[Weekender] Women prevail in interpretation arena

In several sectors of Korean society, from education to the civil service, women prevail. The interpretation profession is another such field, if not one of the most notable ones.At local graduate schools specializing in interpretation and translation, female students have far outnumbered male ones for a long time, which has contributed to the female dominance in the field. For example, women account for some 80 percent of students at the Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation at Hank

Social AffairsOct. 2, 2015

[Weekender] Will technology topple Tower of Babel?

Kim Sung-jun, a 30-year-old translator, relies more on the Internet than before to translate technical documents for military equipment. Tasked with books as thick as a dictionary, his trick to quick translation is to run the document through the Internet translation first before tackling the job himself.“Internet translation service saves time and efforts. Although the quality is not as good as that of translation by humans, it would have consumed twice as much time to translate the whole docum

Social AffairsOct. 2, 2015

[WEEKENDER] Interpretation beyond words to serve and protect

While translation of different languages is one of the most commonly known forms of interpretation, there are other unique types of interpretation that serve to protect the people or connect societies that otherwise remain poles apart.　They range from sign language translators who act as the gateway to the outside world for the deaf, to soldiers missioned with a crucial role to deliver military information in the world’s last-remaining divided country.　In Korea, there are about 1,200 sign langua

Social AffairsOct. 2, 2015

[Weekender] Korea on the go

Diverse factors are considered when people choose a home. Not just house prices but also schools, hospitals and big supermarkets near the neighborhood. And then, there is another crucial factor in Korea -- a McDonald’s outlet. Workers sort out parcels at a warehouse in Osan, Gyeonggi Province, Friday, ahead of Chuseok next week. YonhapThe U.S. hamburger chain started a home delivery service here in 2007 -- when McDelivery was still in its infancy worldwide. Currently, some 320 out of its almost

IndustrySept. 18, 2015

[Weekender] Korean delivery industry goes wide and deep

Thanks to the unique “Ppalli Ppalli (hurry, hurry)” culture and one of the best logistics networks in the world, Korea’s delivery industry is thriving, with its range widening and services getting even more specific. From garments and books to groceries and even breast milk, nearly everything can be delivered for a bargain, and the time has reduced to nearly the blink of an eye, offering real-time services. Anything you wantThe most iconic item in the delivery market is food. Whether you call fo

IndustrySept. 18, 2015

[Weekender] Korea dreams of drone delivery

Drones are widely expected to become a game-changer in the future delivery market. Tech firms like Amazon, Google and Alibaba have announced their intentions to use drones for delivery in recent years, and are working on pilot programs. German logistics giant DHL was the first to start a regular drone delivery service, under the project name Parcelcopter 2.0, operating since September last year.  Even though drones are all the rage globally, Korea -- the second nation to develop its own unmanned

IndustrySept. 18, 2015

[Weekender] Mobile apps courting hungry Koreans

People in Korea have long enjoyed convenient food delivery services, ordering in almost all types of food from burgers and fried chicken to jajangmyeon (black bean noodles) and pig’s trotters. Combined with mobile technology, the food delivery services are gaining further traction as more start-ups come up with applications catering to the different tastes of customers and attracting investments.Baedal Minjok, the largest food delivery app here with its monthly users standing at 2.7 million in J

IndustrySept. 18, 2015

[Weekender] Seniors, female couriers add diversity to delivery culture

A young man hitting the road on a high-speed motorcycle is the typical image of delivery drivers here, but recently Korean consumers’ growing demands for safer services has been changing the scene.  Park Jae-yeol, 69, delivers some 180 packages spread over three days each week to his apartment neighbors in Eungam-dong, Seoul, using an electric handcart. He is one of some 470 senior deliverymen, aged over 60, working for the country’s largest logistics firm CJ Korea Express.“For the firm, the ‘Si

IndustrySept. 18, 2015

[Weekender] Target grown-ups -- the recipe for hit animation films

"Inside Out” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)The colorful world of 2-D and 3-D characters is no longer an area exclusive to the little ones, it seems. In recent years, large-scale animations that succeeded globally catered to both children and adults, with mature and layered plotlines. Such projects’ success speaks volumes on the tweaks that can be made in the Korean animation industry to achieve a wider global reach, says Kim Won-gyu, director at the Korean Animation Producers’ Association

FilmSept. 4, 2015

[Weekender] Fintech, smart payments pick up pace

Few may have anticipated the tremendous impacts of smartphones and mobile applications on conventional businesses from taxi operators to brick-and-mortar retailers when the market began adopting smartphones in earnest less than a decade ago.Now few can dismiss the striking tech development under which previously dominant business sectors, including financial services, are going through disruptive changes caused mainly by the versatile telecommunications devices.The mobile payment market, in part

TechnologyAug. 28, 2015

[Weekender] Who will take on currency redenomination?

