Lifestyle

A closer look at Jung Kang-ja, female trailblazer in Korean experimental art

"Transparent Balloons and Nude" (1968), performed by Jung Kang-ja, Kang Kuk-jin and Chung Chan-seung / Courtesy of Jung Kang-ja, Arario GalleryJung's solo show at Arario Museum in Space presents her creative evolution beyond 1960s-70s experimental art through self-portraitsBy Park Han-sol“It takes 15 balloons, a semi-nude woman's body, loud, loud primitive beats and psychedelic lights to make some graduates of art schools claim that they have produced a work of art.”So begins the June 9, 1968, article in The Korea Times to describe ― in a rather dismissive tone ― what turned out to be the first known feminist, nude performance in Korea, “Transparent Balloons and Nude.”Staged at C'est Si Bon, a live music hall in downtown Seoul, in May 1968, the young artist trio ― Jung Kang-ja (1942-2017), Kang Kuk-jin (1939-92) and Chung Chan-seung (1942-94) ― invited audiences to attach balloons to Jung's semi-naked body before popping them while the deafening music of John Cage blasted in the background.This so-called “happening” immediately sent shockwaves thro

DAILY FORTUNE - AUGUST 9, 2023

Museum explores impact of foreign cultures on K-pop, K-dramas

The hallyu section at “The Pop Culture We Loved and Rise of the Korean Wave” exhibition at the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in central Seoul, features figurines of K-pop boy group BTS, among others. Korea Times photo by Dong Sun-hwaNew 'hallyu' exhibition in Seoul to run until Sept. 3By Dong Sun-hwaOn the third floor of the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in central Seoul sits a cylindrical shelf filled with diverse Korean wave or “hallyu” items ranging from the figurines of K-pop juggernaut BTS to a green tracksuit featured in 2021 hit dystopian drama, “Squid Game.” These products are attention-grabbing, but they are not the only gems of “The Pop Culture We Loved and Rise of the Korean Wave” exhibition that kicked off on July 19. What sets it apart from other shows is its wise utilization of space, which visually portrays how Korea has accepted different foreign cultures to build its own legacy. The hallyu section is placed in an open-air area in the center of the exhibition hall and is surrounded by th

INTERVIEW Ex-Miss University finalist turns into pro golf teacher

Lee Won-beBy Kim Hee-suLee Won-be, a KLPGA golf pro, is working at Nineplex in southern Seoul's affluent Gangnam District. She is a member of LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals (LPGA T&CP), which is the LPGA's teaching program to become a certified LPGA professional, the most authoritative teaching pro status in the United States. She said she is in the final step to receive Class A.Lee expressed a deep interest in volunteerism. She was the finalist at the World Miss University (WMU) in 2014. That status helped her to pursue her dream of charity and donation. The competition was to select the representatives of the World University Peace Service Corporation Foundation who will later work on the U.N.'s International Year of Peace. “I studied about world peace and my contribution towards it, with a focus on the services and efforts to pursue values such as curbing global warming,” she said.She said her experience at WMU helped boost her golf career. “I could create new relationships aside from golf. I felt refreshed when talking with people from diverse sectors

DAILY FORTUNE - AUGUST 8, 2023

Seoul selected as host of 2027 World Youth Day

Pilgrims and bishops celebrate on stage holding a Korean flag after Pope Francis announced Seoul as the host of the 2027 World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, Sunday. AFP-YonhapSeoul was chosen on Sunday as the host of a global Catholic Church event for young people in 2027.Pope Francis announced the South Korean capital as the host of the 2027 World Youth Day during the closing Mass for this year's event in Lisbon on Sunday.Seoul archdiocese estimates between 700,000 and 1 million pilgrims, including about 300,000 from overseas, will attend the 2027 World Youth Day.World Youth Day brings together young Catholics from around the world in celebration of their faith. The first World Youth Day was held in 1985. Since 2002, World Youth Day has been held every three years, but after 2011, the subsequent event was held one year earlier than scheduled, in 2013, in Rio de Janeiro, to avoid conflict with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.The 2022 event was postponed until this year due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.The last Asian host of World Youth Day was Manila, capital of the Phi

When airports meet contemporary Korean art

Installation view of the group exhibition, “Direct from Antarctica and the Arctic to Incheon Airport,” at Incheon International Airport / Courtesy of ARKOBy Park Han-solThe terminals of Korea's two major airports ― Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport ― have transformed into unlikely spaces filled with the country's contemporary art.Running to coincide with leading art fairs Frieze and Kiaf Seoul, the three concurrent exhibitions sprawled across the airports provide inbound travelers a peek into the diversity of the Korean art scene ― from Nam June Paik's TV installation to works born from today's media artists' trips to the polar regions.As suggested by its title “Direct from Antarctica and the Arctic to Incheon Airport,” the exhibition, staged in the departure hall of Terminal 2 until Nov. 30, shows seven artists who took part in the annual polar residency program offered by Arts Council Korea (ARKO) and the Korea Polar Research Institute since 2011.These creatives ― who either stayed at King Sejong Station in Antarctica or traveled

DAILY FORTUNE - AUGUST 7, 2023

Long but worthwhile journey to Azerbaijan

An ancient fortress stands on a mound in Shusha, a key town of the Nagorno-Karabakh region in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan retook most of the disputed territory in a six-week war with Armenia in 2020. Azerbaijan is carrying out projects to rebuild the war-torn region. Korea Times photo by Cho Jae-hyon'Land of Fire' wants Korean companies' participation in reconstruction projectsBy Cho Jae-hyonBAKU ― When I entered a small souvenir shop tucked in a back alley of the old part of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, a group of Korean collegians were gushing over the craftsmanship of handmade items.They were the only Korean tourists I met in the city during my six-day stay in the country to take part in a media forum. I asked one of them how they came to visit this relatively unknown city that requires about 16 hours of flight.“You know KwakTube? We were attracted to this city because of the popular YouTube channel,” said the student. “Azerbaijan recently emerged as one of the hot tourism spots for young travelers.” YouTuber Kwak Joon-bin who has 1.63 million subscr

Kim Miy-he honored with Norwegian Order of Merit for translating Ibsen's plays

Norwegian Ambassador to Korea Anne Kari Ovind, left, poses with Kim Miy-he after presenting Kim with the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit for translation of all Henrik Ibsen's plays into Korean at the ambassadorial residence in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Embassy of Norway in KoreaBy Kwon Mee-yooKim Miy-He, professor emeritus of Hanyang University's Theatre & Film Department, has been awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit for her contribution to the translation of Henrik Ibsen's entire catalogue of plays into Korean. This honor, conferred by King Harald V of Norway, underscores the recognition of her effort to introduce Ibsen's work to Korean readers as Kim translated all 23 of Ibsen's plays into Korean over 15 years.Norwegian Ambassador to Korea Anne Kari Ovind presented Kim with the diploma and insignia of the order during a ceremony at her residence in Seoul, Thursday.Ambassador Ovind noted how Kim contributed to strengthening the cultural bonds between Korea and Norway, marking a historic moment as she is the first Korean recipient of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit in