Latest news with #Ha
Korea Herald
13 hours ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Korea lays out lifelong support plan for science, tech talent
In a bid to bolster its science and technology capabilities, South Korea's new administration approved a major policy revision to provide lifelong, full-cycle support for students and professionals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or so-called STEM fields. The enforcement decree of the Special Act on supporting science and engineering fields was amended and passed during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, the presidential office said. The revised decree aims to lay a legal foundation for government-led support for STEM talent, from primary school students to senior researchers. "The revision is a fast-tracked fulfillment of the government's promise to nurture science and technology talent and will significantly contribute to building a national growth system centered on science and technology," said Ha Jung-woo, senior presidential secretary for AI and Future Planning on Thursday. The amended decree includes key initiatives, such as focusing on early engagement with programs and content designed to spark interest in science and mathematics among elementary and middle school students, so that they are encouraged to pursue higher education in STEM. Integrated degree programs and customized education in partnership with industry and research institutes are included to support university students and graduates Ha, former head of Naver's AI innovation, emphasized the urgency of enhancing Korea's competitiveness in artificial intelligence. 'The next three to five years may prove to be a golden window in the AI era. I've joined with the determination to contribute all I can to strengthen Korea's AI capabilities with the experience and capabilities I have gained over time,' he said. He highlighted the importance of building a comprehensive value chain across infrastructure, data centers and semiconductors, and stressed the need to create a virtuous cycle in which startups can develop innovative services and grow globally. The revised decree also includes provisions to attract international STEM talent. 'The revision strengthens strategies to recruit global experts and incentivizes their return or long-term stay in Korea,' Ha noted. Asked about the recent trend of students gravitating toward medical school over science and engineering — largely due to salary prospects — Ha acknowledged that the issue cannot be solved through compensation increases alone. 'This is directly tied to corporate labor costs,' he said. 'We're seeking solutions from a long-term, multi-agency perspective involving the ministries of education, welfare, and science and ICT.'
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Health
- Korea Herald
What's triggering Seoul's recent ozone concentration levels to skyrocket?
Experts warn ozone may pose greater immediate health threat than fine dust Ground-level ozone pollution is surging across Seoul, prompting health concerns and emergency advisories as experts warn it may bring heavier health hazards than fine dust. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Air Quality Information System, high concentrations of ozone — classified as 'bad' at levels above 0.0901 parts per million — were observed Monday morning. Monday was not the first time Seoul saw high levels of ozone concentration. Ozone concentrations in the capital city were also classified as bad Sunday, as well as Thursday and Friday, when ozone advisories were issued after ozone concentration levels reached an hourly average of 0.12 ppm. From May 26 to June 2, high amounts of ozone concentration were also observed for eight consecutive days, with ozone advisories also issued for four of the eight days. Ozone advisories in Seoul have been steadily rising in recent years. According to the city government, the 115 ozone advisories issued in 2024 were significantly higher compared to the number of advisories that were issued in the past. From just 29 alerts in 2019, the figure climbed up to 45 in 2023, making 2024's record a four-fold increase compared to the previous year. While ozone concentrations located 10 to 50 kilometers above Earth play a beneficial role by blocking harmful ultraviolet radiation, ground-level ozone forms when nitrogen oxides from cars and factories, and volatile organic compounds from fuel and other industrial processes react with sunlight, resulting in the formation of a harmful pollutant. According to professor Ha Kyung-ja from Pusan National University's Department of Atmospheric Science, high ozone concentrations can pose 'more acute health risks than fine dust.' 'While issues related to ultrafine and fine dust often dominate air quality concerns, pollution caused by ozone concentrations should not be taken lightly. They can actually be even more harmful,' said Ha. 'Ozone is a highly reactive gas that irritates the lungs and triggers inflammation. Even short-term exposure can cause coughing, sore throat, eye irritation, and in severe cases, breathing difficulties.' When asked the reason behind the rise in ozone concentrations in Seoul, Ha stated that it could be due to 'hot temperatures caused by global warming.' 'Due to climate change, summers in Korea have gotten longer and hotter, with a combination of stagnant air. More heat waves mean more electricity demand for air conditioning, leading to high energy use and more fossil fuels being burned that release the pollutants to form ozone when exposed to sunlight. Strong sunlight, mixed with stagnant air, is ideal in creating high ozone concentration,' mentioned Ha, adding that pollution from domestic and foreign industrial regions can also increase the chances of high ozone levels. In response to the high ozone concentrations, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has ramped up its ozone mitigation efforts since April 2025. The city government has conducted inspections at up to 1,056 businesses such as gas stations, laundries and car refinishing shops that emit large amounts of volatile organic compounds, and is actively developing policies to tackle ozone pollution in the long run.
