중앙데일리

Get rid of the unfair SOFA

Yuan Shikai (1859-1916), a Chinese army leader and the first president of the Republic of China (1912-16), was sent to Joseon Dynasty Korea by the Qing Dynasty as a diplomatic minister in 1884. He was only 25 years of age then, and was said to be very handsome. He was nicknamed "the honorable supervisor" because his influence and power went beyond those of a diplomat, even outstripping those of the king of the tributary country. A rumor circul…

Dec 13,2001
Film depicts Afghans' misery

Kandahar, the second largest city of Afghanistan, was founded by Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C. After conquering Persia in his expedition to the east, Alexander continued his march into what is now Afghanistan. He called the first city that he met in the region Herat, which means Alexandria of the Aryans. He founded a new city to the south of Herat, called Kandahar, which means Alexander in Pashtun. Kandahar is a mountainous city…

Dec 12,2001
Sunsets and Magnolias

He turned 81 this year, and is the first naturalized Korean. He has lived in Korea for 56 years. Born in Pennsylvania in the United States, his American name is Carl Miller, but he is known in Korea as Min Pyong-gal. He has spent his entire time here nurturing his Chollipo Arboretum in South Chungcheong province, where 7,000 varieties of flowers bloom. The JoongAng Ilbo English Edition featured Mr. Min and his arboretum in its J-Style section…

Dec 11,2001
Politicians and promises

There is a story passed down from old times about someone who believed in a promise - too completely and stupidly. During the “Spring and Autumn” period of ancient China, a young man from the state of Lu promised his lover to meet her under a bridge. While he was standing under the bridge waiting for his lover to come, it began to rain heavily. The stream rose fast, but he did not move. He finally died there, holding onto a pier of the bridge. …

Dec 10,2001
Yes, readers, there is a Santa

Among movies about Christmas is one called "Miracle on 34th Street." The movie was produced in 1947 and starred Maureen O'Hara and John Payne. It is the story of a child who does not believe in Santa Claus and how she regains her innocence after she meets the real Santa Claus working in a department store. Though I have seen the film quite a few times on television, it never fails to touch me. We should be a little disappointed to learn that …

Dec 08,2001
Looking at things inside out

Mark Twain, a famous American writer, once visited his friend, James McNeil Whistler, a painter. While looking at the paintings, Mr. Twain reached out to touch one which was still wet. Mr. Whistler stopped him in shock. "Oh, don't worry. I have my gloves on," Mr. Twain said as if nothing were wrong. Mr. Twain opened Mr. Whistler's eyes. Despite the painter's concern about ruining a wet painting, some people worry more about getting paint on th…

Dec 07,2001
Is no one in charge here?

On Friday, when I found that lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties agreed to pass the proposed Commercial Real Estate Lease Protection Law, I did some research on how administration officials were addressing this issue. The bill proposed by legislators, not by bureaucrats, would affect more than 4 million people, such as real-estate owners and leaseholders. A brief look at the draft bill provided a peek at the measure's potentially hug…

Dec 06,2001
A Beatle shines in the sky

In London and Liverpool, there are walking tours of the Beatles, retracing the footsteps of the legendary band. Fans and tourists flock to the Cavern Club, where the band made one of its first appearances in 1961, and the Abbey Road studios in northern London, where they recorded. The crosswalk that graces the cover of the album "Abbey Road" is a major attraction. Egypt has reaped ample tourist revenue from the Pyramids and the tombs of th…

Dec 05,2001
Public funds, private gains

Many people remember Cho Byeong-gab as one of the most corrupt officials of the Joseon Dynasty. He was appointed magistrate of Gobu during the reign of King Gojong. Blaming a famine, Cho mobilized people to create a reservoir and then collected water taxes. He raised funds to build a monument in honor of his father. Diverting tax money collected from the people into his own pocket, he caused the Donghak Farmers' Revolution in 1894. By contrast…

Dec 04,2001
Frogs or dogs: Eat and enjoy

There is a Japanese dish called oyako donburi, a bowl of steamed rice topped with chicken and egg. "Oyako" means parents and children in Japanese, and the dish is called as such because mother (chicken) and baby (egg) are put together. It sounds interesting, but is, at the same time, sort of creepy. If you adhere to Judaism, you probably would not even look at oyako donburi. Judaism teaches, as written in the Book of Leviticus and the Book of …

Dec 03,2001

1 ... 1015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020 1021 1022 1023 ... 1067