Lifestyle - The Korea Times

INTERVIEW Seoul on cusp of modernization captured through photos of vanishing 'moon villages'

Kim Jung-il's “Apgujeong” (1982) from his “Landscape of Memory” series / Courtesy of the artist, SNUMoABy Park Han-solA black-and-white snapshot captures the facade of a dilapidated shack in southern Seoul's Apgujeong-dong, with a torn-out roof and walls that turn out to be nothing more than a mishmash of tarps and nailed wood boards of wildly varying sizes.A few stranded household objects indicate that the tattered house was indeed occupied at one point ― white garments hung on a clothesline far back, coal briquettes littered on one side and a handcart that was likely a source of income.The obvious visual clash between the derelict shack and rows of identical high-rise apartments looming in the background would catch the eye of any passerby.That was exactly the case for student photographer Kim Jung-il in 1982.Inspired by Eugene Atget, an acclaimed French photographer who dedicated his craft to documenting the urban landscape of 19th-century Paris before its disappearance to modernization, Kim went on a self-assigned mission to record Seoul's postwar terrain

Mar 8, 2023By Park Han-sol

[INTERVIEW] Seoul on cusp of modernization captured through photos of vanishing 'moon villages'

INTERVIEW CEO of gardening club on mission to make cities greener

Seoul Gardening Club offers green landscape services and runs two shared gardening spaces. Courtesy of Seoul Gardening ClubBy Lee Gyu-lee Living in the hustle and bustle of a city, especially a heavily-populated metropolis like Seoul, often makes you want to push the pause button and look for a refreshing, peaceful break that only nature can offer.Lee Ga-young, CEO of Seoul Gardening Club / Courtesy of Seoul Gardening ClubWould it be possible to introduce some lush green flora into the lives of busy city residents? That was the question Lee Ga-young, the CEO of Seoul Gardening Club, had in mind when she founded her green landscaping startup.After opening in 2019, the company has provided a range of green services, including landscape planning, design, branding, and consulting.Referring to itself as a “green lifestyle developer,” Seoul Gardening Club provides unconventional ways to incorporate plants and nature into people's everyday lives, such as shared gardening. It runs two shared gardening spaces ― in Dongjak and Seongdong districts ― where members are each assigned t

Mar 2, 2023By Lee Gyu-lee

[INTERVIEW] CEO of gardening club on mission to make cities greener

'Parasite,' 'Squid Game' music composer releases debut album via Decca Records

Musician and composer Jung Jae-il talks during a press conference for his album “Listen” held at the JCC Art Center in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Universal MusicBy Kwak Yeon-sooJung Jae-il, the musician and composer behind the soundtracks for the Oscar-winning film “Parasite” and hit Netflix series “Squid Game,” released his debut album via Decca Records. His album, “Listen,” is comprised of seven tracks of piano and minimalist string arrangements. “The songs are focused on piano because piano is my native language. I feel more comfortable communicating through piano than through spoken language,” he said in a recent press conference for his album “Listen” in Seoul, Friday.The multi-instrumentalist explained the meaning behind his album title, “Listen,” and how it was inspired by nature.“I simply named the album 'Listen' because I wanted to encourage others to listen to what nature is telling them. I believe the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of wars occurred because we didn't listen to the

Feb 27, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo

'Parasite,' 'Squid Game' music composer releases debut album via Decca Records

Seoul Fashion Week set to dazzle in March

Members of NewJeans appear in a poster for 2023 F/W Seoul Fashion Week to be held at DDP in March. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government SFW gives top Korean designers chance to present collections in Paris, Tokyo, New YorkBy Ko Dong-hwanIt's that time of the year when Korea's fashion designers rummage through their wardrobes to carefully choose their choicest couture. Those picked by their creators will be the outfits representing not just their labels, but also the country in front of fashionistas and industry dealers from over 20 countries.Seoul Fashion Week is set to put Korean fashion to the catwalk from March 15 to 19, in what stands to be a chance to land a lucrative deal while winning the hearts of dedicated followers of fashion. The event's organizer, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is making moves to add extra luster to the event at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP).The biggest change to the show compared to its previous settings is the stage. It's no l

Feb 25, 2023By Ko Dong-hwan

Seoul Fashion Week set to dazzle in March

INTERVIEW Google Arts and Culture brings DMZ to virtual life

Google Arts and Culture's new interactive online exhibit, “Korea's Demilitarized Zone,” was unveiled on Wednesday to mark the 70th anniversary of the armistice agreement that ended fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War. Courtesy of Google KoreaImmersive online exhibit allows access to the world's last Cold War frontierBy Park Han-solThe 250-km-long and 4-km-wide strip that has divided the two warring Koreas since the signing of the 1953 Armistice Agreement ― better known as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) ― is a geographical paradox.It has been designated as a buffer zone that is off-limits to both sides, yet it is one of the most heavily guarded areas in the world.While the landscape, fortified by barbed-wire fences, armed border patrols and minefields, serves as glaring proof of the lasting political tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the lack of human activity in the area has allowed wildlife to flourish with virtually no interference, making it an ecosystem unlike any other.The world's last Cold War frontier has also inspired a long line of contemporary artists, including he

