Park hopes to transform Korea into start-up nation

Following is the 11th in a series of articles on President-elect Park Geun-hye’s key policies ― Ed. Korea has entered a period of low growth. A slew of analysts say it is heading in a direction similar to Japan’s “Lost Decade.”With 1 percent growth coupled with the global economy facing further slowdown in 2013, the outlook for Korean exports, the country’s main source of growth, is not looking rosy.President-elect Park Geun-hye, who has an engineering background, sees a need to overcome future

Jan. 3, 2013

Brain image study: Fructose may spur overeating

This is your brain on sugar ― for real. Scientists have used imaging tests to show for the first time that fructose, a sugar that saturates the American diet, can trigger brain changes that may lead to overeating.After drinking a fructose beverage, the brain doesn’t register the feeling of being full as it does when simple glucose is consumed, researchers found.It’s a small study and does not prove that fructose or its relative, high-fructose corn syrup, can cause obesity, but experts say it add

Jan. 3, 2013

Influenza viruses on rise as winter deepens

As the cold spell tightens its grip on the country, reports of flu-like illnesses have grown in the last few weeks. Health authorities advised Thursday that people maintain personal hygiene and consider flu shots to avoid illness.The number of people suspected of having influenza per 1,000 outpatients was 2.8 in the third week of December, a slight increase from 2.7 surveyed a week before, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report. If the rate reaches more than 4, the hea

Jan. 3, 2013

Get your new year off to a healthy start

People often make New Year’s resolutions to quit smoking or start regular exercise to improve their health. However, many fail to keep to their resolutions for even a month. Everyone knows how to keep healthy, but it is no simple task to hold back on things you want and do things you do not like. It is very difficult to keep to your goals without a special motivation when you are tired or busy. If a friend of the same age as you dies suddenly or is diagnosed with a serious disease unexpectedly,

Jan. 3, 2013

Kakao Story hits 1 billion postings

Kakao Story, a mobile social network service in South Korea, said its number of users reached 32.5 million, with more than 1 billion postings uploaded. Kakao Story, launched in March 2012, has gathered users rapidly thanks to its affiliation with Kakao Talk, Korea’s biggest mobile messenger. Kakao Talk contains a link to Kakao Story and users can automatically send their friends a message recommending its affiliated SNS service. Kakao Story sports a friendly user interface and simplified functio

Jan. 3, 2013

New online game ArcheAge garners mixed reviews

ArcheAge, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, officially launched its open beta service on Wednesday, generating mixed responses from Korean gamers.ArcheAge, produced by Korean game company XLGames, made its long-awaited debut after 6 years of development in which over 40 billion won was invested. The game is one of the most anticipated blockbuster titles in 2013, instantly drawing more than 250,000 local gamers who applied for an advance character registration service ahead of the

Jan. 3, 2013

Study: A few extra pounds help you survive

Moderately overweight people are less likely to die than people of normal weight, a U.S. government study published Wednesday indicates.Being substantially obese, with a body mass index of 35 and higher, does raise the death risk 29 percent, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention‘s National Center for Health Statistics said in the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.But overweight people with a BMI of 25 to 30 -- who make up more than 30 per

Jan. 3, 2013

KT to establish self-supporting accounting system

KT, the country’s No. 2 mobile carrier, is undergoing changes to establish a self-supporting accounting system that will improve efficiency and enhance financial transparency of the firm.A key KT executive recently told a pool of reporters that the company was planning to run the new self-supporting accounting system for its three divisions -- Telecom & Convergence, Customer, and Global & Enterprise. The divisions currently are headed by three different chiefs -- Pyo Hyun-myung for T&C, Seo Yu-y

Jan. 3, 2013

Study: Babies learn language in the womb

Babies start learning language in the womb and at birth can differentiate between sounds from their native language and a foreign language, U.S. scientists say.Researchers at the University of Washington and Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma report unborn babies are listening to their mothers talk during the last 10 weeks of pregnancy and at birth can demonstrate what they‘ve heard.That’s because sensory and brain mechanisms for hearing have developed by 30 weeks of gestation, they said.“The

Jan. 3, 2013

LG starts sales of world’s first 55-inch OLED television

LG Electronics launched the world’s first 55-inch high-definition television with organic light-emitting diode display, or OLED high-definition television, in Seoul on Wednesday, and began receiving pre-orders.Model 55EM9700 is 4 millimeters thick ― thinner than a smartphone ― and weighs about 10 kilograms. With anti-reflection technology, the contrast stays consistent regardless of the viewing angle or lighting. The device is priced at 11 million won, or about $10,000.In contrast to traditional

Jan. 2, 2013

Global carmakers flock to CES 2013

It’s that time of the year when the world’s top television and home appliance makers come together in Las Vegas to show off their new lineups at the Consumer Electronics Show.However, what is different for 2013 is that the carmakers are betting big on the show, much bigger than the previous shows, with a record number of seven of the top 10 carmakers choosing to showcase their latest technologies at the international annual consumer electronics’ trade show.Global big names in the auto industry s

Jan. 2, 2013

How to escape from the grip of an approaching attacker

1. A bulky adult is approaching with arms wide open to grab a child in picture 1. We already know that children are inferior to full grown adults in terms of strength, height, weight and more. Therefore, there is no good way when it comes to a child confronting an adult. When an opponent is approaching with arms wide open in an attempt to grab you, you should crouch as low as possible to make it difficult for the adult to grab you. This is to turn the opponent’s advantage in height to your advan

Jan. 2, 2013

Nam takes helm of KT Capital

Nam Byung-ho, former general director of KT’s synergy development unit, took office as the head of KT Capital Co. on Wednesday.An affiliate capital firm of KT Group, KT Capital said that Nam was selected in recognition of his rich experience as a finance specialist. A Seoul National University graduate, Nam has served in the public sector since 1994, and built his career in major finance-related government agencies, including the Fair Trade Commission, the Financial Supervisory Service and the F

Jan. 2, 2013

Antidepressants don't raise pregnancy risks: study

The use of antidepressants during pregnancy is not linked to a higher overall risk of stillbirth and death in newborns, a study said Tuesday, confounding a long-held opposing view of such drugs.The Swedish study of more than 1.6 million births in five Nordic countries included nearly 30,000 women who had filled in a prescription for an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) during pregnancy.The researchers found that the 1.79 percent of mothers exposed to an SSRI had higher rates of still

Jan. 2, 2013

Apple Japan exec to lead Apple Korea: source

Apple’s California headquarters is unlikely to pick a new general manager for Apple Korea for the time being amid reports that Apple Japan’s operating executive will be leading Korean operations.Industry sources said that Colin Greene, senior director of operations of Apple Japan, will be overseeing Apple Korea, and that this proxy system may continue indefinitely. Greene reports to the Cupertino headquarters of Apple, as is the case for most operation executives at regional offices. Apple Korea

Jan. 2, 2013