South Korea looks forward to more success stories in India

•  

Lee Joon-gyu (60 yrs) is a seasoned diplomat. Immediately after he completed his Masters in Law from Seoul National University, Korea, in February 1979, Joon-gyu passed his High Diplomatic Service Examination and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in his country. Thereafter, he has represented Korea at the United Nations, Malaysia, Japan, China and New Zealand. In August 2012 he assumed charge as his country's Ambassador to India. During his career he was also director, international trade, MOFA.
As a diplomat, he is only too aware that his role is to strengthen diplomatic ties between South Korea and India, but also ensure that these are buttressed by cultural and business ties.And during the past decade, Korea has notched up some significant successes in India, even though it has seen some of its projects (Posco in Odisha is one example) plagued by delays.He agreed to an exclusive interview by R.N.Bhaskar, and given below are the edited excerpts:

It was heartening to see that one of the most sophisticated thermal power projects in India, set up by Tata Power at Mundra (Gujarat), opted for Korean (Doosan) turbines and generators. Do you expect Korea to play an increasingly successful role in the rest of India's power industry?

Joon-gyu: In addition to what you correctly mentioned, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction also won a $520 million contract in 2012 to build the steam generator and boiler for the NTPC-Lara power plant at Chhattisgarh. Doosan is a globally well-known company for its expertise and performance in the power industry. KEPCO Plant Services & Engineering also recently won a $180 million order to operate and repair a thermal power plant in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, and plans to actively expand its business further. I expect Korean companies, including Doosan and KEPCO KPS, to contribute a great deal in developing electricity infrastructure and improving the power sector in India.

Do you think that the recent environmental clearances announced by the central government for Korean and other units will encourage more Korean companies to invest in India?

It surely is a positive development. But we cannot be sure that with only that measure, delayed projects can now go on stream. Many other hurdles – including never-ending complaints and law-suits raised by various NGOs – still remain. My suggestion is that the success of mega projects like POSCO's would have a great positive impact. They should be monitored directly by the PMO (prime minister's office)


Some of the key industries/sectors that have been flagged as priority projects by the Indian government are shipbuilding and ports, airports, railways, and new cities. Which are the segments that you think Korea could be interested in?
I think they are interested in almost all these segments. During the phone conversation with President Park (of Korea) in July this year, the Indian Prime Minister sought Korean investment in India's infrastructure projects. I believe that there is enormous scope for cooperation in all these areas. I am encouraging Korean companies to be more proactive in this sector. We have a proposal pending for building eight minesweepers for India in the defence and shipping sectors. We are waiting for the final green signal. We would like to build big Korean ships in India as well.


What are the things you think should be done to make Koreans more interested in India?
I believe that strong economic reforms, infrastructure development and business friendly policies pursued by the new government have already spurred some positive effects. But they are not enough. Koreans want to see things really move. They want to see real outcomes. They want success stories in India.
The manufacturing sector was the first major engine of growth for Korea during the 1970s and the 1980s helping Korea industrialise rapidly. The (new) Indian government's policy of boosting the manufacturing sector is quite right, and timely. Korean companies can play a substantial role in helping India achieve these goals. We are now concentrating on bringing Korean manufacturing SMEs (small & medium enterprises) into India. As I said before, they all are looking forward to hearing success stories of Korean majors in India. The more the success stories, the keener will be their desire to come to India.

source:dnaindia.com 

South Korean minister uses sacred sapling to show Sushma Swaraj growth in bilateral ties

• Getty Images

In an unique way to symbolise the rapid rise in bilateral ties, South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se today showed his counterpart Sushma Swaraj pictures showing the growth of a sacred Maha Bodhi sapling which was gifted to his country by India in March. In a meeting with Swaraj on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, the South Korean Foreign Minister brought photographs comparing the sapling that has grown four times that size in the last four months.

He told Swaraj that the sapling was 30 CMs tall when it was gifted but now it is 130 CMs in length. "He wanted to show this as a reflection and symbol of rapid growth in India-Korea relationship. This was a very interesting manner of symbolising the relationship," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said. He said a range of issues of bilateral interests were discussed.

South Korea has around 50 million Buddhist population and the sacred Bodhi Tree from India's Bodh Gaya was given to South Korea as a special gesture of friendship. South Korean President Park Geun-hye had visited India in January this year during which both the countries had decided to intensify cooperation in a range of key sectors including trade, investment and defence.

