[WSK] G20 Seoul Summit Special 3

The Agenda of the G20 Seoul Summit 



Follow-up Agenda 
The G20 Seoul Summit, above all, will focus on following up on previous G20 commitments which include : 

* Safeguarding the ongoing recovery and restoring fiscal sustainability 
* Ensuring strong, sustainable, and balanced global growth 
* Building a stronger international financial regulatory system 
* Modernizing international financial institutions 

To read more in-depth, click the following link : 
http://www.seoulsummit.kr/eng/goPage.g20?return_url=TOP01_SUB03_01  


New Agenda
In addition to delivering on previous G20 commitments, Korea as the G20 president for 2010, will also bring new perspectives and new issues to the G20, with a view to addressing the needs of the emerging and developing world as part of the effort to support sustainable growth globally. 

* Global Financial Safety Net System
Korea is advocating strengthening global financial safety nets to assist countries to deal with capital volatility. Without reliable financial safety nets, many emerging and developing countries have had to rely on self-insurance, giving them greater impetus to accumulate large foreign reserves. 

* Development Issues
Korea is also interested in fostering renewed discussions on development issues. The G20 leaders collectively recognized that narrowing the development gap and reducing poverty are integral to the broader objectives to achieve strong, sustainable and balanced growth, as well as to ensure a more robust and resilient global economy. Korea will act as a bridge between the advanced, emerging and developing worlds by fully engaging all relevant stakeholders, with a focus on the development needs of low income countries. 

To read more in-depth, click the following link : 
http://www.seoulsummit.kr/eng/goPage.g20?return_url=TOP01_SUB03_02  


Did you know? 1





The seating plan is not revealed until the last minute 
The Presidential Committee for the G20 Summit will not unveil the seating plan until right before the event, because countries lobby for the order of protocol and seating. The general protocol follows the order of heads of state, heads of government, and representatives from international organizations. Within each group, the order of inauguration and year of an organization’s foundation will be considered. 

For the full article, click the following link : 
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2010101296388  


Did you know? 2





Korean cars to carry international leaders for the summit 
When they visit Seoul for next month’s G20 Seoul Summit, the international leaders will ride in Equus limousines manufactured by Hyundai-Kia Motors. The car is equipped with a bullet-proof security system and an automatic break alert system, with emergency lights that turn on automatically if the breaks are activated abruptly. The summit will require a total of 240 official vehicles to transport G20 leaders. 

For the full article, click the following link : 
http://www.korea.net/detail.do?guid=50697  


Check this out ! 



Connect to the G20 Seoul Summit with your Mobile Phones : 
http://m.seoulsummit.kr/  


G20 Seoul Summit Special
To be continued in the next issue... 


PS: This article is taken from the WSK G20 Seoul Summit Special 3 Newsletter. As one of the members of WSK, I have been given task to share this article through my blog.

Pray For Indonesia

Tsunami at Mentawai Island and Merapi Volcano Eruption ...

Let's pray for those who have lost their life, family, home.
Let's pray for this to be soon ... over.

October 27, 2010
앙가

Wedding ala Korea

Yay ~~ after going through a hard time deciding whether I should go to the wedding ceremony or not ... finally --by borrowing my friend's white t-shirt (which I haven't returned it yet) and with a big bravery-- I attended the wedding ceremony ... the first time, in Korea =].

So, he is my Taekwondo teacher, and he has this black belt license I guess he is level 5 ... or something like that and he is very handsome and cute ^^. He sometimes gives me like inspirational words ... you know one day he suddenly said like "study hard today for yourself, for future, for your parents", it was the day when I said to him that I was kind of lazy to study. But actually he is not that serious type of person, he likes joking. 

임재종 [Lim Jae-Jong]

Yup ... he is not the one who got married :) ... but his sister did. So, I got the invitation from him and he said it is a really good thing to see wedding ceremony ala Korea, so I was like ... persuaded by him hahah. What happened on that day?

Well, the bride wearing the wedding dress and the guy wearing the suit, the guy got inside the wedding hall first, and then the girl. And the one who married them were talking about something in Korean which I did not really understand, I guess it's like you know "are you ready to live with your wife in happiness and difficult time" something like that. But then after that, this one is I guess kind of different. The guy and the girl then approached the both parents and did the bow. The interesting part was that the guy did the full bow, like he had to touch the ground, but on the other hand the girl just do the bow while standing, you know like when you greet someone in Korea you bend your back a lil bit, something like that. And after that you know what happened ...? so the guy then -in front of the people who attended the ceremony- screamed 만세 [Mansae] 3 times ... it means hurrah, hurray, hooray based on naver dictionary. It was kind of ... interesting =].

