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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Finding anew what ’Koreanness’ is

By Chung Ah-young It is not easy to concisely define what Korean studies is as it deals with a wide variety of genres ranging from language, economics, politics, culture and history to religion. To define the core meaning, a question of what is the most Korean thing should be answered first. Twenty-two experts in diverse fields collaborated on a new book titled “The Pleasure of Korean Studies” published by Humanist, which traces “Koreanness.” The book approaches various topics within Korean studies in both traditional and modern contexts encompassing philosophy, religion, science, medicine, economics and pop culture, which are closely related to what matters in modern Korean society. As the meaning of Koreanness changes in accordance with time, the book offers a key clue to painting a portrait of Korea of the past, present and future. Poet Jang Seok-ju delves into “han” (Korean sentiment of grievance or grudge) through such literary works as “Azalea” by Kim So-wol that portrays Koreans’ passive desire for redemption after enduring pain. In “Arirang,” the passive sad

Sep 16, 2011

Recent Books

A Place to See Jungfrau Kim Jin-ik; Hansom: 352 pp., 12,000 won This is Kim Jin-ik’s second novel set in Interlaken in Switzerland revolving around Chan-woo, a watch dealer, I-hyeon, a mountaineer and Yoon-ji, a mysterious woman. The story unfolds through the characters who seem to be irrelevant to each other but become intertwined through challenges, passion and love. Chan-woo who climbs to the top of his field as a watch dealer without any help from others falls in love with Yoon-ji at first sight. But while having a relationship with her, he is haunted by a strange dream every night. In the dream, a man regularly appears to him and asks a mysterious favor and then a series of strange incidents ensue. The story is developed through Switzerland, Japan and Korea, showing various characters with diverse professions and strong personalities. In the early stages, there seems no connection between the characters but later they fit into a complete plot. The novel is not just a romance but one that shows tough adventure and the healing process of youngsters through delicat

Sep 9, 2011

Can literature be next ’hallyu’ hit?

Korean books shine in overseas publication market By Chung Ah-young After prominent novelist Shin Kyung-sook rose to international fame with her landmark book “Please Look After Mom,” global interest in Korean literature began to grow. Shin said that Korean literature seems fresh to readers in other countries and its status is bigger than Koreans think. “They seem to be looking for an alternative in humanity and community spirit, which is richly expressed in Korean literature,” she said in a recent press conference. True to its growing presence, veteran writer Yi Mun-yol’s short fictional piece “An Anonymous Island” is to be published in the Sept. 12 issue of the New Yorker, the U.S.-based weekly magazine. The New Yorker is world-famous, selling more than 1.4 million copies a week. After such writers as Oe Kenzaburo, Orhan Pamuk and Murakami Haruki saw their works in the magazine, they have been in the international spotlights. In 2006, poet Ko Un’s “Four Poems” appeared in the New Yorker but it is the first time for it to introduce Korean fiction. According

Sep 9, 2011

Recent books

Seven Days, Eight Nights in Barcelona Park Hyun-sook; Sapiens 21: 340 pp., 15,000 won Seven days and eight nights might be a short time for some and a long time for others. The book offers a good guide for travelers who have only a week to travel. It introduces Barcelona as a wonderful destination as it has a perfect climate, artistic architecture, traditional markets, shopping areas and mouth-watering cuisine along with beautiful beaches and parks. Based on the experience gathered while working at a backpacking travel company for 10 years, the author said that Barcelona is the city she most wants to live in Europe because of the nice weather, good food and good people. The book guides readers in accordance with eight themes and offers essential information and tips rather than personal stories or essays as other travel books do. It includes details about transportation and advises on how to safely travel the city and shop economically. There are photos and maps necessary for novice tourists. ― CHUNG AH-YOUNG

Sep 2, 2011

Paju fest aims for Asian town of books

By Chung Ah-young Located just 30 kilometers from Seoul, Paju Book City in Gyeonggi Province is one of the most successful models in the nation as the culture community which exclusively plans, produces and distributes books with some 260 publication companies. Now the city is taking a more ambitious plan as the global book city through the Paju BookSori Festival which will be held from Oct. 1 to 9 in the area. The festival consists of diverse exhibitions and events to attract visitors from home and abroad. “We will make it (Paju Book City) as a hub of the Asian books by successfully hosting the festival. We hope the event will usher in a new era for books that embrace Asia, not just Paju,” Kim Un-ho, organizing committee chairman, said in a recent promotion event. Prominent poet Ko Un who is an adviser for the festival also delivered a celebration message, saying “the festival would contribute to the book culture of the world.” “The values of the books are more powerful than any other weapons such as missiles and guns. I hope the festival would resonate not only

