My experience in Jeollabukdo

Friends,Today I am going to introduce you about two places located in Jeollabukdo"a beautiful province of South Korea which is having lots of scenic beauty and nature,the most fertile land in South Korea.

I have passed my precious and unforgettable 9 months.I came here last year in Wonkwang University as a Korean Government Scholarship Student(NIIED).I have to go to Kangwon National University located in "Chuncheon" after this month but Believe me I got so much associated to this place, its culture and its kind and nice hearted people that I have started missing this place before leaving.Being an Indian during my beginning days here I was completely not familiar with Korean food.But right now due to this place's delicious food sometime I go outside and enjoy Korean food.

Anyways, I would like to start with some tourist attractions of this place which I have visited:First of all I am starting with "Gunsan" - the island of heavenly Nature and Rich Culture.

I got the opprtunity to visit this awesome place this month from World Students in Korea,Presidential council on Nation Branding. We visited Hyundai's new plant here and enjoyed the delicious sea food there.After that day too, I visited Geumgang river bank which is very famous for enjoying fishing and bird watching in the wintertime.The field of the reeds along the river's upperstream is also one of the major attraction of this place especially for seekers of romance.
Secondly, It is the turn of "Jeonju"(the home of Korea's top food)which I have visited several times after coming to Korea but among all those times exploring this place with World students in Korea(Presidential council on Nation Branding) was the best experience ever to this place.We shared almost every experience associated with this place including a night stay in Jeonju hanoak village-The traditional Korean House village.

I got very surprised after seeing thea awesome Korean traditional Hanoak village where all the houses are Korean traditional houses in this fast and moribund urbanised era.It was a totally different experience for me to have a night stay in that traditional house.I was feeling the Korean Culture that time.I also had a long talk with a Korean Uncle(아저씨)who explained me many things about this village.That uncle became our friend and he offered us(foreign students)traditional Korean tea too.We enjoyed Korean traditional tea, in a Korean traditional pot, and of course in a Korean traditional house.We felt that we are in different century of Korea i.e the Ancient Korea.The top quality taste and local flavour of Jeonju is represented by Jeonju "Bibimbap"which was counted among the three best foods of Joseon dynasty.It is made of more than 30 ingredients added by Balanced nutrition.

정말 맛있겠다!wow its delicious!

Teachers publish Korean history textbooks in U.S.

Teachers of Korean schools in California have published a textbook on Korean history and culture for second and third generation Korean American and local U.S. students.

The Korean Schools Association of Northern California said on its website on Saturday that it published a textbook titled “Find Korea!” for Korean schools wanting to expand their curriculum from the Korean language to Korean history and culture.

Officials of the association told Yonhap News that it took a group of its teachers a year and a half to publish the textbook since they began to research its themes. The teachers are educating mostly second and third generation Korean American students in Silicon Valley, California.

They previously received media attention for dropping “So Far from the Bamboo Grove,” a controversial textbook adopted by several U.S. public schools, from several schools' curricula.

“So Far from the Bamboo Grove” is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Yoko Kawashima Watkins, a Japanese American writer. Critics said that the book makes no mention of Japanese war crimes, including forced labor and forced prostitution, and portrays Koreans as the antagonists.

Textbooks on Korean history and culture, published by the Korean Schools Association of Northern California KSANC/Yonhap News

Korean American teachers had the book taken off the list of U.S. textbooks after making a successful case against it at a California state hearing in late 2008.

“After ‘So Far from the Bamboo Grove’ was expelled from the California reading list, we set out to develop our own textbook on Korean history and culture that Korean and U.S. schools may adopt,” Choi Mi-young, president of the association, told the news agency on Saturday.

“Find Korea!” deals with the geological location of Korea, including the Dokdo islets and the East Sea, the national flag and the national anthem, Korean traditional holidays and foods.

The association will present the textbook to teachers of Korean schools on July 23. VANK (Voluntary Agency Network of Korea), the National Institute for International Education, the Overseas Koreans Foundation and U.S.-based Korean American groups strongly supported the textbook publication. VANK is a Seoul-based private organization of volunteers who provide correct information about Korea to international textbook publishers.