After that, I also witnessed 폐백 [Pyebaek] -- based on naver dictionary :

traditional ceremony to pay respect to the (bride)groom's family by the newly-wedded couple right after their wedding

The right woman is 임혜진 [Lim Hye-Jin] - my friend's sister and her husband ^^

It was a great decision to attend the ceremony ... you know, to learn something new is always fun ^^.

Hey you know what, just like in Indonesia, we have to bring and give money if you attend wedding ceremony. Actually my friend told me to not give anything but at that time I saw all Korean came and gave money before getting the ticket for food and I got it without giving money ... I am really embarrassing ㅠㅠ; I should have brought and given money ... so, to all Korean, don't hesitate to invite me to your wedding ceremony ^^.

So ... when is YOUR wedding ceremony??

October 25, 2010

앙가

-- I should study~~~~~~~~~~~ TOPIK test next two weeks ㅠㅠ;

[WSK] G20 Seoul Summit Special 2

Introduction to the G20 Seoul Summit 


What does the hosting of the G20 Seoul Summit mean to Korea? 
For a very long time, Korea has never been given a chance to establish international structures or frameworks. It had a challenging time just acquiring a membership to international organizations such as to the UN and the OECD. But with the hosting of the G20 Seoul Summit coming November, Korea has now opened a new diplomatic horizon for itself. Korea can now add its own voice to the global economic order as a rule-setter, not as a mere rule-follower; has moved from the periphery to the center of the global stage. 

To read more in depth about it, click the following link : 
http://www.korea.net/detail.do?guid=45396  

To view an introductory video clip on the G20 Seoul Summit, click the following link : 
http://www.koreabrand.net/kr/pcnb/pcnb_news_view.do?SEQ=300  


Congratulatory messages from international leaders 




"Korea’s history qualifies it for a leadership role in this changing global economy. Korea is one of the world’s great development success stories successfully advancing from a receiver of development assistance to a provider. Korea is ensuring that the voices of those outside the G20 are heard."

To view the full message of Robert B. Zoellick, World Bank Group President : 
http://www.seoulsummit.kr/e_popup/pop_seoul_01.html  

"The Korean Presidential Committee for the G20 Summit has brought together a formidable team, uniting the best talent in each policy field. Korea’s own development story and its rapid recovery from the mid-1990s Asian financial crisis are also remarkable, and serve to help and inspire us all."

To view the full message of Angel Gurria, OECD Secretary-General : 
http://www.seoulsummit.kr/e_popup/pop_seoul_02.html  

"The Government of Korea is exercising strong and effective leadership as the Chair of the G20 at this important stage. A key milestone for much of the financial reform agenda is the Seoul G20 Summit in November. Working in close co-operation, I am confident that the G20 and the FSB will be able in 2010 to put in place the basis for a much stronger and more resilient financial system for the future."

To view the full message of Mario Draghi, FSB (Financial Stability Board) Chief : 
http://www.seoulsummit.kr/e_popup/pop_seoul_03.html  


Time to show some global etiquette
The G20 Seoul Summit is an international meeting of great prestige where the world economic leaders will convene. Accordingly, Korea will need to exhibit some especially well-cultivated etiquette and decorum for the many foreign visitors who will carry memories of Korea back to their own homes. 

Some of the things we could do can be : 

* Have a friendly, smiling face 
* Lower your voice in public places 
* Say “Excuse me” and “Sorry” 
* Have good table & driving manners 
* Keep public restrooms clean 
* Don’t litter in the streets 
* Don’t force drinking at social get-togethers 
* Reign in your “ppali ppali” (quick quick) tendencies 


Check this out ! 




View video clips on global citizenship produced by the Council in partnership with private companies : 
http://www.koreabrand.net/en/wow/wow_globalkorea.do?CATE_CD=0077  


G20 Seoul Summit Special
To be continued in the next issue...


PS: This article is taken from the WSK G20 Seoul Summit Special 2 Newsletter. As one of the members of WSK, I have been given task to share this article through my blog.

[WSK] G20 Seoul Summit Special 1

About the G20 (Group of 20)

From the G7 to the G20 


The G20 was formally established at the G7 Finance Ministers’ meeting on 26 September 1999. The emergence of the G20 stemmed from the changing economic reality – a response both to the financial crises of the late 1990s and to a growing recognition that key emerging countries were not adequately included in the core of global economic discussion and governance.

So, the original G7 (composed of the US, Japan, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and Italy) grew to the G20. At the third G20 summit held in Pittsburgh on September 24-25, 2009, the G20 was designated as the premier forum for international economic cooperation. Today, the G20 represents two thirds of the world’s population and nearly 88% of the world’s economy.

