New Japanese map shows S. Korea as owner of Dokdo

A map made by the Japanese government that recognizes South Korea’s ownership of its easternmost islets of Dokdo was unveiled on Sunday, in a clear piece of evidence refuting Japan’s repeated claim to the territory.

The map indicates that Japan’s continued territorial claim to the Dokdo islets is wrongfully made as the Japanese government used the map to mark its own territory when it clinched a peace treaty with Allied forces in September 1951 following its defeat in World War II.

The Dokdo islets, which lie closer to South Korea than Japan in waters between the two countries, have been a thorny issue in the countries’ relations. South Korea keeps a small police detachment on the islets.

A map made by the Japanese government that recognizes South Korea’s ownership of its easternmost islets of Dokdo was unveiled on Sunday, in a clear piece of evidence refuting Japan’s repeated claim to the territory. (Yonhap)

Chung Tae-man, a researcher on Dokdo, recently unveiled a scanned file of the map, drawn by the Japanese government in August 1951, which clearly excludes Dokdo from Tokyo’s territory, according to the Northeast Asian History Foundation.

Conservative groups in Japan have insisted that the Dokdo islets were included as its territory on the map, but Japanese researchers have not yet revealed the document.

“Japan has claimed that its peace treaty with allied forces did not state that Dokdo is South Korean territory,” Chung said. “But the map shows that Japan and allied forces had recognized South Korea’s ownership of Dokdo at that time.”

Chung said that he found the scan of the map on a website operated by a conservative Japanese who said the map was obtained from Japan’s National Diet Library.

South Korea has denounced Japan’s repeated claim to Dokdo, calling it an “unjustifiable” move that will do nothing to help improve already chilly bilateral relations.

South Korea has rejected Japan’s claim as nonsense because the country regained its independence from Japanese colonial rule in 1945 and reclaimed sovereignty over its territories, including Dokdo and many other islands around the Korean Peninsula.
source:(Yonhap) 

As the West Exits, Japan and Korea Seize Opportunity in India

 Since independence in 1947 Indians have looked mostly to the West for economic inspiration. The country has sent millions of expats to the US and Britain, and has developed ties with Western companies eager to tap into the huge Indian market.

But things are changing.Already, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took office in May, has built a strong relationship with Japan’s Shinzo Abe — riding a huge influx of interest from the East Asian nation’s entrepreneurs and executives.

Andre Penner / AP

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has built a strong relationship with Japan’s Shinzo Abe — riding a huge influx of interest from the East Asian nation’s entrepreneurs and executiv

Despite a high-profile exodus of Western companies from India, a GlobalPost analysis reveals that Japanese, Korean and Singaporean applications for business visas have shot up in the last year. American and British applications have remained flat.
Western firms have been cautious about India’s economic prospects since things slowed down in 2012.
But figures released by the Indian government show that Asia’s economic powerhouses are much more enthusiastic.

“Now I would say that about 50 to 55 percent of assignments come from Asia"

In 2012, India issued a total of 26,869 business visas from its consulates in Japan. In the first ten months of 2013 (the most recent available stats) the number had jumped to 40,960, an 80 percent annualized increase.
There was a similar jump for South Korean business visas. A total of 18,044 visas were granted in 2012, and by October 2013, India had issued 20,985 visas for the year. That’s an estimated 40 percent increase annually.
Singapore business visas also jumped by about 50 percent, from 15,871 in 2012 to 20,059 in the first ten months of 2013.
In contrast, business visas issued to American and British applicants remained largely static. India handed out 55,629 business visas to Americans and 58,051 to Britons, and by October last year those figures looked likely to be repeated for 2013.

DIVYAKANT SOLANKI / EPA

Indian commuters wait on an over-crowded platform to board a local train at a suburb railway station in Mumbai, on July 10, 2014. Japanese brokerage Nomura said in a note last month that Japan’s government is targeting high-speed rail and power generation in India as areas for growth.

The people who help expats settle in India have noticed the growing number of East Asian businesses.
Komal Smriti, of Sterling Relocation, said around 80 percent of her clients used to be from Europe or America.
“Now I would say that about 50 to 55 percent of assignments come from Asia,” she said. “Primarily these are large manufacturing base companies that are coming.”
Japanese brokerage Nomura said in a note in July that Japan’s government is targeting high-speed rail and power generation as areas for growth. Many Asian companies are involved in infrastructure developments between Delhi and Mumbai. Nomura predicted that if Modi is successful in cutting red tape, investment could rise by up to 15 percent.

