The Korean daily media headlines and humor

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Thursday, December 12, 2013

   Good morning, Excellency!
Here are The Korea Post news, African proverbs, humor from Korean-language economic dailies, and a roundup of important headlines from all major Korean-language dailies, TV and other news media this morning:
/s/
        
Lee Kyung-sik
Publisher-Chairman
Korea Post Media
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The Korea Post news

'One of Seven Wonders of Winter' for a 22-day run

Hwacheon Mountain Trout Ice Festival opens Jan. 4

Named one of the 'even Wonders of Winter' by CNN and Lonely Planet, the Hwacheon Sancheoneo (Mountain Trout) Ice Festival is probably the most famous winter event in Korea. During the month of January every year, more than 1,000,000 people swarm Hwacheon in Gangwon province hoping to catch mountain trout bare-hand or ice fishing.

Mayor Chung Gap-cheol invites the Ambassadors and families to attend of Festival on Thursday January 17, 2014 and The Korea Post is transmitting the Invitation of Mayor Chung to the Excellencies with a detailed schedule of the Festival. (Further details and photos are toward the end of this Headlines.)

▲Who said Hwacheon offers only ice-fishing? You can land mountain trouts also from the water standing on the river bank (top left). Koreans, expats, young and old, all enjoy various events of the Festival.
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At the KUK Cultural Foundation Building behind Ritz Carlton Hotel

KUP hosts Year-end Concert with famed World Vision

Children’s Choir of Korea

The Korea United Pharmaceutical Co. (KUP), hosts a Gala Year-end Dinner and Concert at the Cultural Foundation Building of the Company in Seoul (located behind the Ritz Carlton Hotel) on Dec. 26, 2013. It is presented by the famed World Vision of Korea Children’s Choir. Chairman Kang Duk-yung of the KUP invites the ambassadors and madams to the prestigious concert.
(See invitation and full details of the Concert at the end of this Article.)

▲Famed Sunmyung-hoe World Vision Children’s Choi of Korea presenting a performance overseas. They are presenting a year-end preSentation at the Korea United Pharma Cultural Center in Gangnam behind the Ritz Carlton Hotel on Thursday 26 Dec. 2013 where Ambassadors and Madams are invited. (Individual invitation to the Excellencies have already been faxed and email, but in case of our Transmission failures, please call 2298-1740/2 for re-transmission of the Invitation.)
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Dr. Sang-Ki Hahn's African wise-sayings:

The donkey exists alongside cattle.
- An African proverb

The name is a useless thing.
-A Kenyan proverb
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Humor from Korean-language economic dailies this morning:

Seoul Kyungje

"Mummy, mummy, why do fairy tales always start with 'Once upon a time'?"
"They don't always, little one. Your dad begins his with: 'I got caught up in the office. You won't believe what happened….'"

Hankuk Kyungje
US Entertainers Say
-“According to a new survey, women say they feel more comfortable undressing in front of men than they do undressing in front of other women. They say that women are too judgemental, while men are just grateful.” -Robert De Niro
-“Women might be able to fake orgasms. But men can fake a whole relationship.” -Sharon Stone
-“My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch.” -Jack Nicholson
-“Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place.” -Billy Christal
-“Sex is one of the most wholesome, beautiful and natural experience money can buy.” -Steve Martin
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)

Parties Lock Horns on 1st Day of Assembly Extra Session
Korea's rival political parties locked horns again Wednesday over various bones of contention, disrupting what should have been the deliberation of next year's budget plan on the first day of the National Assembly's extraordinary session.