Sep 2, 2011

Foreign readers inspire Shin to write next works

By Chung Ah-young After touring other countries to promote her landmark hit novel “Please Look After Mom” over the last four months, celebrated author Shin Kyung-sook said that foreign readers she met have inspired her to write more. “I didn’t think of foreign readers until my book was printed in English. But now after meeting my fans in other countries, I feel foreign readers have given me a strong energy for my next works,” Shin said at a press conference on Monday. The 48-year-old returned to Korea on Aug. 25 after a four-month tour to seven cities in North America and eight in Europe to meet fans as the publication right of “Please Look After Mom” has been sold to 28 countries. First published in her native language by Changbi Publisher in November 2008, the novel sold more than 1.8 million copies in Korea. Since the English edition of the book first appeared in the United States on April 5, the novel has drawn a worldwide response for its universal value of family love and maternal devotion. Her book was selected as one of the top 10 by editors for the Best of

Aug 29, 2011

Shin to attend Brisbane Writers Festival

By Chung Ah-young Celebrated author Shin Kyung-sook will participate in the Brisbane Writers Festival (BWF) slated for Sept. 7-11 in Australia. Renowned for her landmark novel “Please Look After Mom,” which has been published in 28 countries, the 48-year-old writer is the only Korean author appearing in the festival. BWF introduced her as “Korea’s national living treasure” and “one of South Korea’s most widely read and acclaimed novelists.” “Please Look After Mom” is her first work to be printed in English. As an author Shin has won the Manhae Literature Prize, the Dong-in Literature Prize, and the Yi Sang Literary Prize as well as France’s Prix de l'Inapercu. The festival’s website describes the novel as “compassionate, redemptive and beautifully written,” adding that, “‘Please Look After Mom’ reconnects us to the story of our own families and the forgotten sacrifices that lie at its heart.” Initiated in 1962, the festival is an international event inviting prestigious authors and publishers from 30 countries. Shin returned to Korea Aug. 25 after a four-month

Aug 29, 2011

Recent Books

Think of a Number John Verdon; Translated by Lee Jin from English to Korean; Viche: 588 pp., 13,000 won A man receives a taunting letter that orders him to choose a number and he randomly thinks of “658.” To his surprise he opens an envelope that came with the letter that has that exact number written by a person identified as X. Then, a series of letters that carry his shameful past and wrongdoings he even can’t remember arrive and drive him into panic. Later, the man is found dead in his house and there are mysterious footprints on the snow-capped field around the body. The police investigate the murder case focusing on how the suspect reads the minds of the victim and the number game is revealed as the center of the serial murder case. The novel is a thriller that unfolds with edge-of-the-seat stories at a fast pace equipped with realistic portrayals of the characters, captivating the readers not only in the United States but also in European countries. The book has been translated into some 20 languages, including Korean. The author who started his writing career i

Aug 26, 2011

Million seller creates buzz for youngsters

‘Youth’ sets sight on overseas markets By Chung Ah-young Korean youths these days are often referred as the smartest, most educated and most capable generation blessed with material affluence. At the same time they are criticized as the feeble and dependent generation. They are caught between materialistic abundance and spiritual vapidity against ever-deepening insecurity driven by a tight job market. The tech-savvy generation seems to be lusty and lighthearted at first glance but internally struggle to survive the cutthroat competition and to fight loneliness. On that score, “(It’s) Youth, Because It’s Painful” written by Kim Ran-do, professor at Seoul National University, might be a great comfort full of hearty advice and guides for them. The book’s recently sold a record of more than 1 million copies in eight months — the shortest period for a non-fiction work in Korea — proves how much contemporary Korean society is suffering from internal conflicts and needs careful attention. First published Dec. 24, 2010, the book had topped the bestselling list within

Aug 26, 2011

Recent books

The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle et al; Translated by Jung Tae-won from English to Korean; Viche: 700 pp., 24,000 won Sherlock Holmes is the most well-known fictional detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the 19th century. The figure has a sharp power of reasoning with his eccentricity and extraordinary brain. Since the detective mystery about Holmes was released and he emerged as a cultural icon, countless homage and parodies to follow his legacy have been generated. As a result, detective short stories were seriously in vogue from the late 1880s and the early 1890s. This book introduces the masterful short stories by nine authors including some of Doyle’s unreleased works such as “The Story of the Lost Special” and “The Story of the Man With the Watches.” The unknown stories by Arnold Bennett, Arthur Morrison, Baroness Emmuska Orczy, Bret Harte, Catherine Louisa Pirkis, Clifford Ashdown are told along with 70 illustrations. The fictional figures in the stories have something in common in that they have unique personalities and extrao

Aug 19, 2011
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