Jung crowned Miss Korea 2010

Jung So-ra, a 19-year-old university student, was crowned Miss Korea 2010 on Sunday.　

　The pageant winner beat 55 competitors at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, after going through a range of programs from community service activities to a swimsuit contest. 

　Jung, who currently is enrolled at the University of California, Riverside, said that she wants to be a diplomat. She speaks English, Chinese and Japanese aside from her native Korean. 

　Jung will represent South Korea in the Miss World 2010 and Miss Universe 2011 competitions. 

　She has admirable qualities including her multilingual ability, but her father is now in the spotlight, as well.

    Her father, Jung Han-young, is CEO of Humantech China and chairman of Korean Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, according to local reports. 

 

    The father of Miss Korea of 2010 is a well-known figure among Korean immigrants in Shanghai, China, not only for his outstanding position in the local business community, but for his career that includes a stint as an actor in MBC, one of the three biggest TV stations here.

Lee turning back on big firms?

President Lee Myung-bak is turning up the heat on business conglomerates whose reluctance in investing and caring for smaller firms hinder his key policies for a broader well-being of ordinary people. 

His accusations toward big businesses are not new but the tone and severity are perplexing many who painted him as a staunchly business-friendly leader. 

Last week, Lee lashed out at big firms for remaining hesitant to invest despite their massive cash piles. He also accused large businesses of operating high-interest loan-services, burdening the poor.

On another front, the nation’s antitrust regulator has launched a probe into large businesses on charges that they used their dominant positions to force unfair deals with SMEs. 

Large firms logged record profits in the second quarter, leading the country to post one of the fastest economic growth rates among advanced nations. But their fat profits have not translated into benefits for SMEs and ordinary citizens, the president said, calling on large firms to take “social responsibility.” 

His remarks come as the ruling Grand National Party is struggling to shore up voter support following its crushing defeat on the June 2 local elections. 

The GNP threw its support behind Lee on Monday. 

“In the case of Samsung Electronics, it has reported a record-profit, and it has increased exports. But SMEs and ordinary citizens are living really tough lives,” GNP lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo was quoted as saying in a meeting. 

“The effects of economic growth should be distributed equally to SMEs and ordinary citizens,” he said. 

The latest remarks by Lee and GNP lawmakers have sparked a backlash from business and political circles, which accused the government of political meddling and populist policies. 

Yu blasted for criticism of left-wing youth

Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan has come under fire for his recent controversial comments denouncing those in the younger generation who appear to support North Korea. 

Yu stoked an ideological debate over the weekend when he said progressive young people should “go live with the Dear Leader” if they adore him so much.

He also criticized the pro-North youngsters for taking sides with the North while they enjoy all the benefits of a democratized society.

“Why do they live here? Why do not they live in the North?” he said.

The remarks were part of the government’s response on the possibility of future provocations from the North in case Seoul pushes the envelope too far.

The ministry Monday explained that the minister meant to “emphasize the importance” of the public showing of a unified stance against possible future provocations from North Korea.

“The government wants the younger generation to have a more balanced view on defense matters,” said Kim Young-sun, the Foreign Ministry spokesman. 

The ministry expressed regret for any misunderstandings Yu’s remarks may have caused.

Hangeul as Indonesian Tribe’s Writing System

The Indonesian government has officially approved the use of the Korean Hangeul writing system by the Cia-Cia tribe living in Bau-Bau City.
Bau-Bau Mayor Amirul Tamim conveyed the news of the government’s final approval of the use of the Hangeul writing system in an interview with Seoul's Yonhap News.

Cia-Cia Tribe
This tribe, with a population of 80,000, is a minority living on Buton Island in Sulawesi, Indonesia. The Cia-Cia people mainly produce corn, rice and cassava. Some men fish and build vessels for a living. Some 95% of the tribe consists of Muslim believers, but folk religion also has major influence in their life. About 60,000 of the population live in Bau-Bau, the biggest city and administrative center of Buton Island. They speak the Cia-Cia spoken language which is on the verge of extinction due to lack of a writing system.

Hangeul
The Cia-Cia adopted the Korean alphabet because Hangeul can more accurately record their spoken language than English, Indonesia’s official writing system. Aware of Cia-Cia's predicament, Korea's Hunminjeongem Society proposed the tribe adopt the Hangeul alphabet which it accepted. The two sides signed an MOU on July 21st last year and the society started writing textbooks, training teachers and building a Hangeul center for the tribe. It took a year for the Indonesian government to endorse the tribe’s use of Hangeul.

Approval and Controversy
In the past, Korea tried to introduce Hangeul to minority tribes in China, Thailand and Nepal but the efforts failed because the central governments of those nations objected to the move as ‘cultural invasion.’ Indonesia's approval is therefore highly significant. There has been local controversy and some Indonesia intellectuals are still in opposition. To abate concerns and not to trigger any misunderstanding, Korea should continue support the effort and maintain a prudent approach.

VOA: NK Banks Have 37 O'Seas Bank Accounts

The Voice of America (VOA) says North Korean banks reportedly have a total of 37 overseas bank accounts in 12 nations, including China. Quoting the U.N. committee that oversees sanctions on North Korea, the U.S.-government broadcaster said that of the international bank accounts held by the North's banks, 17 are in China and eleven are in Europe. The broadcaster reported that the overseas accounts will be a prime target for sanctions imposed by the U.S. as they are integral to cash flow for the North Korean regime.

A 'Cool' Performance by Kim Yu-na

The audience forgets about the heat wave as they watch skater Kim Yu-na’s performance during the “Samsung Anycall Hauzen 2010 All That Skate Summer” last week. World-renowned skaters joined Kim for the three-day event. The Olympic gold medalist will now head to Canada to prepare for the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships.

'10 Mln S.Korean Women Hold Driver’s Licenses'

Data from Statistics Korea shows that more than ten million South Korean women had driver’s licenses as of late last year. The figure is nearly double the six million women who had licenses in 2000. As a result, women accounted for 38-point-seven percent of the entire population of licensed drivers in the nation. More than 25-point-eight million South Koreans, some 53 percent of the entire population, had driver’s licenses as of late last year.