Web site sells anti-infidelity ring

Image from thecheeky.com

A Vancouver-based Web site is marketing an anti-infidelity wedding ring that leaves the imprint of the words "I'm married" on the wearer's finger.

TheCheeky.com is selling the titanium bands, which have the letters carved into the inside of the wedding band to leave an imprint on the wearer's finger, for $550, the New York Daily News reported Friday.

"With Arnold, Tiger and two-timing IMF guy in mind, we have created this wedding ring for people intent on cheating," the company said on its Web site.

The ring received a lot of attention from Twitter users.

"Who would ever buy this? Least romantic wedding ring ever," one user wrote. "I'm just saying that if either of you are considering these, then you should probably reconsider marriage, period."


<관련 한글 기사>

절대반지? 한번 끼면 절대 바람 못 피운다

캐나다의 한 웹사이트에서 ‘바람을 못 피우게 하는 결혼 반지’를 판매해 화제가 되고 있다.

뉴욕 언론 보도에 따르면 티타늄 재질로 만들어진 이 반지는 안 쪽에 ‘나 결혼했어요’란 글자가 돋아나 있어, 착용시 이 글자가 그대로 손가락에 새겨지게 된다.

반지를 제작한 더치키닷컴 (cheeky: 까분다는 의미) “우리는 이 반지를 아놀드, 타이거, 그리고 양다리 걸치는 IMF 남자같이 바람 피우는 사람들을 염두에 두고 만들었습니다”라고 홈페이지에 밝혔다. 언급된 세 사람은 각각 아놀드 슈왈체네게 전 캘리포니아 주자사, 골프선수 타이거 우즈, 그리고 전 IMF 총재 도미니크 스트라우스칸을 일컫는다.

한편 트위터 사용자 중 일부는 “누가 이런 걸 사겠느냐. 가장 로맨틱하지 않은 결혼반지”, “이런 걸 사려는 마음조차 먹는다면, 결혼할지 여부를 다시 생각해봐야 할 것”이라며 부정적인 견해를 밝혔다.

China launches cruise to N. Korean scenic resort

A cruise to North Korea's scenic mountain resort from China has officially been launched, Chinese media reported Saturday.

According to the China News, some 100 Chinese tourists from the northeastern province of Jilin sailed along the North's east coast to visit Mount Kumgang on a four-day itinerary early Friday.

After crossing the border to North Korea by land from the city of Hunchun in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, the tourists boarded a cruise ship in the North Korean city of Rason, the media said.

"This holds significance as it is a first marine tourism route to visit the mountain from China," said an official of the Yanbian Chunwoo International Travel Agency, which has an exclusive right to run the route.

"The tourists were satisfied with our program. We will send a group of visitors once a month," he added.

The cruise tour illustrates a recent boom among Chinese to visit their communist neighbor. Currently, about 10 such programs are available, according to the report. Previously, North Korea had run only 3 to 5 courses for Chinese visitors.

Experts say launching a series of tourism programs for the Chinese is the North's apparent bid to earn much-needed hard currency.

For a decade, South and North Korea jointly ran a tour program for South Korean tourists to the resort in Mount Kumgang, a key symbol of reconciliation between the divided Koreas.

But the cross-border tour program came to a halt following the 2008 shooting death of a South Korean tourist by a North Korean soldier near the resort.

Lee SD in disgraceful fall from power

Latest, yet most prominent member of Lee’s inner circle involved in corruption


The prosecutors investigating the savings bank corruption scandal announced on Thursday that they will summon Lee Sang-deuk, President Lee Myung-bak’s elder brother and the most influential figure of the current administration, on July 3.

Although Lee will be summoned as a witness, observers speculate that the prosecutors are likely to have found evidence linking Lee to criminal activities in order to make the decision.

Lee is to be questioned over allegations that he received bribes from Lim Suk, the chairman of the Solomon Financial Group, in return for using his influence to prevent Solomon Savings Bank from being suspended. He will also be questioned over allegations that he received illegal political funding of 150 million won ($131,000) from Kolon Group. Lee, like his younger brother, started his career in the private sector and served as the CEO of Kolon between 1979 and 1983.

Although the summon was issued in relation to the Solomon Savings Bank case, Lee has been implicated in a series of corruption scandals since early last year.

Lee Sang-deuk

In May, reports emerged of Lee using his influence to pressure Pohang University of Science and Technology to invest 50 billion won in Busan Savings Bank in 2010. The savings bank was suspended by the Financial Services Commission early last year, incurring heavy losses for the university. Lee denied the allegations, saying that he did not have any acquaintances connected to the savings bank.

