The refreshing "Nanta":a Korean Musical

Nanta  is a popular South Korean musical. In English the show is also known as "Cookin'". It premiered in October 1997 in Hoam Art Hall in Seoul

The musical has a simple back story of three cooks attempting to finish preparing a wedding banquet within a strict time limit while the manager installs his incompetent nephew among the kitchen staff. The show involves acrobatics, magic tricks, comedy, pantomime and audience participation. The unifying element throughout the musical is the use of traditional Koreansamul nori music, which in this case in performed with improvised instruments, such as cutting boards, water canisters and kitchen knives. The performance is almost completely non-verbal. The very few words which are spoken are in English.

Nanta is the longest-running show in Korean history. In Korea it is performed in three theatres in Seoul as well as in one theatre in the island of Jeju. The musical made its international debut at the 1999 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it received an award for best performance. Since then it has been staged in 18 countries around the world. Nanta openedoff Broadway in New York City in 2004 and ended its run in August 2005. 

Lets have a look of a Nanta(Drum)performance in Gwanghwamun square:

S. Korea Gives Grant to Pinoy Trainers, Workers

MANILA, Philippines – A few years back, Filipino workers were recipients of the gift of education and technical training from the Republic of Korea through the three Kor-Phil Centers for the areas of information and communications technology (ICT), and agriculture mechanization.

The Kor-Phil Centers in Quezon City and Bulacan were established to develop and showcase Filipino talents in animation and software development, while the one in Davao is for the development of globally-competitive Filipino workers in agriculture mechanization.

These training facilities were grant-in-aid projects of the South Korean Government through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Last week, KOICA again signed a memorandum of agreement with TESDA and the Department of National Defense for the establishment of a Human Resource Development Center, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Signatories to the agreement were KOICA vice-president Dongwon Ahn, DND Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, and Secretary Joel Villanueva, TESDA Director General.

Under the new agreement, the South Korean government will invest in the construction of the HRD Training Center, provide training equipment, dispatch Korean experts to the Philippines, and train Filipino officials and trainers in Korea.

Strengthening HRD capacity

The HRD Center which will be operational in 2013. Through the Center, TESDA will be able to expand the reach of its TVET Trainers Training Program (TTTP) designed to upgrade the competencies of trainers including the school administrators.

The TTTP aims to qualify the existing corps of TVET trainers to the next higher levels (Levels 2 to 4) in accordance with the Philippine TVET Trainers Qualifications Framework (PTTQF). Some 2,000 TVET trainers and school administrators will be trained under the joint project in the next five years.
The Korean government will also provide training facilities for Korean language and culture training.

TRAINERS TRAINING IN KOREA

TESDA will recruit qualified trainers with high proficiency in English for the training program in Korea in the fields of animation, game development programming, mechatronics, instrumentation and control servicing, electrical installation and maintenance, and Korean language and culture.

After the overseas training, the trainers will be required to work for the project and teach at the HRD Center.

KOICA vice president Dongwon Ahn said that the training center will also serve as a memorial for the Filipinos who bravely fought alongside South Korea during the Korean War some 60 years ago.

KOICA has steadily increased the volume of its Official Development Assistance (ODA) programs to the Philippines since its establishment in 1991. The agency is a long-time development partner of TESDA in the development of Filipino skilled workers. And the HRD Center is a testament to this development partnership.

source:mb.co.ph

The good and the bad of foreigners working at Korean firms

	David James Biske / Dana Lee / Steve Frawley

In recent years, the numbers of foreigners working at Korean companies has been growing as the 2008 global financial crisis has narrowed job opportunities in many advanced nations. 

The global talent that has worked for several years in Korea say there are positive challenges as Korea is one of the fastest growing economies in Asia, and there are great opportunities as many of the companies are advancing into the global market. 

Foreign employees working in Korea mostly agree that one of the strengths of Korean companies is the work ethic and corporate commitment here.

“The Korean corporate environment in general promotes a very strong work ethic and employees tirelessly put in hours to support their companies,” said David James Biske, who has been working at GM Daewoo for six years and currently is the development director.

Biske said he joined GM Daewoo to experience life abroad while promoting his career development. But more importantly, he liked the challenge of working at the automaker just after it was acquired by GM in 2004.

Dana Lee, a Chinese woman who has been working at Hyundai Motor for the last five years, also praises the country’s work ethic. 

“I believe that this is the reason for the country’s fast development,” Lee said. Lee studied at the Graduate School of International Studies at Sogang University before working at Hyundai.

“There are certainly differences between Korea and the U.S. that affect the work environment,” said Steve Frawley, the first non-Korean executive at SK Telecom. “The U.S. tends to place a greater focus on individualism versus collectivism in Korea.”

Frawley added that there is a stronger focus in Korean companies for maintaining harmony as compared to the U.S. where employees “confront and challenge each other in solving a problem or issue.”

Frawley, who is in charge of the human resource department of Korea’s largest telecommunication company, is also responsible for training employees and global recruitment.

But the foreigners say there are also negative factors that prevent more top quality global talent from joining Korea Inc.

“Although there are many positive aspects to the strong work ethic in Korea, it is also unsustainable over long periods and may ultimately cause lower effectiveness and higher chances for mistakes and accidents,” said Biske.

For Frawley, the biggest challenge in working in a Korean company is the language barrier.

“I do believe that in order to adjust to Korean life, it is advantageous to learn some language skills and certainly gain a good understanding of the culture,” Frawley said.

“There are lots of internal research and reports in Korean sent to me everyday, but I don’t feel as though I have any real access to this information,” Lee said. Due to the language barrier, “I sometimes feel as if there is a glass wall that prevents foreigners from getting on the inside, whether it would be people, information or authorities.”

