Thursday, January 27, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
6-month string attached to dual citizenship
By Kim Rahn Korean babies born in a country offering birthright citizenship will be considered “anchor babies” and denied dual citizenship if their parents stay there for less than six months around the birth, the Ministry of Justice said Sunday. The government’s decision to apply such restrictions on the revised immigration law is aimed at preventing dual citizenship holders from taking advantage of a foreign national’s right to avoid mandatory military service or other laws that only apply to Korean nationals. The ministry announced detailed rules on the revised law which took effect at the beginning of the year. In principle, the revised immigration law permits Koreans, who are born in foreign countries when their parents are working or studying there and obtain citizenship of the countries, to maintain dual citizenship. But babies whose parents’ stay is less than six months will be disqualified. To give dual citizenship to a child, the parents should attend a foreign college for at least six months around the child’s birth, and at least a year if the parents take language courses. Dual citizenship will also be allowed when the parents work for a Korean company or organization for more than a year and are sent to its overseas branch for over six months. Among other beneficiaries are public servants who work overseas for over six months, those who work for a company in a foreign country for more than a year and those running their own business in a foreign country for more than a year. “If the parents stay in a foreign country with good causes but for less than six months, the child will not be allowed to maintain dual citizenship and will have to choose between the two nationalities,” a ministry official said. If one of the parents stays in a foreign country for more than two years around the baby’s birth, the baby will be granted dual citizenship. But if the parent stays in Korea for more than 90 days during the two-year period, the privilege will not be given to the child. The regulation also stipulates that Chinese who were born here and are aged over 20 will be exempted from the written exam in the naturalization process if they have no criminal record and can make a decent living. Previously the exemption was available only for those who completed Korean school courses or foreign spouses who married Koreans. “We decided to exempt them from the exam because people in the Chinese community have settled here for decades and adapted themselves to Korean society,” the official said. But the Chinese community criticizes the revised law, which excludes Chinese from the dual citizenship list.  6개월 미만 유학, 파견근무 땐 원정출산 간주 출생지 시민권을 허용하는 나라에서 태어난 한국아이들은 부모가 출생전후 6개월 미만 체류한 경우 ‘원정출산’으로 간주 이중국적이 허용되지 않는다고 법무부가 9일 밝혔다. 정부가 개정된 이민법에 이러한 규정을 적용하기로 결정한 것은 이중국적자들이 외국국적을 이용하거나 한국국적자들에게만 적용되는 다른 법률을 이용해 병역의무를 기피하는 것을 방지하기 위해서다. 법무부는 이날 금년 초 효력을 발생한 개정된 법의 세부 규정을 발표했다. 원칙적으로 개정된 이민법은 부모가 외국에서 취업이나 유학을 하며 시민권을 취득하여 그곳에서 태어난 한국아이에 대해 이중국적을 갖는 것을 허용한다. 그러나 부모들이 6개월 미만 체류한 경우에는 이러한 자격을 상실한다. 아이가 이중국적을 갖기 위해서는 부모가 출생 전후 6개월간 외국 대학에 다녀야 하며 만약 언어과정을 밟고 있다면 최소 1년을 머물러야 한다. | |
| rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr | |
Washington DC is best US city to land job
By Jane Han NEW YORK — You’re desperate to land a job in the U.S., so where is your best bet to get hired? Start looking in Washington D.C., according to latest job reports. The nation’s capital was ranked the No. 1 job market in the U.S. by CareerCast.com and JuJu.com, both online job sites that aggregate job listings and release monthly employment indexes. Keeping its top position for three straight years, Washington D.C. is considered ideal as it is flush with government-related jobs in the public and private sectors. Boston came next, as the America’s largest university town boasts its strong tech and financial industries. “Also marking three years as one of the best cities to find a job is Boston,” said CareerCast.com in a statement. Among other cities ranked in the top bracket are San Jose, Seattle, New York, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Austin and Atlanta, all of which have a lower unemployment rate compared to the national average of 9.8 percent. On the other end of the roster are cities including Riverside, Orlando, Detroit and Los Angeles that continue to struggle with a painfully difficult job market. “For 36 straight months, the city in southern California’s Inland Empire region has been stuck as the worst U.S. city to find a job,” said CareerCast.com, referring to Riverside. “The cities that continued to underperform rely on jobs from lagging industries such as manufacturing, tourism and construction,” said JuJu.com Vice President Brendan Cruickshank. “Detroit and Las Vegas have improved from this time last year, but they continue to have more unemployed individuals per open job than other large metropolitan areas,” he said. In a separate survey, CareerCast.com evaluated 200 U.S. jobs to rank the top 10 based on income, outlook, environmental factors, stress and physical demands. The No. 1 on the list was software engineer, followed by mathematician, actuary, computer systems analyst, meteorologist, biologist, historian and dental hygienist. “With a boost from the development of apps for iPods, tablets, smart phones and other devises, the professional software engineer has jumped to the top,” according to the site. The worst-rated jobs were roustabout, steelworker, lumberjack and taxi driver. “The worst job is roustabout, a dirty, dangerous and often stressful job, as evidenced by the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico and subsequent oil spill,” it added. 워싱턴 DC 미국에서 직업 얻기에 가장 좋은 도시 뉴욕 미국에서 직업을 찾고 있다면 채용되기 위해 어느 곳에서 배팅을 하는 것이 가장 좋을까? 최신 직업보고서는 워싱턴 D.C.에서 찾기 시작하라고 권하고 있다. 직업목록을 집계하고 매달 취업지수를 발표하고 있는 온라인 취업사이트인 CareerCast.com과 JuJu.com은 수도 워싱턴 D.C.를 미국 제1의 취업시장으로 꼽았다. 3년 연속 1위 자리를 고수하고 있는 워싱턴 D.C.는 공공, 사적 부문에서 정부 관련 직업들이 쏟아져 내리기 때문에 가장 이상적인 직업 시장으로 여겨지고 있다. 보스턴이 2위에 올랐는데 이는 미국에서 가장 큰 대학타운을 가진 보스턴이 탄탄한 기술과 금융 산업을 자랑하고 있기 때문이다. |
| jhan@koreatimes.co.kr |
North urged to discuss nuclear issue with South
By Kim Se-jeong A senior South Korean official said Sunday that any future bilateral talks with North Korea should include nuclear issues as well as its recent attacks on South Korea. “We’ve considered putting the nuclear issue on the agenda of inter-Korean talks for a long time,” the official said on condition of anonymity. “To stop the North’s nuclear development, the issue has to be discussed bilaterally. Other members of the six-party talks have agreed that the two Koreas should deal with the matter." The reaction came after North Korea made a series of overtures for the immediate resumption of inter-Korean talks to defuse military tension. In a second call Saturday, the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland called for an “unconditional and early opening” of talks between the two governments. “We can agree on the level, venue and date of the talks through consultation,” it stated. The committee also urged Red Cross talks, and discussions on resuming the Mt. Geumgang tours and the future of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex to be held soon. “We’d suggest the talks take place in Gaeseong either at the end of January or the beginning of February,” it said. In a recent trip to North Korea, Siegfried S. Hecker, a U.S. nuclear scientist was invited to a construction site of an experimental light-water reactor and uranium enrichment facility. Speaking to the White House about his visit, the scientist said the North’s nuclear capability was beyond anyone’s anticipation posing a greater threat to the regional security than was previously thought. Less than a month later, North Korea shelled Yeonpyeong Island, killing two civilians and two marines. The South Korean official said both the Yeonpyeong incident and the sinking of the frigate Cheonan should be discussed when Seoul and Pyongyang meet for bilateral dialogue. South Korea has ignored North Korean overtures, seeing them as more of a strategy to put the blame on it for the absence of dialogue. Officials here are also wary of the North’s repetitive tactics of stoking tension on the Korean Peninsula before coming to talks with raised stakes and demands for concessions. The North’s latest proposal came roughly 10 days before a U.S.-China summit scheduled for Jan. 19. “The attempt by the North is to pave the way for enhancing its relations with the U.S. and China, which are demanding meaningful gestures for denuclearization of the regime and for better relations with South Korea,” Japan’s Kyodo News reported. During their summit in Washington, President Barack Obama of the United States and Hu Jintao of China are expected to discuss the latest developments on the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. is expected to ask China, believed to have a degree of influence over North Korea, to exert its power to prevent the communist regime from taking any further provocative action. |
