Lifestyle - The Korea Times

'Koreans use antibiotics too much'

Dame Sally Davies, Britain’s chief medical officer, speaks during an interview in southern Seoul on Monday. / Courtesy of the British Embassy in SeoulBy Jung Min-hoKoreans use antibiotics too much and that could accelerate the “end of modern medicine,” Dame Sally Davies, Britain’s chief medical officer, says.“It is a concern that Koreans overuse antibiotics,” she said. “Not just Koreans. This is becoming a problem across the world. And we need to raise awareness.”Davies came to Korea on Sunday to attend the second Global Health Security Agenda High-Level Meeting, which was held at the COEX in southern Seoul from Monday-Wednesday.Her point is that the world uses antibiotics far more than necessary, which helps the rapid growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.This is a serious problem because, unless a new class of antibiotics is discovered, antibiotics available now could become useless in a few decades, she said. No new class of antibiotics has been found since 1987.“Modern medicine is supported and underpinned by antibiotic

Sep 11, 2015

Actor Ahn Jae-wook joins donors' club

Ahn Jae-wookActor Ahn Jae-wook has joined the Honor Society, a group of donors who have contributed 100 million won and more.Community Chest of Korea runs the society.The society hosted an admission ceremony for Ahn on Thursday.The actor, 45, has been making donations to the charity since January 2007.“I’ve decided to join because as a father-to-be, I wanted to give hope to children and help them have dreams,” Ahn said. “I hope my small contribution will be used meaningfully for the next generation so the contribution can serve as a source of strength for them."The society now has nine celebrity members ― Girls’ Generation’s Yoona, MissA’s Suji, entertainer Hyeun Young, actor Kim Bo-sung, actress Soo Ae, singer Hyunsook, pop diva Insooni and actor Park Hae-jin.Ahn and his wife are expecting a baby early next year.

Sep 10, 2015

Ex-diplomat dreams of better world with culture

Chung Dal-hoBy Park Jin-haiLong-time diplomat Chung Dal-ho, 66, is having second life as a cultural ambassador.After nearly 40 years as a career diplomat, Chung now leads the World Culture Open (WCO), a multinational non-profit, non-governmental organization to promote the value of cultural diversity.He took up the position in February.“Today, culture holds more importance than ever,” he said. “Compared with 15 years ago, when we opened the Korean office, we are better placed to promote culture now that the national agenda includes cultural promotion.”Chung said the civic organization was campaigning for the “Culture Designer Movement” here.“We think of a platform where all people regardless of their nationality, age and sex could nurture creativity,” he said.“Each and every one becomes a culture designer and makes their life creative and we as an organization connect the dots to make the world better place.”The WCO focuses on three goals ― making sports events like the Olympics also cultural events, giving cultural awa

Sep 10, 2015By Park Jin-hai

Ex-diplomat dreams of better world with culture

Freedom fighter acquitted posthumously

Choi Neung-jinBy Kim Hyo-jinA former independence fighter executed in 1951 for allegedly collaborating with communists during the 1950-53 Korean War has been posthumously acquitted after his relatives filed an appeal against his conviction.Choi Neung-jin, 53, was regarded as a political rival to then-President Syngman Rhee, and was executed after a court found him guilty of breaking the National Security Law.Decades later, Choi’s family filed a petition for an appeal. Seoul Central District Court overturned the 64 year old conviction on Sept. 1, citing a lack of evidence.Born in South Pyeongan Province in 1899, Choi joined the independence movement during the 1910-1945 Japanese colonial rule of the Korean peninsula. He fought against the Japanese army as a member of a resistance group named the Young Korean Academy or “Heung Sa Dan,” founded by Ahn Chang-ho.After Korea’s liberation, he served as a director of the criminal investigation bureau of the police, but soon lost his job for demanding the expulsion of Japanese collaborators from the police force.Choi p

Sep 9, 2015

Hyolyn and Yubin join rap competition show

 Wonder Girl’s YubiSISTAR’s HyolynBy Kim Jae-heunHyolyn of the popular girl band SISTAR and Wonder Girl’s rapper Yubin are ready to join the rap competition show “Unpretty Rapstar” that premiers Friday at 11:00 p.m. on CJ E&M’s music channel Mnet.The show, a spin-off of “Show Me the Money,” immediately gained popularity in its first season last year for content that showed intense competition among the female rappers, especially in one-on-one battle episodes.Although it may seem unfavorable for female idol stars to appear in a competition show where they may lose and tarnish their image, Hyolyn and Yubin have decided to take the risk, where comparatively unknown rappers are willing to compete fiercely for their chance at stardom.“I’ve decided to star on this series to show my real self,” Yubin said during a press conference at Times Square in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. “There were limits to what I could show in the girl group as we pursued retro music while I wanted to go for hip-hop.”Hy

