G20 Seoul Summit Special IV

The Schedule of the G20 Seoul Summit

How Do G20 Summits Proceed?

Unlike other international summits such as APEC and ASEM which include social mingling among participants and other ceremonial functions, G20 summits are thoroughly business-oriented. For example, the following was President Lee Myung-bak’s schedule for the London Summit held on April 2 and 3 of 2008.

Day 1 (April 2)
09:30 (Korea time): Departing from Korea
14:30 (London time, onwards): Arriving in London
15:30~16:00: Check-in
17:30~
- Summit with the then UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown
- Reception hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace
(*Invitees composed only of heads of state and ministerial-level entourage)
- Working Dinner
23:00: Retiring

Day 2 (April 3)
07:30~15:00
- Working Breakfast
- Morning Summit
- Working Luncheon
- Finalizing communiqué (official report)
16:00~
- Dialogue/dinner with Korean expatriates in the UK

Day 3 (April 4)
- Breakfast with UK-based Korean business men
- Summit with President Hu Jintao of China and Prime Minister Aso of Japan
- Luncheon with UK finance leaders
- Heading for the airport to return to Korea


Official Events and Schedule of the Seoul Summit

The rough schedule of the G20 Seoul Summit slated for November 11 and 12 is as follows :

Nov 11 (Thur)
- Welcome Reception
- Working Dinner of the Heads of State

Nov 12 (Fri)
- Morning Summit
- Working Luncheon of the Heads of State
- Evening Summit
- Press Conference

To view official events of the Seoul Summit :
http://www.seoulsummit.kr/eng/goPage.g20?menu_seq=G20MENU00060&return_url=TOP01_SUB04


G20 Gyeongju Meeting Held on Oct. 21-23

The Schedule of the G20 Seoul Summit

The G20 Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors was held on October 21-23 in Gyeongju, South Korea. The gathering was designed to review and coordinate key agendas for the upcoming G20 Seoul Summit. At the summit, currency issues sparked strong interest. Korea, as chair, played an active role in mediating conflicts among member nations. Meeting attendees agreed to implement market-determined exchange rate policies and refrain from competitive devaluation of currencies to tackle trade imbalances.

To read related articles :
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTOE69M02T20101027
http://g20.korea.net/html/news/newsview.asp?view_idx=50821&view_ck=main

To read the official Gyeongju Communiqué :
http://www.g20.org/Documents/201010_communique_gyeongju.pdf


G20 Cultural Events and Global Gatherings

During the two-day summit period, a variety of cultural events will be held for diplomatic delegations and representatives from international organizations as well as for global tourists, including: Jongmyojereak (a royal ancestral rite, a UNESCO-listed intangible cultural heritage) performed by the National Center for the Korean Traditional Performing Arts ; the special exhibition “Masterpieces of Goryeo Buddhist Painting” at the National Museum of Korea ; lectures on world literature, art exhibitions and film screenings organized by the National Library of Korea.

To learn more about it :
http://www.korea.net/news.do?mode=detail&guid=50668


Check this out !

"Shared Growth Beyond Crisis"

To view an introductory video clip on the G20 Seoul Summit :
http://www.koreabrand.net/kr/pcnb/pcnb_news_view.do?SEQ=303


G20 Seoul Summit Special
To be continued in the next issue...

G20 Seoul Summit Special III

The Agenda of the G20 Seoul Summit

Follow-up Agenda

The G20 Seoul Summit, above all, will focus on following up on previous G20 commitments which include :

* Safeguarding the ongoing recovery and restoring fiscal sustainability
* Ensuring strong, sustainable, and balanced global growth
* Building a stronger international financial regulatory system
* Modernizing international financial institutions

To read more in-depth, click the following link :
http://www.seoulsummit.kr/eng/goPage.g20?return_url=TOP01_SUB03_01

New Agenda

In addition to delivering on previous G20 commitments, Korea as the G20 president for 2010, will also bring new perspectives and new issues to the G20, with a view to addressing the needs of the emerging and developing world as part of the effort to support sustainable growth globally.

