• East Asia

    Who are ‘unfabulous’ 5?

    The Dec. 19 presidential election is not all about top two candidates, Park Geun-hye and Moon Jae-in who are in a neck-and-neck race after Ahn Cheol-soo bowed out last week. There are “five others” in the presidential race, some of them are obscure figures little-known to the general public. The…

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  • East Asia

    Goliath vs. Goliath

    Apple battle helps Samsung realize hidden strengths Looking back at the patent battle lasting more than a year on multiple fronts across the globe, it noticeable that Samsung is no longer what it was ― a hardware driven multinational that relied on orders from Apple and other big firms. It…

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  • East Asia

    Cambodia And China Agree To Build Hydropower Dam On Mekong Tributary

    Cambodian telecoms tycoon, President of the Royal Group Kith Meng (L, front) shakes hands with Chairman of the Chinese Hydrolancang International Energy Huang Guang-ming (R, front) at the signing ceremony in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov. 26, 2012. Cambodian Royal Group and Chinese Hydrolancang International Energy on Monday signed a joint-venture…

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  • East Asia

    A hiker’s diary to backpacking the Gobi Desert

    Day 1 Ulaanbaatar to the Gobi July 18, 2008 11:00   Joined a tour with recently made friends with a lady from Hong Kong, a lady and young man from Japan, and a gentleman from China.  We all pile into a mini van.  The roads which are called “highways” are not really…

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  • East Asia

    Miao Ethnic Group Women Celebrate Their Traditional New Year Festival In Guizhou, China

    Women of the Miao ethnic group dance to celebrate their traditional New Year festival in the Miao calendar at Xinqiao Village in Leishan County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, Nov. 26, 2012. People of the Miao ethnic group dance to celebrate their traditional New Year…

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  • East Asia

    Chinese Bride And Tibetan Bridegroom Marry In Tibetan-Style Wedding Ceremony

    Zhang Yufen, bride of the Han ethnic group, and bridegroom Raidain Jamco of the Tibetan ethnic group attend a Tibetan-style wedding ceremony in Xiangbala Township of Xiangcheng County, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, Nov. 25, 2012. Raidain Jamco (C), bridegroom of the Tibetan ethnic group, receives hada, a silk scarf symbolizing…

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  • East Asia

    China’s leadership change

    When Hu Jintao became China’s leader a decade ago, many hoped that the quiet, taciturn 59-year-old would turn out to be a closet liberal who would launch political reforms. They were disappointed. On Nov. 15, when he stepped down as general secretary of the Communist Party in favor of Xi…

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  • East Asia

    Koreans’ strange love of chicken

    My old neighborhood in Yongsan, Seoul, is famous for quaint patisseries, specialty coffee shops and authentic, hole-in-the-wall Japanese bistros. Oddly enough, a modest diner that sells good old casual Korean food is a rarity on this narrow strip that likes things lush. But last month, in came two new businesses…

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  • Koreans fall victim to racist attacks in Australia

    A Korean man was assaulted in Australia, Sunday, in what appears to be another racially motivated attack, according to the victim and local police, Monday. This is possibly the third racist attack against Koreans in Australia in just three months. The 28-year-old man, surnamed Cho, was attacked by two white…

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  • East Asia

    Seoul, Beijing hold first talks since Xi’s takeover

    Seoul officials were in Beijing Monday for their first high-level meeting since the official appointment of China’s new leader Xi Jinping. Vice Foreign Minister Ahn Ho-young and his Chinese counterpart Zhang Zhijun were slated to discuss security and other matters of mutual concern during the fifth Strategic Dialogue between the…

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