At present, about 8,500 teachers teach the Korean language to about 59,000 students in 1,017 Korean schools across the U.S.

The Korean language was included in the U.S. SAT II in November, 1997. Since then, interest in Korean and necessity for education in Korean history have mounted, an official of the association said.

source:Korea herald

'Seoul’s 2nd Youth Hostel' to open this December

'Seoul’s 2nd Youth Hostel' will be open to the public in December in Yeongdeungpo-gu. With a total area of approximately 9,807 square meters, the hostel is seven floors high (plus, a basement level) and has rooms of different sizes: from single rooms to those sleeping up to 10 people.

Amenities within the building include a cafeteria, café, banquet room, seminar room, and a laundry room.

Situated in central Seoul, the youth hostel provides travelers with easy access to a variety of downtown attractions and popular destinations, including nearby Yeouido. There are a variety of Korean culture experience programs available for guests, as well as a Seoul-themed travel itinerary at the hostel tourist information center.

source:Korea tourism organistaion

Gwangju World Music Festival, August 2010

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Featuring 30 groups of musicians hailing from 15 countries!

The 2010 Gwangju World Music Festival will be held from Friday, August 27, 2010 to Sunday, August 29, 2010 at the plaza in front of the Asian Culture Complex in Gwangju. The festival will feature both international and local musicians comprising of 30 teams from 15 countries. From France's ‘chanson’ to Brazil's ‘bossa nova’ and Argentina's ‘tango,’ the festival is a prime opportunity to appreciate the history and culture of music from around the world.

Representing Korea’s cultural contributions is a selection of star performers of traditional Korean music, including Kim Deok-soo performing samullori, Ahn Sook-sun performing pansori, and Heo Yoon-jeong performing geomungo. In addition to the array of live musical performances there will also be an international world music forum, folkdance workshops, and a showing of international music videos during the festival period.

"The festival is designed to promote communication through the medium of music by offering a chance for international and local musicians to work together," said a festival official.

Source : Korea Tourism Organization

Korean animation “Metajets” makes its U.S. debut

The Korean animation “Metajets,” a project into which the City of Seoul itself invested, made its U.S. debut on the Cartoon Network on July 4, 2010. It was the first time a Korean animated series was broadcasted across the United States.

Metajets is comprised of forty episodes and each episode is thirty minutes long. When it was aired in Korea in 2009, it recorded the highest viewer ratings of any animation in the country.

American TV channels like CBS have broadcasted several Korean animations before, but it is the first time that the Cartoon Network, the biggest animation channel in the U.S., aired a Korean animation.

Cartoon Network U.S.A. announced that Metajets is scheduled to be aired five times a week, and it will begin with a special five-hour marathon on July 4.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government decided to promote the digital contents industry, and established a sixty billion won investment fund. As of July 2010, about 55% of the fund has been invested in animation, games, movies and new media.

The Cartoon Network was established in the U.S. in October 1992, and it is now the world’s largest around-the-clock animation channel, broadcasting in twenty-one languages in 160 countries.

About 193 million households watch the channel worldwide, and it has more than twenty branches in Britain, Germany, India, Latin America, and so on.

Source : Seoul Metropolitan City,Korea.net

Korean wave

The Korean wave spreads to the world

Kim Tae-hee, who starred in the hit show Iris (Photo: Taewon Entertainment)

In its home country, hallyu — the “Korean Wave” of TV series, movies and pop singers that swept across Asia — was once considered no more than a fad.While its biggest hits, such as Winter Sonata and Dae Jang Geum (aired in the U.S. as Jewel in the Palace), were sensations overseas, the resulting glut of hallyu-prefixed output was often of a vastly inferior quality, leading many to think that its days were numbered. But recently, hallyu has emerged stronger than ever, with its hits sweeping through Asia and onto the world stage.

