February 7, 2014
Friday, February 7, 2014
Good morning, Excellency!
Here are The Korea Post news, African proverbs, humor from Korean-language economic dailies, and a roundup of important headlines from all major Korean-language dailies, TV and other news media this morning:
/s/
Lee Kyung-sik
Publisher-Chairman
Korea Post Media
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The Korea Post notice:
Is your National Day coming up soon? Or is the Head of State of your esteemed country visiting Korea soon?
You may have the portrait painting of your Head of State painted by a famed Korean portrait artist who has painted the portraits of President George W. Bush, President Lee Myung-bak at Cheong Wa Dae, President Park Chung-Hee, the then First Lady Park Geun-hye and various other most important persons of Korea and the world.
Price of the portrait painting is normally 30 million won (US$30,000) for 30 Ho (90cm x 72cm) which, however, is discounted to mere two to five million won (US$2,000 to US$5,000) for the same size because the balance is covered by the promotional coverage of the artist involved provided by the four media units of The Korea Post (one print monthly and three electronic media).
These famed Korean artists are also famous for their landscapes, figure painting (including nudes) and still life works. Please visit the following sites of The Korea Post Internet for sample paintings.
Please directly call Chairman Lee of The Korea Post at 010-5201-1740 for immediate contact with the artists.
Scroll down to the bottom for more paintings, or click:
http://koreapost.koreafree.co.kr/board/index.html?id=artgallery&no=3http://koreapost.koreafree.co.kr/board/index.html?id=artgallery&no=11http://koreapost.koreafree.co.kr/board/index.html?id=artgallery&no=1
▲ President Park Geun-hye (right) shakes hands with President Xi Jinping of China
Humor from Korean-language economic dailies this morning:
Seoul Kyungje
John got the 4th child. He fills data in the birth certificate at the hospital.
"Father: American, Mother: American, Kid: Chinese."
"How come you write 'Chinese' when both parents are Americans?" asks a staff.
"Ah, I read a newspaper. It says that every 4th person born on the Earth now is a Chinese."
Hankuk Kyungje
Daily Prayer
Oh, God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I cannot accept, and the carefulness to not step on today on the toes that may be connected to the butt that I may have to kiss tomorrow.
Help me to always give 100 percent at work--12 percent on Monday, 23 percent on Tuesday, 40 percent on Wednesday, 20 percent on Thursday and 5 percent on Friday. Amen.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
S. Korea Regrets N. Korea's Threat to Reconsider Reunions
The South Korean government has expressed regrets over North Korea's statement that it would reconsider holding inter-Korean family reunions this month.
President Fires Oceans Minister for Controversial Remarks
President Park Geun-hye has dismissed the head of the Oceans and Fisheries Ministry amid wide criticism regarding her controversial remarks about a recent oil spill.
Park Calls for Sharing Farming Skills with N. Korea
President Park Geun-hye says that South Korea should share its technology and knowhow on agriculture and livestock farming with North Korea.
Gov't Aims to Begin Building DMZ Peace Park in 2014
Anchor: The South Korean government plans to launch steps to create a peace park in the heavily fortified demilitarized zone between the Koreas. The unification ministry also plans to look for ways to support the restoration of a rail track linking North Korea and Russia. Some experts say the South may be ready to ease sanctions against the North.
S.Korea Begins Preparations for Family Reunions
South Korea’s Red Cross is getting ready to hold reunions for families separated by the Korean War in line with an inter-Korean agreement reached on Wednesday.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
East Sea name bill approved by Virginia legislature
The Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill Thursday on using the name East Sea for the body of water between South Korea and Japan.
Pyongyang urges Seoul to scrap military drills with U.S.
North Korea threatened Thursday to backtrack from a deal on family reunions, citing South Korea's upcoming military drills with the United States and its alleged slander.
S. Korea urges N. Korea to honor deal on family reunions
South Korea pressed North Korea on Thursday to hold the reunions of families separated for six decades after Pyongyang threatened to backtrack from the deal, citing alleged military threats and slander.
