Monday, May 30, 2011

Seoul Rose Garden to Host Festivals


A festival featuring tens of millions of roses is taking place at Rose Garden inside Seoul Zoo of Seoul Grand Park from May 28th to June 30th. The roses that represent 293 different species include the brilliant pink Maria Callas and the strong-scented red ‘toupt bolket.’ Also, a large flower pagoda, flower sculptures and the garden fountain all provide romantic memories for families and lovers alike. Moreover, the ‘World Dance Festival’ program featuring dance teams from France, Spain, Brazil and other countries will surely add excitement to the festival. Visitors can even learn some of the world dance routines through the program. Finally, there will be acoustic guitar performances during the weekdays, and such hands-on programs as baking rose-shaped cookies and making rose-scented perfumes on the weekends.


More info
☞ Festival Period & Venue
May 28–June 30, 2011 / Rose Garden at Seoul Grand Park
☞ Admission Fees (Children's Zoo & Rose Garden)
Adults (ages 20 and over) 2,000 won
Youths (ages 7-19) 1,500 won
Children (ages 6 and under) 1,000 won
☞ World Dance Festival
Tue–Sun / 14:30–15:00, 18:30–19:00 / Main stage at Rose Garden
☞ Experience Events: Sat–Sun / 10:00–18:00 / Rose Garden
☞ 1330 tt call center: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

Two Korean collections added to UNESCO ‘Memory of the World Register’


Two collections of historical records—the ‘Archives for the May 18th Democratic Uprising against Military Regime, in Gwangju’ and ‘Ilseongnok’—are to be included on the UNESCO ‘Memory of the World Register’ (MOW). After a period of review, the historical documents received the official approval of the UNESCO MOW International Advisory Committee.

The ‘Archives for the May 18th’ consist of documents, photos, and videos about the democratization movement in Gwangju, Jeollanam-do that occurred from May 18th to 27th, 1980. ‘Ilseongnok’ is a collection of journal entries written by kings of the Joseon Dynasty that recount national affairs and daily royal life. The collection gives a firsthand account of 150 years of Korean history (from 1760-1910).

After these two collections are officially added to the MOW, Korea will have nine documentary assets on the register. Korean cultural treasures first appeared on the MOW in 1997 with the registration of the ‘Hunminjeongeum Manuscript’ and ‘Joseonwangjosillok,’ the annals of the Joseon Dynasty.’
Link:http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/FU/FU_EN_15.jsp?cid=1291019

Friday, May 27, 2011

백지영(Baek Ji Young) _ 보통(BoTong) MV


I don't know when I started being her fan^^

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Korea Scores Low on OECD Happiness Index


Korean people work 2,256 hours on average per year, and 79 percent of the adults have at least high school diplomas. The average household disposable income was US$16,254 as of 2008, and only 36 percent of the people are satisfied with their current life.

As a result Korea ranked 26th among 34 OECD member countries in the Better Life Index the world organization released on Tuesday to mark its 50th anniversary. The index is compiled based on 11 categories such as housing, jobs, income and education.

Australia topped the list followed by Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, the U.S. and Norway. Korea's neighbor Japan was placed 19th.

Korea scored high in education, safety, and jobs but was in the bottom group in work-life balance, housing, and income. Koreans worked 517 hours more than the OECD average of 1,739 hours. They also had a higher educational level compared to the OECD average of 73 percent of adults with at least a high school diploma.

The OECD average for satisfaction with life was 59 percent. Northern European countries ranked high in the category, with 91 percent in the Netherlands, 90 percent in Denmark and 86 percent in Finland saying they like their life. In Japan, only 40 percent said they are happy.

"Since the OECD started out in 1961, GDP has been the main factor by which it has measured and understood economic and social progress. But it has failed to capture many of the factors that influence people's lives, such as security, leisure, income distribution and a clean environment," the OECD said in the report. "A pioneer in this emerging field of research, the OECD has been working for almost 10 years to identify the best way to measure the progress of societies -- moving beyond GDP and examining the areas that impact everyday people's lives."
Link:http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/05/26/2011052601076.html

Cambodian Dance Performance at Inha University











We performed one of our traditional dance in a song called Neuk Sday Srey. It's a kind of urgent for us to be ready for this performance since we didn't know how to dance this kind of dance before; moreover, we didn't have much time to practise. We already tried our best, and here the result of our dance was shown in our pics hehehe^^

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Traditional Music at Seoul Palaces and Jongmyo Shrine


‘Traditional Music at Palace,’ a series of performances representing royal music of the Joseon Dynasty, artistic music of the classical scholars and modern fusion music, is set to take place at major Seoul landmarks between May and June. The royal court music and dance once performed at royal parties and banquets will be presented at Gyeongbokgung Palace. Members of the National Center Korean Traditional Performing Arts are staging artistic and folk music at Changdeokgung Palace, while an exciting and harmonious world music and Korean fusion music crossover is featured at Deoksugung Palace. Finally, Jongmyo Jeryeak, an elaborate dance to the ancient court music, is also demonstrated at Jongmyo Shrine. There is no additional fee, other than the admission fee, to see the performances.

More info

☞ Period, Time & Venue
Gyeongbokgung Palace Performance
June 5–June 26 / Sundays at 14:00, 16:00 / Sujeongjeon Hall (수정전)

Changdeokgung Palace Performance
May 8–June 26 / Sundays at 11:00, 15:00 / Nakseonjae (낙선재)

Deoksugung Palace Performance
May 21–June 25 / Saturdays at 16:00 (May), 19:00 (June) / Jeonggwanheon (정관헌)

Jongmyo Shrine Performance
May 7–June 25 / Saturdays at 10:00 / Jaegung (재궁)

☞ Admission fees
Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace
- Adults (ages 19 and over): 3,000 won
- Youths (ages 7-19): 1,500 won
Deoksugung Palace and Jongmyo Shrine
- Adults (ages 19 and over): 1,000 won
- Youths (ages 7-19): 500 won

☞ 1330 tt call center:+82-2-133(Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

Monday, May 23, 2011

Coming of Age: the Traditional Way

Electric-Powered Taxis to Hit Seoul Streets This Year


Electric-powered taxis will be seen on the streets of downtown Seoul later this year. The city government announced on Monday that it will operate 10 electric taxis in a trial run starting around November.

City Mayor Oh Se-hoon aims to have 120,000 electric vehicles on the roads by 2020 by replacing 50 percent of public transportation and official vehicles, 10 percent of automobiles, and 1 percent of cargo trucks with electric vehicles.

Fifty more electric taxis will be introduced next year, 150 more in 2013, and an additional 250 in 2014. Two single-ton electric cargo trucks will be put into trial operation in March 2012.
The city currently operates 36 electric cars mainly for use as official vehicles, and plans to gradually supply a total of 5,860 units by 2013.

Starting in 2013, those who buy an electric car will receive government subsidies of as much as 50 percent of the price difference of a comparable non-electric vehicle.

Seoul city also aims to increase the number of electric buses to 150 by 2013, and electric motorcycles, which cost some W3.5 million each, to 2,000 by 2013.
Link:http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/04/12/2011041200802.html

The 3rd Koreabrand.net Contents Reporters


For the 3rd Koreabrand.net Reporters seminar, we have Prof. Kyoung-Duk Seo, a publicity expert about Korea as our speaker who will give a lecture on 'Infinity Challenge toward the global stage: My Korea PR story.'
It will be held as an open lecture in June 28.
For more information, please check the attached file.
Thank you.

