Post by Sunday at midnight.
1. Mark Whitaker
2. What Bourdieu talks about, Korean version of the SKY universities and government.
3. In terms of methods and theoretical topics in political sociology (which are suggestions as well for your future research always keep in mind), I mentioned that one branch of "weberian" studies of political sociology looks at elite reproduction, both intellectually as well as in terms of life course. In the U.S. long before Bourdieu, there was C. Wright Mills' views on the 'power elite' analysis. Bourdieu talks about how an elite establishes themselves as the standard of neutrality in power relationships, whether they themselves believe it or not; and he talks about the whole life course experiences and institutions they move through as a small segment of the larger society. This is an interesting Korean discussion for some data that I have always wondered about since I heard about the "SKY" universities concept in Korea. How old is this concept? What was the historical origins of this type of 'power elite'?
If anyone is interested in this type of research for your graduate career or dissertation, there is already a database set up for you:
"The database for national talent pool was established in 2000 and has been managed by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security. It includes senior government officials, professors, researchers, corporate executives and managers, journalists and lawyers."
Other questions might be the 'SKY' connection to chaebol management, etc. or banks, etc., or regional variation of the 'SKY' believability measured by regional elected, corporate, and banking officials.
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09-27-2008 21:35
SNU, Yonsei, Korea Dominate Gov't's Talent Pool
A whopping 36.9 percent of people who are on the government’s “national-level talent pool” database are found to be graduates from three Seoul-based universities _ Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University, Joongang Ilbo reported Saturday.
The data also shows a regional imbalance _ five out of 10 people are from the nation’s capital region, and the people from the southeastern provinces account for more than twice those from the southwestern region, according to a parliamentary report by main opposition Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yoo-jung.
As of the end of August, the talent pool has registered a total of 158,992. Of them, college graduates are 74.5 percent, including Seoul National (25,953), Korea (9,374) and Yonsei (8,418).
In the database, men (88.8 percent) also outstripped women (11.2 percent).
The database for national talent pool was established in 2000 and has been managed by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security. It includes senior government officials, professors, researchers, corporate executives and managers, journalists and lawyers.
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http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/09/113_31752.html
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3 comments:
1. Gowoon JUNG
2. Title: "Japan recalls sweets in melamine scandal"
3. This article deals with the current melamine scandal and recalls in Japan. I became to have more interests than other news since we have also hot controversials concerning this in Korea. After one snack company's snack was blamed with some amount of melamine, a coffee cream also became to be blamed after investigation.
Most consumers were very sharked by this situation, and they decided to change their consuming behavior. According to certain interview, some citizens mentioned that they do not want to drink coffee from a coffee machine on a street. People became to be more careful to their food safety with this repeated food scandle.
I think that China could have some problems with their production ethics or difficulties with their technologies. However, I have some sort of suspicions about political conspiracy in the perspective of international politics. China is a big country that everybody knows, and is predicted that they will have stronger economic power in the future. Then, in this world having invisible competitions, we can think that there will be many efforts to restrain and check other countries behavior concerning econmic matter.
Therefore, now I have these questions. Does only China have a food safety matter in this broad world? Isn't it an delicate effort to make China a country giving up basic ethics to achieve economic growth?
Isn't it really an effort to build up another discourse to prohibit China's growth?
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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A Japanese food corporation has recalled five products after determining they contained the chemical melamine that has been blamed for the deaths of four children and sickening thousands of others.
Officials stresses though that there were no reports of anyone becoming ill from consuming the sweets, which were made with ingredients imported from China, according to a representative of Tokyo's Marudai Food. The recall was issued several days ago.
Tests found a ratio of 37 milligrams of melamine per kilogram of the products, the company said Friday.
Japan is the latest country to report products tainted with melamine after thousands of Chinese children fell ill. The illnesses were traced to infant formula to which the toxic chemical had been added in Chinese dairy plants.
Nearly 53,000 children in China have been sickened by the formula or other products containing melamine. Four babies have died, and five Hong Kong children have suffered melamine-related illnesses. Dozens of countries have banned or recalled Chinese milk products. Watch how the scandal has spread beyond milk »
Hong Kong officials said Friday that a type of Heinz cereal and wasabi crackers were recalled after they were found to contain excessive melamine. Test results for another 40 samples of baby food are pending, said Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety.
Earlier Friday, the maker of a widely distributed Chinese candy linked to the melamine scandal said it would stop selling the confection in China. The manufacturer, Guanshengyan, had already recalled exports of White Rabbit Creamy Candies, and food-safety authorities worldwide have pulled them from shelves.
On Thursday, the European Union joined authorities worldwide in banning the import of Chinese milk products for children.
Chinese authorities have arrested 18 people in a nationwide investigation. They include two brothers who face charges of selling contaminated milk; the brothers could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper.
The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down, and the chemical melamine was added so it would pass quality checks, the newspaper said. Adding melamine makes a product seem to have a higher protein level.
Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. It is the same industrial contaminant that was found last year in pet food produced in China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats.
Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition
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http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/09/26/china.milk/index.html
1. Ji-A Ryu
2. N. Korea Accuses US of Breaking Nuclear Accord
3. This article shows North Korea's diplomacy. The official said the reason why North Korea should have broken the vow related to nuclear plant in Yongbyon. They did it based on the action for action principle. Because U.S demanded such as verification never agreed on among the six parties or between North Korea and the U.S, they could not keep the promise at all. However, they still wanted to solve the problem with dialogue and negotiations.
When I read this news, I thought North Korea seemed to have power to adjust its international relationship. Compared to South Korea, they asserted their demands very strongly against the U.S. As a small nation in the world, its voice makes big waves in the world all the time. I hope South Korea will have that courage in the international relations.
