Friday, August 17, 2007

[Korea.net News, Society, August 16 2007] Website takes viewers on 3D journey around Dokdo

A website to introduce Korea's easternmost territory Dokdo opened Tuesday (August 14).

Korea's Northeast Asian History Foundation (NAHF) opened the Cyber Dokdo History Hall (http://www.dokdohistory.com), which contains history, relevant pictures and three-dimensional graphics of the island cluster.
[Korea.net News, Society, August 12 2007] 'D-War' attracts 5 million viewers in 11 days of release

Korea's science fiction blockbuster "D-War" has attracted 5 million viewers in the first 11 days of its release, the film's distributor said Sunday (Aug. 12).
[Korea.net News, Society, August 7 2007] Family of Korean hostage in Afghanistan posts tearful video on YouTube

One of the families of the 21 Korean hostages being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan on Monday (Aug. 6) posted a home video on the U.S. internet site YouTube, earnestly appealing for the hostages' release.
[Korea.net News, Society, August 1 2007] Korean students teach Internet in Egypt

Korean student volunteers pose with Egyptian students at the Ain Shams University in Cario on July 29. The overseas Internet volunteers taught Internet and personal computer skills at the Egypt-Korea Internernet Plaza in Cairo for the past one month under the sponsorship of the Korean Ministry of Information and Communication.
[Korea.net News, Society, July 10 2007] Indonesian TVs tuned in for Korean programs

An Indonesian channel will feature special programs from Korea every weekend in July to highlight the designated "Korea Month."

Metro TV, one of Indonesia's major broadcasting stations and Global Matra Consulting, asubsidiary of Korean broadcaster SBS Productions have jointly launched the "Dynamic Korea Project" to bring notable Korean programs to the Indonesian channel every weekend for a month.
[Korea.net News, Society, July 3 2007] Immigration taps foreign TV stars to promote new image

foreign-born TV stars will promote a friendly image of Korea worldwide. In total, Korea's Ministry of Justice (MOJ) Tuesday (July 3) designated eight celebrities as official promoters of the Korea Immigration Service, an extension of the Korea Immigration Bureau.
[Korea.net News, Society, June 21 2007] Migrant workers benefit from free interpretation and counseling

It has been a little more than year since the Korea International Labor Foundation (KOILAF) Interpretation Service Center began helping foreign migrant workers in Korea who face difficulties due to language barriers.
[Korea.net News, Society, June 21 2007] Seoul Metro to provide English onboard broadcasting

The Seoul subway system announced Wednesday (June 20) that it will start broadcasting special announcements in English to improve foreign passengers' comfort from July 2.

Seoul Metro, operator of the subway lines in Seoul, said it will give announcements in English to inform passengers of any unexpected disturbance that may occur, such as delayed trains, both on the platforms and in the subway trains affected in order to reduce any inconvenience.
[Korea.net News, Society, June 17 2007] Luxury cinema gains popularity among high-income moviegoers

It is not common to view a film in a posh, spacious cinema while resting on a comfortable French-made, luxury leather sofa with an end table. It is even less common if a quality five-course meal accompanies the experience.

A new cinema equipped with a luxury restaurant is gaining popularity here among high-income movie-goers, despite its super-high ticket price.
[Korea.net News, Society, June 14 2007] Korean mobile broadcasting users top 6 million

The number of mobile broadcasting service users in Korea exceeded 6 million this year only two years after the launch of the service, a government report indicated Thursday (June 14).

According to the report by the Ministry of Information and Communication, the users of digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) reached 6.45 million as of the end of May.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 17 2007] Phone Makers Square Off With High-end Camera Phones

Mobile phone makers are competing fiercely in Europe with high-pixel camera phones.

LG Electronics said Thursday that it will launch the Nyx (KU990), a 5-megapixel camera phone, in European markets this month. The Nyx has a touch-screen front panel and a built-in lens on the back. It lets users record video clips at high speed and play them back in slow motion.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 17 2007] Reporters to Boycott Police Media Policy

Reporters are up in arms about police attempts to restrict press access to police stations starting Sept. 1. Reporters on the crime beat of 17 news companies issued a statement on Thursday saying they will boycott measures the police bill as “advanced press support.” Reporters covering the National Police Agency and local police stations called the new press policy “a measure to limit reporters’ access to police affairs and protect the police from the monitoring of the media.”

The new policy requires reporters to submit applications to the public relations office before conducting interviews with officers, indicating the interviewee and the subject of the interview. Reporters will be allowed to hold interviews only in a specially designated interview room. The police notified reporters of the new policy on Tuesday. Reporters vowed to unite to protect freedom of speech and media activities.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 17 2007] No iPod at Apple?

The iPod has become Apple's trademark product, recognized as more than a product but an innovation. A Korean construction firm even put out an ad comparing its reputation for excellence with that of the iPod.