However, the Busan Savings Bank case was to be only the first in a series of scandals in which Lee’s name came up.

In September, he was implicated in the SLS Group scandal, where the group’s chairman was found to have bribed government officials to save his company.

At the time SLS Group chairman Lee Kuk-chul said that he gave 3 billion won and one of the group’s subsidiaries to “influential figures” to save his group. The “influential figures” turned out to be Lee’s former aide Park Bae-soo and a close associate Moon Hwan-chul, who have both been indicted.

Although speculations that the two were acting on behalf of Lee arose, the investigation did not reveal links to the former lawmaker.

The investigators, however, did find that 1 billion won had been transferred in and out of accounts held by two of Lee’s secretaries. Of the 1 billion won, 700 million won was found to belong to Lee.

Lee’s explanation was that the money was part of cash he kept at his home for more than 20 years, and that he transferred funds to his secretaries to be used in running his office.

The authorities also suspect the former lawmaker of having been involved in the case where his aid Park Bae-soo took a large bribe in return for influencing Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co.’s human resource management.

For the Lee Myung-bak administration, the summoning of the elder Lee marks an almost complete downfall of its most powerful figures.

While the elder Lee remains a witness the prosecutors have left open the possibility that that status could change.

“Former lawmaker Lee Sang-deuk is summoned as a witness, but his status could be changed to that of a suspect during questioning,” an official with the prosecutors’ office was quoted as saying in the local media.

As a six-time lawmaker and the president’s elder brother, Lee Sang-deuk is widely considered to be the most influential figure of the current administration and the central figure of the so-called “Yeongpo line,” a group of the president’s closest allies.

The elder Lee was considered to wield such significant influence within the current government as to give rise to a phrase meaning “all things are connected to the elder brother.”

Lee’s being put in a precarious position follows the downfall of the high and mighty of the Lee Myung-bak administration.

Former Korea Communications Commission Chairman Choi See-joong, the president’s political mentor, is under arrest for allegedly taking bribes from the developer of the shopping mall Picity, while former National Assembly speaker Park Hee-tae has been given a two-year suspended sentence for buying votes in the party leadership race in 2008.

Former Vice Minister of Knowledge Economy Park Young-joon has also been indicted for his involvement in the Picity case.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldm.com)

