The Korea Times

11-men Ebola team to be sent to Sierra Leone

By Jung Min-hoThe Korean government will send 11 medical staff to Ebola-stricken Sierra Leone to join the global campaign to help fight the epidemic, the defense ministry said Thursday.The team will arrive in the African country on Nov. 13 alongside a British team, after finishing preparation for joint operations in the United Kingdom, the ministry noted.Before the decision, Vice Minister of National Defense Baek Seung-joo and John Astor, a parliamentary undersecretary of state at the British defense ministry, discussed cooperation in a phone call Wednesday.“Astor expressed his deep gratitude for our government’s decision to send the team,” the Korean defense ministry said. “He also pledged to provide support for our personnel in the event of an emergency.”The Korean government said about 20 medical staff will eventually be sent to the region to help eradicate Ebola, which has killed nearly 5,000 people across West Africa. In Sierra Leone alone, more than 1,510 have died so far.

Nov 6, 2014By Jung Min-ho

South Korea

Safety concerns temporarily close Korea bridge

By Jung Min-ho The Yi Sun-sin Bridge ― the longest suspension bridge in Korea and the fourth-longest in the world ― was shut down temporarily Sunday because of safety concerns, only one and a half years after it opened.Although the bridge was reopened the following day, public concerns over its safety remain.According to the fire defense headquarters of South Jeolla Province Tuesday, it ordered the bridge that connects Yeosu and Gwangyang closed at around 7 p.m. Sunday after receiving a number of calls that the bridge was “shaking hard.”The South Jeolla provincial government held an emergency meeting with construction experts at 1 a.m. Monday and concluded that tents, which were covering asphalt on each side of the bridge, were the cause of the swaying.An official from the provincial government said that the tents were placed there temporarily to block the wind after pavement work was done on the bridge, noting that the asphalt needed to dry slowly so that it could reach the proper density.“We believe the tents disturbed wind flow, causing the br

Oct 28, 2014By Jung Min-ho

Arts & Theater

Downfall of art dealer tied to chaebol

Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein’s 1964 painting “Happy Tears” vaulted into prominence in Korea in 2007 after featured in a slush fund scandal. / Korea TimesGallery Seomi head arrested for dubious artwork dealsBy Jung Min-ho Hong Song-wonThe head of an upscale art gallery in southern Seoul has been arrested over suspicions that she was involved in selling off expensive artwork that had been ordered to be seized by a court.According to the prosecution, Hong Song-won of Gallery Seomi allegedly sold about 10 pieces from December last year to March at the behest of Lee Hae-kyung, the 62-year-old daughter of Tongyang Group founder, Lee Yang-gu, and wife of group Chairman Hyun Jae-hyun.Lee was put behind bars Tuesday after the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office were issued an arrest warrant for her.The dubious deals occurred before a court confiscated 330 works owned by Hyun and Lee in April as part of a ruling on charges of embezzlement and tax evasion.Gallery Seomi president Hong Song-won is accused of selling Claes Oldenburg’s large plush cigar

Sep 19, 2014By Jung Min-ho

Sports

The 'Queen' states her case

Figure skater Kim Yu-na performs to “Send in the Clowns” in the short program competition at the Sochi Winter Olympics at the Iceberg SkatingPalace, Thursday (KST). Kim finished first with 74.92 points. / YonhapKim tops short program, enters free skate as gold favorite By Jung Min-hoKim Yu-na, the Korean figure-skating superstar referred to by her legion of fans simply as "Queen,’’ is determined to retire with her figure skating crown intact.Kim, 23, topped the women’s short program in the wee hours of Thursday morning (KST) after scoring 74.92 points at the Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi with a splendid display of skill that reminded observers of her historic performance in Vancouver four years ago. It represented the highest score in the short program for a female skater this season and cemented Kim’s status as the gold-medal favorite ahead of Friday’s free skate. Kim, however, has competition. Adelina Sotnikova of Russia was a close runner-up after the short program with 74.64 points, followed by Carolina Kostner of Italy, who always seem

Feb 20, 2014By Jung Min-ho

Sports

Crushed by the orange

Speed skater Lee Seung-hoon drops his head after finishing 4th in the men’s 10,000-meter final at the Sochi Winter Olympics at the Adler Arena Skating Center, Wednesday (KST). / AP-YonhapVancouver star finishes behind Dutch skating trio, again By Jung Min-hoVancouver Olympic gold medalist Lee Seung-hoon failed to defend his speed skating title in the men’s 10,000-meter event on Wednesday (KST), finishing fourth, and was left to witness a clean sweep by the Netherlands. Sven Kramer, who lost a gold medal after being disqualified despite the fastest time in Vancouver, raced even faster this time with a time of 12:49.02 but still came short of the mighty champion. Vancouver Olympic bronze medalist Bob de Jong won the bronze again, finishing in 13:07.19.“I almost got it,” Lee said. Despite the disappointing result, he said, “The race was better than the 5,000 meters. I tried my best. There is no regret.”Lee, paired with Kramer, competed next to each other in the seventh. Lee went ahead of Kramer in the beginning and started running out of gas

