Feb. 16, 2016

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2016

Your Excellency:

Here are The Korea Post news and 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.

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At the Iranian National Day reception

Korean guests more than double the number at other functions

“We were informed that President Park Geun-hye has been planning her visit to Iran in the near future, which is going to be the first-ever such a state visit in the long record of relations between the two countries,” said Ambassador Hassan Taherian of Iran in Seoul at the National Day reception he hosted at Lotte Hotel in Seoul on Feb. 16, 2016. Then he said that the Presidential visit will surely open a new chapter in the bilateral relations and will provide ample opportunities for better understanding between two countries and have a positive impact on Iran-Korea cooperation as well (excerpts from the speech toward the end of this article).

The luncheon reception to celebrate the 37th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution was attended by an estimated 700 Korean and international guests as well as most of the ambassadors in Seoul, which, in the case of the Korean guests, was nearly double the number guests at previous such functions.

Why the sudden increase of interest in Iran in Korea?

Korea used to enjoy the so-called ‘Middle East Boom’ through the construction companies and trading firms and Iran was one of the prominent countries in the Middle East where the Korean companies actively took part in the economic development in the region.

The unusually large attendance of the Korean and international guests at the party is also partly due to the personal popularity of Ambassador Taherian who has a long and close connection with Korea. Also he is accredited to North Korea as Iranian ambassador and is in a good position to help improve the inter-Korean relations.

Attending the reception were many prominent Korean government and business leaders. Among them were Minister Chung Chin-youb of Health and Welfare, President Sung Nak-in of Seoul National University, Chairman Lee Hae-dong of the Busan Metropolitan Council, Directors-General Park Young-sik of the Ministry of Health & Welfare and Lee Sang-jin of the Ministry of Trade Industry & Energy, Director Kim Jae-jeong of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure & Transportation, and leaders of many leading Korean business companies (see list at the end of this article).

From the Seoul Diplomatic Corps came many ambassadors with their spouses (see list at the end of this article).

Excerpts from the speech of Ambassador Taherian of Iran:

I am honored to welcome you at the celebration of the National Day of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
We meet today to commemorate the 37th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution of Iran that falls on 11th of February.
37 years ago, the people of my country in a series of massive demonstrations and popular political movements under the wise leadership of Imam Khomeini overthrew the dictatorial regime of Pahlavi and elected and established the new system of the Islamic Republic which is based on modern Iranian-Islamic civilization and religious democracy.
Significantly this year, the anniversary of the victory of our Islamic Revolution has coincided with another victory for the Iranian nation and government in the international scene. This new achievement is the success of our government to manage and conclude one of the most complicated diplomatic crisis of this decade which was the Iran nuclear program dossier. Iran succeeded to reach a historical nuclear accord with six world power, turning the Iran nuclear program from an unnecessary crisis into a platform for cooperation. By putting some limitations on its nuclear activities and accepting the highest level of transparency and inspection on its nuclear program, Iran once again demonstrated clearly that never ever intended to build atomic bomb.
The negotiation settlement to the Iran nuclear program is a Victory for diplomacy and helped to remove the shadows of war and pseudo threats from our region. Most importantly, this settlement provides the opportunity for the region to focus its attention on current real and dangerous threat which is terrorism and violent extremism, which threatens everybody.
By the relocation of the economic sanction, the amount of interest in Iran has been unbelievable. We have hosted more than 50 foreign trade delegations to Iran during the last two or three months.
Located in the central part of Eurasia, Iran, blessed with rich civilization and culture, has long enjoying of geostrategic importance because of its central location in Eurasia and Western Asia and its proximity to the Strait of Hormoz. Iran with a diversified economy and broad industrial base, huge natural resource, young and educated population, large domestic market, access to the regional market and increasingly sophisticated infrastructure providing the foundation for an emerging economy which offers endless investment opportunities to local and international investors.
Iran and Korea established the diplomatic relations in 1962. Throughout these years, the two countries maintained a relatively friendly and strong relationship. The presence of the Tehran Street in Gangnam district of Seoul as well as the Seoul Street in North of Tehran, are the symbol and remainder of long friendship between the two countries.
We have had a number of official meetings recently, among them, the last year visit of the South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to Tehran. Fortunately, we were informed that Her Excellency, President Park, Geun-Hye, has been planning her visit to Iran in near future. This is going to be the first ever such a state visit in the long record of relations between the two countries. Surely, the upcoming presidential visit will open a new chapter in the bilateral relation and will provide ample opportunities for better understanding between officials and will have a positive impact on Iran-Korea cooperation, as well.
As far as the trade relation between the two countries is concerned, we always value and support particularly business relations between our two countries. Korean companies have a long record of involvement and successful activity in Iranian market and working in many infrastructure and construction projects in Iran. They enjoy a very good reputation as the reliable and confident partner and this is a valuable asset for their future activity in the Iranian market.
By the end of this month, on February 29, the Korea-Iran Joint Economic Commission is scheduled to be held in Tehran. Simultaneously and alongside with this Commission, there is going to be a Business Forum by the participation of huge number of businessmen from the private sector of both countries.
I believe the lifting of the sanctions, provides a plenty of opportunities for Korean firms to resume or increase their activities in the Iranian market. 
We welcome and will encourage the Korean companies to boost their business in Iran.
In closing, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all of you for your attendance in our reception and hope you enjoy your time with us today.
 

