2014년 10월 31일 금요일

Type of Business in Korea, Up & Down

In South Korea, fast food restaurants, convenience stores, mobile phone retailer stores have increased and stationery, PC room, bookstore have turned out to be reduced for the past five years.

On 27th, the IRS has updated information about self-employed people's present situation of change in 30 businesses which is close to Korean's daily life for the past five years.

Last year, fast food restaurants increased 64% and convenience store increased 56% compared to 2009, during the same period of time, stationery decreased 21%, PC cafe(room) has been reduced by 19%.

30 business operators's age group had a higher proportion of 40s to 50s.
40s was 32% and 50s was 31%.


2014년 10월 29일 수요일

Korea's favorite MC' Yoo Jae Suk's watch is gathering the attention of netizens.


Korea's favorite MC' Yoo Jae Suk's watch is gathering the attention of netizens.

After MBC 'Infinite Challenge' Special 400th episodes 'Begin Again' aired on 25th, the watch that Yoo Jae Suk wore while traveling with Jung Hyung Don in this episode was sold out at offline and online shop in Korea.

The watch worn by Yoo Jae Suk in this episode was so-called "coffee bean watch" from Moment Watch, Australian brand which donate 30% of their proceeds to support projects related to orphans and poverty, such as Philippines typhoon disaster victims and Mongolian orphanage.

This brand showcase newly designed watch every week releasing 52 different watchs per year.
Price of Yoo Jae Suk's "coffee bean watch" is about $40 (about 40,000 won).





 




2014년 10월 26일 일요일

Korean, Chinese, Japanese: physique and strength comparison 2013

According to recent data, Korean adults have better physique than Japanese and Chinese but inferior in physical strength.

Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism released the data "2013 National Physical Fitness Survey" on 24th.
The survey has been conducted every two years since 1989.

When looking at these data that surveyed 4,000 people(adult men and women)nationwide from August to October in 2013, the average height of Korean men in the early 20s(19-24 years) is 175.5㎝ (Japan 171.7㎝, China 171.1 cm), late 20s(25-29 years) is 175.8㎝ (Japan 171.9㎝,China 170.7㎝)
With the exception of the early 50s age group, Korean men were taller than Chinese and Japanese men.
Korean Women's height were taller than Chinese and Japanese women in all ages.

The average weight of Korean male in early 20s is 72.2㎏(Japan,China 65.6㎏) and late 20s is 75.6㎏ (Japan 66.8㎏, China 68.7㎏)
In the case of women, Korean women were heavier than Chinese and Japanese counterparts from the early 20s till early 30s.
Chinese women were heaviest among 3 countries since late 30s.

Even though Korean saw improvements in their physique in recent years, their quality of strength, stamina has decreased as well.

In a survey of test to measure the grip strength of the hand, Korean men and women in all ages fell behind the Chinese and Japanese counterparts.
In a 20m round trip long running test, Korean male in early 20's marked average 53.3 times while Japanese male in early 20's recorded 72.7 times.
Korean women in early 20s has record of 30.7 times while Japanese counterpart has record of 38.9 times in this test as well.



2014년 10월 22일 수요일

Jessica Alba at '2015 S / S Seoul Fashion Week'

Actress Jessica Alba attended at '2015 S / S Seoul Fashion Week'in METROCITY collection show held at the Jung-gu, Seoul Dongdaemun Design Plaza on 21st.

The Seoul Fashion Week celebrates its 14th anniversary this year, and it will hold shows for 6 days from October 17th to 22nd.
The event is jointly organized and sponsored by Seoul city, Seoul Design Foundation and Korea Fashion Designers Association.

Many K-pop Idols and actresses grace the red carpet and fashion runway for the various events held during the 2015 S/S Seoul Fashion Week. The celebrities get to either watch the models catwalk in designer brands or get the chance themselves to walk down the runway.



2014년 10월 17일 금요일

Red Cliffs at Hwasun city finally revealed its stunning scenery after 30 Years


Hwasun Red Cliffs (화순적벽), designated as monument No.60 of Jeollanam-do, has been shaped by natural forces and is part of the Changrangcheon stream of Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do.