Enlarging horizon for exports

Enlarging horizon for exports

Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency President Oh Young-ho speaks during an interview with Business Focus. Korea Inc. can achieve $2 trillion in trade under next administration By Kim Tae-gyu There are two strategies for a one-trick pony to survive and thrive ― learn new tricks or hone old ones. Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) President Oh Young-ho recommends the second choice for the nation so it can do better what it’s best at doing ― increasing its share in global trade. His remarks run counter to some economists that Korea should reduce its high reliance on cross-border transactions so as to diminish vulnerability to outside shocks. Currently, its trade volume is almost equivalent to its national output. ``If we turn our attention to domestic demand too much, our major growth locomotive of exports would shrink, which would not be good for the economy,’’ Oh said in a recent interview with Business Focus. ``We are required to seek a balanced model where exports take a front seat supported by domestic demand, which is in line with the suggestions of professor Raghuram Rajan.’’ Professor Rajan at the University of Chicago, who is thought as one of the top candidates to win the 2012 Nobel Prize for economics, came up with the ideas at a recent forum in Seoul, which KOTRA organized on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. In particular, Oh expected that the country will be able to achieve the grandiose goal of doubling its annual trade volume during the next administration, which will start early 2013 through 2018. ``After reaching $1 trillion in trade, our predecessors have racked up a yearly growth rate of about 7 percent on average so that it took a decade to approach $2 trillion,’’ said Oh who took charge of KOTRA late last year. ``If we record double-digit growth over the following years, however, we can attain the goal of $2 trillion by 2017. It would be a tough mission but is not an impossible one.’’ Last year, Korea became the world’s ninth country to top the $1 trillion mark in annual global trades and set up a goal of surpassing the $1.1 trillion milestone this year. Thereafter, the country’s next goal has been to reach $2 trillion and a flurry of experts predicted that the target would be completed by the end of the second decade of the new millennium. Cold shower - sophomore jinx Oh is not one who tends to present overly optimistic prospects and paint too rosy a picture on the future unlike many senior officials who tend to oversell their cheerful outlook. The life-time bureaucrat famous for a no-nonsense approach was well aware of the facts that things are by no means good at the moment because of the struggling world economy. Amid the slumps of two of the top three importers of made-in-Korea products ― Europe and China ― Korea has seen its exports get stalemated this year. During the first five months, the country’s exports edged up merely 0.6 percent from a year before, which falls far short of its original annual target of 6.7 percent. In particular, outbound shipments to China decreased by 1.3 percent over the five-month period while those to the European Union plunged by 15.2 percent despite the free trade pact between Korea and the EU, which went into effect beginning last July. Broken down by businesses, exports of handsets and home appliances plummeted by 33 percent and 8.6 percent each while those of displays and semiconductors also dipped by 4.1 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively. Against this backdrop, some even fear Asia’s fourth-largest economy might lose the membership of the $1 trillion trade club this year ― the sophomore jinx suffered from by a few predecessors like Italy and the United Kingdom due to the financial crisis in the late 2000s. The Lee Myung-bak administration plans to downsize its goal for this year ― $595 billion for exports and $570 for imports ― and the details are projected to be announced soon. Still, Oh believes that Korea would not follow the suit of Italy or the U.K. ``We are facing double whammies because things are much worse in Europe than our initial expectations while China is also struggling,’’ the 60-year-old said. ``But we are determined to record more trade than last year so that we will be able to remain above the $1 trillion mark as I reported to President Lee at a recent meeting.’’ Toward that end, Oh said that the country’s small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should improve their performance. SMEs hold keys Korea’s SMEs account for more than 99 percent of all business establishments and they hire almost 90 percent of overall domestic workers as a whole but their contributions to trades have been weak. For one, a mere 2.4 percent of SMEs sell their products in overseas markets in comparison to other advanced economies such as Germany which boasts a double-digit rate. As a result, conglomerates, dubbed chaebol here including Samsung and Hyundai Motor groups, have carved out a big proportion of the nation’s cross-border transactions up until now. ``The number of Korean manufacturers amount to around 300,000 and many of them vend their products only inside the national boundary,’’ said Oh, who is well known as a trade expert. ``We plan to study all the 300,000 small-sized manufacturers to learn why they do not cross the national border and will draw up policies to help them make a foray into the global scenes.’’ Oh said that SMEs should play a pivotal role without regard to time horizons ― not only in dealing with the short-term difficulties in trades but also in achieving the $2 trillion goal in the mid to long run. ``It is one of our top priorities to nurture small-sized exporters, which would be building blocks in our becoming a genuine global powerhouse down the road,’’ he said. ``By 2015, we will about double the proportion of exporters among SMEs from the current 2.4 percent to 5 percent.’’ Oh pointed out, however, it would be a tall task because the overreliance on chaebol and the lack of globally recognized SMEs, sometimes called hidden champions, have something to do with the country’s policies in the past. Korea Inc. underpinned a small number of conglomerates in the 1960s and 1970s so as to chalk up fast growth. Such an approach, called as the imbalanced growth strategy, paid off to create a flurry of big-name players such as Samsung and Hyundai, which transformed from also-rans to genuine worldwide juggernauts. Yet, such tactics demonstrated downsides ― with relatively little supports of the government, SMEs failed to take firm root although they are so significant in terms of national welfare like the employments. ``For fast growths, we have employed the tactics of boosting a few big firms in strategic industries. As a result of seeking after unbalanced growth policies, SMEs were relatively sidelined,’’ Oh said. ``It would not be easy to correct the deep-rooted dependence on big players. It cannot be addressed overnight but we will continue to put forth efforts because SMEs are so significant by now.’’ Quality vs. quantity The negative ripple effects of the unbalanced growth strategy are ubiquitous as amply demonstrated by a flurry of indices representing the country’s quality of exports. For example, Korea’s added-value index of exports has remained stagnant in the neighborhood of 100 since 2005, which implies that it has failed to make progresses in generating more added values from trade. By contrast, the figures for most advanced economies are around 115. And its imported intermediate goods explain more than one third of its exports, which is almost 2.5 times higher than that of the United States whose rate is just 15 percent. Furthermore, the index of export market penetration is low and along the same line, Hirschman Herfindahl Index (HHI) is high, which indicates how much its exports depend on a limited number of destinations and items. In a nutshell, the country’s quality of exports simply does not live up to its quantity due in no small part to the unbalanced development strategy, which dates back to 1960s. ``Just five items account for 41 percent of our exports, which is way too high. We need to curtail the proportion and to achieve the goal, once again, SMEs have to make a dent,’’ he said. ``We will put the mission of buttressing SMEs on the front burner and plan to offer tailor-made support programs so that they can make their presence felt across the world.’’ Promising segments Oh picked a few Blue Oceans, which can provide lucrative revenue to Korean SMEs or conglomerates such as animation, medical tourism, medical services, energy industries and defense sectors. In particular, the KOTRA president fixed his eyes on the public procurement markets, which he said are ultra-large but the country has thus far failed to tap into for some reason. ``The public procurement markets are huge in the United States as both of its central and regional governments make orders in bulk. And there is another big buyer of the United Nations,’’ he said. ``We could not compete in the market because the U.S. asks for track records for any bidders and few Korean entities have experiences of winning public U.S. orders. But things changed thanks to the free trade agreement (FTA).’’ After the FTA between Korea and the U.S. was effectuated midway through this March, the U.S. governments started acknowledging Korean firms’ records of winning public orders here. ``Thanks to the FTA, our outfits can now register as a vendor for any U.S. deal and we plan to help our SMEs follow the procedures so that they will be able to win orders there,’’ he said. ``Plus, we will support their financing along with other public agencies such as state-backed lenders. Then, they will substantially jack up our exports in the not-so-distant future.’’ Shining track record Oh started his career as a government official in 1980 and over the next two and a half decades, he assumed a torrent of major jobs with regarding to trade in the commerce ministry. The Seoul National University graduate, who majored in chemical engineering, served as vice commerce minister for a year from February 2007 before joining Sogang University as a professor midway through 2008. Oh, who earned his Ph.D. in economics from Kyung Hee University, took advantage of his expertise in trade by taking the vice chairmanship of the Korea International Trade Association in 2009. He also played a pivotal role as director of the G20 Business Summit organizing committee, which took place in 2010 on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the nation’s capital. He took the reins of KOTRA on Dec. 5, 2011 ― the very day the country’s accumulated annual trade volume topped the $1 trillion plateau for the first time in its history. With a rare combination of contagious passion for work and unceremonious style, Oh is famous for his ability to get things done through employing the right people and strategies at the right time at the right place.

