Lifestyle - The Korea Times

(84) Gunghap of French President Sarkozy and Carla Bruni

By Janet Shin Recently, there were revelations that French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni were not living up to their fairytale romance. Rumors surfaced about affairs and impending divorce, but the French press was reluctant to delve into the private lives of its public figures. The media linked Bruni with fellow pop singer Benjamin Biolay, 37, while Sarkozy was reportedly seeking comfort with his ecology minister. Sarkozy dismissed claims that his marriage was in trouble as ``ridiculous rumors.'' We may look into their saju to view their lives from different angles. Sarkozy, the 23rd and current president of the French Republic was born Jan. 28, 1955. Before assuming the president in 2007, he was a leader of the Union for a Popular Movement. He is known for wanting to revitalize the French economy, and pledging to revive the work ethic, promote new initiatives and fight intolerance. He married Bruni on Feb. 2, 2008. Bruni, an Italian-born French singer, songwriter and former model, was born Dec. 23, 1967. Below you can see the saju

Apr 1, 2010

Jikji: An Invaluable Text of Buddhism

Kim Jong-myung is a professor of religion at the Academy of Korean Studies. ― ED. By Kim Jong-myung Contributing Writer Korea is a country rich with world heritage properties. In particular, Korea invented the movable metal type in the 13th century and prides itself on being a country that values intellectual property. “Jikji,” whose full title is “Baegun Hwasang Chorok Buljo Jikji Simche Yojeol” (Master Baegun’s Excerpts from the Buddhas’ and Patriarchs’ Direct Pointing to the Essence of Mind), is one such property. The oldest extant metal type printer in the world and registered on UNESCO’s Memory of the World list in 2001, “Jikji” is a Seon (Zen) text compiled by the Korean monk Baegun in 1372. The final page of “Jikji” says, “Printed and distributed at Heungdeok Temple outside Cheongju County in the seventh month of 1377.” “Jikji” was printed in two versions: the metal type edition printed at Heungdeok Monastery in 1377 and the xylographic version printed at Chwiam Temple in 1378. It is the metal type edition that is registered on the Memory of the World list. This

Apr 1, 2010

Matchmaking Going Beyond Borders

Sunoo Seeks to Expand Services to US, China, Southeast Asian Nations By Park Si-soo Staff Reporter Many singles are turning to matchmaking Web sites to find spouses. More than 20,000 people found their life-long mates this way paved by Sunoo, a leading domestic matchmaking company, over the past two decades. Sunoo is now gearing up to expand its business beyond borders with tailor-made multilingual services, targeting the United States, China and Southeast Asian countries as new markets. "I ultimately dream of love that has no borders. And I believe I can make it come true in my generation," Lee Woong-jin, CEO of matchmaking firm Sunoo (www.couple.net), said in an interview with The Korea Times. "It may be hard to imagine these days that a man and woman living in different countries that are hundreds of thousands of miles away from each other have an opportunity to see whether they suit each other to become his or her spouse. But the geographical distance will not come as a hurdle to love in the future." Sunoo has run an English Web site for years. It plans to mak

Mar 30, 2010

Contestants Return Home With Memories

By J.R. Breen Contributing Writer Turn off the cameras, pack away the lights, the show is over. After three years of waiting, the world has its new ``most desirable man.'' Kamal Ibrahim of Ireland was crowned Mr World 2010 Saturday. He'll receive $50,000, and will now be the face of many charity events for the Miss World Organization (MWO) for the next year. For the rest of the contestants, their journey has ended, as all contestants are only eligible to take part in one Mr World competition. But they are all positive about their experience. "It has been absolutely brilliant, the people we were around, the places we visited," Max Chung of Guyana said. "It will open doors, give me opportunities and it has boosted my self-confidence… I plan to visit at least three countries next year ― Egypt, Greece and Guadeloupe." Seventy-four contestants competed in Mr World 2010, which began on March 2 and finished with the finale Saturday, which was viewed by 1 billion people around the world. Over the 16 days, contestants were subject to a grueling schedule. They were yelled

Mar 28, 2010

Ibrahim, Contestants Best Friend

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter He's not just a handsome face, but first and foremost a man's man. Kamal Ibrahim of Ireland was chosen as Mr World 2010 ― ``the world's most desirable man'' ― in Incheon, Saturday. In winning the title, the 24-year-old won more than just the favor of the judges; he was acknowledged by his fellow contestants as a good sport and stood out for his leadership. ``I don't know what to say. … Let's go yellow team!'' was Ibrahim's immediate reaction after he was announced as the winner at the finale at Sondo ConvensiA. He turned to the yellow team ― one of the four groups the participants were divided into ― to share the joy. He never expected to make it past the semifinals, but others seem to disagree. ``It is a well-deserved win; he has everything it takes to be the world's most desirable man,'' said runner-up Josef Karas of the Czech Republic. The second runner-up, Nigeria's Kenneth Okolie, also expressed his congratulations. ``His success is like my success. He was the leader of the yellow team,'' said Roman Mironov, who represen