Mint
11-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Wall Street Banks Are Battling for Japan's Top Young Talent
Never miss an episode. Follow The Big Take Asia podcast today. Japan's hottest banking talent is in high demand as Wall Street goes all out to woo new hires, with fancy dinners, strong-arm tactics and higher salaries. On today's Big Take Asia Podcast, Bloomberg's Lisa Du talks to host K. Oanh Ha about why firms are resorting to extreme measures and the problems they face in hiring top talent. K. Oanh Ha: Last year, a recent graduate from one of Japan's top universities was weighing job offers from a few international banks. One offer was from a Wall Street firm, which he decided to pass on. Lisa Du: He had turned down the offer on the phone. But then they called him and asked him to come in for a meeting. So he showed up, and was greeted in a room by three managing directors. Ha: Bloomberg's Lisa Du covers finance and investing out of Tokyo. She says the young man's story caught her eye – in part – because of what happened next. The managing directors kept him inside the room and gave their young candidate the hard sell. Du: They basically spent two hours trying to convince him to change his mind and take that offer and at one point, you know, telling him, don't take this company lightly. Just don't mess with us, you should take this offer. And just like really giving him a lot of pressure to take this job. Ha: The man told Lisa that when the directors finally let him go, he was exhausted and a little traumatized…and even more confident that he made the right choice by not taking the job. It sounds like a crazy story. But Lisa says these hardball recruitment tactics aren't unusual in Japan right now. Du: We did hear several instances where young candidates were either forced to stay in a room for hours, or were just heavily courted by being taken to really fancy restaurants and private rooms. Ha: That's because right now, Japan has one of the world's tightest labor markets. In many ways it's the opposite of what's happening in the rest of the financial world: Bankers from Hong Kong to London have been hit by pay cuts and layoffs as the global economy contracts. But in Japan, there's a hiring boom. Du: So I think several factors are coming together at the same time to create this perfect storm. The Japanese market is interesting again because inflation is back. Money is very easy to borrow. There's a weak yen, leading now to a surge in trading for Japanese government bonds, Japanese stocks and also a burst in foreign investment. And this is coming after years of, you know, Japan kind of playing second fiddle in Asia to China. And so these banks haven't really looked at Japan for many years and are now realizing they need to build up the business. So now, international banks, Wall Street banks included, are all kind of racing in Japan to take advantage of the market renaissance that's happening. Ha: This is the Big Take Asia from Bloomberg News. I'm Oanh Ha. Every week, we take you inside some of the world's biggest and most powerful economies, and the markets, tycoons and businesses that drive this ever-shifting region. Today on the show – Wall Street's talent war in Japan, and why a pivot there could be a bumpy road ahead. Ha: Bloomberg's Lisa Du started taking note of the intense competition for finance talent in Japan last year. There are a couple of drivers – inflation, corporate reforms and low borrowing costs have made Japan a more lucrative environment for investors. Then there's the slew of mega deals also putting Japan in the spotlight. Du: Right now, Toyota Industries is about to be taken private for about $33 billion. The operator of 7-Eleven, Seven & i Holdings is facing a bid from a Canadian firm to buy it for about $52 billion. And from Bloomberg data that we crunched, actually I think the value of announced deals in the past 12 months is up about 70% in Japan. Ha: Even before this renewed interest in Japan, its labor market was already challenging for employers. Du: There's been a chronic and acute labor shortage in Japan for many, many years. And this is due to the aging demographics. And at the same time, they have this younger workforce that's more mobile, more vibrant, has different ideas about what they want from their jobs and may not be as attracted to a job in finance as they were in the past. Ha: Banks and money managers looking to hire face an even smaller talent pool. Japan's unemployment rate sits at just 2.5% – roughly half of the US level. And by the numbers, that means for every applicant, there are often multiple jobs available. Lisa says it's not uncommon for rising stars to receive five or six offers. Ha: Lisa, how many jobs are waiting to be filled now in Japan's banking sector? I mean, how big of a problem are we talking about? Du: It's hard to get exact data on this, but, um, most banks and financial executives that we're speaking to, you know, have always mentioned they need to add headcount, that this is something that's on top of their mind all the time. So Citigroup had told us that they were expanding their investment banking team by about 15%. JP Morgan Chase was saying they needed to add to their capital raising and financing teams. Carlyle Group, the big private equity firm, they just raised a giant Japan buyout