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Kwon Mee-yoo

Korea Times Politics & City Reporter

Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.

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Foreign Affairs

INTERVIEW Gabonese ambassador fights misperceptions on Africa

Carlos Victor Boungou, Gabonese ambassador to Korea, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the country's embassy in Itaewon, Seoul, Aug. 10. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukKorea-Africa Forum to discuss post-COVID-19 strategy in DecemberBy Kwon Mee-yooGabon is a country in Central Africa, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and on the Equator. It was one of the first African countries to establish diplomatic relations with Korea back in 1962, while opening an embassy in Seoul in 1975. The Central African country celebrates its Independence Day, Aug. 17, and Ambassador of Gabon to Korea Carlos Victor Boungou shared how the country commemorates this in an interview with The Korea Times, Aug. 10."Gabon got independence from the French on Aug. 17, 1960 and this year marks the 61st anniversary of Gabon's independence," Boungou said. "In terms of celebration, what we do at the highest point is the military parade, which attests the state of the nation, the solidity of the institutions and the stability of the country."Gabon's president also seizes the opportunity to award honorary

Aug 17, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
[INTERVIEW] Gabonese ambassador fights misperceptions on Africa
Foreign Affairs

India celebrates 75th Independence Day

Indian Ambassador to Korea Sripriya Ranganathan, fourth from right, hoists the country's national flag on the occasion of India's 75th Independence Day at the embassy in Seoul, Aug. 15. Given extant restrictions on social gatherings due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held in hybrid form. Cultural performances including patriotic songs and dances were performed by Indian community members, students and members of the Indian Cultural Center, and the entire event was livestreamed on the embassy's social media. Courtesy of Embassy of India in Korea

Aug 16, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
India celebrates 75th Independence Day
Politics

Global Peace Foundation discusses diplomacy for unified Korea

Moon Hyun-jin, founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation, speaks during the virtual International Forum on One Korea 2021. Courtesy of Global Peace FoundationBy Kwon Mee-yooThe world is looking at Korea's diplomatic priorities as South Korea pursues peaceful unification of the two Koreas, participants in an international forum organized by the Global Peace Foundation said Friday, sharing ideas on ways to achieve peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula. Moon Hyun-jin, founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation (GPF), called for greater attention to the movement for a free and unified Korea, during the High Plenary Session of the International Forum on One Korea 2021, the same day. The forum is running from Aug. 7 through 15 as part of the Global Peace Convention 2021.Moon's book "Korean Dream," exploring the vision of a unified Korea, was reissued in observance of Korea's independence movement. In the book, Moon emphasizes that unification is needed to continue South Korea's "Miracle on the Han River," the remarkable economic transformation from a war-ravaged,

Aug 13, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Global Peace Foundation discusses diplomacy for unified Korea
Arts & Theater

Post-Dansaekhwa charcoal artist Lee Bae opens exhibition in Hong Kong

A view of Lee Bae's solo exhibition "Paradigm of Charcoal" at Perrotin Hong Kong / Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin Hong KongBy Kwon Mee-yooArtist Lee BaeArtist Lee Bae, best known for his charcoal paintings, has a solo exhibition at the art gallery Perrotin Hong Kong. The "Paradigm of Charcoal" exhibit features a wide range of Lee's charcoal works, from the energetic "Untitled" series to the minimal "Brushstroke" series, showing how the artist explores the many hues of black that are possible through the material. Born in Cheongdo, North Gyeongsang Province, in 1956, Lee studied fine arts at Hongik University, earning his bachelor's and master's degrees there. Lee moved to Paris in 1990 and now divides his time between Paris, Seoul and Cheongdo.Lee has employed charcoal as his main artistic medium since his arrival in Paris, discovering the profound black of charcoal in myriad ways. For Lee, charcoal is a metaphor for the cycle of life, as it is obtained by burning wood and used to revive fire with a lot of energy in it.Lee's black-and-white works inherit the spiritual and transc

Aug 11, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Post-Dansaekhwa charcoal artist Lee Bae opens exhibition in Hong Kong
Society