| skim@koreatimes.co.kr |
Saturday, January 8, 2011
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Friday, January 7, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
'Google illegally collected private info'
By Lee Hyo-sik Police confirmed Thursday that Google, the world’s largest online search engine operator, illegally collected and stored personal data sent over unsecured Wi-Fi wireless networks here while creating the localized version of its online mapping service. Korea and 15 other countries, including the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, Britain, and Australia, have been investigating whether Google broke their privacy laws in the process of making its “Street View” service. Korea has become the first to announce publicly that the California-based company gathered communication records, such as e-mail and instant messages, passwords and search histories. The Cyber Terror Response Center, affiliated with the National Police Agency, said it broke codes of computer hard drives confiscated from Google’s Seoul office last August and found hundreds of thousands of e-mails, instant messages and other personal data. “We unlocked 79 computer hard disks seized from Google Korea last summer and discovered e-mails, instant messages and other private data sent over Wi-Fi networks. We are now working on an additional 145 hard drives, which were handed over to us later. These disks had previously been taken out of the country,” said Jung Suk-hwa, leader of the investigation team at the Cyber Terror Response Center. On Aug. 10, the police raided Google Korea’s office in southern Seoul and seized computer hard drives and company documents from the property during a search that lasted six hours. The search and seizure warrant was issued on suspicions that sensitive information may have been illegally collected by the Google’s Street View cars, breaking the nation’s privacy protection laws. Google first deployed its vehicles on Seoul’s streets in October 2009, but the debut of the localized version of its online mapping service has been delayed indefinitely, with police investigating whether the company has broken local privacy laws. Jung said investigators summoned about 10 officials from Google Korea and its U.S. headquarters, including Google Korea CEO Lee Won-jin, for questioning over the past few months, adding they all stated that they were not aware of the allegations “Google Korea officials only said the Street View mapping project was orchestrated by the U.S. headquarters, arguing they were not involved in the scheme. Those summoned from the U.S. said they were not aware of the collection of personal data,” he said. Jung then said it will decide what to do after the analysis of all computer hard drives is completed. When asked about whether the police will ask the prosecution to indict those working at the Google’s U.S. headquarters if they were found to be responsible for the leakage of personal data, he declined to comment, citing a possible diplomatic problem. In response to the police announcement, Google Korea issued a short statement, saying it has been fully cooperating with law enforcement authorities. “We have not seen the report, but as we have said before, we are profoundly sorry for having mistakenly collected payload data from unencrypted networks. As soon as we realized what had happened, we stopped collecting all Wi-Fi data from our Street View cars and immediately informed the authorities,” a Google Korea spokeswoman said. She said the company has been cooperating with the Korea Communications Commission and the police, and will continue to do so. “Our ultimate objective remains to delete the data consistent with our legal obligations and in consultation with the appropriate authorities,” the spokeswoman said. | |
| leehs@koreatimes.co.kr | |
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Safety of e-cigarettes questioned
Quitting smoking is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions and many smokers are always in search of an effective way to help kick the habit of lighting up for good. Amid the flood of substitutes for tobacco cigarettes, electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes are drawing popularity here as a trendy and perhaps healthier alternative. Yet their safety and effectiveness remain unclear and controversial. While there are different types of e-cigarettes, the most common type takes the form of a tiny rod that is slightly longer than a normal cigarette and uses battery-generated heat to vaporize nicotine along with other chemicals present in a cartridge. E-cigarettes are selling like hot cakes, with the combined sales growing threefold in 2010 from a year earlier. “I’ve tried many times to quit smoking, but it’s hard to kick the habit with only my willpower,” said Kwon Young-jin, a 35-year-old office worker. “I started smoking e-cigarettes recently and hope it will help this time.” The surge in demand has consequently puffed up the market and e-cigarette companies are competing to run ads for their products, boasting that they are much safer than traditional tobacco. Prices of e-cigarette devices range from 100,000 won ($120) to 150,000 won, with smokers having to spend extra money for nicotine cartridges or non-nicotine vaporized solution on a regular basis. “Our product provides the sensation similar to smoking without the strong odor of cigarette smoke and ashes, and most importantly, it’s not harmful to smokers and the people around them,” one Internet advertisement reads. But many anti-smoking organizations point out that such ads contain “false or unproven” information, warning that their health effects have yet to be examined or determined properly. “All the commercials are misleading people to believe that they are really an effective substitute, which is not true,” said Choi Chang-mok, head of non-governmental group the Korea Anti-smoke Research Institute. “The reality is e-cigarettes are nothing but harmful electronic cigarettes and may contain unknown toxic chemicals and can lead people to form another addiction.” He also warned that various side effects have been reported such as headaches, nausea and loss of appetite from those who used e-cigarettes. Regulations on e-cigarettes The main problem surrounding the debate over the safety of e-cigarettes is the lack of proper regulations. The related ministries have belatedly reached a decision on the categorization of e-cigarettes — e-cigarettes are classified into two main types: one with nicotine and the other with non-nicotine vaporized solution. “We have concluded that those with nicotine should be regarded as conventional cigarettes as they are also addictive and harmful to the body,” said Lee Seon-kui, a deputy director at the Ministry of Health and Welfare. “Now we’re trying to keep up with the latest device by implementing necessary regulations and taxation.” E-cigarette products without nicotine are regulated by the Korea Food and Drug Administration as a cessation aid, while the e-cigarette product with nicotine is regulated by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance just like traditional cigarettes. While the related ministries were dragging their feet on the classification of e-cigarettes, a lot of unlicensed companies took advantage of the delay and imported products and sold them online even to teenagers. All the damage from the low-quality or the lack of follow-up services has fallen on customers and proper compensation for faulty products were difficult to get. Experts take a skeptical stance on the safety or effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a stop-smoking aid, regardless whether they are licensed products or not. “I think the bottom line is, we just don’t know whether they are effective or safe, and we don’t know because there is no research done to prove it while there are a range of different products already out on the market,” said Lim Min-kyung, head of the Cancer Information Center, which operates a call center for smokers. “I can’t say smokers should or shouldn’t buy e-cigarettes but I’d rather say they should be more careful at least for now.” 전자 담배 안전성에 대한 논란 뜨겁다 금연은 가장 흔한 새해 소망 중에 하나이고 흡연가들은 항상 효과적인 금연 보조제에 관해 관심이 많다. 금연 보조제 중에서, 전자 담배가 인기를 끌고 있지만, 그 안전성과 효과는 불명확하며 논란은 여전하다. 전자 담배 시장이 커지면서, 많은 업체들은 경쟁적으로 상품 광고를 쏟아내고 있으며, 금연 운동 기관들은 그 중 많은 경우 “입증되지 않은 혹은 거짓” 정보로 소비자를 현혹하는 경우가 있다고 경고하며, 전자 담배 또한 중독의 가능성이 높고 건강에 해로울 수 있다는 주장을 한다. 가장 큰 문제는 적절한 규제가 이루어 지지 않고 있다는 점이다. 관계 부처에서는 전제 담배에 대한 규정을 뒤늦게야 처리했고, 그 사이 검증되지 않은 제품들이 시장에 나와 소비자들에게 피해를 주는 경우가 많다. 현재 전자 담배는, 니코틴이 포함되지 않은 경우 금연 보조제로 식약청의 관리 감독을 받는 반면, 니코틴이 포함된 경우는 재경부에서 기존의 담배와 마찬가지로 관리되고 있다. 전문가들은 현재 전자 담배에 관해 다소 비판적인 시각을 갖고 있으며, 이는 전자 담배와 건강에 관한 연구가 부족하기 때문이다. 그들은 전자 담배의 구입시 신중한 판단이 필요하다고 조언하고 있다. | |
| e3dward@koreatimes.co.kr |
Brain transplants, political scandal and more: here’s what 2011 holds
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We know you’re aching to find out, so we chatted with Nikki, a noted Toronto-based psychic who's predicted everything from Tiger Woods’ divorce to the mine disaster in Chile.
