The Korea Times

Catholic Church joins net zero drive

Poster for the Catholic Diocese's campaign “Dedication of practice of carbon neutrality in the Catholic Diocese of Suwon” / Courtesy of Catholic Diocese of SuwonBy Park Ji-wonThe Catholic Diocese of Suwon consisting of 222 churches in the region pledged to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040 by using renewable energy in its facilities.The diocese launched a one-year campaign called “Dedication of practice of carbon neutrality in the Catholic Diocese of Suwon” on Saturday, which aims for self-sufficient electricity supply by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2040. The diocese marked the launch by holding a prayer service.“Achieving the goal of carbon neutrality is a wave of the era. But acting on the issue is a matter of life and death. It is a matter of survival,” Rev. Yang Ki-suk, head of the Catholic Diocese of Suwon's environment and ecology committee, told The Korea Times by phone, Monday.“A few years ago, reports urged reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 as global warming will hit 1.5C by 2050. But recently, some reports including that of

Sep 13, 2021By Park Ji-won

Trends

Number of regular churchgoers declines while pastors, church numbers increase

gettyimagesbankBy Park Ji-wonChurches have needed to close their doors to worshippers due to the tightened social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, banning people from church-related activities, such as face-to-face worship services and other gatherings. A few big or specific churches that were already able to provide online sermons before the pandemic, ended up receiving more offerings from congregations through online payments, as well as accommodating new churchgoers. Meanwhile, many smaller churches have found it difficult to adjust to the new reality created by the virus and have seen both members and donations decline. Some denominations have even revised their rules to allow pastors to take on side jobs in order to make some extra money to survive.Recent data gathered by Protestant churches has corroborated this reality felt by Korea's clergy, revealing that the pandemic has accelerated a decline in the number of churchgoers over the last year, although the number of churches and the number of pastors have both surprisingly increased.According to the report by

Sep 13, 2021By Park Ji-won

Number of regular churchgoers declines while pastors, church numbers increase

Arts & Theater

National Changgeuk Company of Korea performs hybrid media art adaptation of traditional pansori folktale

“The Show: HeungBo,” by the National Changgeuk Company of Korea / Courtesy of NTOKBy Park Ji-wonThe “Heungbuga” is one of five surviving pansori (a traditional Korean genre of storytelling performed by a singer and drummer), stories that have largely been performed by singers known as “soriggun” in Korean, and enjoyed by the public since the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). Many artists have performed the story, which revolves around the poor family of Heungbu (also known as Heungbo) ― who tries to survive while remaining kind and empathetic amidst the harsh reality of poverty ― as a good source of narratives for their singing and theatre performances, adapting it to modern contexts as well. Nevertheless, it has been rare for pansori to collaborate with other contemporary forms of music, as it has often remained somewhat conservative in preserving its original style.But the National Changgeuk Company of Korea, under the National Theater of Korea (NTOK), is seeking to defy preconceived notions of both the story and the performing method in its upcoming n

Sep 12, 2021By Park Ji-won

National Changgeuk Company of Korea performs hybrid media art adaptation of traditional pansori folktale

Music

INTERVIEW Belgian filmmaker explores why young Koreans are dominating classical music

Pianist Cho Seong-jin, who won the Chopin competition in 2015, is seen in the film “K-Classics Generation” directed by Thierry Loreau. / Courtesy of K-Classics GenerationBy Park Ji-wonIt is no longer a rarity to hear about Koreans sweeping international classical music competitions. Just recently, pianists Park Jae-hong and Kim Do-hyun won the first and second prizes, respectively, at the 63rd Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition in Italy, one of the most prestigious piano competitions in the world.Some may simply consider the phenomenon to be a result of the “tiger parenting” practiced in many Asian societies, a style of education in which parents invest heavily and push their children to high levels of achievement, which has been credited with raising children as elite lawyers, doctors or athletes. However, Thierry Loreau, a Belgian filmmaker and TV director who has been making films on classical music and filming the final stages of the Queen Elisabeth Competition for more than two decades, sees the domination of young Koreans in classical music

Sep 10, 2021By Park Ji-won

[INTERVIEW] Belgian filmmaker explores why young Koreans are dominating classical music

Arts & Theater

Dancers, artists urge gov't to include dance classes in school

An elementary school playground in Songpa-gu, Seoul is seen in this May 27, 2020, file photo. Korea Times fileBy Park Ji-wonA group of dancers including Kang Sue-jin, artistic director of the Korean National Ballet, actor Park Sang-won, professor of the Seoul Institute of the Arts and Kim Bo-ram, artistic director of Ambiguous Dance Company urged the government to introduce dance classes in elementary and middle schools as part of their efforts to expand the rights for students to receive an arts education.“Dance has been categorized as sports in school since the nation's first education curriculum in 1955. However, the 21st century is the age of culture and art and it should be a must to learn arts (dance, fine arts, music and acting) in school,” a dance education innovation committee founded to urge the introduction of dance classes in school wrote in a recent press release.Categorizing dance as one of the artistic activities in school is a big task for the dance world, it added.The committee is planning to hold a press conference Friday and start a campaign to urge the

