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Doosan Bears' Nippert wins Seoul welfare award

Dustin Nippert of the Doosan Bears poses with the award he received from the Seoul Metropolitan Governmentat City Hall, honoring his welfare work, Monday. / Courtesy of Doosan BearsBy Baek Byung-yeulAmerican baseball player Dustin Nippert, who has been pitching for the Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League, has been inviting children  at welfare centers to his team’s games once a month since 2013.Not only does he provide tickets for them at his own expense, but he has also given out snacks, jerseys, baseball caps and autographed baseballs. So far, he has done this for 15 games and invited around 500 children.Honoring his goodwill, the Seoul Metropolitan City Government named him the “Best Sponsor” in its 14th Seoul Welfare Awards, Monday.“I don’t think I’ve done anything great, but I feel good and am honored to receive such an award,” Nippert was quoted as saying through a translator. “Though I don’t have much time to stay in Korea after the season, I have another plan to visit children who cannot affor

Sep 6, 2016
Doosan Bears' Nippert wins Seoul welfare award

Bereaved family builds kindergarten

Hye Ryun Kindergarten in Vanuatu opened on July 11, funded by the bereaved family of Mauna Ocean Resort accident victim.  / Courtesy of Hyundai Heavy IndustriesBy Yoon Ja-young A kindergarten opened July 11 on the island of Vanuatu in the South Pacific funded by the family of Go Hye-ryun who died in a widely-publicized tragic accident in 2014. The modern two-story building, which offers five kindergarten classes, is a rare sight on the island.The late Miss Go Hye-ryun was 18 years old when she was accepted to Pusan National University of Foreign Studies to major in Arabic. She went to a welcoming party for the freshmen held at Mauna Ocean Resort in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The roof of the auditorium where students had gathered collapsed under the weight of heavy snow, taking 10 young lives and injuring dozens more.The disaster which was caused by poor safety regulations angered many people. The bereaved were offered 600 million won in compensation, but their loved ones will never come back.Hye-ryun’s father Go Gye-seog, who works for Hyundai Heavy Industri

Sep 5, 2016
Bereaved family builds kindergarten

Congolese gynecologist wins Seoul Peace Prize

Denis MukwegeBy Lee Kyung-min Denis Mukwege, a Congolese doctor, has won the 13th Seoul Peace Prize for his efforts in helping some 48,500 woman and child rape victims during the civil war in his home country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), the prize organizers said, Friday.“He contributed to human rights improvement for women and children by treating the victims of the unethical war where rape was used as a means of war,” the Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation said.“He also demonstrated bravery by devoting himself to raising international awareness about the situation to end the civil war.”Mukwege, 61, founded Panzi Hospital in DR Congo in 1999 amid the armed conflict in his country that left hundreds of thousands of people brutally murdered, raped, or displaced.Alongside setting up the hospital, he established Maison Dorcas, a long-term rehabilitation program for rape victims.Under the program, victims are offered treatment, consultation, job training, as well as lessons in writing, reading and basic math. It also offers them enough

Sep 2, 2016
Congolese gynecologist wins Seoul Peace Prize

Fashion outlet ceo stays course amid competition

Hong Seong-yeol, CEO of Mario Outlet, talks about his leadership during an interview held at Mario Outlet II in Gasan-dong, Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of Mario OutletBy Kim Ji-sooHong Seong-yeol, CEO of Mario Outlet, believes in doing things with honesty; in a “do-or-die” style.That is how he built his Mario Outlet and maintains its edge against heightening competition.“People nowadays only talk about giving it their all or committing to something in a do-or-die style. But what they need to know is that one’s actions must be, in and of themselves, do-or-die,” said Hong, 62, as he speaks about the company he founded 36 years ago to launch the fashion brand Carte Knit, and which has since grown into a massive outlet in the former factory district of Guro in southwestern Seoul.Perhaps it is a tall order for the young generation, or perhaps just heartfelt advice from a self-made businessman.“I want to train my employees so that they feel like they can grow at Mario. Just recently, a few have left to become government employees. I let the

Sep 2, 2016
Fashion outlet ceo stays course amid competition

Scientist realizes cheaper hydrogen generation

Yoo Sung-jonBy Yoon Sung-wonKorean researchers have developed technology that enables cheaper mass-production of hydrogen, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) said Thursday.As many scientists worldwide who are working to come up with a better way to use the eco-friendly hydrogen, the new scientific achievement is expected to expedite the commercialization of hydrogen energy for ordinary uses.According to KIST, a team of researchers led by chemical and biological engineer Yoo Sung-jon has succeeded in developing a more durable and effective catalyst made of a high crystalline nickel phosphide nanowire compound for the hydrogen generation process through water dissociation. Compared to the existing catalysts made of rare materials, the new catalyst is dramatically cheaper and yet more durable, the institute said.“The commercialization of technology that can change water into chemical energy sources such as hydrogen has increasingly become an important issue amid rising attention on clean energy sources for the future,” Yoo said. “In this backdrop, the lat

