The Korea Herald

Samsung to invest a record 43 tln won in 2011

IndustryJan 5, 2011

Samsung Group, South Korea's top family-owned conglomerate, said Wednesday that it will spend a record 43 trillion won (US$38.3 billion) in capital expenditures this year to cement its market dominance and speed up a search for new growth engines.The figure represents an 18 percent increase from the 36.5 trillion won invested in new plants and equipment last year, according to the group. (Yonhap N
S. Korea defeats Al Jazira before Asian Cup

SoccerJan 5, 2011

(Yonhap News)Midfielders Lee Chung-yong and Ki Sung-yueng scored a goal apiece as the South Korean men's football team blanked Al Jazira of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Football League 2-0 on Tuesday, local time. It was South Korea's second and final tune-up match ahead of the Jan. 7-29 Asian Cup in Qatar.South Korea had edged Syria 1-0 in its previous game on Dec. 30. The team is scheduled to a
Study reveals single women find married men more attractive

InternationalJan 5, 2011

Angelina Jolie was attracted to Pitt, who was then married to Jennifer Aniston. (Matt Sayles/ AP)Why are some single, young and attractive females drawn to married men? A study reveals that single women are attracted to men who are already taken more than the ones who are not, reported the Daily Mail on Monday. Psychologist Anthony Little said female birds and fish find a male more attractive if t
Losing weight by eating parasitic eggs

FashionJan 5, 2011

Losing weight tops many people’s new year’s resolution list. However, one student has pursued a rather dangerous diet ahead of a job interview -- swallowing roundworm eggs. The female student in Xiamen, China, has been eating the eggs to shed some weight, the Daily Mail reported. It is not known whether she has succeeded in her goal. (MCT)The roundworm eggs hatch in the stomach, digesting nutrient
Court dismisses Hyundai’s injunction over builder sale

Jan 4, 2011

A Seoul court on Tuesday supported Hyundai Construction and Engineering creditors’ cancellation of a preliminary contract to sell their controlling stakes to Hyundai Group.The ruling cleared the way for them to open negotiations with Hyundai Motor Group, which was initially beat out in one of Korea’s biggest acquisition battles.Creditors including Korea Exchange Bank said that they would decide so
Lee’s church in pastor punch-up

Social affairsJan 4, 2011

Pastor Kim Jie-chul of Somang Presbyterian Church in southern Seoul was assaulted by two junior pastors who protested against their reduced duties, police said Tuesday. According to Gangnam Police Station in Seoul, Kim was attacked by the two, identified by their family names Cho and Choi, at his office Sunday morning. He reportedly had bones around the eye broken and was taken to a nearby hospita
Allies move toward resuming 6-way talks

PoliticsJan 4, 2011

Preconditions for reopening dialogue to be delivered to the North ‘via inter-Korean channel’While maintaining tough rhetoric, South Korea and the U.S. appear to be opening the door to possible peace talks with North Korea, apparently sending messages Pyongyang that the issue depends upon its attitude from this point on. Positive changes have been brewing on the tense Korean Peninsula since North K
English book chronicles Korea’s court dances

TheaterJan 4, 2011

Korea Foundation translates book by master Lee Heung-guAmong many intangible cultural assets of Korea, traditional court dance “Jeongjae” has a long history. From the Three Kingdoms period (37 B.C. 668 AD) to Goryeo (918 1392) and Joseon (1392 1910) dynasties, the dance moves carried traditions and values of the Korean royal culture.Korea Foundation’s newly released book, “Korean Court Dance: As S
Oscar-nominated star Postlethwaite dies at 64

FilmJan 4, 2011

LONDON (AP) ― He could have stayed in teaching. That’s what his parents wanted: it was the safe, secure route for a young man with working-class roots and a face few would describe as handsome.But Pete Postlethwaite wanted more. He wanted to pursue his passion for acting and, at 24, he left teaching to train at the Bristol Old Vic Theater. His parents remained skeptical, but when he was introduced
Daewoo signs $30m order for CNG buses

IndustryJan 4, 2011

Daewoo International Corp., a Korean trading firm, said Tuesday that it has signed a $30 million deal to supply buses powered by compressed natural gas to Bangladesh.Under the deal with the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation, Daewoo International will ship 255 CNG buses and necessary spare parts by July.The deal was partly financed by Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund, the trading c
TV shareholder eligibility questioned

IndustryJan 4, 2011

Eulji Hospital’s participation in Yonhap consortium accused of violating lawThe eligibility of a shareholder in the recently licensed Yonhap News TV has emerged as a matter in dispute.Local news media has raised the possibility that the Eulji General Hospital may have violated laws to join the tentatively named consortium led by the Yonhap news agency to get a news television license. The hospital
Showdown between Naver, eBay begins

IndustryJan 4, 2011

eBay’s removal of database from Naver’s shopping section intensifies competitionEBay Inc., the world’s largest online marketplace operator, is seeking to remove its database from the shopping section of Korea’s top portal site Naver, amid an intensifying rivalry over the nation’s rapidly expanding online shopping market.EBay, which currently owns the biggest e-commerce websites Auction and Gmarket
Want a different type of expat mag? Just say ‘Neh’

Expat LivingJan 4, 2011

Just a couple of nights before Halloween in Bucheon, expatriates and Koreans, both in costume and out, start to stream into the Pub in the Park in Bucheon. Nearly all of them are there for the release party of Neh magazine’s November/December issue, and quite a few are staff members. Neh’s publisher and creative director CJ Koster-Allen is all over the bar, mingling with the visitors, bringing in
Korea, Japan to discuss bilateral military relations

PoliticsJan 4, 2011

Defense chiefs to hold talks in Seoul next weekDefense chiefs of South Korea and Japan will meet in Seoul next week for talks on a proposed agreement on protection of military secrets and bilateral cooperation on military supplies, Seoul officials said.During their talks next Monday, Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and his Japanese counterpart Toshimi Kitazawa are also expected to exchange views on
Call center to open for N.K. defectors

Social affairsJan 4, 2011

A 24-hour call center will be set up to help North Korean defectors deal with problems while resettling in the South, according to the Unification Ministry on Tuesday.The North Korean Refugees Foundation plans to support the call center by organizing a network of social assistance with resettlement officers, counselors and additional volunteers. They also plan to build a nationwide network of supp