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Jan 29, 2011


Two books search for Korea’s beauty

For those looking for a travel book with content divided by region, “Korean Journeys: Heartland of Culture and History” is the perfect guide.
January 29, 2011
A Journey in Search of Korea’s Beauty
Stuck with no plans for next week’s Lunar New Year holiday? Two recently published travel books offer insights on Korean getaways that are both well-traveled and off the beaten path.

“A Journey in Search of Korea’s Beauty” has been a hot seller due to a record number of foreign tourists exploring Korea’s history and natural beauty.

This book stands out because it is a first-person account by one of Asia’s most famous actors, Bae Yong-joon.

The strongest point of “A Journey in Search of Korea’s Beauty” is its honest portrayal of the subject matter. Bae explores his country in search of its “beauty.”

However, the book can hardly be considered a “deep” look into the country. He focuses on kimchi-making, hanbok, temple stays, tea, pottery, Hangul, museums, hanok and other well-known aspects of Korea. Nevertheless, the book’s plain table of contents is given some life simply because it is from Bae’s perspective.

The book is divided into six parts: “Staying,” “Leaving,” “Letting go,” “Contemplating,” “Returning,” and “Leaving, Once Again.” (Yes, there two “Leaving” sections). It also includes useful routes and maps at the end of the book.

Fans of the actor will be delighted to see his pictures of scenic places in Korea. But they will be even happier to sort through dozens of photos of Bae in action: trying local food, learning to make pottery and drinking tea with a monk.

Fans of Bae will love this book, but those not interested in his point of view will not find it of any value.
Korean Journeys: Heartland of Culture and History
For those looking for a more comprehensive travel book with content divided by region, the Korea Foundation’s “Korean Journeys: Heartland of Culture and History” is the perfect guide.

Whereas most travel books on Korea struggle to get to the point, “Korean Journeys” demonstrates the beauty of the country through photographs.

The book’s understated photography paints an honest portrayal of the content covered - unlike most travel books that utilize stunning photographs, which often misrepresent a location’s character.

The content is divided into five regions: Seoul, Central and Western Regions, Southwestern Regions, Southeastern Regions, and Gangwon. Each category is further broken down by city and the historical background of locations.

The book introduces Seoul’s ancient city wall, describing the 600-year history starting from the Joseon Dynasty through to the Japanese colonization period.

“Korean Journeys” focuses on lesser-known destinations for foreign tourists such as Jinan, North Jeolla. Jinan is characterized by its striking rock formations, numerous temples and its role as a focal point of Korea.

A Journey in Search of Korea’s Beauty

Author: Bae Yong-joon
Genre: Travel
Publisher: Hollym

Korean Journeys: Heartland of Culture and History

Author: Lee Kyong-hee
Genre: Travel
Publisher: The Korea Foundation

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Jan 28, 2011


What would life be like without social networking?
Imagine keeping up with family, friends and friends of friends without these instant communication tools.



Here is a question for you to think about before reading along: What would your life be like without the Internet?


Don’t panic, but just take a minute to consider it.


Where would you go to search for the latest music or find a map to direct you to the hottest new store in town? How well would you be able to communicate with your friends, or with friends of friends, if you didn’t have e-mail or an electronic messenger service? Where would you go to vent about the latest gossip, while also getting instant feedback from people you know halfway around the world? How would you keep track of what your friends are doing from minute-to-minute?


If you’re like most teenagers today, it’s difficult to imagine life without the Internet. It’s even harder to imagine having to keep up with the people in your life without the wide variety of social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Cyworld, or microblogging sites like Twitter and Me2Day, because they’ve already become essential tools for communication.


These sites allow you to represent yourself as an individual and interact with other individuals within your network by discussing ideas, disseminating information and sharing interests.


Although the Internet began to be used by the general population in the 1990s, social networking services are a rather recent phenomenon. But like the Internet, they have become extremely popular in a very short period of time.


Facebook - one of the most widely-used social networking sites in the world - was developed in 2006 by Mark Zuckerberg and a group of his friends. Facebook membership was initially limited to students of Harvard University, and later expanded to include students of Ivy League schools, until finally the general population was allowed membership two years later.


The service was revolutionary in the way that it helped people to find friends with similar academic backgrounds and friends they’d lost touch with long ago. If you subscribe to Facebook and log in, you can search for people, add them to your network and follow their activities.


Following the success of Facebook, a number of social networking sites sprang up in countries around the world.