Ambassador Hassan Taherian of Iran (third from left) cuts the celebration cake with Ambassador Hong Jong-Kyung of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province for International Relations and Minister Chung Chin-youb of Health and Welfare (left and second from left), Chairman Lee Hae-dong of Busan Metropolitan council, President & CEO Cho Jung-rae of Korea National Oil Corp. and CEO Jeon Sang-heon of Chungbuk Free Economic Zone Authority (fourth to sixth from left) 

Ambassador Hassan Taherian of Iran and Minister Chung Chin-youb of Health and Welfare (seventh and eighth from right, respectively, at front row) pose with the ambassadors at the reception

From left: Ambassador Dato Paduka Haji Modh Rosli Bin Haji Sabtu of Brunei Darussalam, Publisher-Chairman Lee Kyung-sik of The Korea Post, Ambassadors Rodolfo Solanco Quiros of Costa Rica, Vikram Kumar Doraiswami of India and Dato Rohana binti Ramli of Malaysia;

Chief Executive Counselor Choi Soon-hong of LS IS and Ambassador Sylvestre Kouassi Bile of Cote d'Ivoire

Attractive figurines and other art objects on display at the reception venue 

Mrs. Mah Manesh Taherian (spouse of the ambassador of Iran) and their son, Mahdi Taherian

Partial list of ambassadors attending the reception:

Ambassadors Mohammad Saleem Sayeb of Afghanistan, Derragui Mohammed Elamine of Algeria, Albino Malungo of Angola, Elisabeth Bertagnoli of Austria, Ramzi Teymurov of Azerbaijan, Md. Zulfiqur Rahman of Bangladesh, Natallia Jhylevich of Belarus, Guadalupe Palomeque de Taboada of Bolivia, Dato Paduka Haji Modh Rosli Bin Haji Sabtu of Brunei Darussalam , Petar Andonov of Bulgaria, Tito Saul Pinilla Pinilla of Colombia, Rodolfo Solanco Quiros of Costa Rica, Sylvestre Kouassi Bile of Cote d'Ivoire, Grecia Fiodalicia Pichardo of Dominican Republic, Oscar Gustavo Herrera Gilbert of Ecuador, Milton Alcides Magana Herrera of El Salvador , Gerhard SABATHIL of Delegation of The Europan Union,  Matti Heimonen of Finland, Carlos Victor Boungou of Gabon, Rolf Mafael of Germany, Nikoloz Apkhazava of Georgia, Gabor Csaba of Hungary, Vikram Kumar Doraiswami of India, Bessho Koro of Japan, Omar Al Nahar of Jordan, Mohammed Chraibi of Morocco, Dato Rohana binti Ramli of Malaysia, Mohamed Salim Alharthy of Oman, Zahid Nasrulah Khan of Pakistan, Irineo Raul Silvero Silvagni of Paraguay, Raul S. Hernandez of the Philippines, Krzysztof Majka of Poland, Calin Fabian of Romania, Alexander Andreevich Tomonin of Russia, Mamadou Ndiaye of Senegal, Zoran Kazazovic of Serbia, Milan Lajciak of Slovak Republic, Nozuko Gloria Bam of South Africa, Gonzalo Ortiz Diaz-Tortosa of Spain, Niroshani Manisha Dias Abeywickrema Gunasekera of Sri Lanka, Joerg Alois Reding of Switzerland, Kiromov Salohiddin of Tajikistan (CDA), Mohamed Ali Nafti of Tunisia, Hakan Okcal of Turkey, Andrea Veronica Bais Gastaldi (CDA) of Uruguay, Botirjon Asadov of Uzbekistan, Ms. Yadira Hidalgo de Ortiz of Venezuela (CDA), Mumba Smyth Kapumpa of Zambia

