Lifestyle - The Korea Times

INTERVIEW UK photographer shares secret to prolific career with celebrities

UK photographer Mick Rock 2021 / Courtesy of Mick Rock By Kang Hyun-kyungFreddie Mercury, David Bowie, Madonna and Lady Gaga are all names known to people around the globe, with their own fan bases in Korea. Besides this, there is one more thing they have in common: They've all worked with renowned British photographer Mick Rock for their album covers or portrait photos. Due to his extensive work with global stars during their “golden days” from the 1970s to the present, Rock is often referred to with his rather lengthy nickname “the man that shot the 70s.” His bond with celebrities goes back to his early age, starting with Syd Barrett, one of the early members of Pink Floyd. Barrett, a singer, writer and guitarist, was one of the founding members of the British rock band which mesmerized music fans in their live shows with their sonic experimentation and philosophical lyrics.Asked about the secret to his prolific career as a photographer, particularly with globally

Feb 12, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

[INTERVIEW] UK photographer shares secret to prolific career with celebrities

In restaurant kitchens, robots replacing chefs

A robot server delivers food to a customer at No Brand Burger in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul, Feb. 2. Korea Times photo by Park Ji-wonA robot conveyer cooks buns for hamburgers at No Brand Burger in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul, Feb. 2. Korea Times photo by Park Ji-wonBy Park Ji-wonAt the entrance of No Brand Burger, a fast food chain affiliate of Shinsegae Foods, people wait in line to order meals and pay at kiosks. Once the orders and payment are done, automated food machines start to cook buns and patties, and workers assemble and prepare them for the customers. When the food orders are ready, staff put them on a robot server while the order numbers pop up on a screen to notify customers their meals are ready. Workers are still needed to do some chores such as cleaning and maintaining the machines, but customers can get their food without having any contact with a person.Even a few years ago, such a scene was unthinkable at least in the real world, although robot cooks and servers were depicted in science fiction movies. Automated cooks are still uncommon in restaurants in Korea, but, as the COVID

Feb 12, 2021By Park Ji-won

In restaurant kitchens, robots replacing chefs

Joseon era ancestral rites offerings were simpler than today's, research shows

An ancestral rites table at the home of the family of the first son of Joseon Era scholar Toegye Yi Hwang / Courtesy of Korean Studies InstituteBy Kwon Mee-yooThe charyesang (ancestral rites table) is an important part of Lunar New Year in Korea. One might immediately associate it with all sorts of delicacies laid out on the table, typically seen these days. However, research suggests that the food on the Joseon era charyesang was much simpler, yet with the same respect for ancestors.According to the “Jujagarye” (The Family Rituals of Zhu Xi), a manual of rituals in daily life, Seollal, or Lunar New Year, is a day for giving New Year's greetings to one's ancestors with light foods. Compiled by Chinese Neo-Confucian philosopher Zhu Xi, the Jujagarye formed the guidelines for rituals during the Joseon Kingdom from 1392 to 1910. "In the Jujagarye, you should serve a glass of liquor, a cup of tea and a dish of fruit, and you offer your ancestors a drink once, without reciting a ritual prayer, for the memorial service on Lunar New Year," Kim Mi-young, a researcher at the Korea

Feb 10, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo

Joseon era ancestral rites offerings were simpler than today's, research shows

PHOTOS On way to grandmother for Lunar New Year holiday

INTERVIEW Irish street artist recreates urban space with Asian muses

Irish street artist Fin DAC is working on artwork in this undated photo. / Courtesy of Fin DACBy Kang Hyun-kyungFor Irish artist Finbarr Notte, the city is a huge canvas to fill in with his art. He began to view the concrete jungle as a space for his art in 2005 when he worked in digital advertising in central London. Back then, graffiti and street art were part of everyday life, inspiring young artistic souls like him to consider becoming an urban artist. But then in 2008, legendary street artist Banksy held the Cans Festival street art event in London, inviting artists from around the world to exhibit their works. It was then that the idea cemented in Notte's head to become a street artist.In his early years, painting walls with graffiti was not appreciated. It was illegal, so he hid behind the alias, “DAC,” at first. But as acceptance of street art has increased in his country, the alias has become more like a penname rather than to protect his anonymity. When asked to define street art in comparison to gallery art, Notte, now better known as Fin DAC, said he doesn't d

Feb 10, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

[INTERVIEW] Irish street artist recreates urban space with Asian muses

More adults face cyber-harassment than before: survey

Cyber-harassment gettyimagesbankBy Park Ji-wonMore adults faced cyberbullying last year, with three out of 10 being either a perpetrator or a victim of online violence.According to a recent survey by the Korea Communications Commission, a state-run media regulatory body, 65.8 percent of adults experienced online violence in 2020 ― either by attacking someone or being attacked by someone ― up 11.1 percentage points from the previous year. This the third consecutive annual increase is an increase since 2018 when the figure was 43.1 percent. The survey was conducted on 7,458 people, including teenagers and adults, from Oct. 6 to Nov. 13. Online violence includes verbal abuse, defamation, stalking, sexual abuse, personal information theft, ostracization, blackmail and coercion.Additionally 92.4 percent of adults who experienced online violence as a victim became an abuser. When asked why they abused others, 30.8 percent said to get back at the initial abuser, while 42 percent said they felt they were “doing something right.”However, fewer teenagers experienced online violence

