More foreign entrepreneurs are starting new businesses in Seoul with the help of the Seoul Global Center’s entrepreneurship program. SGC has helped at least 36 foreign entrepreneurs start new businesses, including restaurants, education services, business consulting and an auto parts retailer, since it started the Business Start-up School in 2009. So far, 326 people have taken part in the program. “I was having trouble with establishing a company in Seoul because I didn’t do the foreign investor

A student who completes a three-year undergraduate course in China or Australia will be recognized as a holder of a bachelor’s degree in Korea under a recently revised agreement on academic recognition in Asia-Pacific countries.The Education Ministry said Sunday that the UNESCO ministerial meeting in Tokyo on Nov. 25-26 adopted the revised UNESCO convention on the recognition of qualifications in higher education in Asia-Pacific region. The meeting drew delegates from 28 countries to discuss the

Half of students in elementary and secondary schools in Seoul fail to interact with foreign assistant teachers as most of them do not understand what the teachers say in English, a study showed on Sunday. The study was based on a survey by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on 43,742 students, parents, English teachers and foreign assistant teachers in elementary and secondary schools in Seoul.The survey found that about 50 percent of students have little interaction with foreign teacher

By Lee Woo-young Students, parents and teachers in Seoul show high satisfaction with foreign English teachers, believing they contribute to improving students’ English proficiency and confidence, a study showed. The study was based on a survey by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on 43,742 students, parents, English teachers and foreign assistant teachers in elementary and secondary schools in Seoul. The survey showed that 54.2 percent of parents said English classes conducted by native

Lights are on to dazzle visitors looking for glamour at Cheongdam Fashion Street, the traditional high-end luxury street between Cheongdam crossroads to Galleria’s Department Store in Gangnam District. The 1.3 kilometer street, dotted with splendid stores of luxury brands and art galleries, is transformed into a street of lights in the winter, becoming the perfect place for seasonal outings for couples, families and tourists. Despite the emergence of Garosu-gil and Dosan Park as new fashion stre

By Lee Woo-young Higher education degrees will be recognized in Asia-Pacific countries including Korea, Japan, China, Australia and Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia, the Education Ministry said Sunday. The UNESCO ministerial-level meeting on Nov. 25-26 with delegations from 28 countries attending in Tokyo has adopted the revised legal agreement of the UNESCO’s convention on the recognition of qualification in higher education in Asia-Pacific region

 Opposition lawmakers, labor unions, farmers hold anti-government ralliesThousands of anti-FTA protesters gathered in downtown Seoul on Thursday afternoon for a third massive protest after the Korea-U.S. FTA was ratified on Tuesday, urging the government to scrap the deal. Opposition party lawmakers, labor unions, farmers and citizens gathered in Seoul Plaza despite the cold and called the free trade deal invalid. They criticized the Lee Myung-bak administration and the ruling Grand National Par

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon became the host for an online broadcast Thursday in an effort to listen to citizens on city policies and open doors for them to express their opinions.“You see I kept my promise when I said during my mayoral campaign that I will visit citizens even after I get elected,” said Park during the live online broadcast from his office. The broadcast started at 2 p.m. on two online TV channels, Afreeca TV and Olleh On-Air, and consisted of three parts ― Seoul city government ne

Lifelong learning participation has increased from 29.8 percent in 2007 to 32.4 percent in 2011, but remains short of the OECD average of 40.2 percent, a survey showed Tuesday. Participation in adult education was higher among women, younger people and persons of high income, but remained otherwise, according to the Education Ministry survey. The survey asked 5,000 people between the ages of 25 and 64 to find out patterns and achievements in education and training in terms of lifelong learning s

Four out of 10 elderly people in Seoul feel alienated and depressed, a survey on quality of life among senior citizens in Seoul showed Monday. The Seoul Welfare Foundation surveyed 1,590 people age 60 or older currently living in Seoul, and suggested the Seoul city government reflect the research in formulating its welfare policies for the aged, officials said. According to the survey, 41.1 percent of respondents raised concerns about being alienated in society. Regarding their health, 23.7 perc

