my timesThe Korea Times
LifestyleBooks

Books

Korea Times
About Us
Introduction
History
Contact Us
Products & Services
Subscribe
E-paper
RSS Service
Content Sales
Site Map
Policy
Code of Ethics
Ombudsman
Privacy Policy
Youth Protection Policy
Terms of Service
Copyright Policy
Family Site
Hankookilbo
Dongwha Group
FacebookXYoutubeInstagram
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.

Life of Joseons Last Princess Revisited

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter This year marks the 100th anniversary of Japan's annexation of Korea. Countless innocent victims and heroic fighters who suffered Japanese colonial atrocities are remembered on this occasion, and so is the ill-fated royal family of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). King Yeongchin (Crown Prince Uimin), the seventh son of King Gojong, was taken to Japan on the pretext of studying at the age of 11, and obligatorily married Princess Nashimotonomiya Masako. He was only able to return to Korea long after the liberation and only when he was in his later years. Princess Deokhye (1912-1989), the last princess of the Joseon Kingdom, was also one of the fateful royal heirs but forgotten in the people's memory. Her tragic and untold life story comes into the spotlight in the new novel ``Princess Deokhye'' written by Kwon Bi-young. The rising author was inspired to write about her sad fate after she visited Tsushima Island where the last princess married Count So Takeyuki, the heir to the So clan whose ancestors had ruled the island for a long time

Feb 19, 2010

Canadian CEO’s Advice for Korean Firms

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Globalization has become the norm in all spheres of life, from cuisine and entertainment to, of course, business. Local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are branching out overseas, no longer out of choice but out of necessity ― and Simon Bureau, the chief of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Korea and CEO of consulting firm Vectis, provides some tips in a book. Bookshelves overflow with business knowhow guides, but ``Global Business Mind-Set'' (Chungrim: 245 pp., 14,800 won) is the first to be written by a foreign businessman in the Korean language, for a Korean audience. During his 10 years in the consulting business, Bureau has helped foreign companies tap into the Korean market. The book reflects his passion for facilitating the opposite process, of local businesses going abroad, and more importantly, achieving success. The French-Canadian aims to help workers revamp their global mindset, and the secrets lie in the hyphenated term MIND-SET: Mobility, Independence, Novel approach, Diversity, Hyphen (looking for values of li

Feb 12, 2010

Recent Books

Korean Business Law: The Legal Landscape and Beyond Jasper Kim; Carolina Academic Press; 358 pp., $40 This book written by Jasper Kim, a professor of Ewha Graduate School of International Studies is the first of its kind in English that explains Korean business laws for business leaders, bankers, students and academics as well as lawyers. The book consists of 18 chapters, each written by experts in their fields ― law firm partners, scholars and members of the judiciary ― to essentially help globalize Korea's legal commercial infrastructure. Each chapter is based on the relevant experts' empirical background that provide essential information on business law through the author's thoughtful insights. Targeting a diverse global audience both inside and outside Korea, the book presents clear and concise explanations of what the law means relating to South Korea's often complex and changing business environment. Major issues include corporations, mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, the Korean judicial system, intellectual property rights, project financing, priv

Feb 12, 2010

US Magazine Features Korean Modern Literature

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Korean literature, particularly the modern genre, is less recognized on the world scene than that of other Asian countries such as China and Japan. Understanding modern Korean literature's genuine complexities requires a brief look back to some basic contours of the century leading up to the present moment. U.S.-based magazine World Literature Today features Korean contemporary literature in a wide spectrum over the 16-page-long special section for its January-February edition. The special article is part of the efforts of the Korea Literature Translation Institute (KLTI) to introduce Korean works to global readers through its support of translations and publications. The KLTI has supported world-renowned literature magazines in the United States, Russia and Hungary from last year to cover Korean literature. Jonathan C. Stalling, an assistant professor of English at the University of Oklahoma and Chung Eun-gwi, professor of Inha University, explore Korean contemporary literature divided into two periods ― ``nationalism'' and ``post-

Feb 12, 2010

Recent Books

Sweet Belgium Baek Seung-seon & Byun Hye-jung; Gachichangjo: 384 pp., 13,500 won What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Belgium? Chocolate, beer and waffles might be associated with the country, but Belgium has more to offer than we know. Belgium welcomes about one million tourists from around the world every year who come to explore its rich history and culture. The country is also home to ``The Smurfs'' and ``A Dog of Flanders.'' The book features its representative cities ― Brussels, Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent ― and each chapter features the best five spots to visit. The colorful photographs are stronger than words, showing the picturesque landscapes around the nation from the Grand Place and Maison du Roi to the Belgian Comic Strip Center. The cities are full of artists and artwork entertaining tourists and locals alike. The artist Rubens' house and atelier is one of the tourist attractions in Antwerp where about 10 of his paintings are on display. Also, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts houses some 23 paintings from Rubens and 1,500 other maste

