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Former Lawmaker Named NHIC Head

By Kang Shin-who Staff Reporter Former lawmaker Chung Hyung-keun, 63, has been named as new president of the National Health Insurance Corporation (NHIC), the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said Sunday. ``Chung is a welfare specialist and worked as lawmaker for our ministry. We expect Chung will successfully set up new insurance system we need,'' the ministry spokesman said. Graduating from Seoul National University in law, Chung worked at the prosecution's office in Suwon, Chuncheon and Gangneung before serving with the National Intelligence Service. He was also elected as a lawmaker for three times and worked as a senior legislator for the Grand National Party. He will have an official inauguration ceremony on Monday. kswho@koreatimes.co.kr

Sep 21, 2008

Korean Wins Moscow Chopin Competition

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter A 14-year-old South Korean middle school student won first prize at the 6th Moscow International Frederick Chopin Competition for Young Pianists Saturday. In addition to Cho Sung-jin, Korea's Ryu Eun-sil, 16, finished fifth at one of the world's leading music events for children. A total of 36 children aged 16 and under from nine countries ― including five from Korea ― competed for awards after making the preliminary round Sept. 12. At the closing ceremony in Moscow, Cho swept not only the first prize ($5,000) but also awards for best concerto, best polonaise, youngest player and jury prize. ``Mr. Cho is highly deserving of the first prize for his exceptional sense of tone and pianism,'' jury president Petrov was quoted as saying by Yonhap News. ``Chopin's piano pieces are difficult in that they require both technical talent and artistic musicality. It is highly impressive that Cho beat other competitors at the young age of 14,'' said Lee Yang-suk, a faculty member of Sunhwa Arts High School and jury member of the competition. Cho began play

Sep 21, 2008

Architects Successful Career of Dreams

By Kwaak Jeyup Korea Times Intern One of the world's most renowned architects and Pritzker laureate, Tadao Ando, gave a lecture about his career of dreams at the 63 Building in Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday evening. The story of his extremely unusual professional career path resonated through the jam-packed conference room and visibly inspired the audience, evidenced by the thunderous applause. His natural flow of humor drew rounds of laughter, not only keeping the two-hour lecture light but also re-enforcing the connection between the speaker and the audience. He was speaking at the first of the three-part Hanhwa Dream Conference series this year. Ando started as a professional boxer during his late teens in his native working-class neighborhood in Osaka, and by the age of 21, had traveled through North America, Europe, Africa and Asia in order to study architecture ― by observation and self-instruction. Seven years later, he established his own firm and took on his inaugural project, modifying a tiny and dated house in his hometown. Foretelling a career known for his env

Sep 19, 2008

Central American Media Mogul on Visit to Seoul

By Michael Ha Staff Reporter The head of one of the largest newspaper groups in Central America said Thursday he hopes to learn firsthand about Korea's ``miraculous growth'' and share his observations back home. Enrique Altamirano, 77, president of El Salvador's Group Altamirano Madriz, is on a whirlwind tour of Korea to meet with journalists and academics. ``I had the pleasure of meeting with various Korean newspaper editors. I will also go to see a newspaper printing plant here in Korea,'' Altamirano told The Korea Times during his visit to paper's head office in Seoul. The Central American media empire publishes ``El Diario de Hoy,'' a conservative-leaning daily newspaper with one of the largest circulations in the country. The combined daily readership for his group's publications is some 130,000. The media group also operates Albacrome, the largest commercial printing plant of its kind in Central America and the Caribbean. When asked about his philosophy and guiding principles for publishing newspapers, Altamirano said, ``Our papers try to promote principles

Sep 18, 2008

Park Named President of Intl Surgeons Society

By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter Surgeon Park Jae-gahb of Seoul National University Hospital was elected as the next President of the International Society of University Colon and Rectal Surgeons, the hospital said Thursday. Park, 60, has served as the acting commissioner and vice president of the group, which is formed of world-renowned professionals who specialize in the intestines and anus. His term will start from 2010, when Seoul will be hosting the Society's biannual seminar. Park is considered the top authority in cancer of the colon in the nation. He urges fellow doctors to perform a physical examination of the patient to feel the tumor directly, instead of looking at the examination results only. He served as the National Cancer Center Director through 2003 to 2006. At the Society's seminar held in San Diego through Sept. 14-17, Park gave a lecture on human papillomavirus affecting anal cancer. bjs@koreatimes.co.kr

