Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Iranian Nobel Laureate Wins Manhae Prize

By Ines Min Contributing Writer Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi will receive the Manhae Peace Prize on Wednesday at Baekdam Temple in Seoul for her contributions in bringing democracy and equality to Iran, the Manhae Foundation said Monday. Ebadi, who arrived here Saturday, urged the Iranian government to release detainees held after fierce demonstrations denouncing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election in June. ``Iran and the people of Iran will realize that the world is not disinterested in the human rights situation of the country,'' Ebadi wrote in a letter to the Manhae Foundation. At a press conference on Sunday, she said the President must ``listen to the people's voice.'' In 2003, Ebadi became the first Iranian to receive a Nobel Peace Price for her work protecting women, children and refugees' rights. The lawyer and former judge founded the country's leading human rights organization, the Defenders of Human Rights Center, which was shut down by the government in 2008. ``I hope my organization will be able to open its office again thanks to the Manhae P

Aug 10, 2009

15-year-old Prodigy Admitted to KAIST

By Park Si-soo Staff Reporter A 15-year-old gifted child has earned admission to the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), the school said Sunday. Sung Hyun-woo is in his third year at the Korea Science Academy, a secondary school for gifted children in Busan. KAIST, the nation's top science and engineering university, said Sung passed its admissions test July 30. He first drew the attention of the media spotlight in January by outperforming mathematics teachers in solving difficult conundrums. ``I would like to win a Fields Medal, which no Korean has earned,'' Sung said. The Fields Medal is a prize awarded to mathematicians under 40-years-old by the International Congress of Mathematicians. The medal, distributed every four years, is esteemed as the highest honor a mathematician can receive. The Korea Science Academy said Sung has shown exceptional performances not only in mathematics, but in other fields as well ― such as mastering Japanese on his own. ``Reading as many books as possible seems to be the secret of my early admission

Aug 9, 2009

Lee Becomes Tourism Ambassador

By Kim Rahn Staff Reporter Actor Lee Jun-ki will now promote Korea tourism, after being named an ambassador by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) Wednesday. The hallyu star from the films ``The King and the Clown,'' ``Hotel Venus'' and dramas ``Time Between Wolf and Dog'' and ``Iljimae,'' has gained popularity both here and abroad. ``I enjoyed working as an honorary ambassador of hallyu last year. I'm proud of being appointed as tourism ambassador this time, and will try my best to promote Korea,'' Lee said in the appointment ceremony held at the KTO headquarters in Seoul. Some 20 journalists from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong covered the ceremony where about 200 foreign fans also attended. In his fan meeting held in Korea last April, 2,500 Asian fans, including 180 from China, came to see him. Some 10,000 Chinese and 9,000 Japanese fans also attended fan-meeting concerts in Suzhou and Yokohama in May and July, respectively. He recently released his second EP, ``J-Style.'' The KTO has appointed 45 celebrities as tourism ambassadors so far. For the first six months

Aug 5, 2009

Hyun and Song Become a Couple

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Hyun Bin and Song Hye-kyo, the starring duo in the drama “Worlds Within,” have become a real couple off-screen. According to Hyun’s agency, A.M. Entertainment, the two 27-year-olds developed into a couple two months ago, after spending time as friends on and off the set of last year’s KBS drama. The program received poor ratings, but made headlines because it starred the young hallyu stars and was backed by famous screenwriter Noh Heekyung. The two actors portrayed drama producers struggling to create the perfect soap opera, while still maintaining their relationship. Despite the ratings, the series garnered fans who enjoyed watching the couple and appreciated Noh’s realistic storyline and script. Hyun is currently filming the drama “Friends, Our Story,” while Song is taking time off to look for her next project. Hyun, who made his debut in 2003 with the television drama “Bodyguard,” became a household name in Korea with the drama “My Lovely Sam-soon” in 2005. The picky, yet cute, character touched other Asian fans as well, placing hi

Aug 5, 2009

Synchronized Swimmer Inspires TV Character

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter In the SBS drama ``Swallow the Sun,'' singer-turned-actress Sung Yu-ri plays an aspiring show director who joins the Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas. Hong Yun-jin, who inspired Sung's character, is drawing attention with her unique resume. The 23-year-old is a former synchronized swimmer, and represented South Korea as a national athlete between 2003 and 2006, including the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. She now shows off her water-treading skills as a member of the actual Cirque du Soleil. ``I took up synchronized swimming as a sport from the age of seven but I became interested in performance art,'' Hong said in a statement released by SBS. The Cirque du Soleil caught her eye and she sent a demo tape of her performance. Eight months later, in April this year, she received an acceptance letter. The following month she completed a two-week training course and on May 28 she gave her first performance. She currently performs twice a day and the learning continues. ``Now that I am part of the group I am learning things hands on for how to deal wit

