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Recent books

"Les Trente Ans Qui Ont Change La Chine" By Caroline Puel; translated into Korean by Le Sei-jin; Pureunsoop Publishing: 624 pp., 20,500 won A French journalist and specialist on China has published an in-depth analysis on the recent 30 years of China'S transition into a market economy. The French title translates to "Thirty Years that Changed China." The author first traces the rule of Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997), the Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China toward a market economy. While Deng never held office as head of state, head of government or General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (historically the highest position in Communist China), he nonetheless served as the paramount leader of the People's Republic of China from 1978 to 1992. Puel has covered China since the 1980s for several news outlets and served at the French Embassy in China in the late 1980s. She writes from first-hand experience in having witnessed China'S immense social and economic transformations in the

Feb 3, 2012

Book traces history of Korean TV dramas

Analysis on Koreans’ fervor for soap operas By Do Je-hae As a major component of the “hallyu” or the Korean wave, Korean television dramas are no longer just popular here, as they continue to be aired across Asia and some countries in Latin America. What foreign viewers may not know is that Koreans have had a special relationship with TV dramas during the last 60 years or so. Sometimes, the whole nation collectively gets hooked on certain shows, giving such works the nickname “people’s drama.” Renowned TV writer Kim Su-hyun has been the creator of a number of such works, including the 1987 “Love and Ambition.” This popular soap opera recorded a 78 percent viewers’ rating. At the time, streets became quiet at around the airing time of the drama as “practically everyone in the country” was at home in front of the TV. (The “Sun and the Moon” is the latest popular one, having soared above 30 percent just after several episodes.) What is the reason behind Koreans’ unique fascination with TV dramas? Kim Hwan-pyo, the author of “Korea Through TV Drama,” attempts to answer

Feb 3, 2012By Do Je-hae

Recent books

Cheonsuseok Author unknown; Translated by Lim Chi-kyun and Lim Jeong-jee; Academy of Korean Studies: 471 pp., 14,000 won MBC drama “The Moon Embracing the Sun,” a fictional love story of an imaginary king during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), is gaining popularity and people’s interest in the Joseon royal life is soaring as well. The Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) published “Cheonsuseok,” a novel read by royal women in the Joseon era to give a glimpse of what real life was like in the palace. Set in the late Tang Dynasty of China, it mainly revolves around Wi Bo-hyeong and Seol Ok-young’s love and obstacles in their marriage. It is sixth in the series of novels read by the Joseon royal family and interpreted in modern Korean by the AKS. There were some 1,300 original novels and 700 translated books stored in Nakseonjae in Changdeok Palace, which was built by King Heonjong in 1847 for his concubine Kim. These were expected to be read by royal women as a pastime. The AKS has published two versions of the book — one in modern Korean and the other in the original

Jan 27, 2012

EBS radio to be reborn as national book reader

By Noh Hyun-gi Korea’s Education Broadcasting System, EBS, is completely restructuring its programs to become a national book reader. Starting on Feb. 27, EBS FM will allocate all programs from Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. to book readings of various genres. Original English works will be recited from Monday through Saturday from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. On Sundays, a program titled “EBS Audio Book” will recite literary works from 10 a.m. straight through 8 p.m. “There’s only so much that visual media can do to reach an audience; we need to touch their hearts,” said EBS President Kwak Duk-hoon at a press conference held at the Korea Press Center in Seoul, Thursday. “Many radio broadcasters have included only a nominal amount of book readings in their programming because most consider it boring and it is difficult to achieve high ratings,” said Kim Jun-bum, a producer for EBS radio. “But I think of this as a social responsibility of the media.” It definitely isn’t an easy task both theoretically and logistically as Kim explained that the broadcaster

Jan 27, 2012

Books show economics at work everywhere

By Noh Hyun-gi The word economics may intimidate readers. In reality, the field of study stems from basic human behavior. Fortunately, many noteworthy economics books have already surfaced this year in the murky sea of entrepreneur guides and cookie cutter self-help books. Inventory is a headache for anyone who supplies goods and services but it presents a unique problem in the art world as Kim Hun-min and Park Jeong-ho demonstrate in “An Economist’s Humanities Books.” While the supply of a regular commodity can change in response to demand, such flexibility is infeasible for concerts. Show organizers must set the price and venue (number of available seats) with no exact knowledge of demand. So even if not enough people purchase tickets, one can’t transfer the show to a smaller setting. On the other hand, even if the concert is so popular and tickets are selling out fast, the organizer cannot raise the price to maximize profit. The authors present clever strategies that counter this problem. For example, there are daily sales booths in the United States where one can buy left-

