Enter. NEWS: Turns

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2014년 11월 25일 화요일

Ferry Owner's 2nd-in-Command Turns Himself In

A close disciple of the shipping tycoon blamed for the April 16 ferry disaster returned to Korea on Tuesday after months on the lam in the U.S. and turned himself in to police.

Lawyers for Kim Pil-bae, a former chief of Moonjin Media, a subsidiary of ferry operator Cheonghaejin Marine, had announced his return a few days ago.

Kim Pil-bae (in mask) arrives at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office on Tuesday. /Newsis

Kim boarded a flight in Hawaii on Tuesday morning and was arrested right after he landed at Incheon International Airport and taken away for questioning.

Kim is believed to have managed ferry owner Yoo Byung-eon's vast corporate empire after Yoo officially went bankrupt, and has been charged with embezzling tens of billions of won from Cheonghaejin Marine and other affiliates along with Yoo's second son Hyuk-ki, who is still fighting a summons to return to Korea.

Dressed in a black jacket with his face hidden behind a mask, Kim was bombarded with questions from reporters when he arrived at the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office. When asked if he admits the charges against him, Kim replied, "I'll have to look into that." He added, "I turned myself in because I couldn't stand the anxiety, but I did not run away from the law and was merely resting after retirement."

Prosecutors believe Yoo, who was declared bankrupt in 1997, appointed Kim and his second son to top positions in his companies and used them to maintain control over his vast clandestine fortunes.

Kim is believed to know the size and location of Yoo's hidden assets, which prosecutors hope to seize to cover the cost of compensating victims of the ferry disaster and the massive cost of the search and rescue operation.

Kim fled to the U.S. in just after the ferry disaster and went into hiding. Prosecutors canceled his passport, thereby turning him into an illegal alien in the U.S., and turned to Interpol to hunt him down.

Kim appears to have turned himself in because he was unable to deal with the pressure of a fugitive life. He may also have been affected by the lighter-than-expected sentences other executives of Yoo's businesses received so far.

View the original article here

2014년 11월 23일 일요일

Loss-Leader LG Display Turns into Cash Cow

LG Display, a loss-maker from 2010 to 2012, has emerged as the conglomerate's new cash cow thanks to diversifying sales to TV and smartphone manufacturers.

LG Display rose to the top spot in the global ultra high-definition TV panel market for the first time in October and began supplying displays for Apple's latest iPhone as well, which has translated into surging profits.

It posted W6.5 trillion (US$1=W1,114) in sales in the third quarter and an operating profit of W474.1 billion -- a bigger profit than LG Electronics and LG Chem.

The stellar profits were achieved by lowering its dependence on sales within the LG group and seeking out new clients abroad.

LG Display's accumulated losses from 2010 to 2012 totaled W1.4 trillion, making it something of a drag on the conglomerate's finances. The company built a new factory in Paju north of Seoul and drastically boosted output, but slow smartphone and TV sales at LG Electronics, which then accounted for 40 to 50 percent of LG Display's business, had a huge impact on the bottom line.

It built an LCD plant in Guangzhou in September to cut costs and offer cheaper products. The panels produced there are supplied to local TV manufacturers Skyworth and Changhong.

Another major client is Apple. LG Display teamed up with Apple from the development stage, and the result of the cooperation is the high-resolution retina display that goes into iPhones.

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi is also an important client.

All this has helped LG Display’s sales dependence on other LG affiliates drop to around 30 percent.

View the original article here

2013년 6월 8일 토요일

John Farr: Johnny Depp Turns 50

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Tomorrow, the thoroughly original, impossibly talented Johnny Depp hits the milestone age of 50.

Does this mean he's actually middle-aged? No, it can't be.

After all, part of this unique actor's enduring charm is his child-like quality, his willingness to dress up and be silly.