*Please RSVP to webmaster@koreabrand.go.kr
*Prof. Kyoung-Duk, Seo
-Associate Professor of SungSin W. Univ., Consultant on PCNB, Consultant on the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
-Appeared on MBC 무한도전(2010.12.11), 황금어장(2010.8.11) as a special guest.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Korean Medical Care that impressed Kazakhstan

At the end of last November, the medical team from the Korea University Anam Hospital flew over to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, and carried out the kidney transplant as officially invited by the National Medical Emergency Center of Kazakhstan. The surgery was successful, and the news on the medical techniques of the Korean medical team was aired throughout the country. Not like in Korea, the success rate of the kidney surgery in Kazakhstan is pretty low. However, the organ transplanting was the only way to save Aigerim Kumasheva suffering from the chronic renal insufficiency, so the medical team operated the surgery with her brother’s kidney, which took 8 hours in total. Dr. Kasimov, the head of the medical emergency center of Kazakhstan, appreciated at Korean medical team, saying “Our hospital deeply appreciates at Korean medical team that added a new page to the medical history of Kazakhstan. I was very impressed at their sense of duty as a doctor as well as their medical technology.” This is not the end of successful stories of Korean medical treatment. A number of tourists looking for the medical tourism are continuously visiting Korea. Let’s take a look at what is in Korean medical treatment!



Kazakhstan President’s doctor visited Korea

On April 26, one patient visited the Severance hospital in Korea and received a medical surgery. In fact, he was a lifetime doctor of Kazakhstan president Nursultan Nazarbaev and also a notable specialist in rehabilitative medicine, who was running a huge hospital in Kazakhstan. He first found the successful story of robotic surgery by the Severance hospital from the article among the data of medically advanced countries such as U.S. and European countries. He decided to visit Korea right after counseled by one of his co-workers and met an acquaintance who recovered from the surgery by the Severance hospital.

Sitting aside with the robot called da Vinci, the doctor operates surgery with 3-D screen. The robotic arm is located inside the patient’s body

He chose Dr. Na, who is well-known to have performed the greatest number of robotic surgeries on prostate cancer in Korea. You will find the reason from the fact that he is the first doctor in Korea who succeeded the robotic surgery in 2005, and also performed about 1,200 surgeries so far. Of course, the result was successful. Dr. Oraz left the hospital with a healthy appearance. Like this, the technology of robotic surgery has achieved recognition throughout the world. You will be surprised to know that many doctors around the world such as U.S., Singapore, Italy, and France visited Korea to learn how to perform the robotic surgery, even paying tuition.

What is da Vinci Robotic Surgery?

Beyond the limit of hands, da Vinci Robot

The robotic surgery was first brought in Korea in 2005 by the Severance Hospital, and since then, it was applied in an operation room. What is the procedure of the surgery? The patient gets general anesthesia like the other surgeries. And then, the robot’s arm is inserted into the abdominal cavity of the patient after injecting the gas and inserting the port into the patients’ abdominal cavity. After then, the doctor pricks several holes for putting robotic arm and camera into his patients. Next, he controls the robot with the exactly same hand movements like he did in the real surgery, watching the 3-D screen that helps doctors take a closer look at the affected area of patient, which is absolutely beyond the human hands.



In particular, the da Vinci robotic surgery is useful to cure some cancer that might bring about a severe side effect and complications when its surrounding nerves and blood vessel are damaged, such as the prostate cancer, rectal cancer, esophageal cancer, and bladder cancer. It is indeed an effective surgery.

Oriental medicine to the world

Korea International Cooperation Agency(KOICA) and the city of Almaty, Kazakhstan made an agreement to establish the Korea-Kazakhstan friendship hospital in 2000. At that time, KOICA used to send doctors and volunteers to the department of internal medicine, dentist, clinical pathology, oriental medicine, and other various fields. Now, the city of Almaty is running the entire hospital according to the further agreement.

Medical Services by Korean Medicine Service Team Abroad (KOMSTA), Kazakhstan

Well, there is more. The Korean Medicine Service Team Abroad (KOMSTA) also performed the medical services to 1,000 residents and Korean-Kazakhstan who live in poor medical surroundings. Through the wonderful Korean traditional medical treatment such as acupuncture, moxa cautery, cupping, and oriental medicine in Kazakhstan where 100,000 Korean-Kazakhstan live, we hope that we delivered a pride to Korean-Kazakhstan, and health to those residents. Also we believe that people in Kazakhstan would have more expectations and demands to Korean traditional treatment in the future.

Recently, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine hosted the training program on ‘Modernization of Korean traditional medicine’ from April 15 to 29 for two weeks targeting the world health care experts. The program is one of the training programs that Korea International Cooperation Agency(KOICA) offered, and in this program, total 14 foreign health care experts from 11 countries of Asia, Central and South America, and Africa, such as Cambodia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kazakhstan, Laos, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and etc. It will be a great opportunity for the world health care experts to get handful of experience on the Korean traditional medical treatment.
Link:http://blog.daum.net/korea_brand/1167

Let’s Go Inside the Love Story of Chun Hyang and Mong Ryong!

We see many ‘Couples of the Century’ through numerous media. Whether they are real couples or the fake ones, the range of couple are limitless. For example, world famous football star David Beckham and the member of the world pop girl group ‘Spice Girls’, Victoria Beckham became the couple of the century since their marriage. There are also fictional couples beloved by many in the world. In Jane Eyre, the famous and influential western novel, the love between Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester has been remembered among readers until now. Then, is there any ‘Couple of the Century’ in Korean classical literature? Absolutely, yes! Chunhyang and Mongryong, they are the familiar names to Korean. The novel was adapted for pansori, book, film and even drama, beloved by many fans. The main character, Chunhyang, built an image of active woman in Joseon Dynasty, and now she became the representative image of Korean woman through the various performances carried overseas. They are truly a couple of the century that presents Korea.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t any place to remind us of their love story. Every story was supposed to be alive in the reader’s imagination, however, if the readers can see and look around the virtual place that helps understanding of the full story of ‘Chunhyang-jeon’, visitors would definitely enjoy the story with the scenery. Well, from the idea and demands, ‘Namwon Chunhyang Theme Park’ finally opened on May 2004. Theme park is the place for entertainment attractions that has landscaping, buildings, and attractions that are based on one or more specific themes. The ‘Namwon Chunhyang Theme Park’ is ready for couples with the gist, ‘We invite those of you who have someone in love with!’.

We have everything in Namwon Chunhyang Theme Park!


The Night view of Namwon Chunhyang Theme Park

‘Namwon Chunhyang Theme Park’ is comprised of mainly 5 places- ‘Meeting Place’, ‘Pledge Place’, ‘Love and parting Place’, ‘Hardship Place’, and ‘Festival Place’. When you enter the theme park, you will see the facilities and structures that are well-matched to each place. At ‘Meeting Place’, you will see swings where Chunhyang and Mongryong first met, a fountain, and a cultural museum. At ‘Pledge Place’, you will meet a stone tower over the ring-shaped bridge ’Okjihwan’ which means a declaration of love. You might also find some couples in front of the tower, piling a stone on it and tying a small piece of wishing paper. In addition, ‘Pledge Place’ is quite a famous place to couples among other theme places. When a couple put their hands inside the ‘Pot of Pledge’, the love song ‘Sarang-ga’ comes out of it. At ‘Love and Parting Place’, you will see the ‘Buyong-dang’ where Chunhyang and Mongryong spent their wedding night, and the house of gisaeng ‘Wolmae’, Chunhyang’s mother. Also there is a workshop that you can experience the ‘seonbi’s style and arts, and even commoners’ culture in the middle era of Joseon Dynasty. ‘Hardship Place’ is also a place that attracts tourists. There is a rebuilt jail that Chunhyang was imprisoned, and the investigation office which has a stick for flogging criminals. The stick is remade for visitors to try and have fun, so you can try it, too. Finally, at ‘Festival Place’, there are many places to relax for visitors, and private theme school for writing letters with a brush. Once you use the brush, you will feel as if you were a writer going back to Joseon Dynasty.

Enjoy the whole Namwon!


The whole view of Namwon Chunhyang Theme Park

The introduction of the ‘Namwon Chunhyang Theme Park’ is all over. However, there are more reasons why Namwon is getting attractive. If you look are the other museums and entertainment attractions will give us satisfaction more than ever.
In ‘Chunhyang Cutural Arts Center’ which is located in the theme park, the performance of the intangible cultural asset that was designated by the province holds on regular basis. You can also lend the hall in advance. Please take a look at the performance schedule posted on the homepage of Namwon City Hall.
Besides, you can participate in making a pottery in the traditional cultural center in the theme park. It will be a wonderful memory for you to bring, considering it is neither a plastic, nor a porcelain dish that we see commonly in our daily life. The theme park will give you a meaningful experience on Korean traditional culture as well as Chunhyang’s love story.

