Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Prison letters of ousted ex-President Park Geun-hye become bestseller

At Kyobo Bookstore's Gwanghwamun branch in Seoul's Jongno District on Jan. 6, a notice indicates that “Not Everybody Feels a Longing” is sold out and will be restocked after Jan. 10. NewsisBy Ko Dong-hwanOusted former President Park Geun-hye's series of letters during her imprisonment have topped Korean major bookstores' sales charts shortly after being published late last December.Titled “Not Everybody Feels a Longing,” the book contains Park's responses to letters sent by her supporters during her life behind bars for four years and nine months. Park's writings were gathered and bound by her lawyer Yoo Yeong-ha, the only visitor she received during her imprisonment.The country's largest on- and offline book seller Kyobo Bookstore on Jan. 7 released bestseller rankings from Dec. 29 to Jan. 4, which was topped by Park's book. Published on Dec. 30 ― a day before she was released ― the book came in with the highest sales in Kyobo including presales. On YES24, a major online bookstore, the book was the top-seller of the week following its release.Kyobo reported t

Jan 7, 2022By Ko Dong-hwan

Prison letters of ousted ex-President Park Geun-hye become bestseller

'Land of Squid Game': Cultural guidebook to all things Korean

Min Byoung-chul, an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University and author of “Land of Squid Game” / Courtesy of Min Byoung-chulBy Park Han-solThe cover of “Land of Squid Game” (2021) / Courtesy of BCM PublishingWhether Korean culture ― thanks to K-pop, K-dramas and K-movies as part of hallyu, or the Korean wave ― remains popular around the world is no longer a contested subject. Instead, the debate now revolves around what content is leading the current wave.In 2021, hallyu reached another milestone with the Netflix original survival drama “Squid Game.” Receiving both critical and public acclaim for its uniquely twisted transformation of Korean children's games into a life-or-death contest to win 45.6 billion won, it became the global streaming giant's most-watched show of all time, just two months after its worldwide release.English educator and author Min Byoung-chul's new book, “Land of Squid Game,” comes at a time when there appears to be an all-time high demand and interest in “all things Korean” as an easy-to-read

Jan 7, 2022By Park Han-sol

'Land of Squid Game': Cultural guidebook to all things Korean

Book discloses presidential candidate's bad blood with brother

Lawyer Jang Young-ha points to a printout showing packs of 50,000 won bills to support his client's claim that the money was allegedly handed over to then Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung in this October 20 file photo. Jang recently released a book, “Bye! Lee Jae-myung” which tells the story of the presidential candidate and his bad blood with his older brother who passed away in 2019, years after he was diagnosed with cancer. Korea Times fileLawyer who was once close to Lee Jae-myung, releases book to discredit the DPK candidate By Kang Hyun-kyung“Bye! Lee Jae-myung,” is a book written by Jang Young-ha, a former confidant of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) presidential candidate. The book, however, was penned after Jang became Lee's bitter enemy. Officially released on Christmas Eve of all possible dates, the politically-motivated book printed by the Jiwoo publishing house has emerged as a headache for the DPK, not to mention its presidential candidate.A former judge, Jang was once close to Lee and worked for him when he ran for mayor of Seongnam

Jan 1, 2022By Kang Hyun-kyung

Book discloses presidential candidate's bad blood with brother

'Escape from Sanaa': A Korean's clandestine photo project in Yemen brought to light

A Yemeni man is captured in this photo taken by Lim Ji-hoon in 2009 at Central Souq al-Mil. A brief poem that is paired with the photo reads: “I am one of the 15 percent of Yemeni men who don't chew khat.” Courtesy of Noonbit Publishing Like a covert agent on secret mission, author embarks on a photography project in the Yemeni capital to chronicle the war-struck people By Kang Hyun-kyungLim Ji-hoon spent 33 years as an executive in charge of sales and marketing for a mid-sized Korean company involved in oil and natural gas projects in the Middle East. That job gave him rare access to the region that few Koreans had explored because of travel restrictions.Until three years ago when he retired from his life-time job, Lim traveled back and forth between Korea and countries like Libya, Algeria, Yemen and Iran, to name a few, and worked with staff from partner companies for weeks at a time. Intrigued by the exotic landscape and local culture, Lim, now 60, said he

Dec 20, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

'Escape from Sanaa': A Korean's clandestine photo project in Yemen brought to light

Book review: Tracing the history of intercountry adoption and Korea's major role in it

gettyimagesbankBy Hwang Dong-hee“The Global Orphan Adoption System,” published on Nov. 30, by KoRootSome might think Korea is no longer a “child exporting country” ― with its shining economic success and growing diplomatic and cultural influence, Korea must have found solutions for the issue a long time ago. But no. Hundreds of Korean children are still sent overseas through adoption each year, according to the Global Statistics for Intercountry Adoption (HCCH).Since the end of the Korean War (1950-53), the country has been actively involved the adoption of babies by families overseas. The number peaked in 1985, when it reached 8,800 ― a whopping 1.3 percent of all babies born here that year. Over the past 70 years, the total number of such babies is estimated to be more than 200,000.Given the number of people and countries involved, intercountry adoption of children is a major international issue. Yet, little research has been done to find out how intercountry adoption has affected the people and the countries involved, especially Korea, the largest market fo

