[Weekender] The joy of coloring

The last time Lee Soo-jin carried her own coloring book inside her bag was more than 25 years ago, but it’s a hobby she’s recently picked up again. Lee is not alone ― coloring books are no longer just for kids. “When I was young, I would use my crayons and color until it was broken,” she said. “My favorite was the book of Disney princesses.” Now, the 33-year-old office worker doesn’t use pink and red to color Cinderella’s dress, nor does she ask her mom to buy her a new book. Instead, she takes

BooksApril 17, 2015

[Weekender] A rebellion against perfection

In recent years, Korea, one of the most digitalized countries in the world, has seen an increasing number of people pursue “analog” ways of life, such as keeping a handwritten diary or reading a printed book. All of this is being done in a search for self-expression ― and an element of imperfection.  A woman makes a black-and-white print in a dark room. (Mulnamoo Photo Studio)“Koreans are seeking analog as a rebellion against perfection and an escape from rationality that human beings have firml

Social AffairsApril 17, 2015

[Weekender] LP designer puts new spin on analog music

The vinyl market in South Korea died out long ago with the emergence of compact discs in the mid-1980s and digital music in the 1990s. Now, music listeners can simply download any song in 10 seconds for a dollar. Still, avid LP record collectors can find jazz greats such as Us3, Herbie Hancock and The John Scofield Band with the phrases “Printed in Korea.” They are designed by a little-known local firm called Khiov Music, headed by an LP addict, Sur Bo-ik, 41.“I felt sad that many good albums ha

PerformanceApril 17, 2015

[Weekender] Enduring appeal of analog toys

South Korea is flooded with digital entertainment, ranging from mobile gaming apps to live streaming of personal lives.Oddly enough, the digital onslaught has not killed the old appetite for what scholars describe as the “multisensory experience” unique to analog products. One such analog product group through which Koreans are finding a nostalgic reprieve from digital information overload is toys.Toys are no longer just for kids. The toy market dedicated to Korean adults alone is an estimated 7

Social AffairsApril 17, 2015

[Weekender] Old calculators gaining popularity

Jupan, a time-honored form of calculator also known as the abacus, is reemerging in South Korea as an analog tool to sharpen mental acumen in the era of digital distraction. The abacus was first presented as drawings of circles by Babylonians around B.C. 3000. It was later modified into the shape we know now ― the rectangular wooden frame and beads strung up on metal rods ― by the Chinese in A.D. 1300, who called it “suanpan.” Koreans adopted it in 1400 under the name “jupan.” By visualizing num

Social AffairsApril 17, 2015

[Weekender] World faces growing challenge of water security

Water issues are no longer limited to developing countries. They are evolving as global challenges. A recent historic drought in California, U.S., shows that every country can be vulnerable to a variety of water challenges. Last week, California Gov. Jerry Brown ordered residents and businesses to cut their water usage by 25 percent for the first time in the state’s history to cope with severe water shortage, affected by the fourth straight year of drought. The lack of clean fresh water is one o

April 10, 2015

[Weekender] World Water Forum to focus on solutions

As a resource more important to humans than perhaps any other, water touches upon every aspect of human life ranging from food and energy security to societal and environmental health.In recent years, water has become a centerpiece of global attention, for the total supply of the earth’s water is expected to drop by 40 percent by 2030 unless the world drastically improves the management of this important natural resource, according to the 2015 U.N. Water Development Report.Reinforcing the need f

IndustryApril 10, 2015

[Weekender] Water management key for urban planning

As water, life’s most critical resource, becomes scarce, strategic and advanced water management is emerging as a key policy task for cities. Cities in Denmark are spearheading the best practices in prioritizing water management in their urban planning policy development. As an archipelago between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, Denmark has turned its natural adversity into a national advantage throughout history. With the tide of global warming inching closer, the country is investing in clim

April 10, 2015

[Weekender] Korea’s top bottled-water brand Samdasoo taps overseas markets

Having a clean and natural brand image is the most crucial asset in the bottled-water business, said the CEO of the country’s best-selling drinking water producer. “Many companies have been trying to emulate our success, but couldn’t follow suit. The clean and beautiful image of Jejudo Island, the source of our water, differentiates us from others,” said Kim Young-chul, CEO of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Development Corporation, which produces Samdasoo, meaning water of Jejudo.Samdasoo

IndustryApril 10, 2015

[Weekender] Big businesses dig for ‘blue gold’ market

South Korean conglomerates are cashing in on the promising global water market, with the water shortage emerging as a global agenda. According to Global Water Intelligence, a U.K.-based water industry research firm, the size of the world’s water treatment market is forecast to expand up to $1 trillion by the end of 2015. Betting on the industry’s high growth potential, Korean players have sharpened their competitiveness in the “blue gold’’ sector, where European water giants like Veolia and Suez

IndustryApril 10, 2015

[Weekender] K-water harnesses tech convergence

Korea Water Resources Corp., better known as K-water, is giving an impetus to its smart water management system in a bid to increase water and energy efficiency in water supply systems by making use of advanced ICT technologies. The state-run water resources management corporation adopted the Smart Water Management Initiative, which underlines the convergence of information, communication and technology into the water management process, aiming to maximize water resource efficiency. “The future

IndustryApril 10, 2015

[Weekender] Daddy's home!