But Apple Korea has recently been telling customers looking for the hot selling gadget that they have no more iPods available. iPod Internet ads have also disappeared.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 16 2007] Samsung, LG Snare 7 EISA Awards

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics received a slew of awards from the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA).

EISA awards are most highly regarded honors in Europe's electronics industry. More than 50 editors from electronics magazines in 20 European countries decide the best products in each category by evaluating technology, design and innovation.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 16 2007] Trying to Keep the Public Deaf and Blind

At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the government authorized the hiring of 14 people whose job is to keep journalists out of government ministries and other agencies. They will be posted at the government complexes in Sejongro, Seoul, Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province and Daejeon. The Cabinet meeting is the country’s highest forum of consultation, yet it is reduced to handling something as trivial as the hiring of bouncers. Korea has become a global laughing stock.

...

Blocking media access is like trying to cover the eyes and ears of the public. It stops the cycle of monitoring and criticizing government operations, eliminating the opportunity to rectify unlawful and corrupt actions by the government. The ultimate victims are the taxpayers, who lose a window through which they can monitor the government.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 16 2007] New Marketing Trend Uses Common Words for Names


A new trend is developing in which brands are named after common nouns. A case in point is KTF's 3G wireless service Show. Many food and drink brands are using short words for their products such as Cow and Tree from Dongwon Dairy Foods, Cantata coffee from Lotte Chilsung and Seattle canned coffee from Dong Suh Foods.

The trend is appearing in the electronics industry, too: Samsung Electronics has launched a Miniskirt phone and Blackjack smartphone, while LG Electronics has a Wine phone and Banana phone, to name a few.

Samsung Networks on Tuesday launched a comprehensive wireless service called U-Ready, which implies that a ubiquitous work environment is always readily available. LG Household & Health Care has a line of dish liquids called Safe, one of which is named Safe Brown Rice to emphasize its use of natural ingredients.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 14 2007] New Media Trends Demand New Gov't Thinking

David Pogue, a technology writer for the New York Times, recently became a global Internet star. When Apple released its much-hyped iPhone, Pogue produced a video clip called "My iPhone Diary" and posted it on the Internet. He starred in, narrated and edited the nearly six-minute clip, which satirizes the weaknesses of the new smartphone. The clip has been viewed more than 830,000 times on YouTube alone. Quite a few Korean Internet users have checked it out, too.

"Backpack journalism" is an emerging trend in reporting around the world. A backpack journalist is a virtual one-man journalism band, armed with a bulging backpack filled with gadgets like a video camera, a digital camera, and a laptop. Unlike conventional reporters, backpack journalists record video, shoot still photos and edit their work all on the spot. It's an irreversible trend in the new media era of the 21st century as the Internet catches up with traditional media and bloggers compete with journalists.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 14 2007] Samsung Undergoing Huge Shakeup

Samsung Group is carrying out a group-wide restructuring in the wake of rumors of a crisis and the recent blackout at the Samsung Electronics semiconductor plant in Giheung, Gyeonggi Province.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 14 2007] Families of Hostages Release Third Video

The prolonged hostage crisis, the long wait and uncertainty are wrenching the hearts of the families.

Reflecting their ordeal, a home-made video by a family member offers a video portfolio of one of the male hostages, Je Chang-hee.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 13 2007] A New Low in Media Oppression

In line with its efforts to block media access to state information and public officials by creating a handful of “media centers” at government ministries, the Roh Moo-hyun administration has begun the chasing journalists out of the pressrooms. It is the president himself who is creating the commotion and pouring in tax money to dismantle existing pressrooms and build a new briefing room.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 13 2007] Hyundai Building Global Control Office

Hyundai Motor will start running a global situation center at its headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, this year. The situation center will be tasked with monitoring the operations of the carmaker's plants worldwide in real-time and devising future business plans based on the data. In other words, it will serve as the headquarters and brain of the automaker in pursuing global business strategies.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 13 2007] Korean Computer Animators Rising to Challenge Hollywood

The recent turnaround in Korea's movie industry is helping local producers of computer graphics (CG) to challenge the world. "D-War," a sci-fi monster flick produced completely with Korean CG technology, is expected to record five million viewers in just 10 days of release. In addition, Korean software garnered rave reviews at the world's top CG show this week. In other words, a Korean CG company has formally thrown down the gauntlet to Hollywood.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 10 2007] Gov't Starts Kicking Out Reporters

The Government Information Agency has told reporters to vacate press rooms at government agencies by this weekend under a new media policy that will merge dozens of government newsrooms into just a handful of briefing rooms and limit media access to officials.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 10 2007] Web Portal CEO Eyes Aviation Market

Daum Communications CEO Lee Jae-woong is planning to set up an airline through the Tourexpress online travel agency. A Tourexpress spokesman on Thursday said the head of one of Korea's major Internet portals is taking steps to start an airline in partnership with Hong Kong-based funds and is in discussions with the Ministry of Construction and Transportation.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 10 2007] The Headaches of High-Definition TV

High definition TV, when it arrived, appeared to be a boon to the broadcasting industry, with pictures five or six times clearer and more detailed than the blurry images we’re used to.