Apparently, she says, 2011 is going to be an up-and-down year. “There is a lot of doom and gloom this year, but the good thing is that there will be such great strides in medical breakthroughs,” she says, according to Toronto Sun.
2012 will loom large over the next year: the infamously catastrophic year (Nostradamus and the Mayans predicted that the world will end then) could mean possible earthquakes and assassinations toward the end of 2011.
But there’s a bright side, Nikki says: “There will be a sense of togetherness, and a return to family life.”
So what’s in store?
PREDICTION: George Clooney will get married.
The once-married dreamboat has claimed he’ll never walk down the aisle again. “But this is the year,” Nikki says. Who’s the lucky gal? “The chances of him marrying [current girlfriend, Italian model Elisabetta Canalis] are about 50/50.”
PREDICTION: The Playboy Mansion will burn down.
Not the mansion! “This will probably be an accident,” Nikki says. The fire could start at a party, she says: “they get pretty crazy!”
PREDICTION: A gold rush will occur in Hawaii.
Think the Klondike was crazy? “Gold mining companies will go big on this one,” Nikki says. People will “absolutely move” there in an effort to cash in on the craze.
PREDICTION: Michelle Obama will have another baby.
Nikki predicts that the President’s daughters Malia and Sasha will get a brand-new sibling—or two! It could be a boy or a girl, but is more likely a set of twins, she says.
PREDICTION: Sarah Palin will get divorced.
Rumours that the former veep nominee and her hubby of many years could be headed for splitsville have been swirling for a while. “This could get a little messy,” Nikki says.
PREDICTION: A giant spider nest and spiders will be found in South America.
Chalk it up to global warming. “There’s always new species being found down there!” she says.
PREDICTION: The first brain transplant will take place.
Nikki previously predicted the first face transplant. 2011 is all about the medical breakthroughs, she says, and the United States or Britain might be the first to perform a brain transplant. “It’s the next step,” she says.
PREDICTION: A huge breakthrough in the cure for Alzheimer’s and dementia.
One of the best breakthroughs for the year will be progress in the fight against these deadly diseases. “This will come from stem cell research,” according to Nikki.
PREDICTION: A horseshoe-shaped UFO will be spotted over Roswell, New Mexico.
“It’s the uncommon shape of the horseshoe that’s interesting here,” Nikki says. “There will be a lot more sightings this year. I feel that there are other planets with life in the universe—something very Avatar!” There will be more UFO sightings, and even possibly news on the alien life front.
PREDICTION: There will be a big scandal involving a Washington politician—and cheating will be involved! “
So who’s the dirty dog? “It could be a senator, or even one of Obama’s people,” according to Nikki.
PREDICTION: Longtime Hollywood power-couple Warren Beatty and Annette Bening will split up.
The twosome have been together for almost two decades, but “they’ve just outgrown each other,” according to Nikki. “It probably has something to do with their children, or perhaps a difference of opinion. It’s a combination of a lot of things.”
PREDICTION: A Hollywood starlet will give birth to a dwarf.
“Sometimes it’s the wildest predictions!” Nikki says with a laugh (she predicted that bird attack for Fabio on a roller coaster!). “I see the cover of People for this one,” she says.
PREDICTION: Lady Gaga will try out acting.
The wonderfully weird chanteuse will try her hand at both dramatic and comedic roles, including a possible turn on Broadway. Nikki says, “I see her taking a role similar to Burlesque,” the surprise smash musical starring Christina Aguilera.
SIDE BUBBLE: MORE PREDICTIONS?
Want some more insights into 2011’s major new headlines? Check out some of Nikki’s other predictions for the new year!
•Natalie Portman will win an Oscar for Black Swan.
•A 500-pound salmon will be discovered in British Columbia.
•Hilary Clinton will win the Nobel Peace Prize.
•A bionic eye will be invented by a French scientist.
•A big computer virus will take out large swathes of communication for a 48-hour period, which could affect air travel.
•Jessica Simpson will marry and have a baby.
캐나다의 유명 심령술사가 예언하는 ‘2011년에 일어날 일들’
타이거 우즈의 결혼생활 몰락과 칠레 광부 매몰사고를 예언했다는 캐나다의 심령술사 니키가 토론토 선지에 올해의 예언을 공개했다.
니키는 올해 버락 오바마 대통령이 쌍둥이를 가질 가능성이 있으며, 전 공화당 부통령 후보 세라 페일린이 이혼의 길로 접어들 것이라고 예언했다.
니키는 페일린의 이혼 사유를 구체적으로 설명하지 않고 페일린이 이혼을 모색할 것이라고만 말했다.
중동의 평화를 위한 노력으로 힐러리 클린턴이 노벨 평화상을 수상할 것이라고 예언한 니키는 헐리우드의 연예인에 대한 예언도 아끼지 않았다.
헐리우드의 최고 스타 조지 클루니가 올해에는 마침내 결혼하며 그의 신부는 현재의 애인 엘리자베스 카날리스일 확률은 50%라는 것.
왕년의 스타 웨렌 비티와 아넷 베닝이 결별할 것이며, 헐리우드의 스타들 가운데 누군가가 난장이 아이를 낳을 것이라는 불길한 예언도 했다.
