Today's Date:   Friday, October 19, 2012

1. MARKETING ISSUES

‘Seoul Gourmet 2012’ to Showcase Top Chefs from 7 Different Countries [Korean, OSY]

http://news.donga.com/3/all/20121019/50222836/1

Summary: Seoul Gourmet 2012, the leading international culinary event in Korea that offers special dining experience to local consumers and opinion leaders is schedule to take place from October 30 through Number 3.  This year’s event is put together by seven top chefs invited from seven different countries.  Participating chefs include Akira Baek, a renowned executive chef of Yellow Tail, Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas and Pedro Suvihana, a Spanish top chef in the field of molecular cuisine.  Under the event, gala dinners and cooking demonstrations will take place in several five star hotels and culinary institutes in Seoul.  More information about the event is available from the Internet homepage, www.seoulgourmet.org.

2. OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES

Korea Succeeds in Lab-Cultivating Glass Eels [Korean, OSY]

http://news.donga.com/3/all/20121018/50192641/1

Summary: National Aqua-Science Institute announced on October 17 that it had succeeded in cultivating glass eels from eggs in the lab.  Japan had been the only country that developed the technology in the world, the institute added.  Currently Korea relies solely on imports for glass eels, which are farmed in local aquaculture farms to produce river eels.  Price of imported glass eels has hit as high as 35 million won (about $31,000 USD) per kilogram this year.

Russia Warns “Korea May Loose Its Fishing Quota in Russian Sea if It Continues to Import Crabs that Japanese Boats Caught Illegally”

http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=101&oid=001&aid=0005879461

Summary: Russian head of the National Fishery Office said in a press interview on October 17 that he was very concerned about Korea’s continuous imports of crabs from Japan that were illegally caught in the Russian sea.  The Russian official warned, “Korea May Loose Its Fishing Quota in Russian Sea if It Continues to Import Crabs that Japanese Boats Caught Illegally”.