BYJ in "Seal The Deal" Campaign

Nov. 25, 2009

Leny: To all my Bae Family... Let us all "Seal the Deal"
and show to the world the cooperation of BYJ Family,
Let's go figthing !!!!

YT by Kyaputen0room
(Leny:thank you so much)

Source: 10Asia

Bae Yong Joon Lends Voice In UN Campaign

Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon has lent his voice in a United Nations campaign for climate change, according to his agency on Wednesday.

The actor, known for his interest in environmental issues, was asked by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) committee to record the narration for the "Seal the Deal" promotion video, BOF Korea announced in a press release.

"Seal the Deal" aims to raise public awareness of global climate change and green growth prior to the upcoming Climate Change Conference, which will be held in Copenhagen on December 7 thru 18.

In the promotional video, the actor strongly voices the importance of climate change agreement among countries. The official website will feature personal messages from notable figures such as supermodel Gisele Bundchen, actor Don Cheadle and UN's Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

"We expect that having Asian star Bae Yong-joon participate in the campaign will deliver the message to more people," an official at UNEP was quoted as saying.

The Hallyu star has made many donations in the recent past to earthquake, flood and tsunami victims in various regions of Asia. He also shot an environment-themed photo spread last May and delivered the funds raised from the shoot to the UNEP committee in Korea to be used for Asia's water pollution and purification projects.

The "Seal the Deal" campaign video featuring Bae will be released today on Naver's Happy Bean. The public can participate in the global campaign through its website (www.sealthedeal2009.org).

Reporter : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr
<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

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Kwon Ohkyeong posted this on the Talk Box of BYJ's official home.
and translated and posted by Joanne in BYJ Quilt

BOF Public Notice

Guide to the UN Climatic Agreement 'Seal the Deal' Campaign

http://www.bofkorea.com/upload/bofkorea/notice/byj_sealthedeal.jpg

How are you. This is BOF.

Because there is a news that is waiting for warm interests from many people in cold winter, we deliver it in this Public Notice.

The news is exactly that Mr. BYJ participated in UN Climatic Agreement 'Seal the Deal' Campaign by narrating its public service video.

The 'Seal the Deal' Campaign is the one to urge people all over the world to have interests in climatic changes prior to the Climatic Agreement General Assembly to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark in coming December.

We would like you to feel in the video Mr. BYJ's heart-felt voice, informing the seriousness of the climatic changes and appealing the importance of green growth.

You can check the video, made public in Naver Happy Bin on the 25th, also in the link below.
We beg many people warm interests as it is a profoundly significant campain with which Mr. BYJ also deeply symphasized.

[Go directly to the Seal the Deal Campaign]

http://happybean.naver.com/together/PlaningSpecialEditionView.nhn?plng_spet_artcl_no=123460099095

We wish you to have happy year end with precious people during a little remaining year 2009.
Thank You.

Respectfully Yours, BOF

Direct link to sign for the petition

hhttp://www.sealthedeal2009.org/

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Cheoeumsarangkkeutggaji posted this on the Talk Box of BYJ's official home.
Translated and posted by Joanne in BYJ Quilt.

Copy of Narration for the 'Seal the Deal Campaign'

No matter where you are living, warning message sent from the Earth is clear.
Due to climatic change that becomes serious every day, we will carry burden on our back that we are not able to cope with.
As glaciers melt in both Poles and sea level rises with rising temperature on Earth, several million people are in danger.

Scientists give warnings.
If the Earth temperature rises by only 2 degree, there occurs grand extinction of living things on the Earth.
By year 2025, two-thirds of human race will live in areas where water is in short supply, and mandatory displacement of millions of climatic refugees will become a reality.
We might have to inherit diseases, drought, and starvation to the next generation.
The climatic change is the reality. It is progressing in this very moment.

The greenhouse gas that we emit have reached its peak at this time.
Mr. Bahn Kimoon, the Secretary General at UN, determined the climatic change as the top priority task for human race in 21st Century.
And, in December 2009, in Copenhagen, Denmark, there holds a general assembly of the concerned countries for the Climatic Change Agreement which will decide on the Earth's future.
There, leaders of various nations will discuss a new, long-term and effective climatic changes.

The 'Seal the Deal' Campaign, which is to close the Climatic Change Agreement in Copenhagen, is waiting for signatures from every one in Global Village who desires the conclusion of the Agreement.
From Africa,,,Europe,,,and to Asia, the 'Seal the deal' Campaign is collecting the wills of all Global Village people.
Not only the experts but also the people in the entire world are aware of the necessity of the Climatic Change Agreement for the only one Earth.

