Wednesday, August 08, 2007

[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, August 2 2007] Korea ranked 3rd place for informatization

For the third consecutive year, Korea has come in third in the world in terms of IT penetration.

According to the 2007 White Paper on Informatization of Korea released by the Ministry of Information and Communications and National Information Society Agency on Wednesday (Aug.1), Korea ranked third for usage of information technology among 50 nations in the world, recording a score of 91 on a scale of 100.
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, August 2 2007] Korea to build 'smart highway' for safe high-speed driving

Korea will use state-of-the-art technology to build a "smart highway" that can allow cars to travel safely at speeds up to 160 kilometers per hour, the government said Thursday (Aug. 2).

...

"Money will be used to draw up blueprints for the road, develop new pavement materials, design interchanges and build road-related structures," a official said. He added that information technology (IT) will be incorporated into the system that will update drivers on the flow of traffic and help them avoid accidents. IT will play a critical role in the road's safety.
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, July 12 2007] Korea starts test run of mobile broadcasting in Ghana, Netherlands

Korea has launched a test operation of mobile digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) in Ghana and the Netherlands, Seoul official said Thursday (July 12).

DMB is a homegrown technology that enables users to watch TV programs with high-fidelity audio and video when they are on the move.
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, July 11 2007] No. 1 Korea pulls up Asia-Pacific's Internet use averages

Korea tops the list of Internet use within the Asia-Pacific region, according to statistics released by a U.S.-based Internet research firm earlier this week.

ComScore, a company which provides marketing data and services to many of the Internet's largest businesses, placed Korea at No. 1 on a list of Asia-Pacific countries as defined by Internet use. The May study was limited to those age 15 or older and found 26.3 million Koreans, or 65% of the population, to be Internet literate.
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, July 6 2007] Korea to host int’l science meeting to promote technology, information exchange

Korea will host an international science conference that is expected to spur a global exchange among experts and bridge the gap between the latest technology and everyday social issues, organizers for the event said Thursday (July 5).
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, July 4 2007] [Photo News] Two-way television

Consumers try two-way interactive television called Internet protocol television (IPTV) during a show in Seoul on Wednesday (July 4). KT launched "pre-IPTV service" which excludes real-time broadcasting.
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, July 3 2007] LG Electronics signs deal with YouTube to produce UCC mobile phone

Korea’s LG Electronics Inc. said Tuesday (July 3) that it has signed a deal with YouTube to cooperate in producing a handset model operational for the world’s leading video-sharing site.

Through the envisioned handset users will be able to upload, share and view video clips or user-created content (UCC) without having to turn on their computers, the company said.
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, June 21 2007] Foreigners in Korea satisfied with Internet service: survey

Nearly half of the foreign residents in Korea are satisfied with the Internet service provided by local companies, a government survey showed Thursday (June 21).
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, June 20 2007] LG Electronics launches 'Google phone' in Europe

LG Electronics Inc. said Wednesday (June 20) it has launched sales of a third-generation (3G) mobile phone model in European markets which incorporates diverse mobile services of the world's largest search engine Google Inc.

The 3G phone model, LG-KU580, designed to allow multimedia features including video calling, will provide Google's "on-the-go" search, e-mail and map services in Italy, France and Germany, LG Electronics said.
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, June 16 2007] PlayStation 3 debuts in Korea

PlayStation 3, the flagship video game console of Sony Computer Entertainment, made its debut in Korea Saturday (June 16), the company’s Korean unit said.
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, June 14 2007] KTF launches mobile communications network with enhanced uploading speed

KTF, Korea’s No. 2 mobile service provider, said Thursday
(June 14) that it has launched an upgraded mobile communications network designed to enhance the speed of data transfer.
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, June 13 2007] Seoul to hold international meeting on new Internet protocol

Korea is to hold an international meeting this week to provide a chance for the world’s IT experts to exchange opinions on a new Internet protocol designed to increase the number of available Internet addresses, officials said Wednesday (June 13).
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, June 12 2007] Korea’s ranks 13th in number of scientific papers cited by int’l database

Korea’s ranking in terms of the number of scientific papers cited in a global reference index rose one notch to 13th place in 2006, the government said Tuesday (June12).
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, June 7 2007] Samsung poised to top North America's PDP TV market

Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. is quickly expanding its presence in the North American market for plasma display panel (PDP) TVs, threatening the market prowess long held by its Japanese rival Panasonic Corp., industry sources said Thursday (June 7).
[Korea.net News, Culture / Events, August 5 2007] D-War attracts over 2.2 million in four days of release
[Korea.net News, Culture / Events, August 3 2007] 8th Busan International Rock Festival opens on August 4th
[Korea.net News, Culture / Events, July 30 2007] Comedian continues pursuit of movie-making dream with 'D-War'
[Korea.net News, Culture / Events, July 26 2007] Andong museum shows traditional relics in high-tech formats


How about a museum of traditional culture equipped only with digital gadgets instead of relics?

