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4 overseas bands will tour Seoul this week

Qu, a Japanese rock band / Courtesy of QuBy Jon DunbarZandari Festa starts this Friday, but there are plenty of other opportunities in Seoul to see overseas bands from Japan, Hungary, Madagascar and the U.S. without paying for a Zandari armband. Qu, an instrumental rock band from Kobe, Japan, comes here for two weekday shows. The group is fronted by a beatboxer and combines elements of hip-hop, electronica, ambient, hard rock and emo to create a truly unique sound, according to organizers.Tonight they perform at Channel1969 in Yeonnam-dong, near Hongik University Station, with opening act Guten Birds. On Thursday they perform at Strange Fruit with Machines, Magna Fall and Tallulah Bankhead. Also on Thursday, Hungarian “speed-folk freak-punk” band Bohemian Betyars has a show at Club SHARP in Mangwon-dong, west of the Hongdae area. The Betyars are in Korea for a Zandari appearance at Rolling Hall on Sunday, but first they’ll play with legendary Joseon punk band Crying Nut and 2tone ska band the Rulerz. The Dizzy Brains, a garage rock band from Madagascar, are also in

Book club presents poet Ko Un

Poet Ko Un / courtesy of Brother AnthonyBy John Redmond The Seoul Book and Culture Club invites guests to meet Korean poet Ko Un, Saturday.Ko, author of “First Person Sorrowful,” “Ten Thousand Lives,” “Songs for Tomorrow: A Collection of Poems 1961-2001” among other volumes of poetry, will give a reading, interview and book signing.The guest moderator for this event is Brother Anthony, renowned Korean literature translator, emeritus professor at Sogang University and president of the Korean branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.Ko and Brother Anthony will read some of Ko’s poems together and then engage in a conversation that will be translated. This will be followed by an audience question-and-answer session and a book signing.The event is co-organized with ASIA Publishers. ASIA Publishers are behind the bilingual K-Fiction series of short stories, considered the most exciting Korean literature available in English.Ko began publishing in 1958. He has published approximately 155 volumes of poetry, works of fiction (in particular, Buddhist ficti

Family names cause problems for some multicultural children

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Chung Hyun-back, poses with multiracial youths at an event on Sept. 21. / Courtesy of Ministry of Gender Equality and FamilyCalls growing for revision of rules on naming systemBy Choi Ha-youngGo Hyeon-jeong, a 31-year-old office worker, had a daughter with her Taiwanese husband. Her husband’s last name is pronounced “Keo” in Taiwan and “Ga” in Korea. Since the former sounds awkward in Korea she wanted to use “Ga” for her two-year-old daughter’s surname.However, it didn’t go well. When the couple registered their marriage, government officials said they must use “Keo.” Therefore, their daughter was supposed to use the foreign surname. Since it didn’t match with her Korean name, the girl is now using her Taiwanese-style full name which is rare here.“Due to the foreign name, I always have to explain my husband’s ethnicity whenever I go to the hospital with my daughter,” Go told The Korea Times. “Even if my husband is foreign, my daughter has Korean citiz

아빠 성 따르면 '쉬, 커, 퐁' 씨?