Balotelli leads Italy into final

Mario Balotelli flexed his muscles in more ways than one.

The 21-year-old striker quieted his critics by leading Italy to an unexpected spot in the European Championship final, scoring twice in the first half in a 2-1 victory over Germany on Thursday night.

After his second goal, Balotelli stripped off his jersey and flexed his muscles in a defiant pose ― even if that meant an automatic yellow card.

“This is the greatest night of my life, but I hope Sunday is going to be even better,” Balotelli said, looking ahead to the final against defending champion Spain. “In the opening matches I had a lot of chances, and I wasn’t able to finish them. But In football you also need luck.”

Italy`s Mario Balotelli scores his side`s second goal on Thursday. (AP-Yonhap News)

In the 20th minute, Balotelli had no trouble getting past Holger Badstuber to head in a pinpoint cross from Antonio Cassano. Then in the 36th, Balotelli received the ball behind the defense and blasted a long shot into the top right corner.

With three goals, Balotelli is tied for the tournament lead. After the match, Italy coach Cesare Prandelli was asked if this was the best match of Balotelli’s career.

“Balotelli’s career has just started,” Prandelli said.

Germany’s winless streak against Italy in major tournaments reached eight matches. The Germans failed to trouble Italy for much of the match, although Mesut Oezil scored a consolation penalty in injury time after Federico Balzaretti was whistled for a handball.

Germany entered the game on a world-record 15-match winning streak in competitive matches.

“It’s a very bitter defeat,” Germany captain Philipp Lahm said. “We tried everything in the second half but our goal came too late. We have so much potential in our team but if we cannot give the right performance at the right time or are not clever enough, then we lose such a game.”

The final in Kiev, Ukraine, will be a rematch of Italy and Spain’s 1-1 draw that opened Group C. (AP)

Google to sell prototype of futuristic glasses

Google Inc employee wears Project Glass internet glasses during a demonstration during at the Google I/O conference in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Wednesday. (Bloomberg-Yohap News)

Google is making prototypes of its futuristic, Internet-connected glasses available for people to test out.

The company is selling the device, known as Project Glass, for $1,500 to people attending its annual conference in San Francisco for computer programmers. It will ship early next year and won't be available for sale outside the three-day conference, Google I/O, which started Wednesday.