Feb 19, 2014By Jung Min-ho

Sports

Study time almost over for Olympic team

Korea’s largest-ever delegation of 66 athletes will unfold what they have prepared at the Sochi Olympics, where more than 2,500 athletes from 88 countries will compete. Korea will be represented in every sport except for ice hockey for the first time. / Yonhap By Jung Min-hoWith the Sochi Winter Olympics just 10 days away, preparation time is almost over for Korean athletes who will arrive at the Black Sea resort town burdened by expectations for a historic medal haul.A record 66 Korean athletes have qualified for the upcoming Olympics, 18 more than the 48 the country sent to Salt Lake City for the 2002 Games. They have been facing mounting pressure for an impressive performance in Sochi, where the country aims at winning at least four gold medals and add to the build-up for the 2018 Games to be held at the Korean ski town of PyeongChang, Gangwon Province.Twenty-eight Koreans will compete in the speed and figure skating events, 16 in sledding events and 15 in skiing events. Five Korean women will compete in curling and the country will also send two biathlon athletes.

Jan 27, 2014By Jung Min-ho

Sports

`Taekwondo should be more spectator friendly'

Choue Chung-wonBy Jung Min-hoASTANA – World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) President Choue Chung-won often says that for taekwondo to improve its appeal to a global audience, it should consider beach volleyball as a model. His candid point is that the allure of beach volleyball is much more than slapping balls from one direction to another.His version of taekwondo is something between a traditional martial art and a showy musical performance, a sport that provides theatrics fit for the 21st century audience.Calbe Shin, CEO of media company Mantra World TV and also a choreographer of WTF’s demonstration team, which is devoted to ceremonial performances, agrees with the need to change taekwondo’s overall image."I think we already have marketable stars,’’ Shin said."Now, we need a more marketable sport.’’Some of Shin’s ideas would leave purists cringing. He is considering putting makeup, including eyeliner, on the athletes for the special performance here on Wednesday night to make them look ``cooler.’’ He also doesn’t believ

Jan 22, 2014By Jung Min-ho

`Taekwondo should be more spectator friendly'

Films

Summer heat sends people into theaters

People queue to buy tickets at a cinema in Seoul, Sunday. / YonhapBy Jung Min-hoWith the sweltering summer heat beating down hard, an increasing number of people are heading to theaters where they can spend two hours in air-conditioned comfort.Director Bong Joon-ho’s newest film “Snowpiercer” attracted more than 2.6 million moviegoers in its first three days, a record pace for a Korean film, and reached 3.3 million by the fifth day. Another Korean movie, “The Terror Live,” which was released on the same day, has already reached its break-even point with 1.8 million in ticket sales.About 4.5 million people visited theaters nationwide this weekend, the first time for the industry to see the Friday-to-Sunday period breach the 4 million mark.It is unclear whether people are going to the theaters for the movies or air conditioning. Both of the movies were released on July 31 when the government announced that theaters will be newly excluded from regulations on air-conditioning temperatures in buildings, which should be set no lower than 26 degrees Celsius. Ot

Aug 5, 2013By Jung Min-ho

Sports

Ryu takes 10th win in rookie season

LA Dodgers pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin hurls against Chicago Cub at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Saturday (KST). Ryu became the first Korean pitcher to win 10 games in his rookie season.By Jung Min-hoThe Los Angeles Dodgers’ Ryu Hyun-jin became the first Korean pitcher to win 10 games in his rookie season Saturday (KST) as the Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 6-2 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.Ryu allowed two runs and 11 hits for 5 and 1/3 innings, striking out six, until he was replaced by J.P. Howell, and Dodgers bullpen shut out Cubs batters to the end of the game.Ryu performed apparently less than his best, but it was good enough to raise his record to 10-3 to achieve the landmark. He is the first Dodgers rookie to win 10 matches since Kazuhisa Ishii of Japan in 2002.Ryu’s win was supported by Dodgers batters who managed nine hits.“I’m really glad that I achieved my initial goal,” Ryu told reporters. “I want to continue to win.”“I got a lot of hits but the hitters helped and made me comfortable.”

Aug 3, 2013By Jung Min-ho

Sports

Countdown begins

Jung Chan-sung roars after knocking out Mark Hominick at the UFC 140 in Toronto, Canada, in this Dec. 10, 2011, file photo. / USA TODAYJung to take on champ Aldo in Brazil By Jung Min-hoUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight Jung Chan-sung, 26, better known as “The Korean Zombie,” will face Brazilian champion Jose Aldo, 26, Sunday at UFC 163 in Brazil.If he wins, Jung will not only become the first Asian fighter to win a UFC championship but also the second 145-pound title holder in the promotion’s history.“I'm coming off the most intense training session of my career. I have arrived here after a long flight, and my heart yearns for a victory,” Chung said during a press conference Friday at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro.He also expressed his wish to contribute to someday bringing the championships to Korea.Aldo has 22 wins with just a single defeat and is considered among the best pound-to-pound fighter alongside Anderson Silva and Jon Jones. His past performances proved his combination of skill, speed and knockout power is domin

Aug 2, 2013By Jung Min-ho

Jung Min-ho

Read more

11-men Ebola team to be sent to Sierra Leone

Safety concerns temporarily close Korea bridge

Downfall of art dealer tied to chaebol

The 'Queen' states her case

Crushed by the orange

Study time almost over for Olympic team

`Taekwondo should be more spectator friendly'

Summer heat sends people into theaters

Ryu takes 10th win in rookie season

Countdown begins

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