Partial list of Korean guests attending the reception:

Chairman & CEO B.S. Park of Korea Registry of Shipping, President & CEO Cho Jung-rae of Korea National Oil Corp., General Manager Son Jin-seck of Daewoo Shipping & Marine Engineering, President Sohn Myong-sei of Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, Chairman Cho Hae-hyeong of Nara Holdings Corp., Head of Team Lim Tae-hoon of Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Vice President Heo, Sun-haeng of GS E&C, President & Chief Executive / Civil & Infra Lee, Sahng-ki of GS E&C / Seoul, President Kim, Kwang-min of Union Flow Control System Group, Director Kim, Jae jeong of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation, CEO Jeon, Sang-heon of Chungbuk Free Economic Zone Authority, Chairman & CEO Shin, Jae Hyun of West Aisa Economic Forum, Vice President Kim, Young ho of KCC, President Lee, Young chan of Korea Health Industry Development Institute, President Sung, Nak-in of Seoul National Univeristy, CEO Park, No hwang of The Yonhap News Agency, Director Joon Lee of LOTTE Engineering & Construction, Director General Hwang, Hyeon-gyu of KHIDI, CEO Kim, Jae-sik of Hyundai Development Co., Director Lee Kap-soo of Korea Times, President Lee Jin-sook of MBC, Daejeon, President & CEO Kim, Jae-sik of Hyundai Development Company, President Choi, Du-youlof FTE(Fluid Thermal Engineering), Vice President Lee, Soo-yeon of DAELIM, Executive Vice President Yun, Won-sok of KOTRA, Director General Park, Young-sik of Ministry of Health & Welfare, Chairman Lee, Hae-dong of BUSAN METROPOLITAN COUNCIL, Director General Lee Sang-jin of Ministry of Trade Industry & Energy

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Many countries lock horns to woo sanction-lifted country

Korea should try to show how she can do best for Iran

By Lee Kyung-sik

Publisher of The Korea Post

Following the lifting of sanctions against Iran, many countries of the world are seen locking horns with one another to be the first to enter the country for economic cooperation.

The first and obviously the most active country seems to be France who invited President Hassan Rouhani to visit France on Jan. 28, 2016. Korean-language media reports indicate that the leaders of Iran and France signed contracts totaling some 30 billion Euro (about 40 trillion Korean Won), including the purchase of 118 Airbuses.

According to an article by former President Joohum Lee of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA) published by MaeilKyungje on Feb. 15, 2016, President Rouhani of Iran has also visited Italy, in advance of his French contacts, and singed contracts totaling some 16 billion Euro (22 trillion Korean Won). According to Lee, Iran has special relations with France and Italy.

In 1997, Italy invited former President Mohammed Khatami of Iran to visit Italy and has thenceforth been pursuing a pro-Iran policy.

France provided political asylum to the late former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeiny of Iran in 1979, and has been maintaining close ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Approaching Iran for increased cooperation are not limited to France and Italy. Germany, the United States and China are also making extensive efforts to join the ‘Iran rush.’ Among the three stands out China. President Xi Jinping of China wants to rebuild a ‘New Silk Road’ to connect the Arab world and Europe through Iran.

As soon as the international sanction was lifted on Iran, President Xi visited Iran before any other head of state. Xi did not ask for money but traded automobiles, missile parts and textile goods for Iranian oil. The arrangement helped China make a big jump to the status of Iran’s biggest trade partner.

