Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Bangudae Petroglyphs in modern Korean poems

By Yearn Hong ChoiArt on Bangudae PetroglyphHow many Koreans know of the Bangudae Petroglyphs? How many Koreans know the reservoir constructed for the city water supply put the petroglyphs under water where they could be damaged? How many know the value of petroglyphs that are 6,000 to 7,000 years old? No monetary value can be ascribed to them because the art on the rock panels is among the oldest in human history. Whaling scenes in the rocks are still vividly beautiful sculptures. The first whaling people lived on the southeastern shore of the Korean Peninsula. We should protect the Bangudae Petroglyphs with all our efforts, but no serious actions have been made. The drinking water supply to the Ulsan people is the prime task over the protection of this prehistoric cultural heritage of humankind.My friend and poet, Lee Geon-chong, organized a unique poetry-art show as a campaign to educate people for protection and preservation of the Bangudae Petroglyphs. I am honored to join 35 other poets he invited for the presentation of their new poems matchable to significant works of ar

Dec 31, 2017

Bangudae Petroglyphs in modern Korean poems

Why 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***' is a bestseller

By Yun Suh-young While searching for a book to write about for this week's page, I was going through a list of books on online bookshops. One that caught my eye was topping the bestselling list on almost every single website. It was "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***." Although the title in Korean was less intriguing, the provocative English title next to it said it all. I wanted to know why this was topping bestseller lists (other than for its title) for over a month at online and offline bookstores after the book came out in Korean in late October. The original English version came out in September last year.Not surprisingly, when I went to Kyobo, the largest bookstore in the city, the book was near the entrance, near the main aisle, an eye-catching location coupled with a bright orange cover.Honestly, I didn't expect much from this book, thinking that bestselling self-help books are all pretty much the same, regurgitating mundane and cliche advice that we are already used to seeing in many other books. This book flipped that around. From the start, it admits it's not one of thos

Dec 29, 2017

Why 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***' is a bestseller

'After fighting cancer, I speak about happiness more'

Sister Lee Hae-in, 72, a Catholic nun and poet, speaks during a media conference for her new book “Happiness of Waiting,” at the Benedict Home of Grace in Yongsan, Seoul, Tuesday. / YonhapSister Lee Hae-in publishes new bookBy Park Jin-hai“After fighting cancer, I started using more words like happiness and enjoyment which I didn’t use often before. I realized that pain can become an opportunity for blessing,” said sister Lee Hae-in, 72, a Catholic nun and poet, during a media conference for her new book “Happiness of Waiting,” at the Benedict Home of Grace in Yongsan, Seoul, Tuesday. Speaking of the 2015 rumor that she had died, and that a poem circulating on the internet was her last work, Lee smiled and said, “I could forgive the fake news, but I can’t go easy on the fake poem.” “Happiness of Waiting” is her newest book since “As If Leaves Are Seen After Flowers Fall” was published in April, 2011. It contains words of love and encouragement that she has discovered in the happy trivialities of her d

Dec 22, 2017

'After fighting cancer, I speak about happiness more'

Literary geek at odds with conservative locals in rustic county Hwacheon

Novelist and artist Lee Oi-soo smiles at a facility in Gamseong Village in the county of Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, in this June 6, 2017, file photo. Lee has lived in housing in the park for a decade and is under pressure to leave the facility. / Korea TimesLee Oi-soo resists calls to leave, vows to fight to the endBy Kang Hyun-kyungWriters in self-imposed exile rarely interact with the public because they chose to distance themselves from hectic urban life to fully focus on their literary projects.Lee Oi-soo, the author of 70 fictional works and poems and a fearless liberal who has actively engaged in controversial political debates in cyberspace, is an exception. In 2006, the novelist and artist relocated to the untouched, pristine county of Hwacheon in the northwestern part of Gangwon Province, and has lived there since.The savvy social media user, who has 2.5 million Twitter followers, has attacked conservative politicians with his unrefined, sometimes radical views, which frequently pit him against right-wing internet users. He once bragged of his influence in a social media po

Dec 21, 2017

Literary geek at odds with conservative locals in rustic county Hwacheon

Writer tells of caring for dementia suffering mother for 10 years in essay

Writer and filmmaker Ha Yoon-jae, 45, who made a short film modeled on her mother in 2009, has published a book based on taking care of her real mother who has been losing her memory for the past 10 years. / Courtesy of Panmidong By Park Jin-haiWriter and filmmaker Ha Yoon-jae, 45, who made a short film modeled on her mother in 2009, has published a book based on taking care of her real mother who has been losing her memory for the past 10 years.At an event to meet the author of “Mom, Please Don’t Forget Me” (working title), Ha said dementia has been an “unimaginable fear” for her.“I saw my two grandmothers suffer from this illness,” she said. “Seeing one staining the walls with poop has been imprinted in me as a most shocking and fearful childhood memory.”In 2007, after she found that her mother’s recipe for seasoned vegetables tasted strange, Ha took her to a hospital where doctors said her mother had some initial symptoms of dementia.“Mom, Please Don’t Forget Me” by Ha Yoon-jae“As if something

