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Westerners Capture Early Modernization in Korea

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Korea endured a long, self-imposed isolation from much of the world up until the 19th century. Once it opened its doors to the West, Korea went through major modernization ― from an agricultural society to a modern industrial one. With modernization came an increased amount of incoming people from the West, who arrived here for various reasons. Whatever purposes they had, they had to adapt themselves to a new way of life. "Korea Through Western Eyes," written in English by Robert D. Neff and Cheong Sung-hwa, delves into the lives of Westerners in Korea and their struggles to live in Korean society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The book features impressive black-and-white photographs that capture a part of Korean society rarely seen in other historical records. Anecdotes reveal the unknown stories behind the modernization, and how Koreans and Westerners interacted with each other back then. Diplomats, merchants and missionaries were among those that came from the West. Most settled down in Seoul, Jemulpo or Busan. For t

Jan 22, 2010

Recent Books

Love Letters From New Zealand Kim In-ja; Noonbit Publishing: 296 pp., 12,000 won A mailbox has become a thing of the past as people are communicating via email and text messages on mobile phones. But there was a time when people waited for a letter from someone with a heart-throbbing excitement. Mailboxes are associated with a strong sense of romance and nostalgia for a slow life. This book carries 200 colorful images of the boxes across New Zealand along with 99 aphorisms about love and short essays. The photos show various kinds of mailboxes reflecting their owners' tastes and way of thinking in the pastoral landscapes. The shapes of mail boxes vary from a fish, a flower pattern, a milk bucket to a mail box on a wheel. The poet and travel writer took photos of mailboxes and the breathtaking scenery during the 4,000 kilometer-long road trip around New Zealand last winter. ``I couldn't have found thousands of mail boxes unless I took a road trip to the country. But it was also possible because I traveled none other than to New Zealand,'' the author said in the epi

Jan 15, 2010

Joseon Archive Selection: Essence of Royal Culture

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The Jangseogak Library is an archive of the nation's most time-honored records containing the essence of Korea's cultural traditions. The records and documents stored in the Jangseogak archival collection deal with the full spectrum of activities of the royal court of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), ranging from writings on the culture of the nobility and royal power to edicts and state policies. The collection encompasses over 100,000 classical texts, formerly held in the royal archives, along with tens of thousands of texts from private collections. ``Selected Items from the Jangseogak Collection,'' published by the Academy of Korean Studies, is comprised of 126 pieces carefully chosen from 100,000 royal documents with brief annotations and introductions both in English and Korean. The Jangseogak Library was relocated permanently from the Cultural Heritage Administration to its present home, the Academy of Korean Studies in 1981. Since then, the library has performed the dual function of preserving and managing invaluable classica

Jan 15, 2010

Recent Book

Trend Korea 2010 Kim Nan-do et al; Mirae Book Publishing: 280 pp., 13,000 won The year 2010 is finally here, and professors, researchers and writers have duly delivered books with their opinions of what trends will occur, become popular and dwindle this year. One of these books is Seoul National University professor Kim Nan-do's ``Trend Korea 2010.'' The book introduces the acronym ``TIGERNOMICS,'' which stands for Time for Korean chic; Into our neighborhood; Good to be geeks; End of taboos; Ready-made to order-made; Omni-U solutions; Manner matters; It's aqua; Challenge your age and Style republic. The first chapter examines the trends that were predicted for last year and whether they came to be, while the second features ``TIGERNOMICS'' and easy-to-understand examples. The final chapter offers how to apply the 11 trends to everyday life, from business, food and marketing to culture. It's always interesting to read a book that suggests the ideas and trends of the future, and this is the same with ``Trend Korea 2010.'' Some may be skeptical of some of the trend

Jan 8, 2010

Book Chronicles Ahn Jung-geun’s Life

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter The year 2009 marked the 100th anniversary of Ahn Jung-geun's assassination in Harbin of the first Japanese resident-general of Korea, Hirobumi Ito who had been leading Japan's annexation of the country. His deed came from his vision of realizing peace in Northeast Asia, which went beyond simple resistance to Japan's imperialism. To revive the historical meaning of Ahn's deed with the help of citizens from around the world, the Northeast Asian History Foundation and The Korea Times jointly held the ``Ahn Jung-geun English Contest'' last year. A total of 1,134 people ― 581 Koreans and 553 people from the United States, Canada, Egypt, Russia, Laos, South Africa, Uganda, Bhutan, Finland, Uzbekistan, Malaysia and other countries ― joined the contest. A book ``Ahn Jung-geun & Peaceful Asia'' highlights 12 winning essays from the contest and eight special articles on Ahn's life and his heroic efforts. Michael Gilbert, a British national working in Seoul, winner of the Gold Prize in the division of foreigners, wrote ``Ahn Proposed East As

