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Penn, McDormand, Giamatti join Sundance cast list

FilmDec 20, 2011

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Films featuring Sean Penn, Frances McDormand, Paul Giamatti, Jesse Eisenberg, Tracy Morgan and Melissa Leo are among late additions to next month‘s Sundance Film Festival.Organizers for Robert Redford’s independent-film showcase said Monday they have added four titles to the previously announced lineup of more than 100 movies.The new films are: director Paolo Sorrentino‘s rock-star-on-a-road-trip tale ``This Must Be the Place,’‘ with Penn and McDormand; Philip Dorling and Ron
Rare documents burned in Egypt clash

BooksDec 20, 2011

CAIRO (AP) ― Volunteers in white lab coats, surgical gloves and masks stood on the back of a pickup truck Monday along the banks of the Nile River in Cairo, rummaging through stacks of rare 200-year-old manuscripts that were little more than charcoal debris.The volunteers, ranging from academic experts to appalled citizens, have spent the past two days trying to salvage what’s left of some 192,000 books, journals and writings, casualties of Egypt’s latest bout of violence.Institute d’Egypte, a r
Japan, U.S. unite on N. Korea, differ on Iran

World NewsDec 20, 2011

Tokyo refuses to ban oil imports from Iran; chooses F-35 stealth jetWASHINGTON (AFP) ― The United States and Japan put on a united front Monday after North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il’s death but the allies showed differences elsewhere with the Asian economic giant refusing to stop oil imports from Iran.President Barack Obama spoke by telephone with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and “underscored the United States’ commitment to the defense of our close allies, including Japan,” the White House sai
Hyundai E&C devoted to co-prosperity with suppliers

IndustryDec 20, 2011

Korea’s biggest builder expands low-interest loans and technology development for subcontractorsHyundai Engineering & Construction, Korea’s largest builder, is expanding its campaigns to prop up smaller partners and suppliers as it strives to build a level playing field in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.Co-prosperity has been a keyword for corporate management over the past year as the government pushes for fair trade and healthy competition between conglomerates and small and medium businesses.
KOGAS receives top award for development of human resources

IndustryDec 20, 2011

Korea Gas Corporation received a presidential honor for human resource development at the annual Korea National Quality Award ceremony last week. Companies and persons who have greatly contributed toward improving quality, reducing costs and raising productivity in industry have been awarded at the ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy and the Korean Standards Association each year since 1975. About 1,700 people including Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik, chief of the parliamentary co
Hwang Sok-yong’s novel published in Sweden

BooksDec 20, 2011

Author Hwang Sok-yong’s novel “The Ancient Garden” was published in Sweden last month, according to the Korea Literature Translation Institute.The novel, which Hwang published in Korea in 2000 after many years in political exile and five years in prison, was translated into Swedish by translators Anders Karlsson and Park Ok-Kyoung. The duo previously translated Hwang’s 1998 novel, “The Chronicle of a Man Named Han,” in 2007 and the edition was published in Sweden that same year. Both of the nove
KT leads 14-member consortium to build undersea optical cable

IndustryDec 20, 2011

KT Corp., the country’s biggest fixed-line service operator, signed a contract with 13 telecoms on Tuesday to form an international consortium that will build a high-speed underwater optical fiber cable that connects nine Asian countries.KT, together with overseas telecom firms including NTT Communications in Japan and Chunghwa Telecom in Taiwan, will construct 10,000 kilometer-long optical cable called the “Asia Pacific Gateway,” according to KT officials.The underwater communications cable, wh
Seoul may scrap plans for border Christmas lights

North KoreaDec 20, 2011

South Korea will reconsider plans to light Christmas decorations along the border owing to the recent developments in North Korea, Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said Tuesday.Speaking to the National Assembly’s defense committee, Kim said that the ministry plans to “reconsider the plans as they are not suitable for the current situation,” referring to the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on Dec. 17. While the ministry will reconsider related plans, the religious organizations behind the d
Pull over or fork over for fire engines

Social affairsDec 20, 2011

The state’s emergency agency has begun cracking down on cars that fail to pull over for an emergency response vehicle.According to the National Emergency Management Agency, vehicles that fail to pull over for a fire engine responding to an accident will be charged up to 200,000 won ($171) according to a revised traffic law.According to the law that took effect Dec. 9, drivers must pull their vehicles to the side of the road or forfeit the right of way to oncoming emergency vehicles.Vehicles at a
Business normal for diplomats in Seoul

Dec 20, 2011

Seoul’s diplomatic community remained unruffled following Monday’s announcement of Kim Jong-il’s death, with many envoys departing on planned Christmas vacations despite South Korean institutions’ “high alert” status. Branches of the South’s government and military held emergency meetings following the announcement that left uncertainty over the North’s leadership and fears of turmoil in the communist regime. Irish Ambassador to Seoul Eamonn McKee contacted the Irish community in Korea Tuesday t
Experts see key role for Kim’s guardians

North KoreaDec 20, 2011

Late leader’s brother-in-law Jang may be critical; N.K. media hails Jong-un as ‘honorable’ leaderNorth Korea experts raised a set of scenarios regarding how the communist state’s governing system will change amid growing uncertainties stemming from the demise of Kim Jong-il.One of the most likely scenarios is the third-generation transfer of power to his third son and heir apparent Jong-un will be completed with his so-called guardian group in the military and the ruling party backing him.But ex
Anti-corruption body official honored for work with media

PeopleDec 20, 2011

Kim Dok-man of the Anti-corruption and Civil Rights Commission received the top prize in the Korea Record Institute’s award for recorded culture on Monday.The award was bestowed in an event marking the first “records day” and the first recorded culture awards at the National Assembly. Kim was awarded the prize in the media category for promoting the country’s anti-corruption policies through articles contributed to a variety of media outlets.Since assuming his current position at the Anti-corrup
[NEWS ANALYSIS] What now for six-party talks?

North KoreaDec 20, 2011

North Korean nuclear talks could be resumed earlier than expected: expertsJust hours before the announcement of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s death, Washington and Pyongyang had nearly reached an agreement on U.S. aid for the famine-stricken state in exchange for North Korea’s suspension of its nuclear program.AP reported on Sunday that the U.S. would hold a bilateral talk soon with North Korea to discuss providing 20,000 tons of nutritional assistance per month for a year, to push North Kor
No probation to be allowed for pedophiles

Social affairsDec 20, 2011

All those convicted of sexual assault against disabled people or children under 13 years old will face mandatory prison terms without suspension, the nation’s top court decided Tuesday. Heavier terms will be imposed on such criminals in order to stem repeat offenses, according to a subordinate committee of the Supreme Court, which passed new ruling guidelines for sex crimes. According to the committee head Lee Ki-su, the imprisonment terms for sexual assaults against a minor under the age of 13
Korea needs to boost female employment

Social affairsDec 20, 2011

Measures for work-family balance required to place more women into labor forceAfter spending more than two decades as a homemaker, 48-year-old housewife Kim, who has a master’s degree in education, hopes to get a teaching or welfare consultant job after her son enters college next year.Her husband, a doctor, also encourages her to find new meaning in her life.Their daughter, who studies hospitality management at a university in Seoul, is determined to pursue career success, placing marriage at