* Global Financial Safety Net System

Korea is advocating strengthening global financial safety nets to assist countries to deal with capital volatility. Without reliable financial safety nets, many emerging and developing countries have had to rely on self-insurance, giving them greater impetus to accumulate large foreign reserves.

* Development Issues

Korea is also interested in fostering renewed discussions on development issues. The G20 leaders collectively recognized that narrowing the development gap and reducing poverty are integral to the broader objectives to achieve strong, sustainable and balanced growth, as well as to ensure a more robust and resilient global economy. Korea will act as a bridge between the advanced, emerging and developing worlds by fully engaging all relevant stakeholders, with a focus on the development needs of low income countries.

To read more in-depth, click the following link :
http://www.seoulsummit.kr/eng/goPage.g20?return_url=TOP01_SUB03_02

Did you know? 1

The seating plan is not revealed until the last minute

The Presidential Committee for the G20 Summit will not unveil the seating plan until right before the event, because countries lobby for the order of protocol and seating. The general protocol follows the order of heads of state, heads of government, and representatives from international organizations. Within each group, the order of inauguration and year of an organization’s foundation will be considered.

For the full article, click the following link :
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2010101296388

Did you know? 2

Korean cars to carry international leaders for the summit

When they visit Seoul for next month’s G20 Seoul Summit, the international leaders will ride in Equus limousines manufactured by Hyundai-Kia Motors. The car is equipped with a bullet-proof security system and an automatic break alert system, with emergency lights that turn on automatically if the breaks are activated abruptly. The summit will require a total of 240 official vehicles to transport G20 leaders.

For the full article, click the following link :
http://www.korea.net/detail.do?guid=50697

Check this out !

Connect to the G20 Seoul Summit with your Mobile Phones :
http://m.seoulsummit.kr/


G20 Seoul Summit Special
To be continued in the next issue..

G20 Seoul Summit Special II

Introduction to the G20 Seoul Summit
What does the hosting of the G20 Seoul Summit mean to Korea?

For a very long time, Korea has never been given a chance to establish international structures or frameworks. It had a challenging time just acquiring a membership to international organizations such as to the UN and the OECD. But with the hosting of the G20 Seoul Summit coming November, Korea has now opened a new diplomatic horizon for itself. Korea can now add its own voice to the global economic order as a rule-setter, not as a mere rule-follower; has moved from the periphery to the center of the global stage.

To read more in depth about it, click the following link :
http://www.korea.net/detail.do?guid=45396

To view an introductory video clip on the G20 Seoul Summit, click the following link :
http://www.koreabrand.net/kr/pcnb/pcnb_news_view.do?SEQ=300


Congratulatory messages from international leaders

"Korea’s history qualifies it for a leadership role in this changing global economy. Korea is one of the world’s great development success stories successfully advancing from a receiver of development assistance to a provider. Korea is ensuring that the voices of those outside the G20 are heard."

To view the full message of Robert B. Zoellick, World Bank Group President :
http://www.seoulsummit.kr/e_popup/pop_seoul_01.html

"The Korean Presidential Committee for the G20 Summit has brought together a formidable team, uniting the best talent in each policy field. Korea’s own development story and its rapid recovery from the mid-1990s Asian financial crisis are also remarkable, and serve to help and inspire us all."

To view the full message of Angel Gurria, OECD Secretary-General :
http://www.seoulsummit.kr/e_popup/pop_seoul_02.html

"The Government of Korea is exercising strong and effective leadership as the Chair of the G20 at this important stage. A key milestone for much of the financial reform agenda is the Seoul G20 Summit in November. Working in close co-operation, I am confident that the G20 and the FSB will be able in 2010 to put in place the basis for a much stronger and more resilient financial system for the future."