In contrast, the United Kingdom, who had monopolized the Iranian oil market until the 1950s, has become a target of total disregard. Reports say that the UK failed to change the negative image of its old ‘oil majors’ in the new surroundings.

So what should Korea do in this situation?

Former President Lee of KNDA suggests that Korea should try not to lose time. Korea should realize that she is neither a very close country to Iran nor one who is so far away. Korea should try to come up with attractive offers for Iran compared those of the competitors. For this purpose, Korea needs a systemized vision. Korea should come up with a concerted plan of cooperation with all the competent business companies to show Iran an attractive picture that other countries can’t.

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

Park Reveals Tougher Approach to N. Korea

President Park Geun-hye has addressed the current inter-Korean tension, pledging to create an environment where North...

BOK Freezes Benchmark Rate at 1.5% for 8 Months

UN Rapporteur Says Kim Jong-un Could be Charged with Crimes Against Humanity

Park Reveals Tougher Approach to N. Korea

Ruling Party Whip Urges Nuke Armament

US to Focus on Swift Deployment of Forces in Upcoming Joint Exercises

BOK Freezes Benchmark Rate at 1.5% for 8 Months

KT&G to Raise Prices of Duty-Free Cigarettes

KOSPI, KOSDAQ Climb Monday

'70% of Gaeseong Wages Flowed into N. Korea's Ruling Party'

N. Korea Defense Minister Issues Threat

S. Koreans Leave Joint Factory Park in N. Korea

China Repeats Concerns over THAAD

UN Rapporteur Says Kim Jong-un Could be Charged with Crimes Against Humanity

IISS Lists S. Korea, Japan, Taiwan as Potential Nuke States

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

Park vows strong measures against N. Korea

President Park Geun-hye pledged on Tuesday to take strong measures against North Korea over its nuclear program as she warned that the North could deploy nuclear-tipped missiles.

"We should mobilize all possible means to resolve" North Korea's nuclear issue, Park said in a nationally televised address at the National Assembly.

S. Korean scholar's wages to be seized over wartime sex slaves dispute

A local court has ordered a South Korean scholar's wages be partly seized, following another court's decision for her to compensate nine women who were sexually enslaved by Tokyo during World War II, legal sources said Tuesday.

N. Korea calls for allegiance on late leader's birthday

North Korea lauded its late former leader Kim Jong-il and called for generations-long loyalty for his son Tuesday as it celebrated his 74th birth anniversary, the North's state broadcaster said Tuesday.

Hyundai Motor's market share hits all-time high in Brazil

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's leading automaker, saw its market share in Brazil hit an all-time monthly high in January despite a sharp decline in demand caused by the slowing Brazilian economy, industry data showed Tuesday.

S. Korea's herbal cosmetics brands popular at duty-free shops

South Korea's traditional herbal cosmetics products have topped the list of best-selling brands at the country's major duty-free shops, reflecting growing popularity of K-beauty products, data showed Tuesday.

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

Minister under fire for Gaeseong money flip-flop

Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo came under fire Monday after reversing his claim that the government possesses docume...

FSC mulls market contingency plans

The government will actively cope with market uncertainties and beef up active monitoring of th...

Hyundai Motor, SK plan 18,000 hires

Amid risks over deteriorating market prospects, South Korean conglomerates and state-run firms ...

U.S. deploys nuclear submarine during joint drills

The U.S. has dispatched a nuclear-powered submarine for a joint exercise with South Korea, the ...

Park to urge unity amid Gaeseong strife

President Park Geun-hye will deliver a special speech to the nation at the National Assembly on Tuesday, ...

Challenges for Park

The current tension created by North Korea’s nuclear test and long-range missile launch and...

Election populism

With the April 13 general election drawing closer, major parties are rolling out election pl...

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

Park says dollars paid to Gaeseong complex funneled to NK leadership

Park says dollars paid to Gaeseong Industrial Complex funneled to North Korea’s leadership

Choco Pie Revolution 

President Park Geun-hye was watching YTN coverage of a CNN feed about a North Korean refugee crisi...

Korea-China relations turning sour 

South Korea’s relations with China are entering a crucial phase with Seoul leaning toward accepting the deployment of the terminal high-altitude area defense ...

