Lifestyle

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest 2021 Ethical dilemma of nuclear weapons: hegemony, security dilemma and continued stalemate

By Miriam Astrid Machado Rieback On Sept. 28 North Korea fired a missile which landed in the sea on the Korean Peninsula's east coast. Following the launch, North Korea's neighboring countries Japan and South Korea and the United States condemned the missile launch. South Korea's President Moon Jae-in expressed the importance of stabilizing the peninsula and found the launch regretful. Hours before the launch, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations had urged that the hostile policies against North Korea led by the United States must end and claimed that the country has the right to self-defense and to test its own weapons.Since its first test in 1984, North Korea has performed some 150 tests of strategic missiles and six nuclear tests. Though the United Nations and individual countries ― the U.S. ― have imposed heavy sanctions on the country in an attempt to persuade a denuclearization process, sanctions have been largely unsucce

Korea Times-APLN Essay Contest 2021 AUKUS nuclear submarine deal: evident harms and future-proof solutions

By Lee Sang-ou On Sept. 15, Washington, London and Canberra announced a new strategic pact to strengthen their ties across various sectors including military, cyber and maritime domains. The pact is named after a clever abbreviation of the acronyms of the three countries, namely AUKUS. However, unlike the brevity of its name, AUKUS has already started to spark conflicts from day one.The core of AUKUS is simple: the U.S. and the U.K. ― nuclear states ― providing nuclear-propelled submarines to Australia ― a non-nuclear state. This flagged up serious attention from countries including China and France. Beijing expressed its concern, claiming that AUKUS will escalate the tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. Paris also showed a grumpy face after Canberra renounced a multi-million-dollar diesel-electronic submarine deal with Paris. However, in my opinion, it is most noteworthy that Australia will acquire high-enriched uranium (HEU)-based nucl

INTERVIEW Metaverse-inspired German play 'Ultraworld' questions meaning of game-like life

A scene from “Ultraworld,” directed by Susanne Kennedy / Courtesy of National Theater of KoreaBy Park Ji-wonCan virtual reality replace the real world?” Many might think that this metaphysical question arose only with the introduction of new technologies in the 21st century, but actually, it has existed since ancient times, as in the Allegory of the Cave by Greek philosopher Plato.German theater director Susanne Kennedy, whose work focuses on providing post-human, post-anthropocentric perspectives, has also been interested in this topic. When the concept of metaverse started to spread recently, she focused on the similarity between the theatrical play and the metaverse, which are both types of “illusions,” and decided to combine the two in “Ultraworld,” which premiered in Germany in January 2020 and will be performed for the second time at the National Theater of Korea (NTOK), from Thursday to Saturday.“In many traditions, virtual reality is something that people thought about for a long time, like Plato's Allegory of the Cave. The ques

History of epidemics in Korea explored at National Folk Museum

The diary of Joseon-era military official Rho Sang-chu (1746-1829), which was kept for more than six decades, from 1763 to 1829, is on display at the National Folk Museum of Korea's exhibition, “Our Lives Beyond Epidemics” / Courtesy of the National Folk Museum of KoreaBy Park Han-sol“Last night, the symptoms of my child who has fallen ill with smallpox grew so much worse that I could hear him coughing up phlegm from outside the house. I am deeply worried that he may not be able to live to see another day.”In his diary entry from 1778, Joseon-era military official Rho Sang-chu (1746-1829) poured out his feelings of frustration and misery about the prospect of losing his own child, who is said to have died less than a day later.These private records, kept by Rho from 1763 to 1829, which offer a glimpse of life marked by a deadly outbreak during the late Joseon Dynasty, are on public display for the first time at the National Folk Museum of Korea's exhibition, “Our Lives Beyond Epidemics.”More than 350 artifacts and videos shed light on the country's

4 tucked-away alleys in Seoul to enjoy

Mullae Arts Village / Korea Times fileBy Jun Ji-hyeKey social distancing measures have been eased, as the first stage of the government's “Living with COVID-19” scheme began at the start of this month. But concerns over COVID-19 infections still abound, with the country's daily caseloads remaining in lower four digits. For those who want to avoid popular, crowded places due to concerns over the risk of infections, global hotel search platform HotelsCombined recommends hidden alleys in Seoul where they can take a load off.Mullae Arts Village Mullae Arts Village, located just a five-minute walk from Mullae Station, has a unique concept that is quite different from other attractions in Seoul. This neighbourhood saw new life starting in the 2000s when artists who were looking for new studios due to rising rent prices in areas around Hongdae and Daehangno gathered in the aging industrial area of Mullae-dong where ironworks were concentrated. It is a factory area with a lot of urban decay, but once visitors get past that they will discover that the alleys are rife with art. The

