Lifestyle - The Korea Times

BOOK REVIEW Dictators instill fear to stay in power

This combined photo by The Korea Times shows, from left, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler and Kim Il-sung. Korea Times fileDutch historian Frank Dikotter analyzes rise of dictators, their tactics to survive By Kang Hyun-kyungFrank Dikotter's “How to Be a Dictator” charts the rise of eight dictators, including the founder of North Korea Kim Il-sung and Mao Zedong of China, examining the mobilization of resources that allowed them to remain in power for decades.Although the book deals with twentieth century dictators in Europe, communist countries and the developing world, the Dutch historian's book still relates to today's democratic nations in which political leaders are elected once their predecessors' tenures are terminated.In some democratic nations, accusations of fake news became an excuse to repress the media. Some politicians depict critical stories as fake news and use such stories as a reason to repress ideas and to persecute dissenters and journalists. In democratic nations, freedom of expression is in peril because of political leaders who use the idea of fake news

Nov 22, 2019By Kang Hyun-kyung

[BOOK REVIEW] Dictators instill fear to stay in power

Baby boomers back in spotlight

Gettyimagesbank'Trend Korea' unveils 10 factors to watch in 2020 By Kang Hyun-kyungTV Chosun's talent search show “Ms. Trot,” aired from February to June, deserves to be on top 10 lists of TV shows this year. It became an epic success for the cable channel as each new episode broke TV Chosun's previous viewership record, with its highest rating of 18.1 percent. Videos of the show went viral on the internet. Some had millions of views. To many people, the unexpected success of the show aiming to find a diamond in the rough in the music genre came as a surprise. Witnessing its popularity, some were left scratching their heads, wondering how these performers, who have lived in the shadow of K-pop since the 1990s, were able to captivate fans.The baby boomers generation has their back, according to “Trend Korea 2020.” The book says the success of the TV Choson show proves the boomers exert influence in the content market.Co-authored by Kim Nan-do, a consumer studies professor at Seoul National University, and eight others, “Trend Korea” delves into

Nov 19, 2019By Kang Hyun-kyung

Cosmetic rivalry: how underdog came to outperform champion

GETTYIMAGESBANK'Growing Up' unravels how innovative leader lifted skincare brand out of lackluster performance By Kang Hyun-kyung2017 is the year that many Korean business leaders, who had made bold investments in China to profit from the hallyu boom there, would probably want to forget. Korean companies suffered an enormous fallout from the Korea-China diplomatic spat since 2016 when Korean officials hinted one way or another at the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). China became extremely nervous as the southeastern rural county of Seongju was chosen as a site to accommodate the anti-missile defense system. In March 2017, the diplomatic spat eventually exploded into a trade dispute. The disgruntled Chinese government implemented a ban on South Korea-bound tourist groups. Chinese consumers' collective boycott of Korean products ensued.The anti-Korea sentiment wreaked havoc on Korean companies.Interestingly, at home, the THAAD-driven crisis was a milestone event that reshaped the local skincare industry and created a new order featuring the rise of an

Nov 14, 2019By Kang Hyun-kyung

Cosmetic rivalry: how underdog came to outperform champion

Debut novel dissects materialism, social mobility

This photo grabbed from her website shows Frances Cha, author of “If I Had Your Face.” It is her debut novel. / Photo from Frances Cha websiteBy Kang Hyun-kyungFrances Cha's debut novel “If I Had Your Face” reveals the brutal side of a materialistic society where people judge others by their looks and wealth. It describes a society obsessed with looks and its social ramifications ― attractive physical appearance matters but it alone doesn't necessarily lead to the dramatic transformation of one's life. In a materialistic society, the book hints that there is a caste-like social stratification in place, which fends off gold-diggers. In such a society, social mobility is long gone and marriage is no longer a tool to make it happen, no matter how attractive you might be.Cha wisely uses local vernacular, such as “room salon” (a kind of bar that employs the prettiest girls in the industry to sit and drink with customers), “seon” (blind dates arranged by parents) and even “han,” as a literary device to make her novel sound realist

Nov 12, 2019By Kang Hyun-kyung

Debut novel dissects materialism, social mobility

Youngest guest speaker of book fair talks about need for more tolerance

A 12-year-old guest speaker Sanith Santhasa Piyadigamage makes his speech in front of the young crowd at the Sharjah International Book Fair on Nov. 6./ Courtesy of Sanith PiyadigamageBy Jung Hae-myoung SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates ― One of the biggest advantages of strolling around the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) is that visitors can meet authors and discuss important topics related to literature and the world.Among them was 12-year-old Sanith Santhasa Piyadigamage, who was invited as the youngest guest speaker at the largest book fair in the Middle East. He is a Sri-Lankan student living in Dubai, who attends the Dubai International School. He made a speech on having tolerance in modern day society, and shared his experience of living in a society where people lack a willingness to empathize with others. He suggested discussing differences and acceptance as the core values for tolerance. “My aim at the SIBF was to find people who believe in acknowledging the ones next to them,” Piyadigamage said in an interview with The Korea Times. “Ensuring tole

