50,000 Won Bill to be Issued in June

The new 50,000-won bill is to be issued on June 24.

The new banknote will be 154 millimeters in width and 68 millimeters in length.

The yellow-toned currency will feature Shin Saim-dang, a renowned female writer and calligraphist who was the mother of Yulgok. Yulgok is currently featured on the 5,000-won banknote and was one of the most respected scholars of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).

Once in circulation, the note is expected to make a positive impact in day-to-day transactions. Currently, the 10,000-won bill is the highest-denomination.

Why print a new currency?

A common complaint has been that people have to carry too many bills. Though 100,000-won checks have been used as substitutes for high-denominated bank notes, they incur issuance fees and have proven inconvenient.

Banks will upgrade or replace automated teller machines (ATMs) so that they accept the new bills. It will cost over 30 million won each to replace old ATMs and over six million won to upgrade them.

Department stores are also likely to be affected. Gift coupons have been popular items as gifts. But with the new 50,000-won bills, it has been suggested that most people will choose to use them instead of department store coupons.

Foreigners Obliged to Provide Fingerprints from H2 2009

Beginning the latter half next year, foreign visitors aged over 17 should mandatorily provide their fingerprints and facial pictures to the Korean government.

The Ministry of Justice announced the new legislation on the revised bill ‘Immigration Control Law & Relevant Rules’ which contains such contents.

Under the revised bill, the government newly made a clause on ‘fingerprint information collection’, and stipulated: “Foreigners should offer fingerprint and facial information during the immigration screening procedure.”

But, foreigners aged below 17 or visiting for the purposes of diplomacy and public affairs have been ruled out from the subjects to providing physical information.

Foreigners refusing to offer physical information will be disadvantageous during an immigration approval process.

The government had previously collected fingerprints of foreigners residing in Korea for a long-period (for more than a year), but abolished such a policy in 2003.

With illegal foreign residents and foreigners’ crimes rapidly increasing, the government revived the fingerprint collection policy in six years.

The government plans to tender the revised bill to the National Assembly upon undergoing discussion in the Cabinet meeting to be hold at the month-end at the earliest.

Marketers Target 'Mom-Bloggers'

Consumer electronics companies are trying harder to create relationships with bloggers to generate a buzz about their products, which has some tech-savvy housewives sitting on snowy piles of freebies.

These marketing campaigns are a growing breed as blogs become increasingly embraced as marketing tools by companies, although there are questions over whether online product reviews can be relevant and credible when the authors are at the receiving end of targeted perks or payments.

Sony Korea recently gave the latest models of its Alpha DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera series to nine ``alpha moms'' in exchange for a promised number of columns on their blogs.

The selected women, aged between 30 to 35 and most of them the mother of one or two children, all have established reputations in the blogosphere, gaining large readerships for their writing about children, cooking, traveling and electronic gadgets. One of the bloggers picked by Sony gets more than 4,000 daily visitors to her blog, the company said.

Aside from posting reviews and photos taken from the cameras on their blogs, the bloggers will take classes from professional photographers and participate in a photo competition, while also presenting ideas for product improvement to company officials.

Samsung Electronics, the country's largest electronics maker, is also looking at more ways to use bloggers for word-of-mouth marketing.

Earlier this year, Samsung picked 50 bloggers to use the latest version of its Zipel refrigerators, selecting them based on the popularity of their blogs and previous postings on the Web community of Zipel users (http://cafe.naver.com/zipelier), which is managed by the company.

The bloggers will provide Samsung with their product reviews and also write on their blogs and the Zipel Web community, which has more than 5,200 members, company officials said.

Samsung pushed a similar marketing scheme for its Hauzen washing machines last year, picking 100 bloggers to write product reviews.

LG Electronics has been regularly selecting groups of bloggers to test the new products of its Dios microwave ovens since last year.

The bloggers are selected from the Dios Web community (http://cafe.naver.com/ovenwon), which has about 11,000 members. The company also uses bloggers to promote its kimchi refrigerators and washing machines.

LG recently also recently launched its official blog (http://blog.lge.com), which features writing from 10 of the company's product designers and allows Internet users to post opinions about the products.

"The product reviews of `power bloggers' are very influential on consumers planning to spend on a product, due to their objectiveness, and their opinions are also important for companies in developing products and marketing them," said a Samsung executive, stressing that the use of bloggers provides a cost-effective marketing tool.

