Lifestyle - The Korea Times

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

German economist to receive honorary doctorate

G20 figures experience Korean culture

Participants at the CICI’s Culture Communication Forum learn about the traditional Korean drum “janggu” at the National Gugak Center, Tuesday./ Courtesy of CICIBy Kim Jae-heunThe Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) led by President Choi Jung-wha held its 6th Culture Communication Forum (CCF) in Seoul, inviting leading cultural figures from G20 member countries to experience Korea’s traditional and modern culture during the three-day event from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2.The group of cultural leaders visited some of the country’s major tourist attractions, such as the picturesque traditional districts in Buckchon and Insa-dong, filled with antique shops and art galleries, on the first day. Also, the guests rode tricycles to discover the beauty and happiness of slow life in the metropolitan city and wandered down narrow alleys where traces of Korean tradition and culture still remain. The visitors had a chance to enjoy authentic Korean cuisine and 10 different traditional teas served by tea sommelier Kim Dong-gon, Wujeon Tea Master No. 28.The cultural deleg

Sep 2, 2015

Novartis Korea has 1st Korean leader

By Park Si-sooMoon Hak-sunNovartis Korea said Wednesday Moon Hak-sun was appointed as its new chief. Moon is the first Korean president of the domestic unit of the Swiss-based multinational pharmaceutical company.Novartis is the world’s biggest pharmaceutical company with sales of $51.3 billion last year, up 5.5 percent year-on-year, defeating Pfizer, Sanofi and other global drug companies. He previously served as president of Novartis Taiwan.“Moon has worked at Novartis for more than two decades, showing impressive performances,” the company said in a statement. “His ability was proven through his track record in various positions.”Moon said he was pleased to become the first Korean president of the company, adding he is committed to Novartis’s further expansion in the Korean market.“I will make utmost efforts to deepen my understanding about the Korean market and find ways to satisfy the needs of our customers,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.Moon joined Novartis in 1994 as a clinical test manger. He has since assumed variou

Sep 2, 2015

Lessons from the past

By Aimalynne RadoresThe trauma of the past is an issue that everyone experiences, yet no one wants to openly discuss. However, it is always there, unconsciously affecting the decisions that we choose and how we perceive others. Seventy years after the end of World War II, we cannot completely say that we have forgotten all the pain that it has caused: too many families torn apart by death or displacement, cities ravaged by bombs and airstrikes, and countries that lost what took years to build of their economies.Looking back is never an easy task. It forces you to reminisce about memories that you would rather forget.But, as in all aspects in life, we have to examine the past as a guide of how we do not want our future to be.The North East Asian region has been plagued with many wars, some causing more casualties than others, but all equally debilitating to the countries involved.World War II caused an insurmountable amount of damage to the region including, the division of the Korean peninsula that exists to this day, the civil war in China that created what is now known as Taiw

Sep 1, 2015

Simple conundrum

By Hee Young Celine TaeIt is an international conundrum: despite the geographical proximity and cultural and linguistic similarities, the three Northeast Asian states are in a period of perpetual conflict and tension, seven decades after the last gunshot of World War II was fired. However, the reason behind the problem is in fact astoundingly simple. This “Far East” corner of the world is mired in what cannot be better described than a game of chicken, each fighting a delusional fight for hegemony over Northeast Asia, while the governments shamelessly catalyze fear and alarm in the people in order to maintain their faded authority.Above the three nations loom conflicting memories of the past. South Korea bears a grudge against Japan, traumatized by the Japanese colonial regime, which develops into massive diplomatic frictions through issues such as comfort women or Yasukuni Shrine.The relationship between South Korea and China is equally as volatile; although South Korea and China are in agreement on the judgment of the Japanese imperialism of the past century, acute

Sep 1, 2015

All individuals can contribute to global peace

By Kim YoonSeveral weeks ago, my brother asked me what “war” meant. Trying to hide the gruesome nature of wars, I told him it meant groups of people fighting against each other. His next question was, “Why?” And to my surprise, I couldn’t answer.My brother is now barely four. Yet he has already begun to wonder about war. Though to some people war might only be stories that happen to appear in newspapers, it’s actually an everyday part of our lives. No country, no society, and no citizen is not affected by war. For instance, World War II is an infamous conflict that affected hundreds of countries and thousands of people.There are several different arguments about the cause of World War II. One of the most widely accepted causes is the tension in the developed parts of the world, namely, Europe and Northeast Asia. Although World War II happened over fifty years ago and is now a part of history, the tensions still remain.During the war, Korea was a mere colony of Japan and therefore had no direct influence on history. Although Korea declared its indep

Sep 1, 2015

People & Events

People & Events

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

G20 figures experience Korean culture

Novartis Korea has 1st Korean leader

Lessons from the past

Simple conundrum

All individuals can contribute to global peace

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