How to best guard against strokes

How to best guard against strokes

The second most common cause of death among Koreans of all ages after cancer is stroke, according to figures released by Statistics Korea. / Korea Times photo By Kelly Frances For many of us, the prospect of having a stroke conjures up images of ‘much older folks’ with protruding bellies. Seldom do we think of such things in our 20s and 30s; after all, Koreans famously soldier through intense workdays, followed by after-work drinking and dining (hoesik), yet still make it to work on time. What Korean-American lecturer Michael Hurt, 40, came to realize, is that the choices we make during our youth matter. Having recently survived a hemorrhagic stroke, Hurt is swift to warn others about being nonchalant about health. “Waking up with my entire left side paralyzed would be the stand-out moment for me," he recalled. “Not being able to go to the bathroom like a normal person, or even alone, or even shower - this will put Old Testament fear into anyone.” “My thing is now that I am so happy to be alive that I don't see any reason why someone would do something that they may find themselves regretting in a hospital bed, similar to me, later in life.” Officially, the cause of Hurt’s stroke was traced to undiagnosed high blood pressure, although his caregivers described the events as “a perfect storm of factors”. “I can't discount the fact that being overweight was a factor," he said. “The convergence of a lot of factors, some general and related to my overall state of health, and some specific, all likely converged into that fateful night when my head exploded from the inside.” For Hurt, it was the wakeup call he needed to put his health habits on track, but it came at a steep cost, shocking those around him and inspiring some with similar habits to head back to the gym. “I admit that it was Mike’s stroke that got me back into working out," said American Chris Sanders, a 35-year-old lecturer. “It was close to home, and I had been getting lazy.” Experts caution that Korea is becoming a stroke-friendly nation due to dietary trends and modernization. “Korea now has a high incidence of stroke among OECD counties and increase is quite recent”, explains Cardiologist Oh Hyung-Tae of Ilsan Gospel General Hospital. “Usually, the prevalent stroke type in Western countries is embolic infarction (which occurs in a major vessel such as the heart) as opposed to intracranial infarction (occurring in the brain), which is more common in Korea. But incidence of embolic infarction is increasing in Korea.” Oh chalks it up largely to diet and the stress that accompanies modernization. “Koreans eat too much salt; usually 3-4 times the recommended daily dose. Furthermore, we have become a highly competitive, material, and modern society, and we are paying the price through our stress levels.” Hurt wholeheartedly echoed the sentiment. “Koreans often say, “health is the most important. To a lot of us 30 and 40 somethings, many of whom are floating along without proper health care without giving enough thought to the importance of health, I would say to stop in your tracks and rethink that attitude.” “If for some reason you have a medical mishap or something happen to you, it's amazing how quickly all those things you thought were important become completely secondary to something like walking, being able to wash yourself, or even just going to the bathroom by oneself.” Hurt says he emerged from the ordeal a changed man. After receiving primary treatment at St. Mary's Hospital in Yeouido, treatment he describes as “top-notch”, Hurt spent 3 days in intensive care followed by 2 months in a general hospital ward undergoing physical and occupational therapy. These days, he spends his days engaging in intense exercise, and is continuing to lose weight. “I plan to make sure that there is no chance of this reoccurring, and am working hard to make sure my heart is healthy.” “I see this as a blessing and a good status to maintain with a healthy diet and frequent exercise. That's easy to say, but after you've woken up half paralyzed and told you nearly died, you take that stuff seriously.” What to do if someone near you is experiencing a stroke “Contrary to popular belief, needling the fingers is useless and can be wasting of precious time," advised Oh. “Any forceful administration of food or herbs can easily cause asphyxia or Aspiration pneumonia and can be fatal.” Oh said that when it comes to stroke, patients would do well to seek professional assistance instead of taking the matter in their own hands. “Just calling 119 is best. Time is the most critical factor for treatment and recovery.” According to Oh, most Korean food is healthy if salt intake is controlled. “Korean food is often fermented, consisting of dietary fiber and protein. For example, bi-bim-bap (mixed rice) and jap-chae (stir-fried noodles with vegegatbles) provide good combinations of vegetables, meat and carbs.” Korean food, however, is not monotonously vegetarian, said Oh. “If people want to eat meat, bo-ssam (roasted pork wrapped in lettuce) is a good choice as it uses boiled meat and has lots of vegetables. To increase vegetables, na-mul (seasoned vegetable dish) is a good choice. Ingredients such as tofu and soybean paste are excellent, as is drinking green tea.” The writer is a guest columnist from Ontario, Canada, and is currently living in Seoul. She welcomes topic suggestions from readers and can be reached by kellyfrancesm@gmail.com.