Feb 5, 2010

Hong Gil-dong Was Modern-Minded Idealist

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Hong Gil-dong is widely known as a fictional hero pulling Taoist magical tricks ― such as flying ― in the Joseon Kingdom in a novel by Heo Gyun. The Korean version of Robin Hood, Hong punished the evil ``yangban,'' the noble class, robbing them to help the poor. Hong was a real person, who lived during the reign of King Yeonsan, but he was more than a hero who helped the poor; he was an idealist who dreamed of building a new nation free from a rigid social hierarchy. ``Nation of People,'' an epic novel written by Kang Chul-keun, head of the Institute of Hallyu Culture, is based on historical records that show his footsteps that remain both in his hometown of Jangseong-gun, South Jeolla Province, and Okinawa, Japan. The novel is the first of its kind to shed light on Hong as a real person through historical records. Hong was the son of a ``yangban'' and his concubine born in the mid-15th century. However, the Confucian state of the time forbade sons of concubines from attaining government positions. As the rigid social hierarchy blo

Feb 5, 2010

Recent Books

Kim Yu-na’s 7 Minute Drama Kim Yu-na; Joongang Books: 288 pp., 15,000 won Figure skating champion Kim Yu-na is meeting her fans off the ice this time. The 19-year-old skater managed to squeeze in some time to write her first memoir, `` Kim Yu-na’s 7 Minute Drama,’’ which is in stores right now. It’s been 13 years since the ``Ice Princess’’ laced up her ice skates for the first time and she has come a long way since then. The book covers numerous episodes in her career, from her beginnings as an aspiring figure skater to the grueling training sessions to the sweet taste of victory. ``I wrote the book as if I was writing a journal. My thoughts became clearer and I started to believe in myself even more. I always thought I had so much to tell my fans and young skaters, and I’m happy that I finally got the chance,’’ Kim wrote in the preface. Famous for her impeccable expressions and movements, Kim explains how she realized the importance of such details. To understand the piece ``Scheherazade,’’ she needed to appreciate the sad story of the Persian queen, while she had

Jan 29, 2010

Korea’s Future Lies in IT Development

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Korea experienced a boom in information technology (IT), which made the nation one of the world's high-tech powerhouses. A high-speed Internet infrastructure, network robots, radio tags and embedded software made up part of the nation's competitive edge. But now, the ``IT mantra'' seems to have lost its past glory ― at least under the current administration, which has put more emphasis on a four-river refurbishment project. A new book, ``Internet Story,'' written by Korea Times reporter Kim Tae-gyu details the untold stories of the country's IT industries that the author strongly believes are its future. The book consists of three major areas ― search engines, video sharing sites and social networking. The writer examines the powerful players both in Korea and the United States to look at what is going on in the IT world and Internet sector by exploring Google, Naver, YouTube, Pandora TV, Cyworld, MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. The author invents some eye-catching terminologies to define the IT era and the nature of its users, and obs

Jan 29, 2010

Passion Leads May Lee to Challenge

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter From an anchor, talk show host, correspondent to the founder and CEO of Lotus Media House, May Lee seems to have it all ― at least in the eyes of many young self-fulfilling women. The Korean-American journalist founded a Singapore-based media production company that launched The May Lee Show, the first pan-Asia talk show for women, which is often called ``Asia's Oprah Winfrey Show.'' She has released a book titled ``May Lee Live and In Person; It All Begins With Passion,'' published by John Wiley and Sons, which candidly recounts her ups and downs both professionally and personally. Lee was a shy girl preparing to become a doctor according to her Korean parents' wishes. But she was not good at science and math and kept asking herself what she really wanted to do. ``I love writing, storytelling, speaking to people and I had a strong curiosity about everything. And then I prayed and had a heart-to-heart chat with God. I asked him simply, `What should I do with my life?' And he answered `You should be a broadcast journalist.' That's a

Jan 29, 2010

Recent Books

Korean Cinema and April 19: Portrait of Korean Cinema in the Early 1960s Ham Chung-beom et al. Korean Film Archive: 224 pp., 12,000 won This book, released by the Korean Film Archive, presents research conducted by film experts on Korean movies during the socio-politically tumultuous period of the early 1960s. In particular, the study looks into 1960 and 1961, the months preceding and following the climactic student uprising of April 19, 1960. The pro-labor movement overthrew the autocratic Syngman Rhee regime and marked the beginning of the Second Republic in modern Korean history ― and the Golden Age of Korean cinema. There are many books that offer a film historiography, but not many that are placed within the context of such a specific period. Movies, like other works of art, often mirror their times. The researchers look into writings about movies from the times and analyze their meanings, both overt and hidden. At the time, non-commercial contemporary literary pieces were frequently adapted to the screen. This suggests that filmmakers wanted to pursue artistic id

Jan 22, 2010
previous page
149150151152153
next page

Most Read in Lifestyle