VIETNAM: Jan 23, 2008

2008/01/23

Vietnam

Vietnam - officially the Socialist repuplic of Vietnam, is the easternmost Country of the Indochina Peninsula in Southaest Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, and Cambodia to the southwest. On the Country's east coast lies the South China Sea. With the population of over 85 million, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world. The Country listed among in "Next eleven" economies; According to Gorvenment figures, GDP growth was 8.17% in 2006, the second fastest growth rate among countries in East Asia and the fastest in Southeast Asia. Late 2007, the ministry of finance said the GDP growth was estimated to hit a ten-year high record at 8.44% in 2007.

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VIETNAM - LANGUAGES

The people of Vietnam speak Vietnamese as a native language. In its early history, Vietnamese writing used Chinese characters. In the 13th century, the Vietnamese developed their own set of characters called Chữ nôm. The celebrated epic Đoạn trường tân thanh (Truyện Kiều or The Tale of Kieu) by Nguyễn Du was written in Chữ nôm. During the French colonial period, Quốc ngữ, the romanized Vietnamese alphabet used for spoken Vietnamese, which was developed in 17th century by Jesuit Alexandre De Rhodes and several other Catholic missionaries, became popular and brought literacy to the masses.
Various other languages are spoken by several minority groups in Vietnam. The most common of these are Tày, Mường, Khmer, Chinese, Nùng, and H'Mông. The French language, a legacy of colonial rule, is still spoken by some older Vietnamese as a second language, but is losing its popularity. Vietnam is also a full member of the Francophonie. Russian — and to a much lesser extent German, Czech, or Polish — is sometimes known among those whose families had ties with the Soviet bloc. In recent years, English is becoming more popular as a second language. English study is obligatory in most schools. Chinese and Japanese have also become more popular.

VIETNAM - CULTURE

The culture of Vietnam has been influenced by neighboring China. Due to Vietnam's long association with the south of China, one characteristic of Vietnamese culture is financial duty. Education and self-betterment are highly valued. Historically, passing the imperial Mandarin exams was the only means for Vietnamese people to socially advance themselves. In the socialist era, the cultural life of Vietnam has been deeply influenced by government-controlled media and the cultural influences of socialist programs. For many decades, foreign cultural influences were shunned and emphasis placed on appreciating and sharing the culture of communist nations such as the Soviet Union, China, Cuba and others. Since the 1990s, Vietnam has seen a greater exposure to Southeast Asian, European and American culture and media.
One of the most popular Vietnamese traditional garments is the "Áo Dài", worn often for special occasions such as weddings or festivals. White Áo dài is the required uniform for girls in many high schools across Vietnam. Áo Dài was once worn by both genders but today it is worn mainly by females, except for certain important traditional culture-related occasions where some men do wear it. Vietnamese cuisine uses very little oil and many vegetables. The main dishes are often based on rice, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Its characteristic flavors are sweet (sugar), spicy (serrano peppers), sour (lime), nuoc mam (fish sauce), and flavored by a variety of mint and basil.
Vietnamese music varies slightly in the three regions: Bắc or North, Trung or Central, and Nam or South. Northern classical music is Vietnam's oldest and is traditionally more formal. Vietnamese classical music can be traced to the Mongol invasions, when the Vietnamese captured a Chinese opera troupe. Central classical music shows the influences of Champa culture with its melancholic melodies. Southern music exudes a lively laissez-faire attitude. See also Vietnamese art, theatre, dance, and literature
My Dinh National Stadium in Western HanoiFootball (soccer) is the most popular sport in Vietnam. Sports and games such as badminton, tennis, ping pong, and chess are also popular with large segments of the population. Volleyball, especially women's volleyball, is watched by a fairly large number of Vietnamese. The (expatriate Vietnamese) community forms a prominent part of Vietnamese cultural life, introducing Western sports, films, music and other cultural activities in the nation.
See also List of Vietnamese traditional games. Vietnam is home to a small film industry. Among countless other traditional Vietnamese occasions, the traditional Vietnamese wedding is one of the most important. Regardless of westernization, many of the age-old customs in a Vietnamese wedding continue to be celebrated by both Vietnamese in Vietnam and overseas, often combining both western and eastern elements.

Vietnam - Economic

The Vietnam War destroyed much of the economy of Vietnam. Upon taking power, the Government created a planned economy for the nation. Collectivization of farms, factories and economic capital was implemented, and millions of people were put to work in government programs. For many decades, Vietnam's economy was plagued with inefficiency and corruption in state programs, poor quality and underproduction and restrictions on economic activities and trade. It also suffered from the trade embargo from the United States and most of Europe after the Vietnam War. Subsequently, the trade partners of the Communist blocs began to erode. In 1986, the Sixth Party Congress introduced significant economic reforms with market economy elements as part of a broad economic reform package called "đổi mới" (Renovation). Private ownership was encouraged in industries, commerce and agriculture. Vietnam achieved around 8% annual GDP growth from 1990 to 1997 and continued at around 7% from 2000 to 2005, making it the world's second-fastest growing economy. Simultaneously, foreign investment grew threefold and domestic savings quintupled.
Rice farming in Ninh Binh ProvinceManufacturing, information technology and high-tech industries form a large and fast-growing part of the national economy. Vietnam is a relative new-comer to the oil business, but today it is the third-largest oil producer in Southeast Asia with output of 400,000 barrels per day. Vietnam is one of Asia's most open economies: two-way trade is around 160% of GDP, more than twice the ratio for China and over four times India's.[11]
Vietnam is still a relatively poor country with an annual GDP of US$280.2 billion at purchasing power parity (2006 estimate)[12]. This translates to a purchasing power of about US$3,300 per capita (or US$726 per capita at the market exchange rate). Inflation rate was estimated at 7.5% per year in 2006. Deep poverty, defined as a percent of the population living under $1 per day, has declined significantly and is now smaller than that of China, India, and the Philippines. [13]
As a result of several land reform measures, Vietnam is now the largest producer of cashew nuts with a one-third global share and second largest rice exporter in the world after Thailand. Vietnam has the highest percent of land use for permanent crops, 6.93%, of any nation in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Besides rice, key exports are coffee, tea, rubber, and fishery products. However, agriculture's share of economic output has declined, falling as a share of GDP from 42% in 1989 to 20% in 2006, as production in other sectors of the economy has risen. According to the CIA World Fact Book, the unemployment rate in Vietnam is one of the lowest in the world at 2%, trailing behind only Azerbaijan, Cuba, Iceland, Andorra and Liechtenstein. Among other steps taken in the process of transitioning to a market economy, Vietnam in July 2006 updated its intellectual property legislation to comply with TRIPS. Vietnam was accepted into the WTO on November 7, 2006. Vietnam's chief trading partners include Japan, Australia, ASEAN countries, the U.S. and Western European countries.

History of Vietnam long dress

A lasting impression for any visitor to Vietnam is the beauty of the women dressed in their ao dais. Girls dressed in white pick their way through muddy streets going home from school or sail by in a graceful chatter on their bikes. Secretaries in delicate pastels greet you at an office door and older ladies in deep shades of purple, green or blue cut a striking pose eating dinner at a restaurant. The ao dai appears to flatter every figure. Its body-hugging top flows over wide trousers that brush the floor. Splits in the gown extend well above waist height and make it comfortable and easy to move in. Although virtually the whole body is swathed in soft flowing fabric, these splits give the odd glimpse of a bare midriff, making the outfit very sensual. Rapidly becoming the national costume for ladies, its development is actually very short compared to the country's history.