However, there are also questions over whether ethical thresholds have been crossed as the lines blur between genuine postings and paid advertisements.

Earlier this year, Web-based media company, Tatter & Media (TNM), found itself engulfed in a controversy for connecting a group of popular bloggers with Samsung to review their latest mobile phones, some of them costing nearly one million won (about $718) on the shelves at the time.

CJ Home Shopping to Penetrate into Indian Market

CJ Home Shopping, a cable-television shopping channel operator, will be the first domestic retailer to break into the Indian market, one of the four largest emerging economies called BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China), by joining hands with Satellite Television for the Asian Region (STAR), Asia’s largest media network.

CJ Home Shopping disclosed on March 20 that the company concluded a contract to establish Star-CJ Network (SCN), a joint-venture between CJ Home Shopping and Star.

SCN will begin its service starting in the latter half of this year, running a 24 hour service identical to that of a Korean home shopping channel with programs presenting the products and a call center that receives orders and answers product inquiries and a delivery service to the door-step.

The company highlights the significance of being the first Korean home shopping brand to the Indian market with a population of 1.1 billion following its advancement into the Chinese market.

CJ Home Shopping explains that the company was able to achieve its entries into the Chinese and Indian market by putting utmost efforts in pursuing globalization to acquire new growth engines amid a deteriorating domestic market due to a sharp fall in the number of cable television subscribers.

E-2 Visa Holders Can Teach at Firms Legally

E-2 visa holders will be able to open English classes at corporations and government offices, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) announced, Tuesday.

Its spokesman said that the regulations that discourage companies and government organizations from staging English classes in their own buildings will be eased.

Under the current law, E-2 visa holders, eligible for teaching a foreign language, cannot teach at corporations and government offices unless they work full time.

Even organizations with an excellent education environment, such as the Incheon International Airport Corp. and the National Assembly Research and Training Institute, have been reluctant to hire full-time E-2 visa holders, due to high costs and the lack of experience in language teaching.

Currently, the law prohibits organizations from hiring teachers on a short-term basis or outsourcing language education from private academies,

However, a director of an English-language academy in Seoul said on condition of anonymity that many private academies and brokers have long been providing English teachers to companies, with some of them not even aware that the practice has been illegal.

"Frankly, we have never told them about the regulation unless they ask. Unfortunately, we have had no other way of providing the education they need in this era of globalization," the director said.

On the plan to amend the regulation, Kim Dong-il, a senior official at the Council for Foreign Language Education, expressed his deep appreciation.

"I'm glad to hear that the government is finally making efforts to address the problem," Kim said. "This will enhance transparency and make private-language academies compete in order to provide a more competitive and better curriculum and teachers for businesses or government bodies."

An ACRC official said the commission will continue efforts to help improve the English education system in Korea.

As of April 2008, there were 18,029 foreign-language teachers in Korea and English-language teachers accounted for 16,751, or 92.7 percent.

Forty percent of foreign-language teachers are from the United States, 29.4 percent from Canada and 9.3 percent from Britain. Others include those from South American (4.1 percent), Australia (3.9 percent) and New Zealand (3.8 percent).

Samsung, LG to Introduce Solar-Powered Phones

Courtesy of SAMSUNG Electronics

Courtesy of LG Electronics


Samsung and LG Electronics, the South Korean handset duo, said Friday they will exhibit solar-powered and eco-friendly mobile phones at a telecommunication fair to be held in Spain.

Samsung said the industry's first "Blue Earth" handset features a solar panel on the back of the phone's battery, producing power to charge its battery.

"Just a 10-minute charge from the solar panel would allow a user to make a call for three minutes," Samsung spokesman Shin Young-june said.

"The latest device is a reflection of our steady commitment to producing more consumer electronics products with eco-friendly technology," Shin said, adding the phone is made from recycled plastic, helping reduce carbon emissions in the manufacturing process.

The "Mobile World Congress (MWC)" will take place in Barcelona from Feb. 16 to 19.

At the show, Samsung's cross-town rival LG Electronics will also take the similar step toward the environmental friendliness by showing off "eco-friendly" phones in its specially-designated "eco-zone" there.

