South Korea - The Korea Times

'Dad, I miss you': Teen refugee's tearful tribute touches Koreans' hearts

Wanyiwah, a 14-year-old contestant on KBS' audition show “National Trot Championships,” smiles during a Korea Times interview on Dec. 24. Performing under the stage name Martha Htoowah, she is already a popular singer in Myanmar. Both her parents are from Myanmar's Karen ethnic minority. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulMyanmar's Karen ethnic minority family finds home in Korea with the help of warm-hearted people By Kang Hyun-kyungWanyiwah, 14, took the stage as her name was called as the next contestant on KBS' hit audition show, “National Trot Championships,” which aired on Dec. 5. Representing Myanmar's Karen ethnic minority, the teen refugee shared a tragic story about her father which motivated her to choose the Korean song “Surprise Lily” to perform on national TV. “As you know, the song that I'm going to perform is about the people who miss their loved ones but cannot see them again,” she said. “My dad passed away when I was very young. He's in heaven now. I miss him but can't meet him in person. The song lyrics and m

Jan 7, 2021By Kang Hyun-kyung

'Dad, I miss you': Teen refugee's tearful tribute touches Koreans' hearts

RAS Korea Dongducheon's young scholars shine again

From left: Lee Min-hyoung, Cho Yoon-sung, Kim Jong-seo and Kim Jae-hyoung / Courtesy of Dongducheon Foreign Language High SchoolBy Steven L. ShieldsFour students at Dongducheon Foreign Language High School (DFL) recently published their new book: “RAS Korea Report.” The teammates are members of the new Royal Asiatic Society Korea-Dongducheon Foreign Language School Branch. They continue to explore Korean Studies with RAS Korea while completing their final year of high school. The RAS Korea connection with Dongducheon Foreign Language High School began two years ago when a group of students submitted a series of essays exploring Korean history and culture. Their essays were published in volume 93 of Transactions, the annual journal of RAS Korea started in 1900.In 2019, four RAS Korea representatives traveled to DFL and spent an afternoon with about 200 students. Presentations included a history of the RAS, changing gender roles in Korean society and a photo-essay of North Korea. After the general session, there were four concurrent sessions to continue the conversations in

Jan 5, 2021

[RAS Korea] Dongducheon's young scholars shine again

Book explores Korea's 1871 conflict with US

By Matt VanVolkenburgThe cover of Thomas Duvernay's “Sinmiyangyo: The 1871 Conflict Between the United States and Korea" / Courtesy of Thomas DuvernayIn 1871, an American naval force sailed into Korean waters hoping to open diplomatic and trade relations with the Kingdom of Joseon and to negotiate a treaty for shipwrecked sailors. Instead, shots were exchanged and a military clash on Ganghwa Island left three Americans and perhaps 300 Koreans dead. A number of misperceptions about this conflict have developed over the years, including the belief that the Americans sought to avenge the General Sherman, an American-flagged ship that was burned near Pyongyang in 1866. Thomas Duvernay's recent book, “Sinmiyangyo: The 1871 Conflict Between the United States and Korea,” sets out to separate myth from fact and provide the most detailed account yet of the events of June 1871. He begins by making clear that the U.S. delegation did not have vengeance on their mind in regard to the General Sherman incident, as the case had been closed already, with many Americans who were awar

Jan 5, 2021By Jon Dunbar

Book explores Korea's 1871 conflict with US

Korea ranks 13th out of 52 countries on migrants' social integration index

GettyimagesbankBy Lee Hyo-jin Korea ranked 13th out of 52 countries on its level of social integration of migrants in the Migration Integration Policy Index (MIPEX), according to the latest MIPEX report issued earlier this month.First published in 2004, the MIPEX is a comprehensive international benchmark on the integration policies of countries around the world. Its latest edition issued earlier this month covered 52 countries across five continents including the EU member states, the U.S., Canada and India, measured between 2014 and 2019.Korea was ranked along with the United Kingdom, France and Iceland, each receiving 56 points out of 100, which is higher than the MIPEX average of 52.Korea took the lead among five Asian countries, followed by Japan, China, Indonesia and India. But the report pointed out that the country's immigration policies are less developed than those of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the U.S., the traditional top destinations for migrants. Among the eight indicators ― healthcare, labor market mobility, family reunification, education, political participa

Dec 31, 2020By Lee Hyo-jin

Korea ranks 13th out of 52 countries on migrants' social integration index

Yongsan Legacy GI remembers Korean contemporary artists

By Victor Leo Flashbacks and reflections, they happen all the time… they are fast, specific and rapidly appear and disappear. The good news is that when we get older, the “flash” seems to last a lot longer. Today, while sitting at my kitchen table in Michigan, contemporary art pops into my mind, specifically the work of three South Korean artists: Bae Yoong, Kim Foon and Youn Myeung-ro. Some 51 years ago, I had the opportunity to befriend Bae Yoong and Kim Foon. They in turn introduced me to Youn's artwork. As a U.S. soldier stationed at Yongsan Garrison there was little free time, so it had to be used wisely. Art fit that nicely. One evening over dinner at Bae's house, he explained the meaning behind his 1964 print titled “History.” He described the lower part of the print as representing humanity, “It's like a coiled spring that relentlessly unfolds as it shapes the future.” The white specks seen in and above the coil are innovators that preceded civilization's progress. Bae was gentle, friendly and outgoing. He was also a serious person a

