Seoul subway world’s 3rd largest in ridership

Crew members of Seoul Metro 9 salute guests during an opening ceremony of the new Line 9 of Seoul subway at Gaehwa Station in Seoul on July 24, 2009. The Seoul subway system, which started operations in 1974 with less than 10 kilometers of underground track, is the third largest in the world in terms of ridership now. / Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geun.
Most foreign visitors to Korea would instantaneously recognize the extensive use of railroads in urban transportation
In the capital city of Seoul, more than 40 percent of commuters use the subway system every day ― the largest share among all modes of transportation.

Also, Seoul's subway system is truly underground. Seventy percent of the routes are subsurface, and the underground spaces are also used for pedestrian walkways, shopping and dining.

The heavy reliance on the subway for urban public transportation is not particularly surprising in Korea, where the population density is one of the highest in the world and more than three-quarters of its land is so mountainous that urban development is virtually impossible.

What is surprising, however, is the fact that its high level of services (clean and quiet trains, a frequent schedule with journeys as short as two minutes, and the dense network reaching many destinations across the metropolitan area) are provided at a relatively modest fare. The current base fare is only about $0.80. While this is more expensive than the basic fares on the Moscow or Mexico City subway systems, it is less than half of those found in most cities in Western Europe and North America. The Seoul subway is not merely an urban transport system for low income citizens, but a lively living space for millions of middle class residents.

The Seoul subway system, which started operations in 1974 with less than 10 km of underground track, is the third largest subway system in the world in terms of ridership now.

Subways were built in other major cities ― Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Daejon and Gwangju. Only the systems in Tokyo and Moscow attract more passengers than the Seoul subway system, although some in Chinese cities will soon become larger. Currently, with the nine main lines featuring 291 stops (and increasing), complemented with several other surface, underground and aboveground railroad lines, the system serves approximately 5.6 million passengers per day. In a city with a population of 10 million (24 million if the surrounding metropolitan areas are included), the subway system is the main artery of urban life in Seoul. Since Korea's system is relatively new and has been continuously upgraded with better technology and management practices, it will serve as a great example for major cities in developing countries that are experiencing a rapid increase in population.

The necessity for the subway system in Seoul was part of public discussion during the rapid industrialization due to the successful economic planning and accompanying urbanization that started in the early 1960s. In 1960, Seoul's population was less than 2.5 million. It swelled to 5.5 million in 1970 and more than 8 million in 1980 due to large scale rural-to-urban migration. As the expansion of the existing roads and the construction of the new arterial roads system could not successfully meet the bulging demand for urban transportation, the citywide subway system was conceived in the late 1960s.
Competition with bus service

The construction of underground rail system was not only extremely costly compared with other transportation infrastructure such as road construction but also technologically challenging. The first line, No. 1, had less than 10 km of underground tracks. The rest of the system relied on the existing rail system run by the state-run Korea Rail Corporation. Political and financial support from central government was essential in order to build the system even though the project mainly benefits local residents, due to the large construction cost. Line No. 1 was met with considerable enthusiasm as the subway became a viable urban transportation alternative. Initially, the construction and operation of the system relied heavily on Japanese technology.

However, the successful technology transfer significantly reduced costs and the time for construction of new routes and stations. While the frequent changes of routes and political wrangling over the financial viability created on-and-off excitement on the expansion of the subway system, the improvement of Korea's technical capability in building subways generated continuous expansion of the system through the 1980s and 1990s.

One of the biggest challenges created by the emerging system was how to handle the competition with the existing bus service. Before the subway was introduced, there already existed an intricate bus network run by many private providers. Although routes were regulated, there was substantial competition among the bus companies. Since each route had a local monopoly of passengers, any adjustments of routes were always contentious and the process could be corrupted easily. More importantly, the fact that the subway was run by the government and buses were run by many private companies made cooperation between the suppliers difficult.

From the perspective of passengers, it would be beneficial to transfer freely across the modes or between buses to complete a trip. Also, rapid transit has the advantage of hauling many passengers over a long distance in a limited corridor, while buses are more economical to provide feeder services to reach more destinations. If each supplier charges separately for their services, there is an incentive for the passenger to stay in one mode in order to save extra fares for transfers. At the same time, knowing this each supplier could provide socially-inefficient-but-ridership-maximizing routes. Consequently, there were duplicate services between suppliers. Even though the subway is operated by a public company, it has to take away passengers from the competing buses in order to be financially viable, rather than cooperating with them in delivering a more efficient combined transportation service.

