By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter (Korea Times)

RNL Bio, a Seoul-based biotech firm, plans to open a research center for canine cloning early next year.

By 2013, it will have the ability to produce 1,000 cloned dogs per year, company executives said.

RNL Bio is one of the world's few companies that are attempting to turn dog cloning into a business. Another is San Francisco-based Bio Arts, which is engaged in a patent dispute with RNL Bio over commercial cloning activities.

"Dog cloning is a skill perfected by Korea. Our research center will provide the first step in commercialization," said Ra Jeong-chan, the chief executive of RNL Bio.

The company said it had purchased 16,500 square meters of land in Gyeonggi Province to build the center, which will focus on cloning pets, working dogs and also endangered species, including wolves.

It has particularly high hopes for working dogs, such as bomb and drug sniffing retrievers and also a new breed of dogs known for their talent at detecting cancer cells.

RNL Bio also said it will provide a total service for dog cloning, which includes a stem cell bank and treatment.

By the time the company achieves the ability to produce 1,000 dogs per year, it will earn around 100 billion won annually, with the price of a cloned dog dropping from the current $100,000 to $30,000, the executives said.

RNL Bio have already provided a group of cloned drug-sniffing retrievers to the Korea Customs Service, and also successfully cloned puppies of "Marine," a retriever trained to recognize the scent of chemicals found in cancer cells. The puppies are currently being trained in Japan, the company said.

Dogs are considered one of the more difficult mammals to clone because of their reproductive cycle that includes difficult-to-predict ovulation.

Bio Arts had been repeatedly criticizing RNL Bio of "destroying" the dog cloning market by aggressively lowering prices, and is skeptical whether pet cloning will ever become a viable business.

It's also questionable whether companies or government organizations will be willing to pay the premium for genetic copies of working dogs. Researchers argue that training has more to do with the ability of such special-purpose animals than genes.

thkim@koreatimes.co.kr

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2009/08/129_50082.html


the source - http://english.gg.go.kr/

By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter [Korea Times]

Among visitors to Ilsan Lake Park in northern Gyeonggi Province, few will disagree that the place is ideal for daytime leisure.



Ilsan Lake Park, Gyeonggi Province, ranks No.1. in the list of the best jogging and walking course in and around Seoul. / Courtesy of Environment Ministry

The nation's largest artificial lake park with a "singing fountain" was ranked as the best jogging and walking course in and around Seoul by the Metropolitan Air Quality Management Office, Thursday.

"The 5.8 kilometer-long path is an excellent place for people to walk, run and do other exercises. Other athletic activities such as marine sports and skateboarding among others are possible, too. It makes the park attractive not only for joggers but families," Sohn Ji-hwan, an office staff member, said.

The office selected 20 jogging courses in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province according to the scenery, their air condition, accessibility by public transport and whether they really fit into the concept of jogging routes.

"We all know that fresh air and a good environment means a lot for good jogging," Sohn said.



Misari Path, Hanam, Gyeonggi Province

Seoul Zoo located in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, grabbed second place. Formerly known as the Grand Park, the zoo has not only animals but also 11.4 kilometers of pathways providing the perfect environment for jogging and walking. Camping sites, art galleries as well as other cultural and leisure sites make the zoo one of the most popular places among Seoulites, the office said.

Gwangnaru between Gangdong Bridge and Olympic Bridge took fourth place. Being the only water resource preservation area in Seoul, there are several ancient housing sites, roller-skating and bicycle routes and playgrounds.

The 661,160-square-meter Green Park in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, placed eighth. A wetland with reeds, an event lounge, exhibition halls and other amenities made the park the most appreciated in Ansan, the management office said.