Park Holds Summit with Singaporean PM

Park Stresses Efforts to Minimize Damage to Agriculture

NIS to Present Reform Plan to Lawmakers

N. Korea Begins to Describe Kim Jong-un as "Great Leader"

Jang Defeated in Power Struggle: N. Korea Experts

Gov't Denies Request to Light Christmas Tower Near Border

Survey: South Koreans Get Least Paid Vacation

Liver Transplants for Alcoholic Liver Disease Jump Six-fold

Gov't Unveils Measures to Tackle Fine Dust
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

S. Korea, Singapore agree to seek joint projects in other countries
South Korea and Singapore agreed Wednesday to combine their specialties for joint-venture infrastructure and other projects in Southeast Asian countries to help them better connect with each other, officials said.

Asiana 214 pilot 'very stressful' about manual landing
The pilot of an Asiana passenger jet that crashed at the San Francisco International Airport last July found non-automatic landing "very stressful," according to a newly-released document.

N. Korean envoy to China attends public event in Beijing
North Korean ambassador to China, Ji Jae-ryong, considered one of the closest aides to the purged uncle of the North's leader, Kim Jong-un, attended a diplomatic event on Wednesday hosted by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a diplomatic source said.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)

Speculation spreads over fates of Jang's associates
After the ouster of Jang Song-thaek, the once-powerful uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a host of his confidant...

Hyun vows to get tough on public firms’ borrowing
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hyun Oh-seok said Wednesday that the government would require state-run enterprises ― especially the 12 companies whose debt has increas...

Ministers warn of stern action against rail strike
Conflicts between the government and unionized rail workers intensified on Wednesday as the ministries threatened to take stern action against the employees if they continued their...

S. Korea urges Japan to remove Dokdo vid...

Google opens first data centers in Asia

Pope Francis is Time person of the year

NIS chief to report reform plan to Assem...

Korea, Singapore agree to boost business...

N. Korean envoy to China attends public ...

Stepping on snow

Car accidents double among smartphone us...
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

Ugly truth behind banknotes
On Sept. 10, the start of the cotton-picking season in Uzbekistan, the temperature in Tashkent soared to a scorching 38 degrees Celsius. As they do each year, citizens took to the fields to pick “white gold.” In the Central Asia...

EADS pushes 40 Eurofighters for F-4s, -5s  
EADS offered fast delivery of 40 Eurofighters to the Air Force, Wednesday, which will allow it to ... 

Gov't leaves BCC call to Kookmin 
The government will not intervene in KB Kookmin Bank’s decisions on whether it sells its stake in ...

Parents' stress leads to child obesity  
Research from St. Michaels College in Toronto shows children can become obese due to their parents... 

Railway strike threatens to hit logistics network  
An ongoing strike by unionized workers of the state-run Korea Railroad (KORAIL) threatens to derai... 

NIS chief to report self-reform plan  
Nam Jae-joon, director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), will appear before a National A...
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Dong A (http://english.donga.com)

S. Korean president discusses future growth with Singapore premier
South Korean President Park Geun-hye met with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday in her last summit diplomacy this year, discussing ways for closer bilateral cooperation in future economic growth. ... 
Park has first meeting with Singapore prime minister
South Korean President Park Geun-hye shakes hands with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong before a summit in her office Wednesday. ...
`Tough guy` hidden in image of `sweet` Gong Yoo
Gong Yoo, 34, is a "sweet" guy. Most of the movies he stars in as main character, except “the Crucible (Dogani),” are romantic comedy, including the dramas “The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince” and “Big” and the movie...

‘Knowing employer more important than adding lines to your resume’
Only the sound of audience members taking notes of speakers was heard at the site of “Youth’s Employment Success Concert,” which was held at the Teachers Pension building in Yeouido, Seoul on Wednesday. More than 200...
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)

N.Korean Campaign Against Jang Song-taek Continues
The North Korean regime is busy trying to sway public opinion in the North against eminence grise Jang Song-taek to legitimize his ouster. The propaganda drive seems aimed at quelling any possible unrest following Jang's removal.

