Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Korean major leaguers share baseball life in 'Thanks, Baseball'

Baseball players Lee Dae-ho, from right, Choo Shin-soo and Oh Seung-hwan promote their book, “Thanks, Baseball,” at Kyobo Book Centre’s Gwanghwamun branch in central Seoul, Dec. 3. / YonhapBy Baek Byung-yeulCover of “Thanks, Baseball” co-authored by Choo Shin-soo, Lee Dae-ho and Oh Seung-hwanThe Los Angeles Dodgers legend Tommy Lasorda once said, “The saddest day of the year is the day the baseball season ends.” Baseball fans seem to be gloomy after the baseball season ends.To comfort fans, three Korean major leaguers ― Choo Shin-soo, Lee Dae-ho and Oh Seung-hwan ― recently co-published essays in “Thanks, Baseball” to share their life stories.The trio, all born in 1982, haven’t been on the same team since the beginning of their professional careers, but they met in the same league, Major League Baseball (MLB) this year as Lee and Oh play for the Seattle Mariners and the St. Louis Cardinals, respectively, while Choo has been playing for the Texas Rangers.Slugger Lee, who received the MVP award in Japan’s Nippon Professi

Dec 9, 2016

Korean major leaguers share baseball life in 'Thanks, Baseball'

Palm-sized mini book

A person shows a mini book on the sixth day of the 30th International Book Fair of Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico, Thursday. The small books have palm-sized formats and the subjects range from the Bible to compilations of jokes as well as miniaturized versions of classic novels such as “The Little Prince.” / EPA-Yonhap

Dec 2, 2016

PEN aims to globalize Korean literature

Sohn Hae-il, vice president of the Korean branch of PEN International and director of the Korean Writers’ Association of Korea, gives an introductory speech at a PEN International forum at Hamchoon Hall in Daehangno, Seoul, Nov. 30. / Courtesy of PEN International.By Yun Suh-youngPEN International, a literary organization aiming to globalize Korean literature overseas, held a  Globalization of Korean Literature Forum for the first time in Seoul, Nov. 30.The organization also published the book "World PEN Friends Together," which is an anthology of collected poems and writings of the co-representatives of the forum. The six representatives of the forum were the poets and writers Sohn Hae-il, Kim Yong-jae, Lim Byeong-ho, Oh Kyung-ja, Chung Yong-won and Jeon Kyung-ae who selected their representative works to be published in the PEN book. The book contains poems, children's poems, essays and fiction."I hope this can be a chance to enhance the recognition of PEN Korea and Korean literature," said Sohn Hae-il, vice president of the Korean branch of PEN International and directo

Dec 2, 2016

'The Vegetarian' among top 10 books of 2016

By Bae Eun-joo“The Vegetarian” by Han KangThe Vegetarian,” the 2016 Man Booker Prize-winning novel by Han Kang, was selected among the “10 Best Books of 2016” by the New York Times Book Review, Friday.The Times reported, “In Han’s unsettling novel, a seemingly ordinary housewife ― described by her husband as “completely unremarkable in every way” ― becomes a vegetarian after a terrifying dream. Han’s description of submission and subversion find form in the parable, as the housewife’s self-abnegation turns increasingly severe and surreal. This spare and elegant translation renders the original Korean in pointed and vivid English, preserving Han’s penetrating exploration of whether true innocence is possible in a vicious and bloody world.”The English translation by Deborah Smith won international acclaim by becoming the first Korean novel to win the Man Booker Prize. It was first published in Korean in 2007.Other books included in the New York Times top 10 list are “The Association of Small B

Dec 2, 2016

'The Vegetarian' among top 10 books of 2016

'Calligraphy and literature are inseparable'

By Bae Eun-jooChoi Yearn-hongPoet Choi Yearn-hong proposed Thursday a new renaissance in calligraphy and literature, which he called two inseparable arts, by bringing calligraphers, poets and writers together.At a forum held in Seoul, Dec. 1, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Iljoong Kim Choong-hyun’s death, Choi emphasized the history of calligraphy in China, Japan and Korea, and said that Koreans need to revive the traditional art.Choi said that Koreans need to uphold the spirit of Iljoong, who created Korean calligraphy by using both Hangul and Chinese characters in the form of beautiful art.“Poetry is expressed in calligraphy,” he said. “Both are the images of aesthetic values.”Choi has compiled Iljoong’s major calligraphy works ranging from Korean classic literary works to modern poetry.Poets Lee Kun-bae and Lee Geun-chung participated in the forum.

