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Kia Motors to build 3rd plant in China

TransportNov 2, 2011

Kia Motors Corp., South Korea’s No. 2 automaker, signed an investment contract on Wednesday to build a new Chinese assembly plant in an effort to better meet demand growth in the world’s largest car market.The deal calls for the Kia plant, which will be the third in the country, to be built by the second half of 2014 and have an annual production capacity of 300,000 cars.This output will compliment the 430,000 cars that are currently being made by the carmaker’s two car assembly lines in Yanchen
Foreign IBs cut 2012 growth outlook for Korean economy

Nov 2, 2011

Major foreign investment banks slashed their growth projections for the South Korean economy next year to an average of 3.8 percent, saying the global economic slowdown will hit the country’s export growth, data showed Wednesday.The growth outlook was downgraded from an average of 3.9 percent estimated in October by 10 foreign investment banks including Barclays Capital, according to data compiled by the Korea Center for International Finance.UBS AG gave the lowest projection of an estimated 2.8
Korean official named to senior post at U.N. IPR agency

Nov 2, 2011

GENEVA (Yonhap News) -- A South Korean government official has been nominated for a senior position in the World Intellectual Property Organization, becoming the first Korean to rise to the agency’s higher echelon, the country’s representative here said Wednesday.Kim Jong-an, 52, a former trademark examiner of the Intellectual Property Tribunal of Korea, was nominated to be the director for the International Trademarks Promotion in the Brands and Designs Sector of the WIPO, a specialized agency
57,000 artists to be insured against accidents

CultureNov 2, 2011

Artist welfare law to take effect November 2012The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said about 57,000 South Korean performing artists will benefit from industrial accident insurance, just as employees in other industries do.The ministry’s announcement comes after the passing of the Artist Welfare Act by the National Assembly on Friday. The law, which takes effect in November 2012, aims to protect artists’ job security and rights as they are often excluded from two major types of insurance
Yoko Ono: ‘Imagine’ bigger than expected

MusicNov 2, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) ― Yoko Ono says John Lennon’s iconic “Imagine” wasn’t initially embraced by the public.She says the song, released in 1971, wasn’t really accepted; “it wasn’t ‘Wow!’”Ono, who is listed as a co-producer on the track, says she remembers when Lennon created it, calling that time “really beautiful.”Lennon’s 78-year-old widow made the comments at the launch of her “Imagine There’s No Hunger” campaign in New York City’s Times Square on Tuesday. The global campaign aims to raise money and
Testimony ends in Jackson doctor trial

PeopleNov 2, 2011

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Michael Jackson’s doctor finally made a decision he had long delayed, telling a judge Tuesday he would not testify in his involuntary manslaughter trial.Minutes later, the defense rested its case and the prosecution, after presenting brief rebuttal testimony, closed its presentation of evidence in the six-week trial. That set the stage for closing arguments to begin Thursday.Dr. Conrad Murray’s announcement came while jurors were out of the room and he was not asked to repeat
One last chance

BaseballNov 2, 2011

Park wants to pitch in Korea, but faces obstacles He knows his time is almost up, and admits he is no longer able to throw his 160 kph fastball. But Park Chan-ho believes he can still be part of the game and take the mound.The 38-year-old veteran pitcher was released last month by the Orix Buffaloes. Park, who joined the Japanese club before the 2011 season on a one-year deal, pitched only seven games, going 1-5 with a 4.29 ERA.After the disappointing season, he is now trying to come back here a
Embassy to raise cash for Children in Need

Nov 2, 2011

The Annual Children in Need Quiz and Raffle will take place at the British Embassy’s Broughton’s Bar on Friday.The event, in aid of BBC Children in Need and the Hwasung Center, costs 15,000 won at the door for adults and 10,000 won for children. This year the Standard Charted-sponsored night has a Halloween theme.Michael Watters, Acting Head of Press and Public Affairs at the British Embassy in Seoul said:“It’s fantastic that once again the embassy will be raising money for these two worthwhile
Caro’s fourth LBJ book coming in May

BooksNov 2, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) ― The fourth of Robert A. Caro’s Lyndon Johnson books, continuing one of the most acclaimed and debated biographical series in memory, is coming in May.And a fifth volume is now planned for what Caro had intended to be a three-, then four-part story on the man who became president when John F. Kennedy was assassinated.“The Passage of Power” will focus on the years 1958-64, from the time he began seeking the presidency, through his years as vice president under Kennedy, and to Johns
MOCA head’s resignation touches off speculations

TheaterNov 2, 2011

The director of the National Museum of Contemporary Art abruptly quit four months before the end of his term of office. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism accepted the former MOCA head Bae Soon-hoon’s resignation on Tuesday. He is known to have submitted his letter about 20 days ago, soon after attending the parliamentary audit in which he felt extremely humiliated, according to museum officials. Several members of the National Assembly rebuked him for his “bad attitude” presented by cr
N.K. strengthens ideological education, travel ban after Gadhafi’s death

North KoreaNov 2, 2011

North Korea has reportedly been scrambling to shield itself from the fallout of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi’s death last month, a sign that his demise was a shock to the regime.It has intensified ideological education for young people since Gadhafi was killed in his hometown of Sirte on Oct. 20, about two months after the downfall of his regime that ruled the northern African state for 42 years.It also appears to be stepping up measures to bar overseas citizens from returning home to prevent
Ex-financial regulator indicted over Busan bank

Social affairsNov 2, 2011

Prosecution wraps up probe into Busan savings bank scandal, indicting 76 Prosecutors have indicted Kim Jong-chang, a former top financial regulator, for the breach of an ethics law, wrapping up its probe into a failed savings bank in Busan. “A total of 76 have been indicted in connection with our investigation into Busan Mutual Savings Bank, whose financial corruption amounts to 9 trillion won,” Choi Jae-kyung, an official at the Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office told a press briefing. Of them,
Apple’s mobile game category reopens

IndustryNov 2, 2011

Mobile game firms set to engage in fierce battle in local game applications marketMobile game companies are pumping up to garner a larger share in the local industry as the game category reopened after a 19-month gap for Apple’s App Store for those with Korean accounts on Wednesday.Apple Inc. added the game category for its App Store designed for Korean users, indicating people who wish to play mobile games on their iPhones and iPads do not have to create a separate account to download them onto
China sends outspoken artist $2.4 million tax bill

TheaterNov 2, 2011

BEIJING (AP) ― Outspoken artist Ai Weiwei said Tuesday that Chinese authorities are now seeking $2.4 million in back taxes and fines from him, a sign that the government is not easing pressure on the dissident detained for nearly three months earlier this year.Two officials from the Beijing Local Taxation Bureau delivered a notice to the artist Tuesday saying he owed just over 15 million yuan ($2.36 million) in back taxes and fines, Ai said in a phone interview. He had been served a tax notice i
Recall orders mulled for humidifier sterlizers

IndustryNov 2, 2011

Health authorities said Wednesday that they are considering issuing recall orders for some humidifier sterilizers on the market after the harmful effects have been proven in the ongoing animal results. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to release the final test results as early as in the middle of this month. In its interim results on Oct. 26, the disease control center had found that a substance in humidifier disinfectant, when inhaled, is 47.3 times more likely to have cause