Korea, Uzbekistan enter new partnership era

Korea, Uzbekistan enter new partnership era

President Lee Myung-bak, left, and Uzbek President Islam Karimov walk together after inspecting the guard of honor during Lee’s visit to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, in August 2011. / Courtesy of the Uzbek Embassy Uzbek Ambassador to Korea Vitali Fen contributed the following article to The Korea Times on the occasion of Uzbek’s 21st anniversary of Independence, which falls on Saturday. ― ED. It is a high privilege for me to address today the esteemed readers of The Korea Times on the occasion of the 21st anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence. This year’s celebration coincides with an important landmark between Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea – 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The foundation of bilateral relations was laid on Dec. 30, 1991, when Korea among the first countries recognized Uzbekistan’s independence. The diplomatic relations were established on Jan. 29, 1992. The two countries have been engaged in political dialogues vigorously. The intensity of close cooperation can be manifested by the fact that over the past 21 years there have been 11 summit meetings between our heads of state. In March of 2006 during the state visit to the Republic of Korea by President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov, a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership was signed contributing to furthering and strengthening multifaceted Uzbek-Korean relations and elevating existing ties to a new qualitative level. The state visit by President of the Republic of Korea Lee Myung-bak to Uzbekistan in August 2011 became an important step in the process of furthering Uzbek-Korean diversified relations and filled them with practical content of strategic partnership between our nations. Over the 21 years of diplomatic relations, we have laid a solid legal basis for bilateral cooperation which today encompasses more than 200 documents that streamline collaboration in different fields. Uzbekistan and South Korea on the basis of reciprocity render support on various important regional and international issues. In particular, Uzbekistan welcomed the outcome of the G-20 summit that Seoul hosted in November of 2010 and Seoul Nuclear Summit. These events have testified strengthening role and influence of Korea on the world arena. Uzbekistan, as an initiator of establishing the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, strongly supports a non-nuclear status for the Korean Peninsula. In this context, it entirely supports a diplomatic solution of the nuclear issue of North Korea in the framework of the six-party talks. Our countries are interested in quick stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan and believe that implementation of various international projects and programs of the post-conflict social-economic rehabilitation of Afghanistan nowadays acquire especial importance. In Tashkent we welcome the commitment of the government of Korea made at Chicago NATO summit last May about continuation technical and financial assistance to Afghanistan. We have achieved a notable success in the area of promoting inter-parliamentary cooperation. In 1995, in the National Assembly of Korea a Parliamentary Association of Friendship “Korea-Uzbekistan” was founded. In 2005, in the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan was established. Since 1995, foreign ministries of the two countries have been holding their political consultations. The last session of such consultations took place in Tashkent in May of 2011. These meetings provide the parties with an opportunity in a frank manner to discuss all aspects of bilateral relations, exchange of views on important international and regional issues that are of mutual interest. Since 2007 an Annual Forum “Republic of Korea – Central Asia” has been convened. Its primary purpose was to strengthen and expand cooperation in the area of economy, culture, education, tourism as well as to share with experience in the field of information-telecommunication technology, construction and transportation. The fifth session of the forum took place in Tashkent in November of 2011. The delegation of Uzbekistan actively participated in the sixth meeting of the forum that was held in Seoul last July on the level of foreign ministers. On the sideline of this event Financial and Investment Forums of Central Asian states and Korea were convened. Their main topics were to discuss ways of furthering financial and investment cooperation between the Central Asian region and Korea. I would like also to note with satisfaction a sustainable tendency of expanding trade-economic and investment cooperation as well as a constant increase of two-way commerce that in 2011 exceeded $1.6 billion. During the State visit of President Lee Myung-bak to Uzbekistan