राष्ट्रीय प्रतिस्पर्धा, कोरिया 22 स्थान

दक्षिण कोरिया प्रबंधन विकास के लिए स्विस इंटरनैशनल इंस्टिट्यूट (IMD) 2011 तक जारी पिछले वर्ष में राष्ट्रीय प्रतिस्पर्धा से कम से कम 22 से अधिक एक कभी दर्ज की सर्वोच्च हिसाब ऊपर.


IMD द्वारा प्रकाशित 18 दिन '2011 राष्ट्रीय प्रतिस्पर्धा सोमवार जारी मूल्यांकन' दक्षिण कोरिया के 100 से बाहर 78.5 अंक 59 देशों का सर्वेक्षण के 22 से बाहर प्राप्त खत्म हो गया था.


यह पिछले वर्ष की तुलना में था एक सीढ़ी से गुलाब, दक्षिण कोरिया 1997 के बाद से सर्वेक्षण में शामिल है, पिछले होने की संभावना सबसे.


चार रेटिंग पिछले साल श्रेणियों, सरकार दक्षता, व्यावसायिक दक्षता में, क्रमश: चार चरणों की तुलना में, 26 नंबर और 22 के ऊपर एक सीढ़ी सही वृद्धि प्रतिस्पर्धा रैंकिंग का नेतृत्व किया.
बुनियादी सुविधाओं के 20 लगातार तीन साल के लिए स्थान पर था, पिछले वर्ष से अधिक आर्थिक प्रदर्शन, 25 से अधिक 4 कदम नीचे थे.


आईएमडी प्रतिस्पर्धा दर्ज़ा, लेकिन यह भी बाहर लगता है कि स्विस टैंक की कुछ सीमाएँ कहा है विश्व आर्थिक (WEF) 'राष्ट्रीय प्रतिस्पर्धा रिपोर्ट के फोरम देशों की प्रतिस्पर्धा के लिए सामग्री है कि सबसे प्रतिष्ठित माना जाता है की पहचान के साथ तुलना में.

S.Korea Presidential speeches in Paris

Bad food culture (English)

Bad food culture (English)

Kim keeps hanbok traditional but trendy

The Shilla Seoul hotel has something new at its arcade. But it isn’t western-style haute-couture or designer labels that catch the eye. What grabs your attention are the four big Chinese characters in vermeil red ― Jeon Tong Han Bok ― meaning traditional hanbok boutique.

The shop is run by Kim Young-seok. His bold signature transformation of conventional hanbok is what lures in the visitors.

Unlike exultant designers who have worked industriously for decades, it only took 10 years for Kim to reach the top of his profession. 

He is one of the best known traditional hanbok couturiers, tailoring for the nation’s President, the first lady, and top celebrities. But he is also well respected by industry artisans ― something unusual for such a suddenly successful designer. 

It is his staunch philosophy of hanbok design that makes him respected by so many. For Kim, the two words “tradition” and “modernity” are not contradictory or mutually exclusive. 

He is not afraid of blending his fabric with pastel colors, nor adorning it with European-styled Swarovski jewelry. He pursues constant innovation in hanbok styling, but refrains from violating traditions.

 Home > News > National > News

New zodiac signs mean yours may have changed

2011-01-17 13:27

•   Text
• 

• Women line up to bed Singapore casanova
• Japanese manga vilifies KARA, Girls’ Generation
• Lawyer advises young to turn eyes abroad
• SK Telecom chief to spur network evolution
• KARA makes debut in Japanese drama
• BOK unexpectedly hikes key rate to 2.75 pct
• Two hours of TV-watching boosts heart risk
• Deaf boys grow up through baseball
• LG Uplus launches social networking services
• S. African police fine 'no pants' train passengers

The twelve zodiac signs, which have been in place for almost 3,000 years, are now different according to news reports. 

The Babylonians determined the dates of the zodiac, and since then the position of Earth in relation to the Sun has gradually altered, according to ABC News.

The shifting of the Earth’s axis has also introduced a 13th zodiac sign -- Ophiuchus. 

