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Independence Fighter Moon Tae-soo Honored

By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has selected Moon Tae-soo (1880-1913) as the Independence Fighter of the month in consultation with the Korea Liberation Association and the Independence Hall of Korea. Moon was one of the prominent independence fighters who led volunteer troops, called ``Uibyeong,'' during the 1910-1945 Japanese colonial period. Moon was born in Hamyang, North Gyeongsang Province, in March 1880 and later moved to Jangsoo, North Jeolla Province. As Japan forced the Ulsa Treaty in 1905 which took away the sovereignty of Korea, Moon began preparations to fight for the nation's independence from Japan, in cooperation with his colleagues including Choi Ik-hyun. In 1906, he rallied volunteer troops at Muju in North Jeolla Province and commanded the troops successfully during some 60 battles in Seoul, as well as the Jeolla and Chungcheong provinces. In 1911, Moon was arrested after one of his colleagues tipped off the Japanese police about his whereabouts. He committed suicide in prison in 1913 when he w

Feb 25, 2008

Henney to Join Hugh Jackman in X-Men Prequel

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Hearthrob actor Daniel Henney, 28, will costar in the new X-men spin-off film ``X-men Origins: Wolverine.'' Henney will star as Agent Zero of the Mutant Weapon X program, a mutant who can control electricity and has specialized tracking abilities, according to Twentieth Century Fox Korea. The Mutant Weapon X program aims to control mutants and transform them into living weapons. The movie ``Wolverine'', directed by Gavin Hood, is a prequel to the X-men saga that traces Wolverine's past as he discovers the world of mutants. The audience will join Wolverine's journey as he finds out he's a mutant, gets tangled up in with Sabretooth and learns more about the Weapon X program. Hugh Jackman, also the producer of the film, will once again play Wolverine, while Liev Schreiber will star as his nemesis, Sabretooth. Danny Huston will be the young William Stryker, who was originally played by Brian Cox in the previous X-men movies. New mutant characters other than Henny will also appear, such as Dominic Monaghan from the famed TV series ``Lo

Feb 24, 2008

Korea Times Reporters Win Journalist Award

Two reporters of The Korea Times won an award from the Journalist Association of Korea and the Korea Press Foundation. Yoon Won-sup at the political desk and Kang Shin-who at the city desk have been named as the winners of the ``209th Journalist of the Month,’’ the association announced Friday. Their articles, first published on January 21, dealt with regulations governing the Ministry of Justice’s English teaching or E-2 visa that restricts the grant of the visa to only citizens from the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa. Many Asian nations that have English as an official language have balked at the rules and the two reporters first reported on the issue through a series of in-depth articles. As a result, the Korea Immigration Service came to admit the unfair factors of the regulations on E-2 visa. The newspaper was also the first to report on the immigration authority’s plan to revise the rules. kswho@koreatimes.co.kr

Feb 24, 2008

Mayor Strives to Take Milan Beyond Fashion

By Kim Se-jeong Staff Reporter Milan equals fashion? A visit to Seoul by the mayor of Milan, known for sleek fashion, last week is expected to boost scientific, artistic, and environmental exchanges between Italy and Korea. Mayor Letizia Moratti came to Korea Monday for a two-day visit. The Italian Embassy in Seoul welcomed her at a reception with nearly 100 guests. During her stay, she met Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Incheon Mayor Ahn Sang-soo. They invited her to visit Korea when they were in Milan last year. Moratti and the Korean mayors agreed to collaborate in science, biotechnology, exhibition, design and fashion. Milan and Incheon will work hand in hand in the fields of bio-technology, exhibitions and music. A music conservatory in the Italian city will open a branch in Incheon, offering students who wish to study in the European country an affordable music education alternative. With Seoul, Milan will work closely in fashion and design, in particular for the World Design Olympics that Seoul will host in October. She also endorsed support from

Feb 20, 2008

Comedian Park Crosses Inter-Korean Border

By Kwon Mee-yoo Staff Reporter Hit entertainer of ``Infinite Challenge,'' Park Myung-soo became the first comedian to cross the Military Demarcation Line by an overland route, Wednesday. ``I heard that I am the first entertainer to cross the border through the land route. It is an honor for my family,'' Park said. As a part of an OBS program ``Park Myung-soo Meets the CEO,'' Park visited the joint industrial complex in Gaeseong in North Korea. During a one-day trip to the North, he met with South Korean businessmen and workers in the complex. ``I did not know that Gaeseong is only 12 kilometers away from Dorasan Station. It is so sad that we couldn't go there because of the division of the Korean peninsula,'' Park told reporters at the station. He is famous for his ``bawling out,'' but he said that he would not have outbursts at North Koreans to keep the peaceful mood between the South and North. Park, who made his debut in MBC's ``Gag Contest'' in 1993, is a comedian who also released albums as a singer. His hit songs include ``Prince of the Sea'' and his f

