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Banned book revisits 'bloodhead' scandal in China

Chinese author Yan Lianke / Photo from Consonant & VowelDissident writer scrutinizes China's dark past to right wrongs By Kang Hyun-kyungAward-winning Chinese writer Yan Lianke's novel “Dream of Ding Village,” which was published recently in Korea by the local publishing house Consonant & Vowel, still resonates with readers, although 13 years have passed since it was released in China in 2006 and then banned.The book, based on the true story of the “bloodhead” scandal in the 1990s in the poverty-stricken central Chinese province of Henan, conveys different political messages these days, maybe because of China's greater status on the global stage.Back in 2006, China was a rising economy and other countries were wary of its possible implications on their economies. Amid China's domination in media reports, there were some skeptics who remained unconvinced about the potential of China to become a global powerhouse, albeit the number of skeptics might have not been so striking. China debunked the naysayers, replacing Japan in 2011 as the wor

Jul 5, 2019By Kang Hyun-kyung

Banned book revisits 'bloodhead' scandal in China

Carefree houseboy debunks Korean War blues

A “houseboy” in cowboy clothes poses in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province in this 1953 photo. Houseboys cleaned the tent and washed clothes for U.S. soldiers at the U.S. military camp and in return they were provided with food, pocket money and a warm place to sleep. / Photos from Noonbit PublishingKorean War veteran's photobook 'Hello Korea' depicts what post-war Korea was likeBy Kang Hyun-kyungA temporary job was created for war orphans during the Korean War (1950-53) ― they worked inside U.S. military bases, cleaning and washing for U.S. soldiers stationed in them. They were called “houseboys.” Unlike other war orphans who were starving and begging for food on the streets, houseboys had no worries about food and where to live because they were given pocket money, food and a warm place to sleep in return for their work. Rupert Nelson's photobook “Hello Korea: Korea at the End of the Korean War Seen by a U.S. Soldier” published in June by Noonbit Publishing Co. in Seoul, has a photograph of an unnamed houseboy who worked at a U.S. military camp in 1953

Jun 30, 2019By Kang Hyun-kyung

Carefree houseboy debunks Korean War blues

'Radical feminism as toxic as terrorism,' says politician

Lee Jun-seok, a Supreme Council member of the Barunmirae Party, speaks during a meeting with party members in the southwestern city of Jeonju, Monday. / YonhapIn 'Fair Competition,' conservative politician criticizes feminists for spreading hatred By Kang Hyun-kyungLee Jun-seok, a Supreme Council member of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party, likened the radical feminist group Womad to a terrorist group, accusing them of fanning gender-based hatred and agitating women to fight against men.“Womad activists don't detonate or throw bombs, but what they do is no different from terrorism,” he claims in his newly-released book “Fair Competition: Asking Value and Future of Korea's Conservativism.” Womad, a compound word of “women” and “nomads,” was launched in February 2017 as a splinter group from the online community Megalia. The group has since been controversial for using extreme means to fulfill their cause.“Through their past deeds, Womad activists showed us what kind of toxic damage they could inflict on their male targets,&rd

Jun 28, 2019By Kang Hyun-kyung

'Radical feminism as toxic as terrorism,' says politician

Interpreting negative emotions for positive change

“Turning Negative Emotions into Your Advantage” by Yoshihito NaitoBy Jin Yu-young As human beings, we feel a large spectrum of emotions from uncontrollable bliss to spiraling grief. While we rejoice in some of them, such as happiness and triumph, we hide and are ashamed of others, like anger or jealousy. In the book “Turning Negative Emotions into Your Advantage,” best-selling author and one of Japan's most famous psychologists Yoshihito Naito, tells readers how we can re-focus our negative energy into bringing about positive results. The book was recently translated into Korean by Park Jae-young.Naito first explains that bad emotions are not “bad” in and of themselves, they are merely indicators of unfavorable situations. They are useful as they give us warning signals, insights into our inner selves, and can be even more telling than positive emotions. Rather than rejecting these emotions and hating ourselves for feeling them, the author stresses we must learn to accept that they are an integral part of us. “Once we learn the proper way to

Jun 26, 2019

Interpreting negative emotions for positive change

Safehouse competition winners release 'Mass Extinction'

“Mass Extinction”By Jin Yu-young Safehouse Korea is an organization that supports and promotes the talented writers of Korea. Through workshops and special projects, Safehouse brings together the community of creative writers and also gives them a chance to publish their work. For the 143 individuals who completed Safehouse's creative workshop program, a competition was held from November through December 2018, on the theme of mass extinction. The five selected winners had their pieces published recently in an anthology titled, “Mass Extinction.” This theme was chosen to highlight incidences of extinction that have happened throughout history, including the most recent fifth mass extinction in which 75% of the world's living organisms disappeared. As many scientists speculate that the world is currently undergoing a sixth mass extinction, this theme had great relevance and creative potential. The winners of the competition were Siaran, Shim Neo-ul, Beom Yu-jin, Hae Do-yeon, and Kang Yu-ri. The writers' diverse backgrounds including engineering and psychology d

Jun 26, 2019

Safehouse competition winners release 'Mass Extinction'