in last August, a number of important bilateral documents were signed, giving a great impetus to deepening cooperation in trade-economic, investment and energy sectors. One of them is a project of constructing on the basis of the Surgil gas deposit an Ustyurt Gas-Chemical Complex on manufacturing polyethylene and polypropylene that would facilitate to creation of a large number of cooperation plants. The estimated cost of this project is $2.6 billion with annual production over $1.6 billion. Today the parties have already started the construction stage. There are a myriad of opportunities for enhancing investment cooperation in mining, oil-gas, petrochemical, construction, automobile-manufacturing and textile industries as well as in agriculture sector and in the field of energy saving technologies. Today, more than 360 Uzbek enterprises have partnership with Korean companies, out of which 59 have 100 percent Korean capitals. They function in the area of trade, light, mining, chemical and food industries, as well as in the sector of machine-building, metal-working manufacturing, healthcare, tourism and services. Currently, 84 Korean companies are registered at the Ministry for Foreign Economic, Investment and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The aggregate volume of announced Korean investments into the economy of Uzbekistan today exceeded $5 billion, including $2 billion that have been already drawn. One of the promising areas of bilateral cooperation is the implementation of various projects in the Free Industrial-Economic Zone “Navoi” (FIEZ). Consolidation of opportunities that provide the FIEZ and International logistic center at the Airport of Navoi, which is currently managed by the leading world cargo carrier – Korean Air - creates exceptional conditions for developing highly remunerative production and swift delivery of manufactured products to world markets through an effective system of multimodal transportation by air, trucks and railroads. In 2011, more than 50,000 tons of cargo was shipped through Navoi Airport. The cargo terminal of this multimodal center has the capacity to process daily about 300 tons of cargo and 100,000 tons annually. Another important area for cooperation is the implementation of various projects pertaining to attracting to our country high innovative technologies aimed at creating new and upgrading current production lines. Within this cooperation Uzbekistan has started producing high valued products based on advanced science intensive technologies and become one of the world auto manufacturers. At the present time active bilateral cooperation is underway thanks to technical assistance of the Government of the Republic of Korea that is rendered through the Korean Agency for International Cooperation (KOICA). As of today more than 1250 representatives of different ministries and agencies of Uzbekistan have undergone trainings in South Korea through KOICA’s programs. Our countries also successfully cooperate in the cultural-humanitarian field. In order to strengthen mutual understanding between the people of the two countries, we have agreed in expanding humanitarian exchanges and interactions in the area of education, tourism and sport as well as on creating in Tashkent the Seoul Park. The Korean diaspora in Uzbekistan, the fourth largest one in the world after China, the United States and Japan, plays an important role in strengthening friendly relations between our two countries. Since 1999 the Society of Friendship “Uzbekistan- Korea” has been helping. In addition, a Korean Center of Education has been operating in Tashkent since 1992. It organizes on competitive basis language training and courses in Korea for Uzbekistan’s teachers and students to increase their proficiency level on the Korean language. Currently, Korean is taught in 13 Universities and 28 schools and lyceums of Uzbekistan. The implementation of a project on opening in Tashkent a center for professional training “Uzbekistan-Korea” has become another success story in the area of education. Annually more than 360 young people of Uzbekistan will study in Korea on computer assembling, graphic arts, electrical engineering, repairing of agricultural machinery and car maintenance. In general, since the establishment of diplomatic relations the Republic of Korea has been and remains for Uzbekistan a reliable, in all respect, strategic partner that renders coherent support in implementing in our country important national programs of drastic reforms and modernization of economy and social sphere. In this regard Uzbekistan strives for further developing and strengthening mutually beneficial relations with the Republic of Korea that serve the interest of the two countries and their peoples. In conclusion, taking this opportunity, I would like to wish to the esteemed readers of this reputed newspaper every success in all their endeavors, longevity and well-being.

