Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Dance helps people with Parkinson's disease find joy in movement

Kim Mu-hyun, a dance teacher at Dance for PD, poses during a class held online Dec. 17. Screen capture from Zoom By Park Ji-won“It is cold outside, but let's move our bodies and dance,” Dance for PD instructor Kim Mu-hyun said during an online session held over Zoom, Dec. 17, participated in by 10 patients with Parkinson's disease.During the one-hour class, the patients, who were seated, started to follow Kim's instructions which were for simple movements of the arms and hands. Some of them had to get help from their care partners, but most of the time it appeared that they followed the movements of the instructor and enjoyed moving their bodies to classical and upbeat dance music.Not many people, even the patients themselves, expected that sufferers from Parkinson's would be able to dance because the neurological disease basically makes movement problematic as nerve-muscle interfaces break down, making even simple body movements difficult with symptoms such as trem

Dec 26, 2020By Park Ji-won

Dance helps people with Parkinson's disease find joy in movement

R.E.S.C.U.E: Samsung Fashion Institute predicts next year's trend

The fashion industry suffered a large decline in 2020 because of COVID-19. / gettyimagesbankBy Park Ji-wonSamsung Fashion Institute, Samsung Group's fashion affiliate, said the market should prioritize business recovery next year and adapt to the changing habits of consumers who are looking to buy less and are seeking unique products online amid the COVID-19 pandemic.The institute has picked six key words reflecting market prospects for the next year ―restoration; expansion (of digital commerce); shopper-centric; culture (code as brand); unique (but essential) and environmental (social and governance) ― which it calls R.E.S.C.U.E. Samsung Fashion Institute said the fashion industry, which suffered a large decline in 2020, should seek a recovery next year by boosting consumer confidence and improving the old-fashioned business process. The institute predicted that digital commerce will largely grow as online distribution channels become dominant in the fashion industry and that “live commerce,” which has been introduced recently, will become common. It urged offline stores

Dec 25, 2020By Park Ji-won

R.E.S.C.U.E: Samsung Fashion Institute predicts next year's trend

Hanok-themed tea room offers unique herbal blends

Herbalist Kim Dam-bi wraps a Christmas tea box at her tea room located in central Seoul, Dec. 16. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukHerbalist offers de-stressing recipes to make it through pandemicBy Kwak Yeon-sooKim Dam-bi, 30, runs a tea room in a 90-year-old hanok, or traditional Korean house, and directs experience-focused workshops and events on the themes of tea, incense, music and meditation.Like many in contemporary society who are exposed to vast amounts of information daily, she often feels stressed as a result of the tech and social media overload.“In the 21st century, people are always exhausted because they stare at computers and smartphones for many hours. I want to keep their eyes from feeling tired and turn their attention to their other senses,” she said. Before becoming a herbalist, Kim was a DJ who was active in Seoul and Berlin. “I've always wanted to live abroad and explore new cultures. So I majored in French and English in college and lived in Australia in my early 20s,” she said. “After experiencing the party culture there, I rea

Dec 24, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo

Hanok-themed tea room offers unique herbal blends

Despite generational rift in music, trot fandom wider than expected

Trot singer Lim Young-woong performs during TV Chosun's mega-hit show “Mr. Trot” in this file photo. / Courtesy of TV ChosunGallup survey finds trot singers also popular among 20-somethingsBy Kang Hyun-kyungThe polling agency Gallup's annual year-end surveys of top 10 singers/songs by age group found some interesting results. In general, younger people prefer trendy K-pop over any other music, whereas older people are fascinated with old-fashioned trot songs, confirming a generational rift in people's music preferences. But the annual survey also uncovered that trot fandom is wider than expected. Global superstar K-pop band BTS topped the survey of top 10 singers of the year among teens and those in their 20s and 30s. The boy band secured the top spot for the third year in a row.BTS is unrivaled with 39.2 percent of support, followed by K-pop muse IU (21.1 percent) and K-pop girl group sensation BLACKPINK (13.6 percent). The survey results showed that BLACKPINK's fandom is weaker at home than overseas. But for people in their 40s or older, trot singer Lim Young-woong is t

Dec 22, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung

Despite generational rift in music, trot fandom wider than expected

Same old show? 'Miss Trot 2' defies talent drain

In this image captured from TV Chosun, Kim Da-hyun, an elementary school student, performs at TV Chosun's audition show “Miss Trot 2” which premiered on the cable network on Thursday.Second season of trot show kicks off with milestone 28.6 percent rating By Kang Hyun-kyungTV Chosun's "Miss Trot 2" hit the jackpot. “Miss Trot 2” premiered on cable network TV Chosun, Thursday night, with a stunning 28.6 percent viewership rating, nearly 5 percent higher than JTBC's sensational 2019 TV series “Sky Castle” which saw a 23.8 percent rating for its last episode.Viewership ratings for other nighttime TV shows and dramas aired at the same time hovered in the 1 percent to 3 percent range, showing how well the trot sequel performed that night. It appears to be only a matter of time before “Miss Trot 2” breaks the remarkable 35 percent viewership mark “Mr. Trot” achieved in its last episode in which Lim Young-woong was named the winner among seven finalists based on votes cast by over 7 million viewers. Season 1 of “Miss Trot,&rdq

