Lifestyle - The Korea Times

'Wish Lanterns' portrays six young Chinese people

British journalist captures ba ling hou generation By Kang Aa-young"Wish Lanterns: Young Lives in New China" by Alec AshAlec Ash's “Wish Lanterns: Young Lives in New China” is a story of China's younger generation born between 1985 and 1990, part of the generation known as “ba ling hou, ” or “after the 80s.” They were born after the one-China policy was implemented in 1980 after Deng Xiaoping initiated economic reform in China. Ba ling hou is a generation in transition ― they were raised in traditional Chinese culture with Confucianism and began their careers in a fully-blown market after the Chinese economy experienced rapid growth. The younger generation spent most of their childhood years with their grandparents as their parents migrated to urban areas for jobs to support the family members they left behind.Author Ash interviewed six Chinese people who belong to the ba ling hou generation and tells their stories based on his in-depth interviews, rather than striving to characterize their common traits or draw any implications from it. “One

Dec 28, 2018

'Wish Lanterns' portrays six young Chinese people

Serafina discovers her identity as catamount

“Serafina and the Twisted Staff” by Robert BeattyBy Jin Yu-youngWritten by Robert Beatty, “Serafina and the Twisted Staff” is the sequel to the No.1 New York Times Bestseller “Serafina and the Black Cloak” and has recently been translated into Korean by Kim Ji-yeon. Kim also translated the first book earlier this year. “Serafina and the Twisted Staff” picks up where the first book ended: Serafina has defeated the man in the black cloak, revealed her existence to the Biltmore Estate, and discovered her identity as a catamount (half human-half cat). She proudly carries out her duty as Biltmore's protector despite her difficult time adjusting into both nobility at the Estate and the wilderness with her mother and the cubs.One day, a dark and mysterious visitor carrying a twisted staff comes to the estate. When he sets his bloodhounds on Serafina, she barely escapes with her life and concludes that the man will only bring harm to Biltmore. She must once again use her powers to protect and save her loved ones. Meanwhile, Serafina's friendshi

Dec 21, 2018

Serafina discovers her identity as catamount

'Autodidactic' fuels parenting debate

By Kang Hyun-kyung“Kids, read as many books as you can.” This advice has been part of parenting for centuries all across the world. The older generation is convinced that education is the best way for people ― particularly those born into underprivileged families ― to climb the socio-economic ladder and succeed in their lives. In the digital age, traditional parenting is put to the test as images and videos, which require more instinct and a sense of artistry than learned knowledge, are emerging as the preferred alternative to written content. Do reading and academic accomplishments still matter at a time when old jobs, which people earned through their education, are disappearing and are being replaced by new ones? James W. Parkinson, author of “Autodidactic: Self-taught,” says yes to the question and stresses that without reading books people cannot have complex thought. He advises the younger generation to read as much as they can in order to succeed.As its title suggests, Parkinson says people have a responsibility to get an education and it will require t

Dec 21, 2018By Kang Hyun-kyung

When in a shrinking society, do as BTS does

Author warns of brutal competitionBy Kang Aa-youngHong Sung-gukLike other global economies, Hong Sung-guk, author of the new book “Shrinking Society: Dump The Illusion of Miraculous Economic Growth,” said Korea has undergone a shift since 2008 when the financial crisis hit all across the globe. Hong, former CEO of Mirae Asset Daewoo, said in the past, the economic pie had continued to grow and it reached its peak in the late 20th century. “To have an idea of what a shrinking society exactly means and how it is different from the past, let's suppose there is a pizza and eight people are eating it,” he said in an interview with The Korea Times.“In the past, the size of the pizza had continued to increase as the economy grew every year. So each person was able to eat a bigger portion year after year. But today, the size of the pizza never grows and eight people are eating the same portions of pizza every year. If someone wants to eat a larger portion of it, they must fight with others for it and they can get a bigger portion of pizza at the expense of other

Dec 14, 2018

When in a shrinking society, do as BTS does

'Kim Ji-young Born in 1982' is best-selling Asian book in Japan

The Japanese version of “Kim Ji-young Born in 1982.” Courtesy of MinumsaBy Jung Da-min"Kim Ji-young Born in 1982," a novel describing the life of an ordinary Korean housewife on a career break, has become the best-seller in the Asian literature category of the online shopping site Amazon Japan.The Japanese version of Korea's popular feminism novel was published in Japan on Dec. 8. It ranked No. 1 in Amazon Japan's Asia Literature sales three days later."It is very unusual for a Korean novel to become a best-seller in Japan, considering the country's particularly well-developed domestic market," an official with the publisher Minumsa told The Korea Times Wednesday. "The Japanese publisher has decided to do a second edition of the Japanese version.” The original Korean novel has sold over 1 million copies as of Nov. 27. It was released in October 2016.The book, written by Cho Nam-ju, has been at the center of gender equality issues among politicians and celebrities in Korea.Its popularity has been increasing amid the global #MeToo movement.Japanese feminists, in parti

