Lifestyle - The Korea Times

KOTRA CEO wins award in Cuba

Oh Young-ho, CEO of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), poses holding the Jose Marti Award with Armando Hart, head of the Cultural Society Jose Marti, during an award ceremony in Havana, Cuba, on Oct. 31. / Courtesy of KOTRABy Lee Hyo-sikOh Young-ho, CEO of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), received an award in Cuba for his role in promoting economic and cultural exchanges between Korea and the Caribbean nation, KOTRA said Monday.Oh received the Jose Marti Award from the Cultural Society Jose Marti in Havana on Oct. 31. The award is given to non-Cuban nationals contributing to improving relations between Cuba and their home countries. Past awardees include Chinese President Xi Jingping and late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.The award is given every year to commemorate Jose Marti (1853-95), who was a poet and a Cuban national hero leading the country’s independence movement against Spain in the 19th century.KOTRA, which operates a branch office in Havana, said it has been playing a pivotal role in expanding bilateral trade between

Nov 3, 2014By Lee Hyo-sik

Malawi politician pushes for world orphans day

Hetherwick NtabaBy Kim Se-jeong Hetherwick Ntaba, 72, from Malawi, is a surgeon. Over the past 30 years, he’s also been active in politics, serving as different ministers, a political party leader and the spokesman for the president.Last week in Korea, he called for the establishment of a U.N. World Orphans Day.“When you look at 150 million orphans worldwide and how much they suffer, there is an obvious need toset up this world day. Orphans are a very unfortunate group. They are voiceless and vote-less, and because of that they are often ignored by politicians,” Ntaba told The Korea Times on Wednesday.Ntaba flew to Korea to attend a high-level forum on the subject organized by the Korea Soongsil Kongsaeng Social Welfare Foundation, a civic organization.The forum was on Friday, and the same conference took place in Japan earlier this week with the same foundation as the organizer. The foundation is behind the effort to establish the U.N. observance.The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines orphans as those whose parents are dead.Ntaba does not agree with that narro

Oct 31, 2014

Malawi politician pushes for world orphans day

Coal briquettes for underprivileged

Employees of Kwang Dong Pharmaceutical Co. and their family members pass coal briquettes to be delivered to low-income households in Nowon-gu, northern Seoul, on Oct. 25. About 2,000 briquettes were distributed to underprivileged people to help them weather the coming winter season. The voluntary service is part of the drug-maker’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. / Courtesy of Kwang Dong Pharmaceutical

Oct 30, 2014

Young cook leads slow food movement

Chef Edwin ChaBy Park Ji-wonChef Edwin Cha, 26, cooks to realize the true meaning of food and share it with the younger generation.“In the kitchen as I was holding some frozen shrimps, I was wondering how these ended up on my plate, so I started to browse the Internet to study more about what we eat,” Cha said.Describing himself as a contemporary cook and natural food maker, he made a website, “All About Food,” which shares useful information about natural food, holds seminars and runs pop-up stores for one-day restaurants. With 700 members, the site was launched in May 2013 and has held seminars and offered tours to farms.“As a Seoul-born kid, I didn’t have a chance to learn about where food ingredients came from and how it is processed before coming to us,” he said.“Deeply-rooted Confucianism in Korea didn’t let us question what we wondered in class every day. So I found this page that questions and urges us to think about the food that affects our whole life in every aspect,” he added.Cha graduated from a two-year vocatio

Oct 30, 2014By Park Ji-won

Actress Lee Young-ae wins award for helping Taiwanese baby

Actress Lee Young-aeBy Lee Min-hyungActress Lee Young-ae won a charity award for funding the treatment of a premature Taiwanese baby in February, according to Lee’s management agency Wednesday.The Taiwan-based Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation announced that Lee had been named the winner of the Love of Lives Medal for her efforts to support the baby girl and her family. Lee paid about 100 million won ($100,000) for her hospitalization and medical procedures.Earlier this year, the baby’s mother Tsai Chi-chen went into labor two months earlier than expected while visiting Korea with her husband. The couple could not afford the medical costs for their premature baby, making them unable to leave a hospital and go back to their home country.Lee volunteered to help them after being informed of their story. She also visited them in hospital.Her charitable deeds have moved Taiwanese and Koreans after they were disclosed to the public in July. In recognition of her actions, the Taiwanese government expressed its gratitude toward Lee, sending her an appreciation plaq

