THIS MONTH’S HEADLINES
OCTOBER 2008 ISSUE. 10-08
KOREA-NEW ZEALAND FILM CO-PRODUCTION AGREEMENT SIGNED IN WELLINGTON
Following five years of discussions, the ‘Agreement Between the Government of the Republic of Korea and the Government of New Zealand Concerning the Co-production of Films' was signed on 29 September in Wellington by Korea’s Minister of Culture, Sports &
Tourism, You In-chon, and Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, who also holds the portfolio for Cultural Affairs. This is Korea’s second inter-government agreement regarding the co-production of films, following an agreement signed with France in late 2006, and the tenth for New Zealand. It is expected that the agreement will be beneficial to both countries in terms of providing incentives to film-makers and support programmes for film production. The agreement also provides for an easing of restrictions on the impor- tation of film equipment and facilitates the granting of visas for location shoots. Recent Korean films shot in New Zealand include
‘Silmido’ and ‘Old Boy’, and the upcoming US-Korea co-production
‘Laundry Warrior’. The NZ horror film ‘Black Sheep’ had Korean invest-
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Minister You, who made a three-day visit to New Zealand from 27 to 30 September for the signing of the agreement, visited Queenstown to explore the area’s tourism industry, then travelled to Wellington, where he met with his coun- terparts, Hon. Clayton Cosgrove, Minister of Sport & Recreation and Hon. Damien O’Connor, Minister of Tourism. While in Wellington, he visited Weta Workshop, Park Road Post and Te Papa Museam.
Minister of Culture, Sports & Tourism, You In-chon (left) and Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Helen Clark (right) after signing the agreement on 29 September
The first preparatory talks on the Korea-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement were held in Seoul on 29 and 30 September. The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Hyo-sung Park, Director-General of FTA Negotiations Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade, and Her Excellency Alison Mann, the current New Zealand Ambassador to Brazil.
During the two-day preparatory talks, the two parties shared information on the progress of their respective trade deals with other countries and exchanged a wide range of views including tariffs, country-of-origin rules, services and investment etc. In December 2006, the leaders of both countries agreed to conduct a civilian feasibility study on a possible trade pact. The joint study was completed in December 2007. At the bilateral summit held during May this year in Seoul, President Lee Myung-bak and Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Helen Clark agreed to hold prepara- tory talks on a Korea-NZ FTA.
KOREA-NEW ZEALAND FTA PREPARATORY TALKS HELD IN SEOUL
DR SHIN YOUNG-SOO ELECTED AS REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF WHO
Dr Shin Young-soo was elected to a 5 year-term as World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Western Pacific at the elections held on 22 September in Manila. He will take up his post in February 2009, following final approval of the WHO Executive Board. It is expected that Dr Shin's election will further enhance Korea's involvement in resolving international health issues.
Dr Shin, 64, is currently Professor at the College of Medicine, Seoul National University.
With over three decades of public service, he has made significant contributions to health-related organizations at global, regional and national levels. Dr Shin said that under his leadership, WHO would pursue health protection and promotion measures that would take into consideration the cultural, economic and geographical diversity of
countries in the Region. Dr Shin Young-soo.
KOREA-NEW ZEALAND BILATERAL AFFAIRS
Reception of the 60th Anniversary of the Found- ing of the Republic of Korea Held in Wellington
The Korean Embassy hosted approximately 200 guests at its reception celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of the Republic of Korea, held on 30 September at the Wellington Club.
In his speech, H.E. Ambassador Joon-gyu Lee noted that the already strong Korea – New Zealand bilateral relations have been further strengthened by the Korea- NZ film co-production treaty signed on 29 September and the preparatory talks for a Korea-NZ Free Trade Agreement, held on 29 and 30 September in Seoul. Mr.
Warren Searell, Chief of Protocol of New Zealand’s Minis- try of Foreign Affairs & Trade, also emphasized that the two countries have enhanced their close bilateral relations especially in the fields of energy-security, film, research, science & technology and Korea’s Antarctic programme.
Guests included the Hon. Maryan Street, Minister of Housing, representing the government, Mr. Tim Groser, representing the opposition, other government officials, members of the diplomatic corps and Korean community leaders.