Pronounced 'ao yai' in the south, but 'ao zai' in the north, the color is indicative of the wearer's age and status. Young girls wear pure white, fully lined outfits symbolizing their purity. As they grow older but are still unmarried they move into soft pastel shades. Only married women wear gowns in strong, rich colors, usually over white or black pants. The ao dai has always been more prevalent in the south than the north, but austerity drives after 1975 meant it was rarely anywhere seen for a number of years as it was considered an excess not appropriate for hard work. The nineties have seen a resurgence in the ao dai's popularity. "It has become standard attire for many office workers and hotel staff as well as now being the preferred dress for more formal occasions," says Huong, a secretary for a foreign company. "I feel proud of my heritage when I wear it." For visitors, the pink and blue of the Vietnam Airlines uniform creates a lasting memory as they travel.

Early versions of the ao dai date back to 1744 when Lord Vu Vuong of the Nguyen Dynasty decreed both men and women should wear an ensemble of trousers and a gown that buttoned down the front. It was not until 1930 that the ao dai as we know it really appeared. Vietnamese fashion designer and writer Cat Tuong, or as the French knew him, Monsieur Le Mur, lengthened the top so it reached the floor, fitted the bodice to the curves of the body and moved the buttons from the front to an opening along the shoulder and side seam. Men wore it less, generally only on ceremonial occasions such as at weddings or funerals. But it took another twenty years before the next major design change was incorporated and the modern ao dai emerged. During the 1950s two tailors in Saigon, Tran Kim of Thiet Lap Tailors and Dung of Dung Tailors, started producing the gowns with raglan sleeves. This creates a diagonal seam running from the collar to the underarm and today, this style is still preferred.

Its popularity is also spreading well beyond Vietnam's borders. For years Vietnamese immigrants preferred to adopt Western dress and blend with their new community but now the ao dai is seeing a revival amongst overseas Vietnamese. At least here in the United States this may be partly due to the arrival of Tram Kim, known as Mr. Ao Dai. He shifted to California in 1982 and opened a new branch of Thiet Lap Tailors in Garden Grove, Orange County, leaving his Saigon store to his son. There are even annual Miss Ao Dai pageants held and the prestigious Long Beach show attracts entrants from across the country. The clothing has also inspired French designers including top names such as Christian Lacroix and Claude Montana, and variations of the tight sleeves, fitted bodice, high collar and flowing trousers have been seen on the catwalks of Europe.

Every ao dai is custom made, accounting for the fit that creates such a flattering look. Stores specialize in their production and a team of cutters, sewers and fitters ensure that the final product will highlight the figure of the wearer. Thuy, a fitter in Ho Chi Minh City, says, "To create the perfect fit, customers take their undergarments and shoes with them for the fittings." The pants should reach the soles of the feet and flow along the floor.

Comfort has not been forgotten at the expense of fashion and beauty. The cut allows the wearer freedom of movement and despite covering the whole body, it is cool to wear. Synthetic fabrics are preferred as they do not crush and are quick drying, making the ao dai a practical uniform for daily wear.

Its popularity may be its undoing as the garment is now being mass produced to make it more available and cheaper. The gown length appears to be gradually shortening and today is usually just below the knee. Variations in the neck, between boat and mandarin style, are common and even adventurous alterations such as a low scooped neckline, puffed sleeves or off the shoulder designs are appearing as ladies experiment with fashion. Colors are no longer as rigidly controlled and access to new fabrics has created some dazzling results. But most visitors to Vietnam agree that the tailors already have the perfect cut. It is hard to think of a more elegant, demure and yet sexy outfit, that suits Vietnamese women of all ages, than the ao dai.

Tet, tet, tet has come...

Happy New Year! These are my best wishes to all of you out there, reading this post. I wish you a wonderful new year, with lots and lots of laughs and lucks. Let the year of Mouse be your year of success, happiness and fortune. May all your wishes come true in this special occasion. I wish the elders good health and the children fast growth. I wish the man strength and the woman beauty. I wish the couples having each other forever, and the lonely souls meeting soon Mr./Ms. Right. And I wish the businessmen/women growing profits, the employers many enlargements and the employees worthy promotions. I wish the teachers and students a successful year. And I wish you, my friend, having more and more valuable friendships like the one we are having.

New year's preparation!

Yahooooo....!!!! So Tet is coming in a day or two. Are you ready for it yet? You might feel like you are, but let's double check to see if you really are.Have you had a farewell celebration to the three Gods of Kitchen? If you got that on the 23rd, you don't have to worry about it anymore. Let us move on.Now, first of all, you need a kumquat, which needs to be at the most visible place in your house so that any visitor will see it as soon as they walk in; of course the tree got to be decorated with red envelops or greeting cards as I described before. You will need (or at least try) to pay off all your debt, because Vietnamese believe that it will carry bad lucks into the new year; you will need to visit your grandparents and parents the day before Tet to tell them all the great things you have been doing over the year; you will need to buy lots and lots of candy because people will come to greet you; and certainly, do not forget to have some red envelops (with a little money in it) handy, since it is a well-respected tradition (to which all the kids look forward) to give them out for fortune and happiness ...Is that all? No, of course not. I actually leave out some of the most important things. In Vietnam, we have had a pair of well-known parallel sentences, which tells you what it is needed for Tet's holiday. It says: "Thịt mỡ, dưa hành, câu đối đỏ; cây nêu, cá khánh, bánh chưng xanh", which means "Chubby meat, pickleed welsh onion, red pair of parallel sentences; Tet pole, 'khanh' fish, and green square cakes". Those are more or less what make Tet, well, Tet. Even though the "formula" hasn't been closely followed during the last decade, green square cakes are never absence. Moreover, as most Vietnamese practice ancestor worship, the prepration requires a five-fruit dish to be displayed in order to invite the souls of the ancestors come back and enjoy the holiday with the family. Now, the dish varies from family to family and it might include mandarins, sapodillas, apples, bananas and pommels. Among those, the last two is always present. Then, Vietnamese will burn incense at least twice before Tet's day. One is early in the morning of the last day of the year, and the other right before the New Year's Eve. They both are meant to show the ancestors how faithful family is to them.In brief, that are all I have for the pre-Tet spirit. If you have all of these, you are ready to have a wonderful and completed holiday in Vietnam. If you don't, don't worry because holidays are wonderful and completed anyhow. I wish you all the best in the world! Oh, and just so you know, it gets even more interesting with some other traditions when Tet actually comes, but I won't tell them right away. As it has not been Tet yet, let’s go out there and do our best to prepare for it. We certainly want to welcome it with our fullest heart and mind!Happy preparation to you all

