'Unsold lacquerware are work of art' Chung Su-wha, the nation’s foremost “chiljang” or master of lacquer paint and painting, poses in this file photo with works he created and are now stored at his workshop in Suyuri, northeastern Seoul. / Courtesy of Chung Su-whaWorking with lacquer sap to create art: Chung Su-whaBy Kim Ji-sooOnly the clear autumn sky and the peak of Mt. Bukhan accent Chung Su-wha’s lacquer paint workshop in northern Seoul. The 20-year-old workshop, known as Jangan Chilgi, sits humbly in Suyuri northeastern Seoul and is all business.Chung, 60, the nation’s foremost “chiljang” or master of lacquer paint and painting, waved to the reporter. The workshop, which looks like it had been converted from a residential space, has a large, main open space where for the past several decades, Chung’s students either sand wash wooden frames for small Korean small tables or large Korean folding screens; a small corner room for storing valuable lacquer tree sap; and an another small corner space where he performs lacquer painting.Chung extracts sap from lacquer trees, tuSep 17, 2014By Kim Ji-soo
Branding expert to open lacquerware museum in November Sohn Hye-won, CEO of Crosspoint, a branding and design company, said that she considers it her mission to reinterpret the traditional Korean lacquerware. She will open a museum dedicated to Korean lacquerware in her gallery/office building near Mt. Nam in Seoul on Nov. 1./ Courtesy of Sohn Hye-wonBranding expert Sohn Hye-won, 59, has a special storage in the basement of her gallery/office situated along the meandering driveway on Mt. Nam, which stands in the center of Seoul.In this space, she stores a roomful of various Korean “najeonchilgi” or traditional lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl, ranging from a closet to boxes and a small Korean table, all kept under a certain temperature and humidity.In the same way that the plants in her terrace “talk” to her, she says, “Once you step in, you can feel the lacquerware talk to you,” said Sohn, as she surveyed the room.Her heart, however, lies in a far smaller room, which she calls her “coffee and prayer room.” The room is located where a large pine tree used to stand, which she has sincSep 10, 2014By Kim Ji-soo
'IMF stole soul from Korean economy' Shin Jang-sup of “Dialogue with Kim Woo-choong — The World Is Still Wide and There Are Many Things to Do” talks to The Korea Times in an interview at his office in Myeong-dong, downtown Seoul, Friday./ Korea Times photo by Kim Ji-soo Prof. Shin talks about hundreds of hours of conversation with defunct Daewoo founderThis is the cover of Shin Jang-sup’s “Dialogue with KimWoo-choong — The World Is Still Wide and There Are ManyThings to Do,” which was released Aug. 26.By Kim Ji-sooFifteen years after Daewoo Group collapsed during the 1997-1998 financial crisis, author Shin Jang-sup says the International Monetary Fund-led restructuring took the heart and soul of the Korean economy.Shin, who is also a professor at the National University of Singapore, spent hundreds of hours talking with former Daewoo Group Chairman Kim Woo-choong in Hanoi, Vietnam. Kim has been operating the Global Young Business Managers program there since 2012. He recently published excerpts of these conversations in the book, “Dialogue with Kim Woo-choong ― TSep 3, 2014
Li Dun says be creative By Kim Ji-sooLi Dun, 50, a musical producer from China, said the market in China for musicals, like that of movies,has been growing. However, rather than copying other works in an attempt to meet the demand in this expanding market, he advocates the production of original works.Li, who has been dubbed theGodfather of Chinese Musicals by media, is known for staging large-scale, original Chinese musicals, in collaboration with a global team. He said working for many years with such a team has helped China’s musical industry bridge cultural gaps with other countries and achieve globalstandards.A frequent visitor to Korea, Li identifies in the Korean musical industry the acknowledgment of pain in history, unlike Broadway musicals, which focus on joy and pleasure.“Korea has a lot of talented actors,” Li said. “But we need to produce creative works that will meet international standards,” he added.His dream, like that of his peers, is to take an Eastern storyline to Broadway.He is interested in working with Korea with the Korean Sep 2, 2014
Jiro tells youth don't be shy, learn from past Japanese guitarist Yoshida JiroYoshida Jiro, a jazz guitarist, preaches confidence and patience to young people as they try to find their path in life.“Don’t be shy ... and learn from the past,” Jiro, 56, said in an interview with The Korea Times.Jiro, who is in town for the 5th Culture Communication Forum, said he was initially shy to be among fellow cultural experts at the forum hosted by the Corea Image and Communication Institute.“I was very nervous at first, but I’m glad I came here,” he said, where he had the chance to collaborate with 15 other cultural experts.He added that young people need not rush to find an answer for everything.Jiro, who received a master’s degree from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, has worked with the Joe Chambers Jazz Band and Phyllis Hyman’s group. He served as a musical director for the “Save the Rainforest” documentary, and has created music for television commercials. He said exploring different works of art helped him find new ideas and express his emotions more clearly.Walking arSep 2, 2014By Kim Ji-soo
