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Seo Taiji's new album inspired by family

Pop veteran Seo Taiji speaks during a press conference to mark the release of his ninthalbum “Quiet Night” at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in southern Seoul,Monday. / YonhapBy Kim Ji-sooThe once-media shy pop veteran Seo Taiji said Monday that his family was the inspiration for his ninth album “Quiet Night,” through which he wants to reach a wider audience.“I have experienced happiness with my daughter; I’ve received strong impression from her and this is what the album reflects,” Seo, 42, said in a press conference held at the Grand Intercontinental Seoul Parnas in southern Seoul Monday.The “Quiet Night” that went on sale Monday contains a total of nine songs that are sometimes a mix of electronica and rock such as in “Christmalo.win” and more “regular” pop song like “90’s Icon.”Seo, who remarried actress Lee Eun-seong in 2013 recently became a father in August. His purported shyness of the media was heightened with the 2011 outbreak of news of his secret first marria

Oct 20, 2014
Seo Taiji's new album inspired by family

Korean-born artist challenges stereotypes

A tiny bunny sculpture is placed on a fire hydrant as part of a street art project called “Mysterabbit” to give passersby a moment to pause from their hectic routines. / Courtesy of Ji LeeJi Lee By Chung Ah-youngKorean-born designer Ji Lee is the instigator behind a worldwide street art project called “Mysterabbit” encouraging passersby’s to take a moment and pause from their hectic routines.Some 10,000 miniatures are scattered around the world, 22 of those are randomly placed in Korea. It might come as a welcomed break for Koreans who are glued to their smart phones while on the move. “Every day, we spend our time constantly doing things: Going from one place to another, working, shopping, checking our phones, thinking about the past and worrying about the future. We rarely stop and enjoy the moment,” Lee said in an interview with The Korea Times. “In doing so, we end up missing the beautiful moments of life that go by us without ever being noticed. ‘Mysterabbit’ was created to disrupt this cycle,” he said.

Oct 20, 2014
Korean-born artist challenges stereotypes

Korean-American runs English website to promote Korea

Kim Min-kuBy Lee Kyung-minKim Min-ku, 32, a Korean-American, launched “9KOREA” (www.9korea.com), an English website introducing Korea, in November last year.  The site offers basic information about Korea such as weather, time, maps, exchange rate and subway lines.Articles, photos and cultural tips in general are also available.  “Why not Google it?” One might think, but that was precisely what made him launch “9KOREA.”Kim said that a lot of people who are interested in Korea have a hard time finding the right information in English.“The challenge for them was the language. People who don’t speak Korean have no way of gaining any information, or anything fun, written in Korean. That was too bad, I thought. So I came up with the idea,” Kim said.He visited several government-run websites introducing Korea, but said that he wanted to make the site more fun.“Government websites are rather complicated for foreigners. I am not a government official whose job is to promote a positive image of Korea. I am more from a view

Oct 17, 2014
Korean-American runs English website to promote Korea

Entrepreneur pioneers scaling technology

Shim Hak-sub, founder of Jinhaeng WaterwayBy Jhoo Dong-chan As water is an essential element for all living creatures, its importance for the human body and our overall health cannot be overestimated. An entrepreneur is therefore drawing attention to his decades-long effort to provide consumers with purified water. Shim Hak-sub, 47, the founder of Jinhaeng Waterway, says his company’s flagship product, a plumbing apparatus called Scale Buster, is evidence of his dedication and commitment to public health.  In 1995, the apparatus was granted a patent in 63 countries, and the device debuted the following year in the German pipe market - Shim was an international student there at the time. Scale Buster, also known as ISB (Ion Scale Buster), is an innovative product that inhibits the development of scaling in plumbing systems; it also removes scaling already in a system, in addition to protecting it from corrosion.Unlike traditional pipe protection methods such as water softeners and osmotic pressure conditioning, Scale Buster is also environmentally friendly an

Oct 16, 2014By Jhoo Dong-chan
Entrepreneur pioneers scaling technology

Producers try to make visual novel game success

Jin Seung-ho, left, a game producer at Altair, and Kim Seok-joo, a game product manager at 4:33 Creative Lab, speak during an interview at Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of 4:33 Creative LabBy Yoon Sung-wonIn the highly-competitive Korean mobile content market, profitability is often on the top of any list for developers to consider in designing and producing a service.Jin Seung-ho and Kim Seok-joo at Korean game company, 4:33 Creative Lab, said their goal instead is to provide unorthodox entertainment.As a game producer and product manager, Jin and Kim have cooperated for the production and management of the mobile adventure game, titled “City of Mist 2” which will be launched on Oct. 9.“We understand that some genres are not the mainstream in the Korean game scene. But at the same time, we know that there are many who have shown love and enthusiasm for the content we produce. Our goal is to seek new ways to provide more enjoyable content for them,” said Jin, a producer at 4:33 Creative Lab’s game development partner compan

Oct 16, 2014
Producers try to make visual novel game success

CICI participants view works of embroidery artist

Choi Jung-wha, fourth from left in the front row, president of the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI), Son In-sook, fifth from left in the front row, chief director of the Yewon Silgrim Art and Culture Foundation and French Ambassador Jerome Pasquier, third from left in the second row, pose with other participants to the CICI’s 18th cultural program who visited Yewon Silgrim Art’s Gaepodong Exhibition Center in Seoul, Tuesday.  / Courtesy of CICI By Kim Ji-soo Participants of 18th culture seminar of Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI) visited the Yewon Silgrim Art’s Gaepodong Exhibition Center on Tuesday to appreciate the works of thread artist Son In-sook.Son will also be exhibiting her thread artworks at the Guimet Museum of Asian Art in Paris, France in September 2015. President Sophie Makariou and Director Olivier Gabet of the Guimet Museum visited Son in December 2013 and asked her to join the exhibition that will be held at the museum to fete the 130-year relationship between South Korea and France. Son works with traditional Kore

Oct 15, 2014
CICI participants view works of embroidery artist
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