Happy new year

Happy New Year! Tet comes and goes every year; and it has something different every time it happens. However, there are things that never change in Vietnam. They call traditions! Among those, the most mentioned ones are: ancestor worship at midnight of the New Year's Eve and at first light of the first day, first visitor of the year, and "first day is the Tet of father, second day is of Mother, and third day is of Teacher" ("mùng một tết cha, mùng hai tết mẹ, mùng ba tết thầy"). Vietnamese usually prepare the five-fruit dish (mâm ngũ quả), a couble green square cakes (bánh chưng), a whole boiled male chicken, and red roses (it could be different kind of flowers, but the number must be odd) for the worship. The ceremony starts around 11:30 when everything is placed on the altar of the family, or a clean table facing South. The incenses then will be burned to invite the souls of the deceased come and witness this special moment, as well as all the prayers people might have. The incenses must not go out before midnight, and the shape of their remaining after burning out will tell people how their ancestors respond to their prayers. This practice is also called "Cúng giao thừa" in Vietnamese, meaning worship the eve moment. After the ceremony is over, some family will go out immediately to find one or two branches of tree that have a lot of green leaves, to bring home as a symbol of growing fortune... Early the next morning, the ceremony repeats with more or less the same meanings, which ask for happiness, luck, health and success in the coming year.After the early morning event, people will prepare to welcome the first visitor. In rare cases, this person is a random one, because Vietnamese believe that whether their year is good or bad depends much on this visitor. Hence, they would make arrangement beforehand with a close family member, a successful friend, and/or especially kids to step through their door on the first day. This is also the reason that although Vietnamese maintain caring and loving relationship with their neighbors, they seldom visit each other on the first few days of a new year. Sometimes, it might even be offensive to do as such.Furthermore, each day of Tet has its own purposed. "First day is the Tet of Father, second day is of Mother, and third day is of Teacher." Thus, on the first two day, the family will spend time with people from the husband's side and then with the wife's side. They will have a small get-together party, during which people tell each other what they have achieve in the previous year, and what they wish for in the coming year. The kids will get their good-luck money. After the party, everybody might visit each other's house, or go together to a temple to pray. The day goes on with laughter and joys. For the third day, as the "tôn sư, trọng đạo" tradition (respecting educators- respecting education) has been a part of the people's belief for thousands of years, this day is specially for teachers. Family of students will visit their children' teachers on this day to show their respect and appreciation. However, when they come, the teachers might not even be at home because he or she might be visiting his/her old teachers as well. Vietnamese has a saying: "Nhất tự vi sư, bán tự vi sư", meaning teaching a word is a teacher, teaching half of a word is also a teacher. And once someone teaches you something, he or she is your teacher for life.All in all, Tet is an exciting and happy event in Vietnam; it is the best too! Many traditions have been well respected and need to be carried on. This is the job of the next generation to keep them alive, and pass them on to their children and grandchildren. So, Happy New Year to you, and happy New Year to all the traditions we have!

HANOI - VIETNAM CAPITAL

Hanoi is a capital with a millennium-long history. The architecture includes some of the most known Vietnamese classic monuments, decaying but relatively intact examples of French colonial buildings, and a few communist monuments. Hanoi was actually not bombed until late in the war. The city is pleasant, with lakes, many trees, open boulevards, and much less pollution and noise than Saigon. As the pace of change there has been slower, traditions there are stronger. The old city has still its specialty trades, among its narrow streets, and there are several opportunities to see traditional arts performances.
Although the site had been inhabited before, Hanoi's development began when Emperor Ly Thai To moved the capital there in 1010. The One-pillar pagoda and the Temple of the Literature date from that period. Hanoi continued to serve as a capital until 1788, when the Le dynasty was overthrown, after which Emperor Gia Long moved the capital to Hue. From 1902 to 1953, Hanoi was the capital of French Indochina. While the Opera house and several villas have been restaured, most of the former French quarters have has the nostalgia of a fading postcard of colonial French architecture. The stained and aging painted walls have a lot of character. After 1954, Hanoi became the capital of North Vietnam, and following the 1975 events it became the capital of the unified country. You can still see there one of the only remaining Lenin statues in the world. The visit to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum is interesting. Some find the atmosphere eerily authoritarian and sanitized, while for others it is an emotional moment.

Hanoi, farewell day...

"Tomorrow, I'll be leaving Hanoi
Goodbye to each familiar tree and conner,
To each trilling sound of pagodas' afternoon bell
And sparkling lights on the Sword Lake...

My dear Hanoi, how each wind excites my heart
A whispering wave on the West Lake's surface,
In a peaceful afternoon, I listen to the wind singing...

It's time for a farewell, my dear Hanoi,
How touchingly the summer's rain comes.
Hanoi dear, what else still bothers you?
Memory of you I will never forget...

Wishing one day I could come back,
Walking by your side on Hanoi's streets,
I would still have you like days in the past.
Now we're parted, but will meet again,
My dear Hanoi..."

Vietnam became the 150th member of the WTO

Remarks by Ambassador Nguyen Tam Chien at the January 11th 2007 Reception In Celebrating Full Normalization of the Relations between Vietnam and the United States
Honored Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
These are great days for Vietnam, and great days for Vietnam-US relations. Vietnam today became the 150th Member of the World Trade Organization, and Vietnam-US relations are now – finally -- fully normalized. I am most happy to welcome some very special guests who were able to join us this evening:
- First and foremost is Congressman Earl Blumenauer, Co-Chair of the US-Vietnam Caucus, a Caucus for the new US-Vietnam partnership, and also his predecessor as Caucus Chair Congressman Rob Simmons; congratulations to Congressman Blumenauer on assuming this important responsibility, and our grateful appreciation to Congressman Simmons for the leadership that he has provided;
- I am happy also to welcome Senator James Webb, Congressman Russ Carnahan, and Congressman Joe Wilson;
- Also Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, and other representatives from the Administration;
- Leaders and representatives from the business community, particularly members of Vietnam-WTO Business Coalition;
- And of course our Vietnamese-American colleagues here with us today.
Welcome to all our friends and partners, welcome.
Please join me in celebrating this very important milestone and allow me, on behalf of the Government of Vietnam, to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who has made contributions to this long process of reconciliation and normalization: a process of making foes into friends and partners, of replanting trust and the seeds of hope for a better future for our two peoples and countries.
A decade has passed since diplomatic relations were established. We can now solemnly declare that with the advent of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) that is signed into law by President Bush, the relationship between our two countries is at last fully normalized. This full and complete normalization is evidenced by the following facts:
- First, the ties between Vietnam and the US today are growing quickly in all fields, particularly commerce and trade;
- Second, new foundations are being consolidated in law and policy, the most important principles among them having been laid down in the first two historical Joint Statements in June 2005 and November 2006 made by the leaders of our two countries;
- And third, new cooperative mechanisms have been established in many areas and at all levels.
From now on, US businesses will be on equal footing on Vietnamese ground, and Vietnamese goods should no longer be treated differently and less favorably than those of other countries in the US market. We will see greater and greater trade and investment between our two countries; growing official contacts between our respective executive and legislative branches; and rapidly diversifying exchanges among our cultural and scientific communities, our militaries, and our citizens.Cooperation in health, education, and social welfare and other humanitarian concerns will be strengthened and deepened. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation will be enhanced on a wide range of international issues. The Vietnamese people will benefit from greater assistance from the United States, and the people of the US will discover in Vietnam a new and promising destination for business, tourism, and adventure.
From here on it is our task, together, to build a new chapter in the history of our relationship, a chapter which will realize the promise of a stable and enduring partnership between our two nations. In redoubling our efforts to move forward together, we should strive always to do so based on mutual respect, expanding economic and commercial ties and sharing interests in peace, prosperity, and security in East Asia and the Pacific. Where differences remain, and they will, we will persist together in dialogue and the search for new ways forward. From now when Vietnam and the US are both WTO members, it is very important that the principle of non-discrimination should be always observed, especially in trade and economic fields.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Ten years ago, it was hard to imagine that in 2007 one could fly to Vietnam on United Airlines, travel our towns and countryside in a Ford SUV, stay in a Sheraton or Hilton hotel, and then have a dinner of Montana beef and Napa Valley wine. It was almost impossible to imagine that Old Navy and Gap and other stores in shopping malls all across the US would be selling fashionable clothing and top-end sportswear made in Vietnam, right next to supermarkets selling Vietnamese fruit, seafood, beer, and many other products. Who would have believed that in 2007 the United States would be the second most popular destination for Vietnamese students studying abroad? All of this, and much more, is true; and all of it is wonderful. But not being beset by hubris, let us now continue to imagine how much further we can go in the next ten years. We are sure that the future of our relations is very bright. And I am sure that together, with the help of all of you, we have built and will continue to build a stable and durable partnership, one not just for our generation but for generations to come: so that we, and our children and their children after them, can live together in peace, prosperity, and hope.
I know that you all share that hope with me, and I look forward to continuing to work with you in engineering a bright future for us all. Please join me in raising a toast to happy, prosperous, and enduring Vietnamese-US relations.Thank you and Happy New Year to all of you.

