America angry, remorseful about Korean's death in New York subway There is anger and remorse in America about the death of a Korean in a New York subway. The American society as a whole is beating itself up over the death of the 58-year-old Han Ki-suck. The New York Times asked in one of its articles, “What would I have done if I was there at the scene of the incident?” adding that this is a question that will linger on for a long, long time. It went on to say the incident occurred when the Korean man approached the African American for misbehaving in public, after which the latter pushed the former over the ledge. Despite what happened, no one was ready to help the Korean man, thus creating a serious concern about social morality. Umar Abbasi, a freelance photographer for the New York Post, said he was surprised and dismayed that no one was willing to help Han although he himself is under heavy criticism for taking the photo without getting Han out of the rail tracks. There were 22 seconds from the time that Han was pushed onto the tracks to the time that the train hit him and people were simply busy taking photos with their mobile phones, Abbasi said. Abbasi said in his defense that he was hundreds of feet away from the tracks when he saw what was happening and took the photos. There was little he could do, he said.

Educator accused of ethical lapses By Kim Bo-eun  Moon Yong-lin Moon Yong-lin, the leading contender for Seoul’s top education post, is facing mounting criticism because he worked as a director for the nation’s largest private education company for over 10 years. According to sources from the Supreme Court and Seoul National University, Moon served as a director of the Daekyo Culture Foundation, run by the private education firm Daekyo Group since 2000 until August this year. Critics are questioning his ethics, charging that he is not appropriate for a position that is in charge of strengthening public education. Moon, a conservative, is one of five candidates contending for the post of superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, to succeed Kwak No-hyun, who was removed after being convicted of bribery. The by-election will be held on the same day as the presidential vote on Dec. 19. Moon also served as head of the advisory committee of the Korea Scout Association, where Daekyo Chairman Kang Young-joong is serving as president. Safe Kids Korea, of which Moon is a co-head, was funded by the company when it was established in 2001. The 64-year-old has assumed several research projects financed by the education firm. Daegyo provided 50 million won for a research project on setting up an evaluation system for reading in 2010, which was led by Moon. The candidate has also been found to be a member of a golf club run by an affiliate of the Daekyo Group. His membership to the “Midus Vally” golf club is worth 153 million won. During a television debate between the five candidates held Thursday, independent candidate Nam Seung-hee asked for an explanation from Moon, saying “If candidate Moon had truly been involved with the private education company, this would raise doubts about the candidate’s basic morals.” Choi Myung-bok, another independent runner, said “I am concerned that a bad precedent will reoccur — former superintendent Gong Jeong-taek had to step down due to his ties and irregularities involving private education firms.”

U.N. chief Ban to receive Olympic Order from IOC

Published : 2012-12-06 17:27
Updated : 2012-12-06 17:34

Ban Ki-moon (AP-Yonhap)

SEOUL, Dec. 6 (Yonhap) -- Ban Ki-moon, the South Korean-born U.N. secretary-general, will receive the highest medal given by the International Olympic Committee for his contribution to the Olympic Movement, IOC officials said Thursday.

The IOC  said in a statement that Ban will be awarded the Olympic Order in gold. The decision was reached at the conclusion of the IOC's final executive board meeting of 2012, it said.

The Olympic Order, which was established in 1975, is awarded for distinguished contribution to the Olympic Movement.

The Olympic Charter states that the goal of the Olympic Movement is to "contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport."

According to the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC), previous South Korean winners of the Olympic Order include Lee Kun-hee, a member of the IOC and chairman of Samsung Electronics; Park Seh-jik, the late head of the 1988 Seoul Olympics organizing committee; and former Presidents Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung.

Ban was among the torch bearers for the 2012 London Olympics this summer, and during the opening ceremony he entered the main stadium with eight others as a bearer of the Olympic flag.

On Ban's watch as the U.N. chief, the IOC in 2009 became the first sports organization to be granted the U.N. Observer status, allowing it to participate in sessions of the U.N. General Assembly.

Obama expresses concern over Egypt deaths to Morsi

U.S. President Barack Obama expressed "deep concern" Thursday over the recent deadly political protests in Egypt, in a call to his counterpart Mohamed Morsi, the White House said.