``This is new technology and we really want you to shape it,'' Google co-founder Sergey Brin told about 6,000 attendees. ``We want to get it out into the hands of passionate people as soon as possible.''

Brin told reporters that Google intends to sell the glasses for significantly less once the product is released to the mass market. He said Google hopes to start selling the device to consumers in early 2014.

``I think we are definitely pushing the limits,'' Brin said during a question-and-answer session with reporters. ``That is our job: to push edges of technology into the future.''

With the glasses, directions to your destination or a text message from a friend can appear literally before your eyes. You can converse with friends in a video chat, take a photo or even buy a few things online as you walk around.

In development for more than two years, the project is the brainchild of Google X, the online search leader's secret facility that spawned the self-driving car and could one day let people ride elevators into space. (AP)

Lee’s brother to be summoned in corruption probe

Lee Sang-deuk. (The Korea Herald)

To be grilled Tuesday over suspected bribery involving savings banks

Prosecutors plan to question President Lee Myung-bak’s elder brother Lee Sang-deuk next Tuesday on suspicion of taking bribes from a savings bank, officials said Thursday.

The prosecutors have been investigating the source of some 700 million won ($624,000) in his bank account found last year during an inquiry into a separate scandal involving his associates.

In March, they were tipped off that Prime Savings Bank had bribed the former six-term lawmaker of the ruling Saenuri Party before it was suspended in September due to its failure to meet regulatory capital requirements.

Prosecutors suspect the 700 million won may be part of the money the bank allegedly gave Lee in exchange for using his influence to prevent a shutdown.

Lee has denied all the suspicions. His aides said the money was part of operational costs for his office and had nothing to do with the savings bank.

Lee is also suspected of being illegally lobbied by Lim Suk, chairman of another suspended savings bank.

Lim was arrested in May for embezzling 17 billion won and arranging illegal loans of 150 billion won.

The prosecutors refused to give details of his charges.

Lee has been embroiled in a series of major corruption scandals, including illegal lobbying by SLS Group and an illegal donation for party nomination, but this will be first time that he will be summoned by prosecutors.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldm.com)

China: Trade improving, slowdown stabilizing

Containers are stacked at the Yangshan Deep Water Port in Shanghai. (Bloomberg)

China’s commerce ministry said that the nation’s trade growth is improving, adding to a rebound in lending in signaling that a slowdown in the world’s second- biggest economy may stabilize.

China can achieve a 10 percent gain in exports and imports this year if the world economy doesn’t worsen further, spokesman Shen Danyang said at a briefing in Beijing Tuesday. Trade growth improved in June and had “sound momentum,” Shen said.

Global trade confidence is so far weathering Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis, according to a survey of exporters, importers and traders released Tuesday by HSBC Holdings Plc. In China, an interest-rate cut in June, a jump in new loans in May and declines in the yuan against the dollar highlight government efforts to aid manufacturers and reverse the economic slide.

“The economy will continue to face strong headwinds from the softness in both external and domestic demand,” said Andrew Polk, an economist in Beijing for the New York-based Conference Board, a research agency.

The yuan traded at 6.3647 per dollar as of 11:12 a.m. in Shanghai, down about 1 percent this year.

A leading index for China’s economy rose in May, the Conference Board said in an e-mailed statement Tuesday, citing increases in lending and real-estate activity.

In the HSBC survey, some 71 percent of exporters, importers and traders indicated that they expect trade volumes to be unchanged or increase in the next six months. The bank cited a survey of 5,800 enterprises in 20 countries from April 10 to June 1.

(Bloomberg)

Underdogs line up for presidential race

Overheated match may drown out policy debate, prompt negative campaigning

A myriad of fringe candidates are joining the race toward the December presidential election in the hope of reshaping politics despite being overshadowed by high profile figures and having minimal public support.

The peripheral candidates may be overestimating their chances, laying the groundwork for a distant bid, or even simply trying to spruce up their political resume, observers said.

“Whatever their intention may be, an excessive number of candidates could entail downsides in a country where there are fewer distinct policy inclinations between rival parties,” said politics professor Yoon Seung-yi of Kyung Hee University.

So far, a total of seven presidential aspirants are lining up to vie for the ruling Saenuri Party ticket. Way in the lead is former chairwoman Park Geun-hye, trailed by Reps. Chung Mong-joon and Lee Jae-oh, Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Moon-soo, former presidential chief-of-staff Yim Tae-hee and former Incheon Mayor Ahn Sang-soo. Former South Gyeongsang governor Rep. Kim Tae-ho is also expected to announce a bid.