ASEAN be more united: Vietnamese diplomat

A Vietnamese senior official urged the ASEAN to bolster solidarity and unity while raising its cooperation efficiency in order to achieve regional integrity and a regional community.Addressing the 40th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM-40), Deputy Foreign Minister Le Cong Phung stressed that ASEAN needs to be more active and dynamic in its relations with other counterparts while improving cooperation with dialogue partners.The group needs to uphold its leading role in the regional cooperation process to which it was the initiator, including ASEAN+3, East Asia Summit (EAS), and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and should work as a driving force behind other regional integration process in the Asia-Pacific region, he said.In his speech, Deputy FM Phung emphasised the extreme importance of narrowing the development gap in the course of establishing the ASEAN Community.He highlighted the results of the second IAI Development and Cooperation Forum in Hanoi and said these outcomes have contributed to building a new strategy to address the development disparity and better the implementation of the Initiative on ASEAN Integration (IAI) in the future.Deputy FM Phung called on all ASEAN member countries, dialogue partners, regional and international organisations and private sectors to take active part in the group's endeavours to narrow the development gap within the bloc.

Law eases foreign ownership limits

Many foreign investors are keen to purchase stakes in existing domestic companies to establish a presence in the Vietnamese market, an option made even easier now that the new Investment Law has taken effect.Under the previous legal regime, purchases of stock in existing unlisted domestic companies were governed by Government Decision No 36/2003/QD-TTg dated on March 11, 2003. Decision 36 restricted the scope of foreign investment in domestic companies in various ways. For instance, foreign investors were only permitted to purchase stakes in "domestic companies which engage in business lines as determined by the Prime Minister or published by the MPI from time to time." A list of 35 permitted lines of business was published in Decision No 260/2002/QD-BKH of May 10, 2002.Decision 36 also capped the foreign stake in a domestic company at 30 per cent of legal capital, and foreign investors were compelled to nominate Vietnamese citizens or foreign individuals residing in Viet Nam to participate in management of the company. These restrictions were a major disincentive for foreign investors to make significant share purchases in domestic enterprises.The new law is more investor-friendly. Article 25.1 states that "investors shall be permitted to contribute capital to and to purchase shares in companies and branches operating in Viet Nam." Instead of restricting foreign investors to certain business lines and imposing a general cap on the level of foreign investment, the new Investment Law provides that "the ratio of capital contribution and share purchase of foreign investors in a number of sectors, industries and trades shall be regulated by the Government."This suggests that foreign investors will be able to purchase uncapped stakes in any domestic enterprise unless it operates in a sector in which foreign involvement is specifically restricted by further Government regulation. The new law also does not impose any restriction on the right of foreigners to participate in management. These changes represent a significant liberalisation of foreign investment law in Viet Nam.However, inconsistencies exist in current regulations. Government Decision No 238/2005/QD-TTg of September 29, 2005, specifies a cap on foreign investment in listed companies of 49 per cent.However, the Investment Law applies to all forms of direct investment which includes capital contribution or share purchases in enterprises "in order to participate in management." The new Investment Law provides that only indirect investment – share purchase without participation in management – is governed by the Law on Securities and other relevant laws (such as Decision 238). It is clear that an investor seeking to purchase a large stake in a company intends to participate in management. Hence, the Investment Law applies to these purchases, and this law does not cap foreign ownership in domestic enterprises. In these cases, the 49 per cent cap in Decision 238 is inconsistent with the new Investment Law.If Decision 238 were applied to listed companies, various problems would arise:(i) Foreign investors are allowed to purchase more than 49 per cent of unlisted companies. The 49 per cent cap would force foreign investors to divest their shareholding if they wished to list the company on the stock exchange. This would be a major disincentive to listing.(ii) Foreign-invested shareholding companies established under the new Enterprise Law do not have any restriction on foreign ownership. It would be impractical to subject these companies to the 49 per cent cap upon listing. If the 49 per cent cap applies to some joint stock companies and not others, then the unifying purpose behind the new Enterprise Law would be thwarted. The Government should consider revising or repealing Decision 238 to ensure consistency with the liberalised foreign investment climate under the new Investment Law.

RoK to keep position as first foreign investor in Vietnam

The current trend of investment from the Republic of Korea (RoK) into Viet Nam will continue in the future, ensuring the RoK remains Viet Nam’s leading foreign direct investor. The remark was made by Choe Hyoung-Chan, Economic Counsellor at the RoK Embassy in Viet Nam on the sidelines of the “International Symposium on the history of Korean-Vietnamese relations,” the first of its kind, in Ha Noi on August 20. According to the official, with over 2.4 billion USD of direct investment capital in 2006, the RoK has overcome many countries and territories to become No.1 foreign investor in Viet Nam. The RoK’s investment focuses on many areas, including textile and garment, shoe leather, electronics, apartment buildings and infrastructure. Projects developing apartment buildings and infrastructure construction have made an important contribution to increasing investment from the country. Choe Hyoung-Chan told a reporter from Viet Nam news agency that he saw no obstacle that would change this trend in the near future. So the RoK will certainly hold onto the top place among foreign investors in Viet Nam, he stressed. During the symposium, the official commented that the RoK and Viet Nam have a lot in common, especially in term of history and culture, which are “the most important factor for the development of relations between the two countries.” “The similarities make Koreans, who are living in Viet Nam, feel as comfortable as in their home country,” said the official, adding that this is one of the reasons explaining why there are more and more RoK enterprises coming to the Southeast Asian country, “the best destination” for their investments, he noted. According to statistics from the Ministry of Planning and Investment, investment capital from the RoK businesses into Viet Nam has continued to grow. By July 2007, the total direct investment from the RoK reached over 10.3 billion USD. (VNA, VietNamNet Bridge) (MOFA)