The Huffington Post reported that astronomer Parke Kunkle, who spoke to NBC regarding the issue, explained that the Earth and the Sun slowly move, as expected, causing the alteration in the signs. 　

Check below to see if your zodiac sign has changed.

The new dates:

Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16

Aquarius: Feb. 16-March 11

Pisces: March 11-April 18

Aries: April 18-May 13

Taurus: May 13-June 21

Gemini: June 21-July 20

Cancer: July 20-Aug. 10

Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16

Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30

Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23

Scorpio: Nov. 23-Nov. 29

Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17

Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20

(wylee@heraldm.com) 

<한글 요약> 

지난 3천년동안 변하지 않았던 12개의 별자리가 이제 변화를 맞게 되었다.

ABC 뉴스에 따르면 12개의 별자리가 고대 바빌로니아에서 결정된 이후로 지구가 점차 위치 이동을 하게 되었다고 한다.

지구 자전축의 변화로 13번째 별자리가 등장하게 되었다. 새로운 별자리의 이름은 뱀주인자리(Ophiuchus)이다.

허핑턴 포스트는 천문학자 Parke Kunkle이 NBC 방송 프로그램에 나와 새로운 별자리에 대해 말했다고 보도했다. 이 천문학자에 따르면 지구와 태양의 위치 이동으로 결국은 별자리의 변화까지 가져왔다고 한다. 

새로 바뀐 별자리: 

염소자리: 1.20-2.16

물병자리: 2.16-3.11

물고기자리: 3.11-4.18

양자리: 4.18-5.13

황소자리: 5.13-6.21

쌍둥이자리: 6.21-7.20

게자리: 7.20-8.10

사자자리: 8.10-9.16

처녀자리: 9.16-10.30

천칭자리: 10.30-11.23

전갈자리: 11.23-11.29

뱀주인자리: 11.29-12.17

사수자리: 12.17-1.20 

The twelve zodiac signs, which have been in place for almost 3,000 years, are now different according to news reports. 

The Babylonians determined the dates of the zodiac, and since then the position of Earth in relation to the Sun has gradually altered, according to ABC News.

The shifting of the Earth’s axis has also introduced a 13th zodiac sign -- Ophiuchus. 

The Huffington Post reported that astronomer Parke Kunkle, who spoke to NBC regarding the issue, explained that the Earth and the Sun slowly move, as expected, causing the alteration in the signs. 　

Check below to see if your zodiac sign has changed.

The new dates:

Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16

Aquarius: Feb. 16-March 11

Pisces: March 11-April 18

Aries: April 18-May 13

Taurus: May 13-June 21

Gemini: June 21-July 20

Cancer: July 20-Aug. 10

Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16

Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30

Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23

Scorpio: Nov. 23-Nov. 29

Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17

Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20

Looting hits Tunisia as new leader sworn in

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) _ Looting, deadly prison riots and street chaos engulfed Tunisia on Saturday, the day after mass protests forced its strongman to flee. A new interim president was sworn in, promising to create a unity government that could include the long-ignored opposition.

It was the second change of power in this North African nation in  less than 24 hours.

Amid the political instability, looters emptied shops and torched the main train station in Tunis, soldiers traded fire with assailants in front of the Interior Ministry, and thousands of European tourists sought a plane flight home.
 

Destroyer approaching hijacked vessel

A 4,500-ton South Korean destroyer was proceeding toward a Korean commercial vessel apparently hijacked by the Somali pirates Sunday, as the Seoul government remained firm against holding direct negotiations or paying ransom for the 21 crew members.

The 11,500-ton Samho Jewelry freighter, carrying eight South Koreans, is believed to have been seized Saturday in the waters between Oman and India while en route to Sri Lanka from the United Arab Emirates.

The vessel, belonging to Samho Shipping Co., was also carrying two Indonesians and 11 others from Myanmar, all of whom have been confirmed safe, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said. 

(AP)

After being briefed about the situation, President Lee Myung-bak called on his government to “make the utmost effort in having the crew return home safely,” presidential secretary Hong Sang-pyo told reporters. 

