중앙데일리

Business baron provides hope and education in harsh times

Sung Wan-jong, 56, the chairman of Keangnam Enterprises, recently published his memoir, “Ray of Light.” It’s the story of a boy from a poverty-stricken family who grew up to become the president of a large corporation that he built from scratch. “With my memoir, I hope to inspire those who are going through a difficult time in their lives,” Mr. Su…

Mar 26,2007
A musician follows his muse

A traditional Korean music composer is bringing a new sound to the local performing arts scene. Kang Sang-gu, 34, is one of the leading musicians in a movement to popularize traditional Korean music and fuse it with other genres. Mr. Kang was the composer, musical director and conductor for the Korean musical “Dreaming in Mars,” which finished …

Mar 26,2007
[Face to face dialogue]Innovation can save ‘Sandwich Korea’

“Sandwich Korea” has become the latest buzzword among business people here. It refers to being “sandwiched” between developing countries such as China, and economically advanced nations like Japan. Two economics scholars from Korea and the United States, Jung Chang-young, president of Yonsei University, and Robert Glenn Hubbard, dean of the Colum…

Mar 21,2007
Ballerina Kim overcomes loss of mom, injury

When ballerina Kim Ji-young, 29, was told that she had become a first soloist for the Dutch National Ballet, she said she thought first of her mother. “Of course, it is my mother. If she were alive, she would have been happiest,” Ms. Kim said in a trembling voice after pausing for several seconds. The 40-year-old Dutch National Ballet has …

Mar 19,2007
Unlocking musical mysteries

Classical music fans lament the fact that the 20th century’s classical music has become difficult, incomprehensible and automatically associated with avant garde music. To change this perception and help fans understand that music can be beautiful, Chin Un-suk, 46, the composer-in-residence with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra (2006-2008) began t…

Mar 19,2007
[In-depth interview]A mission to popularize Korean history

Since his appointment last August, Yoo Young-nyol, chairman of the National Institute of Korean History (NIKH), has worked vigorously to make the Korean History Exam a success. Now, one bank is using it to test applicants for jobs. They can get extra points for passing the test. “I congratulate and thank Woori Bank for being the first to put the K…

Mar 14,2007
Actor finds his niche as producer

Son Seung-whan, 50, began his a career as a teen idol in television music programs. Now he specializes in theatrical production. It was he who took Korean productions like the percussion show “Nanta” to foreign markets. Now Mr. Song is adapting the celebrated Korean television drama “Daejanggeum” (‘Jewel in the Palace’) as a musical. “Daejangg…

Mar 12,2007
Soccer world is a bonanza for woman with ambition

People used to say that one thing Korean women hate is to listen to guys talking about soccer or the military, but this no longer holds true. Even the publisher of Korea’s only soccer magazine, Football Weekly, is female. Huh Soo-young, 30, the head of Sports MIG, which publishes Football Weekly, is trying to carve out a niche in the magazine ma…

Mar 12,2007
[In-depth interview]U.S. foreign policy’s hardline gets softer

The Bush administration’s foreign policy, particularly concerning North Korea, has been shaped and influenced by neoconservatives for the past six years, but it is clear that their influence has dwindled, John Ikenberry, an international relations expert from Princeton University, said in an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo on Feb. 27. He said tha…

Mar 07,2007
Himalayan blank spaces will be filled in during expedition

Two Korean journalists and a Japanese interpreter have just embarked on a grand journey to explore the Trans Himalaya, an area east of Tibet that is called “the blank space” on the map of the Himalayas. Yim Seong-muk, a reporter for Climber magazine; Shin Jun-shik, a photographer for People and Mountain magazine; and Hiroko Suzuki, a photographer …

Mar 05,2007

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