Dec 18, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung

Same old show? 'Miss Trot 2' defies talent drain

Trot Men, Delphine O and 'Baby Shark' win Korea Image Awards

(Clockwise from top left) Jang Min-ho, YoungTak, Lim Young-woong, Kim Hee-jae, Jung Dong-won and Lee Chan-won from TV trot singing competition show “Mr. Trot” on TV Chosun will receive the Korea Image Stepping Stone Award. / Courtesy of CICIBy Dong Sun-hwaDelphine O will be honored for promoting Korea with her contribution to generation equality. / Courtesy of CICISix top trot singers from this year's hottest TV singing competition show “Mr. Trot”, Generation Equality Forum Secretary General Delphine O and animation character “Baby Shark” are winners of the “2021 Korea Image Awards” hosted by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI). The award ceremony is set to take place at the InterContinental Seoul COEX in southern Seoul on Jan. 14. Opinion leaders, including former Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, British Ambassador Simon Smith and French Ambassador Philippe Lefort, will attend the event. The CICI announced Wednesday that the Korea Image Stepping Stone Award, which recognizes Koreans who have helped spread a positive i

Dec 17, 2020By Dong Sun-hwa

Trot Men, Delphine O and 'Baby Shark' win Korea Image Awards

Year-end donations unfazed by pandemic

A pedestrian makes a donation at the Salvation Army's red kettle located in Seocho Subway Station in Seoul, Monday. The charity group's iconic campaign will continue until the end of this year. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-sukCOVID-19 empties streets, yet people still donate for those in need By Park Han-solThe sound of a small tin bell echoes throughout Seocho Subway Station, catching the attention of some of the rushing pedestrians on a December mid-afternoon. Following the sound in the middle of the hustle and bustle, they soon come across an iconic sight of the Christmas season here: a bright red kettle accompanied by a sign reading “The Salvation Army.”Kim Geon-rae, 34, firmly grips his bell while he adjusts his black uniform coat amid a stiff breeze. As a student at the Salvation Army Graduate University for Officer Training, he has been ringing the bell and collecting donations for eight hours a day since the start of December.“I've been volunteering at a Red Kettle since middle school, long before I joined the organization's graduate program,” he re

Dec 17, 2020By Park Han-sol

INTERVIEW Extensive research, inspiration lead to costume masterpieces

Lee Jin-hee, costume director and CEO of HAMU, poses during an interview with The Korea Times at her office and store in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Dec. 3. She's worked on multiple dramas, films and plays such as TV drama “Love in the Moonlight,” and film “The Great Battle” (2018). Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulAward-winning designer Lee Jin-hee talks about experimentalism in hanbok design, sources of inspirationBy Park Ji-won“Women in Goguryeo ran like squirrels.” A portrait of Korean women of the ancient kingdom, which had once occupied the spacious territory stretching from current North Korea to northeastern China, sparked the imagination of costume designer Lee Jin-hee. “What kind of women would they have been?” she wondered during a Korea Times interview at her office in Seoul, Thursday. “The natural surroundings of Goguryeo were notoriously unsuitable for human living conditions. Its mountains were high, its slopes were stiff and such pristine nature posed a challenge to human activities. Then how were people in Goguryeo, espec

Dec 10, 2020By Park Ji-won

[INTERVIEW] Extensive research, inspiration lead to costume masterpieces

1 in 4 singles opt to remain that way

One in four unmarried men and women chose to remain single, according to a survey by Job Korea and Albamon, Wednesday. GettyimagesbankBy Bahk Eun-jiOne in four unmarried men and women in Korea plan to remain single, a poll showed, Wednesday. According to the survey by local job portals Job Korea and Albamon of 1,185 adults in their 20s and 30s on their views on marriage, 83.2 percent said they felt positive about not marrying at all.More than 93 percent of female respondents said so, compared with 69.2 percent of male respondents.Of 1,025 singles among those surveyed, the portals asked whether they would remain unmarried, and 24.8 percent said yes, while 31.5 percent said they would get married some day and 43.7 percent said they did not know.The reasons for not marrying varied by gender. When multiple answers were allowed, 71.9 percent of male respondents said soaring housing prices and child-rearing costs are factors that contribute to their reluctance to marry, while 57.3 percent said they might feel pressure from in-laws.For women, on the other hand, 62.4 percent cited pressure f

Dec 9, 2020By Bahk Eun-ji

Some unethical religious leaders spark cynicism

GettyimagesbankBy Kang Hyun-kyungReligious leaders, together with faith-based organizations, have occasionally become caught in an expectation game. They're expected by the public to play the role of a guiding light, especially when things are difficult, such as during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.However, the reality is that religious leaders becoming a source of comfort for pandemic-weary people seems to be no more than wishful thinking. Some religious leaders have ignited the wrath of the public for living far more materialistic lives than those of their followers.Ven. Haemin found himself in the spotlight again recently for his questionable financial activities. According to Yonhap News Agency, Thursday, he, along with a foreign national whose name was not disclosed for privacy reasons, owns an apartment in Brooklyn, New York which he purchased in May 2011 under his real name Ryan Bongseok Joo. The two paid $610,000 to purchase the home. The housing contract was signed about a decade after Haemin was ordained as a Buddhist monk affiliated with the nation's largest Buddhist sect,

Dec 9, 2020By Kang Hyun-kyung

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