One of these is Twitter, which was launched in 2006 by software architect Jack Dorsey.


Twitter is a mix of traditional blogging, text messaging and social networking services such as Facebook or MySpace that allow you to post updates about everything from what you just ate to who you’re hanging out with to whatever is on your mind.


Currently, Facebook is the leading social networking service provider, but Twitter has the fastest growth rate. It has been estimated that there are more than 150 million Twitter users around the world, of which 500,000 are in Korea.


Twitter’s growing popularity has been linked with its ease and flexibility of use. The site can be accessed through the Web site or applications developed for smartphones and other mobile communication devices.


Through Twitter, users can share ideas, news, simple notifications and hyperlinks. Twitter users communicate with each other using “tweets,” or short, text-based posts that are up to 140 characters long. Tweets are displayed on the user’s profile page and are also sent to the “followers” who sign up to receive the updates.


Twitter’s popularity in Korea grew last year when people learned that the nation’s figure skating queen Kim Yu-na is a Twitter user.


In her first message, written in May of last year, Kim wrote in Korean, “I’ve somehow found myself subscribing to Twitter. I’m eating lunch at the skating club [in Canada].”


Those two sentences were enough to send a flood of new Twitter users her way. After Kim won the world championship title in March 2009, people were suddenly interested in everything about the skater and her life and the Twitter post fueled people’s curiosity. Today, she has around 130,000 followers on her Twitter page.


Kim is not the only famous Korean Twitter member.


Along with the many Korean celebrities who now have large followings on their Twitter pages, there are a number of politicians, corporations and government offices that use Twitter in combination with other social networking sites to better communicate with their constituents, consumers and the public.


Automakers, for example, use social networking sites to promote their cars.


When Hyundai Motor, the nation’s leading automaker, decided to release its new Avante sedan in August, it started a blog and launched a Twitter page as part of its marketing scheme.


“With the increase in the number of smartphone users and the influence of social networking sites, especially among the young people, we decided to start a Web site with A to Z information about the new Avante,” an official from Hyundai Motor said.


Not to be outdone, GM Daewoo also started a blog prior to the release of its new sedan, the Alpheon, this August.


Twitter also played a role in the June 2 local elections. Before the elections, the ruling Grand National Party gave out smartphones to their politicians and encouraged them to connect to constituents through the microblogging site.


In the business world, Chung Yong-jin, vice chairman of the Shinsegae Group, and Park Yong-mann, chairman of Doosan Corporation, are well-known Twitter users. Recently, when Korea was down 1-0 during its World Cup match with Nigeria, Chairman Park cheered the team on his Twitter site, saying: “Fighting!” When Korea scored a goal, he posted a second message that said: “First goal!” He posted similar messages throughout the game.


Samsung Group also has a Twitter account and it used the service to announce the return of Chairman Lee Kun-hee.


Meanwhile, local portals have introduced services to compete with Twitter. SK Communications’ Nate introduced a service called Connecting and Daum has Yozm. NHN, the operator of Korea’s largest portal Naver, launched Me2Day, the first microblogging service offered in Korea, in 2007. As of March, Me2Day had one million subscribers.


Social networking sites are expected to become even more popular here following the release of the Apple iPhone late last year and Samsung’s Galaxy S earlier this week.


Source:  http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2922318


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What is a ‘currency war’?
It is a competition between nations to lower the value of their currency.
Korea has been negatively influenced by the ongoing currency war.


The ongoing currency dispute among major countries has had a negative impact around the globe. Korea is likely to face difficulty mediating the dispute at the upcoming G-20 Summit in November. 

The world is in the midst of a war, but it is not the kind of war you may be imagining. It is a currency war in which nations compete to lower the value of their currency in order to help their industries gain greater profits from exports.

The currency disputes have arisen from a conflict of interest between the United States and China.

The U.S. has been struggling against a massive fiscal deficit and foreign debt in recent years, especially since the global financial crisis. With so much at stake, the era of U.S. dollar hegemony seems to be ending.

China has been raking in profits from its biggest export market, the U.S., by keeping its yuan, also known as the renminbi, undervalued. China has also been purchasing U.S. treasury bonds to add to its foreign reserves, worth more than $2 trillion.

In September, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act with a vote of 348 to 79. Under the bill, the U.S. is allowed to slap tariffs on goods from China and other countries with currencies that are perceived to be undervalued. Basically, the U.S. is pushing China to allow the yuan to appreciate.