COVID-era prayers

Parents of students who will take the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) pray for good luck for their children outside a building of Bongeun Temple in southern Seoul, Tuesday, 100 days ahead of the state-run college entrance exam, as the number of people allowed to enter the building for prayers and other Buddhist services has been limited due to current social distancing measures imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Yonhap

Aug 10, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
COVID-era prayers
Foreign Affairs

Panama renews maritime transport agreement with China

View of Panama Canal and a cargo ship / gettyimagesbankBy Kwon Mee-yooPanama renewed an agreement on maritime transport with China, granting more advantages for ship owners who have registered their vessels under its flag, the Panamanian Embassy to Korea said in a statement. The agreement, which was first signed in May 2018 for three years, was renewed and came into effect July 20 after negotiations between the Panamanian and Chinese governments.The maritime transport agreement strengthens trade between the two nations as well as offering benefits to ships under Panamanian registry when they enter ports in China. Panama has the biggest registry of ships sailing under its flag, as the country's open system offers easier registration, cheaper foreign labor and no income tax. As of 2020, 9,596 out of 56,000 ships in the world's merchant fleets, or 17 percent of the total, were under the flag of Panama. Most merchant ships flying the Panamanian flag belong to foreign owners who wish to benefit from Panama's ship registry program and convenient international maritime trade.HMM Algeciras,

Aug 10, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Panama renews maritime transport agreement with China
Foreign Affairs

Lebanese ambassador promotes environmental message through Korean artist's work

Ambassador of Lebanon to Korea Antoine Azzam performs watering of artist Jang Jun-seok's sculpture “Fantasiless” at the Trinity Gallery in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, Aug. 5. Courtesy of the Trinity GalleryBy Kwon Mee-yooAn art exhibition featuring sculptures of hangeul, describing aspects of nature and supported by the Embassy of Lebanon in Korea, but Antoine Azzam, ambassador of Lebanon to Korea, finds the exhibition a nice way to build bridges and reinforce mutual understandings between the two countries, based on the commonalties of art and the environment. Lebanon and Korea established diplomatic relations on Feb. 12, 1981, and this year marks their 40th anniversary. The Lebanese embassy in Seoul looked for ways to commemorate the occasion amid the pandemic, which has swept away the joys of diplomatic receptions and events, and Azzam collaborated with The Trinity Gallery in Seoul to promote Jang Jun-seok, a Korean artist who creates environmentally-themed artworks using hangeul.At the "Image Sculpture" exhibition, Jang presents his ecological sculptures, which consist

Aug 9, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Lebanese ambassador promotes environmental message through Korean artist's work
Politics

Conflict with big contenders undermines main opposition chief Lee's leadership

Lee Jun-seok, right, the chairperson of the conservative main opposition People Power Party, pins a party badge on former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, a presidential contender who joined the party recently, at the National Assembly in Seoul, Aug. 2. Yonhap By Kwon Mee-yooLee Jun-seok, the youngest leader ever of the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP), was seen as a sign of change in the conservative party when he took the post in June. However, the strength of his leadership is now in question after only two months, as the big-name presidential contenders of the party are not following the party's campaign trail activities, but rather organizing their own.The party's committee in charge of the primary organized a volunteer activity at a low-income neighborhood near Seoul Station on Aug. 4, where all 13 presidential hopefuls of the party were supposed to participate. But four of the biggest names ― former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, fo

Aug 8, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Conflict with big contenders undermines main opposition chief Lee's leadership
Health

New fans for hot weather

A social worker from the Jeil Community Welfare Center in Daegu's Seo District assembles a new electric fan to replace an old, out-of-order one, during visits to senior citizens living alone, Monday, as part of a welfare policy to help the underprivileged elderly fight the heat wave. The center also provides shelters where citizens can cool off. Yonhap

Aug 2, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
New fans for hot weather
Politics

Meeting with social workers

Chung Sye-kyun, center, former prime minister and presidential contender of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, delivers a speech during a conversation event with a civic organization representing 15 social welfare-related organizations, including the Korea Association of Social Workers and Korea Association of Social Welfare Centers, on Yeouido in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

Aug 2, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo
Meeting with social workers
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