Amanda Min Chung Han

There are always fads and trends not only in fashion, but also in business management strat¬egy. Six sigma was once a must have tag to improve the manufacturing processes. Ac¬cording to the book “Institute’s Six Sigma Breakthrough and Beyond,” by the late 1990s about two-thirds of the Fortune 500 organizations had begun Six Sigma initiatives with the aim of reducing costs and improving quality.

What if you have to pay more tax on top of your gas charge just because you use more gas than your neighbors? Would you think the tax is too much? Due to increasing concerns about climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, many countries – mostly in Europe – have already established and/or proposed a carbon tax. Not good news if you were a heavy user of gas.

Kim Jeong-sook, a 31- year-old homemaker in Seoul, buys groceries through the Internet shopping mall with her co-workers. The Internet shopping mall is operated by a group of farmers from her hometown.

“There are many advantages to buying vegetables, rice and honey directly from a farmer and a beekeeper,” she says. “The price is somewhere between the wholesale price and the retail price because I place a large order with my colleagues. I feel I get ripped off whenever I see the retail price in a supermarket or a department store.”

One of the most high-flying Korean equities of this year is Samchuly Bicycle Co. This stock traded for a mere 2,730 won on Oct. 10, 2008. However, it quickly soared to 37,400 won as of May 15. There were jokes that Samchuly Bikes are not rolling, but instead are flying in the market. Another bicycle manufacturer, Very Good Leisure Co., has also enjoyed a soaring share price for some time, thanks to the series of government green transportation polices.

You've probably heard of the 'Smart Grid' at least once. It is in the newspapers, on TV and discussed in magazines. Many famous politicians have mentioned the Smart Grid in their speeches as if they were competing with each other to be the official spokesperson, and a fair number of top companies have announced their plans to be part of the Smart Grid.