This is not the end. Since last fall, the newly started festival of Namwon will give fresh opportunity to visitors. The marching parade which starts from every Saturday and Sunday from 2pm to 5pm is named the ‘Newly-appointed governor’s arrival’. As the parade marches from Gwanhan-ru to Theme Park, which is 2Km long, it will be a ‘must visit’ for those of you who love traveling.

For those of you who want to experience Chunhyang’s love and passion, we recommend you to visit Gwanghan-ru, and Chunhyang shrine. Gwanhan-ru which is famous for the place where Chunhyang and Mongryong first met each other provides splendid scenery in any season. Chunhyang shrine is the place that was built to honor the Chunhyang’s sincere love toward Mongryong. The bamboos planted around the shrine are standing strong and straight as if it showed Chunhyang’s nobel beliefs and principles. The letter ‘Dansim’ which means sincerity that presents Chunhyang’s character will touch the bottom of every single visitor.

In 2012, Yeosu will host the Expo, the world cultural festival. As the festival is expected to draw public attention to Jeolla province, most of the area is spurring the preparation for Expo. Of course, Namwon is not an exception. Namwon already selected several restaurants to recommend during the Expo and is now working on the promotion. In addition, Namwon Chunhyang Theme Park planned last February to provide more entertainment for visitors, overall which shows how Namwon is trying so hard and put a lot of efforts on it.

‘Namwon Chunhyang Them Park’ stands still as it is the first theme park that targeting the classical literature in Korea. Although the novel was written a half century, the love between Chunhyang and Mongryong would have something special that transcend the flow of era. We hope that you can experience the amazing and beautiful power that makes their love and even the entire Namwon as a one cultural heritage over half a century. Do you have someone you love? Then, move your step to the ‘Namwon Chunhyang Them Park’.
Link:http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10109426721

Bukchon gains popularity among international visitors


According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, last year the Bukcheon area in northern Seoul saw more than 100 thousand visitors.

Established nearly 600 years ago at the start of the Joseon dynasty, the residential area between Gyeongbok and Changdeok Palaces has become famous for its high density of traditional Korean houses, called Hanok.

Located between two of Seoul’s most famous palaces and the Jongmyo Royal Shrine, Bukcheon is home to many historical spots and cultural heritage sites, including the Gahoe Museum. Because of the increase in the number of visitors, several interpreters are on hand to assist tourists in Japanese, Chinese and English.
Link:http://www.korea.net/news.do?mode=detail&guid=55427

Lie to me 내게 거짓말 해봐


Gong Ah Jung, a level 5 Ministry of Culture official, gets entangled in a web of lies when she mistakenly lies that she's married to Hyun Ki Joon, a hotel manager from an affluent family. Their relationship is further complicated when Ki Joon's ex-fiancée and a close friend of his brother's, Oh Yoon Joo, reappears in his life.

Ji Hee Sister's wedding






Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Kim Yu-na to Face Off Against Skating Legend Katarina Witt


Kim Yu-na (left) and Katarina Witt

Olympic champion Kim Yu-na is to come up against German figure skating legend Katarina Witt, not on the ice but in the technical briefing of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Kim is the goodwill ambassador for Pyeongchang's campaign to host the games, and Witt heads the organizing committee for Munich's bid. Both figure skating stars will represent their own cities and make a presentation in front of IOC members.

Witt is one of the most decorated skaters in women's figure skating, having won two Olympic gold medals, in Sarajevo in 1984 and Calgary in 1988, and four world championships. Kim won the gold medal in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, and silver in the last two seasons of the world championships. She is deliberating whether to compete in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

The technical briefing will be Kim's first time in front of IOC members, as she had to pull out of the Sport Accord in London in April due to rescheduling of the 2011 World Championships after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

The two stars are both enthusiastic about the briefings. "This competition is different from countless other competitions that I've experienced. There is just one winner, no silver, no bronze," Witt said. She has confidence in Munich's campaign, saying that Pyeongchang's previous two narrow defeats do not guarantee it a win at the third try.

Kim said, "It would be interesting for many to see two figure skaters representing their respective country in the competition to host the Olympics." Kim had a final rehearsal for the presentation with other presenters in the Mirabeau Hotel in Lausanne on Tuesday. Other presenters are Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho, the head of Pyeongchang's bid committee, Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, 2004 Olympic champion in taekwondo and IOC member Moon Dae-sung, Korean Olympic Committee President Park Yong-sung, and Theresa Rah, a spokeswoman of the bid committee.
Link:http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/05/18/2011051801059.html

Parliamentary speakers gather in Seoul for G20 speakers’ forum


Parliamentary speakers from more than 20 countries will gather in Seoul for the G-20 Speakers' Consultation from May 18 to 20.

Following the successful hosting of the G20 Seoul Summit last year, Korea will host the event at the National Assembly in Yeouido. The first forum was held in Ottawa, Canada, last year.

A total of 26 speakers from 25 countries, including five non-G20 member countries and a representative from the International Parliamentary Union, will participate in this year’s gathering. Among the attendees are Representative Eni F. H. Faleomavaega of American Samoa and Sir John Stanley, Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.

The participants will discuss measures to achieve worldwide co-prosperity under the theme of "Safe World, Better Future." They will also share opinions on the meeting agendas, which include strategies for inter-parliamentary collaboration for world peace and anti-terrorism, strategies for developing economies based on the development experiences of advanced countries and post-financial crisis international coordination towards shared growth and the role of parliaments.

For more information about the meeting, please visit the homepage of the G-20 Speakers' Consultation (http://seoulspeakers.assembly.go.kr) (Korean, English).

Korean pavilion built in Paraguay


Three traditional Korean gardens were built recently in Asuncion, the capital city of Paraguay. This is the first time that a South American country has opened such a garden, according to an announcement by the Korea Forest Service on May 17.

The new gardens include a pine tree forest and pavilion at the Presidential residence and Nu Guazu Park to symbolize the friendship and cooperation between Korea and Paraguay.

To mark the opening, a ceremony was held on May 16 and was attended by Paraguayan President Fernando Armindo Lugo Méndez, Korean ambassador to Paraguay Park Dong-won and Korean residents of the area.
Link:http://www.korea.net/news.do?mode=detail&guid=55185

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

A Famous Hand Puppet Show Held at Gapyeong Petite France


‘Guignol,’ a French traditional hand puppet show named after the show’s main character himself, is scheduled to run from May 1st to June 30th at the French cultural village, Petite France , in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do. The puppet show runs in two different episodes: Le Voleur Vole, in which Guignol retrieves his friend’s money stolen by a thief, and La Racine d’Amerique, in which a magic root sets Guignol free from his wife’s harassment. Meanwhile, concerts involving the traditional music box and musical instruments of the Middle Ages, French movies and other European cultural performances are currently featured at Petite France.

More info

< Guignol >
☞ Puppet Show Period & Location
May 1–June 30 / Petite France outdoor amphitheater (Petite event hall, in case of rain)
☞ Puppet Show Schedule
* Le Voleur Vole: 11:30, 15:30 (Tuesdays-Sundays) / 19:00 (Saturdays)
* La Racine d’Amerique: 13:30 (Tuesdays-Sundays) / 17:00 (Saturdays-Sundays)

< Petite France >
☞ Operating Hours
* Regular Hours: 09:00-18:00 (Closed on Mondays)
* Extended Hours (May-August): 09:00-20:00 (Fridays) / 09:00-21:00 (Saturdays)
☞ Admission Fees (Show tickets included)
* Adults (ages 19 and over): 8,000 won
* Youths (ages 13-18): 6,000 won
* Children (ages 3-13) & Seniors (ages 65 and over): 5,000 won
* Infants (ages 2 and under): Free
☞ Inquiries: +82-31-584-8200 (Korean)
☞ 1330 tt call center: +82-31-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

British Weekly Calls Hyun Bin 'Korean Elvis'


The Economist weekly likens actor Hyun Bin, who is serving in the Marine Corps, to the King of Rock and Roll. In a column titled "Hallyu Elvis and the draft-dodger," the magazine notes "hugely popular" actor's "preference for the Elvis Presley route to service."