Turning on the television in his hotel room on a recent business trip to Vietnam, K. from Korea was astonished. Though he had certainly glimpsed the posters of Korean celebrities adorning the shops en route from the airport, he hadn’t expected to see them all again on his TV in a seemingly endless procession of Korean drama shows. Seeing the actors dubbed in Vietnamese was also a source of amusement. On one show, he could swear that one person’s voice was dubbing every single character. Later asking a guide, who confirmed his suspicion, whether it wasn’t offputting to have one actor do all the voices, he was told no it wasn’t, because the dramas are just so addictive.

Actor Lee Jun-ko, heroine Nam Sang-mi and Jung Kyung-ho star in Time between Dog and Wolf

And situations like this aren’t limited to Vietnam. At 9pm, the “golden hour” for viewing figures, Korean dramas are a common sight on Hong Kong’s TV stations. ATV, one of the largest outlets, currently shows Korean programming from 8 to 10:30pm, Monday to Friday. Just a few years ago, Korean dramas were a marginal concern, with only two or three aired per year. Then Dae Jang Geum, a historical tale about a female physician in the Joseon Dynasty, seized a massive 50 percent audience share, taking Korean TV shows into the big time.

China has proved just as susceptible to the Korean wave. Again, the catalyst for success was Dae Jang Geum, which gained an audience share of at least 15 percent in 31 major cities across the country, followed by other big hits such as Full House and Stairway to Heaven. Such has been the success of Korean stars in the country, some are now appearing in homegrown Chinese productions. After gaining popularity in Successful Story of a Bright Girl, about a country girl falling for a big-city business type, Jang Na-ra co-starred in the Chinese drama My Bratty Princess with Taiwanese actor Alec Su. Its sequel, My Bratty Princess 2, featured another Korean actress, Chae Rim, who hit it big in All About Eve, in which two news reporters vie for a top spot in the network they both work for. Alongside Jang Hyuk, who gained popularity with Introducing My Girlfriend, Chae Rim is scheduled to star in the upcoming Chinese remake of All About Eve.

Stills from the drama Iris (Photo: Taewon Entertainment)

From Hong Kong, hallyu has also spread throughout Southeast Asia. Even Myanmar, a country not known for its cultural openness, has fallen for the charms of Korean entertainment, first with Winter Sonata and now Dae Jang Geum and a comedy gangster flick Marrying the Mafia. In cracking Southeast Asian markets, Hong Kong has proved a crucial conduit. Full House, to take one example, garnered a 52 percent rating in Hong Kong with 63 percent in Thailand, 42.3 percent in the Philippines and an astonishing 78 percent rating in Indonesia.

A scene from the drama Boys Over Flowers (Photo: Creative Leaders Group Eight)

Today, proving their remarkably adaptable appeal, hallyu shows have started creeping into Central Asia, Africa and even the Muslim world. Slushy hit Winter Sonata aired in Egypt in 2004, while Tunisia has developed a taste for Korean historical dramas such as Jamyeonggo. In 2007, after joining the long list of countries to fall for Dae Jang Geum, Iran became hooked on Jumong, which recorded a 60 percent audience share. Uzbek viewers saw Painter of the Wind; Mongolians watched Temptation of a Wife. And the recently finished Personal Preference, in which a straight man pretends to be gay in order to room with the female lead, is being exported to Central and South America, Africa, and the Middle East.

By Jeong Deok-hyeon

The international wave

Protagonist Lee Seung-gi from Brilliant Legacy (Photo: Pan Entertainment)

So how is the original market for hallyu, Japan, faring now? Though many believe the Korean wave petered out after Winter Sonata and Dae Jang Geum, the reality is that, though not on the phenomenal scale of those two shows, a string of Korean shows continue to do well there today. Having failed to lure audiences with dramas that mimicked the formula of the big hits, Korean TV producers are finding that homegrown successes are continuing to pull in Japanese viewers. Romantic comedy My Lovely Sam Soon, a huge success in Korea, took a 5.2 percent share in the highly fragmented Japanese market (where even 6 percent is rare), and historical dramas Yi San and Dae Jo Yeong also struck a big chord with Japanese viewers.

