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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Korea slides in global competitiveness rankings

South Korea's global competitiveness ranking fell by four notches this year as government and business efficiency received lower points than the previous year, an international institute said Thursday.According to the 2014 report by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), South Korea ranked 26th in terms of global competitiveness among 60 countries surveyed.This marked the first time in four years that the country's ranking fell. South Korea had stayed at 22nd for the past three years after it dropped by a notch in 2011.IMD is a Swiss-based institute that releases competitiveness rankings every year based on economic achievements, infrastructure, and government and corporate efficiency. It has been issuing the report since 1997.In terms of economic achievements and infrastructure, South Korea's spots were unchanged at 20th and 19th, but the rankings for government and corporate efficiency fell to 26th and 39th from the previous year's 20th and 34th.In government efficiency, the IMD report gave lower scores for public finance, regulatory conditions, and business-

May 22, 2014
Korea slides in global competitiveness rankings

Chinese delegation

Educators from Beijing visit Itaewon Elementary School in Seoul, May 15. They are Feng Yanan, second from left, principal of Banchang Primary School; Hu Jing, third from left, program officer of the People’sGovernment of Beijing Municipality; and Guan Guozhen, fourth from left, deputy director-general of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality. They visited Korea for four days to expand exchanges and cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education./ Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education

May 21, 2014

New `internal bra' promises permanent push-up

By Kim Young-jin A new plastic surgery technique that delivers “firm, young-looking breasts” by fixing an “internal bra” beneath the skin is drawing attention in the United Kingdom.The operation implants a hardened silicon cup under the breast tissue, according to the Daily Mail. The breasts are lifted by fine silk straps attached to the ribs with screws.While the report added that three British women have undergone the operation, some surgeons were quoted as saying more clinical trials are needed to confirm its safety. In question is whether the internal bra will have long term effects on patients.The procedure supposedly delivers “firm, young-looking breasts that keep their shape over time.”The Sun reported that National Health Insurance patients scheduled for breast reductions or who suffer from breast cancer may become eligible to undergo the procedure for free.The procedure has been approved in the European Union but is under review in the United States, the Guardian reported.

May 21, 2014
New `internal bra' promises permanent push-up

`Celebrity life all about food, sex and sleep'

By Ko Dong-hwan Sex has become a dominant subject in Korean talk shows, but we also reached a point where every story has started to feel the same.Funnyman Shin Dong-yup, the host of E Channel’s ``Brave Reporters,’’ decided not to think too hard and to be blunt. In parts of the pre-recorded show released by the channel, Shin simply asked his guests, including singers Lady Jane and Kim Jung-min and comedian Kim Tae-hyun, what was most important for them between food, sex and sleep.Lady Jane and Kim Jung-min said they prioritized sleep, while Kim Tae-hyun picked food. Shim seemed a little disappointed that nobody answered ``sex’’ and began pressing his guests. Kim Tae-hyun finally said ``Okay, so it was sex for me until my early 30s, but right now food is definitely most important for me.’’The show will air on Wednesday at 11 p.m.

May 21, 2014By Ko Dong-hwan
`Celebrity life all about food, sex and sleep'

Actor Won Bin shown with Saenuri candidate

By Ko Dong-hwan Despite his superstar status in movies and television dramas, Won Bin has never been an actor who looks comfortable in prolonged spotlight.He did make his first public appearance in a while on Wednesday but at the most unlikely of places; the campaign office of a municipal council candidate in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province.Won, 37, arrived at the office of Sohn In-am, a candidate from President Park Geun-hye’s Saenuri Party, in Gwangmyeong Wednesday morning, shook hands with Sohn and stayed there just long enough for someone to take his photo and broadcast it on social media.Sohn happens to be the husband of one of Won’s sisters and also the CEO of Dream East On, the entertainment agency which represented Won before the actor entered compulsory military duty in 2005. 

May 21, 2014By Ko Dong-hwan
Actor Won Bin shown with Saenuri candidate

Internet idiot detained after 'corpse fetish' rant

By Ko Dong-hwanPolice in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, detained a man on charges of cyber bullying and spreading misinformation.In one of his bizarre rants, the man, a 34-year-old Oh, questioned why people were so interested in divers finding the bodies of the passengers who had boarded the sunken Sewol ferry and claimed Koreans were overcome by “corpse fetish.’’He also denounced the family members of the ferry victims and the public sympathizing with them as “uncivilized.’’At the police station, Oh explained to reporters that he believed the ferry should have been pulled out by now and wondered whether the ship was being kept under water because the public needed to quench its supposed thirst for seeing dead bodies.Despite letting an apology out of his mouth, he didn’t seem to think his comments were wrong at all.But is it right for law enforcement officials to comb the Internet to detect and punish idiots like Oh? Or should the Internet be allowed to police itself?The debate would have been more meaningful if the person who triggered it ha

May 21, 2014By Ko Dong-hwan
Internet idiot detained after 'corpse fetish' rant

Rising Sun?

The ceiling of an exhibition hall at Busan Citizens’ Park, operated by the Busan Metropolitan Government, is decorated with an image reminiscent of the Japanese Rising Sun flag, a symbol of the Japanese colonial era. The park said the image has nothing to do with Japan, but citizens are asking that the image be changed./ Yonhap

May 21, 2014

Bahrain boasts of openness, diversity

Factory buildings of Indian polyester filmmaking company JBF are seen at the Bahrain International Investment Park (BIIP) in Al-Hidd, Bahrain. The park houses production facilities or regional headquarters of over 100 foreign firms. / Courtesy of BIIPIsland nation striving to serve as gateway to Middle East, North AfricaBy Park Yoon-baeMANAMA — Bahrain is striving to attract more foreign investments in its bid to transform itself into a business and financial hub in the Middle East. It boasts of economic freedom, openness and diversity.“Bahrain has a long history of openness. It is the most diversified economy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region,” said Dr. Jarmo T. Kotilaine, chief economist at the Economic Development Board (EDB).He pointed out that the country has a very long history of being a regional hub of trade and investment, although it is a small country. Bahrain is a nation of 1.3 million people, and is roughly the same size as Singapore.Kotilaine stressed that Bahrain is aiming to serve as a gateway to the Middle East and North Africa, addi

May 21, 2014
Bahrain boasts of openness, diversity

Rice planting is fun

Children plant rice during an experience program in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, Wednesday./ Yonhap

May 21, 2014

Actress Jeon needs security for her earrings

By Ko Dong-hwanJeon Do-yeon, the Korean actress participating in this year’s Cannes Film Festival as a member of the jury, appears to be putting in Herculean effort to look the part.Her diamond earrings, for example, are so valuable they require their own bodyguards.The earrings are a creation of Van Cleef & Arpels Isabella, whose workers needed 400 hours to complete them.Made of 16.37 carets of marquise-cut diamonds and 2.67 carets of baguette-cut diamonds, the items were initially made to be displayed at a museum.Nonetheless, they look stunning on Jeon, judging by the slew of red carpet photos wired around the world. 

May 21, 2014By Ko Dong-hwan
Actress Jeon needs security for her earrings
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