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Lawmaker aims to regulate bad loans

Rep. Je Youn-kyung of the Minjoo Party of Korea smiles during an interview with The Korea Times at her office at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul last week. The one-term lawmaker vowed to regulate banks’ practice of selling bad loans to debt collectors. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukBy Kim Jae-wonRep. Je Youn-kyung of the Minjoo Party of Korea is a newcomer to the National Assembly. It has been less than a month since she became a member of parliament, but the activist-turned-lawmaker has already submitted a bill to prevent debt collectors from claiming debts that have expired.The bill nicknamed “Preventing dead debt from being revived” brought on a strong backlash from financial institutions which sell their bad loans to debt collectors, but she said that she aims to regulate them with tougher rules.“I plan to submit another bill which mandates that financial firms reschedule loans for their customers,” said Je in an interview with The Korea Times at her office at the Assembly. “The bill still allows them to sell their bad lo

Jun 20, 2016

Lee Jong-ki dreams of making world-class product

Master blender Lee Jong-kiBy Kim Ji-sooOmija ― the berry’s unusual name, vivid blood-red color and nutritional benefits conjures positive images of health and well-being. Also known by its scientific names maximowiczia typica and schisandra chinensis, it is widely used in summer drinks, tea and Oriental medicine.But not many thought it could be made into wine or liquor, except for Lee Jong-ki.Last week, master blender Lee introduced Gowoon Dar, a 52-percent-alcohol distilled liqueur made from omija.“I feel confident about this product,” said Lee, 60, in an interview with The Korea Times, flashing his signature smile and the curiosity in his eyes that has got him so far in the local industry. “I used traditional Korean ingredients and world-class methods for fermenting, distilling, maturing and blending,” he said.Among these steps, blending is the most crucial part.“Blending is an art rather than a science,” said Lee, head of JL Co., consultant and professor. He is also known as Johnnie Lee. He said he draws from his five senses and more than

Jun 20, 2016By Kim Ji-soo

Lee Jong-ki dreams of making world-class product

Canadian promotes Korean literature

 Theresa Hyun  By Kim Bo-eun Novelist Han Kang’s “The Vegetarian” winning the Man Booker International Prize last month has shed light on Korean literature, but a Canadian Korean-language poet and scholar says she wishes to contribute to further promoting literary works here.“Western people are not very familiar with Korean literature. I would like to make it better known,” Theresa Hyun told The Korea Times in an interview in downtown Seoul, Wednesday.Hyun said she will do this by continuing to study literary translation, teach related courses as well as create festivals and events to which she will invite Korean writers to in the future.“Translation is a difficult, painstaking process, but is important for Korean literature,” she said.Hyun is currently teaching Korean studies at York University in Toronto and is an honorary member of the Korean Canadian Writers' Association. She is visiting Seoul for the publication of her second poetry book.Hyun first came to Korea in 1980 to teach English and French literature at Kyung

Jun 17, 2016

Goethe expert retiring

Prof. Chon Young-aeBy Yoon Ja-young Chon Young-ae, a professor of German Language and Literature at Seoul National University, is retiring. She was the first Asian female to be awarded the golden Goethe Medal by the Goethe Society in Weimar, Germany, in 2011.Born in a family with a Confucian background in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province in 1951, she grew up surrounded by books. Her passion for literature, which started with the works of Rainer Maria Rilke, led her to study German Language and Literature at Seoul National University, but she didn’t enter the Ph.D. program until the age of 33 due to marriage and childcare. She has been teaching at her alma mater for 20 years since 1996.Her class, “Understanding German Classics,” has been cited as one of the best courses at Seoul National University.Throughout the semester, students read pieces by virtuosos of the German literature, such as Franz Kafka, Thomas Mann and Hermann Hesse. The students make their own books at the end of the semester, based on their discussions and writings. On the last day of th

Jun 16, 2016

Poet Jeong writes about sorrow, love

Poet Jeong Ho-seung, 66, is a representative lyrical poet of Korea. / Courtesy of Jeong Ho-seungJeong’s collection “To Daffodils”Jeong’s collection “People I Love”A Spanish version of “Dying After Having Loved”By Kim Ji-sooKorea’s representative lyrical poet, Jeong Ho-seung, is well known for his poetic inspiration that comforts the readers.“Of the many roles that poetry has, I believe the ability to give comfort is the most precious,” Jeong said.The beloved 66-year-old poet, who debuted in 1973 with the poem “Cheomseongdae,” enjoys a broad base of readers in Korea. The Cheomseongdae is an ancient astronomical observatory inGyeongju.For a poet whose works — for example his 1997 collection “Dying After Having Loved” that sold about 100,000 copies — have provided solace to readers, Jeong is neither a romantic nor a dreamer. He wants his readers to face the inevitable sorrow in human life, to find hope and rapture in it.“People’s lives behold the tragedy; that’s what m

