2010년 7월 26일 월요일
Promoting Korea everyone’s responsibility
An important aspect of a diplomatic mission in Korea is promotion, promotion and promotion in every sphere.
So it is appreciated when the local and diplomatic communities get together to help Korea’s young but vibrant tourism industry.
One new tool is the Tourism Supporters’ Network which was inaugurated last month.
The network is the brainchild of the Korea Tourism Organization’s CEO Lee Charm.
The first trip under this new umbrella was to Gangjin in the southwestern part of the country, an area almost unknown to foreigners.
A lot could be said about Gangjin, all good of course, but one important feature that is missing is a brand that will propel the city into the hearts and minds of locals and international tourists alike.
Sure Gangjin is famous for its celadon, sure they make great tea, sure they have beaches, delicious seafood and interesting museums, but that one branding image for the area is missing.
So it is appreciated when the local and diplomatic communities get together to help Korea’s young but vibrant tourism industry.
One new tool is the Tourism Supporters’ Network which was inaugurated last month.
The network is the brainchild of the Korea Tourism Organization’s CEO Lee Charm.
The first trip under this new umbrella was to Gangjin in the southwestern part of the country, an area almost unknown to foreigners.
A lot could be said about Gangjin, all good of course, but one important feature that is missing is a brand that will propel the city into the hearts and minds of locals and international tourists alike.
Sure Gangjin is famous for its celadon, sure they make great tea, sure they have beaches, delicious seafood and interesting museums, but that one branding image for the area is missing.
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Film archive to hold Kim Ki-young retrospective
The Korean Film Archive will host a week-long retrospective of influential writer-director Kim Ki-young’s films at its screening center, the Cinematheque KOFA, from July 27-Aug. 1.
Known for his “nyeoh,” meaning “women,” involved in taboo subject matters such as extra-marital affairs and crimes of passion, the late auteur’s works were largely unknown and ignored until the 1990s.
One year before Kim and his wife were tragically killed in a blaze at their home, a career retrospective at the 1997 iteration of the Pusan International Film Festival sparked renewed interest in his films.
The program proved to be a huge success in attracting international interest as his films subsequently made the rounds at international film festivals.
In 2008, a digitally restored and re-mastered print of Kim’s most representative film “The Housemaid” was screened at the world’s most prestigious movie gala, the Cannes International Film Festival.
When it was first released to local audiences in 1960, the story of an upper middle-class family undone by a husband and father’s extra-marital affair with his housemaid proved to be a hit with both critics and audiences alike.
Known for his “nyeoh,” meaning “women,” involved in taboo subject matters such as extra-marital affairs and crimes of passion, the late auteur’s works were largely unknown and ignored until the 1990s.
One year before Kim and his wife were tragically killed in a blaze at their home, a career retrospective at the 1997 iteration of the Pusan International Film Festival sparked renewed interest in his films.
The program proved to be a huge success in attracting international interest as his films subsequently made the rounds at international film festivals.
In 2008, a digitally restored and re-mastered print of Kim’s most representative film “The Housemaid” was screened at the world’s most prestigious movie gala, the Cannes International Film Festival.
When it was first released to local audiences in 1960, the story of an upper middle-class family undone by a husband and father’s extra-marital affair with his housemaid proved to be a hit with both critics and audiences alike.
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Hyundai brings out bicycles
Hyundai Motor Co. introduced two bicycles whose designs are based on the mid-sized sedan Sonata and the compact sport utility vehicle Tucson ix on Thursday.
The Sonata bicycle, built from aluminum, weighs 10.9 kilograms and comes with a 14-speed gear system. The Tucson ix-based bicycle is a mountain bike that comes with a 24-speed gear system and 26-inch alloy wheels.
The Sonata bicycle is priced at 255,000 won ($212) and the Tucson ix bike is priced at 425,000 won.
Both bikes are available at www.shop-hyundai.com and blu.hyundai.com, as well as at bike stores.
The Sonata bicycle, built from aluminum, weighs 10.9 kilograms and comes with a 14-speed gear system. The Tucson ix-based bicycle is a mountain bike that comes with a 24-speed gear system and 26-inch alloy wheels.
The Sonata bicycle is priced at 255,000 won ($212) and the Tucson ix bike is priced at 425,000 won.
Both bikes are available at www.shop-hyundai.com and blu.hyundai.com, as well as at bike stores.
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Korean firms set to lead rechargeable battery market
Korea’s rechargeable battery makers are set to dethrone their Japanese rivals in the global market this year as they bask in surging orders of largely digital mobile gadgets and cost competitiveness stemming from the weaker currency.
According to industry experts, an alliance of the two Korean electronic giants, Samsung and LG, have been in hot pursuit of Sanyo and Sony, which have long dominated the global market. The Korean firms, however, are likely to expand their presence in the global market as the explosive popularity of IT products such as smart phones continues.
Samsung SDI which provides rechargeable battery products for Apple’s iPad and iPhone and Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S will take the No.1 title from Sanyo this year, experts predicted.
A lithium-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery mainly used in portable electronics such as laptops and mobile phones, but they are increasingly being used to power electric or hybrid cars.
Last year, Japan’s Sanyo held 20 percent of the market followed by Samsung SDI Co. and LG Chem Ltd., with 19 percent each, Japan’s Sony Corp. with 12 percent and China’s BYD with 7 percent. Korea, Japan and China control 95 percent of the global production of small rechargeable batteries used in portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones.
