Lifestyle

Korean nominees announced for celebrated children's literature awards

From left, writer Lee Geum-yi and illustrator Kwon Yoon-duck have been selected as the Korean nominees for the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award by the Korean Board on Books for Young People (KBBY). The organization has also named author Yoo Eun-sil, right, as the nominee for the 2024 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Courtesy of KBBYBy Park Han-solThe list of Korean nominees for the 2024 edition of the distinguished international children's literature awards was announced on Saturday. Writer Lee Geum-yi and illustrator Kwon Yoon-duck have been nominated for the 2024 Hans Christian Andersen Award (HCAA), according to the Korean Board on Books for Young People (KBBY).Also referred to as the “Little Nobel Prize,” the HCAA is the highest international recognition given by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) to both an author and an illustrator for their lifelong contributions to children's literature. Named in honor of the 19th-century Danish author of celebrated fairy tales, the prize is awarded biennially based on the unique aesthetic and literary quali

INTERVIEW 'Unnie Car' founder helps women break gender bias on roads

Lee Yeon-ji, center, holds up the bonnet of a car to offer vehicle maintenance tips at a workshop in Daegu, December 2021. Courtesy of Lee Yeon-jiBy Lee Yeon-wooIt's an open secret in Korea that female drivers are unwelcome on the roads. Commonly called “Kim Yeo-sa,” or “Madam Kim” in English, women are depicted as bad drivers and sometimes bullied by male drivers on the roads. The term usually refers to a middle-aged housewife who has no work experience outside the home, reflecting the outdated view that driving is in the domain of men, not women. “The term 'Kim Yeo-sa' makes me think that male drivers are marking their territory against female drivers. Actually, there are many men who are not good at driving, too. But have you ever heard the name 'Kim Chong-gak' (a kind of male counterpart term to Kim Yeo-sa) for a male driver?” Lee Yeon-ji, the founder of the educational program “Unnie (older sister) Car” asked The Korea Times. The program hosts various events to help women become confident drivers on Korean roads. Even though the nu

DAILY FORTUNE - FEBRUARY 17, 2023

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

K-pop girl group NewsJeans show their artworks made of traditional Korean paper hanji which will be auctioned off this weekend. Courtesy of Korea Craft & Design FoundationBy Park Han-solHanji artworks, produced by K-pop girl group NewJeans in an effort to promote Korea's traditional paper made from the bark of mulberry trees, will head to an online auction this weekend. Early last month, the K-pop act appeared in a Korea Craft & Design Foundation's (KCDF) YouTube video to introduce Korea's centuries-old technique used to fashion hanji ― the paper long touted in the country for its durability, strength and sustainability.Led by hanji master Ahn Chi-yong, the quintet, in the video, went on to take part in a papermaking and craft session, where the members produced their own works of art using the traditional paper.It is these pieces that are scheduled to go under the hammer online from 3 p.m. on Feb. 18 to 3 p.m. on Feb. 19.Two types of items will go up for auction: the floral-patterned hanji lamp, made from the country's traditional webal sheet formation technique, and hanji p

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

'Jikji' to go on display in France for first time in 50 years

The cover of the second volume of “Jikji” / Courtesy of Cheongju Jikji Korea Organization"Jikji," the world's oldest extant book printed with movable metal type, will be displayed for the first time in half a century at an exhibition in France.According to the homepage of the National Library of France on Thursday, "Jikji," the abbreviated title of "Jikji Simche Yojeol," will be shown as part of its exhibition on the history of printing technology, set to run from April 12 to July 16.It marks the first time in about 50 years that the book, currently kept at the library in Paris, is open to the public.The book about teachings of great Buddhist priests was printed at Heungdeok Temple in Cheongju, 112 kilometers south of Seoul, during the Goryeo Kingdom in 1377. This was 78 years before the Gutenberg Bible, the earliest substantial book printed using metal type in Europe."Jikji" was first shown to the public at the 1900 Paris Exposition in France, according to the Jikji Global website run by the Cheongju Early Printing Museum to promote the Korean cultural heritage.The book

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

DAILY FORTUNE - FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Scholar who shed light on Korea's housing architecture history dies

Park Cheol-soo, former professor of Housing and Urban Design at the University of Seoul / Korea Times file photoBy Lee Hae-rinPark Cheol-soo, a Korean scholar and housing and urban design professor at the University of Seoul, who conducted extensive research into the modern and contemporary architecture of Korean housing, died, Tuesday. He was 64.Born in Seoul, Park obtained bachelor's and master's degrees and a Ph.D. in Architecture and Architectural Engineering from the University of Seoul. He worked at the Korea Land & Housing Corp. before turning to the profession of teaching at his alma mater.As a city architecture expert, he served in several governmental organizations and projects for the capital's urban planning. He was a presidential consultant for urban planning and development during the Roh Moo-hyun administration (2003-2008) and a member of the National Assembly's office building management committee, Seoul Metropolitan Government's architectural policy committee, the Architectural Institute of Korea, the Korean Housing Association and plenty more.Park also authored

10 more hanok villages to be built in Seoul within next decade

An aerial photo of Namsangol Hanok Village in downtown Seoul / Korea Times file photoBy Lee Hae-rinSeoul will build 10 new hanok villages within the next 10 years, increasing the nation's attractive heritage architecture for the pleasure of the city's visitors and residents.The Seoul Metropolitan Government unveiled its new master plan to manage and develop Korean traditional architecture under the title “Seoul Hanok Recreation 4.0,” at a press conference held in City Hall.The locations of the hanok villages to be built are yet to be decided. But they will be mainly in green belts or development restriction zones, according to the city's mayor. To this end, the city will receive proposals from district offices to build new hanok villages with Seoul Housing & Communities Corp., the city's public corporation in charge of urban development. Public interest facilities such as sanatoriums, facilities for the elderly and art galleries will be eligible for building subsidies. The Seoul Metropolitan Government also plans to ease regulations and guidelines on hanok development