Andaz Seoul Gangnam presents afternoon tea set for winter

Andaz Seoul Gangnam presents the “Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea Set” that offers winter desserts, finger foods and savories in addition to coffee or tea. Courtesy of Andaz Seoul GangnamBy Jun Ji-hyeAndaz Seoul Gangnam, a lifestyle hotel by Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, has launched the “Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea Set,” featuring a combination of winter desserts, finger foods and savories in addition to coffee or tea.The afternoon tea set is available at Jogakbo Bites and Wine bar until the end of February next year from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily, offering a colorful dessert arrangement with scenes from Christmas and the end of the year. Last orders are at 4 p.m.The menu items are served in a box reminiscent of a Christmas present. The meal items are stacked on top of dry ice at the base of the box to add an impression of snow and mist. The sweet menu items are composed of seven desserts, including a rose chocolate mousse, macarons and cookies.Savory items include raspberry and cheese scones that are crispy on the outside but moist on the inside; a bacon and

DAILY FORTUNE - NOVEMBER 26, 2021

Evolutionary biologist says having children in Korea today is a 'stupid' choice

A screenshot from the YouTube channel of Choi Jae-chun, a professor of animal behavior and ecology in the College of Natural Sciences at Ewha Womans University, shows him talking about Korea's low birthrate.By Yoon Ja-youngA renowned evolutionary biologist in Korea has said that it is a “stupid” choice to have children here.Choi Jae-chun, a professor in the College of Natural Sciences at Ewha Womans University specializing in the behavior and ecology of animals, said on his YouTube channel that it would not be wise to give birth and raise a child in Korea today.He said that, from his viewpoint as an evolutionary biologist who studies animal behavior and ecology, the current low birthrate in Korea is a “natural” consequence, since it is the result of an evolutionary adaptation. The country's total birthrate, or the number of babies born per woman, was 0.84 last year, the world's lowest.“Animals that can't control (their desire to breed) when there is no food or shelter are very unlikely to survive.”He cited studies by evolutionary biologists that ha

'Korea_Grandma' YouTuber cooks food for Thanksgiving with US embassy

YouTuber Park Mak-rye, right, and American Charge d'Affaires to Korea Chris Del Corso pose before cooking food for Thanksgiving at Habib House in central Seoul, Tuesday. / Captured from InstagramBy Lee Hae-rinElderly YouTuber Park Mak-rye, also known as “Korea_Grandma,” was invited by the U.S. Embassy, Tuesday, to cook food for Thanksgiving with U.S. Charge d'Affaires Chris Del Corso. Park and Del Corso cooked traditional Korean dishes “japchae” (stir-fried glass noodle) and “galbijjim” (braised beef short ribs) and shared traditional American dishes at Habib House, the residence for the U.S. ambassador to Korea in central Seoul, to celebrate Thanksgiving, according to the U.S. embassy and Park's Instgram.“She is a role model that demonstrates how vital it is that the voice of the elder generation is represented in the digital space. And she has such a huge influence on the young generation who are digital natives. We wanted to learn more about her stories so we could understand traditional Korean culture through her experience. And we wanted

Exhibition becomes compact archive of intergenerational queer narratives

An original poster made by Hong Kong-born American photographer Tseng Kwong Chi from his 1980 Polaroid photo of ballet dancer Shawn McQuate is on display at artist Lee Kang-seung's solo exhibition, “Briefly Gorgeous,” at Gallery Hyundai. Korea Times photo by Park Han-solBy Park Han-solIn September 1980, Hong Kong-born American queer photographer Tseng Kwong Chi captured in a still image the mesmerizing presence of 19-year-old ballet dancer Shawn McQuate, who was active in New York's East Village countercultural scene during the 1980s.Now, four decades later, Tseng, as well as McQuate's artist colleagues, are long gone, after succumbing to HIV/AIDS-related illnesses. McQuate himself, one of the few survivors, became legally blind due to similar complications.Such specific stories and figures of sexual and ethnic minorities stuck in the crevices of the mainstream historical narrative are where Seoul-born artist Lee Kang-seung's focus lies.Like an avid historian, Lee spends a tremendous amount of time delving into both public archives and private recollections related to or