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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.

Discovering Jeju via photography

By Ines Min An age-lined woman bursts head first from the ocean, mouth gasping for air, eyes shut in effort beneath the goggles of a full-body wet suit. Hikers trek up a snow covered Mt. Halla, a trail marked with wooden pegs and the deep trench of footsteps. The colorful hues of decorative fabrics are draped along an ancient shrine. These are but a few of the myriad images captured by Brian Miller’s ``The Village Across the Sea.’’ The government-funded photo artbook was released this month to help promote Korea’s largest island off the southern coast of the peninsula. Miller, an English teacher and photographer, explores the diverse and fading themes of an area in transformation _ as modernization has hit the island, time-tested traditions have slowed to a near halt and focus has shifted to new avenues of revenue. The famed culture of ``haenyeo,’’ female sea divers, is disappearing as Jeju makes way for international sports events, such as the Ballantine’s Golf Championship, which has been held on the island since 2008. But Miller, a self-described history buff, als

Dec 31, 2010

Iranian translator to bring Korean works to world

By Han Sang-hee Translating can be a spiritual experience. It’s more than finding the perfect word in one language that could replace the word in another ― for Farideh Mahdavi-Damghani, a famed translator from Iran, it has been a joyful and inspiring journey for more than 25 years. The 47-year-old visited Korea for the first time this month to pursue introducing more Korean works to her native Iran, and despite the bone-chilling wintry winds, she was more than eager to talk about her life, work and interests with The Korea Times. Although not yet well known in Korea, Mahdavi-Damghani is a noted translator in both her home country and also in Europe. Having won numerous awards such as the Florence Literary Prize in 2004, one of the most prestigious literary awards after the Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes, she is also the first non-Italian to win an award from the President of Italy for her noteworthy translations. Mahdavi-Damghani has traveled around the world in search if interesting projects and collaborations, and though other Asian countries have caught her eye, she ex

Dec 26, 2010

Books unfold leadership of ex-presidents

By Han Sang-hee Reading lots of books is meant to educate a person so they can maximize their talents, and who would be better teachers than former heads of state? It’s difficult to satisfy everyone in a group, let alone in a whole country, when you are president, but one thing is certain: without his or her own style of leadership it would be difficult to distinguish oneself as an inspiring role model. Two new books highlight the leaderships of two Korean presidents — Park Chung-hee (1917-1979) and Kim Dae-jung (1924-2009), delving into the lives and careers of the two prominent leaders and offering readers an idea of what made these men so special. “We Can Do” was published by the Park Chung-hee, Yuk Young-soo Research Center, an institute founded in 2004 with the aim of acknowledging the past president’s beliefs, and present both political and personal advice to future generations. It tackles the A to Zs of Park’s leadership, with special focus on his achievements during his time as president (1963-1979) rather than his political controversies. The message

Dec 24, 2010

Copenhagens Bicycle in eyes of poet and essayist

By Lee Chang-sup “Copenhagen’s Bicycle” is a book composed of splendid travel essays written by Choi Yearn-hong, who has been a professional traveler, poet, writer and scholar all his life. During his long active academic life, he delivered many scholarly papers in his field of environmental policy and management in major cities in the United States and European nations. Choi has also been subscribing to and contributing articles to The Korea Times since 1963. While teaching at the University of Seoul, he traveled to China, Japan and many Southeast Asian nations with his graduate students and throughout Korea, including mountains and temples. After retirement, he traveled to Scandinavian countries, Brazil, Peru, Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Even after retirement, he delivered his scholarly papers in international conferences on seas and oceans. His travel essays cover Korean cities such as Gyeongju, Gongju, Jeju Island, Chungmu, Haenam and other parts of the world. The author has lived in the United States and Korea, and writes from an international perspective.

Dec 24, 2010

Recent books

Apgujeong Boys Lee Jae-ik; Hwangsobooks: 343 pp., 11,800 won A novelist and radio producer of SBS released a Korean-style entertaining mystery novel involving boys who grew up in Apgujeong-dong, southern Seoul, in the 1990s and the Korean entertainment world. The plot opens with the suicide of top actress Seo Yeon-hui and the gathering of her friends from high school who mourn the loss. A male magazine editor Hyun U-ju, one of Seo’s old friends who also had a romantic interest in her becomes suspicious about the circumstances of her sudden death and decides to ferret out the mysteries surrounding her. Hyun was a member of a school band named “Apgujeong Boys” led by Park Dae-ung, who later married Seo and runs a famed entertainment agency. Hyun reflects on the memories of high school life and tries to find out what really happened between Seo and Park. The author himself graduated from Gujeong High School, now Apgujeong High School, and depicts the urban culture of well-off people living in Gangnam, southern Seoul nearly two decades ago based on his experiences. The

