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Silla treasures explored on closer look in English

By Chung Ah-young Gold crowns from the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-935 A.D.) are one of the most well-known relics that represent the richness and splendor of Korean history. But before a gold crown was first uncovered in 1921, the treasures had slept in the darkness of a tomb for a thousand years. After the kingdom fell, its ancient capital city Gyeongju became desolate. In 1921, a gold crown and a large amount of gold items were discovered accidently during the construction of a building at Noseo-dong, Gyeongju. The tomb is called the Gold Crown Tomb, or Geumgwanchong, due to that first landmark excavation, which unleashed the dazzling gold. Since then, Silla gold artifacts have gradually been unveiled with ensuing excavations of more crowns and jewelry. “The Gold Crowns of Silla: Treasures from a Brilliant Age,” a colorful catalogue for foreigners, published by the Korea Foundation reveals the delicacy and brilliance of the crowns and other ornaments with in-depth close-ups and research. The book is rich with various colorful photos taken from different angles and vario

Jan 28, 2011

Storyteller of time Park Wan-sue passes away

Author leaves behind novels that healed the pains of Korean history and people By Chung Ah-young Revered novelist and essayist Park Wan-sue was a true storyteller of her time, called “an active writer forever” who didn’t drop her pen until she died of gallbladder cancer at age 80 Saturday. Born in 1931 in Gaepung-gun, Gyeonggi Province now in North Korea, the author, who celebrated the 40th anniversary of her literary debut last year, lost her father at an early age and was separated from her mother and brother during the Korean War (1950-53). She entered the Korean language and literature department at Seoul National University but had to drop out from the school in 1950 due to the outbreak of war. The author began her writing career belatedly as a 40-year-old housewife in 1970 with her debut work “The Naked Tree.” Since her debut, she received numerous honors such as the Lee Sang Prize for Literature in 1981 and the Korean National Literature Award in 1990. Her oeuvre is marked by eloquent words, which reflects realistic and sophisticated observations in human bein

Jan 23, 2011

Recent books

Korean Journeys: Heartland of Culture and History The Korea Foundation: 259 pp., $25 (25,000 won) This book is a compilation of articles published in English by the Korea Foundation in the Koreana magazine from 2000 to 2010, and gives useful tips for foreign tourists who want to visit secluded parts of Korea. Unfortunately, many visitors here tend to stay in Seoul, missing out on the beautiful and genuine Korean landscapes in provincial areas. The book introduces unique lifestyles, cuisine, folklore, history and traditional heritage that can only be found in outlying regions. Consisting of five parts — Seoul, the Central and Western Region, Southwestern Region, Southeastern Region and Gangwon Province, the book offers picturesque images of every corner of the peninsula. The Seoul section tracks through Gyeongbok Palace, Jongmyo Shrine, Bukchon and the City Wall, looking into the historical tradition of the city. In the Central and Western Region part, Suwon, Pocheon, Chungju, Gongju, Daejeon and five islands in the West Sea are explored. Jeonju, Jina

Jan 21, 2011

From playing card maker to gaming giant

Creative turnaround strategy key to Nintendo’s success By Chung Ah-young Nintendo game machines are one of the most sought-after items for children and even adults. Nintendo is synonymous with gaming and iconic characters — from Donkey Kong, Super Mario to Pocket Monsters — and its innovative hardware is beloved by many consumers, regardless of age, gender and nationality. The Kyoto-based game giant has achieved stunning feats by rewriting game industry history by launching revolutionary products for decades, vying with its rivals such as Sony and Microsoft. However, the story behind the global firm is relatively unknown to many consumers, compared to its wide influence and business power. “Playing to Wiin: Nintendo and The Video Game Industry’s Greatest Comeback” by Daniel Sloan delves into how the Japanese family company came to dominate the global gaming industry through thorough observation and anecdotes about its leadership and business strategies. Few people might know that the firm started as a playing card maker founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yama

Jan 21, 2011

Recent Books

Self Travel Guidebook Hokkaido Shin Yeon-su; Sangsang Publications: 326 pp., 15,800 won Japan is one of the most popular travel destinations for Koreans, not only because it is close, but also because the two countries have very similar yet different aspects in their cultures. ``Self Travel Guidebook Hokkaido’’ explores just that: the interesting, contrasting, and traditional elements of the famous prefecture Hokkaido. While the writer Shin Yeon-su lists tourists attractions, restaurants and shops like any other tourist book, she also provides relevant information in great detail. From famous cities including Sapporo, Hakodate and Furano to the relatively lesser known places such as Wakkanai, Abashiri and Nemuro, the book includes numerous possible itineraries, the histories of each city, famous foods, attractions and different means of transportation plus pretty photos as well. The writer is straightforward and frank, warning readers that some routes may be easy while others will be a bit challenging if they don’t have earnest desire to explore the region. For b

