Government men and women ― affectionately called G-men in the past ― had once been looked upon with respect and often portrayed in movies as heroes and protagonists who take on bad guys such as gangsters and thieves to protect and serve the public.This no longer seems to be the case, as hostility grows and spreads toward the government following the devastating ferry accident that has so far claimed more than a hundred lives, mostly high school kids.The officials, especially including those work

Social Affairs April 22, 2014

Behind the tragic ferry tale engulfing the country and its people in despair lies two key characters wanted as suspects for questioning over the sunken ship off the southwest coast.They are the owners of a company that owns Chonghaejin Marine Co., the owner and operator of the Sewol ferry, in which hundreds of passengers, mostly high school students, remain trapped and missing.They are brothers, surnamed Yoo, who have a combined 38.88 percent stake in I-One-I Holdings, a management consulting fi

Social Affairs April 21, 2014

Korea faces an unconventional threat that has long been predicted for this new era in which the enemy remains hidden and can cause social disruption like that following the devastating ferry accident off the southwest coast.This enemy has turned out to be none other than business corruption, selfishness and rivalry between government agencies ― not the strong tides, rain and poor underwater visibility that have hampered the nation’s search operations for hundreds of missing passengers.These ingr

Social Affairs April 20, 2014

Samsung SDI, Korea’s second largest lithium-ion battery maker, said Tuesday it has developed a longer-lasting curved battery for smart watches.The company’s rechargeable battery with a capacity of 210 milliamp-hours has five times the battery life offered by existing wearable batteries.Samsung SDI’s curved battery has been embedded in Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Gear Fit smart watches, which was introduced last week with the Galaxy S5 smartphone.Samsung SDI said it was able to produce improved,

Technology April 15, 2014

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are expanding their tablet PC lineup for children as the global tech giants eye them as potential customers amid a growing market for e-books and digital education.LG is ready to roll out a follow-up to the Kids Pad introduced in 2012 called the Kids Pad 2, a nontoxic and durable tablet featuring basic tool kits to learn Korean, English and math.The upgraded tablet, which has been certified by the National Radio Research Agency, is expected to hit the marke

Technology April 9, 2014

When one asks market analysts, “What’s up with Naver?” they exclaim, “Everything’s up!”Most significantly, the company’s earnings have skyrocketed, which in turn has driven up its stock price.This positive momentum led Lee Hae-jin, the founder of the search giant, to receive a fatter paycheck and become richer, joining the upper echelon of Korean billionaires who include Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee.Lee, Naver’s chairman of the board, has a 4.64 percent stake in the search portal and was paid a

Technology April 7, 2014

Key economic indicators seem to point toward Korea making a solid recovery.The country’s output has been growing thanks to exports. Its consumer spending has picked up on the back of growing welfare financing by the government.Still, Asia’s fourth-largest economy is finding it hard to create jobs for college graduates, even while they pull all-nighters at libraries to pass conglomerates’ corporate entrance exams.Korea’s youth joblessness, which passed 10 percent in February, has become a bigger

April 6, 2014

They might just stand still all day long as if they do nothing at all. But they give us more than most of us realize.They absorb toxic gases and give us fresh, cool air.They add beauty to our natural surroundings, and are used in proverbs, novels and movies for enlightenment.They heal us, bring us closer together and even help us make money.And they ask for nothing in return.Trees and forests have become an important and integral part of society especially as the world faces climate change as a

April 4, 2014

It is never easy to say good-bye to something people have been used to. It is even harder to say hello to a complete stranger.When it comes to Windows XP, Microsoft’s longest-running operating and most beloved system for personal computers, consumers and companies will inevitably have to bid adieu.On Tuesday, the U.S.-based software giant will end all of its technical support, including security updates and patches, for the XP platform, as well as the Internet Explorer version that came with XP.

Technology April 2, 2014