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Pastor Joo Remembered

By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has selected Pastor Joo Ki-chul (1897-1944) as the Independence Fighter of the Month, in consultation with the Korea Liberation Association and the Independence Hall of Korea. The ministry cited that Joo refused to visit shrines honoring Japanese war criminals during Japan's colonial rule of Korea (1910-1945). Born in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Joo entered Yonhi College, predecessor of Yonsei University in Seoul, after graduating from Osan School in 1916. But he had to drop out of school due to bad health and came back home to devote himself to God and the church as a deacon. He participated in the March 1 Independence Movement in 1919 as chairman of the Joseon Youth Corps. In 1936, Joo was appointed pastor of Sanjunghyun Church in Pyongyang, a birthplace of the Presbyterian Church of Korea. At that time, traditional Christian schools were on the brink of closure since they refused to visit Japanese war shrines. In 1938, the Japanese government-general pushed ahead with meas

Nov 15, 2007

Sarah Chang Paints Stage ‘Vibrant Red’

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Sarah Chang. The child prodigy who, in less than a year after first laying her hands on the violin at the age of four, was playing alongside Philadelphia orchestras. Now, at 26, with 17 albums and a string of concerts with major orchestras under her belt, she continues to captivate the world as a young artist with her own color. "I'd like to think of myself onstage as vibrant red," she told The Korea Times, when asked which rainbow hue she'd describe herself in an interview at a Seoul hotel, Wednesday. "People take the time out of their evenings to come to concerts because they want to hear something live. You get an energy and some sort of excitement that you just don't get from a stereo. And I think they expect 120 percent from you and to be emotionally moved, whether it's something very beautiful, very powerful and strong or depressing depending on the composer. You want to move them in some way or another," she said. "There are concerts that stay in your head two days afterwards. I know that's a concert that's worth remembering

Nov 15, 2007

CESCO Chairman Donates W600 Million to Alma Mater

By Park Si-soo Staff Reporter Chyun Soon-pyo, 72, the chairman of CESCO Pharmcle, donated 600 million won to his alma mater, Dongguk University. He visited the university in Seoul Tuesday to participate in a donation event held at the president's office. At the event, Chyun who has served as the head of the school's alumni association, said, ``I am donating the money toward supporting the `108 Project' that the incumbent president of Dongguk University has pushed forward since he took office earlier this year, as well as to improve student welfare facilities.'' The 108 Project stands for 108 subjects involving matters of curriculum, administration, research and finance that the school's management have tried to improve. The business leader added that the school should take the alumni event slated for Nov. 21 as a moment to give impetus to the school's efforts at innovation. Expressing gratitude for his contribution, Oh Young-kyo, the president of the university, said, ``I will make every effort toward improving the school's overall systems with the active support

Nov 14, 2007

US Halmonies Love for Korean Kids Appreciated

By Kim Se-jeong Staff Reporter An American halmonie (grandmother), who has saved the lives of 3,017 Korean children over the past 30 years, celebrated her 90th birthday in a very special way in Korea. Hundreds of people waited for Harriet H. Hodges, whom they call halmonie, at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul Monday. When she walked in, they surrounded her as she made her way through them giving out hugs. Hodges visited Korea in 1964 for the first time with her husband and returned in 1972. She met the daughter of a Korean cook who was in urgent need of heart surgery, and Hodges arranged for the girl to have the operation in the United States. She began receiving torrents of letters and personal visits from Korean mothers who had heard the news and had children with similar problems. ``That's how it got started,'' Hodges said. There was so much preparation involved in organizing such operations _ from finding hospitals that would be willing to carry out the surgery free of charge, transportation, accommodation to visas and other documents.

Nov 14, 2007

Actor Gives Lesson to Students

By Park Si-soo Staff Reporter Actor Ahn Sung-ki, 55, switched his role for a day to become an instructor to teach college actors who will perform next month in Vietnam. Ahn visited his alma mater, the Hankook University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), Tuesday night to give tips for good acting to college actors belonging to the department of Vietnamese at the university where he graduated from more than three decades ago. The amateurs have prepared a performance based on a Korean folk tale to be staged Dec. 27 before citizens in Vietnam. The special event was drafted to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the department's establishment. This is the first time Korean students will stage a play in Vietnam. Born in 1952 in Seoul, the actor graduated from the Vietnamese department of HUFS in 1974. He has been awarded numerous prizes in recognition of his contribution to developing the Korean film industry including the prestigious Daejong Prize, this year. ``I am very pleased to have this opportunity to hand down my know-how and skill in acting to my juniors in HUFS,'' he