Obama vows every effort for American man jailed in N. Korea
U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday his administration will make every effort to win the release of Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American man imprisoned in North Korea.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Fisheries minister sacked over inappropriate conduct over oil spill
President Park Geun-hye on Thursday sacked Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Yoon Jin-sook over her controversial conduct...
News ListAllies to apply ‘tailored deterrence’
South Korea and the U.S. will apply their “tailored deterrence strategy” to the allied milita...
Saenuri big shots eye Seoul mayoral race
The ruling Saenuri Party’s primary election for Seoul mayoral candidacy appears likely to be a...
Korea set to go for third straight top-10 finish
South Korean athletes are set to go for another top-10 finish in the medal tally in the 2014 Wi...
Work nearly complete at NKorea rocket la...
East Sea name bill approved by Virginia ...
Hanul nuclear reactor resumes operation ...
N.K. demands allies cancel military dril...
Samsung chairman wins inheritance lawsui...
Korean coffee lovers luring Brazilian Ar...
Watchdog probing banks over massive loan...
Elite high schools dominate admission to...
NLCS Jeju celebrates 1st batch of gradua...
Seoul aims to boost foreign tourist sati...
Former CEOs jailed for collusion on rive...
Despite missed deadlines, Syria pledges ...
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
East Sea name bill approved by Virginia legislature
The Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill Thursday on using the name East Sea for the body of water between South Korea and Japan.
Ocean minister fired
President Park Geun-hye dismissed Oceans and Fisheries Minister Yoon Jin-sook on Thursday for a series of gaffes over the recent oil spill in the waters off the southwestern coastal city of Yeosu. “President Park decided to fire...
NK threatens to go back on reunions
Pyongyang urged Seoul Thursday to cancel its upcoming joint military war games with Washington as part of its conditions for participating in the family reunions on Feb. 20-25 at Mt. Geumgang, a day after the two countries reach...
Is Samsung bashing on?
Is it Samsung bashing or the usual media scrutiny? Or something in between? Samsung Electronics has recently been subjected to a barrage of critical coverage by foreign media outlets. Some industry sources here say the uncomplim...
KT unit worker caught for stealing W280 bil.
A staffer of KT’s subsidiary took hundreds of billions of won in bank loans offered to its subcont...
'Line' ㅡ two-edged sword for Naver
Naver, Korea’s dominant web portal, has reported impressive earnings for 2013 thanks to robust per...
Activists to protest Incheon Asian Games over 'bosintang'
Animal rights activists from around the world are calling for the boycott of September’s Incheon A...
Royce, Honda - friends of Korea
House Foreign Affairs chairman to visit Korea next week
She kisses YSL
Everything she features on is being sold out. Jun Ji-hyun is currently starring in the drama “Man ...
Cyber peace group to support Sochi Olympians
Internet users of Korea and China will be able to support each other’s athletes at the Olympic Gam...
US congressmen pushing for expanded family reunions
Four Korean War veterans who are now United States congressmen have called on North Korean leader ...
PyeongChang's English websites full of errors
Multiple errors are on the official English language website of PyeongChang, the host city of the ...
Samsung Electronics chief wins inheritance lawsuit
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee won a lawsuit over an inheritance against his eldest brot...
3-way battle at Saenuri for Seoul mayoral race
Seven term lawmaker Chung Mong-joon and former Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik are expected to compet...
Former Seoul police chief acquitted
Kim Yong-pan, the former chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, was cleared Thursday of ch...
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Dong A (http://english.donga.com)
Seoul conducts under-the-table talks with Tokyo for summit
When President Park Geun-hye is advised to hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, she always replied by saying, "I always keep the possibility open. But a proper environment should be created before a...
Handshake of thawing inter-Korean relations
Reunions of separated families from South and North Korea are set to take place for the first time in four years. Separated families from the two sides will meet at Mount Kumgang between February 20 and 25. Delegations...