"The phone is equipped with solar cells on the phone's battery cover, allowing the phone user to make a three minute call with a 10-minute charge," spokesman Park Seung-koo said.

LG aims to start selling the environmental-friendly devices this year, while Samsung's Shin declined to comment on the timing of the debut.

As one of the fastest-growing markets for gadgets, from notebooks to mobile phones, it's not surprising that green practices have emerged at the top of the agendas of technology companies.

Analysts and industry watchers say the time is ripe for the industry to convert rhetoric into "serious strategies" to go green.

At least in the handset industry, the trend is expected to gain full momentum at the upcoming telecommunication exhibition in Spain because Samsung and LG _ the No. 2 and No. 3 mobile phone producers, respectively _ clarified their keen interests in eco-related mobile devices.

Recycling or refurbishing is just "a word" technology companies are aiming at. Most handset makers are coming up with such devices, which cause less environmental damage.

The industry leader, Nokia's "3110 Evolve," is a phone with bio-covers made from more than 50 percent renewable materials.

The device is also presented in a small package made with 60 percent recycled content.

"Phones are getting smarter with advanced technologies. Despite the uncertain outlook in the global handset industry amid the deteriorating economy, leading vendors were injecting massive cash in a pre-emptive measure for the future," an analyst at Woori Investment & Securities said.

Separately, Samsung plans to introduce a smart-phone using Google's android platform this year.

"We will introduce the phone sometime in the second half of this year," another Samsung spokesman said, denying wider speculation that the company will exhibit the device at the show.

2009 Philippines-Korea Business Forum

Maeil Business Newspaper and MBN are launching a Manila Business Forum at the Philippines in coordination with Manila Bulletin from February 18 to 19.

The Philippines have been Korea’s long-time ally, having had participated in the Korean War. The two nations are celebrating their 60th anniversary for Korea-Philippine diplomatic relations this year.

The theme for this year’s forum is ‘Rediscovering the Philippines: the Pearl of Asia’ where investment environments of resource, energy, manufacturing, finance, agricultural and tourism industries in the Philippines will be explored in-depth.

Co-hosts: Maeil Business Newspaper & TV and Manila Bulletin

Time: 18 February to 19 February 2009

Venue: Manila Hotel

Last chance to see Gustav Klimt`s art outside Austria

Works by famous Austrian artist Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) are currently showing at Hangaram Art Museum at the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-dong.

The exhibition "Gustav Klimt in Korea 2009" showcases 100 of the Austrian artist`s most representative works, including 30 oil paintings and drawings.

Most of the works are from Belvedere Museum in Austria, which owns most of Klimt`s works. Twenty other art galleries in 11 countries also contributed to the exhibition.

The painting "Kiss," Klimt`s most well known work in Korea, however, did not make it to Seoul.

This exhibition is the first solo exhibition of Klimt in Asia and also the biggest. The Belvedere Museum also announced that Klimt exhibitions outside Austria will no longer happen after this exhibition. Belvedere Museum has been limiting the number of Klimt`s artworks to be shipped outside Austria for the sake of preservation.

The exhibition runs through May 15. Tickets are 16,000 won for adults, 8,000 won for adolescents and 5,000 won for kids. For more information, call (02) 334-4254 or visit www.klimtkorea.co.kr

Korean Students Largest Ethnic Group in US for Three Years

The number of Korean students in the United States hit a record high of 110,000 last year, the largest foreign students' group there for three years in a row, a U.S. immigration office said Tuesday.

According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a total of 110,083 Koreans were staying in America on a student visa as of the end of last year, accounting for 15.2 percent of 722,272 foreign students there.

The office said the 6.5 percent rise in the number of Korean students in 2008 was the lowest in four years, compared with double-digit increases between 2005 and 2007.

Indian students formed the second largest ethnic group with around 100,000 members, followed by Chinese, Japanese and Canadians, ICE said.

Business administration was the most sought-after subject among foreign students, with more than 145,800 students selecting it as their major.

Lotte Shopping Looks Beyond its 30 Years

(Photo: Lotte Department in China)

Lotte Shopping, which was founded on November 15 1979, will turn 30 this year. The company is leaving behind the honor of its past 30 years to push forward in presenting a vision to strive towards becoming a firm that stays around for a 100 years.