The new Agreement will lead the green growth and sustainable low carbon economy.
The 'Seal the Deal' Campaign, to be accomplished by our signatures, are moving the policy makers, urging NGO Media, businesses, and general public in entire world to participate in the signature, and informing the importance of the climatic changes and the meeting in Copenhagen.

The success of the Copenhagen meeting depends on the following 4 agenda...
First, the developed countries will positively agree on the reduction goal of the greenhouse gases,
secondly, the developing countires will practice the plans to reduce the greenhouse gases,
thirdly, a fund is raised for the poor countries, victims of the climatic changes, to confront the climatic changes,
and the lastly, there is a guarantee that this fund can be used fairly and effectively.

Then, what are the things that we can do.
Please connect to homepage of the 'Seal the Deal' now and participate in the campaign...
And then, place you signature..Our signatures will determine the history of mankind..
We can make changes...
Are we going to tell our children that we did nothing at the moment when we had hope?..

'Seal the Deal'.. Your signatures will save the Earth..

Korea Aims To Spur The Tourism Industry

Nov. 25, 2009

Source:The Korean Herald
Home > News > Business

Korea aims for tourism powerhouse in Asia by 2020

Japanese tourists walk on the streets of Seoul. Despite negative factors, the number of inbound tourists to Korea has surpassed a record 7 million as of Nov. 23. [The Korea Herald]

Back in 2008, the Korean government unveiled a set of plans to spur the tourism industry. The global travel industry, however, struggled hard in the past two years, with the swine flu outbreak generating a particularly painful shock. Latest data shows that international tourism declined by 8 percent between January and April compared to the same period last year. Despite the unfavorable external conditions, the government's plans seemed to have worked, as the number of inbound tourists to Korea has topped over 7 million as of Nov. 23, setting a record high, according to the Korea Tourism Organization.

The upbeat figure is all the more promising given that Korea's neighbors China and Japan saw a sharp decrease in the number of travelers. Moreover, this year is the first in nine years that Korea's tourism sector has recorded a surplus of $320 million in the January-September period.
But Korea is in no position to be complacent. Compared with China and Japan, Korea is a smaller and less recognizable market for international travelers. Many obstacles are yet to be cleared before Korea can truly reposition itself as a leading destination for tourists.

A revised road map, which has evolved from the 2008 draft, was disclosed on Nov. 20. Under the new initiatives, Korea will ease domestic investment rules and foreign entry procedures with the aim of tripling inbound tourism -- 20 million tourists -- by 2020.

Culture Minister Yu In-chon presented the plans to President Lee Myung-bak, stressing that the country's tourism sector has held up well despite the economic crisis but new strategies are needed to continue to boost tourism and stimulate investment.

The culture minister reported that new plans include lower land lending prices by up to 30 percent for firms developing tourism-oriented facilities and issuance of permits for new duty-free shops in the cities of Daegu and Yeosu, where international festivals are scheduled to be held.

President Lee said the most urgent task for the country was to improve and develop its cultural and tourist assets, as well as its safety measures, mentioning the recent fire at a shooting range in Busan. "Accidents happen in any country. It can happen in other countries, too, but we cannot have accidents that occur only in underdeveloped countries," the president said. "2010 must be the year when we can say we are changing, not developing our tourism industry," he said.

Coinciding with its 2010-2012 "Visit Korea" campaign, the government will hold seven large cultural events, including the Korean Wave Festival and the Global Food and Tourism Festival.

Culture Minister Yu also said the government is pushing for a bilateral accord with China to allow visa-free entry for tourists as early as next year. Under the proposed program, citizens of the two countries who meet certain criteria will be able to travel visa-free for up to 30 days.

The move comes as Beijing is getting ready to hold the World Expo 2010 scheduled for May 1-Oct. 31 in Shanghai. Once the visa-free initiative goes ahead as planned, the number of visitors between the two countries will go up sharply, Minister Yu said.

Jeju Island saw the number of Chinese tourists increase by more than five-fold last year from 2005 after it offered a visa waiver program. About 1.17 million, or 2.6 percent of outbound Chinese travelers, visited Korea in 2008.

The Korea Tourism Organization, with cooperation from the private sector, is to establish relevant task forces to develop and nurture tourism packages revolving around key images representing Korea: history and spirit; folk tradition, five major palaces, royal tombs and UN designated cultural heritage; economic growth; Korean Wave and stage performances; shopping and medical tourism; and theme tours like DMZ trips.