To view the full message of Mario Draghi, FSB (Financial Stability Board) Chief :
http://www.seoulsummit.kr/e_popup/pop_seoul_03.html

Time to show some global etiquette

The G20 Seoul Summit is an international meeting of great prestige where the world economic leaders will convene. Accordingly, Korea will need to exhibit some especially well-cultivated etiquette and decorum for the many foreign visitors who will carry memories of Korea back to their own homes.

Some of the things we could do can be :

* Have a friendly, smiling face
* Lower your voice in public places
* Say “Excuse me” and “Sorry”
* Have good table & driving manners
* Keep public restrooms clean
* Don’t litter in the streets
* Don’t force drinking at social get-togethers
* Reign in your “ppali ppali” (quick quick) tendencies


Check this out !

View video clips on global citizenship produced by the Council in partnership with private companies :
http://www.koreabrand.net/en/wow/wow_globalkorea.do?CATE_CD=0077

G20 Seoul Summit Special
To be continued in the next issue...

G20 Seoul Summit Special I

About the G20 (Group of 20)

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.

For a more detailed story, click the following link :

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

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.


Check this out !

Flickr G20 Seoul Summit Photo Stream :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/g20seoulsummit

G20 Seoul Summit Special

Cristo Rei Statue- DILI

Sunrise over the Cristo Rei Statue - a statue of Jesus much like the ones in Brazil and Portugal (East Timor is a former Portuguese colony). you can see the statue's distant silhouette on the leftmost peak of the peninsula - there!
This shot was taken from the beach in front of my House..

The Fascinating World of Hangul Calligraphy

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, a fashion designer known for his hanguel-theme works"

"Ceramics designed with the theme of Hanguel"

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.

Major events http://eventdaum.daum.net/ribbonevent_20100915/

Benefits of Red Ginseng

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.

"A study found out that red ginseng helps boost your immune system"

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.

" 15 versus 42 cases"

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.

"2010 Punggi Ginseng Festival held from Oct. 1 through 6 in Yeongju"

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? ;)

Major events http://eventdaum.daum.net/ribbonevent_20100915/

아산시 한마당 체육대회를 다녀와서/Hanmadang Asan City Athletics

Hanmadang Asan City Athletics

For more pictures

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Get your own

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Get your own

Trip to the 안면도/Anmyeondo beach!

Located 30km away from Taean, Anmyeondo Island is the sixth biggest island in Korea where a bridge constructed in 1970 (extending 200m) connects the island with Taean-gun. The peninsula connected with Nammyeon, was isolated during the Joseon Dynasty by cutting off access between Changgi-ri in Anmyeon-eup and Shinon-ri in Nammyeon for the convenience of tax transportation. The island's coast is lined with some 14 beaches as well as abundant pine trees which are symbols of Anmyeon-eup. The island also owns Anmyeondo Natural Forest forests such as the Mogamju Forest.

For more information www.anmyondo.com/ (Korean only)

View all

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World Students in Korea (WSK) Recruiting the 4th Batch

The Presidential Council on Nation Branding (PCNB) is recruiting the 4th batch of members for the program “World Students in Korea.”

“World Students in Korea” aims to provide international students in Korea with opportunities to experience Korea in a more organized, diverse, and involved manner and to promote cultural exchanges between Korea and the students’ home countries through blogs (web logs) run by the member students.

The 1st batch was launched in July 2009. Members participate in a variety of activities including camps, field trips, workshops, performances and other events.

1. Number of members sought :
Fifty (50)

2. Application Period :
October 11 (Mon) – October 31 (Sun) 2010

3. Eligibility
- International students (i.e. those who are currently enrolled in an educational institution(s) in Korea)
- Those who own and run a blog (*Those who do not are requested to open one prior to applying)
- Those who are interested in Korea’s industries and culture
- Those who speak Korean may be given priority in selection

4. Tenure
November 2010 – April 2011 (6 months)

5. Tasks
- Open and run an individual blog upon which students are to post contents (articles, photos, videos etc.) related to Korea
- Attend various workshops, field trips, and events hosted by the Council

