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Education Provides Women With Opportunities

By Park Si-soo Staff Reporter A Tunisian woman minister has asked men to share housework with their wives to help their wives' social success. Sarra Kanoun Jarraya, minister of Tunisia's Ministry of Women, Family, Children and Elderly Affairs, said female's social success and status upgrading largely depend on how much their spouses are willing to share the housework and encourage their wives to show their talent in various fields. ``Having equal responsibility, rights and duties with men at home and in society is key to the ultimate success for women,'' the minister said in an interview with The Korea Times, Thursday. She visited Seoul to attend the World Women's Forum 2007, which ended at the Sheraton Walkerhill Hotel, Friday, at the invitation of the minister of gender equality and family. The minister pointed out that education was the most important means to help women enhance their social status. ``Women should be educated, healthy and try to improve their personal competency,'' she said. ``Men should also break the norm that household chores and child

Sep 14, 2007

Lee Hyo-lee to Host College Pop Festival

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Singer Lee Hyo-lee, 28, will host the 2007 MBC College Pop Festival for the fifth consecutive time Oct. 6 at the Cheonan campus of Dankook University. First staged 30 years ago in 1977, the national singing competition annually showcases young talent as college students present original songs. More than just a competition, the festival long established itself as a symbol of youth. This year, Lee Hyo-lee will act as MC alongside actor Cha Tae-hyun, with whom she hosted the festival for the first time in 2003. The former member of girl band Fin.k.l has become synonymous with the word sexy in Korea ever since her solo debut in 2003. But Lee is also highly popular for her frank demeanor. Her carefree speech has garnered positive reaction from viewers, inviting the pop star year after year to host the program. She emceed the festival with Kim Je-dong in 2004 and then with comedian Kim Yong-man the following year. A total of 12 groups will compete in this year's competition. Rocker Lee Seung-whan, sexy singer Ivy, ballad crooner Sung Si-kyung and

Sep 13, 2007

Bangladeshi Minister Stresses Gender Equality

By Kim Se-jeong Staff Reporter A female Bangladeshi minister said she is participating in a forum in Seoul to share successful stories of women from her country. `` I feel that women in Bangladesh have achieved a lot. But this is not known," said Geeteara Safiya Choudhury who heads four ministries _ the Ministries of Industries; Social Welfare; Textile and Jute; and Women and Children Affairs. The minister came to Korea to attend the three-day World Women's Forum in 2007 at Sheraton Walkerhill Hotel, which ends Friday. ``The impression that people outside Bangladesh have is that Bangladeshi women are those who stay indoors and don't do anything,'' she said in an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul Wednesday. She gave the example of a female entrepreneur who fought through many obstacles to give her daughter a proper education and support other women in Bangladesh. The minister herself is also an example. Choudhury began her career as a journalist in 1964. She said she found herself to be the only woman in the newsroom of the Pakistan Observer, now the

Sep 13, 2007

Independence Fighter, Pastor Dies

By Park Si-soo Staff Reporter Rev. Kim Dong-wan, a pro-democracy activist and Christian leader, died at the Severance Hospital in Seoul, Wednesday, as the result of a previous cerebral hemorrhage. He was 65. Kim had been hospitalized for three weeks after losing consciousness in Thailand last month. Born in 1942 in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Kim dedicated himself to improving human rights and democratizing Korean society. After Jeon Tae-il killed himself in 1970 to protest the unfair treatment of workers, Kim organized a series of religious campaigns to support the needy and workers. He served a jail term for his pro-democracy activities in the 1970s during the Park Chung-hee government. Kim worked as top official of the National Council of Churches in Korea (KNCC) between 1994 and 2002, trying to raise awareness on the environment and labor issues. The government awarded him medals in recognition of his contributions to social development. He is survived by his wife and three children. A funeral service for the late Kim will be held at Seoul Natio

Sep 13, 2007

Goethe Institute Shows Every Aspect of Germany

By Yoon Won-sup Staff Reporter It’s natural for human beings to want to show their good side rather than their bad. Institutions or countries, being made up of human beings, are no different. However, the director of Germany’s cultural institute in Seoul said that his institute does not exist only to show good aspects of Germany, but all aspects because that’s crucial to the understanding of a country’s culture. ``One of the main objectives of the Goethe Institute is to convey an `all-round’image of Germany by providing information about its culture, society and politics,’’ Jurgen Keil, director of Goethe Institute in Seoul, told The Korea Times. ``All-round, this is very important. We don’t want to be just a voice of the government.’’ This is one of three main objectives posted on the web site of the Goethe Institute. Keil said that institutes around the world show all kinds of cultural aspects of Germany and sometimes even extreme examples such as terrorism. For example, about 30 years ago, when a film dealing with the Red Army Faction(RAF), more commonly asso

