Transparency in decision-making  process is vital to win residents’ supportOn March 11, 2011, the world witnessed how an ill-managed nuclear plant can affect people’s daily lives. The infamous Fukushima nuclear disaster has become a mark of shame for the entire nuclear power industry ever since.Experts agree that one of the toughest items on the agenda for pro-nuclear energy countries like Korea is safety. Nevertheless, the Korean Ministry of Knowledge Economy and nuclear-related institutions un

More drivers consider used import cars for cheaper price and better after-sales serviceThe coming weeks ahead of the Chuseok holiday at the end of this month are the peak season for the used car market here, according to dealers. “People want to meet their relatives in a better car even though it is secondhand. You can also find a better deal during the period,” said Im Min-kyoung, a spokesperson for SK Encar, the nation’s largest used car dealer. She added that a new trend within the industry

Fiat SpA Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne said German carmakers are sticking to their opposition to his efforts to form a united front to push the European Union to address overcapacity in the region. Calls for coordinated efforts have “fallen on deaf ears, certainly from my German colleagues, who do not see the need,” Marchionne, who is also head of Chrysler Group LLC, told reporters Friday in Detroit. Volkswagen AG, Daimler AG and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG are resisting a proposal b

State-run power firm strives to reduce deficit during CEO Kim’s first year via exportsKorea Electric Power Co. has vowed to achieve financial soundness by making greater profits from the global power market while keeping power rates affordable. To meet its vision for 2025, the state-run power company is pushing to increase sales to 150 trillion won ($134 billion) and its overseas business to up to 50 percent of total operations. Currently KEPCO’s overseas sales make up only 3 percent of the tota

Builder receives upfront payment of $775 million for $8b project near BaghdadHanwha Engineering and Construction Co. said it received $775 million (about 870 billion won) from Iraq’s National Investment Commission in the upfront payment for the $8 billion housing project near Baghdad.Company officials said it took the advance payment, about 10 percent of the total contract amount through the Iraqi central bank on Sept. 13.The payment dispelled some concerns about a possible delay in the massive

LH Corp. chief says housing welfare is a basic condition for a happy societyAn international conference on housing welfare ― which is expected to become a key welfare policy for Korea’s next administration ― will be held in Seoul on Monday, with global academics in attendance. The event comes as the Korea Land and Housing Corporation, the state-run land and housing developer, celebrates the third anniversary of its renaming this year, together with its affiliated Land and Housing Institute. A to

Real-time online strategy genre gaining popularity, outsmarting online RPG titles“League of Legends,” a real-time online strategy game, is the undisputed frontrunner in the fiercely competitive game industry in South Korea, with role-playing titles such as “Blade & Soul” and “Diablo 3” following right behind in the rankings. According to the chart for the second week of September released by Inven, a local website which offers weekly game rankings, League of Legends held on to the No. 1 slot for

“Diablo 3,” an action role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment, is viciously addictive in a peculiar way. When I purchased the much-hyped package priced at 55,000 won ($48) about two months ago, I was vaguely aware that stepping into the dark fantasy world of the Diablo franchise would require some energy and time. It turned out that what is needed is actually a diabolical amount of patience and persistence, as well as sheer luck to stay alive in the virtual hack-and-slash world of “Diablo 3.