6. Benefits
- Upon evaluation by the Council at the end of the tenure, students who have shown distinguished on- and offline activities will receive awards (e.g. A roundtrip flight ticket to home country for Grand Prize winner)
- Opportunities to attend diverse cultural events and performances related to Korea, or those hosted by the Council
- Media coverage (TV programs, interviews with newspapers, magazines etc.) regarding WSK activities and Korea

7. How to Apply
Via the Council’s official web site. Click the following link: http://www.koreabrand.net/html/en/embeddedform_4.html

8. Inquiries

Ms. Mi-Kyung Shin
International Cooperation Bureau
Presidential Council on Nation Branding
mkshin@koreabrand.go.kr
02-2280-2778

Mr. Young-Suk Lee
International Cooperation Bureau
Presidential Council on Nation Branding
gqlee@koreabrand.go.kr
02-2280-2724

Ms. Jung-A Lee
Culture, Tourism & Global Citizenship Bureau
Presidential Council on Nation Branding
brand@koreabrand.go.kr
02-2280-2745

Ms. Jin-Sook Lee
International Cooperation Bureau
Presidential Council on Nation Branding
milkyway@koreabrand.go.kr
02-2280-2736

*** For further information on the Presidential Council on Nation Branding, visit www.koreabrand.net

http://www.koreabrand.net/en/show/show_event_view.do?EVENT_SEQ=11&CATE_CD=0046






World Students in Korea (WSK)
제 4기 멤버 모집


대통령직속 기구인 국가브랜드위원회가 World Students in Korea 제 4기 멤버들을 모집합니다.

World Students in Korea는 한국에서 유학하고 있는 외국인 학생들에게 한국을 보다 다양하고 심도 있게 경험할 수 있는 기회의 장을 제공하며, 학생들이 운영하는 블로그를 통하여 한국과 학생들 자국 간의 관계를 더욱 돈독히 하는 데 목적을 두고 있는 프로그램입니다.

2009년 7월 제 1기가 선발되었고, 그간 캠프, 문화탐방, 공연관람, 워크숍, 간담회 등 다양한 체험과 활동이 있었습니다.

대한민국의 온라인 홍보대사로 활약하게 될 WSK 제 4기 모집에 외국인 유학생들의 많은 지원 바랍니다.

1. 모집 인원 : 50명

2. 모집 기간 : 2010년 10월 11일(월) – 10월 31일(일)

3. 지원 자격
- 외국인 유학생 (즉, 한국의 교육기관에 적을 두고 있는 외국인)
- 블로그 운영자 (*미개설자의 경우 신청 전까지 블로그 개설 필수)
- 한국어 구사 가능자 우선
- 한국의 문화 및 산업에 관심을 가지고 있는 사람

4. 활동 기간 : 2010년 11월 – 2011년 4월 (6개월)

5. 활 동
- 국가브랜드위원회 주최 캠프, 문화행사, 워크숍 등 참여
- 개인 블로그에 한국 관련 소식 소개

6. 특 전
- 활동기간 말 위원회 측에서 평가를 실시해 우수한 활동을 보인 학생들에게 소정의 상품을 수여 (대상: 모국으로의 왕복 항공권)
- 한국과 관련된 다양한 문화행사, 공연, 전시회 등에 참가 우선권 부여
- WSK 활동 및 한국에 대한 방송/신문 인터뷰 및 출연

7. 지원 접수
국가브랜드위원회 공식 웹사이트를 통한 직접 온라인 접수. 아래의 링크를 클릭하세요.
http://www.koreabrand.net/html/en/embeddedform_4.html

8. 문의 사항

신미경
국가브랜드위원회 대외협력국
mkshin@koreabrand.go.kr
02-2280-2778

이영석
국가브랜드위원회 대외협력국
gqlee@koreabrand.go.kr
02-2280-2724

이정아
국가브랜드위원회 문화시민국
brand@koreabrand.go.kr
02-2280-2745

이진숙
국가브랜드위원회 대외협력국
milkyway@koreabrand.go.kr
02-2280-2736

*** 국가브랜드위원회 공식 웹사이트: www.koreabrand.net

2010 Bucheon World Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo

The Expo aims to provide its citizens with a variety of programs that are loaded with fun events that seamlessly blend traditional and modern art, as well as providing an educational juxtaposition of the Oriental and Western cultures. The programs include diverse traditional arts performances, exhibits of famous Korean and foreign artists, as well as public demonstration and experience programs.