Nine pacts covering wide-ranging areas including cyber space cooperation were also signed between the two countries during the South Korean President's visit. The relationship between India and South Korea is on an upswing. Korean President Park Geun-Hye had congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his victory in the general elections and recalled with appreciation his association with Korea as chief minister of Gujarat. President Park invited the Prime Minister to pay an early visit to Korea, which was accepted by him.

source:dna india.com

In South Korea, hiking has become almost a national identity

South Koreans are weekend warriors. The sport of choice? Hiking. Mountains are everywhere, and most can be climbed in a day. You need only the following prerequisites: a love of nature, multi-course meals packed into Tupperware, several bottles of rice wine and high-end gear.

Hiking has long been a South Korean pastime, but it has become more like a national identity. In a typical month, about 1 in 3 Koreans goes hikingmore than once. The mountainous national park north of Seoul attracts more visitors annually than the Grand Canyon.

Part of this passion can be explained by geography. The country is a topographical eggshell mattress, covered with hundreds of steep, climbable peaks.

But it’s the rituals surrounding Korean hiking that define mountain culture here. The pace is brisk, and at the top, big groups spread out on blankets and devour elaborate spreads. They also drink rice wine — sometimes lots of it. Amazingly, the hike down is also brisk.

Hikers ascend stairs at Odaesan National Park. (SeongJoon Cho/For The Washington Post)

Although South Korea is famous for its pressure-cooker schools and 60-hour workweeks, hiking represents a far more attractive kind of endurance test. Koreans hold mountains in almost mythical regard, similar to the American veneration for the open spaces of the West. But only recently has hiking taken off as an activity for the masses, a product of national prosperity and increasing leisure time. (Not until 2004 did the governmentshorten the workweek from six to five days.) It helps that many of the country’s most picturesque mountains ring the outskirts of Seoul, a capital region that is home to about 25 million people.

“It’s almost like an addiction,” said Shin Soon-no, 65, who hikes several times a week with her husband, Kim Hong-seong. “Your body starts to crave it.”

Even farther afield, though, South Korean mountains tend to be clogged with a breathtaking flow of humanity — particularly on weekends. Traffic backs up on roads that lead to trailheads. In parking lots, groups pour out of buses, form circles and stretch. Women put on visors the size of umbrellas.

Be sure to dress well

A hiker in Odaesan National Park. (SeongJoon Cho/For The Washington Post)

In other countries, it might be acceptable to set out on a hike in sneakers and shorts. But in South Korea, mountaineer wear is the norm for even the tamest climbs. Those who show up in shabbier gear — typically younger folks — might get a friendly lecture about the importance of multiple layers and sweat-wicking technology. And anyone shamed into upgrading their clothing can do so right away. At the foot of Cheongye Mountain, a modest peak in southern Seoul, more than 20 outdoor companies — North Face, Marmot, Lafuma, Montbell — have stores. Jackets can cost $800, walking sticks $250. Apparel retailers say South Koreans wear, on average, $1,000 worth of garb for a summer hike.

“And probably twice that in winter,” said Kim Sang-beom, owner of a Black Yak store, which sells the upscale Korean domestic outdoor brand.

“Of course, you can wear jeans on a hike, but a lot of Koreans believe they need the perfect clothes,” Kim said. “There are a lot of hiking clubs in Korea, and let’s say you join a club and everybody is carrying hiking sticks and wearing the best gear. If you show up in jeans, you might feel very out of place.”

source:washington post

Korean poems in English: ‘Enough to Say It’s Far’

Han 

Something like the persimmon tree?
Ripening in the sad evening glow,
The tree where the fruits of my heart’s love
Ripen.

With room to spread in the next world only,
Still it looms behind the one I was thinking of,
Falling down from above her head.

It may yet become the fruit 
Of her overwhelming grief
That she wished to plant
In the yard of her house.
Or would she understand 
If I said it was all my sorrow,
All my hope from a previous life,
The color of that fruit?
Or did that person too
Live in sorrow through this world?
That I do not know, I do not know.

From Pak Chae-sam’s 1960 collection of poems, “Chunhyang’s Mind” 
Poet Pak Chae-sam (1933-1997) has been credited with putting a wide range of human emotions into his poems, using creative, succinct and emotional words. 

His collection of poems, “Enough to Say It’s Far,” recently published in English, is the one collection of his that compiles into poetic words all the realizations and sympathy that one acquires throughout the many phases of life. 

Pak Chae-sam’s collection of poems “Enough to Say It’s Far” is now published in English.

The collection consists of 59 works selected from among his lifelong body of work. His first collection, “Chunhyang’s Mind,” published in 1962, is a volume of poetry that sums up the sorrow, regret and resentment, also known as han, that storms through heartbroken couples.