Having confirmed the location and the safety of the crew members, the Foreign Ministry here said it will “not get dragged into” the psychological warfare often launched by the Somali pirates. 

“We are working together with our Cheonghae Unit to locate the ship on a real time basis,” a ministry official said. “The government remains firm not to directly negotiate with the pirates or pay ransom.”

Samho Jewelry freighter (Yonhap News)

Task forces have been set up in the Foreign Ministry and the South Korean Embassy in Kenya to tackle the kidnapping. 

South Korea’s 4,500-ton destroyer Choi Young, which belongs to the Cheonghae Unit, was moving toward the hijacked freighter and is expected to reach it in two days, according to other government sources here. 

The Cheonghae Unit, with some 300 troops and a destroyer, has been in charge of patrolling the pirate-infested waters off Somalia, since its deployment in early 2009 under a U.S.-led multinational campaign. 

The Samho shipping firm, based in the southern port city of Busan, had seen another of its vessels, Samho Dream, released in November after being held hostage by Somali pirates for more than 200 days. Although it has not officially revealed the exact ransom, the company is said to have paid some $9 million to have the 300,000-ton tanker released. 

South Korea’s 4,500-ton destroyer Choi Young (Yonhap News)

The recent hijacking comes as two South Koreans continue to be held captive by Somali pirates after their 241-ton ship Geummi 305 was kidnapped in October in the waters off Kenya’s Lamu Island.

Korea Pass Cards to spur demand during 50-day shopping event

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it would aggressively promote the use of Korea Pass Cards during the “Korea Grand Sale,” which kicked off Monday at major department stores and shopping malls and runs through Feb. 28.

Korea Pass Cards, consisting of pre-paid cards and check cards for non-Koreans and credit cards and check cards for Korean nationals, can be used on subways, buses and taxis. They also offer 5-10 percent discount benefits at major shopping stores, tourist sites, museums, theaters and restaurants in Seoul.

A foreign visitor receives hotel accommodation vouchers and cultural performance tickets through a lottery at Incheon International Airport on Monday. The seven-day event is part of the shopping festival “Korea Grand Sale” which runs through Feb. 28. (Yonhap News)

The ministry launched the tourism cards, in cooperation with Lotte Card and the Korea Tourism Organization, on Dec. 20. 

Samsung eyes mid-range smartphone market with Android, bada software

Building on the success in the market for premium smartphones last year, Samsung Electronics Co. hopes to make a splash in the mid-range smartphone segment, the president of its mobile business said Wednesday, as smartphones are expected to quickly become a mainstream device.

   At the center of its push into the smartphone mass market will be the Android system and "bada," the company's 1-year-old proprietary mobile software, Shin Jong-kyun, Samsung's mobile president, said in a written interview with Yonhap News Agency before a tech gadget fest in Las Vegas, the United States. 

Japanese manga vilifies KARA, Girls’ Generation

A Japanese manga comic has sparked anger among Korean netizens for its depiction of lewd scenes of women clad in the signature clothes of Girls’ Generation and KARA’s butt dance.

Korean fans of the two famous girl groups claimed that the manga titled, “An Analysis on the K-Pop Boom Lies” is intended to vilify the groups who have made successful debuts in Japan.

The manga shows former Korean girl group idols-turned-hostesses revealing secrets of the dirty Korean music industry to reporters. The cartoonist of the controversial comic reportedly insists that the story is based on information he acquired. 

Voting campaign launched to pitch Jeju for ‘New7Wonders of Nature’

JEJU ISLAND ― South Korea has launched a campaign to encourage people to vote for Jeju Island in an initiative to list seven natural wonders of the world. 

The island is one of the final 28 global candidates for “New7Wonders of Nature.”

Lead by the Swiss-based, non-profit New7Wonders Foundation, the New7Wonders of Nature initiative started in 2007.

With 300 days left before the final voting date on Nov. 10, the National Committee for New7Wonders of Nature held a ceremony in Jeju to launch its campaign for votes. Some 200 people attended the ceremony.