In author Kim Jung-hyun’s 1997 best-selling novel “Father,” which sold more than 2 million copies, its protagonist is a father who is never home.A public servant in his 50s, the father, named Jeong-su, has spent most of his time at work ― unable to attend any of the milestone events of his children. He missed their school entrance ceremonies, convocations and countless birthday dinners. As his grown-up children ended up despising him for his lack of presence in the house, Jeong-su abruptly gets

Social AffairsApril 3, 2015

[Weekender] Highs and lows of stay-at-home fathers

It put an end to daily quarrels. After months of an agonizing search for an alternative, a 38-year-old father of 1-year-old twins made an “unthinkable” decision to become a stay-at-home dad for the next year.Lee Dong-hoon joined the pioneering 4.4 percent of fathers in the country that spurned conventional thinking and took a leave of absence.The day he became the “mom,” he saw his wife ― who felt guilty about leaving her children behind, but excited to get back to “real world” ― return to work

Social AffairsApril 3, 2015

[Weekender] City assists bonding between dads, kids

Seven pairs of fathers and children pile up colorful sand in glass bottles at a public child care center on a Saturday in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul. Laughter fills the room as the dads help the kids finish their masterpieces. Clutching the sand-filled bottle in one hand as a souvenir, and holding the father’s hand in the other, the children return home beaming.This simple activity class is a part of the district’s program designed to encourage bonding between fathers and children. It is a precio

Social AffairsApril 3, 2015

[Weekender] Family fantasies in Korean media

Working mother Kim Jin-ha rarely watches TV, but she’s grateful for one reality show ― “Superman is Back.”The show, which features celebrity dads caring for their young children without the help of their wives, somehow motivated Kim’s husband to spend more time with their 4-year-old daughter. His involvement in child care gradually improved his relationship with Kim as well.“When we first got married, we got into a lot of fights because he knew nothing about domestic work. He only knew how to ma

Social AffairsApril 3, 2015

[Weekender] Fraught road to marriage

A wedding typically marks the beginning of a marriage. It is also the end of months of preparations. However, for many Koreans the wedding is neither the beginning nor an end. While many aspects of Korean society has undergone rapid changes, and westernization since the Korean War, weddings and marriages continue to be influenced by traditional values and customs more than other areas of life. (123rf)For a wedding to occur, the would-be bride and groom must first arrange a formal meeting between

Social AffairsMarch 27, 2015

[Weekender] How travel addicts defied cookie-cutter weddings

“Thou art sad; get thee a wife, get thee a wife!” If only having someone’s hand in marriage was as simple as Shakespeare put it. What was once widely construed as the culmination of love and happiness, wedding ceremonies have become a commercialized extravaganza in Korea, often forcing couples to seek financial support from parents and take loans from banks. Down the long list of things to tick off for a wedding these days are dowry, a studio photoshoot, bridal gown rental, professional makeup a

Social AffairsMarch 27, 2015

[Weekender] Burden of wedding expenditure weighs heavily on Korean parents

In Korea and elsewhere, couples tend to rely on the kindness of their parents to pay for a wedding. But the burden is increasingly getting heavier for Korean parents, who are culturally and traditionally obligated to pay for an expensive wedding ceremony and, in many cases, chip in to buy a house for the newlyweds. It is a baffling situation for most Korean parents, many of whom have retired or are retiring in a couple of years in a society where state-led social safety net is tenuous and gettin

Social AffairsMarch 27, 2015

[Weekender] Koreans’ changing perceptions on marriage

More than a decade ago, the local film “Marriage Is a Crazy Thing” created a sensation in Korean society, where family-oriented values still prevail. The 2002 film revolves around a woman who chooses to wed a wealthy doctor over a man she actually loves, but secretly continues to have an affair after her loveless marriage. Challenging the centuries-old perception of marriage, the rather provocative film shed light on young Koreans’ shifting attitudes toward the institution. In recent years, Kore

Social AffairsMarch 27, 2015