It includes smaller and larger cliffs along a 7km stretch of the Changrangcheon stream at the beginning of the Dongbokcheon stream. The most prominent of these are the Norumok Cliff upstream of the Dongbok Reservoir, Mulyeom, Bosan and Changrang Cliff.
To enter the Norumok and Bosan cliffs,s special permission was required from the authorities and it was off limit to the public for 30years, as the area was protected by the Gwangju City Local Government in an effort to preserve the quality of the water since 1984.

Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do and Gwangju City has decided to open these sites to public for coexistence development and to attract more tourists.
They will have limited public grand opening at Red Cliff festival on Oct,23th.

2014년 10월 16일 목요일

Sevit island, an artificial island in the Han River was opened to public on 15th.


Sevit Dungdungseom (Floating Island) next to Banpo Bridge at Han river has changed its name to Some Sevit and had grand opening in Seoul, South Korea on 15th.

The 20,382-square-meter landmark was built in September 2011 as part of former Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s Hangang Renaissance Project.

Located near the southern end of Banpo Bridge, the 139 billion won ($128 million) artificial island consists of three sections for conventions, art exhibitions and recreational activities.

Its opening was suspended as the city failed to find an operator and construction of its bridge was delayed.

Seoul Metropolitan Government and the largest investor, Hyosung, recently reached an agreement to revise the contract rules.

The english name of sevit island is also very distinctive.
It is written as "Some Sevit" in english and its notation differs from the correct english 'Sevit Island'.
Word 'some' of  Some Sevit come from word "Awesome" which has meaning of excellent.
'Some' also means island in Korean.

English name of Sevit island was also determined in consideration of the foreign tourists.
English name "Some Sevit" is similar to the pronunciation of Sevit island in Korean which is "Sevit Some" so foreign tourists can feel more familiar.


2014년 10월 15일 수요일

Kim Tae Hee's recent fall photoshoot


Recently Kim Tae Hee showed off her flawless radiant beauty at fall photo shoot wearing outfits by famous thai designer 'Marihon'

She looked great with retro style dresses and revealed superior visual wearing golden floral tube top dress.
Her make-up is minimal to go with fancy and gorgeous dress. Choose a natural nude makeup only to emphasizes visage while looking elegant and graceful.

Designer Marihon praised highly on Kim tae hee's photos saying "angel from Korea" on her SNS as well.

Meanwhile, Kim Tae-hee has landed the lead female role in a 40-episode Chinese drama "Wang Xizhi," and currently filming in China.
In the drama "Wang Xizhi," she will play the supportive wife and assistant of the great calligrapher.

Release date of "diving bell",controversial film on the Sewol ferry disaster, was confirmed


A South Korean film about the Sewol ferry disaster which caused stir at the 19th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has been set for 23rd October release in Korea.

The film drew a record number of people at its world premiere at BIFF on October 6, even though reportedly due to its sensitive nature the film festival organizers came under pressure to withdraw the film.

The film questions rescue operations during the Sewol ferry tragedy – arguably the most tragic event that ever happened and traumatized the entire Korea – on April 16 that claimed more than 300 lives, most of whom were high school students on school trip. This documentary was made to reveal the truth that many cameras ignored during the rescue operations and to remind people of the disaster that should not be forgotten.

Director Lee Sang-ho of “Diving Bell” said, “I want this film to become a tool to bind all of us Koreans together like the very moment when the disaster occurred.”

Cinema Dal, Diving Bell's distributor also released main trailer for film on 14th.


2014년 10월 13일 월요일

Smartphone Replacement Rate in South Korea Tops Among OECD Countries

According to the data released by Strategy Analytics (SA), Korea is still number one in smartphone replacement rate and replacement cycle in the world.
In particular, it is estimated that average replacement cycle of smartphones in Korea is 15.6 months, meaning Koreans are virtually replacing their phones every time the latest models from Samsung and Apple such as the Galaxy and new iPhone is released.

United States was third place at replacement rate 65.8%, replacement cycle 19.2 months followed by England in fourth with 60.2%.

Korean smartphone users changed their phones more frequently than in any other country last year. The figure indicates more than two-thirds of users bought new phones. The report covered a total of 88 countries.