“Jeju’s biggest strength in competing against other sites is that Jeju became the world’s first and only place to be awarded a triple crown in the natural science field by UNESCO a Biosphere Reserve in 2002, a World Natural Heritage in 2007 and a Global Geopark in 2010,” said Chung Un-chan, former prime minister and chairman of the National Committee for Jeju New7Wonders of Nature, at a press conference at Haevichi Resort Jeju in Jeju City on Thursday.

Google charged over credit card info, passwords

Company denies illegal activity
Police said they have charged global Internet giant Google Inc. Thursday for their online location tracking service over allegations it violated Internet privacy laws here. 

According to the Cyber Terror Response Center, the National Police Agency’s Internet crime unit, the conglomerate’s “Street View” mapping service gathered private information from unencrypted wireless networks during the filming process, violating three communication laws here.

Of the 16 countries currently investigating Google’s Street View, South Korea is the first to charge the headquarters, officials said. 

Google is suspected of traveling some 50,000 kilometers through the country using cars attached with special video-recording, information-collecting devices, not only taping streets and landscapes, but also gathering private information through unprotected Wi-Fi networks

U.S.-China summit unlikely to produce agreement on six-party talks: S. Korean official

A U.S.-China summit set for later this month is unlikely to produce an agreement on resuming six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear programs as Washington is against convening talks for talks' sake, a South Korean official said Sunday.

   U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao are scheduled to meet in Washington on Jan. 19. North Korea is expected to be a key topic for the summit amid Chinese calls for restarting six-party talks to discuss tensions over Pyongyang's provocations and nuclear programs.

   North Korea has also signaled its willingness to negotiate after escalating tensions with the deadly shelling of a South Korean island in November, a typical behavioral pattern by a nation that has used provocations to raise tensions and maximize its negotiating power before returning to talks.

   Pyongyang renewed its peace overtures to Seoul, stressing the importance of improved relations and dialogue with South Korea in its New Year's message issued on Saturday. The North also said in the message that it wants to achieve peace in the region and denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

   South Korea and the U.S., wary of the North's pattern of behavior, have urged Pyongyang to take concrete steps demonstrating its denuclearization willingness so as to prevent it from abusing the negotiations to get concessions for promises on which it ultimately backtracks.

   Seoul and Washington have also said they are not interested in talking for talks' sake.

   "Considering the current U.S. attitude, it appears to be difficult for the United States and China to reach agreement on resuming six-party talks," a senior South Korean official said on condition of anonymity.

   The summit is not expected to be a "dramatic turning point" in the situation, he said.

   The six-party talks have been deadlocked since the last session in December 2008 due to a North Korean boycott. The talks bring together the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the U.S.   

Meanwhile, Washington's special envoy for North Korea affairs, Stephen Bosworth, is likely to visit South Korea as early as this week to assess the current situation and discuss ways to move forward, another government official said, also speaking on customary condition of anonymity.

Korean restaurant in Hong Kong added to Michelin Guide

(AP)

A Korean restaurant in Hong Kong has been added to the latest edition of the Michelin Guide, the world's oldest and best-known hotel and restaurant guide.

Sorabol, a restaurant widely known in Hong Kong for providing authentic Korean cuisine, was recommended by the annual guidebook's lead-up to 2011 for the city of Hong Kong.

"A Korean restaurant, often busy with larger groups who come to share dishes and do their own barbecuing on the grills on each table," the guidebook said about the restaurant.

"Beef is obviously one of the most popular choices but it is worth considering the specials and the hotpots, including the threateningly named Genghis Khan."

It also applauded the staff working there for being "professional," saying they are "on hand to keep moving things along."

The Michelin Guide has been published by France-based tire manufacturer Michelin Corp. since the early 1900s. It is considered by many in the restaurant industry to be the ultimate authority on places to eat. The company publishes annual guidebooks listing restaurants assessed and reviewed by their inspectors in 23 countries.

Seoul cautious over N. Korea call for peace

While noting North Korea’s renewed willingness to resume the long-stalled talks with South Korea as well as regional partners, the Seoul government appears cautious not to become too optimistic about the unpredictable state’s change of attitude.

