The answers to LKL’s 2012 Quiz of the Year. How many did you get? 1 The Watermelon Economy It was Lee Seung-han, the boss of Tesco in Korea, who accused Lee Myung-bak of running a watermelon economy: on the outside, lots of rhetoric about “green” growth, but actually red on the inside. “Not even communist … [Read More]
Category: Business & economy (page 4)
LKL Quiz of the Year 2012
We gave it a rest last year, but we’ve brought it back for 2012: the LKL Quiz of the Year, featuring some of the top celebrity stories of the year, as well as one or two from the business and cultural pages. Some, but not all, of these stories might have been featured on LKL … [Read More]
Tesco rides Psy-driven K-food sales increase
Tesco, the UK’s biggest supermarket chain, who via Homeplus is also Korea’s second-biggest retailer, has been making cautious, very cautious, steps into selling Korean food in the UK. They marked the launch of the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement last year by stocking some Korean food in one of its UK outlets. Yes, just one. For … [Read More]
South Korea’s boring beer and love of expensive whisky in the news again
It’s something of a paradox. Koreans are prepared to put up with some of the most tasteless, characterless beer in the world, but insist on top quality whisky. For an explanation of the former mystery, the Economist (Fiery Food, Boring Beer – a dull duopoly crushes microbrewers, 24 November 2012) expands on a theme discussed … [Read More]
LSE Korea Economic and Political Forum 2012
An all-day event coming up on 24 November at LSE. Registration is required via the LSE Students Union Korean Society website. Korea Economic and Political Forum 2012 Continuing from the last year’s success, on 24th November 2012, LSESU Korean Society is proud to present LSESU Korean Society Korean Economic and Political Forum : “Korea in … [Read More]
SOAS public workshop: State Capitalism and Development in East Asia
A free all-day seminar sponsored by the Centre of Korean Studies at SOAS: State Capitalism and Development in East Asia Speakers Jeong Seongjin (Gyeongsang National University) Lee Jeong-koo (GNU) Gareth Dale (Brunel University) Jamie Allinson (University of Westminster) Owen Miller (SOAS, University of London) Tuesday, 6 November 2012, 10am-5pm Room B111, First Floor, Brunei Gallery, … [Read More]
Black Eagles showcase the T-50 for Korea Aerospace Industries at the Savoy
Eleven handsome pilots in aviator sunglasses swagger down the runway in slow-motion choreographed formation. Behind them is parked a sleek black and gold aircraft pointing menacingly towards you. A booming Hollywood soundtrack could be announcing the start of a Top Gun sequel. But it’s the start of the promotional video for Korea’s Black Eagles aerobatic … [Read More]
Which Korean TV programmes would YOU buy?
LKL’s editor poses as a TV suit at a 2012 trade fair where a wide range of Korean TV programmes from many genres are being touted to potential UK buyers. He takes a semi-humorous but critical look at which programmes might work for LKL’s hypothetical TV service. TLDR: some will work better than others… [Read More]
Dodgy savings bank loans provide unique buying opportunity
Fancy a Lamborghini? Contact the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation, who are trying to offload assets from failed Korean savings banks. The cars were repossessed when their owners failed to pay up. Via Wall Street Journal http://on.wsj.com/L1CQiS [Read More]
New London Korean restaurant is recruiting
If you google “Bibigo London” you’ll find lots of job adverts for the new London branch of the international Bibigo restaurant chain run by CJ Foodville. It opens this summer in Great Marlborough Street with staff training planned for July. The top job is already taken: the London operation will be headed by Korean celebrity … [Read More]
Korean Air needs a language consultant…
Unfortunate Korean Air commercial promoting flights to Nairobi, Kenya, and encouraging travels to enjoy the “indigenous people full of primitive energy”. Originally tweeted by journalist Wouter van Kleef, and expanded upon by Al Jazeera, with some of the Kenyan response including this image from C_mwangi. [Read More]
How not to make yourself popular with Korean smartphone users
According to the Marmot’s Hole, the map app of the recently revealed beta version IOS6 apparently has Dokdo registered as Takeshima. Oops! [Read More]
UK and South Korea link up as offshore renewables pioneers
UK and South Korea announce a new pact to promote collaboration between their emerging marine and offshore wind sectors. UK renewable energy consultancy IT Power and the Korea Maritime University have been awarded a contract from the British Embassy in Seoul to establish the new initiative. Full story at Business Green. [Read More]
Third Window Films ceases theatrical distribution
Sad news. Third Window Films, who among other things distributed the uncut version of Im Sang-soo’s President’s Last Bang in the UK, has ceased theatrical releases. Twitch has the full story, including the reasons why. [Read More]
Sungjoo Kim wins Asian women of achievement award
Sungjoo Kim, CEO and chairperson of luxury fashion brand MCM Holdings AG has been given the Chairman’s Award, most prestigious award, at the RBS-sponsored Asian women of achievement awards celebrating the contribution of Asian women across British business for “overcoming widespread prejudice and family opposition to become one of her country’s most highly respected entrepreneurs”. [Read More]
National Pension Service to open London office
The Korean National Pension Service (NPS), one of the world’s biggest pension funds, is to set up a new base in London. The NPS announced the decision after a meeting between its chairman, Jun Kwang-woo, and the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, who is visiting Seoul for the Nuclear Security Summit. http://bit.ly/HBfyx3 [Read More]