Alas, too vivid and clear a picture brought its own problems: audiences can see the glue spots that hold the fake beard on a general’s face in a historical drama in place, and even the most beautiful actresses have enlarged pores. In fact, HD TV has proved a headache for directors, makeup artists and actors who work in the medium.

◆ Trailblazing porn
◆ Digital cosmetics
◆ Lighter makeup
◆ New tricks for the HD TV era
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 10 2007] Hostage Families Upload Second Video

Family members of the Korean hostages are continuing with efforts to reach out to the international community with their appeal for the safe release of their loved ones in Afghanistan.

A second video clip has been posted on Internet video-sharing websites, portraying the desperate hopes of the families here.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 9 2007] KT and Hanaro Telecom Leaked Subscriber Data

The personal information of 7.3 million subscribers to KT and Hanaro Telecom's Internet services has been leaked or used for other purposes without permission, police have uncovered.

Some 3,000 of those subscribers have become credit delinquent, in arrears for fees for service that they never used. Police are now investigating 26 employees with the two companies, including executives.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 9 2007] Samsung Teams With Disney for Family Mobile Phones

Samsung Electronics, which has been airing commercials in Korea touting the value of family, has launched a marketing campaign in the U.S. to promote two new mobile phones designed specifically for families.

According to the mobile phone industry on Thursday, Samsung, which has been leading the market with high-end mobile phones for business people such as the BlackJack, recently joined hands with entertainment company Disney to create two "Disney phones" (DM-S105, DM-S110) for the U.S.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 8 2007] Korean Hostage's Husband Posts Video Clip on YouTube

A video clip made by the family of a Korean hostage being held in Afghanistan was among the most viewed videos on YouTube, the world’s largest user-created content site on Tuesday.

About 15,000 people viewed the two-minute-31-second-video titled “To my dearest wife in Afghanistan”, making it one of the “most viewed today” videos in the News & Politics category.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 8 2007] Media Oppression by a Fading Administration

Invoking a prime minister’s directive on media support, the deputy director of the Government Information Agency and media relations officials at each government ministry are moving to take disciplinary measures against journalists and their employers that do not abide by news embargoes or off-the-record standards set by government offices. Journalists and media companies that break this regulation will lose access to information and be barred from getting interviews with government officials. Also, journalists signed up for access to government ministries must attend at least one government media briefing a week or face loss of their press pass.
[The Chosun Ilbo, August 8 2007] Gov’t Ups the Ante in Press Crackdown

The Government Information Agency has started closing government newsrooms under a new policy critics say aims to gag the press. The GIA is now working out a prime ministerial directive to take disciplinary action against journalists and their employers who fail to abide by news embargoes set by government offices. In strong protest on Tuesday, a journalists organization called for the entire policy to be scrapped.
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, June 27 2007] Korea's first commercial Maglev train line to be set up at Incheon airport


Korea's first commercial magnetic levitation train line will be built at Incheon International Airport by 2012, a state transportation advisory body said Tuesday (June 27).
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, June 30 2007] ROBOT & ROBOT

The ongoing ROBOT & ROBOT exhibition marks the opening of Korea's first robot store. Between now and November 4, people will have a chance to try out and purchase 20 types of robots developed by six domestic companies.

World robot history and relevant video clips will also be on display at COEX.
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, July 14 2007] Ministries tuning up e-governance exports

Korea approved special loans to Senegal to support its purchase of $25 million worth of Korean e-government systems last April.

Other countries in the process of acquiring Korean e-governance systems include Uzbekistan with a traffic system; Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Myanmar with administrative systems; Dominica with a tax system; and Indonesia with a public security system. Vietnam is applying for loans to adopt a public security system.
[Korea.net News, Science / Tech, August 4 2007] Korea to utilize RFID to improve service sector

Have you heard of RFID? It is an acronym for radio-frequency identification technology.The technology uses chips embedded in products to send and process information via radio frequencies and is already widely used to track inventory in the logistics industry and collect tolls automatically from regular commuters.

Korea plans to widen RFID use by implanting chips in almost every product in order to improve the country's service sector. To be more precise, it is to improve the sector's competitiveness.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

KBS WORLD

KBS WORLD [2007-08-13]: "Digital Storytelling Key of Next Generation

Digital storytelling is expected to be one of the fastest growing segments the next generation can deliver. The ancient art of storytelling has recently new life through an unlikely partner: digital technology. Digital storytelling means merging a short narrative with corresponding audio and various types of visual media, including photos, artwork, and digital video. "