Other barriers include the lack of infrastructure supporting foreigners and a homogenous culture that does not embrace diversity
source:Joongang Daily

Pyeongchang 2018 candidate city

Located 750 m above sea level, and with 84% of its territory comprised of rugged mountains, PyeongChang is truly an eco-city, enjoying air and water quality levels that surpass international standards.

To preserve such superb natural environs, PyeongChang and the venue cities have been developing environmental infrastructure expansion projects aimed at conserving grade-1 water resources, vitalising ecosystems, improving biodiversity, and recycling waste materials as energy resources. Our efforts have led to PyeongChang being designated a ‘Low-Carbon Green Growth Model City’ by the National Government.

And, through our bid to host the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, plans are fully in place to live up to this designation. In fact, PyeongChang 2018 fully intends to make the 2018 Games a true Green and Low-Carbon Olympics.

To that end, the city will carry out four major environmental projects that have as their respective goals: controlling and neutralising greenhouse gas emissions; achieving zero discharge (through the reuse, reduction and recycling of waste materials); maintaining water quality levels at the ideal level; and restoring and improving the city’s overall ecosystem. 


























Furthermore, all venues used for the 2018 Games will be “Green”, playing a huge role in our promise to fully deliver on an environmentally sustainable Winter Games. All new competition and noncompetition venues to be built for the Winter Games will obtain certification in adherence with the building laws of the Green Building Certification Programme, adopted by Korea in 2006, while existing venues will be upgraded to low-carbon eco-friendly facilities that utilize renewable energy, reuse rainwater and wastewater, and adopt natural lighting systems.

K-Pop Stars Band Together for G20 Theme Tune

A song entitled "Let's Go" is to promote the G20 Summit in Seoul next month, Asia Bridge Content productions announced Wednesday. 

Twenty singers took part in the project to suggest the representation of 20 countries. They include Son Dam-bi, IU and members from groups such as Girls' Generation, SHINee, 2AM, 2PM, Kara, BEAST, After School and Super Junior.

The 20 singers who recorded a song promoting the G20 Seoul Summit /Courtesy of Asia Bridge Content

The musicians said their motivation was to bring the people of Korea together for the successful hosting of the G20 Summit event, whose motto is "Shared Growth Beyond Crisis," according to a press release. It quotes Seo-hyun from Girls' Generation as saying, "I feel honored to be part of this meaningful project. I hope 'Let's Go' can help bolster people's interest and cooperation" in the summit. 

The fast-tempo, playful rhythm and simple, catchy tune of the song are designed to make the G20 Summit more accessible and appealing to young people. 

The musicians waived their fees, and the proceeds from the album are to go to charity. "Let's Go" is released online on Friday.

Jarasum International Jazz Festival to kick off on Oct.15

Jarasum International Jazz Festival will run for three days from October 15 on Jara Island in Gyeonggi-do.

Now in its seventh year, the annual international jazz festival will turn the entire island into one huge jazz event, with stages all around the island. All of the eight festival stages, including the main stage, "Jazz Island," are within ten minutes walk of each other. 

This year's festival will feature a total of 68 bands, including 34 professional groups from both Korea and overseas. Some of the best-known acts include the Watts Project, led by world-famous drummer Jeff Tain Watts, and Dutch saxophonist Candy Dulfer. 

Other notable musicians who will be performing at the festival include guitarist Stanley Jordan, known for his unique tapping technique, and Kyle Eastwood. 

With so many performances in such a short period, visitors are strongly advised to consult the schedule on the festival homepage to make sure they don't miss any of their favorite acts (Korean only). 

Admission to the festival costs 30,000 won for adults and 21,000 won for students, and attendees will also receive a 5,000-won coupon which can be used at multiple stores in Gapyeong County.  All the shows are included in the price of festival admission, except for performances on the Jazz Island and Party Stages.
source:Korea.net

Buyeo Declaration adopted at T.20 Tourism Ministers' Meeting

Ministers of tourism gathered for the second T.20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting in Buyeo, Chungcheongnam-do, and concluded the three day meeting by jointly adopting the “Buyeo Declaration” on Wednesday, October 13.

The Buyeo Declaration made it clear that the tourism industry has a profound influence over the number of jobs, exports, and overall economy of nations, and can contribute to overcoming the global financial crisis while stimulating economic growth.

The declaration outlined four goals for the tourism industry: accelerating economic growth and prosperity, increasing employment, contributing to the world development agenda, and promoting sustainable development.

Taleb Rifai, the Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), revealed that there was a six percent increase in tourists worldwide during the first half of this year, and the Asia-Pacific and Middle East saw a growth rate of 14 percent. He added that the number of overseas tourists increased by three-fold over the past three decades, and tourism makes up 9.2 percent of the global GDP.

Member nations agreed to actively cooperate with international organizations such as the UNWTO, International Labor Organization (ILO), and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and establish a framework for assistance.

Korean Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon pledged to emphasize this point to President Lee Myung-bak in meetings in November. President Lee will preside over the upcoming G20 Financial Summit in Seoul on Nov. 11-12.

“Just as the G20 Summit pursues shared economic growth among countries, the T.20 seeks to establish a basis for shared growth through tourism,” said Yu.

Members also agreed to hold the third T.20 meeting in France in 2011. France is also next in line to host a G20 Financial Summit, after the Seoul Summit next month.

Meanwhile, Korea concluded an MOU with Ghana and UNWTO to assist in installing direction boards in Ghana. The measure is expected to help boost tourism and fight poverty in the region, in line with the goals of the Buyeo Declaration.

source:Korea.net