Presley enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 23 in 1957, when his popularity was at its peak, and served for two years.

"Every South Korean man of sound mind and body is obliged to complete 21 months of compulsory military service," the weekly wrote. "For those with enough money or influence though, the temptation to cheat one's way out of early mornings, crew cuts and square bashing is often too much to resist."

Hyun "last week embarked on the toughest assignment of all: a posting with the Marines, to Baeknyeong Island -- close to the Northern Limit Line and Yeonpyeong, where last November's lethal North Korean bombardment took place."

The magazine contrasts Hyun with rapper MC Mong, who was given a six-month suspended sentence for draft dodging. "MC Mong, having been seen as trying to sidestep his national duty, will have a harder time turning his service into a virtue. A quick march towards career oblivion seems more likely."
Link:http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/05/17/2011051700564.html

World Students in Korea (WSK) Recruiting the 5th batch^^

The Presidential Council on Nation Branding (PCNB) is recruiting the 5th batch of members for the program “World Students in Korea.”

“World Students in Korea” aims to provide international students in Korea with opportunities to experience Korea in a more organized, diverse, and involved manner and to promote cultural exchanges between Korea and the students’ home countries through the blogs (web logs) run by the member students.

The 1st batch was launched in July 2009. Members participate in a variety of activities including camps, field trips, workshops, performances and other events.

1. Number of members sought :
Fifty (50)

2. Application Period :
May 16 (Mon) – May 29 (Sun) 2011

3. Eligibility
- International students (i.e. those who are currently enrolled in an educational institution(s) in Korea)
- Those who own and run a blog (*Those who do not have a blog are requested to open one prior to applying)
- Those who are interested in Korea’s industries and culture
- Priority for selection will be given to those who speak Korean

4. Tenure
Jun 2011 – December 2011 (6 months)

5. Tasks
- Open and run an individual blog upon which students are to post contents (articles, photos, videos, etc.) related to Korea
- Attend various workshops, field trips, and events hosted by the Council

6. Benefits
- Upon evaluation by the Council at the end of the tenure, students who have shown distinguished on- and offline activities will receive awards (e.g. A round trip flight ticket to home country for Grand Prize winner)
- A small gift will be provided for the students who have shown excellent activities upon evaluation by the Council at the end of the month.
- Opportunities to attend diverse cultural events and performances related to Korea, or those hosted by the Council
- Media coverage (TV programs, interviews with newspapers, magazines etc.) regarding WSK activities and Korea

7. How to Apply
Via the Council’s official web site. Click the following link:
http://www.koreabrand.net/html/en/embeddedform_5.html


8. Inquiries

Ms. Jung-A Lee
Culture, Tourism & Global Citizenship Bureau
Presidential Council on Nation Branding
brand@koreabrand.go.kr

Ms. Jin-Sook Lee
International Cooperation Bureau
Presidential Council on Nation Branding
milkyway@koreabrand.go.kr

*** For further information on the Presidential Council on Nation Branding, visit www.koreabrand.net

Monday, May 16, 2011

VisitKorea 10th Anniversary Event Series


Michelin Starred (★★★) Best Travel Destinations in Korea!


Michelin has revealed its selection of recommended tourist attractions in Korea, which will appear in the Michelin Green Guide Korea, set to be released in France on May 17.

On Michelin’s 3-star list (3 being the highest rating) are Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul and the Daereungwon Tomb Complex (twenty-three ancient tombs of the Silla Dynasty) in the historic city of Gyeongju. Other top 3-star tourist destinations in Korea are Gyeongju Yangdong Village (a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with traditional houses) and Andong Hahoe Village (another UNESCO World Heritage Site and popular travel destination).

Also joining the list of Michelin favorites are: Suncheonman Bay in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do Province (known for its mesmerizing natural landscape), Seonamsa Temple and Songgwangsa Temple (with their long history and valuable cultural heritages), Maisan Provincial Park in Jinan, Jeollabuk-do, and Dolmen Museum in Gochang, Jeollabuk-do.

Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon, Gyeongsangnam-do and Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak on Jeju Island were also recommended by Michelin as best travel destinations in Korea.
Link:http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/FU/FU_EN_15.jsp?cid=1280214

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Presidential visit to Germany, Denmark, France


President Lee Myung-bak and First Lady Kim Yoon-ok are making an official visit to Germany, Denmark and France from May 8 to May 14.

President Lee arrived in Berlin on May 8 for summit talks with President Christian Wulff and Chancellor Angela Merkel the next day. The two leaders discussed bilateral trade and investment between Korea and Germany, ways to enhance cooperation in economy and renewable energy sectors and green growth.

President Lee then moved to Denmark on May 11 for a state visit at the invitation of Queen Margrette II.

President Lee’s itinerary in Denmark includes the opening ceremony of the Copenhagen branch of the Global Green Growth Institute, where he will meet with Danish business leaders, and delivering a speech at the Korea-Denmark Green Industries Consultative Forum.

In addition, he will give a Joint Statement on the Korea-Denmark Strategic Partnership and a Joint Statement for Green Cooperation between Korea and Denmark. There will also be an MOU signing ceremony between green technology organizations from both countries.

After finishing up in Denmark, President Lee will head to Paris on May 12 for a three-day visit.

Presidents Lee and his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, will discuss ways to advance the G20 Summit as the chairs of the previous and upcoming G20 Summits, respectively.

The two leaders will also discuss ways to bolster trade and investment when the Korea-EU FTA takes effect.

Presidents Lee will also meet with Secretary-General Angel Gurria of the OECD and UNESCO Secretary-General Irina Gueorguieva Bokova.
Link:http://www.korea.net/news.do?mode=cur_more&subcode=eng030382

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Kazakhstan marks ‘Year of Korea 2011’ with events


To celebrate the “Year of Korea 2011” in Kazakhstan, various cultural programs, including an opening ceremony event, concerts, Korean film festival and photo exhibition, have been taking place across the country from May 4. (To read the related news, click here)

As part of “2010-2011 Kazakhstan-Korea Year” exchange project, a variety of cultural programs to promote Korean culture have been held in the Kazakhstani capital city of Astana and Almati, the country’s largest city.

The “2010-2011 Kazakhstan-Korea Year” project was initially agreed to by President Lee Myung-bak and his Kazakhstani counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, during the Korea-Kazakhstan summit talks, which took place in May of 2009. The project was designed to substantially expand bilateral exchanges in all sectors, including politics, the economy, culture and human exchanges.

During the ongoing event, Korea and Kazakhstan also signed a memorandum of understanding in the tourism sector, which will enhance the friendship between the two countries in the future.
To mark the “Year of Korea 2011”, an opening ceremony event titled “Night of Korea” was held by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at a concert hall in Astana on May 5. This celebratory event was attended by some 3,000 people, including officials like Korean Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Mo Chul-min and his Kazakhstani counterpart, Chairwoman of the Presidential Council on National Branding Lee Bae-yong, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) CEO Cho Hwan-Eik and Korean ambassador to Kazakhstan Lee Buyng-hwa.

Chongdong Theater’s well-known musical “Miso” staged a wonderful performance, and the performers were joined by popular Hallyu stars and the bands Tmax and JQT for an opening concert.
Kazakhstani audiences were especially enthusiastic about actor Song Il-gook, the lead in the historical Korean TV drama “Jumong,” which is currently very popular in Kazakhstan.

Both Korea’s Arirang TV and Kazakhstan’s state broadcaster, Kazakhstan TV, aired the opening concert on May 8.

* Culture Ministry to host various Korean cultural events in Kazakhstan throughout 2011

To mark “Year of Korea 2011,” Korea’s Culture Ministry will hold a variety of programs to promote Korean culture in both Astana and Almati throughout the year.