A Traditional Culture Contents Museum, the first museum in Korea to showcase Korea's past history through digital means opened in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang Province) on Wednesday (July 25).
[Korea.net News, Culture / Events, July 18 2007] Louvre's new multimedia PDA guides to speak in Korean

Koreans checking out the Louvre's new multimedia service will be able to hear about the museum's collection in their mother tongue from the end of this year.

Korean Air and the French museum signed a contract regarding the sponsorship Tuesday (July 16) in Paris.

Under the partnership, the museum will offer Korean language service in its new multimedia guide and KAL will be able to use the Louvre's images in its promotions.
[Korea.net News, Culture / Events, July 12 2007] Puchon Fantastic Film Festival kicks off
[Korea.net News, Culture / Events, July 11 2007] Ministry literally makes room for independent movie promotion

The Ministy of Culutre and Tourism (MCT) said Tuesday (July 10) that it will open a theater dedicated to independent and art films inside the MCT Building the next day.
[Korea.net News, Culture / Events, July 1 2007] Korean Film Council opens U.S. office

The Korean Film Council, the country's film promotion agency, opened a U.S. office in Los Angeles Saturday (June 30) to help homegrown movies and film industry figures advance to Hollywood, the agency said.
[Korea.net News, Culture / Events, June 14 2007] New York film festival showcases Korean shorts
[Korea.net News, Culture / Events, June 11 2007] Korean pop star on 'Billboard' cover

Korean music producer and singer Park Jin-young has become the first Korean to appear on the cover of the prestigious U.S. magazine “Billboard,” which is dedicated to the music industry.

AsiaMedia :: KOREA: Guideline to limit media coverage

AsiaMedia :: KOREA: Guideline to limit media coverage:

The Government Information Agency to reveal plans to penalize journalists who do not follow the 'news embargo'

The Korea Times
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
By Kim Yon-se

The Roh Moo-hyun administration is moving to take disciplinary measures against journalists and their companies that do not abide by the 'news embargo' set by government offices.
The Government Information Agency (GIA) Tuesday unveiled a plan to implement it as early as next month.

Journalists who violated the embargo will be banned from interviewing public officials for a certain period. The government will also stop offering press releases to their companies.
Furthermore, journalists who fail to participate in at least one of five news briefings a week, hosted by a ministry, will be banned from visiting the government office.
After the plan was unveiled, criticism from the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) and scholars followed.

'The Roh Moo-hyun administration should drop its policy to control the media under his haughty and arbitrary attitude,' the GNP said in a statement."

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

KBS WORLD

KBS WORLD:
"Subway Passengers Can Enjoy Online Games
Passengers are able to enjoy online games without charge on the circular subway Line 2 in Seoul from Aug. 6 to 19. A city official said that the subway authorities have placed 12 laptop computers each in the third and eighth cars of one of the latest model trains, which is running from east to west from 11 a.m. 'til 5 p.m. during the period. However, the train will not be available on Aug 9, 13 and 16."

KBS WORLD

KBS WORLD NEWS 2007-08-06
"President Roh Moo-hyun’s landslide victory in the 2002 election highlighted the great influence of the Internet, feeding much speculation that the Web would become one of the most important media in future elections. "
[Korea.net News, Finance, July 30 2007] Korea’s Internet banking transactions up 6.4 % in 2nd quarter

Internet-based banking transactions in Korea increased 6.4 percent in the second quarter from three months earlier as more people went online for financial transactions, the central bank said Monday (July 30).
[Korea.net News, Finance, June 10 2007] Seoul to host financial intelligence conference next year

A major international conference on financial intelligence and anti-money laundering will be held in Seoul next year, the Ministry of Finance and Economy said Sunday (June 10).
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 7 2007] LG Woos Pan-Chinese Market With Andy Lau Phone

In a bid to enhance its presence in the wider Chinese market, LG Electronics has launched a new version of its Shine phone designed with actor Andy Lau.

LG on Monday released the Shine x Andy Lau Special Edition phone, complete with the actor's own handwriting. Inscribed on the back of the phone in the actor's calligraphy is his motto: "Heaven is where the kind hearted people are."
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 7 2007] Without Press Rooms, Information is Delayed

[Column]
...