The pieces in his second collection, “In the Sunshine,” published in 1970, depict compassionate feelings for life, describing the glorious and sorrowful experiences through which one lives.

“A Thousand Year-Old Wind,” his third collection, from 1975, personifies a wide range of emotions as images from nature, such as light, rivers and trees, all representing life and death. 

Meanwhile, each poem from his fourth collection, “Autumn River in Burning Tears,” from 1991, sends a message that life is full of sorrow and grief. It epitomizes sadness and, at the same time, can give life lessons, allowing the reader to learn things important from all areas of life.

Born in 1933 in Tokyo, Pak Chae-sam graduated from Samcheonpo High School in 1953. The poet made his literary debut in 1955 with “Providence,” a traditional three-stanza sijo poem, and with “Stillness.” 

He studied at Korea University, majoring in Korean language and literature, but poverty and illness cut his studies short in just three years. He spent his last years suffering from hypertension. However, he never put down his pen, continuing to write poems, until he died of the illness in 1997. Other works of his include “Next to Little Brats” (1976), “Under the Iron of the Moon” (1979) and “In Memories” (1983). He also published a collection of sijo in 1985, “My Love,” as well as six collections of essays throughout his life. 

source:korea.net

인도서 K팝 교류 돈스파이크 "각국 음악인과 협업해야"

인도서 'K팝 교류대사' 나선 돈스파이크

(뉴델리=연합뉴스) 나확진 특파원 = 26일(현지시간) 인도 뉴델리에서 작곡가 돈스파이크가 한국과 인도 음악인의 교류에 대한 생각을 말하고 있다. 2014.7.27 << 국제부 기사 참조 >> rao@yna.co.kr

'코리아-인디아 퓨전 뮤직콘서트' 등 다양한 활동

(뉴델리=연합뉴스) 나확진 특파원 = "이제는 케이팝(K-POP)이 일방적으로 다가가기만 하는 것을 넘어 각국 음악인과 협업해 더 깊이 있는 결과물을 내놓을 때라고 생각합니다."

가수 김범수와 나얼 등의 음반 작업에 참여한 작곡가 겸 프로듀서 돈스파이크(본명 김민수·37)는 26일(현지시간) 연합뉴스 특파원과 만나 '전파가 아닌 교류'를 강조했다.

그는 프로젝트팀 'A.S.K.'(Asian Sing Korean Soul)를 꾸려 외교부 '국민 모두가 공공 외교관' 사업에 지원, 지난 18일 인도 뉴델리에 도착했다.

바로 현지 음악인들과 접촉을 시작한 그는 25일 뉴델리에서 '코리아-인디아 퓨전 뮤직 콘서트'를 열어 재즈 색소폰 연주자 신현필, 인도 기타 연주자 아디티야 발라니 등과 함께 '사랑하기 때문에', '친구여', '섬집아기' 등 한국 곡과 인도 음악을 선사했다.

인도 라디오에 출연한 돈스파이크

(뉴델리=연합뉴스) 25일(현지시간) 인도 뉴델리에서 현지 라디오 방송에 출연한 작곡가 돈스파이크. 뒤 왼쪽부터 시계방향으로 돈스파이크, 색소포니스트 신현필, A.S.K. 기획담당 육숙희, HIT95 라디오 진행자 사르타크 카우시크. 2014.7.27 << 국제부 기사 참조, A.S.K. 제공 >> rao@yna.co.kr

또 현지 케이팝 팬들을 대상으로 오디션을 개최하고 인도 FM 라디오 HIT95에도 출연해 한국 음악을 알렸다.

그는 "다른 음악과 섞이기 쉬운 재즈로 먼저 협연을 시작했다"며 "공연을 해보니 인도 전통악기가 한국의 사물놀이와도 멋진 하모니를 낼 수 있다는 것을 알게 됐다"고 말했다.

그는 오는 10월 한국에서는 양국의 전통 음악을 더 강조한 콘서트를 개최할 예정이다.

돈스파이크, 뉴델리서 한-인도 음악인 합동 공연

(뉴델리=연합뉴스) 25일(현지시간) 인도 뉴델리 로디가든에서 작곡가 돈스파이크가 주도한 A.S.K. 팀이 인도 음악인들과 함께 공연을 하고 있다. 2014.7.27 << 국제부 기사 참조, A.S.K. 제공 >>rao@yna.co.kr

이 공연에 참석할 인도 전통악기 사랑기(아쟁과 비슷한 현악기)와 타블라(북과 비슷한 타악기) 연주자도 섭외했다.

