Dec. 8, 2015

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015

Your Excellency:

Here are The Korea Post notice and a roundup of important headlines from all major Korean-language dailies, TV and other news media of Korea this morning:

Lee Kyung-sik

Publisher-Chairman

Korea Post Media

P.S.: 1. To see the desired site, press down the Control key and click the blue URL of the media.

2. If received by a person other than the intended recipient, please kindly convey the mail to His/Her Excellency.

A round-up of the latest news published by the Korean media:

KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)

S. Korea Elected to Chair UN Human Rights Council

South Korea has been elected to head the UN Human Rights Council next year. The council has frequently...

Koreas Agree on S. Korean Priests' Visit to N. Korea on Catholic Events

Saenuri Calls for Extra Parliamentary Session

NPAD Lawmaker Steps Down from Supreme Council

5 N. Korean Defectors Settle in US in November

S. Korea Elected to Chair UN Human Rights Council

Research Institute Suggests Adoption of Poison Pill

Gini Coefficient Readings Suggest Income Inequality in S. Korea

Bank of Korea to Pursue Asia-wide ATM Network

Koreas Agree on S. Korean Priests' Visit to N. Korea on Catholic Events

Drinking Water Produced at Mt. Baekdu Arrives at Busan Port

Two Koreas to Meet in China for Joint Dictionary Project

N. Korean Defectors' Group Holds Human Rights Photo Exhibition in Brussels

S. Korea Elected Vice Chair of UNESCO Cultural Heritage Body

BigBang's YouTube Channel Marks Largest Growth

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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

Over 3,000 Koreans join class-action suit against Volkswagen

Over 3,000 owners of Volkswagen vehicles in South Korea are participating in a class-action lawsuit against the German auto giant, demanding the cancellation of their purchases and full refunds, industry sources said Tuesday. According to the sources, about 3,200 customers of Volkswagen and its luxury brand Audi have joined the collective lawsuit filed with a Seoul court against the German carmaker, its local units and dealerships.

S. Korea to head U.N. Human Rights Council

South Korea was chosen on Monday to lead the United Nations Human Rights Council next year in recognition of its efforts to promote human rights around the world, the Foreign Ministry said.

Park calls for early passage of reform bills

President Park Geun-hye asked rival parties on Monday to endorse a set of bills designed to revitalize the country's economy and to reform the labor sector.

Civic group leaders indicted over security law breach

Four executives of a local civic group have been prosecuted on charges of promoting North Korean ideologies in breach of an anti-North Korea law, prosecutors said Monday.

S. Korean Catholic priests to visit N. Korea annually

South Korean Catholic bishops said Monday that they will send delegations of priests to North Korea on a regular basis to jointly celebrate major feasts.

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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)

Korea ponders options before Fed tightening

Bank of Korea Gov. Lee Ju-yeol holds the central bank's monthly interest rate-setting meeting at its head office in Seou...

President urges swift passage of economic bills

President Park Geun-hye on Monday called in the ruling Saenuri Party leadership to Cheong Wa Da...

Samsung pushes for drastic reforms

Samsung Group will undertake a major business restructuring next year aiming to restore sluggis...

Living in constant fear near U.S. military base

At sunset on Oct. 28, a group of South Koreans gathered outside t...

Cosmetics tycoon enjoys explosive growth

AmorePacific chairman Suh Kyung-bae is wrapping up another record year as his business and fortune contin...

Assembly of misdeeds

One of the reasons the general public has lost faith in members of the National Assembly is ...

Playing chicken

The conflict between the central government and local educational offices over the financing...

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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

Economic inequality grows in Korea

The gap between Korea's rich and poor is widening, a recent report shows.

Korean to lead UN Human Rights Council 

The U.N. Human Right Council (UNHRC) elected South Korean diplomat Choi Kyong-lim as its president... 

Indonesia to help Korea's expansion into ASEAN 

Indonesia will provide opportunities for South Korea to expand its business ties with ASEAN, a vis...

Reliever Oh faces summons over gambling 

The prosecution will reportedly summon Korean reliever Oh Seung-hwan, 33, this week to question hi... 

Washington asked to transfer F-35 technologies 

A South Korean team negotiating with Lockheed Martin has asked the U.S. State Department to lift i...

Hyundai names Ioniq for eco-friendly fleet 

Hyundai Motor has added the Ioniq to its fleet of hybrid and electric vehicles. The name combines ...

Opposition party on verge of collapse 

The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) is on the verge of breaking-up after its former co-chairman Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo indicated Sunday... 

