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Tue, October 24, 2017 | 07:39

Opinion > Columnists > Kim Ji-myung >

As first conference interpreter

"You have to learn English to learn Western without going through Japan." This was the advice Kim Ok-gyun gave Yoon Chi-ho in 1881 when they met in Tokyo.

Kim Ji-myung | 2016-12-16 17:04

President problem or woman problem?

The ancient Chinese believed, according to feng-shui (pungsu in Korean, geomancy) philosophy, that the world changes in three sexagesimal cycles, every 180 years; Koreans also accepted this system. They termed these cycles in temporal order, as the upper cycle, followed by the middle cycle and then the lower cycle.

Kim Ji-myung | 2016-11-18 17:09

Recording history in paintings

A professor at the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) suddenly realized one day that twelve mural-sized oil paintings had always been hanging on the walls of the auditorium, library and other school buildings in AKS, but were totally ignored by people.

Kim Ji-myung | 2016-10-21 17:19

Gyeongju's bridge and earthquake

The May 2008 issue of National Geographic featured an article on the Dong ethnic group who live in an enclave nestled in the luxuriant mountains of Guizhou Province, China. Headlined “Village on the Edge of Time,” novelist Amy Tan's narrative of her journey to this remote and poor corner almost read like poetry.

Kim Ji-myung | 2016-09-23 17:00

Schedule for death

Not because of my age or any health problem, I find myself spending quite a bit of time thinking about death these days. People often “die hard.” There are some over-100 seniors around me. They honestly tell that their lives are boring, and too long. Nothing pleases them, they complain. It is like a life-sentenced prisoner waiting for the day of judgment without knowing their verdict.

Kim Ji-myung | 2016-08-26 16:17

Tradition of corruption

“They say the gods themselves / Are moved by gifts, and gold does more with men than words.” Euripides, Medea (431 BCE), translated by Rex Warner. The key words here are bribery and corruption. Please note that this statement was made some 2,450 years ago.

Kim Ji-myung | 2016-07-29 17:09

'Our Village Concert'

When the first “Our Village Concert” was held with a men's choir singing at an elementary school auditorium in Seojong-myeon on the evening of April 29, 2000, no one expected to see the event continue for the next 16 years. The Dongseong Teen OB Choir presented many beautiful songs for the residents of that village, and people of all ages loved it.

Kim Ji-myung | 2016-07-01 16:49

English and Korean War

“One morning, father told me to go and pay attention to the situation at the American army office and see if there is a job opening,” says Prof. Yoo Chong-ho in his three-volume memoir.

Kim Ji-myung | 2016-06-03 17:03

Korea-Iran relations: 1974 and 2016

One morning in 1974, I was sitting in an ante-chamber of the minister of health and social affairs. As a reporter covering the ministry, morning check-in at the minister's office was routine. At the time, labor affairs were also handled by the ministry, with the Office of Labor established later.

Kim Ji-myung | 2016-05-06 15:24

Having a second house in Japan

How about having a lovely second house in a small town in Japan almost for free? It sounded like a fairy tale when I first learned that one of my high school seniors spends half of her year in a second house near Nagoya, Japan. This retired couple in their seventies began enjoying their life in the small town of Komono, Miye Prefecture, several years ago.

Kim Ji-myung | 2016-04-08 16:56

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Lunch with Navy sailors