Feb 6, 2021By Park Ji-won

More adults face cyber-harassment than before: survey

Famous online video streamer flaunts his new Porsche - possibly electric Taycan

Porsche Taycan. WikipediaBy Ko Dong-hwanA famous Korean Twitch streamer and YouTuber has flaunted his recent purchase of a Porsche ― possibly the German brand's first all-electric Taycan model.Using his online nickname Monsrat, Chang Ji-hwan, 26, posted on Instagram on Feb. 1 a photo of himself seated behind the wheel with the vehicle's brand logo clearly visible on the steering wheel. The photo caption read, “I took a little spin and what the hell, I bought it.” Another photo from the post shows a white envelope with the brand logo on the top left ― presumably containing the legal paperwork. Chang Ji-hwan's Instagram photo posted on Feb. 1 shows him seated in a Porsche. Capture from InstagramVisitors who saw the photos from Chang's Instagram said, based on the envelope provided by the brand's dealer shop in Seoul's Yongsan District as indicated and appearance of the car's dashboard, the car might be a Taycan. About 20,000 Taycans were distributed worldwide in 2020 when it debuted in showrooms ― 7.4 percent of the entire Porsche volume. The 2021 Taycan price starts from

Feb 4, 2021By Ko Dong-hwan

Famous online video streamer flaunts his new Porsche - possibly electric Taycan

INTERVIEW Kim Young-jin imagines modern princesses in hanbok

The "Korea in Fashion" project designed by Kim Young-jin takes inspiration from the princesses of the Joseon Kingdom. / Courtesy of Korea Cultural Heritage FoundationBy Kwon Mee-yooFashion designer Kim Young-jinFashion designer Kim Young-jin of Tchai Kim reinterprets the life of princesses in traditional Korean court dresses with a modern twist in the “Korea in Fashion” project. “Korea in Fashion” is a contact-free project promoting the beauty of hanbok and royal palaces of the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom, co-organized by the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation (KCHF).Kim offers a range of traditional and modernized hanbok via her brands Tchai Kimyoungjin for custom-tailored pieces and Tchai Kim for ready-to-wear items. Kim is also the costume designer behind the hit drama "Mr. Sunshine" (2018) and film "Love, Lies" (2016) as well as stage productions of the play "Hamlet" (2016) and opera "La Traviata" (2017)."When the foundation approached me for a fashion shoot featuring hanbok, I immediately thought of shooting at royal

Feb 2, 2021By Kwon Mee-yoo

[INTERVIEW] Kim Young-jin imagines modern princesses in hanbok

Koreans losing faith in Protestant churches over COVID-19: survey

COVID-19 testing is carried out in a parking lot of Gwangju Antioch Presbyterian Church, Thursday. The church, known to have some 1,500 believers, had a service recently in which 87 attendees were infected by COVID-19. Yonhap By Park Ji-wonA Protestant church member who wished to be identified only by his surname Yoo says he doesn't go to church anymore. He is still a believer but says he is tired of the way Protestant churches reacted after the outbreak of the coronavirus. “I stopped going to church. It doesn't mean I am not a believer,” he said. “The pandemic was a milestone event. I don't feel comfortable with the church community anymore because of how they've been handling the pandemic.”Yoo is not the only church member to boycott Sunday service. A recent survey found that more Koreans think the Protestant church is not trustworthy after the spread of COVID-19. The Ministry Data Institute released the results of its recent survey conducted on 1,000 people betwe

Jan 31, 2021By Park Ji-won

Koreans losing faith in Protestant churches over COVID-19: survey

INTERVIEW 'I was a GI bride'

Choi Moon-ja / Courtesy of Edward HaschkeKorean American marriage migrant says racial discrimination and bullying made her strongBy Kang Hyun-kyungA young woman wailed, as a Seattle-bound ferry departed from the port of Busan and slid into waters on a long voyage in 1954, a year after the bloody Korean War had ended.The woman was Choi Moon-ja, a Korean bride who had just married a Black American soldier who was stationed in Busan during the war. Choi said she was gripped by insurmountable sadness and belated regret for her decision to leave her mother behind in the southern port city. She said she was far from being a filial daughter. Her mother vehemently opposed her daughter's marriage to the American solider, Benjamin Garris, pleading with her to think again. But her pleas couldn't stop her daughter, who had fallen in love with him.Back in the 1950s, Korea was much more homogeneous than it is today, and it was unthinkable for a Korean woman to date a foreigner, especially a Black person. Elizabeth Kim's 2000 memoir, “Ten Thousand Sorrows,” vividly recounts the tragic d

Jan 29, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

Koreans' consumption of rice hits all-time low in 2020

GettyimagesbankSouth Koreans' consumption of rice hit a record low in 2020, data showed Thursday, due mainly to changes in diet and eating habits.An average South Korean consumed 57.7 kilograms of rice in 2020, down 2.5 percent or 1.5 kilograms from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.Rice is a key staple food for Koreans, but its consumption has been on a steady decline since 1980, when per capita average annual rice consumption was 132.4 kg.The consumption fell below the 60-kilogram threshold for the first time in 2019.The combined amount of rice used by food producers dropped 12.6 percent over the period to reach 650,000 tons as demand for rice-based alcoholic beverages or snacks declined.Meanwhile, South Korea said it plans to gradually release 370,000 tons of reserved rice into the market this year to cope with a supply shortage currently estimated at 160,000 tons due to weather conditions. (Yonhap)

Jan 28, 2021

Trends