Korean wave

What is the Korean Wave?

The Korean wave, by definition, is the sweeping popularity of South Korean popular culture mainly in other Asian countries. "Korean Wave" is the translation of the Korean word "Hallyu," and Chinese journalists were the first to use this term in mid 1999. It has since been used to describe the recent surge of popular South Korean culture. This phenomenon intensified following the 2002 FIFA World Cup that highlighted Korea's national image.

Korean Drama

After the popularity of Winter Sonata, Korean dramas immediately started to gain airtime on television channels in Asian countries. Following this trend, a number of Korean actors and actresses made their debut in neighboring countries and gained recognition not only in Asia but also in Europe. Lee Young-Ae, who starred in the most popular Korean drama of all time, Daejanggeum (Jewel in the Palace) is now an international figure, dominating the Korean drama market in Asia. 

Korean Movies

Following the massive hit of the movie Old Boy by Park Chan-Wook, there has been growing interest in Korean movies, and film studios from all around the world began to buy the copyrights of South Korean films to produce remakes of them. Hollywood studios have bought over 10 copyrights for Korean movies, including My Sassy Girl, A Tale of Two Sisters, Old Boy, Phone, and My Wife Is a Gangster. Recently, a major Hollywood studio has bought the remake rights to the Korean hit-film, The Chaser. 

Korean Pop (K-pop)

Korean pop music became a significant model for youth culture throughout Asia over the last decade. There are many artists and groups, such as BoA, Rain, TVXQ, Wondergirls, Girls Generation, Super Junior and Big Bang that have become popular in most Asian countries. The popularity of Korean pop stars has led to widespread imitation of Korean styles and fashions.

Korean dramas and movies have been able to penetrate Asian markets as they represent common sentiments, and the actors express emotions with great candor. In addition, they are saturated with East Asia's traditional culture, such as a clear respect for those above them and a lifestyle with several generations living under the same roof.

Korean Wave Specification

< Changes in Cultural Content Export >

(in US$1,000)

	2000	2001	2002	2003
Broadcasting Programs	11,660 (7.6)	12,356 (5.9)	12,356 (5.9)	12,356 (5.9)
Films	7,053 (39.1)	7,053 (39.1)	14,952 (32.9)	30,979 (107.2)
Recording Albums	134,750 (48.5)	196,340 (45.7)	174,868 (-10.9)	165,975 (-5.1)
Total	153,463 (24.5)	219,945 (43.3)	211,162 (-4.0)	230,030 (8.9)

Note: ( ) are the percentages of year-on-year increases or decreases
Source: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

KTX to be expanded by 2014

The government announced on Sept. 1st a strategic plan to extend the KTX high speed rail service to more than 80 percent of the country by 2020.

The government presented the future plan for KTX expansion at a meeting attended by members of the Presidential Council on National Competitiveness, the Presidential Committee on Green Growth, the Presidential Council for Future and Vision, and the Presidential Committee on Regional Development.

According to the plan, the Gyeongbu express linking Daegu and Busan will open this Nov., with a Daejeon-Daegu route to follow in 2014.

The Honam line between Osong-Gwangju will open in 2014, followed by a Gwangju-Mokpo route in 2017, and a Gangnam, Suseo and Pyeongtaek line in 2014.

New KTX rail will also connect Pohang, Masan, Jeonju and Suncheon, located between Gyeongbu and Honam KTX lines. Service to Incheon International Airport will be available by 2012.

Both existing rail routes and those under construction will be straightened to increase the maximum sped of the trains to 230 kilometers per hour, while the maximum speed along the Wonju-Gangneung line and Wonju-Gyoengju line will increase to 240 kilometers per hour.  This is expected to reduce travel time along most routes, including the Seoul-Busan line.

The President(first from left) attends a meeting held at Korea Railroad Research Institute in Uiwang, Gyeonggi-do on Sep. 1.

