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Late cardinal still alive in memory

Events mark 2nd anniv. of Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan’s death By Chung Ah-young It has been two years since Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan (1922-2009), a spiritual leader in Korean society, passed away on Feb. 16, 2009. But his legacy vividly remains within the hearts of many Koreans who seek peace and spiritual wellbeing. The late cardinal played a crucial role as not only a religious leader but also as a social icon in Korea’s historical upheavals fighting against a military dictatorship for democracy during the 1970s and ‘80s. To commemorate the second anniversary of the passing of the Catholic leader, various events are being held nationwide. Play ‘Cardinal, a Fool’ In time for the second anniversary, Kim’s life is revived on stage through a play “Cardinal, a Fool,” the first of its kind to commemorate his life presented by IMD, a Catholic drama company, which is now being performed at the Catholic Youth Center in Seoul until May 30. The play is not a heroic story of the late cardinal but a story that recounts his life as a “seeker of truth” seen through

Feb 15, 2011

TMJ disorders: arent you suffering from jaw pain?

By Yoo Youk-jin Today, I want to talk about temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. TMJ disorders cause pain and tenderness in the temporomandibular joint - the hinge joint that connects the lower jawbone to the skull. This joint allows us to eat, talk and yawn. People who are suffering from TMJ disorders may have pain on opening or closing their mouth, radiating pain to their ear, jaw and posterior neck. It is commonly described as a dull ache worsened by chewing. Clicking or noise at TMJ is common, but it is not a marker of the severity. Headaches are another common symptom complained by many patients. TMJ disorders most commonly occur in young women, between the ages of 30 and 50. And only one joint is usually involved. It can be categorized as intracapsular or extracapsular. Extracapsular disorders are far more common, and are known as TMJ syndrome or TMJ myofascial pain syndrome. Intracapsular disorders include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and articular disc displacement. These disorders should be excluded by a physician when you have persistent pain or tend

Feb 13, 2011

(124) The year of the rabbit, 2011

The new zodiac year of 2011 started on Feb. 3, according to the lunar calendar, which is what saju follows to read one’s destiny. Apart from being the year of the rabbit, when 2011 is read by its stem (heavenly sign) and branch (earthly sign), it is represented by yin metal and yin wood, respectively. Let’s first talk about the property of the yin wood-rabbit. People born in the year of 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987 and 1999 have the rabbit as their zodiac sign ― meaning their year branch is yin wood. Furthermore, people born in lunar February (typically March, on the solar calendar) have the rabbit as their month zodiac. The hours of 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. represent the rabbit zodiac time. The year 2011 has a yin property. Based on the yin and yang classifications, which define all universal phenomena into two opposite but co-existing aspects, yin has the properties of inner, dark, introversion, shadow, passivity, etc. For your reference, the year 2010 was the year of yang wood, which is like a large tree (pine, willow). Extroversion, competitiveness and strong will power represent t

Feb 10, 2011

Ways to overcome post-holiday blues

By Kim Tae-jong After the five-day Lunar New Year holiday, many people feel blue or find it difficult to return normally back to their daily rhythm. Doctors say such people are experiencing mental distress and physical tiredness that typically occurs after long holidays, called “post-holiday syndrome” or “holiday blues.” Some of the common symptoms are feeling sleepy during the day, suffering from muscle aches, indigestion and being easily distracted at work. Below are some suggestions by two professors from family medical departments to avoid post-holiday syndrome and smoothly get back into your daily routine. 1. Stretch your body Many people complain of muscle ache in their shoulders, knees and wrists. Males tend to drive for hours to visit their hometown and again to get back during the holiday while females have to spend many hours cooking or doing other chores for family gatherings. People feel pain in their muscles if they maintain the same position for hours. Kim Byung-sung of Kyung Hee University Medical Center suggests regular stretching can help

Feb 6, 2011

Antioxidants: natures power of prevention

By Kelly Frances Antioxidants are powerful nutrients which can be conceptualized in a number of ways: as insurance against some of the effects of aging; as weapons against degenerative conditions and as a means of combating certain diseases such as cancer and heart disease. They prevent, delay or repair oxidative damage to cells in our body caused by free radicals. Free radicals are the antagonists of health, though they occur naturally as a result of the body’s metabolic processes. They are also formed by environmental influences such as pollution, cigarette smoke, radiation, asbestos, pesticides, and even stress. In other words, breathing, eating, going out into the sun and being exposed to the typical conditions of city life all contribute to the oxidation process, and the resulting damage is reason enough to take measures to increase our intake of antioxidants. Cho Young-yun, director of Dietetics at Samsung Medical Center, shared insight on how to increase intake of antioxidants through simple dietary changes. Cho warns against relying heavily on supplements.

