People & Events

Kim Mi-hyun Gives Birth to Baby Boy

By Cho Jae-hyon Staff Reporter LPGA Tour golfer Kim Mi-hyun, 32, who tied the knot with Olympic judo gold medalist Lee Won-hee last December, gave birth to a boy in Orlando, Fla., on Wednesday. Kim and the 2.7-kg baby are both healthy, her father told reporters. Kim plans to stay at her home in Orlando for a while. Kim, who has played on the American golf tour since 1999, won the rookie of the year award after winning two events that year and has collected eight total victories in her LPGA career. Lee, 28, topped the 73-kilogram division at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and also claimed gold at the Doha Asian Games in 2006. chojh@koreatimes.co.kr

Data Show Park Chung-hee Pledged Allegiance to Japanese Army

By Cho Jae-hyon Staff Reporter A research institute specializing in studies of modern Korean history has released a Japanese newspaper's historic article showing that the late former President Park Chung-hee (1917-1979) made a pledge of allegiance written in blood to the Japanese army in 1939. The release of the report by the Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities came just several days after Park Ji-man, the only son of the late President, filed for an injunction with a Seoul court to get his father's name removed from a new list of collaborators with the Japanese colonial government. The court, however, turned down the injunction, Friday. The institute plans to release on Sunday three books containing the names of about 4,300 Koreans who the institute says cooperated with Japan before and during the colonial period (1910-1945). According to the released copy of the newspaper named the"Manchurian Daily," published on March, 31, 1939, in the Chinese area, which was also occupied by Japan at that time, Park filed an application to become an officer of the

Volunteer Lands Professor Job at Tanzania University

By Kim Se-jeong Staff Reporter Han Shin-ha, 36, a volunteer worker dispatched by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to Tanzania, has landed a full-time professorship at Mkwawa University, Tanzania's national university. According to KOICA, a state-run agency sending volunteers to developing countries, Han started teaching molecular and cellular biology as a professor at the beginning of the month. She spent 25 months until August this year, teaching students biology as a volunteer at the university before being appointed as a professor. She led a project to build a biology laboratory for the university in July, which was widely reported by the press in the country. She studied food and nutrition at Sahmyook University, and got her doctorate degree in molecular biology from Seoul Women's University. ``I think it's just a continuation of my work as a volunteer,'' she was quoted as saying by KOICA. A public relations officer at KOICA, Yeon Je-ho, said Han was the first volunteer to get media attention for that. ``KOICA receives similar requests qui

Shin Seung-hoon Will Appear in Asian Music Gala in Japan

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter South Korea's ``king of ballads,'' Shin Seung-hoon, will appear at Pax Musica 2009, a pan-Asian music festival taking place Sunday in Japan, before the release of his new mini-album on Nov. 12. The festival, meaning ``peace through music'' in ancient Greek, is an international event that was launched in 1984 featuring Korea's veteran singer Cho Yong-pil, Japan's Shinji Tanimura and Hong Kong's Alan Tam. It has since attracted the region's top talents, such as Andy Lau, F4 and Jackie Chan. The 13th edition of Pax Musica, hosted by Fuji TV, will open at the 5,000-seat A Hall of Tokyo Forum. Besides Shin, local stars, including former GOD member Son Ho-young and former Fin.K.L member Ock Ju-hyun, will sing songs. Shin will perform songs including ``Love of Iris,'' the romantic theme song of the popular ongoing TV series ``Iris.'' The 41-year-old singer-songwriter will also showcase ``I Believe,'' which appeared on the soundtrack of the hit romantic comedy ``My Sassy Girl.'' The event will also feature TV personality Yoon Sang-hyun, who gai

