Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Choe Nam-sun's life and his love of nation

 Yuktang Choe Nam-son Cover of “Yuktang Choe Nam-son and Korean Modernity” written by Choi Hak-jooBy Choi Yearn-hong Dr. Choi Hak-joo wrote about his famous grandfather, Choe Nam-son, in the book “Yuktang   Choe Nam-son and Korean Modernity.” The book is one of a few Choe Nam-son biographies. His grandfather became the first Korean modern freestyle verse poet at the turn of the 20th century and also published magazines for young people to educate and enlighten his fellow people during the Japanese colonial rule. He wrote the Declaration of Independence on March 1, 1919, which had a typo, and typeset the Declaration in a great hurry all by himself.I knew Choe Nam-son as the nation’s first modern poet and thinker, a scholar who tried to create the Korean identity, for the sake of the nation’s independence, dignity and sovereignty while under the colonial rule. His Declaration of Independence was comparable to that of Thomas Jefferson. This book offers much more information about Yuktang and his writings. In addition to writin

Oct 28, 2016

Choe Nam-sun's life and his love of nation

Harassment incidents hit literary circle

Novelist Park Bum-shin apologized for his sexual jokes.  / Korea Times filePoet, novelist apologize for misdeeds  Poet Park Jin-seongBy Kwon Mee-yooOne after another, famed male writers and artists — including poet Park Jin-seong, 38, novelist Park Bum-shin, 70, and curator Ham Young-jun, 38 — have been accused of sexually harassing women, abusing their position. Despite their respective apologies, the incidents raised the deep-seated issue of a male-oriented cultural world, beyond the individual crimes.Following the series of harassment incidents, the Writers Association of Korea (WAK) issued a statement Monday saying that it will take action against its members accused of sexual crimes, including poet Park and novelist Park.“It is terrible that our members are associated with sexual harassment. If the rumors turn out to be true, we will take disciplinary action against them for degrading the association,” WAK wrote.Novelist Park decided to postpone publication of his latest book which was to be released at the end of October.Most of the cases

Oct 23, 2016

Harassment incidents hit literary circle

First bookstore dedicated to science opens in Seoul

Bookpark is in Blue Square in Hannam-dong, Seoul. /  Courtesy of BookparkBy Kwon Mee-yooThe 21st century might be the era when paper books are threatened with extinction, but the charm of flipping through pages of traditional books cannot be beaten. People still buy paper books and despite the prevalent online shopping experience, they even go to brick-and-mortar bookstores to browse the shelves.A new bookstore filled with science and art books in Seoul's hip Itaewon area diversifies a book lover’s experience.Bookpark, on the third floor of Blue Square, which also houses two large theaters staging the Broadway hit "Kinky Boots," has some 50,000 books solely on science, art and humanities, which is rare in Korea. Science books take up most of the shelves and the categorization of books on sale ranges from the basic "Understanding of Science" to the more detailed "Mathematics" and "Brain Science.""It's a nice place to spend time in Itaewon,” said Kim In-hee, an office worker who visited the bookstore last week. “I have a ticket for tonight's 'Kinky Boots' and can

Oct 21, 2016

First bookstore dedicated to science opens in Seoul

Ex-lawmaker hints 'how to use lawmakers'

Jung Chung-rae who represented the main opposition Minjoo Party of KoreaBy Baek Byung-yeulIt has been about seven decades since parliamentary democracy was introduced in Korea, but many Koreans are known to hold little trust for lawmakers as they have witnessed a slew of politician-involved corruption scandals.A recent survey conducted by a local research institute about evaluating the credibility of major organizations of society makes this clear. According to Hyundai Research Institute’s October survey of 1,009 people, the politicians of the country received the lowest credibility rating of 28 points, which was 12 points lower than a person you meet for the first time. By contrast, respondents gave the largest percentage to the politicians on the question that asked which major organizations of the society have the strongest authority.Last April, 24 million people exercised their right to vote for representatives of the 20th National Assembly and as a result 300 lawmakers were elected. And former lawmaker Jung Chung-rae who represented the main opposition Minjoo Party of Kore

Oct 14, 2016

Ex-lawmaker hints 'how to use lawmakers'

Bae Su-ah embarks on US book tour

Deborah SmithBae Su-ahBy Yun Suh-young Writer Bae Su-ah embarked on a tour in the United States to promote the newly released English editions of her two books, "The Essayist’s Desk" and "A Greater Music," according to the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea), Wednesday.The books will be published by Open Letter Books and Deep Vellum Publishing this month and in January next year, respectively. Both works were translated by Deborah Smith, Man Booker International Prize winner for this year for Han Kang’s ‘The Vegetarian.’The marketing event began Wednesday and will be held through Oct. 14 throughout the U.S. in cities such as New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, and Dallas.Bae and Smith will be meeting with readers at Powell’s Books in Portland, Oregon, on Oct. 10, Elliot Bay Bookstore in Seattle on Oct. 11, Brazos Bookstore in Houston on Oct. 13, and Deep Vellum Bookstore in Dallas on Oct. 14.In New York, Deborah Smith participated in an Asian American Writer’s Workshop to hold a talk with Penguin Press publisher Ed Par