For a more detailed story, click the following link :

http://www.seoulsummit.kr/eng/goPage.g20?menu_seq=G20MENU00061&return_url=TOP02_SUB01 


Who are the G20 and their heads of state? 


The G20 includes 19 countries and the European Union.

* G7 : US, Japan, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Italy
* 4 Asian Countries : Republic of Korea, China, India, Indonesia
* 3 Latin American Countries : Argentina, Brazil, Mexico
* 4 European Countries : Russia, Turkey, Australia, the EU Chair
* South Africa and Saudi Arabia

To view details of the G20 countries including their leaders, click the following link :
http://g20.korea.net/html/g20/members.asp 


Who else will participate in the Seoul Summit in addition to the G20? 
Korea will invite 5 non-member countries and 7 international organizations to the G20 Seoul Summit (scheduled for November 11-12) that have close relationships with the agendas of the summit.

The 5 non-members are Malawi, Vietnam, Spain, Singapore and Ethiopia, and the 7 international organizations include the United Nations, International Labor Organization, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, World Trade Organization, and the Financial Stability Board.

Non-G20 member countries have been invited to previous G20 summits in order to enhance the effectiveness and representativeness of the meeting.


Check this out !
Flickr G20 Seoul Summit Photo Stream :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/g20seoulsummit 



G20 Seoul Summit Special
To be continued in the next issue...

PS: This article is taken from the WSK G20 Seoul Summit Special 1 Newsletter. As one of the members of WSK, I have been given task to share this article through my blog.

첫날밤 [CheotNalPam] | Wedding Night ala Traditional Korea

This was actually a draft of my post about making bulgogi, but then today I had a really interesting class with my really really interesting teacher, so I decided to change this post.

Did you guys married? or have u ever got married? If you did, or you have, I am totally sure (except if you are really really weird couple) that you have experienced what people call "Wedding Night" ... tadaaaaa ... yeah, even though I have never experienced that, but I am pretty sure it is something special and maybe for some people it is something .... you can say .... exciting? hahah maybe nervous is a suitable word.

Why did I start my post with this topic? hahah yes ... this one in a million teacher unexpectedly gave us this sheet of paper with a picture on it. It was not the picture that I put at the top of this post, but it was similar. Yeah it was a picture of a guy who is taking off his wife's clothes :). I was really surprised when she asked us what is written on that picture, and it was written "첫날밤". At the first time I saw the picture, I thought it was like something about Hanbok, but then when I realized what that writing means, I was like ... really? and why? hahaha it was really something ... unusual :).

The main purpose of this picture was actually to teach us of a kind of grammar in Korean Language, but then what made me more interested was actually the story of this picture ... the way of Korean do the wedding night a long time ago.

So, the traditional way of wedding night of Korea is a new knowledge for me. At the wedding night, the wife actually doesn't have to do anything, she just need to stay calm. The husband than feed her with the food and give her drink, and she still just need to stay calm and doesn't do anything. And after eating and drinking, the husband than will start to take off the clothes or whatever on his wife. Starting from 족두리 [Jokturi] which is a kind of accessory on the wife's hair. He take off the Jokturi and the girl just need to stay still, without doing anything. And of course ... oh yeah I forgot to mention they wear a kind of traditional clothes, maybe wedding dress. So, the guy then take off her clothes and after that he take off her 버선 [BeoSeon] Traditional footwear. And then ...... you know what happen hahah. Anyway, who take off husband's clothes then? I guess the husband does that by him self ... I am not sure, I am going to ask my teacher though. hahah

Isn't that interesting :) But, my teacher told me that nowadays in Korea, people don't really do wedding night the same way as the traditional one ... hmm why not? hahahah

so ... you guys wanna share your wedding night story? I guess some of you will -even only a really small- smile when you remember your wedding night ... ^^ well ... I guess its the sweetness of life =]

*** so this pretty lady who is the first one who commented on this post added that -in Indonesian language- if the husband does not enter the wedding night room, the girl is just going to stay there, waiting for him to come, she will not go anywhere or do anything. If the husband really doesn't come, then she's been left. Sad story, but her professor said that there were some case like that.
Thanks Mba Mutia :)

October 20, 2010

앙가

-- I have midterm test tomorrow ... and I seriously did not study.

WSK Stories of the Month - The Fascinating World of Hangul Calligraphy

Are you familiar with calligraphy?

There is a growing interest for hangul (the Korean alphabet) not only as a set of alphabets but also as an artistic theme. Known for its highly scientific and pragmatic nature, now hangul is being re-discovered as calligraphy (the art of fancy lettering) as well as applied as a fashion component.