According to industry experts, an alliance of the two Korean electronic giants, Samsung and LG, have been in hot pursuit of Sanyo and Sony, which have long dominated the global market. The Korean firms, however, are likely to expand their presence in the global market as the explosive popularity of IT products such as smart phones continues.
Samsung SDI which provides rechargeable battery products for Apple’s iPad and iPhone and Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S will take the No.1 title from Sanyo this year, experts predicted.
A lithium-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery mainly used in portable electronics such as laptops and mobile phones, but they are increasingly being used to power electric or hybrid cars.
Last year, Japan’s Sanyo held 20 percent of the market followed by Samsung SDI Co. and LG Chem Ltd., with 19 percent each, Japan’s Sony Corp. with 12 percent and China’s BYD with 7 percent. Korea, Japan and China control 95 percent of the global production of small rechargeable batteries used in portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones.
Talk flourishes over iPhone 4 delay
Even with KT’s official announcement involving the delay in launching the new iPhone 4 here, speculations continue to grow over why South Korea was left off of Apple’s list of 17 countries receiving the new model on July 30.
KT, the exclusive provider of the iPhone in Korea, said Sunday: “Initially, KT was scheduled to launch the iPhone 4 in July. However, because it is taking longer to prepare for regulatory approval, KT will now launch the iPhone 4 in the coming months.”
A KT official said the company is expecting to release the new model in the upcoming one to two months, following a government approval process such as testing of the radio wave usage.
The exact date of the launch, however, was yet to be known as KT or Apple has not filed the request for the government’s testing as of Sunday, according to Lee Tae-hee, spokesman for the state-run Korea Communications Commission.
“Neither KT or Apple has requested the government to examine and approve the usage of radio wave on the new wireless device iPhone 4, which is necessary for the commercial selling of the device” he said. “KT officials have noted that they have not made the request since they’re currently processing their own examinations (ahead of the government approval).”
As soon as the news about the delay in the launch of iPhones was released, hundreds of postings flooded the social networking sites, especially by people who were eagerly waiting for the new model.
“How am I supposed to wait another one or two months again?” Lee Seung-ha, a university student who lives in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, wrote on the micro-blogging site Twitter.
KT, the exclusive provider of the iPhone in Korea, said Sunday: “Initially, KT was scheduled to launch the iPhone 4 in July. However, because it is taking longer to prepare for regulatory approval, KT will now launch the iPhone 4 in the coming months.”
A KT official said the company is expecting to release the new model in the upcoming one to two months, following a government approval process such as testing of the radio wave usage.
The exact date of the launch, however, was yet to be known as KT or Apple has not filed the request for the government’s testing as of Sunday, according to Lee Tae-hee, spokesman for the state-run Korea Communications Commission.
“Neither KT or Apple has requested the government to examine and approve the usage of radio wave on the new wireless device iPhone 4, which is necessary for the commercial selling of the device” he said. “KT officials have noted that they have not made the request since they’re currently processing their own examinations (ahead of the government approval).”
As soon as the news about the delay in the launch of iPhones was released, hundreds of postings flooded the social networking sites, especially by people who were eagerly waiting for the new model.
“How am I supposed to wait another one or two months again?” Lee Seung-ha, a university student who lives in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, wrote on the micro-blogging site Twitter.
Korea economy grows 7.2% in Q2
May have entered ‘expansionary’ phase, central bank official says
Korea’s economy again beat growth forecasts, pulling off 7.2 percent growth on-year in the second quarter.
Strong exports and reviving domestic demand lifted the country’s gross domestic product 1.5 percent from a quarter earlier in the April-June period, the Bank of Korea said Monday. From a year ago, GDP was 7.2 percent larger.
First and second quarters combined, the economy has grown 7.6 percent, its best first-half performance in nearly 10 years.
“Korea’s economy, continuing a sharper than expected rebound, may have achieved more than just recovering to the pre-crisis level and may have entered an expansionary phase,” BOK’s director general Kim Myung-kee told reporters, explaining the data.
The second-quarter GDP growth was higher than forecasts of officials and many private economists and underpinned economic confidence in Korea, as the country rolls back emergency measures taken to fight a global financial crisis.
Earlier this month, the BOK estimated the quarterly growth rate at 1.2 percent, 0.3 percentage point lower than Monday’s reading. It has said that growth for the full of 2010 would reach 5.9 percent.
Korea’s economy again beat growth forecasts, pulling off 7.2 percent growth on-year in the second quarter.
Strong exports and reviving domestic demand lifted the country’s gross domestic product 1.5 percent from a quarter earlier in the April-June period, the Bank of Korea said Monday. From a year ago, GDP was 7.2 percent larger.
First and second quarters combined, the economy has grown 7.6 percent, its best first-half performance in nearly 10 years.
“Korea’s economy, continuing a sharper than expected rebound, may have achieved more than just recovering to the pre-crisis level and may have entered an expansionary phase,” BOK’s director general Kim Myung-kee told reporters, explaining the data.
The second-quarter GDP growth was higher than forecasts of officials and many private economists and underpinned economic confidence in Korea, as the country rolls back emergency measures taken to fight a global financial crisis.
Earlier this month, the BOK estimated the quarterly growth rate at 1.2 percent, 0.3 percentage point lower than Monday’s reading. It has said that growth for the full of 2010 would reach 5.9 percent.
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