Korea to Establish Antarctic Base in Christchurch
The Korean Polar Research Institute team visited Christchurch to research the possible establishment of a new $US70 million ($NZ104m) research station in a distant part of Antarctica. They also visited Lyttelton to see whether the port might be a suitable base for a new$US104m icebreaker, ‘Araon’, now under construction. If the plans are confirmed, Korea will join the United States and Italy in having its Antarctic operations based in Christchurch.
Ambassador attends Antarctic Season Opening in Christchurch
Ambassador H.E. Joon-gyu Lee travelled to Christchurch from 25 – 27 September to attend the official Antarctic Season Opening. During his visit, he made a courtesy visit to Christchurch Mayor, Mr. Bob Parker, attended the Antarctic Festival and toured the International Antarctic Centre, based in Christchurch.
First Meeting of the Korea-NZ Committee on Agricultural Cooperation held in Wellington
Led by Mr. Jong-jin Kim, Director-General of the Interna- tional Agriculture Bureau of Korea’s Ministry of Agricul- ture & Forestry, a group of five Korean delegates visited New Zealand to take part in the first meeting of the Korea-NZ Committee on Agricultural Cooperation on 11 September. They met with their counterparts from the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry. The two parties discussed the ways in which they might achieve the objectives set out in the agricultural cooperation arrangement signed by representatives of both govern- ments in April 2007.[Left]: Ambassador H.E. Joon gyu Lee makes his speech in the Wellington Club, [Right]: Ambassador Lee talks with Mr. Warren Searell, NZ’s Chief of Protocol.
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POLITICAL AFFAIRS
to learn the Korean language and use childcare support.
With this budget plan, the Ministry of Justice will be able to carry out social integration education programs for immigrants with a 2.4 billion won budget starting next year. Successful completion of social integration educa- tion will help an applicant for Korean nationality get an exemption from doing the required written examination and shorten the application procedure.
The Finance Ministry has also set a 2-billion-won budget for the establishment of the Justice Ministry's online visa recommendation program named "HuNet Korea." In order to help firms find talented personnel from overseas, the ministry will shorten the visa application procedure to one or two days from the current 12 days for the talented recommended by designated institutions such as KOTRA or other leading business organizations, so that more highly skilled personnel from overseas can get a Korean visa. The Finance Ministry also increased the budget for Korean government scholarships to 44.6 billion won from 31.2 billion so that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology can invite more overseas students and provide more opportunities for them to have cultural experiences and academic opportunities during their study in Korea.
Korea to Host 2008 Ramsar Convention
peat-land to dams or artificial reservoirs, the Ramsar Convention is considered a festival of all environmental issues and held every three years to discuss challenges, achievements and recommendations to protect wetlands among 158 member countries. At this years' convention, the participants will adopt a "Changwon Declaration"
under the theme of "Healthy Wetland, Healthy People."
They will also adopt a resolution on the enhancement of biodiversity in rice fields as wetland systems. The Ramsar Convention program includes nearly 60 international symposiums, 20 cultural events and exhibitions and other local festivals related to the convention, to celebrate the international gathering of the largest environmental event in the world. Korea gained membership in 1997 with eight registered wetlands including Changnyong Upo Wetland in South Gyeongsang Province, Jangdo Island High Moor in South Jeolla Province and Mulyeongari-oreum in Jeju Island.
Government Allows Overseas Koreans to Take Part in Local Votes
From as early as next year, Koreans with the nationality of another country but residing in Korea will be able to enjoy suffrage in residential votes conducted by local adminis- trative bodies, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security said Tuesday on 7 October. According to the ministry's proposal, voting rights will be given to ethnic Koreans who have non-Korean nationality but register their local residence in Korea before the vote takes place.
The proposed residential law is applicable to Koreans who have permanent residence in Korea. The number of over- seas Koreans to which the revised residential law can be applied is estimated at 62,000 as of August 2008. The proposal would also change the minimum age to partici- pate in votes from 20 to 19. Unlike a national election to elect a president or national assembly representatives, residential votes are held to ask residents' opinions on local affairs, such as the merger of local administrative bodies, building a radioactive waste disposal site in the area, and so on. The proposed revised residential vote law will take effect at the end of this year if it gets approval from the National Assembly.