Free transfer across services

The complicated coordination problem was resolved by region-wide negotiations between the Seoul government, and subway and private bus companies in the early 2000s. In exchange for a guaranteed subsidy, any public transportation service suppliers within the Seoul metropolitan region allow free (or at nominal cost) transfer across services. The bus routes were overhauled, and the free transfer system substantially increased the efficiency of public transportation as a whole and demonstrated an important point that system-wide efficiency can be achieved even though a large part of it is private. If such a cooperative mechanism were in place earlier, the routes of Seoul metro system would have been used more efficiently for long-distance commuting.

The current subway system is operated cooperatively by three entities. The early lines, Line 1 through Line 4, are operated by the Seoul Metro; Line 5 through Line 8, which were opened during the mid-1990s, are operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation; Line 9, the newest, is owned by Seoul Metro Line 9 Corporation. The first two corporations are public enterprise owned by Seoul Metropolitan Government, while the last one is a for-profit company.

Introduction of private investments

The introduction of private investments in urban infrastructure has been experimented with in Korea to varying degrees of success. In a typical arrangement, a private corporation (often a consortium of large corporations and private investors), is allowed to build social infrastructure and operate it for a fixed number of years (15-30). The operations (such as prices and service levels) are regulated, but the activities are for-profit with a guaranteed minimum profit rate.

As private investment was mobilized to finance infrastructure construction, it reduced the outlay by the government. However, such an arrangement has a serious moral hazard problem. There is a strong incentive for the private participants to overstate the benefits of the project, and end up relying on public support when the actual market demand falls short of the forecast.

A similar arrangement was made for the rapid rail line (AREX) that connects the two major international airports (Incheon and Gimpo), to Seoul Station in the middle of the city (not finished yet). Initially, the line was constructed by a consortium headed by Eukorail, which includes a French company Alstom and Hyundai Rotem (a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co.) that manufactures Korean high speed trains. However, as the actual user rate has fallen much shorter than forecast by the planners, Korail has taken over 88% of the company making it virtually a government-owned one.

While AREX trains are designed to run at 120 km/hr, KTX (Korea Train Express) trains run as fast as 350 kilometers per hour. KTX is the high speed rail (HSR) system that connects Seoul to Busan and Mokpo located at the southeastern and southwestern tips of the Korean peninsula (about a little bit over 400 kilometers from Seoul). Although road transportation using private cars and express buses are still more widely used in inter-city passenger transportation, the KTX is getting more popular over time. In particular, it has nearly replaced air transportation on those domestic routes.

The primary railroad network in Korea was developed during the 1910-1945 Japanese colonial occupation. During the period of industrialization, gradual improvements were made to the system ― diesel and electric locomotives, double tracks and improved signaling were introduced. When demand for fast inter-city travel increased with economic development, it was first absorbed by the domestic airline industry, as the old tracks were not designed to accommodate modern high speed trains.

Planning and construction of a new high speed rail system (HSR) started during the early 1990s. As the country lacked the technical expertise to develop its own HSR, an international bidding war for the general contractor was opened, and the French system of TGV was chosen (see Box 2). In 2004, after 12 years of construction, some portion of the KTX started operation. If the Seoul-Busan line is completed with a new set of tracks in late 2010, the travel time will be reduced to 2 hours 18 minutes from 4 hours 10 minutes on conventional trains. The adaptation and expansion of the KTX will put all of South Korea within effective daily commuting distance, promoting business activities between major cities.

Technology transfer

In the evaluation of the initial adoption of foreign technology for the HSR in the early 1990s, the opportunity for technology transfer was one of the most important considerations. As there were only a few countries that possessed the technology (Japan, Germany, France, and Italy) then, they were not eager to share their knowhow of the cutting-edge technology. The first train, the KTX-1 was based on the French company, Alstom's TGV Reseau to accommodate the mountainous terrain of Korea.

In 2004, South Korea became the seventh country after Spain and China to develop independently HSR technology by successfully test-running the new HSR-350x train that was designed to run at 350 kilometers per hour.

The prototype is now in the production as the KTX-II. While other countries currently possess more advanced HSR technologies, Korea's success in developing independent HSR trains enables it to manufacture the KTX-II domestically without any royalty payments and technology transfer limitations, thereby creating employment and technical expertise for future exports.

This is the result of a successful public-private partnership in the G7 Project comprising the Korea Railroad Research Institute, the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology and Hyundai Rotem. While the majority of the project's research and design was supported by the government through the two research institutes.

The technology was transferred to private companies for a fee. As private companies are reluctant to face the uncertainty of the development of new technologies with massive investment, the government took the risk for initial development. On the other hand, private companies are able to exploit the new technology for economic gain better than government.


Mega Asian cities embrace subway systems

The Seoul metro system, which started operation in 1974, is relatively new compared with other major cities in the world. London, the first city that adopted underground railroads for urban transportation, started operations in 1963.

