Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Lives of transgender authors captured in graphic novels

Characters of trans authors Cheyenne and Mallang / Courtesy of Kumkun BooksBy Park Han-solTwo trans Korean authors, who go by the aliases Cheyenne and Mallang, first came into contact with each other two years ago after Mallang discovered Cheyenne's comics depicting a visual journey of the lives and troubles of transgender people.Last December, this newly forged friendship materialized into a collaboration of autobiographical cartoons delivering their words of comfort for others who are currently experiencing what they have gone through in the country where the LGBTQ discrimination still remains pervasive.“I wanted to inform, move and comfort the trans teens who can't easily obtain accurate information about transitioning as well as those who are forced to conceal their gender identity as a closeted individual similar to my past self,” author Mallang told The Korea Times in a recent joint interview with Cheyenne.As the transgender community often suffers from a lack of accurate gender-related information, misconceptions and abusive caricatured media portrayals, the two wa

Apr 16, 2021By Park Han-sol

Lives of transgender authors captured in graphic novels

US writer traverses Korea collecting important stories old and new

Richard Pennington stands at the cemetery for British sailors, who illegally occupied Geomundo Island from 1885 to 1887, in this July 2018 photo. Courtesy of Richard PenningtonBy Park Han-sol"Travels of an American-Korean, 2014-2020' by Richard Pennington / Courtesy of Jisik GonggamThe rattling bus and ferry rides; searches for cheap accommodation of varying quality; countless chance encounters turning into newly forged friendships despite the language barrier ― such descriptions could be seen as cliche-ridden characterizations of any travelogue composed by an enthusiastic backpacker.But the Texas-born writer Richard Pennington takes one step further in his latest book “Travels of an American-Korean, 2014-2020” as he fills the pages with his 85 trips taken across the southern part of the peninsula during a seven-year period with political, cultural and religious anecdotes carefully told from the perspective of a sympathetic outsider.The book is in fact the second part of his “Travels of an American-Korean” series, followed by his earlier chronicle of 91 journe

Apr 6, 2021By Park Han-sol

US writer traverses Korea collecting important stories old and new

Author calls left-wing commentator 'villain'

Kim Ou-joon, right, in this 2015 file photo / Korea Times fileBook delves into how Kim Ou-joon became enemy within liberals By Kang Hyun-kyungChoi In-ho's new book “Kim Ou-joon Is Worse than Choi Soon-sil” is the liberal commentator's sharp-tongued criticism of his fellow commentator and radio show host, Kim Ou-joon. Choi, a YouTuber and also founder of a civic group created to put pressure on politicians to adopt a liberal-minded policy agenda, opens fire at Kim, calling him a “villain” who has manipulated public opinion in his favor by using his influence.The book claims that some liberals began to harbor suspicions about Kim since his sympathetic remarks about the prosecution that investigated the corruption scandal surrounding the former Justice Minister Cho Kuk in 2019. “Choi Soon-sil had flexed her muscles behind the scenes and didn't reveal herself to the public until her controversial role came to light. She didn't deceive the public at least,” the book reads. “Unlike her, Kim Ou-joon has duped the public every day with his presence i

Apr 5, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

Author calls left-wing commentator 'villain'

Book review: Revolution is unfinished business for many

A candlelit protest calling for the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye is held in Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, in this Nov. 12, 2016, photo. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulAuthor Hwang Jung-eun soul searches to find true meaning of revolutionBy Park Han-solThe wounds are still fresh in people's memory. Question after question has been raised since the passenger ferry Sewol tragically sank to the bottom of the ocean in 2014, taking hundreds of lives with it, many of whom were school children on an excursion to the scenic Jeju Island. But where was the president when people were dying?The mystery of President Park Geun-hye's whereabouts for a seven-hour period at that critical time eventually pushed millions of people to take to the streets and gather for the Gwanghwamun rallies in 2016 and 2017, calling for Park's resignation.There was one common theme they were all hoping to address: Change. And in 2021, years after the political turmoil, people are asking again if that very change has truly come.In her two-storied novel “DD's Umbrella” (2019), author Hwang Jung-eun

Apr 2, 2021By Park Han-sol

Book review: Revolution is unfinished business for many

Book review: convergence of self-driving cars, ride sharing service will bring urban transformation

A self-driving vehicle is showcased in a smart mobility launch ceremony held in Sangam-dong, Seoul, in this May 20, 2020, photo. Korea Times fileBy Park Han-sol"Futurama: Future of Mobility Revolution" by Byun Wan-hee / Courtesy of Crepas BookThe development of cities and transportation has always remained inseparable in the discourse on urbanization. From carriages to railroads, each mode of transport has significantly expanded the concept and physical space of cities, with the popularization of cars in the 20th century serving as the greatest catalyst.In the present day, the automotive industry has turned its attention to self-driving cars as its near future. Not only the traditional players such as GM, Ford, Toyota and BMW, but the IT and mobility companies including Google, Uber and Baidu are in a fierce competition to gain the lead in the market.Against this backdrop, Byun Wan-hee, an expert of city transport and future mobility service, examines in his new book "Futurama: Future of Mobility Revolution” how the convergence of three trends in the auto industry ― autonomous

Mar 29, 2021By Park Han-sol

Book review: convergence of self-driving cars, ride sharing service will bring urban transformation