인기 가수 레이디 가가는 영화로까지 활동 무대를 넓혀 코메디 역을 맡을 것이라고 주장한 니키는 올해를 전반적으로 어둡게 전망했으나 의료계에서는 혁신적인 발전이 있을 것으로 예언했다.
니키는 안면 이식수술을 예언해 적중한 바 있어 의료에 관한 그녀의 예언은 신빙성을 더하고 있다.
올해 미국이나 영국에서 최초로 뇌 이식 수술이 성공적으로 이루어 질 것이며 알츠하이머 병에 대한 줄기세포를 이용한 획기적인 치료법이 나올 것이라고 니키는 예언했다.
프랑스에서는 최초로 생체공학으로 이뤄진 인공 눈을 개발할 것으로 예언됐다.
니키는 이밖에도 최근 60살 연하와 약혼을 발표, 화제를 모았던 플레이보이 발행인 휴 헤프너의 플레이보이 맨션이 화재를 당할 것이라고 말했다.
Arirang TV under probe for possible embezzlement
By Lee Tae-hoon
Arirang TV is under investigation for coercing its employees to operate a host of “borrowed-name” bank accounts, raising suspicions of possible embezzlement, according to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) Thursday.
The state-run watchdog suspects that Arirang TV instructed its producers to divert employees’ wages into bank accounts belonging to people who have never worked for the English-language broadcaster in order to create a secret fund.
The ACRC found that Park Hyon-son, a former chief producer of the entertainment news program “Showbiz Extra,” intentionally paid certain employees as little as half of their wages to build the slush fund, allegedly being coerced to do so by her superior.
“We’ve discovered that Arirang TV has misappropriated at least 120 million won ($106,680) through the use of a number of borrowed-name accounts,”an ACRC official told The Korea Times, asking for anonymity.
Park initially denied the allegation but later acknowledged that the head of the production team coerced her to misappropriate wages, citing the need for “flexible corporate management,” an informed source at Arirang TV said.
“Park set the translation fee for the entertainment news program at 2 million won per week, but, instead of giving the full amount, she paid only 1.1 million won a week to the program’s translators.”
The remainder allegedly went to a bank account opened by a bogus translator.
“A 20-year-old college girl, who is known to have never participated in any production work, received 1.1 million won or slightly more each week,” the source said.
He said even if she was actually on the staff list, it would be hard to believe such a young person could make so much money.
According to Arirang TV documents The Korea Times obtained, the alleged bogus translator of Showbiz Extra, named Kim Jin-ah, received some 81 million won between September 2006 and December 2007 from the state-funded TV station.
The ACRC said that in a desperate attempt to conceal borrowed-name accounts, Park tried to fire several staff members in early 2008, ahead of a major staff reorganization, by falsely accusing them of receiving too much money.
The watchdog said the layoff list included an Ivy League graduate with several years of translation experience who in fact was underpaid.
It also discovered that Park, who now works as the producer of “Now in North Korea,” used a bank account of Suzanne Jung, an anchor of Channel News Asia, a television station in Singapore, without her permission.
The documents clearly show that Kim and Channel News Asia host Jung were not on the staff list, but on the paycheck list.
They suggest that some 1.2 million won of Showbiz Extra’s staff wages was transferred to Jung’s account per month between 2007 and 2008 on the false premise that she actually appeared on the show.
Jung only worked as a reporter at Arirang TV for two years before joining the Singaporean broadcaster in December 2002. She is currently hosting the network’s flagship morning show “Primetime Morning.”
In a telephone interview, Jung told The Korea Times that she was not aware that the money was transferred to one of her Korean bank accounts.
“I cannot recall doing any work for Arirang TV in the two-year period or giving anyone permission to access my bank account,” she said.
The ACRC has yet to confirm who withdrew money from the borrowed-name accounts of Kim and Jung, but plans to ask the prosecution or police to probe the case once it wraps up its own investigation by the end of the month.
Several insiders of Arirang TV told the paper that the public network has long operated borrowed-name accounts to raise money for social gatherings and pay more wages or financial incentives to certain employees.
They claim that it has been difficult to locate false name accounts at Arirang TV due to frequent changes of staff members, many of whom are overseas Koreans and prefer to be referred to by their English names, rather than their official Korean name.
[단독] 아리랑 TV 횡령혐의 포착
차명계좌를 통해 비자금 조성 의혹 제기돼
국민권익위원회는 문화관광부 산하의 아리랑 TV가 직원을 강요해 차명계좌를 운영하여 인건비를 횡령한 혐의를 포착하고 수사 중이라고 6일 밝혔다.
익명을 요구한 한 관계자에 따르면 권익위는 Showbiz Extra라는 프로그램을 담당했던 박현선 PD가 적게는 기준 임금의 반만 지급하고 나머지 금액을 차명계좌로 입금하는 방식으로 비자금을 조성한 증거를 확보했다.
그는 1억 2,000여 만 원의 Showbiz Extra 직원의 인건비가 차명계좌로 입금된 것으로 파악되었다고 밝혔다.
아리랑 TV 한 내부 관계자에 따르면 박 PD가 문제가 불거지자 모든 혐의를 완강히 부인했다가 결국에는 당시 제작팀 팀장의 강요로 차명계좌를 운영한 것을 인정했다고 말했다.
본지가 확보한 자료에 따르면 박PD는 매주 200만원이 배정된 번역예산 중 110만원만을 번역가에게 지불한 것으로 나타났다. 나머지는 실제 근무하지 않은 당시 20세였던 김진아씨의 계좌로 입금된 것으로 나타났다.
또한 싱가포르 국영 영어방송 뉴스 채널(Channel NewsAsia)의 간판급 여성 앵커인 수잔 정 (한국명: 정세은)씨에게도 월 120만원씩 2008년과 2009년 2년에 걸쳐 직접 출연료 명목으로 입금된 것이 확인됐다.
그러나 정씨는 본지와의 전화 인터뷰에서 2000년 초 아리랑 TV 기자로 일한 적이 있으나 그 이후에는 일하지 안았다며 본인의 계좌로 입금이 되고 있다는 사실조차 모른다고 밝혔다.
정씨는 2002년 12월부터 Channel NewsAsia에 재직하고 있다.
복수의 제보자에 의하면 아리랑 TV는 회식비, 운영비등의 이유로 차명계좌를 운영해 왔으며 사내규정 이상의 급여를 특정 직원에 지급하기 위해 차명계좌를 용인해 왔다.
아리랑 TV는 프로그램 개편 등으로 인한 직원 변동이 많고 영어 이름을 쓰는 교포와 유학파 프리랜서 직원들이 많아 차명계좌를 적발하는데 어려움이 있다.
하지만 아리랑 TV는 내부 회계감사를 철저히 해오고 있으므로 실명이 확인 되지 않은 계좌에 입금되 었을 가능성이 없다며 차명계좌 존재를 부인했다. 아리랑 TV는 또한 현재까지 차명계좌가 확인되거나 이슈화 된 경우가 없다고 밝혔다.
권익위는 내부 조사를 늦어도 이달 말까지 종료하고 사건을 수사기관에 이첩할 예정이다.
leeth@koreatimes.co.kr
Arirang TV is under investigation for coercing its employees to operate a host of “borrowed-name” bank accounts, raising suspicions of possible embezzlement, according to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) Thursday.