Sep 8, 2015By Kim Jae-heun

Hyolyn and Yubin join rap competition show

Chef-turned-analyst basks in spotlight

Song Chi-hoBy Kim Jae-wonThis is the age of chefs. They have become popular with the public for their intriguing ways of cooking. It is difficult to watch TV these days without coming across shows featuring chefs.And people in the securities industry are no exceptions.Song Chi-ho, an analyst at eBest Securities, is gaining popularity thanks to his unique career. He worked as a chef at Italian restaurants in Seoul before joining the brokerage house earlier this year.Since then, he has drawn attention from investors with his fresh perspectives on the beverage and food industries based on his experiences. His reports dubbed “Chef Song’s market note” are popular among investors for their practical ideas and analysis.“I’m happy to provide information to investors about how markets are moving based on my experience,” said Song.“Investors seem to like my style because they can learn from real stories, not like from those reports focusing mostly on bunches of numbers.”For instance, in his July 1 report on Shinsegae Food, he expected the company

Sep 7, 2015

Myanmar activist takes tough path for pro-democracy fight

Cynthia Maung/ Courtesy of Korea-Maesot Cooperation CenterBy Lee Kyung-min Cynthia Maung, Myanmar democracy fighter and human rights activist, said her life mission to fight for democracy will never stop.Maung came to Korea on Wednesday to receive a prize from the Ilga Foundation, which gives annual awards to Asians for achievements in their respective fields. The 56-year-old is regarded as one of the two most respected public figures in Myanmar, the other being Aung San Suu Kyi.She said although democracy is nothing new, and is taken for granted by those who already have it, more than hundreds of thousands of displaced people in her country are yearning for political freedom.“Where I come from, people fear for their lives because of political oppression by the military dictatorship,” she said in an interview with The Korea Times, Thursday. People in Myanmar have long been suffering from the oppressive regime after the military junta took over the country in 1962, and although democratization is gradually underway, freedom is still far from guaranteed, she said. Still, My

Sep 4, 2015

Myanmar activist takes tough path for pro-democracy fight

Korean culture is more than K-pop

Rob MooseCultural leaders pick Korean food as next hallyu item By Kim Jae-heun This is the first time American musician Rob Moose has visited Korea on behalf of his country to participate in the Culture Communication Forum (CCF). For two days, he has visited Korean tourist attractions, where he experienced traditional cuisine, music and art. As a multi-instrumentalist, he was captivated by the samulnori (Korean traditional percussion music) and the food. Moose is against replacing the experience of Korean culture through social networking sites (SNS) and said that nothing can be better than actually visiting the country. The musician’s favorite dish is silver cod and he has benefited very much from the rhythms and joy of the sounds made by Korean traditional instruments janggu, gong and jing. Q.     How are you enjoying your trip here to Korea?A. It’s been fantastic. I didn’t really have any specific expectations. I just came here for the experience and I’ve learned a ton about history and culture here, and I met amazing peop

Sep 3, 2015By Kim Jae-heun

Forum discusses culture in digital age

The leading cultural figures of G20 member countries pose before CCF Night 2015 at The Westin Chosun, Wednesday. They are CICI President Choi-Jung-wha, third from left in the front row, Japanese broadcaster Tomoyo Nonaka, Chinese artistic director Wang Jun, Korean jazz vocalist Na Yoon-sun, American musician Rob Moose, President of hospitality consulting firm CS Didier Beltoise and Indian festival director Sanjoy Roy. / Courtesy of CICIBy Kim Jae-heun The 6th Cultural Communication Forum (CCF) organized by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) held a meeting of leading cultural figures from G20 member countries on the topic “Cultural Combustion in the Smart Age” at The Westin Chosun, Seoul, Wednesday.CICI led by President Choi Jung-wha invited cultural delegates from 15 countries to experience aspects of Korean traditional culture and share opinions on promoting it, particularly through social networking services (SNS).The majority of the group agreed that the online media possess great potential and power to spread culture, yet it still lacks in delivering

Sep 3, 2015By Kim Jae-heun

German economist to receive honorary doctorate

Klaus SchwabBy Yoon Sung-wonWorld Economic Forum (WEF) founder Klaus Schwab will receive an honorary doctorate from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), the nation’s top science and technology institute said Thursday.Schwab, 77, will be granted the degree at the KAIST campus in Daejeon, south of Seoul, Sept. 7, for his contribution to global economic development and world peace over the past four decades, the institute said.“Korea is a country which has achieved modernization in only 30 years, which the Western world had taken about 100 years to accomplish. KAIST has contributed to such an achievement,” the German economist said. “It is an honor to receive an honorary doctorate degree from the institute.”Born in 1938, Schwab studied economics at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and public administration at the Kennedy School of Harvard University in the United States. He also taught business management policy at the University of Geneva for more than 30 years.Sc

Sep 3, 2015

People & Events

People & Events

'Koreans use antibiotics too much'

Actor Ahn Jae-wook joins donors' club

Ex-diplomat dreams of better world with culture

Freedom fighter acquitted posthumously

Hyolyn and Yubin join rap competition show

Chef-turned-analyst basks in spotlight

Myanmar activist takes tough path for pro-democracy fight

Korean culture is more than K-pop

Forum discusses culture in digital age

German economist to receive honorary doctorate

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