Vietnam Real Estate Market Update

In Nha Be District, a rural district of Ho Chi Minh City, land prices have gone through the roof as of January of 2008. For a piece of land of 1,000 square meters which was worth some $US 30,000 in early 2006, may now worth 10 times as much. The real estate and infrastructure developments in recent years in South Saigon might have pushed land pricing in the vicinities. The increases in land prices have been noticed in these districts: 2, 7, Nha Be and Binh Chanh.
Investor speculations, population growth and an influx of foreign investments have been recognized as key factors contributing to the increase in Vietnam real estate. Other causes that propel property prices include demand-supply issue, government regulations, the opening of Thu Thiem Bridge in early 2008, and the down turn in Vietnam stock market. The VNINDEX (Ho Chi Minh Stock Index) has dropped some 30% since March 2007.
Experts predicts that both residential and office rentals are to rise considerably in 2008. Vietnam major cities, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), and Ha Noi, are now among the most expensive real estate markets in the world.
Vietnam economy is among the most robust economies in the world, second only after China, with estimated GDP growth rate of above 8% in 2007 and this rate is expected to continue in 2008.
2007 Update - Vietnam Advertising Industry
After two decades of development, since Vietnam's doi-moi policy was implemented in 1986, Vietnam's advertising companies are still far from gaining a significant share of industry revenue estimated about $US 1 billion.
Among the main reasons are shortage of skilled work force, experience, financial capability, and management. According to industry experts, Vietnam has not formulated a clear long-term strategy to compete with foreign advertising companies.
Despite the attractive salary offers, between $US 500-1,000 per month, domestic companies are having problems recruiting competent workers since universities and colleges have not produced up-to-date and capable advertising graduates.
There are more than 1,000 domestic advertising companies that hold about 15% of market share, while the other 30 major foreign advertising firms hold some 80% of Vietnam advertising market. Many multi-national corporations such as Coca-Cola and Unilever are using highly regarded international advertising companies. Among the successful firms are: US-based J. Water Thompson and Ogilvy & Mather.
Figures released by the government sated that some 80 percent of revenue was in television and newspaper advertisements, and about 10 percent from billboards. Vietnam has some 60 broadcast stations, and more than 600 newspapers in Vietnam. Among the most popular stations are: Viet Nam Television (VTV) and Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV).
According to Vietnam's Ministry of Culture and Information, under WTO commitments, foreign-invested advertising firms will be permitted to establish branches in Vietnam by the end of this year. From 2009, foreign firms will be allowed to form wholly foreign-invested entities, and the existing limit of 49 percent of chartered capital they are permitted to contribute to ventures will be removed. More on Vietnam Advertising.
An Update on Vietnam Labor Regulations
Vietnam, with a current population of more than 85 million, has an estimated labor force of 45 million (was 38 million in 1998). About 2/3 of the population is under the age of 30. Vietnam has sent some 500,000 workers to work overseas. Working conditions for Vietnam workers are gradually improving.
The minimum age for full-time employment is 18. Vietnam labor law has special provisions for workers between 15 and 18 years of age. Many children have reportedly worked in violation of this law. The law established working hours at eight hours per day with a mandatory 24-hour rest period per week.
The state-controlled VGCL (the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor) is the sole labor organization, and all workers automatically become members. Vietnamese workers were not free to choose or form independent labor unions.
The government prohibited strikes at organizations that serve the public or are important to the national economy or defense, and the Prime Minister decides what organizations come under that definition. Most strikes occur against foreign-invested businesses.
The labor law requires the government to set minimum wages. Effective in 2006, the minimum wages per month at foreign-invested companies have been increases: $US 55 in HMC City and Hanoi, $US 50 other major cities, and $US 45 other areas. The rate was set at $US 30 for foreign-invested joint ventures in 2002.
In 2002, Vietnam agriculture sector (including forestry and fishing) employed nearly 2/3 of the labor force, and 1/3 in industry, construction and service sectors.

TET'S HOLIDAYS

Tet is the most important holiday in Vietnam. It derived from Chinese. It is the Vietnamese New Year which is based on the lunar calendar. That is the reason why it is also called Lunar New Year. Vietnamese New Year is usually celebrated from the first day until at least the third day of the first month of the lunar calendar (around late January or early February).The Vietnamese people prepare for Tết by cooking special foods, cleaning and decorating the house. On Tet, Vietnamese visit their families or relatives, friends, colleagues, and temples… Children are very happy on Tet, they are worn new clothes and given luck-money in red envelopes from their elders. Other common practices on Tet include fireworks, dragon dances and lion dances which ward off evil spirits and bring in good luck for the new year.
Traditionally, on the 23rd day of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, the Kitchen God, who is present in the kitchen of every house, depart to heaven. They report to the Jade Emperor about the events in that house over the past year. After the Kitchen God has gone to the Heaven, preparations for the New Year festivities begin in enthusiasm. The week before New Year's Eve is called a period of "Tat Nien". Tat Nien (literally meaning the end or "to extinguish the year") is the celebration of the last session of a period, such as the last class of school, the last day in the office, even the last bath, all with parties and great ceremonies.
In the days before Tet, each family traditionally cook special holiday food known as banh chung and banh giay. Preparations for these foods are quite extensive, and cooking them can take several days. All members in family often take turns to keep watch on the fire overnight, telling each other everything that happened during the past year.
The Vietnamese people prepare Tet for by decorating their homes and preparing traditional dishes to enjoy themselves and entertain their guests. Special dishes must be completed to serve the family and its guests for the first three days of the new year. On the last day of the old year, the Vietnamse people attach great significance to offering to their ancestor traditional dishes. In southern Vietnam, popular fruits used for offering at the family altar are the custard-apple/sugar-apple, coconut, papaya, and mango to pray for enough money to spend in during the new year. Each home is thoroughly swept and decorated with flowers and offerings for ancestors by the night before Tet. At midnight, many families light fireworks to welcome the New Year.In the morning, actual Tet celebrations begin.
The first day of Tet is reserved for the nuclear family. Children receive luck-money from their elders. Usually, children wear new clothes and give their elders the traditional Tet greetings before receiving the money. Since the Vietnamese believe that the first person, who visit a family, sets their fortunes for the entire year, people never enter any house on the first day without being invited first. People often stay at home or visit their close relatives.
During the subsequent days, people visit relatives, friends, colleagues, and visit the local Buddhist temples to give donations and to get their fortunes told. With their luck-money, children are free to spend it on toys or gambling, which can be found in the streets. Prosperous families can pay for dragon dancers to perform at their house. There are also public performances for everyone to watch.
In Vietnamese, some food are only eaten on Tet. These food include:
• bánh chưng and bánh giầy: essentially tightly packed sticky rice with meat or bean fillings wrapped in banana leaves, bánh chưng (rectangular) square sticky-rice cake and bánh giầy (circular) are symbols of Tet celebration. Preparation is time-consuming, and can take days to cook.
• hạt dưa: roasted watermelon seeds.
• kiệu: pickled vegetables
• mứt: these sweetened dried fruits. Beside traditional dishes, no one can forget to make a tray of Mut tet, a cup of tea and betel and areca ready to entertain their visitors.
The foods that the Vietnamese eat at Tet are varied and diverse, however; there are some differences in the Northern, Central and Southern parts of the country because of different weather conditions and local agricultural products. What they have in common is that the people throughout the country all want to have the best and the most beautiful looking food on this occasion to offer their ancestors and to treat their friends and guests.
Sweeping and scrubbing must be done during this time as tradition discourages it during the Tet holiday. Two items required for the proper enjoyment of Tet are peach flower branches and kumquat trees. Throughout the country, on bicycles of roving vendors, flowers create great splashes of color. In the north, the soft rose-colored peach flowers decorate homes and offices while the bright golden yellow branches of the hoa mai are preferred in the south. And the kumquat trees, have ripe deep orange fruits with smooth clear thin skin shining like little suns or gold coins on the first day of lunar new year, represent the wish that wealth will come to you now and in the future.