Feb 20, 2008

Speed, Vision and Message Key to Reform

By Yoon Won-sup Staff Reporter Cho Hai-hyung, dean of the corps of honorary consuls in South Korea, said the Lee Myung-bak government will need speed, vision and communication to realize successful reform and economic revival. ``The new government seems determined to bring reform and innovation in our society. But successful change and reform require high speed,'' Cho told The Korea Times Tuesday. Though President-elect Lee is expected to face some opposition to his reform plans, he needs to complete them by pushing very quickly and hard, the dean added. Cho also recommended Lee to show concrete goals and vision for the public so that people can understand and support a variety of new policies. ``In some cases, a leader can see his popularity drop due to his specific policy, but he should tough it out if he thinks it right,'' he said. ``At the same time, the leader will need ability to coordinate all the different voices.'' An experienced CEO, Cho also said Lee should deliver a clear message to the public that his goal of job creation and an economic growth rate o

Feb 20, 2008

Korean Named Head of OECD Pension Board

By Park Hyong-ki Staff Reporter Kwon Tae-shin, the Korean ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), has been named as the chairman of the organization's pension budget and reserve fund management board. The board, comprised of six officials headed by Kwon, is in charge of managing the OECD's pension and reserve funds, which are estimated to be around 200 million euros (280 billion won). The graduate of Seoul National University in economics was appointed as a permanent representative of Korea to the OECD in May 2006. Prior to becoming the ambassador, Kwon was the vice minister of finance and economy. He started his career at the ministry in 1977. phk@koreatimes.co.kr

Feb 20, 2008

Reporter-Turned-Actress Debuts in Night and Day

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter New actress Seo Min-jeong is attracting attention for her supporting role in the critically acclaimed film ``Night and Day.'' It was recently revealed that Seo used to work as a reporter at the Kwangju Ilbo. ``Night and Day,'' directed by Hong Sang-soo, received praise from critics and audiences when it premiered in the 58th Berlin International Film Festival last week. It was one of four Asian films competing for the much-coveted Golden Bear award. The film revolves around a successful artist, played by Kim Young-ho, who faces arrest for smoking marijuana and flees to France. He meets an art student, played by Seo, who introduces him to another beautiful art student, played by Park Eun-hye. Seo started working as a reporter for the Kwangju Ilbo's culture desk in August 2004. Last year, Seo went to France to study. While studying there, she heard about an audition for a supporting role in Hong's film. She tried her luck in the auditions and was cast in the film. Seo was overwhelmed by the experience of walking the red carpet in

Feb 19, 2008

Kevin Wright Named CEO of PCA Life

By Yoon Ja-young Staff Reporter PCA Life Insurance, a leading British life insurer in the country, said Kevin Wright was appointed as its new CEO. Wright will have the whole Northeast Asian market under his management, the CEO of PCA Life in Japan will report to him as well. Wright started his career in the insurance industry as a financial consultant, showing remarkable achievement in various insurance channels and management during his over 25-year-career. He was CEO of PCA Life in Hong Kong, right before coming to Korea. ``I find the CEO job at PCA Life in Korea very attractive... I will make many efforts with all our PCA staff to continue the achievement,'' Wright said in a press release. chizpizza@koreatimes.co.kr

Feb 19, 2008

Married Woman Graduates From Ewha for First Time

By Kim Tae-jong Staff Reporter At a first glance, Ki Sung-hwa seems to be just an ordinary student who will soon graduate from university. The 31-year-old woman may look a bit older than her colleagues as she entered the university later in life. But what makes her graduation more meaningful is the fact that she will be the first married woman to graduate from Ewha Womans' University. The university used to ban a married woman from entering the school until 2003. Ki and Jeon Young-mi, 36, were the first students who entered the school as married women. But Ki can have the title of the first married graduate from the school as Jeon took time off from her studies. ``It was hard for me to study new things at my age with younger school mates,'' Ki said. ``But looking back, time has passed just so fast and although I tried to do my best all the time, I have some regrets.'' It seems that her graduation has proved that marriage status is not a hindrance to women wishing to study and the ban by the university was questionable. It wasn't an easy decision but Ki couldn't

Feb 18, 2008
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