But behind that, there's always been a serious foundation built on focus, grit and ambition. His firm intention from the start was not to rely on his good looks, but use his intelligence, imagination and -- for want of a better word -- fearlessness to become a highly respected actor known for taking chances on wild, idiosyncratic roles.

Those risks have sometimes paid off, sometimes not. But one has to admire the actor who takes them, as long as they are fairly well calculated. His have been.

Life did not start out smoothly for him. Born in Kentucky, the youngest of four kids, his childhood was unsettled and peripatetic. Partly as a result, Johnny was a sensitive, somewhat solitary, often troubled child. An indifferent student, he dropped out of high school a year after his parents divorced. He was 15.

He'd obviously heard The Byrds sing "So You Wanna Be a Rock'n'Roll Star?" because that became his immediate goal. And he and his band actually made some headway, but as so often happens, split up before signing a record deal.

In early '80s Hollywood, through his then-wife (make-up artist Lori-Anne Allison), Johnny met Nic Cage, who told him he should act. His striking good looks must have helped, but again, there was more to it. He was a natural.

First Depp got noticed in two featured roles in hit movies: 1984's A Nightmare On Elm Street and 1986's Platoon. Next came TV stardom and teen heartthrob status on 1987's 21 Jump Street.

And then the Gods really smiled on him. Johnny met Tim Burton. Over time, their shared off-the-wall sensibility would help shape the actor's distinctive screen persona. Johnny would start out as Burton's muse, and branch out from there. But then he would often return to where he started.

Before Johnny experienced serious blockbuster status with the endless Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise, he was often referred to as an actor who made weird films that made no money. Depp countered that the studios did not understand the material he chose, or know how to market it. He also affirmed that he picked roles and films that intrigued him, regardless of box-office potential.

This is the Johnny Depp I like and respect, which begs the question: what keeps him coming back to play Jack Sparrow? (Tell me it's not just the green stuff.)

And though I also admire his willingness and ability to go gleefully over-the-top, my own Depp short list is comprised of Johnny's quieter, subtler outings.

(For instance, though many will disagree, I felt he was off in Terry Gilliam's frenetic, outsize Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas- more like a jazzed-up cartoon character out of Who Framed Roger Rabbit than his rough, raw, profane real-life friend, "gonzo" journalist Hunter Thompson.)

Fifty years old is yesterday's forty. Johnny Depp has a lot more to do, and he is only getting better with time. Perhaps after this next "Pirates" outing, he might choose to hang up his trusty sword, and return to smaller, smarter films like the ones listed below.

Here's hoping. In the meantime, happy birthday, Johnny- and thanks for the memories.

Edward Scissorhands (1990)- In Tim Burton's melancholy parable about conformity and the pain of being different, Johnny plays the creation of an inventor who dies too soon. Instead of hands, this gentle creature gets fitted with sharp blades. Under these conditions, can misfit Edward ever find love and happiness?

What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993)- Johnny is title character Gilbert, a fatherless young man who presides over a highly dysfunctional family. Then finally he gets a shot at love and happiness. Will he take it? Look for a winning early turn by child actor Leonardo di Caprio in this sweet, touching, original film from Lasse Hallstrom.

Ed Wood (1994)- Reteamed with Tim Burton, Depp feels made for the role of the grade Z filmmaker who brought us, among other campy dreck, the immortally bad Plan 9 From Outer Space. Martin Landau won an Oscar for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi.

Donnie Brasco (1997)- Johnny plays an undercover cop assigned to penetrate the local mob who does so by befriending a low-level hood. Based on a true story, this paired Depp with Al Pacino. Feeding off each other, both actors are superlative.

Finding Neverland (2004)- Johnny portrays "Peter Pan" author J.M Barrie with subtlety and finesse in this charming period picture, and got an Oscar nod for it. Co-star Kate Winslet is luminous as well. (In future, he should take more roles like this one- assuming any ever come up again!)

Looking for good movies to watch? Top movie recommendations? For over 2,500 of the best movies on DVD, visit Best Movies by Farr