Interview: Mr. Kim Sung-Hwan, Senior Secretary to the President for Foreign Affairs & National Security

The inauguration of Mr. Lee Myung-bak as President in February 2008 represented a significant shift in South Korea's foreign policy. Since then, the government has pursued a “pragmatic” foreign policy based on strengthening relationships with key regional powers and promoting conditional engagement with North Korea, while also enhancing South Korea’s role in the international community.The seven point doctrine of the present administration can be characterized as: Complete denuclearization and opening of North Korea; Pragmatic diplomacy based on a national consensus; Strengthening of the ROK-U.S. alliance; Expansion of Asia diplomacy in partnership with other regional states to move toward the opening of an Asian era; Contribution to the global community as the world's 12th economy and a...

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Rascal, the ugliest dog in the world

Rascal won the title of ugliest dog Sunday at the 15th annual Ugly Dog Contest at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in California. His owner boasts that Rascal is the 'world's ugliest dog.' I am sure my four dogs will love this video and laugh their heads off. Have to show it to them tonig...

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HP Slate takes on iPad

Even as I am excitedly waiting for the iPad to go on sale, i was caught unawares by the news that HP is ready with its own version of a tablet called Slate that will run Windows 7 operating system and support Flash. While the above videos that the company released looks promising, one will have to wait and see. I have never been a fan of the windows OS and am pretty sure that I will settle for the iPad. Just hope that the HP tablet does not keep crashing as frequently as the desktop/laptop versio...

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Interview: Ms. Regina Lee, General Manager, Shinhan BNP Paribas Asset Management

Shinhan BNP Paribas Asset Management, headquartered in Seoul, is a joint venture between Shinhan Financial Group and the French financial group, BNP Paribas. It is the fruit of an eight-year-old partnership between one of the three largest Korean financial groups and the largest euro-zone bank by assets. In January 2009, Shinhan BNP Paribas Asset Management was created when Shinhan BNP Paribas Investment Trust Management and SH Asset Management merged. Shinhan BNP Paribas Investment Trust Management was created in 1996 as Shinhan Investment Trust Management and in 2002 the name changed to Shinhan BNP Paribas when BNP Paribas acquired a 50% stake. As noted by Ms. Regina Lee, General Manager, Real Estate Investment Team, the joint venture is currently ranked third in the Korean asset management...

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Linux Mint- a fantastic alternative to Windows

I have never been a fan of Windows and found the outdated capabilities of the operating system an annoyance. For this reason, I stopped using my desktop computer at home (with Windows OS) and switched over to an iMac 2 years ago. Prior to that I had also bought a Macbook for my girlfriend and found that the learning curve was really not as steep as people made it out to be. Slowly but surely I got infatuated with my Mac and have never looked back since. Although, I still use Windows at work, since this is Korea, and there is no way out  ! Moreover since my girlfriend needs to use Internet Explorer for all her banking needs I resultantly...

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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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