Moon Jae-in continues winning streak in DUP race

Moon Jae-in continues winning streak in DUP race

The four presidential hopefuls of the main opposition Democratic United Party wave during a regional primary held at Cheongju Stadium in North Chungcheong Province, Thursday. From left are Rep. Chung Sye-kyun, Kim Doo-kwan, Sohn Hak-kyu and Rep. Moon Jae-in. / Korea Times photo by Ryu Hyo-jin By Lee Tae-hoon Rep. Moon Jae-in, a human rights lawyer-turned politician, continued his winning streak Thursday in the regional primary race of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP). He came first with 46.1 percent of the vote, or 8,132 ballots cast, in the liberal party’s fourth regional primary held in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, followed by former party Chairman Sohn Hak-kyu with 40.3 percent. Kim Doo-kwan, former South Gyeongsang Province governor, failed to narrow the gap with Sohn by securing only 11 percent of the vote, followed by another DUP former chief Chung Sye-kyun with 2.6 percent. Political watchers say Sohn’s better-than-expected performance in the latest regional election has drawn further public attention to the DUP’s selection of a presidential candidate. Nevertheless, critics point out that the opposition party will likely continue to struggle to generate excitement in the contest with far less-than-expected voters turning up at polling stations due to the adoption of mobile voting. Some DUP officials say they are frustrated to see the presidential candidates deliver speeches in front of only a handful of voters in regional primary elections. “Thus far, about 90 percent of voters have opted to cast ballots by using their cell phone, rather than investing their time to go to polling stations,” a senior party official said. “It might be an exaggeration to say this but more reporters showed up in the regional primary elections than actual voters.” In the Cheongju primary, only 322 party delegates cast a vote after listening to the speeches of the four contenders. In contrast, 16,786, or 95.1 percent of the 17,637 eligible voters in the region, participated in the in-house election by casting ballots using their mobile devices. The winner of the elections was clearly decided by the results of mobile voting in all primary elections, including the ones in Jeju, Ulsan and Gangwon Province. Despite Moon’s fourth-straight victory, the former aide to the late President Roh Moo-hyun will need to prove that his overwhelming support shown in the primary elections reflects the will of the people. “Young voters, especially followers of the late President Roh, have a strong tendency to participate in mobile voting,” a party insider said. “As older voters find it more challenging to find ways to register and cast a ballot through the new mobile voting system, it would be natural for Moon to enjoy a higher support rate in the primary race.” He pointed out that Moon will also need to address growing criticism that his rival candidates raised over possible loopholes of the primary election methods in order to revive excitement in the interparty race. Sohn alleged Thursday that the fairness of the election has been seriously hampered because Moon’s younger brother is operating a company responsible for recruiting mobile voters in the primary race. Moon is also accused of illicitly operating a campaign team that seeks to woo his supporters. Under the Public Official Election Act, “Appealing for support by means of direct telephone conversation” is banned during primary elections and might be punishable by a prison term of up to three years or a fine of up to 6 million won ($5,270). Leaders of the DUP, including its chairman Lee Hae-chan, maintain that the introduction of mobile voting has revolutionized the election culture and allowed citizens a more convenient method to select their party’s presidential candidate.

Infringement of consumer rights?

Infringement of consumer rights?

Consumers pass by a retail outlet of Samsung Electronics in Seoul in this undated photo. After the U.S. jury verdict on Friday, there are growing concerns that the patent dispute between Samsung and Apple will negatively affect consumers’ rights. / Yonhap 'Apple tax' to limit innovation and consumer choices By Kim Yoo-chul Ever since the patent dispute between Apple and Samsung Electronics began, the U.S. technology giant has said that Samsung infringed on its patents, which it claims is hurting innovation and deceiving consumers. Ironically, the highly-controversial jury verdict in California is likely to limit consumer choices for mobile phones and negatively influence innovation as people should be prepared to pay an ``Apple tax,’’ according to industry experts. ``So far, Apple has been insisting the consumer is king. But its move is likely to hurt consumers and limit choice. That’s irony,’’ said Park Seong-min, a local patent attorney. Apple is already moving to ask major handset makers to license various Apple designs and software innovation. ``There may be a big Apple tax,’’ said IDC analyst Al Hilwa. ``Phones will be more expensive.’’ Apple spokesman in Korea, Steve Park, wasn’t available for comment. In its closing argument, Samsung stressed consumers make the right choice and don’t make mistakes. But nine U.S. jurors didn’t accept this, though consumer values and fair competition have been considered as the rights of Americans. ``Apple’s argument that consumers will confuse a Samsung phone with an iPhone is totally idiotic. You should buy Apple devices in Apple’s designated Apple Store. But when you want to buy Samsung mobile phones, you just go BestBuy or even small outlets near your house. When a consumer visits any authorized local vendors for Samsung phones, then they buying a Samsung phone in mind,’’ said a Samsung official, Thursday. The Korean firm in a statement following the verdict maintained that the decision will hurt both consumers and innovation. ``Can you say Samsung simply copied the iPhone? You can’t say. Designers are usually influenced from here and there. Influence comes from various things. Apple’s iPhone maybe one influence, however, that doesn’t mean Samsung is a copycat,’’ said a designer who asked to only be identified as Park at LG Electronics. Patent experts and analysts say Apple wants to force Samsung from its home soil as the American company is losing its grip there, with the rapid rise in Galaxy sales by its Korean rival. ``The main implication of the verdict is that less competition means higher prices and less inclination for innovation,’’ said Seo Won-suk, an analyst at Korea Investment. According to Seo, mobile phone makers will feel that they have to ``effectively manage risks’’ for their gadgets. ``An expected rise in costs of risk management will simply be passed on to general consumers and this management is going to result in playing it rather safe, which will see phone makers to pull away from innovation and limit consumer choice,’’ said the analyst. LG Electronics, Taiwan’s HTC and Motorola are widely seen to be negotiating with Apple for cross-licensing deals, said Lee Chang-hoon, a local patent attorney from intellectual property law firm Aju Yanghun. An LG Electronics spokesman declined to comment whether it has plans to do so, while HTC representatives weren’t available for comments. ``Smartphones and tablets are everywhere. Apple doesn’t have the full authority to kick its rivals out of the market. Without technology, surface design is nothing. That’s why Samsung is preparing to highlight prior technology in the appeals court,’’ said a high-ranked Samsung Electronics executive. Apple is seeking a complete sales ban on some Samsung goods in the United States, however, Samsung’s key products such as the Galaxy S3 should be safe from Apple’s design attack as the surface design of the S3 is completely curved, different from the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.