Dec 16, 2021

Book review: Tracing the history of intercountry adoption and Korea's major role in it

Yi Sang's translated poems win prestigious US literary award

The cover of “Yi Sang: Selected Works” (2020), translated by Jack Jung et al. / Courtesy of Wave BooksBy Park Han-solPoet Yi Sang / Korea Times fileTranslations of Korean poet Yi Sang (1910-37), published in “Yi Sang: Selected Works,” became the first Korean literary piece to win the prestigious U.S.-based Modern Language Association (MLA) prize. The team of four translators behind Yi's collection of poems and essays was named the winner of the 17th Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for a Translation of a Literary Work.Since 1999, the prize has been awarded by the MLA ― an organization founded in 1883 dedicated to the study of modern languages and literature ― to a book-length literary work translated into English.The book, the English publication of which was made possible through the sponsorship of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea), is the result of a collaborative effort of Jack Jung, Sawako Nakayasu, Joyelle McSweeney and Choi Don-mee.Choi previously received the 2019 International Griffin Poetry Prize with her translation of poet Kim

Dec 14, 2021By Park Han-sol

Yi Sang's translated poems win prestigious US literary award

Tears, laughs captured in portrait of London's theater district

Emmie Ray and Carl Man, ensemble members of the musical “Wicked” at the Apollo Victoria Theater in London, pose in this photo taken by British photographer Rankin. Rankin photographed over 150 actors, theater owners and backstage workers for his book, “Performance by Rankin.” Courtesy of Rankin UK photographer Rankin who photographed actors, theater workers in West End releases book, displays his works in London By Kang Hyun-kyung U.K. photographer Rankin / Courtesy of Rankin In Britain, the 18-month-long shutdown of London's West End theater district has been a harsh but bittersweet experience for those involved in the creative industry. The pandemic ― despite being painful― has given them a rare chance to contemplate and discover their true selves. Waiting anxiously and endlessly for the day they could return to the stage while going through the p

Dec 13, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

Tears, laughs captured in portrait of London's theater district

Memoir delivers cries for help from N. Korean women trapped in sex slavery in China

gettyimagesbankKorean-Canadian author-filmmaker Sylvia Yu Friedman tells stories of women sold to Chinese farmers, coerced into prostitution in AsiaBy Kang Hyun-kyungEvery year, an unspecified number of North Koreans risk their lives for the chance of a better life outside the impoverished nation. They secretly cross the border to arrive in China, hoping to go to a third country for a new life free of fear and starvation. If caught, they must pay the price: they may be executed or sent to labor camps notorious for their appalling human rights conditions.For some, particularly women, their audacious decisions to escape to China are based on false promises. They are lured by human traffickers to cross the border for “jobs.” Once arriving in China, their lives are no longer under their control. They may be raped by traffickers, who are Chinese or ethnic Koreans who were born and raised in China, before they are sold to poor, older Chinese farmers. Some are forced into prostitution or to perform online pornography. Scared by death threats or potential harm to their family mem

Dec 10, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

Memoir delivers cries for help from N. Korean women trapped in sex slavery in China

Book addresses Koreans' underused 'gene' for success

Three co-authors of the newly published book “Republic of Korea: From Periphery to the Center of the World” pose in this photo taken recently. From left are Choi Soo, Lee Ki-dong and Lee Young-hwan. Courtesy of Choi Soo Three co-authors of 'Republic of Korea: From Periphery to the Center of the World' call for rediscovering Korea, Koreans' inner strength to become a power state By Kang Hyun-kyung “Republic of Korea: From Periphery to the Center of the World” released by Angle Books In early May, two retired academics and an entrepreneur met in Seoul for a rare debate about where Korea is heading. Two of them ― Lee Young-hwan and Lee Ki-dong ― are professors emeriti who taught economics at Dongguk University and Confucian Studies at Sungkyunkwan University, respectively, before they retired. The last person, Choi Soo, is a business executive-turned-s

Dec 8, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

Book addresses Koreans' underused 'gene' for success

Poet Kim Hye-soon wins Swedish literary prize

The Cikada-winning poet, Kim Hye-soon / Yonhap By Park Han-solPoet Kim Hye-soon was named the winner of this year's Cikada Prize, a prestigious Swedish literary award that recognizes East Asian poets, Thursday. The award was first established in 2004 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Harry Martinson (1904-1978), a Swedish writer best known for 1956 epic poem, “Aniara,” and a recipient of the 1974 Nobel Prize for Literature. Its name, meaning “cicada” in English, comes from Martinson's 1953 poetry collection of the same title.It celebrates East Asian artists writing in Korean, Chinese or Japanese, whose works “defend the inviolability of life,” thus bringing into the spotlight achievements made by figures long often marginalized in the global literary system.Before Kim, three other Korean poets ― Ko Un, Shin Kyung-rim and Moon Chung-hee ― have been recipients of the prize.According to the judge's citation, Kim's poems remain faithful to the emotion

Dec 3, 2021By Park Han-sol

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