Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Decade after separation, Korean-American family reunited against all odds

Rev. Jacob Siung-tuk Kim holds his second daughter Sun-hwa in this photo taken on June 5, 1958, at Washington National Airport, now Ronald Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C. The Kim family was reunited after a decade of separation. / Courtesy of Eugenia KimBy Kang Hyun-kyungKorean-American pastor Jacob Siung-tuk Kim's life became entangled in Korea's tumultuous modern history heralded by Japan's brutal colonial rule of Korea from 1910 to 1945. During his life (1909-1987), he had endured an unwanted separation from his family members twice ― first with his newlywed wife that lasted nine years and then with his second child that came only three years after his miraculous reunion with his wife. His love for his wife, Han Hae-gyoung, was tested hard on the heels of their marriage. About a month after the couple wed in1936, Kim left then Japan-occupied Korea to study theology at the American seminary to follow in the footsteps of his brother who migrated to the United States years earlier and established a thriving church in Los Angeles. Han was to follow her husband soon, b

Oct 21, 2018By Kang Hyun-kyung

Decade after separation, Korean-American family reunited against all odds

Marriage operates on teamwork

'Who Wants to Do the Dishes' reveals gender role imbalanceBy Jin Yu-young In the past, for women in their 20s and 30s, finding a suitable husband was considered a higher priority than having a career.Although this trend has been changing as more and more women are putting their careers ahead of seeking a family, according to Mariko Yamauchi, gender roles are still relatively the same in a domestic relationship in which a woman is expected to take care of most or even all of the housework. “Who Wants to do the Dishes” by  Mariko YamauchiIn her book “Who Wants to do the Dishes,” Yamauchi honestly outlines the challenges of being a woman in a relationship from living with her boyfriend for three years to becoming a wife. The book was recently translated into Korean by Hwang Hye-suk. The author expresses her frustrations on the unfair proportion of housework she does in her house. Every day she is expected to not only cook and clean, but also to do so without complaint. “For a couple who is paying equally for living costs,” she says, “i

Oct 19, 2018

When victims' signal for help goes unheard

'Solitary Castle in the Mirror' consoles traumatized soulBy Kang Hyun-kyungVictims of bullying keep sending signals that they are in dire need of help.In most cases, however, their signals are unheard by people surrounding them and even those who are close to the victims don't recognize it. The unheard outcry sometimes leads to tragic, irreversible results, such as the loss of a loved one. In the award-winning fantasy fiction “Solitary Castle in the Mirror,” author Mizuki Tsujimura delves into what's deep inside the victims' minds and consoles those wounded souls with her comforting words ― it's not your fault, so don't blame yourself anymore. “Solitary Castle in the Mirror" by Mizuki TsujimuraThe author advises them to let the bullies go.If they can, Tsujimura says the victims should leave the situation. Dropping out of school could be an option, she says. In modern society, according to the author, bullies are everywhere. Bullying could take place anywhere: it could be at your school, your home or your workplace.Tsujimura raises a key question to help her readers

Oct 19, 2018By Kang Hyun-kyung

When victims' signal for help goes unheard

Novelist Martin Limon brings murder mystery to Korean DMZ in 'The Line'

"The Line" by Martin LimonBy Jon DunbarU.S. Army veteran Martin Limon is set to publish “The Line,” his 13th novel about Sueno and Bascom, this time sending the two Criminal Investigation Division (CID) agents right up to the demarcation line with North Korea. The plot starts intensely at the Joint Security Area (JSA), as the two are called to investigate a murder victim lying halfway into North Korea. They investigate the crime scene at gunpoint in front of the North Koreans, and are ordered to pull the body back to their side. The story seems especially apt for 2018, following the inter-Korean peace talks at the same site, as well as last year's violent defection by a North Korean soldier there. But Limon brushes aside any synchronicity.“There have been so many incidents at the JSA and along the DMZ over the years ― including overt acts of war ― that more occurrences are virtually inevitable,” Limon told The Korea Times. “When I started thinking about writing the story that eventually became The Line, I had no idea Donald Trump would become president n

Oct 12, 2018By Jon Dunbar

Novelist Martin Limon brings murder mystery to Korean DMZ in 'The Line'

Highbrow vs. lowbrow literature

Japanese book section of Kyobo Bookstore in Seoul / Korea TimesUnproductive debate pushes Korean novels behind Japanese booksBy Kang Hyun-kyungIn terms of book sales, this year hasn't been quite different from any other recent past years. Amid the sluggish publishing industry, fiction books written by Japanese authors have sold well. Two Japanese novels ― Gaku Yakumaru's mystery novel “Irrevocable Promise” and Higashino Keigo's steady seller “Miracle of the Namiya General Store” ― are still on the lists of top 10 best-selling books at the nation's largest bookstore Kyobo Books as well as online bookstore Yes24. Of the two, “Miracle of the Namiya General Store” is a steady seller. Since it was translated and published by Hyundai Munhak in 2012, the book won Yes24's Book of the Year Award in 2013. Another emerging star is Mizuki Tsujimura's critically acclaimed fiction “Solitary Castle in the Mirror,” which was published in May in Japan. As of Saturday, the fantasy fiction has sold over 30,000 copies. “Solitary Castle in the Mirror&