Nov 13, 2007

Korean Sculptor to Present Work in Paris

By Kwon Mee-yoo Korea Times Intern Lee Bul, one of the Korea's leading installation sculptors, will present her new exhibition at the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain in Paris, starting Nov. 16. The museum, located in Montparnasse, Paris, specializes in contemporary art and has also invited Hiroshi Sugimoto, Gary Hill and other world-renowned modern artists. Lee is the first Korean artist to have an exhibition at the museum. Lee will display more than 20 artworks, featuring her flamboyant masterpieces utilizing crystal balls, stainless steel, aluminum chains, mirrors, lights and more. The exhibit will include ``Cheonji,'' a big tub of eight meters in length, which reminds one of water torture, and ``After Bruno Taut'' which was inspired by German expressionist architect Bruno Taut. Lee showed scaled-down models of the installations of this exhibition at the PKM gallery in Seoul last April. Lee was born in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province in 1964. Graduated from Hongik University with Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture in 1987, Lee had her first solo exhibition

Nov 12, 2007

Male-Turned-Female Actress Appears in ‘Sex Is Zero’ Sequel

By Park Si-soo Staff Reporter An actress, who will feature in a Korean film scheduled to open next month, has drawn media attention because she has changed her gender. Lee Sea-youn, 28, who previously went under the name of Lee Dae-hak, will appear in the sequel to ``Sex Is Zero'' to be released nationwide on Dec. 13. Reportedly, Lee underwent a sex change operation earlier this year. The actress is still legally registered as a male. She has not made any contact with anyone since her sex change became known to the public Friday, ``I am still afraid of showing up before the audience, who may see me with a biased view,'' a movie official delivered Lee's message on her behalf. The movie production, a sequel to ``Sex Is Zero,'' also faced barriers in promoting the film because many media outlets here have given more weight to the transsexual entertainer rather than the new comic movie. ``With Lee's experience being treated merely as an eye-catching story, we are extremely cautious about handling the issue for fear that she may be affected negatively by what people a

Nov 12, 2007

Studying Abroad No Guarantee for Improving English Proficiency’

By Park Si-soo Staff Reporter Winners of an English speech contest said studying abroad does not guarantee fluent English speaking. Yoon Jung-one, a fourth grader at Sinseo Elementary School in Seoul, is one of the two grand prize winners of an English speech contest held on Saturday at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. She lived in the United States for just two years from 2002 till 2004, when her father, a Seoul City official, was studying at Duke University. She was enrolled in a kindergarten and an American primary school for two years. It was after she returned from the United States that she has seen her English proficiency improve dramatically. For the past three years she has attended an after-school private language institute in Seoul to learn English. She used an inexpensive Internet phone service to make international calls to her tutor, whom she met when she was in the United States, to learn English for one hour twice a week. She said reading English books for kids and writing in English helped her polish up her skills. ``Students, who have lived

Nov 11, 2007

‘Overseas Koreans Encouraged to Venture Out to Be Mainstream’

By Park Si-soo Staff Reporter A Korean businessman, who runs a construction company in Canada, called on overseas Koreans to make a bold attempt to penetrate the mainstream of local society with confidence and consistent efforts. Yang Hee-yong, head of Young In Development headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, said most Korean entrepreneurs in foreign countries largely focus their businesses on Korean communities rather than the general public. ``Many Korean businessmen there believe that there are numerous barriers for Korean emigrants to join the mainstream market,'' he said in an interview with The Korea Times on Wednesday in Seoul. ``But I learned that it is ourselves that create the obstacles. However they can be overcome with effort and a challenging mindset.'' From 1985 Yang served as a chief executive officer at Pelicana Chicken, one of the most widely known chicken franchises in Korea, until he emigrated to the U.S. in 1996 with his family. He moved to Vancouver in 2002 and established a construction company there in 2005. The CEO is now visiting Seoul to neg

Nov 11, 2007

World Star Beyonce Hits Seoul

By Sa Eun-young Staff Reporter The phenomenal R& B artist Beyonce Knowles, 26, met a big crowd of fans Thursday afternoon when she arrived in Korea for her two concerts, a part of her world tour titled ``The Beyonce Experience 2007.'' The popular star did not disappoint those awaiting her as she waved with a big smile and even signed some autographs. ``I am very excited to be here," she said upon arriving at Incheon International Airport with her entourage in four chartered planes. She noted that her four-day stay in Seoul will be longer than her other tour stops as she will perform twice, which is also an exception. Given that she is in Seoul for a relatively lengthier time, Beyonce expressed hopes to look around the city if the opportunity allowed, mentioning her interest in the architectural styles and structures of cities around the world. The R& B diva is in Korea together with around 80 staff members, including her father and mother, who are her manager and fashion coordinator. She performed at the Seoul Olympic Gymnastic Stadium Friday evening and will hold

Nov 9, 2007
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