Except for Park, none of them poll above 5 percent.

In the main opposition Democratic United Party, the number may well exceed eight. Moon Jae-in, the frontrunner and former chief-of-staff to late President Roh Moo-hyun, along with former Gyeonggi Gov. Sohn Hak-kyu and Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae have so far announced their bids.

Chung Sye-kyun is the latest to join them, having announced his bid Tuesday at Gwangjang market in Jongno, Seoul.

South Gyeongsang Gov. Kim Doo-kwan is expected to follow suit as early as July 10, while former Unification Minister Chung Dong-young is also likely to join the competition. Other likely candidates include South Jeolla Gov. Park Joon-yung, four-term lawmaker Kim Young-hwan, journalist-turned-legislator Park Young-sun and former interim DUP chief Moon Sung-keun.

“The more candidates there are, the harder it will be for the race to revolve around the competition of policies. The weaker the candidate is, the higher the chance the candidate will resort to negative campaigns,” Yoon said.

Side effects are already showing at the crowded platform at the Saenuri Party, with the underdogs vowing to ditch the primary altogether in protest against Park Geun-hye and the leadership’s refusal to change the primary rules.

From the party’s point of view, on the other hand, a bigger crowd of competitors is hoped to bring wider public attention. Some also cite the successful primary that elected late President Roh Moo-hyun as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in 2002 ― an unexpected outcome widely attributed to Roh’s relative youth and reform-orientated initiatives against then-Grand National Party frontrunner Lee Hoi-chang. His campaign also broke the regionalist voting patterns that had been expected to benefit internal rivals and political heavyweights Lee In-je and Hahn Hwa-kap.

“There will be at least three or four more waves (of drastic political events) during the next six months until the presidential election. The final selection of the party candidates as well as how the contenders form alliances among each other will be one such huge wave,” DUP chief Lee Hae-chan told reporters Monday.

Indeed, the DUP is determined to have a “box-office hit” against the Saenuri Party by rearranging its primary schedule to begin after the London Olympics in August, while denouncing the ruling party’s “predictable shoo-in of Park Geun-hye” as their final opponent.

The number of fringe candidates winning less than 1 percent of the vote in the presidential election has gradually increased since 1987 when direct elections were introduced.

“As factional politics of the past dwindled with the retirement of political heavyweights, there have been more perennial candidates jumping in the race in the hope of solidifying their political clout,” Yoon said.

In 2007, for instance, a total of 12 candidates ran in the presidential election in comparison to an average of seven to eight in the past. Two of them withdrew before election day while five received between 0.03 percent and 0.7 percent of the vote.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldm.com)

Hallyu store-cafes become tourist magnet

Overseas visitors putting entertainment companies’ rest-and-shop spaces on itinerary


Influencing overseas artists and attracting a burgeoning fan base that knows no borders, it should come as no surprise that Korean pop is one of the reasons why tourists visit South Korea.

What might baffle some is how overseas K-pop fans tour South Korea once they arrive, since music, by definition, is intangible.

K-pop, however, is proving to be more than just an audio-visual experience.

When music goliath SM Entertainment opened a five-story ode to K-pop in the form of a karaoke-souvenir-entertainment venue called “e” in September 2008, the place went on to become a tourist attraction for visitors interested in the music genre.

This was three years before SM Entertainment’s Paris concert, before the press ― both local and overseas ― would go wild over what is now oft-called the K-pop phenomenon.

Within those three years, SM Entertainment’s subsidiary SM Amusement has opened four more such venues ― three gift shops-and-corners and another souvenir-karaoke stop in Myeong-dong ― all under the moniker Everysing.

“We have seen a large increase in visitors starting last year,” Everysing Operation Division supervisor Lee Dae-o said. “Last year, sales jumped 60 percent. Our main customers are Asian tourists, with 40 percent from Japan, 30 percent from China and 20 percent from Southeast Asia. Following the SM Town concert in Europe last year, we also saw a hike in customers from Europe and South America, who now form about 10 percent of our tourist customer base.”

Overseas visitors check out Korean pop souvenirs at Everysing ― a gift shop-karaoke-sticker booth space run by SM Entertainment subsidiary SM Amusement ― in Myeong-dong, Seoul (Kim Myung-sub/The Korea Herald)

Myeong-dong, according to Lee, was chosen as the second main venue because the area attracts tourists.