yckim@koreatimes.co.kr

Samsung unveils Galaxy Note 2

Samsung Electornics` new phablet "Galaxy Note 2" (Yonhap News)

Samsung Electronics Co., the world‘s top smartphone maker, on Thursday unveiled its latest Android platform-based Galaxy Note 2 at an European trade fair, grabbing the spotlight ahead of rival Apple Inc.’s new iPhone release.

Samsung debuted the Galaxy Note 2 at the IFA trade show inBerlin on Wednesday (local time), with plans to release its latest “phablet” model in October. The phablet, a cross between a smartphone and a tablet computer, features larger displays than smartphones but are more portable than tablets.

The 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2, an upgraded version of the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note, is powered by a quad-core processor and runs on the Jelly Bean, the latest version of the Android operating system.

Like the previous Galaxy Note models, it comes with a stylus pen, which enables users to write on the display as if they were writing on paper.

“We launched the Galaxy Note at last year‘s IFA fair, which opened a new category of smart mobile devices. This year, again at IFA, I am proud to announce the Galaxy Note 2, which will encourage users to ’unleash their inner creativity‘,” said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications unit.

The Galaxy Note 2 unwrap comes ahead of Apple’s widely-anticipated iPhone 5 release on Sept. 12. The two smartphone makers, who are both rivals and partners in the mobile industry, have been locked in a high-stakes patent war in four continents.

The latest development, a verdict by a U.S. federal jury, awarded Apple US$1.05 billion after finding Samsung infringed six of the Silicon Valley firm‘s patents for mobile devices.

The two companies face a provisional court decision in Tokyo this week as well as a December hearing on Apple’s request for a permanent ban on sales of eight Samsung devices in the United States.

In addition to the upgraded Galaxy Note, Samsung introduced its new ATIV line, mobile devices that run on Microsoft Corp.‘s Windows and Windows Phone 8 operating systems.

The company unveiled four ATIV gadgets, including a smartphone and a tablet computer, reviving its Windows-powered line-up for the first time since ditching its previous Windows-based brand Omnia due to lackluster response.

With ATIV, Samsung’s devices are available in three operating systems -- Microsoft‘s Windows, Google’s Android and home-grown Bada -- giving the company a leeway in the patent war that has now developed into a fight between Android and Apple‘s iOS. (Yonhap News)

　

U.N. chief hits host Iran over human rights

TEHRAN (AP) ― The U.N. chief jolted his Iranian hosts for a nonaligned nations meeting Wednesday by pointing out “serious concerns” in Tehran’s human rights record and urging cooperation with the world body to improve freedoms.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had signaled he would not shy away from criticism of Iran during his visit to the Nonaligned Movement gathering in Tehran, but the sharp comments appeared to catch Iranian officials off guard just hours after his arrival.