fund, and they said they need to hire 10 more investment professionals to deploy that money. Ha: So even if the scale isn't like, thousands and thousands of jobs, it sounds like these are pretty critical jobs for these international firms? Du: Yes. And I think timing is very key. I think they really want these job candidates now to take advantage of the moment because there is this demand. Ha: And what are these banks doing to attract talent? Du: I mean this is, you know, banks, Wall Street we're talking about. So of course money. Du: One investment banking partner we've spoken to said they had raised the offers they made for investment banking by about 10% every year in the last three years. You know, we had heard that younger associate analyst level bankers in Japan will make about $140,000 per year. And that will compare to New York where these associate level bankers will make about $200,000 a year. Japan historically has had slightly lower pay in the financial sector than most other places in the world. So these are quite big pay bumps for these young bankers in Japan. Ha: Besides showering candidates with cash, banks are adopting other more creative ways to woo talent. Du: One thing we heard they were doing was holding these parties where they invite people that left the firm to kind of come and network again to try to get them to come back. Some are being more serious about setting up an alumni network, so that they then have basically a contact list of people they can reach out to if they wanna hire them back. And they're wining and dining them as well to try to get them to come on. Ha: And it's not just young graduates that banks are finding difficult to recruit. Lisa says the shortage for finance staff is across the board. Du: There is also a great need for mid-level to senior bankers. One interesting phenomenon we've also been tracking is obviously the Japanese government bond market has come back to life because Japan has exited negative rates. And so some brokerages are trying to lure back workers who have retired because these guys know what a world with interest rates was like. Traders who were in their 20s and 30s have never experienced a market with interest rates. And so it's like being an old timer is now kind of a benefit. Ha: After the break, why is it so hard to hire bankers in Japan? Ha: Besides having a limited talent pool, Japan presents unique challenges for global firms looking to expand. The language barrier is at the top of the list. Unlike in Hong Kong or Shanghai, traders and bankers can't get by with just English. Ha: Lisa, how important is it to be able to speak Japanese in these jobs? Du: I think it's very important and quite job specific. You know, like Japanese government bond traders, that's a very domestic job that requires like specialization. I think that one you really would need Japanese. Ideally, I think what a lot of investment banking jobs or investment firms, like private equity would like is someone who is just bilingual and able to seamlessly move between kind of Japanese culture and more of international western culture so that then they can work across teams globally. And that is the ideal, the perfect candidate, someone who can just really do both. Ha: So you're saying for the bankers listening in New York or London, there's no need for them to hop on a plane and try to land one of these jobs? Du: I think that might be hard. I think they would prefer that you, you know, have some understanding of Japanese and Japanese culture and Japanese business practices. Ha: At the beginning of the story you mentioned how this one young graduate turned down a Wall Street firm after they tried to pressure him to join them. And I wonder for these young candidates, do big Wall Street names have cachet? Does working for Goldman Sachs or an international firm carry a lot of weight with them? Du: Well, he turned down a Wall Street firm for another international one that was European. So I think, uh, you know, these big ones do have cachet, but it probably isn't worth as much as they are in the US. It would be just as good to work for a trading house like Mitsubishi or Sumitomo compared to working at Goldman Sachs. Japan is home to some of the biggest banks in the world, the mega banks and large brokerages like Nomura and Daiwa , which have international operations. So, you know, if you are a young grad in Japan, it would be equally attractive to go work for these firms, and also make a lot of good money and have a very international experience. Ha: On top of that, Wall Street firms are also up against a culture that prizes loyalty. Workers in Japan often stay at the same company for their entire career and poaching employees from rival firms is frowned upon. Du: One aspect is Japanese workers historically tend to be very loyal to where they're working. And, back in the days, like your parents probably stayed in the same company for life. That was very common. Your company took care of you. And when you retire, they also took care of you. And some of that mindset is still there, but it's slowly changing. Ha: Lisa says what's changing is how young people think about work and their careers in general. And that means working for big finance corporations might not be as attractive as it once was. Du: We saw this really in the mindsets of younger workers