Project back on track to make Yeosu oil hub of Northeast Asia

KNOC pushing to build another  oil storage  facility in UlsanThe Korea National Oil Corporation’s ambitious scheme to develop Yeosu, South Jeolla Province into an oil hub of Northeast Asia comparable to Europe’s ARA (Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp) and Singapore’s Jurong Island has finally begun to proceed smoothly.An oil tank terminal with a capacity to store 8.2 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products is under construction in Yeosu. Oil Hub Korea Yeosu, a subsidiary of the KNOC,

IndustryApril 19, 2012

Fertility treatment bans in Europe draw criticism

LONDON (AP) ― More than three decades after Britain produced the world’s first test-tube baby, Europe is a patchwork of restrictions for people who need help having a child.Many countries have strict rules on who is allowed to get fertility treatments. And recent court rulings suggest nothing’s likely to change anytime soon.France and Italy forbid single women and lesbian couples from using artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization, or IVF, to conceive. Austria and Italy are among those

TechnologyApril 19, 2012

Fatty liver disease afflicts obese youths

ST. LOUIS ― Jake Watters is a typical teenager who loves listening to music, playing video games and annoying his parents. But he also faces a health challenge that used to only be seen in much older people.Fatty liver disease, a condition historically diagnosed in adults with diabetes or alcoholism, is increasingly diagnosed in obese children and teens.About 6 million young people in the U.S. have the chronic condition that can lead to liver scarring, inflammation and failure. Nearly all of the

TechnologyApril 19, 2012

Dentists a stop for beauty business too

Your teeth and jaw are hugely important to your appearance. Think of the many TV personalities and sports stars whose appearances have benefitted from corrective jaw bone surgery. Though your eyes, nose, forehead, eyebrows and lips may be perfect, a simple protrusion or retrusion of your teeth or asymmetrical jaw line can make a huge difference to how you look, says Dr. Lee Jin-gew, oral and maxillofacial surgery specialist at M Dental Clinic.“From an aesthetic point of view to health reasons, o

TechnologyApril 19, 2012

Pollen-induced allergic rhinitis

In spring when all things come to life, buds appear on the trees and pollen fills the air. But there are some patients who fear going outside during this good season. These patients have allergies that include allergic rhinitis, or inflammation of the nasal passage, conjunctivitis and allergic asthma. Allergic rhinitis is defined as the specific response of the nose to a variety of stimuli. In addition, pollen-induced allergies are defined when the pollen acts as an antigen and triggers allergy

TechnologyApril 19, 2012

Advanced analytics will create new paradigm: LG CNS chief

LG CNS chief executive Kim Dae-hoon said Thursday advanced analytics is rising as a new paradigm that offers insight and understanding, with “intelligence” becoming the keyword in this smart era.“There were other analytics in the past but advanced analytics is differentiated from others because it finds what’s meaningful in various piles of data, which helps people understand the situation more quickly and make forecasts, while getting the insights,” he said during his keynote speech at its conf

IndustryApril 19, 2012

LG CNS focuses on ‘big data’ era

Rising use of Internet, gadgets signal big change for local businessesThe era of big data has arrived with the wide use of Internet-connected and wireless devices, signaling a major change in the way local companies work and manage information.In line with the shift, LG CNS, a total information technology service firm, on Thursday held Entrue World 2012, a conference focusing on the big data era.Themed “New frontier of the smart world: Advanced analytics,” the company invited global analyst Thom

IndustryApril 19, 2012

Computers learn to “read” emotions

A group of scientists from Massachusetts Institution of Technology are developing computers that can recognize facial expressions, the BBC reported Tuesday. Using this technology, computers can identify basic emotions such as like, dislike, confusion by taking information about people’s faces via camera and analyzing how they move over time.Researchers said they can apply this technology in many ways. For example, it’s possible to gather information on people’s responses to advertisements by loo

TechnologyApril 19, 2012

Samsung Total’s entry aimed at curbing petrol prices

Pan-governmental measures include a new petrol  supplier, tax breaks for discount gas stations and electronic trading Samsung Total Petrochemicals Co. is set to break into the tightly controlled retail petrol market as part of the government’s across-the-board drive to rein in skyrocketing gas prices and revamp Korea’s fuel supply structure. A pan-governmental task force headed by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy unveiled the proposal on Thursday, which also envisages an upsurge in electronic t

April 19, 2012

Japan study raises hopes of cure for baldness

Japanese researchers have successfully grown hair on hairless mice by implanting follicles created from stem cells, they announced Wednesday, sparking new hopes of a cure for baldness.This handout picture taken on April 13, 2012 and released by the Tsuji Lab Research Institute for Science and Technology of the Tokyo University of Science shows a hairless mouse with black hair on its back at the la

TechnologyApril 19, 2012

Surveillance tightened on online racist comments

The Korea Communications Standards Commission said Tuesday that it will tighten its online surveillance on Internet posts that contain comments related to racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance. The move came amid a flood of angry posts aimed at migrant workers following the rape and murder case involving a Korean-Chinese man in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, early this month More recently, there have also been a slew of racist comments targeted at Jasmine Lee, a naturalized woman from the

IndustryApril 18, 2012

Samsung, Apple to meet for patent talks

Samsung agrees to meet 90-day deadline for talks in the U.S.Samsung Electronics confirmed Wednesday that its vice chairman Choi Gee-sung will meet with Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook to discuss matters on their ongoing patent disputes in nine different nations.“We decided to work together on reaching a compromise with Apple by arranging a meeting of chief executives, along with the firms’ legal representatives within 90 days in response to a court’s order,” said a Samsung official.The official

IndustryApril 18, 2012

Hyundai Steel to boost export to Southeast Asia

Hyundai Steel will boost its exports to Indonesia to 340,000 metric tons of hot-rolled steel annually, its press release said.This comes as Hyundai Steel signed a memorandum of understanding to supply its steel to PT Essar Indonesia in the region where the Korean steel-maker also has two other customers, its spokesperson said. Essar is the largest cold-rolled steel producer in Indonesia, according to media reports. Hot-rolled steel is produced through traditional blast furnaces that can later be

IndustryApril 18, 2012

GS chairman Huh focuses on corporate citizenship efforts

GS Group chairman Huh Chang-soo on Wednesday emphasized the corporation’s role in promoting fair competition and corporate citizenship to build public trust and attain sustainable growth.He pledged to scale up the Korean conglomerate’s social contribution programs and foster co-prosperity with its smaller suppliers and subcontractors.“Being accepted as a respectable corporate citizen is as critical as running a successful business,” Huh said in a meeting with executives in Seoul. “That’s what we

IndustryApril 18, 2012

BEXCO has high hopes for Busan Motor Show

 CEO Kim says May show will focus on low-emission vehiclesThe Busan Exhibition & Convention Center is striving to upgrade the Busan Motor Show through this year’s event, which may be the largest ever.The Busan International Motor Show 2012 is projected to mark “58 percent growth” compared to the previous event in 2010, BEXCO president & CEO Kim Soo-ik told a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday.The auto show ― which will emphasize low-emission vehicles ― will be held for 11 days from May 24 to

MobilityApril 18, 2012