Dec 29, 2020

Folk musician Seth Mountain explores 'Dark Valleys' in latest album

Seth Mountain visits Dokdo in 2019. / Courtesy of Daisy ChoBy Jon DunbarSeth Mountain, an American folk musician living in Seoul, is releasing “Through Dark Valleys,” his latest full-length album.The album is a follow-up to “This Mountain,” (2016) with all sorts of callbacks lyrical and musical.“It is very much meant to be a middle album of a trilogy... and darker than part one or three ― thus the valleys,” Mountain told The Korea Times, “and to evoke a sort of attempt to find meaning through the voices in the past that are or have walked the same dark valleys, and to underscore the connection between today's struggles and those of the past.”He released the first two tracks on Bandcamp, laying out the “landscapes” of the overall album on Christmas Eve, with plans for the full album to be out on Jan. 1. As the artist and the album's name both suggest, the 11 songs are grounded, literally, in local places, based on where Mountain has lived and felt a strong connection, with the balance continuing to tip more toward Korea over

Dec 29, 2020By Jon Dunbar

Folk musician Seth Mountain explores 'Dark Valleys' in latest album

Joseon Images A Christmas story: The happiest girl in Korea

The happiest girl, Oak Pun-ie / Robert Neff Collection By Robert NeffFor many of us, 2020 is probably one of the worst years of our lives. We are bombarded with accounts of terrorism, horrendous accidents and, of course, COVID-19 in the media. Many have lost coworkers, friends and relatives to these horrors. With so much negativism surrounding us, perhaps it is time for an uplifting story from the past. During the late 19th century, many Korean farmers lived in abject poverty and subsisted only upon the crops they were able to harvest each year. They had very little money but if they did manage to set some aside they were often quickly relieved of it by the gentry through unfair taxes. Often the harvests failed and the farmers were unable to pay their taxes and lost everything. Famines often plagued the peninsula and horrid accounts of starvation pepper the correspondences and writings of Westerners living in or visiting the country at the time.

Dec 22, 2020By Jon Dunbar

Urbex photo zine reveals Korea's rapidly fading past

A banner version of the cover of Ryan Berkebile's urban exploration photo zine, "The Bulldozed Future" / Courtesy of Ryan Berkebile By Jon DunbarUrban Korea has seen rapid changes over the decades, with entire neighborhoods disappearing all at once to make way for bigger, taller, more expensive buildings. Before the bulldozers move in, Ryan Berkebile pays a visit. “Seoul is continuously in the cycle of pushing working-class people out of their homes and erecting high-rise apartments in their place, so the majority of my explorations in Seoul have been from exploring neighborhoods on their last days,” he told The Korea Times.After spending over six years exploring Seoul and Gwangju as well as much of the rest of the country, he decided to share his visits to these forgotten and endangered sites in a newly printed photo zine titled “The Bulldozed Future,” revealing old styles of architecture and what people leave behind. “It's always a little perplexing when you find

Dec 22, 2020By Jon Dunbar

Foreign Line

Christmas specials at restaurantsRestaurants have suffered along with the rest of us during the pandemic this year, but some have adapted, seeing no reduction in orders as they focus more on take-out and delivery. For this Christmas, several restaurants in the Itaewon area and elsewhere around Seoul are offering festive meals for you to enjoy at home. Some offer in-restaurant dining, but at this point it seems like a gamble. Here is a partial list of take-out Christmas options available as of publication time. Southside Parlor offers its Christmas Road Plate, featuring roast sirloin and sides plus mulled wine, Cinnabon Eggnog or chai tea, for 30,000 won this Friday and Saturday. The meal is offered for dining in or take-out. Visit fb.com/southsideparlor to reserve.Italian-Sicilian restaurant Salon De Joo in Songpa District offers an eight-course meal for 40,000 won which feeds four, including mini arancini, pizza and beef salad, available all week for pick-up only. Visit fb.com/salondejoo for more information about their other offers as well.The Czech restaurant 1842 offers a special

Dec 22, 2020By Jon Dunbar

KAESA: transforming Korea's fashion industry

KAESA's VLLR bag made with vegan leather / Courtesy of KAESABy Hallie BradleyKAESA, a luxury brand with an eco-friendly twist, is preparing to release its VLLR Collection for the Winter 2020/2021 season, providing sustainable and ethical handbags and accessories that balance beautiful aesthetics with function and utilize vegan leather sourced in Korea. This eye-catching startup, headquartered in Korea, was founded by Amy Chu to disrupt the fashion industry and create a movement to eliminate animal cruelty and promote sustainability.“The vegan leather market has been growing steadily and there is more demand for products made from vegan leather globally,” Chu told The Korea Times. Though the market is led by American and European consumers, Koreans are starting to embrace the trend. “Many Koreans still prefer products made from animal leather, due to a misconception that products made from vegan leather are cheap and unattractive,” Chu said. “We want to change this perception and educate consumers that products made from vegan leather are just as stylish

Dec 20, 2020

Global Community

Global Community

'Dad, I miss you': Teen refugee's tearful tribute touches Koreans' hearts

RAS Korea Dongducheon's young scholars shine again

Book explores Korea's 1871 conflict with US

Korea ranks 13th out of 52 countries on migrants' social integration index

Yongsan Legacy GI remembers Korean contemporary artists

Folk musician Seth Mountain explores 'Dark Valleys' in latest album

Joseon Images A Christmas story: The happiest girl in Korea

Urbex photo zine reveals Korea's rapidly fading past

Foreign Line

KAESA: transforming Korea's fashion industry

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