Lifestyle - The Korea Times

'Plum Flowers' shows Hong's love for wife

Cover of Hong Hae-ri’s “Chi-Mae-Haeng,” or “Road to Plum Flowers”By Choi Yearn-hong Hong Hae-ri dedicated his book of 150 poems to his beloved wife, who has lost her memory and thinking abilities to dementia, in particular Alzheimer’s disease, but it also touches many people who have a family member affected by the condition. Millions of people around the world are suffering from this serious illness. One in three senior men and woman will be affected by this illness; it’s no surprise that most in this age group are afraid of this disease.Hong has published several poetry books, and his latest, “Chi-Mae-Haeng,” or “Road to Plum Flowers,” has thrust him back under the spotlight. Plum flowers are famous for blooming in the winter; Korean poets often use the plum tree and flowers to create an image of purity and cleanliness in their poems. In some countries, both the plum tree and cherry tree bloom in early spring, but in Korea, the former blooms ahead of the former. The plum tree’s blooming season in the

Jun 10, 2016

'Plum Flowers' shows Hong's love for wife

Hidden promoters of Korean literature

Shin Kyung-sook’s “Please Look After Mom” and Han Kang’s “The Vegetarian.” / Courtesy of KL ManagementThis is the third of a four-part series on the importance of translation in globalizing Korean culture. ― ED.By Kwon Mee-yooJoseph Lee, president of Korean Literary (KL) ManagementBehind the scenes supporters helped novelist Han Kang reach beyond a Korean audience. Without them, she would not have clinched the coveted Man Booker International Prize.Joseph Lee, president of Korean Literary (KL) Management who liaised between the author and international publishers, is one of them.Lee's Seoul-based literary agency exports Korean literature to the world. Many Korean novels, including Shin Kyung-sook's million-seller “Please Look After Mom” and Kim Young-ha's “I Have the Right to Destroy Myself,” have passed through Lee's hands before spreading abroad.“I always read books, looking for the right one. I check new books from authors who work with my agency or sometimes purchase other books that interest me. That is the f

Jun 8, 2016

Good translation key to globalization of Korean literature

This is the second of a four-part series on the importance of translation in globalizing Korean culture. ― ED. By Kwon Mee-yooHan Kang’s novel “The Vegetarian” is seen in a bookstore in London, May 17. / YonhapGood translation holds the key to globalizing Korean literature and quality translation comes from translators of diverse backgrounds, according to experts.Novelist Han Kang winning the Man Booker International Prize last month with “The Vegetarian” highlighted the importance of translation. Experts say that British translator Deborah Smith equally deserves credit for the honor.Jung Ha-yun, professor of translation studies at Ewha Womans University, said literary translation is a complicated art, a walk on a tightrope, as it were, requiring both linguistic precision and aesthetic perspective.“The situation is even trickier when it comes to Korean literature, which is underrepresented and viewed as unknown and unfamiliar on the world literature scene,” Jung said. “There is great pressure on translators, especially within

Jun 7, 2016

Good translation key to globalization of Korean literature

Systematic support necessary to nurture quality translators

This is the first of a four-part series on the importance of translation in globalizing Korean culture. — ED.By Yun Suh-youngKim Seong-kon, president ofthe Literature Translation Instituteof Korea (LTI Korea)To have more of its literary works recognized by the world, Korea needs systematic support to nurture quality translators.Novelist Han Kang’s recent winning of the prestigious Man Booker International Prize with “The Vegetarian,” was also a feat of translation and a case in point that showed a good translator can turn a work into a global literary sensation.Kim Seong-kon, president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea), said what differentiates “The Vegetarian” from other works translated into English is its readability.“It’s very comfortable to read. Deborah Smith managed to translate the Korean cultural nuances very well. We need to foster such translators,” he said during an interview.“She is well trained in writing as a literature major in college and knows the sensitivity of language. She&rsqu

Jun 6, 2016

Systematic support necessary to nurture quality translators

Why rumors spread

Cover of “The Age of Rumors” by Misa Matsuda / Courtesy of Chungrim Publishing CompanyBook explores the nature of rumors and how to deal with themBy Yun Suh-youngEveryone has experienced hearing a rumor about them that was so nonsensical that it wasn't even funny.Then why do rumors spread and why does incorrect information spread rampantly?The answer is in the book “The Age of Rumors,” written by Misa Matsuda, a professor at Chuo University in Japan. It delves into the topic of rumor, discussing its evolution in history and how it has influenced people throughout the world.Matsuda views rumor in a multidimensional way, examining its positive role as well as the negative. Sometimes rumors can be a means of reaching the best survival solution during a natural disaster when information is restricted, while at other times rumors categorized as “urban myth” trying to create fear among the public can simply be a nuisance in maintaining social order.Unconfirmed information spread as rumors can cause huge economic loss. Incorrect rumors like “such an