“We have discussed how United Nations can work together with Iran to improve the human rights situation in Iran. We have our serious concerns on the human rights abuses and violations in this country,” he told a news conference as he sat next to Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, who frowned at the remarks.

Iran’s opposition groups had urged Ban to use his appearance in Tehran as a platform to criticize Iran’s ruling system over its crackdowns on political dissent, including the house arrests of opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi.

While in Tehran, Ban also could raise sensitive issues such as demands by U.N. nuclear inspectors for wider access to various sites, including a military base near Tehran suspected of being a proving ground for explosives experiments that could be used to test nuclear triggers. Iran denies it seeks nuclear arms, but Western nations and allies fear Tehran’s uranium enrichment labs are moving close to warhead-grade material.

U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said in his talks, Ban expressed frustration that “little tangible progress” has been made in talks between Iran and world powers over Tehran’s nuclear program. No date has been set to resume negotiations after several rounds over the past months.

Iran says it wants talks to continue, but also claims that the current gathering in Tehran shows that Western efforts to isolate Iran have failed.

In Vienna, the U.N.’s nuclear agency has created a special Iran Task Force of nuclear weapons experts, intelligence analysts and other specialists focused on probing Tehran’s atomic program, according to an internal document shared with the Associated Press.

Iran is seeking to use the weeklong meeting of the 120-nation Nonaligned Movement to promote its position that its nuclear program is peaceful and its uranium enrichment is within the U.N. treaty rules. The meetings are capped by a two-day summit that begins Thursday.

Ban’s visit is being interpreted by Iranian media as a blow to Western attempts to isolate the Islamic republic in defiance of Israeli and American calls to boycott the meeting.

Tehran is also seeking to win support from the nonaligned bloc, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the U.N. member states, for its nuclear program. A visit to Natanz uranium enrichment site in central Iran by participating leaders has not been ruled out.

Ban met Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad later Wednesday.

Khamenei called on him to take action over Israel’s nuclear weapons, according to Khamenei’s website, calling this “a big danger to the region.” Israel has never acknowledged having nuclear weapons but is widely believed to have a large arsenal.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad shake hands at the Iranian president’s office in Tehran on Wednesday. (AFP-Yonhap News)

In advance, Ban also said he would discuss the Syria crisis with Iranian leaders, who remain staunch allies of Bashar Assad’s regime. The U.N. chief has in the past called Iran a major player capable of mediating in regional conflicts, including Syria’s civil war.

Nesirky, the U.N. spokesman, said that in his meetings in Tehran Ban “urged the leadership ― the president, the Supreme Leader, the speaker of parliament ― to really reach out to the Syrian leadership and impress on them the really urgent need to stop the violence and to create the conditions that are necessary for a political process.”

Iran plans to propose the formation of a three-member nonaligned team, plus two neighbors of Syria, to help resolve the crisis there, Iran’s state media quoted prominent lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi as saying.

The proposed troika will include Egypt, Iran and Venezuela plus Iraq and Lebanon. Boroujerdi, who met Assad during a visit to Syria last week, said the Syrian president said he would welcome the Iranian plan.

Khamenei told Ban that the solution is to stop weapons shipments to the Syrian rebels, or as he put it, “irresponsible groups inside Syria,” according to his website.

A senior Iranian official gave details of the plan Iran is proposing at the summit.

“Iran’s proposal ... is a cease-fire and the implementation of a three-month mechanism for national reconciliation talks in this country,” the official IRNA news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian as saying Wednesday.

Anti-regime fighters have dismissed any role for Iran in such a plan. The rebels and some others say it has little hope of succeeding. Also, the United States has rejected Iranian participation in international meetings on the Syrian crisis.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland urged Ban to press Iran over Syria. She said Iran does have a role to play: “It can break with the Assad regime and stop providing material support and arms and advisers and all of these kinds of things,” she said.

Grand Slam season wraps up

NEW YORK (AP) ― Champion at Wimbledon in both singles and doubles. Winner again at the All England Club in both events, four weeks later at the London Olympics.