Theme song of `Frozen` fascinates moviegoers
“Let it go~ Let it go~.” Frozen, an animated film made by Disney, has drawn 6.48 million moviegoers as of Wednesday in Korea. Those who watched this movie say in unison that this one line of the theme song composed of...
`Tangled regulations` for auto and shipbuilding industries to be lifted
The government has decided to categorize the inefficient regulations that affect both large companies and SMEs in the same field of business as “tangled regulations” and eliminate all of them. First, regulations...
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Smartphones Get More Colorful
Smartphones are becoming more colorful. Until now they came mostly in black or white, but recent models feature a variety of hues from pink and red to gold. LG Electronics on Wednesday launched a red Nexus 5 smartphone developed jointly with Google. So far only white and black versions were available.
Singer's Times Square Ad Funds Go Missing
Around US$53,000 of a total $100,000 that singer Kim Jang-hoon donated in 2012 to take out patriotic ads in New York's Times Square never arrived at the U.S. advertising agency that handled the campaign. The ad agency in June last year sued the company that placed the ads on Kim's behalf.
TV Soap Catapults Kid's Book to Top of Bestseller List
A children's book that languished in obscurity has become a late-blooming bestseller. "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" sold 100,000 copies in just one month here since it made an appearance on a SBS show.
N.Korea Threatens to Call Off Family Reunions
North Korea threatened on Thursday to delay or cancel reunions of families separated by the Korean War over South Korean press reports it deemed disrespectful to leader Kim...
U.S. Bans Travelers from Bringing Liquids on Flights to Russia
U.S. transportation security officials are banning American travelers from carrying any liquids, gels or sprays on flights to Russia because of a possible terror threat. Various...
U.S. Official Asks China to Clarify or Adjust Sea Claims
The United States' top diplomat on East Asia has suggested China's wide-ranging territorial claims in the South China Sea do not comply with international law and should be...
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Hankyoreh (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Ducks quack just before they’re buried alive
Recent outbreak of avian flu leading to questioning over wisdom and humaneness of mass cullings
Something was wriggling inside the tan burlap sack. The four ducks stuffed inside were struggling fiercely just before they were buried. They had been gassed with carbon dioxide, but they were still alive.
South and North Korea agree to hold family reunions from Feb. 20 to 25
Surpassing a series of hurdles, representatives from North and South Korea at last sat down together at the Unification Pavilion on the North Korean side of Panmunjeom, at 10 am on Feb. 5.
Marriage migrants will need to brush up on their Korean
Marriage migrants may be in for a tougher time getting visas with a planned amendment that would introduce Korean language proficiency and spousal income as eligibility criteria.
Film on Samsung factory workers suspiciously pulled from screens t
Bigbox theatre Megabox is involved in a dispute over its decision to drastically reduce the number of first-run theaters for ‘Another Family’, a film that was released on Feb 6. The film is about the death of a Samsung semiconductor factory worker.
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Joong Ang (conservative): (http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/)
North threatens to call off reunions
One day after agreeing to hold the reunions of families separated during the 1950-1953 Korean War, North Korea threatened to cancel the event.North Korea’s National Defense Commission yesterday took issue with the flight of an American nuclear-capable B-52 bomber over the west coast of the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday…
After howler on oil spill, minister is sent packing
The minister of oceans and fisheries was removed from her post yesterday after she made remarks that didn’t go down well with the public…
Rulings handed down in busy day for court
Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee yesterday won in an appeals ruling by the Seoul High Court against his older brother Maeng-hee…
Saenuri looks to Seoul mayoral race
The ruling Saenuri Party is set to field three political heavyweights for the June local elections to compete against one another in the Seoul mayoral race…
In letter, U.S. congressmen urge Kim to release Bae
The last surviving members of the U.S. Congress to have served in the 1950-53 Korean War have sent a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un asking…
Samsung signs IT patent truce
Samsung Electronics agreed on a patent peace accord with Cisco Systems yesterday following a similar recent deal with Google…
Unification focus of ministry reports
The South Korean government said yesterday that it will push ahead with a project to construct an inter-Korean peace park in the demilitarized zone (DMZ)…
Police investigate exploitation case
When Mr. Kim, a 40-year-old blind man, accepted an offer in 2012 from a stranger he met in a soup kitchen in 2012, he never could have imagined that…
Senior subsidy policy on legislative table
Lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties hold a consultative meeting with Moon Hyung-pyo, minister of health and welfare…
Farmers take a hit after AI outbreak
A 53-year-old poultry farmer, identified only by his surname Bong, committed suicide, the Gimje Police Precinct said yesterday…
Kim hints at big plans for Olympics in Pyeongchang
SOCHI, Russia - Kim Jin-sun waited 20 years for this moment. Here in Sochi, along the shores of the Black Sea on Wednesday…
Employment issue causes problem for Seoul mayor
An issue of employment at Seoul’s 24-hour help hotline has turned out to be a major problem for Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who - as a former human rights lawyer…
Income divide reflected in health, obesity stats
According to a government report released yesterday, the divide in people’s income seems to correlate to a divide in their health…
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Edaily (http://eng.edaily.co.kr/Stock/)
[US the closing price]The U.S. Dow Jones Index, 188.30p( 1.22%) up.
