Korea and Russia reconfirm strategic partnership

President Lee Myung-bak (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin

President Lee Myung-bak (left) and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin

President Lee Myung-bak, currently visiting Russia for the two-day long Global Policy Forum (Sept. 9-10), met with the Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday (Sept. 9). The two leaders exchanged opinions on issues of mutual concern, centered on the development of ties between the two nations.

They expressed their satisfaction with the continued progress made in the strategic partnership concluded between the two countries, and agreed to intensify practical cooperation in the fields of energy, resources, trade, investment and development of the Siberian region, among others.

This year celebrates the 20th anniversary of Korea-Russia ties.

President Lee and Prime Minister Putin agreed that the development project in Eastern Siberia will greatly benefit both countries, and lauded efforts made to widen channels for dialogue and further strengthen cooperative measures.

Lee stressed Korea’s strength as a partner in modernizing a country’s economy, one of the key tasks pursued by Russia, and called for Putin’s continued interest and support for other cooperative projects down the road.

The two leaders also saw eye-to-eye the seriousness of the nuclear crisis in North Korea and agreed to stay in close touch regarding North’s denuclearization, for the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.

Lee then invited his Russian counterpart to visit Korea anytime, to which Putin replied with gratitude

source:Korea.net

Korean firms hungry for global talent

[Globalization of Jobs: First in a five-part series] ‘To succeed in an overseas market, employees should not only be fluent in the respective language, but should also have an open mind and embrace the local culture.’ - Hwang So-young September 09, 2010 The drive for talented foreign workers is being fueled in part by the importance of overseas markets. As Korea signs more free trade agreements, this drive is expected to expand, but it is also being driven by companies seeking to branch out from an increasingly saturated Korean market, analysts say. Samsung Electronics recently announced it will raise the ratio of overseas employees from the current 45 percent of its total workforce to 65 percent by 2020. Additionally, it will increase the number of foreign employees working in Korea from the current 850 to 2,000 within 10 years. Samsung is not alone when it comes to boosting its foreign workforce. Similar moves have taken place at other conglomerates including Hanwha and Doosan, where top managers have personally participated in overseas job fairs. Since last year, SK Group has offered an online job portal in English and Chinese. Additionally, SK Group affiliates’ overseas offices have sought to employ top talents, regardless of nationality. Human resources experts say hiring global talent is also inevitable for companies keeping up with global trends. In a survey of 164 human resources specialists, 48 percent said they hire global talents as a way to successfully break into overseas markets. This was not always the case. In the past, Korean companies sent local employees fluent in foreign languages to their overseas operations. However, Korean employees failed to integrate with their foreign colleagues in overseas offices and also failed to apply appropriate marketing strategies that met local situations. As a result, some Korean companies have shifted their hiring strategy when advancing into overseas markets, from Korean talent to hiring locals more familiar with the business culture. “To succeed in an overseas market, employees should not only be fluent in the respective language, but should also have an open mind and embrace the local culture,” said Hwang So-young, planning team director at HR Korea. “Additionally, it is important for companies to establish a global human resource system. To do so, companies need to arrange career development programs based on global standards.” Some Korean companies offer scholarships to foreign students then hire them as interns. It is a strategy to secure global talent to contribute advancing markets like China and Vietnam. The positions for global talent at major Korean companies are also expanding from specialty fields such as research and development and design, to other core departments such as human resources and marketing. “For Korean companies to secure competitiveness in the global market, they need to first become a global brand,” said Choi Hyo-jin, HR Korea CEO. “To achieve this, companies need to globalize themselves in every aspect, from corporate management systems to organizational structure and content, such as values and culture. “The recent hiring of foreigners in top management levels could be translated as an effort to change a company’s management style to a more global standard.” While Korean companies have hired mostly Americans and Canadians in the past, Hwang said this is starting to change, especially at Samsung and LG. “Companies that plan to implement advanced global management systems prefer talent from North America or Europe,” Hwang said. “But talent from emerging markets such as China are Southeast Asia are preferred when the goal of the company is a market localization strategy.” Hwang added that small- and mid-size companies have particular interest in talent from China and Southeast Asia, as salaries are cheaper and they can be just as talented. “In the case of a specialized purpose such as IT, there is a high preference for talent from India,” the planning team director said. The skill set of sought-after global talent goes well beyond language ability, HR Korea said. Language is just a means to an end. The skill set of global talent can be put into three categories. First, the global talent needs to have expertise in his or her field. This does not refer to education and work experience, but rather the intuitive ability to understand the company’s production, technology and competition environment. Although some Korean conglomerates have succeeded on the global stage, Korean companies’ brand recognition are relatively low. Global talents need to have marketing and sales abilities that deliver a company’s production and technology to global consumers. Second, they should have the ability to absorb different cultures. With management becoming globalized, interaction between people of different cultures is on the rise. Failing to understand the unique culture of a market that a company is operating in will lead to failure. Global talent needs to work closely with the global staff. They need to understand and respect each other’s motives; it goes beyond verbal communication. Adherence to the sensitivities of local cultures and religions is especially important. Third, recruited talent needs to have global sensitivity to encounter rapidly changing market dynamics and technology trends. Global talents should be busy networking and there should be priority on self development. “It is difficult to evaluate global talents simply with their foreign language abilities or degrees received abroad,” said Choi Hyo-jin. “Global talents should have flexible mindsets by experiencing different cultures, while looking at problems in different perspectives on the level of diversity and inclusion. They should be able to suggest creative ideas,” the CEO said. Source:Jungang Daily