Jan 8, 2010

Pine Culture Behind Korean Civilization

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Why are Korean red pines planted in front of the office of the Korean president at Cheong Wa Dae? Why are the trees seen around the royal tombs of the Joseon Kingdom? Why did ancient Koreans in the Joseon Kingdom grant the second highest official rank in the government to a grandiose red pine, and even bestow a fortune on an old Seoksongnyeong pine tree? Why is the lumber of the pines being used for the renovation of Gyeongbok Palace? ``The Red Pine'' written by Chun Young-woo, professor of the department of forest resources at Kookmin University, answers these questions to help foreigners understand the significance of Korean pine trees as well as the country's culture. This book examines the centuries-long relationship between Korean people and the red pine. The utility of the tree, which has sustained agrarian societies across the Korean landscape, has contributed to the people's world of spirituality and culture. ``The pine is the only natural object included in the country's top 100 symbols designated by the government. It shows how

Jan 8, 2010

Recent Books

My Last Gift to Her Kim Young-kyun; Gimmyoung Publishing: 300 pp., 12,000 won When actress Jang Jin-young died of cancer in September, many fans were sad not only about her death at a young age, but also over her love story. She was known to have wed and registered the marriage four days prior to her death. She and her husband Kim Young-kyun wed in Las Vegas in July; and finally he talks about his love for her in a new book. ``My Last Gift to Her’’ reveals the 608-day love story between the two. He shares his private thoughts and memories by recalling their first meeting, blossoming love and her devastating stomach cancer diagnosis and treatments, and his heartbreak over her death. The book carries photos of their wedding, travels and daily lives showing happy times with each other. ``Jin-young was a promising actress before she became my wife. I hope she will be remembered as a beautiful movie star forever,’’ he said in the prologue. He said that the reason he released the book was to share her goodwill with readers to help needy people and to tell other patien

Dec 25, 2009

Blockbusters Boost Literature in 2009

Veteran Novelists Return to Literary Scene With New Masterpieces in 2010 By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Has the common belief that literature booms during an economic recession come true? The year 2009 was a bumper year with big-name writers producing high-quality work also in quantity. According to YES 24, an online bookstore, the number of literary works increased by 30-40 percent from January to November this year, compared to the same period last year. The rise in the popularity of literary books has mostly been driven by the enormous acclaim of new works by high-profile writers such as Shin Kyung-sook and Haruki Murakami. Also, books written by female writers pushed up sales due to their delicate and heartwarming stories in a tough year. Blockbuster Hits The year's literature success includes Shin Kyung-sook's ``Take Care of My Mom,'' which was lauded as Book of the Year and at the same time the best seller of 2009 by readers visiting major bookstores. The novel's influence was so powerful that it has made ``mother'' a hot item in the local publi

Dec 25, 2009

Recent Books

Sang A New York Narrative 99-09 Sang A Im-Propp; Salim LIFE: 212 pp., 13,000 won Sang A Im-Propp (formerly known as Im Sang A) has emerged as a new symbol of glamour and ambition, as she transformed from a pop star to one of the hottest handbag designers du jour. In the 1990s, Sang A was a popular singer and actress with three albums under her belt. But now she is better known as the maker of luxurious handbags found on the arms of top Hollywood stars such as Rhianna, Keira Knightley, Nicky Hilton and Blake Lively, to name a few. The designer tells her story in a book filled with chic photographs. She takes a very personal approach to her ``Narrative,'' through chapters named "Greed," "Nostalgia" and "Happiness," and includes fashion spreads to intimate images of her family life as a mother and wife. The road to success was, however, not easy, as she faced language barriers and creative struggles as one of the many aspiring designers in New York. The book will be a treat for the young, and in particular those who are fascinated by the exotic culture of the Big Apple.

Dec 18, 2009

Book Sheds Light on Korean Shakespeare Theater

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter William Shakespeare's works are timeless and universal masterpieces that are endlessly being recreated around the world. Korean thespians have also reinterpreted the classic pieces with a modern twist and developed their own local treats and colors, receiving rave reviews from Western critics. To introduce Korean interpretations of Shakespeare's dramas, a book titled ``Glocalizing Shakespeare in Korea and Beyond'' has been recently released, the first one its kind published here in English. Korean theater critic and professor at Soongsil University Shim Jung-soon and seven other authors, including five foreign professors, co-wrote the book. ``Korean professors, including me, made efforts to let those (foreign professors) interested in Korean theater to better appreciate it,'' Shim said. The book was written to raise awareness about Korean Shakespearean theater because it is not apparent to the international theatrical community. ``Looking back, I remember seeing Kathakali King Lear at the Edinburgh Festival in 1991, and a Japan

Dec 18, 2009
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