The state-run watchdog suspects that Arirang TV instructed its producers to divert employees’ wages into bank accounts belonging to people who have never worked for the English-language broadcaster in order to create a secret fund.
The ACRC found that Park Hyon-son, a former chief producer of the entertainment news program “Showbiz Extra,” intentionally paid certain employees as little as half of their wages to build the slush fund, allegedly being coerced to do so by her superior.
“We’ve discovered that Arirang TV has misappropriated at least 120 million won ($106,680) through the use of a number of borrowed-name accounts,”an ACRC official told The Korea Times, asking for anonymity.
Park initially denied the allegation but later acknowledged that the head of the production team coerced her to misappropriate wages, citing the need for “flexible corporate management,” an informed source at Arirang TV said.
“Park set the translation fee for the entertainment news program at 2 million won per week, but, instead of giving the full amount, she paid only 1.1 million won a week to the program’s translators.”
The remainder allegedly went to a bank account opened by a bogus translator.
“A 20-year-old college girl, who is known to have never participated in any production work, received 1.1 million won or slightly more each week,” the source said.
He said even if she was actually on the staff list, it would be hard to believe such a young person could make so much money.
According to Arirang TV documents The Korea Times obtained, the alleged bogus translator of Showbiz Extra, named Kim Jin-ah, received some 81 million won between September 2006 and December 2007 from the state-funded TV station.
The ACRC said that in a desperate attempt to conceal borrowed-name accounts, Park tried to fire several staff members in early 2008, ahead of a major staff reorganization, by falsely accusing them of receiving too much money.
The watchdog said the layoff list included an Ivy League graduate with several years of translation experience who in fact was underpaid.
It also discovered that Park, who now works as the producer of “Now in North Korea,” used a bank account of Suzanne Jung, an anchor of Channel News Asia, a television station in Singapore, without her permission.
The documents clearly show that Kim and Channel News Asia host Jung were not on the staff list, but on the paycheck list.
They suggest that some 1.2 million won of Showbiz Extra’s staff wages was transferred to Jung’s account per month between 2007 and 2008 on the false premise that she actually appeared on the show.
Jung only worked as a reporter at Arirang TV for two years before joining the Singaporean broadcaster in December 2002. She is currently hosting the network’s flagship morning show “Primetime Morning.”
In a telephone interview, Jung told The Korea Times that she was not aware that the money was transferred to one of her Korean bank accounts.
“I cannot recall doing any work for Arirang TV in the two-year period or giving anyone permission to access my bank account,” she said.
The ACRC has yet to confirm who withdrew money from the borrowed-name accounts of Kim and Jung, but plans to ask the prosecution or police to probe the case once it wraps up its own investigation by the end of the month.
Several insiders of Arirang TV told the paper that the public network has long operated borrowed-name accounts to raise money for social gatherings and pay more wages or financial incentives to certain employees.
They claim that it has been difficult to locate false name accounts at Arirang TV due to frequent changes of staff members, many of whom are overseas Koreans and prefer to be referred to by their English names, rather than their official Korean name.
[단독] 아리랑 TV 횡령혐의 포착
차명계좌를 통해 비자금 조성 의혹 제기돼
국민권익위원회는 문화관광부 산하의 아리랑 TV가 직원을 강요해 차명계좌를 운영하여 인건비를 횡령한 혐의를 포착하고 수사 중이라고 6일 밝혔다.
익명을 요구한 한 관계자에 따르면 권익위는 Showbiz Extra라는 프로그램을 담당했던 박현선 PD가 적게는 기준 임금의 반만 지급하고 나머지 금액을 차명계좌로 입금하는 방식으로 비자금을 조성한 증거를 확보했다.
그는 1억 2,000여 만 원의 Showbiz Extra 직원의 인건비가 차명계좌로 입금된 것으로 파악되었다고 밝혔다.
아리랑 TV 한 내부 관계자에 따르면 박 PD가 문제가 불거지자 모든 혐의를 완강히 부인했다가 결국에는 당시 제작팀 팀장의 강요로 차명계좌를 운영한 것을 인정했다고 말했다.
본지가 확보한 자료에 따르면 박PD는 매주 200만원이 배정된 번역예산 중 110만원만을 번역가에게 지불한 것으로 나타났다. 나머지는 실제 근무하지 않은 당시 20세였던 김진아씨의 계좌로 입금된 것으로 나타났다.
또한 싱가포르 국영 영어방송 뉴스 채널(Channel NewsAsia)의 간판급 여성 앵커인 수잔 정 (한국명: 정세은)씨에게도 월 120만원씩 2008년과 2009년 2년에 걸쳐 직접 출연료 명목으로 입금된 것이 확인됐다.
그러나 정씨는 본지와의 전화 인터뷰에서 2000년 초 아리랑 TV 기자로 일한 적이 있으나 그 이후에는 일하지 안았다며 본인의 계좌로 입금이 되고 있다는 사실조차 모른다고 밝혔다.
정씨는 2002년 12월부터 Channel NewsAsia에 재직하고 있다.
복수의 제보자에 의하면 아리랑 TV는 회식비, 운영비등의 이유로 차명계좌를 운영해 왔으며 사내규정 이상의 급여를 특정 직원에 지급하기 위해 차명계좌를 용인해 왔다.
아리랑 TV는 프로그램 개편 등으로 인한 직원 변동이 많고 영어 이름을 쓰는 교포와 유학파 프리랜서 직원들이 많아 차명계좌를 적발하는데 어려움이 있다.
하지만 아리랑 TV는 내부 회계감사를 철저히 해오고 있으므로 실명이 확인 되지 않은 계좌에 입금되 었을 가능성이 없다며 차명계좌 존재를 부인했다. 아리랑 TV는 또한 현재까지 차명계좌가 확인되거나 이슈화 된 경우가 없다고 밝혔다.