“For so many years, we have watched the China-U.S. trade deficit grow and grow and grow,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on the day of the vote, which was on Sept. 29 local time. “Today, we are finally doing something about it by recognizing that China’s manipulation of the currency represents a subsidy for Chinese exports coming to the United States and elsewhere.”

But China does not want the value of its currency to increase because a stronger yuan will hurt Chinese exporters who will see a decline in exports to the U.S. once the currency’s value rises.
The Chinese renminbi was fixed against the dollar from July of 2005 until June 2009. With a fixed exchange rate, a currency’s value is matched to the value of another single currency or to a basket of other currencies. So when a country pegs its currency to the dollar, the value of the currency rises and falls with the dollar. This action helped China survive the global financial crisis. But China removed the dollar peg after the global financial crisis ended last year.

Meanwhile, Japan has also seen the value of the yen grow stronger. With the U.S. economy continuing to lag and growing fiscal uncertainty in European countries, the yen has continued to gain strength because it was the only currency that was stable. So countries like China expanded their purchases of the yen, resulting in the yen’s appreciation. As the yen continued to rise against the dollar, the Japanese government intervened in the currency market in September for the first time since March 2004.

This is not the first global currency war the world has seen. In 1985, the finance ministers of West Germany, France, the U.S., Japan and the UK gathered at the Plaza Hotel in New York to sign the Plaza Accord. Under the deal, the countries agreed to bring down the U.S. dollar exchange rate in relation to the Japanese yen and German mark.

As the recent currency war continues to spread around the globe, some countries are now saying that there is a need for a new Plaza Accord to stabilize the world economy and the global financial market.


The effect on the Korean won

Amidst the recent currency disputes, the local currency has gained strength. But when the value of the won increases it has a negative impact on the nation’s exports. Why?

Let’s say that $1 is worth 1,000 won. If a domestic company spends 9,000 won to make a T-shirt that is sold for $10 in the U.S., the company would gain a profit of 1,000 won per T-shirt. Then let’s say that the value of the won weakens and $1 is now worth 1,500 won. In this case, the company can sell the T-shirt in the U.S. for $15, which is 50 percent higher than when $1 was worth 1,000 won. As a result, the profit per T-shirt rises from 1,000 won to 6,000 won. This explains why countries are trying to drop the value of their currencies these days.

Korea is one of the countries negatively influenced by the ongoing currency war between the U.S. and China.

“[Korea’s] exports are expected to be influenced by major economies more than in the past because the effect of the strengthening of the won, which has a positive effect on the Korean economy, will mostly be removed,” said Kim Jae-hong, an economist at Shinyoung Securities.

For Korea to see its exports stabilize, advanced countries’ economies need to recover to a moderate degree, Kim added.

In fact, a recent study by the Samsung Economic Research Institute said that if the won-dollar exchange rate hits 1,050 won, around 91 domestic export companies could see a drop of nearly 6 trillion won in operating profit. In other words, the stronger the value of won, the lower a company’s profits from exports.

Besides such theoretical concerns, another thing worrying the nation is Korea’s role in the upcoming G-20 Summit in November. As the host country, Korea will have to serve as arbitrator among the G-20 countries to prevent disputes between the member nations.

Source:   http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2927217

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Korean Blockbuster Films  

Detective K (12)

Comedy, Mystery / 115 / Korean

What would he look like if he was a private detective back in Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897)? “Detective K” is a period film in which a private detective solves a corruption case. 

Jeongjo, the 22nd king of the Joseon Dynasty, uncovers some corruption among high-ranking government officials. 

In order to find out who is behind the biggest corruption scandal of the era, he hires Myung Tam-jung (Kim Myung-min) to take the case. After the detective coincidentally teams up with a dog seller (Oh Dal-su), the duo realizes the charismatic and sexy Han Gaek-ju (Han Ji-min) is the one who knows it all. 

Even before its release, this film became the talk of the town because it is veteran actor Kim’s first attempt at a comic role. 

For actress Han, who has played the girly-girl in numerous previous roles, this film was a bit of a new attempt because it was her first time playing the sexy femme fatale. 


Gilliver’s Travels (all)
Comedy, Adventure / 87 / English

In this modern adaptation of Jonathan Swift’s novel, travel writer Lemuel Gulliver (Jack Black) is on assignment to the Bermuda Triangle, but is shipwrecked and finds himself as a giant among tiny people, the Lilliputians.

The magical kingdom includes a ruler (Billy Connolly), Princess Mary (Emily Blunt) and her beloved Edward (Chris O’Dowd). 