Oct 30, 2014

Actress Lee Young-ae wins award for helping Taiwanese baby

Prince Charles in Colombia

Britain’s Prince Charles, second from left, his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, third from left, Colombia’s Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin, left, and air force Gen. Gonzalez receive military honors during a welcoming ceremony at the military airport in Bogota, Colombia, Tuesday. Prince Charles and his wife will kick off a nine-day tour of Latin America. This is the first official visit ever by the Prince of Wales to the South American nation although he visited Cartagena as a naval officer in 1974. / AP-Yonhap

Oct 29, 2014

Painter captures people, nature

A piece of art titled “Stories in lifetime” completed this year by painter Choi Jang-han in his studio in Songpa, Seoul. Choi said he wanted to depict harmony between human beings and nature. / Courtesy of Choi Jang-hanPainter Choi Jang-hanBy Jun Ji-hye Painter Choi Jang-han finds inspiration for his passion by portraying the relationship between people and nature.“I want to show art lovers the coexistence and harmony between human beings and nature,” he said in a recent interview with The Korea Times.Inspired by Pablo Picasso, Choi dreamed of becoming a painter from a young age, and began painting when he was at university.“I devoted my life to painting for about 35 years,” he said. “Now, I want to find sublime beauty in nature.”Choi, a veteran painter who has held private exhibitions 31 times and also showed his work at 480 group exhibitions, developed his work on the theme of people connected to mountains, earth, trees, forests, and landscapes.Kang Goo-won, editor in chief of Vergil America, a quarterly art magazine th

Oct 29, 2014By Jun Ji-hye

Cause of singer Shin's death in dispute

By Jung Min-hoA portrait of the late singer-songwriter Shin-Hae chul is placed on the top of his memorial altar set up in Asan Medical Center in Songpa, southern Seoul, Tuesday. Shin, 46, was pronounced dead on Monday after falling into a coma following a heart attack during a surgical procedure. / YonhapControversy has erupted over the cause of death of rock singer Shin Hae-chul, who was declared dead Monday after falling into a coma after a heart attack.Some of his acquaintances claim medical negligence on the part of the hospital was to blame, which the hospital outright denies.Shin Dae-chul of rock band Sinawe and a close friend of the late Shin Hae-chul, accused the Seoul hospital in question of failing to properly perform an operation on Oct. 17 to treat intestinal adhesions and contraction.“I can’t believe that you left, Hae-chul. But I will take vengeance on your behalf,” the Sinawe member wrote on his Facebook, indicating that initial treatment was not properly conducted.Rumors about medical malpractice started swirling after Shin was transferred to Asan Me

Oct 28, 2014By Kim Se-jeong

Renowned pop singer Shin Hae-chul dies

Shin Hae-chulMay 6, 1968 - Oct. 27, 2014By Do Je-haeRenowned pop singer Shin Hae-chul was declared dead Monday evening at Asan Medical Center, five days after falling into a coma after surgery, according to news reports. He was 46.A statement from his agency KCA Entertainment confirmed that Shin was pronounced dead at 8:19 p.m. in the presence of his family. The medical center will have a memorial altar set up for the singer at 10:00 a.m. today.Shin had been in intensive care at the center in southern Seoul since Oct. 22 after being resuscitated following a heart attack. His agency said at the time of his hospitalization that he had a serious infection of the peritoneum, or abdominal cavity lining, and intestines.One of the biggest names in pop music in the 1990s, he had been preparing a tour to promote his new songs.Shin released more than 30 studio albums and experimented with various genres ranging from modern rock to jazz. At the height of his career, he released four albums with the band N.EX.T (New EXperimental Team) over five years from 1992.Shin debuted in 1988, winning the g

Oct 27, 2014

Meeting with Spanish monarch

Spain’s King Felipe VI, center, and Queen Letizia, third from right, posewith Park Chul, second from right, former president of the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, during an event to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Real Academia Espanola (the Royal Spanish Academy) in Madrid on Oct. 17. Park, a professor of Spanish literature, attended the event as a member of the academy. He said he discussed with the king ways of promoting Spanish language and culture in Korea. In 2010, Park received the Grand Cross of the Order of Carlos III, one of Spain’s top honors, for his efforts to boost exchanges between Spain and Korea. In 2011, he wasdecorated with the Order of Isabella the Catholic, the highest civil order granted by the Spanish government, for his contribution to the bilateral ties. / Courtesy of Real Academia Espanola