Sep 9, 2021By Park Ji-won

Dancers, artists urge gov't to include dance classes in school

Books

Letters of Korea's first Catholic priest published in English

Cover image of the book “The Letters of Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon” Courtesy of Research Foundation of Korean Church History By Park Ji-wonMarking the 200th anniversary of the birth of Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon (1821-46), the Research Foundation of Korean Church History under the Archdiocese of Seoul has published an English translation of “The Letters of Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon,” one of the three memorial books on his activities as an important early figure in the Catholic Church in Korea.“He was such a strong and interesting person. He was even cool with his execution. He scolded the executioner to cut his head well. There are so many interesting and inspiring episodes in this historic letters,” Rev. Cho Han-gun, director of the foundation, told The Korea Times Wednesday. Records show that Kim, Korea's first Catholic priest, wrote up to 21 letters dating from February 1842 to August 1846 when he tried to return to Korea from Macao where he had attended a seminary

Sep 9, 2021By Park Ji-won

Letters of Korea's first Catholic priest published in English

Trends

Progressive Protestants, Catholics launch solidarity network for anti-discrimination law

Lim Bo-rah, a pastor of the Sumdol Presbyterian Church in Mapo District, Seoul, speaks during a press conference held to announce the launch of “Christians for a World Without Discrimination and Hatred” in Seoul, Monday. YonhapBy Park Ji-wonProtestants and Catholics joined hands to launch a Christian solidarity network to pass an anti-discrimination bill, amid a backlash from conservative Christians against sexual minorities.Representatives of up to 32 Christian organizations, such as the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) Human Rights Center, the human rights center of the Social Apostolate of the Society of Jesus Korea and a group of Korean Anglican priests seeking justice, gathered Monday to announce the launch of the organization called “Christians for a World Without Discrimination and Hatred.”In a declaration stating the launch of the organization, it said “Jesus loved those who were hated by others and seen as immoral, sinners, minorities or weak and created a community while eating with them … We support the legislation of the an

Sep 8, 2021By Park Ji-won

Progressive Protestants, Catholics launch solidarity network for anti-discrimination law

Arts & Theater

More human sacrifice evidence unearthed at Gyeongju palace site

Seen are the newly discovered remains of a woman believed to have died in her 20s around the mid-4th century at the Wolseong Palace excavation site in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, in this undated photo released by the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (GNRICH), Tuesday. Courtesy of GNRICHBy Park Ji-wonThe remains of a woman believed to have been killed as a human sacrifice in her 20s as early as the 4th century have been uncovered along with a bracelet, a necklace, a vessel and animal bones, at the Wolseong Palace excavation site in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage (GNRICH) revealed, Tuesday.It is the second time that traces of what appears to be a human sacrifice have been found, following the 2017 discovery of two bodies ― a man and woman in their 50s ― some 50 centimeters away from the newly discovered skeletal remains that were uncovered in April during excavation and academic research on the western rampart. They are the first cases in Korea to be identified as possibly human sacrif

Sep 7, 2021By Park Ji-won

More human sacrifice evidence unearthed at Gyeongju palace site

Arts & Theater

Plays starring veteran actors to hit theaters this fall

A scene from the play, “Manseon: The Yearning of a Fisherman” / Courtesy of the National Theater of KoreaBy Park Ji-wonA series of plays performed by veteran actors and put together by skilled production teams will hit local theaters in fall, moving people's hearts with their mature performances. The play, “Manseon: The Yearning of a Fisherman,” written by Chun Seung-se and performed by the National Theater of Korea (NTCK), is currently running at the NTCK from Sept. 3 to 19.The work is about a fisherman who dreams about making a fortune with a full load of fish ― white croakers specifically ― while he struggles against both poverty and his own ego. The work first premiered in July 1964 and was scheduled to be showcased again last year to mark the 70th anniversary of the acting troupe that first performed it. But it was delayed to this year due to the pandemic.To celebrate the anniversary of the play's first performance by the original acting troupe, veteran actors will play lead roles. The fisherman Gomchi will be played by Kim Myung-soo, who has been playing

Sep 6, 2021By Park Ji-won

Plays starring veteran actors to hit theaters this fall

Arts & Theater

Nat'l Dance Company seeks to share wisdom inspired by yin & yang, 5 elements amid COVID-19

“Five,” a new choreography by Sohn In-young, artistic director of the National Dance Company of Korea, during a press conference held at the National Theater of Korea, Thursday. Yonhap.By Park Ji-wonThe National Dance Company of Korea has released its new choreography “Five” made by its artistic director Sohn In-young to address environmental problems through the perspectives of yin and yang and the five elements amid COVID-19.“Five” consisting of three acts, largely adapted from various Korean traditional dance styles such as Cheoyongmu (court mask dance), the martial art of taekkyeon, Seungmu (Monk's dance) and Ssikkim-gut (a shamanistic ritual to cleanse souls) associated with the five elements ― wood, fire, earth, metal (or gold) and water ― through the movements of Cheoyong, a mythical character who is the son of the Dragon of the Eastern Sea. It aims to narrate the process of the circulation of life and elements as well as the wisdom of life.In the first act, in front of people, five Cheoyongs appear and perform Cheoyongmu. The second act aim

Sep 3, 2021By Park Ji-won

Park Ji-won

Read more

Catholic Church joins net zero drive

Number of regular churchgoers declines while pastors, church numbers increase

National Changgeuk Company of Korea performs hybrid media art adaptation of traditional pansori folktale

INTERVIEW Belgian filmmaker explores why young Koreans are dominating classical music

Dancers, artists urge gov't to include dance classes in school

Letters of Korea's first Catholic priest published in English

Progressive Protestants, Catholics launch solidarity network for anti-discrimination law

More human sacrifice evidence unearthed at Gyeongju palace site

Plays starring veteran actors to hit theaters this fall

Nat'l Dance Company seeks to share wisdom inspired by yin & yang, 5 elements amid COVID-19

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