In Korea, most consumers sign a two-year contract with mobile carriers who subsidize their smartphones. Given that consumers tend to change their phones after the contract ends, the replacement rate could be expected to be about 50 percent. The higher rate of replacement means a large number of Korean consumers switch to a new phone even before their contract expires.

Some experts pointed out that, "Korean's frequent smartphones replacement rate is due to Korea mobile carriers and manufacturers benefited in a way that induces an expensive plan by concentrate government subsidies to the latest smartphone"
"This causes over-consumption of smartphones which brings waste of resources and increased household communication expense."


2014년 10월 11일 토요일

Reason for Success of Korean Coffee Franchise in China

Coffee culture of Korea struck China with Hallyu boom.
Korean franchise coffee shops are giving Starbucks, number one coffee franchise in China, a run for its money with feminine interior, customized menus and services and fine-tuned marketing and sales strategies.
Korean coffee chain stores has emerged as a new force in the Chinese market while have captured the hearts of consumers in China.

In a report, the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) said Monday that more than 1,000 Korean franchise coffee shops will be operating across China by the end of the year.

"They still fall behind Starbucks from the United States and UBC from Taiwan, but Korean coffee stores will be able to narrow the gap quickly with growing brand power and management experience and knowhow," the report said.

Their strongest selling point is the range of available sugar and caffeine boosters. While U.S. and European franchises boast at most 40 items on the menu, Korean franchises offer an average of 76, from ice cream to waffles.

Feminine interior of many Korean coffee shops is what differentiated from Starbucks stores in China as well.
When Starbucks entered the Chinese market in 1999, most of their customers were businessmen so Starbucks has strong business atmosphere interior. On the other hand,"Korean coffee chain stores have captured the woman custmer's heart with feminine interior and relaxed atmosphere," experts said.

Korean coffee chain store's unique management system is their reason for success too.
There are 700 stores as of September. Most of them are running on a master franchise contract, in which the the owner of the brand name hands over control of franchising activities in a specified territory to a person or entity, called master franchisee.

Korean coffee chains avoided downtown areas of big cities opening 69% of their shops at suburb, where competition is less fierce, and opened 87% of their shops at downtown areas in smaller towns where rent is cheaper.

Also with plenty of Korean Wave or Hallyu star employed to promote their brands to Chinese consumers as a PPL (indirect advertising in K-drama) has received well as good marketing plan in China.

However, some experts pointed out that some of Korean coffee shops in China are depending on Hallyu wave too much while ignoring the quality of the coffee.

2014년 10월 8일 수요일

"GANGNAM 1970" starring Lee Min-Ho & Kim Rae-Won coming out next month


Gangnam 1970 is a noir action film written and directed by Yoo Ha, who is well known for his 2 other hit action films "Once Upon a Time in High School(2004)" and "A Dirty Carnival(2006)".

This movie stars Lee Minho and Kim Raewon.
It is an action noir film about the turmoils surrounding the Gangnam district's real estate craze in the 1970s.
Lee Min Ho plays Kim Jong Dae, who gets caught up in the power struggles and ends up in a battle against his childhood friend Yong Ki, played by veteran actor Kim Rae Won.
Gangnam 1970 has officially completed shooting in September.
Movie is set to come out in Korea on November 2014 and is currently in post-production.


2014년 10월 4일 토요일

Public places with hanok style(traditional Korean housing) in Seoul

With more Korean seeking hanok, or traditional Korean housing, the public buildings that anyone can go which were made of Hanok style has increased recently in Seoul.

Going public
At Tongin Market in central Seoul near Gyeongbokgung Palace, a Korean traditional gazebo-inspired structure has been erected. A wooden pillar holds up traditional-style wooden rafters, and the glass roof implied a modern touch. It received the Korean Public Design Award in 2012.


The main gate of Tongin Market in central Seoul,
inspired by the Korean traditional gazebo (Courtesy of doojin hwang architects)

“The main entrance of the market that has decades of history was hardly seen from the boulevard. In order for it to be noticed by the passersby and the neighborhood, I pulled out one shaft to the middle of the street,” said Hwang Doo-jin, the architect of the gate.

“It was also a marriage of Korean and Western architecture, which is very tricky,” said the architect, who is famous for a series of hanok and hanok-inspired buildings.