Jun 15, 2016

Female officer gets 'top technician' honor

Yoo Ji-hyun / Courtesy of the ROK NavyBy Kim Hyo-jinYoo Ji-hyun, 33, a noncommissioned officer in the Navy, has obtained the certificate of master craftsman for her excellent handling of communication facilities ― the first woman in the Navy to awarded the status.“Chief Petty Officer Yoo Ji-hyun who works on the 7,600-ton Aegis destroyer Yulgok Yi I passed the national license test in late May to become a Master Craftsman of communication facilities,” the Navy said. “She is the first woman to get the license.”Master Craftsman is the highest degree in the technician’s licensing. Only experts who have over five years of field experience or over nine years of related work are qualified to take the test. Noting the expertise of noncommissioned officers is a key to managing a state-of-the-art warship, the Navy said that for Petty Officer Yoo to acquire her license strengthens the combat ability of her ship.“A Navy noncommissioned officer, a technical expert, has to sustain arduous efforts to keep the combat ability of her ship at its best. I went f

Jun 15, 2016

Female officer gets 'top technician' honor

Lee Ji-sun earns social welfare Ph.D. from UCLA

Lee Ji-sunBy Kim Ji-sooLee Ji-sun, 38, a writer and blogger who survived a seven-car collision in 2000, has earned a Ph.D. in social welfare from the University of California, Los Angeles, reports said. She graduated on June 10.Lee was a senior at Ewha Womans University in 2000 when she was in a car accident that seriously burned 55 percent of her body. She faced despair and numerous surgeries after the accident, but picked herself up with her mother’s encouragement to discover one thing to be thankful for every day. She has authored a blog and an autobiography “I Love You, Ji-sun,” giving hope to many. On her social media accounts, she thanked everyone for their support of her dream that started 16 years ago in the hospital.After graduating from Ewha, she continued with her studies, earning master’s degrees in counseling at Boston University and social welfare at Columbia University. 

Jun 14, 2016

Lee Ji-sun earns social welfare Ph.D. from UCLA

Blood donation campaign

Kwangdong Pharmaceutical employees participate in a blood donation campaign held in the company’s head office in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, Tuesday. Kwangdong organized the event with Chung-Ang University Hospital’s blood donation center to help children suffering from leukemia./ Courtesy of Kwangdong Pharmaceutical

Jun 14, 2016

Pianist to embark on 'musical pilgrimage'

Pianist Cho Jae-hyuckBy Yun Suh-youngPianist Cho Jae-hyuck said his upcoming concert "Pilgrimage," scheduled for Friday, will be much like embarking on a "musical pilgrimage."He’ll be playing just one piece from Bach and Beethoven each. His Beethoven piece will be the 50-minute-long Piano Sonata No.29 in B-Flat Major."It's a piece that is as difficult to conquer as Mount Everest," said Cho during an interview with The Korea Times."I have left this piece to play when I was older and I decided that now is the right time to finally perform the piece."This piece will be paired with Bach's English Suite No. 2, which he’ll play on a harpsichord in the first half of the concert."I was wondering what to play alongside that masterpiece and thought of the harpsichord, which is an instrument similar to piano but came before it,” he said.“Both of these pieces will be unfamiliar and may be difficult for the audience to grasp. It'll be much like going on a journey or taking a pilgrimage."Cho is a pianist who is active both on and off the stage as a performer and narrator. H

Jun 14, 2016

Pianist to embark on 'musical pilgrimage'

Ex-KT vice president pledges to end software regulations

Song Hee-kyung, lawmaker of ruling Saenuri PartyBy Lee Min-hyungSong Hee-kyung, a newly elected lawmaker of the ruling Saenuri Party, is moving to put an end to the nation’s decades-long regulation of the software industry.Song, 52, is one of Korea’s few female IT experts, previously serving as the vice president of KT’s Internet of Things (IoT) business division.She took various key posts at the nation’s second-largest mobile carrier, including heading the firm’s software development center and business-to-business (B2B) IT service unit.In particular, she was the nation’s first female official promoted to a company’s vice presidency in the IT development industry.In March, the ruling party nominated Song as a proportional representative for the April 13 general election, citing her specialty and willingness to contribute to the development of the domestic software industry.Upon winning the election, she has pledged to devote her life to generating infrastructure for the nation’s slowly growing software industry.Toward that end, sh

Jun 13, 2016

People & Events

People & Events

Lawmaker aims to regulate bad loans

Lee Jong-ki dreams of making world-class product

Canadian promotes Korean literature

Goethe expert retiring

Poet Jeong writes about sorrow, love

Female officer gets 'top technician' honor

Lee Ji-sun earns social welfare Ph.D. from UCLA

Blood donation campaign

Pianist to embark on 'musical pilgrimage'

Ex-KT vice president pledges to end software regulations

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