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Chance to train youth guides

Nov 9, 2011

Expats are being asked to help Korean kids become better tour guides by joining them on a museum visit. Organizers of the training program from the International Exchange and Culture Promotion Institute are seeking expats to attend a trip to explore museums in the Bukchon area of Seoul on Saturday Nov. 26 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Around 100 participants are sought to visit the Asian Art Museum to make a Korean traditional snack, the Gahoe Museum to create a Korean folk painting and Seoul Museum
Movember taches grow charity cash in Korea

Nov 9, 2011

Hundreds of men are going unshaven across Korea this November to raise charity cash through the moustache. The Movember men’s cancer awareness campaign has spurred men from Seoul to Jeju to make like Sam Elliott as colleagues, drinking buddies and sports teams emulate the horseshoe-tached movie cowboy and set down their razors for four weeks. The international initiative was started by a group of men betting on their hair-sprouting prowess in Melbourne, Australia, and has convinced more than 1 m
International schools becoming alternative to early study abroad

Social affairsNov 9, 2011

International schools in Korea are hitting the spotlight as a competitive alternative to early study abroad. The schools have lower limits on Korean student enrollment than foreign schools in Korea, but their high fees have led to criticism that they provide an elite education that ordinary people cannot afford.Parents are attracted by schools that offer the same international curriculum as provided overseas but do not require them to live apart from their children. Study abroad has declined in
U.S. budget cuts could affect Seoul’s fighter buy

DefenseNov 9, 2011

Lockheed Martin says will seek solutions to keep price of its jet affordableAs the U.S. government considers reducing its budget for its next-generation fighter jet program, concerns have been raised over Seoul’s planned purchase of new combat aircraft.As part of its deficit reduction plan, Washington seeks to curtail its defense budget by around $450 billion over the next decade. It reportedly plans to make savings by scaling down or delaying its project to secure new fighter jets, namely F-35
NGO helps through English education, human rights campaigning

Nov 9, 2011

This is part one in a two-part series about how PSCORE helps North Korean defectors. Read next week’s Sharing page for a look into the lives of defectors in South Korea. Outside of the Korean Peninsula -- and often within it -- North Korea receives little attention aside from the provocative, sometimes deadly behavior of its government and military. Less thought of are the oppressed people within North Korea and their troubles often remain overlooked even if they make the dangerous journey out.
South’s groups blast ministry’s N.K. aid monitoring request

PoliticsNov 9, 2011

Aid groups have criticized the Unification Ministry’s request that they monitor how their aid is being distributed in North Korea, saying it hampers their humanitarian efforts.The ministry has asked the aid groups to gain consent from the North to monitor activities as part of its efforts to enhance “transparency” in the distribution process and prevent the aid being passed to the North’s military.The groups have submitted to the ministry photos or video clips that show their aid has reached the
SK chairman faces embezzlement charges

Social affairsNov 9, 2011

State prosecutors said on Wednesday they had found enough circumstantial evidence to accuse SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won of embezzling at least 99.2 billion won ($88.8 million) in company funds to make up for the losses from his investment in futures. The prosecution is looking into materials confiscated from its raid a day earlier on five SK affiliates ― SK C&C, SK Holdings, SK Gas Co., SK Telecom and SK E&S ― as a prelude to summoning of suspects including Chey and his younger brother Jae-wo
Hong to visit Cheong Wa Dae for reform talks

PoliticsNov 9, 2011

The ruling Grand National Party’s chairman Rep. Hong Joon-pyo seeks to meet with President Lee Myung-bak to suggest reforms to Cheong Wa Dae.“I shall talk directly with the president to discuss measures to innovate the administration,” said Rep. Hong in the party’s key officials’ meeting on Wednesday.“If the government-ruling party consensus is a priority in achieving reforms, that is what I intend to focus on.”Hong also pledged to open ears to all reform plans suggested from within the party an
Park foregoes formalities

Social affairsNov 9, 2011

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon will forego the traditional inauguration ceremonies, opting to make his pledge online, city official said Wednesday.According to a Seoul Metropolitan Government source, Park will hold his inauguration in his office and broadcast it live for an hour next Wednesday.“The Seoul city hall homepage will be revamped to feature the inauguration in a live streaming broadcast,” said the city official, who declined to give his name.“The inauguration preparations are being made to
College admission in N.K. as tough as in South

North KoreaNov 9, 2011

North Korean students undergo grueling preparations and tough competition to enter prestigious universities just like those in South Korea, according to North Korea experts and defectors.Around this time, students in the North have a hectic schedule in preparation for a set of college entrance exams, just as South Korean students do, they said.Children in the communist state enter four years of elementary school at around eight and then six years of middle-high school, after which they decide wh
Breakthrough may be in sight on FTA impasse

PoliticsNov 9, 2011

DP faces calls from within to compromiseProspects brightened for an end to parliamentary deadlock over the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement Wednesday, after the main opposition Democratic Party faced growing calls from within the party to drop its demand for the deal’s renegotiation. About half of the DP’s 87 lawmakers were reported to be supporting a concession plan, which calls on party leaders to back off from their initial demand that a set of Investor-State Dispute settlement clauses be dele
Europe crisis spreads to Italy

World NewsNov 8, 2011

ROME (AP) ― Italy became the latest target in Europe’s financial crisis Monday, as soaring borrowing rates intensified pressure on Premier Silvio Berlusconi to resign and let a new government reform the country’s spendthrift ways.Berlusconi batted away reports that he was considering stepping down in favor of early elections, saying they were “without foundation.”But the prospect of financial disaster was real because of Italy’s huge debts and slow growth. Unlike Greece, Ireland and Portugal ― t
Cheonggyecheon teems with hazardous bacteria

Social affairsNov 8, 2011

A popular stream running through downtown Seoul, which is visited by millions of people annually, has been severely polluted by bacteria, a report by the city government showed Tuesday.According to the report, submitted to Seoul council member Jang Hwan-jin of the Democratic Party, parts of the Cheonggyecheon stream contain as many as 53 times the legal limit of colon bacillus. The standard for the number of bacteria for a body of water suitable for swimming is 1,000 per 100 milliliters.The stud
GM could cut business with Saab

World BusinessNov 8, 2011

NEW YORK (AFP) ― General Motors said Monday it would stop supplying the 9-4X SUV model to Saab if the insolvent Swedish automaker is taken over by two Chinese firms.GM also said it would end technology-sharing licenses to Saab as well if the company is acquired by Chinese companies Pang Da and Youngman, though it would be willing to supply some components.“Although General Motors is open to the continued supply of powertrains and other components to Saab under appropriate terms and conditions, G
Russia to boost trade with China: Putin

World BusinessNov 8, 2011

MOSCOW (AFP) ― Russia’s trade with China will be no less than $80 billion in 2011 and is going to quickly grow to $200 billion, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Monday while meeting China’s Wen Jiabao.“Last year our trade volume was $59 billion, and this year it’s already $53 billion in the first eight months, it will probably be no less than $80 billion for the year,” Putin told his Chinese counterpart.“We will quickly reach the level of $100 billion and $200 billion, as we planned,” he sa