Nobody would blame Serena Williams if she felt worn down by this year’s jam-packed tennis calendar. She doesn’t see it that way, though ― even with the grind of the U.S. Open looming.

“I look forward to this,” Williams said. “It’s almost as like a launching pad for what I want to do for the rest of the hard-court season.”

In a way, yes, Monday’s start of the year’s last Grand Slam actually marks something of a new beginning ― the kickoff of a six-month stretch on the hard courts that winds down at the 2013 Australian Open.

Call it mental gymnastics, a creative way of looking at things or whatever else might apply. What can’t be denied is that in an Olympic year, the U.S. Open ― considered the toughest test in tennis even under normal circumstances ― is essentially the season’s fifth major.

“A lot of them,” Jim Courier said, “are running on fumes.”

Indeed, many top players have had to double down on their fitness and find new, creative ways of organizing their schedules to get ready for what they hope will be a two-week grind in the fishbowl that is Flushing Meadows.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic barely took any time off following his fourth-place finish at the Olympics. He traveled to Toronto for a hard-court tuneup, played six matches and won the tournament.

Then, he flew to Cincinnati, played six more matches but lost to Roger Federer in the final. No shame there, though that loss to Federer did include an uncharacteristic 6-0 whitewashing in the first set.

“Mentally, I wasn’t there, wasn’t fresh,” Djokovic said. “It had been a very busy time starting at the Olympic Games, and maybe that caught up with me at the end.”

No big deal in Cincinnati. But a half-hour mental lapse in New York could mean the end of Djokovic’s quest to win what has, essentially, shaped up as the tiebreaker major for 2012.

Second-seeded Djokovic won the Australian Open. Rafael Nadal won the French Open. Top-seeded Federer won Wimbledon. Just for good measure, third-seeded Andy Murray won the Olympics, meaning the U.S. Open could essentially determine the player of the year in men’s tennis.

Some combination of Nadal ― absent this year because of a knee injury ― and the other three have occupied every spot in the finals of the past eight Grand Slam tournaments.

Who has the most to gain over this fort night? John McEnroe thinks it’s Murray, who has the Olympic gold, but is still in search of his first Grand Slam title.

“The way it pans out, it’s conceivable that Murray could make an argument were he to win this ... that you could say he’s the best player in the world this year,” McEnroe said. “To me, that’s an unbelievable upside.”

Murray opens Monday in Arthur Ashe Stadium against Alex Bogomolov Jr., of Russia.

Federer, back at the top of the rankings after 25½ months during which Nadal and Djokovic took the spot from him, has a night match Monday against American Donald Young, who is 3-21 this season.

Federer says there’s a difference between how he feels now and last year, when he had two match points in the semifinals against Djokovic, but lost both and closed out his first full season since 2002 without a Grand Slam title.

[Newsmaker] Korean-born teen makes history on LPGA Tour

A South Korean-born New Zealand teenager has written what might be the best golf story of the year.

Lydia Ko won the Canadian Women’s Open on Sunday to become the youngest player to ever win an LPGA Tour event.

The 15-year-old golf sensation also became the fifth amateur champion of the event.

She finished the 72 holes on 13-under-par 275 at the Vancouver Golf Club course to beat this year’s Evian Masters champion Park Inbee by 3 shots.

After Ko wrapped up her historic round, the World Golf Hall of Fame asked her to donate something. The glove she wore in the final round will be displayed in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Lydia Ko

The high-profile LPGA title came 15 years, four months and two days after her birth on April 24, 1997. She broke the youngest LPGA Tour champion record held by American Lexi Thompson, who set the mark when she won the Nabistar Classic in September last year at 16 years and eight months.

Ko is also the first amateur since Joanne Carner in 1969 to win a LPGA Tour event.

Ko left South Korea for New Zealand with her parents in 2003 at age 6. She made headlines in January by becoming the youngest-ever winner of a professional event as a 14-year-old at the New South Wales Open in Australia. Her triumph eclipsed the mark set by Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa, who was 15 years and eight months old when he won a tournament on the Japan Golf Tour.

On Aug. 13, Ko, the world’s top-ranked amateur, won the U.S. Amateur championship.

As an amateur, Ko is ineligible to collect the winner’s check of $300,000. Park, the 24-year-old runner-up, took home the money instead.