Dec 24, 2010

Recent books

Seoul Beauty Travel Bible Park Sol; Random House Korea: 396 pp., 15,800 won Beauty is a universal obsession, and here is a book that can help Seoulites pamper up in Seoul. Park Sol, a columnist for magazines such as Vogue Girl and Dazed and Confused, has published a complete guide to “becoming more beautiful” in the capital city. The young columnist explains basic beauty tips and introduces hot places in Seoul in five chapters ― Face & Hair, Body, Style, Life and Others ― and lists 155 shops recommended by beauty experts from beauty salons and esthetics to spas and vintage clothing stores. Park, having developed an interest in cosmetics and fashion at an early age, tells her secret know-how from perfecting smoky eye makeup to choosing the proper clothes according to the time, place and occasion. Park's "beauty" is not just skin-deep. She goes into inner beauty and discusses leading a healthy lifestyle by eating organic food and engaging in cultural activities as well. Grab this book and take an excursion around Seoul to discover the true meaning of beauty. -

Dec 17, 2010

Discovering a forgotten war, page by page

English teacher pens book on Korean War (1950-53) By Ines Min “It’s never been a forgotten one for me; not with the lead I still carry in my body.” Exactly what has or has not been lost in the dredges of time is the Korean War (1950-53). Sixty years later, the battle scenes may not be as visceral for most of us as carrying shrapnel in our flesh — but it remains tangible, emotional and wholly real for many on the peninsula. Jeffrey Miller, an English teacher at Woosong University in Daejeon, uncovers the horrors of war in his debut novel released late last month, providing an insight into the torrid time. “War Remains” follows the tale of Bobby Washkowiak and his grandson Michael, who explores the past in order to find out exactly what happened the day his grandfather went missing. Alternating from present day to wartime past, the novel unfolds through pulsating battle scenes, personal vignettes and quiet introspection, making use of jumping perspectives in order to create an intimate tale of loyalty, love and livelihood. Miller, 52, first arrived in Korea

Dec 17, 2010

Book offers wisdom on globalizing hansik

By Lee Hyo-won Globalizing ``hansik’’ or Korean cuisine has long been a key agenda here. But what exactly does that mean in promoting local dishes? Ahead of the G20 Seoul Summit, the ``C20’’ or 20 culture experts were invited to explore the local cuisine, while during the summit first lady Kim Yoon-ok treated the spouses of the G20 leaders to a traditional court-inspired meal. Kim also appeared on CNN to introduce Korean dishes while Hollywood actress Heather Graham was recently in town for a cookery program. Hansik restaurants can be easily spotted in any city around the world. But promoting hansik seems to involve more than just making sure as many non-Koreans try a bite of kimchi. Changes need to start at home, according to a new book. Kwon Chang-ho, who works for the Korean embassy in Beijing, offers a smart analysis of the local culinary scene and practical advice addressing problems through ``Korean Food, Cook Up the World’’ (Lux Media: 328 pp., 13,000 won). Highly recommended by star chef Edward Kwon and other culinary experts, the book’s greatest selling poin

Dec 10, 2010

Recent Books

Conservative Philosopher Peter Drucker’s How We Should Live, Lee Jae-kyu; Book21; 320 pp., 18,000 won Peter Drucker, widely known as the father of management, once said his contribution to elevate management studies to the level of a liberal art is one of his most rewarding achievements. He says management is closely related to the values and fundamentals of human beings. This book’s author, one of the most acknowledged Korean experts of the legendary management consultant, portrays Drucker as a conservative philosopher, claiming that the management guru upholds conservative values such as “the rule of law” and “small government.” This book’s title “How Should We Live?” may sound a bit off mark as a book featuring Drucker. However, as Drucker stressed that management is a liberal art, delving into his thoughts might give readers a fresh insight into management and life at the same time. This book links management with philosophical, social issues. Readers will have an opportunity to think about social responsibility of enterprises. The question of how we should live

Dec 10, 2010

Recent books

Bringing Home the Birkin Michael Tonello; Maumsan Chaek: 368 pp., 14,000 won The two-year-old autobiography of Ebay luxury goods reseller Michael Tonello has made its way into the Korean publishing world. While the young people here struggle with a 7 percent unemployment rate (15- to 29-year-olds), the Korean translation takes on the tale of the Hermes hounder with a strange new spin: making money in your pajamas. Tonello, a one-time beautician who created his own collaborative artists company, reassessed his life goals after an inspiring trip to Barcelona. Deciding to leave behind the world of photo shoots, the author packed up to begin his world travels collecting and providing women with the most sought-after bag: the Birkin. Earning money off his commissions, Tonello made a name for himself (a blacklisted one, by luxury labels) over the course of a decade. Although this year — and the recession — saw the release of the Birkin into the public wild with the banishment of the notorious years-long waiting list, the tale of Tonello still rings with humor, wit a

Dec 3, 2010
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