Senior gardening plans save money, improve quality of life

A project in Britain that paired seniors and gardening enthusiasts increased the quality of life of both and saved healthcare funds, officials said. Sarah Jackson, a horticulturalist, found volunteers who had no access to land to plant a garden with older people who wanted to maintain their gardens but could no longer work on them anymore.  Three years later, Jackson said not only did the elderly

TechnologyMay 29, 2012

Is sewage the next energy source?

New research improves microbial fuel cells that feed on waste waterKorean scientists have reported major progress in turning microbes in waste water into sources of electricity.The researchers from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology claimed that they have significantly improved the capacity of microbial fuel cells by modulizing them. The device converts the chemical energy from organisms into electricity using bacterial metabolism as the catalyst. It is regarded as one of the most p

TechnologyMay 28, 2012

Government to host seminar on development

South Korea will convene a meeting of officials from China, Japan and other Asian countries on Wednesday to discuss ways to foster sustainable development without increasing budget deficits.The Ministry of Strategy and Finance said it will host the conference at the Grand Intercontinental Hotel in southeastern Seoul through Friday jointly with the International Monetary Fund to focus on ways to secure state budgets for sustainable growth amid the worsening debt crisis in the eurozone.The seminar

May 28, 2012

Korean Air, Mongolian Airlines blasted for monopolizing route

The nation’s antitrust watchdog said Monday that it would penalize Korean Air and MIAT Mongolian Airlines for peddling influence to monopolize the route connecting Incheon and Ulaanbaatar. According to the Fair Trade Commission, the two flag carriers offered favors to Mongolian aviation authorities to prevent competitors, such as Asiana Airlines, from operating flight services since 2005.Since a civil aviation agreement made in 1991, the flights between the two cities have been offered only by K

IndustryMay 28, 2012

EU retailers to seek Korean partners at Seoul trade fair

The Korea Trade Investment Promotion Agency said Monday that it will hold a business fair for European retail companies next month on the first anniversary of the Korea-EU free trade pact. According to the state-run trade promoter, 10 European retailers specialized in fashion and household goods will visit Korea to participate in the Europe Consumer Market Plaza 2012, which is held on June 27 and 28. Among the participating companies are French supermarket chain Monoprix, Swedish fashion retaile

IndustryMay 28, 2012

Trade deal spurs record flow of North Sea oil to S. Korea

An unprecedented 24 million barrels of North Sea crude were exported to South Korea since December after a free trade agreement with the European Union opened the 16,500-mile (26,500-kilometer) arbitrage trade. Twelve very large crude carriers have been booked to transport the oil to South Korea since mid-December, the most on record over a five-month period, according to tanker reports and ship-tracking data from IHS Inc. The FTA, which started in July 2011, gives refiners in the Asian nation a

May 28, 2012

International airline traffic surges 22.6%

South Korea’s international air passenger traffic surged 22.6 percent in April from a year earlier due to a sharp rise in visitors from Japan and other countries, and more Koreans going abroad, the government said Monday.The number of international air passengers came to some 3.75 million last month, the highest number for the month of April, according to the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs.The previous record was reached in April 2011, when numbers hit 3.07 million.The ministry

May 28, 2012

Korea to build world’s largest hydrogen-powered town

The Ministry of Knowledge Economy said Monday that it will launch the “Hydrogen Town Pilot Project” to establish futuristic energy infrastructure that uses waste hydrogen and hydrogen fuel cell technologies to meet the nation’s energy consumption needs.With a budget of 9 billion won ($7.6 million) coming from the government and industries, the project will create the world’s largest hydrogen-powered town in Korea, potentially by late this year when related facilities are completed as scheduled,

May 28, 2012

EUCCK to meet on nuclear power plant

The European Chamber of Commerce in Korea, or EUCCK, will hold an executives’ round table meeting in Seoul on June 7.It will be held at the EUCCK headquarters, located in Euljiro 4-ga, Jung-gu.Seoul Metropolitan City’s Chief of the Climate Environment Department, Lim Ok-ki, will discuss the possibility of turning off a nuclear power plant in the city.For more information, please visit www.eucck.org.

May 28, 2012

FKCCI to host Caf du Commerce

The French Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or FKCCI, will hold an informal networking session on June 7.As part of its Cafe du Commerce series, the event will take place at the Novotel Ambassador Gangnam from 6:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.Guests can enjoy a French-style buffet featuring regional as well as traditional dishes. Wine will also be offered. The event costs 26,000 won. For more information, call (02) 531-6868 or e-mail novogfbcoord@ambatel.com.

May 28, 2012

Business Start-up School invites expats

The Seoul Global Center is inviting future entrepreneurs to the second session of its Business Start-up School for this year, officials said.The program provides expats in Seoul with the necessary information to set up and run a business successfully as well as a chance to network with other expats and local professionals, the officials said.The Business Start-up School is a tuition-free program run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.The program will last for 10 days starting June 25 at the Se

May 28, 2012

Tax seminar for foreign businesses at COEX

The Seoul Global Business Support Center will hold a tax seminar on Tuesday for foreign businesses operating in Korea, organizers said.The seminar will run from 6:30-9p.m. at a COEX conference room on the third floor in southern Seoul. Tax experts Bae Jin-ho and Lee Young-mi will speak about how to operate a business in Korea and make it successful, according to the organizers.After the speech, a question-and-answer session and networking time will be given to participants.

May 28, 2012

AMCHAM members hold campaigns to benefit underprivileged

Members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, or AMCHAM Korea, held more than 19 corporate social responsibility events or activities during the first quarter of 2012. The events help companies give back to the local community, and the chamber says in its official publication that it is a cornerstone of AMCHAM membership. Many of the programs helped benefit local students or the underprivileged. PPG Industries Korea offered scholarships for eight female Korean students majoring in chemis

May 28, 2012