Yoo Min-woo's (Song Seung Heon) first love was Soh Eun-hye (Shin Ae). However, Eun-hye gets into a car accident and dies, but still leaves a usable heart behind. Another character, Shim Hye-won (Son Yeh Jin) has suffered from a terrible heart disease ever since childhood. Miraculously, she finds that she will be obtaining a heart from a donor, the lately deceased Soh Eun-hye.Suffering from the pain of a heartache, Min-woo goes to Italy to study, with the memories of Eun-hye still resting in his heart. When he returns to Korea, fate takes a turn and brings Hye-won and Min-woo together. When the two first meet, Hye-won's heart (Eun-hye's heart), oddly beats faster when she is around Min-woo.Park Jung-jae (Ryu Jin) is Hye-won's boyfriend. Park Jung-ah (Han Ji Hye) is Jung-jae's sister and she meets Min-woo in Italy and falls for him.Hye-won doesn't know why or what she feels when she's with Min-woo. Min-woo feels guilt toward Eun-hye, because the feeling of love rises once again as he continues to see Hye-won

Han Ji-Eun (Song Hye Kyo) lives in a house called Full House, built by her father. She is an aspiring novelist. One day, two of her friends, for money reasons, trick her and sell her house - when she returns from a vacation, she discovers it has been sold to Lee Young-Jae (Bi (Rain)), an actor who has just shot to stardom. Though they don't get along with each other, as she is messy and he has a bad temper and an affection for cleaning, they agree to live with each other and Ji-Eun works as his maid in order to buy her house back. Out of a misunderstanding and Young-Jae's ill-fated try to make the love of his life, Kang Hye-Won (Han Eun Jung) jealous, he marries Ji-Eun. They set up a contract for the marriage to last six months. During that time, complications ensue and Ji-Eun and Young-Jae become attracted to each other. Also, Ji-Eun starts to hold a strong bond with Young-Jae's family. However, Young-Jae's bad temper along with the romantic attentions of Yoo Min-Hyuk (Kim Sung Soo), Ji-Eun's handsome and friendly publisher, starts to create a rift between the couple. Young-Jae and Ji-Eun get a divorce and he moves away. When he returns, he realizes that Ji-Eun hasn't married yet and knows that he has fallen in love with her - and she with him. He proposes to her, this time for the right reasons, and finally, they get married the second time and live happily ever after

Han Ki-joo is the President (and the son of the CEO) of GD Motors (which is based on the successful Korean motor company GM Daewoo). He has been living in Paris for two years after his failed marriage to Baek Seung-kyung.[1] He is charismatic and a smart man and he has been groomed all his life to take over the position of the Chairman of the company, the next commander of GD Motors.
Kang Tae-young is the beloved daughter of a film director. She is carrying on her father’s wish and is studying film in Paris. To make ends meet, she works as a housekeeper for Han Ki-joo. She is a simple yet spunky girl with an optimistic outlook on life, she may be goofy at times but her warm, spontaneous personality makes everyone gravitate towards her.
Yoon Soo-hyuk is the free-spirited vagabond nephew of Han Ki-joo who dropped out of design school in the United States to live with him in Paris. He shares a close and intimate relationship with Han Ki-joo, although Han Ki-joo being the uncle is not much older than him. Han Ki-joo gives the freedom that he yearns for and supports him monetarily to pursue the kind of life he wishes.
Being the man with high standards, Kang Tae-young is quickly fired by Han Ki-joo as a housekeeper. However, when he realises that she is from the same hometown as the wife of a potential business partner, he is quick to capitalise on that and hires her to be his girlfriend to warm up to his business partner. She agrees in exchange for getting back her job as a housekeeper. During the two dates that he takes her out, she is smitten by the entire fairy tale of the event. In turn he finds himself unexpectedly captivated by the chatty, unpretentious girl.
However, the fake girlfriend plan backfires on him, and both part ways on bad terms in Paris.
Yoon Soo-hyuk also meets her on a different occasion and is taken by her immediately. He sees through her insecurities and her weaknesses and his heart goes out to her and wants to protect her.
Recalled by his father, Han Ki-joo returns to Korea, and Kang Tae-young takes the same plane back as well to attend to her father’s death anniversary. Both are reunited coincidentally back in Seoul and manage to have their misunderstandings resolved. She prepares to return to Paris to continue her studies, and parts with him. Unfortunately, her uncle has squandered away her family house and run away, leaving her with her young cousin and the debts he has incurred.
While trying to sort out her family problems and retrieve her father’s camera that was confiscated by the creditors, she meets Han Ki-joo again. Through multiple coincidental encounters, he finds himself attracted to her. Despite his commanding presence and being the next chief of his family's business, on the relationship front he is a complete retard. But his heart starts to yearn for a relationship that he has never experienced before.
Yoon Soo-hyuk returns to Korea as well to track Kang Tae-young down. He puts up at her place and tries to win her heart. But he is devastated when he realised that his beloved uncle is also vieing for her affection.
The situation is further complicated with the introduction of Moon Yoon Ah, the daughter of an influential politician whom Han Ki-joo's father has selected to be Han Ki-joo's wife. She also happens to be Kang Tae-young's classmate in high school and she is determined to win Han Ki-joo to be her husband.
Against the better judgment of all around them, Han Ki-joo and Kang Tae-young open their hearts to each other. But their union will not be smooth sailing with a scheming Moon Yoon Ah and an emotionally wounded Yoon Soo-hyuk plotting to split them up. Meanwhile, a Director at GD Motors tries to bring Ki-joo down and created a scheme with the designer for GD Motors, Yoon Soo-hyuck to spill the latest car design to the rival of GD Motors. The new car is announced and GD Motors is petrified by the fact that the latest and the best design was stolen. Later, Ki-joo figures out that his beloved nephew, Soo-hyuk did this, but forgives him. The fact that Ki-joo forgave him so easily and lovingly drives Soo-hyuk crazy. After getting into a car accident while blazing through the streets of Seoul to attempt to erase his guilt, he gets amnesia and loses his recent memories. (He only pretends he does not remember anything to let go of Tae-young so she can go after her true love, Ki-joo.) Moon Yoon Ah, after all those times, decides to let go of Ki-joo and throws her engagement ring into Han-River. With two "obstacles" out of the way, Ki-joo and Tae-young can finally get together. Unfortunately because of Ki-joo's families' dislike for Tae-kyung, the couple decides to be separated temporarily. Tae-young goes back to Paris and Ki-joo stays in Korea and overlook a new car development. After 2 years, the new car is announced and is a success. Ki-joo, immediately after the ceremony, catches a flight to Paris. For some time, they do not know where each other is and go on with their lives. Then one day, just as the series started, but this time instead of Tae-young, it's Ki-joo who throws a coin into a fountain and wishes to see Tae-young again. As he turns and put his leg around his bike, he sees Tae-young standing there. They both are stunned. The next scene shows the couple sitting by a river. Tae-young breaks the silence and asks, "If we had not met in Paris, do you think we still would have ended up together?" Ki-joo answers, "Most likely we would have." The scene suddenly switches to an outdoor coffee house and Tae-young with her old hair style is sitting on a chair sipping coffee. There are Ki-joo and probably a potential client in the back. Tae-young's voice over narrates a story. "Behind Tae-young sat the lover she always has dreamed of, but of course, she did not have the slightest idea." The next scene shows Tae-young in Korea, busily typing the same story on a computer. She looks at the clock and busily organize her stuff and leaves. (She is a housekeeper for an unknown person just like in Paris, but this time in Korea.) On her way out, she sees a newspaper with large headline that tells of a "cinderella" girl who got engaged to a rich guy (Picture of Tae-young and Ki-joo). She scoffs and says that that kind of romance never happens to a normal person. She leaves the house she keeps. As it turns out, the housekeeper Tae-young is selling stuffed dolls on a street of Seoul. When she leaves her cart unattended for some time, a lady (about 40-50) comes up to Tae-young's cart and sabotages it for being it her "spot." When Tae-young comes back, she is shocked to find her cart totally destroyed and automatically assumes that the car parked next to her cart is responsible. She kicks the car until the alarm goes off. Surprised Ki-joo comes up and asks her what she thinks she is doing. Tae-young asks for a compensation. When she asks for a sum beyond the reasonable amount, Ki-joo realizes that he had forgotten to bring his wallet says he will go to his house and bring back the money. Tae-young does not like the idea for he can just take off. So she snatches up Ki-joo's key and gets into the car. She and Ki-joo drives off and Tae-young asks if she can make a stop at an apartment. Ki-joo is surprised because the apartment she want to make a stop at is his. They both stare at each other and Tae-young asks if she had seen him somewhere. The series ends with the scene of the couple driving away from the camera above.