Jan 14, 2011

Multilingual books available for children

By Chung Ah-young As Korean society becomes more multicultural, publishers and libraries are stepping up efforts to release books written in diverse languages for children from multicultural families. The monthly magazine “Library & Libro” has launched the first volume of “We Are One” as a multilingual introduction periodical for children’s books for multicultural families. The first volume introduces 16 children’s books written in six languages ― Korean, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Mongolian, along with audio files recorded by native speakers. It has been distributed to public libraries and multicultural family support centers around the country. The publication includes various stories that delve into Korean culture, history and society such as “Seolbim” written and illustrated by Bae Hyun-ju; “The Path We Walk Along Together” written by Kim Su-jung and illustrated by Han Sung-ok; “Whose Shoes Are These” written and illustrated by Jung Hae-yeong; and “Sawing Away a Gourd, Throwing Yourself into the Sea Indangsu” written by Shin Jeong-min and illustrated

Jan 14, 2011

More books being read despite craze for high-tech devices

By Chung Ah-young Are smartphones and books friends or foes? Smartphones, the touch-screen devices that allow users to access the Internet as well as a wealth of applications and content, had been foreseen by some as the death knell to the book market. But a closer look at the reading habits of tech-savvy Koreans shows that such predictions may have been premature, as the increased consumption of content for digital devices actually appears to be giving book sales a boost. The recent survey conducted by the Reading Management Institute of Kyobo Bookstore, the country’s largest book retailer, shows that the annual number of books read by office workers rose from 11.8 in 2009 to 15.5 in 2010. The survey was based on 1,000 adults living in the country’s five biggest cities, where the penetration of mobile Internet devices like smartphones and touch-screen tablet computers is greater than other places. The study indicates that, at least for now, books seem to have staying power. The findings are different from the omens of doomsayers and critics who had expected a big b

Jan 14, 2011

Recent Books

The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art Donald N. Thompson; Translated from English to Korean by Kim Min-ju and Song Heui-reong; Reader’s Book: 525 pp., 20,000 Why would a smart New York investment banker cash up $12 million for a stuffed carcass of a decaying shark? An economist brings a ``Freakonomics’’ style analysis of the often brand-driven contemporary art market, by presenting case studies and the overall economics of art. The reader gets a peek of the happenings behind-the-scenes ― how art is priced, how auctions are organized (both on and behind the scenes), how gallery shows are sold (or pre-sold), how the reputation of an artist, museum or collector is established, and most of all how all these elements are molded into a brand that sells like in any other high-end luxury product. With ``culturenomics’’ increasingly becoming a keyword the book would certainly appeal to business and economics readers. Art readers on the other may have mixed feelings about the book ― while aspiring curators might learn how the market functions, o

Jan 7, 2011

Royal classic novels under new spotlight

By Chung Ah-young What did royal families and court ladies of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) do for fun? There was not much entertainment at that time but they are believed to have enjoyed their leisure time by reading novels that dealt with diverse themes and subjects. Reading the novels in the courtyard is a bit contrary to Korean traditional belief as “soseol,” or a novel in Korean, literally refers to “small talk,” which disparages the genre that was definitely not supposed to be popular with the noble class or royal court. Recently, ancient novels read in the court are coming under the spotlight as the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) has published three classic novels ― “Taewonji,” “Nyeongirok” and “Nakcheondeungwun.” The move is part of the state-run institution’s long-term project to introduce classic tales, which were widely read in the court during the Joseon period, in modern Korean. The publications have been selected from the royal collection which was stored in Nakseonjae, a compound that was first built in 1847 on the orders of King Heonjong for his yo

Jan 7, 2011

Recent books

A Journey in Search of Korea’s Beauty Bae Yong-joon; Hollym: 432 pp., 22,000 won Korean actor Bae Yong-joon fueled hallyu, or Korean wave, through his dramas, and now he is hoping to step closer to his foreign fans with something more personal. The 38-year-old actor released his book ``A Journey in Search of Korea’s Beauty’’ last year and the photo book is now in English. The book explores 13 subjects that represent Korea and its culture folded under six categories. It took a year for Bae to travel around Korea for the book; meeting both famous and unknown cultural figures, taking photos himself and ultimately learning more about his own culture. Readers will not only get to learn about Korean culture in depth, but also learn more about the actor who seldom shows himself in public or on entertainment shows on television. The book brings well known subjects including ``hanji’’ (Korean traditional paper), bibimbap and ``Hangeul,’’ (Korean alphabet), along with other unique features such as the National Museum of Korea and home cooking. Whether the reader is a fan of B

Dec 31, 2010
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