At 10 a.m. the following day, the ministry held a press conference and announced the suspension of inspections of U.S. beef after the discovery of a vertebral column. By then the ministry had refused to answer reporters' requests to confirm the fact -- which the ministry had confirmed to itself -- for 14 hours. That's how long it took to deliver accurate information to the public.

...

Despite public opposition, the government went ahead with its plan to merge the briefing rooms at government agencies and ban access to government officials. "Don't worry," it told us in the meantime, "we'll disclose as much information as possible." But in light of this latest situation, it seems clear that the government has decided to disclose only the information that it wants to reveal.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 6 2007] 'D-War' Stirs Up Sensation

With his new monster flick “D-war”, director Shim Hyung-rae has created a box-office sensation. ...

But with success has come controversy over quality and marketing strategy. Leesong Hee-il, the director of “No Regret”, has issued a challenge on his website titled “To blind fans of director Shim Hyung-rae.” His comments are cutting. “D-war is not a movie,” he writes. “It’s like a successful imitation of U.S. toasters assembled in Cheonggyecheon in the 1970s.”

He also criticized the “D-war” marketing strategy, which is heavy on appeals to viewers’ patriotism. Leesong says Shim is milking emotions for all they’re worth by putting the famous traditional Korean song “Arirang” at the end of the movie and talking about his passion and past hardships on every TV show.

The “blind” fans were quick to reply, bombarding the blog with such a stream of counterattacks, some full of verbal abuse, that it has now been closed. An article on the story on an Internet portal site had no fewer than 13,600 replies as of 4 p.m. on Sunday. Inevitably, advance ticket sales for “D-war” surged by 10 percent, online ticket agency Maxmovie said.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 6 2007] Demand for Internet-Free Phones Surging

Demand especially among parents for mobile phones without a wireless Internet function is surging, but the service providers stand accused of failing to meet it. Lee Sung-young, a homemaker from Seoul’s Jamsil said, “My son in middle school used to play wireless Internet games on his mobile phone, and the bill for the games was over W120,000 (US$1=W923). I wanted to replace his phone with one without a wireless Internet feature, but it’s very inconvenient since that means changing the mobile service provider and there are few handsets available.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 6 2007] Flip Side of the 'Republic of Cell Phones'

"Are there any cell phones that don't connect to the Internet?"

Many parents these days are replacing their children's cell phones with handsets that cannot connect to the Internet. Such was the case with a housewife I met at a cell phone store over the weekend. "I got a bill for W130,000 (US$1=W923) for my kid's cell phone. The monthly charge was over W50,000 even when we subscribed to a discount package for juveniles. Later I found out why. My kid was mostly playing games on the wireless Internet, a function of the newest phones."

Playing Internet games on a cell phone costs a lot more than just making calls and sending text messages, because you have to pay for the wireless Internet service and to download the games. According to a consumer group survey, children and teenagers in Seoul on average pay W38,414 a month in cell phone fees. That's even more than adults, who pay W38,226. Even though kids get juvenile discounts, their volume of wireless Internet use means they don't save much from the discounts.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 6 2007] Korea Reggae Artist Making Buzz in U.S.

Cho Sung-jin, a member of Korean reggae duo Stony Skunk, is creating a stir with a hit solo debut in the U.S.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 6 2007] 'D-War' Attracts Over 2.2 Mil. Viewers in 4 Days
[The Hankyoreh, August 7 2007] D-War shoots to the top

Netizens flock to movie fan-sites in support of Shim Hyung-rae and South Korean film industry

...

“D-War” is particularly gaining popularity with fans on the Internet. Every day, thousands of new visitors become members of several Internet Web sites for fans of “D-War.” The fans have been posting exuberant messages to support both Shim and his movie. Some analysts say that people have sympathy and support for Shim because of his personal background.
[The Hankyoreh, August 7 2007] Afghan hostage crisis vexes South Korean Press

Afghan hostage crisis raises questions on the ability of journalists who are outside of the country to capture the issues.
[The Hankyoreh, August 7 2007] Wireless ride

A passenger surfs the Internet on a subway train in Seoul on Aug. 6. Wireless Internet service on subway cars will be provided temporarily by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to celebrate the Seoul International e-Sports Festival, which runs from August 9-12.
[The Hankyoreh, August 5 2007] D-War attracts over 2.2 million in four days of release

... the Korean legend-based film starring Hollywood actors might set a new box office record, the distributor of the film said Sunday.