The story is set in Korea under the Joseon Dynasty, during the reigns of King Seongjong, King Yeonsan-gun (1494-1506) and King Jungjong (1506-1544). The story begins with Queen Yun, mother of King Yeonsan-gun (the Crown Prince at the time) being poisoned by a group of imperial guards under the order of the king.

After the incident, an imperial guard, Seo Cheon-soo, who accompanied the group, returns to his home but suffers an accident on his way back. He is rescued by an enigmatic hermit, who tells him that his life will revolve around three women: he shall cause the death of the first woman, he will save the life of the second woman but will also cause her to die, and a third woman who will cause his death, but who will be the savior of many lives. (It does not become clear until much later that the three women are Lady Yun (Yeonsangun's mother), Park Myeong-yi (Jang-geum's mother), and lastly, Jang-geum herself.). Psychological distress from the incident eventually caused him to resign. On the other hand, Palace maid Park, an apprentice at the Royal Kitchen, witnesses a conspiracy against the Queen Mother by Lady Choi (who had added a toxin to the food) and Park Myeong-yi is in turn indicted on false charges by the inner circle of senior kitchen staff, and secretly executed by their internal procedures (forced to drink poison). She is first saved by Palace maid Han, her best friend in the palace, who mixes antidote with the poison and slips her a letter, and later saved, inadvertently by the retired Seo. The two married and secretly lived in a remote village, posing as low class people cheonmin, raising a very bright young daughter, Seo Jang-geum.

In the year 1504, King Yeonsangun orders a massive investigation into his mother's murder, and eventually finds Seo and his family, partly because Jang-geum had immaturely blurt out the truth that her parents were not low-class people, that Seo was a military officer of the palace. This leads to the arrest of Seo and the scattering of their family. Jang-geum and her mother fled, but her mother was fatally wounded by their enemies. Before her death, she tells Jang-geum her last wish, that should she choose to do so, is for her to become the Head Lady of the Royal Kitchen and record the injustice done to her, in the Head Kitchen Ladies' journal or record book (to restore her honor).

Jang-geum goes through some adventures and manages to enter the palace. Through her courage, curiosity, talent, kind-heartedness and determination, she helps Lady Han (her mother's best friend, which she does not discover until much later) to become the Highest Kitchen Lady. During her years in the palace, she undergoes many ordeals and is shunned because she is smarter than the other apprentices. Jang-geum, however, does not become discouraged and continues cooking with the philosophy that the goal of cooking is to bring good health and happiness to the person who eats the food. Unfortunately, a conspiracy headed by Lady Choi and her niece Geum-yeong, as well as high-rank officials and merchant Pan-sul Choi (Lady Choi's brother) to retain monopoly over Royal Kitchen supplies, results in the exile of Lady Han and Jang-geum to Jeju Island as slaves, on false accusations of treason. On the way to Jeju, an exhausted Lady Han dies. Back in the palace, Lady Choi replaces her as the Highest Kitchen Lady.

While Jang-geum is in the Jeju Island, she meets Jang-deok, whom she initially believed was a fellow slave. However, she soon discovers that Jang-deok is a famous Medical woman. Jang-deok's frank and pragmatic nature initially offends her, but she soon learns that she is truly dedicated to her profession of saving lives. Jang-geum learns that competent medical women can be selected into the Palace through a vigorous selection process. She realizes that is the only way she can return to the palace to avenge her mother and Lady Han. Under Jang-deok, she learns medicine, and her hard work and tenacitic nature makes her a competent medical woman. However, in her quest to become a medical woman, she has to learn to rid herself of the hatred in her heart, in order to truly embrace the virtues of being a medical practitioner. This she does, and eventually successfully re-enters the palace.

Soon, she comes face to face with Geum-yeong, who has now become the Head Kitchen Lady. Her predecessor, the ruthless Lady Choi, has become Head Lady,[1] after kicking out the previous Lady Park. As they plot to rid themselves of her once and for all, Jang Geum's relationship with Lt. Min Jeung-ho(who is now part of the King's royal cabinet) intensifies, and the love story between them develops. Jang-geum's best friend, Yeon-seng, has become the king's concubine while Jang-geum has been away and later becomes the eighth Queen in rank which gives Jang-geum more back up in the palace. Jang Geum correctly diagnosed that the King was suffering from Behcet's disease and not from typhoid fever. Eventually, through a dramatic interrogation process, the past plots of Lady Choi and her subordinates are revealed, resulting in the destruction of the Choi family and high-ranking officials.

Through her dedication to the royal family, perseverance and skill, she was subsequently recognised as the best medical personnel in the palace. Previously, Jang-Geum had correctly diagnosed the Queen as having a stillborn fetus in her womb, saving her life. She had also managed to convince the Queen Mother to undergo medical treatment and had found out the root cause of the King's chronic illness, which had remained misdiagosed for a long time by royal physicians. Now, she further earns the gratitude of the Queen, when she successfully cures her son of smallpox.

In a strange turn of events, the King falls in love with Jang-Geum, but refrains from making her a royal concubine because he understands that Jang-Geum's loves lies in medicine. In recognition of her achievements and to keep her by his side, the King decides to make her his personal physician, conferring on her the use of "Dae" (meaning "The Great") before her name and the position of a third rank official in a 9-rank system (where the lowest-ranking official is the ninth-rank official). Also becoming part of the royal cabinet.

The King's decision is met with much controversy and outcry from scholars and ministers, since having a woman in the elite bureaucracy was an open defiance of the country's precident and having a medical woman as the King's personal physician as unheard of. Jang-Geum, after understanding that she could assert the rights and capability of women by accepting the post, reluctantly does so at personal risk. Min Jeung-ho, in his staunch support of her promotion, is indicted for going against scholarly teachings and exiled. They are thus separated.