Will Jang Song-taek's Ouster Trigger Mass Defections?
The ouster of North Korea's eminence grise Jang Song-taek could lead to a wave of defections from his cronies and other senior officials who had thrown in their lot with him and now see their position under threat. Jang had been intermittently at the center of power since he married former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's sister Kim Kyong-hui in 1972

720,000 Unemployed Young People in Korea
Some 720,000 young people were unemployed as of last year, the Bank of Korea said in a report Tuesday. The number of NEETs -- unemployed people between 15 and 29 who are not in education, employment or training -- first surpassed 600,000 in 2006 and reached 700,000 in 2010
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Hankyoreh (http://english.hani.co.kr)

‘Election results’ claims used to muzzle opposition To avoid owning up to scandal and reforming the NIS, ruling party makes accusations of denying last year’s election
During past dictatorial regimes in South Korea, the only weapon at the disposal of the opposition political party was to protest that it was being oppressed. Whatever anyone did to cross the opposition party, they said they were being oppressed. Even when the prosecutors investigated a member of the opposition party on charges of corruption, the opposition complained that it was oppression. This narrative of oppression was effective for a long time.

Reliance on nuclear power expected to rise
The South Korean government has set a target level of 29% reliance on nuclear power by 2035.The move, signaling that President Park Geun-hye intends to follow in the footsteps of predecessor Lee Myung-bak in increasing use of nuclear power, is expected to lead to serious controversy.

Chinese company’s withdrawal from N. Korea could be related to recent ouster
Japanese newspaper the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on Nov. 22 that a Chinese state-run corporation that had been participating in the development of a special economic zone in North Korea scrapped its investment plans and pulled out of the project.

More older couples getting divorced
Middle-age couples married twenty years or more represented the largest portion of divorces last year in South Korea, data show.
This is the first time ever that their age group has come out first on the listing.

Study: Baby boomers deeply indebted and unprepared for retirement
Baby boomers are weighted down with debt and very unprepared for retirement, study results show.
The report, published on Dec. 10 by National Pension Service senior researcher Lee Eun-young, extrapolated post-retirement income sources from panel data. Members of the baby boom generation, consisting of heads of household aged 50 to 59, had an estimated average of 420 million won (US$399,000) in assets, only 25.5% of which consisted of financial assets.
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Joong Ang (conservative): (http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/)

Korail strike reduces freight shipments by 65%
More walkouts to come from Metro union
A strike at the state-run railway operator Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail), which was in its third day yesterday, took its toll on the movement of freight across the country and showed no signs of resolution….

Pyongyang did China business as it purged Jang
On the same day North Korea announced its purge of Jang Song-thaek, uncle and former political protector of leader Kim Jong-un…

CEOs of public firms squeezed
Salaries of the CEOs of public corporations will be slashed by an average of 26 percent, Deputy Prime Minister Hyun Oh-seok announced yesterday…

Point programs an insecure market
Kim Cheol-ho, an information technology company owner, read an unsettling post late last October on one of the Internet community sites he frequented…

Politics still mired in 2012 election dispute
Almost a year has passed since Park Geun-hye was elected president, but the nation’s political community continues to remain fixated on her 2012 campaign…
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Edaily (http://eng.edaily.co.kr/Stock/)

[US the closing price]The U.S. Dow Jones Index, -129.60p(-0.81%) slightly down.
The U.S. Dow Jones Index Closing (At 2013.12.11) The Dow closed at 15,843.53p, slightly down -129.60p(-0....
   
[Table] Today’s Stock Market Brief
This is a stock market brief of Today. [table] Total stock market id="" width="570...

[Closed]KOSPI 1,977.97p(-15.48p) slightly down, KOSDAQ 494.77p(-2.95p) slightly down
KOSPI & KOSDAQ Index Closed KOSPI closed slightly down -15.48p(-0.78%) at 1,977.97p from yesterday. ...