In calligraphy, letters transform into something unique, one-of-a kind, and creative that reflects the emotions of the particular theme that the words denote. Used in the poster for “Festival” (a film directed by Gwon-Taek Lim), hangul calligraphy is now used everywhere, far and wide, from movie posters, book jackets, record covers, to product advertisements etc.
  

Calligraphy on the Web

Calligraphy is gaining popularity in the online world as well. Breaking away from the uniform Microsoft fonts, web users are now turning to more original letterings and do not hesitate to make a purchase for calligraphies to use for their blogs and homepages. It is estimated that annual volume of font purchase is over KRW 10 billion.

Cyworld, the widespread web site that offers mini homepages, sell 20,000 fonts daily, and introduces new fonts everyday that are customized to meet users particular wants and demands. Fonts that apply the handwritings of celebrities such as Yuna Kim are particularly appealing to the customers.

People Love Hangul-themed Fashion
  

  

(photo courtesy of Kyunghyang Newspaper)  

Lie Sang-Bong is one of the most well-known Korean fashion designers who is especially acclaimed and recognized for his hangul-themed works. His range of work includes not only clothes, but accessories, electronics, and home appliances as well. Lie incorporates hangul usually written vertically, aptly conveying traditional Korean flavor at the same time as keeping it modern and suave.

Hangul-themed design is gaining further vitality with the efforts of Dong-Eui University in Busan, which established “Han Fashion Center” in 2006 with the support from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.

The Han Fashion Center launched its own brand called “Hooga” and undertakes various activities such as exporting design carpets abroad and supporting some 130 local companies that lack design capacities. The center aims to create design products that capture the characteristic beauty of hangul – the harmony between its lineal and curved lines. 

Hangul, created by King Sejong, is now being re-created in the hands of designers.

As you may have noticed, last October 9 was Hangul Day in Korea. It was a day for us to ponder the value and beauty of the great Korean alphabet, especially in these times where there is an unbridled deluge of foreign languages, ugly slangs and obscure jargons in our everyday communication. 

........................................................................................................................................  

                                                                                                                   ⓒ코리아브랜드

PS: This article is taken from the WSK Newsletter #28. As one of the members of WSK, I have been given task to share this article through my blog.

WSK Stories of the Month - Benefits of Red Ginseng

Autumn is here now in full swing. As the saying goes, you can see “the sky getting higher and horses getting plump.”

In these crisp, pleasant days, are you one of those people who feel always sleepy and somewhat lethargic, dozing in the bus and missing your stop?

If you are, then I’d like to introduce you to a certain health food: Red ginseng.
   

(photo courtesy of Hankuk Ilbo)

Red Ginseng Prevents Swine Flu

When the H1N1 swine flu virus swept the nation last year, the sales of ginseng and red ginseng skyrocketed as well. People believed there is nothing more effective than Korean ginseng in increasing immunity against flus. Not totally ungrounded, but still there hadn’t been sufficient scientific study to back up such an argument. 
  

Now, more about ginseng has been unveiled at the 10th International Symposium on Ginseng held on September 15. The results of a research on the effectiveness of ginseng in preventing H1N1 were announced. According to the study, the group who took ginseng along with vaccination had a 40% higher survival rate than the group who took only vaccination. Red ginseng, in particular, was found to boost up defense against not only H1N1 but seasonal flus as well.  

An experiment was conducted with 227 participants at three medical offices in Milan, Italy. Half of them were given ginseng at a dosage of 100mg daily, the other half placebo. The results showed a significant decline in the frequency of colds and flus in the treated group compared to the placebo group (15 versus 42 cases).

Red Ginseng Also Reduces Fatigue and Prevents Cancer

Other benefits of red ginseng include reducing fatigue, improving blood circulation, and getting rid of fat and cholesterol.

    

<2010 Punggi Ginseng Festival held from Oct. 1 through 6 in Yeongju>

Red ginseng also helps quench thirst, especially for diabetics who urinate a lot to get rid of the extra sugar in their blood. Also, red ginseng is good for enhancing your stamina in general. Those who often catch cold and never have enough energy might as well give it a try!

The size of the domestic red ginseng market, currently, is about KRW 1 trillion. And with the increasing consumer demand, it is expected to further grow, as much as six-folds within a few years. In addition, as an increasing number of foreigners are taking interest in the benefits of red ginseng, there is to be a lot more export and branching out into global markets.

Well, it seems like red ginseng is all that is good! Why not brace up ourselves against the vicious seasonal flus with some help from red ginseng? :)

.........................................................................................................................................  