Obama also told Morsi that it was "essential for Egyptian leaders across the political spectrum to put aside their differences and come together to agree on a path that will move Egypt forward," the White House said in a statement.

Morsi earlier defied calls to curb his sweeping powers or suspend proposed changes to the constitution, infuriating thousands of protesters who have clashed bloodily with his supporters in recent days.

Seven people died in clashes between Morsi's Islamist supporters and his mainly secular opponents on Wednesday in Egypt's worst political crisis since Morsi took office in June.

Another 644 people were injured, medical officials said.

"President Obama called President Morsi today to express his deep concern about the deaths and injuries of protesters in Egypt," said the statement issued by White House spokesman Jay Carney.

Obama "emphasized that all political leaders in Egypt should make clear to their supporters that violence is unacceptable," it said.

The US president welcomed Morsi's call for dialogue beginning Saturday in his offices, but said it "should occur without preconditions" and urged opposition leaders to take part.

Obama "reiterated the United States' continued support for the Egyptian people and their transition to a democracy that respects the rights of all Egyptians," the statement said.

The anti-Morsi camp is furious with the president for assuming sweeping powers two weeks ago and by what it feels was the railroading through by an Islamist-dominated panel of the draft constitution. (AFP)

Ahn pressed to fully back Moon Kim Bu-gyeom, second from right, a campaign manager of Moon Jae-in’s presidential election camp, poses with members of “Korea Vision 2050 Forum” after the Ahn Cheol-soo followers announced their support for Moon at the Democratic United Party’s headquarters in Seoul, Wednesday.                                                                                                                                   / Yonhap By Yi Whan-woo   Ahn Cheol-soo Former independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo is under mounting pressure to fully endorse the remaining opposition challenger Moon Jae-in as increasing numbers of his political support base choose to back the Democratic United Party (DUP) contender. A number of organizations across the country that supported Ahn have decided to join Moon’s election camp. The trend emerged Wednesday, a day after the first of three obligatory TV presidential debates took place. A number of experts said Tuesday’s debate will not greatly influence the approval ratings of Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party and Moon. Some 20 percent of the total electorate have not yet decided which candidate to vote for. They added that Ahn is the only factor that could provide a boost for Moon. Conservative Park leads her liberal rival by nearly 10 percent in some public opinion polls, while other surveys indicate a tight two-way race between the two with the Saenuri candidate taking a slight lead. “Korea Vision 2050 Forum,” a group comprised of 400 university professors supportive of scholar-turned-politician Ahn, announced it will endorse Moon during its press conference in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. “Political reform is only possible if Moon is elected as president and prevents conservatives from retaining the country’s most powerful office,” it said in a statement. A group of Jeolla Province-based research institutes named after Ahn that focus on his political policies also threw their support behind the DUP contender. In Busan, the members of “Tomorrow Forum,” an organization to study Ahn’s political strategies, announced they will join the DUP election campaign office in the port city where Moon served as a lawmaker. An alliance group tentatively named “The people’s alliance for new government and new politics,” will be launched on Thursday and is expected to attract a number of undecided voters. “Every one of us, including rational conservatives, liberals, and politically-moderates should be united if we want a new government (under Moon),” said Cho Guk, a liberal law professor of Seoul National University. He will lead the group with Ahn Kyung-hwan, his colleague and a DUP election campaign official. However, some experts speculate that Ahn will not be able to influence the Dec. 19 election in favor of Moon. “Ahn may be able raise the ratings by three to five percent, but that’s all,” said Ham Saung-duk, a political science professor at Korea University. “What is required is Moon’s effort to absorb more support to beat Park.” Ahn only offered lukewarm support for Moon during a campaign closure ceremony Monday. Regarding his overall stance toward the liberal candidate, he only reiterated his statement on Nov. 23 when he made a bombshell announcement to withdraw from the presidential race following disharmony between the two over talks to select a unified liberal candidate. “I told my supporters to endorse Moon back then and I believe you who have made calls for political reform with me will accept my sincere heart,” he said. yistory@koreatimes.co.kr,

iPhone 5 hits S. Korea

Published : 2012-12-07 09:15
Updated : 2012-12-07 10:52

(Yonhap News)

Apple Inc.'s iPhone 5 made its belated debut in South Korea on Friday with avid fans welcoming the latest iPhone amid the U.S. smartphone maker's ongoing patent battle with homegrown player Samsung Electronics Co.