Sep 18, 2008

Ex-Hongik Univ. President Dies

By Park Si-soo Staff Reporter Former Hongik University President Lee Hang-nyong died Wednesday. He was 93. Born in 1915 in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, he graduated from the Law Department of Kyeongseong Imperial University, now Seoul National University, in 1940. He served as a vice education minister in 1960 and then president of Hongik University between 1972 and 1980. Passing the bar exam when the Korean peninsula was under Japanese colonial rule, he recently received media attention by confessing that he took part in pro-Japanese activities as a county head during that period. Later, he officially apologized for these past actions. He is survived by six sons and two daughters. pss@koreatimes.co.kr

Sep 17, 2008

Zuckermann Will Conduct Korea-Israel Friendship Concert

By Kim Se-jeong Staff Reporter Prominent Israeli conductor Ariel Zuckermann, 35, will wield the baton today at the Korea-Israel Friendship Concert to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of both countries. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at the KBS Hall in Yeouido, Seoul. The program includes Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A Major Op. 92 and Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77/99 with Susie Koh, a Korean-Israeli violinist. Zuckermann, who currently leads the RIAS Youth Orchestra Berlin in Germany, arrived in Korea Monday. It is his first trip here. Last month, he conducted the ``60 years of Israel'' concert in Berlin together with the RIAS Youth Orchestra and the Young Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Zuckermann, who is also a flutist, has worked extensively as a soloist and chamber musician in Europe, Asia and the United States. skim@koreatimes.co.kr

Sep 17, 2008

US Generals Experience Korean Folk Culture

By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter Top U.S. military generals in South Korea had the unique experience of playing various traditional Korean folk games over the last weekend, marking Chuseok, the Korean Thanksgiving Day, a spokesman of the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC) said Wednesday. Deputy CFC Commander Gen. Lee Sung-chool invited about 15 American commanders, including CFC Commander Gen. Walter L. Sharp, and their families to his residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, last Saturday, a day before the annual harvest festival, said the spokesman. About 70 Korean and U.S. participants dressed in hanbok, Korean costumes, watched Samulnori, a genre of Korea's traditional percussion music, and played a variety of games, including neoltuigi, the Korean version of a seesaw, and tuho, an old game of skill that involves throwing arrows into a barrel from a distance. ``The ROK-U.S. alliance is the strongest in the world, and we work very hard together,'' said Sharp, who concurrently serves as chief of the U.S. Forces Korea and the United Nations Command. ``It's great to b

Sep 17, 2008

Brothers From S. Africa Join Military

By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter Every year, there are reports about young men fleeing the country to dodge their mandatory military service. However, Privates Kim Yu-seung, 24, and Kim Gyu-wan, 22, came to Korea from South Africa to defend their homeland voluntarily. The brothers were born in South Africa and gained citizenship there. The elder brother went to Vega, The Brand Communications School, while the other went to the British International College in that country. However, they learned that the Korean government considers Korean men with foreign nationalities still eligible for military service, the two decided to come here to perform their duty. The brothers came to Korea and went to Yonsei Korean Language Institute to study the Korean language before reporting for enlistment. They are now stationed with the forward posted 3rd Infantry `` Skeleton'' Division. The two are teaching their fellow squad members English and are in turn learning Korean from them, which makes life as soldiers quite rewarding, they say. ``It wasn't just about keeping my eligibility f

Sep 15, 2008

Climate Change Ambassador Calls for Change in Lifestyle

By Kim Se-jeong Staff Reporter Forty-seven years ago, former U.S. President John F. Kennedy said during his inaugural address, ``Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.'' That's what Climate Change Ambassador Chung Rae-kwon asked people to do in combating climate change, ``Don't ask the government to handle it. Change your lifestyle to reduce carbon gas emissions.'' Consensus is forming that the Earth is getting warmer, and human activities are to be blamed. And globally, growing concern over what can happen as a consequence propels people ― from first-grade students to CEOs of business firms ― to take action on a personal level. However, ``Koreans seriously fall short on consciousness about climate change,'' Chung pointed out. ``People must stop driving big cars. And if you still ask what's the problem with fueling gas out of my pocket? That's a problem.'' Without public consciousness and consensus, he said, the government will be obstructed from proceeding with climate change policies. For example, ``Korea may need

Sep 15, 2008
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