The Korea Herald

LGE’s nagging slump puts CEO to the test

IndustryJun 1, 2011

LG Electronics is used to being No. 2. A powerful global electronics brand in its own right, the Seoul-based company has not made it to the highest of peaks. This seemed to be all right, however, as long it could rub shoulders with its top-tier rivals. But a raging “smart war” in the mobile industry changed all that, and LG Electronics is in bad shape in that sector. Koo Bon-joon, vice chairman an
China says manufacturing slows in May

IndustryJun 1, 2011

China’s manufacturing expanded at the slowest pace in nine months in May as the government extended a campaign to cool inflation and the property market, a survey of companies indicated. The Purchasing Managers’ Index was at 52 from 52.9 in April, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said in an emailed statement. The number was higher than the median forecast of 51.6 in a Bloomberg New
Volunteer for HOPE

Jun 1, 2011

Volunteer teachers are being sought to help the HOPE project provide equal opportunities for children through English. The organization is seeking English teachers to work at around 20 volunteer learning centers throughout Seoul and surrounding cities to help underprivileged children who could not otherwise afford lessons. The group is also looking for donations of resources. It is looking for bas
Walking dogs in Daegu

Jun 1, 2011

Dog lovers in Daegu are invited to join a new dog walking club based in the city. The Korean Animal Protection Society has been holding monthly dog walks where animal lovers can give themselves and abandoned pets some exercise. Now, KAPS is setting up a more regular volunteer event to help the dogs kept at the KAPS Daegu Dog Shelter in Daemyoung.A previous Daegu dog walk organized by the Korean An
Volunteer conference seeks speakers

Jun 1, 2011

An Asia-Pacific conference is seeking speakers to pass on their volunteering experiences and knowledge. The 13th International Association for Volunteer Effort Asia-Pacific Regional Volunteer Conference (Korea) is to be held in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam Province.The conference titled “Volunteer Initiatives for a Sustainable Global Community: Climate Changes, Poverty, Conflict, and Natural Disasters”
Ulsan schools look to neighbors for support

Jun 1, 2011

Ulsan’s education office will hold a donation campaign, accepting anything from art supplies to cars, to provide more opportunities for its elementary, middle and high school students.According to the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education, they will be holding the “Ulsan Donation for Education Campaign,” at its Creative Experience Activity Support Center.The center will accept anything from music
Kia Tigers play for ‘Love’

Jun 1, 2011

The Kia Tigers and Kia Motors staff will hold the “Tigers Love Fund” donation program throughout the rest of the 2011 season to raise cash for people in developing countries.The program, in its second year, includes 14 players from the Kia Tigers and some 3,500 employees of Kia Motors, 600 more than the previous year.Third baseman and power hitter, Lee Bum-ho will donate 200,000 won ($185) per hom
Raising beers to better the lives of Korean bears

Jun 1, 2011

A Korea-brewed beer is the latest among a raft of campaigns aiming to help the country’s endangered Asiatic black bears. A percentage of proceeds from the second batch of Moon Bear IPA to be released at a Seoul bar will go toward raising awareness of the plight of the bears, often called moon bears, which are farmed in Korea for their gall. The logo of Craftworks Taphouse and Bistro’s Moon Bear IP
Cafe fights prejudice cup by cup

Jun 1, 2011

Baristas with mental disabilities brew their way to a brighter futureIn Seoul, a cafe is always within walking distance, offering coffee lovers all kinds of specialties, themes, shapes and sizes, but for the most part the baristas are your average Joe.Sure there may be one or two barista champs or some coffee connoisseurs who brought back the world’s greatest beans from his recent trip to the Amaz
[Editorial] Indefensible act

EditorialJun 1, 2011

Student activists forcibly occupied the Seoul National University president’s office in protest against the university’s forthcoming incorporation. The illegal intrusion into the office was anything but a defensible means of conflict resolution.The university is set to be incorporated into a national university corporation in December under a law enacted last December to provide it with greater au
[Editorial] Budget surplus

EditorialJun 1, 2011

Tax revenues are projected to surpass this year’s target by 10 trillion won to 20 trillion won ― a blessing for a nation which had to borrow and spend its way out of the global financial crisis. With economic recovery gaining momentum, taxes collected during the first quarter increased by 4 trillion won from a year ago.Now where to spend the surplus is an issue of contention between the administra
French appeal for Strauss-Kahn: Ironic Einhorn echo

ViewpointsJun 1, 2011

Philadelphians know better than anyone why Dominique Strauss-Kahn should remain anchored to New York City.Two words: Ira Einhorn.Einhorn, the slovenly, self-appointed hippie guru of 1960s and ‘70s counterculture with a history of abusing women, was convicted in 2002 of murdering his former girlfriend Holly Maddux, a Texas-born cheerleading beauty.The road to that elusive conviction, however, took
[David Ignatius] War on terror: How lines blurred

ViewpointsJun 1, 2011

WASHINGTON ― One consequence of the early “war on terror” years was that the lines between CIA and military activities got blurred. The Pentagon moved into clandestine areas that had traditionally been the province of the CIA. Special Forces began operating secretly abroad in ways that worried the CIA, the State Department and foreign governments. The Obama administration is now finishing an effor
[Mario I. Blejer] Greek day of reckoning looms in Ponzi Europe

ViewpointsJun 1, 2011

One of the undeniable features of the European debt crisis is the tendency to obscure, verbally and politically, the real issues at play. Euphemisms, statistical gimmicks, meaningless institutional squabbling, undecipherable acronyms, and plain double talk proliferate as part of the debate. In my experience as central-bank governor in Argentina during the worst financial crisis in our history, at
[Albert R. Hunt] Republicans can stop waiting for white knight

ViewpointsJun 1, 2011

Godot isn’t likely to show up for the Republicans. Like the characters in Samuel Beckett’s play, the Republican establishment probably will wait in vain for a white knight ― Jeb Bush, Chris Christie and Paul Ryan are the most oft-cited ― to rescue the party’s presidential prospects. The Republican field seems set, with the major contenders likely to be former Governors Mitt Romney of Massachusetts