Dec 12, 2018

'Kim Ji-young Born in 1982' is best-selling Asian book in Japan

'New Silk Roads': insightful yet incomplete

A train runs on a railway track of the Qinghai-Tibet railway that connects Xing, Qinghai Province to Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. /gettyimagesbankAuthor disregards soft power to assess new world orderBy Kang Hyun-kyungThe “United States-China rivalry” has become a buzz phrase since 2010 when China replaced Japan as the world's second-largest economy. A publication boom has followed and pundits discussed topics, such as the rise of China and its implications for the United States, which has enjoyed superpower status since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.In South Korea, rising China has caused a heated debate among foreign policy experts regarding the possible ramifications of the U.S.-China rivalry for the country. Some described South Korea as a shrimp maneuvering desperately to survive amid the tough fight between two whales. The shrimp analogy came as the United States is South Korea's most important ally providing a security guarantee, whereas China is its largest trading partner and South Korea's economy hinges on the neighbor. So the question rel

Dec 12, 2018By Kang Hyun-kyung

'New Silk Roads': insightful yet incomplete

Korean fictions' global reader-base growing

Sean Lin Halbert, third from left, speaks at a news conference for the 16th Literature Translation Institute (LTI) Korea Awards at Koreana Hotel in central Seoul, Monday. Halbert is one of the eight winners of the LTI Korea Awards for aspiring translators. Retired Japanese professor Masuo Omura, second from left, and Janet Hong, left, were chosen as the winners for the LTI Korea Translation Award. The award ceremony will take place in Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of LTI Korea By Kang Hyun-kyungSince 2010, there has been some good news for Korean literature. Scattered anecdotes have delivered the unprecedented successes of translated Korean fiction overseas. Among others, Han Kang's award-winning book “The Vegetarian” has been widely cited as a game changer that has turned global readers' attention to Korean fiction. Literary translator Deborah Smith was lauded for her role in bridging cultures of the original text and target language, albeit with allegations about translation errors not fully resolved. Despite the global success of some Korean literature, the vast majority

Dec 11, 2018By Kang Hyun-kyung

Korean fictions' global reader-base growing

New version of 'Whale Hunting' released

By Jin Yu-young When Koreans think of the name “Whale Hunting,” they often think of Bae Chang-ho's 1984 movie of the same title. Taking place in the 1970s and '80s, the movie reflects young adults and their struggles through the military dictatorship and rapid industrialization that took place in post-civil war Korea. The film was widely popular, attracting almost half a million viewers in the first year of its release. “Whale Hunting” by Choi In-hoThe story, however, came from the book “Whale Hunting” by Choi In-ho, which was originally published in 1983, and revolves around Byung-tae, a timid university student who is too shy to even share his feelings towards fellow classmate Mi-ran. After meeting Min-woo, a beggar, Byung-tae is introduced to Chun-ja at a brothel. Byung-tae is intrigued by Chun-ja and quickly develops a relationship with her. Through facing the difficulties of society with Min-woo and Chun-ja, Byung-tae comes to realize the true meaning of love and friendship. Choi was born in Seoul in 1945. He graduated from the Department of E

Dec 7, 2018

War veteran's novel explores seamy side of diplomacy

Vincent Courtenay, right, poses with former Canadian Ambassador to Korea Eric Walsh in this undated photo. The ambassador discussed Courtenay's several books, which are now on file in the Canadian Embassy in Seoul. Ambassador Walsh returned to Canada in November when his successor, Ambassador Michael Danaher, arrived in Seoul. The book, “Excellency,” does not focus on either of the two ambassadors. / Courtesy of Vincent Courtenay'Excellency' shows a Canadian ambassador under pressureBy Jon Dunbarjdunbar@ktimes.comWe Canadians pride ourselves on our favorable reputation, on being a moral linchpin of the Western world. But the actual reason for that is because most other countries just don't give a damn about our country, the world's second-largest by area with a population almost 15 million people fewer than South Korea. That seems to be the attitude of the scandal-ridden Canadian Ambassador to Korea John Bandeen, the main character of the (hopefully) entirely fictional book “Excellency,” written by Canadian Korean War veteran Vincent Courtenay. Bandeen is inte

Dec 7, 2018By Jon Dunbar

War veteran's novel explores seamy side of diplomacy

Michelle Obama calls Facebook chief Sandberg's 'lean in' advice 'a lie'

Michelle Obama attends an event at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School in London on Dec. 3. ReutersBy Jung Min-hoMichelle Obama is not a fan of Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg's “lean in” advice for working women.As part of her “Becoming” book tour at the Barclays Center, New York, Saturday (local time), the former first lady said the advice from Sandberg's book, “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead,” is simply “a lie.”“Marriage still ain't equal,” Obama reportedly said. “It ain't equal. I tell women that whole 'you can have it all' ― nope, not at the same time; that's a lie. It's not always enough to lean in, because that s―- doesn't work.” In the book published in 2013, Sandberg claimed women should assert themselves more at work and in their communities to avoid ending up in subordinate positions.The book has drawn fans and critics alike. Some feminists said feminism should not be used for privileged women like Sandberg as a tool to advance their careers and sell books.

Dec 6, 2018By Jung Min-ho

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