Dec 20, 2017

Writer tells of caring for dementia suffering mother for 10 years in essay

'Miru's Adventure' book reveals Korean artist's desert life

Kim Miru shows off one of her nude self-portraits at the opening party for “The Camel’s Way” held at Trunk Gallery in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, in this March 27, 2014, photo. Her new book “Miru’s Adventure” gives a detailed account of her time in the world’s deserts. / Photo by Jon DunbarBy Jon DunbarKim Miru has been to the darkest corners of the world, seeking out experiences most of us would never imagine. From exploring catacombs beneath Paris and crawling around with pigs in a factory farm, to swimming in piranha-infested waters in South America and living as a nomad in the Arabian Desert, her bravery is unmatched. “I may seem crazy in doing dangerous things, but I am actually very rational in calculating the risks,” she told The Korea Times. “Everything is planned out quite thoroughly. Even when I went into the water in the Amazon River, I did a lot of research on parasites and other risks. I do care a lot about my health; after all, I studied pre-med in college and worked in hospitals.”Kim gained the art world&rsqu

Dec 20, 2017

'Miru's Adventure' book reveals Korean artist's desert life

Nobel laureate releases book about Korea's capital

French writer Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio speaks during a press conference on Dec. 14 at the Korean Publishers Association in Jongno-gu, Seoul. YonhapMany faces of SeoulBy Yun Suh-youngFrench writer Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, otherwise known as J.M.G. Le Clezio, who has won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Literature, recently published his first novel on Seoul called "Bitna: Under the Sky of Seoul." In a press conference in Seoul, Thursday, the author said he had always wanted to write a book about Seoul, but had been wondering what to write about. "I had been traveling to Korea regularly for 10 years and wanted to write something about the city. I thought a travelogue would not be the best option so I decided to write a novel. This novel is based on many real-life stories I heard from people in Seoul during my stay here," the author said. "One of them is of a North Korean policeman who crossed the border to the South when he was young. His mother carried a pair of doves with her when they defected and said the doves will one day fly back to their homeland. This story says a lot about ho

Dec 17, 2017

Nobel laureate releases book about Korea's capital

First edition of Yom Sang-seop's 'Sunflower' revealed

Yom Sang-seop's "Three Generations" was published in book form in 1947 after serializing in newspaper. / Courtesy of National Library of KoreaBy Kwon Mee-yooYom Sang-seop (1897-1963), who wrote "Frog in the Specimen Room" and "Three Generations," is a pioneer of modern literature in Korea, often dubbed a "writer of the period of dissatisfaction." However, Yom's life and much of his works are lesser known, except for his major novels. An exhibition at the National Library of Korea sheds light on the writer as a result of the library's efforts to collect modern Korean literature. Some books are on public view for the first time in decades. At the "Yom Sang-seop Literature Exhibition," commemorating the 120th anniversary of the writer's birth, an extensive collection of Yom's books and artifacts are on display, including a rare first edition of Yom's first novel, "Sunflower," which is on view for the first time.Lee Jong-ho, a Sungkyunkwan University professor of Korean literature, said Yom was a middle-class conservative who was politically middle-of-the-road. "Yom experienced a variety

Dec 15, 2017

First edition of Yom Sang-seop's 'Sunflower' revealed

Book about wartime rape back in spotlight

Park Yu-ha, a professor at Sejong University and the author of “Comfort Women of the Empire,” answers questions from reporters in front of the Seoul High Court in eastern Seoul after the court ruled against her in this Oct. 27 file photo. / Korea Times fileIntellectuals say freedom of expression in danger By Kang Hyun-kyungKorean, American and Japanese academics and artists voiced concern about a court’s ruling that Park Yu-ha, the author of “Comfort Women of the Empire,” defamed victims of wartime sexual slavery. They claimed the Seoul High Court’s ruling has put freedom of expression in danger. In the book released in 2013, Park, also a professor at Sejong University in Seoul, claimed some Korean women who were taken to comfort stations overseas during World War II were volunteers, not victims who were forced to provide sexual services for Japanese soldiers against their will.In October, the court ruled against Park and said her book defamed wartime sex slaves. It said Park’s views of them were not consistent with historical facts upheld by

Dec 11, 2017

Book about wartime rape back in spotlight

Touching quotes relieve stressed-out urbanites

By Kang Hyun-kyung“Inspiring, heart-warming.” Bang Gui-hee, the publisher of the quarterly Sotdae Literature for disabled writers, said she feels touched whenever she passes the Kyobo Life building near Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. There’s a giant bulletin board set up above the front door of the building. The 20x8 meter board has quotes from poems or other literary works written by renowned authors. The same excerpts are there for one season and are replaced with new ones when a new season arrives.“It almost became a ritual for me to check those quotes,” she said. “Whenever I visit places near the square, I read them again and again because those quotes are so inspiring. I think there must be a group of people overseeing the selection of the phrases and quotes from tons of literary works to find a timely message for the public.”Bang, however, regrets the beautiful quotes always turn out to be vacant messages as society has not matured and greed still dominates it. “I wonder when our society will be a mature one as those quotes

Dec 8, 2017

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