Sites Good for Walking

1. Ilsan Lake Park, Gyeonggi Province
2. Seoul Zoo, Gyeonggi Province
3. Wangsukcheon Park, Guri, Gyeonggi Province
4. Gwangnaru, Seoul
5. Gwangmun Park, Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province
6. Misari Path, Hanam, Gyeonggi Province
7. Geolpo Stream, Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province
8. Green Park, Ansan, Gyeonggi Province
9. Shincheon, Donducheon, Gyeonggi Province
10. Neungseon Road, Eunpyeong, Seoul

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/08/117_50064.html


the source - http://english.gg.go.kr/

In a recent lecture, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Moon-Soo highlighted the need to ease regulations and stimulate development in the Seoul Metropolitan Area.

Governor Kim gave a special lecture under the theme of "Gyeonggi Province, the Future of Korea," which he delivered at the invitation of the Ministry of Government Legislation on July 20, 2009. During the lecture, he remarked, "Dalian of China grants 2.5 million pyeong (8.25 million square meters) of land to attract a single STX plant. The full-fledged support of Dalian also includes long-term, low-interest loans amounting to USD 0.6 billion. We need to learn from this type of assertive approach so that we can stimulate the economy."

He added, "Yongin and Suwon-Hwaseong in Gyeonggi Province are popular tourist destinations, but these areas do not have any decent hotels due to the regulations of the central government. This is not due to the local government, but the local branch of the central government."

Governor Kim gave special emphasis to the need to revise laws and regulations pertaining to the Seoul Metropolitan Area, such as the Law of Metropolitan Area Planning.

He said, "In order to invigorate the national economy, including the economy in Gyeonggi Province, we need to transfer authority to local governments, and boldly abolish or ease regulations. As can be seen by the cases of Kia Motors and Icheon Hynix Semiconductor, we should ease regulations in local areas while maintaining the green belt in the metropolitan area."

Minister of Government Legislation Lee Seog-Yeon listened carefully to the special lecture of Governor Kim, and later remarked, "We will more actively participate in the project to revise laws and regulations that inconvenience citizens, and will aim to abolish unreasonable regulations that fail to reflect reality."


the source - http://english.gg.go.kr/

At a briefing led by Governor Kim Moon-Soo on July 20, Gyeonggi Province announced that the Korea Boat Show and the World Racing Tour Korea Match Cup induced production of KRW 290.8 billion.

Additional value created reached KRW 92.5 billion, while 1,472 jobs were created by the events.

The Province emphasized the need to develop policies to attract major foreign businesses, expand actual business spaces and improve opportunities for visitors to enjoy marine leisure experiences.

The Province also highlighted the need for policies to improve recognition of the World Racing Tour.

The Gyeonggi Research Institute released proposals for the development of a permanent exhibition system for the marine leisure industry, the continuous attraction of international boat shows, and acquisition of UFI certification (http://www.ufi.org/).

The Province hosted the 2nd Korea Boat Show and the World Racing Tour Korea Match Cup at Jeongok Port of Hwaseong City and Tando Port of Ansan City from June 3 to 7, 2009.

A total of 438 export contracts worth KRW 112.3 billion were concluded during the events, which attracted more than 350,000 visitors.


the source - http://english.gg.go.kr/



Korea Boat Show

Demilitarized Zone to Be Venue for Film Festival (Korea Times)


07-28-2009

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the Korean Peninsula is one of the most heavily armed areas in the world. But it is also a unique hot spot for both tourism and scientific research ¡ª a specimen of the Cold War where rare species of flora and fauna abound.

The 38th Parallel now aims to reinvent the remnants of conflict into a space for artistic communication through the DMZ Korean International Documentary Festival (DMZ Docs), which opens its inaugural event from Oct. 21 to 26 in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.

Under the theme "Peace, Communication and Life," the festival will showcase documentaries from near and far.

The opening festival will take place at Daeseong Elementary School, and festival goers can watch screenings at the Paju Unification Observatory, tour the area on bicycles and watch live performances by indie bands.