Jan 27, 2012

Recent books

Secret Seoul Jeong Gi-bum and Yun Yeong-ju; Singongsa: 452 pp., 15,000 won This is a part of the “Secret” series by Sigongsa which aims to publish easy-to-read and aesthetically unique books for world metropolises. The guide book covers 11 neighborhoods in the capital including Itaewon, Samcheongdong, Buamdong and introduces some thirty hidden gems to visit. It is divided into three parts. The first section, “Before Travelling to Seoul,” includes 14 chapters on how to prepare for your visit. It doesn’t just provide usual information like hotel reviews, but also organizes the sale schedule of major malls and shopping venues in Seoul throughout the year. The second section takes the reader around Seoul and the last part includes 16 detailed maps of the neighborhoods featured in the book. ― Noh Hyun-gi Annals of Royals Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty Lee Gyu-won; Gloseum: 575 pp., 27,000 won This book unravels the history of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) by exploring 49 royal mausoleums across the country. They are listed as UNESCO World Heritages. Le

Jan 20, 2012By Do Je-hae

Founder of medical empire pens memoir

By Do Je-hae Stories of self-made women in Korea are rare. Many female CEOs in the chaebol system have been family members of the founders. The story of Lee Gil-ya, chairwoman of the Gachon Gil Foundation, is refreshing because her success came out of nowhere. Everything she owns — hospitals, universities, research centers, newspaper, museum, among others — are products of her own hard work and vision. A gynecologist by training, Lee is one of the most successful female doctors. The 80-year-old rarely speaks to the press, but she has been author of several publications during the course of a career that has spanned almost 50 years. A new autobiography was published this month, with a focus on her latest pet project — the Gachon University. Gachon University in Gyeonggi Province was established last year as a result of a merger between two schools — the Gachon University of Medicine and Science (GUMS) and Kyungwon University. Lee’s feats in the medical world are well-known, having founded the first hospital as a female doctor in 1978.

Jan 20, 2012By Do Je-hae

Recent books

Bongha Diary Co-authored by Roh Moo-hyun et al; Bookie; pp.319; 14,800 won This book contains various essays and writings by the former late President Roh Moo-hyun who took his own life following a corruption scandal in 2009. After completing his five-year presidential term, he settled in his hometown of Bongha Village in South Gyeongsang Province. After that, he wrote intermittent online journals on a website he established to communicate with netizens and some of those writings are contained in this book. His writings mostly talk about what he wants to do for the development of the nation’s farming areas. Essays from his key aides talk about the personal side of the former president and how he well he was adapting to life after politics. The book also carries many personal photos of the late president that have not been made public until now. — DO JE-HAE Joseon Films in Newspaper Articles: 1923 Korean Film Archive: 543 PP., 35,000 WON The Korean Film Archive presents the fourth of its series chronicling the cinematic history of local films d

Jan 13, 2012

New book on nation-branding published

By Do Je-hae The Lee Myung-bak administration has made efforts to improve the nation’s image abroad, resulting in the establishment of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding (PCNB) in 2009. PCNB Chairwoman Lee Bae-yong and other culture experts have co-authored a new collection of essays titled “Brand Korea: Discover Korean Culture” on Korea’s cultural strengths, with a focus on Korea’s traditional arts, humanities, historical figures and major sightseeing attractions among others. The essay writers come from all walks of cultural life, including “samulnori” (traditional percussion music) master Kim Duk-soo, museum directors, scholars, policymakers and columnists. But they write with one common goal, which is to introduce bits of Korean history as the key source of overseas promotion of Korea. When planning this book, Lee said that the first question she had in mind was — what are the cultural assets that Koreans want to introduce to foreigners the most? The former president of Ewha Womans University is a historian by profession and has been an ardent cham

Jan 13, 2012By Do Je-hae

Recent books

Dreaming Clown: Kim Myung-gon’s Autobiography Kim Myung-gon; Yoorichang: 296 pp., 14,000 Former culture minister Kim Myung-gon has published an autobiography, elaborating on his various experiences with the arts and government. His most recent artistic endeavor was producing “Endless Voyage,” an upcoming performance mixing ballet and traditional Korean dance. Kim is a renowned ‘pansori’ (traditional Korean opera) performer, actor and producer as well as former president of the National Theater of Korea. The late former President Roh Moo-hyun appointed him culture minister in 2006. But Kim is still mostly known for his role in the film “Seopyeonje” by filmmaker Im Kwon-taek in the early 1990s. Kim also wrote the scenario for the film. “I have done a lot of work in theater and in film since then, but they are mostly overshadowed by the role I played in ’Seopyeonje.’ The character of Yu-bong and I shared the same sense of alienation, pain and failures as pansori artists, so it was a role that I could completely sympathize with,” he said. He recollects his ties wi

Jan 6, 2012By Do Je-hae
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