• “Samsung mobile products occupy about 90 percent of market share in Nepal”

    Puskal Khatiwada, marketing manager of Samsung Mobiles in Kathmandu, talked about how Nepali consumers estiamate Samsung proudcts and future plan of the company to better meet the needs of people in Himalayan country in an interview with Bishnu Gautam. Q. Who do you think love to use Samsung mobiles and other…

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  • Subprime ―Korean style

    Quick policy responses needed for soft landing Alarm bells are ringing louder for the possible eruption of a Korean version of the subprime mortgage crisis. Without prompt action and durable solutions, the nation might face another devastating economic crisis. According to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), mortgages that were offered…

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  • East Asia

    Is Ahn Perot or Nader?

    The death of one opportunity often leads to the birth of another. When a person goes through such a process, it usually leads to transformation. This happened on Monday to Ahn Cheol-soo, former independent presidential candidate. It was captured in a speech he made during a ceremony to mark the…

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  • East Asia

    To be a good volunteer use your brain

    There is probably an unwritten rule that a celebrity offering to do volunteer work for a good cause should immediately be embraced. Well, that’s not what happened to Jeong So-dam, the glamorous Korean cable TV announcer when our paths crossed on Nov. 29. Ms. Jeong was the MC of an…

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  • How Gallup missed the mark ― again

    On the eve of Election Day, the Gallup Poll indicated that Mitt Romney would become president. His margin of victory: one percentage point ― 49 percent Romney to 48 percent Obama. This projection was based on telephone interviews of 2,551 likely voters in all 50 states and the District of…

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  • East Asia

    [Korea Report] My first experience of snow in Seoul as romantic as I imagined

    Even though Korea has been entering Winter since mid November, first snow fell in Seoul last Monday night (December 4) and officially started the winter season. As someone who was born and grew up in a tropical country, last Monday night was a special night for me. It was another magical moment I…

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  • East Asia

    Future of NK leadership at time when society changes rapidly

    The beautiful and charming Ri Sol-ju, the wife of the North Korean strongman Kim Jong-un, has not been seen for quite a while. After few months of frantic activity, she has nearly (but not quite completely) disappeared from the public view. The sudden drop in frequency of her public appearances…

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  • Stabilizing people’s lives

    Start by knowing correct reasons of past failures For one, surveys show that the majority of voters want governmental change but the ruling party candidate, Park Geun-hye, is enjoying the highest ratings in the polls. This is largely because Park has successfully kept her distance from the unpopular President Lee…

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  • East Asia

    A micro look at name cards

    Sometimes details, even very small ones, have big things to say. Such it is with the ubiquitous name card in Korea. In going through a pile of recently received cards, a number of thoughts come to mind. Romanization: This is the great emotion stirrer that divides people into three camps…

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  • West Asia

    Egypt ― Morsi goes too far

    “There is no middle ground, no dialogue before (Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi) rescinds this declaration,” said pro-democracy advocate and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohammed ElBaradei. “There is no room for dialogue when a dictator imposes the most oppressive, abhorrent measures and then says ‘let us split the difference.’” Morsi won…

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