Jun 3, 2016

'The Vegetarian' remains No. 1 best-seller in S. Korea for third week

"The Vegetarian," this year's Man Booker International Prize-winning novel, has kept its No. 1 position in South Korea for a third straight week, a local online bookstore said Thursday.The fiction by South Korean writer Han Kang was the No. 1 best-seller for the week of May 26-June 1, the third week since it won one of the world's top three prestigious awards in writing, the website of Yes24 showed.Another Han Kang novel, "The Boy Is Coming," stayed at second place for two straight weeks, and yet another one, "Huin," climbed four notches to rank fifth.Han is the first South Korean writer to win the Man Booker International Prize.Critically acclaimed and a New York Times best-seller, "The Vegetarian" depicts a modern-day Korean life where disturbing, recurring nightmares force the heroine, Yeong-hye, to drop her eating habits and become a vegetarian.In a country where meat is the center of most meals and conformity overrides individuality, her family and husband, shocked and in disbelief, regard it as an act of subversion. They try to change her mind in a forceful way, and Yeong-hye,

Jun 2, 2016

Novel sales increase 59 percent in May

By Park Jin-haiSales of novel have been boosted by the Man Booker International Prize winner “The Vegetarian,” jumping over 58 percent in May, the country’s biggest online bookseller said Tuesday.According to Yes24, sales of novels soared 58.6 percent last month from the average sales of the previous four months. In the category of domestic novels, nearly half of total sales predicted for this year had been reached in May, the company said.“Novels sell best near the year-end or during the summer vacation season. The May sales this year has been exceptional,” said a company official.Industry watchers estimate that two books ― Han Kang’s “The Vegetarian” and Jung Yoo-jeong’s new novel “The Origin of Species” ― have been spearheading the strong sales. Han won the Man Booker International Prize on May 17 and became the first Korean to receive the respected accolade.A total of 620,000 domestic novels were sold in May, which is 24 percent up from the average 500,000 between 2011 and 2015.  Also,

May 31, 2016

Psychiatrist translates Chunwon's works

Novelist Chunwon Yi Kwang-su (1892-1950) By Choi Yearn-hongChoonwon is a great writer from the first chapter of modern Korean literary history during the Japanese colonial rule. Many of his published works have been translated into other languages, including “The Best Short Stories of Yi Kwang-su,” which was translated into English by Dr. Chang-Wuk Kang, a famed psychiatrist in the Baltimore area. I am fortunate to know this distinguished Choonwon scholar personally. He and I are sympathetic to Choonwon and want to restore his name in Korean literary history.This is my second review of a Choonwon book; the first review was of “Kashil and Best Essays by Yi Kwang-su, ” translated by Dr. Chung Nan Lee Kim, Choonwon’s eldest daughter. The two books share five stories: “Chronicle: Sale of the House,” “Nanjaeoh,” “A Dead Bird,” “Nest of Swallows” and “The Ox Is Laughing.” Kang believed these stories were some of Choonwon’s most important works, and he absolutely had to include them in

May 27, 2016

'What matters in translation is tone of each voice'

Han Kang, author of “The Vegetarian” and winner of the Man Booker Prize, introduces her new book “The Elegy of Whiteness” at a press conference, Tuesday. / Korea Times photo by Shin Sang-soonMan Booker Prize winner says honor came unexpectedlyBy Park Jin-haiHan Kang, the author of this year’s Man Booker International Prize winning “The Vegetarian,” said the award win was unexpected.“I was in the U.K. to discuss my new book The Elegy of Whiteness that will be published there. I didn’t expect the award,” said Han, during a press conference at a book cafe in Seoul, Tuesday, to introduce her new book.“The Vegetarian,” a three-part novel first published in Korean in 2007, tells the story of Yeong-hye, a homemaker who has nightmares which cause her to become a vegetarian. It won the respected Man Booker prize last week for its English translation completed by British translator Deborah Smith in 2015.“During the awards ceremony, I kept my composure and stayed calm because it was a book that I finished writing 11 y

May 24, 2016

'What matters in translation is tone of each voice'

Han Kang's new book talks about all things white, 'uncrushable'

Han Kang, the winner of the 2016 Man Booker International Prize, said Tuesday her new book talks about something white that can't be destroyed or tainted.In a meeting with reporters in a cafe in the Hongdae Ward of western Seoul, the novelist discussed her new book, "The Elegy of Whiteness," which she said expresses the strong resilience of human beings amidst life-long suffering.Last week, Han captured the literary award with her novel "The Vegetarian." Reflecting the huge public attention on the author, the venue started filling up an hour before the start of the event at 11 a.m. despite the drizzly weather. Organizers were busy fetching more tables and chairs to accommodate the swarm of reporters and cameramen."I wrote the book thinking about a baby sister who died before I was born," Han said, her small voice almost buried in the fervently clicking sounds of hundreds of cameras."I wanted to give it a new life, something dazzling and transparent."On the Booker award, Han said it felt so "unexpected" and "bizarre" to receive the award for a book that she finished 11 years ago."I'd