Year-end gatherings go 'Gangnam Style' 

Gangnam is Seoul’s most popular area for year-end festivities, analytics show.

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DongAIlbo (http://english.donga.com)

Obama vows to defeat IS, but rules out sending ground troops

U.S. President Barack Obama has officially called the mass shootings in San Bernardino, California an "act of terror" and vowed the U.S. will track the Islamic State group to the end and destroy it. In his address to... 

Opera: `Hansel and Gretel`

I watched Engelbert Humperdinck`s opera "Hansel and Gretel" at a foreign performance introducing TV program. It was a video of performance by Vienna State Opera. Since it is a family opera frequently performed in...

Women`s golf: Lee Bo-mee achieves the best season in Japanese LPGA

Lee Bo-mi (27) has achieved the best results this year as she secured seven wins in the Japanese LPGA Tour, and raked in the most income. Her achievement is attributable to her caddie Shigenori Simizu (41) as well. ...

Talks over constituencies falter with 8 days before candidate registration

The April 2016 general elections are fast approaching, but related laws have yet to be defined. Registration of preliminary candidates for the general elections will start on December 15. Rival parties, however, have...

Paris attacks network is said to have U.K. links

The U.K. is put on emergency as it was observed that at least one suspect involved in the Paris attacks is staying in the U.K. The Guardian reported on Saturday, citing counter-terrorism officials that one of the...

Personal obituary of Scott Weiland

The Joker in "The Dark Night" (2008) and Eric Draven in "The Crow" (1994) strikingly resemble each other in every aspect. Both actors even died at an early age. Heath Ledger (1979-2008), who played the Joker, died of...

Korea wins bronze medal at Bobsleigh World Cup 

Jogye Temple in trouble due to Han with no intention to end his refuge

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ChosunIlbo (http://english.chosun.com)

S. Korean Priests to Hold Mass in Pyongyang

South Korean priests are to hold mass in Pyongyang at Easter and other major feast days. Hyginus Kim Hee-joong, the archbishop of Gwangju and president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, made the announcement on Monday. >> Full Text

Korean Men Still Do Less Housework Than Most

Korean men do less housework than their counterparts in other parts of the world, even though four in every 10 households in Korea are double-income families. Korean women spend an average of 227 minutes a day on domestic chores, but Korean men a mere 45 minutes. >> Full Text

Yasukuni Bombing Suspect Traced to Gunsan

The suspect in a bombing at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Nov. 23 is a 27-year-old Korean from North Jeolla Province. Japanese reporters have apparently been tipped off and are trying to contact the man, identified only as J, who lives in the southwestern city of Gunsan. >> Full Text

N. Korean Top Brass Tremble in Their Boots

Patent Applications for Autonomous Cars Surge Korea to Develop Stealth Attack Drone

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HankyorehShinmoon (http://english.hani.co.kr)

Instead of violent protest, a “masked ball” breaks out in the heart of Seoul

Protesters find clever ways to poke fun at ruling party’s mention of terrorism and push to ban face coverings

A national rally held on Dec. 5 for the recovery of injured farmer Baek Nam-gi and the “restoration of democracy and welfare” saw citizens flooding the streets in masks of various shapes and colors.The marchers prepared their own masks as a response to efforts by the administration and ruling Saenuri Party (NFP) to pass legislation banning face coverings. The event ended up a “masked ball” of sorts in downtown Seoul, as the masked participants marched to the sounds of singing and folk music played by farmers.

An economic “punching bag”? South Korea taking hits on all sides

With South Korea losing its advantage over its trading rivals - China in the area of technological edge and Japan in the area of price competitiveness - there is increasing fear that the country is being reduced to a punching bag that is taking hits from both sides. On Dec. 6, the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) released the results of a survey of 30 organizations and associations in leading domestic industries - including semiconductors, automobiles, machinery, steel, and petroleum - that compared the competitiveness of South Korea, China, and Japan. .

Critical article earns The Nation a creepy call from the S. Korean general consulate

The South Korean consulate general in New York City called and emailed The Nation magazine to protest an article it had printed criticizing the Park Geun-hye administration’s demonstration suppression tactics, a journalist is claiming. Tim Shorrock, the freelance contributor who wrote the piece, posted the allegations on his Facebook page on Dec. 4. Shorrock wrote a piece that ran in the weekly’s Dec. 1 edition titled “In South Korea, a Dictator’s Daughter Cracks Down on Labor.” .