Koreans Likely to Travel to U.S. Without Visa From Next Year
Koreans will be able to travel to the U.S. without a visa from around mid-January next year, Foreign Ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young announced on 25 Septem- ber, following the conclusion of negotiations between Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in Washington on Korea's inclusion in the visa waiver program.
The Korea-U.S. draft agreement will be reviewed by the Ministry of Government Legislation and the Cabinet, approved by the President, and signed formally with the U.S. The U.S. will announce the new list of visa-waiver program participants, including Korea, around mid- October. Under the visa waiver program, Koreans will be able to travel to the U.S. without a visa for up to 90 days.
However, those who want to study in or immigrate to the U.S. must still get a visa.
Finance Ministry Announces Increased Budget for Mixed Marriage Support
On 30 September, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance said that it will increase the budget of government orga- nizations to assist multicultural families and marriage immigrants. The Finance Ministry said in a media release that it will increase the budget for marriage immigrant support projects of the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs from 23 billion won to 23.7 billion won next year to provide more opportunities for non-Korean
Korea will host the 10th meeting of member countries of the Ramsar Convention on the protection of wetlands, which will take place in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do (South Gyeongsang Province), from 28 October to 4 November. Since the term “wetlands” covers a vast array of nature from rivers and
ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
President Lee Calls for Timely Response to Financial Crisis
With a view to preparing for any unexpected impact from the U.S. financial crisis, President Lee Myung-bak chaired a meeting with finance-related Cabinet mem- bers and senior presidential secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae on 20 September.
The President instructed the senior officials to work out thoroughgoing countermeasures to make sure that small and medium-sized enterprises do not go out of business due to temporary financial difficulties in the wake of the financial crisis in the U.S. The President also instructed them to react promptly and actively to the current financial circumstances, given the possibility of an unexpected impact on the country's economy. At the meeting, Minister of Strategy and Finance Kang Man-soo reported to the President that Korea is maintaining a
"hot line" with the United States, Japan and China to exchange information on the international financial market and discuss ways of cooperation.
The participants at the meeting shared the view that U.S.
President George W. Bush's statement on the economy and the supply of funds by six nations' central banks will be helpful to stabilizing the international financial market. The senior officials agreed to meet often to review the market situation and come up with swift countermeasures.
Government to Invest 99 Trillion Won in 22 New Growth Engines
The Korean government has set itself a goal of creating 22 new future growth engines which will help to achieve
"low carbon and green growth" and create new jobs.
President Lee Myung-bak was advised in a briefing on 22 September at the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute in Daejeon that the Ministry of Knowl- edge Economy, a task force responsible for the planning of new growth engines, and a content committee propose the investment of a total of 99.4 trillion won (US$1=W1,200) of government and civilian funds (7.9 trillion won from the government and 91.5 trillion won from the civilian sector) in future growth engines over the next five years.
The future growth engines include pollution-free coal energy, marine bio-fuel, solar cells, use of carbon dioxide as an energy source, fuel cell development systems, nuclear power plants, green cars, shipping and marine systems, next-generation wireless communications, LED lighting, robots, new nano-fusion materials, fusion media, new bio-medicines and medical equipment, and software design. It is anticipated that the new growth engines will contribute to an increase in exports from
US$120.8 billion in 2008 to $306.9 billion in 2013 and
$795.4 billion in 2018.
The initiative is also expected to create 880,000 new jobs over the next five years and a total of 2.26 million new jobs over the next 10 years. The project was initiated by the civilian sector to reflect new market trends. About 360 industrial experts, academics and researchers have worked on the project since March this year. The task force for the planning of new growth engines reiterated the importance of improving laws and systems, fostering talented people, and creating an environment for sustainable innovation and investment. Based on these suggestions, the government will formulate a compre- hensive program by December and will establish a man- agement system to push for the sustainable implemen- tation of the project.