Mar 28, 2010

Mr World 2010 Wraps Up 16-Day Contest

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter INCHEON ― Ireland's Kamal Ibrahim was named Mr World 2010 at the contest's finale at Sondo ConvensiA, Saturday. The Czech Republic's Josef Karas was runner-up and Nigeria's Kenneth Okolie was second runner-up. The competition was designed to find ``the world's most desirable man'' ― someone not only tall and good-looking, but also intelligent and amiable. During the 16-day journey in Korea, the three winners had stood out from the others for their sense of leadership and camaraderie toward their fellow contestants. The grand finale opened with a graceful Korean traditional fan dance and energetic taekwondo performances. The 74 national representations were introduced, and the three presenters for the evening ― actors Lee Da-hae and Julien Kang, and British pop star Alesha Dixon ― took the stage. Dixon hyped up the crowd of some 1,500 singing her smash hit ``The Boy Does Nothing,'' and the first part of the event culminated with the announcement of the 15 semifinalists. The show continued with Girls' Generation. The top K-pop group

Mar 28, 2010

Ireland’s Ibrahim Named Mr World 2010

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter INCHEON ― Ireland's Kamal Ibrahim was named Mr World 2010 at the contest's finale at Sondo ConvensiA, Saturday. The Czech Republic's Josef Karas was runner-up and Nigeria's Kenneth Okolie was second runner-up. The competition was designed to find ``the world's most desirable man'' ― someone not only tall and good-looking, but also intelligent and amiable. During the 16-day journey in Korea, the three winners had stood out more than others for their sense of leadership and camaraderie toward fellow contestants. The grand finale opened with a graceful Korean traditional fan dance and energetic taekwondo performances. The 74 national representations were introduced, and the three presenters of the evening ― actors Lee Da-hae and Julien Kang and British pop star Alesha Dixon ― took the stage. Dixon hyped up the crowd of some 1,500 singing her smash number ``The Boy Does Nothing,'' and the first part of the event culminated with the announcement of the 15 semifinalists. The show followed with Girls' Generation. The top K-pop group, dressed

Mar 27, 2010

Mr World 2010 to Be Unveiled Today

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter INCHEON ― The 16-day journey finally comes to an end. The grand finale of the Mr World 2010 contest will take place Saturday night at Songdo ConvensiA, Incheon ― with only one among 74 national representatives being named ``the world's most desirable man.'' The star-studded event will feature Lee Da-hae, Julien Kang and Alesha Dixon, as well as performances by Paul Potts and Girls' Generation. Some however have already won the fast-track to the semi-finals, or the top 15: Korea's Yoo Ji-kwang, who topped the talent show, and Brazil's Jonas Sulzbach, who was chosen as top model in a charity fashion show. The Czech Republic's Josef Karas has also been noted as a strong contestant for his excellent results in sporting challenges. Over the course of the event only seven of the 15 semi-finalists will enter the finals. Three will be chosen as winners. According to Julia Morley, chairwoman of the Miss World Organization, which is co-organizing the contest with the Hankook Ilbo-The Korea Times Media Group, the competition is looking for a Ja

Mar 26, 2010

Mr Brazil Makes First Foray Overseas to Compete

By J.R. Breen Contributing Writer Six days after he was crowned Mr Brazil, Jonas Sulzbach, 24, made his first ever overseas trip, and flew across the world to Incheon, South Korea. Sulzbach arrived in Korea after his 29-hour, long-haul flight on March 12th for the Mr World 2010 competition, where he is one of 74 contestants vying to be ``the world's most desirable man,'' who will be named this Saturday in a finale presented by British pop star Alesha Dixon. On Tuesday evening Sulzbach won the ``Top Model'' position at a charity fashion show put on by designer Andre Kim. ``I am very happy to be named Mr World top model, and I think my chances for the final are good,'' he said. ``It is an honor to be in a fashion show with Andre Kim.'' His victory in this part of the overall competition assured him an automatic pass to the last 15 in the final this Saturday. ``I am hoping to win, but if I don't I will be happy, I will return to Brazil and I am scheduled to be a judge for Miss Brazil,'' he said. ``Also, as one of the prizes for winning Mr Brazil, I am going to

Mar 26, 2010

Real, Down-to-Earth Is Name of Game

By J.R. Breen Contributing Writer INCHEON― When Tom Nuyens auditioned for the 1996 Mr Belgium contest, he had never modelled before, and had been too shy to approach an agency by himself. The months after that first audition were ``like a game’’ for Nuyens. He went on to win the competition, advancing to the first ever Mr World contest that same year. He also won that event. ``The whole thing was kind of unreal, I didn't expect to win,’’ the 34-year-old said in an interview, Friday. ``It was like a game.’’ Nuyens made his first trip to Korea this week to be a judge for the finale of Mr World 2010, taking place Saturday in Incheon. The competition began on March 12 and has 74 contestants competing to become ``the world's most desirable man.’’ The finale will be presented by Alesha Dixon, Lee Da-hae and Julien Kang, and will include performances from Paul Potts, Korean girl band Girls' Generation and Alesha Dixon. Aged 20 at the time he won his title, Nuyens had been looking for a part time job during his vacation but was too shy to approach a modelling agency himself

Mar 26, 2010

Others

Others

(84) Gunghap of French President Sarkozy and Carla Bruni

Jikji: An Invaluable Text of Buddhism

Matchmaking Going Beyond Borders

Contestants Return Home With Memories

Ibrahim, Contestants Best Friend

Mr World 2010 Wraps Up 16-Day Contest

Ireland’s Ibrahim Named Mr World 2010

Mr World 2010 to Be Unveiled Today

Mr Brazil Makes First Foray Overseas to Compete

Real, Down-to-Earth Is Name of Game

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