SK Telcom Co. and KT Corp., the country's two biggest mobile carriers, kicked off the release of the first iPhone that runs on the fourth-generation long-term evolution (LTE) network after beginning pre-orders a week earlier.

While Apple rolled out the latest iPhone on its home turf in end-September, its Korea release was delayed due to company policy and procedural errors in registering the device with the local communications watchdog.

At midnight, SK Telecom invited 300 people who placed pre-orders for the iPhone 5 to activate the gadget before dawn and join a launch party stocked with goodies and live music by popular artists.

KT, which was the country's first carrier to adopt the iPhone in the country in 2009, held a celebration at its flagship store in downtown Seoul.

Despite the below-zero temperatures and light snow, subscribers eagerly queued for the event, chatting with other iPhone fans while drinking coffee and munching on sandwiches provided by the No. 2 mobile carrier.

"I should have gone to work, but I talked to my company and got permission to come to the event," said 40-year-old Lee Joon-young, an avid Apple user who confessed he was the first to get Apple's iPad tablet.

"I've only used the iPhone and I'm really looking forward to using the lighter weight and taller display," said Park Hyun-jin, 25, who arrived at the venue at 5 a.m.

KT said earlier that pre-orders for the iPhone 5 in the first two hours topped the record the iPhone 4S logged on its first day of pre-orders in November 2011.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 5 launch comes amid escalating competition between Samsung and Apple, the world's two biggest smartphone makers, to gain supremacy in the lucrative global smartphone market.

The two companies have been squaring off in courtrooms across four continents, accusing each other of infringing on design and technology patents.

Following a U.S. jury verdict in late August that ruled in favor of Apple, Samsung and Apple have added some of their latest products, such as the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S3, to the legal dispute.

Meanwhile, most consumers said the ongoing legal spat did not affect their decision to purchase the latest iPhone.

"It doesn't really matter to the people who use the device. (The patent suit) did not impact my purchase plan or image of Apple," said 26-year-old office worker Lee Jae-han.

Some, however, said the incident tainted Apple's corporate image.

"Apple went overboard this time. I felt they didn't have to go that far," said student Moon Yei-in, 22.

In the market, the iPhone 5 will be contending with some of Samsung's latest LTE devices, such as the Galaxy S3 smartphone and the Galaxy Note 2 phablet. It also faces growing competition from local smartphone makers LG Electronics Inc. and Pantech Corp. that have moved faster to release LTE devices. (Yonhap News)

[Newsmaker] Korean-American named PGA Rookie of the Year

Published : 2012-12-06 20:39
Updated : 2012-12-06 20:39

John Huh

Korean-American John Huh, 22, was named the U.S. PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year on Tuesday. The award is an inspiration for Korean golfers seeking to make their names on the U.S. Tour.

The award sets a milestone for golfers of Asian heritage as well. Huh is the first Asian-American to be named the PGA Rookie of the Year since it was established in 1990.

His award is especially memorable as he is the only rookie to make it to the tour championship. Huh qualified for the tour playoff as the only rookie in the field by placing 29th at the FedEx Cup. He is the fifth rookie to have competed in the tour championship since the start of the FedEx Cup in 2007.

A remarkable performance on the tour, not to mention a title clinch, is never easy for a golfer who has just stepped out with less than a year of PGA experience, but that is what Huh managed Tuesday. He qualified in December 2011. Of course, the triumph did not come easy to him.

Huh won the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico in February, where he parred all eight holes in a marathon playoff for the title.

The win was momentous for golfers on the Korean Tour not only in that he made it as a rookie but also in that there are only four Korean and Korean-American professional golfers before him to have clinched a PGA title: Choi Kyung-ju, Yang Yong-eun, Anthony Kim and Kevin Na.

His prominence on the U.S. PGA tour in his first year was not built in a day. Before it was the Korean Tour. At age 20, he clinched the Shinhan Donghae Open in 2010 and named Korean Tour Rookie of the Year as well.

He was born in New York in 1990, but came to Korea shortly after and spent his childhood here. Then he left for Chicago as a fifth grader in elementary school.