At home, the number of Korean dramas is rising steadily. From November 2008 to June 2009, the number of such shows increased from 27 to 42, with each channel raising its own quota of dramas from two to six. And with greater volume has come greater diversity. After Winter Sonata inspired a cult-like following among women throughout Asia, Korean producers saturated the market with sentimental romances with increasingly unfeasible plots. Now, however, subject matter includes noir (Time Between Dog and Wolf), family (Brilliant Legacy), history (Jumong) and even private educational institutes (Boys Over Flowers). By diversifying their output into fast-paced, more action-oriented historical series, producers have managed to lure male viewers into what was once an almost entirely female preserve — and now, viewers are getting younger, too.

Iris's stars Lee So-hyeon, Kim Tae-hee (Photo: Taewon Entertainment)

Iris is a prime example of how hallyu dramas have changed. On April 21, the espionage thriller was the first Korean drama to be aired on Japanese TV in the 9pm golden hour, with the first two episodes (broadcast consecutively) receiving a 10.1 percent overall audience share, a huge number by Japanese standards.

Nor were ratings the sole triumph for Iris. With much of the production and marketing duties shared with TBS, Iris starred Lee Byung-hun, one of Korea’s biggest stars, and TOP, a singer with popular K-pop group Big Bang, and featured a soundtrack by Shin Seung-hun, a fast-rising Korean star in Japan. By bringing such big and varied stars on board, Iris aimed for, and got, not just viewers in their 30s and older, but a younger demographic as well.

As a joint production with Japan, Iris also symbolized hallyu’s growing role as a truly pan-Asian phenomenon. From being made entirely in Korea, and then viewed in Japan and China, newer productions are often harnessing the strengths of all three countries. Kim Hyoo-jong, dean of the Graduate School of Arts Management at Chugye University for the Arts, defines the first phase of hallyu as the “made in” era, the next phase as the “made by” era (when the focus will be on the production company), and the current phase as the “made for” era, where the emphasis is on targeting groups that can receive the most value and enjoyment.

A still from Boys Over Flowers (top), A scene from Personal Preference (bottom) (Photo: Creative Leaders Group Eight, Victory Production)

Hallyu has become an industry where content is no longer restricted by national boundaries. China’s vast market, Japan’s marketing skills and Korea’s excellence in production are now combined to produce a single product. Having expanded its boundaries within Asia, the next stepping stone for hallyu has become the global market. Korean actors and actresses are starring in Chinese and Japanese dramas, and Korean directors and authors are working with Chinese and Japanese actors and actresses. Capital is no longer limited by national boundaries, and TV and movie moguls are searching for new investments throughout the region.

As hallyu aims to consolidate its success in Asia, producers recognize that they, too, have to change. Though not created specifically with the international market in mind, Dae Jang Geum is perhaps the best example of how Korean dramas can succeed across borders: by identifying universal themes that can appeal to viewers everywhere, and can be tweaked to speak to their own lives.


TODAY EUROPE, TOMORROW HOLLYWOOD

Jeon Do-yeon, who previously won the best female actress award at Cannes Film Festival in 2007, recently starred the film The Housemaid (Photo: Mirovision)

The internationalization of Korean TV dramas is every bit as evident in movies. In China, the list of Korean stars appearing in local productions includes Song Hye-kyo in Wong Kar-wai’s The Grand Master, Jun Ji-hyun in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and Kim Heesun in the historical movie Civil Wars. And while the focus for hallyu in Southeast Asia undoubtedly remains TV dramas, in other markets, notably Europe, it is the movies that are catching the critics’ eyes.

Among the films on show at this year’s Cannes Film Festival was Im Sang-soo’s The Housemaid, a remake of a cult Korean classic from the 1960s. Meanwhile, Lee Chang-dong’s Poetry received great acclaim and went on to win the award for best screenplay. Another Korean movie Hong Sang-soo’s Ha Ha Ha received the top prize in the Un Certain Regard category.