The ministry held a Korean film festival and photo exhibition in Astana from May 6 to 9. The film festival showed four popular Korean films, including “Overspeed Scandal,” "Ski Jumping National Team" and "Beyond the Years." The photo exhibition showed the charms of Korean tourism through beautiful pictures of Korea’s UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Jeju Island and Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju.

The Culture Ministry plans to send a Korean delegation of culture and arts volunteer service workers, a taekwondo promotion delegation and Korean intangible assets to Kazakhstan for performances, starting in June.

* Korea, Kazakhstan sign tourism MOU

During his visit to Kazakhstan, Vice Minister Mo signed an MOU with Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Tourism and Sports, Talgat Ermegiyaev. Through the agreement, the two countries will expand the volume of exchanges in tourism and sports.

Meanwhile, in Almati, the Presidential Council on National Branding and five Korean government ministries, including the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, worked together to jointly hold the “Korea Week” festival, including the hosted “A Night of Korea” event and celebratory concert on May 4.

The Ministry of Knowledge Economy and KOTRA jointly held the AT&D KOREA Road Show, composed of forums, exhibitions and consulting services focusing on smart technology.

The Korea Communications Commission held a showcase event for broadcasting contents to promote Korean exports by screening Korean TV programs at the showcase event, a TV broadcasting showcase and business consulting meeting.
Link:http://www.korea.net/news.do?mode=detail&guid=54959

The 2011 Lotus Lantern Festival “Communication and Global Harmony”


The annual Lotus Lantern Festival ushering in Buddha’s birthday (which falls this year on May 10) will be held from May 6 to May 8, 2011.

According to Buddhist belief, the lighting of a lotus-shaped lantern symbolizes a devotion to performing good deeds and lighting up the dark parts of the world that are filled with agony. The lantern-lighting practice was developed throughout the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties and has been preserved through public demonstrations such as the lotus lantern service (a Buddhist memorial service held nationwide) and the lotus lantern parade.

The modern-day Lotus Lantern Festival is designed to bring multiracial and multicultural crowds together through an array of festive programs. This year’s event offers visitors the chance to make their own lantern, taste temple dishes, produce rubbings of various Buddhist shapes, and much more.

The lighting ceremony will be held in Seoul Plaza (in front of City Hall) on the evening of April 26th, but the festival will not officially kick off until May 6th, with the traditional lantern exhibition at Bongeunsa Temple. On May 7th the lantern parade (the highlight of the lantern festival) will take place, featuring more than 100,000 massive, illuminated lanterns in the shape of lotus flowers, stupas, elephants, dragons, and more. The sight of these orbs of light bobbing and swaying down the entire length of Jongno is a sight not to be missed!
For more information:http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=1002416

ការបាញ់​សម្លាប់​បិន ឡាដិន៖​ សហរដ្ឋ​អាមេរិក​មិនសុំទោស​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​ឡើយ​

លោកនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន ​Yousouf Raza Gilani បាន​ទាមទារ​នៅ​ថ្ងៃចន្ទ​ទី៩​ឧសភា​ម្សិលមិញ​ឲ្យ​សហរដ្ឋ​អាមេរិក​សុំទោស​ ប្រទេស​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​ ​ ដោយហេតុតែ​យោធា​អាមេរិក​មាន​ទង្វើ​ឯកតោភាគី​ក្នុង​ការ​វាយប្រហារ​ទៅលើ​ គេហដ្ឋាន​ដែល​ជា​ទីកន្លែង​លាក់​ខ្លួន​របស់​មេដឹកនាំ​អាល់កៃដា​បិន​ ឡាដិន​នៅ​ទីក្រុង​Abbottabad ​ដោយ​ពុំ​បាន​ប្រាប់​អាជ្ញាធរ​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​ឲ្យ​ ដឹង​មុន។​ ក៏ប៉ុន្តែ​ រដ្ឋបាល​របស់​លោក​បារ៉ាក់​អូបាម៉ា​បាន​បដិសេធ​មិន​សុំទោស​ប្រទេស​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន ​ឡើយ។

អ្នកនាំពាក្យ​នៃ​សេតវិមាន​លោក​Jay Carney​បាន​ថ្លែង​ប្រកាស​ប្រាប់ថា​ ​ សហរដ្ឋ​អាមេរិក​នឹង​មិនធ្វើការ​សុំទោស​ប្រទេស​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​ឡើយ​ពាក់ព័ន្ធ​នឹង​ការ​វាយ​ប្រហារ​ទៅលើ​មេដឹកនាំ​អាល់កៃដា​បិន​ ឡាដិន​នៅ​ទីក្រុង​Abbottabad​ ​ ហើយ​រដ្ឋបាល​របស់​លោក​បារ៉ាក់​អូបាម៉ា​ក៏​មិនសុំទោស​ផងទៀត​ស្ដីពី​ទង្វើ​ឯកតោភាគី​របស់​ខ្លួន​ពាក់ព័ន្ធ​នឹងការ​វាយប្រហារ​ដោយ​ពុំ​បាន​ប្រាប់​អាជ្ញាធរ​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​ឲ្យ​ដឹងមុន។​ ក៏​ប៉ុន្តែ​ សហរដ្ឋ​អាមេរិក​នៅចង់​រក្សា​ទំនាក់​ទំនង​សហប្រតិបត្តិការ​ជាមួយ​ប្រទេស​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន។

ទាំងនេះ​មកពី​រដ្ឋបាល​អាមេរិកាំង​យល់ឃើញថា​ ​ ទំនាក់​ទំនង​សហប្រតិបត្តិការ​រវាង​ទីក្រុង​វ៉ាស៊ីនតោន​និង​ទីក្រុង​អ៊ីស្លាម៉ាបាដ​មាន​សារៈសំខាន់​ ​ ថ្វីដ្បិតតែ​ទំនាក់​ទំនង​រវាង​ប្រទេស​ទាំងពីរ​មាន​លក្ខណៈ​សាំញ៉ាំ​ចម្រូង​ចម្រាស​យ៉ាងណាក្តី។​ ហេតុដូច្នេះ​ហើយ​បាន​ជា​អ្នកទទួល​ខុសត្រូវ​អាមេរិកាំង​ ​ មានចាប់​តាំងពី​លោក​ប្រធានាធិបតី​បារ៉ាក់​អូបាម៉ា​ក៏​បាន​គូស​បញ្ជាក់​ឲ្យ​ដឹងថា​ ​ ទោះបីជា​យ៉ាង​ណាក្តី​ក៏​ប្រទេស​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​បាន​ជួយ​ឲ្យ​យោធា​អាមេរិកាំង​បាន​តាម​រក​ឃើញ​មេដឹកនាំ​អាល់កៃដា​បិន​ ឡាដិន​នៅ​ទីក្រុង​Abbottabad​ផងដែរ។​ ទំនាក់​ទំនង​សហប្រតិបត្តិការ​រវាង​ទីក្រុង​វ៉ាស៊ីនតោន​និង​ទីក្រុង​អ៊ីស្លាម៉ាបាដ​ពិតជា​មាន​សារៈ​សំខាន់​ ​ ដូច្នេះ​ត្រូវតែ​មាន​បន្ត​ទៅទៀត​សម្រាប់​ប្រយុទ្ធ​ប្រឆាំង​នឹង​ភេរវនិយម។​ មូលហេតុ​មួយទៀត​គឺ​ស្ថានភាព​ភូមិសាស្ត្រ​របស់​ប្រទេស​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​ដែល​មាន​ព្រំដែន​ជាប់​ជាមួយ​នឹង​ប្រទេស​អាហ្វហ្កានិស្តង់​ដែល​សហរដ្ឋ​អាមេរិក​កំពុង​ធ្វើ​សង្គ្រាម​ប្រយុទ្ធ​ប្រឆាំង​ជាមួយនឹង​ពួក​តាលីបង់។

