Waves...涟漪

Volunteering that Makes Us Smile

2011-10-17T20:13:00.001+09:00

Volunteering that Makes Us Smile Know Korea / Know Korea

2011/10/17 09:49

http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10121582215

Volunteering that Makes Us Smile

It is said that taking care of teeth from your childhood is very important. A recent study shows that taking proper care of teeth prevents the heart disease. The basic is to brush teeth in a proper way and scale teeth on a regular basis. But there are many people who cannot afford it. A charity group has been doing a service for those since long ago.

The joy in Volunteer Work

< Annual meeting for better volunteering> (Source: Yollin Dental Society)

Yollin Dental Society was established in 1999 to volunteer for poor neighbors. It is blowing a fresh breeze into many dentist groups in Korea. The targets are those who abandoned, seniors who live alone, and Korean-Chinese. Well, the Yollin Dental Society is busy enough to go to different places everyday that needs their help.

Then, how do they volunteer? Once the dentist license holder becomes a member of Yollin Dental Society, he gets a volunteer-schedule on a regular basis. Considering his/her schedule, the next step is to apply in advance. It is also good for building friendship among volunteers.

Kim Seong Moon, the newly elected president of Yollin Dental Society, said that the progress of the volunteer group cannot be made by just one or two persons’ efforts. He emphasized that passion and devotion from each person are the keys to achieve the progress and strengthen the friendship among members.

To Abroad!

(Source: Health Korea)

Yeolin dentist group went abroad for a volunteer work for the first time this year. Kim prepared for international volunteer with passion. The original plan was to set up clinics abroad in order to provide Korean medical services for people in developing countries. They are planning another overseas volunteering project on a regular basis in the near future.

The first destination was Indonesia. As it is a first international project, they already conducted a field trip, and did a lot of research. Finally, 25 dentists flew to Indonesia for a volunteer work from 29^th of July to the 3^rd of August. They treated factory workers and neighbors at factory of Dada Korea in Laya 76 km away from Jakarta. 309 patients were treated through the volunteer work.

Arrived very late, the dentist group set up the equipments until dawn and started to treat patients from the next morning. The situation was not so good. Mostly, they extracted and scaled teeth for local people, which continued for six days. In addition, they did a skin care and nail care for female workers and opened flee market with Korean items they brought from Korea. Of course, it was very popular.

(Source: Asia Economy)

The president of the group said, “More than 700 people wanted to be treated but only 300 people had opportunities due to the schedule. But I’m very glad to get things done without any accident.”

Yollin Dental Society marked 11^th anniversary. Two hundred volunteers have treated seven thousand people so far. They have grown up as one of the most famous volunteer groups with six clinics in Korea.

Dental care is very important but it costs a lot of money. Until now, dental care was not affordable to low income class. However, we have Yollin Dental Society, and it seems that they will be the strong supporters.

Fall Foliage Trip to the South

2011-10-04T18:15:00.001+09:00

Article picked from

http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10120391749

Starting from the North to the South, whole place is changing its color as it gets closer to the end of autumn. Autumn leaves turn red when the weather gets cold, so mountainous Gangwon-do become the first place of autumn leaves. When you look down from the sky, leaves descend to the South and finally stop at Jeju island.

Shall we move on to the South?

Foliage Trip to Mt.Palgong

Mt.Palgong, which is located in Daegu, is always popular among many people. You don’t need to spend much time and money to enjoy the autumn leaves. The mountain is said to be the most beautiful in late October.

Trip to autumn leaves starts at the entry to the Mt.Palgong. 1,300 gingko trees are lined up along six kilometer long road between Gongsan tunnel and School, which is very popular car driving course. Going down the road after tunnel, you will be amazed at gingko trees. It is fantastic to see golden wave of gingko trees.

When you turn to Dongwha temple at Baekan intersection, you’ll meet the line of gingko trees. After passing by school, you’ll meet maple trees. It is simply beautiful.

Plus, Mt.Palgong belt way is very popular among drivers for the beauty of its maple trees. The whole mountain is full of red color when the fall reaches its peak. You’ll definitely be amazed.

(Source:Yonhap News)

Hiking is the best way to enjoy the autumn of Mt.Palgong. There are many hike ways in the mountain such as Buin temple road, Gatbawi road and Dongwha temple road. Some buddhists pray toward Buddha statue at Gatbawi. This buddha statue was made in Shilla dynasty and became known as praying site for education, health, occupation, and baby boys. Many people come to this site to pray for their own wish every day.

Trekking to the Autumn of Mt.Jiri

Mt.Jiri is the second highest after Mt.Halla of Jeju island. This mountain is huge. There are so many famous and beautiful sites in the mountain. Autumn leaves of this mountain are as beautiful as other mountains.

Autumn leaves start to turn red in late September at Mt.Jiri. It is not well-known but you can enjoy autumn leaves earlier than any others in southern part.

Foliage of Mt.Jiri will start in 5^th of October at Cheonwang peak, about 15^th at main line, between 20^th and 25^th at Pia valley and three or four days later than Pia valley at Baemsa valley. If you want to get the most beautiful scenery, you should go up to Cheonwang peak. The most beautiful hike way is between Sesok and Chunwang Peak.

Cho-Sik, a scholar of Joseon dynasty, said “Don’t tell anybody that you’ve seen foliage without seeing the foliage of Pia valley. Foliage of Jikjeon is one of ten beautiful sceneries in Mt.Jiri. Pia Valley is famous for hike way of foliage. Foliage hiking in Pia valley starts at Seongsamjae and continues to Nogodan and descends to Pia valley or moves forward to Baemsa valley. This hike way has so beautiful scenery that many people take this way.

Foliage in Baemsa valley is as beautiful as Pia valley. Pia valley is famous for foliage whereas Baemsa valley is famous for valley itself. Baemsa valley is nine kilometer long and colorful leaves harmonize with that valley. Foliage spreading from Banseon complex to Ganjangso is regarded as the most beautiful scenery in Baemsa valley.

(Source: Korea Tourism Organization)

There are some other foliage sites to see in Mt.Jiri. Various hike ways have been developed since long time ago. Shall we take a trip to Mt.Jiri?

Mt.Dyuryun, the Harmony of a thousand years history and the beauty of the Mountain

Duryun mountain, which is located at the southernmost peninsula, is full of evergreen broadleaf and deciduous broadleaf. There are some national treasures such as Daedun temple, Pyochung temple, the bell of Tapsan temple and so on.

Duryun mountain is well known for camelia and foliage. The valley is two kilometers long from the group facilities complex to the temple. The latest foliage, regarded as one of the most beautiful autumn scenery, can be seen there.

(Source:Daeheung Temple Wesite)

The best scenery of this mountain is a maple tree forest of the way to Daehung temple. Take a walk through the temple gate. You’ll refresh yourself. Maple forests and camellia can be seen. Trees are like tunnel. When you cross a bridge, there is tunnel of maple trees.

Let’s walk through the yellow and red gingko trees and maple forest and keep going up along the car road. Mountain is covered up with yellow and red wave. Crossing valley and bridge, you’ll meet Youseondang and backdrop of foliage which are the highlight of the journey. The last of the journey is the road up to Daehung temple.

Maple Leaves of Mt.Halla, the Southernmost of Korea

Foliage of Mt.Halla in Jeju island is not as well known as other sites. The famous sites are Wanggwanneung, Mansae hill, road between Youngsil rest area and Byeongpung rock area, road 1100 and 516. In particular, uniquely shaped 500 rock pillars stand at Youngsil rest area and Byeongpung rock area. The area is probably the most beautiful site.

Youngsil of Mt.Hallan is easy to access for all walks of life. Youngsil course starts at pavilion. Road to Youngsil is flat, however, the pine trees and maple forests along the road will lead you to the unique landscape. Walking a little further up, you can have good scenery of foliage. Maple forest starting under the Byeongpung rocks continues to gate of the hike way. It is magnificent.

Another joy of Jeju trip. If you have a plan to go to Mt.Halla, do not miss autumn foliage in Youngsil.

(Source: Yonhap News)

How was the journey? Autumn is right at the corner. Shall we take a walk and breathe in the forest of autumn foliage?

Learning Strong Wisdom of Sea Women in Jeju Island

2011-10-04T18:06:00.002+09:00

Article picked from http://blog.daum.net/korea_brand/1424

Learning Strong Wisdom of Sea Women in Jeju Island

Ocean of Jeju island has Mt.Halla and hundreds of parasitic volcanoes. In addition, the ocean has sea women who represent strength. Sea women are the past and future of Jeju island. Ocean is their life and they have struggled over hundreds of years. Let’s learn who they are.

Catch A Glimpse of History and Footstep of Sea Women

Sea women may be only in Korea and Japan. Most of Korean sea women live in Jeju island, estimated about 20,000. We assume that the origin of sea women started at prehistoric era when human sought their food in the sea, considering that the shrine for fishermen and sea women existed from ancient times. But most of all, Jeju island is believed to be a birthplace of sea women.

(Source: Local Segye Shinmun)

Jeju women have been destined to swim in the sea unless they did not farm in the field. Girls started to swim at the age of seven and eight. When they were seventeen and eighteen they became sea women. Their prime time last until 40.

They usually work five meters under the sea for 30 seconds but if necessary, they dive 20 meters and endure for two minutes under the sea. Whenever they come up to the surface, they breathe out deeply. In addition, they join community gathering and organizing sea women’s club or diver’s club. By these activities they decide diving time, diving manner and joint collection and carry out on their own. They contribute to prosperity of villages by joint raise and joint collection of sea food.

They dive 20 meters under the sea and endure two minutes long and swim in the cold winter. They have extraordinary skill and spirit. They dive even after giving a birth. There is a folk song, ‘Song of Sea women’, showing determination of sea women of Jeju island.

Meet Sea Women in a Variety of Way

It’s not easy to see them even though we often heard that they have strong spirit and wisdom. Fortunately, the Jeju city government hosts a festival and opens a museum to promote sea women. The festival started first at 2002 world cup season. There are a variety of programs showing a myth of Jeju, life of sea women and life of fishing village. During the festival, many events are presented such as photo gallery painting contest, food court, and fireworks in order to promote sea women.

(Source: Korea Tourism Organization)

Sea women museum displays the history and work of sea women and the tools of collecting sea food. Four story museums have three exhibit rooms, video room, observatory, and children hall. The first exhibit room reproduces sea women’s house, fishing village, shamanism and seasonal customs. The second exhibit room is made of workplace of sea women. The third exhibit room has fishery of ancient times, sea of hope for better understanding of fishing village and culture. Museum is the place for children education.

Movement to Preserve Sea Woman

Sea women would disappear if the seniors stop diving. Jeju University and other Korean research centers claim that sea women should be designated as the living culture heritage. Central government and local government need to work hard on the matter.

(Source:Donga Ilbo)

Jeju sea women are very rare so city government is trying to list them as the world cultural heritage. Because they are the only one who collects the sea food without any tools. Sea women can be world class culture asset if we preserve them well.

