Interview: Mr. Lee Han-soo, Mayor of Iksan City

The world's major countries are paying increasing attention to the new value of the food industry. North European countries such as Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands established a food cluster to create new national wealth. Particularly in Sweden and Denmark, the Oresund food cluster created more than 60,000 new jobs, while creating yearly sales of about $48 billion. The Oresund cluster houses a variety of food manufacturers, including the globally-renowned brewer Carlsberg, sugar maker Danisco, and Novozymes, a specialist in enzymes for food processing. Plus it also accommodates food-related companies, including the world’s largest milk pack manufacturer TetraPak and packaging specialist Reksam. Unilever and Nestle also run their own R&D centers in the Oresund food cluster. Under...

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Japanese Sitting Dog

From here: Ban, a dog from Ibaraki prefecture, baffled its owners when it showed off its street loitering look. Thus, the clever dog jumps onto the outside wall and sits astride the ledge, whilst peering around at the neighborhood.The wall, it’s seemingly favorite perching spot, is a chest-high structure running along the perimeter of the owner’s house. According to Ban’s bemused owners, no one taught the nifty trick to her.They assume that the dog was tired of the lack of space inside the house and thereby, devised a way to mount walls. They also believed that this position probably appealed to Ban as it provided her with a better vantage point...

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International Finance Center, Seoul

When completed, the International Finance Centre (IFC) Seoul is slated to be the city's leading business destination. The 5.4 million square feet development features three A-grade office towers, a five-star hotel and a three-level luxury mall which will add a new landmark to the city's skyline. The IFC Seoul project is one of the first large-scale real estate developments in Korea to be led by an international consortium. The project, which was officially launched in 2005, is a key component in the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s plan to rejuvenate the Yeouido area and to position the area as a regional financial center, creating employment opportunities and raising the quality of life for local residents. The master plan for IFC Seoul includes three premium commercial office towers, a five-star...

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Korean music classes for foreigners

In case you are interested in taking Korean music classes, you should find this  interesting: 2010 Korean Music Classes for Foreigners Period: March 06, 2010 - May 22, 2010Place: National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts, Seoul Details The spring semester of 2010 Korean Traditional Music Class for Foreigners starts on March 6. The program will be conducted in English and Korean (with language assistant). The instruments necessary for the lesson will be leased during the class. 1. Duration - Mar. 6 ~ May 22 (12 weeks) / 10:30~12:30, Every Saturday * Costumed final presentation scheduled on May 22 2. Participation Fee - 30,000 won (covering whole 12-week course) 3. Classes - Janggu (Hourglass-Shaped Drum) - Janggu for children (elementary school students) - Gayageum (12-Stringed...

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Interview: Mr. Kim Hyong-O, Speaker of the National Assembly

Among the dozens of new democracies born during the so-called third wave of global democratization that began in the mid-1970s, Korea is often considered one of the most analytically interesting. It offers an interesting case on the institutionalization of representative democracy in a country that started off as a pure administrative state. Developments in the Korean Parliament have not been smooth during the past 60 years, and this body has undergone several dramatic changes in major functions, political composition and administrative infrastructure since the establishment of the First Republic in 1948. The Korean people have engraved democratic...

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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The next book on my reading list is definitely going to be “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” It tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, a poor black tobacco farmer who was the unwitting donor of cells from her cancerous tumor, which were cultured to create an immortal cell line for medical research. This is now known as the HeLa cell line and has had a groundbreaking impact on modern medicine. The book tracks the story of the source of the HeLa cells, Henrietta Lacks, and documents the cell line's impact on both modern medicine and the Lacks family.Born in 1920, she died from an aggressive cervical cancer at 31, leaving behind five children....

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Citizen paparazzis in Korea

Want to earn some money by being a papparazi? Apparently the government pays out huge rewards. As this article notes: The central and local governments are moving to expand the “paparazzi” system this year with the goal of reducing illegal acts through “voluntary citizen participation,” and the number of applications has correspondingly risen greatly. The “Emergency Exit Paparazzi” system was launched on Jan. 1 as a trial period during which citizens can report blocked emergency exits in buildings used for business purposes. In addition, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) recently announced plans to introduce the “Education Paparazzi,” saying that it would take reports on educational improprieties. On Jan. 19, the Korean Deposit Insurance Corporation (KDIC) decided to accept...

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iPad for iPricks

Having just got my iPhone a few weeks back, I am not very keen to spend some more money for an oversized version- the iPad- which will be available here starting March. While I must confess that my iPhone has not disappointed, I would rather wait for version 2 of the iPad which will most probably come fitted with a camera, allow for multi-tasking, and support flash. However, that will not be. My girlfriend’s birthday is in June, and she seems to be besotted by the iPad. All my attempts to convince here have failed>> > so I guess I will just have to go ahead and buy a version of the tablet that will be outdated soon. Meanwhile, here...

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