Korea's First Carbon Exchange Firm Emerged
The country's first carbon exchange firm, tentatively named Korean Carbon Finance (KCF), was established- with 5 billion won in start-up capital. KCF is part of the Ministry of Knowledge Economy's carbon fund project. It was set up by Korea Investment & Securities, a private equity fund management firm, in cooperation with private companies such as Foosung, Hu-Chems and KT&G, which are interested in investment or direct participation in greenhouse gas reduction projects. KCF will deal mainly with the certificates of certified emission reductions (CERs) produced by the UN's Clean Develop- ment Mechanism (CDM) projects and those of Korea certified emission reductions (KCERs) issued by the government to enterprises for their voluntary cuts in emissions. CDM is a mechanism under which developed and developing countries implement joint projects to reduce and absorb greenhouse gases. When the projects result in reduction, developed nations acquire carbon credits that can be posted as their own emission reduc- tions to help meet their own emissions targets.
KCF will provide one-stop service to the greenhouse gas market and secure profitability, while developing and making direct investment in greenhouse gas reduction projects, doing research and giving counsel, and arrang- ing financial services for these projects. Foosung and Hu-Chems are firms that have long engaged in green- house gas reduction projects registered by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Government to Tighten Food Safety Rules to Protect Consumers
The Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs put a revised food safety bill on public notice on 22 September in a bid to protect consumers from harmful food prod- ucts. Under the revised bill, consumers will be able to
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request government authorities to conduct food sanita- tion examinations on particular companies that are suspected of selling harmful products. If a company or individual is found to be selling harmful products, they will be obliged to pay fines of at least double the profit earned through such sales. The minimum jail sentences for food producers who use diseased animals will be lengthened from one year to three years, under the revised law. If businesses have implemented the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, which identifies potential food safety hazards, they will be able to make this public through a separate acknowledgement system under the new system. The revised bill will be put on public notice until 13 October and then be submitted to the National Assembly sometime this year, the ministry said.
Government to Carve Up Nation into 7 Economic Zones
In the second session chaired by President Lee Myung- bak, the Presidential Committee on Balanced National Development decided to pursue a policy that will balance national development by regrouping the country into large economic zones. Under the new policy, the country will be divided into seven economic zones. The seven zones will be comprised of five large economic zones, Seoul, Chungcheong, Jeolla, Dae-Gyeong (Daegu-North Gyeongsang), and the southeastern zone (Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang); and two special zones, Gang- won and Jeju. To help implement the overall national development strategy, four ministries: the Ministry of Strategy and Finance; the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs; the Ministry of Knowledge Economy;
and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology will cooperate with each other, while pursuing their own policies to galvanize the economic zones. To help promote core industries and provide skilled manpower, the government will inject about 350 billion won over five years to foster one or two universities in each zone.
The government will also implement policies to expand regional industrial bases and ease restrictions on businesses in order to pave the way for key projects and develop the ability of provincial regions to meet their own special needs.
The government will seek a revision of the law on balanced national development during the ongoing regular National Assembly session to help metropolitan and provincial councils implement the policy. It will allocate an annual budget for a comprehensive devel- opment program early next year.
Comprehensive Real Estate Tax Rates to Be Lowered The government will raise the taxable house price from 600 million won to more than 900 million won, begin- ning next year. The current rates for the comprehensive property tax, 1 to 3 percent, will be reduced drastically to 0.5 to 1 percent.
The government will also reduce taxes for the elderly who have only one home by up to 30 percent, 10 percent for those aged 60-65, 20 percent for those aged 65-70, and 30 percent for those 70 years or older. The number of households subject to the comprehensive property tax will decrease from 387,000 households in 2007 to about 160,000. The rates under the new system will be 0.5 percent where the house value is less than the baseline 600 million won; 0.75 percent for a value between 600 million won and 1.2 billion won; and 1 percent for more than 1.2 billion won.
The tax assessment standards will be based on the "fair market value prices" of houses instead of the current
"taxable house prices." In the mid- and long term, the government will integrate the comprehensive property tax into property tax, placing it under the flat tax rate or the progressive tax rate system.
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OTHER NEWS
The 4th World Congress of Korean Studies Held
The 4th World Congress of Korean Studies, hosted by the Academy of Korean Studies, opened at the Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul from 22 to 24 September. The annual event is the largest conference on Korean studies in the world. Bearing the slogan “Korean Studies Interfacing with the World,” this year’s event focused on sharing the latest achievements in Korean studies and forming an academic network of researchers around the world.
Along with academic conferences and meetings, the event included cultural performances to provide an opportunity for visiting participants to better under- stand Korea and its culture. The event was sponsored by
The event was sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Science & Technology, the Committee for the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Republic of Korea, and the Korea Foundation. For more information about this event, please visit www.aks.ac.kr/congress/.