A scene from the movie HAHAHA, which starred Moon So-ri and Kim Sang-gyeong - the film received the top prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival (Photo: Sponge Entertainment)

While Cannes itself was, because of Europe’s ongoing economic problems, a somewhat dampened affair, Korean films enjoyed their most successful showing yet. Besides The Housemaid’s tally of 15 countries, Poetry and Lee Joon-ik’s Blades of Blood (which was not officially on show) were sold to four countries apiece. In addition, Kim Ji-woon, of The Good, The Bad, The Weird fame, sold his latest work, I Saw the Devil, to French distributor ARP. Though still unfinished, the movie is receiving a lot of attention thanks to its stellar cast, which includes Lee Byung-hun and Oldboy star Choi Min-sik.

Director of Poetry Lee Chang-dong and The Housemaid's director Im Sang-soo (Photo: Unikorea, Mirovision)

As seen at Cannes, Korean movies are slowly but surely gaining ground in Europe. But what of the movie Holy Grail, Hollywood? So far, hallyu has had considerably less success there. Yet two top stars, Rain and Lee Byung-hun, were cast in big-budget movies — respectively Ninja Assassin and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra — and with the success hallyu continues to enjoy elsewhere, who would bet against a Korean-directed Hollywood film hitting it big in the next 10 years?

source: Korea.net

'Political relationship must be anchored by educational, cultural initiatives

The Academy of Korean Studies (AKS) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), which they expect will serve as a hub for Korean studies in South Asia. The academy has also extended a grant to the university (New Delhi) recently, spoke to Tirna Ray on how the initiative will strengthen the evolving relationship between India and Korea:

Why is 2010 a year of significance for Korea-India relationship?

It is significant because of the conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries. Korea and India established their diplomatic ties in 1973. The two countries are bound by close cultural ties, which may be traced back to the ancient past. Buddhism, India's unique gift to the world, facilitated exchange of ideas and served as a bridge connecting the two civilisations (Korea and India). Close cultural ties bound Korea and India in the past. In the modern times, the two nations face the common destiny of colonial oppression and the task of nation-building.

What is the objective of Academy of Korean Studies?

AKS aims to promote Korean studies through in-depth research and innovative teaching of Korean culture. AKS has defined new frontiers of inquiry in Korean studies and fostered competent scholars in Korean humanities and social sciences with global perspectives and values.

What will the MoU between JNU and AKS imply?

First and foremost, it will facilitate exchange of students and faculty between India and Korea. Full-time professors from AKS can visit India and collaborate with teachers here or engage in teaching. Further, hopefully, the grant will enable academicians from JNU to visit Korea, collect material for their research, or start a journal which will publish articles by Indian scholars on Korea, and so on. As of now, the grant money has been awarded for three years and it amounts to about $ 65,000. It is important that we cultivate competent scholars of Korean studies and qualified graduates who understand Korean language, culture and society in its entirety. They in turn will be able to convey the core concerns of Korea adequately to the Indian audience. Only then will this initiative acquire a sustainable dimension. A political relationship or understanding between the two countries can have a future only when it is anchored by education and cultural initiatives.

As a Korean scholar, i am glad to know about the rich history of JNU's Korean Studies programme and of the role of its graduates in projecting and promoting close and comprehensive partnership between Korea and India. I am confident that with the two institutions - AKS and JNU - coming together, we will be able to forge a relationship of strategic partnership and take Asian studies to a new height.

