Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Yu-na Named Amb. of Visit Korea Year

By Kang Hyun-kyung Staff Reporter First lady Kim Yun-ok named Kim Yu-na, the winner of the 2009 World Figure Skating Championship, as ambassador for the 2010-2012 Visit Korea Year, Wednesday. The first lady currently serves as an honorary chairwoman of the Visit Korea Year Committee, aimed at positioning the country as an attractive tourist destination under the three-year campaign. During a ceremony at Cheong Wa Dae, Kim said that the Korean figure skating star will help boost the brand value of Korean tourism by fulfilling the representative role for her home country, a Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said. ``Kim can give the most effective pitch by demonstrating a great performance at the Vancouver Winter Olympics next February,'' she said. The Visit Korea Year campaign, part of programs to upgrade the nation's brand value, is aimed at attracting 10 million foreigners and earning $10 billion in tourism income. hkang@koreatimes.co.kr

Apr 29, 2009

Lee Will Head Council for University Education

By Kang Shin-who Staff Reporter Ewha Womans University President Lee Bae-yong has been elected as head of the Korean Council for University Education (KCUE), a body that decides key university policies. The council announced Tuesday that Lee will succeed incumbent president Sohn Byong-doo as the 15th president of the KCUE from June 27. It is the first time the council has appointed a woman leader since its establishment in 1982. Sohn was supposed to head the council until April 2010, but because his presidency term at Sogang University expires on June 26, he has to step down. Lee will complete his term. Suh Geo-suk, president of Chonbuk National University, Lee Ki-su, president of Korea University, and Lee Hee-yeon, president of Kunsan National University, were also named as vice presidents of the council. ``I feel a heavy sense of responsibility as the council head in this transition period of university education,'' Lee said. ``I will do my best to upgrade this council as the nation's driving force for development.'' Lee, who is a Korean History scholar, w

Apr 28, 2009

Cho Yang-ho Listed in Air Cargo Hall of Fame

By Kim Rahn Staff Reporter Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho has been honored for his contributions to the world's cargo industry. Cho was elected to the Hall of Fame of The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) at its executive summit and annual general meeting in Vancouver, Canada, Monday. TIACA, founded in 1960, is a non-profit organization of international cargo businesses, boasting 400 members including airlines and airports. It started its Hall of Fame list in 1997. The association recognized Cho's contribution to the development of Korean Air and international logistics. Hanjin is working with the Uzbek government to make the Uzbek city of Navoi a logistics hub in Central Asia. As part of the project aimed to enhance Korean Air's competitiveness in air freight, the group will upgrade Navoi Airport facilities, form a global air transportation network and construct a logistics complex. Korean Air has also expanded cargo routes, adopted next-generation freighters and invested in expanding cargo terminals and developing e-business systems. Such efforts

Apr 28, 2009

Myanmars Naing Named Winner of Human Rights Prize

By Kang Hyun-kyung Staff Reporter The Gwangju Human Rights Committee named Min Ko Naing, a prisoner of conscience from Myanmar, as the winner of its 2009 human rights prize for his contributions to his country's democratization. He is currently in prison for organizing a demonstration, which gave rise to the Saffron Uprising in the Southeast Asian country. He was sentenced to 65 years imprisonment. The committee, chaired by Moon Young-hee, vice president of the Korea Democracy Foundation, called on the Myanmar government to release Naing and other prisoners of conscience as soon as possible. Born in Yangon, in 1962, Naing organized the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), a nationwide body, in 1988. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for triggering the ``8888 Uprising,'' so called because of its having occurred on Aug. 8, 1988. After being jailed for 15 years, he was released and continued his pro-democracy resistance. Approximately 2,000 prisoners of conscience have reportedly been arrested and imprisoned by Myanmar's military junta for eng

Apr 27, 2009

Fedor Will Promote Gangnam District

By Kwon Mee-yoo Staff Reporter Emelianenko Fedor, 32, the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts Heavyweight Champion, will become a goodwill ambassador for Gangnam District. The district will hold a ceremony to appoint Fedor as the goodwill ambassador at Myeonghwa Social Welfare Center today. After the ceremony, Fedor will convey a message of hope to low-income teenagers, perform a magic show and participate in an autograph event. The district said the popular sports fighter expressed the hope that he can help children living in poverty, as he once did. ``Fedor is going to implant dreams, hopes and a challenging spirit into the hearts of needy children,'' a ward official said. ``Sports stars like Fedor will help encourage the spirit of determination among juveniles.'' The fighter arrived in Korea Friday to promote the M-1, mixed martial arts events of Russian origin. He's visited Korea five times since his first visit in January 2006. After the five-day visit to Korea, Fedor will fly to Japan to participate in the ``DEEP M-1 Challenge 3rd Edition in J