we spoke to. They want better work-life balance. They want to do work that they think is more meaningful and more impactful. And sometimes the salary doesn't even sway them. Actually, one former investment banker I spoke to who opted to go into venture capital said he didn't need that much money. He found being able to help build up businesses way more rewarding. Ha: Lisa – what do you think this story tells us about Japan? Du: I think what's interesting about this story is that I think it captures a moment in time and we're telling it through financial firms, but it could probably apply to other industries as well, where Japan is having a kind of financial renaissance. It's become very interesting again for global investors, for global banks. And as they rush back in to try to take advantage of this, they're running up against a problem that has always been there and is actually getting much worse. I'm not sure if we can make any big hypothesis about the future from this tale, but I think, kind of, painting this picture of what it's like in Japan right now is quite interesting. Ha: And how long do you think this intense competition for talent will last? Du: I think that will go on for as long as the Japanese markets are sexy. I think it all ties back to the attractiveness of the Japanese market. And this is a question that investors, financiers all ask all the time. Is this moment for real? Is Japan like, really back, for the long run? And all the factors I described before about easy borrowing, weak yen, driving all this activity. As long as that continues, this will also go on. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
New York Post
09-06-2025
- General
- New York Post
Story of Vietnamese orphans who resettled here 50 years ago proves there are greater things than politics
Fifty years ago, near the end of the Vietnam War, as North Vietnamese troops headed south, the director of the Cam Ranh Christian Orphanage, Pastor Nguyen Xuan Ha — known to everyone as Mr. Ha —decided it was time to escape to somewhere safe. Mr. Ha put 85 children and staff on two buses and headed for Saigon where he hoped they could flee to safety. One of the buses was shot at by a North Vietnamese soldier and the buses separated. Somehow they re-united in Saigon. After renting a boat and getting some distance from shore, the engine quit. For five days they drifted before a Thailand tanker approached. The captain refused to help, but later changed his mind, turned around and towed them for a while. After cutting the tow line, a group of fishermen towed them toward Singapore. Soldiers refused to let them ashore. Mr. Ha wrote a name on a piece of paper and asked a soldier if he could locate a missionary named Ralph Neighbour to help. Dr. Neighbour (now 96), newly arrived in Singapore, was miraculously found. He picks up the story from there in an email to me: 'Singapore government kept them out on St. John's Island. Our missionary team took clothes and food out. USA embassy contacted Swiss United Nations Refugee Center. Special flight arrived. Children whisked thru Singapore on bus with windows covered. Government feared losing neutrality during war. No official record they were there.' I knew Dr. Neighbour from when he was a pastor in Houston where I worked at a local TV station. He called and asked if I could help get the orphans and staff to the United States and find temporary housing for them. I contacted some Washington officials I knew and permission for them to enter the country was granted. When they arrived in Houston, a church couple with a large ranch offered them shelter and food until the Buckner Children and Family Services in Dallas could assist with processing and adoptions. I interviewed the youngest, oldest and one in between who made the anniversary trip. Sam Schrade, who was a baby when he was rescued from the streets of Saigon, is 51 and owns a successful media business in Houston. How would his life have been different had he stayed in Vietnam? He says the fact that he is of 'mixed race' (American-Asian) would make it 'doubly hard' because native Vietnamese 'look down upon such people. I have been told by many people I would not have had a good life here because of the race issue and a government that didn't want me.' Kelli St. German, now 56, thinks she might have been growing coffee beans and doing hard labor had she not come to America. She also believes she would not have developed a strong faith because of the state's antipathy toward religion. 'I became a teacher for 30 years.' Thomas Ho, the oldest orphan, now 76, was 25 when he left Vietnam. He helped organize the evacuation and prepared small amounts of food for the children. In America he became a chef and then studied to become an engineer. He says if he had stayed in Vietnam, 'I might not have survived, especially at my age now. Life here is very difficult. A lot of the food is not very healthy.' Reuniting with these adults, many of whom I met when they were children, is a reminder that there are things far greater than politics, celebrities and the petty jealousies that are the focus of too many of us. There are few greater blessings than to have had a role in changing these lives for the better. These former orphans are blessed. So am I. Cal Thomas is a veteran political commentator, columnist and author.