80,000 to sit Korean proficiency exam

The 19th Test of Proficiency in Korean will take place this weekend, with 81,076 applicants in 24 countries across the world sitting the exam, according to the Education Ministry and the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation.

The state-administered TOPIK is a certification test on the use of the Korean language for foreigners and ethnic Koreans who do not speak Korean as their mother tongue.

Foreign students or job seekers may submit their test results in order to gain an advantage in joining Korean schools or public firms.

The test was first implemented back in 1997 when only 2,692 people from four countries applied. The accumulative number has, however, reached 710,000 people from 39 countries, reflecting the steadily increasing interest in the Korean language and the test itself, said officials.

In response to the growing demands, the test is to be held from this year on a quarterly basis instead of the formerly bi-annual basis, according to the ministry.

The test is divided into the Standard TOPIK, evaluating basic knowledge of Korean language and culture, and the Business TOPIK, focusing more on the communication skills required in business transactions.

Applicants are to be tested in four categories ― vocabulary and grammar, writing, listening and reading.

“The TOPIK will not only act as an evaluation tool for the use of the Korean language but also as a means to promote the country’s brand value in the global society,” said a ministry official.

Not only Asian countries, in which many people aspire to find jobs in Korea, but also various European countries are joining to take the test every year, officials also said.

The results will be published on the website (http://topik.or.kr) on Nov. 3.
source:Korea Herald

Angkor Wat to be rebuilt in Korean 3D technique

(Photo: Yonhap News)

(Photo: Yonhap News)

The Korea’s Educational Broadcasting System (EBS) in corporation with Cambodian National Television Kampuchea (TVK) is producing a 3-D documentary on the Khmer Empire and Angkor Wat.

A two-episode documentary, “Angkor Wat” will cover the Khmer Empire during the 12th and 13th century and the world heritage sites built during that time. It will be shot using special 3-D techniques.

This is the first time a program depicting the UNESCO World Heritage site will use 3-D film.

The reason EBS chose Angkor Wat for its first attempt using this technology is that the temple is uniquely well suited to 3-D representation. The temple is mainly made of wood and sandstone, which lends its surface to painting and engravings.

(Photo: Yonhap News)

In the first episode, viewers will be able to see how it was built and explore some of the mysteries the lie behind the temple. The second episode will deliver stories of Jayavarman VII, the man responsible for building Angkor Thom, the capital of the Angkor Empire, as well as exploring the lifestyle of the kingdom.

Except for some aerial shots, every scene will be in 3D.

The program’s producer, Kim Yu-yeol, says that Korea’s 3-D techniques will be spotlighted for the overseas market and will compete against documentaries by other major channels, like England’s BBC and Japan’s NHK.

The show will air in January of 2011.

source:korea.net

North Korea Releases South Korean Boat, Requests Flood Aid

North Korea released a South Korean fishing boat and its seven-man crew Tuesday, after asking South Korea for a shipment of rice, cement and heavy equipment to help it recover from recent flooding.

Pyongyang announced on Monday that it would free the squid-fishing boat and its crew of four South Koreans and three Chinese seized a month ago for alleged illegal fishing.  North Korea called the release a "humanitarian" gesture.  

South Korean media said Tuesday that freeing the ship and its crew was a step toward receiving food aid.

The North's aid request came after Seoul offered last week to provide $8.5 million in emergency aid, including food, relief materials and first aid kits.  That offer did not include rice or construction equipment and supplies.

The Unification Ministry said Tuesday that the South Korean government is reviewing the request.
source:voice of America

India and South Korea to Boost Defense Cooperation

Heralding a new chapter in the history of defence cooperation, India and South Korea today signed two landmark Memoranda of Understanding to give a huge boost to the Strategic Partnership between the two countries.

The two MoUs were signed at the end of nearly ninety minutes of intensive discussions, marked by warmth, between the delegations of the two countries, led by their Defence Ministers, Mr AK Antony and Mr Kim Tae-young in Seoul. This was the first ever visit of a Defence Minister of India to South Korea. Shri Antony was accompanied by a high-level delegation including the Defence Secretary Shri Pradeep Kumar, Vice Admiral RK Dhowan, Lt General KT Parnaik, Dr Prahlada and Shri Sundaram Krishna.