Once the new plans are complete, 82 percent of the country should have access to high speed rail, up from the current level of 30 percent, defined as the ability to travel to most parts of the country within 90 minutes. By the time the project is complete, 95 percent of the whole country will be accessible from any other location within two hours.

Additionally, more express bus lanes and subway lines will be built in major cities, as the new strategic plans propose connecting the Great Train Express (GTX), railway networks and KTX.

"In this era of global competition for high-speed railway technology, I hope Korea can become an important source of railway technology," the President said at the meeting.
 source:Presidents office Korea

India and S.Korea Sign two MoUs in Defence Coop.

The first MoU  envisages exchange of defence related experience and information, mutual exchange of visits by military personnel and experts including civilian staff associated with defence services, military education and training and conduct of military exercises, exchange of visits of ships and aircraft, as jointly decided between the two countries.

The MoU further envisages cooperation in humanitarian assistance and international peace keeping activities. The MoU will remain valid for a period of five years with provision for its extension by five more years.

The Second MoU  to be operational under the overarching umbrella of India- South Korea Defence Agreement,   aims at identifying futuristic defence technology areas of mutual interest and pursuing R&D works in both the countries.

It also envisages co- development and co-production of defence products with Indian industry through DRDO. There will be joint IPR on all the products developed through this mechanism. Some areas of immediate interest e.g., marine systems, electronics and intelligent systems have been identified as priority tasks.

source:gs current affairs.com

U.S.-Korean joint military drill announced during Antony's Seoul visit

Seoul (South Korea) (ANI) - South Korean Defence Minister Kim Tae-young on Friday, after his meeting with Defence Minister A K Antony, said a U.S.-South Korean joint military drill would be held from September 5 to 9.

"This U.S. - South Korean joint military exercise will be held to prepare against various kinds of our enemy's naval provocations and will be a good opportunity to strengthen united anti-submarine capabilities and mutual operation capacity between two countries," said Korean Colonel Lee Boong-Woo.

South Korean military officials and honour guards greeted Antony at Seoul's Defence Ministry.

Antony discussed bilateral issues, including cooperation in the defence industry with his South Korean counterpart.

After the meeting, they signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) on defence cooperation between both countries.

The two countries upgraded their relations to a "strategic partnership" last January and both countries' foreign ministers discussed details on a wide range of cooperation projects, including politics, security and economy last June.

South Korea and India agreed to double their bilateral trade to $30 billion by 2014 via a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that took effect January 1.

The five-day naval training will fuel tensions with the North and anger regional power China even if this anti-submarine exercise will be of a lower scale than previous military drills that included a U.S. aircraft carrier.

Tensions have risen on the Korean peninsula since a North Korean submarine was suspected of torpedoing a South Korean ship, killing 46 sailors, which prompted joint U.S. and South Korea military drills.

North and South Korea are still technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce without a peace treaty.

Read more: http://www.indiavision.com/news/article/international/98498/#ixzz0yUWGuc5m

India, S Korea Sign 5 Yr Defence Cooperation Agreement

India and South Korea today entered into a five-year defence cooperation accord by signing two memorandums of understandings on sharing of military expertise and technology.

Defence Minister A K Antony and his Korean counterpart Kim Tae-Young signed the two agreements in Seoul during the former's two-day official visit there.

"Heralding a new chapter in the history of defence cooperation, India and South Korea today signed two landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to give a huge boost to the Strategic Partnership between the two countries," Defence Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said in a release from Seoul.

The two MoUs were signed at the end of nearly 90-minute intensive discussions between the delegations of the two countries, he said.

After the signing of the agreements, Antony said New Delhi would be happy to see the defence industry relationship to be "more than a buyer-seller relationship" and its further evolution into Transfer of Technology, joint production and joint Research and Development.

He expressed the hope that his visit would start a new chapter in the already close relationship between the two nations.

Kim, in his address, said the two MoUs would provide a "win-win scenario" for the two countries in a number of areas.

This was the first-ever visit of an India Defence Minister to South Korea.