[Table]Currently Index of Major Country in ASIA
This is Index of Major Country in ASIA. [table] Index of Major Country in ASIA ...
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Maeil Kyungje (neutral-oriented conservative, economic/business): (http://news.mk.co.kr/english/)

S. Korea mulls shutting down or integrating distressed gov’t agencies
Public entities including Korea Coal Corporation (KCC), Korea Gas Corporation, and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), which struggle with poor finances and are unlikely to revive on their own, or perform functions that overlap with those of private counterparts, will undergo restructuring through shutdown and integration or sales of their business divisions.41 public agencies with high debt-to-equity ratios will be required to cut the ratios to the 2.....

S. Korea dragged into “4 lows”

Foreign R&D brains fleeing from S. Korea

S. Korea expands air defense zone in 62..

Samsung Elec. strikes $1.2bn deal to ex..

S. Korea set for a spate of M&A deals

Price war of foreign brand carmakers in..

Fashion distributors holding a spate of..

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'One of Seven Wonders of Winter' for a 22-day run

Hwacheon Mountain Trout Ice Festival opens Jan. 4

Named one of the 'even Wonders of Winter' by CNN and Lonely Planet, the Hwacheon Sancheoneo (Mountain Trout) Ice Festival is probably the most famous winter event in Korea. During the month of January every year, more than 1,000,000 people swarm Hwacheon in Gangwon province hoping to catch mountain trout bare-hand or ice fishing.

(Mayor Chung Gap-cheol invites the ambassadors and families to attend the Festival on Friday 17, 2014.)

▲1.4 million persons reportedly visited Hwacheon Mountain Trout Festival last year having their fill of the joys of the winter--ice-fishing mountain trouts and treating their eyes to the colorful lanterns of the angels at the Seondeung Candle Light Festival that takes place in the night.

▲Who said Hwacheon offers only ice-fishing? You can land mountain trouts also from the water standing on the river bank (top left). Koreans, expats, young and old, all enjoy various events of the Festival.

▲Left: Visitors pass through the colorfully lit ice tunnel. Right: You can also enjoy a 'sky ride' down the river.

Nestled between the town of Hwacheon and the mountains, the Hwacheon River is not only covered by a thick layer of ice, but also by thousands of festival participants.

The Hwacheon Mountain Trout Ice Festival will be taking place in Hwacheon County in Gangwon-do province on Jan. 4-26, 2014. This virtually untouched region is known as the first area in Korea that freezes over in winter, and the river is covered with a thick layer of ice.

Visitors can try out ice fishing, and those who are feeling brave can try to catch mountain trout with their bare hands. Along with fun activities and performances, there is also an exhibition of ice sculptures that usually take 20 weeks to prepare. Visitors can sample raw and grilled mountain trout, both of which are delicious.

A foreign visitor said: “Unlike some Korean festivals I have been to, there is a lot to do at this festival. You can ride an ATV or go kart on the ice, go sledding, ice skating, push a metal cart on the ice, or do some regular reel fishing.”

The events that are most popular are ice fishing and bare-handed fishing. For the ice fishing, you are provided with a hole in the ice and a bag for putting your catch for 10,000 won of which you get 10,000-won Love Gift, money you can spend around the festival grounds on food and souvenirs. “If you aren’t Korean, make sure to head to the foreigner only section. It is not only less crowded, but there is English-speaking help and you are given a free fishing pole,” said the foreign visitor.

When you get on the ice, pick a hole, let out enough line to get your lure to the bottom of the river. Then, quickly flick your wrist upwards and let it float back to the bottom. Some persistence is required, he stressed.

Hwacheon is considered a “clean region” where mountain trouts and otters live. Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival is opened in every January under the slogan of “Unfrozen Hearts, Unforgettable Memories” at Hwacheon that has geographical features of the fastest ice freezing in the country because of cold valley wind and clean water.