Sep 13, 2007

Grandmother Donates $3 Million to Dongguk University

By Park Si-soo Staff Reporter A woman in her 80s donated as much as three billion won or $3.16 million worth of land to Dongguk University in Seoul Monday, the university said Tuesday. Lee Soon-hee, 81, donated all the fortune she had saved over the last 50 years to the school with hopes of supporting students suffering from financial difficulties. She built her wealth through hard work over about half a decade after losing her husband during the Korean War (1950~1953). ``As she believes in Buddhism, she decided to donate the fortune to our college,'' a spokesman at the university said. ``She asked the college to support students in financial trouble with her donation, and bring up students who will play their part well in this society.'' Dongguk University is a private college founded in 1906 on the basis of Buddhism. It plans to dole out the scholarship next year. It will also spend the money to improve facilities. pss@koreatimes.co.kr

Sep 12, 2007

Isang Yun’s Widow Visits Homeland After 40 Years

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter I Soo-ja, 80, wife of the late maestro composer Isang Yun (1917-1995), has returned home Tuesday for the first time in 40 years since being kidnapped here together with her husband from Germany by the South Korean secret police. The highly scandalous East Berlin spy incident had scarred the Korean-German couple for life, but the upcoming Isang Yun Festival signals the recovery of her husband's honor here, I told reporters at a press conference in Seoul. ``Please help the cultural heritage Prof. Isang Yun has left behind to blossom and bear fruit,'' she urged. She broke into tears several times during the press meeting, having to pause but she maintained her composure throughout. ``That is the way to truly honor and reestablish the impaired reputation of a tragic artist who had lived as a proud son of the nation,'' she said. Yun gained a strong reputation in the international avant-garde scene while pursuing a musical career in Berlin during the late 1950s and 60s. His life took a tragic turn in 1967 when the South Korean government accused

Sep 12, 2007

Ex-Busan I’Park Boss Dies

By Kang Seung-woo Staff Reporter Former Busan I'Park boss Ian Porterfield of Scotland died of colon cancer Tuesday at the age of 61. According to the English media, the Sunderland legend was diagnosed with the cancer earlier this year and undergoing treatment. The former Black Cat scored the winner on his right-footed volley against then powerhouse Leeds United in the 1973 FA Cup final at Wembley, to help the second division team lift the trophy. The Dunfermline native began his playing career with Raith Rovers in 1964 and moved to Sunderland in 1967 where he experienced his career-best moment. Porterfield played 266 games and fired home 19 times with Black Cats. He had also a loan spell with Reading and wrapped up his resume as a player at Sheffield Wednesday in 1979. On his retirement, he took charge of third-tier team Rotherham United and led Sheffield United between 1981 and 1986. In 1986, he succeeded close friend and current Manchester United headman Alex Ferguson as Aberdeen FC manager in the Scottish league. The deceased also coached Reading and

Sep 12, 2007

`Never Limit Your Dreams

By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter What would you say if someone told you that you could turn your frustrations into a dream for tens of thousands of people around the world? Some might laugh, however, John Feight, the founder and executive director of the Foundation for Hospital Art says he did just that. Back in 1970s when Feight was a marketing professional, he started painting out of frustration over his daily routine and materialistic lifestyle. He invited one of his friends to paint with him on the wall of his clinic, thinking it might give relief to both himself and his friend. While he was drawing, a little girl came up to him saying she, too, wanted to paint. Seeing her have a great time, he decided to make others happy too. He began touring the hospitals and offered painting events for the patients and other volunteers. Now, with the help of more than 200,000 volunteers, over 30,000 paintings have been completed for more than 1,500 hospitals and nursing homes in 179 countries. He says painting draws attention away from the pains and aches patients suffer. ``Onc

Sep 11, 2007

Leading Violinist Busks `Round the World & Bach’

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter An internationally renowned violinist has cast off his black and white tuxedo to travel ``60,000 miles around the world on an empty wallet.'' All the way across London and Paris to Sydney and Tokyo, David Juritz arrived in Seoul Tuesday to continue ``busking,'' or performing on the streets, to raise funds for Musequality, a charity which supports musical education for children in the developing world. ``As a musician, I find that the moments that last happen outside the concert hall,'' the concertmaster of the London Mozart Players told The Korea Times at a guesthouse near Insa-dong, right after checking in and unpacking his bags. It is the South African native's second time in Seoul since visiting 18 months ago as the lead violinist in a crossover concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Korean rock band N.E.X.T., he said. ``It's a beautifully simple idea, and it took less than two minutes to come up with it,'' explained the lead violinist who plays on the soundtrack of the critically acclaimed film ``The Last King of Scotland'' (2

Sep 10, 2007
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