Three chefs from The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo are offering Japanese cuisines from Aug. 4. Executive sous Chef Takahashi Hiroshi, Banquet chef Tananka Hideaki and pastry chef Matsumoto Koichi will be cooking for the Oksan Buffet at the hotel. Chef Takahashi began his career at age 18 and for the past few decades has honed his skills in Western cuisine at famous restaurants and hotels in Japan. The price

Travel July 29, 2011

Air Busan said it will jointly run flights between Busan and Tokyo with Asiana Airlines. Air Busan currently operates daily flights, with an occupancy rate of more than 80 percent, the carrier said. Those who prefer a lower priced flight can choose Air Busan and those who want to accumulate mileage can choose Asiana Airlines. The two local airlines run two other routes together: Busan-Fukuoka and

Travel July 29, 2011

Korail’s South Jeolla Province office said it will run a “free accommodation summer train,” which will leave Seoul on Aug. 5 for a one-night, two-day trip to Balpo Beach in Goheung County in South Jeolla Province. The train will leave at 8:10 a.m. and arrive in Suncheon Station at 1 p.m. Major tourist sites of the package will include Naro Space Center, Sorok Island and Balpo Beach. A free accommo

Travel July 29, 2011

The Visit Korea Year Committee said it will hold a three-week event through Aug. 10 on its website, www.visitkoreayear.com, to celebrate the upcoming Daegu IAAF World Championship, slated for Aug. 27. On the website, participants can choose their favorite game and leave comments on why they chose it. The committee will give away prizes to 113 participants through a lottery. The prizes include a on

Travel July 29, 2011

The Korea Tourism Organization said the numbers of Japanese and Chinese tourists visiting Korea which had declined following the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan have recently rebounded.According to data by the KTO, the monthly number of Japanese tourists fell 7 percent year-on-year in May but rose 10 percent in June year-on-year. The growth rate of Chinese tourists visiting Korea was 9.7 per

Travel July 29, 2011

HONG KONG (Yonhap News) ― The Chinese subsidiary of South Korean conglomerate SK Group said Thursday it has entered the car rental business in a bid to tap into the world’s most populous country.SK China Co. said it started renting automobiles this month in nine cities, including Beijing, Hangzhou and Shenyang.It currently has 1,200 vehicles, including sedans and sport utility vehicles manufacture

Industry July 28, 2011

South Korea’s top soft drink maker Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co. said Thursday that it decided to absorb and merge with Lotte Liquor BG Co., its alcoholic beverage affiliate, to boost shareholder value.Lotte Chilsung said the merger will take effect on Oct. 1, and the merger ratio will be 1:0. Lotte Chilsung holds a 100 percent stake in Lotte Liquor.“The merger is aimed at maximizing shareholder val

Industry July 28, 2011

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. said Thursday that its second-quarter earnings fell 3.6 percent from a year earlier as it filled more orders for low-priced ships that were won following the global economic downturn.Net income reached 170 billion won ($162 million) in the April-June period, compared with a profit of 177 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filin

Industry July 28, 2011

Venereal disease among the elderly population is rising, the Ministry of Health and Welfare revealed Monday.According to the National Health Insurance Corporation, a ministry affiliate, the number of people treated for various venereal diseases marked 352,000 in 2010, up 19,000 from four years ago. Women outnumbered men: Female patients marked 249,000 compared to 102,000 men. The rate of increase

Technology July 28, 2011

Doctors at Gangnam Severance Hospital successfully transplanted a pair of lungs to a leukemia patient for the first time in Korea, the medical center said Tuesday.Dr. Paik Hyo-chae and Dr. Haam Seok-jin of the hospital said the patient, a 21-year-old male, received the operation in September last year and is recovering. The man had received a bone marrow transplant in June 2008 when his lungs show

Technology July 28, 2011

A group of doctors here has developed a special marker that can be stuck onto teeth for identification. A patent has been filed for the marker.According to Dental Leaders Club, the “tooth label” is made of “inlay,” a material to fill in cavities, and is stuck to the face of a back tooth. There, the name, national identification number as well as emergency contact are written. “Inlay is quite solid

Technology July 28, 2011

ZURICH (AP) ― World and European champion Spain remained at No. 1 in the monthly FIFA rankings released Wednesday and the United States dropped six places to No. 30.Netherlands and Germany rounded out the top three in the standings that will be used to help decide seedings in Saturday’s World Cup qualifying draw.Brazil climbed one place to fourth despite only reaching the Copa America quarterfinal

Soccer July 28, 2011