(Source: Seoul Shinmun>

Sea women became the representative brand of Jeju island. Their frontier spirit and diligence became known outside the world. Their image swimming in the sea is a present to modern people. They awaken frontier spirit and wisdom. They could disappear as they get older in the future. We hope that their spirits continue to be preserved. Through the centuries of history, sea women have struggled to survive in the ocean. It is necessary to preserve their spirit and promote sea women as world brand.

Journey of Literature

2011-09-16T17:09:00.002+09:00

Journey of Literature Know Korea / Know Korea

2011/09/15 17:30

http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10118744271

Journey of Literature

For centuries, novels entered our life and truly touched our heart. No matter when and where it was written, the great novel transcends the time and space, attracting thousands of readers all over the countries.

The reason we feel close to those novels is that the author used the real backgrounds and era, many of which were from their experiences. So, that’s why you feel it real when you visit the place of the novel. Let’s go into the background of great novels.

Hometown of ‘When Buck Wheat Flower is in Blossom’

Bongpyeong, which is in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do, is the background of ‘When Buck Wheat Flower is in Blossom’ and also the hometown of the author, Lee Hyo-seok. Designated as the first cultural village in 1990, this village is full of buck wheat flowers. Tourists stop by to see the mill and the bridge that appeared on the story.

There are many places reminding ‘When Buck Wheat is in Blossom’ in Bongpyeong. Firstly, let’s go to Lee Hyo-seok Culture Center. You will see everything from his life to work.

It displays his medals, remains, first published book, translated copies in English and Japanese, magazines and newspapers introducing his works. In addition, you can take a walk in a garden of literature, buck wheat flower road, and a small path.

You will find Lee’s birth place nearby. In his early years, it was a thatched-roof house, but later it was changed into a house with galvanized iron roofing during nation developing project,Saemaeul Movement and then into tile roofing. Fortunately, Pyeongchang-gun restored his house to the original one in 2007. The farming tools on the walls will make you feel being in the past.

<Bongpyeong, hometown of a renowned novel, ‘When Buck Wheat Flower is in Blossom’> (Source: Korea Tourism Organization)

Not far away from here, there is Gasan Park for commemorating him. Chungju pub was built nearby and his statue and the monument were placed in a sculpture square. Getting out of the park and crossing the Seob Bridge, Bongpyeong traditional market will be waiting for you. Every scene in the novel will be alive in front of you.

Pyeongchang has held Hyoseok Writing Contest since 1971 with respect to Lee Hyo-seokand his achievement. Soon after, in 1999, it was expanded to Hyo-seok Culture Festival so that everyone can participate. Every mid-September, tourists come to the festival. The themes of the festival are affection from novel, fragrance of nature, nostalgia of tradition.

Why don’t you go to Bongpyeong and see heartbreaking sceneries of all mountains and buck wheat?

Journey to ‘Eight Sceneries of Gwandong Region’

If you are Korean, you might remember this one. ‘Gwandongbyulgok’, a travel story. The lyrics used to appear in a textbook and a school exam. It is about a newly appointed governor,Jeongcheol’s impression on the beauty of Gangwon-do. He praises the breathtaking scenery of Mt. Geumgang and then tells what Chongseok pavilion and Samil beach are like from the east coast. The story continues as he headed to Euisang pavilion in Yangyang.

Euisang Pavilion> (Source: Korea Tourism Organization)

Naksan temple was founded by Buddhist priest, Euisang, in a reign of King Munmu. It is regarded as one of the three major Gwaneum temples. There is a legend that Euisang met Buddha Gwaneum at Naksan. Euisang pavilion is located on the cliff near the ocean. There are old pine tree named ‘Gwaneum’ around and a statue of Buddha Gwaneum on the hill.

East Sea seen from Euisang pavilion has many beautiful rocks and blue ocean. A lot of people come to see the sunrise like Jeongcheol described.

Finally, Jeongcheol arrived at Lake Gyeongpo where the fresh water and the ocean meet together. The lake was formed as the sand accumulated and eventually blocked the water route.

For that reason, the area got to have a beautiful soft sand beach, eastern coast and wide lake. Everyone easily forget how time flies when they face the wind breeze and appreciate the view from pavilion. Indeed, they are the truly magnificent sceneries.

Gyeongpo> (Source: Korea Tourism Organization)

Now, let’s go to the south. Nearby a beautiful river of Samcheok, there is Jukseoroo. Unlike the other Gwandong pavilions located around coast, this pavilion is on the cliff, which is special. Next, Jeongcheol arrived at Mangyang pavilion, which he chose as the last destination of his journey. At the end of the journey, Jeongcheol stood there and encouraged himself for coming future. The pavilion located on the most southern part of Korea received the sign board that says ‘Gwandongjaeillu’ from King Sukjong, which means the best pavilion in Gwandongarea. If you look at the ocean from there, you will understand why.

From September to October would be the perfect season to enjoy the full view of East Sea. If you love the ocean and car driving, this journey is the one you would love.

The Journey to Beolgyo, Site of Novel ‘Taebaksanmaek’

The novel ‘Taebaeksanmaek’ is considered one of the best sagas which deal with modern history of Korea. The story is about before-and-after war and the people. Since it is said that the novel would be dramatized, Bosung-gun Bulgyo, Jeollanam-do, the background of it, started to rise as a tourist attraction.

Bulgyo is the most crucial background of the novel. Still, it is an important place where the ocean and river meets together, and a traffic hub connecting Goheung, Bosung andSuncheon, which brings in many people.

All the mountains and fields are the background of ‘Taebaeksanmaek’, such as Baekdong village, Chudong Resovoir, Woeseo and Nakan. The railway, mountain valley, Rich family,Hyun’s mansion, Hong Bridge, small church and embankment which appeared in novel are still well preserved.

Jo Jeong-rae Taebaeksanmaek> (Source: Korea Tourism Organization)

If you see the area surrounded by mountains, you will recognize the place is just perfect to present the era of disturbance.

The literature center is near Sohwa’s house of the novel. It displays author’s notebook, camera and six-years of written note of writer Jo Jeong-rae which is taller than a grown-up man. The center also became famous since the novel got popular.

There are many places which were mentioned in the novel. Why don’t we go to Beolgyo to feel the great literature and the era of Korea?

Just for reading this, I think you already started the journey. Only the ones who get to the site of the novels can tell how exciting it is. Also it must be fun to think of how different it would be from what you have imagined of real sites.

Your journey with Korean literature will be more fun after going through the books again. Why don’t you start a trip to find out the sites of your novels?

A Five-Day Market in Jeju

2011-09-16T17:07:00.003+09:00

A Five-Day Market in Jeju Know Korea / Know Korea

2011/09/15 17:38

http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10118744881

A Five-Day Market in Jeju

We can figure out culture and customs in traditional markets. I’d like to introduce you a five-day market in Jeju island which presents its own culture and customs.

A five-day market opens five days in a row per month, however, just 40 and 50 years ago, it was nothing but a normal market crowded with people. As time goes by, the market has modernized, but unfortunately nine markets remained so far.

A Five-Day Market in Jeju, History and Tradition

<Maeil Olleh market in Seogypo> (Source: Jeju Sori)

It is not clear from when the five-day market started in Jeju. Academic circles estimate the market started at front yard of Gwandeokjeon in 1910. According to the record, it opened every second and seventh day in lunar calendar. Many items such as crops, clothes and daily necessity were sold or bartered for.

Jeju five-day market has been a driving force to Jeju people and contributed to regional economic growth. The natives say that the biggest markets were the ones that opened near Tapdong and Yongdam. Also, it is said that many people were competitive to get a nice place to sell their items.

(Source: Jeju Sori)

The market is not only for selling and buying products but for communicating with people in town. Every market has its own characteristics. For example, some deal with seafood, others deal with farm products. Currently, it has been modernized and improved for consumers, and delivery and customer call service became common as well. It also has a quality guarantee service. They even provide the arcade for children, stroller, and cart to young mothers to make them feel comfortable while shopping.

Transformed into Cultural Tourism Market

<10,000 won Cuisine Event held in five-day market in Seogypo> (Source: E2news)

Now, the five-day market became very popular with other tourist attractions in Jeju, such as ‘Olleh’ roads. As an effort to boost the economy, Seogypo market changed its name into ‘Olleh’, after then, even people from other local markets visit there for benchmarking.

Actually, Seogypo market was in depression but the atmosphere has been revived since it connected the tour business with the sixth course of Olleh. Moreover, promotion effect has been doubled after the Smalland Medium Business Administration and Market Promotion Center chose the market as one of the “50 traditional markets to go”.

According to Jeju government, the number of visitors per day increased 8,000 from 6,000. Daily sale went up to 80 million won, increasing by 20 million won. Jeju seller association has already registeredMaeil Olleh market as the trademark. With this effort, over 2,000 Olleh hikers visited to the market, which is twice as higher than that of last year.

More than 1,000 government officials and merchants have visited to benchmark Olleh market from all across the country. More Olleh hikers have come to Dongmun market as it became the 18th course of Olleh. Hanlim maeil market is connected to 14th course of Olleh, and Daejung five-day market is connected to 11th course of Olleh. Seogypo Maeil market is designated as the cultural tourism market of the year 2010 and 2011. Seomun market will soon plan to develop other Ollehcourses.

(Source : Newsis)

Meanwhile, a person concerned to the market said that DID (Digital Information Display) will be installed in sixth course of Olleh in order to provide information of food, products, hot sale events in Jeju to all visitors. They expect many of them will come to markets as well.

So, if you want to feel 100% of the culture and custom of Jeju, this is the best season. Don’t forget to bring camera!

Korean Medical Care that impressed Kazakhstan

2011-05-20T16:53:00.000+09:00

Article picked from http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10109428025

Korean Medical Care that impressed Kazakhstan

At the end of last November, the medical team from the Korea University Anam Hospital flew over to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, and carried out the kidney transplant as officially invited by the National Medical Emergency Center of Kazakhstan. The surgery was successful, and the news on the medical techniques of the Korean medical team was aired throughout the country. Not like in Korea, the success rate of the kidney surgery in Kazakhstan is pretty low. However, the organ transplanting was the only way to save Aigerim Kumasheva suffering from the chronic renal insufficiency, so the medical team operated the surgery with her brother’s kidney, which took 8 hours in total. Dr. Kasimov, the head of the medical emergency center of Kazakhstan, appreciated at Korean medical team, saying “Our hospital deeply appreciates at Korean medical team that added a new page to the medical history of Kazakhstan. I was very impressed at their sense of duty as a doctor as well as their medical technology.” This is not the end of successful stories of Korean medical treatment. A number of tourists looking for the medical tourism are continuously visiting Korea. Let’s take a look at what is in Korean medical treatment!

Kazakhstan President’s doctor visited Korea

On April 26^,one patient visited the Severance hospital in Korea and received a medical surgery. In fact, he was a lifetime doctor of Kazakhstan president Nursultan Nazarbaev and also a notable specialist in rehabilitative medicine, who was running a huge hospital in Kazakhstan. He first found the successful story of robotic surgery by the Severance hospital from the article among the data of medically advanced countries such as U.S. and European countries. He decided to visit Korea right after counseled by one of his co-workers and met an acquaintance who recovered from the surgery by the Severance hospital.

