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Climate-Energy Conference

Former Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik makes a congratulatory speech at the third Seoul Climate-Energy Conference 2016 that took place Wednesday at the Westin Chosun Seoul, on the theme “Beyond Marrakech: What’s Next for 2020 New Climate Regime?” The event tackled such issues as other nations having to step in on climate policy with uncertainty surrounding U.S. President-elect Trump’s policies and changing industrial ecosystems. The conference was co-hosted by the KAIST Graduate School of Green Growth and the Coalition for Our Common Future. / Yonhap

Nov 30, 2016

Aid worker awarded for helping Haitian refugees

Kim Worr-lim, Haiti branch manager of Serving Friends International, poses with a force commander for U.N. mission in Leogane, Haiti, in this 2013 photo. / Courtesy of Serving Friends InternationalBy Kim Hyo-jin“I thought aid work was about sharing what I have. But it turned out to be more than that. Seeing the lives of Haitian refugees changing, I felt I was getting more from them,” said Kim Worr-lim, Haiti branch manager of the aid group, Serving Friends International.The 46-year-old aid worker was recognized by the 2016 Korea Overseas Service Award sponsored by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Friday, for his dedicated service in a refugee camp in Haiti.Kim set up a village in cooperation with the local government of Leogane, Haiti, for refugees who lost their homes in the 2010 deadly earthquake. Renting a 13-acre sugar cane field from the local government, he has built a school and 134 houses since 2011.The school accommodates 512 students in 12 classes and provides them with free meals. It was made possible by donations Kim sought from generous Koreans

Nov 30, 2016
Aid worker awarded for helping Haitian refugees

Actress Youn Yuh-jung wins Woman in Film of the Year

Youn Yuh-jung was named the Woman in Film of the Year at the 2016 Women in Film Korea Festival, Monday. / Courtesy of organizing committee of the Women in Film Korea FestivalBy Baek Byung-yeulVeteran actress Youn Yuh-jung  has been honored with the Woman in Film of the Year award at the 2016 Women in Film Korea Festival, Monday, for her role in 2016 film “The Bacchus Lady.”The organizing committee said  it chose Youn, 69, as the recipient of the award, recognizing her “passion to acting as she is still active in playing such dignified and sophisticated roles.”Directed by E J-yong, well known for directing “An Affair” (1998), “Untold Scandal” (2003) and “My Brilliant Life” (2014), “The Bacchus Lady” revolves around 65-year-old prostitute So-young, played by Youn, who sells her body to old men at a park in downtown Seoul. In Korea, old prostitutes are often referred as “Bacchus ladies” because they sell small bottles of the popular energy drink Bacchus while selling sex. Since i

Nov 29, 2016
Actress Youn Yuh-jung wins Woman in Film of the Year

DJ DOC holds candles instead of microphones

DJ DOC members pose in this file photo. They are, from left, Kim Chang-ryeol, Jung Jae-yong and LeeHa-neul. / Korea Times fileLyrics calling President ‘Miss’ hit by feministsBy Park Jae-hyukDJ DOC joined the largest-ever candlelit rally held in downtown Seoul, Saturday, even though the group’s performance scheduled there had been cancelled.The veteran hip-hop trio’s performance was cancelled because their song titled in Korean “Addressee Well-known” criticizing President Park Geun-hye was regarded as misogynistic. They released the song for free via Youtube the night before the rally.The song abuses Park, her longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil and pro-Park officials in Cheong Wa Dae and lawmakers in the ruling Saenuri Party.However, some feminist organizations pointed out that some of the song’s lyrics, such as “Miss Park” and “Senorita,” were misogynistic. Due to such claims, the rally organizer cancelled DJ DOC’s scheduled performance at the venue a few hours before it was scheduled to take place.Feminists claime

Nov 28, 2016By Park Jae-hyuk
DJ DOC holds candles instead of microphones

Gaon to take Korean fine dining to new level

Kim Byeong-jin is the chief chef at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Gaon. / Courtesy of GaonBy Kim Ji-sooThe tangy whiff of soy sauce travels up one’s nose as soon as one enters Gaon, the Korean restaurant in Dosandae-ro, Seoul, that earned three Michelin stars on Nov. 7.“Soy sauce, salt, including malt salt from Hwayo, and soybean paste are what we use at Gaon,” said Gaon’s chief chef, Kim Byeong-jin, 40. Twenty-four Korean restaurants in Seoul received Michelin stars for the first time, with two — Gaon and La Yeon at Hotel Shilla— earning three stars. Gaon is a part of Kwangjuyo Group, which produces the pottery dishes Gaon uses and Hwayo liquor, and owns Bicena, a restaurant that earned one Michelin star.Gaon’s Michelin stars gave Kim and his team motivation and a renewed sense of responsibility.At Gaon, which means the “center” in Korean, Kim wants to continue showcasing Korean fine dining. The restaurant, which has five dining areas, is already fully booked through late January.“At Gaon, I focused on illustrating