Anniversary book gives rare peek into Korea Times' newsroom, hard-won media freedom

“70 Years of The Korea Times” is an account of the English daily's seven decades of history, starting from its founding during the Korean War. The limited edition was published recently to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the newspaper's establishment in 2020. Korea Times photo by Kang Hyun-kyung The Korea Times' anniversary book unveils behind-the-scenes stories about the newsroom, decades-long struggles to pursue fair, balanced journalism By Kang Hyun-kyung“70 Years of The Korea Times (1950-2020)” offers an extensive historical account of the struggles of Korea's oldest English-language newspaper ― from its birth amid the gunfire, chaos and ashes of the Korean War to the present day ― to bridge Korea and the outside world. The special edition was released recently to celebrate the English daily's landmark 70th anniversary last year. It provides a fascinating, detailed account of what happened in the newsroom, as well as how those debates affected the paper's to

Mar 26, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

Anniversary book gives rare peek into Korea Times' newsroom, hard-won media freedom

Book review: Trauma of 2017 atrocities haunts the Rohingya

Rohingya refugees walk at their makeshift camp on the outskirts of Jammu, India, on March 9. Authorities have begun identifying Rohingya Muslims who have taken refuge in Jammu in the past few years. AP-YonhapRonan Lee's 'Myanmar's Rohingya Genocide: Identity, History and Hate Speech' traces the roots of ethnic cleansing in MyanmarBy Kang Hyun-kyungRonan Lee's “Myanmar's Rohingya Genocide: Identity, History and Hate Speech” is an informative, timely piece that helps readers deepen their understanding of the 2017 ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people and its lingering tragic impact on them. In his knowledgeable and detailed account, the author explains how and why the Rohingya ethnic group has been subjected to brutal human rights violations and faced forced deportation from their ancestral homeland. Lee is not shy about revealing that he's an ally of the Rohingya.Contrary to what the military rulers of the Buddhist majority country claimed, he says in an unequivocal tone, the Rohyingya are legitimate citizens of Myanmar and thus the brutal campaign launched in the name o

Mar 21, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

Book review: Trauma of 2017 atrocities haunts the Rohingya

Book review: women who deliver mighty punch to regain lost power

"Quite Powerful Punch" by Seol Jae-in / Courtesy of SafehouseBy Park Han-solIn Seol Jae-in's short story “Quite Powerful Punch,” from a collection of the same title, readers are immediately met with the elaborate descriptions of adolescent angst and rage that enshrouds Hyun-jin. Perhaps such feeling is natural for a puberty-stricken 16-year-old girl to harbor. But her fury is directed at something very specific instead of at a larger systemic disorder ― her tyrannical boxing coach.In the gym, Hyun-jin practices throwing one punch after another while the coach, as usual, threateningly barks at her. She is too used to the never-ending feeling of thirst and hunger as part of her preparation for an upcoming championship match. She lost seven kilograms in two weeks, but is still forced to lose two more to qualify for her weight class.One day, in a desperate attempt to bring him down, she contacts her classmate Yoon-seo's aunt, who works as a journalist, and tips her off about the dark, violent side of youth boxing.Reading the pages up until here, one may feel at first as thoug

Mar 19, 2021By Park Han-sol

Book review: women who deliver mighty punch to regain lost power

Sales of graphic novels increase by 7 times over last 10 years

Graphic novels published by Mimesis / Courtesy of MimesisBy Park Ji-wonThe book cover of the award-winning graphic novel "Grass," by Kim Keum-suk which depicts the life of a wartime sex slave / Courtesy of Drawn & QuarterlySales of graphic novels have increased seven times over the past decade, data from an online bookstore showed Wednesday.According to Yes24, one of the leading online bookstores in Korea, the number of graphic novels sold on the internet grew 31.1 percent in 2020, while sales increased 6.9 percent from a year earlier. The number of graphic novels being published annually has gradually been increasing, with the publications of 140 books in 2020 alone, just under four times the number of publications seen in 2010 when the number was merely 37.A graphic novel is a book written based on comics as seen in Marvel's graphic novel series. The key customers of the genre are women in their 40s. Those in their 40s accounted for 39.7 percent of all customers who bought those books, followed by those in their 30s (26 percent) and those in their 20s (15.6 percent). By gender,

Mar 18, 2021By Park Ji-won

Sales of graphic novels increase by 7 times over last 10 years

Novelist makes literary comeback 5 years after #MeToo apology

Novelist and poet Park Bum-shin / Korea Times file By Kang Hyun-kyungNovelist Park Bum-shin, 75, unveiled his new poetry book, “Grumble Grumble, Now in the Seventies,” Feb. 20, five years after he offered a public apology for alleged sexual misconduct.Under the themes of joy, anger, love, pleasure, hatred, desire, what's beyond and novel, the book has a total of 140 poems written by the veteran novelist.“I've lived as a writer for 48 years. In retrospect, every moment was so real and lively,” he wrote. “When I was falling apart, I felt dark. When things have gone well, I was excited. My everyday life has been the repetition of those two extreme emotions. I wish I could get older quietly and elegantly without bothering others with my grumbling.”“Grumble Grumble, Now in the Seventies” is his second book of poetry. The novelist made a literary comeback with it, five years after the allegation that he had inappropriate physical contact and made sexual jokes with women w

Mar 10, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

Books