[Sportschosun reporter Jang Jong-ho] A 105-year-old woman who served in World War II has drawn attention after revealing the secret to her long life on her birthday.
She explained, "It is thanks to a happy marriage and enough sleep."
According to local media outlets including the Daily Mail, Ivy Minen, who lives in Rugeley, Staffordshire, England, recently celebrated her 105th birthday with congratulations from family, friends and veterans.
Born in Wolstanton, Staffordshire, England, in the early 1920s, Minen enlisted in the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1940 at the age of 20 and served for about four years.
During the war, she was stationed in Cornwall, England, where she worked as a spotter in an anti-aircraft unit.
At a dance in 1942, when the war was in full swing, she met her late husband Johnny, who was then serving in the Royal Air Force, and the two later married.
When asked about the secret to her longevity on her 105th birthday, she said, "It is still a mystery to me," adding, "I think the secret is that I have lived a good life and had a happy marriage." She went on to say, "One thing is clear: I sleep a lot," and laughed, "If I sit alone, I keep dozing off."
In an interview with the BBC, her son Peter said, "My mother has accomplished so much by the age of 105," adding, "I am now approaching 80, but it is still amazing that she treats me like a teenager going through puberty."
Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