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09-28-2008 17:18
N. Korea Accuses US of Breaking Nuclear Accord
By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
North Korea has accused the United States of breaking a disarmament-for-aid deal struck in six-party talks, claiming the Stalinist state's resumption of nuclear activity is based on the action-for-action principle.
In his keynote speech at the U.N. General Assembly session Saturday, Pak Kil-yon, North Korean vice minister of foreign affairs, said his country had honored its commitments with its nuclear facilities in the final stages of being shut down.
But the United States had laid an artificial obstacle to implementing the Oct. 3 agreement (2007) by refusing to implement its obligations and put forward such an unjust demand as verification of the international standard never agreed on among the six parties or between North Korea and the United States, he said.
The standard is an attempt by the American country to infringe upon his nation's sovereignty, he added.
Last Wednesday, the communist state announced it would restore a nuclear reprocessing plant in Yongbyon which was shut down last year in retaliation for not removing it from the U.S. list of sponsors of terrorism.
It also asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to remove seals and surveillance cameras from the nuclear facility, according to the agency's deputy director general, Olli Heinonen.
Pak said that now that the United States has broken the agreement, North Korea is inevitably taking relevant countermeasures on the basis of the principle of action for action.
The official, however, left the door open for further negotiations to stop the situation worsening, saying, Pyongyang remains consistent in its position to resolve the nuclear issue peacefully through dialogue and negotiations.
As for the alleged human rights abuse in North Korea, Pak rebutted that America is interfering in the internal affairs of North Korea on the pretext of protection of human rights.
Pak also launched a verbal assault on South Korea and Japan.
He targeted the Lee Myung-bak administration, claiming it denies inter-Korean declarations signed June 15 in 2000 and Oct. 4 in 2007 which led to sour relations between the two Koreas.
Previously, Pyongyang cut all communication channels with Seoul and kicked the South's officials out of its territory in March after Lee vowed a tougher stance on the communist state.
On Japan and its World War II legacy, Pak criticized it as the only war criminal state that beautifies the history of aggression and massacre of millions of innocent people in Korea and other Asian countries.
ksy@koreatimes.co.kr
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http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/09/116_31771.html
1.sohyun chun(stella)
2.Title:"Korea backs Russia's WTO
membership"
3. This article is about
establishing parternership
between two countries.
With the help of South Korean companies, Russian and Koreans
will work on developing gas, and other natural resources, also
aerospace development.
This article was interesting because it showed me how
international organizations can develop global governance,
and what's more interesting is that companies(not gov't) can
also have huge impact on globalization.
Although some koreans do not
like the process of globalization (especially the older people),
I think that we can not stop the path of globalization. And, I think
it is govn't duty to set a law or policy that can make a world better place.
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Korea Backs Russia’s WTO Membership
President Lee Myung-bak, left, enters Alexandrovsky Park, while Russian soldiers carry flowers to be offered at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by Lee, in Moscow, Monday. / Yonhap
By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
South Korea and Russia agreed Monday to upgrade their relations to a strategic partnership to accelerate two-way cooperation on North Korea's nuclear program and the development of natural resources and aerospace technologies.
President Lee Myung-bak, who is on a three-day visit to Russia, and President Dmitry Medvedev adopted a joint statement calling for closer diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries following their summit in Moscow.
``Seoul and Moscow agreed to strengthen exchanges between their governments, legislatures and public and private sectors to address issues of mutual interest and security concerns on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia," the statement said.
Under the accord, the two countries will set up strategic talks between their vice foreign ministers. They will also launch joint projects to develop natural resources in Russia and nuclear and aerospace technologies.
Seoul and Moscow also shared the goals of resolving the North Korean nuclear program and other regional security issues through the framework of multilateral negotiations.
``Korea and Russia will strengthen cooperation to seek a peaceful resolution of regional security problems. To achieve the goal, we will participate in the Asian Regional Forum, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and other international bodies more actively,'' the statement said.
Lee arrived in Moscow Sunday, accompanied by business leaders and heads of government agencies. Ministries from both nations signed 13 memorandums of understanding to promote strategic relations in the fields of energy, diplomacy and industrial technologies, Cheong Wa Dae officials said.
``An upgrade in the South Korea-Russia relations will pave the ground for closer bilateral cooperation in economy, North Korea policy and all other areas. My summit with Medvedev was a good opportunity to improve bilateral relations, as both sides need each other,'' Lee told reporters.
According to the joint statement, Korea will back Russia's efforts to join the World Trade Organization and cooperate for Russia's successful hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics and the APEC forum in 2012. The two countries will also prepare joint programs to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2010.
The agreement will pave the way for South Korean firms to participate in Russia's projects to build infrastructure and develop oil and gas.
Both sides agreed to expand cooperation in energy-related research and in the development of oil and uranium. Russia is the world's second-largest producer of oil, and has the largest output of natural gas. It ranks fourth in uranium production and is the fifth-largest supplier of coal and iron ore.
On the sidelines of the summit, a South Korean consortium led by Korea Electric Power Corp. and Korea Resources Corp. signed a memorandum of understanding with Atomredmetzoloto Uranium Holdings (ARMZ) to jointly mine the material used to fuel nuclear reactors.
In addition, the state-run Korea National Oil Corp signed an MOU with Russia's autonomous Republic of Kalmykia to jointly look for oil in the Caspian Sea.
The two governments also agreed to push for the envisioned rail link between the two countries through North Korea for its eventual connection with Europe.
Following the summit, Lee also met with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Russian business leaders and journalists.
He will fly to Saint Petersburg today to receive an honorary doctorate from Saint Petersburg State University, the alma mater of both Medvedev and Putin, and give a lecture on Seoul-Moscow relations to students.
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http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2008/09/116_31882.html
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