Kim Hye-ja Named Best Actress in China Festival

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Veteran actress Kim Hye-ja was named Best Actress in the foreign film category of China's top film festival for her role in ``Mother,'' the film's local producer announced Friday. The China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival (Jinji Baihua) opened its 18th edition this year in Nanchang from Oct. 14 to 17, with 155 films competing for 18 awards. It has been screening and awarding foreign films since 2005. Prizes are unique in that they compile votes by both jury members and the audience. Kim is known as South Korea's quintessential mother figure through her TV roles. Bong Joon-ho's crime thriller marked the 68-year-old's big screen debut, and she surprised fans with her intense performance of an obsessive mother who becomes involved in a murder case. She was also named Best Actress at three local awards including the Busan Film Critics' Award Past Korean winners in the foreign film category of the Chinese festival include actor Cho Seung-woo. The top prizes, including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography

Guess What! Theyve Been Dating for 2 Years

By Kim Tong-hyung Staff Reporter Their children will be so impossibly cute we might puke. According to their representatives, actor Jang Dong-gun, voted the most beautiful male celebrity in a KBS television survey earlier this year, has been dating starlet Ko So-young for the past two years and marriage is a possibility. The couple, however, dismissed the rumors that their wedding has been set for December. Jang and Ko met while the 1998 melodrama, ``Love Wind, Love Song’’ and became friends, according to Jang’s management agency, and have been a couple since 2007. The country has seen its share of celebrity couples in recent years, with movie stars Seol Kyung-gu and Song Yun-ah tying the knot in May, and actress Choi Ji-woo, who may have a larger following in Japan than her home country, surprising her fans by announcing her relationship with Lee Jin-wook, a lesser-known television actor. Actor Hyun Bin has been dating Song Hye-ko, his co-star on the 2008 television series, ``The World They Live In.’’ Still, Jang and Ko may be the most powerful celebrity coupl

Lee Jae-oh, center, chairman of the Anti- Corruption ...

On 950th Attempt, Grandma Finally Passes Written Driver’s License Test

By Cho Jae-hyon Staff Reporter After how many failed attempts do you finally call it a day and resign yourself to the fact you may never pass that dreaded written driving test? Well, for one determined 68-year-old grandma, the answer may well have been never. And her apparent grit paid off. For Cha Sa-soon finally got her hands on a pass certificate, Wednesday ― on her 950th attempt. Cha, a vendor who sells vegetables at a traditional market in Wanju, North Jeolla Province, just made the cut-off line of 60 points, after 949 failures, She has been taking the exam since April 13, 2005, the date of her first failed attempt. Her 950 tries represent the longest record at the Jeonbuk Driver's License Agency in the southwestern city, officials said. Cha's efforts saw her take the written exam almost every day, except weekends and holidays. She had obtained scores of 30 to 50 every time, below the 60 necessary to pass. And the repeated failures made her a celebrity at the agency. "She is really famous here. Not only agency employees but even some test takers know her

Son Dam-bi Passes Entrance Test for Kyunghee University

By Cho Jae-hyon Staff Reporter K-pop singing sensation Son Dam-bi has passed the entrance exam for Kyung Hee University, the school said Thursday. "She has passed all the procedures and will study at the postmodern music department from next year," a school official said. Son, born in 1983, is known to have prepared well to enter the department where Rain and other popular singers have studied. Korean universities pick new students from the entertainment industry through special selection procedures that acknowledge their talent in the field. Son debuted with the single "Cry Eye" in 2007. After a training period in the United States, she returned to Korea and released a mini-album in April 2008. She released her hit song ``Crazy'' in September last year. chojh@koreatimes.co.kr

Son Dam-bi Passes Entrance Test for Kyunghee University

K-pop singing sensation Son Dam-bi has passed the entrance exam for Kyung Hee University, the school said Thursday. "She has passed all the procedures and will study at the postmodern music department from next year," a school official said. Son, born in 1983, is known to have prepared well to enter the department where Rain and other popular singers have studied. Korean universities pick new students from the entertainment industry through special selection procedures that acknowledge their talent in the field. Son debuted with the single "Cry Eye" in 2007. After a training period in the United States, she returned to Korea and released a mini-album in April 2008. She released her hit song ``Crazy'' in September last year. chojh@koreatimes.co.kr