Nov 25, 2016
Gaon to take Korean fine dining to new level

Photographer narrates women's insecurity

Yeo Ji stands in front of her photographs of post-cosmetic surgery women, exhibited at the Vestfossen Museum in Norway in May. / Courtesy of Yeo JiBy Kim Bo-eun Korea is known for its booming cosmetic surgery industry, which churns out unrealistically “perfect” faces and figures for women. State-of-the-art clinics in Seoul promote themselves with photographs of dazzling young women. But behind all the glitz and glamour are bruised faces, bloody nose casts, bandaged bodies and insecurity; images that Yeo Ji, 31, captures.These were among Yeo’s photographs exhibited at Vestfossen Museum near Oslo in Norway in May. The photographer also held exhibitions in New York and Seoul. Contrary to expectations, Yeo is not against the surgery and rather speaks of the inner struggle women face in terms of self-esteem.“Because of the pictures I take, people think I am totally against getting surgery, but I’m not,” she told The Korea Times in an interview in Seoul last week.Yeo recalls remarks about her appearance she heard as a teenager.“Peopl

Nov 25, 2016
Photographer narrates women's insecurity

Serial entrepreneur runs fifth startup

By Park Hyong-kiChester Roh / YonhapRoh Jung-seok, or better known as Chester in the Korean startup world, is one of the very few tech-savvy people in the country who has gained the right to be called a serial entrepreneur.Not only has he successfully started and sold a company once but several times, with a track record that also includes launching an initial public offering of his startup in his early entrepreneurial years.A former hacker, who was caught breaking into a school system during his college years at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Roh is now operating his fifth startup named Reality Reflection, a virtual reality (VR) content developer, as its chief strategy officer (CSO). He was locked up in prison for 40 days for the hacking.He told a local news that the unforeseen possibility of VR got him to “take the risk again” after selling his fourth startup.Before venturing into this unknown VR world, which is considered one of the hottest technologies along with artificial intelligence and data forecasting global venture investors are loo

Nov 24, 2016
Serial entrepreneur runs fifth startup

Korean PGA golfer donates 100 million won

Golfer Bae Sang-moon, left, currently serving his military service, poses with Community Chest of Korea Secretary-General Park Chan-bong after joining the “Honor Society” club at its headquarters in Seoul, Tuesday. / YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooTwo-time PGA Tour winner Bae Sang-moon, now serving his mandatory military service, has joined the “Honor Society” after donating 100 million won ($85,500) to charity, the Community Chest of Korea said, Tuesday.Anyone donating more than 100 million won in a cumulative sum to charity is entitled to be named a society member and Bae has become the 1,272nd member _ the first time for a Korean male golfer to join the honorable group.Since the 30-year-old started his charity activity in 2011, he has donated 138 million won thus far.  Separately, he also donated the winner’s prize of 200 million won from the 2014 Shinhan Donghae Open, a major tournament of the Korea PGA Tour, for children of low-income families in his native town of Daegu.“I have decided to join the Society to return the favor from peopl

Nov 23, 2016
Korean PGA golfer donates 100 million won

'Coaching draws changes from within'

Kim Jong-choulBy Park Jin-haiKim Jong-choul, country manager of American semiconductor systems provider, Particle Measuring System, says all his life as an engineer and CEO of a research center has been about problem-solving.“Planning and executing to solve problems, my focus has always been on how to solve the task and I never paid attention to the people,” he said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Monday. “After all, it is the people who solve the problem. I looked at the numbers, yelled at poor performing subordinates and gave direct orders about how to solve the problem. In the process, anger and frustration have hurt both sides.”Then Kim says he realized that his attitude made those subordinates even more small, passive and prone to cause more problems. ”I suddenly realized that I had brought in smart people and used them below their capacity.”  Kim says that realization led him to study “coaching,” which is a fairly new academic area in Korea, at Kookmin University. And he now has been heading

Nov 22, 2016
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