권익위는 내부 조사를 늦어도 이달 말까지 종료하고 사건을 수사기관에 이첩할 예정이다.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Korea becomes 7th-largest exporter
South Korea racked up record-high outbound shipments last year, which are expected to see it ranked as the world’s seventh largest exporter. The Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) said Sunday that Korea recorded $467.4 billion in exports last year and $425.7 billion in imports for a trade surplus of $41.7 billion. Both exports and the surplus are unprecedented. With the record-high figures, Asia’s fourth-largest economy is now estimated to have nudged past Italy and Belgium. The nation’s cash cows of semiconductors and automobiles spearheaded the achievement with sales jumping 63.3 percent and 39.3 percent year-on-year, respectively. Home appliances and steel products followed with 27.7 percent and 25.4 percent growths each while shipbuilding also rocketed at a double-digit pace of 10.2 percent. Broken down by regions, shipments of made-in-Korea products increased most to South American countries by 39.4 percent trailed by China with 35.2 percent and Southeast Asian states totaling 30.9 percent. The rising prices of raw materials including crude oil accounted mostly for the growth in imports as Korea lacks natural resources the country does not produce a drop of oil. This year, the MKE projects that Korea will be able to top the $1 trillion mark in trade for the ninth time in its history after the United States, Germany, China, Japan, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The ministry’s expectations are $513 billion in exports and $488 billion in imports. But the surplus is likely to substantially shrink to $25 billion. If crude oil remains strong throughout the year, as it is currently, the surplus may decrease further. | |
| voc200@koreatimes.co.kr | |
Shifting role awaits diplomats
Amid the changing diplomatic landscape in the second decade of the 21st century, ambassadors and chiefs of foreign missions are increasingly requested to wear many hats. They are asked to redefine their roles to be responsible for directing and coordinating all human and diplomatic capital in their countries, going beyond their traditional role of mainly managing bilateral ties. During a public/private meeting to discuss ways to bolster ties with emerging powers held at the presidential office in late December, a representative from the Korea Telecom (KT) called on diplomats to be more active in their foreign mission. President Lee Myung-bak, several high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, presidential secretaries, representatives from businesses and think tank experts attended the meeting. The KT executive was in charge of an information technology project in Rwanda sponsored by the telecom giant. “The business leader encouraged ambassadors to be proactive in their mission stations and try to do more than the traditional duty of meeting with foreign ministry officials of the host government,” a high-ranking official who took part in the session told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity. “He called on diplomats to ‘penetrate’ deeply the communities of all sectors to pinpoint the needs of the host country. This will require chiefs of foreign missions to work closely with the private and civic sector players.” In an era of emerging powers, South Korea is not the only government calling for a shift in the role of diplomats. In the U.S. government’s foreign policy roadmap report in the 21st century, dubbed Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, the State Department called on U.S. ambassadors “to start playing the role of chief executive officers who would be tasked with establishing multi-agency relationships.” “We will adapt to the changing diplomatic and development landscape of the 21st century,” Secretary Hillary Clinton said. Clinton’s request came against the backdrop of a host of emerging powers in the global economy leading to changing the geopolitical landscape. The State Department’s report included China, India, Brazil, Russia, Indonesia and Turkey as countries of which clout is growing. “As these states grow economically they are playing more important roles in their own regions and, in turn, their regions are exerting new global influence,” the report said. Asitha Perera, a former Sri Lankan ambassador to Korea (2006-2010), was super-active in a bid to promote his country as a tourist hot spot, while he was in Seoul. A now Sri Lankan ambassador-designate to Italy, Perera believed that the suspension of non-stop airline services between Seoul and Colombo was the main setback preventing South Koreans from exploring the jewel in the Indian Ocean. Therefore, his top concern during his four-year mission here was how to successfully convince South Korean officials and executives in the airline industry to consider re-running the non-stop service between Seoul and Colombo. The non-stop airline service between the two cities was suspended two decades ago after suicide bombers put travelers at risk. In a meeting with the Korea Times reporter held two years ago in the embassy, he said that it was not easy for him to set up meetings with executives at the local airliners and with government officials to discuss the matter due to their tight schedules. He was determined to wait for some of them at a sauna in a five-star hotel in Seoul as he was informed in advance that they were scheduled to go there. The former Sri Lankan ambassador made a case for the need to re-introduce the direct Seoul-Colombo route whenever he met with policymakers and executives of airliners. In 2007, Seoul and Colombo agreed to re-open the direct service. Like the Sri Lankan ambassador, Korean envoys on foreign missions are increasingly asked to play the role of business people to better handle the changing geopolitical landscape. 외교관도 이제는 뛰어야 산다 과거 외교관 하면 많은 사람들은 공관에 앉아 사무를 보거나 주재국 정부관료들을 만나서 점잖게 이야기를 하는 모습을 연상했다. 그러나 급변하는 국제무대에서 외교관도 변신해야 한다는 목소리가 힘을 얻고 있다. 전 한국주재 스리랑카 대사는 본국의 관광을 진흥시키기 위해 발을 벗고 뛴 대표적인 케이스. 한국과 스리랑카간에 직항 항공이 없는 것이 스리랑카에 한국인 관광객 유치가 안된 결정적 요인이라고 생각한 이 대사는 한국 정부관료들과 항공사 임원들을 만나기 위해 분주하게 뛰었다. 관료들과 항공사 임원들의 바쁜 일정으로 미팅이 성사되기 어렵자, 전 스리랑카 대사는 이들이 자주 가는 한 호텔의 사우나 장에 직접 찾아가 한국과 스리랑카간 직항 필요성을 역설했다. 2007년 한국과 스리랑카는 직항 개설에 합의하기에 이르렀다. 아직 두 나라간 직항은 개설되지 않았지만, 이 대사의 노고는 그가 한국을 떠나 새로운 임지로 간 이후에도 유명한 일화로 남게 되었다. | |
| hkang@koreatimes.co.kr | |
Cardinal urges NK to improve human rights
By Shim Jae-yun Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk has called on North Korea to take measures to improve the human rights and living conditions of its people. “North Korea is restricting freedom and truth while failing to provide the people with rights to live humanly without worrying about survival,” Cheong said in an exclusive New Year interview with The Korea Times. He urged North Korean leaders to exert efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula and make its people happier. He was referring to two attacks by North Korea — the sinking of the frigate Cheonan and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in the West Sea. His remarks drew particular attention as military tensions on the peninsula mounted last year due to the North’s provocative acts that triggered anti-Pyongyang sentiment among South Koreans. He expressed deep condolences for the victims and their bereaved families; the Cheonan disaster claimed the lives of 46 sailors and the Yeonpyeong shelling left four, including two civilians, dead. Cheong, 80, said he maintains a neutral stance on the four-river revamping project, apparently wary of the brewing dispute with a group of activist priests belonging to the Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice (CPAJ). The progressive priests criticized the cardinal for supporting the project cherished by the Lee Myung-bak government and urged him to quit as the archbishop of the Seoul Archdiocese, which plunged the Catholic circles into a feud. “I did not express yes or no for the project. I only attempted to make clear my stance in order to prevent any misunderstanding in translating the statement of archbishops, who had earlier revealed concerns about the project.” The statement was interpreted by many as meaning that Korean Catholicism opposes the four-river project, which caused a number of Catholics to feel a sense of guilt if they backed the project in defiance of the archbishops’ decision, he said. “As a priest, I only wanted to give the believers freedom of conscience. The river project is not a matter of belief. It is an issue to be determined at the level of self-reliance regardless of any stance on the project.” He stopped short of denouncing the CPAJ members but there has been growing criticism of them with regard to their excessive demand for the cardinal to retire. A group of senior priests in support of Cardinal Cheong planned to call a meeting to oppose the CPAJ members, but the meeting was cancelled at the cardinal’s request for a peaceful settlement of the conflict with reconciliation through dialogue. Cardinal Cheong emphasized the importance of the harmonious existence of all people regardless of religious differences, citing the need for a global community through the Christmas message. “I have recently heard that leaders of seven different religions have been on a pilgrimage of holy sites of other religions, which is a good sign for the peaceful co-existence of religions. Such a practice in Korea should set a good example for the entire world,” he said. 