Sep 1, 2016
Scientist realizes cheaper hydrogen generation

Honorary degree for UN chief

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, left, shakes hands with Singapore President Tony Tan Keng Yam at the Istana, the official residence and office of the president of Singapore, Tuesday, after receiving an honorary doctor of letters from the National University of Singapore (NUS) for his international efforts to promote sustainable development as well as global peace and security. The honorary degree is the university’s highest form of recognition for outstanding individuals. / Courtesy of the NUS

Aug 31, 2016

Textile innovator finds growth through tech

Go Kyung-chan, CEO of Ventex, poses in front of products that use the firm’s nano-technologies to produce functional textiles. / Korea Times photo by Kim Ji-sooVentex’s facial maskBy Kim Ji-sooOne of the worrisome dilemmas for the Korean economy is that that the growth engines of the past are dwindling. K.C. Go, CEO of Ventex, however, suggests that there is a working model for what many consider a sunset industry. Here in Ventex’s case, it is in the functional textile industry.Founded in 1999, Ventex focuses on using textile nanotechnology in manufacturing a wide range of functional fabrics used in sportswear, down jackets and others.Ventex’s core products are made mainly with innovative technology, such as moisture control technology which relies on a special nanochemical to soak up moisture in a second, or solarball filler, a chemically treated filler that raises garment temperature using solar rays or body temperature to be warmer than down-filled products.“They all say textile is a ‘red ocean’ industry, but my idea was to let flowers blo

Aug 31, 2016
Textile innovator finds growth through tech

Hospital offers free treatment for multicultural families

Heo Seong-joo, director of the Seoul National UniversityDental HospitalBy Jun Ji-hye Heo Seong-joo, director of the Seoul National University Dental Hospital, has received a presidential citation for his hospital’s free clinics for multicultural families.The hospital was recognized for contributing to helping multicultural families better settle down here.Beginning with Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, in 2010, the hospital has been visiting all over the nation nine times a year and operating free medical centers.The hospital has operated the free clinics a total of 57 times so far and has treated over 7,000 patients for free.The awards ceremony took place Monday at a hotel in Daegu during a gathering of members of multicultural families nationwide.“We began the free clinics to help multicultural families live in Korea with stability,” Heo told reporters. “This award means a great deal to me and to the entire staff of the hospital who have fulfilled their responsibilities.”Heo, who became the director of the hospital on July 29, received the award on the

Aug 31, 2016
Hospital offers free treatment for multicultural families

Wearable startup company eyes foothold in night sports market

Niports CEO Noh Seung-beomBy Lee Min-hyungNiports CEO Noh Seung-beom believes in the strong growth potential of wearable devices for night sports. The company sells light-emitting-diode (LED) athletics bands ― Specter ― in the United States.The 28-year-old startup chief said he and two other co-founders gained confidence after the fashionable LED wearable device raised funds of more than $30,000 (33.7 million won) on U.S.-based crowd-funding platform Kickstarter, only 32 days after its launch in late June.“With Niports gaining more-than-expected market responses, we were convinced of the strong demand in the night sports market,” he said in an email interview. “Our long-term goal is to turn the small startup into a well-known brand focusing on manufacturing nighttime hardware devices.”Noh said he has always felt a strong sense of attraction for activities easing inconveniences of people.He studied electrical engineering in college, but his experiences were far from those of the so-called “typical engineering students” in Korea. In college

Aug 29, 2016
Wearable startup company eyes foothold in night sports market

Veteran comedian Koo Bong-seo dies at 90

Koo Bong-seo / Korea Times fileKoo Bong-seo, once one of the most famous comedians in South Korea, died of old age on Saturday, according to his family. He was 90.Koo is known as a pioneer in the nation's comedy scene, having begun his career in the 1960s. He appeared in countless TV programs and more than 400 movies.In 2013, he received the Order of Cultural Merit from the government in recognition of his contribution to the export of South Korean comedy films."His health worsened 10 days ago and he died of old age," a bereaved family member said,A memorial altar for Koo has been set up at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital in southern Seoul, with his funeral due Monday. (Yonhap)

Aug 27, 2016
Veteran comedian Koo Bong-seo dies at 90
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