Initially taken as a prisoner, Gulliver finds his place by helping defeat the enemy nation of Blefuscu. 

He introduces modern technology, including his iPhone and video games, to the tiny nation. Gulliver also helps a commoner (Jason Segel) to court the king’s daughter. He continues to be a giant protector to the Lilliputians and enjoys living in the small world. 


The Green Hornet (15)
Action, Crime / 118 / English

“The Green Hornet” is based on the 1930s radio serial of the same name and stars Seth Rogan (“Knocked Up,” “Superbad”) as the goofy superhero. 

As the son of a wealthy and high-flying media mogul, Britt Reid (Rogan) is a spoiled bachelor famous for partying and not much else. After his father’s mysterious death, Reid inherits an enormous fortune and meets his father’s resourceful and creative employee, Kato (Jay Chou). Impressed by Kato’s karate skills and ingenuity in creating gadgets, Reid decides to forgo his playboy image and teams up with Kato to fight crime as the Green Hornet. 

Kato designs an indestructible retro car, The Black Beauty, which is equipped with clever gadgets and weapons. 

Cameron Diaz plays Reid’s new secretary and secondary sidekick, Lenore Case, and together they hunt down the leader of the criminal underworld, Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz). To thwart Chudnofsky, they pose as villains themselves and become the unlikely vigilantes. 

The Green Hornet is directed by Michel Gondry and will be released in 3-D.


Shanghai (15)
Drama, Romance, Mystery / 103 / English

Secret agent Paul Soames (John Cusack) returns to Shanghai before Pearl Harbor to investigate the death of his colleague and friend (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). 

Interrogated by Japanese intelligence officer Tanaka (Ken Watanabe) at the beginning of the film, Soames quickly becomes immersed in a web of conspiracies. His investigation closely focuses on resistance-supporting gangster Anthony Lanting (Chow Yun-Fat) and Lanting’s wife Anna (Gong Li). Soames falls in love with Anna, threatening his investigation, but uncovers a much larger secret his own government is hiding. “Shanghai” explores the struggle of spies and the race to unravel the mystery before China collapses.
Source: http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2931566

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Jan 26, 2011


Tasty food with a touch of art
Trendy Eats

Illustration by Park Jae-won

It’s an area in Seoul that historically has a unique, off-beat - if a bit faded - appeal. A neighborhood in western Seoul known as Arko Town in Daehangno, embraces 16 universities and stands for what youth is all about.

“What makes Daehangno unique is its unbounded sense of liberty, which other areas cannot emulate,” said Jeong Ju-ri, a 21-year-old woman with braids like Pippi Longstocking.

And Jeong is not biased; the area has more than 130 theaters and performing art centers in every nook and cranny, oozing ardent spirit.

But there is something else that distinguishes this area.

Daehangno cafes, restaurants and bars are making themselves distinctive by adding an artistic personality to their business.

“The future of eateries here lies in specialization with a unique concept,” said Song Yeon-sang of the Neighbor Daehangno real estate agency.

In the 1960s and 70s, the area was the heart of the resistance movement against the military dictatorship, where writers gathered to share their views. In the 70s, when the government even cracked down on men’s hair length and women’s skirts, Daehangno served as a way out for the young, who sang for the zeitgeist of the times with an acoustic guitar. During the 80s, it was the stage for a plethora of Korean rock bands that emulated Led Zeppelin.

“Until the mid-90s, Daehangno experienced its heyday,” said Song. “It is true that the buzz has quieted down.”

But what might have saved the area is the fact that it has also long been known as a mecca of performing arts.

“People come [to Daehangno] because they know that it is a home for clowns and theater folk,” said Kim Cheol-min, a red-haired, maverick comedian who gives performances in front of the Arko Arts Theater, the bedrock of the neighborhood that opened in 1981 and provides the area’s namesake.

And now, restaurants are relying on Daehangno’s unique atmosphere to help revitalize the area, some holding onto a long tradition of offering food amid street theater, with others coming into the scene with fresh, new ideas.

A few dabang, or Korean coffeehouses, remain as relics of the past. One is Hakrim coffee shop, a stubborn establishment that still operates the same way it did in 1956 when it opened.

“Time cannot be deliberately forged,” said Lee Chung-yeol, owner of Hakrim coffee.

The sky is the limit in the art world and with this concept in mind, creativity was the basis for the birth of some out-of-the-ordinary restaurants.