However, the popularity of subways started with the availability of electric trains in 1890. Paris started its first subway operations in 1900, followed by New York City in 1904. In Asia, Tokyo was the first city that built a subway. Currently, the Tokyo subway system has the largest ridership in the world. Recently, major Chinese cities have adopted subways as the most important urban transportation system.

In 2020, the Shanghai system is expected to become the largest in the world with 22 lines and being 877 kilometers in length. The Beijing system is expected to expand to 19 lines and 561 kilometers of track by 2015.


Who is Kim Sun-woong?

The writer is a professor of economics at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. He also taught at Bryn Mawr College, the University of Pennsylvania, Justus-Liebig University of Giessen (Germany), Ajou University (Korea), and KDI School of Public Policy and Management in Korea.

He received an MA on urban planning from Harvard and a Ph.D. in economics from MIT. His current research interests include the economics of education, urban and real estate economics, and labor and political economics.

He has published over 50 articles in well known professional journals on economics, political science and urban studies. He is the president of the Korea-America Economic Association and the co-editor of the International Economics Journal. He can be reached at kim@uwm.edu

By Kim Sun-woong
Professor at University of Wisconsin
Credits : KoreaTimes,KoreaNet

Celebrate Buddha’s birthday with lotus lanterns

Brightly lit lotus lanters hang at Jogye Temple. This year Buddha's Birthday falls on May 21, and the Buddhist circle is making various activities along with the annual Lotus Lantern Festival.



There is a Buddhist saying that goes: ``Please attain Buddhism in your next lifetime by lighting a lantern in this life.'' The saying is being realized by many Buddhists this May, as they visit temples scattered around the country to light lotus lanterns and celebrate Buddha's Birthday.

``It's hard for me to light lanterns every day, although I would love to. Buddha's Birthday is one of those days when I just have to put everything aside and light up a colorful lantern for the well-being of my friends and family,'' Yoon Myung-sook, a 52-year-old housewife who visited Bongeun Temple in Samseong-dong, said.

Buddha's Birthday is celebrated annually on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month ― May 21 this year ― and the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism is gearing up for its annual Lotus Lantern Festival, or the ``Yeondeunghoe.''

``Within the Buddhist religion, Buddha's Birthday is the biggest holiday among other events. We always had lotus lantern events throughout history and it's a time when you get to learn and appreciate Buddha and his teachings. It's a time to stand back and really embrace his lessons,'' Ven. Jong Min, deputy director of the Department of General Affairs at the Celebration Committee for Buddha's Birthday, told The Korea Times.

``It has also become an event where numerous foreigners participate, further bringing Korean Buddhism to an international level,'' he said.

Events

The Lotus Lantern Festival has become bigger, with more exciting events and performances visitors can enjoy, including parades, exhibitions and activity booths.

May 14 to 23

Bongeun Temple, located in Samseong-dong, is one of the most famous temples in Seoul. Located in the heart of the city, it offers a tranquil atmosphere amid the busy streets full of cars and numerous skyscrapers. To celebrate Buddha's Birthday, the temple is holding a special exhibition of traditional lanterns. Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the day, and enjoy both large and small, colorful lanterns made by devoted Buddhists. Bongeun Temple is located near exit 6 of Samseong Station on subway line 2. For more information, visit www.bongeunsa.org.

Another way to enjoy lanterns is by visiting Cheonggyecheon, or Cheonggye Stream. The narrow stream will be decorated with numerous lanterns, creating a dream-like atmosphere with colorful lights shining brightly in the dark. Large lanterns will be placed on several platforms in the middle of the stream, perfect to take photos with or simply walk, observe and appreciate lights.

May 15

The Festival's Eve Celebration will take place in the Insa-dong area, near the Jogye Temple, on May 15. The street near the temple will be lit with colorful lanterns, and exciting stage performances, parades and other interesting events will add to the festivity. The parades and events will start from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Get a quick preview of the festival at the Eve Celebration near Jonggak Station on subway line 1 and Anguk Station on line 3.

May 16

Buddhist Street Festival

The following day will be interesting for both believers and non-believers. The Buddhist Street Festival will take place on the street in front of Jogye Temple. The whole street will be full of interesting and educational booths set up by Buddhists, the festival committee and also foreigners who wish to share their own unique culture with visitors.

Last year, the street was full of people wishing to participate. Visitors walked freely along the streets, poking their heads into the booths, some staying to learn various activities, including Buddhist art, making lotus lanterns and trying out temple food, while others walked along the some 100 booths to feel the gist of the festival. This year is expected to be similar, yet better.

