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Table Reminders1. The eldest person present begins eating first.2. Chopsticks should not be left in the rice or soup bowl during or after the meal.3. The rice or soup bowl should not be held in one's hands while eating.4. The hand and arms should not be placed on the table while eating.5. One should not tear food into pieces using fingers.6. One must remain at the table until the last person has finished eating.

The main dish is almost always accompanied by rice, soup, kimchi and several side dishes. Koreans eat their rice and soup with a spoon (which was reportedly first invented by the Koreans),

Use the spoon for rice and the chopsticks for side dishes, but you can ask for forks or knives at restaurants. Do not stir your rice or your soup. Do not leave the spoon or chopsticks in the rice as it symbolizes their use by the dead. Knives are used only in the preparation of food, not as eating utensils because Korean food is either pre-cut into bite-sized pieces or is soft enough to be pulled apart using chopsticks.

IN THE FIRST THREE decades after the Park Chung Hee government launched the First Five-Year Economic Development Plan in 1962, the South Korean economy grew enormously and the economic structure was radically transformed. South Korea's real gross national product (GNP) expanded by an average of more than 8 percent per year, from US$2.3 billion in 1962 to US$204 billion in 1989. Per capita annual income grew from US$87 in 1962 to US$4,830 in 1989. The manufacturing sector grew from 14.3 percent of the GNP in 1962 to 30.3 percent in 1987. Commodity trade volume rose from US$480 million in 1962 to a projected US$127.9 billion in 1990. The ratio of domestic savings to GNP grew from 3.3 percent in 1962 to 35.8 percent in 1989.

Over the last three decades, the Republic of Korea has achieved what is widely acclaimed as "the economic miracle on the Hang-gang River." Since Korea embarked on economic development in earnest in 1962, its economy has grown at one of the fastest paces in the world. As a result, Korea, long one of the world's poorest agrarian societies, has emerged as an upper middle-income, fast-industrializing country.

Today, according to the 2007 Index, South Korea's economy is 68.6 percent free, making it the world's 36th freest economy. Unfortunately, however, a closer look reveals that South Korea's level of economic freedom is neither as comprehensive nor as concrete as it should be. For example, although its regulatory process has improved, bureaucracy and lack of transparency still hinders entrepreneurial activities. Interventionist government policies still linger. South Korea's labor freedom is also shackled by restrictive employment regulations that hamper employment and productivity growth. Militant labor unions make the situation worse, disrupting the rule of law and undermining productivity.

In terms of economics, political science, and sociology, increases in education have been shown to bolster economic development and politically mobilize the public. The South Korean case, with its rapid economic growth since the 1960s and the shift to democratization in the 1980s, is a strong example supporting this claim.

With apologies for not reporting on this well in advance, but with hopes that this post will allow for some advance planning for next year's events, here's a bit on the 2007 International Korean Adoptee Association's Gathering that took place during the week of July 31st- August 5th in Seoul, South Korea.

The NewsWealth.com South Korea News Media Guide spotlights South Korean current events via major daily South Korean newspapers, South Korea news blogs, magazines, South Korean tabloids, and other South Korea news sources for multimedia coverage of South Korean breaking news plus top stories on showbiz celebrities, South Korea politics, sports events, the South Korea travel industry, South Korean newspaper advertising, medical tours, eco tourism, luxury camping, retirement in South Korea, investing in South Korea, business opportunities, accommodations, telecom services, immigration guidelines, expat employment, import & export, forex trading, money transfer rates, and more.

S.Korea's ruling party urges president to calm public anger over U.S. beef import plan SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea's ruling party chief urged the president Monday to revamp his Cabinet to calm a growing public outcry over the government's plan to restart imports of U.S. beef this week. Leave a Comment

Korea has many National Holidays. Korea has four National Celebration Days; October 3rd to commemorate the founding of ancient Korea in 2333 BC, March 1st to commemorate an independence movement in 1919, August 15th to commemorate the liberation form the Japanese rule in 1945 at the Japanese surrender to the USA, and July 17th for the declaration of our constitution in 1948.

The Yi Dynasty started in 1392

current research interests include real interest rates in Korea

1) the period of Malthusian stagnation up to 1910, when Japan annexed Korea; 2) the colonial period from 1910-45, when the country embarked upon modern economic growth; and 3) the post colonial decades, when living standards improved rapidly in South Korea, while North Korea returned to the world of disease and starvation.

Seoul recently agreed to reopen its market to most U.S. beef cuts, lifting a five-year ban placed after the outbreak of the first mad cow case in the United States. The decision reached on April 18 is expected to permit U.S. beef shipments to arrive here around in mid May.

"We are very pleased that Korea has taken the decision," Vershbow said, "And this agreement is based on international scientific standards, which I think is the only policy for trading nations that they want to observe, that they want to have healthy economic relations with other nations."The Lee Myung-bak administration, however, faced mounting domestic criticism for rushing to the beef agreement despite lingering concerns over mad cow disease and feared impact on the local cattle industry

Resuming U.S. beef imports has been considered a key condition for Seoul gaining U.S. ratification of the free trade agreement