The seeds that earned Lotte the title of ‘distribution dinosaur’ were scattered in central Seoul in December 1979, according to Lotte Shopping on Monday. The first Lotte Department Store built here marked an annual sales revenue of 45.4 billion won in just one year to post a market share of 38 percent, climbing up to the top spot in the industry.

Afterwards in 1994, the department store recorded 1 trillion won in sales, while the main store became the first single branch to exceed 1 trillion won in sales in 1999. By aggressively increasing store counts, it has extended its presence to 26 branches nationwide. It was also the first in the industry to issue gift certificates in 1994.

Aside from the department store business, Lotte also owns the major discount store Lotte Mart and super supermarket (SSM) Lotte Super.

Lotte Mart currently holds a total of 91 branches-- 63 branches at home and 28 branches abroad-- after opening its first store in Gangbyeon in April 1998. Meanwhile, Lotte Super is operating 110 stores since this business division was launched in April 2004. Furthermore, Lotte Cinema, the movie theater arm that was established in 1999, has 46 branches nationwide.

Lotte Shopping is also putting on speed on developing the overseas market.

The company opened its first overseas Lotte Department Store in Moscow, Russia, in September 2007 and its second branch in Beijing, China, in August 2008.

McDonald’s Triggers Coffee War

Forget Starbucks and Coffee Bean, says McDonald's. Or at least, that's what the burger giant is punctuating in its latest local ad blitz, which sends one key message to consumers: cheap coffee can be good.

Promoting its new line of cappuccinos, lattes and mochas, the world's largest fast food chain has come out this week directly challenging coffee-shop chain leaders Starbucks, Hollys and Coffee Bean in a bid to steal a piece of the lucrative java market.

South Korea is one of the latest countries to be added to McDonald's McCafe marketing mix, as the golden arches chain has been expanding its cafe-style brand in the U.S., Latin America, Europe and Asia since 2003.

McDonald's biggest edge over its well-established rivals is price.

McCafe's Americano, which costs 2,000 won, is 20 to 30 percent less expensive than those from other makers, and McDonald's is making sure consumers know about its value with its aggressive media campaign, airing television commercials and plastering posters featuring the drinks at subway stations and bus stops.

The ads take a direct aim at Starbucks and Coffee Bean, saying, ``Forget the star and the bean.''

``Our bottom line is that just because a coffee is expensive doesn't mean it's good,'' said McDonald's spokeswoman Kim Ju-young, who explained that the burger chain's coffee is made from Italy's Lavazza beans.

Despite the bold move, competitors are quick to downplay McDonald's threat.

``We're the No. 1 market player by a clear lead, so McDonald's new campaign doesn't faze us much ― even though their coffee costs less than ours,'' said Joyce Park, marketing head of Starbucks Korea. The cheapest java drink at Starbucks costs 2,800 won.

Industry data shows that U.S. coffee powerhouse Starbucks has 33 percent of the domestic coffee shop market share, followed by Hollys with 19 percent, Coffee Bean 14 percent and Angel-in-us with 12 percent.

Park added Starbucks patrons come for a specific experience and culture that no other brand can offer. The world's biggest java chain, which currently has 270 outlets in Korea, plans to roll out about 40 to 50 more this year.

A spokeswoman of Hollys Coffee, a homegrown brand, declined to comment on the McDonald's challenge but implied that there is a place for everyone in the market. Hollys, with 183 shops nationwide, is aiming to run 236 by the end of the year.

The burger-and-fries company's shot at the specialty beverage market shows how attractive the business is, says Lee Dong-hoon, a researcher at Samsung Economic Research Institute, who highlighted the industry's strong margins.

McDonald's Korea currently runs 235 shops nationwide but did not disclose how many more stores will open this year. McCafe coffee bars will be installed at all outlets, it says.

McDonald's coffe is not only cheap but it also tastes good. For me, it beats Starbucks coffee. I have been drinking Starbucks coffee for a long time and the price of a cup is really extravagant.

McDonald's coffee is really the best!

The Day That I Got Drunk With Forest Smell - Yeongjong Island

I realize again how vulnerable I am

In the center of winter, I miss... that day.

Yeongjong Island is an island off the west coast of the city of Incheon.

The island is part of Incheon Metropolitan City's Jung-gu district.

