Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Back Su-yeon looks to Gwangju with confidence

Swimmer Back Su-yeon warms up ahead of the women’s breaststroke event at the FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China, in this July 2011 file photo. / YonhapBy Kwon Ji-younSwimmer Back Su-yeon, 23, has always fallen a little short of her goals. At the 2012 London Olympics, she finished ninth in the 200-meter breaststroke, her main event, to just barely miss the cutoff for the finals. At the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, she recorded 2:25.61s but finished 10th. At the Incheon Asian Games last year, Back missed the podium with a fourth-place finish at 2:25.79s. “But the London Games remain one of my most memorable experiences,” Back said in an interview with The Korea Times. “I refused to let my competitors intimidate me, and I was confident from beginning to end. It was a competition that was rewarding, but still left a lot to be desired.” Back began swimming at age six, and took to it professionally when she was in 5th grade. When she joined the national team in 2005, she wasn’t a standout, but her perseverance gave her a

Jun 9, 2015

Back Su-yeon looks to Gwangju with confidence

Korean-Canadian named judge of British Columbia's top court

Grace ChoiBy Park Si-sooA Korean-Canadian lawyer has been appointed as a judge in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Canada.Grace Choi, an accredited family law specialist, was the first Korean-Canadian to reach the position, according to a statement released by Canada’s justice department on May 29.She received a bachelor’s degree in law from Dalhousie University in 1992, was admitted to the bar of British Columbia in 1993 and was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1996.In 2013, she became an accredited family law mediator by the Law Society of British Columbia. She was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2014, the statement said.   Choi was previously a senior family law counsel with Jenkins Marzban Logan, a law firm in Vancouver ― a position she had held since 2014. She was an associate lawyer with Davis from 1993 to 2005, when she became a partner with that firm.She has published numerous papers regarding family law and has been a presenter on several occasions for the Continuing Legal Education Society, according to the statement.  

Jun 8, 2015

Korean-Canadian named judge of British Columbia's top court

USFK officer recognized for service here

Ricky Oxendine, director of emergency services at the U.S. military base in Yongsan, Seoul, poses with National Police Agency (NPA) CommissionerKang Sin-myeong after receiving a letter of appreciation for his services in Korea at the NPA headquarters, Thursday. / Courtesy of National Police Agency By Jhoo Dong-chan Ricky Oxendine, 56, director of emergency services at the U.S. military base in Yongsan, Seoul, has received a letter of appreciation from the Korean police for his services in Korea.Appointed to the 8th Army in November 1998, Oxendine has served in Korea for 16 years and 7 months.National Police Agency (NPA) Commissioner Kang Sin-myeong presented the letter to Oxendine at the NPA headquarters in Seoul on Thursday.During his service here, Oxendine has provided assistance for a number of police investigations into U.S. soldiers in Korea.In March 2013, three U.S. soldiers ran away after shooting BB guns at civilians in Itaewon and hid inside the Yongsan base.With Oxendine’s support, the Korean police managed to arrest the soldiers.In June last year, Oxendine

Jun 5, 2015

USFK officer recognized for service here

Comedy writer joins YG Entertainment

Yoo Byung-jaeBy Ko Dong-hwan Comedy writer Yoo Byung-jae has joined YG Entertainment, one of the nation’s of top celebrity management companies.On Thursday, the company’s official online blog, yg-life.com, posted an ad headlined, “Welcome to YG, Yoo Byung-jae,” stating that Yoo had begun working for the company. Beneath the headline is a photo of Yoo smiling.The company also said it decided to hire Yoo because “he is not just a talented actor with an outstanding comical wit, but also deemed an asset to the company as a writer who brings creative content.”Yoo, 27, has been a high-profile celebrity since 2012, not only as a writer for TV comedy show “SNL Korea” on tvN, but also as an actor regularly appearing on the show.This led to an appearance on TV network MBC’s entertainment show “Infinity Challenge” in April during its “sixth man” project, in which the show searched for an additional regular member. Yoo was selected as one of eight candidates.He eventually failed to become the sixth member, losing