Aug 4, 2009

Asias Seal Cho Dies at 56

By Kang Seung-woo Staff Reporter Former Asian Games swimming gold medalist Cho Oh-ryun has died of a heart attack. He was 56. At 11:32 a.m. on Tuesday, his wife, surnamed Lee, found him lying unconscious at his home in Haenam, South Jeolla Province and rushed him to a hospital, where doctors tried to resuscitate him. He died about an hour later. His wife was quoted as saying that she found him upon returning home after visiting an acquaintance in the vicinity. He is survived by his wife and two sons. Meanwhile, the wife passed out after taking a large amount of tranquilizers some three hours after Cho's death, but is no longer in serious condition after having her stomach pumped at a hospital. According to her elder brother, Lee passed out on her way to the mortuary. To honor the 30th anniversary of his crossing of the Straits of Korea next year, Cho had camped out on Jeju Island with the plan of repeating the feat. Cho had been at his home since last week. He had reportedly been plagued by a lack of sponsorship ahead of next year's attempt. Cho won two g

Aug 4, 2009

Asian Games Swimming Champion Cho Dies at 57

Cho Oh-ryeon, former Asian Games swimming champion, died of heart failure at his home in coastal village of South Jeolla Province Tuesday. He was 57. His wife reported to the authorities concerned, finding that Cho fell to the ground at the door of his house in Haenam at 11: 32 a.m. "I found my husband collapsed at the door when coming back from my hiking to the hill," said Lee, 44, wife of Cho. He was immediately sent to a nearby hospital but failed to survive the heart failure despite cardiopulmonary resuscitation to death at 12:45, a hospital spokesman said. Dubbed as "Asian Fur Seal" for his swimming capability, Cho won gold medals in both 400m freestyle and 1,500m freestyle in man's division twice at the Asian Games - in 1970 and 1974. He set his 50th Korean records in swimming in 1978. He crossed the Korean Strait between Korea and Japan in 1980. He also crossed the Dover Strait in 1982 and the Korean Strait again in the same year. He also swam 280 kilometers on River Han in 2003 and to Dokdo, controversial due to claim of sovereignty by Japan, in 2005 and successf

Aug 4, 2009

TVXQ to Stick Together Despite Legal Dispute

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Three members of the pop group TVXQ ― Micky, Xiah and Hero ― said Monday that their recent legal action against their agency did not signal the disbanding of the group and they, along with members Max and U-Know, will keep their promise to fans to stick together. In a legal document released through the law firm Kim & Shin, the three stated that their 13 year exclusive contract with SM Entertainment was no different from a binding lifelong contract. They also said that they were not treated fairly by the agency in terms of profit distribution. The press release explained that they have been carrying out a vigorous schedule ever since their debut in 2004, flying between Japan, China and Korea with only three to four hours to sleep everyday. ``(They) have had health problems and finally reached their physical limits, but SM Entertainment continued to send them abroad and plan excessive activities. Thus, the three members have started to hope they will be able to continue their careers as they wish, instead of being used as tools for the age

Aug 3, 2009

Composer Passes Away

By Chung Ah-young Staff Reporter Composer Kim Dong-jin died of natural causes Friday. He was 96. Kim was renowned for his classical songs such as ``I Want to Go'' (Gagopa), ``When Spring Comes,'' ``Daffodils'' and ``Magnolia.'' He also contributed to the popularization of pansori, Korean traditional narrative songs, by adapting them into the new Korean style operas. The late composer received numerous orders and merits from the nation such as the Moran Medal and the Eungwan Order. He was born in March, 1913 in Anju, South Pyeongan Province in North Korea and studied violin, piano and composition at Sungsil Middle School in Pyongyang, specializing in violin at a music school in Japan. Kim moved to South Korea during the Korean War (1950-53) and then worked as a professor at Sorabol Arts College, now part of Chung-Ang University College of Arts and Kyung Hee University shortly after the war ended in 1953. Kim is survived by two sons and a daughter. A memorial service is being held at Kyung Hee Hospital. chungay@koreatimes.co.kr

Aug 2, 2009

Yo Won-gu Dies at 81

By Kim Sue-young Staff Reporter Yo Won-gu, a delegate to the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament, and chairwoman of the North's Democratic Front of the Unification of the Fatherland, has died, Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency reported Friday. She was 81. Yo was the third daughter of Yo Un-hyong, an independence fighter and a politician who was assassinated in 1947 while pushing for a combined group of rightists and leftists following the nation's liberation from the Japanese colonial period. The news agency, however, did not mention details such as when she died and the cause of her death. A native of Seoul, she studied in Moscow for eight years in the 1940s and taught students at Kimchaek University of Technology in Pyongyang. She also worked as vice chairman of the North's Education Committee, equivalent to South Korea's vice education minister, and vice speaker of the parliament. She visited Seoul on Aug. 15, 2002, on the occasion of Liberation Day and paid a visit to her father's grave in n

Aug 2, 2009

People & Events

People & Events

Iranian Nobel Laureate Wins Manhae Prize

15-year-old Prodigy Admitted to KAIST

Lee Becomes Tourism Ambassador

Hyun and Song Become a Couple

Synchronized Swimmer Inspires TV Character

Asias Seal Cho Dies at 56

Asian Games Swimming Champion Cho Dies at 57

TVXQ to Stick Together Despite Legal Dispute

Composer Passes Away

Yo Won-gu Dies at 81

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