Yeongjong Island is an area of reclaimed land built for the construction of the Incheon International Airport.

In addition to the airport, the island is known for Eulwangni Beach on the west coast, Haesoopia Spa on the south, the seafood market and Yongguksa Temple.

Internet Shopping in Korea

People buy from the internet in Korea. They buy almost everything. From shoes, tables and chairs, and even clothes?

Why do they buy from the internet?

First, it is very convenient. You just open your computer and you can start buying. It's that easy.

Second, the items sold are cheap. Mobile phones sold on the internet cost as low as $1. Very cheap! But there is a catch. The mobile phones must be used for a year so the cost is very low.

But even with the cost of mobile phone as well as the cost of using it, $1 is indeed very cheap.

So, why not just buy everything from the internet? Why do people still go out? They want to have a life, a social life. They want to talk to people, interact with people.

They also have to work. In order to earn money which will be used in buying things they need.

Well, not all things are sold on the internet. You have to go out to the local convenience store or supermarket in order to buy cigarettes and liquor.

Smoking Rate Rising

About 22.3 percent of Korean adults aged over 19 smoke, the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said Tuesday.

According to a government survey of 1,484 males and 1,522 females aged over 19, the legal minimum age to buy cigarettes, the smoking rate rose to 22.3 percent in the second half of 2008, compared with 21.9 percent six months ago.

The rate marked 40.9 percent among men, up from 40.4 percent six months ago. The female smoking rate stood at 4.1 percent, up from 3.7 percent. A ministry official cited worsening economic conditions among the factors behind the rise. Smoking rates have steadily fallen since 1992, when the ministry began to compile such data. It reached 39.5 percent that year ― 75.1 percent for men and 5.1 percent for women, and fell to 21.9 percent in the first half of 2008, when 40.4 percent of males and 3.7 percent of females smoked.

The ministry will come up with comprehensive steps to cut the rate after holding public hearings on anti-smoking policies in the first half of the year.

Smoking is bad for one's health. The legal age to smoke in South Korea is 19. Meaning, high school or even university students can buy cigarettes at the local convenience stores.

When a male member of the family smokes, the younger male members may follow suit. Why do you think so? They have a role model to follow.

The news report even said that worsening economic conditions is the leading cause of the high rate of smoking. Why should people during these hard times? They will just end up spending money on a useless thing.

Vegetables Account for 80% of Korean Meals

A Korean meal generally consists of 80 percent vegetables and 20 percent meat.

The Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported Sunday that Koreans ate 1,283 grams of food daily in 2007, broken down into 80.7 percent in vegetables, fruit and grain and 19.7 percent meat, fish or dairy products. They ate 287.5 grams of vegetables, 283 grams of grains, 175.7 grams of fruits, 93.9 grams of meat, 88.6 grams of dairy products and 52 grams of fish.

The foods they ate were transformed into 1,809 kilocalories of energy, below the intake recommended by the government. However, menus are becoming more westernized.

Youngsters have started eating meat earlier ― 38.5 percent of children aged between one and two eat meat. Meat intake has risen six times since 1969, the first time the survey was made.

The center also reported that those aged in their 30s and 40s are prone to be more obese because they prefer meat over vegetables.

In my mother-in-law's house, we do not eat meat. We always eat vegetables and fruits. We do not even drink softdrinks.

I remember only eating meat twice in Umma's house. One was chicken (samgetang) and the other was fried pork meat.

We only eat meat when we go out to a nearby restaurant to eat.

Korea posts record current account surplus

Korea’s current account surplus set an all-time high last month, hitting nearly $5 billion.

According to the “October trends of international account balance,” released by the Bank of Korea on Thursday, Korea recorded $4.91 billion in current account surplus.

The figure is the highest ever monthly record since 1980, when the country began tallying the data.
The trade account turned to the black due to a significant drop in import resulting from a plunge in prices of raw materials, including crude oil, while the service account narrowed deficits due to declining overseas travel by nationals due to a hike in forex rates.
The current account recorded $1.82 billion in surplus in June. But the balance turned to -$2.53 billion in July, -$4.7 billion in August, and -$1.35 billion in September, as the figure recorded deficits for three consecutive months. Cumulative current account deficits during this year’s January through October period came in at $9.01 billion.
The trade account turned from -$890 million in September to $2.79 billion in October. Both import and export growth slowed due to the aftereffects of the global economic slump, but Korea managed to post a trade surplus due to a plunge in import value stemming from falling prices of raw materials, including crude oil, the central bank said.

