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Book Line

Poet Ko Un to discuss his work Ko Un Korea’s legendary poet Ko Un will meet his fans on Saturday at the Seoul Global Culture and Tourism Center in Myeongdong, Seoul.During the meeting, Ko plans to read his poems, sign his books and take questions from the audience.Brother Anthony, a renowned Korean literature translator and emeritus professor at Sogang University, is the guest moderator for the event from 2-4 p.m. The meeting will run in an interview format and the conversation will be translated simultaneously.Since 1958, Ko has published nearly 115 volumes of literary works such as an autobiography, dramas, essays, travel books and more. His major works include the poem collections “First Person Sorrowful,” “Ten Thousand Lives” and “Songs for Tomorrow.”The poet also won the Golden Wreath Award at the 53rd Struga Poetry Evening in Macedonia on Aug. 24.The event is sponsored by 10 Magazine, and publishing company RH Korea is supporting the gathering. ‘Touch Me Not’ English edition publishedThe House of Sharing, a sh

Jan 23, 2015

Women of Joseon

A red ceremonial robe of the Consort of Imperial Prince Yeong, early 20th century, silk / Courtesy of the National Palace Museum of KoreaBy Kwon Ji-younTo become a queen of the Joseon Dynasty, a five-century long regime that lasted from 1392 to 1897, one had to be aged eight to 20 and born into a family of a good lineage. Just as important were the crown princess-to-be’s appearance and womanly virtues. During King Sejong’s rule ― the fourth king of Joseon ― the crown prince stayed away from his first crown princess, Royal Noble Consort Hwi of the Andong Kim clan, and this caused concern in the palace over fears of an unconsummated marriage.On selecting his second crown princess, Royal Noble Consort Sun of the Ha-eum Bong clan, King Sejong stressed that beauty and charm were just as important as being from an esteemed family. Consort of Imperial Prince Ui in ceremonial attireIronically, Royal Noble Consort Sun later became embroiled in an unseemly scandal with a court lady. In fact, because court ladies were punished, often with death, if they became involved in

Jan 2, 2015

Jang Gye-hyang - Joseon's poetess, first cookbook author and philanthropist

Portrait of Jang Gye-hyang (1598-1680) who is author of “Eumsik dimibang,” the first cookbook written in Korean alphabet Hangeul, which dates back to 1670. / Courtesy of Eumsik dimibangBy Choi Yearn-hong Shown above is the cover of “Eumsik dimibang.” It is alsocalled “Gyugon siuibang,” as written in the cover addedlater by her descendants.During my most recent trip to Korea, I discovered a great woman of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) in a mountain village named Seokgye ― which means “stone creek” in Korean ― in North Gyeongsang Province, which is most famous for being novelist Yi Mun-yol’s hometown.Jang Gye-hyang (1598-1680) is another great woman of the Joseon era next to Shin Saimdang (1503-1551), mother of famed Confucian scholar Yi Yul-gok, and Heo Nanseolheon (1563-1589), sister of Heo Gyun, author of “Hong Gil-dong,” the first novel written in Hangeul.Different light should be shed on Jang, because she was a young poetess, artist, calligrapher and philanthropist in her early years, and a grea

Dec 19, 2014

Jang Gye-hyang - Joseon's poetess, first cookbook author and philanthropist

Spiritual leader's autobiography published in 34 languages

First part of Lee Jae-rock’s autobiography “My Life, My Faith (1)” is published in 34 languages."My Life, My Faith (1)," the first of a two-part autobiography by international spiritual leader Dr. Jaerock Lee, has been published in 34 languages, including English, Spanish and Portuguese.Initially, the book was published in Korean in 2006, and it has since been translated into other languages: Asian languages, including Indonesian, Japanese, Tagalog and Vietnamese; and European languages, including Albanian, Armenian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, Georgian, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Swedish, Turkish and Ukrainian.Following his life from his time of medical difficulties ― seven years of incurable diseases, according to Lee ― he became a born-again Christian after visiting a church in 1974. From there, the story details the founding of the Manmin Central Church in 1982, and its expansion to include more than 120,000 believers.In 2009

Dec 14, 2014

Spiritual leader's autobiography published in 34 languages

Little lost in translation

Prof. An Son-jae of Sogang University, also known as Brother AnthonyTranslation of poetry brings past into present, futureBy Kwon Ji-youn“Patterns” by Korean poet Lee Si-young, translated into Englishby An Son-jae and Yoo Hui-sok (Green Integer)The translations of Lee Si-young’s poems only go to prove that art is truly a universal language.Readers must keep in mind that Lee is not a poet who scribes in English, as this may slip their minds when flipping through “Patterns.” Prof. An Son-jae of Sogang University, also known as Brother Anthony, and Prof. Yoo Hui-sok of Jeonnam University together translated 125 poems from 10 published volumes of poetry dating from 1976 to 2007 into an album that vividly depicts Lee’s autobiographical summons of the past. In the preface of the anthology, co-translator Yoo describes Lee as a poet “with a sizable audience … noted for his terse vignettes and homely humor.” “Patterns” is that rare book of poetry that demonstrates a deep human understanding ― of life, of suffering, of his