'Korea's embrace of tradition, modern suggests alternative' Catherine Chevillot, director of the Rodin Museum in ParisBy Kim Ji-sooCatherine Chevillot, director of the Rodin Museum in Paris, said if she were to build a museum based on what she has seen so far, “it would have a garden surrounded by buildings that house objects of different periods ... from the middle ages to the contemporary periods, and see what has changed and what has not,”Chevillot, 53, said in an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, Monday.She is in Korea for the first time to speak at the 5th Culture Communication Forum (CCF) in Seoul.The CCF started on Sunday, with visits to the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, the Leeum, the National Museum of Korea, the Korea Furniture Museum and Hyundai Card Design Lab, followed by the main discussion Tuesday.“I always wondered how Korea fared compared to the giants China and Japan. The curator at the furniture museum said the Japanese sought to miniaturize things, while the Chinese sought to control nature. However, Korea is not like either one; it is in harmony with nature,”she said. “I think we could see Sep 2, 2014By Kim Ji-soo
'Strike balance between old and new' Former Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, fifth from right in the front row; Choi Jung-wha, fourth from right, president of the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI); U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim, in the back to Han’s right; and foreign participants and dignitaries pose for a photo at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul, Tuesday, ahead of the fifth Culture Communication Forum. The three-day forum involved 16 foreign experts on culture and communication and tackled the theme “Culture — Mirror and Trigger of Change.” / Courtesy of CICI5th Culture Communication Forum wraps up its Aug. 31-Sept. 2 runBy Kim Ji-sooParticipants at the 5th Culture Communication Forum (CCF) in Seoul agreed Tuesday that culture is a powerful force that enables stronger communications, not only among countries but within them too.The CCF, hosted by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) tackled this year’s theme of “Culture — Mirror and Trigger of Change” on the last day of the three-day forum at the Westin Chosun in downtown Seoul. Choi Jung-wha, presiSep 2, 2014By Kim Ji-soo
Super Junior returns with 'MAMACITA' Members of K-pop boy band Super Junior pose after a press conference at the Imperial Hotel in southern Seoul, Thursday, to announce the release of their seventh studio album, “MAMACITA.” / YonhapBy Kim Ji-sooThe king of K-pop, Super Junior, is back with a seventh studio album: “MAMACITA.” The album is the band’s first in two years.The 10 active members ― Kyuhyun, Ryeowook, Siwon, Donghae, Eunhyuk, Sungmin, Shindong, Kangin, Heechul, and Leeteuk ― said they were excited and more nervous than ever as they looked forward to celebrating the group’s 10th anniversary next year.“This is a time I have been waiting for,” said Leeteuk at a press conference at the Imperial Hotel in southern Seoul, Thursday. “I wondered when I could perform with the other members.”“Our goal with this album is to have a good time,” said Lee, the leader, who returns to the group after completing his two years of military service.“We have prepared hard,” said Eunhyuk. “My heart is fluttering more than ever and we areAug 28, 2014
YG-managed artists to hold joint concert in Beijing Rapper Psy and several other artists managed by YG Entertainment, a leading entertainment agency in South Korea, will hold a joint concert in Beijing in October, the agency said Thursday.The concert titled "YG Family 2014 Galaxy Tour: Power in Beijing" will kick off on Oct. 19 at a football stadium in Beijing, the company said in a statement.The YG artists have been on a concert tour of major Chinese cities and Southeast Asian countries since June.The lineup will include global star Psy, who recently released "Hangover," girl group 2NE1, boy bands BigBang and Epik High, and rookie group Winner.Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest smartphone maker, will sponsor the event, helping to fund publicity and marketing activities in China and providing brand-new smartphones and audio equipment, it added.The YG artists previously held joint concerts in the Japanese cities of Osaka and Tokyo in April and May. (Yonhap)Aug 28, 2014
TVs tune in for 40-somethings New programs geared for middle-aged tastes By Baek Byung-yeulCable network tvN’s talk show “Modern K-Pop History, Bangjajeon” / Courtesy of tvNTV stations used to ignore 40-somethings.All schedules were geared to cater to teens in music, drama and variety shows.Now programs for middle-aged viewers are popping up.A popular example is the talk show “Modern K-Pop History, Bangjajeon” on CJ E&M’s cable channel tvN, where hosts reminisce about the pop music scene of the 1980s and ’90s.“We paid particular attention to the selection of hosts so that we can please people with fond memories of those times” said Bangjajeon producer Kim Do-hyung in a press conference ahead of the show’s launch.All six hosts are instantly recognizable to anyone near and over 40.They are comedian and show host Joo Byung-jin; pop star Kim Wan-sun; Jung Won-kwan from the former boy band Sobangcha; 1990s heartthrob singer Byun Jin-sup; comedienne Park Mi-sun; and Kim Tae-won, guitarist of rock band Boowhal.Mnet, the music channel for CJ E&M, isMay 30, 2014