The service account deficit significantly narrowed from -$1.24 billion to -$50 million thanks to a surplus in travel account.
The travel account turned to the black thanks to the weakening won and the falling trend of Korean nationals’ overseas travel, as the country posted a surplus in the travel account for the first time since April 2001. In comparison, the net capital outflow widened from $4.78 billion in September to $25.53 billion in October.

Korea "Imports" Non-Native English Teachers (including India, the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia)

Non-native English speakers from India and other countries that use English as an official language will be able to teach at public schools from next year.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Justice said Sunday the government is opening the doors for English teaching positions wider to secure more foreign English teachers at primary and secondary schools nationwide.

The government has so far allowed English teacher assistant jobs at public schools only to native-English speakers who had completed more than two years of their college courses; and the nationality of the eligible applicants was limited to seven countries ― the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland.

There are about 50 countries that have adopted English as an official language. However, we will not open the doors to all teachers from these countries,'' Oh Seok-hwan, an official of the education ministry, told The Korea Times. ``Only foreigners whose countries have trade agreements with Korea can apply for the positions. These include India, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines,'' he added. The number of foreigners holding English-teaching E-2 visa has increased to 19,934 this year, up from 17,721 in 2007 and 15,001 in 2006. Among the visa holders, some 4,300 are working at public schools as assistant English teachers.

However, many schools in rural areas are still in need of native English speakers. The government sees the relaxation of the visa rule as a way to help those schools have foreign teachers for English conversation classes. Requirements for the non-native teachers, however, will be much stricter than those for native speakers. Non-native speakers have to hold a bachelor's degree or above in English studies and teaching licenses from their countries.

According to the Education Ministry, more than half of the current foreign assistant teachers don't even have basic English teaching certificates such as TESOL. English education experts are positive about the plan.

This word `native speaker' is an invention. There's no reason why we should consider someone lucky enough to hold a passport from a country using English as a first language country to be a better speaker than someone from a land where English is used less prominently.

I know many Filipinos and Indians who speak English more comfortably than some people who were born in the U.S.,'' said Rob Dickey, an American English professor.

As for concerns over the ``harsh'' accent of non-native speakers, the professor said, ``Many Americans can't understand Australians and vice versa, so purity of the accent is a political consideration. The other fact is more than 50 percent of all visitors to Korea who use English are not native speakers, so it would be good for students to hear many different varieties of English.

''Lee Byung-min, an English education professor at Seoul National University, said that qualified non-native speakers with teaching licenses would be much better for Korean English education than native speakers without teaching licenses. ``We can also choose highly qualified non-native teachers at lower costs as their wages are relatively lower,'' Lee said.

Parents' groups also showed positive reaction to Asian English teachers. ``Korean English education has put too lopsided focus on American English so far and there have been many unqualified teachers at schools. We don't oppose English teachers from India or the Philippines as long as they are proven teachers,'' said Yoon Sook-ja, chairwoman of the National Association of Parents for True Education.


This year, 1400 teacher will be hired.

Oh, well. It is a good thing non-native speakers even from my country are allowed to teach here next year.
So they will be able to earn a living. And maybe someday, may even be able to go to the cities to teach.

Rent Bikes Via Mobile Phone

A mobile phone-based authorization system is a first for bike rentals in Korea.
What can we do with mobile phones in Korea?

One of my students hears MP3 through the telephone while going to school.

Paying the metro or the bus uses the phone.

Take photos with friends and upload his/her own blog or SNS pages through phone.

Use the phone as dictionary when they needed during class.

Parents check their kids' location through the phone.

My husband uses the phone as navigation when he goes to work.

He searches the web through phone when he is out.

Sometimes when he works late, he calls me using image calling to see our daughter.

I pay the bills and banking service using the phone.

I have lots of soap operas in my phone that I missed.

When I go to the grocery shop, I scan the products barcode to get the information of products.

I think it is time that you can do everything through the mobile phone.

(If you need a special function, I am sure some mobile phone supports that.)

This is the result of a mobile phone function's use by country from ABIresearch early this year.

