Korea losing 'kimchi sovereignty' to China By Park Si-sooKorea is rapidly losing its “kimchi sovereignty” to China. The country's exports of kimchi to Japan have plunged this year, with China taking up the slack. More alarming is the fact that Beijing has “banned” the import of kimchi from Seoul by radically toughening regulations on imported food.No domestic kimchi maker has sold its product into the Chinese market so far this year, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation (aT).Japan is the biggest buyer of Korean kimchi, followed by the United States and China.Last year alone, the neighboring country’s imports amounted to $84.58 million, accounting for nearly 80 percent of the entire kimchi exports.Exports to Japan between January and May last year were estimated at $36.91 million, but it plunged by 19.2 percent during the same period this year, the biggest drop since 2007, according to the Korea Customs Service.The sharp drop is largely attributable to a weak Japanese currency, experts said.The monetary policy, initiated by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to reJul 22, 2013
Cafe Bene taps into Mongolia, Cambodia Caffe Bene, the country’s second largest coffee shop franchise company, has tapped into the Mongolian and Cambodian market, the company said Monday.“As Mongolia and Cambodia have the potential to develop the coffee industry, the local business companies chose Caffe Bene, showing eye-opening development in Korea as a business partner,” the franchise operator said in a statement.The Mongolian store is located in Max Mall, Ulaanbaatar, while the Cambodian store is located in Beong Keng Keong, downtown Phnom Penh, according to the statement. The firm is offering business rights to local business operators.Caffe Bene owns about 860 stores in Korea, 55 in China, seven in the United States and will obtain two in the Philippines by the end of this month.The firm also plans to open branches in Saudi Arabia and Indonesia in July. Jul 22, 2013
JYJ members to join military this year Kim Jun-su, left, and Kim Jae-joongTwo members of K-pop boy band group JYJ — Kim Jun-su, 26, and Kim Jae-joong, 27 — are expected to join the army before the end of the year.Kim Jae-joong has already received draft notice several times but postponed because of frequent concert and busy schedules. Kim Jun-su is also considering the period of enlistment.One source said “Kim wants to serve in the military as a common soldier because of the recent controversy over the ‘entertainment’ soldiers.”The Ministry of National Defense announced on Thursday that it was abolishing the “entertainment-soldier” system following public outrage and controversy over celebrities including Rain, Seven and Sangchoo who were excessively using the perks assigned to entertainers serving in units that perform for active servicemen. Meanwhile, the other JYJ member Park Yu-Cheon, 27, will serve on reserve duty due to his asthma condition. Park’s plan for military service is unknown.Jul 22, 2013
Celebs fuel plastic surgery tourism Lee Han Song Kim Youna KimYoung-ae Ga-in Hye-kyo Sa-rang Tae-hee‘Foreign fans of Korean films or TV dramas visit Seoul to knock on the doors of cosmetic clinics and get them transformed liJul 22, 2013
KOHEA to build hospital in Colombia Lee Min-hwaKOHEA presidentBy Park Si-sooA consortium of Korean hospitals and medical equipment manufacturers has been selected as the preferred bidder to build a military hospital in Colombia.The Korean Digital Hospital Export Agency (KOHEA) representing the consortium said the Colombian Defense Ministry made the decision last Wednesday.The final assessment of the consortium by the ministry is underway and, if it ends successfully, KOHEA will take a leading role in building the $26 million, eight-story hospital for the Colombian air force and navy by December 2015.It came days after the country’s two powerful medical organizations — the Korean Hospital Association and the Committee of Future Medical Industry — joined forces to facilitate the opening of the hospitals’ branches abroad. To that end, they established an independent committee that will host promotional campaigns for Korean hospitals and medical services.There is no correlation between the two events. But they have offered a clear indication that the overseas demand for Korean medical facilities andJul 22, 2013
