Seoul Taxis Get Protection Screens for Women Drivers

Protection screens have been installed in 35 taxis driven by women, with the Seoul Metropolitan Government paying half the cost. A female taxi driver sits in a car with a protection screen near Seoul Plaza on Thursday. /News 1

The screens cost W250,000 (US$1=W1,116) each to install. They are made of polycarbonate that is strong enough to resist hammer blows and installed on the side and back of the driver's seat for complete protection.

If the measure is well received, all taxis in the capital will have the screens installed next year.

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Hong Kong to Open Trade Embassy in Seoul

Hong Kong plans to open a de-facto embassy in Korea.

The territory's embattled Chief Executive CY Leung met with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se in Seoul on Wednesday and revealed Hong Kong's plan to set up an Economic and Trade Office here.

There are 15 such offices in major cities around the world including Berlin, Brussels, London, and New York, but they are not full embassies due to Hong Kong's status as part of mainland China.

In Asia, Singapore and Tokyo are so far the only non-Sino hosts of the office. The are also offices in Taiwan and mainland China.

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Hong Kong to Open Trade Embassy in Seoul

Hong Kong plans to open a de-facto embassy in Korea.

The territory's embattled Chief Executive CY Leung met with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se in Seoul on Wednesday and revealed Hong Kong's plan to set up an Economic and Trade Office here.

There are 15 such offices in major cities around the world including Berlin, Brussels, London, and New York, but they are not full embassies due to Hong Kong's status as part of mainland China.

In Asia, Singapore and Tokyo are so far the only non-Sino hosts of the office. The are also offices in Taiwan and mainland China.

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Pororo to Improve Image of Seoul Taxis

The Seoul Metropolitan Government introduced 20 taxis for six months on Tuesday themed on Proro the Little Penguin, a popular cartoon character.

The aim is to improve the image of taxis and make the experience more fun for children and adults passengers alike.

A taxi decorated with the image of the character from the popular animation "Pororo the Little Penguin" /Courtesy of the Seoul Metropolitan Government

The image of taxis in Seoul, as elsewhere, has been marred by some grumpy, unhelpful drivers who refuse to take passengers. But the Pororo taxis are supposed to change that.

The fare is the same as for ordinary taxis, and they can be reserved online via a public service booking website (http://yeyak.seoul.go.kr) at least seven days in advance.

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Seoul Flags Up Fertilizer Aid to N.Korea

Seoul signaled a possible easing of years of tight sanctions on North Korea with a tentative offer of fertilizer aid.

"If transparency is guaranteed, [the government] could consider various assistance measures to North Korea including small-scale fertilizer aid," Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae said in a speech at a local forum on inter-Korean cooperation on Tuesday.

The government banned rice and fertilizer aid to North Korea in 2010 as part of sanctions after the North sank the Navy corvette Cheonan. As recently as this March, Ryoo voiced opposition to plans by the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation to send fertilizer aid to the North, so his latest comments fuel hopes in some quarters that the government is willing to shift its stance.

Last month President Park Geun-hye told members of a unification committee that Seoul could provide fertilizer aid to North Korea as part of a grassroots approach to solving food shortages in the North.

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Seoul to Host ISU Speed Skating Would Cup This Weekend

The ISU Speed Skating World Cup will be held in Korea for the first time in more than a decade.

Two-time Olympic champion Lee Sang-hwa and Park Seung-hi, who won two gold medals in short track speed skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi but has now switched to long track speed skating, took front row at a press conference ahead of the three-day international event.

They expressed hope for good performances in the upcoming event.

The event will run from Friday through Sunday, featuring the best speed skaters from across the world.

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Seoul to Host ISU Speed Skating Would Cup This Weekend

The ISU Speed Skating World Cup will be held in Korea for the first time in more than a decade.

Two-time Olympic champion Lee Sang-hwa and Park Seung-hi, who won two gold medals in short track speed skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi but has now switched to long track speed skating, took front row at a press conference ahead of the three-day international event.

They expressed hope for good performances in the upcoming event.

The event will run from Friday through Sunday, featuring the best speed skaters from across the world.

View the original article here

BMW i3 Voted Most Preferred Electric Car in Seoul

The BMW i3

The BMW i3 is the most preferred electric car in a new program implemented by the Seoul city government.

The city government said on Wednesday that the German car has been chosen by 297 out of 617 applicants for the program where it will offer a subsidy of W20 million (US$1=W1,107) per car for up to 182 electric cars.

Kia's Soul EV received 161 applicants and the SM3 ZE 81.

The i3 retails for between W57.5 million and W63.4 million, up to W28 million more than domestic electric cars.

The i3, which is BMW's first electric vehicle, boasts cutting-edge technology with its bodywork made from carbon fiber reinforced plastic, which is lighter than steel. The interior features recyclable materials such as pure wool cloth and eucalyptus wood.

"The i3 is so popular in foreign markets that it is in short supply. Consumers who are relatively well-off buy the car," a BMW staffer said.

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