The U.S. Dow Jones Index Closing (At 2014.02.06) The Dow closed at 15,628.53p, up 188.30p( 1.22%) from th...
[Table]Exchange Rate Quotation
This is Exchange rate Quotation offered by Korea Exchange Bank. [table] Exchange Rate Quotation Offered by KEB ...
[Table]Exchange Rate Currency Crossrate
2014.02.07 08:10(Korean time), this is Currency Crossrate of major 12 countries. [table] FX Cross Currency ...
[Closed] Domestic rate of return of final bid closed. 3-year government bond down -0bp.
This is the rate of return of final bid. Quoted by Korea Financial Investment Association, domestic rate of return of final bid of 3-year government bond recorded at 2.85%, down (-0bp) from yesterday. ...
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Maeil Kyungje (neutral-oriented conservative, economic/business): (http://news.mk.co.kr/english/)
S. Korea potential economic growth would slow to 2 % in a decade, say economists
Over six out of ten economists in South Korea predicted the nation’s potential economic growth would stand at no more than a two percent mark. None of them were assured that the per capita gross national income would surpass $40,000 in a decade.This demonstrates that they view the so-called ‘474 vision’ set out by the Park administration as infeasible. Specifically, the vision aims at accomplishing annual growth of four percent, GNI per capita of c...
Byucksan E& C pressing ahead with M&A to avert delisting
Byucksan Engineering & Construction at the risk of delisting due to full-scale capital erosion will go for merger and acquisition (M&A) deals.
Koreas agree to family reunions Feb. 20-25 at Mt. Kumgang
South and North Korea agreed Wednesday to hold reunions of families separated by the Korean War at Mount Kumgang, a scenic resort on the North`s east coast, from Feb. 20-25.
Energy public firms to sell core overseas businesses for debt reduction
South Korea`s energy public firms plan to sell their core businesses in addition to non-core business in order to cut down on their debts.
The Korea Post notice:
Here are more portrait paintings by Artists Chung Hyung-Mo and Kim Dong-Hyun:
▲ President George W. Bush of the United States (right) posing with Artist Chung Hyung-Mo at Cheong Wa Dae on Aug. 6, 2008 during the US President's visit to Korea. Chung has painted many noted persons of the world as well as Korea, which include the late former President Park Chung Hee and Korea's National Hero Admiral Yi Sun-Shin.
▲ H.M. Sultan Qaboos Bin Said of Oman.
▲ Right and left photos show the portrait of the late former President Park Chung Hee and the late First Lady Madam Yuk Young-soo, his wife, respectively.
▲ Founding Chairman Koo In-hoi of the LG Business Group
▲ Former President Chung Doo Hwan (left) and First Lady Lee Soon-ja
▲ Pope John Paul II (left) and Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan of Korea. Cardinal Kim is among the most respected in Korea.
▲ President Qadhafi of Libya (left) walking with President Nasser of Egypt.