                                                                                                                   ⓒ코리아브랜드

PS: This article is taken from the WSK Newsletter #28. As one of the members of WSK, I have been given task to share this article through my blog.

단군 [TanGun] - Folklore

A long time ago, there was a king called Hwan-In ruled the kingdom up there on the sky. King Hwan-In had a son whose name was Hwan-Woong. The life the the kingdom was really nice, but Hwan-Woong intended to go down to the earth and live there. King Hwan-In understood what his son wanted and he let him to go down to rule the earth. Hwang-Woong then brought people to help him rule the earth.

And then, Hwan-Woong went to mountain Bekdusan and made a village. Not far from the village that he made, there were one bear and and one tiger who were willing to be human. They asked to Hwan-Woong if it was possible. Hwan-Woong then told them some condition which if they follow those condition they can become human. The conditions were they have to get inside a very dark cave that even a dot of light can't get in, and for 100 days they can't eat anything except mugwort and garlic.

They accepted that condition and went inside that dark cave and only brought garlic and mugwort to eat. The tiger couldn't hold his hunger and couldn't help to only eat garlic and mugwort, he went out before 100 days passed. On the other hand, the bear with patience only ate garlic and mugwort stayed until 100 days and transformed into a very beautiful lady.

This beautiful lady wanted to get married, and she got married with Hwan-Woong. Their first child of them was called 단군 [TanGun]. TanGun then went down from Bekdusan and ruled the Korea peninsula. That area was called 조선 [JoSeon] which is actually the first name of Korea.

Saman Dance in Gwangju and Bamboo Forest at Damyang City

While everybody enjoying their time on Hangeul Day, we, 9 students from Daejeon participated in an event called Gwangju International Community Day 2010 located in outside area of Kimdaejung Convention Center, in Gwangju Metropolitas City. We proudly presented one of the famous traditional dances of Indonesia from Aceh, yup ... Saman Dance ... that's the one.

I have already performed this dance with they guys who studied at Solbridge last semester in Daejeon Convention Center, but this one was more complicated one. However, even with the lack of time of practicing, I guess we did great at the show.

*credit goes to mba Florencia Wiguna and husband ^^

Following the wild desire of Mba Aisyah to visit Bamboo Forest, we tried to find the way to the unknown. With the minimum skill of Korean language and heart full of prejudice, we actually finally found the place. Those who want to go there, take bus number 311 from Gwangju (We took it from Malbau Market).
Arriving at the Damyang bus station, the surrounding was like a country side, and it was a small city. It was calm and the road to the Bamboo forest was fun. When we got the bamboo forest, it was dark though, so we couldn't really go around the forest. However, it was something ...

More about Damyang Bamboo Forest here.
Pictures here.

October 12, 2010
앙가

--
Singer : Aisya Velasofi Proborini
Dancers:
Anthony Steven
Giri Djatmiko
Heidy Dwiyanti Utami
Florencia Wiguna
Siti Farhana
Me ^^
Claudia Raditya T
Chairil Abdi Kuncoro

Tutor:
Indria Herman

백마 연린음악회 - Orchestra in Chungnam National University

Today I went to an orchestra in Chungnam National University. I am personally not the guy who loves this kind of music, but it was a good time. They performed orchestra of original soundtrack of some famous movies like Titanic, Aladin, etc. and the song titled "A whole new world?" was really reminding me of someone. We sang this song through Skype hahah.

Some music was really touching me. Hahah never mind.

October 6, 2010
앙가

Baekje Festival -- Revisited

Last month, on 24th Chungnam National University Language Center students went to have a school trip to the World Great Baekje Festival 2010. Hahah, I know this was my second trip to this festival, but this time .... Jeng Jeng Jeng ... Me and other class representative were actually physically part of the festival!!

Yeah, we were asked to wear the traditional clothes of Korea and do the parade around the palace and were actually inside the performance. Isn't that amazing!!!!!

Chungnam National University Korean Course Students and the Director of performance in Baekje Palace

Foreigner army and citizen in Baekje Era ㅋㅋㅋ

It was fun, to be part of the experience and to see closer the performance. hahah envy me!!

Anyway, before we went to the palace to be involved in the performance, we went to other festival place ... you know Baekje festival is huge, there are all around the city. I don't know the name of this place, but this is in Buyeo. These are what we did.

Body painting =]

Those guys are that cool drummer players!!!

Samurai caught in action

Gonna hit the Ajumma

Off course not hahahha

Playing with the clay ... err I mean making clay pot ... or what is it called?? 호랑이? 홍아리??

What a nice day!!!!!!

Pictures here!!

October 04 2010