NIS apparently wrong on “dismissal” of North Korean official

A high-ranking North Korean official claimed by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to have “apparently been dismissed” in a report to the National Assembly last month is still in place, a recent photograph indicates. .

Poem cries out, “Democracy is always loud”

“A quiet forest is a forest that has burned down. / A quiet river is a river that is stagnating behind a dam. / A neat field filled with the same kind of flower is an artificial field. / Democracy is always loud, contentious, and boisterous. / That’s the best kind of sustainable efficiency.”

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JoongAngIlbo(conservative): (http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/)

Park warns of time running out

President Park Geun-hye and the ruling party started a political campaign on Monday to facilitate the passage of delayed economic bills before the end of this year, but the main opposition party remained unresponsive. Park invited Saenuri Party Chairman Kim Moo-sung and floor leader Won Yoo-chul...

Amid rift, NPAD moves to change party name

The opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) began working on changing its party name on Monday, a move that could draw…

Samsung may be releasing Galaxy S7 earlier

Samsung Electronics, struggling with ever-weakening smartphone sales, may release its next-generation flagship smartphone in January, a month earlier than expected.…

Trade industry celebrates amid troubled times

Korea’s trade volume may fall below $1 trillion for the first time in five years due to weakening imports and exports, but heads of trade still gathered …

FKI calls for red tape to be cut to bolster services

The Korean government should aggressively deregulate the services sector and designate zones for such promising sectors as medicine…

Women do more chores

Korean women still spend more time on household chores than men, suggesting another reason why many end up cutting their careers short. …

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MaeilKyungje (neutral-oriented conservative, economic/business): (http://news.mk.co.kr/english/)

Third-generation succession begins at S. Korea’s large conglomerates

The 30-something third and fourth generations have ascended to executive level as South Korea’s family-owned conglomerates, ...

Hwayo, premium soju, eyes sales threshold of $9 million in 2015

Hwayo, premium soju brand, is expected to achieve sales milestone this year, marking 10 billion won ($8.57 million) in sales for the ...

Korea’s Hyundai Motor launches new Aslan sedan in better option and price

Freshly refurbished sedan model Aslan has arrived at local Hyundai Motor showrooms this week. The front-wheel drive Aslan (Turkish ...

Korea’s first mobile photo printer exported to 8 countries

Prinics Corp. on Sunday announced that its recently launched portable photo printer ‘Pickit’ was being exported to eight countries ...

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The KyunghyangShinmoon(http://english.khan.co.kr/)

One out of Every Four Men Who Turn 25 This Year Will Still Be Single at 45

One out of every four men who were the age of twenty in 2010 and one out of every five women of the same age are expected to remain single until they are 45 yea···

?[New Authoritarian Security State] Barricade of Buses Disappear Opening the Road for a Peaceful March / Baek Cheol, Kim Sang-beom

On December 5, "The Second People's Rally" ended peacefully as a result of the organizers' effort for a peaceful demonstration, the police's response that ···

After 22 Days of Absence, DPRK’s Hwang Pyong-so Is Still Strong

There were rumors that something must have happened to North Korean official Hwang Pyong-so (66, photo), director of the Korean People’s Army General Political···

Court Says “The Police Must Not Prejudge Violence and Damage,” Preventing Abuse of Public Authority

The court decided that the Second General Rally of the People should be allowed because the police’s notice to ban the massive rally was against the Constituti···

[Paris Climate Change Conference] Renewable Energy Accounts for Only 1.1% in South Korea: The Lowest among OECD Countries

South Korea had the lowest proportion of renewable energy in its total energy supply among the thirty-four member countries of the Organization for Economic Coo···

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The Korea Economic Daily(http://english.hankyung.com/)

Zombie Firms Sap Strength of Corporate Sector...KDI President

The presidents of state-run and private economic think tanks who took part in the Hankyung Millennium Forum year-end party said that it is urgently needed to weed out zombie firms if we really want to strengthen the competitiveness of the nation's corporate sector. Zombie firms are defined as those ...

Gov't to Invest $213 Mil. by 2017 in IoT Industry Fostering

The government will invest up to 250 billion won (US$213 million) by 2017 in order to preempt the world's fast-emerging Internet-of-Things market. The government held a sixth info-tech and communications strategy committee presided over by Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn at the government complex in Se...

ServeOne Exports $766 Mil. in MRO Business

ServeOne, an LG Group company specializing in MRO (maintenance, repair and operations), said that it won a US$500-million export award on the December 7 Trade Day. The company moved into the overseas market for the first time in 2005 when it earned about $2.6 million. This year, it expects to have e...