Jan 30, 2011

(123) Death II

Death demarcates the life of this world and the next. Through death, people depart from this life. So we cannot deny the fact that it is one of the most cataclysmic events in one’s life. We cannot caricature death and it is not easy to portray it beautifully. Foreseeing death is out of ordinary men’s abilities, though it has been studied and investigated over time. However if we change our perspective even a little bit, philosophical and profound contemplation can be made to deepen our lives by overcoming the hopelessness of death. There is no exception to the fact that all humans die. Many also believe that we reap what we have sown. It doesn’t require a high level of academic education or religious belief to understand the truth, though we need a sincere introspection of ourselves. In doing so, unnecessary agony and regret can disappear; we can demonstrate our creative capabilities and enjoy this world that much more. As a saju master, I am often asked about death. Many people will ask when they will die. I advise them that it is not the right question to ask, and ina

Jan 27, 2011

Mind humanities seeks to cure social ills

Won-Buddhist institute endeavoring to restore humanity in modern society By Chung Ah-young People say the humanities are in crisis with a lack of interest and support. Yet some claim the humanities are the very answer to the fast-changing and materialistic modern society. So how can one cope with the crisis? Park Kwang-soo, professor at the Won-Buddhism department of Wonkwang University based in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, finds its solution in “understanding the minds.” “We are living in a society dominated by economic achievements, knowledge and cutthroat competition without understanding the nature of human beings, which are bringing about many social problems,” Park told The Korea Times in a recent telephone interview. He took the “crisis in the humanities” seriously to bring back humanity to modern society and found that the understanding of the minds is key to resolving all these modern malaises. To further research and develop the idea, he and his fellow scholars and Won-Buddhists at the Institute of the Won-Buddhist Thought of the university are laun

Jan 24, 2011

Cooperation essential for success of medical tourism

Korea is emerging as a major destination for medical tourism, offering its cutting-edge medical technology, quality medical personnel and services. The aim is that medical tourist arrivals will rise 16 percent annually from 80,000 in 2010 to 1 million in 2020. “Korea is equipped with many favorable conditions such as advanced medical technology, a high number of cutting edge medical instruments, and price competitiveness even though we were a late starter compared to Thailand and Singapore, which started medical tourism about 10 years ago,”said Park Jae-hee, doctor and president of Samsung Line Plastic Surgery. Every country is in severe competition to attract more Chinese tourists, Park said. “The work for regulating the medical tourism is necessary by organizing a task force department in the government. The mutual cooperation method shall be derived by expanding the consensus for fostering the medical tourism based on the various seminars held by hospitals in the district, company of inducing, academy and related authorities,” Park said. Private and government o

Jan 23, 2011

Preventing edema: everyday things that everyone can do

By Kim Yon-su A freezing winter is everybody’s enemy. Sub-zero temperatures force you inside, where you shovel an excessive intake of high-calorie, sodium-rich processed foods down your throat. But sadly, the below zero temperature “conspiracy” runs deeper than that. A lack of exercise allows the residue of the inadvertent excessive intake of high sodium foods and meals to accumulate in the body slowly, leading to a gradual deterioration of the body’s normal blood circulation and fluid balance, which can cause edema or swelling. Edema is an excessive fluid accumulation within body tissues that are outside blood vessels. Peripheral edema, characterized by swelling of the legs and feet, is the most common form, and has a variety of causes from the mundane to the serious. Edema is a symptom rather than a disease or disorder. It is mainly caused by poor kidney function from chronic disease, congestive heart disease; or liver dysfunction. Other causal factors include hormonal changes during pregnancy, a lack of exercise, obesity, standing or sitting for long periods of time, and e

Jan 23, 2011

(122) Death

Death may not be the most proper subject to start the New Year, when words of blessing and hope are more traditional. Death, whether it is the loss of a loved one or not, is one of the most devastating aspects we must deal with in our lives. We may pray for the repose of one’s soul at a funeral, but the depth of sadness is totally different when it comes to the death of one of our own family members. Death approaches all: with warning for some, but for many it simply befalls without notice. Even for those who are diagnosed with a certain time frame for life, it is not easy to prepare for death. In the past several months I have had to visit the hospital emergency room. I read the faces of patients who were struggling to fight death. Some were able to extend their lives and escape by medical treatment. But some had to leave this world behind them. The shades of death were there, not only in the faces of the patients but in the faces of their families. The energies expressed by their looks could not hide the atmosphere of gloom. Most people want to live a long life. Some de

Jan 20, 2011
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