This is a unique theme experience festival full with good shows and 40 or about various experience programs, such as ice sledding, snow sledding, snow sculpture and ice soccer, Sancheoneo experience programs combined with the image of Hwacheon that has clean natural environment with the first grade clean water in Bukhangang (river) for catching Sancheoneo by hand, Sancheoneo fishing on the ice to catch the fish easily and enjoy the fishing by everybody, breaking the ice with 40cm thickness and above and looking at Sancheoneo in the deep water for your exciting play available for experiencing at Hwacheon only and heart-warm memory in winter.

Winter Sancheoneo! Sancheoneo Fishing! To mention about ice fishing, you need to catch at least one Sancheoneo. It is an elegant fish underneath ice out of comparison to the other fishes due to moderate size and beautiful shape.

Sancheoneo is hard to catch as it is rare but everyone can catch one or two Sancheoneo at Hwacheon with somewhat good luck and knack since 32 or 3 tons of fresh Sancheoneo are being put just under the fishing place every day for visitors for Sancheoneo festival. It is just the reason why a child or young girl without fishing experience is indulged in Sancheoneo ice fishing. K
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The Korea United Pharmaceutical Co. (KUP), hosts a Gala Year-end Dinner and Concert at the Cultural Foundation Building of the Company in Seoul (located behind the Ritz Carlton Hotel) on Dec. 26, 2013. It is presented by the famed World Vision of Korea Children’s Choir. Chairman Kang Duk-yung of the KUP invites the ambassadors and madams to the prestigious concert.

The repertoire consists of three parts, which include:

Part I:

Han-River Taryung (arr. Lee, Hyun Chul)
This is an arrangement of Korean folk song 'Han River Taryung' and winner of '2013 Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival' in Folk song category. Using Korean traditional musical techniques and colors, it demonstrates the beauty and prosperity of Han river. Also fan dance emphasizes its beauty.

About the World Vision Korea Children’s Choir
Throughout its 53-year history, various professional musicians in Korea and around the world compliment the Children’s Choir, praising the Choir as “Echoes of the Heaven.” The Choir’s achievement and quality have been proven by thousands of successful worldwide concerts.

About the Artistic Director Kim Hee-Churl
Hee Churl Kim studied choral conducting under worldly renowned conductor Hak Won Yoon in Chung-Ang University. In Georgia State University, he studied with Dr. John Heberlen, who was the president of ACDA. In 1993, Mr. Kim conducted Vancouver Chamber Choir in Eric Ericson Master Class as a representative of Asia in World Choral Symposium held in Canada. From 1995 to 1997, he joined Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus to sing with Robert Show, who was one of the best choral conductors in the world. He conducted Atlanta Korean Children's Choir and Atlanta Master Chorale, and he served as a president of Atlanta Korean Musician Association. From 1994 to 1997, while he was a visiting professor of Georgia Theological Seminary, he had served as a coordinator in 'Music and Worship Conference’ held by PCUSA. After returning to Korea in 1997, he had conducted many choirs, such as, World Vision Korea Children's Choir, Gwang-Myung City Women's Chorale, and Sung-Nam City Teacher's Choir. He also taught in Chung-Ang University. He also served as a board member of the Korean Church Music Association. Currently, he is the conductor of Gwacheon City Women's Choir, which is the only professional women's choir in Korea, had concert tours in Manila, Philippine by invitation of Philippine Madrigal Singers in 2004. Also, the choir was invited from Vancouver to celebrate the Winter Olympic Games in 2009. In 2004, he became an Artistic Director and Administrative Director of World Vision Korea Children's Choir. In 2009, he made a film called 'You and You' with World Vision Korea Children's Choir under director Je Hyun Park, who is one of the famous movie directors in Korea. As an artistic director, he has been hosting International Children's Choir Festival every three years by inviting the most prestige choirs from all around the world to help poor and devastated children in the world. As an opening concert of 2007 ICCF, he conducted a contemporary piece 'Gana and Dara' composed by In Sun Cho, worldly renown contemporary composer who served as a professor in Chung-Ang University. Mr. Kim made several CDs and DVDs, such as, 'Blessings', Songs of Love', 'Winter Sonata', and etc.
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November 27, 2013