Popular actor and Gyeongi Performing and Film Council Chairman Cho Jae-hyun will lead the event as festival director. Joining him on the committee are Kim Dong-ho, festival director of the Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival (PIFF); veteran actors Ahn Sung-ki, Lee Soon-jae and Choi Bul-am; and directors Park Chan-wook and Lee Jun-ik, among others.

The first festival of its kind, DMZ Docs is hosted by Gyeonggi Province and Paju City, and organized by the Gyeongi Performing and Film Council and the Gyeonggi Digital Contents Agency.

For more information call (02) 3672-0181 or visit http://www.dmzdocs.co.kr/ (to be updated soon).

hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2009/07/135_49217.html



the source - http://english.gg.go.kr/

Film Council Chairman Cho Jae-hyun and veteran actors Ahn Sung-ki and Gyeonggi-do Governor Kim Moon-soo

festival director of the Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival (PIFF) Kim Dong-ho

veteran actors Lee Soon-jae

veteran actors  Choi Bul-am

directors Park Chan-wook

directors Lee Jun-ik

Gyeonggi Province Working Night and Day to Drive Economic Growth

Gyeonggi Province has been making efforts night and day to promote globalization, and its efforts have paid off.

A Gyeonggi delegation, led by Governor of Gyeonggi Province Kim Moon-Soo, visited Dalian (China) on the weekend of July 18th and 19th, for a tour of STX's Dalian plant. The purpose of the visit to Dalian was to learn from the efforts of Liaoning (China) to attract foreign investment and to ease regulations hindering the economic growth of the Province. Liaoning's efforts resulted in the successful attraction of STX.

Accelerating its activities for global exchanges and cooperation, Gyeonggi Province entered into sisterhood relations with Liaoning in 2009. The Province is also preparing to establish sisterhood ties with Vietnam in the second half of the year. When this partnership building process is complete, the province will have successfully established sisterhood ties with three regions in a single year.

The province formed sisterhood ties with Hebei (China) on June 22nd, 2009, following systematic negotiations and efforts. Considering the population, economic size and area of Hebei, it is expected that sisterhood relations with Hebei will significantly contribute to the economic growth of both provinces when full-fledged inter-regional exchanges take place. In addition, as Hebei is now emerging as a major pillar of the pan-Balhae Bay economic zone, sisterhood ties with Hebei will further stimulate economic exchanges and trade with China.

The establishment of sisterhood ties with Vietnam, one of the world's emerging economies, is also recognized as a major achievement. Vietnam is an emerging country in Southeast Asia, and has benchmarked Korea as a model for post-war economic growth. In response to growing demand in the Vietnamese market, leading businesses including Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are now engaged in diverse marketing activities to enter the Vietnamese market.

Gyeonggi Province has laid the foundation for Vietnamese market entry by businesses of the province through the development of sisterhood ties with two regions (Hanoi, Nghe An Province) in Vietnam that are focusing on economic growth. As the sisterhood ties will involve exchanges in diverse sectors including culture, sports, agriculture and R&D, complementary products will advance into the markets of each country through the steering committees of both parties.

Gyeonggi Province's global mindset is based on the belief that strengthened global competitiveness will bring economic growth for the province, as Korea now has access to the world's largest market, following its conclusion of FTAs with the US and the EU.

The province is now working to reinforce local diplomatic skills and coordination for exchanges and cooperation as part of its efforts to improve its global mindset. With the belief that the diplomatic capability of local governments will determine national development, the province will host special lectures by inviting diplomatic experts, improving the language skills of public officers with the help of native speakers, improving presentation skills on the global stage and improving global etiquette for diplomacy. For exchange and cooperation programs related to support for foreigners, the province will plan, operate and coordinate various international exchange programs with help of interpreters from the economic investment office.


the source - http://english.gg.go.kr/renewal/news/news/today_view.jsp?lm=01&seq=865&page=1&method=&query=

Gyeonggi Province Focuses on Attracting Global R&D Centers

With the intensifying competition between countries to attract the R&D centers of world-leading businesses, Gyeonggi Province plans to focus on attracting the global R&D centers of multinational businesses that are equipped with advanced technology as well as Fortune 500 companies.