Dec 12, 2014

Revisiting Jingbirok - Joseon Kingdom war memoir

Visitors look at the war memoir Jingbirok displayed at the War Memorial in Yongsan, Seoul. / Korea Times fileBy Choi Yearn-hongOn the way to Kyungju this fall, I stopped by Hahoe Village, North Kyungsang Province and stayed one night at Okyonjungsa where he wrote the famous war memoir, Jingbirok, after he retired from the King’s court. Inside it, I had  most unforgettable nightto think over and to remember his life  and his memoir. I had visited Hohoe Village more than several times from my admiration and affection before and after Queen Elizabeth visited, but never crossed the narrow river to visit his Okyonjungsa, library or study. Before I did see the small but dignified house from the other side of the river, not necessarily his Jinbinrok, great war memoir, with Admiral Yi Soon-shin’s RanjungIlgi, great war diaries.This opportunity came from kindness of Chung Wha-tae, retired career diplomat from the Korean Foreign Service, who arranged my trips to Kyungsang Province, including the first night at Okyonjungsa. Yoo Sung-ryong was prime minister under King Sunj

Dec 5, 2014By Do Je-hae

Revisiting Jingbirok - Joseon Kingdom war memoir

Historian dispels inaccuracies

Cover of “Our History that We Have Never Learned from Textbooks” by Shim Baek-kangBooks based on Japanese data reflect colonialism, distort Korean historyBy Lee Min-hyung Historian Shim Baek-kangIt is no exaggeration to say that Korea’s history education favors Japanese colonialism, which has destroyed Koreans’ spirits, according to a historian.In his new book, “Our History that We Have Never Learned from Textbooks,” Shim Baek-kang, 58, tries to set the record straight about ancient Korean history by presenting a significant amount of evidence collected over more than a decade.As part of its colonization, Japan tried to show that Koreans were inferior, Shim said on Tuesday at an event celebrating publication of the book. Shim is president of the Korea National Culture Research Center in Seoul.“There is nothing more serious than destroying the spirits of Koreans by letting them study their history using textbooks with inaccurate facts,” he said. “I wrote this book to provide readers with correct historical facts.”He argu

Nov 28, 2014

"K-fashion has long way to go"

 / Courtesy of pushBUTTON By Rachel Lee There is this quiet, shy man who broke into the tedious Korean fashion scene with his witty, bold and provocative pieces that are trendy yet retro.“You’ve got to try really hard to make people want what you suggest,” designer Park Seung-gun of pushBUTTON said in an interview with The Korea Times at his atelier in Itaewon, Seoul. “It’s important to stay with a brand identity and philosophy, but salability and wearability make this job even more demanding because you can’t just dismiss these elements at the same time.” pushBUTTON, launched in 2003, has a cult following among women in their 20s and 30s for its quirky, fun elements of design. Park is a man of many talents ― previously he was a singer, model and promoter. After years of trial and error, he decided to aim for his ultimate goal. That is, becoming a “proper” fashion designer. pushBUTTON had arrived.“There were hardly any local designers 10 years ago when I launched the label with my partner,” said the

Nov 25, 2014

'Follow dreams that make your heart beat'

“A Life No Limits” by Kim Myung-juneBy Kwon Ji-younAs life reaches a peak and there’s nowhere to go but over and down the hill, it may appear as though the world has put you on the back burner and there’s not much else to do but grow old. But mountaineer Kim Myung-june began climbing at age 50, and conquered Mount Carstenszt (4,884 m), the highest peak in Oceania, in 2006 to complete the “Seven Summits Challenge.” Kim also ran marathons on all eight continents and still enjoys running and climbing at age 71. Kim’s life as a climber is detailed in his book published by the Donga Ilbo, “A Life No Limits.” The pain he endured as he surmounted Mount Everest is meticulously described in this autobiographical recount, as he explains in depth how his dreams turned his downward life upward. As life expectancy is prolonged, the elderly fear a finale to life without happiness, but Kim stresses that as you grow older, you have to seek new dreams. Though Kim’s achievements have made headlines, he doesn’t think much of them. H

Nov 21, 2014

'Follow dreams that make your heart beat'

Book introduces hanok history

By Kwon Ji-youn The residence of former president Yun Po-sun (1960-62) boasts a vintage tile roof, antique rafters and high walls on the outside, with western designs and furniture on the inside. The hanok (traditional Korean house), built in 1870, sits on a picturesque street in Anguk-dong, Seoul, and here, the East and West coexist in harmony, though Yun himself spent much of his later life under a disturbing amount of government surveillance. “Hanok, the Korean House,” by Park Na-ni, wife of the Duksung School Foundation president, and Robert J. Fouser, a professor at Seoul National University, gives readers a peek into Yun’s home, as well as a number of other hanok homes that exist today including the Jiwuheon (house of continuous learning), Simsimheon (house where the heart is found) and the Moto Hanok. Foreigners, as they pass by the Bukchon Hanok Village, can’t help but wonder how the inside of a hanok looks, and how the furniture is arranged. They want to see more than just the hanok _ they want to see the homes that the owners have fashioned insi