Seo Kang-soo, former head of the Korean Overseas Information Service, took office on Tuesday as president of the Korea Database Agency, a state-run institution founded in 1993 to promote the nation’s active distribution of data. Speaking at an inauguration ceremony, Seo said he will push to raise more experts and pioneer wider territory in the global market. The state-run database agency head said that he will do his best to help Korean database companies exert their capacity with creativity and

Korean people in their 30s, who were born in the 1970s and went to college in the 1990s, are the key generation leading mainstream Korean culture and consumption markets, a private think tank said in a report.Dubbed the “397 generation,” those in their 30s took up the largest portion in contributing to the sales of local department stores with 31.2 percent in 2010, followed by those in their 40s at 27.6 percent, the report by the LG Economic Research Institute said. Meeting the needs of the larg

Following is the sixth in a series of articles in which leading architects discuss their representative work. ― Ed.Surplus is a product of a consumer society. Surplus exaggerates values, and, in turn, produces an infinite bubble of surplus. Similarly, a modern city extends itself with capitalism-friendly logic, and gives it the same bubble logic. But the surplus of any place on earth means a lack in another place. The essential problem of such surplus originates from a dishonest definition of th

Try conservative necklines, tone-on-tone looks and play with patternsWith the recent government drive to save energy, civil servants and office workers have been encouraged to adopt casual wear ― shirts without a tie, shorts and even sandals. But while the relaxed and more casual look may keep office workers from turning on the air conditioner, it doesn’t help them look professional. Now, fashion brands have met the challenge, presenting men’s summer office wear in light, cool fabrics that will

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Wednesday that it would seek to penalize doctors who go on strike against diagnosis-related group pricing system.The strike, due to start July 1, is against the government’s policy to slash health insurance expenditure and is expected to cause chaos in the national medical industry. “It is a shame that some of the facts have been distorted. The DRG-pricing system has been supported by about 80 percent of medical institutions nationwide and its effectivenes

(Burger King/AP)U.S. fast-food giant Burger King, banking on an unusual taste combo to bolster its summertime revenues, announced Tuesday the availability of bacon sundaes.Burger King said in a release the decision was made to offer the pork-enhanced soft-serve dessert nationwide for a limited time after it "took Nashville by storm earlier this year."Bacon sundaes include vanilla soft serve with c

Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee was recently seated as the chairman of Samsung Life Public Welfare Foundation, said Samsung Group officials on Tuesday.According to group officials, Lee has taken over the position which was filled by Lee Soo-bin, chairman of Samsung Life Insurance, until May 31.With the appointment, the country’s biggest conglomerate is likely to take on more social contribution tasks with the chairman in control, said industry sources.The foundation, which was establish

Korean Army Major General Choi Young-bum will lead the U.N. Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan, the Ministry of National Defense announced Tuesday.Choi is the third Korean general to lead the mission that oversees U.N. peacekeeping operations in Kashmir. Choi will assume the post from July 1. Choi was selected to head the mission for the area because of his experience with other peacekeeping missions, the ministry said.  In 2000, Choi headed the operations of the Korean military’s med

The stakes were high when JW Marriott Seoul Bar Rouge captain Andy Seo took the stage Monday night for the final round of Diageo Reserve’s World Class Korea competition. Not only was Seo looking for the chance to compete in what is often referred to as the Olympics of bartending ― Diageo Reserve’s Global Final ― the 39-year old veteran was trying to best his own personal record.Ever since Diageo Reserve held the first World Class competition in 2009, Seo has been going for national-level gold an

The southern resort island of Jeju has been selected as the most sought after summer holiday destination in Korea by Chinese tourists, the Korea Tourism Organization said Tuesday. The poll, conducted on Weibo, a Chinese equivalent to Twitter, from May 10 to 24, involved 1,148 people who are members of the KTO micro-blogging website. The poll found 374 people preferred Jeju Island as a holiday spot, followed by Seoul and Busan. Other places mentioned by the respondents include Yeosu, Mokpo, Gwang

BEIJING (AFP) ― Chinese archaeologists have unearthed 110 new terracotta warriors that laid buried for centuries, an official said Monday, part of the famed army built to guard the tomb of China’s first emperor.The life-size figures were excavated near the Qin Emperor’s mausoleum in China’s northern Xi’an city over the course of three years, and archaeologists also uncovered 12 pottery horses, parts of chariots, weapons and tools.“The ... excavation on the 200-square-meter site has found a total