Can military comedies be funny anymore? By Kim Tong-hyung MBC’s ‘Real Men’Korean men talk as if they would rather die than serve their mandatory military duty again. And yet, they can’t seem to get enough of national service-inspired comedy shows on television, such as MBC’s ``Real Men.’’But it remains to be seen whether these shows will begin to feel less funny in the wake of a tragic accident at Taean Beach, South Chungcheong Province, last week, where five high school students drowned during a summer camp modeled after soldier training exercises.Their deaths touched off public anger over the negligence of school officials and camp operators, who were businessmen with no military credentials and thought it was appropriate to send students into water without swimming vests.There are critics who attempt to expand the question as to why these camps were so popular in the first place, expressing discomfort about a country that continues to romanticize military culture.``Korea is among the most militarized societies among developed economies, solidified by the high proportion of Jul 21, 2013
Shilla's plan for traditional hotel rejected for 3rd time By Kim Ji-sooHotel Shilla’s plan to build a “traditional” business hotel has been put on hold again. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has decided to withhold President Lee Boo-jin’s plans to erect a four-floor traditional “hanok”-style hotel within the Jangchung-dong compound on the grounds that it might possibly conflict with some sections of the Seoul City Walls. The eldest daughter of Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee came up with the ambitious plan to replace its existing duty free shop with the business hotel while building a new duty free shop on the parking lot area.This is the third time that the plan has been halted. The scheme to add a business hotel and a new duty free shop in Jangchung-dong hotel area was the first project that Lee undertook after taking office as hotel president in 2010. Management of the hotel saw the addition of a traditional business hotel as part of a strategy to diversify the hotel’s business, strengthen its brand image and to actively seek more foreign tourists.The hotel presented its request both in AuguJul 21, 2013
Hollywood takes liking to Korean films “Hello Ghost”Unique storytelling attracts US filmmakers for remakes By Chung Ah-young“New World”The first trailer for Spike Lee’s “Old Boy” remake of Park Chan-wook’s signature thriller is already creating a buzz among cineastes around the world. Starring Josh Brolin, Lee’s much-hyped work is expected to become another gruesome thriller revolving around a man who was locked away for 20 years in a prison that was originally based on a Japanese manga. Before releasing the film in October, there has been much debate over whether it contains the famous live octopus-eating scene from the original or not.Adaptation is always a risky task as striking a balance between alteration and originality is tricky. Nevertheless, producing a remake has been a common practice in the cinematic scenes.Particularly, in recent years, Hollywood is remaking a slew of Korean films as the Korean movie industry has grown into one of the world’s biggest film markets. The new “Old Boy” finds its way into cinemas in October in the world.TJul 21, 2013
Agricultural exports to Indonesia rise The state-run promoter of agricultural products has opened an office in Indonesia to facilitate exports of Korean food products to a potential market of 250 million people.The Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Corporation (aT) said that the office is located in Jakarta, and an opening ceremony for it was held on Thursday with representatives of aT, Jakarta-based Korean businessmen and Korean embassy there in attendance.Indonesia’s imports of agricultural products are on the rise as a result of economic development. The promoter believes that this rise is a great boon to domestic makers of halal-certified products since nearly 88 percent of Indonesian people are Muslim. Halal certification is conferred on meat, vegetable and other food products that have been slaughtered, harvested or processed in a way recognized by Islamic Law.“The halal-certified food market of Indonesia is huge,” said Kim Jae-soo, president of aT. “Korea’s agricultural exports to Indonesia stood at $150 million last year. The Jakarta office will help increase this.”  Jul 19, 2013
Baek to release 2nd album in Japan Singer Baek Ji-youngSinger Baek Ji-young, 37, is going to release her second album “This Love, Do Not Forget” in Japan on Sept. 25, PIA news has announced. The album is actually a Japanese version of “Do Not Forget,” that was the theme song for the popular Korean drama “IRIS.” Baek is famous for having sung over 10 OSTs in Korea, and holds numerous hit songs as a solo performer.But in Japan, she made her debut last May with the song “The Woman,” which was the theme OST song of the popular TV Drama “Secret Garden” that starred Korean heartthrob Hyun Bin. Her first Japan showcase that took place at Akasaka Blitz will be released on DVD along with her second single album.Jul 19, 2013