“When a Western company comes here, they might send four or five expatriates. But when you deal with a Japanese or Korean company, the number of people coming is three or four times more"

India signed a trade deal with Japan in 2011, and there are now around 1,000 Japanese businesses operating in India, part of Delhi’s so-called “Look East” strategy.
The new government in Delhi looks to be propelling the trend forward.
Modi and Abe appear to have good personal chemistry, having met and stayed in contact long before either gained power. Both are wary of their larger, shared neighbor, China.
Yet total trade has not risen in line with the growth in business ties so far. In 2011-12, India’s trade with Japan was $18.3 billion. That grew only slightly, to $18.5 billion, by 2012-13.
Although the rise in business visas is partly due to more Asian companies investing in India, other factors also come into play, Sterling's Smriti said.

PIB / AFP - Getty Images

President and CEO of Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation Ken Kebayashi (L) sits with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of a meeting in New Delhi on July 29, 2014. India signed a trade deal with Japan in 2011, and there are now around 1,000 Japanese businesses operating in India, part of Delhi’s so-called “Look East” strategy.

“When a Western company comes here, they might send four or five expatriates. But when you deal with a Japanese or Korean company, the number of people coming is three or four times more. They don’t just send the senior level management — also the middle level management come out.”
Western firms are sending more short-term assignees instead, she said.
For Indians, dealing with people from East Asia is not as straightforward as Westerners might believe.
Smriti said their requirements could be hard for relocation agencies to fulfil. No Asian expat will take a property without a bath, she said, which often involves re-plumbing the hot water system.
“Bathrooms are something they have very specific requirements for,” Smriti said. “Some of the clients have spent a great deal of money on a toilet seat cover. A padded one, or ones which are heated. They are not easy to get. We had to search through all the hardware stores to find where we could get one.”
India’s frequent power outages are not borne lightly either. Most families require both an oil-fueled electricity generator and a battery back-up.
“An assignee from the US or England would never say ‘Even though I have a generator, I still need a Uninterruptible Power Supply unit,” Smriti said.

PARIVARTAN SHARMA / Reuters

Tangled overhead electric power cables are pictured at a residential area as children stand on the roof of a house in Noida on the outskirts of New Delhi . India’s frequent power outages are not borne lightly by expatriates. Most families require both an oil-fueled electricity generator and a battery back-up.

source:nbc news

Envoy touts 'educated India' for investors

Indian Ambassador Vishnu Prakash, left, and Ajay Kanwal, president and CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Korea and regional CEO of Northeast Asia, pose for a photo at the Indian Embassy in Seoul, Thursday, after a news briefing on a business seminar on infrastructure and manufacturing in India slated for Aug. 29. / Korea Times

Indian Ambassador Vishnu Prakash encouraged investors to search for business opportunities in his country, calling India "a young, educated nation" with a sufficient number of high-skilled workers to work with Korean companies.

During a news conference at the Embassy of India in Seoul Thursday, the envoy said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been in office since May, has pushed for silent but decisive reform to remove bureaucracy and attract more foreign investors.

"The Indian prime minister's message to the nation is less government and more governance," Prakash told reporters. "It's true that we have bureaucratic bottlenecks. These bottlenecks, however, will be removed. The labor law has been simplified."

The embassy invited reporters to the news conference to preview what to expect during a business seminar slated for August 29 co-hosted by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea, Standard Chartered Bank Korea, the Korea Society and the Indian multinational corporation Mahindra Group.

Approximately 100 Indian business executives from the infrastructure and manufacturing sectors will participate to talk about the investment environment of the country.

It will be the biggest event the Indian Embassy has ever held in Korea.

Ambassador Prakash gave one example illustrating the strong will of the Modi government to remove barriers hindering foreign investment to his country.

"Every industrial unit had to file annual returns on labor, which used to be 80 pages in the past. It was reduced to five pages. This is one example of the streamlined labor laws. Land acquisition procedures also have been simplified. Compensation procedures have been reviewed and deadlines are being introduced to make decisions to respond to queries from investors."

He called India a young country, saying two thirds of its population are 25 years old or younger.

The envoy talked about India's business-friendly environment when asked to answer concerns among some Korean investors who were familiar with the delay of a POSCO steel plant construction project in the southern region of Odisha.

The project was delayed for years as local residents, in collaboration with environmentalists, opposed the related land acquisition because of the project's potential impact on the region's ecosystem.

Ambassador Prakash noted that, nevertheless, the construction of the steel plant is almost complete and steel production will start from November.

Ajay Kanwal, president and CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Korea and regional CEO of Northeast Asia, noted that India is a key destination for Korean investors, and the bank will provide full support especially for medium-sized companies seeking investment in the country.

Kanwal said specialists in the areas of financial services, trade and commodities will provide technical assistance for Korean investors pursuing business opportunities in India.

"Bankers of Standard Chartered in India will handle all the process. What we really do is, based on their experiences with us, we provide their history to the bank in India so that it becomes very comfortable for them to operate there," he said.

Kanwal said Standard Chartered Bank in India hired two Korean staff members and they work full-time helping Korean investors solve any problems they face.

source: korea times

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