The Korea Herald

Ryu Si-won now father of baby girl

PeopleJan 30, 2011

Hallyu star Ryu Si-won, 39, is now the father of a baby girl.The birth comes three months after his marriage to Jo Soo-in, 33, on Oct. 26.Jo gave birth to a healthy baby girl around 5:40 p.m. on Jan. 27, his management agency said. Ryu Si-wonWeeks before their wedding, he surprised his fans by saying that he would be a father next year.Ryu debuted in 1994 as a KBS actor and has gained popularity f
Professor brews beer with 45-million-year-old yeast

PeopleJan 30, 2011

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. ― A Cal Poly professor’s mission to turn a 45-million-year-old yeast into an ingredient for beer has proven successful ― and now he hopes to grow his operation locally.Raul Cano, a Cal Poly biology professor, discovered the yeast in amber that came from Myanmar, which was previously known as Burma, while conducting research in the 1990s.Cano gained international recognition
[Editorial] Emissions trading

EditorialJan 30, 2011

The government has hinted at a delay in launching a greenhouse gas emission trading system. A government bill put on public notice last November set the start date on Jan. 1, 2013. The Presidential Committee on Green Growth reported to President Lee Myung-bak on Thursday it would make the bill more flexible regarding the timing of implementation and allocation of emissions permits before submittin
[Editorial] Lessons from Japan

EditorialJan 30, 2011

The decision by Standard & Poor’s to cut Japan’s sovereign credit rating by a notch to AA minus has again highlighted the fiscal mess that the Tokyo government has gotten itself into.Japan’s public debt is expected to hit 204 percent of GDP this year, the world’s highest ratio. The liabilities are forecast to surpass 1,000 trillion yen next year and, according to the International Monetary Fund, c
Stuxnet signals start of new kind of arms race

ViewpointsJan 30, 2011

The tale of the Stuxnet worm is one of those seemingly good-news stories that grows more worrisome over time.Security experts first became aware of the mysterious Stuxnet malware last summer, but it wasn’t until months later that they agreed on its likely target: Iran’s secretive nuclear weapons program. The worm hid itself benignly in personal computers, spreading (often through USB drives) until
[James M. Banner Jr.] Amendment rooted in past failures

ViewpointsJan 30, 2011

There’s a move afoot to give the states the authority to repeal measures enacted by Congress and signed by the president. It’s a bad idea. It’s also dishonorable.The measure, led by Republican Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah and taking the form of a proposed amendment to the Constitution, would allow the dis-enactment of “any provision of law or regulation” upon the vote of two-thirds of the state legisla
[DAVID IGNATIUS] Keeping a guarded eye on Arab revolt

ViewpointsJan 30, 2011

DAVOS, Switzerland ― It’s a sign of the times that some Arab journalists attending the gathering of international power brokers here were spending their free time scanning Twitter messages about political protests back home. It’s that kind of moment in the Arab world, when people are nervous about anything that is connected to the status quo. The unrest that toppled a government in Tunisia has spr
[Yves Mersch] Seeking to prevent the euro’s next crisis

ViewpointsJan 30, 2011

LUXEMBOURG ― Much dedication and energy are currently being devoted to institutionalizing a crisis-management mechanism for the euro area. This is a good and important goal. But a far more significant challenge ― largely covered in the accompanying debate ― is the need for crisis prevention.At the European Union’s pre-Christmas summit, European heads of state and government agreed in principle to
[Bogdan Kipling] Intrusive screenings are necessary for our overall safety

ViewpointsJan 30, 2011

WASHINGTON ― Just like children forced to take castor oil hated the experience, millions of Americans loathed the intrusive body-scan and pat-down security measures imposed at U.S. airports last fall.Surprisingly, though, the revulsion period was briefer than first assumed as travelers realized the added security rules may, after all, be good for them.The real question is, of course, how much safe
[Robert B. Reich] The sorry state of U.S. economic union

ViewpointsJan 30, 2011

In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, the president talked at length about the economy. What he failed to point out is that America now has two economies, and only one of them is recovering.The recovering economy is on Wall Street and in large corporations. Profits are soaring. Big companies are sitting on a trillion dollars of cash. People with lots of financial assets, or who are deem
What is behind unrest in Arab world?

InternationalJan 30, 2011

WASHINGTON ― In the three short weeks since a poor, unlicensed Tunisian fruit-seller set himself on fire after police seized his wares, protests have ousted his country’s longtime authoritarian ruler and confronted Egypt’s octogenarian president with the greatest challenge of his 30 years in power.Thousands of Yemenis inspired by Mohamed Bouazizi’s death in Tunisia demanded an end to their ruling
1330 call service still soaring in popularity

TravelJan 30, 2011

The use of travel call service number 1330, a 24-hour help line for local and international travelers, has jumped 27 percent in 2010 from the previous year, the Korea Tourism Organization said Wednesday.According to the KTO, the number of 1330 calls dialed by both foreigners and Koreans soared to nearly 170,000 in 2010 from 133,000 in 2009, following an increase of 32 percent year-on-year growth i
Grants open for Australia-Korea awareness

Foreign affairsJan 30, 2011

The Australia-Korea Foundation’s next funding round will begin in February for the 2011―2012 financial year.The Foundation explained that project proposals from individuals or organizations must demonstrate the ability to achieve the AKF’s goals in line with its Strategic Plan.Those include projects commencing between Aug. 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012 with activities completed by Sept. 30, 2012.Topic
Norway embassy moves into historic quarter

Foreign affairsJan 30, 2011

The Norwegian Embassy is reopened today after moving into its new location at the heart of the old Daehan Empire.The embassy’s new address is on the 13th floor of the Jeong-dong Building, 15-5 Jeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. The Jeong-dong Building in the historic legation district houses the Netherlands, New Zealand and now Norwegian embassies. (Yoav Cerralbo/The Korea Herald)The historic Jeong-dong
Taiwan’s 100 years are visited on Nami Island

Foreign affairsJan 30, 2011

To mark Taiwan’s centennial anniversary, the Taipei Mission is holding a photo exhibition showcasing historical moments in the island’s development since the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty by Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary forces.“With this photo exhibition and other activities to come, we will not only remember the past, but also pray for the prosperity of the country for the next 100 years,” said Be