In the early 2000s, Korean tourists to Turkey saw a foreign exchange rate of 1 million won to about 1.3 billion lira.When it comes to South Korea’s economic scale, its won-denominated gross domestic product is estimated at about 1.6 quadrillion won last year, or 1,600,000,000,000,000 won. Its outstanding household debt, fully written out in the local currency, is 1,100,000,000,000,000 won.Inbound tourists can sometimes get confused by the multiple-unit conversions such as thousands of dollars to

Aug. 28, 2015

[Weekender] Korean currency evolves over millennium

Hwan-denominated notes, issued in 1953. (Bank of Korea)King Sejong, whose portrait is printed on South Korea’s 10,000 won banknote, was a key figure of the 15th century in the Joseon era (1392-1910).　Other historical figures on the three other denominated bills (50,000 won, 5,000 won and 1,000 won) and the 100 won coin lived during the 16th century.　While the figures lived in the Joseon era’s earlier half, during which historians say currency usage was rare, their counterparts in the latter half

Aug. 28, 2015

[Weekender] Bitcoin designed to shake central bank-driven frame

A virtual currency is shifting the idea of a centralized, corporeal currency while debates -- with their pros and cons -- on its safety and efficacy matters are underway.Bitcoin is a digital currency that was created in 2009 by an individual or group called Satoshi Nakamoto, whose identity is still unknown.One of bitcoin’s biggest features is that it is decentralized -- not managed by typical monetary policymakers including central banks and finance ministries.Instead, it is managed by groups or

Aug. 28, 2015

[Weekender] Korean firms eye central Asia for growth, cooperation

Korean companies are fast establishing themselves in the growing Central Asian market as the region undergoes economic development. Local construction firms made a name for themselves in carrying out large-scale projects in the Middle East, and they are now proving themselves again in Central Asia. Although Central Asian nations are rich in natural resources and manpower, they are only now focusing on establishing basic infrastructure, presenting a huge market for those with the construction cap

IndustryAug. 21, 2015

[Weekender] Hyundai Rotem targets developing railway markets

South Korean train-maker Hyundai Rotem, owned by Hyundai Motor Group, is seeking to become a bigger global player by stepping up efforts to bring its railway vehicles and systems to developing markets overseas.“Having established a presence in 35 countries, our core strategy is to use the positive reputation we have built up in the industry to enter new markets in countries with aging or no railway infrastructure in Central America and South America, such as Peru and Colombia,” said a Hyundai Ro

IndustryAug. 21, 2015

[Weekender] Evolving rail network forms backbone of economic growth

 On 10:30 a.m. on a Saturday, Shim Yeon-soo waited for the Korea Train Express at Seoul Station to visit her hometown Daegu. The 57-year-old housewife was planning to have lunch with her relatives in the city near North Gyeongsang Province, some 280 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in less than two hours. “When I was in my 20s, it took more than seven hours to come up to Seoul by train. But since the KTX started operations, it has significantly shortened travel time to only three hours back and fo

IndustryAug. 21, 2015

[Weekender] Reaching for the Eurasian dream

As Seoul’s concrete jungle fades into the background, the train slowly slides into an unusual landscape that blends pristine, lush forests and strips of barbed-wire fences in the lead up to an iron bridge over the Imjingang River. The DMZ Peace Train ends at Dorasan, South Korea’s northernmost rail station just 17 kilometers from the North Korean city of Gaeseong. Aboard were some 150 passengers who recently completed a 20-day, 14,400-kilometer journey on the “Eurasia Express” linking Asia and E

North KoreaAug. 21, 2015

[Weekender] University districts hotspots for young Koreans

“Let’s go to Hongdae -- Hongik University” is quite commonly heard in Seoul, although it doesn’t mean they are going to the campus. They go to the place stretching out from the university to dine out, go shopping and enjoy concerts. 　Here in Seoul, some entertainment districts featuring cafes, theaters, cinemas and concert venues are formed near college campuses, although the mood is slightly different from place to place.Currently, the busiest college district is the Hongdae area in the western

CultureAug. 7, 2015

[Weekender] Membership training breaks ice for campus life

South Korean students tend to have high hopes about their campus life, giving them something to look forward to as they trudge through years of cramming and countless tests. Membership training is one of the campus events that boosts freshmen’s expectations.The “MT” ritual is designed to help freshmen adapt to campus life. Staying at a simple resort, usually in the woods or along a river, for a day or two, students can make new friends and build rapport with each other, as well as exchange infor

CultureAug. 7, 2015

[Weekender] Cupid’s arrows target Korea’s college campuses

A couple reunites at the completion ceremony after a five-week basic military training course held at the Republic of Korea Army Training Center in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province. (Yonhap)After a resounding shout emanating from a bunch of shaved heads echoes across the grounds of the military training camp in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, the camp is suddenly filled with sobs and sniffles. With short good-bye hugs, the men march back to their squads.Since all able-bodied Korean men ove

CultureAug. 7, 2015