North Korea welcomed the New Year on Saturday with an editorial calling for improved ties with South Korea, in its first mention of peace since attacking a Seoul warship and a border island last year.

“The danger of war should be removed and peace safeguarded in the Korean Peninsula,” said the editorial carried by the communist state’s official media. “If a war breaks out on this land, it will bring nothing but a nuclear holocaust.”

Despite its calls for better ties, Pyongyang also maintained a tough rhetoric, warning its military is ready for “prompt, merciless action” against its enemies, the part which prompted the Seoul government to vow “continued military readiness.”

In an analysis of the editorial, South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles affairs with the North, said Pyongyang has shown “interest in resuming dialogue,” but also noted it “shifted blame” onto Seoul for the relations that worsened due to its own provocations.

The ministry also took note of the communist state’s emphasis on humanitarian aid, saying it may continue to create conflicts among the general South Korean public by inducing groups that oppose to their conservative government’s stern policies.

Seoul’s Defense Ministry openly suspected North Korea’s willingness to defuse tensions.

“I cannot help but doubt the authenticity of North Korea’s intentions to work on resolving tensions, especially seeing from the fact it also emphasized military readiness in the same editorial,” a senior ministry official said, asking not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Pyongyang apparently torpedoed South Korean warship Cheonan in March and bombed the Yeonpyeong Island in November.

Koreas strive to win over Russia amid tension

Although they are unlikely to encounter each other during their stay in Moscow, two key foreign affairs officials of the two Koreas will separately be meeting with Russian counterparts this week, in an apparent effort to secure the regional power’s support amid high tensions.

Wi Sung-lac, the chief nuclear envoy of Seoul, will head for Russia on Tuesday to discuss pending issues following North Korea’s Nov. 23 artillery attack on a civilian-inhabited South Korean island, the Foreign Ministry here said.

Wi’s trip comes as North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun is also in Moscow, apparently hoping to persuade Russia to defend it from international condemnation for the attack that left four South Koreans dead.

He will meet with his Russian counterpart Alexei Borodavkin and return to Seoul on Thursday, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The two officials “will discuss how to deal with North Korea’s growing provocations, its apparent uranium enrichment programs and the conditions under which the stalled six-party denuclearization talks can resume,” a ministry official said on the condition of customary anonymity.

North Korea and its main ally China want to resume the aid-for-denuclearization talks, also involving Seoul, Washington, Tokyo and Moscow, stalled since the end of 2008.

Wi is unlikely to encounter Pyongyang’s foreign minister during his stay in Moscow, the official added.

The flurry of diplomacy among regional powers takes place following North Korea’s artillery shelling last month near the tense inter-Korean maritime border, which ratcheted up military tensions to the highest level in decades.

Angered and concerned by the increasingly provocative Pyongyang, which also recently unveiled a new uranium enrichment facility to outside experts, the U.S. and its main Asian allies South Korea and Japan have been vowing unified deterrence against the unpredictable state.

Beijing, which has so far refused to join the international move to condemn Pyongyang, has been under growing pressure to help rein in the nuclear-armed nation’s belligerence.

Unlike the situation earlier this year over Pyongyang’s apparent torpedoing of a South Korean warship, Russia, meanwhile, has already officially blamed Pyongyang for the deadly assault.

Still, North Korea continues to defend its artillery attack, showing little sign of change to help defuse tensions.

In an interview with Russia’s Interfax news agency, Pyongyang’s Foreign Minister Pak accused Seoul and Washington of pursuing a policy of hostility and confrontation, claiming his country had “made the right choice by strengthening defense with a nuclear deterrent.”

Talks among other dialogue partners are expected to continue this week as a U.S. delegation, led by Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, is scheduled to visit Beijing from Tuesday.

The senior delegation from Washington is expected to again request cooperation from China in controlling North Korea, according to U.S. officials.

Also members of the delegation, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Special Envoy on North Korea Sung Kim are scheduled to separately visit Tokyo and Seoul, respectively, to share with partners the result of talks with Beijing.