Jun 4, 2015By Ko Dong-hwan

Ex-basketballer solidifies status as TV personality

Seo Jang-hoonBy Ko Dong-hwan Former basketball player Seo Jang-hoon has fared well as a TV personality.With his verbal wit that seemingly puts him on par with other veteran TV entertainers, Seo, 41, is raising expectations from viewers and local media outlets as to his future star power in the nation’s TV industry.Seo now regularly appears on three TV talk shows ― tvN’s “High School Kings Top 10,” Mnet’s “Yaman TV” and MBC’s “Three Wheels” ― as a host.“When he began to frequently make TV appearances on entertainment shows earlier this year, he used to deny that he was an entertainer,” a media report said Thursday about Seo, who is managed by MYSTIC Entertainment. “But now he has got his grounding as a TV personality. He makes people laugh with killer comments that are as witty as ones made by veteran entertainers.”On Wednesday’s “High School Kings Top 10,” where four MCs invite high school students to a recording studio and share their stories, Seo traded comical verbal volleys

Jun 4, 2015By Ko Dong-hwan

Ex-basketballer solidifies status as TV personality

University cooperation

 Seoul National University (SNU) President Sung Nak-in, second from left, poses with University of Wisconsin-Madison President Rebecca Blank, third from left, in Sung’s office at the school’s campus in Seoul, Wednesday,after discussing ways to enhance cooperation between the two schools. She visited SNU to promote exchanges of students and researchers, as well as joint lecture programs. She suggested that SNU participate in a research project, “Woman and Wellbeing in Wisconsin and the World,” which aims to improve the lives of women around the world./ Courtesy of SNU 

Jun 4, 2015

Queen Elisabeth competition

Winner Lim Ji-young smiles after receiving a violin from Belgian Queen Mathilde (not pictured) during the awards ceremony of the Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition at the Queen Elisabeth Musical Chapel in Argenteuil, Belgium, Wednesday. / EPA-Yonhap

Jun 3, 2015

KGCCI elects new chairman

Kim Young-jinBy Lee Hyo-sikThe Korean German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) has elected Handok CEO Kim Young-jin as its new chairman.The board of the association representing the interests of German companies operating in Korea held a meeting Wednesday and chose the head of the pharmaceutical company as its top ranking official.Kim, who has been promoting business ties between Korea and Germany for years, is also the chairman of the Korean German Society.He is taking over the post from Nara Holding Chairman Cho Hae-hyeong, who served as the KGCCI chairman from 2010.“The KGCCI is grateful for Chairman Kim’s commitment and is looking forward to further promote economic exchange and cooperation between Korea and Germany under his leadership,” KGCCI Secretary General Barbara Zollmann said.On April 30, KGCCI also chose Stefan Halusa, CEO of Brose Korea, as its new president, who succeeds Thomas Geyer, CEO of Vector Korea.KGCCI has been fostering economic relations between Germany and Korea since its founding in 1981. With around 500 members from diverse industr

Jun 3, 2015By Lee Hyo-sik

Nat'l Liberation Association names 20th chairman

Park Yu-chulBy Do Je-haeThe National Liberation Association named Park Yu-chul, 77, as its 20th chairman Tuesday.The former minister of patriots and veterans affairs started his four-year term in a ceremony at the association's office in Yeoido. The association promotes the legacy of independence activists during the Japanese occupation (1910-1945).“I will build on my past experiences to develop the National Liberation Association,” Park said.Park has a wide range of experience in the independence movement. He served as the director of the Independence Hall of Korea in South Chungcheong Province and was actively involved in museum projects to honor key figures of the independence movement, such as Kim Gu and Ahn Jung-geun.Park comes from a family of independence activists.His father General Park Si-chang is a former head of the association. His grandfather was Park Eun-shik, the second president of Korea's interim government in Shanghai during the Japanese rule.      

Jun 3, 2015By Do Je-hae

Nat'l Liberation Association names 20th chairman

Plaque of thanks

Kim Tong-suk, left, dean of the KAIST College of Business, poses with Park Yoon-bae, deputy managing editor of The Korea Times, at a restaurant in Seoul Tuesday, after receiving a plaque of appreciation for an April 16interview with the English newspaper. Kim said his college has been stepping up its efforts to prepare for an annual meeting of the Association of Asia-Pacific Business Schools which will be held in the latter half of 2016. / Korea Times photo by Chung Hyun-chae

Jun 2, 2015

People & Events