Forever 21 expands in China with support from L.A. mayor
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles-based fashion retailer Forever 21 signed an agreement Tuesday to open a flagship store in Beijing, part of a greater plan by the company to expand into the world’s largest emerging consumer market.
In a ceremony attended by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the clothing maker committed to a 24,000-square-foot retail space in a multi-story mall located in the Chinese capital’s central shopping district, Wangfujing.
Woman pleads guilty to criminally negligent homicide in death of University Park boy
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (Alaska)
A Fairbanks woman pleaded guilty Monday to criminally negligent homicide for killing a University Park Elementary School student with a vehicle this fall.
Yiki Kim, 68, could be sentenced to up to four years in jail at a hearing scheduled for May, under the terms of a plea agreement.
Prosecutors said Kim was driving an SUV that ran off the road and struck 11-year-old Jamison Thun, who was standing 15 feet from the street. She originally was charged with manslaughter and reckless driving.
During Monday’s hearing, Superior Court Judge Randy Olsen spent about half an hour working with a Korean interpreter to make sure Kim understood the trial rights she gave up by entering a plea agreement. Defense attorney Gary Stapp said Kim has a second-grade education and has trouble with the legal language. But he said he is convinced she understood the plea agreement.
Man killed in Winnipeg rollover mourned by friends
CBC News (Canada)
Friends of a man who was killed in a car rollover in Winnipeg over the weekend say they are still in shock.
Donghyun Kim, 21, died after the car he was a passenger in rolled over on Pembina Highway, south of the Jubilee underpass, early Saturday morning.
Three other men, all in their early 20s, were in the vehicle at the time of the rollover.
The 21-year-old driver of the vehicle has been charged with a number of offences, including impaired driving causing death and criminal negligence causing death.
Also known as Ryan and “DK,” Kim was a kind man who wanted to be a dentist, according to friends.
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Film Shoot Launch Party with James Kyson Lee, Henry J. Kim, on Dec. 15 in San Francisco
FoundAsian.org
Join James Kyson Lee and Henry J. Kim at a special event (http://on.fb.me/sfseoul) to support “No Rest for the Righteous,” a short film leading into a feature that will be the first joint project between San Francisco and Seoul production companies.
South Korean robot prison guards: R2-D2 maybe, not the Terminator
L.A. Times
South Korea is ready to wheel out its latest weapon in the war against crime: a 5-foot-tall, four-wheeled prison guard robot that will patrol the behind-bars hallways of penal institutions, even assess the mental states of prisoners.
This won’t be just any new guard to join the team. There will be no breaks, no demands for higher pay, no unprovoked attacks and not even a chance of accepting a bribe.
As South Korea battles Japan for supremacy in robot technology, designers have invented what they call a team of “friendly robots” that will not just guard prisoners but keep an eye on their well-being to boot.
South Koreans buying up iconic blue jeans preferred by Steve Jobs
L.A. Times
This holiday season, South Korean youths are snapping up a new fashion statement -– the Levi’s 501 jeans made famous by the late Apple Inc. founder Steve Jobs.
South Koreans buy tons of Apple products, but, style-wise, the jeans are the new hip thing.
A poll taken by Shinsegae, a major department store here, found that the Jobs-inspired 501 look was one of the hottest sellers this year.
At $150 per pair here, the jeans cost almost as much as one of Apple’s technology products.
Whitecaps, Lee Young-Pyo agree
AP via ESPN.com
The Vancouver Whitecaps have agreed to contract terms with veteran South Korean midfielder Young-Pyo Lee.
The 34-year-old has earned 127 caps for South Korea and played in the past three World Cups.
Vancouver coach Martin Rennie said Lee can also play fullback and will help strengthen the team’s defensive backline.
Lee, who has played in South Korea, England and the Netherlands in his career, spent the past two seasons with Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. The move to Major League Soccer is pending receipt of his international transfer certificate.
Benson Henderson Talks Meeting His Korean Family and Japanese Fans
Bloody Elbow
Benson Henderson spent time in Korea while in Asia for the UFC’s press conference to formally announce UFC 144 in Tokyo, Japan. During his time in Korea he trained with Chan Sung Jung and Korean Top team and did media appearances. The big news was that he also got a chance to spend time with his mother’s side of the family in Korea. It was Ben’s first time meeting them…
7 ways to love winter in Korea
CNNGo
As anyone who has wintered in Seoul will tell you, Korean weather can be brutal.
Cold, windy and dry, winter is a nightmare for skin care. January in Seoul can make you wonder if humans were meant to hibernate after all.
But fight the cold-induced lethargy, put on a coat and go outside. Not only do you save on heating and cable bills, but more importantly, these exclusively winter activities will make it worth it.
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Check out Samsung’s transparent and flexible concept tablet (video)
Venture Beat
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