Oct 12, 2018By Kang Hyun-kyung

'Made by Raffi' calls for accepting difference

By Jin Yu-young Education, especially in a child's early developmental years, is crucial in influencing how one perceives the world. It is important to teach children values including acceptance and tolerance, but how does one inform a five-year old on issues of such significance when even adults have difficulty seeing past their differences? In his picture book “Made by Raffi,” Craig Pomranz tells a story of Raffi, a boy who enjoys knitting but is bullied by the other students for having a “girly” hobby. “Made by Raffi,” Craig Pomranz / Korea TimesDespite being teased, Raffi continues his passion and eventually becomes the hero of the class by using his talent to create a costume for the school pageant. By doing so he shows young readers that gender roles are merely a construct of society and each individual has their own unique strengths. Behind the lighthearted nature of the story and colorful illustrations by Margaret Chamberlain lies a powerful message: accept those around us who are different from the norm, and confidently embrace our identit

Oct 12, 2018

'Made by Raffi' calls for accepting difference

New book debunks taboo issue of menstruation

By Jin Yu-young "The Hormone Myth: How Junk Science, Gender Politics, and Lies about PMS Keep Women Down" by Robyn Stein DeLucaAlthough many aspects of female empowerment have made significant progress in recent decades, stigmatization against menstruation remains prevalent: from young girls who are taught to be scared of their periods to older women who are no longer deemed desirable after menopause, women still face prejudice at every stage of menstruation. To shed light on the taboo issue of menstruation and its social connotations, Robyn Stein DeLuca breaks apart the many stereotypes against women and highlights the dangers of having such prejudices in “The Hormone Myth: How Junk Science, Gender Politics, and Lies about PMS Keep Women Down.” The book was recently translated into Korean by Hwang Geum-jin of Sookmyung's Women's University. Popular culture has promulgated the public shame of menstruation. When a woman expresses negative emotions such as stress and anger, they are often attributed to hormonal fluctuations and therefore are disregarded, trivialized and eve

Oct 5, 2018

New book debunks taboo issue of menstruation

Children's book inspired by scenic Jeju goes global

“Finger Play” published by publishing startup Round Ground shows various shapes and emotions through finger play with play stickers to recreate emotions or shapes in vivid graphic and short texts. Round Ground has signed publishing contracts for the book with French, Chinese and Taiwanese publishers.By Kang Hyun-kyungBae Su-hyun, the founder of the independent publisher Round Ground based in Gyeonggi Province, has signed publishing contracts for “Finger Play,” a picture book for children, with French, Chinese and Taiwanese publishers. Another deal is underway between Round Ground and Penguin Random House of Spain and, according to her, the two sides are expected to ink a contract very soon. Bae, also the author of “Finger Play,” expects more publishing contracts with other foreign publishers will come in the years to come as several others have expressed their intent to sign contracts with her publishing house.For Bae, her book gaining international attention is more than luck.“Finger Play,” which shows various shapes and emotions throu

Oct 5, 2018By Kang Hyun-kyung

Children's book inspired by scenic Jeju goes global

Book revisits progressive American thinker

Marry Jane Jacob, author of the forthcoming book "Dewey for Artists" / Courtesy of Marry Jane JacobBy Lee Joo-won "Dewey for Artists" by Marry Jane JacobsMarry Jane Jacob's forthcoming book “Dewey for Artists” offers a thematic application of John Dewey's philosophy for contemporary artists, curators, and arts educators. Not only does this book explain Dewey's philosophy at a more understandable level than his publications, such as “Art as Experience,” but also it aims to speak to the public in that this book connects art to essential aspects of human beings.Dewey defined art as an action of “affection” that can be found in anyone doing anything that they “care” about. Nobel laureate Alexis Carrell also said that art can be found in anyone, even medical doctors, according to his book, “Man the Unknown.” Plus, John Dewey's early 20th-century discourse in art in relation to all human beings finds an ally in Academy Award winning filmmaker Saul Bass who said that creativity is a basic human instinct in his film “Why Man C

Sep 28, 2018

Book revisits progressive American thinker

How music upgrades flavor, taste of cookies

Haitai Confectionery's “Matdongsan” / Korea Times fileNew book says artistic quotient helps confectionery business grow By Kang Hyun-kyungTurn on the music, and cookie dough will feel the groove. Thirteen pieces of a wide range of music from Korean folk songs to classical music are being played one after another for 20 hours a day while cookie dough is fermented at a confectionary factory in the midwestern city of Cheongju. “Music therapy” was used by Haitai Confectionery when it produces its decades-old hit cookie “Matdongsan,” which was created back in 1975. According to CEO Youn Young-dal, the music's sound waves helps facilitate yeast activity inside the cookie dough and this has played a part in making Matdongsan a favorite sweet treat for Koreans for decades. In the book, “Cookies Are Hearts,” released earlier this week, Youn said the recipe for the hit cookie was based on the traditional Korean cookie yakgwa. “Just like yakgwa, cookie dough is fried and then its surface is coated with honey or syrup,” the book st

Sep 20, 2018By Kang Hyun-kyung

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