Korea Ranks 12th in the Number of SCI-level Papers in 2007
Korea ranked 12th in the number of papers published in SCI-level journals among 180 countries in 2007, one notch up from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology on 11 September. A total of 25,494 Korean papers were posted on the Science Citation Index (SCI) of the National Science Indicator database, accounting for 2.17 percent of all journals
released around the world, achieving nearly double that of 1998 (1.13 percent). The SCI, a citation index owned by Thomson Reuters, covers the world's leading journals of science and technology. Korea displayed marked achievements in the fields of material science(5th rank), computer science(7th), pharmacology(7th), physics(8th) and engineering(10th). Korea's SCI journal entries were cited 3.44 times per journal over the five-year period of 2003 to 2007, up from 3.27 times in the preceding period of 2002 to 2006.
Among Korean universities, Seoul National University published the largest number of SCI papers with 4,291. It claimed the 24th rank among world universities, up 8 notches from a year earlier. Yonsei University was ranked at the 96th, followed by Korea University at 137th. In terms of the number of paper per professor, the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology(GIST) made it to the top of the Korean list with 5.07 papers per faculty. Sam- sung topped the private company sector with 623 papers.
Number of Korean Proficiency Test Takers Doubles
year, riding on the wave of Korean firms' overseas expan- sion and growing educational exchanges. The Test of Proficiency in Korean, also known as TOPIK, is conducted twice a year in 31 countries for people preparing to work or study in Korea. About 67,000 people took the April test, and about 85,780 had applied for the September, said the ministry. The total figure amounts to more than twice the 72,290 test-takers in 2007. The increase was sharpest in neighboring countries. In China, the number of TOPIK takers soared to 119,925 this year from 47,645 in 2007. The figure in Japan rose to 7,489 from 6,822.
Government Announces Standard English Names for Korean Dishes
Kimchi (left) and Bulgogi (right), Korea's most popular dishes
In order to help overseas visitors and expatriates inter- ested in Korean cuisine, the Korean government has set
standard English names for popular Korean dishes. At a forum aimed at globalizing Korean food overseas, the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced a set of new English names for 100 selected Korean dishes, and recommended the use of a standard- ized naming system for Korean cuisine to help overseas visitors get a better idea about the food.
The ministry spent two months selecting the top 100 dishes and had them proofread by native speakers of English who have lived in Korea for more than 10 years to set the standard English names for Korean food. This is because expatriates often pointed out the confusion of the different Romanizations and rough translations of Korean food names. The ministry said the government plans to publish brochures that show standardized English names for Korean dishes. It also plans to use them in education materials or guidelines for restaurant owners in and outside of the country.
On 17 September, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology announced that the number of non-Koreans taking the Korean- language proficiency test has more than doubled to 150,000 this
KOREAN WAR VETERANS
“THE IMJIN RIVER”
A Soldier Remembers (1) By Mr. Winfred Poulton
The Imjin River is one of the major rivers of Korea. It rises in North Korea and flows south into the Republic of Korea and then westward to the Yellow Sea a little north of Seoul. As a member of K-Force, my memories of the river extend over almost two years, from early 1952 to late 1953. The New Zealanders and the river were closely linked from the time the war became static on the border of North and South Korea in November 1951. It has seen the river in all its moods, from a placid clear river, with metal beds and high cliffs, not unlike my home river, the Manawatu at Kumeroa, to a raging torrent in the rainy season and a white frozen ribbon in the winter. My first sight of the river was when we crossed it in army trucks on a pontoon bridge named Pintail, on our way up to the regiment in March 1952. This pontoon bridge was later replaced with a high steel structure.
A few weeks later a party of us came down to the river for metal. My letter of the time reads:
“I am writing this letter on the riverbed of the Imjin River using a jerry can of water for a table. A party of seven of us came down to load metal for the road. We loaded four GMC trucks and are waiting for them to come back as another party is unloading them back at camp. I put a pen and paper in my pocket this morning thinking that we might have some spare time. There is a Company of Tommies a little way downstream practicing river crossing in boats.