បច្ចុប្បន្ន​នេះ​ ​ ទំនាក់ទំនង​អាមេរិក-ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​នៅមាន​សភាព​តានតឹង។​ ទីក្រុង​អ៊ីស្លាម៉ាបាដ​ដែលបាន​ថ្លែង​ប្រាប់​ឲ្យ​គេ​ស្គាល់​ឈ្មោះ​របស់​មេ​យកការ​សម្ងាត់​អាមេរិកាំង​CIA នៅ​ប្រទេស​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​ ​ ហើយ​ទីក្រុង​អ៊ីស្លាម៉ាបាដ​បាន​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​ទីក្រុង​វ៉ាស៊ីនតោន​រង់ចាំ​អស់រយៈពេល​មួយសប្តាហ៍​ ​ ទម្រាំ​យល់ព្រម​ឲ្យ​អាមេរិកាំង​សាកសួរ​យក​ចម្លើយ​ពី​ភរិយា​ទាំងបី​របស់​បិន​ ឡាដិន។

នៅក្នុង​ស្ថានការណ៍​បែបនេះ​ ​ រដ្ឋបាល​របស់​លោក​បារ៉ាក់​អូបាម៉ា​នៅ​មាន​ការ​យល់យោគ​ដល់​អ្នក​ដឹកនាំ​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​ដែល​ខុស​ផ្ទុយ​ពី​សាធារណមតិ​អាមេរិកាំង​ដែល​ពុំ​អត់ឱន​ឡើយ​ឲ្យ​អ្នក​ទទួល​ខុសត្រូវ​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​។​ នៅ​ក្នុង​ការ​ស្ទាបស្ទង់​មតិ​មួយ​របស់​NBC បាន​ឲ្យ​ដឹងថា​ ​ ប្រជាជន​អាមេរិកាំង​ដល់ទៅ​៧០%​មាន​ជំនឿ​ជឿថា​ អាជ្ញាធរ​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​ដឹង​ទីកន្លែង​ដែល​បិន​ ឡាដិន​ពួន​លាក់ខ្លួន​ក៏ប៉ុន្តែ​ពុំ​ព្រម​ប្រាប់​សហរដ្ឋ​អាមេរិក។​ ហើយ​បើ​យោងតាម​ការ​ស្ទាបស្ទង់​មតិ​មួយទៀត​បាន​ឲ្យ​​ដឹងថា​ ​ មាន​ប្រជាជន​តែ​៥%​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ​ដែល​បាន​ចាត់ទុក​ប្រទេស​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​ជា​សម្ព័ន្ធមិត្ត​របស់​សហរដ្ឋ​អាមេរិក។

លោកនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​Yousouf Raza Gilani​បាន​បដិសេធ​កាលពី​ថ្ងៃចន្ទ​ម្សិលមិញ​នូវ​ការ​ចោទ​ប្រកាន់​របស់​អាមេរិក​ថា​ ​ អាជ្ញាធរ​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​បាន​ឃុបឃិត​ជាមួយ​មេដឹកនាំ​អាល់កៃដា​បិន​ ឡាដិន។​ លោក​Yousouf Raza Gilani​បាន​ថ្លែងថា​ ​ ការចោទ​ប្រកាន់នេះ​ជាការ​ចោទ​ប្រកាន់មួយ​ដ៏​ “ល្ងិតល្ងង់”។​ ក៏​ប៉ុន្តែ​​ លោក​Yousouf Raza Gilani​បាន​សន្យា​ថា​នឹង​ធ្វើ​ការ​អង្កេត​ពី​បញ្ហា​នេះ។

លោកនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​បាន​សម្តែង​ឲ្យ​ដឹងទៀតថា​ ​ អាជ្ញាធរ​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​បាន​ប្តេជ្ញាចិត្ត​ថា​នឹង​ធ្វើ​ការ​អង្កេត​ដោយ​ប្រើ​គ្រប់​មធ្យោបាយ​ដើម្បី​ឲ្យ​ដឹងថា​ ​ តើ​នៅ​ពេលណា​ហើយតើ​ហេតុ​អ្វី​បាន​ជា​បិន​ ឡាដិន​មក​ពួនលាក់​ខ្លួន​នៅ​ទីក្រុង​Abbottabad ដែល​ឋិត​នៅ​ចម្ងាយ​មិន​ឆ្ងាយ​ពី​រដ្ឋធានី​អ៊ីស្លាម៉ាបាដ​យ៉ាង​ដូច្នេះ ?

សម្រាប់​លោកនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​Yousouf Raza Gilani​ ​ ការ​ចោទ​ប្រទេស​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​ថា​ ​ ស្ថាប័ន​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​បាន​លេង​ស្នៀត​ល្បែង​កាំបិត​មុខពីរ​ជាមួយ​ពួក​ភេរវនិយម​អាល់កៃដា​គឺ​ពិត​ជា​ការ​ចោទ​ប្រកាន់​ដ៏លីលា​ ​ ដោយហេតុថា​ពួក​អាល់កៃដា​និង​សម្ព័ន្ធ​មិត្ត​របស់​ពួក​គេ​ធ្លាប់បាន​មក​ប្រព្រឹត្ត​អំពើ​ភេរវកម្ម​រាប់រយដង​នៅ​លើ​ដែនដី​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន។​ បន្ថែម​ពីលើនេះ​ ​ លោក​នាយក​រដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​ Yousouf Raza Gilani​បាន​គូស​បញ្ជាក់ថា​ ​ ទាំងនេះ​ពិត​ជា​បាន​ឆ្លុះ​បញ្ចាំង​ឲ្យ​ឃើញ​នូវ​បរាជ័យ​របស់​អ្នក​យកការ​សម្ងាត់​ទាំង​ខាង​ភាគី​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​ ​ ទាំងខាង​អាមេរិកាំង​និង​ប្រទេស​លោក​ខាងលិច​ទាំងមូល។

មុននឹង​បញ្ចប់​ ​ លោកនាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី​ប៉ាគីស្ថាន​Yousouf Raza Gilani​បាន​ចោទ​សួរថា​ ​ តើ​នរណា​ជា​អ្នក​ទទួល​ខុស​ត្រូវ​ក្នុង​ការ​បង្ក​បង្កើត​ឲ្យ​មាន​ចលនា​អាល់កៃដា​របស់​បិន​ ឡាដិន​នៅ​ក្នុង​ទសវត្សរ៍​ឆ្នាំ១៩៩០?
rfi

Sunday, May 8, 2011

New visa for marriage migrants


Starting in September, marriage migrants in Korea will receive a new visa that has been created especially to address the needs of non-citizens married to Korean, according to a Ministry of Justice announcement on April 29. There will also be changes to make it easier for investors and business people to gain permanent residency, the ministry reported.

According to the revised visa plans, marriage migrants will receive F-6 visas rather than the F-2 visa. Meanwhile, the F-2 visa will be expanded and extended to private foreign investors who bring in more than $500,000, allowing them to remain in Korea for longer periods of time between renewals.
Link:http://www.korea.net/news.do?mode=detail&guid=54901

HRD Korea selected as first place winner of 2011 UN Public Service Award

The Employment Permit System (EPS) run by the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) and the Human Resources Development Service of Korea (HRD Korea) will win the United Nations Public Service Award (UNPSA), the most prestigious international award in public service.

Korea's EPS was recognized for its innovation in enhancing transparency and preventing corruption in public service related to the introduction of foreign workers.

Winning the award will raise Korea's standing on the world stage by allowing its advanced migrant worker policy, represented by EPS, to be known widely.

The UNPSA ceremony will be held on the UN Public Service Day (Jun. 23) in Tanzania, Africa.

HRD Korea (president Yu Jae-soub) was selected as the UNPSA first-place winner under the category "preventing and combating corruption in the public service" on April 30.

It was acknowledged for its great contributions towards reducing illegal stay of foreigners, infringement of human rights and irregularities that might arise in selecting and introducing foreign workers, by operating EPS in a transparent and fair manner.

EPS was introduced in August 2004 in order to solve problems with the existing industrial trainee system and effectively help SMEs reduce labor shortages. By the end of February 2011, 278,815 foreign workers (E-9 visa) had entered Korea under this system.