Feb 22, 2023By Park Han-sol

[INTERVIEW] Google Arts and Culture brings DMZ to virtual life

Hanji artist layers handmade paper into sculptures

Lee Seung-chul, hanji artist and professor of art at Dongduk Women's University, poses with hanji sculpture of “munsubosal” (the Bodhisattava of wisdom) after an interview with The Korea Times at his office in Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Kim Kang-minProfessor to hold hanji artwork exhibitions in Europe, USBy Kwak Yeon-sooHanji ― a traditional Korean paper made of inner bark from the mulberry tree ― has been fading from people's daily lives due to the complicated, labor-intensive process used to make it. Only around 20 workshops in Korea continue to produce high-quality hanji through centuries-old papermaking techniques called webal. Lee Seung-chul, professor of art at Dongduk Women's University, has been carrying on the 2,000-year-old tradition through his artwork and teaching.Lee, born in 1964, became a devotee of hanji in 1984 when he discovered that the material provides the foundation for Eastern painting.“In my graduate school thesis, I wrote about hanji's influence on Korean art. I traveled across the country in search of hanji-making practitioners, an

Feb 16, 2023By Kwak Yeon-soo

Hanji artist layers handmade paper into sculptures

NewJeans' hanji artworks to be put up for auction this weekend

INTERVIEW KOCIS aims to promote 'sustainable hallyu' via Korean cultural centers worldwide

Kim Jang-ho, director of the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS), speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the KOCIS Center in central Seoul, Feb. 10. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk 'Harmony with local culture is key to Korean contents' sustainability,' says state promotion agency headBy Park Han-solHallyu, or the Korean wave, reached another milestone last year with simultaneous successes in music, cinema and drama, further cementing the country's reputation as a rising cultural powerhouse.Lee Jung-jae, the star of Netflix's hit dystopian thriller “Squid Game,” made history as the first Asian and Korean performer to win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor. Veteran actor Song Kang-ho nabbed the Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in “Broker,” becoming the first Korean male lead to receive the honor. And K-pop titan BTS snagged Grammy nominations for three years in a row, all the while being showered with prizes at the Bi

Feb 16, 2023By Park Han-sol

[INTERVIEW] KOCIS aims to promote 'sustainable hallyu' via Korean cultural centers worldwide

Coffee so cold it's hot: Korea's love of iced Americano

JHope, a member of K-Pop megastar BTS holds Ice coffee in this captured image from Twitter. /Screen captured from TwitterK-pop stars BTS drink it. It appears in K-dramas. Fans are so dedicated to consuming it year-round they've coined a new Korean proverb: "Even if I freeze to death, iced Americano!" The humble coffee ― shots of espresso served over ice, topped up with water ― has become Korea's unofficial national drink, outselling its hot counterpart even during the depths of winter, Starbucks data shows.Office worker Lee Ju-eun, clad in an ankle-length puffer jacket, shivered on the pavement in downtown Seoul as she clutched her iced coffee during a polar Vortex cold snap in January, when temperatures hit minus 17 degrees Celsius."I only drink this. Iced Americano is easier to drink and also tastier, so I enjoy drinking it even in winter," she told AFP, gingerly holding the edge of her frozen plastic cup."I'm cold but it's okay. I can endure it," she said.Accountant Lee Dae-hee told AFP he drank iced Americanos exclusively because it was a faster and more efficient caffeine hit, e

Feb 11, 2023

Coffee so cold it's hot: Korea's love of iced Americano

How will AI affect translators of the future?

gettyimagesbankBy Park Han-solWhat should be the role of a human translator in the age of ever-evolving artificial intelligence (AI)? Will machine-powered translation benefit or replace its human counterparts?The conundrum is knocking at our door sooner than we imagined.On the evening of Feb. 8, the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) made a surprise announcement about its annual translation awards, two months after having declared the winners for 2022.Yukiko Matsusue, whose Japanese rendering of the Korean occult thriller webtoon “Mirae's Antique Shop” earned her the state-run organization's annual award for aspiring translators, had relied on the help of Naver's Papago machine-translation service ― which she hadn't made explicitly clear to the organization in the submission process.While her speaking and listening skills in Korean aren't fluent, she has studied the language for about a year and has been a longtime fan of Korean-language webtoons, Matsusue revealed in a press statement released by LTI Korea.“After perusing the original piece from

Feb 10, 2023By Park Han-sol

How will AI affect translators of the future?

INTERVIEW US conservation photographer's mission to save wild Florida and its elusive panthers

Carlton Ward Jr.'s “Log Jump” depicts a male panther jumping through a swamp in the southern Everglades of Florida. Although panthers once roamed throughout North America, the southern tip of wild Florida is the only place in the eastern United States where the animals survived widespread human persecution and encroachment. Courtesy of Carlton Ward Jr.'The story of the Florida Wildlife Corridor is not unique to Florida,' says Carlton Ward Jr.By Park Han-solThe story of the endangered Florida panther ― elusive, tawny-furred felines that are the last surviving big cats in the eastern United States ― is emblematic of the southeastern coastal state's long-underappreciated wilderness, says conservation photographer and National Geographic explorer Carlton Ward Jr.These carnivores, which can now only be observed in Florida's southern tip, almost faced extinction in the 1980s with a population of fewer than 20.That number has miraculously grown to 200 as of today thanks to conservation efforts, but the animal's need for vast swathes of territory to survive ― an average of 520 sq

Feb 8, 2023By Park Han-sol

[INTERVIEW] US conservation photographer's mission to save wild Florida and its elusive panthers

INTERVIEW Veteran US photographer gives environment 'visual voice' to chronicle climate change

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