Heated dispute over possible THAAD unit locations 

A heated dispute is underway regarding possible sites to locate a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery with South Korea and the United Sta... 

Lee takes world speed skating title 

Speed skater Lee Seung-hoon took his first world speed skating title at the International Skating ...

Banks, brokerages compete for ISA customers 

Banks and brokerage houses are competing for customers seeking to open individual savings accounts (ISAs), as the financial regulator has allowed lenders to s...

Little insurance cover for Gaeseong companies 

Following the closure of Gaeseong Industrial Complex, businesses that had been operating in the joint factory zone are facing huge losses, as North Korea has ...

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

North Korean leader orders additional launch of long-range missiles

The South Korean military and intelligence authorities are closely monitoring the moves from the North after Kim Jong Un, the Fir…

Lee Seung-hoon wins mass start at ISU Speed Skating Championships...

Lee Seung-hoon managed his race as if racing in short-track skating. He had conserved his physical stamina by racing behind rival…

Who wrote National Anthem of Korea: An Chang-ho or Yun Chi-ho

Nobody have objections to the claims that Korea's national anthem was composed by Ahn Eak-tai, but the lyricist remains unidentif…

Critical changes: why Kaesong complex cannot continue operations

"It appears that 70 percent of the capital influx to the Kaesong Industrial Complex went to the clerk office of North Korean Work…

'Preppy' lawmakers

If “well-being” or “wellness” is combined with politics, it can carry a negative connotation. The search on the database of the D…

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

Seoul Mulls Naval Blockade of N. Korea

Seoul is mulling denying entry to its ports to all ships from third countries sailing to and from North Korea, an official here said Monday. Seoul is imposing independent sanctions against North Korea in the wake of its recent nuclear test and rocket launch. >> Full Text

Pregnant Korean Women Have Too Many Ultrasounds

Pregnant Korean women get an average of 7.5 ultrasound scans before giving birth, much more than in Europe and the U.S, where the standard is four to six. The Health Insurance Policy Research Institute in September polled 800 women in six cities. >> Full Text

Gold Prices Soar as Stock Markets Flounder

Low international oil prices, record-low interest rates and growing tensions with North Korea have prompted many more people here to put their money into gold. Gold prices at the Korea Gold Exchange surged around 18 percent since Jan. 2 from W163,500 per 3.75 g to W195,000 on Saturday. >> Full Text

Last Month's Email Hoax Traced to N. Korean Hackers

LG to Unveil Medium-Range Smartphones with High Specs

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

Minister claims 70% of Kaesong Complex money went to North’s weapons programs

Comments are a stark departure from the government’s previous position, and don’t have evidence to support them

On Feb. 14, South Korea’s Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo said that the South Korean government has determined that 70% of the money that flowed into the Kaesong Industrial Complex was passed on to North Korea’s Korean Workers’ Party (KWP) Secretariat, where it was used to develop nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.

[Analysis] THAAD decision setting of a series of rancorous debates

The debate over the surprise decision to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system with United States Forces Korea (USFK) has touched off new conflicts in and around South Korea. According to the Ministry of National Defense, the grounds for claiming that the USFK THAAD deployment doesn’t affect China are simple: the system’s key AN/TYP-2 radar component only operates within a left-right azimuth of 120 degrees, .

Leaks appear intended to burnish positive opinion over THAAD

The South Korean and US militaries are secretly leaking information to the media that exaggerates North Korea’s missile threat while publicly showing a tough military response to North Korea, including the deployment of an additional Patriot battery. These could be diversionary tactics designed to manipulate the media and to justify the deployment of THAAD with US forces in South Korea. .

US and China jousting over North Korea’s actions

The squabble between the US and China over the possible deployment of a missile defense system in South Korea and the response to North Korea’s nuclear bomb and missile tests is intensifying. It has reached the point where the two countries are trading pointed criticism on the international stage. During a security meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 12, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi unleashed a torrent of seemingly calculated criticism of the US. .