Feb 10, 2010, 12.00am IST

The Times of India

source:Academy of Korean Studies/Kim Jung Be

S.Korea develops long-range cruise missile

S.Korea develops long-range cruise missile SEOUL: South Korea has developed a longer-range cruise missile capable of hitting nuclear or military sites in North Korea, a report said Saturday. The state-run Agency for Defense Development has begun manufacturing the ground-to-ground Hyunmu-3C with a range of up to 1,500 kilometres (937 miles), Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified defence official as saying. The Hyunmu-3C missile would also be able to reach parts of China, Japan and Russia. The previous version of the Hyunmu had a range of only 1,000 km. The report could not immediately be confirmed. Under an agreement with the United States, which stations 28,500 troops in the country and guarantees a nuclear "umbrella" in case of war, Seoul limits its ballistic missiles to a maximum range of 300 km. But it is allowed to extend the range of its terrain-hugging cruise missiles as long as their payload stays under 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds). South Korea has pushed for longer-range weaponry to counter a threat from hundreds of North Korean ballistic missiles. The North has about 600 Scud missiles capable of hitting targets in South Korea, and possibly also of reaching Japanese territory in some cases. There are another 200 Rodong-1 missiles which could reach Tokyo. In addition the North has three times test-launched intercontinental Taepodong missiles. The two nations have remained technically at war since their 1950-53 conflict ended with just an armistice and not a peace treaty. Tensions have risen since the South and the United States, citing the findings of a multinational investigation, accused the North of torpedoing a South Korean warship near the tense sea border in March. The North angrily denies involvement and says a UN Security Council statement on July 9 -- which condemned the attack without specifying the culprit -- proves its point. After the UN statement it reiterated conditional willingness to return to stalled six-party nuclear disarmament talks. Seoul's unification ministry which handles cross-border ties said the North appears to be preparing a diplomatic offensive to lessen tensions. In a weekly newsletter the ministry said the North seems willing to "turn the critical mood around through active dialogue" following the UN statement, which Pyongyang claimed as a diplomatic victory. The South says its neighbour must first apologise for the attack on the ship which cost 46 lives and punish those responsible. source:AFP

India, S Korea to start talks on N-ties

NEW DELHI: India and South Korea on Friday agreed to start negotiations between the two nations for civil nuclear cooperation. The two had earlier exchanged drafts of an inter-governmental agreement on peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

The pact was reached in a meeting between foreign minister S M Krishna and his South Korean counterpart Yu Myung-Hwan in Seoul. Krishna said this agreement was important for India’s initiative to look for a more "rational" energy mix.

They also discussed ways to enhance bilateral defence and security cooperation, including through expanded naval cooperation in anti-piracy operations. "In order to meet the new challenges that international shipping is facing from non-State actors especially in the Gulf of Aden, we believe it is time for our two countries to expand our naval cooperation. Perhaps, we can do so by holding the next joint exercise," he said.

Major Events

1. The 14th Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival (SICAF)

http://www.sicaf.org/2010/eng/index.jsp

An annual showcase festival of animation, cartoon and related art genres, SICAF will hold exhibitions, showing of animation films, promotion booths and various special events.

- Period : July 21 – 25, 2010
- Venue : 3F, COEX, Seoul


2. The 38th Gangjin Celadon Festival

http://eng.gangjinfes.or.kr/

Get introduced to beautiful porcelain artwork of Korea. The festival includes exhibitions, parades, song contests, music performances and numerous others.

- Period : August 7 – 15, 2010
- Venue : The area of Goryeo Celadon Porcelain Kilns, Daeku-myun, Gangjin-gun, Jeollanam-do

All about Makgeolli

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

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

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

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

http://www.jurojuro.com>

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

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

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

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

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

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

Drinking makgeolli the right way?

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

The whiter makgeolli, the better?

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

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

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

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

Saving the Earth with Electric Buses

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How are their functions?

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

<15>

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

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

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

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

China, followed by India and South Korea has been ranked first, second and third respectively in the 2010 Global Manufacturing Competitiveness Index

India ranked second in global manufacturing competence

"In less than a decade, a new world order for manufacturing competitiveness has emerged along with a tectonic shift in regional manufacturing competence," the report said.The rise in the manufacturing competitiveness of three countries in particular -- China, India, and the Republic of Korea (Korea) -- appears to parallel the rapidly growing and important Asian market," said the 56-page report.