Reported sex crimes among school students in Seoul surged from nine in 2009 to 23 in 2011, leading to calls to strengthen sex education.According to data released by city councilor Yoon Myung-hwa, of the 53 cases from 2009-2011, 36 were committed by middle school students, the number increasing from two to 18 over the period. The latest case involved a second grade middle school student who stripped his classmate’s pants, took photos of his genitals and made jokes, according to Yoon. Another cas

An international conference of cities with strong cultural assets and diversity adopted a declaration on Thursday in Seoul, calling for regular meetings and a common vision of “sustainable development based on creativity.”The UNESCO Creative Cities Network Conference, hosted by the Seoul city government Nov. 16 and 17, highlighted worldwide cooperation for sustainable urban development and creative ideas to realize it. In the Seoul Declaration, mayors of 41 cities around the world agreed to hold

Seoul will show China that it has more than K-pop by holding a Korean fashion convention in Hangzhou and Xian, two of the biggest fashion markets in China, city officials said. A total of 12 Korean fashion brands will participate in the event from Nov. 21-26 in the two commercial cities, and expect to utilize the opportunity as a platform to enter the Chinese market and appeal to its consumers.The participants include medium-sized brands such as Linayun, LeeDongWoo Collection, Bengal Vintage and

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon vowed to become a “welfare mayor” in an unusual online inaugural ceremony on Wednesday, stressing that welfare is not a privilege but a right.“Regardless of where people live in northern or southern parts of Seoul, I will do my best to guarantee that every citizen can have an equal quality of life and the minimum level of welfare,” Park said in his inaugural speech. Park also said that now is the time that welfare drives growth and that welfare is the “best savings with

Jeong Kap-young, economics professor at Yonsei University, has been nominated as president of the university, the school said Monday. The university’s board selected Jeong from five candidates recommended by the presidential search committee. “After the board reviewed possible violations of research ethics among the five candidates, their financial statuses, criminal and hospital records and other conditions in the nomination process, the board members picked Jeong after the final interview on M

A new vaccine to control endemic cholera and large-scale outbreaks around the world, received approval by the World Health Organization, according to the Seoul-based International Vaccine Institute, which developed the vaccine. Developed by the IVI, the vaccine is produced by Shanta Biotechnics, an Indian biotechnology company, with financial support from Gates Foundation, and the governments of Korea and Sweden. The IVI said that the vaccine will help facilitate large-scale immunization since i

The Seoul City government will invite foreign residents in Seoul to local Korean homes to help them better understand Korean culture. The city government plans to select 100 foreigners and let them visit local Korean families to experience culture and customs and enhance understanding of Korean people by having dinner together and playing traditional games on Dec. 4, officials said. Those who want to take part should fill application forms available on the website of the Seoul Global Center (glo

Park Wan-chul, 56, senior researcher of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology has been named scientist of the year for his new water purification technology by the Korea Science Reporters Association, the KSRA said Sunday.Park recently developed a new technology to purify livestock waste and its odor by using microorganisms and made it available for use at local animal farms, according to the KSRA. Nicknamed the “poo doctor” for his 27 years of research in eliminating water pollutants in

College entrance exam weighs on students, parents, even exam writersPark Jae-heung, a senior at Shinjang High School in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, was hospitalized with acute pancreatitis three days before she took the state-administered college entrance exam on Thursday. Though she suffered from pain and a high fever after surgery, she made up her mind to take the exam which could play a decisive role in what university she attends and career she pursues.This year, over 690,000 students took the

The morning rush hour and public transportation schedule will be adjusted Thursday for the annual state-run examination for college admission.The College Scholastic Ability Test, a key decider of college entrance, will take place throughout the nation on Thursday.Government offices and companies with over 50 employees advised their employees on Wednesday to come to work one hour late to alleviate traffic for students heading to test sites, government officials said.And more subways trains and bu