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

Thaad discussions ready to start

Seoul and Washington on deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) system will start any day now, South Korea’s minister of national defense said Monday. The U.S.-led antiballistic missile system is capable of intercepting North Korea’s Scud and Rodong projectiles. At a meeting of the parliamentary National Defense Committee, Minister Han Min-koo said that Korea and the United States are in the midst of consultations…

Saenuri’s floor leader calls for a nuclear South

The floor leader of the conservative ruling party on Monday openly demanded a nuclear-armed South Korea, stressing that the time has come for the country…

Conglomerates launch job-training program

The holiday season is over, which means young people - particularly college graduates - have begun hunting for jobs…

Central bank to be more open on its decisions

In an effort to improve communication and transparency, the Bank of Korea plans to disclose the names and decisions of the members of the monetary policy committee…

Tightening of U.S. regulations could hit Korea

A Korean think tank released a warning about an upcoming regulation tightening by the U.S. government against countries it considers to be tampering with foreign currency exchanges.…

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

Government Makes Diplomatic Efforts on All Sides to Tighten the North's Financial Resources, But China and Russia Remain Adamant

The government has embarked on "omnidirectional diplomacy" with the international community to block North Korea's financial sources. In addition to maki···

'We Knew, But We Were Patient' Self-Contradicting Excuse after 8 Years under Conservative Governments

The government continued to make lame excuses for their decision to cease operations at Kaesong Industrial Complex. The government called the measure a "po···

[Remaining Ink] Backlash of the Argument for a Female President

Hillary Clinton's speech acknowledging her defeat felt quite lonely. Hillary said, "I still love New Hampshire" smiling brightly and her supporters shouted, ···

[Economy Grew 2.6% Last Year] Poor Report Card for···

It was long predicted that the real growth rate of South Korea's economy last year would end somewhere in the mid 2% range. The government and the Bank of Kore···

Perhaps We Watched Too Many 'Cooking Shows' on TV:···

Four out of ten students in grades 4-6 answered that they wanted to become a celebrity or sports star. The percentage of students who answered that they wanted ···

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

Asian Markets Get out of Worst...Nikkei 225 Gains 7.2%

Asian stock markets seemed to have gotten out of the worst by rebounding across the board. The biggest factor was the Chinese government's decision to inject additional liquidity that has alleviated investors' jitteriness. On February 15, the Nikkei 225 was closed at 16,022.58, up 7.16 percent (1,06...

January Household Debt Balance Increases by 2.16 Tril. Won

The balance of household debt in January this year hit a record-high level. Analysts said this is largely because of new mortgage loans due to a brisk housing market last year. Given those who bought new homes last year need to pay the remaining balance of their home purchases this year, it is likel...

Number of Chronically Absent Lawmakers in 19th National Assembly Reaches 70

A report said the number of lawmakers in the 19th National Assembly whose voting participation rate in deciding bills is no more than 60 percent for the past four years was as many as 70. That means 23.8 percent of congressmen and women out of 293 have habitually neglected their most fundamental dut...

 

IT Firms Flock to B2B Business

Global IT companies are flocking into the B2B market as the market is growing at a fast rate and, unlike the B2C market, ensures stable sales growth once clients are secured. In the B2B market where reliability matters, the low price challenge of Chinese brands are having a limited impact. Against t...

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

Pyongyang accused of staging cyber attack on South Korea

[Courtesy of Warner Bros Entertainment] ? South Korea's police chief on Monday blamed North Korean hackers for staging a cyber attack with malicious e-mails after the nuclear-armed count

Seoul accuses Pyongyang of diverting Kaesong wages to leader's fund

[Aju News DB] A shadowy body controlling North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's slush fund was thrown into the spotlight Monday after Seoul accused Pyongyang of diverting income earned in a susp…

South Korean shares drop further as fears grip global market.

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[UPDATES] North Korea seals off Kaesong complex

[Aju News DB] North Korea sealed off an inter-Korean joint industrial zone Thursday, condemning South Korea's decision to shut it down as a "dangerous" provocation

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

LG Electronics to Introduce New Tone Plus Product at MWC 2016

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SK Telecom Exchanges Memorandum of Understanding with Ericsson about De...