Dodam Dodam Hanok Children’s Library is the 14th Lovely Library branch (pictured above). It occupies a hanok, or traditional Korean home, in Sungin-dong on the eastern side of Jongno. Dodam dodam is a Korean phrase for “children growing up without much trouble.”

Matching its hanok setting, 20 percent of the library’s 2,889 children’s books are related to Korean traditional culture. In addition, the library runs educational programs for children that teach them Chinese characters and calligraphy.



The Gahoe-dong Catholic Church near the Bukchon Hanok Village, is known as the place where the country's first mass was held by Father James Zhou Wen-mo in 1795.
This catholic church has adopted hanok style and has nice Korean style garden as well.
On the first floor of the church, an exhibition hall showing the history of the Roman Catholic of Korea is installed.

2014년 10월 3일 금요일

Brazil press highlights Korean food

Korean food are gaining popularity in Brazil.
As with other South American countries, people who like K-pop are turning their attention to Korean food and Korean culture in Brazil.

Korean cuisine has been garnering attention in Brazilian media as well.
The Estado,a Sao Paulo-based daily newspaper, introduced few popular Korean foods and reported that Korean food has started to create a buzz in its article, "Have you ever tried Bibimbap?" on Oct 2.

The Brazilian daily newspaper Estado De Sao Paulo dedicated six pages of its palate section to Korean food introducing representative food of Korea such as Doenjang-jjigae,japchae,kimchi and bulgogi in detail along with a photos.

Newspaper encouraged to read the word 'Bab' (rice) as in Korean word instead of the Japanese expression 'Gohan' (rice).

In addition, newspaper introduced address and phone number of the major Korean restaurant in Brazil.



2014년 10월 2일 목요일

Internet connection speed in South Korea, 2014

In the latest figures from Akamai Technologies , leading cloud computing services and content delivery network (CDN) provider, the average peak internet connection speed in South Korea has lagged behind Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has the fastest Internet broadband in the world at 73.9 Mbps and South Korea has at 72.1 Mbps

There is a difference between the average Internet connection speed and average peak Internet connection speed.
The average peak internet connection speed is averaged over maximum speed of the each user connected to the Internet.

South Korea is still head and shoulders above other countries, with an average Internet connection speed of 24.6 Mbps in Q2.  Hong Kong was second, with 15.7 Mbps, followed by Switzerland and Japan, which tied with 14.9 Mbps, Akamai said.

Among the top 10 countries, South Korea had the highest year-over-year growth in data speeds, up 84% from Q2 2013, Akamai reported.

Also Korea took top spot in the average mobile connection speed at 15.2 Mbps which is 16 times faster than Vietnam (0.9Mbps), country with slowest mobile connection speed in Asia.

2014년 10월 1일 수요일

How Line has become one of world's leading global mobile messenger

"We are visiting the country that LINE users have increased tremendously in recent years.  It is important to coordinate with each nation's mobile operators."

Lee Seok Chan, chief of LINE plus, explained about the requisites for success of the Line at 'Deview2014', naver developers meeting at Lotte Hotel in Jamsil on 30th.
Lee made a presentation which titled ' How Line has become one of world's leading global messenger platform'.

Lee also cite the cases of countries like Spain and said, "On December 2012, after whatapp has become not free app anymore, spanish Line user has increased suddenly so one year later i went away on business trip to spain and made good progress with a lot of improvements after comprehending local network environment."

After Lee and his Line developers team fled to Spain, they were constantly on the move from hotels, restaurants, subways, buses, airplane, underwater, tourist site and an elevator to test Line app in a various situation.
Some local user pointed out that Line takes a lot of batteries or slower than its rivals so they mainly focused on that inspection.

Naver is Korea's dominant web portal. Line has become its biggest cash-cow with the total number of users exceeding 490 million last august.
The app is one of the leading contenders in smartphone messaging in Asia, Latin America and Europe.
Line gives you free voice calls which also giving Skype a run for its money.

Lee said that part of the success of LINE comes from its aggressive advertising campaign and content localization.
In Asian countries, such as Japan, Thailand and Twaian, Line has solidified its leading position as a mobile messenger via an early lead and localization.

Lee added that Line developed review apps to receive feedback from users to improve the local services and better localization.