Some booths will observe religious rituals, giving visitors a moment to take photos and try on costumes themselves to feel the spirit of Buddhism. Other booths organized by a number of Buddhist countries, such as Tibet, Thailand and Cambodia, will offer their distinctive Buddhist culture they practice in their home countries, from clothes and folk games to food. Check out the festival guide booklet beforehand, as it could be overwhelming to try out everything.

On the same day, organizers will build a large stage where various traditional performances will take place. Korean folk performers, Lotus Lantern Festival performance groups and International Buddhist communities will put on an eye-catching shows to further escalate the festivity. The street festival and performances will start from noon to 7 p.m.

For those who want to experience a more formal and educational performance, visit Dongguk University Stadium at 4:30 p.m. on the same day for the Buddhist Cheer Rally or ``Hwahap Hanmadang.'' A traditional Buddhist ritual called the ``Beopyusik'' will be underway to celebrate Buddha's birthday, along with the lightings of numerous lanterns.

Lantern Parade

The main event of the festival is the Lantern Parade, where more than 100,000 lanterns will create an ocean of lights.

``In China, there are parades where designated people hold large lanterns, walk around and spectators enjoy the parade. The Korean Lotus Lantern Festival is different because it allows everybody to enjoy. The participants make their own small lanterns and are more than welcome to walk along the parade,'' said Park Sang-hee, team leader of the Celebration Committee for Buddha's Birthday.

In order to create prettier and more durable lanterns, the festival committee held seminars and worked with various materials over the past year. According to Park, the lanterns in the past were simpler in shape, but they tend to get more colorful and fancier year after year.

Larger and fancier lanterns depicting Buddha, lotus flowers and various animals will also be on floats along with the small ones.

The parade will start travel Dongdaemun to Jogye Temple along Jongno Street from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

From 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., visitors, festival organizers and performers can all get together to enjoy the ``Hoehyang Hanmadang,'' or the Closing Ceremony, at Jonggak Intersection.
Dance, sing and take photos with friends, families and other visitors as the Lotus Lantern Festival finally comes to an end, promising a much better year next year.

English, Chinese and Japanese interpreters will be present throughout the event. For more information, visit www.llf.or.kr or call (02) 2011-1744.

The lotus lantern custom goes a long way back in history. For Korea, the oldest records regarding the lanterns are from the Silla Kingdom (B.C. 57-935 A.D.). The lotus blossom represents purity and Buddha, and so it has been depicted in many paintings, decorations and sculptures over the years.

Unlike other flowers, the lotus normally blossom in dirty swamps and lakes. No matter how dirty the water and surroundings may be, the blossom remains clean. This feature of the flower allowed Buddhists to believe that Buddha himself was like a lotus.

Credits:Koreatimes

'Clinton to visit Seoul over naval tragedy'

By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff reporter



U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Seoul later this month to discuss diplomatic coordination between Seoul and Washington over the sinking of the South Korean Navy frigate Cheonan on March 26, sources said Friday.

Clinton's visit will likely take place after her scheduled trip to Beijing from May 24 to 25 for a "strategic and economic" dialogue, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Clinton was reportedly considering including Japan on her itinerary.

"We're still looking at other stops in conjunction with her trip to China next week, but obviously, we should finalize those details soon," Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley said Wednesday.

However, both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the U.S. Embassy in Seoul told The Korea Times that they had yet to be informed of any visit to Seoul.

Clinton's trip to South Korea, if realized, will come shortly after a multinational team announces the result of its investigation into the naval incident around May 20.

Earlier this week, Clinton called Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo to discuss the "ongoing investigation and its potential ramifications once the investigation is completed."

Investigators, including experts from the United States, Britain, Australia and Sweden, have tentatively concluded that a torpedo fired from a submarine was the cause of the sinking.

Seoul and Washington have not named North Korea as the culprit in the disaster, which took the lives of 46 sailors.

However, they have agreed not to resume the stalled six-party talks until after the cause is determined, and to begin discussing possible responses if Pyongyang is found responsible.

They have recently held discussions on North Korea and other bilateral and regional security issues, such as the transfer of wartime operational control from the U.S. to South Korea, according to sources.

James Steinberg, U.S. deputy secretary of state, supported Seoul's position Monday, saying the incident "will have an impact on how we proceed in dealing with the challenge of North Korea and its actions, not only on the nuclear front, but in other provocative measures that it takes."

Any resolution against North Korea must be approved by China, North Korea's staunchest communist ally and one of five veto powers on the U.N. Security Council, along with the U.S., Russia, Britain and France.