Apr 26, 2009

Korean Filmmakers to Appear at Cannes

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Top Korean movie directors have been invited to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival running from May 13 to 24. The festival delegation announced the list of this year's competitors and jury members Thursday through the festival's official Web site ― they included Koreans Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho and Lee Chang-dong. According to the list, Park's ``Thirst'' will vie for the Palme d'Or, the highest prize awarded to competing films at the event. This is the second time that one of Park's films has been nominated, the first being ``Old Boy'' in 2004. The movie won the Grand Prix at Cannes that year. The thriller ``Thirst'' tells the story of a priest who becomes a vampire and falls in love with his friend's wife. It's slated for release here on April 30. ``I've worked on experimental works, even in the past, when people worried about the local movie industry, and I'm happy that my hard work has been recognized,'' Park said. Fellow filmmaker Bong will also join Park at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section with his new film ``Moth

Apr 24, 2009

Kang Named New CEO of LIG E&C

By Kim Tong-hyung Staff Reporter LIG Engineering and Construction, the construction arm of the LIG Group, picked former Hyundai Engineering and Construction executive Kang Hee-yong as its new chief executive officer, the company said Thursday. The company also plans to change its Korean name from LIG Kunyung to LIG Geonseol (construction) as it prepares to review its growth strategies to get a stronger position on domestic and global markets. The 62-year-old Kang is a construction industry veteran with more than 30 years experience and has worked as director of Hyundai E&C's public engineering division and the No.2 Yeongdong Expressway construction team. He recently was CEO of the privately owned No. 2 Yeongdong Expressway. Current LIG E&C CEO Noh Tai-wook was promoted to vice chairman of the group. ``Kang will help the company strengthen its competitiveness in public engineering, which was comparatively weak, and also find more growth from overseas markets and new businesses,'' said an LIG E&C spokesman. thkim@koreatimes.co.kr

Apr 23, 2009

LIG Insurance CEO to Climb Mt. Everest

By Yoon Ja-young Staff Reporter LIG Insurance CEO Koo Cha-joon will leave for Mt. Everest Monday for a very special mission ― the donation of 1,000 won for every 1 meter in altitude he climbs. The CEO is leading an expedition that aims at opening up a "Everest Korean route.'' He is scheduled to climb Everest from Lukla, a town in the Khumbu region of eastern Nepal, 2,840 meters above sea level, to the base camp located 5,364 meters above sea level. Hence, he will climb 2,524 meters in total, donating 2,524,000 won to a scholarship for children of car accident victims. The team will climb the southwest face of the mountain, one of Everest's most difficult trails. Only U.K. and Russian expeditions have succeeded there so far. Koo has led expedition teams to K2, the South Pole, North Pole, Vinson Massif and Ama Dablam. He has also led teams to Everest a number of times. Koo is also widely known for his love for marathons. He has been donating 100 won for every one meter he's run since he participated in the Berlin Marathon in 2004 and has raised nearly 40 million won so f

Apr 22, 2009

UK Journalist Illuminates Forgotten War

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Fifty-eight years ago on this very day, April 22, 1951, the Korean War (1950-53) had been blazing for almost a year, and U.N. forces were sure the war was won. The Imjin River front stood still in silence, as Britain's 29th Infantry Brigade stationed along this critical line was about to wrap things up. But catastrophe broke loose with the largest communist offensive of the war. Outnumbered 7-1, the soldiers stood in desperation for three days. One particular battalion, the Glosters, was stranded in enemy territory and had to fight back-to-back until their ammunition was exhausted. ``That's why it's called `To The Last Round,''' said Andrew Salmon, a Seoul-based British journalist, about his new book on Tuesday. ``The Last Round: The Epic British Stand on the Imjin River, Korea 1951'' (Aurum London) is the first comprehensive account of the conflict with China and North Korea and is being translated to film by internationally renowned director Daniel Gordon. ``British forces have fought all over the world since the 1950s, but Imjin River remain

Apr 21, 2009

Jang to Win Grand Prize From LIG Group

By Yoon Ja-young Staff Reporter Jang Hwa-sik, the CEO of LIG Hyun & Jang, will be awarded the Grand Prize at ``Gold Member's Day 2009'' held by LIG Insurance Friday, according to the insurer. ``Gold Member's Day'' is the biggest annual event held by the LIG Group, in which employees and executives of the group that have excelled are awarded and honored. The event for this year will be held at the Grand Intercontinental Hotel in southern Seoul. Jang, who is also the head of the alumni association of the Graduate School of Business at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, is one of the most well-known female leaders in the insurance industry. chizpizza@koreatimes.co.kr

Apr 16, 2009

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