To promote the shopping tour, the government plans to implement a shopping certification system to heighten the quality of service and allow for before-purchase duty free shopping.

One of the new systems aimed at allowing easy travel around the country is the "Korea Pass Card," a transportation card that will hit the market in 2013 to link transportation services with accommodation facilities. One of the trial projects is to allow a 10 percent discount on transport fares and entry fees when a tourist visits certain tourist sites.

The government officials said the country's "leisure culture" should be reformed to lay the firmer foundation for the tourism industry's growth in the coming years. According to the Korea Leisure Industry Institute, the local leisure industry was worth 10 trillion won ($8.6 billion) in 1995 before expanding to 33.2 trillion won in 2007, helped by the introduction of the five-day workweek in 2004.

In a bid to reform the country's leisure culture, top policymakers decided to encourage government officials to use up their yearly vacations. At the same time, the government is favorable to the adoption of a five-day school week beginning next year, phasing out the current system in which schools are open every other Saturday. The new policy will allow primary and secondary school students to have spring and autumn breaks in addition to their summer and winter vacations.

The government will also introduce educational tour programs for children from low income families and other convenience facilities for senior citizens and the infirm. The physically disabled and low-income groups will be encouraged to participate in tourist activities via special travel vouchers, buses and guides fluent in sign language.

Korea will also build new youth hostels and sports leisure centers near its four major rivers, in line with an ongoing large-scale project to dredge the rivers and create new parks along them. Developers of tourism-oriented facilities will be given discounts of up to 30 percent when renting land.

The new, comprehensive tourism plans come as Korea is preparing "2010-2012 Visit Korea Year." Last month, hallyu star Bae Yong-joon joined Korea Tourism Organization president Lee Charm at Tokyo Dome to promote the Visit Korea year campaign. The event was used to make appeals to Japanese to visit Korea by unveiling new tour packages and incentives for those who visit in the next three years.

The government plans to make a good use of the Korean Wave, featuring Korean celebrities like Bae Yong-joon for tourism-linked commercials aired overseas.

(insight@heraldm.com)

BYJ’s Food Chain in Japan

Nov. 25, 2009

Source: The Korea Times (Text only)
Photos credit as labeled .... many many thanks.

11-25-2009 14:22

Bae’s Food Chain in Japan

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

Hallyu superstar Bae Yong-joon, who has been actively promoting Korean food and culture recently, will open the third outlet of his Korean food chain in Japan, Friday.

The ``Winter Sonata'' hero will launch Goshire Gun in the basement of Seibu Department Store in Tokyo. The store will sell Korean dishes including salads, ``ssambab'' (lettuce wraps) and ``juk'' (porridge), among others.

http://mychikara.blogspot.com/2009/11/notice-for-openning-of-gosireh-branch.html

In 2006 the actor, affectionately called ``Yonsama'' by Japanese fans, opened Goshire, a traditional Korean restaurant, in Shirogane, Tokyo. Last year he launched a traditional Korean bar, Goshire Hwa, in Nagoya.

Gosireh in Shirogane, Tokyo

Gosireh Hwa in Nagoya, Japan

Bae also has Korean lunchboxes, called Goshire Bento, being sold in major Japanese convenience stores. Featuring 16 dishes from Korea's ancient Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C.-A.D. 668) such as ``bulgogi'' and kimchi, the lunch sets sell at 2,500 yen (about $26), the highest that any lunchbox has been priced in Japan.

The first bento

Second

and the third

He also has a successful restaurant business in Korea. Gorilla in the Kitchen, located near Dosan Park, Sinsa-dong, is popular among young crowds for its herbal salads and sandwiches.

The 37-year-old rose to stardom in Japan and other Asian countries through the melodrama ``Winter Sonata.'' In September he and his co-star Choi Ji-woo took part in a large promotional event at Tokyo Dome to promote an animated version of the TV series.

hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr

BYJ TV Interview ForJap. Sky PerfecTV Program

Nov. 25, 2009

A Translation of BYJ TV Interview for Japanese
Sky Perfect TV program last Nov. 7'09.

This interesting interview was translated into English by Cam of BYJ Quilt and posted in 3 parts. In respect to Cam and Snowkin I won't re post it here but rather just give you the link so that you can read too what's the interview all about.

BYJ so intelligent and smart..... I really love this guy, more and more each day.

http://www.baeyongjune.com/freeboard/freeboard.htm

For Part I - click the #14713
For Part II - click the #14715
For Part III - click the #14718

Thank you so much to Snowkin and Cam :)