< Sitting aside with the robot called da Vinci, the doctor operates surgery with 3-D screen. The robotic arm is located inside the patient’s body> (Source : Donga News)

He chose Dr. Na, who is well-known to have performed the greatest number of robotic surgeries on prostate cancer in Korea. You will find the reason from the fact that he is the first doctor in Korea who succeeded the robotic surgery in 2005, and also performed about 1,200 surgeries so far. Of course, the result was successful. Dr. Oraz left the hospital with a healthy appearance. Like this, the technology of robotic surgery has achieved recognition throughout the world. You will be surprised to know that many doctors around the world such as U.S., Singapore, Italy, and France visited Korea to learn how to perform the robotic surgery, even paying tuition.

What is da Vinci Robotic Surgery?

da Vinci Robot>(Source : The Center of da Vinci Robot Surgery, Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital)

The robotic surgery was first brought in Korea in 2005 by the Severance Hospital, and since then, it was applied in an operation room. What is the procedure of the surgery? The patient gets general anesthesia like the other surgeries. And then, the robot’s arm is inserted into the abdominal cavity of the patient after injecting the gas and inserting the port into the patients’ abdominal cavity. After then, the doctor pricks several holes for putting robotic arm and camera into his patients. Next, he controls the robot with the exactly same hand movements like he did in the real surgery, watching the 3-D screen that helps doctors take a closer look at the affected area of patient, which is absolutely beyond the human hands.

In particular, the da Vinci robotic surgery is useful to cure some cancer that might bring about a severe side effect and complications when its surrounding nerves and blood vessel are damaged, such as the prostate cancer, rectal cancer, esophageal cancer, and bladder cancer. It is indeed an effective surgery.

Oriental medicine to the world

Korea International Cooperation Agency(KOICA) and the city of Almaty, Kazakhstan made an agreement to establish the Korea-Kazakhstan friendship hospital in 2000. At that time, KOICA used to send doctors and volunteers to the department of internal medicine, dentist, clinical pathology, oriental medicine, and other various fields. Now, the city of Almaty is running the entire hospital according to the further agreement.

(Source : Akomnews)

Well, there is more. The Korean Medicine Service Team Abroad (KOMSTA) also performed the medical services to 1,000 residents and Korean-Kazakhstan who live in poor medical surroundings. Through the wonderful Korean traditional medical treatment such as acupuncture, moxa cautery, cupping, and oriental medicine in Kazakhstan where 100,000 Korean-Kazakhstan live, we hope that we delivered a pride to Korean-Kazakhstan, and health to those residents. Also we believe that people in Kazakhstan would have more expectations and demands to Korean traditional treatment in the future.

Recently, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine hosted the training program on ‘Modernization of Korean traditional medicine’ from April 15 to 29 for two weeks targeting the world health care experts. The program is one of the training programs that Korea International Cooperation Agency(KOICA) offered, and in this program, total 14 foreign health care experts from 11 countries of Asia, Central and South America, and Africa, such as Cambodia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kazakhstan, Laos, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and etc. It will be a great opportunity for the world health care experts to get handful of experience on the Korean traditional medical treatment.

若要佛法興，唯有僧讚僧

2011-05-02T10:23:00.002+09:00

馬佛總永久名譽顧問釋寂晃長老涅磐，於4月20日在新加坡逝世，其靈體過後被運送至他創辦的芙蓉妙應寺。長老這一生就以佛法和醫療來度一切苦難眾生。長老一生，刻苦自勵，自奉甚儉，而且待人十分寬厚，時時不忘廣修福慧，廣結善緣。

小时后住在芙蓉昌隆花园妙应寺斜坡下，原来那里有这么一位佛教长老，失敬失敬。愿釋寂晃长老早日登极乐世界。

学到了一句"若要佛法興，唯有僧讚僧”...今天起要学会赞美友族，国家才会兴旺，当然前提是各自要做好本份。

要知道更多故事，请到星洲日报网页

http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/202343?tid=3

http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/202302?tid=1

Kim Nam-Joo, the Queen of Reversals, Throws Herself into ‘Concept Korea’ with Enthusiasm

2011-03-07T10:27:00.001+09:00

Article picked from http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10104143648

Kim Nam-Joo, Throws Herself into ‘Concept Korea' with Enthusiasm Know Korea / Know Korea

2011/02/28 16:20

http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10104143648

The third Concept Korea will be held at the David Rubenstein Atrium, Lincoln Center, New York on the coming 15th (local time). The event takes place during the New York Fashion Week season featuring four groups of designers from Korea sponsored by the Korean government to represent the exceptional fashions of Korea. As an upgraded version of the past two Concept Koreas, this time a wide range of additional events supporting promotion will be offered.

New York Fashion Week is one of the four major international fashion collections leading the world fashion industry. It is more a commercial-oriented fashion show, featuring merchandisable fashion to lead the market than boldly experimenting with trends. This year the week runs from February 10th to 17th at the Lincoln Center; and ‘CONCEPT KOREA, Cultural Treasures 2011’ brings the fashion designs of Korea to the international stage, where all leading figures of the fashion market gather to enjoy the season. The project, accompanying various promotional marketing activities, is sponsored by the Republic of Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), Daegu Metropolitan City, the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), and the Korean Research Institute for Fashion Industry (KRIFI) to advance the Korean fashion industry into the world market.

(photo: Naver blog)

When such efforts can successfully support Korean designers to create global brands joining the international fashion market with other world-renowned labels, the national competitiveness of Korea can be enhanced while acknowledged for its original fashion trends. Promotion is necessary for those talented designers to join the market; however it is difficult for many full-time designers to put much effort into marketing and promotion. Thus with support from government and private sectors, the Korean fashion can move a step closer to win more opportunities introducing its original trend of fashion to the world.

Indigo blue spreads into New York

Lie Sang Bong, and DO HO (from left to right)>

This year’s theme for Concept Korea is ‘Cultural Treasures,’ planning to feature designs inspired by traditional Korean cultures by four designer groups, DO HO, Lie Snag Bong, Steve J & Yoni P and Choi Bum Suk. The profound and mysterious indigo blue of the celadon porcelain will be transferred to the garments and the showroom portraying the graceful sensibilities of Korea. The indigo of the celadon may enchant the eyes of the West with its elegant and sophisticated beauty from the East, Korea.

The designers have prepared about forty pieces of work for the collection and the Concept Korea staffs prepared additional events to better promote Korean culture. This was planned from feedbacks on the past two Concept Koreas, which did not fully explore the resources and opportunities ending the event with a single show.

(photo: Naver blog)

After the forty-minute length fashion show, a list of interesting events with reception introducing Korean food, music, performance, and IT is held. Visitors can relax and get better understandings on Korea while enjoying fusion Korean food provided as part of the ‘Taste of Korea’ project led by the Korean Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. An internationally recognized chef Tom Colicchio has prepared a special fusion Korean dish and makgeolli (Korean rice wine) for this occasion expected to attract more attention from the Western people.

Reaching out for new business opportunities

As the primary mission of the event is for the Korean fashion industry to enter the global market, a room showcasing the collections for potential business partners was arranged. In Chelsea Meatpacking district a public showroom was set up for ten days starting from February 14th to 23rd. Here the four designer groups from Korea shows each fifty pieces of their design welcoming foreign buyers. Especially, bringing Korea’s IT technology to the space, the showroom is ready to surprise the visitors and buyers from the entrance spot winning local attention among other designers participating the New York Fashion Week.

National and international promotion is a significant key to win success paying back the long efforts put into. Kim Nam-Joo, the Korean fashion icon celebrity was commissioned as honorary ambassador for Concept Korea Ⅲ and fashion magazines including Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and influential American presses such as CNN, New York Times, New York Daily News will report the third Concept Korea stage.

Smart Phone applications providing information on Concept Korea Ⅲ will be distributed and SNS marketing will be actively developed. Twitter and Facebook contents (serviced in English) and appointed fashion reporters will introduce the New York fashion week agenda, events and selected designers followed by additional services. Thanks to such supports you would be well informed about the show without a need to fly to New York.

Let’s hope the fashion show to end as a great success promoting talented Korean designers on world stage and further work as a stepping stone for the Korean fashion industry advancing into the international market.

We sell Korean ‘Jeong’ (정) to the world

2011-03-07T10:24:00.002+09:00

Article picked from http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10104141935

We sell Korean ‘Jeong’ (정) to the world Know Korea / Know Korea

2011/02/28 15:55

http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10104141935

Korean corporations, which have been key players in the Korean economy, are now taking a prominent role in nongovernmental diplomacy. The works vary from eradication of poverty and hunger to establishment of schools and libraries. These projects are not the one-off event, but very substantial and specific aid since they involve the interaction with local people and keep providing them with services, which are urgent. Here are some aspects of ‘Affectionate Korea’ in the world.

‘Springtime of my hometown’, a Korean children’s song echoed in Indonesia

A familiar song is heard from Elementary School Menteng in Jakarta, Indonesia. Indonesian students sing a Korean children’s song ‘Springtime of my hometown’ to the piano accompaniment. It sounds strange to hear a song sung in Korean at a local school of Indonesia not at Korean schools.

(Photo: Korea Land Daily)

It is because Booyoung Co., Ltd., a construction company of Korea, donated 10,000 digital pianos and 30,000 blackboards to the ministry of education in Indonesia last month. Moreover, Korean ‘Graduation song’ (Lyrics: Yoon Suk-joong, Song: Jeong Soon-chul) is translated into Indonesian and saved in all of the digital piano for the Indonesian students since there is no song for graduation ceremony in some countries of the South East Asia. The song will be played during the graduation ceremony in this June.

In addition, there are popular Korean folksongs and children‘s songs contained in the digital piano. They are recorded in Korean, not in the local languages, and thus the students of Elementary School Menteng could learn not only the songs but also Korean, which contributes to making the music class more interesting.

Booyoung Co., Ltd. has established approximately 600 elementary schools in the South East Asia such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, East Timor, Malaysia and Sri Lanka so far and plans to expand the support into the Philippines, Myanmar, even Australia and New Zealand. Lee Joong-keun, the chairman of Booyoung said “we hope the donation of digital piano could encourage cultural exchanges and promote amity between Korean and Indonesia” and “we will strive to support the educational environment in addition to cultural exchanges so that students could keep pursuing their studies”, he added. The kind-hearted contribution of a company enables children to keep studying and dreaming.

1.5-ton truck conveying ‘Ghanaian children’s dream’

On 11th November 2010 the school of Oduponkpehe in Awutu Senya district, which is approximately 25 km away from Accra, the capital city of Ghana, was in a festive mood from the morning. It was the day when the inaugural ceremony of the children’s library and mobile library for children in rural areas was held.

The library of the school of Oduponkpehe renovated from the 82.5㎡ interior has about 3,500 books including children’s books, reference books for English, mathematics, and computer.

