Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Joseon prodigy indulging in intellectual stimulation

'Chusa Kim Jeong-hui' unravels why multi-talented scholar was not well-known By Kang Hyun-kyungKim Jeong-hui (1786-1856) was one of the more prominent figures of the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom, but very few know who he really was. He is widely known as a Late Joseon calligrapher who invented the iconic Chusa font and has since earned the nickname Chusa.Yoo Hong-joon, art historian and author of “Chusa Kim Jeong-hui: The Mountains Are High, The Seas Are Deep” / Courtesy of Changbi PublishersIn his new book, “Chusa Kim Jeong-hui: The Mountains Are High, The Seas Are Deep,” art historian Yoo Hong-joon says calligraphy was just one of the skills with which Kim was gifted. He was a multi-talented man who indulged in intellectual stimulation throughout his life by exchanging ideas with noted Chinese scholars, according to the author. Kim was a rare Joseon-era man who led a life of glory and international fame for his splendid academic accomplishments. His knowledgeable interpretation of practical learning, “Silhak,” also known as “Northern Learning,&

May 4, 2018

Joseon prodigy indulging in intellectual stimulation

Domestic violence tears woman's life apart

'Children Wearing Red Hats' warns of violent behavior By Kang Hyun-kyungAmid the #MeToo campaign that is sweeping the nation and has brought several celebrities down, Kim Eun-sang's book “Children Wearing Red Hats” sheds fresh light on the structural causes that have sustained violence against women, and its brutal consequences on human lives. Kim Eun-sang, the author of “Children Wearing Red Hats” / Courtesy of Kim Eun-sangIn the autobiographical book about parents, the author claims male-domination is still a part of Korean culture and blames society for turning a deaf ear on victims' outcries. The book warns of the genetics of violent behavior. “From my childhood, I swore to myself I would never ever be a man like my father,” he wrote. “After growing up, I have occasionally found a violent inclination inside me which startled me. Once I recognize the monster inside, fear grows and I blame myself over and over. But now I'm different. I am not what I used to be. I find confidence in my heart and feel I can get over it because of my mother,&r

Apr 27, 2018

Domestic violence tears woman's life apart

Seoul to celebrate World Book Day

Poster for World Book Day Festival in SeoulBy Kwon Mee-yooGwanghwamun will become an open library for all those who love to read books at a two-day festival on April 22 and 23 to celebrate World Book Day.World Book and Copyright Day, also known as World Book Day, is a yearly event on April 23, organized by UNESCO. It is on this date in 1616 that Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. UNESCO designated April 23 as World Book Day in 1995 to pay a tribute to books and authors and to encourage people to discover the pleasure of reading. In Korea, World Book Day events have been held at Cheonggye Plaza, but were moved to the larger Gwanghwamun Square this year to accommodate more people.It is part of the Year of Books 2018 program, declared by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) in March. This is the first Year of Books in 25 years and the ministry hopes to boost the publishing industry and encourage reading among Koreans.The festival offers a variety of events to enjoy reading on a patch of green grass. "Tables and chairs will be installed at the la

Apr 20, 2018

Male teacher advocates feminism in Korea

Choi Seung-beom / Courtesy of Power of Thinking“I'm Male, and Feminist” calls for fixing male-first attitude By Park Jin-haiThe #MeToo movement is provoking changes in Korean society, but still the changes have remained on the part of women. As seen in the recent case of a K-pop singer Irene of Red Velvet, who said she had read the book “Kim Ji-young Born in 1982,” which is labeled a feminist novel, and received a fierce backlash from male fans, who burned her photos and shared their stories online, feminism in Korea seems to have a long way to go. Amid Korean society's lukewarm reaction to sexual injustice, a male teacher, of a boys' high school, in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, published a book on feminism, characterizing himself as a man supporting feminism and trying to educate some 800 male students. Choi Seung-beom, a Korean literature teacher at Gangneung Myeongnyun High School, wrote “I'm Male, and Feminist” (literally translated). It is his second such book after he co-authored one, titled “We Need Feminist Teachers” publi

Apr 13, 2018

Male teacher advocates feminism in Korea

Han Kang shortlisted for Man Booker award again

Author Han Kang, right, and translator Deborah Smith in Seoul in 2016 / Korea Times fileBy Kang Hyun-kyungAward-winning author Han Kang and her translator Deborah Smith have again been shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker International Prize, this time for “The White Book.”Writers and translators of five other literary works were also put on the final list. The winner of the award, which celebrates the finest works of translated fiction from around the world, will be announced May 22 during a formal dinner at the Victoria &Albert Museum in London. The selection committee unveiled the short-listed works and their authors and their translators Thursday, weeks after the Man Booker International Prize committee announced a long list of 13 works for this year's award.The five other finalist works are “Vernon Subutex 1,” “The World Goes on,” “Like a Fading Shadow” and “Frankenstein in Bagdad.”Han Kang's “The White Book” is about the author's memories and experiences about white objects, including swaddling bands, a