The King became critically-ill and there was little Jang-geum could do, despite her comprehensive understanding of his condition and attentive care. He could no longer be treated with acupuncture or medicine. As a last resort, she suggested surgery. The court officials were horrified at her revolutionary approach, which was unheard of and moreover, the King was considered too sacred to be allowed to bleed. Though the King believed in her, he was concerned that should the surgery fail, Jang-geum would surely be put to death. With his condition deteriorating, the King knew his end was near, but he was more worried about Jang-geum's fate. To protect her, the King sent her away against her wishes, allowing her to reunite with Jeong-ho and escape the palace. They married and live together for eight years with their daughter. All this while, Jang-geum and Jeong-ho are compelled to lead vagrant lives, as their detractors have been searching for them since King Junjong's death. However, Jang-geum continues to treat patients wherever she goes.

As a result, they were finally traced and ordered to return to the palace. Instead of being punished, both reinstated by the Queen Mother - formerly Queen Munjeong who favoured Jang-geum when she was a medical woman, and now wields enormous power. When she returns Jang-geum finds that all her friends now have high ranks in the palace. Making the palace a much more peaceful place from the previous Choi family rule. However, Jang-geum and Min Jung-ho are wary of the palace politics and decided to move on. The story ends as Jang-geum successfully performs the first caesarean surgery ever for a pregnant peasant-woman.

Synopsis

The story begins during the teenage years of the two main characters: Yun Jun-suh (played by Choi Woo Hyuk) and Yun Eun-suh (played by Moon Geun Young). They are the children of a rich professor and believed they are biologically brother and sister until Eun-suh gets in an automobile accident.
After blood tests were carried out by the doctor on Mr and Mrs Yun for Eun Suh's transfusion, the Yuns find out that Eun-suh belongs to a Mrs Choi, and Choi Shin-ae (played by Lee Ae-Jeong), is the Yun's biological daughter. At first, only the parents of Shin-ae and Eun-suh knew about this, but eventually, Shin-ae discovered the truth after she got into a fierce argument with her non-biological mother over a teddy bear she received from her biological father. Eun-suh only discovered the truth after Shin-ae wants her biological parents to take her in. In the end, the two daughters were returned to their rightful parents. Eun-suh now lives with the Choi family, where her biological father is dead and her widowed mother operates a small restaurant living in abject poverty.
Years went by, and in the duration, the Yun family went to the United States, where Jun-suh (now played by Song Seung-heon) returns to South Korea as a successful artist. He went back to the town he lived in, where he encountered his old friend, Han Tae-seok (played by Won Bin). They both stay at the hotel where Eun-suh (now played by Song Hye-gyo) works as a telephone receptionist. Tae-seok (who doesn't know about the entire brother and sister mixup that happened earlier) fell in love with Eun-suh and played games with her until she was fired from her job. One day Eun-suh saw Joon-suh and followed him to the beach where he was with Yumi (his fiancee) and Tae-sok and the two "siblings" finally meet after ten years.
Both Eun-suh and Joon-suh pretended to have a sibling relationship in front of the others at first but Shin-ae (now played by Han Chae-Young) - angry at Eun-suh for taking away Tae-sok - exposed the two after she found a love letter Eun-suh had written to Joon-suh.
As a fight between Jun-suh and Tae-seok grows over their professed love for Eun-suh, she discovers she has leukemia (the same illness that took her biological father's life). She didn't tell anyone until the disease was at a terminal stage. All hope was lost by now, and Eun-suh died as Jun-suh was carrying her around the beach where they spent her birthday as teenagers.
Before Eun-suh died, she told Jun-seo not to follow her in death, and to continue living. However, Jun-suh, grief-stricken by the death of his lover and "sister", allowed himself to be struck by a truck (ironically the story starts with Eun-suh being struck by a truck), and he died shortly afterwards.

Min-joon (Uhm Jung-hwa) is a believer in true love and always very dedicated to her current boyfriend. However, men always break up with her - her latest boyfriend ends their relationship on her birthday. Distracted by the latest break-up, she bumps into a car and a man steps out of it - who turns out to be her new boss, Robin Heiden (Daniel Henney). Heiden has very clear ideas about a relationship and love: both are a game of power and Min-Joon seeks advice from him, as she doesn't want to get dumped again. However, when she starts to treat men like Heiden treats women, she realizes that she prefers her older behaviour, even if that means that she gets dumped again; she doesn't see love as a game of power and never will. Heiden, who has to deal with his own heartbreak, as he loved a woman so much that she had to shoot him to get the message across that she wasn't interested in him, starts to soften at Min-joon's attitude towards life. He eventually falls in love with her and both get into a real relationship and a happy ending of their own.
One of the unique concepts of the movie is that Robin Heiden speaks only in English. While Min-Joon speaks mostly in Korean. The two seem to understand each other perfectly without any outside translation. This was a new style of dialogue for Korean films, and it is partially credited for the films success.

Give my love

When I look in your eyes I can see that you
Want to be with me but you’re so scared
And I don’t know what to say or do
But the tears keep falling from your eyes
And I know that Times won’t change my love
And I can’t do nothing to keep you

*Oh, I’ll give my love
oh when I hold you tight
Give my love through kisses oh so bright
And you know that I can’t change my love
Take my love all through the night…

As the hours pass away
You think that love ain’t here to stay
Feel a beat from your chest
But you don’t give doubt a moment’s rest
You dream the future and all you see is dark
Listen to your heart, baby,
The truth will set sparks

Give my love (korean version)

Soo ho-sungDashin gi uhk ha ji moht hahn da heh do Nae mahm sohk eh sah rah eet neun nuhChoo uk sohk eh nuh reul booht jahb go Ji chuh ga neun nah eh noon mool mahn Uhn jehn gahn nuhn nae geh dohl ah ohl gguh yah Dashi nah mahn eh poom euh ro Oh! i?ll give my love, oh! when i Hold u tight, nuhl sarang hae ee mahlHan mah di mahn ee rah do go baek heh yah heh ssuhNahn nuhl sarang hae young won heeHan buhn eh ee byul gwa doo buhn eh mahn nahm sohk eh suh Suh rod ah reun noon beeht cheuh ro nah reul bah rah bo neun nuhMahn ee sarang hae ssuh nee mo deun guhl Ddo dashi nahn sarang hahl ggeh geuh ah peum ggah ji Oh! i'll give my love, oh! when i Hold u tight, dduh nah ji mah nah reulHan mah di mahn euh ro do booht jahb ah yah heh ssuhNahn nuhl sarang hae young won ssuhOh! i'll give my love, oh! when i Hold u tight, nuhl sarang hae ee mahlHan mah di mahn ee rah do go baek heh yah heh ssuhNahn nuhl sarang hae uhn jeh naOh! i'll give my love, oh! when i Hold u tight, nuhl sarang hae ee mahlHan mah di mahn ee rah do go baek heh yah heh ssuhNahn nuhl sarang hae young won hee

2008/01/23

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Vietnam became the 150th member of the WTO

ASEAN be more united: Vietnamese diplomat

Law eases foreign ownership limits

In the Great Wall

RoK to keep position as first foreign investor in Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh city

Vietnam Real Estate Market Update

TET'S HOLIDAYS

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