It is remodelled from a 1.5-ton truck>

In the urban areas of Ghana the standard of living is generally good and the accessibility to library is quite easy while in the rural areas the book distribution rate is very low due to the poor condition of road and transportation on top of a small number of libraries. The mobile library system is introduced to resolve this problem and the library of the school of Oduponkpehe will take a pivotal role in the system. The mobile library remodelled from a 1.5-ton truck will visit 24 schools in the rural areas including Koforidua and Kumasi as well as the capital city, Accra and provide service for 27,000 children from low-income families. Not only does it lend books but also organises various programmes such as book report contest.

Establishment of the children’s library and mobile library in Ghana is a part of the global contribution projects carried out by a Korean company, STX Corporation. STX Corporation is leading to cultivate talented international students through establishing libraries for children from multi-cultural families in Korea, and awarding a scholarship of 3 million Chinese yuan to honour students from 5 universities in 3 provinces of Northeast China. STX Corporation hopes to contribute to the long-term advancement of Korea by means of education.

Have you heard of ‘Lotte School’?

Lotte Department Store has transformed Son Ky middle school in the remote area of Vietnam after the 15-month renovation work. That is why the villagers call it ‘Lotte School’.

Hyundai Motor is promoting an environmental project, ‘Hyundai Green Zone’, which aims for reforestation of desert areas in China. The first target is Chakanor area within the Kunshantag desert in Inner Mongolia, China. The area is gradually losing pasture and turning into the salt desert due to desertification and strong alkaline soil. To prevent this process, Hyundai Motor plans to create a large scale of grassland by 2012, seeding indigenous plants that grow well on the alkaline soil.

Korean corporations would like to be a sincere friend to the world, delivering heart-warming ‘Jeong’ through their international Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.

Free Medical Service in Korea for Foreigner (Including air ticket)

2011-02-25T10:00:00.002+09:00

Article approved and picked from http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10103162253

The Medical Service Project Shares New Life and Hope! Know Korea / Know Korea

2011/02/15 09:42

http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10103162253

Do you know much about the congenital heart disease? The disease is due to abnormal heart development before birth that requires postnatal medical treatment. It may lead to premature death if no appropriate surgery is operated, however a successful surgery can grant a new healthy life to a child.

Regrettably, there are many people who are in need of medical surgery but not all receive the opportune treatment. The high costs and lack of professional medical hospitals are doubling the burden. Fortunately, movements of medical support for the global neighborhood have been started, the ‘Korea Medical Service Share Project’ being one of them.

The Korean government financially supports children of neighboring undeveloped regions suffering from the lack of medical facilities by paying all expenses on their visit to Korea for medical treatment; Private medical institutions support the medical expenses by offering voluntary surgical operations. This year’s first patient is Danilya, a young boy from Russia.

A new life to a six-year-boy Danilya

The level of medical treatment of Korea is well recognized on the international level. The number of foreigners visiting Korea for medical surgery or treatment is increasing and every year new surgery method of Korea and its successful cases are introduced overseas.

The Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare has developed a project to position Korea as a global healthcare leader and promote voluntary services overseas.

The project is significant for being a public-private collaboration case while the Korean government provides financial aids covering flight fees and expenses during the stay and medical institutions covers the medical expenses. This year’s budget is 250,000,000 Korean won, which will be used to cure fifteen patients from the neighbors of Korea including China, Russia, Kazakhstan and so on.

Danilya, a six-year-old boy from Havarovsk, Russia was the first patient to meet the Korea Medical Service Share Project. Danilya was diagnosed as congenial heart disease and ventricular septal defect however the family could not afford a surgery and in fact no hospitals specializing in heart disease could be found near the village. It was grateful to receive Irina’s - the mother’s joy and appreciation when she heard the good news from Korea about the medical and financial support.

Sejong Hospital, specializing in heart disease, was responsible for the young boy’s surgery this time. The hospital has conducted about 900 free medical operations for children from twenty nations including Russia, China, Vietnam, and Iraq for the last twenty-nine years bringing new life to them. The hospital explains that it is time for Korea to give back the help it has received from their neighbors in the past and this medical service project could be one example of it.

Sharing the advanced medical technology of Korea with Russia

conducted by Korean surgeons at major Hospitals of Korea>

The operation process of Danilya was covered by RTR, the Russian public broadcasting media and will be broadcasted across Russia in March. ‘Pulse,’ RTR’s self-produced medical documentary program that usually deals with new trends in the medical field e.g. modern medical science, diagnosis and diverse diseases, and new medical treatments, will feature the story on Danilya in three parts. This may as well be a good opportunity for Korea to introduce its advanced medical technology.

In fact, RTR did not only take report of Danilya’s surgery but also covered the current medical technology for cancer, cardiac and vascular diseases, oriental medicine, brain and spine treatment of Korea in depth, introducing the excellence of Korean medical technology.

to a patient that will work as a real arm> (photo: The Joongang Daily)

The Korea Medical Service Share Project will actively continue to support the young patients of China, Kazakhstan and so on. ‘Medical Korea,’ a medical institution to operate free surgery, will be established and promoted through the local media. ‘Global Medical Service Share Corps’ program supported by Hanlyu celebrities will be carried out as well. We expect the project would gradually expand its activity reaching out to more regions and covering more diseases to be cured.

The project embraces the idea of coexistence and the global community. It is grateful for both, Korea who can be help and its neighbors who calls for help – the young children suffering from illness, and the parents who need support to afford medical treatment. A better global community can be upheld by being help for those who need a hand, and this project can be one way to practice the idea. We hope to see more medical institutions willing to donate their excellence in medical technology to bring new lives to our neighbors.

Korean Mushrooms Occupies the Tables of the Swiss

2011-02-25T09:54:00.003+09:00

Article approved and picked from http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10103162079

Korean Mushrooms Occupies the Tables of the Swiss Know Korea / Know Korea

2011/02/15 09:37

http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10103162079

The superior species and high production quality of Korean mushroom is proved through its great texture and taste, already having been renown overseas. Today Korean mushrooms have attracted the Swiss people being one of their favorite dishes.

Korean mushrooms spotlighted as high-quality food

Jelomli, a grand department store of Zurich, the largest city in Swiss has Korean mushrooms on their sales list, sold at the lower ground grocery section, along with a variety of other raw mushrooms. Here Korean king oyster mushrooms are sold by 30-40 franc per kilogram, quite expensive which is equivalent to 35,000 ~ 47,000 won in Korean dollars.

Swiss people, on sunny days, often enjoy barbeque parties with their family and friends sharing grilled meat and sausages, and the Korean king oyster mushrooms as the only vegetable to be added on the main grill list. Taken as a high-quality food item, the king oyster mushrooms are enjoyed for its bigger size and thick texture that is much suitable for a grill party compared to button mushrooms.

In Swiss, now it is not that difficult to meet these mushrooms from Korea in Swiss as they are not only supplied to department stores but also to Migros, the largest supermarket franchise in Swiss.

a Swiss restaurant in Itaewon, Korea> (Photo: Naver blog)

In Swiss, mushrooms are widely enjoyed by the people being one of the most popular food often used as an ingredient for sauces or even as main dishes. Regarding the sales of button mushrooms the amount of its consumption are 13,000 tons annually; 8,000 tons of raw mushrooms and 5,000 tons of cooked mushrooms. Here 7,000 tons of raw mushrooms are produced in Swiss and the import! rate of the total market consists of 15 percent. The Swiss people do seem to favor mushrooms a lot!

Cannot imagine a life without mushrooms!

The Swiss people in love with mushrooms

Even the economic crisis did not stop the Swiss fondness for mushrooms. In the second half of 2008 when the economic situation was not favorable, consumers did not cease to spend money on mushrooms. In 2009, rather the total consumption increased adding 300 tons compared to the former year. In fact, the fastidious Swiss customers looking for the best qualities seem to continuously increase the needs for fresh mushrooms.

Button mushroom is the most largely produced and consumed one in Swiss, which is a very traditional kind. However, Asian kinds started to receive attention along with the rising popularity of foreign mushroom species. These days foreign mushrooms that have been introduced during the 1980~1990s including shiitake, king oyster mushroom, grifola frondosa are now receiving some spotlight. Especially shiitake is enjoying popularity being ranked second in the consumer preference.

It may be no surprise that Korean mushrooms with high quality and taste has successfully created its market in Swiss. It had past 3~4 years since Korean king oyster mushrooms joined the dishes of the Swiss dining table.

Now the annual amount of mushroom import!s are over two hundred million Korean won. This was possible by both continuous efforts put to improving species and through quality control.

In 2009 renowned chefs from all over the world have visited Korea to participate in the ‘Amazing Korean Table,’ and Korean mushroom was used by all chefs. A variety of mushrooms were grilled or slightly boiled to be used as ingredients or become the main dish itself.

The taste and flavor of Korea mushrooms seems to prove its real worth no matter where it is. As the Swiss fondness for mushroom continues the future of the Korean mushroom overseas market is expected to be positive; we hope to create a broader international market, in addition to Swiss, for all consumers who want high quality mushrooms.

Haenyeo 海女

2011-01-16T13:52:00.005+09:00

Article picked from http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10097438137

Hopefully AirAsia will open a new route to Jeju Island after its successful Seoul - KL route launched since last September.

Korea’s Women of the Sea (Haenyeo) Know Korea / Know Korea

2010/11/12 13:12

http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10097438137

The no. 1 search word related to Jeju Island of Korea is hands down the “Ollegil (Olle Road).” Just thinking about taking a walk on Ollegil, especially in the autumn with all this beautiful foliage, lifts one’s mood.

Some while ago, though, before Ollegil came to be such a hot tourist spot, the first thing that came to one’s head thinking about Jeju used to be the “haenyeo,” the sea women; they are female divers in the Korean province of Jeju.

The women born in Jeju had to earn a living either by farming crops or picking sea products. The haenyeo often represents a harsh and strenuous life.

What used to amount to as many as 15,000 haenyeo in 1970 has now plummeted down to a mere third of that number; and most of them are over seventy years of age at that, meaning that haenyeo are fast disappearing.

In light of this sad reality, The LA Times published a feature article on Korean haenyeo, their traditions and current situations.

Haenyeo, Epitome of Toughness

The haenyeo is assumed to have first appeared in the primeval! era when people started turning to the sea for food. It goes similar for the haenyeo of Jeju as well, based upon the age of the shrines on the island built for the safety of fishermen and haenyeo. There are several ancient proverbs and old sayings as well that describe Jeju haenyeo’s physical strength and their tough lifestyle.

There is one saying to the effect that Jeju haenyeo don’t stay in bed for more than three days after giving birth to a child, stressing their toughness. Another saying goes “Born as a Jeju woman, she should be able to support her household, no problem.”

The LA Times introduced the life of Jeju haenyeo in its front page, including in-person interviews that actually took place on the island.

