People & Events

INTERVIEW Iraq War veteran set to row solo across Pacific

Gwenael Breton takes a selfie with his specially designed bike in Oktyabrsky Urban Settlement in Russia, October 2021. Facebook page of Rien que du bonheurFrench Special Forces officer survives ordeal after ordeal, now spreads hope throughout worldBy Ko Dong-hwanBreton on his boat in Busan / Courtesy of Gwenael BretonIn 2012, Gwenael Breton lost control in the middle of a night helicopter jump training operation in the Sahel, a semi-arid region stretching across western and north-central Africa. In pitch black and with no visibility, Breton and a fellow soldier freefell, eventually landing face-first on a rock. The impact shattered the maxilla bone on both sides of Breton's nose and destroyed four vertebrae in his spine.Ten years later, the French Iraq War veteran is now in Busan. Breton, fully recovered from his injuries after successful reconstruction surgeries, believes he can achieve anything he wants. And now he is putting that belief to the test. He will depart Korea's southeastern port city in an 8-meter-long, 2-meter-wide rowing boat and will attempt to cross the Pacific Ocea

Economic Essay Contest for University Students

Korea Times-ETS Student Reporter Contest kicks off

By Jeon Yae-woolThe Korea Times is hosting the 2022 Student Reporter Contest, sponsored mainly by ETS Korea, running from June 27 to Aug. 15. This competition is aimed to help students improve their English proficiency and have a journalistic experience to report on various issues in the medium of video.It is the third year that the English media outlet, under the main sponsorship of the ETS, creator of the TOEFL iBT® test, has hosted the English video contest for students across the nation. The competition is open to middle and high school students, undergraduates and graduates. Applicants can enter the contest either individually or in teams of up to three. Those attending schools in Korea can enter the competition, but students from countries using English as an official language are ineligible.As for a topic, applicants can choose any issue or subject they regard as newsworthy ― whether it is a person, social issue or personal experience.The video entries should be shorter than five minutes. Applicants should upload the video footage on YouTube by Aug. 15, and access https://

Tycoons gather at wedding of Hyundai Motor chief's daughter

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun, left, and his wife Chung Ji-seon, second from right, pose for a family photo at their eldest daughter's wedding ceremony at Chungdong First Methodist Church in central Seoul, Monday. YonhapBy Park Han-solThe top executives of Korea's four major business conglomerates converged on Monday at the wedding ceremony of the eldest daughter of Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun.Chung Jin-hee, the daughter of Chung, and Kim Ji-ho, the grandson of former Education Minister Kim Duk-choong, tied the knot at Chungdong First Methodist Church in central Seoul. The Hyundai Motor chief and his wife got married at the same church 27 years ago.The venue was filled with a number of high-profile guests from the country's largest companies, including Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Welfare Foundation chief Lee Seo-hyun, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, SK Group Senior Vice Chairman Chey Jae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Doosan Group Chairman Park Jeong-won.Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, left, and his daught

2022 Korea Times-ETS English Student Reporter Contest

2022 코리아타임스-ETS 학생 리포터 대회

From Koryoin to Korean Americans to Zainichi: Portraits reveal underrepresented sides of Korean history

Sohn Sung-hyun's 2005 photo of Po Kim, a Korean-American visual artist / Courtesy of Sohn Sung-hyunOnline exhibition focuses on lives of marginalized ethnic KoreansBy Park Han-solA gray-haired man donning a striped T-shirt, with a pet parrot named Charlie on his knee, gazes at a corner of his studio in downtown New York one afternoon in 2005. Korean-American visual artist Kim Po-hyun (1917-2014), better known as Po Kim, went to study art in Japan during the 1910-1945 Japanese colonial rule of Korea to pursue his passion for painting, which began at an early age. Upon his return after the nation's liberation, he established the department of fine arts at Chosun University in Gwangju.But a series of political upheavals following the country's newly gained freedom were what upended his creative life.In 1948, as the Korean Peninsula was still coping with the aftermath of liberation from colonial rule and separation into two states, the nascent South Korean government under Syngman Rhee was keen on forming an anti-communist state. When a large-scale left-leaning military rebellion broke o

Designer hopes to serve as bridge between engineers, non-engineers in soft robotics

Youn Hye-jun, a designer and researcher at the Harvard Graduate School of Design who was on this year's Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list. Youn's research involves using material science to create interactive designs of soft robotics and other structures with user-friendly interfaces. Courtesy of Youn Hye-jun26-year-old designer listed on this year's Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia listBy Park Han-solSoft robotics, as the name indicates, involves the design and construction of robots with non-rigid, highly compliant materials that can resemble the flexible movements of living organisms ― as they are able to bend, curl, fold and inflate, for example. While the technology is still in its infancy, the elastically soft, adaptable and self-morphing robots made with materials like silicone elastomers have tremendous potential.They can, in theory, be deployed for invasive surgery, as their shape-changing properties allow them to navigate along different structures within the human body more safely. The technology can also be used to build flexible exosuits, or robotic wearables that do not restrict a pe

'Squid Game' director wins Pony Chung Innovation Award

Hwang Dong-hyuk, second from right, the director of the Netflix series, “Squid Game,” poses beside the bust of the late HDC Group Honorary Chairman Chung Se-yung, whose nickname was “Pony Chung,” at Pony Chung Hall in southern Seoul, Thursday, after receiving the Pony Chung Innovation Award. On the left is HDC Group Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, who is also the chairman of Pony Chung Foundation, and on the right is Park Young-ja, the widow of Chung Se-yung. Courtesy of HDC Hyundai Development Company By Kim RahnHwang Dong-hyuk, the director of Netflix's megahit series, “Squid Game,” has won an award recognizing innovation. The Pony Chung Foundation presented Hwang with the Pony Chung Innovation Award, Thursday. “Director Hwang has shown deep interest in and sharp criticism of social issues. The creator has been at the center of Korean cultural content scene with a broad spectrum of various genres and themes,” foundation Founder and Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, who is also th

'Nanta' producer explains how he brought life to hit nonverbal show

Producer Song Seung-whan gives a lecture during the Corea Image Communication Institution's (CICI) Korea CQ Forum at the Moroccan ambassador's official residence in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of CICIBy Dong Sun-hwaIt was a pile of debt that prompted producer Song Seung-whan to bring his theatrical comedy show “Nanta” to the international market. “More than two decades ago, I hardly made any profit by producing a show in Korea,” Song, the CEO and artistic director of PMC Production, said during the Corea Image Communication Institution's (CICI) Korea CQ Forum that took place at the Moroccan ambassador's official residence in Seoul, Tuesday. The goal of the forum is to bring together opinion leaders and promote cultural exchanges worldwide. “So I decided to bring my show to other countries, where more people were willing to watch paid performances,” Song added. The producer explained that he had to make a nonverbal performance with no language barrier to appeal to a global audience. “I also had to incorporate various elements of Korean culture, s