Korea Herald
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Say 'kimchi': How photobooths have filled Korean streets
With tiny photos, Koreans turn moments into memories "Look at the camera and pose within 10 seconds after you hear the sound beep." After the countdown cue begins, put on your best smile, strike a pose, switch it up and let your best angle shine. And get ready for the next shot. After the minute-long shoot, flip through the snap photos, pick your favorites and print them out to take home. This is a scene at a self-service photo booth where anyone can snap fun shots and instantly print out bookmark-sized keepsakes that capture the moment. The photos are taken using automated cameras, lighting and backdrops. These unmanned photo "studios" are open 24 hours, meaning you can pop in whenever it strikes your fancy. Instructions are available in English, Japanese and Chinese as well. Walk through Seongsu-dong or Hongdae and you will be struck by how many of these unmanned photo studios there are, usually crowded with people casually stepping inside to snap memories as if it were a daily routine. Among the many studio booths, global selfie brand Life Four Cuts leads the pack. The name is a reference to its "four-cut" photo service — similar to traditional passport photos, with four snapshots framed in a vertical strip, with two printed copies costing 4,000 won ($2.91), 8,000 won for four copies and 12,000 won for six prints. Ha Yoo-ra, 20, a university student in Seoul, is among those who stepped into a four-cut photo booth with two friends for a fun memory. "(The three of us) have been friends since elementary school, but somehow never took a nice photo together, believe it or not, until now. So we decided to have a little makeover and dress nicely to mark our years of friendship. One day, I hope we will reminisce about the memories of the day we took the photo, what we ate and how we looked," Ha told The Korea Herald. "Also, the self-photo booths edit the pictures by making our skin look better and brighter, which is cost-friendly for college students," Ha added. To stand out in the fast-growing photo booth market, many brands are teaming up with K-pop stars, actors, popular cartoon characters and even sports figures. These time-limited designs add to the appeal by creating a one-of-a-kind experience. For example, Photoism opened an artist frame on May 26 that allows users to take photos with a frame featuring singer-songwriter IU to mark the release of her new EP "A Flower Bookmark, Pt. 3." The special edition frame will only be available until June 30. Yoshi from the K-pop group Treasure is another frame option available at Photoism. Released to mark his May 15 birthday, the frame will be available through June 15. Park Jun-seo, a college graduate who is an avid fan of boy band Enhypen, visited Photoism in November last year to to be in the same frame as her favorite idol. "Honestly, I think it is embarrassing to enter a self-studio photo booth to take a picture of yourself, but I wanted to be in the same picture with my idol. It wasn't about how pretty I looked in the picture but about the fact that I printed a photo of me standing next to my favorite singer, even if it was just a photo frame," Park explained. For sports fans, exclusive photo frames featuring baseball players from all 10 KBO teams are available through a partnership with the Korea Baseball Organization during the baseball season. During the baseball sesason fans can capture fun and personalized memories, posing "next" to their favorite player. The special edition frames are available through October. The photo-booth craze has also spread overseas. Korea's Life Four Cuts and Photomatic are now available in Singapore and London while local companies have jumped in on the market in Indonesia with homegrown brands like Photograms and Palette ID making big waves. "These pictures come with great quality at a budget-friendly price, which is why the MZ generation are preferring self-photo studios," a senior official overseeing marketing at Life Four Cuts told The Korea Herald. A total of 120 million visits have been made to Life Four Cuts since its launch in 2017 and the company runs around 410 stores in Korea, according to the company. Another reason driving the trend is that the pictures come out in formats that are easy to share on social media, according to the official. Also, limited-edition photo frames could trigger FOMO among people and lead to more repeat visits for photos with different celebrities in the frame. "The trend also aligns with the desire to capture and document everyday moments. With stylish frames and creative setups, these photo booths let anyone step in, take photos and express themselves comfortably and without feeling self-conscious," the official said.