The LA Times Illustrates Korea’s Old Tradition

The article of The LA Times, one of the five major newspapers of the U.S, featured the youngest Jeju haenyeo in Korea under the title “Korean island women carry on diving tradition.” The well-researched numbers and figures in the article point to the fact that the number of haenyeo is decreasing rapidly today in Korea.

The daughters who are handed down the know-how of sea-diving from their mothers (e.g. how to avoid sharks and how to hold breath and stay underwater for a long time) are turning elsewhere for other possibilities of living. Although it is true that not many women are obligated to choose the harsh life of haenyeo nowadays, there still are mothers who take pride in that particular calling, and with that calling, having brought up good daughters.

A Korean newspaper once covered the story of a 69-year-old woman who still hasn’t let go of the life of a haenyeo. She started sea-diving at the age of 11, tutored by her mother, and has since lived with and in the sea for 58 years. She says she still goes out to the sea about ten times a month and proudly adds that she has raised a son and four daughters.

Not for Money, But To Keep a Tradition Alive

The LA Times article contains an interview of the youngest haenyeo, Ms. Jae-Yeon Kim, who is 33 years old. Ms. Kim says she learns to become a haenyeo not to make money but because it connects her to her ancestors. She must learn all there is to learn about sea-diving before the elder haenyeos pass away so that sometime in the future she will be able to pass down the skills and the know-how.

The article, while praising Ms. Kim’s courage in having chosen a lifestyle of such harshness in order to keep a tradition alive, emphasizes the need on a more national level for preserving the traditions of haenyeo. The value and significance of that age-long calling is priceless.

Would you like a bowl of Ttukbaegi?

2011-01-14T23:25:00.001+09:00

Onggi, a traditional Korean pottery, has had a significant role as a food container in the Korean food culture. Not simply a plain pot it is recognized for its scientific principles; especially its breathing holes that remove toxic substance of foods and reduce the smell.

Refer http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10101087100

Sharing Intangible Heritage of Korea with the World

2011-01-14T23:21:00.005+09:00

The Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea (CHA) produces DVDs on intangible cultural heritage of Korea inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. DVDs will be distributed to relevant organizations and researchers in Korea and overseas; public online access will be provided as well. It is expected to help understanding on intangible cultural heritage of Korea further contributing to create a higher brand value of Korea.

Refer http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10101088018

Contents of the Month

2011-01-14T23:21:00.003+09:00

Refer http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10101088018

1 Malaysia = 1 Quota System = 1:3:6 Lean Concrete Mixture = 一个混凝土

2010-12-04T15:27:00.004+09:00

明志，教你一个新词，1 Malaysia = 1 Quota System = 1:3:6 Lean Concrete Mixture. 结论是：一个马来西亚 = 一个食古不化的混凝土。还有，下次英国BBC电视台访问你时，用1:3:6 混凝土来解释马来西亚就行了，因为那个是British System for Lean Concrete.

这里是明志要见首相的video clip. 拍得很好。明志加油！

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYH3aUT_VwQ

Paris 浪漫之都 - 巴黎

2010-11-01T16:30:00.011+09:00

八月尾去了一趟伦敦，与十多年没见面的中学同学一起聚餐，刚好是马来西亚国庆日(8月31日）。看，多爱国，还是在前殖民国喝茶“滄声” 呢，哈哈！虽然是短短不到一个小时的午餐聚会，但很开心。午餐在火车站隔壁，之后就搭子弹火车（Eurostar) 去巴黎了。

在伦敦才呆了两个晚上，九月头要在巴黎一间大学参加学术大会，要发表。

这趟欧洲之旅，探访旅游胜地成了主要目的，参加学术大会反而成了次要，不好给校方知道，哇咔咔！唉，千里迢迢去到那里，不玩白不玩嘛，教授也自费带了孩子一起去~~~

巴黎的天空很蓝，万里晴空，都没什么看到云。是好还是不好呢？浪漫晴空和生命之雨云，你选择哪一个？

Asia Pacific Jamboree 2010, Korea

2010-11-01T00:49:00.014+09:00

八月时出席了韩国举办的泛太平洋的童军大露营,认识了一班新朋友。

大家为了同一个兴趣，理想而聚在一起真是一件伟大的事情~~~

From the G7 to the G20

2010-10-22T19:06:00.004+09:00

Article referred to

http://www.seoulsummit.kr/eng/goPage.g20?menu_seq=G20MENU00061&return_url=TOP02_SUB01

From the G7 to the G20

The G20 was formally established at the G7 Finance Ministers’ meeting on 26 September 1999. The emergence of the G20 stemmed from the changing economic reality – a response both to the financial crises of the late 1990s and to a growing recognition that key emerging countries were not adequately included in the core of global economic discussion and governance.

So, the original G7 (composed of the US, Japan, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and Italy) grew to the G20. At the third G20 summit held in Pittsburgh on September 24-25, 2009, the G20 was designated as the premier forum for international economic cooperation. Today, the G20 represents two thirds of the world’s population and nearly 88% of the world’s economy.

Who are the G20 and their heads of state?

The G20 includes 19 countries and the European Union.

* G7 : US, Japan, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Italy
* 4 Asian Countries : Republic of Korea, China, India, Indonesia
* 3 Latin American Countries : Argentina, Brazil, Mexico
* 4 European Countries : Russia, Turkey, Australia, the EU Chair
* South Africa and Saudi Arabia

To view details of the G20 countries including their leaders, click the following link :
http://g20.korea.net/html/g20/members.asp

Who else will participate in the Seoul Summit in addition to the G20?

Korea will invite 5 non-member countries and 7 international organizations to the G20 Seoul Summit (scheduled for November 11-12) that have close relationships with the agendas of the summit.

The 5 non-members are Malawi, Vietnam, Spain, Singapore and Ethiopia, and the 7 international organizations include the United Nations, International Labor Organization, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, World Trade Organization, and the Financial Stability Board.

Non-G20 member countries have been invited to previous G20 summits in order to enhance the effectiveness and representativeness of the meeting.

The Fascinating World of Hangul Calligraphy

2010-10-16T01:13:00.002+09:00

Article picked from http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10095749968

Are you familiar with calligraphy?

There is a growing interest for hangul (the Korean alphabet) not only as a set of alphabets but also as an artistic theme. Known for its highly scientific and pragmatic nature, now hangul is being re-discovered as calligraphy (the art of fancy lettering) as well as applied as a fashion component.

In calligraphy, letters transform into something unique, one-of-a kind, and creative that reflects the emotions of the particular theme that the words denote. Used in the poster for “Festival” (a film directed by Gwon-Taek Lim), hangul calligraphy is now used everywhere, far and wide, from movie posters, book jackets, record covers, to product advertisements etc.

Calligraphy on the Web

Calligraphy is gaining popularity in the online world as well. Breaking away from the uniform Microsoft fonts, web users are now turning to more original letterings and do not hesitate to make a purchase for calligraphies to use for their blogs and homepages. It is estimated that annual volume of font purchase is over KRW 10 billion.

Cyworld, the widespread web site that offers mini homepages, sell 20,000 fonts daily, and introduces new fonts everyday that are customized to meet users particular wants and demands. Fonts that apply the handwritings of celebrities such as Yuna Kim are particularly appealing to the customers.

People Love Hangul-themed Fashion

Lie Sang-Bong is one of the most well-known Korean fashion designers who is especially acclaimed and recognized for his hangul-themed works. His range of work includes not only clothes, but accessories, electronics, and home appliances as well. Lie incorporates hangul usually written vertically, aptly conveying traditional Korean flavor at the same time as keeping it modern and suave.

Hangul-themed design is gaining further vitality with the efforts of Dong-Eui University in Busan, which established “Han Fashion Center” in 2006 with the support from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.

The Han Fashion Center launched its own brand called “Hooga” and undertakes various activities such as exporting design carpets abroad and supporting some 130 local companies that lack design capacities. The center aims to create design products that capture the characteristic beauty of hangul – the harmony between its lineal and curved lines.

Hangul, created by King Sejong, is now being re-created in the hands of designers.

As you may have noticed, last October 9 was Hangul Day in Korea. It was a day for us to ponder the value and beauty of the great Korean alphabet, especially in these times where there is an unbridled deluge of foreign languages, ugly slangs and obscure jargons in our everyday communication.

Benefits of Red Ginseng

2010-10-16T01:09:00.003+09:00

Article picked from http://blog.daum.net/korea_brand/781

Autumn is here now in full swing. As the saying goes, you can see “the sky getting higher and horses getting plump.”

In these crisp, pleasant days, are you one of those people who feel always sleepy and somewhat lethargic, dozing in the bus and missing your stop?

If you are, then I’d like to introduce you to a certain health food: Red ginseng.

Red Ginseng Prevents Swine Flu

When the H1N1 swine flu virus swept the nation last year, the sales of ginseng and red ginseng skyrocketed as well. People believed there is nothing more effective than Korean ginseng in increasing immunity against flus. Not totally ungrounded, but still there hadn’t been sufficient scientific study to back up such an argument.

Now, more about ginseng has been unveiled at the 10th International Symposium on Ginseng held on September 15. The results of a research on the effectiveness of ginseng in preventing H1N1 were announced. According to the study, the group who took ginseng along with vaccination had a 40% higher survival rate than the group who took only vaccination. Red ginseng, in particular, was found to boost up defense against not only H1N1 but seasonal flus as well.

An experiment was conducted with 227 participants at three medical offices in Milan, Italy. Half of them were given ginseng at a dosage of 100mg daily, the other half placebo. The results showed a significant decline in the frequency of colds and flus in the treated group compared to the placebo group (15 versus 42 cases).

Red Ginseng Also Reduces Fatigue and Prevents Cancer

Other benefits of red ginseng include reducing fatigue, improving blood circulation, and getting rid of fat and cholesterol.

Red ginseng also helps quench thirst, especially for diabetics who urinate a lot to get rid of the extra sugar in their blood. Also, red ginseng is good for enhancing your stamina in general. Those who often catch cold and never have enough energy might as well give it a try!

The size of the domestic red ginseng market, currently, is about KRW 1 trillion. And with the increasing consumer demand, it is expected to further grow, as much as six-folds within a few years. In addition, as an increasing number of foreigners are taking interest in the benefits of red ginseng, there is to be a lot more export and branching out into global markets.

Well, it seems like red ginseng is all that is good! Why not brace up ourselves against the vicious seasonal flus with some help from red ginseng? :)

A New Better Way to Make Korean Rice Cake

2010-10-03T14:42:00.002+09:00

Article picked from http://blog.daum.net/korea_brand/748

I love traditional Korean rice cakes (called “tteok”). Some people eat rice cakes in the morning as a grab-and-go breakfast while some others eat them to lose weight as a dietary food. These days, there are so many new kinds of rice cake, made from some unusual ingredients with new techniques.

I’d say the most appealing thing about rice cake is its texture, its soft chewiness. And thus, one of the most baffling things about tteok is that they lose its signature chewiness so fast. You buy some nice chunks of tteok in the evening on your way home from work, and the next morning you find them gone all hard and dry. Hard and dry, that’s not rice cake anymore. I bet you all have this sad experience.