MOEL and HRD Korea have made efforts to ensure the successful establishment of EPS. They have administered Korean language proficiency tests fairly, managed the roaster of foreign job-seekers transparently, concluded labor contracts systematically and supported the entry and stay of foreigners.

When asked how he felt about winning the award, Yu Jae-soub, president of HRD Korea, said, "By winning the UNPSA, the Employment Permit System will gain recognition as an excellent model of foreign workforce policy and spread all over the world, and thus greatly contribute to Korea's international standing."

He also said, "We will continue our efforts to make the system more convenient to use and its operation more transparent so as to give more help to both foreign workers and domestic companies."

The UN Public Service Award, established in 2003, is the most prestigious award in public service. Every year excellent policies are selected for the award in each of the five regions in five categories - preventing and combating corruption in the public service, improving the delivery of public services, fostering participation in policy-making decisions through innovative mechanisms, advancing knowledge management in government and promoting gender-responsive delivery of public services.

This year's UNPSA ceremony will be held on the UN Public Service Day (Jun. 23) in Tanzania, Africa.

HRD Korea will introduce Korea's Employment Permit System as a good policy example to the international community during the ceremony.
Link:http://www.korea.net/news.do?mode=detail&guid=54905

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Experience Oriental Medicine at Changdeokgung Palace


A unique opportunity to experience Oriental medicinal treatments and preparation methods will be offered at Changdeokgung Palace from Thursday to Sunday on the first and second weeks of May. The event has been organized in order to meet the growing global interest in Oriental medicine, as proven by the inclusion of Donguibogam in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register in 2009. Donguibogam, written by a Joseon Dynasty court physician Heo Jun (1537-1615) in the 17th century, is an encyclopedia of principles and practices of Oriental medicine.

Throughout the event, Oriental medical doctors dressed as Eoui (court physicians who used to treat the royal family members) will offer free pulse diagnosis and simple acupuncture treatment. A variety of hands-on programs, including traditional Yakchep (envelope for storing Oriental medicine) folding, medicinal herb grinding, Donguibogam drawing and herb tea sampling, will also be held. Up to 40 visitors per day may sign up onsite and participate in the programs on a first-come, first-served basis.

More info
☞ Event Period (Time) & Venue
May 5-8 & May 12-15 (13:00-17:00) / Seongjeonggak Pavilion at Changdeokgung Palace
☞ Admission Fees (for Changdeokgung Palace)
- Adults (ages 19 and over): KRW 3,000
- Teens (ages 7-19): KRW 1,500
- Children (ages 7 and under) & Seniors (ages 65 and over): Free
** Group discount (10+ people): 20% discount
☞ 1330 tt call center: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)

Monday, May 2, 2011

There is Something Special about Globally Successful Food

Do you think it is possible to attract everyone in the world with a same food? It is not simply a question of Korean food. Even if it has an excellent taste, it is almost impossible to satisfy 7 billion people around the world. Nevertheless, there are many foreign dishes which became the beloved food among many countries.
For example, pizza of Italy, Sushi of Japan, Curry of India, and Pho of Vietnam are beloved by many people around the world with no validity term. Even though people don’t know where those countries are located, but they know exactly where the top gourmet restaurants are. Well then, let’s take a look inside the secrets of the globally successful food!!
Reborn as Korean foods

The food that can’t be found anywhere in China, Jajangmyeon

In Thailand, Jajangmyeon’ was selected as the most ‘want-to-try’ food of Korea among young people. It is a surprising result when considering that many Thailand the Korean drama and music are sweeping over the country. But in fact, Koreans themselves don’t regard Jajangmyeon as Korean food.
The name of Jajangmyeon was derived from the word ‘Zhajiangmian(炸酱面)’ in China. In the past, many Chinese ordinary people used to add ‘Chunjiang(椿酱)’, Chinese fermented soybean paste in the noodle. Like many Chinese who settled in other countries, Chinese in Korea also had this noodle, but in a little different way, adding caramel, vegetables and meats. As time goes by, the way of cooking Zhajiangmian and its ingredients have been changed to fit the Korean’s tastes, which is now Jajangmyeon.
There are a number of foreign dishes beloved by Koreans, even if they haven’t been changed as much as Jajangmyeon. For example, there is a huge difference between the Korea-made pizza and Italy-made pizza which is baked over stove. Unlike the original pizza with one or two fresh ingredients on its thin and crispy bread, the Korea-made pizza has a lot of toppings and sauce on its soft and thick bread. Yes, it was changed to fit the Koreans’ tastes who love soft and chewy food.
To be accurate, as the Italian pizza became Americanized in the U.S., many things including dough, ingredients and even the method of cooking were changed a bit. After then, the Americanized pizza arrived in Korea and it once again had a change. Even though many Koreans love pizza itself, there are still a lot of pizza companies which are trying to develop their pizza to fit the Koreans who are accustomed to spicy food.

Italian pasta with a minimum sauce

Koreanized pasta with much sauce

Pasta is a similar example. It came across to Korea not from Italy, but from the Italian restaurant in the U.S. and Japan. The Pasta was changed again in Korea, and got to have a new style and develop the new tastes.
Well, there is a significant difference between the pasta which is commonly sold in Korea and the original pasta, comparing the amount of sauce. The Italian pasta, which is a one of favorite dishes and courses among common people, originally has little sauce. However in Korea, people get used to have ‘one dish for a meal’, so the amount of sauce has increased like a noodle soup and satisfied their appetite.
Interesting fact here is that Kimchi or Gochujang(red pepper paste) added pasta is being exported overseas. People said that it is a reexportation of pasta. ‘Ramyeon’ is another example of the exported foreign dishes from Korea. First made in Japan, ramyeon which had arrived in Korea in late 1950s became one of the biggest trends ever. Since 2000, ramyeon industry in Korea has begun to rise rapidly, and exported ramyeon to Japan which is the home of ramyeon. Moreover, Korean ramyeon product was ranked the ‘globally recognized brand” by TokyoTV.
Successful Cases. We are More Delicious and Exclusive!
Thailand dishes

Thailand dish which achieved globalization regardless of nation awareness

Most of the South East dishes that are well-known among Koreans are from Vietnam, such as rice noodle and rice wraps. But in terms of generalization, there must be the Thailand dishes. Regardless of the nation’s competitiveness and image, Thailand dishes are getting more popular and popular with the support of public sectors and the government. Those support started from 2004, when they launched the slogan, Thai-ness, in order to globalize the Thailand dishes. For this reason, people around the world not only order the menu but also remember the Thailand culture and its nation brand.
The key to success is that they just let people try their dishes by recommending as they do to their friends. Opening the restaurant in neighboring countries, they stick to their original tastes, but in remote countries like U.S. they tried to change their dishes to fit their tastes. For the reason, the Thailand dishes in close countries, such as Laos, Malaysia and Cambodia still have the piquant and spicy tastes even though the ingredients are little bit different. On the other hand, in Korea or western countries, they are working on to remove ‘Pak Chee’, Thailand’s representative spices or add more sweetness and salty taste. Through this relative PR strategy, the number of Thailand restaurants all over the world increased over 13,000, comparing the 4,000 restaurant in 2004.

Sushi, VIP menu in the world restaurant

Sushi

Japan has set out to attract over 1.2 billion from 600 million people to Japanese food by 2012. And in fact, the population enjoying the Japanese food is rapidly increasing. Especially the PR strategy which aims at spreading the image of sushi to Europe, U.S., Asia and Africa as a gourmet food of the upper ten was considered successful. In addition, they promote the export of Japanese food supplies with the scientific data that they can make best sushi with the food supplies from Japan, which became a role model for many countries.
In particular, they published the book ‘How to eat Sushi’ telling the history of Sushi and how to use the chopstick, and how to eat Sushi, which made Sushi closer to foreign people as a culture. Thanks to the concrete and systematic strategy, currently in U.S., there are 10,000 Japanese restaurants, which is almost a half of the total Japanese restaurant all over the world.

