After earning his Korean citizenship in August 2017, Kim Jin hopes Korea’s rugby sevens team can pull off a miracle at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. [JANG JIN-YOUNG]Special naturalization in Korean sports is perhaps best associated with the men’s ice hockey team, basketball player Ra Gun-a and marathon runner Oh Joo-han, but there are some athletes in less popular sports who have found their way here for a shot at glory.Kim Jin, or Andre Jin Kim Coquillard, is the very first player on the Korean men’s rugby sevens team to have earned his Korean citizenship through special naturalization, and just next year he will wear the Taeguk Mark at the world’s biggest sporting event.Last month, the Korean men’s rugby sevens team, ranked 31st, defeated No. 21 Hong Kong 12-7 to earn a spot at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Korea was lucky to earn their first-ever ticket to play rugby at the Games as eighth-ranked Japan, the highest-ranked team in Asia, already earned their spot … [Read more...] about Crouch, bind, set, hope for a miracle
A visit to Vietnam’s Ho Tram, before the crowds: As more Koreans flock to Da Nang and Nha Trang, a new resort town pops up
Vacationers relax in a pool at the Melia Ho Tram Beach Resort, one of the newly-opened resorts in Ho Tram, which is expected to become more crowded with the possible construction of an international airport nearby. [MELIA HO TRAM BEACH RESORT]HO TRAM, Vietnam - Just as Da Nang and Nha Trang have established themselves as beach destinations for travelers from across the world, Ho Tram is gearing up to become the next-generation hot spot. Its proximity to Ho Chi Minh City, which is accessible by car without the hassle of transferring flights, makes the beach town that currently has less than 10 resorts even more attractive. The fact that it is relatively lesser known also works as a plus for travelers who want to be the first to spread the word about new spots. Ho Tram is about 110 kilometers (68 miles) southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, and it usually takes about three hours to get there by car. Once construction of the Long Thanh International Airport is finished it will be even easier to … [Read more...] about A visit to Vietnam’s Ho Tram, before the crowds: As more Koreans flock to Da Nang and Nha Trang, a new resort town pops up
U.S. asks Security Council to discuss North
Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute, posted to his Twitter account Sunday satellite images of the Sohae site. Top is before a rocket engine test and above is after the engine test. [SCREEN CAPTURE FROM TWITTER]The United Nations Security Council is set to convene today to discuss North Korea’s recent provocations at the request of the United States, according to Reuters on Tuesday. Citing a U.S. official, the report said the UN Security Council would undertake a “comprehensive update on recent developments on the Korean Peninsula, including recent missile launches and the possibility of an escalatory” provocation on the part of North Korea. An official from the U.S. State Department told the JoongAng Ilbo that its request to hold a Security Council meeting was made in consideration of U.S. President Donald Trump’s meeting with the head delegate of the Council’s permanent members last week. The … [Read more...] about U.S. asks Security Council to discuss North
WeMakePrice raises 120 billion won
Cash-strapped e-commerce start-up WeMakePrice raised 120 billion won ($100 million) and plans to use the funding to shore up its finances and scale up its retail business.WeMakePrice said on Tuesday that Wonder Holdings, its parent, attracted the investment from IMM Investment, a local private equity firm, in exchange for a 4.28 percent of its shares.The announcement came after Nexon pledged to invest a total of 350 billion won in September. Of that, 250 billion won has been transferred to the start-up. “We have brought in a total of 370 billion won of investment only for the second half of this year,” the company said in a statement. “The funding has let the company claw its way out of the state of capital impairment and allow for investment for further expansion,” it said. Impaired capital is a balance sheet condition where a company’s total capital becomes less than the face value of its capital stock. The funds will be used mainly to strengthen sales … [Read more...] about WeMakePrice raises 120 billion won
Assembly passes 16 bills, talks on divisive issues continue
Shim Jae-cheol, far right, floor leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, and Rep. Kim Jae-won, second from right, talk with Lee In-young, seated center, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party, about next year’s budget bill at the main conference hall of the National Assembly on Tuesday. [NEWS1]Chief negotiators of three major parties sat down on Tuesday for their final negotiations on fixing the Moon Jae-in administration’s spending plan for next year, after their earlier deal to pass the budget bill on Monday was nixed by the main opposition party. National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang and floor leaders of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) and Bareunmirae Party started the negotiations at 1:36 p.m. at the National Assembly. A voting session, scheduled to reopen at 2 p.m. from recess, was delayed as the meeting continued. Earlier in the morning, the National Assembly held a session and passed 16 uncontentious bills. … [Read more...] about Assembly passes 16 bills, talks on divisive issues continue