Samsung Agrees to Pay Apple $550 Mil. in Damages over Patents

Samsung Electronics agreed to pay Apple Inc. a compensation for damages arising from Samsung’s infringement on the latter’s patents. The legal fight, however, is expected to continue for the time being. Depending on the result of the lawsuits, there is a potential that Samsung could get reimbursem...

Cheongju Airport Backs to Profit Thanks to Influx of Chinese Tourists

In a situation where most of Korea’s regional airports are suffering from chronic losses, Cheongju Airport succeeded in bouncing back to the black. As of October 31 this year, the number of passengers who used Cheongju Airport this year totaled 1,739,650, including international passengers of 446,0...

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AJU Business Daily(http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)

Samsung Engineering shares rise on backing from Group heir Jay Y. Lee

Shares of South Korea’s Samsung Engineering rose sharply on Tuesday after the heir apparent of Samsung Group Jay Y. Lee pledged to save the eng…

Korean men do least housework among OECD countries

According to a study result by Korean National Statistical Office, released on Monday, Korean male does 45 minutes of housework daily. The hours were t…

S. Korea military to develop stealth UAV

South Korean Military plans to develop Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) as a form of counter attack to North Korea’s long-range artillery, th…

South Korean activists protest labor policies in peaceful weekend rally

Tens of thousands of activists peacefully marched through downtown Seoul on Saturday for the second massive rally in less than a month to protest against the governm…

President Park May Name New Finance Minister Next Week

Speculation is heating up who will be South Korea’s new finance minister. South Korea’s leading newspapers reported on Friday President Park

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ETNEWS(http://english.etnews.com/)

South Korean Venture Company Develops Force Touch Technology

Force Touch technology that provides new user experience (UX) by recognizing strength of force that is exerted when Smartphone screen is pressed is developed for...

Inexpensive South Korean Sports Drones Will Be Released in 2016

Inexpensive South Korean sports drones that cost between $172 and $258 (200,000 KRW and 300,000 KRW) will be released in 2016. They are ideal for ¡®D-...

Google Uses South Korea’s Charging Technology for Development of Self-D...

It is confirmed that South Korean medium to small-sized business¡?s charging infrastructure for electric car is being used for Google¡?s project of de...

Security Experts Tend to Believe More of Foreign Analysis than Government Announcement on Potential Hacking from North Korea

Although number of potential hackings from North Korea is increasing, it appears as even experts in information protection do not trust related information. Although they are vigilant in North Korea¡?s capabilities in cyber warfare, they are very suspicious of governmental abuse.

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Special Notices:

Photo shows President Soon-Heung Chang of Handong Global University (fifth from left, front row) with ambassadors and other visiting members of the Seoul Diplomatic Corps (SDC), including Ambassador Mme Natallia Zhylevich of Belraus (dean of the visiting members of the SDC), fourth from left the same row With Ambassador and Mrs. SylvestreKouassi Bile of Cote d’ Ivoire (third and second from left, front row).

And Ambassador Roballo of Argentina (sixth from left, same row) and Ambassadors Mohamed Abdi Gello of Kenya (on the right of the rear row).

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“Why not try to change the world?”

Ambassadors, senior diplomats visit Handong Global University in Pohang

Ambassadors NatalliaZhylevich of Belarus, Kouassi Bile of Cote d’Ivoire, Jorge Roballo of Argentina and Mohamed Abdi Gello of Kenya and 20 other senior diplomats, including the charges d’affaires, visited Handong Global University in Pohang City on the Southeast Coast of Korea on Nov. 12, 2015 at the invitation of President Soon-Heung Chang of the University.

The tour, organized by The Korea Post, included also a visit to POSCO and a cruise ride around the harbor of the Pohang City.

The Korea Post has been organizing tours for the ambassadors and other senior members of the Seoul Diplomatic Corps for the past 30 years, but it must be said that the one hosted by Handong Global University is one of the most impressive in terms of the interest on the part of the host who met the guests with a true heart and warm welcome.

President Soon-Heung Chang of the University made such an excellent arrangement out of respect and special regard for the distinguished international guests by asking his Vice President Simon Kang(Administrative Affairs) and Professor JinwonAhn (School of Management and Economics) to come all the way from Pohang to Seoul to welcome and escort the ambassadors and other senior diplomats to comfortably visit his University.

The tour of the Handong Global University was a truly memorable one where many outstanding features of the University continuously surprised the visiting ambassadors and the other senior diplomats. For further details, visit:

/news/view.html?section=161&category=181&no=1119.

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