And here is some good news for you! A new technique has been developed that can make tteok that preserves its chewiness for a long, long time.

No more hardened rice cake

Korea’s Rural Development Administration (RDA) developed a manufacture technique that prevents rice cake from going hard and dry. With this new recipe that involves no chemical processing or additive whatsoever, you can now enjoy the soft chewiness of rice cake for a long, long time. They call it “miracle” rice cakes since if you store them in the fridge, once defrozen they will restore their original chewy texture but completely.

Korea’s Rural Development Administration (RDA).

RDA developed a manufacture technique that prevents rice cake from going hard and dry.>

According to RDA, the soft, moist, chewy texture comes from beating rice cake a numerous number of times which produces microscopic, elaborate structures within. And RDA managed to convert this beating into an exacting, scientific process.

In Korea, rice cake is a “must” item at special feasts like holidays, birthdays, kick-off ceremonies etc. And since rice cakes turn hard and dry so easily, tteok manufactures, when there is a large order, have to wake up at the break of dawn and start making rice cake right on the day it’s needed; they can’t do it earlier. That sure is a tough labor. Also, rice cake’s poor durability and difficult storage has been detaining vitalization of the tteok industry. But now with the new technique, things will start looking up, including increased rice consumption.

Time for rice cake to go global

Now that we’re striving for globalization of Korean food, rice cake can be one of the key items, especially with the new technique. Compared to bread, rice cake is healthier, more digestible, and can fill up your stomach. With the new technique, RDA announced that they’re expecting to generate1.3 trillion won worth of economic value. They plan to get the technique (which they named “cool tteok recipe”) patented soon and start putting it to practical use.

Let’s look forward to days when rice cake will be more popular than bread!

Korea’s Online Procurement System Going Abroad

2010-10-03T14:29:00.003+09:00

Malaysian government shall learn from Korean but i'm sure it will face huge objections from the Perkasa and those who already benefited from the old way of procurement that long promoted corruption, budget waste in government's department which happened every year despite the warning of annual audit report, and lack of transparency.

Article picked from http://blog.daum.net/korea_brand/747

The Public Procurement Service (PPS) is one of Korea’s central administrative bodies that provides public institutions with materials, facilities and services from supplying companies that they need. With the rapid spread of the Internet and Korea’s advanced level of Information Technology, the nation’s procurement system, also, is going online. Furthermore, a growing number of developing countries where issues of budget waste, lack of transparency and corruption are considerable are trying to import! and benchmark Korea’s online e-procurement system.

Procurement officials overseas visit Korea to learn

Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) conducted a training program “Public Procurement System Establishment” for 18 participants from 8 countries including Uzbekistan, Egypt, Morocco, Ghana, Tunisia, Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire, and Uganda. From September 2 to 18, the participating officials took various courses on the strategy for establishing the e-Government and e-Procurement system.

Korea exports e-procurement system to Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s e-procurement system which opened in July 2009 was constructed by Samsung SDS for USD 8.3 million. Recently, a total of 9 systems were launched including the electronic bidding, security/authentication, electronic contracts, electronic payments, electronic documents, document distribution and others. Samsung will support the operation until December and then transfer the controls over to ICE (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad).

With the introduction of the system, the Costa Rican government will be able to operate efficiently through integration, standardization of procurements. Also, it is expected to contribute to the transparency of procurement and the efficiency of the bidding companies.

Laura Chinchilla, President of Costa Rica said, “I am very pleased because the e-procurement system improves the efficiency of public institutions and provides high-quality services of government agencies; it provides equal benefits to all the citizens.” She also thanked South Korea’s embassies and Samsung SDS for their efforts in making the successful launch.

Through the project to spread Korean online procurement system to foreign countries, Korea’s software and IT consulting companies are accumulating their know-how on overseas projects and improving their international competitiveness. Also, efforts are being made to make the Korean e-procurement system a global standard.

Not so many people are aware Korea has an advanced procurement system like this. Promoting it to the world must surely be a way to raise Korea’s brand value!

IAAF World Championships Daegu 2011

2010-09-15T13:09:00.001+09:00

Article picked from http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10094059208

There are several sports that Korea excels at: taekwondo, archery, judo, and weight lifting to name a few. But in athletics, unfortunately, Korea has rarely won medals and accordingly, public interest, too, is rather modest.

But next year, it seems it may be quite different – for the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) World Championships is scheduled to be held in Daegu, Korea from August 27 to September 4. Those who run the fastest, jump the highest, leap the farthest will be all gathering together!

So the 27th of August 2011 is the day it will begin. Following the 1988 Olympics and the 2002 World Cup, this time Korea will host the IAAF Championships, with some ambitious goals set for itself – ranking within top 10 in 10 categories, including marathon, race-walking, hurdles, pole vault, and javelin throws for both male and female.

Organizing Committee for the IAAF World Championships Daegu 2011

The organizing committee for the Daegu Championships is working hard to make the event a success. They are repairing and upgrading the Daegu Stadium which will be the main venue for the games, and the Athletes’ Village where the athletes from all over the world will be lodging is scheduled for completion in April 2011. About half has already been completed. Also, some 6,000 supporters are being recruited, including interpreters, assistants and organizers in some 10 specific areas.

Now that slightly less than a year is left till the grand opening, the tickets are on sale both on and offline. The price of the tickets ranges from KRW 10,000 to 150,000 and the season ticket with which you can watch all of the competitions costs from KRW 200,000 to 850,000. The prices are cheaper than the ones at the Osaka Championship in 2007 or Berlin in 2009.

A Mega-Scale Sporting Event

The IAAF Daegu 2011 will be the second time the competition is held in Asia, following the one in Osaka, Japan in 2007.

It will be a mega-scale sporting event where over 6,000 foreigners from 213 countries will visit and participate in 47 different games. Apparently, it is a major opportunity to showcase various attractive aspects of Korea. Apart from the actual visitors, there will also be some 7 billion TV viewers, which will induce an impressive amount of economic value. To host this championship, Korea needs KRW 5.5 trillion’s volume of manufacture, 60 thousand employments, and is expected to generate value-added of 2.3 trillion’s worth.

Hosting a sporting event of this magnitude is certainly no easy job. It requires a lot of resources both finance, energy, time-wise, not to mention a thorough, meticulous planning. The entire world will be watching Korea. So, let’s hope and strive for a successful hosting!

Perfect Time to Visit National Parks of Korea!

2010-09-15T13:08:00.001+09:00

Article picked from http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10094059758

The stifling heat of the summer has somewhat simmered down and we can now feel a hint of autumn seeping through the air. If you’re planning an autumn vacation, I’d say you should definitely go for the mountains.

Around this time of a year, Korean mountains exhibit splendid foliage. National parks at such mountains as Seoraksan, Naejangsan, Songnisan and Wolchulsan will be perfect spots for enjoying wonderful Korean autumn sights. In link with this, there is a TV program that introduces beautiful mountain scenery of Korea.

Korea’s Nature as Seen by Foreigners

There are around 20 national parks in Korea, all of which boast exceptional natural beauties. 38 million people visit the parks annually, and they are home to some 60% of endangered species. So it’s hardly an overstatement to say national parks are the very core of Korea’s ecology.

In an effort to promote Korean natural sights to the world overseas, the Korea National Park Service produced a TV program that introduces Korea’s national parks in cooperation with Arirang TV, an English-language TV channel that has viewers from more than 188 countries including the US, Canada and the UK via satellite.

In the program, foreign reporters visit the parks and go on “eco-tours”, introducing the sights from the perspective of non-Koreans. For example, at Dadohaehaesang National Park, the largest national park in Korea which expands across seven coastal areas in the South and West Sea, reporters get hands-on experience on drying anchovies, or at Odaesan National Park they get to unearth potatoes.

The program is made up of 20 episodes, each of which is about 10 minutes in length. It will be aired at 7:30 pm (Korean time) every Saturday on Arirang TV.

Various Education & Entertainment Programs

We may think national parks are just nice, peaceful tourist spots with a bunch of mountains and creeks and trees and whatnot bundled up together. Well, maybe so. But recently, many educational and entertaining programs are being offered for those far too many city-bound children and life-jaded adults.

For example, at those national parks near the city such as Bukhansan National Park, they have built an “eco village” where city kids can explore nature, get an education on environment and also receive treatment for environment-related illnesses such as asthma or atopic dermatitis which as many as one quarter of children suffer.

Also, since national parks house many of endangered species, children can take actual glimpses at those precious fauna and flora that they’ve only seen on the pages of books. For example, Byeonsanbando National Park houses the very rare insect “chrysochroa fulgidissima,” or in another term, “jewel beetle.”

So, why not take your autumn vacation at one of these splendid national parks?!

Ever Heard of Sommeliers for Korean Food?

2010-08-31T08:23:00.002+09:00

This article was picked from http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10092964038

Ever Heard of Sommeliers for Korean Food? Know Korea / Know Korea

2010/08/26 17:45

http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10092964038

A few years back, there was a big wine boom. Wine was the trendy thing. And so was the word “sommelier.” It is a French word meaning a trained and knowledgeable wine professional who specializes in all aspects of wine service – wine procurement, storage, wine cellar rotation, providing expert service to customers and so on.

Well, you will be surprised to hear that there exist sommeliers for Korean food now. Last October the World Food Culture Center (WFCC) introduced its first sommelier course for kimchi and makgeolli in an effort to globalize hansik – traditional Korean food.

Ms. Hyang-Ja Yang, the CEO of the WFCC, commented, “Kimchi is Korea’s representative food, designated by the New York Times as one of the world’s top 5 health foods. Korean food has numerous benefits – nutrition, taste, and style-wise – and is something we can pride ourselves on.”

Ms. Yang went on to emphasize, “But we’re not making enough effort to promote and globalize hansik. There isn’t enough “story-telling” nor attempts at fusing Korean food with other food culture.”

Mr. Wan-Soo Park, Director of World Kimchi Institute (organization under the Korea Food Research Institute), said in his interview last March, “The fact that kimchi is such an ingrained item in Korean people’s lives is partly the reason why there is an insufficient amount of research on systemizing it.”

Kimchi is something that Korean people eat almost every meal, and Korean households make a load of kimchi every winter almost like a ceremony. Despite its subtlety of taste and a very storage-sensitive nature, there is hardly enough standardization of kimchi-making. Much of how-to-make-kimchi has been handed to the next generation by telling and showing without relying on set recipes. Lack of industrialized processing as well as special wrapping that accommodates fermentation and long-distance delivery has been deterring global distribution of kimchi. The same situation goes for the traditional Korean liquor, makgeolli.

Ms. Yang of the WFCC says, “A kimchi sommelier should be well-equipped with expertise on kimchi and cooking skills, and should be able to provide all kinds of information regarding the dish. The kimchi sommelier course comprises 12 classes in the span of 3 months. The course also teaches you skills that keep the wrapping from bursting while kimchi is fermenting.”