There are cafes called Planting Trees in the Moon and B2 Project. Both are gallery cafes where customers can view an art exhibition while sipping an espresso or splurging on a Belgian waffle.

“The purpose is for people to look at art and have a discussion about it together like an art club,” said Kim Jung-hee, owner of Planting Trees in the Moon.

B2 Project, opened in October 2009, is a multiple-use space of design and art, accommodating a gallery in the basement, a cafe on the first floor and an art studio on the second. Every three to five months, the gallery offers a new art exhibit featuring a budding artist. The purpose of the gallery, director Byun Jae-hee says, is “to promote and support new amateur artists who have talent by introducing their work to the customers visiting the cafe.”

GinoVino is a wine bar extraordinaire. The owner, Kim Jin-ho, designs and manufactures furniture. At this newly launched bar, which opened about a month ago, Kim’s works are displayed for anyone to purchase if they wish. Visitors can also find a table that Kim made as a first assignment for renowned architect Seung Hyo-sang.

For art buffs, there is art-book cafe called Taschen Classic 1812. The cafe’s close relationship with German art publisher Taschen means it can hang a tile photo of Marilyn Monroe on the wall and display Taschen books all over the cafe. Lee Sang-man, the president of Taschen, started the cafe to promote modern art and music. Taschen Classic 1812 also offers live classical performances by Korean professionals.

If the four cafes above captivate the eyes, Suda cafe uses the sense of touch. It is a felt-art cafe. The entire interior is designed with felt, even down to the tables.

“My goal is to expose felt art to Korea and make it the next art industry boom,” said Kim Yu-jeong, owner of the cafe.

There are also other places that allow people to use their sense of hearing. In a crowded field of standard Italian fare, Di Matteo mixes things up for food from the Mediterranean country. Pizza is cooked in a brick oven, and the restaurant performs a play every Wednesday and Friday on their theater stage.

Jazz Story offers three live jazz performances every evening, and while you might think the place looks like a junk house - complete with a bicycle hanging from the ceiling. But owner Im Ae-gyun likes this, taking unwanted and recycled items and decorating the place with them. And once the moon rises and the jazz band starts playing, customers start tapping their feet and swaying to the beat. A regular customer, Lee J.H., who works for the Seoul Theater Association, said, “The facilities here may not be the best in the nation, but you can feel an irreplaceable artistic soul.”

Eateries in Daehangno may not be palatable to those of high-brow tastes. Rather, its culture is more experimental and kitsch. But for those who dare to enjoy the experimental spirit of art, the cultural sphere offers a plethora of spectacles that incorporate art not under the sway of pure commercialism.

“Even ‘fresh-comers’ soon become fascinated by the charms once they visit,” said the comedian Kim.
Uncle Dollsye’s / Doenjang Art

Uncle Dollsye’s

This kitschy artistic-looking restaurant decorated with cartoonish pictures is a hip place among those in their teens and 20s. Uncle Dollsye’s is also famous for its cheese tteokbokki and pizza.

Cheese tteokbokki costs 6,500 won ($6). Pizza ranges from 11,000 to 16,500 won.

Dollsye’s set menu includes cheese tteokbokki, an omelette and desert, and costs 13,900 won.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday to Saturday.
Myungryun 4-ga, Jongno-gu, 23
(02) 765-7399

Doenjang Art

This restaurant specializes in kang doenjang (bean paste) and makes bibim doenjang (mixed doenjang) that is less salty but still has a tangy spicy taste.

Prices range from 8,000 won to 45,000 won. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. from Monday to Sunday. Myungryun 4-ga, Jongno-gu, 103-8, (02) 745-4516
Jeon Gwang-su Coffee House / Hakrim, since 1956

Jeon Gwang-su Coffee House

Run by students of the Jeon Gwang-su coffee academy. Jeon learned how to make coffee from a Salvadorian.

Coffee prices range from 3,500 won to 6,500 won. Hours are 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. from Monday to Sunday.

Myungryun 4-ga, Jongno-gu
(02) 3672-0233
www.jeonscoffee.co.kr

Hakrim, since 1956

This landmark cafe opened in front of Seoul National University College of Liberal Arts in 1956 and houses more than a thousand LP records. Coffee price ranges from 4,500 won to 7,000 won. Homemade cheesecake is 5,000 won.

Hours are Monday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Myungryun-dong, Jongro-gu, 94-2
(02)742-2877
http://www.hakrim.pe.kr
Taschen Classic 1812 (left) / Planting Trees in the Moon / Suda

Taschen Classic 1812

Taschen Classic 1812 is a huge two-story art-book cafe where customers can enjoy live music performances while munching on food and sipping wine.