To achieve this, the province will build an R&D Center in the Pangyo Techno Valley to ensure the timely supply of R&D space, and will work with the Ministry of Knowledge Economy to jointly develop diverse incentive programs, including tax reductions and cash grants, by designating a foreign investment zone.

Gyeonggi Province has designated this R&D Center as a hub for foreign investment inducement as the center will create synergies with other R&D clusters in the province, including Gwanggyo and Pangyo Techno Valley, and will have enormous effects in terms of technological development. Working in tandem with central government agencies, the province has strengthened its efforts to attract foreign investors since the second half of 2008.

As a result of these efforts, the province entered into an MOU last March for an investment of USD 20 million with Broadcom, the world's No. 2 wireless communication service provider, and is now negotiating with Qualcomm, a Fortune 500 company and a supplier of key parts for the semiconductor industry, for the construction of R&D centers.

The Province has been working to reach agreements on the construction of R&D centers with T, a US-based world leader in video security, and B, a German multinational chemical corporation. These investments will be finalized in the second half of 2008.

Gyeonggi Province aims to stimulate the national competitiveness of domestic businesses and develop talented human resources by attracting R&D centers of multinational businesses, while working jointly with provincial R&D clusters and businesses to build an Asian R&D hub.

In 2005, the province launched a center at Kins Tower (Bundang) to attract R&D investment from multinational businesses. Beginning with Axesstel, five companies have joined so far, including Siemens Medical, a medical devices R&D leader. The building now accommodates 252 researchers, who are actively engaged in R&D advancements.
 

the source - http://english.gg.go.kr/renewal/news/news/today_view.jsp?lm=01&seq=864&page=1&method=&query=

2009 Giftex Opens, Amid High Interest in Japan

The 2009 Giftex opened on July 8, 2009.

Giftex marks its 4th anniversary this year, and is being held for three days until July 10, 2009. It is Japan’s largest trade show, and is the leading international trade show in the gift industry, attended by more than 60,000 buyers and participants each year.

Giftex is a trade show dedicated to gifts, character products and accessories, and gives participating businesses an opportunity to advance into the Japanese market, where demand is robust and related industries thrive. It is expected that the show will provide rich opportunities for contact with local agents and distributors, including wholesalers, department stores, interior shops and lifestyle shops, giving participants a clear edge when it comes to securing Japanese sales channels.

The show includes a design fair, a childcare product fair and a stationary and paper product fair, creating synergies for each category.

Giftex was participated in by ten companies from Gyeonggi Province, which together won 75 contracts worth more than USD 48.9 million on the first day of the show. One success story was Bonibee, the aluminum kitchen cast-iron product manufacturer in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province. The company participated in Giftex to diversify its export channel from China to Japan, and showcased new products it had developed for this show.

Anyang

Representative Kim Chang-Kwon of Bonibee said, “We entered into distributorship agreements with Eiwa Shoji Co in Tokyo and Apide Co., Ltd. in Osaka at this show. Under these agreements, we will annually supply products worth USD 1 million to those distributors.”

A spokesperson for the company said, “As Japanese buyers are showing high interest in our new products, we concluded numerous contracts and expect further export opportunities. We also entered into contracts worth USD 0.4 million with retailers and importers that supply products to department stores in Japan. We are achieving remarkable results at the show.”

Wooju Eltec, the air purifier manufacturer, is also capturing the attention of many buyers from Hong Kong and Japan. Representative Moon Bong-Kwon said, “Japanese buyers appreciate our products for their small form factor, excellent design, and their new technology, which removes odors and dust with a motor and a filter. We have entered into several contracts already.”

As other Korean companies are still negotiating with buyers who expressed a high level of interest, companies from Gyeonggi Province are expected to achieve some remarkable results during the show.