To be a good kimchi sommelier, you should be skilled not only at ensuring and preserving the quality of kimchi, but also at story-telling of kimchi. Ms. Yang says, “To do that, education on the theory of Korean food culture is essential. And with the suitable food styling we can shape the impression of Korean food as classy and elegant as well as generate value-added. Also, developing fusion dishes that blend Korean food with other food cultures will be conducive to globalizing hansik.”

In the makgeolli sommelier course, aside from being educated on the manufacturing, preservation, styling of the liquor, you also learn about its drinking culture such as drinking etiquette or how to shake makgeolli before pouring it and so on.

“In countries like Vietnam that are familiar with rice, makgeolli is regarded as a high-class liquor. And the curry-flavored makgeolli is especially well-received in India. It has a nice color, too, style-wise. We can produce any number of variations of makgeolli that combine various countries’ specialty flavors,” Ms. Yang explained.

“Maintaining a stubborn attitude that doesn’t allow room for incorporating other food cultures won’t work. To globalize Korean food, we ought to be open-minded about and respectful of dishes of other countries. Take Japan’s sushi, for example. Sushi is now made and sold by as many Koreans, if not more, as Japanese people. For effective globalization of hansik, we should get rid of the thinking that Korean food must be made by Korean people, nobody else.”

Mr. Tae-Pyong Chang, the former Minister of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said in his celebratory speech at the International Food Industry Exhibition Seoul 2010, “The size of the global food industry is USD 4.3 trillion, 5.6 times that of the IT Industry, and 2.5 times that of the automobile industry. It is a huge, huge market. And globally, countries are endeavoring to raise their competitiveness and take leadership in the food industry.”

Korea, too, is making efforts far and wide to promote Korean foods such as kimchi, makgeolli, and tteokbokki. For makgeolli, in particular, the goal has been set at USD 10 million volume of export for this year.

“If people get to be familiar enough with variations of Korean food, then they will eventually want to delve deeper and trace back to the food culture in its original. That will stimulate export of Korean food ingredients as well as attract foreign visitors. And by offering hansik sommelier courses, more Korean people will get to be well-versed in expert knowledge of Korean food, which I believe will contribute to the sustainable development of Korean food culture,” Ms. Yang says.

The “Ethernet” Technology

2010-07-31T10:54:00.001+09:00

Article picked from http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10091063062

The “Ethernet” Technology Know Korea / Know Korea

2010/07/28 12:58

http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10091063062

Have you heard of the term “Ethernet?” Not Internet, mind you, but Ethernet. Well, I suppose it’s not exactly in our everyday vocab list.

Ethernet, stemming from the physical concept of the “ether,” refers to the computer networking technologies for local area networks (LANs). In simpler words, it is a system where multiple computers scattered far and wide can form a network and share information. This system is widely used in the banking or trading industry that operates hundreds of branch stores.

Traditionally, the Ethernet market has been dominated by advanced countries such as the US, Japan, and Germany. But recently, Korean industrial Ethernet technology has been adopted as an international standard, marking a milestone for advancing into the world market.

Let’s learn a bit about this Korean Ethernet technology.

Faster and Easier to Fix

According to the Ministry of Knowledge Economy of Korea, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) approved of 5 RAPIEnet (Real-time Automation Protocols for Industrial Ethernet) technologies developed by Korea’s LS Industrial Systems. They passed the Final Draft International Standard (FDIS), which means that it is almost at its last step in becoming the international standard (IS).

LS Industrial Systems has developed RAPIEnet as a new industrial communications bus for use with its PLC (Power Line Communication) systems. The company says that in so doing the design has avoided the complications of hubs and switches and the accompanying excessive cabling required by established Ethernet technology.

RAPIEnet, while still compatible with the preexistent Ethernet standards, transmits data at a 1 GB-per-second speed and in case of a communications failure can repair the error 30 times as faster. It can be utilized in a variety of fields operated by automation systems such as semi-conductor and automobile manufacturing, or nuclear energy development.

Korea, the Forerunner of the Industrial Automation Technology

RAPIEnet is the fruit of the collaborative efforts between LS Industrial Systems and Hanyang University – corporation and academia. The volume of tangible and intangible profit generated by this technology’s approval as an international standard is incredibly huge. It laid the groundwork for Korea to advance into the global market of USD 10 billion’s scale. Also, the domestic market, worth of KRW 150 billion, which has so far been dominated by the USA, Germany, and Japan, is expected to be finally claimed back by the Korean technology.

It is also important to note the significance of the collaborative R&D efforts between corporations and schools, backed up by the government support. Korea will surely continue its endeavors to generate world-acknowledged brand-new technologies.

Spend the Summer at the Royal Palace

2010-07-31T10:51:00.002+09:00

Article picked from http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10091062960

Spend the Summer at the Royal Palace Know Korea / Know Korea

2010/07/28 12:57

http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10091062960

An event titled “Spending the Summer at the Royal Palace” is being held from July 24 through August 31 at Changgyeonggung Palace. Let me introduce it to you.

Upon entering the palace you will be able to see a banner in front of euhgoo (a stream flowing from a royal place) that traverses the palace.

The clear stream euhgoo flows along Geumcheon path with pleasant, gurgling sounds, and you can take a rest in the shades drawn by the lush trees planted along the path. The path is also adorned with a variety of aquatic plants such as lotuses and water lilies as well as twenty-some photographs.

You can spot friends, lovers, families here and there, as well as foreigners visiting Korea. There are kids on a field-trip with the assignment to observe water lilies and hyacinths. There are members of a photography club on an outing. The various aquatic plants with their beautiful features and purifying qualities grab people’s attention for a long time.

On the first day of the event, water lettuces known for their pollutant-fighting, purifying capacity were given out as a souvenir.

In the olden times, there were purported to be 8 ways of fighting the heat of the summer. According to Jeong Yak-Yong, a leading Korean philosopher in the late Joseon Dynasty, the 8 ways were :

1) Playing Baduk sitting on a cool bamboo mat
2) Practicing archery on a platform of pine trees
3) Playing the traditional Korean game of Tuho (throwing arrows into a jar)
4) Riding swings in the shade of a zelkova tree
5) Listening to the cry of cicadas in the forest
6) Writing poems on a rainy day
7) Washing feet in the moonlit night

How about trying a little vacation at Changgyeonggung palace, hmm?
Give it a try!

Saving the Earth with Electric Buses

2010-07-15T11:12:00.005+09:00

Saving the Earth with Electric Buses

Article picked from http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10090112131

Downsides of driving a car?
Yes, there is the price of gas that never seems to skyrocket.

But on a bigger scale, there are more fundamentally worrisome issues: Climate change and the drainage of natural resources, especially the fossil fuels.

In respond to this environmental crisis, the international community has been taking actions. One of the measures widely initiated by the countries worldwide is reduction of carbon emissions. And naturally, the automobile industry is tightly linked with that.

Ever heard of environment-friendly electric vehicles (EV)?

Among the possible future environment-friendly vehicles, electric vehicles are taking the central stage. Many countries in the forefront of the automobile industry, including the U.S. and Japan, not to mention European countries, have declared their resolutions to manufacture 1 million electric vehicles.

Since electric vehicles run on electric batteries and motors instead of the traditional fossil fuels, they are drawing particular attention and interest nowadays that the regulations on exhaust emissions are becoming increasingly strict.

And Korea is not an exception in this “green growth” trend.

Beginning this November, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will begin the operation of 15 environment-friendly electric buses which emit absolutely no air pollution. At the moment the buses are having pilot runs since last June 21 in the Namsan circular route.

Electric buses run purely on electricity. Since they have no gas exhaust outlet, they do not emit fine dust particles, smoke, or other air pollution agents, nor do they discharge greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide like diesel buses. They don’t even emit heat and gaseous particles that are emitted by CNG (compressed natural gas) buses. So no doubt they are considered as an environment-friendly means of public transportation for the future. And they are expected to create more pleasant road and living environment conditions.

How are their functions?

The new electric buses boast the world’s best recharging capabilities, taking only 20 minutes to recharge. The high capacity batteries enable the buses to run for 120 km after recharging once and reach a maximum speed of 100km/h. The main components of the electric buses such as the battery, motor, inverter etc. were all developed using Korean technology.

<15>

The 15 buses will begin operating in the Namsan circular route – one of the more challenging routes in downtown Seoul and an area frequented by tourists. The new buses will be yet another attraction in one of Seoul’s main hot spots, Namsan. The exterior of the buses were designed to blend with Namsan’s scenic natural environment. Also, different designs such as Haechi, Seoul’s official color, and the Seoul logo, give the buses a “Seoul identity.”

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will start expanding the operation of these buses starting next year so that 3,800 buses – or the equivalent of half of Seoul’s bus fleet – will be electric buses by 2020. The remaining buses will be replaced by hybrid buses, thus completing the green revolution of Seoul’s public transportation system.

If Seoul meets its goal by 2020, even when considering greenhouse gases emitted by the power plant producing electricity, more than 40 tons of greenhouse gases can be reduced per bus in a year, adding up to 140,000 tons every year by 2020. Also, 800 tons of nitrogen oxide and 350 tons of hydrocarbons emitted every year in the city will no longer be emitted.

By 2020, half of Seoul’s buses will be replaced by environment-friendly electric vehicles. And Seoul plans to build an electric car recharging infrastructure that is unparalleled by other cities to ensure the effective supply of electric vehicles.

All about Makgeolli (Korean Rice Wine)

2010-07-15T11:09:00.004+09:00

Article from http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10090112071

The milky, off-white color….the deep, slightly bitter, mouth-watering taste…and the sweet finishing flavor….

Guess what it is?
Yes, indeed, we are talking about “makgeolli” here, one of Korea’s representative traditional alcoholic beverages.

In line with the recent makgeolli boom, the first web site devoted solely to makgeolli (http://www.jurojuro.com) has been launched by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Korea Rice Foodstuffs Association.

“Juro” here refers to the journey of finding makgeolli and other tasty food along the road. It can also mean the longish table for placing liquor glasses, and by extension, the talk, laughter, and mingling among people taking place over a bowl of makgeolli.

http://www.jurojuro.com>

According to the Ministry of Food, this year’s makgeolli market is estimated to be around USD 550 million worth of scale. And 60% of the market nation-wide is dominated by a handful of major makgeolli manufactures, while for the capital region, as much as 70% is taken up by them.

The fact is that smaller, lesser-known, local makgeolli companies are losing ground in the competition with the giant companies. In case of Gyeonggi-do area, for instance, all 40 companies but for mere two or three are facing a drop in sales ever since the makgeolli boom.

So the Ministry of Food decided to open the above-mentioned web site to introduce and promote small and medium-sized makgeolli manufacturers that each have their own distinct color and flavor.

The web site’s two main themes are makgeolli and makgeolli side-dishes. There is a “Navigation” section where you can search for various types of makgeolli either according to its region or characteristics, as well as view customer reviews and experts analyses. There is also the “Liquor Talk” section where the visitors of the web site engage in free chats.

