‘Design your life through sports’

This is the last installment in a three-part series featuring athletes who help people transform their lives. ― Ed.Jung A-reum (Jung Areum)Beauty must be gained through hard work and perseverance, said Jung A-reum, a celebrity lifestyle and fitness trainer and former Miss Korea beauty contest winner.Those in pursuit of it must first learn how sports or regular exercise can help improve their physical and mental beauty.“The problem in Korea today is that people take sports or exercise too lightly

Dec. 23, 2015

Oil price likely to sink even lower

Oil prices, which have already hit the lowest mark in a decade, could fall further in the first half of next year, partly due to the resumption of Iranian supply, officials and experts here said Wednesday.At a forum hosted by the Trade Ministry, experts forecast that the benchmark oil price could hover around $40-$50 a barrel next year. However, it could fall rapidly when Iran increases its oil exports in the wake of the lifting of international sanctions, they said. (Yonhap)It may take some tim

Dec. 23, 2015

‘Korean start-ups still in need of trailblazers’

PALO ALTO, California ― After 20-year-old Pak Se-ri triumphed as the youngest winner of the 1998 U.S. Women’s Open in her rookie year, her success, followed by 24 more tour wins, inspired a wave of young Koreans looking to follow her lead. Today, Korea dominates women’s golf, as a new generation of players including Choi Na-yeon and Park In-bee ― called “Seri Kids” by the Korean media ― have followed the World Golf Hall of Famer’s footsteps in the LPGA.Korea’s start-up industry is a lot like the

Dec. 23, 2015

Ahn’s bloc expands with another NPAD defection

Another opposition lawmaker on Wednesday left the New Politics Alliance for Democracy to follow Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, foreshadowing the division of the main opposition party ahead of next year’s general elections. Rep. Lim Nae-hyun announced that he defecting from the NPAD to join a new political group spearheaded by Ahn. His split brings the number of defectors from the embattled party to five since Ahn left the party on Dec. 13.  Lim Nae-hyun. (Yonhap)“Together with Ahn’s new party, I will clear

Dec. 23, 2015

Exhibition offers taste of ‘glitch art’

We’ve all been there ― a downloaded video that won’t play properly, the image distorted on the screen.But it is more than a computer error for a number of artists, who are exploring these gremlins as “glitch art,” and expat Mathieu St-Pierre wants to introduce viewers to the concept through his exhibition “100dpi.”Showing large images ― printed at 100 dots per inch to break conventions not only in video but also in print ― the exhibition features a variety of abstract work.St-Pierre studied fine

Dec. 23, 2015

Showul goes one-to-one to reach out to expats

Looking to introduce Korea to foreign nationals here in a friendlier way than the standard tours, a group of Korean undergraduates is offering group events to help expats build bridges.On Jan. 2, a group of Showul volunteers plans to take 30 foreign participants on a tour of the War Memorial of Korea before letting them try their hands ― and feet ― at breaking some boards with martial arts at Korea Arirang Taekwondo in Seoul. But rather than having one or two guides, Showul takes a one-to-one ap

Dec. 23, 2015

New climate deal could boost nuclear energy

As the new global climate accord reached in Paris earlier this month emphasized the role of nuclear energy in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the state-run Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. hosted a forum in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss the future of clean energy in preparation for the post-fossil fuel era. Organized by the Korea Atomic Industrial Forum, the discussion-driven event covered such agendas as the role of nuclear power in a low-carbon economy and Korea’s strategies to achieve its emi

Dec. 23, 2015

What is holding up business bills?

A negotiation impasse at the National Assembly is proving hard to break, as rival parties refuse to yield their position on provisions embedded in a set of controversial economic bills aimed to relax regulations on business activity. National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa (third from right) convenes a meeting of standing committee chairpersons on Tuesday. The NPAD members did not attend. YonhapThe bills in question are the Service Industry Development Act and Special Act for Boosting Business (b

Dec. 22, 2015

Hyundai displays design philosophy

“Helio Curve” by Reuben MargoliCan an automotive company show its design philosophy through art?Hyundai Motor Group’s answer to the question is now on display at the “SIM: Sculpture in Motion” exhibition at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in downtown Seoul until Jan. 10. Aimed at promoting its fluidic sculpture design philosophy, two pieces of internationally acclaimed installation art are on display at the Allim 2 exhibition hall reflecting the aesthetic catchphrase of the company. The first piece,

Dec. 22, 2015

Adhesive portable recorder wins Herald Design Tech 2015 award

The winning team of Herald Design Tech 2015 and CEO of Herald Corp. Lee Young-man (second from left) pose at the award ceremony on Tuesday in Seoul. Lee Sang-sub/The Korea HeraldA team of three university seniors won the top award at Herald Design Tech 2015, the design-meets-technology contest co-organized by Herald Corp. and Seoul Design Foundation. The team won the competition with their innovative adhesive portable recorder “Spicki,” which can be carried around easily to record any sound. The

Dec. 22, 2015

Doosan chairman’s ‘human-oriented’ management hits snag

On Monday, Doosan Group officially put its prestigious machine tool business unit on the market. Despite the government’s plea to retain 51 percent stake to thwart attempts by foreign funds to buy it ― as the machine tools business is considered one of the country’s basic industries ― Doosan declined and said it would look for new owners to overcome its internal difficulties. Doosan Group chairman Park Yong-mann. YonhapIndustrial observers assume the company will be sold for around 1 trillion wo

Dec. 22, 2015

[Newsmaker] Tough tasks await finance minister nominee

Rep. Yoo Il-ho. YonhapYoo Il-ho, the nominee for Korea’s top economic post of deputy prime minister and finance minister, has vowed to carry on the legacy of his would-be predecessor, but the road ahead may require more, due to the multiple challenges the economy faces.“The global economic environment now is not very favorable, and navigating the local economy against this global backdrop will be a tough job,” Yoo, 60, told reporters shortly after his nomination Monday. The nominee stressed cons

Dec. 22, 2015

Park steps up pressure on reform bills

President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday continued to add pressure on lawmakers to pass key bills related to government-led reforms in business, labor and education sectors, stressing that the college reform bill is critical to “enhancing competence in higher education” eventually raising youth employment.Speaking at the last Cabinet meeting of 2015, the South Korean leader also warned that the failure to carry out the reform may result in South Korea‘s sovereign credit rating being downgraded. Park s

Dec. 22, 2015

Textbook row taken to Constitutional Court

South Korean civic groups on Tuesday filed an appeal to the Constitutional Court against the government for “infringing upon the impartiality of education” by taking over the publication rights for secondary education history textbooks.Minbyun, or Lawyers for a Democratic Society, said it made the appeal against the Education Ministry’s recent plan to reinstate government-issued textbooks from 2017, a contentious plan that has stoked opposition from mainly the progressive faction and much of the

Dec. 22, 2015