Association, corporate donations fell 14.6 percent from the previous year. The number of companies donating to support the arts also dropped to 390, down 28.7 percent from the previous year.Among others, donations for classical music fell 42.9 percent. According to the association, corporate donations had been continuing to rise for three years before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The pandemic was a game changer, drastically reducing donations. Many concerts, exhibitions and other forms of cultural activities were canceled or postponed. Some events managed to be held in person with tightened social distancing rules ― such as reduce

Jul 21, 2021By Park Ji-won
Classical musicians feel the pinch as corporate donations fall
Arts & Theater

First Asian etoile at Paris Opera Ballet shares her journey

Ballerina Park Sae-eun of the Paris Opera Ballet poses during a press conference held in Seoul on Monday. Courtesy of Etoile ClassicBy Park Ji-wonJune 10 this year was a historical day for Korean ballet, as the Paris Opera Ballet (POB) promoted ballerina Park Sae-eun to become its principal dancer, or “danseuse etoile,” literally meaning “star dancer” in English, shortly after she performed the role of Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet.” She is the first Asian to be given the position in the 352-year-old French ballet company's history.Many of her colleagues knew that she would be promoted. But Park said she just kept her focus on the stage role. Aurelie Dupont, dance director of the ballet company, sent her flowers, which are normally given only to principal dancers, to celebrate her upcoming promotion.“Actually, I was just happy to have been able to successfully perform the role of Juliet and enjoyed the performance that day,” Park said during a news conference held in Seoul, Monday. “Upon hearing that I became etoile, I burst into te

Jul 20, 2021By Park Ji-won
First Asian etoile at Paris Opera Ballet shares her journey
Arts & Theater

National theater unveils this year's performances to be staged in renovated theater

The National Theater of Korea (NTOK) / Courtesy of NTOKUp to 56 performances, including 22 new hits, to appearBy Park Ji-wonPoster for the 2021-22 season of the National Theater of Korea (NTOK) / Courtesy of NTOKThe National Theater of Korea (NTOK) is set to present up to 56 performances, including 22 new hits for the upcoming 2021-22 season from September 2021 to June 2022, in its newly renovated Haeoreum Grand Theater, which has been optimized for traditional Korean performing arts.The new season will kick off on Sept. 1 with “Sound of Millennium,” by the National Orchestra of Korea, a traditional music orchestra, which will play three new songs with the 60-member National Chorus of Korea and Ahn Sook-seon, a master of pansori, a traditional narrative vocal music genre.For its first performance, the National Changgeuk Company will perform “The Show: Heungbo,” a new interpretation of “Heungboga,” one of the five remaining original pansori plays, from Sept. 15 to 21. The National Dance Company of Korea will also present new performances, including,

Jul 20, 2021By Park Ji-won
National theater unveils this year's performances to be staged in renovated theater
Trends

Church court dismisses pastor's appeal against suspension for LGBTQ blessing

Rev. Lee Dong-hwan, the pastor of Glory Jeil Church in Suwon who was suspended from duty after holding a "blessing prayer" at the 2019 Queer Culture Festival in Incheon, poses during an interview at The Korea Times office in Seoul, April 23. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul Rev. Lee pledged to take legal action and protest against the “unfair” decisionsBy Park Ji-wonThe Korean Methodist Church's (KMC) ecclesiastical court dismissed an appeal by Rev. Lee Dong-hwan, a Methodist pastor in Suwon south of Seoul, to have an order suspending him from duty for two years overturned. The court originally suspended Lee for holding a “blessing prayer” at the 2019 Queer Culture Festival in Incheon. Lee criticized the decision, Friday, claiming that it was “unfair,” and pledged to take legal action in a civil court to overturn the suspension.According to media reports and insider sources, members of a committee of the ecclesiastical court decided to dismiss the appeal as Lee f

Jul 18, 2021By Park Ji-won
Church court dismisses pastor's appeal against suspension for LGBTQ blessing
Travel & Food

Jeju World Heritage Festival to open restricted UNESCO sites to public

Kim Sang-soo, chief of the walking trail program for the 2021 Jeju World Heritage Festival, stands under the Lava Bridge, or Yongamgyo in Korean, during a press tour held to promote the festival on Jeju Island, July 8. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Park Ji-wonJEJU ISLAND ― In 2007, an area consisting of three sites ― Geomunoreum Lava Tube System, Mount Halla and Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone, accounting for about 10 percent in the island ― was designated as a UNESCO Natural Heritage site known collectively as “Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes.” It was the first natural heritage site in Korea, while the country has 13 cultural heritage designations.The sites have been protected by the Cultural Heritage Administration since the UNESCO designation, barring all unauthorized entry.However, the restricted areas are set to be unveiled to the public from Oct. 1 to 17 as part of the World Heritage Festival, the administration's annual collaborative event started last year to promote UNESCO-designated cultural heritage and natural heritage sites in Korea which will be held

Jul 14, 2021By Park Ji-won
Jeju World Heritage Festival to open restricted UNESCO sites to public
Music

INTERVIEW Japan-born ethnic Korean musician comforts minorities with music

Gayageum player Park Soon-a / Courtesy of Park Soon-a Music By Park Ji-wonFor some, music is just something to enjoy. But for Park Soon-a, a 52-year-old player of the Korean traditional string instrument named gayageum, who was born in Japan as a third-generation ethnic Korean, largely referred to here as “Zainichi” Korean, and who learned the instrument in both Koreas, music is a way to find her identity and communicate with the world. It is also a means for her to comfort people who live in their home countries as aliens. Park is a rare musician having living experience in the two Koreas as well as in Japan: she was born in Japan, spent years in North Korea to learn gayageum and chose to acquire South Korean citizenship to pursue her professional career as a gayageum player. “As a Zainichi Korean, I've lived as a minority in all three countries. In Japan, I didn't have voting rights and wasn't part of the society. My life in North Korea was not very different. I

Jul 12, 2021By Park Ji-won
[INTERVIEW] Japan-born ethnic Korean musician comforts minorities with music
Arts & Theater

Theaters change show schedules, seating following tighter social distancing rules

A theater is closed after up to 22 people were infected by the coronavirus there, in Daehangno, Seoul's theatre district, Friday. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonAs the government is set to tighten social distancing rules for the greater Seoul area to Level 4, the highest level, from Monday to July 25 for two weeks, theaters are also rearranging their show schedules and seating plans.Under the Level 4 rules, private gatherings of more than four people will be banned before 6 p.m. while gatherings of more than two people will be prohibited after 6 p.m. As gatherings to watch theatrical performances or films in movie theaters are considered a private activity, seating will be adjusted under the new rule, affecting groups of more than four who bought tickets for adjacent seats at shows ending before 6 p.m. and for groups of more than two who bought tickets for adjacent seats for shows finishing after 6 p.m.Depending on how theaters rearrange their seating plans, some ticket holders may need to buy new tickets to watch shows scheduled to be performed starting on Monday or get reassigned a new seat b

Jul 11, 2021By Park Ji-won
Theaters change show schedules, seating following tighter social distancing rules
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