Series of scandals may hurt hallyu Girls’ Generation has been a nine-member group since its debut in 2007, but that changed after Jessica’s abrupt departure last week. / Korea Times fileActor Lee Byung-hunJessica, former member of Girls’ GenerationBy Baek Byung-yeulA series of scandals has tainted the image of some hallyu leaders in the past few weeks.Jessica’s sensational departure from the formerly nine-member Girls’ Generation and misconduct of movie star Lee Byung-hun and K-pop singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong have stunned fans within and outside Korea.Some critics are showing concerns their personal troubles may dent the global popularity of Korean entertainers.“Celebrities should be aware that their conduct can bring down the popularity of Korean entertainers,” said culture critic Bae Kook-nam.He underlined the importance of organizing the management system of celebrities, mentioning Jessica, a member of popular K-pop girl band Girls’ Generation, who made headlines for her abrupt dismissal from the band.“It is not like the past when they only need to focus on Oct 5, 2014
Lee Keun-bok: profile of traditional roof-tiler Roof-tilers working with tiles during the restoration work for Sungnyemun Gate, which was destroyed in a 2008 arson attack. Lee Keun-bok is one of the several traditional artisans that took part in the recovery work. / Korea TImes fileBy KIm Ji-sooLee Keun-bok’s eyes were bloodshot; he said he was up all night with acquaintances. As head of the Korean Cultural Properties Craftsmen Association and the nation’s sole-recognized roof-tiler, Lee often travels throughout the nation to attend to both public and personal calls of duty.The roof of “hanok” or traditional Korean houses looks like an open book turned over, as the tiles are laid in a cross-cross fashion. While the carpenters build the edifice, the roof-tilers finish it, creating serene curves on the roof. Roof-tilers have been around for centuries and were responsible for the marvelous roofs of landmarks such as Gyeongbok Palace and Changdeok Palace, which date back to the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).The art of the curve, as roof-tilers like to say, entails dealing with dirt and danger. “Roof-tiling, Oct 5, 2014By Kim Ji-soo
'Korean tourism industry needs diversity' Two co-founders of 5.4 Club — Choi Jung-wha, left in the second row, president of Corea Image Communication Institute and Didier Beltoise, right in front row, CEO of the consulting firm Cs — pose with members of the non-profit tourism promotion organization as they discussed how to diversify Korean tourism content at their regular meeting held Tuesday at the InterContinental Seoul COEX. / Courtesy of CICIBy Kim Ji-sooThe tourism business in Korea always peaks in the summer. During this time, a significantly high number of Chinese tourists, commonly known as “youker,” can be seen here.According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the number of Chinese tourists in Korea in August, the last month of summer, stood at 757,683 or 52.1 percent of the 1,454,078 foreign visitors. In the same month last year, such tourists accounted for only 643,258 or 47.3 percent of the 1,358,909 foreign tourists.One of the most important Korean attractions for youker is the shopping industry — from the very affordable Korean cosmetics used by Korean celebrities tSep 24, 2014By Kim Ji-soo
Temple food: next wave in K-cuisine The Jinkwan Temple in Eunpyeong-gu, northwestern Seoul, features green landscapes thanks to its proximity to Mt. Bukhan. The temple is known for its temple food, through which people can pratice Buddhist principles. As interest in healthy eating grows however, temple food is gaining wider reception even among non-believers. / Courtesy of Choi Bae-moonBy Kim Ji-soo“The owner of our body is our mind, and the owner of our mind is our body,” said Chief Monk Kyeho at the Jinkwan Temple in Eunpyeong-gu, northwestern Seoul, during an food demonstration, Thursday. The temple, located at the foot of Mt. Bukhan, is an often-trodded destination not only for Buddhist believers but for weekend hikers and those into temple food.The temple has been leveraging its expertise in temple food through its temple stay and food experience programs for the masses. Last June, Sam Kass, White House assistant chef, visited the Jinkwan Temple. According to temple officials, Kass decided to visit the temple after reading its brochure. During his visit, the American chef tried his hand at making Sep 21, 2014By Kim Ji-soo
'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