The river is swift-flowing with a lovely metal bottom and clear bluish water; it could easily be the Waimakariri River in Canterbury. I’ve bought soap and a towel so will have a bathe and a wash this afternoon. I can see the water will be cold, but it is too good an opportunity to miss. There are three bridges over the river all within a few miles of each other. Teal and Widgeon are high wooden structures, but Pintail, the one we came over on the way up last week, is a floating pontoon affair.”
I heard that a soldier had drowned then he tried to swim the river, but I never heard the details. The ‘rainy season’
in July is no myth. For three days on the 5th, 6th, 7th the rain just fell down with hardly a break. Heavy, steady rain.
No wind. In the last few days of July the river was in high flood. Of the three bridges that the engineers built, only Pintail remained. The other two, Teal and Widgeon, were swept away. Pintail had only been completed and opened a few days earlier. It was a high structure; 13 metres above the water and at the height of the flood there was a bare 3 metres clearance. The sappers pulled in the pontoon bridge, the one we had come across some months earlier, as soon as the flood developed.
It looked to be a tricky tactical situation, but we didn’t have to use our ‘C’ rations, so supplies must have been coming up. The Chows shelled Pintail the day after it was opened, but it would have been at extreme range for them so they were pretty inaccurate and no damage was done. Two or three direct hits, or even one, would have done a lot of damage as it was only a high trestle struc- ture. It showed that the Chinese had spies all through us.
They waited till the bridge was finished before shelling it.
We used the riverbed for a school reunion on one occa- sion. My account of it reads.
“That evening we had a little reunion of Wanganui Colle- giate School old boys. This was my idea. We didn’t get every- one; some, like John Gardiner, were unavailable. Chris Nevill, Peter Burston, Mike Russell, Pat Williams, Tom Wool- lams, Richard Arkwright and myself plus a driver and the photographer Peter Cooper, collected up at Dog 1 and started off in a truck for the Imjin River, supplied with some sandwiches and cakes and two crates of beer. We had a few beers sitting round in a circle on the sand with a candle on a box for light, then a swim at about 10 o’clock, lovely and warm. After that we sat around and had more beer and more to eat and Peter took a couple of photographs. I had taken a cake that the Takapuna Women’s Division of Feder- ated Farmers had sent me. We drank a toast to the School.
We got home at midnight, after what was a unique and very enjoyable reunion.”
In December the river, which only a few months before had been in flood and a raging torrent, took on a quite different aspect. It became a white ribbon with ice thick enough for the big GMC trucks to go out onto. Our little creek was very pretty, just a white trickle with frozen waterfalls and rapids. We used to walk beside it on our way from the troop area up to the sergeant’s mess. The temperature had dropped to 4 degrees i.e. 28 degrees of frost. In January the temp dropped to “forty below”, i.e.
40° of frost or -8°F.
We had days of rain in early March, the first rain since November. That was the best thing that could have happened because it softened the ground and helped to melt the six inches of ice on the creek and in the paddy fields. The ice on the river began breaking up and the river took on a bluey green tinge, which was the water showing through underneath. The river had been a dull white since December.
To be continued next month...
7 by Paul Bellamy
PHOTO NEWS
“ The 13th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) ”
ANNOUNCEMENT
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The annual PIFF has been one of the most significant film festivals in Asia since its inception in 1996. (Left): The 13th PIFF poster based on the artwork ‘Arirang-Hope 1’ , (Middle/Right): The spectacular PIFF opening ceremony, held on 2 October.
(Left) : Opening film - “The Gift to Stalin”
(2008, Russia, Kazakhstan, Israel, Poland) - sold out online in an impressive record of 1 minute and 30 seconds. Director: Rustem Abdrashev
(Right): Closing film - “I am Happy” (2008, Korea). It sold out in only 7 minutes and 6 seconds. Director: Yoon Jong-chan
(Left): Actress Kim Jung-eun, MC of the opening ceremony, walks on the red carpet, (Second left): Hallyu star Jang Dong-gun, (second right): Three main actors, Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun and Jung Woo-sung, and Director Kim Ji-wun of "The Good, The Bad, The Weird" celebrating the opening ceremony, (Right): This year’s Korean Cinema Retrospective Program highlighted the films of Han Hyung-mo, a master of popular comedies & dramas during the 50s & 60s.