Credits: Koreatimes

Offshore processing worth billions to Northern Territory

ENERGY giant Woodside has told Northern Territory leaders its off-shore gas processing platform will lead to billions of dollars of investment in Darwin.

And Woodside boss Don Voelte has issued a subtle threat to East Timor if the tiny nation tries to pull out of a multibillion-dollar international agreement.

East Timor was competing with Darwin to process the LNG from the Greater Sunrise field - but Woodside decided on a cheaper third option to build an experimental floating platform.

East Timor Prime Minister Xanana Gusmo has threatened to sink the entire development in response.

But Woodside chief executive Don Voelte said East Timor could not legally back out of the deal.

"They cannot walk away from it."

Mr Voelte said the developing country would be breaking a treaty it signed two and a half years ago - which would hurt its ability to deal with the United States, the European Union or any other international body.

"It will do them a lot of damage ... But we'll win it on the merits of the program." he said.

Mr Voelte said the floating platform would offer billions of dollars worth of construction to businesses in Darwin and Dili.

He said it would be a "country building" project for East Timor and would lead to billions of dollars of investment in Darwin.

"So here you have a project which is going to be billions and billions and billions of dollars and the nearest and closest existing (industry) capable of handling that is right here in Darwin," he said.

Chief Minister Paul Henderson discussed opportunities for the Territory's involvement in the project with Mr Voelte last week.

Woodside was unable to make any concrete offers, but promised there would be "significant" economic and job opportunities.

Mr Henderson said he was not concerned that off-shore processing facilities could hurt the Territory's economy in the future.

"I am a realist. I have to be as realist as the Chief Minister. Like King Canute couldn't hold back the tide, we are going to see more of these remote fields processed offshore. That's the reality of where the technology is heading," he said.

Floating processing facilities could be used to develop smaller fields north of Darwin that were not financially viable previously.


Credits :ntnews.com.au

Spring time in korea

People often hear about Korea's four distinct seasons. Right now, we're in the middle of Spring, and it's absolutely beautiful. So I went over to our favorite park, Bucheon Jung Ang Park,Cheonan Park, ect . took Spudgy out with me,the flowers are now in full-bloom, people are heading outside more, and random dance battles are occurring in the parks.
Cheonan park

Soraksan

Name in Korean calligraphy

During the Arabian Travel Market 2010, the Korean center at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Center was buzzing like a beehive. At the booth, visitors could receive their names written in Hangeul (the Korean alphabet) using a brush and ink in a traditional calligraphic style, and have their photo taken with Korean people in Hanbok (traditional dress).

The International Archival Culture Exhibition 2010

The International Archival Culture Exhibition 2010 will exhibit selected treasures of the UNESCO’s Memory of the World and Records Management Systems, and also the cutting-edge records management technology around the world.

- Period : June 1 – 6, 2010
- Venue : COEX A Hall, National Archives - Nara Repository
- Theme : A World Re-discovered in Archives

http://www.iace.or.kr/eng/main.html

World Friends Korea

President Lee Myung-bak, fourth from left, makes a fist with volunteers during a ceremony at Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday, to inaugurate World Friends Korea, the country’s version of the Peace Corps in the United States, launched in 1961 to promote peace and friendship worldwide. At center is first lady Kim Yoon-ok

The government launched a group of volunteers Thursday to strengthen its goodwill activities in underdeveloped or developing countries around the world in an effort to become a more responsible member of the international community.

The group, named World Friends Korea, is the country's version of the Peace Corps in the United States, launched in 1961 to promote peace and friendship worldwide, officials here said.

About 2,000 volunteers belong to the Korean body, but the membership will grow to over 3,000 by the end of the year, according to a spokesman from the Presidential Council on Nation Branding. Currently, the U.S. is the only country that sends more than 3,000 volunteers abroad annually.

Today is a remarkable day for Korea's peace missions abroad. You are seeds of hope and friendship,'' President Lee Myung-bak said during the inauguration ceremony at Cheong Wa Dae. ``There are many countries out there that need your services. Your contribution will help improve Korea's global reputation. You are civilians, but should act like diplomats.''

Chairman Euh Yoon-dae of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding(PCNB)hoped such efforts will help Korea become a respected and beloved nation.

The participants from KOICA(Mr.Azevedo Marcal-East Timor) and from WSK(Mr.Jaimito Neves ;)-East Timor)
The Participants from WSK's(World students in Korea 1st batch & 2nd batch) second from left(That's me ;))


The red color,,that's me ㅋㅋㅋ




In a congratulatory message, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, a former South Korean foreign minister, also urged Korea to send more volunteers around the globe and increase its role on the global stage.

The volunteers will work with governments, schools, non-profit organizations and businessmen in various areas, including education, the environment, agriculture and information technology. They will also play an important role in promoting Korea's culture and food around the world, officials said.