정현백 여성가족부 장관(둘째줄 가운데)이 9월 21일 원주시 한솔오크밸리에서 개막한 '제11회 전국다문화가족네트워크대회'에서 유공자 및 참석자들과 기념촬영하고 있다. / 연합뉴스(서울=코리아타임스) 최하영 기자 = 대만인 남편과 결혼한 고현정(31) 씨의 딸은 “커” 씨 성을 쓰고 있다. 남편의 성은 가(柯)이지만, 혼인신고를 하러 구청에 갔을 때 구청 공무원은 배우자의 이름을 대만 현지 발음대로 ‘커’라고 표기해야 한다고 했다. 2016년에 태어난 딸 역시 ‘커’ 씨 성을 써야 했다. 대만식 성에 한국식 이름을 붙이기 어색했던 고 씨는 아이 이름도 대만식으로 지었다. 한국에서 태어나 한국 국적을 가진 딸이지만 의료보험이나 가족관계 증명서에는 대만식 이름이 적혀 있다. 특이한 이름 때문에 예방접종을 하러 병원에 가도 “어느 나라 이름이에요?”라는 질문을 받는다. 고 씨는 “같은 다문화 가정 아이라고 해도 한국인 아빠와 외국인 엄마 사이에서 태어난 아이들은 이런 문제를 겪지 않는다”고 말하며 “아버지가 외국인이면 아이는 한국인이 아니라는 편견”을 지적했다. 고 씨는 아이가 특이한 이름 때문에 한국 사회에 정을 붙이지 못할 것을 걱정하고 있다. 현행 가족관계등록예규 502호는 가족관계등록부에 외국에서의 발음을 한글로 표기하도록 규정하고 있다. 한자를 함께 기재하는 것 역시 허용되지 않는다. 조선족임을 증명하는 중국인에 대해서는 한국식 성을 사용할 수 있는 예외조항을 두고 있지만 외국인 아버지를 둔 아이들은 외국식 성을 따라야 한다. 고 씨는 “한국 사회는 점점 다문화 사회로 나아가는데 법과 제도는 변화를 따라오지 못 하는 것 같다”고 말했다. 고 씨 가족 이외에도 중국, 싱가포르, 홍콩 등 한자문화권 출신의 아버지와 한국인 어머니 사이에서 태어난 아이들은 특이한 성 때문에 불편을 겪고 있다. 고 씨는 예규를 개정하기 위해 같은 불편을 겪는 가족들의 사례를 모아 법제처의 아이디어 공모제에 제출했다. ‘팽’ 씨 성을 가진 중국인 남편과 결혼한 이 모 씨는 남편 성의

Foreign startups in Korea send mixed signals

The Seoul Global Center hosted the “International Start-ups Business Fair” at the Seoul Business Agency on Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Chyung Eun-juBy Chyung Eun-juIs Seoul a good place for foreigners to set up a startup business?Foreigners who attended the “International Start-ups Business Fair” in Sangam-dong, western Seoul, had a mixed reaction to that question.The Seoul Metropolitan Government held the fair on Thursday for startups established or run by foreigners here to promote a startup-friendly business environment. It was also to foster collaboration and cooperation between local and international companies and to provide a venue for networking.The fourth annual event was held at the Seoul Business Agency where 12 international startups participated. They told The Korea Times about how support from the government has helped grow their businesses, and the hurdles they had to face.“The Korean government has been very helpful,” said Kychele Boone, CEO of educational content creator Open Education in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. “I have

(1678) It's my treat

Korean speaking contest to be held

By You Soo-sunEducation institution 247MyTutor is now accepting applications for its Korean speaking contest slated for Oct. 14.The institution provides language exchange and tutoring services in five languages. It will host its first Korean speaking contest in collaboration with the Korean Language Society, Kwangwoon University, and EBY Talking Club. The event will take place at the Gangnam Theater and online through “Facebook Live,” allowing even those outside of Korea to participate.“Most foreigners are interested in K-drama, K-pop, and K-beauty, but they do not have many opportunities to express themselves in Korean freely and in public,” said Jeong Suk-han, Chief Executive Officer at 247MyTutor. “This contest will help them understand the Korean language.”The event also comes in a timely manner as it takes place one day before Hangul Day, a national holiday commemorating the development of Hangul ― the Korean language alphabet.Along with the speaking contest, there will be speeches and performances. Winners will receive up to $500 an

(1677) Starting is the hardest part

(1676) Mom and pop shop

AMCHAM explores energy opportunities for Korea

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), in partnership with U.S. LNG portfolio company NextDecade Corporation, will hold the first U.S.-Korea Energy Cooperation Seminar at Lotte Hotel Seoul, Sept. 25.Government and industry representatives from the U.S. and Korea will gather to discuss the landscape of the Korean energy industry and explore potential areas of collaboration.This seminar is part of AMCHAM’s ongoing efforts to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with Korea.“With the new Moon administration’s drive to gradually increase the use of LNG and renewable energy as environmentally friendly sources of electricity, domestic demand for LNG is expected to grow, prompting the need for Korea to implement plans to secure additional supplies of stable and competitive LNG,” AMCHAM said in a press release.The seminar will include opening remarks from AMCHAM Chairman and CEO James Kim as well as officials from the National Assembly and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, including Jang Byung-wan, chairman of the Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Start