Oct 7, 2016

'Comment Poet' consoles marginalized people

Cover of “Do Not Use the Molten Iron”By Park Jae-hyukIn 2010, a comment written on an online news article went viral, touching the hearts of the public.Titled, “Do Not Use the Molten Iron,” the comment mourned the tragic death of a 29-year-old factory worker, who accidentally fell into a 1,600–degree-Celsius furnace in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province.“A young man disappeared in flames,” the comment began. “Do not make cars, streetlamps, steel bars or needles with the molten iron.” It continued: “Shape his face with clay instead, and pour the molten iron on it. After cooling it down in the rain, erect it before the main gate.” said it concluded: “So that his mother can visit sometimes and touch her son’s face.”The comment garnered more than 400 replies and about 2,000 “likes” at that time. One netizen said, “Anyone can write comments with warmth and sympathy, but no one has written before him.” Other netizens asked people to stop writing malicious comments online, which had

Sep 30, 2016By Park Jae-hyuk

'Comment Poet' consoles marginalized people

Lee Seo-bin's second poetry book, 'Moon's Orbit'

By Choi Yearn-hongPoet Lee Seo-binI appreciate a Korean poet who mails his or her new poetry book to me. The book crossed the Pacific Ocean and the U.S. continent to reach my residence in Northern Virginia. It is a nice gift, but it is more than a gift, because it comes with it the special consideration of a senior poet living in a foreign country. This new poetry book was from Lee Seo-bin, whose name is so strange, that I could not myself distinguish the writer’s gender.  Later, I learn that she is my dear friend’s protege.Of course, she is a relatively young poet from my perspective. On New Year’ Day in 2014, it was announced that she won the DongA Ilbo’s Shinchun Munye (New Spring Literary Competition), the most coveted literary prize in Korea. In the early 1960s, as a young aspiring poet at Yonsei University, I submitted my poems to that competition. I made the final round twice but could not win.The reviewers mentioned my name and my poem, saying “Sorry Choi, we can select only one winner.” Unfortunately, the second best entry did not rec

Sep 23, 2016

Lee Seo-bin's second poetry book, 'Moon's Orbit'

Writers' works to be recited in performances

Seoul International Writers' Festival opens next week  Teemu Manninen Lili Mendoza Werner FritschBy Yun Suh-youngThe 2016 Seoul International Writers' Festival will begin Sunday, opening the sixth writers' festival held biennially since 2006. This year's festival, themed "The Forgotten and the Unforgettable," will be held from Sept. 25 through Oct. 1 at Daehakro Arts Theater inside the Lock Museum and Space Feelux inside the Arko Art Center in Hyehwa-dong, Seoul.The festival features 14 Korean writers and 14 writers from overseas who will partner up to engage in free talk programs throughout the week. The festival also includes a recital in the form of performances of the writers' works in an effort to expand the reach of literature to a wider audience.The festival is hosted by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism."The theme for the previous event was 'Eros and Dream.' This time 'The Forgotten and the Unforgettable' can be interpreted in historical, social, and personal contexts. From daily

Sep 20, 2016

Writers' works to be recited in performances

Dissident writer Lee dies at 84

Lee Ho-chulLee Ho-chul, a prolific dissident writer and activist who wrote novels on the national division and separated families in North and South Korea, died of a brain tumor, Sunday. He was 84.Born in the North Korean city of Wonsan, South Hamgyong Province, in 1932, Lee was drafted into the North Korean army during the Korean War (1950-1953) but ultimately fled to South Korea. Since his 1955 debut with the story “Leaving Home,” he has written stories exploring the emotional toll of the Korean War on individuals and the conflict between those who benefited from the war and those who were deprived. His major works include the 1961 novel “Panmunjeom,” a story of a South Korean reporter’s visit to the Korean Demilitarized Zone and his brief but warm encounter with a female reporter from the North.A fervent activist, he participated in the democracy movement against the dictatorial regime of former President Park Chung-hee and spent most of the 1970s in prison. He was a member of the Association of Writers for Literature of Freedom and Practice.He receiv

Sep 19, 2016

Brother Anthony, Jeong to hold lecture

Poet Jeong Ho-seung, left, and Brother Anthony  / Korea Times photos by Choi Won-sukBy Jon DunbarBrother Anthony became president of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch (RAS) in 2011, a Korean studies organization offering lectures and excursions around Korea, but he hasn’t given a lecture of his own since.The naturalized Korean citizen will finally step up, giving a special bilingual talk with Korean poet Jeong Ho-seung on Tuesday, Sept. 13.“I don't think I gave one, not since I've been president,” remarked Brother Anthony in an interview with The Korea Times, adding that his last was “something about the early founders of the RAS.”The RAS was founded here in 1900, counting notable foreign residents such as Homer Hulbert, James Scarth Gale and Henry Appenzeller among its earliest members.“I know, as it were, where we come from,” said Brother Anthony, who was born in Britain and became a monk of the French order of Taize before coming to Korea in 1980. “In the old days we used to have a different president every year and they di

Sep 9, 2016

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