Apr 13, 2018

Han Kang shortlisted for Man Booker award again

Retired diplomat discloses untold stories behind diplomacy

Cho Sei-young, a retired diplomat who now serves as director of Dongseo University's Japan Center in Busan, speaks during the 2017 International Forum for Trilateral Cooperation held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul on April 18, 2017. / Courtesy of Cho Sei-young'Government turned deaf ear to sex slavery victims' outcry'By Kwak Yeon-sooInside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are two major “factions” ― the Washington and Japan schools ― depending on the career paths and foreign postings diplomats have taken since they joined the ministry.Those who are fit for the Washington School meet two conditions ― they have had work experience in the North American Affairs Bureau handling the U.S. affairs and served at the Korea Embassy in Washington D.C. The Japan School refers to a group of mid-career or senior diplomats who worked in Northeast Asia Division 1 dealing with Japanese affairs and have spent years in the Korean Embassy in Tokyo.The two factions are the mainstream of the foreign ministry, but the Washington School has long been the real power.Since 1990, Korea has

Apr 9, 2018

Retired diplomat discloses untold stories behind diplomacy

Korean baseball legend reveals life story

Lee Seung-yuop of the Samsung Lions salutes the crowd during his retirement ceremony at Daegu Samsung Lions Park last Oct. 3. / YonhapCover for Lee Seung-yuop’s autobiography “I. 36. Lee Seung-yuop”By Baek Byung-yeul For baseball fans in Korea, former Samsung Lions slugger Lee Seung-yuop is one of the great stars of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League.The 41-year-old retired from baseball after last season. Playing 1,906 games in the KBO League, Lee is the all-time leader in home runs with 467, runs scored (1,355), RBIs (1,498), doubles (464) and total bases with 4,077. He also hit 56 home runs in 2003 to set the league’s all-time single season record.While the greatest slugger bid farewell to baseball, Lee, also known by his nick name “Lion King,” recently published an autobiography “I. 36. Lee Seung-yuop.” The number 36 is the jersey number he used while playing for the Lions for 15 seasons. The Lions officially retired the number 36 in team history.In his autobiography, Lee shares his life story that made him one of the

Apr 6, 2018

Korean baseball legend reveals life story

Award-winning novel 'The Vegetarian' fraught with errors

Han Kang, right, author of “The Vegetarian,” and Deborah Smith, who translated the Korean novel into English, pose while holding the award-winning book in London in May 2016 after they won the 2016 Man Booker International Prize. The two have been nominated for the same award this year for Han Kang's “The White Book,” along with 12 others. The winners will be announced in May amid new allegations that Smith's translation of “The Vegetarian” was flawed. / Korea Times fileLiterary translator raises new allegation about the award-winning bookBy Kwak Yeon-sooHan Kang's award-winning book “The Vegetarian” is back in the spotlight, as a literary translator raised a new allegation about a “fundamental” mistranslation. In the article titled “The 'creative' English translation of 'The Vegetarian' by Han Kang” published on March 30 in the Translation Review journal, Kim Wook-dong, professor emeritus of Sogang University, claimed the English translation has plenty of mistranslations, including vocabulary and homonymy errors

Apr 3, 2018

Award-winning novel 'The Vegetarian' fraught with errors

How 'extreme teams' make extraordinary strides

By Yun Suh-young Cover of "Extreme Teams" published in Korean / Courtesy of The QuestOver the past year, I have written a series at The Korea Times about "innovative work cultures" of both Korean and foreign companies in Korea, in an effort to discover how "innovative" companies work, and work differently from others. A common thread that I discovered was that they know how to work as a team, and know how to build a great team. A year later, I discovered a book which exactly dealt with the same topic with just a different set of examples consisting mostly of large, global brands that we've all heard of and know of. Flipping through the pages, I realized how similar innovative and successful companies were when it came to the way they work -- whether they are small or large, local or foreign. The definition of success is not a measurement of their revenue or growth -- yes, that too -- but, more importantly, their ability to run a great team that collectively moves forward as a tightly-knit unit who are fond of each other as if they are family. The importance of building and leading a

Mar 30, 2018

How 'extreme teams' make extraordinary strides

Neighborhood magazine wins Malofiej awards

Jang Sung-hwan, right, publisher of Street H magazine, and Jeong Ji-yeon, chief editor, hold a poster, a supplement of the magazine which won a medal in the Malofiej International Infographics Awards, at their office in Hongdae, Friday. / Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geunBy Kim RahnA supplemental poster of Street H, a neighborhood magazine dealing with the Hongik University area called Hongdae, has won a bronze medal in the 26th Edition of Malofiej International Infographics Awards, according to 203 X Design Studio, the publishing company. The magazine's publisher Jang Sung-hwan and chief editor Jeong Ji-yeon said it is meaningful because Street H is almost obscure on the international printing stage and it is the first award given to a Korean and non-alphabet medium.Malofiej is an award recognizing the best infographics published in print and online, with big name newspapers, magazines and news agencies competing such as The New York Times, Reuters and The National Geographic.The monthly magazine Street H offers an infographic poster as a supplement, and the 2017 September edition's

Mar 28, 2018

Books