The Korea Herald

N. Korean leader in eastern China, may meet Jiang

North KoreaMay 23, 2011

Pyongyang media remains silent as China confirms Kim’s tripNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-il is currently visiting an eastern Chinese city, local reports said Monday, as Pyongyang remained silent about the secretive trip posing potential influence over inter-Korean ties. A train carrying Kim and the 70-member delegation arrived at Yangzhou, west of the Chinese capital Beijing, late night Sunday, and
Seoul tightens rules on cash flow to North Korea

PoliticsMay 23, 2011

South Koreans who wish to send money to their families in North Korea will be required to get government approval in advance under a revised law, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said Monday.All remittances between the South and North, including investments or aid to the North from an overseas corporation set up by a South Korean citizen, will require government approval, according to the revised law
GNP vows to slash tuition, doubts remain

PoliticsMay 23, 2011

Opposition parties accuse ruling party of copying their fee-cut policyThe ruling Grand National Party has come under fire for its new plan to drastically cut college tuition fees for low-income families. “We aim at lowering the college tuition fees at least by half for all low-income families,” said Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, the GNP floor leader, on Sunday.“Though we expect difficulties in securing the
Korea Society offers customized shows in U.S.

CultureMay 23, 2011

New York-based organization plans 10 traveling exhibitions in AmericaNEW YORK ― The Korea Society sits where the Third Avenue meets East 55th St., promoting deeper and wider understanding between the American and Korean people. A small art exhibition, “Korea Design Heritage,” currently being held at the Society is part of its dynamic efforts to help Americans get to know how Korea’s industrial des
Korea, U.S. launch air defense exercise

DefenseMay 23, 2011

A full-scale military air drill took flight over southwest Korea to improve the efficiency of joint operations by South Korean and U.S. air forces, according to military officials in Seoul on Monday.Some 59 aircrafts from both countries are to take part in the five-day Max Thunder drill, including Korea’s F-15K and KF-16 jets and HH-60P choppers, and U.S. F-16 jets as well as an airborne early war
English-speaking assistant teachers in lower grades

Social affairsMay 23, 2011

More than half of native English-speaking assistant teachers are in the three lowest grades of a nine-grade system determined by qualifications upon employment, according to the capital’s education office on Monday.According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, of the 1,215 assistant teachers, some 36 percent are given the second-lowest grade of G, which states that the teacher has at le
College tuition fees soar 30% in five years

Social affairsMay 23, 2011

Seoul considers paying interest on student loans for low-income familiesThe nation’s university fees saw a nearly 30 percent increase over the past five years, according to reports from central bank and the government Monday.The figure came a day after the ruling Grand National Party resumed the discussion on a “half-tuition” policy. According to the Bank of Korea and Statistics Korea on Monday, t
Korean-sponsored MoMA internship trains curators

TheaterMay 23, 2011

NEW YORK ― There are many Korean businesses sponsoring artists and musicians as a tool of corporate social responsibility to promote Korean culture. Hyundai Card’s sponsorship, however, is quite different in terms of duration of the sponsorship and impact on the Korean people’s lifestyle, company officials said.As part of CSR, the credit card company built a partnership with the Museum of Modern A
Carmakers face output cut on parts firm strike

TransportMay 23, 2011

Police launched a probe Monday into an illegal strike by an auto parts manufacturer in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, which is prompting work suspension at plants of the nation’s major carmakers including Hyundai Motor in Ulsan.The police said they are considering requesting an arrest warrant for the company’s labor union leaders, as well as for key players behind the strike and the illegal occ
LSIS begins works on electric car component plant

IndustryMay 23, 2011

LSIS Co., LS Group’s electric equipment maker, on Monday broke ground for an electric vehicle relay manufacturing plant. Electric vehicle relay is a core component of electric cars that relays electricity to the vehicle’s powertrain from the battery pack. The company plans to complete the plant located in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province during the first quarter of the year. The company said t
STX Group launches in-house think tank

IndustryMay 23, 2011

STX Group launched the think tank STX Future Institute on Monday.The organization will be headed by the group’s vice chairman Shin Chul-seak. STX Future Institute will be tasked with leading efforts to establish systemic management that is part of the company’s Vision 2020 plans, the company said.Announced at the group’s 10th anniversary event held in Dalian, China last month, Vision 2020 calls fo
‘Luxembourg offers own solution for every foreign investment’

May 23, 2011

Choosing a European country to invest in takes tremendous legwork and lawyers to comb through all the details.Luxembourg has entered the game in Korea by trying to attract foreign investment into the small kingdom.Companies looking toward investing in Europe first need a European headquarters, then a logistical center and in the near future, once fuel prices climb to higher levels, a manufacturing
Anti-drunk driving campaign launched

IndustryMay 23, 2011

Pernod Ricard Korea, the local unit of the global beverages group, launched a campaign against drunk driving Monday in Seoul as part of the France-based company’s worldwide initiatives.The maker of Absolut Vodka and Ballantine’s whisky has been laying out its “smart driving” campaign here since 2007, aiming at reducing alcohol-related car accidents and promoting a sound drinking culture. This year
No. 2 makers shake up drinks industry

IndustryMay 23, 2011

OB, Lotte Liquor make big gains on larger market rivals Hite, JinroNo. 2 brands of beer, soju and whisky are hot on the trail of front-runners in the Korean drinks market, industry data showed Tuesday. In the beer market, Oriental Brewery, the country’s No. 2 beer maker since 1994, made big strides in the first quarter of the year beefing up its stake to 46.6 percent by shipment volume, according
‘Kids absorb 1.5 times the electro waves of adults’

May 23, 2011

Research showed Monday that a five-year-old takes in 1.5 times more electromagnetic waves than a 20-year-old.According to research conducted by a team at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, children’s maximum specific absorption ratio for the waves was much higher than for adults.The maximum SAR for a five-year-old boy was 124 microwatts per kilogram, while the figure was 83