“We Googled Everysing to come and buy K-pop stuff,” said Tanja-Maria Weiringer, 23, and Esther Farkas, 22, from Austria who dropped by the Myeong-dong store on a weekday afternoon. The two are in Korea for their studies.

“I like Big Bang and CNBLUE,” said Farkas.

“I like Super Junior,” said Weiringer, who added that she was a fan of Super Junior member Kyuhyun.

“I always drag her here, but Kyuhyun’s stuff is always sold out,” said Weiringer, who has also visited other Everysing outlets.

Hiromi Kokubu, 49, who was visiting from Japan, said she read about Everysing in a Japanese guidebook and that she had come to purchase Super Junior goods.

Despite all the merchandise on hand ― framed photos, pillow cases, tumblers, to name a few ― Kokubu said, “There are not as many items as I hoped for.”

While Everysing also sells non-SM Entertainment artists’ items including those of other K-pop artists and Korean dramas, it plans to continue to expand its merchandise to encompass more K-pop and to revamp the Myeong-dong space.

SM Entertainment is not alone in the K-pop rest-and-shop business.

This April, Cube Entertainment ― home to major K-pop groups 4Minute and B2ST ― opened a cafe that also sells souvenirs.

Cube Entertainment’s coffeehouse, Cube Studio, offers fans a place to check out souvenirs, take a break, and, if the timing is right, a chance to see their favorite artists, up close and in person.

Practice rooms for Cube artists were built on the floor above the cafe, upping opportunities for customers to see major K-pop idols when they visit.

“Essentially, Cube Entertainment CEO Hong Seung-sung wanted to create a place where he could foster communication with fans and also wanted artists to have a place where they could practice,” said Cube Entertainment PR team manager An Hyo-jin.

Situated near Cube Entertainment, JYPE and SM Entertainment headquarters in Cheongdam-dong, An explained how they wanted to provide a place for fans to rest while waiting to catch a glimpse of their favorite artists.

“Fans used to come and stand outside for hours on end,” An elaborated.

Liza Yunos, 27, said of Cube Studio, “Nice, fantastic, it has the best ambiance.”

Yunos, Siti Raihana and Zahirah Lyana, who were visiting from Singapore, said their plans were to visit JYPE and SM Entertainment headquarters after Cube Studio, but not before they had checked out Cube Entertainment souvenirs, including those of one of their favorite band, B2ST.

While there, several artists dropped by, causing a stir of excitement in the cafe.

“I feel lucky to have seen an artist,” said Okada Tomoko, 30, who was visiting from Japan.

Cube’s An said, “Before there was no place for fans to go and they could only take photos outside the headquarters. Fans have expressed their gratitude for a space like this.”

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldm.com)

K-pop stars leading ‘stocking boom’ in Japan

Girls` Generation

Colorful patterned pantyhose and stockings are gaining huge popularity among young Japanese women, thanks to leading K-pop stars like Girls’ Generation, Japan’s Mainichi newspaper reported Monday.

According to the paper, Japan’s young generation are gladly embracing the trend of wearing stockings, which was kickstarted by South Korean girl groups.

“I used to wear thick dark tights until last year, but I’ve switched to stockings. Now I wear them every day,” said a 19-year-old female college student.

Up until few years ago, most young women in Japan preferred not to wear stockings, mainly because of the “namayashi” (bare leg) trend introduced during the 1990s.

Now however, attractive female singers are leading a new trend of wearing stockings that highlight their legs.

Girls’ Generation, a nine-member female singing group popular in Korea, Japan and several other countries in Asia, were dubbed a mi-gak (beautiful leg) group when it debuted in Japan.

“The mi-gak fever brought by K-pop stars was what triggered it (the trend). Since then, customers that ‘wanted to make their legs look good’ have flooded us with requests,” said an employee from stocking maker Tutuanna. The company’s stocking sales jumped eightfold compared to last year.



Korea Herald
(khnews@heraldm.com)

Apple wins preliminary injunction against Samsung tablet

Apple Inc. won a court order immediately blocking U.S. sales of Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer while the companies litigate Apple’s patent-infringement claims.

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, issued the order today after rejecting a similar request in December. Apple’s request, part of a broader patent dispute over smartphones and tablets, was based on an appeals court finding that it will probably win its patent-infringement claim relating to the Tab 10.1 tablet.

A Samsung Electronics Co. Galaxy Tab 10. 1 tablet computer is displayed at the company's flagship store in Seoul. (Bloomberg)

In this case, although Samsung will necessarily be harmed by being forced to withdraw its product from the market before the merits can be determined after a full trial, the harm faced by Apple absent an injunction on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is greater,” Koh said in Monday’s ruling.