Dec 2, 2016

'Calligraphy and literature are inseparable'

신간 20년 경력 전문기자가 전망한 자동차 '4차혁명'은?

(코리아타임스=서울) 박시수 기자 = 자동차의 미래 권력이라는 흥미로운 주제를 다룬 책이 등장했다.세계는 4차 산업 혁명을 향해 속도를 내고 있다. 인류 역사 발전의 한 축을 담당했던 바퀴와 수레 또한 전통적인 제조와 서비스를 넘어 스마트 산업의 복합체로 변화하고 있다. 이 책에서는 새로운 소재와 에너지원, 첨단 IT 및 전장 기술을 결합한 자동차 산업의 주도권을 누가 이끌어갈 것인지 조명한다.자동차는 그동안 규정돼 온 단순한 이동수단의 개념에서 벗어나고 있다. 디바이스(Device)와 비히클(Vehicle)의 경계에 있다 해도 과언이 아니다. 흔히 전자 제품을 일컫는 디바이스는 장치, 기기, 기구로 해석된다. 반면 비히클은 탈 것, 운송 수단으로 규정된다. 즉 자동차를 전통적인 비히클에서 디바이스로 부르는 시대로 넘어가고 있는 것이다.1부에서는 새로운 미래 권력의 출발에 대해 다룬다. 140년 전통의 내연기관이 전기 동력에 의해 위협받는 상황을 직시한다. 하지만 시각은 날카롭다. 세계 최대 전기 스포츠카 업체로 각광받는 테슬라에 대해서도 비관적인 전망을 내놓는다. 바꾸려는 자(전기차)와 지키려는 자(내연기관차) 사이에 보이지 않는 힘겨루기가 생각보다 팽팽하게 전개될 수밖에 없어서다. 2부에서는 미래 권력에 숨겨진 인공 지능에 대해 담아냈다. 자율주행차 기술의 종착역으로 향하는 과정에서 일어나는 수많은 기술적, 법적, 경제적 책임에 대해 의문을 제기한다. 3부에선 새로운 탈것의 시대를 얘기한다. 자동차는 네 바퀴에 기반해야 한다는 관념에서 벗어난 완전히 새로운 형태의 모빌리티를 소개하고 ‘운전’에 대한 정의를 달리할 것을 강조한다.4부에선 끝없는 미래 권력의 싸움이 어떻게 진행될 것인지 바라본다. 과연 막으려는 자와 뚫으려는 자 사이에서 누가 승자가 될 것인지, 갈등과 협업 중 어느 방식을 택할 것인지에 대해 예측해 본다. 5부에서는 에너지 전쟁의 새로운 서막에 대해 다룬다. 미래 자동차 권력은 에너지로 집약된다고 저자는 주장한다. 고효율을 중시하는 사회 풍토상 미래는 태양광과 수소에 시선이 몰린다는 설명이다.이 책은 결국 자동차 역시 변화를 거절하면 도태된다는 논리로 마무리된다. 현재 자동차 산업은 빠른