정진석 추기경 북한 인권 개선 촉구 정진석 추기경은 북한에 대해 인권을 향상시키고 국민들의 삶을 개선시킬 것을 촉구했다. “북한은 국민들에게 생존에 대한 걱정 없이 인간답게 살 권리를 주지 않으면서 또한 자유와 진실을 제한하고 있다”고 정 추기경은 코리아 타임스와의 인터뷰에서 밝혔다. 정추기경은 북한 지도자들에게 한반도에서의 평화를 증진시키고 국민들을 더 행복하게 살도록 해야 할 것이라고 서해에서의 천안함 사건과 연평도 포격에 대해 우려를 표시하면서 이같이 촉구했다. 정추기경은 북한의 도발 행위 후 남쪽에서의 반 북한 감정으로 한반도 긴장이 고조되는 가운데 이같이 말했다. 올해로 80세인 정 추기경은 4대강 사업을 둘러싼 정의사제구현단 신부들과의 불화와 관련 자신은 이 문제에 대해 중립을 유지하고 있다고 말했다. “나는 4대강 사업에 대해 ‘예, 아니오’를 표시 한적이 없습니다. 나는 단지 일찍이 4대강 사업에 대해 우려를 표명한 주교들의 성명을 해석하는데 어떠한 오해도 방지하기 위해 내 입장을 명확히 했을 뿐입니다,” 고 정추기경은 강조했다. | |
| jyshim@koreatimes | |
Choosing US, China needs not be a zero-sum game for Seoul
By Sunny Lee BEIJING _ Meet Prof. Han Suk-hee at Yonsei University and Prof. Kim Heung-kyu of Sungshin Women's University. Han and Kim have been among the busiest troubleshooters of the Seoul-Beijing relationship in 2010, frequently shuttling between the two capital cities to talk with Chinese academics, security experts, and government officials, discussing pending bilateral issues such as the sinking of the Cheonan and North Korea’s shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, among others. “It was a year that South Korea and China saw a large divergence of views,” summed Han, who sits on a committee that advises President Lee Myung-bak on foreign policy. Kim’s answer was no different. “It was a year mutual mistrust manifested,” said Kim, who until recently had had a stint with the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security, Foreign Ministry’s top think tank. Now, at his new post at a private institution, Kim is extending his China expertise to public diplomacy. Given the bitter diplomatic spat the two countries had over how to deal with North Korean belligerence and all the titillating media reports on the estranged relationship between the two neighboring countries, the duo’s assessment may come as no surprise. Yet, the two experts’ description of the bilateral ties is much more nuanced than the simple black and white picture some pundits tend to paint. Although differences remain between Seoul and Beijing, Han said, “Meeting often and talking face to face certainly had its usefulness. Both Seoul and Beijing also have come to recognize the importance of confidence-building measures.” Kim believes China sometimes had a good intention, but ended up being a poor communicator. He took the example of the Chinese envoy Dai Bingguo’s recent visit to Seoul in which he displayed a lack of diplomatic decorum during a meeting with President Lee Myung-bak. South Korean conservatives saw it as reflecting Beijing’s heavy-handed attitude. Kim said there was an alternative way to look at the incident. He said the diplomat flop could be seen as a case in which China’s (good) intension to play the role of a mediator for the two Koreas didn’t deliver its intended effect. China’s symptomatically non-committal posture on North Korea’s military provocations and its muscular diplomacy last year has stirred massive antipathy toward China in South Korea, but also in many other pockets of the world. It also led to strengthening of the security bloc in East Asia, among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, to check China. Susan Shirk, a prominent China expert at U.C. San Diego, sees that China’s foreign policy last year ended up doing the very opposite of what it for years had tried to avoid. Looking at China’s “counterproductive” foreign policy, Shirk suggested in the Los Angeles Times “a disjointed policy process” by China’s leadership. Kim was bolder in his diagnosis. He said China’s foreign policy is in “a state of confusion” as it has yet to find newly found global identity that has come with its rapid growth expansion. “China is not certain about how to proceed with its global affairs commensurate with its size and a new vision, without a clear internal consensus or coordination. It adds future uncertainty,” said Kim. Last year, South Korea’s conflict with China was mainly over North Korea. Han believes it’s high time for China to initiate the fence-mending process to heal its ties with South Korea. Han said China can reduce South Korea’s concern, for example, by sharing what roadmap it has for North Korea’s future. “I am most curious to know what blueprint China has for the future of North Korea and what effort it is making to achieve it. And if it is not working, what alternatives does China have?” he said in a recent conference. “This will help South Korea to do a better policy research on the China-North Korea relations.” Han and Kim differ in their divination over the prospect of the future China-North Korea relationship. Kim thinks the Beijing-Pyongyang relationship is impregnated with a lot of mistrust and their ties will degenerate. Han believes China-North Korea ties will likely remain intact, saying the fact that the two countries have mistrust doesn’t mean they cannot keep their alliance citing the South Korea-U.S. alliance as an example, which has experienced ups and downs over the years, but remains still. Han and Kim concur that engaging China is important, especially with regard to North Korea. “On the one hand, South Korea needs to extend a dialogue to North Korea. On the other, China should refrain from its tendency to shield North Korea whenever North Korea conducts wrongdoings,” said Han. Seoul has a high expectation from its relationship with Beijing, in terms of Beijing’s nudging North Korea to integrate into the international community. Even President Lee Myung-bak Wednesday said, “The best role model for North Korea’s change is China.” Kim said what is most important is the understanding the bottom-line principle that South Korea and China cannot turn their backs against each other, as Seoul keeps its alliance with Washington. “For South Korea, forging relations both with Washington and Beijing doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game. South Korea should ally with Washington, while keeping friendly ties with Beijing,” said Kim. Susan Shirk, a prominent China expert at U.C. San Diego, sees that China’s foreign policy last year ended up doing the very opposite of what for years it had tried to avoid. Looking at China’s “counterproductive” foreign policy, Shirk suggested in the Los Angeles Times “a disjointed policy process” by China’s leadership. Kim was bolder in his diagnosis. He said Beijing’s foreign policy was in “a state of confusion” as it has yet to find newly discovered global identity that has come with its rapid growth. “China is not certain about how to proceed with global affairs commensurate to its size, and with a new vision, without a clear internal consensus or coordination. It adds future uncertainty,” said Kim. Last year, South Korea’s conflict with China was mainly over North Korea. Han believes it’s high time for Beijing to initiate a fence-mending process to heal ties with Seoul. Han said China can reduce South Korea’s concern, for example, by sharing the roadmap it has for North Korea’s future. “I am most curious to know what blueprint China has for the future of North Korea and what effort it is making to achieve it. And if it is not working, what alternatives it has,” he said in a recent conference. “This will help