The world’s two biggest makers of high-end phones have accused each other of copying designs and technology for mobile devices and are fighting patent battles on four continents to retain their dominance in the $219 billion global smartphone market. Koh said a June 29 hearing to address Apple’s third request to block Samsung’s tablet computer wasn’t needed. A trial is set for July 30.

The public interest “favors the enforcement of patent rights,” Koh wrote. “Although Samsung has a right to compete, it does not have a right to compete unfairly, by flooding the market with infringing products.”

Samsung said in an e-mailed statement that it is disappointed in the ruling, that the order applies only to the Galaxy Tab 10.1 computers sold in the U.S. and that other Tab products will continue to be available to U.S. consumers.

The ruling “will ultimately reduce the availability of superior technological features to consumers in the U.S.,” Samsung said in the statement. If Apple continues to sue based on “generic design” patent claims “innovation and progress in the industry could be restricted,” the Suwon, South Korea- based company said.

Koh rejected Samsung’s arguments that the injunction was overbroad because the infringement claim was based on one aspect of the overall product, and that it would hurt Samsung’s relationships with wireless carriers that provide the Galaxy Tab to their customers.

Samsung targeting 10 million sales of Galaxy S3 by July

Samsung Electronics’ mobile chief Shin Jong-kyun said Monday that the company aims to sell up to 10 million units of its new flagship smartphone Galaxy S3 worldwide by next month.

“We expect it to surpass the 10 million mark by the end of next month as it is being well-received globally,” he said in a media event held to introduce the handset to Korean consumers.

“It will be noted as the mobile phone that reached the 10 million mark faster than any other phone in Samsung’s history and it is finally being rolled out in Korea. It took us more time to make local consumers satisfied with the service quality.”

Members of the media try out the Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S3 smartphone at a launch event in Seoul on Monday. (Bloomberg)

The predecessor Galaxy S2 topped 10 million units in sales five months after it was launched across the world.

Shin’s comments came as the firm expanded its partnerships to 302 telecoms and retailers in 147 different countries, up from 296 telecoms and retailers in 145 nations previously announced following its London event on May 3.

The company’s rapid expansion comes just two years after its first Galaxy S smartphone was showcased in Seoul on June 25, 2010, said Shin.

The Galaxy S3 running on the third-generation communications networks is currently provided in Korea solely by SK Telecom and is priced in the 900,000 won range, according to Samsung officials.

Meanwhile, the model operating on the fourth-generation Long Term Evolution networks will be released through all three mobile carriers, including KT and LG Uplus, as early as the second week of July.

The Galaxy S3 was first launched in Europe on May 29. With support in eight languages, including Korean, English, Italian, German and Spanish, the gadget is 9 millimeters thick and weighs 138.5 grams.

Powered by Google’s latest Android mobile operating platform, called Ice Cream Sandwich, it is also equipped with a dual-core processor and an 8-megapixel camera as well as unique functions including face recognition, near-field communication technology, eye-tracking and direct calling, its officials said.

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldm.com)

Park, Ahn neck and neck six months ahead of presidential vote: poll

Park Geun-hye, daughter of former President Park Chung-hee, was slightly ahead of Ahn Cheol-soo, software magnate and popular professor, in a new opinion poll of potential candidates for the December presidential vote, the poll showed Monday.

Park, a former head of the ruling Saenuri Party, received 45.8 percent of support, compared with 43.8 percent for Ahn, in a hypothetical head-to-head match-up for the presidential election, according to the survey of 1,000 adults conducted by private polling agency Hangil Research.

Commissioned by local cable TV channel MBN, the survey was conducted between June 22 and 23. It has an error margin of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

The survey results showed Park and Ahn were "running neck and neck within the error margin," it said.

Neither Park nor Ahn have officially announced their presidential bids, although Park is expected to soon throw her hat in the ring.

Ahn, founder of anti-computer virus firm AhnLab who currently teaches at the Seoul National University's Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, has no experience in politics, but is widely popular among young Koreans.

Political analysts have attributed Ahn's popularity to his clean and upright image.

In a similar match-up between Park and Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic United Party, the poll showed that Park received 51.3 percent, while Moon gained 39.9 percent.

Moon, a longtime aide to the late president Roh Moo-hyun, officially announced his presidential bid early this month.

President Lee Myung-bak's five-year term ends next February and Lee is constitutionally barred from seeking a second term. (Yonhap News)