The first MoU signed by Mr Antony and Mr Kim 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 was signed by the Chief Controller of Research and Development of DRDO, Dr Prahlada and Vice Commissioner, Defence Acquisition and Procurement Agency (DAPA) of South Korea, Mr Kwon Oh Bong. To be operational under the overarching umbrella of India- South Korea Defence Agreement, the MoU 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.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr Antony said New Delhi will 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 R&D etc. He hoped that ‘his visit will start a new chapter in our already close relationship’.

Mr Kim said the two MoUs signed today will provide a win-win scenario for the two countries in a number of areas.

The talks covered a wide range of security issues- both regional and global.

Maritime Security
Mr Antony said India and South Korea share 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 is 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,” said Mr Antony.

Regional Security Scenario
Talking about the regional security scenario in the Indian subcontinent, Mr 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. Our intention is to develop friendly and cooperative relations with all our neighbours so that we can focus on our major development needs,” Mr Antony said.

East Asian Architecture
Mr Antony said India looks at itself as an integral part of East Asia. India is a founding member of East Asia Summit and as such, looks at the emerging architecture in East Asia as open and inclusive. “That is why we welcome 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 said.

Earlier in the morning, Mr Antony along with the delegation drove down to the National Cemetery in Seoul and laid a wreath there. He also inspected, amid light drizzle, a traditional colourful inter-services guard of honour presented by the South Korean Armed Forces on arrival at the Ministry of Defence Head quarters.

source:DEFENSE & SECURITY NEWS — BY INDIAN GOVERNMENT NEWS

Yeongam ready to wow fans of car racing

Yeongam County, Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla Province), will be ready to go for Korea’s first Formula 1, commonly known as “F1”, Grand Prix slated for Oct. 22-24.

The F1 is one of top three international sporting events worldwide, along with the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games.

Nearly 4 million are expected to show at the racing venue for the speedy competition, and to marvel at the 30 trillion won annual budget needed to sponsor the automotive display, while another 6 million are expected to watch the race on TV.

The upcoming motorsport competition will be held in Korea for the first time, and is expected to offer opportunities to promote Korea and its strength in sports to the world. The Formula 1 Korean Grand Prix Organizing Committee of South Jeolla Province and the Korea Auto Valley Operation (KAVO) have been working hard to complete the last stage preparations for a successful event.

Photo: Yonhap News

The grounds of the Korea International Circuit are in the last, busiest stage, with 90 percent of the construction completed. Paving, stands, electronics, landscaping, and interiors will all be finished by the end of the month. A few months later, it will be opened as an exciting competition ground where spectators can enjoy roaring, powerful engines as the competitors race at thrilling speeds of up 320 kilometer per hour.

To meet the international standards, a total of 340 billion won has been used to build the 1.85 square-meter racing venue. The 5.615 kilometer-long circuit is the third longest in the world and can accommodate as many as 120,000 people, with 16,000 fans in the main grandstand. The surface of this circuit has been specially built for racing cars to handle the blistering speeds of more than 300 kilometers per hour.

A bird-eye view of the Korea International Circuit in Yeongam County, where Korea Formula 1Grand Prix will be held in October. (Photo: Yonhap)

First started in 1950, this year marks the 60th of the F1 Grand Prix. A total of 24 cars from 12 teams, including Ferrari, McLAREN, Red Bull, and Mercedes-Benz will complete in the upcoming Korea F1 Grand Prix, which will be hosted by KAVO for the next six years. The Korea F1 Grand Prix is the 17th event out of 19 this season.

For the upcoming competition, the event organizing committee has built parking facilities and set up various transportation support plans, such as running shuttle buses and extending KTX trains for visitors. Also, the committee is preparing camping sites, temple stays, and Hanok stay programs for visitors, along with their online transportation and accommodation information website.

Residents in South Jeolla Province are also chipping in to greet F1 visitors and successfully host the event. Citizens have long been lobbying for  a more established tourism infrastructure for the province, and helped to host a campaign to keep the streets clean and helped select special “F1” shops for tourists.

South Jeolla Province wants to develop the motorsport industry in Korea through hosting the F1 Grand Prix. The provincial office also plans to hold races for other types of vehicles such as motorcycles in order to attract overseas tourists.

Ticket prices for the Korea F1 Grand Prix range from 128,700 won to 1,012,000 won, depending on the location of the seat and the number of days. Tickets are available both online and offline. Tickets are available online at Interpark(Korean, English) and Ticket Link (Korean) for those ordering in Korea. For overseas tourists, tickets are available atthe official F1 homepage and the official homepage of the Korea F1 Grand Prix (English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Dutch).

More information of the Korea F1 Grand Prix is available at the official KAVO homepage (Korean, English). For more information on South Jeolla Province, click here (Korean, Chinese, English, Japanese).

source:Korea.net