Nov 28, 2016

Political books popular after scandal

“How Presidents Write” written by Kang Weon-kug / Courtesy of Medici Media“How President Speaks” written by Yoon Tae-young  / Courtesy of Wisdom HouseBy Park Jin-haiIn the wake of the massive corruption scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her confident Choi Soon-sil, the local publishing industry is reeling from the aftermath.Books about Park, including her autobiography “Despair Trains Me and Hope Moves Me” (2007) have been mocked. Due to mounting calls from angry citizens, publishers decided not to reprint it and in some cases discarded old copies.“After the scandal erupted, we stopped printing copies of those books and removed all stock. We are in the hot seat because of books about Park,” said a publisher, who printed the cartoon version of President Park’s biography for children.Meanwhile, political books in general are enjoying brisk sales as the scandal prompted readers to take an interest in politics.In the first week of November, “How Presidents Write,” by Kang Weon-kug, became the second best-s

Nov 25, 2016

Fiction writer decodes mystery about president's 7-hour whereabouts

Kim Jin-myungBy Kang Hyun-kyungPresident Park Geun-hye’s seven-hour whereabouts during the sinking of the passenger ferry Sewol on April 16, 2014, has remained a mystery, despite the passage of two and half years after the tragedy.The maritime disaster claimed the lives of 304 people, including mostly high school students on an excursion to the southern resort island of Jeju.Rumors about the president are still rampant as Park and Cheong Wa Dae remained silent about what she did during the golden hours for search and rescue operations of the hundreds of people on board the ship.Kim Jin-myung, author of “The Rose of Sharon Blooms Again” which has sold over four million copies, suggested four possibilities regarding the mystery about Park’s seven-hour whereabouts that day.Kim speculated that plastic surgery is one of the four scenarios one could possibly think of regarding Park’s disappearance from the public eye during the day.“One of the possibilities we could think of is that she may have had a facial condition which was so bad that she felt it wa

Nov 20, 2016

Fiction writer decodes mystery about president's 7-hour whereabouts

VIDEO 'Truth does not sink'

Trump books join best seller list

Cover of “Crippled America” by Donald Trump. / Courtesy of iremediaCover of “Presidents Write" / Courtesy of Medici MediaBy Kim Jae-heunSince Donald John Trump’s election to become the 45th President of the United States earlier this week, books about him are flourishing in local bookstores and one of them topped the bestseller list.Here in Korea, Trump winning the U.S. presidential election came as a surprise. Many Koreans still have a difficult time accepting Hillary Clinton’s defeat. There is not much information about the American real estate billionaire, Trump, except the allegations that he is a misogynist and racist.During the presidential campaign, the local media have been mainly focusing on Trump’s outspoken speeches on key security issues. Few media outlets have run stories about his political life or career.“Crippled America” is one of the books written by Trump that is a top seller in the local market. As the sales of the book rose sharply, the local publisher was quick to print additional copies. According to Yonhap N

Nov 11, 2016

Small concept bookstores thriving

Dasi Book Store, literally meaning “book store again,” in Itaewon, Seoul, turns into a bar and offersbeers with books in the evening. / Korea Times photo by Shin Sang-soonBy Park Jin-haiAs more people turn to electronic devices for reading instead of paper books, many neighborhood bookstores are vanishing. Despite this trend, small, independent bookstores with unique concepts, as opposed to major bookstore chains, are emerging as hot places to go.While figures show that local bookstore numbers fell more than 70 percent over the past two decades, small, concept bookstores, armed with genre books, books by independent publishers and with strong local communities, are increasing.In August, Choi In-a, former vice president of Cheil Worldwide, a major advertising company, opened a bookstore bearing her name in Yeoksam, southern Seoul. Her store, in one of Korea’s most expensive districts, is more like a library than a bookstore, with some 6,000 books. It also holds book talks and mini-concerts.Popular comedian and TV personality Ro Hong-chul has opened a small independen

Nov 4, 2016

Books

Books

Korean major leaguers share baseball life in 'Thanks, Baseball'

Palm-sized mini book

PEN aims to globalize Korean literature

'The Vegetarian' among top 10 books of 2016

'Calligraphy and literature are inseparable'

신간 20년 경력 전문기자가 전망한 자동차 '4차혁명'은?

Political books popular after scandal

Fiction writer decodes mystery about president's 7-hour whereabouts

Trump books join best seller list

Small concept bookstores thriving

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