- Period : September 28 – October 12, 2010
- Venue : Bucheon Visual Cultural Complex, Gyeonggi-do
- Theme : Discovering the Future in Tradition

For detail information http://www.bucheonexpo.org/index_eng.php

Hi Seoul Festival 2010

Teams and individuals from 13 countries, including France, Australia and Spain will present spectacular shows under the theme of “Non-verbal Performances.” There will be a firework event on the eve of the festival on October 1.

- Period : October 2 – October 10, 2010
- Venue : All over the city of Seoul (mainly around Han River areas)
- Theme : Non-verbal Performances

For more information http://english.hiseoulfest.org/2010/src/hsf/HSFIntroduction.asp

A New Better Way to Make Korean Rice Cake

http://eventdaum.daum.net/ribbonevent_20100915/

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.

Rice cake developed by 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

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.
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.


Costa Rica imports Korea’s e-procurement system

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).
Samsung SDS and Costa Rica’s ceremony


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!

How much will the female World Cup winners be financially rewarded?

Citizens and football fans have been curious about how much the young female football players will receive in cash rewards for winning the championship title at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Trinidad & Tobago last Sunday, local time.

“No precise details have been discussed concerning the monetary rewards for winning the championship. The amount will be decided to commensurate with their achievements,” said an official of the Korea Football Association.

The national team, which placed third at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in July, received a combined 247 million won, which was broke down to 20 million won for Director Choi In-cheol, 15 million won each for the three trainers, 10 million won to each for the 14 A-class players and 6 million won awarded to the seven B-class players.

The rewards are much less than the amounts awarded to the players of the national men’s team, which advanced to the final 16 at the World Cup in South Africa in June (a minimum 90 million won to 170 million won) but higher than the U-20 and U-17 members, which both advanced to the quarterfinals (5 million won).

Yet due to the nation’s historic winning of the title, the U-17 women’s team is expected to receive more than the U-20 squad. However, given the fact that they are still high school students, the rewards are expected to be translated into scholarships, observers said.

The young female players were given MP3 players instead of cash on the grounds that they were still students, when they advanced to the quarterfinals at the U-17 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand in 2008.


Credits :Koreatimes

Korean Language Service

사상 첫 FIFA 우승에 포상금 얼마나 될까

한국축구 사상 처음으로 국제축구연맹(FIFA) 주관 대회 정상에 오른 U-17 여자대표팀의 포상금 규모는 얼마나 될까.

대한축구협회 관계자는 “협회 내부에서 포상금에 대한 구체적인 논의가 아직 없었다. 대회 후 합당한 수준에서 결정될 것이다”고 밝혔지만 전례에 비춰보면 어느 정도 예측은 가능하다.

7월 U-20 여자월드컵 3위에 올랐던 대표팀은 모두 2억4700만원의 격려금을 받았다. 최인철 감독에게 2000만원, 황인선 코치 등 3명의 코치에게는 각 1500만원이 주어졌다. 선수들은 A, B 등급으로 나눠 A등급(14명) 1000만원, B등급(7명) 600만원을 받았다.

이는 6월 남아공월드컵 본선 16강을 이뤄낸 성인 남자대표팀 멤버(최소 9000만원, 최대 1억7000만원)보다 낮지만 작년 나란히 8강에 오른 U-20, U-17 남자대표팀 멤버(500만원)보다는 높은 금액이다.