Ko is in grade 11 in New Zealand, where students graduate from high school after grade 13. According to news reports from Vancouver, college is in her plans now and she’d like to attend Stanford, from where LPGA Tour regular Michelle Wie recently graduated.

By Chun Sung-woo (swchun@heraldcorp.com)

Apple to unveil mini iPad in October: report

Apple`s CEO Tim Cook presenting the New iPad (Yonhap News)

Apple will unveil a new, smaller version of its wildly popular iPad in October after the release of the latest version of its iPhone next month, the All Things Digital website reported Sunday.

“First comes the latest iteration of the tech giant’s hugely popular smartphone, which will be unveiled at an as yet unannounced event on September 12,” the website said.

“Only after the next-generation iPhone is out the door and on sale will Apple announce the smaller iPad it’s been working on,” it said.

“That device, which is expected to have a display of less than eight inches (20 centimeters), will be uncrated at a second special event, which sources say is currently scheduled for October.”

The 10-inch iPad has long dominated the tablet market, but faces a growing challenge from smaller models like Amazon’s Kindle Fire, the Google Nexus 7 and the Samsung Galaxy.

Apple is expected to launch the miniature iPad later this year, with analysts saying it could allow the California-based company to again best its global rivals despite the death last year of visionary founder Steve Jobs. (AFP)

LG unveils new smartphone Optimus G

LG Electronics on Tuesday unveiled its flagship smartphone called the Optimus G with plans to launch it in Korea next month.

The company said that the new wireless gadget ― developed jointly with LG affiliates such as LG Chem, LG Display and LG Innotek ― will come with a 4.7-inch True High Definition IPS Plus display and a 1.5 gigahertz quad-core processor.

LG’s Optimus G

The Optimus G, which was also dubbed the chairman’s mobile phone, will be the world’s first to carry the next-generation Snapdragon S4 processor by Qualcomm.

Weighing 145 grams, the device runs on Google’s 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich mobile platform and is equipped with a 13 megapixel camera on the back, its officials said.

The new smartphone also has a 3-millimeter bezel and a thickness of 8 millimeters as well as an extended-life 2100 mAh battery.

With its launch here through all three mobile carriers in September, it will also roll out in overseas markets.

As a start, the Long Term Evolution model will be released through NTT DoCoMo in Japan in early October, according to company officials.

“This is LG’s ambitious project that focuses on unique user experience and creative design which is based on LG affiliates’ competitiveness in technology and innovation,” said LG mobile chief Park Jong-seok. “The launch is deemed to become the momentum for our smartphone business, gaining better ground in the global arena.”

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

Advertisers pursue Psy for commercials

Psy dances ‘Gangnam Style’ in LG Uplus’ LTE commercial. (LG Uplus)

Corporate advertisers are rushing to sign Korean rapper and singer Psy to do his bizarre and comical horseback-riding dance in their commercials from his latest hit music video “Gangnam Style.”

Psy is in talks with six companies to appear in their ads, said an official with YG Entertainment, a music talent agency with which the singer is affiliated.

The official, however, said the company cannot yet disclose the names of the brands Psy will be promoting possibly over the next six months to one year, unless approved by the advertisers.

LG Uplus, the smallest of Korea’s three telecom operators, was lucky enough to tap Psy as the country’s first company to have him star in its Long Term Evolution television commercial, “Uplus Style.”

Following this LG commercial and the music video, various news sources reported that Psy’s fees and earnings, including for ads and promotional events, may have reached as high as 10 billion won.

The “Gangnam Style” music video has so far received over 60 million viewers on Youtube, where YG Entertainment has been using one of the main new media platforms to feature its songs and singers since 2008.

YG attributes this success to new media, which has “torn down” the walls and borders between culture and technology, allowing people anywhere in the world to enjoy content, the YG official explained.

Since its debut on July 15, Psy has attracted growing attention worldwide appearing in overseas TV programs, including music channel VH1 in the U.S., while his music video ranks at the top of the iTunes music chart.

Psy started his career with the song “Bird,” offering a different look that was often labeled weird and wacky but hilarious. It has been the singer’s notable trademark since then.

The singer said in a recent interview that the flash animation character Mashimaro, also known as “Yeopki Toki” or bizarre bunny in English, was his main competitor when he debuted.

By Park Hyong-ki (hkp@heraldcorp.com)