Lifestyle

'Land of Squid Game': Cultural guidebook to all things Korean

Min Byoung-chul, an endowed chair professor at Chung-Ang University and author of “Land of Squid Game” / Courtesy of Min Byoung-chulBy Park Han-solThe cover of “Land of Squid Game” (2021) / Courtesy of BCM PublishingWhether Korean culture ― thanks to K-pop, K-dramas and K-movies as part of hallyu, or the Korean wave ― remains popular around the world is no longer a contested subject. Instead, the debate now revolves around what content is leading the current wave.In 2021, hallyu reached another milestone with the Netflix original survival drama “Squid Game.” Receiving both critical and public acclaim for its uniquely twisted transformation of Korean children's games into a life-or-death contest to win 45.6 billion won, it became the global streaming giant's most-watched show of all time, just two months after its worldwide release.English educator and author Min Byoung-chul's new book, “Land of Squid Game,” comes at a time when there appears to be an all-time high demand and interest in “all things Korean” as an easy-to-read

Creators localize Broadway musical 'Something Rotten!'

The musical “Something Rotten!” / Courtesy of M Theatre By Park Ji-wonThe Korean production of the Broadway musical “Something Rotten!” has added acting details and lines for actors and new tempos familiar to Koreans, creators said.Set in London in 1595, the story written by John O'Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick and composed by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick, follows the struggles of creators such as the Bottom brothers, Nick and Nigel, for making a hit musical at a time when William Shakespeare, who is depicted as a rock star to his contemporaries, was dominating the theatrical show scene.When their new work, “Richard II,” is scrapped after Shakespeare's announcement that his next work will be on the same subject, older brother Nick becomes desperate and visits a diviner to find out what is going to be a big hit in theater in the future.The Broadway musical premiered in Korea in 2019 and the first Korean production was unveiled the next year. This time it's running fro

DAILY FORTUNE - JANUARY 07, 2022

INTERVIEW US humanitarian worker in Seoul helps rescue N. Koreans from human trafficking

Tim Peters, founder of Helping Hands Korea, poses in the alleyway near Samgakji Station in Seoul, Jan. 4. The activist belongs to a massive network of activists and missionaries that aims to help North Korean refugees in China escape to freedom. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulTeaming up with operatives in China, Tim Peters has saved over 1,000 North Korean livesBy Park Han-solTucked away in a narrow alleyway near Samgakji Station in Seoul, DL Gallery is a curious storefront.Upon entering it, visitors are greeted with delicate art pieces adorning the walls, from traditional Korean embroidery to pointillist paintings. In one corner of the room are stacked heaps of plastic bags, each of which is full of vegetable seeds of cabbage, spinach, radish, turnip, pumpkin and carrot.As they strive to grasp the connection between the art and seeds, visitors turn around, only to face the intricate maps of China and North Korea hung side by side. They wonder what is going on there.For more than a decade, DL Gallery, with its humble and modest look, has been the unofficial headquarters for Helpi

Gangneung combines regional heritage with breathtaking landscape

Seen is the outdoor deck on the upper floor at Haslla Art World in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Dec. 22. Located on a hillside, the ocean view from the upper floor creates harmony with the art pieces there. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Lee Hae-rinGANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province ― If one asks what the favorite holiday destination of Koreans is, Gangwon Province always ranks high. Although less known than Seoul, Busan and Jeju Island among foreign travelers, the province's largest coastal city, Gangneung, offers the rustic charms of the countryside.Fortunately, Gangneung is easily accessible. A quick 90-minute ride on a KTX train from Seoul Station leads to the coastal city on the eastern end of the Korean Peninsula. Cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than the capital area, the city presents a picturesque landscape of both mountains and ocean, as well as a rich blend of traditional heritage with leading trends in arts and culture.Most of all, the city is getting ready to welcome foreign travelers once the borders reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, through the supp

Works of Russian avant-garde masters on exhibit

Chung-Ang University professor Kim Young-ho, right, art director of the “Kandinsky, Malevich & Russian Avant-Garde” exhibition, explains the “Jewish Venus” painting by Mikhail Larionov to distinguished guests during the opening ceremony at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, Wednesday. The exhibition, hosted by The Korea Times and its sister paper Hankook Ilbo, will showcase 75 masterpieces by 49 Russian artists, including Larionov, Wassily Kandinsky and Kazimir Malevich. The opening ceremony was attended by a slew of dignitaries including Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hwang Hee and Russian Ambassador to Korea Andrey Kulik, fifth from right in the front row. Second from right in the front row is Hankook Ilbo President Lee Young-sung. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seog

The most anticipated theatrical shows of 2022

The cast of the musical, "The Lion King" / Courtesy of S&CoBy Park Ji-wonThis year's event schedule for theatrical performances is filled with large-scale musicals, as well as new works that have been waiting for the right time to be presented during the COVID-19 pandemic.The original musical, “Lion King,” of Disney fame, one of the most successful stage shows in history, will embark on its Seoul tour between Jan. 26 and March 18 at the Seoul Arts Center, followed by Busan in April. The original songs of the musical, composed by Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice, and featuring other works by musicians, such as African composer Lebo, first presented its international tour in Korea in 2018 and tickets sold out. This tour will be the musical's first international run since it was presented in Auckland, New Zealand, last year.The original French production of the musical, "Notre Dame de Paris," which has been running since November of last year, will hit the stage again in Korea between February and April at Blue Square Shinhancard Hall in Seoul as an encore show. Cirque d

DAILY FORTUNE - JANUARY 06, 2022

Tattooing is a different form of drawing, giving precious memories: tattoo artist

Tattooist Kim Dong-hwa works on flower tattoos. Courtesy of Kim Dong-hwaBy Kang Seung-wooIn modern Korea, tattoos had been stigmatized until recent years as associated with gangsters. However, for Kim Dong-hwa, a tattoo artist who is known for her colorful flower tattoos, tattooing is another type of drawing that uses a “different canvas,” while offering precious memories to someone. “I hope that people see tattooing as drawing on the human body instead of drawing on paper, rather than something related to organized crime,” Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times at her workplace in Yeonnam-dong, western Seoul, Tuesday. “When I began this job in 2017… my parents strongly disagreed with me working as a tattooist and I could continue this work only after promising to quit immediately if something bad happens.”To her relief, tattoos have been increasingly accepted as a form of self-expression as time has gone by, with more ordinary people getting tattooed ― despite not fully curbing the negative feelings about them among some. “In t

Wine imports jump 76% in 2021 amid pandemic

gettyimagesbankSouth Korea's wine imports soared over 70 percent in 2021 as more people enjoyed drinking at home and alone amid the COVID-19 pandemic, data showed Wednesday.Asia's fourth-largest economy imported $506.2 million worth of wine in the January to November period of last year, up 76 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service and industry sources.It marks the first time that the country's wine imports have surpassed the $500 million level.South Korea's wine imports have been on a steady rise ― they came to $244 million in 2018 before rising to $259.3 million in 2019 and $332 million in 2020.Industry sources said wine imports soared as people preferred drinking by themselves at home instead of going to bars amid the coronavirus pandemic.France was the largest exporter of wine to South Korea with $162.6 million, followed by the United States with $81.6 million, Chile with $68.6 million and Spain with $37.9 million.The data also showed South Korea's whisky imports hitting a five year high of $154.3 million in the 11-month period, up 37.4