그는 한국 대중음악이 더 폭넓고 다양해지기를 바란다는 희망을 피력했다.

그는 "이제 한국 아이돌 곡을 완벽하게 카피하는 외국 케이팝 팬들이 늘어나는 데 만족해서는 안 된다"며 "인도의 사랑기로 신승훈의 '보이지 않는 사랑'과 같은 발라드를 연주한다면 그만큼 우리와 인도의 감성이 풍부해지지 않겠나"고 웃음 지었다.

source:yonhap news

In science, India invests far less than China, US, South Korea

Observer Research Foundation chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni said the “tight equation between a degree certificate and education has created several distortions, both in society and in the system of education itself”. (TOI file photo by K Sunil Prasad)

MUMBAI: A report by a thinktank shows India's investment in science has lagged behind that of neighbouring China, the US and South Korea, resulting in these countries staying ahead when it comes to research.

While India invested 0.88 per cent of its GDP in science research, the US invested 7-8 per cent, and South Korea 3-4 per cent.

The Observer Research Foundation (ORF) report titled " Whither Science Education in Indian Colleges?" shows that India, with one of the lowest R&D spend-to-GDP ratios, is also expending resources on areas that have a weak connection to industry, thereby missing out on opportunities for economic growth.

"More than a quarter of (India's) R&D investment goes towards basic research, against 5 per cent in China and 17 per cent in the United States," the report states.

The Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. (Getty Images photo)

There are other fundamental reasons, too, why science is ailing. ORF chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni said the "tight equation between a degree certificate and education has created several distortions, both in society and in the system of education itself". He said it has placed a disproportionate emphasis on standardized examinations and students' ability to score well in them.



"Memorization of facts and formulae has triumphed over mastery of concepts, independent and creative thinking, integrative thinking that connects understanding of different subjects, and ability to apply that understanding to solve practical problems of society."

Science has also been solitary; ancient India did not erect a wall between science and art, or between science and spirituality. But science curricula at the undergraduate level tends to be highly theoretical and very dense in content. This poses two problems. "Theory is prioritized over application and time constraints do not allow teachers to explore all concepts, in depth. As a consequence, students are frequently exposed to many concepts but fail to understand them in depth and explore their application. This structure results in 'teach more and learn less', when ideally it should be the other way around," the report said.


A woman scientist working on stem cell research. (Getty Images photo)

The authors — Catarina Correia, Leena Chandran-Wadia, Radha Viswanathan and Adithi Muralidhar — conclude that India is facing two kinds of disconnect: a formal science education pedagogy in colleges that is too theory-based and is disconnected from the practical world; and a large workforce in the informal sector of the economy whose practice is disconnected from science education.

Despite a large tertiary student population, India has not been able to increase the number of PhDs in science and engineering significantly (from 54 per 10 million in 1983 to 70 in 2004). China, which lagged India until a decade ago, now has 174 science and engineering PhDs per 10 million.

The SAC-PM Vision Document (2010) that lays the roadmap for India to become the "global leader in science" calls for a target of producing 30,000 per year by 2025, as against 8,286 PhDs (S&T, agriculture, medicine, veterinary) produced in 2013.

Source:Times of India

Art professor tapped as culture minister

President Park Geun-hye nominated Kim Jong-deok, a visual design professor at Hongik University, as the new culture minister, officials said Sunday.

Along with Kim, Park appointed Kim Young-seok, presidential secretary for maritime and fisheries, vice maritime minister. 

The announcement was made nearly three weeks after Chung Sung-keun, a former TV news anchor, withdrew his nomination for the culture minister post. He was accused of having a drunk driving record and other ethical misdeeds.

Kim Jong-deok

The nomination put an end to the Cabinet reshuffle that started in June in efforts to tighten Park’s grip on state management, which was affected by the ferry disaster in April.

Park launched her new Cabinet last month without naming a new nominee for the culture minister post to prevent further delay in her reform drive.

Kim, 57 and an award-winning graphic designer, served as president of the Korean Society of Design Science between 2010 and 2011. 

“Kim was tapped not only because of his rich experience and expertise, but also because of his outstanding leadership and sense of the field,” said presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook. The nominee is expected to boost the nation’s cultural prosperity, one of Park’s state agendas, he added.

After the nomination, the culture minister-designate must go through a parliamentary confirmation hearing.

The process is mostly customary as National Assembly approval is not needed for Cabinet members, except for prime minister, to take the post.
source:korea herald