Lifestyle

Winners of 10th Korea Multicultural Youth Awards Outstanding elementary school students

Noh is high-spirited, diligent leader with passion for taekwondoNoh Yeon-kyeongNoh Yeon-kyeong, born to a Vietnamese mother and a Korean father, is a sixth grader at Shinha Elementary School in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. She was elected as leader of the student representative group of the school and class leader this year. She took action to meet her pledges made during the student council election, such as preparing face masks for those who forget to wear one on campus.Noh is a member of a junior taekwondo demonstration team and has participated in several taekwondo competitions.Her outstanding leadership also stands out when she communicates effectively with classmates and takes an active role in debate class. She never hesitates to help others. Also a great listener, Noh is a well-rounded student with sensitivity and concern for others. She has led several group projects in science, arts, and music class to success with these qualities.Other than her academic achievements, Noh has a great passion for Korean and Vietnamese culture. Noh distinguishes herself with confidence and self

Winners of 10th Korea Multicultural Youth Awards Special awards

Special jury award winnerPak, passionate about Goryeoin and Korean history, shines in community service, languages Pak OlgaPak Olga is third grader at Kyongil High School of Tourism and Business Management, Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. Born in Uzbekistan, she is a fourth generation of Goryeoin ― ethnic Koreans who settled in the Central Asian region over 80 years ago. Pak is proud of her grandfather who fought for Korea's independence while it was under Japan's colonial occupation.Pak takes an active role in volunteer work at Goryeoin Cultural Center in the city, informing people on the history of her ancestors and supporting foreign residents' settlement. Through these activities, Pak conveyed the painful history of her ancestors who were deported to Central Asia. She also grew a passion for Korean history, community service and language studies. When Pak came to Korea in her middle school days, she received the help of volunteers in studying Korean, and decided to return what she received to the community by helping others in need. She now excels in Korean and other language studies,

Multi-talented student from biracial background inspires others

Yang Geun-mo, grand prize winner of the 10th Korea Multicultural Youth Awards hosted by The Korea Times, poses with a guitar in the band practice room at Geumsan Hitech High School in Geumsan, South Chungcheong Province, Nov. 29. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulGrand prize winner of The Korea Times' 10th Korea Multicultural Youth AwardsBy Lee Hyo-jin Yang Geun-mo, 16, is a multi-talented student at Geumsan Hitech High School in Geumsan County, South Chungcheong Province.Born to a Vietnamese mother and a Korean father, Yang is one of the top students in the vocational training school, praised by teachers for his hard-working attitude and kindheartedness in offering help to those in need. Yang scored the highest in the midterm and final examinations in his year. Other than his academic performance, he has obtained two technician certifications in welding, as well as four certifications in computer programming, an outstanding accomplishment for a high school sophomore, according to his teachers.The teachers who spoke with The Korea Times at the school campus on Nov. 29 described Yang

Digitizing art as NFTs backfires among big-name artists

Performance artist Lee Kun-yong's “The Method of Drawing (Angels)” (1997) / Courtesy of MMCA By Park Han-solThe latest hyped phenomenon, the “NFT (non-fungible token),” has been declared Collins Dictionary's word of the year for 2021. The term burst onto the digital market scene as a unique certificate that represents the ownership of any digital asset, including a work of art, as it is registered in a shared ledger, better known as a blockchain.But as much as the concept has generated excitement in Korea's fine art market, a number of big-name artists and their families have continued to raise the issue of copyright infringement, with some denying the legitimacy of NFT-based works of art altogether.On Dec. 2, Pica Project, the operator of an “art co-ownership” platform through NFT-based trading, announced that it will tokenize one video and two photos featuring the works of experimental art master Lee Kun-yong at the Asan Gallery in South Chungcheong Province.Lee,

Book addresses Koreans' underused 'gene' for success

Three co-authors of the newly published book “Republic of Korea: From Periphery to the Center of the World” pose in this photo taken recently. From left are Choi Soo, Lee Ki-dong and Lee Young-hwan. Courtesy of Choi Soo Three co-authors of 'Republic of Korea: From Periphery to the Center of the World' call for rediscovering Korea, Koreans' inner strength to become a power state By Kang Hyun-kyung “Republic of Korea: From Periphery to the Center of the World” released by Angle Books In early May, two retired academics and an entrepreneur met in Seoul for a rare debate about where Korea is heading. Two of them ― Lee Young-hwan and Lee Ki-dong ― are professors emeriti who taught economics at Dongguk University and Confucian Studies at Sungkyunkwan University, respectively, before they retired. The last person, Choi Soo, is a business executive-turned-s

DAILY FORTUNE - DECEMBER 09, 2021

Orchestras unveil star-studded 2022 concert line-up

Poster for the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO)'s 2022 Season 1 program / Courtesy of SPOBy Park Ji-wonAmid the pandemic entering its third year, Korea's orchestras have recruited foreign conductors as their music directors, roles which have long been held by Korean nationals. Chung Myung-whun, for instance, served at the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) for nine years since 2006 and Chung Chi-yong served at the Korean Symphony Orchestra for four years since 2018.Hoping to fill more seats at their concerts, the KBS Symphony Orchestra has appointed Finnish conductor Pietari Inkinen, who will lead the broadcaster's music organization starting January, and the Korean Symphony Orchestra (KSO) appointed Belgian conductor David Reiland. Finnish music director Osmo Vanska replaced Chung in 2020 as music director for SPO and will led the organization until 2022.As the New Year approaches, the local orchestras unveiled their programs for next year, which include many performances starring foreign virtuosos and renowned performers.The SPO will begin next year with requiems in January.Vansk

DAILY FORTUNE - DECEMBER 08, 2021

Exhibition recognizes Joseon-era Buddhist monk artisans

Seen are underdrawings and paintings of “the Eight Great Events of the Life of the Buddha from Tongdosa Temple,” a national treasure, at the exhibition, “Monk Artisans of the Joseon Dynasty” in the National Museum of Korea (NMK) / Courtesy of NMKBy Park Ji-wonPoster for the exhibition, “Monk Artisans of the Joseon Dynasty,” by the National Museum of Korea (NMK) / Courtesy of NMKAfter reaching its peak with the full-fledged support of the ruling class during the 918-1392 Goryeo period, Buddhism is known to have declined during the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom after the new rulers adopted Confucianism as their ideology.But what is lesser known about Buddhism during Joseon is that its paintings and sculptures actually flourished. Many paintings and sculptures in temples around Korea were produced during the latter half of the Joseon period following Japan's invasion in the 1590s, contributing to the artistic development of that period. The 16th-century war was a turning point for Buddhism. Monks joined the war to defend the nation and their role was appre

DAILY FORTUNE - DECEMBER 07, 2021