1. Function needs are necessary.

2. Main functions that are now in your phone.

3. Functions you do not use.

It is different from the country's own situation.

I can't say, why or how...

Because I am not specialized for these mobile things.

But I am sure if people do not use some contents for that,

Maybe it is not worth paying for it.

Anyway, world goes to the wireless even in relationships.

I hope I will follow well.

24 Flash Sites That Bring You Refreshment!

I am not so much of a fan of flash site or itself.

First of all, it is too heavy.

But it is so interesting to see well-designed flash sites.

Concealed weak points, maximize merits.

These are my favorites flash sites:-)

creaktif.com

porliniers.com

prismgirl.org

2advanced.com

devallededosmonstros.com.br

targetscope.com

liptoncleargreen.nl

piotrowskimichal.com

odopod.com

okaydave.com

hellosoursally.com

sensisoft.com

samsung.ru/blackline

christiansparrow.com

wildridexm.com

thecornonabeach.com

experience159.com

ecodazoo.com

adventskalender.ifaw.de

gettheglass.com

hungrysuitcase.com

adventskalender.ifaw.de

ff0000.com

tbwahakuhodo.co.jp

Did you feel something unique to your senses?
When I feel the lack of idea or I need to refresh my mind, visit these sites.

It brings me ideas and desires.

Hope you like it, too.

DO YOU WANT TO SEE KOREAN CONSTRUCTION FENCES? CLICK HERE

The Day's Out to Insadong

We have the intention of going to the departments stores but we ended up in Insadong. ^.^

Insadong is a district of the South Korean City of Seoul.

The main street is Insadong-gil which is connected to a multitude of alleys that lead deeper into the district.

The notable features of Insadong are the countless alleys that branch out from the main street. Insadong was once known as ‘Mary’s Alley’ and is a favorite shopping spot among foreigners.

Over forty percent of the nation’s antique stores are in Insadong.

The antiques sold tend to be more valuable than those sold on other art streets in Korea.

Most of the stores sell old books, pictures and calligraphy.

Among the antiques are old pictures, pottery, wooden containers and jewelry.

Insadong is visited by many foreign visitors from Japan, China, France, the United States, and other countries.

It's not bad to walk on a sunny day.

This area is full of restaurants worth visiting.

Walking for a while you can see Bosingak.

There is a huge bell that was rung to announce the time several times a day and to signal the opening and closing of the city gates. It was also used as a fire alarm.

In modern times, the bell is rung only at midnight on New Year's Eve because of the massive number of people who attend this ceremony.

Samsung Securities Building. Landmark of Jongro-gu.

There are several ways to go to Insadong from here.

We decided to use an alley instead of the main street.

Here we go! Insadong. We can always feel the warmth.

Many seals. To me they are very exotic.

Insadong has so many interesting things.

Now we arrive at a place called Ssamzie gil.

One of the well-known places to meet someone in Korea.

What is this?

My hubby says it was a love letter found in a grave that was written 400 years ago.

This is original. Amazing!

One hour ago, I wrote an e-mail to my hubby.

After we are gone, can google find that? -_-;;

Please do!

Inside Ssmazie gil. Very unique structures.

Good for eye shopping.

In Korea, most people have their own dslr camera. Really! I even have my own!

Someday, I will be posting about that.

Anyway, what are they shooting?

In front of Ssamzie gil.

A very exotic scene to me.

Everything is red.

Wow! A free concert. Enjoy for a while.

There are many small antique shops.

I like to see this. But I will never buy...;;;

As for someone who worked in retail, I hate this customer.^^

There are people who can feel the same things.

Insects collections?

Its nice to shoot. But where can we use this?

Kittens. Very cute....

Handmade. Maybe for the cellphone?

Small mums. I like it!

Art gallery.

In front of the gallery, there is a dumpling shop. Very good. I must visit. hehe~

Inside the gallery. We can enjoy the tea.

A quilt work. How can we make this by hand?

Enjoy the late autumn. (I visited before it got cold!)

Something very...artistic...?

Insa gallery.

Small pottery shop.

I do not know why but I feel comfortable.

When you visit Seoul,

Many people recommend Insadong.

There is a reason for that.

Prepare a small camera and enjoy it.

Night time, you can see all kinds of lights in here.