But I’d say the highlight of the site is the “makgeolli side-dishes” page, which introduces places that have the best dishes to go with makgeolli. Just by looking at the pictures of all kinds of “anjoo (dishes served with liquor),” your mouth will start watering!

There are around 700 makgeolli manufacturers throughout Korea, and as in the case of wine, each region boasts its own distinct flavor. On the web site, you can search for specific kinds of makgeolli that you want – whether it’s live makgeolli or sterilized makgeolli, or whether it’s made with Korean rice, exported rice, or flour etc. So you can pick and choose a makgeolli that just suits your taste.

Drinking makgeolli the right way?

Makgeolli tastes best when you stir it. Some people wait a while after pouring the liquor and just sip at the clear upper layer, saying it tastes crisp and clean that way, but then you’re missing out on the very gist of makgeolli. All the healthy parts – the yeast, lactic-acid bacteria, vitamin, fiber etc – are found in the sediment part that sinks to the bottom of your makgeolli bowl. So don’t forget to stir it!

The whiter makgeolli, the better?

Nope, that’s not true. The difference in color comes from different varieties of yeast. The Japanese-style rice yeast is closer to white in color, while wheat yeast, which is made in a typical Korean style, is somewhat yellowish in color. Rice yeast gives out a clear, simple taste and wheat yeast a richer and heavier taste. The choice is up to you.

Another tip: Sterilized makgeolli was made to enjoy the scent so it is best to keep it at around 5–10 degrees Celsius. In contrast, draught (live) makgeolli is made to savor the refreshing feeling of a carbonated drink, and so needs to be kept around 0–5 degrees Celsius.
Side dishes that go especially well with makgeolli? Among hundreds, I’d go for “jeon (Korean pancakes)” and “jokbal (pig’s feet)”!

The recent makgeolli boom is also in keeping with the Korean government’s efforts to globalize hansik (Korean cuisine) as well as to increase rice consumption.

And I hope the newly launched web site “www.jurojuro.com” plays its part as a tool to spread makgeolli culture to people both at home and abroad!

More on South Korea First Match in 2010 World Cup

2010-06-13T18:09:00.009+09:00

Continue on previous post

Korea's First Match in World Cup 2010

2010-06-13T15:11:00.016+09:00

Date: 12 Jun 2010 (Sat)

Time: 2030 (Korean time); 2130 (Msian Time)

Venue: 1) Photos taken at Seoul
2) Host country: Msia's forefather, the former Land of Apartheid

Went to Seoul City Hall yesterday to watch the first 2010 world cup match for S. Korea. They played against Greece. The bet ratio is 50:50 (courtesy of my former form-6 class monitor, keke).

Although it is exam season now, i cant help but to get my ass out for some fresh air to kill off the drowsy mood of the rainy Saturday. Plus this match will be the best time for me to get a glimpse of how Koreans cheer for their country. It's a whole new experience for a kampung boy like me who only get to cheers for his beloved country at Thomas Cup and Olympic badminton in world arena at most.

This first match of S.Korea was placed at the best time on Saturday nite. The rest of the 2nd and 3rd game were scheduled to be in the midnite. So, not much for me to get out from the scenes and cheers during my sleeping time i guess. Did not dare to ask other friends to join me during this exam season except one who i tot was a football maniac. At the end, the maniac turned out to be wise enuff not to join me for the fear of not have enuff study and flunk 5 of the exams next week.

Travelling and doing things alone are always enjoyable as I get to go wherever i like, change my plan easily, get to meet new ppl and observe my surrounding more sharply (dont forget that i still have the instinct of being an agent; well trained since my previous job in CIA~~).

I was lucky enuff to see the crowd's responds during the first goal around 7 minutes before i left the City Hall field. Again, was lucky enuff to see S.Korea's 2nd goal in the school hall. The view of the match was better compared to the City Hall which were too crowded and messy. S.Korea won Greece with 2-0. Everyone was so happy as well as the pub owners. Yeah, the pub in Sinchon will have good business even in the exam season, thanks to the match.

I was happy for S, Korea too, but it would be better if Msia is competing in S.Africa too. Can you believe Msia was on par with S.Korea and even once defeated this Asian Football Giant to proceed to the 1972 Olympic in Munich, Germany? Too bad, S.Korea survived and last but Msia has been dropping in the world sport arena as well as its economy. FIFA released the latest Coca Cola World Rankings: S. Korea at 47th and Msia at 146th. My primary school mathematics apply here, 99 place behind. What a joke! All thanks to corruption and match-fixing scandals.

Alas, welcome to Msia, where corruption is well accepted and the Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has not been working for the ppl but they work side by side with the current corrupted-government covering their shit. My good friend during uni time was found dead under the MACC building last year, one day before his wedding. He worked for the opposition party and was summoned for an investigation by the MACC for a case accusing the party for misusing a very small amount of state fund, which amounted to RM2000 (OMG! less than 600 USD, not even a single tip of % of the amount received by some big fish in the ruling parties and their cronies). I certainly do not believe my friend will jump from the MACC building, suicided himself ; these must have something to do with the MACC who held the investigation on him till midnite. No CCTV was recorded. Funny!

Wow! Surprisingly, Msia's standing is not that bad in the world corruption perception index, ranking at 56th behind S. Korea (39th) and of course Singapore (3rd) in 2009. Am i wrong about my country being too corrupt? But what i know is my friends corrupted the traffic police. Once i was instructed to hand the monthly 'fee' to the KL city hall staff who came to my previous work site by his bike. If not paid, they have all sorts of power and excuses to summon you ranging from cleanliness and public hazards which are very subjective.

My Japanese friend was was requested bribery money from a custom officer when he came into Msia from Singapore. Eventually, he bribe the officer but jotted down the name of that officer. He reported the bribery case to the head quarter of MACC and so coincidently it was the same day that my politician friend mentioned above was found died under the MACC building! My uncle's truck have to pay 'protection fee' to the traffic police for not giving problem to them on some quibble matters. Believe me, you pay differently for different districts and federal route. The more rules the government setup, if not being study properly, will serve as a fertile ground for corruption during the execution.

I'm not sure if i will be charged under the sedition act or any other internal security act for this posting but if it is surfaced, my posting will have fulfill its mission ~~~

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index

Ok, time to watch football!

Missed Iran and the Persian Kingdom

2010-06-10T13:24:00.022+09:00

Passed-by a blog posting the news of Iranian women being blamed for the earthquake in Iran which caught my attention.

Got an Iranian fren named Behrang who is working in KL. Yes, Behrang as in the Behrang in Perak. Went travel with him back to Iran in April 2008 and found that most of the Iranians are really friendly. They will stop you half way on the road, talk to you, ask how you think about their country and some will even invite you to be their guest at home.

Maybe Behrang is from an upper-middle class in Iran. He brought me and another Msian fren of mine to visit his relatives and friends. Their house are nicer than mine in Msia, all look good inside. It's Iranian custom to visit their relatives and frenz who never met for some time especially after coming back from oversea. The relatives and friends will also visit him back in some time later. Thats why i was confused seeing the same ppl in Tehran (Behrang's aunt's place) and Now Shar (Behrang's home some 4 hrs from Tehran). The bub-bye made when we last met at in Tehran did not last a week.

One funny thing is that they seldom see East Asian in Iran. When Behrang's daddy sent their oven for repair at a SAMSUNG service center, the manager tot we were from SAMSUNG Korea on purpose of non-formal inspection to them. Haha! The outcome was that the oven was repaired in the fastest time in two working days and no problems till now according to Behrang. Haha! Guess i will make a better role now that i can speak Korean. Keke!

Iranian family usually serve fruits and nuts in their living room, completed with small knives. They are good in peeling fruits. Even a young boy can beat me in that! I've learned a good way in peeling the fruits especially oranges and kiwis. Teach you next time. Oh, i saw triple-shape kiwis too.

The only problem was the food. Iranian like sour and sweet. From lemon to yogurt and other dishes, all not my type except the barbecue chicken! The rice is soft, long and not sticky. Once i was sooooooooooo interested in a dish which looks like curry chicken. Too bad, it turned out to be sour-tomato chicken and not a single salty or spicy got into my tongue. Luckily i am now temporary residing in Korea where the foods suit my picky Asian tongue.

Also visited Persepolis, an ancient city of Persian Kingdom; also a UNESCO World Heritage megalith near Shiraz. Never heard of it before i went to Iran. Should i blame the press? Met some university students there and visited their living place. Then i saw the real life of Iranian ppl. Six students staying in a little room. Just double decker beds; no table for study or other fancy computer desks. They told me that they can study in the school library.

Before the formation of Iran into an Islamic Republic, the ppl live in a more liberal way since 1940's until they tumbled their bad Sultan (King) and given a rise to an Islamic party. Thats why my Iranian fren remind me not to vote for PAS, the Islamic Party in Msia. I think the case is diff in Msia cox not all citizens are Muslims. The Islamic party will do some good but not when i gets the full power of the country. Men are same, no matter how you represent God and how clean you claim you are, the dirts will grow when it comes to power. How right is to relate the religion to the politics of the country? The president of Iran has to be recommended and shortlisted by a group of religion leaders behind the backdrop. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's balls were half hold by the religion leaders. I see President Ahmadinejad as a good friend to the bloody Kim Jung-il in North Korea. Too bad....the protest and move to change the republic government early this year did not success.

All and all, there are still a huge number of Iranians who are really open minded but too weak to fight back the gov which is holding the military power. I got a taste on the first vodka (Illegal) of my life in Iran. The vodka was smuggled from Russia thru the Caspian sea, the largest lake in the world but has become salty. I cant even see the other side of the Caspian sea while i'm in Now Shar. The Iranian girls are really pretty and attractive. They wear singlet a home! I would fall in love with them if not because the religion barrier.

Got some photo albums in facebook. Feel free to visit http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?&id=634602661&s=60&hash=6e9cb85cd61f18fb6b0ccc450d005f02#!/album.php?aid=23383&id=634602661&op=60

^^

演员的自我修养

2010-06-09T20:33:00.010+09:00

一九九九年看了周星驰全盛时期的一部贺岁片----<<喜剧之王>>

还记得星爷那时候已开始一年只拍一部戏，大家都很期待那无厘头式的笑片。

电影不长，短过一般认定的九十分钟，有点不到喉。

待步出戏院，大家都说有点失望，没有太多所期待的爆笑场面~~

我没出声，因为不想让大家注意到自己微湿的双眼~~

开始时也抱着期待的心情；渐渐有点失落，再由失落转而感动...只因那一幕~~

只因那一幕开始发现星爷好像在演着自己的故事...

当星爷把自己那本被视如生命一般珍贵的《演员的自我修养》手册赔偿给张柏芝是...我感动了~~

我GET到了他要表达什么~~~哇！无限开心~~~

因为第一次那么靠近~~~~

星爷，你系永远无法被取代的......

包括你的其他 ’班底‘ 兄弟们~~~

发现一篇很好的评论，版主也可能是转载自别处：

http://blog.cfan.com.cn/html/73/98673-36782.html

待续~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

哈哈！