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T-ara reel in the years in retro musical

MusicJan 5, 2012

Girl group’s hit single ‘Roly Poly’ taken to musical theaterPopular girl group T-ara’s 2011 retro-heavy hit single “Roly Poly” is back ― only this time as a stage musical with the same nostalgic flash of the 1970s and ‘80s.Three members of the girl group ― Jiyeon, Hyomin and Soyeon ― are starring as reckless teenagers in Korea’s 1980s in upcoming musical “Roly Poly,” teamed up with older-generation heavyweights including popular musical actress Park Hae-mi and “Nagasu” star singer Jang Hye-jin.
Ahn Cheol-soo to visit U.S. to meet Bill Gates

PeopleJan 5, 2012

Ahn Cheol-soo plans to depart for the United States on Sunday to meet Microsoft founder Bill Gates to receive advice on charitable foundations and discuss the latest trends in information technology, his close aides said Thursday,Ahn, who currently teaches at the Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, will embark on his trip with fellow professors on Sunday to visit prestigious universities in Silicon Valley in search of new staff for his graduate scho
Female lawmakers active in wider range of areas

PoliticsJan 5, 2012

The rising number of female lawmakers has led to an expansion in their legislative activities, slowly introducing groundwork for gender equality at the male-dominated National Assembly.According to the report by the state-run Korean Women’s Development Institute Wednesday, the percentage of female lawmakers has been steadily rising from 5.9 percent in the 16th National Assembly to 13 percent in the 17th and 13.7 percent in the 18th. The four-year term of the 18th National Assembly expires in May
President to grant special presidential pardon next week

PoliticsJan 5, 2012

President Lee Myung-bak is likely to grant special pardons to some 1,000 convicted criminals next week at the earliest, officials at the presidential office said Wednesday.South Korea’s president is empowered to pardon convicts if it is believed that a pardon would be helpful to social unity and reconciliation.The list of special pardons on the occasion of the Lunar New Year holiday that falls on Jan. 23, will be released on Jan. 10 at the earliest, they said. South Korea’s president usually gra
N. Korean doctors received training in U.S. in 2008: doctor

North KoreaJan 5, 2012

A dozen of North Korea’s medical professionals undertook a three-month training program at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in the United States after their leader Kim Jong-il suffered a stroke in 2008, a South Korean doctor claimed Thursday.Lee Byung-hoon, an adviser to the Seoul-based Korean Medical Association, said he heard the information from a Korean professor in the cancer center last year while training at the same center.Lee said the North requested the training from the MD Anderson Cance
NK spy indicted after coming to South in disguise as defector

Social affairsJan 5, 2012

Prosecutors on Thursday indicted an alleged North Korean spy suspected of impersonating a defector seeking to settle in South Korea.The 47-year-old man surnamed Kim, believed to be a former agent of the North’s military intelligence unit, was charged with entering South Korea in June last year on a mission of pro-North espionage, according to the prosecutors.Kim crossed Tumen River near the northern border of North Korea and traveled to Thailand with 14 other North Korean defectors through a bro
National health insurance in the black in 2011

Social affairsJan 5, 2012

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said Thursday that the national health insurance fund was 600.8 billion won ($521 million) in the black last year and had 1.56 trillion won in reserves.The National Health Insurance Corp. collected 37.9 trillion won in premiums and spent 37.3 trillion won on insurance coverage.Fund revenue increased by 15 percent due to the 5.9 percent premium raise last year, while insurance coverage rose just 7.4 percent compared to the previous year. Insurance payouts decrea
Rogue travel agent starts new business under fake name

PoliticsJan 5, 2012

A travel agent who had his business registration revoked and was later arrested for scamming customers out of tens of millions of won is continuing to operate under a false name and new company.Wan-koo “Wystan” Kang, of now-defunct Zenith Travel, currently operates Travel Expert under the alias “Joseph Kim,” advertising primarily to foreign customers.Kang registered the business with Songpa District Office in Seoul under someone else’s name on Nov. 24, some seven weeks after he was arrested for
Korea cautions visitors to China against bird flu

Social affairsJan 5, 2012

The Korea Centers for Disease Prevention and Control on Thursday cautioned travelers to China of avian influenza.The move came days after a case of death from bird flu infection was reported last week in Shenzen, southern China. The authorities said a lethal strain of the influenza is unlikely to spread to Korea but they will keep an eye on migratory birds’ movements.“We are banning travelers from visiting farms or places reported in the avian influenza breakout in China. We also advise people t
Cash-for-votes scandal rocks ruling party

PoliticsJan 5, 2012

Rep. Koh claims he was offered 3 million won from former party chiefThe ruling Grand National Party on Thursday asked public prosecutors to launch an investigation into an allegation of vote buying during one of its past leadership contests. The move followed a bombshell revelation a day earlier from Rep. Koh Seung-duk that he received an envelope containing 3 million won from a person close to a former party chief who was at that time vying for chairmanship. “The council members agreed that thi
Law school grads face tough job market

Social affairsJan 5, 2012

The first bar exam for law school students scheduled to graduate in February is on the way.While the exam is an important milestone in the country’s efforts to renovate the structure of the legal industry, law school graduates are in for a tough time in finding employment.“To be honest, I chose to go to a law school because I thought it would be a less difficult way to become a lawyer than taking the existing judicial exam,” a law school student said, declining to be named. He added that studyin
Hyundai-Kia ranks sixth in U.S. sales

IndustryJan 5, 2012

Both carmakers post record sales of over 1.13m units in U.S. last yearHyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. posted record sales in the United States last year, together ranking sixth in sales volume after GM, Ford, Toyota, Chrysler and Honda.With over 1.13 million cars sold, Hyundai-Kia overtook Nissan for the first time by about 90,000 units in the world’s largest auto market.Models that can run more than 40 miles per gallon such as the Elantra, Sonata Hybrid and Accent accounted for about a
Stability of Korean peninsula, 2012 top priority for foreign ministry

Foreign affairsJan 5, 2012

South Korea’s foreign ministry said its top priority in carrying out 2012 policy will be keeping the Korean peninsula stable, as a power transition in North Korea under untested young leader Kim Jong-un is likely to add up uncertainties.In the aftermath of the death of the North’s long-time leader Kim Jong-il on Dec. 17, his son -- believed to be in his late 20s -- took over power of the 1.02 million-strong military and the Workers’ Party in a relatively short period of time.However, it is uncle
Stephanie Choi named Johnson & Johnson’s North Asia head

IndustryJan 5, 2012

Johnson & Johnson Korea said Wednesday that the company’s managing director Stephanie Choi has been recently named the North Asia area managing director. Choi, 42, will be responsible for the U.S.-based consumer goods giant’s operations in Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as Korea. Choi joined Johnson & Johnson as a brand manager in 1991 and became the Korean branch’s first female head in 2008. She has been recognized for her contribution to the successful settlement of brands such as Johnson’s Baby
LH CEO gives up stock options worth W13 billion

IndustryJan 5, 2012

Korea Land & Housing Corporation CEO Lee Ji-song has recently given up stock option rights worth 13 billion won ($11 million) that he was awarded while working for Hyundai Engineering in 2005. According to the country’s state-run land developer, Lee told Hyundai Engineering at the end of last year that he would not exercise 50,000 shares of stock options at the company. The stock options were given to him in late 2005 when he served both as the chairman of Hyundai E&C and as an outside board dir