He underwent a tough time on the way to his professional debut. He did part-time jobs at practice ranges and rode the subway with his clubs. The Rookie of the Year award, which adds to his belt of Shinhan Donghae and Mayakoba titles, must be another reward for his endurance.

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

Ahn promises to back Moon

Former independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo promised Thursday to fully assist the struggling campaign of Democratic United Party nominee Moon Jae-in.

Analysts are divided over whether their belated union could tilt the balance of the presidential race, currently in favor of Saenuri Party candidate Park Geun-hye.

“Today will be the watershed moment in the presidential election. I will do my best upholding the aspiration of the many people,” Ahn said after their 30-minute meeting at a restaurant in central Seoul.

The encounter was the first since Ahn quit the race on Nov. 23, abruptly ending their negotiations to unify their candidacy amid differences over merger rules.

“Ahn said he will be giving full support. I sincerely appreciate that,” said Moon smiling. 

Sources said Ahn will join Moon’s campaign rally starting in Busan on Friday.

The spokesmen of the two sides later read out a joint statement, pledging a tight-knit cooperation ahead.

“We will gather our forces for the change of the administration and for the victory in the presidential election. We will also closely cooperate after the presidential election to overcome crisis and for new politics,” they said.

Former independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo (left) and Democratic United Party nominee Moon Jae-in stand before a news conference after their meeting in Seoul on Thursday. (Chung Hee-cho/The Korea Herald)

Ahn’s full support for Moon, long-awaited by Moon and much-dreaded by Park, is likely to pose a threat to the conservative flag-bearer Park’s campaign that has been going on a smooth rise with support ratings inching closer to the 50 percent mark.

The Saenuri Party attempted to downplay the renewed alliance, saying it was a much-anticipated step and not a new variable in the race.

Cho Hae-jin of the Saenuri Party noted the party anticipated that the merge of Moon and Ahn had been planned to create a “dramatic effect.”

“But we will continue our campaign, only consider the public, and will work hard to win an absolute majority,” Cho added.

Observers said the two’s renewed alliance will play a positive role, but that it remains to be seen whether it will directly lead to the rise in support by the moderate voters.

“It is positive. But it remains to be seen whether Moon will be able to narrow the gap with Park. It is positive but it must lead to actual votes,” professor Shin Yul of Myongji University said.

In a Realmeter survey commissioned by Herald Corp. earlier this week, Park received 48.8 percent of support in a mock multi-way race, compared to Moon’s 44.0 percent. To a question on who they would vote for if Ahn avidly supported Moon, 48.2 percent still chose Park, while 46.6 percent supported Moon.

Professor Yang Seung-ham of Yonsei University was more cautious.

“Ahn’s comments that the support will be unconditional, while saving face and maintaining his drive for new politics, can be interpreted as how he will not be too active. It can be seen that Ahn (is expressing his support) in his own way. The timing is not too late either. There is still ample time to see the effects (of his support). But it is questionable whether Ahn is truly willing to (join hands with Moon),“ Yang said.

Their meeting was arranged after Ahn reportedly called Moon, a day after the DUP candidate paid a visit to the former professor’s vacant home on Wednesday, only to return empty-handed.

Announcing their rendezvous, Ahn’s spokesman Yoo Min-young relayed Ahn’s message and said, “Ahn said that he will unconditionally offer assistance and believed that such action would complete the single candidacy process and lead to victory in the polls.”

“The reason why I withdrew from the race was to fully uphold the people’s desire for new politics and administration change by keeping to our promise of single candidacy. But the people’s concern that neither may be difficult to achieve is rising. I feel the responsibility to actively do what I can do,” Ahn was quoted as saying in the message.

Their meeting was widely covered by the media, with both men’s aides and journalists barricading the alleyway for a photo line, trying not to miss a word.

After the meeting, the two held hands for a photo after delivering short messages. To journalists’ request that they “hug it out,” Moon approached Ahn but Ahn, looking a little awkward, opted for Moon to put his arm around his back instead.

Ahn’s aides later explained that a working level team will be formed to discuss the schedule and method of the support that will begin as early as Friday.

By law, Ahn can show his support in public places through speeches, or make a supporting speech on television and radio upon designation by the candiate. He can also express his support through social networking service and text messages but cannot make stump speeches in lectures at schools.

National Income by Korean Goverment