More Chinese restaurant than McDonald in Korea


Chinese dishes which became popular everywhere in the world

Chinese restaurants have succeeded around the world with its own efforts to develop the menu, which differentiates them from the Japanese and Thailand restaurants that were supported by their governments. You will be surprised to know that the globalization of the Chinese restaurant already started 150 years ago, which is far earlier than their government’s PR strategy on food. In 1850s, for the Gold Rush in U.S., more than 25,000 Chinese moved over to the U.S. and the first Chinese restaurant Chow Chows’ opened. Naturally, Americans were fascinated by the cheap and plentiful Chinese food.
The Chinese restaurants which are well on the way to establishing itself in the U.S., soon expanded to the big cities and the suburb areas and became Americanized, focusing on increasing the number of enterprising franchises. Now, it opened over 40,000 Chinese restaurants, which is more than the number including McDonald, Burger King, and Wendy.

Korean Dishes in the World, Where do we stand?

Korean’s favorite dish, Bulgogi

Taking a look at many successful cases of foreign dishes, you might wonder then, “What is the current position of Korean dishes”? So, we did analysis about the foreigners’ preferences on Korean dishes, such as Kimchi, Bibimbap, and Bulgogi which are considered known overseas. The statistics results were based on the Accenture Survey and Analysis implemented on June 2009.
First of all, 21% out of all foreigners who answered the survey came up with ‘Korean dishes’ from the word ‘Korea’. Most of them considered Kimchi is the representative food of Korea, and they were quite positive on its tastes, answering that it is rather spicy but very delicious. In particular, the Americans who participated in the survey answered that Korean dishes are mostly unique, inexpensive, and quite extensive. They also regarded that Korean dishes would be good to health and diet.
Meanwhile, ‘Bulgogi’ was selected the ‘most satisfactory dish’, recording 4.4 out of 5. Dakgalbi, which is spicy even to Koreans, got 4.3 unexpectedly. For the next, Bibimbap and Ddokgalbi recorded 4.2. Well, there are also other dishes that scored pretty low we need to check. Dongchimi noodles and Naengmyeon got around 3 points. It is expected that foreigners don’t like cold noodles.
Like many other countries which tried hard for globalization, we also need to be aware of the current status of Korean food, keep our own traditional value and develop the localized recipe by country. Then one day in the near future, we can enjoy Korean food with all of our friends in the world.
Link:http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10108010518

The World Natural Treasure, the Mother Nature of Jeju Island ‘Oreum’

Jeju Island gifted with nature sceneries and 1,700 species of plants, is a marvelous place where you can experience unique geographical features nowhere else can offer. In the center there is the proudly splendid Halla Mountain and neighboring oreums – low mountains of Jeju - reveals the original beauty of the geography of the volcanic island.

Oreum is a Jeju dialect for a low mountain. There are a good number of oreums as there is even a saying that people of Jeju are born from and returns to oreum after death. Near 380 of oreums are distributed in the island, which way exceeds 250 i.e. the number of those in Mt Etna of Italy.
Oreum consisted of grassland, natural and artificial forest, and wetland, is distributed intensively in the bottom area of Mt Halla and hilly and mountainous areas. As the altitude of the areas differs the ecological variety is well preserved with high potential value.
To be recognized as oreum the mountain should be qualified to have all required component i.e. a crater, shape, and contents; a crater formed by volcanic eruption; shapes of volcanic ashes and scoriae, and sedimentary layer; and pyroclastic materials. Also it is called as ‘ak’ or ‘bong’; Seongsan Ilchulbong, Dusanbong, Songaksan are some examples.
Oreums with different shapes and heights placed along by the ridges of Mt Halla and the coastline of the island invites you to the breathtaking beauty of the Mother Nature Jeju.
The ace view, Nokkome oreum

< Nokkomeoreum, where 112 families and 469 species of plants reside> (image: Official Blog of Jeju, New 7 Wonders)
Nokkomeoreum 833.8m above the sea level, covering an area of 923,692㎡ with the height of 234m, girth of 4,390m, and a smaller Nokkomeoreum is also known as ‘brother oreum’ as a pair sitting next by each other. The two mountains stand in high spirits and its exploded crater area is enough to thrill your eyes. Some people are surprised as they think ‘Nokkome’ is Japanese but in fact it derives from a Korean expression ‘Nopgome’ meaning ‘it is high.’

In the Nokkomeoreum area there are animal species that are protected species (class 2) by the Ministry of Environment including roe, weasel of Jeju, badger and so on. Endangered animals including birds such as goshawk, brown-eared bulbul, kestrel, bush warbler and Red-tongue pit-viper, takydromus wolteri and others are residing as well. Also there are 112 families and 469 species of plants e.g. nutmeg tree, hornbeam, and Galeola septentrionalis Reichb. For sure Nokkomeoreum area is some repository of various species of animals and plants.

If you follow the ridges of the hills a scenic panorama with different faces of Mt Halla and oreums is revealed. At the northern mountain top the view of Jeju city and the sea can be seen at a look. An average of 4~500 people on weekdays and 2~3,000 people on weekends visit the area to see this extraordinary scene. Why not check out Nokkomeoreum yourself and experience the grandeur gift of the nature?
The Queen of Oreum, Darangswioreum

(image: Kyunghyang Shinmun)
Darangswi oreum representing Gujwa town is 382.4m above the sea level, covering an area of 800,463㎡ with the height of 227m, and girth of 3,391m. It was named as so because of the crater of the mountain looks round as a moon (Darang sounds similar to ‘dal’ that is moon in Korean). Darangswi oreum is the pride of the villagers as it presents a uniquely beautiful scene for viewing the moon when the full moon rises behind the round crater of the oreum.

While most oreums have asymmetric slops, Darangswi oreum is a vertically balanced oval shape; this outstanding beauty of proportion surely gives a good reason for its title i.e. the ‘Queen of oreum.’

On top of the mountain, there is a funnel shape of huge circular crater. The circumference of the outside of crater is reaching 1,500m, and its depth is 115m just as deep as baekrokdam of Mt. Halla. The area is dense with weeds and cedars on its foot. The area is a huge grassland and if the weather is good, you can see the Seongsan Sunrise Hill, Udo and a wind power plant complex.
There is a saying that you didn’t see the real Jeju until climbing up Oreum., after the wood stairs to Darangswi oreum were built in 2005, the number of visitors increased. Why don’t you experience the ‘real’ Jeju at Darangswi oreum which is famous for paragliding and the annual Wallang hill Sunrise festivals?
Geomun Oreum listed on UNESCO’s World Cultural and Natural Heritage

(Image : Korea Tourism Organization)
Geomun Oreum, which has the most beautiful scenery among all Oreums in Jeju, is 456.6 meters above sea level, 112 meters high, 4,553 meters in circumference, and 809,860㎡ in extent, which of name, Goemun, was originated from a bunch of trees in that Oreum makes black color. (i.e. Goemun means black in Korean.) Only 300 visitors a day are allowed to go in, and the advanced reservation two days before is a must. It has the longest lava canyon throughout Jeju and the treasure of nature, ‘Gotjawal’, which has a high value in terms of geology as well as ecology.
The crater seen from the top of Goemun oreum spewed out lava to the ocean and created over 20 lava caves around, such as Bengdui cave, Manjang cave, Kimnyeongsa cave, etc. As designated as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage by UNESCO, oreum has the representative lava caves of Jeju. Among these caves, only Manjang cave is open to public. The course is flat and the passage is also wide that even the old and weak can look around without a big difficulty.
Al oreum is a paeasitic volcano that rose on the center of the crater of Geomun oreum. You can see 9 hills forming the Geomun oreum from the observatory which is 1km apart from the tour starting spot. In addition, the crater of Geomun oreum is 4 times larger than that of Mt Hall. You will be overwhelmed at the marvelous scenery of nature.
Before visiting Geomun oreum, the commentator for Natural Heritage gives several notices. You should wear the hiking boots, but not with the hiking stick. You can only bring a bottle of water.
Link:http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10108011305