Lifestyle

INTERVIEW Oxford professor stresses significance of digital literacy

Jieun Kiaer, a professor of Korean Language and Linguistics at the University of Oxford / Courtesy of Jieun Kiaer'Children have their own languages in the digital, metaverse world': Jieun KiaerBy Dong Sun-hwaAre Korean students becoming less smart because they do not read enough books? This question arose in Korea after the Korea Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) aired a six-episode documentary titled, “Your Literacy,” last March. The documentary featured scenes in which numerous students had trouble understanding their textbooks due to their unfamiliarity with some "basic" Korean words. As to why their literacy skills have deteriorated, some critics say videos should be blamed. They claim the students of the MZ generation ― which refers to millennials (those born between 1981 and 1995) and Generation Z (born between 1996 and 2005) ― have lost their literary abilities as they began replacing books with videos found on platforms like YouTube.Students in a middle school in Seoul / Korea Times fileBut Jieun Kiaer, a professor of Korean Language and Linguistics at the Uni

Singaporean chef wins S. Pellegrino Young Chef Asia regional finals

Singaporean chef Ian Goh, right, poses with mentor chef Louis Han after winning the S. Pellegrino regional final of the Young Chef Academy Competition at the awards ceremony held at the Park Hyatt Bangkok, Sunday. He also won the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award in addition to the main award. Courtesy of S. PellegrinoWinner to compete in global finals next yearBy Kwak Yeon-sooBANGKOK ― Singaporean chef Ian Goh was named the winner of the S. Pellegrino regional final of the Young Chef Academy Competition held at The Food School in Bangkok, Sunday. He also took home the Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award, presented to a young chef who best represents their personal beliefs within their dish.Ten Asian young chefs aged under 30 engaged in five hours of competitive cooking, showing off their technical skills, creativity and personal belief. Their dishes were judged by an esteemed panel of jury members who are chefs ― Pam Pichaya Utharntharm of Restaurant Potong in Thailand, Dave Pynt of the restaurant Burnt Ends in Singapore, Daniel Calvert of restaurant Sezanne in Japan,

Do Ho Suh's evocative installations questioning memory and space go to Australia

Installation view of Do Ho Suh's “Staircase-III” (2010) / Courtesy of the artist, Antoine van KaamBy Park Han-solDo Ho Suh, a renowned globetrotting installation artist behind the otherworldly fabric replicas of his former homes in Korea, Rhode Island, New York, London and Berlin, will be brought to the spotlight this fall for the first time in Australia.The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia's (MCA) “Do Ho Suh” is the artist's first-ever solo exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere, held as part of the Sydney International Art Series. The series has previously highlighted pioneering old and contemporary masters around the world, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Doug Aitken.The 60-year-old's sculptures and architectural installations of varying sizes ― from a single household item like a door handle and a light switch to life-size residences he has inhabited ― often confront questions involving memory, displacement and the body's intricate relationship to physical space.The Sydney show highlights the multidisciplinary creator's extensive oeuvre spann

DAILY FORTUNE - NOVEMBER 02, 2022

Traditional mask dance likely to be added to UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list

Dancers perform “talchum,” a traditional Korean mask dance. Courtesy of Cultural Heritage AdministrationBy Dong Sun-hwa“Talchum,” a traditional Korean mask dance, is highly likely to be included on the list of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage. The United Nations' culture agency announced on its official website Tuesday that “Talchum, Mask Dance Drama in the Republic of Korea” was recommended to be inscribed on the list during a subpanel meeting of its Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.The final decision regarding the addition of talchum is set to be made during the 17th committee meeting, which will take place from Nov. 28 to Dec. 3 in Morocco. Historically speaking, cultural heritage that has been recommended for inscription has rarely failed to make it onto the list. If talchum gets registered, it will mark Korea's 22nd entry on the UNESCO list. The 21 intangible cultural heritage elements include “pansori,” the traditional genre of musical storytelling that was inscribed in 2003

Traditional Korean mask dance almost sure to be UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage

This March 26, 2012 file photo shows dancers performing a traditional Korean mask dance during a local festival. Korea Times photo by Kim Ju-sungThe traditional Korean mask dance, or "talchum" in Korean, is almost certain to be added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.According to the homepage of UNESCO on Tuesday, "Talchum, Mask Dance Drama in the Republic of Korea" was recommended for inscription on the list during a subpanel meeting of its Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. This Oct. 13, 2009 file photo shows dancers performing a traditional Korean mask dance during a local festival. Korea Times fileThe final decision will be made during the 17th committee meeting next month.South Korea has 20 entries on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage lists ― the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. They include "ssireum," or traditional Korean wrestling, which was inscribed in 2018 following joint efforts by South and Nort

Auction house Phillips appoints ex-K Auction senior specialist as regional director of Korea

Suh Min-hee, Phillips' newly appointed regional director of Korea / Courtesy of PhillipsBy Park Han-solPhillips, one of the leading global auction houses along with Christie's and Sotheby's, has appointed Suh Min-hee as the new regional director of Korea.Founded in 1796 in Westminster, London, Phillips focuses on sales in a select number of categories: 20th- and 21st-century art, design, photographs, editions, watches and jewelry.The auction company made a foray into the Asian art market in 2015 by holding its first auction in Hong Kong. It opened a regional office in the posh Hannam-dong neighborhood of Seoul's Yongsan District in 2018. In 2021, the firm reported that transactions in global auctions from Korean collectors were up 323 percent compared to the previous year.In time for the inaugural edition of Frieze Seoul in early September, Phillips hosted its first-ever curated exhibition in Korea titled “New Romantics,” bringing the works of a pioneering generation of 23 contemporary artists who seek to revive a distinct spirit of Romanticism.“I am delighted to we

DAILY FORTUNE - NOVEMBER 01, 2022

MMCA looks back on Korea Artist Prize

Installation view of the exhibition, “10-year Path of Korea Artist Prize,” held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea's Seoul venue / Courtesy of MMCABy Park Han-solThe National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea (MMCA) has replaced its annual Korea Artist Prize with an archival exhibition detailing the award's 10-year history this year, as part of efforts to reform the award system after discovering lapses during an internal audit.Since 2012, the Korea Artist Prize, co-organized by the MMCA and SBS Foundation, has aimed to support promising creators by drawing up a shortlist of four individuals or teams each year who present new visions for the country's contemporary art.Following the four finalists' end-of-the-year exhibition held at the museum, the winner of the “Artist of the Year” title who wins a cash prize of 10 million won ($7,015), has been announced based on a jury review.The past recipients include the creative duo of Moon Kyung-won and Jeon Joon-ho, as well as Oh In-hwan, siren eun young jung and Choi Chan-sook. The

DAILY FORTUNE - OCTOBER 31, 2022