U-17 여자대표팀이 역사적인 첫 우승을 차지한 것을 고려할 때 U-20 여자대표팀 이상의 포상금 지급이 전망된다. 다만 선수 전원이 고등학생 신분이라는 점을 감안해 포상금은 장학금 형식으로 지급될 것으로 보인다.

2008년 뉴질랜드 U-17 여자월드컵 8강에 올랐던 선수들은 학생 신분이라는 점 때문에 당시 현금이 아닌 mp3플레이어를 부상으로 받았다...`

Miss Korea Tops International Pageant

Ha Hyunjung, 2010 Miss Korea second runner-up, became the first Korean to be crowned the main title at an international beauty pageant, Saturday in China.

The 23-year-old topped 75 other beauties at the 2010 Miss Tourism Queen International
competition held in Qingzhou.

"I feel great pride as Miss Korea to win the top title at an international event and will take
on the role with great humility. I plan to participate actively in hands-on charity work such as
environmental protection and helping needy children,” Ha said.

Miss Tourism Queen International was launched in 1993 for the purpose of revamping the tourism industry and advancing international cultural exchange.

It has been held in China annually for the past seven years.

“Miss Tourism Queen International is more than about promoting tourism but it aims to
encourage cultural relations among different countries. I wish to become an ambassador for
cultural exchange in our global community,” said the beauty queen.

The Seoul native is reported to have drawn the judges’ interest at the Q&A session, during which she responded to questions in fluent English. Ha will return home on Oct. 2 after touring several cities in China.

By Lee Hyo-won
Credits :Koreatimes

Seoul Plaza opening to rallies

Metropolitan Council announces revised ordinance


The Seoul Metropolitan Council on Monday announced a revised ordinance allowing all forms of assemblies to take place at Seoul Plaza without prior approval from the city administration. The rule went into effect immediately.

The announcement came as the Seoul Metropolitan Government strongly opposes the opening of the plaza to demonstrators. The city government is considering filing an administrative litigation to nullify the ordinance passed twice by the council, which is dominated by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP).

Despite concerns that the ordinance may cause “chaos” at the plaza, the council is determined to push the rule. The council Chairman He Kwang-tai made the rule official by posting the ordinance on the council’s bulletin board.

“Seoul Plaza at the heart of the capital city is a sacred place of Korean democracy. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered there to denounce authoritarian administrations in the past and it has become a place of harmonization and peace. We hope the skeptics will realize that more than 10 million Seoulites have always been mature and will always be,” the statement said.

It said Seoulites have given majority council seats to members of the opposition Democratic Party with a hope to put the brakes on the one-sided policies pushed by the ruling Grand National Party.

“It is our duty to allow the free use of the Seoul Plaza to all people and guarantee the constitutional rights of the people to assemble without restriction.”

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon vetoed the ordinance for the second time earlier last week. He said the revision conflicts with a higher-level law that obliges pre-screening of the use of public assets.

“Large-scale assemblies at the plaza could be dangerous, risking the safety of pedestrians as well as drivers since protestors often occupy car lanes. Also, the plaza is too close to the U.S. Embassy: the current law bans gatherings within 100 meters of diplomatic institutions,” a city spokesman stated.

The administration also stated that the majority of citizens desire to enjoy the green area without noisy clashes of ideology and this makes it logical to insist on tightening the screening process.

There have been attempts by so-called liberalists to use the plaza, but the administration has barred them by staging state-run concerts and other cultural events. Some conservative groups have managed to gain approval to use the space several times, but the administration made it clear that the plaza will be used for “non-political” purposes.

The council pushed the passage for the second time citing the civil right to assembly. The revision was supported by 100,000 citizens, who collected signatures to submit to the council last year. Chairman He’s announcement Monday follows a pertinent rule allowing the council chairman to make the announcement in case the mayor delays to do so within five days from the council’s request.

The city government said it will file an administrative suit against the council with the Supreme Court.

Credits :Koreatimes
By :Bae Ji-sook