Invitation to Gala Year-end Dinner and Concert

I am pleased to inform Your Excellency that Chairman Dr. and Mrs. Kang Duk-young of Korea United Pharmaceutical Co. cordially invite Your Excellency and Madam, together with other Ambassadors and Madams, to a Gala Year-end Dinner and Concert presented by the famed World Vision Children’s Choir of Korea at the Culture Foundation Building of the United Pharma in Seoul at 6:30 p.m. Thursday December 26, 2013. The repertoire includes a Christmas Carol by the famed World Vision Sunmyung-hoe Children’s Choir. The details are as follows:

Venue: Concert Hall of the Culture Foundation of the United Pharma Co., 616-12 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 3 blocks southward from the Grand Hannam Bridge (behind Ritz Carlton Hotel).

Schedule of Event:-

6:30-7:30 p.m.: Dinner hosted by Chairman and Mrs. Kang at the Banquet Hall.
7:30-7:40 p.m.: View exhibits at the Art Gallery and Handicraft Exhibition Hall
7:40-9:00 p.m.: Grand Year-end Concert

Repertoire:-

Part I: ‘Han River Taryung,’ winner of 2013 Andre O. Veneration International Choral Festival (arr. Lee Hyun-Chul); ‘Surround Arirang’ (arr. Lee Sun-Taek); ‘Gagopa--Yearning for Home’ (arr. Lee Hyun-Chul).
Part II: ‘Gloriva’ (A. Vivaldi); ‘audate Dominum’ (W.A. Mozart); As dew in Aprile, this little babe’ (B. Britten).
Part III: ‘When I Sing’ (B. Henderson), ‘ Hamps-Elysees (M. Wilsh, M. Deighan); ‘OST Medely’ (arr. Shin Sang-woo); and ‘Blessing’ (arr. Lee Hyun-Chul)).

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Elder sister of famed ROK Army Lt. Cho Chang-Ho

Late Madam Cho Chang-soo decorated with

Order of Cultural Merit, Okgwan

The government of the Republic of Korea has decided to posthumously honour the late former Curator Madam Cho Chang-soo (1925-2009) of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in the United States with an Order of Cultural Merit, Okgwan. Madam Cho dedicated her entire life to the introduction of Korean history and culture to the general public in the US, thus promoting the American people’s understanding of the Korean history and culture. The presentation ceremony will take place at the National Palace Museum on Dec. 10, 2013.

Madam Cho also made great efforts for the return of Eobo (Official Seal) of Emperor Gojong and Emperor Sunjong of the Joseon Dynasty and a total of 93 other Korean cultural treasures and properties to Korea?through fund-raising and donations.

▲The late Madam Cho Chang-soo (left) and her son, General Manager Eric Swanson of Millennium Seoul Hilton

The late Madam Cho is the mother of General Manager Eric Swanson of the Millennium Seoul Hilton. She is also the elder sister of the widely known late Lieutenant Cho Chang-Ho who succeeded in escaping North Korea and returning to Seoul after 43 years of captivity in North Korea where he got silicosis from forced labor in coal mine pits where he had been sent because of his repeated attempts of escape to the South after his captivity during the Korean.

         ▲ Madam Cho at her university graduation ceremony

Madam Cho studied at the universities in Japan and the US and worked as a curator at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum for 44 years from 1965 to 2009--playing an important role in various areas, including exhibitions, research work, publication and education. In 2007, she even succeeded in establishing a Korea Hall at the Smithsonian Museum.

   ▲Madam Cho (seated at center) with fellow workers at the Smithsonian Institute

There are a number of other recipients of the Cultural Orders, who include Director Lee Kang-bak of Gangneung Institute (Order of Cultural Merit, Eungwan) and Professor Yoon Sae-young of Korea University (Order of Cultural Merit, Bogwan).

▲The late Lt. Cho Chang-Ho.

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