The Taschen chicken sandwich is 8,000 won. Dinner prices range from 15,000 won to 35,000 won. Coffee prices range from 5,000 won to 6,000 won.

Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. from Tuesday to Sunday.
Dongsung-dong, Jongno-gu, 1-81
(02) 3673-4115 http://www.taschencafe.com/book_taschen

Planting Trees in the Moon

This unique cafe offers art exhibitions and even works that people can purchase, all while enjoying coffee and dessert.

Coffee prices ranges from 4,000 won to 6,500 won.

Hours are 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Monday to Friday and 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the weekends
Dongsung-dong, Jongro-gu, 128-5
02) 763-1204, http://blog.daum.net/dalna

Suda

Enjoy coffee, tea or wine in this felt-art studio and cafe. Felt-art lessons are 50,000 won per session for anyone interested in learning the craft. The instructor, who learned about felt art in England, is also Suda cafe’s owner.

Drink prices range from 4,500 won to 5,500 won.

Hours are 12 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday
Dongsung-dong, Jongno-gu, 128-12
(02) 762-7565, www.cafesuda.com
B2 Project / GinoVino (left) / Jazz Story (right)

B2 Project

B2 Project has a basement art gallery, first-floor cafe and a space for artists to rent out on the second floor. The cafe has tasty Belgian waffles at prices ranging from 9,000 won to 17,000 won for a set.

Drink prices range from 4,500 won to 7,000 won.

Hours are 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. from. Tuesday to Sunday
Dongsung-dong, Jongno-gu, 130 1-1
(02) 747-5435
www.b2project.co.kr

GinoVino

A wine bar with furniture for sale, GinoVino’s unusual juxtaposition actually creates quite a good combination with a touch of chic and a cozy atmosphere. The owner, Kim Jin-ho, designs and manufactures furniture. Wine prices range from 30,000 won to 300,000 won a bottle. A glass of house wine costs 7,000 won. Hours for the furniture display are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the bar is open from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Source:
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2931510

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Jan 24, 2011



BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - The Korean Vocational Training Center opened earlier this year on Bagram Airfield and is wrapping up training for its first class of Afghan students.


The KVTC is a school built by the Korean government to educate Afghan citizens on essential skills. The center enrolled 86 Afghan citizens in five different departments: welding, automotive, electricity, construction and computer networking and programs.  Each department consists of 700 class hours and teaches the very basics of the subject all the way to an advanced stage of knowledge and understanding.


“(The Korean staff) arrived here in February of this year and opened the school in April,” said Soo-Kwang Lee, chief of the KVTC administration office.  “We didn’t have a lot of time to prepare and look for applicants but we wanted to give the chance to learn to someone who deserves it, so we decided to send letters to the local high schools looking for recommendations.”



The students are given the five choices and pick the subject of most interest to them.



“We volunteered to come here to get good skills and experience,” said Achmad Nawid, a current automotive student at KVTC. “I’ve been training here for about nine months and before we came here we had no experience, but right now we can do anything with automotives.  We also have two general subjects: English and computer basics. After graduation, I want to keep learning and gain more experience.”



Each subject is taught by a Korean supervisor and two Afghan instructors. The Afghan instructors had to complete a three-month internship in Korea, honing their skills before they started teaching.



“I went to Korea to learn more about automotives and how to work on them,” said Abdul Whied Parwani, one of the two Afghan automotives instructors. “I have been working on automotives for 30 years and I still learned a lot from going to Korea. I’m confident in my teaching now.”



Out of the 86 students, 85 are set to graduate at the beginning of December and all are scheduled to start working after graduation. That comes out to a 98 percent graduation rate and 100 percent employment among graduates.



“I’m really proud of my students,” Parwani said. “I am confident in their abilities. My students have been taught what each part of the car is and how to identify and repair common problems. But even if they find a problem they haven’t been trained to fix, I’m sure they will be able to troubleshoot and repair it on their own.”



School officials are planning to change the way students are enrolled next year.  Applicants will have to take a basic English exam and participate in competitions for their desired subject. 



Students are paid for transportation and given free meals throughout the school day courtesy of the Korean government. 



“I think this center [KVTC] is the best thing for the Afghan people in the area,” said Parwani.  “We don’t have anything else like this center.  It’s a good center to learn skills and will help the Afghan people get good jobs.”





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