Antony is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar, Navy Vice Admiral R K Dhowan, Army Lieutenant General K T Parnaik, DRDO's Dr Prahlada and Adviser to Defence Minister Sundaram Krishna.

The first MoU envisaged exchange of defence-related experience and information, mutual exchange and visits by military personnel and experts including civilian staff associated with defence services, military education and training and conduct of military exercises, exchange visits of ships and aircraft, as jointly decided between the two countries, Kar said.

The MoU also provided for cooperation in humanitarian assistance and international peace-keeping activities.

"The MoU will remain valid for a period of five years with provision for its extension by five more years," he said.

The second MoU was signed by the Chief Controller of Research and Development of DRDO Prahlada and Vice Commissioner of Defence Acquisition and Procurement Agency (DAPA) of South Korea Kwon Oh Bong.

To be operational under the overarching umbrella of India-South Korea Defence Agreement, the MoU aimed at identifying futuristic defence technology areas of mutual interest and pursuing Research and Development works in both the countries.

Co-development and co-production of defence products with Indian industry through DRDO by South Korean industry was part of the understanding.

"There will be joint Intellectual Property Rights on all the products developed through this mechanism. Some areas of immediate interest were marine systems, electronics and intelligence systems and these have been identified as priority tasks," Kar said.

Antony and Kim also discussed a wide range of security issues, both regional and global during their talks.

Antony said India and South Korea shared common perception of maintaining peace as well as ensuring safety and security of sea lanes of communication in the region.

He said regular exchanges towards ensuring maritime security was important to both countries, especially in securing vital energy supplies that pass through the Indian Ocean.

"It is of particular importance for like-minded countries working in the Gulf of Aden to coordinate efforts and also exchange information on the happenings in the area. We look forward to continued and enhanced cooperation between the navies of India and South Korea in this regard," he said.

On the regional security scenario in the Indian sub-continent, Antony said, "We live in a troubled neighbourhood. Some call it a fragile region. We have to maintain balance and restraint even in the face of grave challenges to our security."

He said India's intention was to develop friendly and cooperative relations with all our neighbours so that New Delhi can focus on its major development needs.

Antony said India looked at itself as an integral part of East Asia.

Noting that India was a founding member of East Asia Summit and as such, looked at the emerging architecture in East Asia as "open and inclusive," he said that was why India welcomed the decision of ASEAN Foreign Ministers to move towards the inclusion of the United States and Russia as members of the East Asia Summit.

"We look forward to working closely with South Korea in the emerging architecture in this part of the world," he added.

Earlier in the day, Antony, along with the delegation, visited the National Cemetery in Seoul and laid a wreath there, apart from inspecting, amid light drizzle, a colourful inter-services guard of honour presented by the South Korean Armed Forces at the Ministry of Defence headquarters.

source:news.outlookIndia

India, S Korea sign five-year defence coop agreement

India, S Korea sign five-year defence coop agreement

India and South Korea on Friday entered into a five-year defence cooperation accord by signing two memorandums of understandings on sharing of military expertise and technology. Defence Minister A K Antony and his Korean counterpart Kim Tae-Young signed the two agreements in Seoul during the former's two-day official visit to South Korea. "Heralding a new chapter in the history of defence cooperation, India and South Korea today signed two landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to give a huge boost to the Strategic Partnership between the two countries," Defence Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said in a release from Seoul. After the signing of the agreements, Antony said New Delhi would be happy to see the defence industry relationship to be "more than a buyer-seller relationship" and its further evolution into Transfer of Technology, joint production and joint Research and Development. He expressed the hope that his visit would start a new chapter in the already close relationship between the two nations. Kim, in his address, said the two MoUs would provide a "win-win scenario" for the two countries in a number of areas. This was the first-ever visit of an India Defence Minister to South Korea. Antony is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar, Navy Vice Admiral R K Dhowan, Army Lieutenant General K T Parnaik, DRDO's Dr Prahlada and Adviser to Defence Minister Sundaram Krishna. Antony and Kim also discussed a wide range of security issues, both regional and global during their talks. Antony said India and South Korea shared common perception of maintaining peace as well as ensuring safety and security of sea lanes of communication in the region. He said regular exchanges towards ensuring maritime security was important to both countries, especially in securing vital energy supplies that pass through the Indian Ocean. "It is of particular importance for like-minded countries working in the Gulf of Aden to coordinate efforts and also exchange information on the happenings in the area. We look forward to continued and enhanced cooperation between the navies of India and South Korea in this regard," he said. Antony said India looked at itself as an integral part of East Asia. Earlier in the day, Antony, along with the delegation, visited the National Cemetery in Seoul and laid a wreath there, apart from inspecting a colourful inter-services guard of honour presented by the South Korean Armed Forces at the Ministry of Defence headquarters. (SS-03/09) source:India locals