Nov 11, 2019

Youngest guest speaker of book fair talks about need for more tolerance

Book fair emphasizes healthy eating, mind, lifestyle

Stephen Ritz, the author of “The Power of a Plant” and founder of Green Bronx Machine, takes a selfie with students from different parts of the UAE on Nov. 6./ Courtesy of Sharjah Book AuthorityBy Jung Hae-myoung SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates ― At the Sharjah Expo Center in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates, students, scholars and people from all around the globe bustled, strolling between the booths of books from all around the world.The Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) is one of the most significant book fairs in the world along with that of Frankfurt and London. This year, the fair ran from Oct. 30 until Nov. 9, at the Sharjah Expo Center under the theme of “Open Books, Open Minds.”Among various cultural activities for both children and adults at the fair, one of the themes that largely circled on was healthy eating and well-being that was shown through cooking showcases and talk sessions of related authors. Stephen Ritz, author of “The Power of a Plant: A Teacher's Odyssey to Grow Healthy Minds and Schools,” was one of them, delivering hi

Nov 10, 2019

Book fair emphasizes healthy eating, mind, lifestyle

US historian campaigns for return of 'Jikji'

Richard Pennington holds a banner for "Bring Jikji back to Korea" in front of Heungdeok Temple. Courtesy of Richard PenningtonBy Kwon Mee-yooCover of "Jikji, and One NGO's Lonely Fight to Bring It Home" by Richard Pennington"Jikji Simche Yojeol," or simply known as "Jikji," is the world's oldest surviving book printed with movable metal type. The Buddhist document was published during the Goryeo Kingdom in 1377, at the Heungdeok Temple in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. This was 78 years before the Gutenberg Bible, the "42-Line Bible," printed by Johannes Gutenberg, which was widely known as one of the earliest books printed using metal type.Despite its historical significance, "Jikji" was only officially confirmed as the world's first movable metal type printing in 2001, being inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World list. The remaining pages of "Jikji" are kept at the National Library of France, not the book's home in Korea.Richard Pennington, a historian from Texas, founded the Committee to Bring Jikji Back to Korea and wrote "Jikji, and One NGO's Lonely Fight to Bring It H

Nov 8, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

US historian campaigns for return of 'Jikji'

ANNIVERSARY Recent trend in Korean literature

By Anna J. ParkThe U.K. edition for “Kim Jiyoung Born 1982” to be published by Simon & Schuster next year. The photo is taken during Germany's Frankfurt Book Fair in October. Courtesy of MinumsaSince novelist Cho Nam-joo's book “Kim Ji-young Born 1982” was first published in late 2016, depicting the struggles of a young woman under socially-embedded gender discrimination, more than 1.23 million copies have been sold in Korea ― the first million selling novel here since Shin Kyung-sook's “Please Look After Mom” in 2009. The book's film adaptation is currently hitting screens nationwide, also garnering more than two million ticket sales in just some 10 days following its release. The book's overseas sales are also high; it earned particularly strong responses from neighboring East Asian countries, such as Japan, Taiwan and China, becoming a fast selling book there. Altogether, the book's publication rights have been sold in 17 countries, including the U.S., U.K., France, Germany and Spain. The book's editor Park Hye-jin at Minumsa Publishing Grou

Nov 7, 2019By Anna J. Park

[ANNIVERSARY] Recent trend in Korean literature

Ultramarathon runner recounts 'eye-opening' Sahara Race

Ultramarathon runner Kim Gyeong-su, right, crosses a river while holding a rope at the 2019 Gobi March which began on July 28 and continued for seven days. Kim, a civil servant, has run a total of 6,300 kilometers in multiple desert marathons since 2003 when he first participated in an ultramarathon in the Sahara Desert. / Courtesy of Kim Gyeong-suIn memoir "It's Not Time to Quit," civil servant says his adventure goes on By Kang Hyun-kyungKim Gyeong-su, a civil servant and an ultramarathon runner, has released a book reflecting on his 17-year adventure as a desert marathon runner that began in 2003 when he first participated in an endurance race in the Sahara Desert. In the memoir, “It's Not Time to Quit” published by ISAE Books, Kim said his journey to places off the beaten track will keep going, noting he has learned a lot from previous desert races. He gives detailed accounts of his first desert race which opened his eyes to ultramarathon, how he balanced his day job and desert marathons and how a once timid man has transformed into an adventurer. “I still have

Nov 5, 2019By Kang Hyun-kyung

Ultramarathon runner recounts 'eye-opening' Sahara Race

Exhibition looks into modern publishing history

A visitor looks at books on display at “Publishing a Book ― 100 Years of Modern Publishing in Korea,” an exhibition at the Samseong Museum of Publishing in central Seoul. YonhapBy Kwon Mee-yoo"Publishing a Book ― 100 Years of Modern Publishing in Korea," an exhibition at the Samseong Museum of Publishing, sheds light on the history of modern publishing in Korea, which is full of ups and downs."The history of publishing is the history of publishers,” Kim Jong-gyu, founder of the museum, nestled in Gugi-dong, Jongno-gu, said. “Korean publishers have been printing books despite tough times, such as the annexation of Korea by Japan and censorship by the government. We organized an exhibition to take a look at Korea's modern publishing industry by publishing house." Kim is a man of publishing, who took over the family business Samseong Publishing Company and ran it successfully. The museum is also based on Kim's personal collection of 100,000 printed works, including a National Treasure and nine Treasures.The exhibit showcases 110 rare publications from 37 publishe

Nov 1, 2019By Kwon Mee-yoo

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