The report notes that Chinas ascent to the top of the list is not surprising, given its rising eminence in the manufacturing sector over the past ten years, particularly as a regional hub for foreign outsourced production, foreign direct investments, and joint ventures.

"Perhaps more surprising is that India is now positioned at number two and gaining an even stronger foothold on that position over the next five years," the report said, adding Indias rich talent pool of scientists, researchers, and engineers as well as its large, well-educated English-speaking workforce and democratic regime make it an attractive destination for manufacturers.

Noting that since the mid-1990s, Indias software industry has escalated to new heights and post-economic liberation has also opened a pathway to unprecedented market opportunities for Indian manufacturing, it said moreover, beyond low-cost, Indian manufacturers gained experience in quality improvement and Japanese principles of quality management, with the largest number of Deming Award winners outside of Japan.

"The country is also rapidly expanding its capabilities in engineering design and development and embedded software development, which form an integral part of many modern-day manufactured products," it said.
The importance of India to manufacturing executives around the world underscores two important points, it said.

Under the current competitive index China tops the ranking with the maximum 10 points, followed by India (8.15), South Korea (6.79), the US (5.84), Brazil (5.41) and Japan (5.11).

source:bindaasboll.com

The International Archival Culture Exhibition 2010

The International Archival Culture Exhibition 2010 was held from June 1 through 6 at COEX, Seoul.

At this festival of archival culture and heritage around the world, treasures of the UNESCO’s Memory of the World were presented, including Korea’s Uigwe, the Royal Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty, and Joseonwangjosillok, the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, that are seldom put out for public viewing.

At the International Exhibition of Archival Culture and Heritage, the IACE’s highlight program, invaluable records and archives from 47 countries containing their history and culture were on display.

Some of the items were Goryeo Daejanggyeong, the oldest and most intact example of Buddhist scriptures carved into 81,258 wooden printing blocks; Gutenberg Bible, a Latin vulgate bible printed by Johannes Gutenberg in 15th century; Grimm Brother’s Fairy Tales Collection which includes world-famous tales like Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Red Cap, and Hansel and Gretel.

<Joseonwangjosillok (Annals of the Joseon Dynasty) - The Annals of King Sejong (owned by the National Archives of Korea) Original Version>

Original Version>

There were quite a many Korean items on display as well.

Uigwe (3,895 volumes) contains a collection of royal protocols of the Korean Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) which records and prescribes through text and stylized illustration the important ceremonies and rites of the royal family. And Seungjeongwon Ilgi (3,242 volumes) includes the largest amount of confidential records of the Joseon Dynasty. Those items demonstrate the precision and sophistication of the Joseon Dynasty’s archives.

Original Version (1759)>

The exhibition also presented :

Goryeo Daejanggyeong, a Korean collection of Buddhist scriptures carved onto 81,340 wooden printing blocks in the 13th century. It is the world’s most comprehensive and oldest intact version of Buddhist canon in Chinese script, with no known errors in the 52,382,960 characters.

Donguibogam, a collection of medical books written by Heo Jun, the most renowned royal physician of his times (1546-1615). It is Korea’s best-ever oriental medicine book up until today, and the most recent Korean item to be registered as a UNESCO Memory of the World.

Buljo Jikji Simche Yo Jeol, the world’s oldest specimen of movable metal type printing.

Original Version>

There was also a special section which contained records of past elections, ballot papers, and various promotional prints.

Lee Min-Ho, a visitor at the exhibition, commented, “The exhibition was a lot more informative and entertaining than I expected. I didn’t know Korea possessed such great archival heritage.”

Maeng Hyung-Gyu, Minister of Public Administration and Security, expressed in his congratulatory speech at the IACE’s opening ceremony, “The IACE will give us an opportunity to appreciate the importance of archives as a crucial source of knowledge. Also, through this exhibition I hope Korea’s outstanding archival capabilities can be shared with the world and be further augmented.”

Archives are precious resources that offer us insights into the past, present, and future. Even in these times of cutting-edge IT, Korea’s archival culture will, and should, endure.