``You can call the World Friends Korea the unified brand of the country's overseas volunteer activities,'' Euh recently told The Korea Times. So far, Government agencies have had their own volunteer programs in foreign countries, but from now on they will work together under a shared goal. My council will help coordinate their activities.''

The group will include some 300 volunteers who belong to the Korea International Cooperation Agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

In addition to the government-run volunteer programs, those run by religious and civic groups will also get full support from the administration, officials said.

The expansion of overseas volunteering is one of the 10 goals the presidential branding council adopted to upgrade the nation's global image. The council was created on instructions from President Lee.

Policymakers here have complained that Korea, associated with the negative image of North Korea and corruption scandals involving politicians and businessmen, doesn't get its due treatment from overseas buyers as the world's 13th largest economy.

The council's other projects include promoting taekwondo and Korean food and language; strengthening global marketing for leading small firms; raising economic contributions to underdeveloped countries; introducing foreigner-friendly policies; and establishing database and communication channels for seven million Koreans living abroad.

Services in Korean :
http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=123&oid=154&aid=0000001717

Korea to be among top 4 aging countries

Korea is expected to become one of the top four aging societies among G-20 countries in 2030, according to the OECD.

The Paris-based organization reported Thursday that 24.3 percent of the population will be 65 or and over then, due to a low birthrate and rapid growth of the aging population.

The number is the fourth-highest proportionally, as Japan is expected to have the oldest population among the world's top 20 economies, followed by Germany and Italy.

The neighboring country is forecast to see 31.8 percent of its people aged 65 and over and Germany and Italy are likely to soar to 27.3 and 24.3, respectively.

France, Canada, Australia and Britain, all of which are also expected to become super-aged societies in 2030, where senior citizens account for more than 20 percent of the total.

In contrast, India and South Africa were expected to remain young, as their aging populations are projected to stand at 8.8 percent and 7.5 percent, respectively.

Korea is suffering from the world's lowest birthrate although the government has promoted a variety of incentives to encourage people to have children. The birthrate is the average number of babies born during a woman's lifetime.

According to Statistics Korea, the country's birthrate was 1.15 in 2009, the lowest since 1.08 in 2005 and well below the OECD average of 1.73.

What is of concern is the pace at which Korea is becoming an aging society.

In 1970, just 1.3 percent of the population were over 65, but this jumped to 9.1 percent in 2005 ― the 10th highest.

The are worries that that the rapid rise will hurt national competitiveness.

Among the top four, the three others are advanced countries, with a well-prepared welfare system through long-term industrialization, but fast-rising Korea is not mature enough to deal with a super-aged society.

"There is a growing concern that Korea will be a super-aged society and have to develop various systems for creating jobs for senior citizens as well as promoting childbirth," said an official of the Strategy and Finance Ministry.

3,000 Volunteers Crisscross World

President Lee Myung-bak celebrates the launch of World Friends Korea, a group of overseas volunteers, in a ceremony at Cheong Wa Dae in this photo taken last May. / Courtesy of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding



The nation launched World Friends Korea, the Korean version of the Peace Corps in the United States, in early May to strengthen volunteer activities in underdeveloped and developing countries around the world.

It represents Korea's efforts to become a more responsible member of the international community.

The number of volunteers is expected to grow to over 3,000 by the year's end. Currently, the U.S. is the only country that sends more than 3,000 volunteers abroad annually.

Chairman Euh Yoon-dae of the Presidential Council on Nation Branding hoped such efforts will help Korea become a respected and beloved nation.

The volunteers will work with governments, schools, non-profit organizations and businessmen in various areas, including education, the environment, agriculture and information technology. They will also play an important role in promoting Korea's culture and food around the world, officials said.

``You can call World Friends Korea the unified brand of the country's overseas volunteer activities,'' Euh said. ``So far, government agencies have had their own volunteer programs in foreign countries, but from now on they will work together under a shared goal. My council will help coordinate their activities.''

World Friends Korea will include volunteers who belong to the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

In addition to the government-run volunteer programs, those run by religious and civic groups will also get full support from the administration.

The number of volunteers has sharply increased since 2004.

According to KOICA, there are two factors behind the big jump ― the government's increased interest in overseas development projects and rising youth unemployment.

The expansion of overseas volunteering is one of the 10 goals the presidential branding council adopted to upgrade the nation's global image.

The council was created in January on the instruction of President Lee Myung-bak.