3rd edition of English/Korean labor law guide released

"A 30-year-old American man signed a contract that included three weeks temporary teaching with B English School in Korea. After three weeks, the school fired him, stating, "He doesn't have enough teaching skill to teach TESOL." The school also stated that he agreed to his dismissal, even though he did not. However, in the end, the labor committee said his dismissal was unfair since the school didn't go through the legal process. The case ended with him receiving compensation."

There are more than 1 million foreigners residing in Korea, with 450 thousand of them employed in the workforce. However, they often contend not only with a language barrier, but also with the intricacies and complexities of Korean labor laws. Labor attorney Jung Bong-su, who recently released the 3rd edition of his bilingual guide to Korean labor law, sat down with us to talk about foreign employees and Korean labor laws.

Jung Bong-su, counseling a client at his office

Why did you decide to write a bilingual Korean labor law guide in Korean and English?

I'd worked at a foreign invested company as a HR manager. I frequently had to explain Korean labor law to foreign employees but it was hard to find Korean labor law books in English. Even if I found them, they were hardly updated. More global companies and foreign employees are coming to Korea. It’s better for both Koreans and foreigners if we have Korean labor law guides in multiple-languages, including English.

Do you have many foreign clients?

Ninety percent of my clients are foreigners. I also give counsel free of charge at the Seoul Global Center, and half of visitors are English teachers and the rest of them are migrant workers. I also work for ATEK, an English teacher's community, as a consulting lawyer.

What kinds of cases do you deal with most often?

Many cases are about a clash of interests between employees and employers, but poor Korean labor law knowledge sometimes can be the reason behind the conflicts. For example, minimum wage is calculated by dividing the actual salary without welfare services, such as housing allowances or meals. Chances are, employers break the minimum wage laws if they calculate it by dividing the total money they pay. Employees come to me not knowing the Korean labor laws apply to them, just as they do to Koreans. I then inform them some of English guides to Korean labor law and let them find their rights themselves.

Have you been frustrated by being a specialized labor attorney for foreigners?

I feel bad for migrant workers who are not from English- speaking countries. It is hard for them to know the Korean labor laws and my advice would be limited, as it's either in English or Korean.

When do you feel most fulfilled by your job?

It makes me happy and feel fulfilled when employees and employers come to an agreement before t

Jung Bong-su, counseling a client at his office

he trials. They sometimes misunderstand each other, and some cases are actually caused by the language barrier. My clients now call me and ask questions about Korea that have nothing to do with the law, such as traveling or food of Korean food because they often become my friends. It makes me feel great.

Is there anything you would like to in the future?

I'm planning to write a bilingual Korean labor laws guide in English and Korean and update it regularly. I also want to study more languages so I can help more people. Eventually, systems such as official company documents and government websites should be in multiple-languages, as Korea will have more foreign employees and has to protect their rights.

Mr. Jung's “Three things that foreign employees should know”

-Do not trust what the internet says blindly, especially if it's about the law
-Remember, Korean labor laws apply to all employees in Korea regardless of nationality
-Try to get information from Korean government websites, such as the Ministry of Labor or Korea Immigration Service

source:Korea.net