South Korea to do better policy research on the China-North Korea relations.” Han and Kim differ in their divination over the prospect of the future of Beijing-Pyongyang relations. Kim thinks the relationship is impregnated with a lot of mistrust and their ties will degenerate. Han believes China-North Korea ties will likely remain intact, saying the fact that the two countries have mistrust doesn’t mean they cannot maintain their ties citing the South Korea-U.S. alliance as an example, which has experienced ups and downs over the years. Han and Kim concur that engaging China is important, especially with regard to North Korea. “On the one hand, Seoul needs to extend dialogue to Pyongyang; while on the other, Beijing should refrain from its tendency to shield the latter whenever it conducts wrongdoing,” said Han. South Korea has high expectations from its relationship with China, in terms of Beijing nudging North Korea to integrate into the international community. Even President Lee Myung-bak Wednesday said, “The best role model for North Korea’s change is China.” Kim said what is most important is understanding the bottomline principle that South Korea and China cannot turn their backs on each other, as Seoul keeps its alliance with Washington. “For South Korea, forging relations both with Washington and Beijing doesn’t have to be a zerosum game. South Korea should ally with Washington, while keeping friendly ties with Beijing,” said Kim. | |
| sunny.lee@koreatimes.co.kr | |
Must-have information for New Year
By Kim Tae-gyu The Year of the Rabbit sees a lot of changes across the spectrum of people’s daily life. For instance, support for babies is being increased, companies are embracing new accounting systems and the minimum wage is now up 5 percent, to name but a few. One of the most notable changes is the substantially enhanced subsidies for having more children, which are in tandem with the government’s all-out efforts to cope with the fast aging of the population. The number of people aged 65 or older surpassed 10 percent of the total population in late 2009 and the proportion is expected to top 20 percent in about 15 years due to the low birthrate. According to Statistics Korea, the average number of babies born during a Korean woman’s lifetime was 1.15 in 2009, representing a four-year low since 1.08 in 2005. A total of 445,000 babies were born in 2009, down 4.4 percent from 466,000 the previous year and one of the world’s lowest birthrates is expected to undermine national competitiveness if not addressed. More children The strategy of the Seoul administration to boost the birthrate is two-pronged this year _ direct support for pregnant women and indirect incentives of more subsidies to households with more children. Beginning this April, pregnant women will receive as much as 400,000 won for hospital bills for matters regarding their babies. If the children come down with certain diseases, parents will receive some payouts in the latter half. Thus far, the government has provided a maximum of 4.5 million won to those who try to have test-tube babies. The ceiling will be raised to 7.2 million won beginning this month. To encourage couples working together without children, dubbed “dual income no kids” (DINK), to have babies, the government will set up programs to take care of young students at school. Under the scheme, which will start this March, students at elementary school and kindergarten can stay at schools from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Households with low incomes can also benefit even if both parents do not work. During extra-curricular classes, students will work on subjects such as music, English, arts, science and essays. Families with multiple children will also get more tax refunds in year-end adjustments. Minimum wage, surcharges Employees had to pay at least 4,110 won an hour to workers in 2010. The lower level will be raised by around 5 percent to 4,320 won. When an employee works 40 hours every week, he will get a minimum of 700,000 won a month. A five-day work week will be applied to companies whose payrolls are between five and 20. Firms with less than five employees have to pay severance payments beginning this year. There are bad pieces of news from the perspective of taxpayers _ health insurance fees will rise by 5.9 percent. Protection of the weak Banks have been accused of forcing borrowers to deposit parts of the loans back to lenders. In particular, those with low credit rates have been victimized in this wrongdoing. The maneuvers surfaced as a social malaise last year when loans to those with low credit rates captured huge media attention. The solution of the financial policymakers: Banks cannot oblige borrowers with low credit ratings to deposit more than 1 percent of the loans at the lenders over a month before and after the loan contracts. Multicultural-marriage families will get discounts when they send mail or parcels to their home countries through express mail service (EMS), which is offered by the state-run Korea Post. The discounts will be between 10 percent and 15 percent. Those eligible for the benefits can get the discounts by visiting nearby post offices with foreign registration cards or Korean citizenship cards. Yet, it depends when the services will start because they are set to begin after the Korea Post sign contracts with regional governments of the country. The Korea Post provides the EMS via an alliance of public postal administrations in more than 140 countries. It emerges as a major threat to private powerhouses such as DHL, UPS or FedEx. New accounting format People would pay little attentions to the accounting system called the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS). But corporate citizens cannot afford to ignore the new format because its adoption is mandatory starting this year. All financial institutions and listed companies are required to employ the IFRS, which is the principle-based standard unlike the rule-based conventional methods. Some confusion is expected especially in small-sized companies listed in the tech-heavy Kosdaq. Yet, the financial regulator says that the country is ready to brace for the switch that will bring about more transparency. ``We are also revamping our accounting supervision in line with the principles-based approach of the IFRS and will introduce a registration requirement for accounting firms that audit publicly traded outfits,’’ said Kim Young-hwan, Financial Supervisory Service first senior deputy governor. ``The goal is to take Korea’s accounting transparency to a new level.’’ Multiple labor unions In this July, companies will be allowed to have more than one labor union. Samsung Group may sweat because most of their subsidiaries maintain just a single union that is friendly to the management. When the multiple-union system is phased in, some employees who do not like the existing union may flock together to establish a new one, a headache Samsung has never faced. Theoretically, disgruntled workers of Samsung Electronics, the flagship affiliate of the nation’s biggest conglomerate, may go strike in the latter half of this year. Ever since the world’s largest maker of memory chips and flat-panel displays was established in 1969, the global giant’s employees have never held a strike. Thus far, multiple unions have been allowed for industries but not for companies. 토끼띠 새해 무엇이 달라질까? 새해는 육아 지원이 강화되고, 최저 임금이 5% 상승하고 새로운 회계 시스템이 도입되는 등 국민들의 일상에 영향을 줄 많은 변화들이 예고되어 있다. 그 중 가장 눈에 띄는 것은 일련의 출산 장려 정책이다. 특히 고령화 사회를 맞아 국가 경쟁력 약화가 우려되자 우리 정부는 출산율을 높이기 위해 다양한 직간접적 정책을 시행한다. 올 4월부터 임산부의 진료비 지원이 최대 400,000원으로 확대되고 태아의 질병에 대한 지원도 하반기에 확대된다. 시험관 시술을 원하는 난임부부에 대한 지원은 이번 달부터 기존 최대 450만원에서 720만원으로 확대된다. 맞벌이 부부를 위한 유치원생과 초등생의 지원이 아침 6시 30분부터 오후 10시까지 학교에서 운영된다. 이번 3월부터 시행되는 이 제도는 저소득층 가정에서도 활용 가능하다. 최저임금은 시간당 4,110원에서 5% 상승한 4,320원이 된다. 주 40시간 근무 기준으로 최저월봉이 700,000원 가량인 셈이다. 퇴직급여제가 5인 이상 20인 이하 사업장에 적용되고 의료보험료는 5.9% 상승한다. 사회적 약자에 대한 은행의 소위 “꺾기” 행태에 대한 감시도 대폭 강화된다. 신용 등급이 낮은 층에 대출을 하면서 대출 전후 각 1개월 간에 대출금의 1% 이상 저축 상품, 펀드, 보험 등에 가입할 것을 강요할 경우 꺾기로 간주한다. 다문화 가족의 구성원이 본국에 우편물을 국제 특송(EMS)로 보낼 경우 10~15% 할일을 제공한다. 시민들의 직접 관심사는 아니지만 기업들 입장에서는 올해부터 새로운 회계방식인 IFRS가 도입된다. 상장기업과 금융기관들은 의무적으로 IFRS를 적용해야 한다. 또한 올 하반기부터 사업장 단위의 복수 노조도 허용된다. | |
| voc200@koreatimes.co.kr | |
Saturday, January 1, 2011
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