Chuncheon International Mime Festival

The Chuncheon International Mime festival features exciting innovative mime and street performances that showcases the talents of many master performers. Chuncheon is within easy reach of Seoul. Trains and buses depart frequently for Chuncheon, and it is about a two-hour drive. As well as the festival, there are several popular tourist destinations located nearby Chuncheon, including Namiseom Island and the Soyangang Dam.

The festival offers at least 80 performances from mime troupes from Korea as well as famous international troupes from Taiwan, Denmark, Germany, and other countries. This non-verbal mime festival is a unique opportunity for non-Korean speakers to enjoy Korea’s modern performing arts.

Programs
Theatre performances, Ttokkaebi Nanjang, Mine Tour, Street Performance, Ttokkaebi Train, Artist Support Program, Crazy Friday, Night Ttkkaebi Nanjang




Admission/Participation Fees
(1) Adults
10,000 ~ 15,000 won

(2) Age 3~19
8,000 ~ 12,000 won

(3) Group
7,000 ~ 10,000 won


※ The ticket price will be classified programs by date.
※ Group discount is available 20 people and above.



Date : May. 23, 2010 - May. 30, 2010
Venue: Mime House, Festival Theater M, Chuncheon Culture & Art Center, Bomnae Theatre, etc., Chuncheon-si Transportation: From DongSeoul Turminal, Take the bus for Chuncheon (6:00am~00:00am, departs every 5min~20min/ est. travel time: 1hr, 10min) or Central City Terminal (6:50am~9:00pm, departs every 40min~50min)
Contact: Korea Travel Phone +82-33-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)/ For more info +82-33-250-3067 (Korean)/ E-mail: kds0707@chuncheon.go.kr

World IT Show

Be part of Korea's premier IT platform and the unsurpassed effective marketing tool for driving sales and brand=building. Maximize the synergy effect by having opportunities to expose your latest technology to industry leaders, minister, government officials and other key players from 52 countries. Key exhibits will include digital home electronics, communications & broadcasting, industrial electronics, SW & contents & solution and IT convergence.



Opening Hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Entrance fee: 5,000 won (Free admission for COEX Card Members)

Date : May. 25, 2010 - May. 28, 2010
Venue: Hall A,C, D, COEX Transportation:
Contact: Tel: 02-6000-1059 / 02-555-7153/ Fax: 02-6000-1309 / 02-556-9474/ E-mail: josephsuh@coex.co.kr / netgeo@kfairs.com

Hanbok made of Hanji

Jeonju Hanji Culture Festival 2010 was held at the Hanok village in Jeonbuk (North Jeolla Province)’s Jeonju city last May 1.

The Hanji International Fashion Show was participated in by 45 national and international designers presenting various works such as wedding dresses, traditional and modern Hanbok (Korean traditional clothes), handbags and diverse accessories made of Hanji (traditional Korean paper handmade from mulberry trees).

Tourists flock to Chuncheon Joongang Market

Overseas tourists who have come to experience in Korea are having their eyes opened to the many traditional markets in the nation. The Joongang Market in Chuncheon City, Gangwon-do (Gangwon City), as the biggest traditional market in the region, is one of the beneficiaries of the renewed interest.


According to statistics given by the city in late April, Chuncheon’s Joongang Market receives an average of 2,000 tourists per day, most of them from neighboring nations like Japan, China, Taiwan and Singapore.


Joongang Market has become so popular that it is now one of the key shopping courses for those who came to tour Chuncheon. That fact that Chuncheon was also the birthplace of “Hallyu” (Korean Wave) in Asia didn’t hurt either, having been the backdrop for the popular Korean drama “Winter Sonata” in 2002.


The most popular place in the Joongang market is “Dakgalbi Corner” where over 30 dakgalbi (Korean style chicken rib) restaurants are concentrated. Other Korean delicacies such as makguksu (buckwheat noodles) and tteokbokgi (spicy red rice cakes) are also popular.


Catching up with the trends, quite a number of merchants in the market are now studying Chinese, Japanese or other languages to be able to communicate with their new customers. Jang Bok-soon, 64, who calls herself “Bang-ai” or fat aunt in Chinese, boasted that she can speak Chinese to a certain level. She has even came had own plastic shopping bags and other packaging made that bear her brand name Bang-ai, winning favorable responses from tourists.


“We have some 2,000 tourists frequenting this place per day,” said Jang. “I don’t know what I’d have done without our customers from Taiwan, Singapore and Japan.”


Son Young-seok, 56, who sells souvenirs, can’t agree more. She began selling souvenirs three years ago, after closing down her shoe store which she had run for the past three decades. “About 30 percent of the total revenue comes from overseas tourists. They are the lifeline of our traditional market that has been stagnant for quite some time.”


credits: Koreatimes

The popularity of traditional markets is partially attributed to free gift certificates. Last year foreign tourists who visited Chuncheon received a total of 79.6 million won worth of gift certificates beforehand and spent them there. The certificates did wonders to promote traditional marketplaces.