Latest releases by high-profile novelists expose dark corners of Korean society

"The Millennial Question” of Jo Jung-rae.New works of fiction from three best-selling Korean writers, including Jo Jung-rae, are set to heat up the book market this summer, exposing the dark corners of Korean society.Jo's new three-volume novel whose title is translated as "The Millennial Question," was officially released in print by publishing house Hainaim in early June after being initially unveiled in audio and online text services by the biggest local internet portal Naver last month.In the new series, the 76-year-old writer, whose 1986 multivolume novel "Taebaek Mountain Range" is acclaimed as a Korean modern classic, delves into shady dealings among politicians, businessmen, scholars and journalists to expose the undercurrents of today's Korean society.Closely following the turbulent and glorious Korean history of shaking up a war-torn economy and growing into one of the world's roaring economic power houses, the author brings into question what role South Korea has played and should play as a nation. "South Korea, as in the United States, proved to be a society structu

Jun 26, 2019

Griffin-winning poet says her work delves into death through feminine lens

Established poet Kim Hye-soon said Tuesday her Griffin prize-winning book of poetry, "Autobiography of Death," is a biographical account of social death, told through a feminine lens.The collection of 49 poems, published in Korea in 2016 and translated by Choi Don-mee in 2018, was declared the international winner of this year's Griffin Poetry Prize, Canada's most prominent poetry award, founded in 2000 by businessman and philanthropist Scott Griffin. The literary event recognizes the best Canadian and international poet every year. Kim, currently a professor of creative writing at Seoul Institute of the Arts, and Choi, a Seoul-born educator living in Seattle in the U.S., were the first Koreans as well as the first Asian women ever to win the globally acclaimed literary prize.The 64-year-old Kim was struck with a sudden blackout and lost consciousness while she was in the subway in 2015, when the country was undergoing a deadly outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and reeling from the fatal sinking of the ferry Sewol which killed 304 passengers a year earlier. This exp

Jun 26, 2019

Griffin-winning poet says her work delves into death through feminine lens

To become a good journalist, we must read

Shim Kyu-sun, second from left in front row, poses with other winners of the 2016 Korean Journalists of the Year Awards in Seoul in this July 1, 2016 file photo. / Korea Times fileBy Jin Yu-youngAs a journalist's duty is to deliver news to the public, the ability to communicate clearly is significant. To write well, however, journalists must also read, as books give us insight into the world and serve as a written record of the past, present, and future. According to Shim Kyu-sun, the former managing editor at local daily newspaper Dong-A Ilbo and currently a visiting professor of the Department of Communications at Seoul National University, books and our attitudes toward them have a profound impact on those who are pursuing a career in journalism. In an interview with The Korea Times, he explains how books are an important part of becoming a good reporter.“Reading a lot of books not only expands our knowledge, but also improves our ability to communicate (both in terms of speech and writing), analyze material, and examine current trends. These are skills that every journalist

Jun 24, 2019

To become a good journalist, we must read

Avid book lovers flock to largest book fair in Seoul this weekend

Visitors at this year's Seoul International Book Fair browse displayed books at COEX, southern Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapBy Anna J. ParkThe annual festivity for all book lovers in Korea has returned. The 25th annual installment of the Seoul International Book Fair is currently underway at the Convention and Exhibition Center (COEX) in southern Seoul. Organized by the Korean Publishers Association and open since Wednesday, the five-day program has brought 430 publishing houses from over 40 countries together, as well as tens of thousands of visitors every day. The annual book fair has long provided a venue where publishers, authors, translators and avid readers come together and network, while learning about new trends in the book market in and outside Korea.The book fair's Guest Country of Honor for this year is Hungary, as Korea and Hungary celebrate their 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties this year. Due to last month's tragic sinking of a cruise ship in Budapest that left dozens of Korean tourists dead or missing, Hungarian Ambassador to Korea Mozes Csoma delivered his

Jun 23, 2019By Anna J. Park

Avid book lovers flock to largest book fair in Seoul this weekend

Star-crossed lovers remembered

Ven. Jigaiya in a temple based in the southwestern waterfront city of Yeosu / Courtesy of Ven. JigaiyaBuddhist monk releases tragic romance book 'Lovesickness' based on a true storyBy Kang Hyun-kyungVen. Jigaiya, head monk of a small temple in the southwestern waterfront city of Yeosu, has released the tragic romance book, “Lovesickness,” based on a true story. The Buddhist monk's ninth book is the Korean version of “Romeo and Juliet” as the author delved into the story of two star-crossed lovers who committed suicide to keep their love alive forever in the face of disapproval from their parents. The Buddhist monk said his new book is a tearjerker.“It took 10 years for me to finish the book,” Ven. Jigaiya told The Korea Times over the phone on Wednesday. “I cried a lot. It was very difficult for me to finish it earlier, because sadness rose in me whenever I started to write their story and it prevented me from continuing.”The Buddhist monk began to write the tragic romance story in 2009 after the mother of the late girl had repeatedly a

Jun 7, 2019By Kang Hyun-kyung

Books

Books

Banned book revisits 'bloodhead' scandal in China

Carefree houseboy debunks Korean War blues

'Radical feminism as toxic as terrorism,' says politician

Interpreting negative emotions for positive change

Safehouse competition winners release 'Mass Extinction'

Latest releases by high-profile novelists expose dark corners of Korean society

Griffin-winning poet says her work delves into death through feminine lens

To become a good journalist, we must read

Avid book lovers flock to largest book fair in Seoul this weekend

Star-crossed lovers remembered

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