Rain nominated as 'Biggest Badass Star'

Rain has been nominated in the Biggest Badass Star category for the MTV Movie Awards, according to his agency J.Tune Entertainment, Monday.

This is the first time for a Korean actor to be acknowledged at a Hollywood event, alongside other top movie stars including Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie and Tom Cruise. The only two Asians in the category are Rain and Jackie Chan.

According to J.Tune Entertainment, the 27-year-old singer is well known as an actor in the United States, thanks to his debut action flick ``Ninja Assassin.''

Rain has proved his popularity in Hollywood by winning three prizes at the Hollywood's Green Planet Movie Awards in March. He took home the 10 Outstanding Asians in Hollywood award, the Asian Cultural Ambassador of the Year award and the Best International Entertainer award.

Meanwhile, the singer is currently appearing in various entertainment shows and music programs here, promoting his special album ``Back to the Basic'' and song ``Love Song.''

The MTV Movie Awards is held annually on MTV and nominees are selected by the producers and executives at MTV. Winners are chosen online by viewers. The voting starts on May 13, while the event kicks off on June 6 in Lost Angeles.

Korea, Japan intellectuals state 1910 Annexation Treaty invalid

A group of intellectuals in Korea and Japan issued a joint statement Monday, declaring the 1910 Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty "null and void."

This is the first time that scholars from the two countries have held a press conference to pronounce the invalidity of the annexation treaty.

One hundred and nine Korean and 105 Japanese intellectuals held press conferences in Seoul and Tokyo, respectively, to deliver their message.

"Japan's annexation of Korea was an imperialistic and illicit act using military power to overcome protests from Koreans," they wrote in a joint statement.

"The preamble and body of the treaty are all lies and there are serious flaws in its process and form. As the process of amalgamation is unjust, the annexation treaty is wrong."

The statement added the independence movement of Korea was not unlawful and supported the Korean government which interpreted the treaty as null and void.

"Based on the facts, the Korean interpretation of 'null and void' should be recognized as the consensus," the statement said.

They also called for an official joint statement from both countries.

The Koreans included professors emeritus Paik Nak-chung and Yi Tae-jin of Seoul National University, Yuhan University President Kim Young-ho, poets Ko Un and Kim Ji-ha, and lawyer Park Won-soon.

Among Japanese figures were Nobel Literature Laureate Kenzaburo Oe and emeritus professor at the University of Tokyo Wada Haruki.

The joint statement is the result of five months of study and negotiations ― the intellectuals had to compromise five times before a final draft was approved.

"There were arguments on minor terms and some Japanese scholars withdrew their support at the last minute," a representative of the Korean side said.

The two governments had different takes on the interpretation of the Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty. Under the 1965 Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and Korea, any treaties or agreements concluded before Aug. 22, 1910 are already considered null and void.

Seoul said the annexation treaty was illegal and invalid as it was a result of Japanese imperialism. Tokyo, meanwhile, insisted it was freely signed.

In regard to comfort women, or sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during the World War II, they appealed for more enthusiastic attitude of the Japanese government, companies and people.

"The issue of comfort women is still ongoing and the Korean government has started to take measures for them and compulsorily mobilized laborers. We need support from Japan as well," they said.


Credits : Koreatimes

Girl group Kara to debut in Japan

Girl group Kara is making their debut in Japan this August.

According to the band's agency DSP Media, the five-member group will meet their Japanese fans this fall and hopefully captivate them with their funky music and distinctive styles.

``I never even dreamed of making a debut in Japan. I would like to appear on music shows with Japanese artists I admire, such as Arashi and Koda Kumi. We will all do our best to continue out activities through the end of the year,'' Park Gyu-lee, the leader of the band, said during a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, Saturday.

The group held a showcase in Japan early this year, wowing both fans and music experts with their songs and easy-going characters.

``We will do our best to impress you all, so please give us your support,'' Nicole said.

All of the members spoke in flawless Japanese, surprising the more than 2,000 fans who came to welcome the group.

The Web site Kara Kamilia Japan, the official fan club in Japan, was opened Sunday and to celebrate the group's debut, the fan club will hold the ``Kara Japan Kick Off Meeting'' in Yokohama.

Making their debut here in 2007, Kara have survived in the music industry infatuated with other girl groups, including Girls' Generation and the Wonder Girls, and has created a firm fan base thanks to their unique and distinctive color and music over the years. Some of the members, including Nicole and Park, have also branched out into different areas such as acting and hosting television and radio shows.