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G2Touch Distinguishes Itself in Touch Markets

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LG Electronics’ Best Shop Emerges As Charging Stations for Electric Vehicles

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MaeilBusinessNewsKorea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/ )

SK Telecom to present world’s first 5G technology at Mobile World Congress

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Kolmar Korea records best-ever performance with sales thanks to growing

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U.S. investors can directly invest in S. Korean futures market

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Number of drone technology patent applications soaring in South Korea

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South Korean chef wins the heart of the Michelin Guide with French dish

South Korean-run French restaurant was honored with a star from the Michelin Guide, the world’s oldest and most recognized reference...

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The Korea Post is at your service.

The Korea Post is 31 years old this year and has 5 media units. They are all at your service.

The Korea Post, established 31 years ago in 1985, operates five news media outlets, two in the Korean language and three in English. They are all at your service. You can email all your English and Korean press releases and feedback for free publication to edt@koreapost.comor korpost@chol.com. The five media outlets are:

(1) A Korean print newspaper (http://www.koreapost.co.kr/pdf/list.php),

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(5) An English e-daily (/rankup_module/rankup_notice/notice_list.html)

Send your news releases and feedback:

Send the Embassy news releases to edt@koreapost.comfor publication by all its five media units, including one Korean (www.koreapost.co.kr) and one English (www.koreapost.com) Internet dailies, which are updated real-time.(Call 010-5201-1740 for further details.)

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The Korea Post News:

3D customized total replacement and stem cell treatment

YonseiSarang Hospital stands out in specialized treatment of joint patients

What part of the body is most frequently used in man’s every-day life?

Perhaps it comes in the order of neck, waist, shoulders and legs. Many people complain pain in the neck that comes from the fast-increasing use of smart phones. Then come the patients who complain pain in the neck that comes also from excessive use of smart phones.

Also on the fast increase are people suffering from obesity from lack of exercise who complain pain in the waist and knee joints. People who spend much time on computers also complain pain in the shoulders.

(The Korea Post is organizing a tour of for the ambassadors and madams to this Hospital on Friday March 4, 2106 where the diplomats are offered a free medical check-up. Please scroll down to the end of this article for a detailed itinerary. Please scroll down to the end for a detailed article and more photos on the Hospital?Ed.)

Dr. Koh Yong-gon, CEO and president of YonseiSarang Hospital

These working people are treated at the neurosurgery and orthopedic departments of the hospitals.

There are so many hospitals in Korea that treat patients suffering from joint and spine problems and naturally competition among them is very keen.

Among them is the YonseiSarang Hospital in Seoul. This hospital was established by the graduates of Yonsei University in Seoul, a most prestigious private university in Korea, and has been growing very fast in spite of the keen competition among hospitals. YonseiSarang specializes in the treatment of patients suffering from joint and spine problems. The Hospital is one of the largest in Korea that specialize in the treatment of patients suffering from joints and spine.

Established in 2003, the Hospital has a motto and slogan reading, “We provide the best treatment and give hopes to the patients!” Thus the Hospital tries to free the patients from the pains and worries of their spine and joint.

The YonseiSarang Hospital is well known not only among the Seoulites but also the people in the countryside. This is why a large number of patients visit the Hospital also from all parts of the country.

PresidentKoh Yong-gon (M.D.) of the Hospital makes it a rule to visit the patients in the countryside once or twice each month, who have undergone treatment at his hospital, to see how they are faring after their treatment at his hospital as well as providing the local people with medical consultation.

The Hospital has doctors specializing in the many different fields such as knees, shoulders, feet, spine and various other parts of the human body and this is why the Hospital is so widely known among the patients for fast recovery from their problems.

The YonseiSarang Hospital is located in the Gangnam District south of the Han River in Seoul, and has a staff of a total of over 300 persons, including 20 doctors.

Two main buildings of the YonseiSarang Hospital in Gangnam District in Seoul

The Hospital makes substantial investments in R&D, which makes distinction from otherhospitals covering spine and joints.

President Dr. Koh says: “We have developed a ‘3D customized total replacement system’ which has substantially improved the existing system--solving various problems in the existing system.” He said, “Furthermore, the YonseiSarang Hospital is known for the largest number of papers published overseas on the subject of ‘autologous adipose stem cell’ which is a system where cell is extracted from the patient’s buttocks, abdomen and thighs (where there is much fat) and injecting them into the knee joint.”

“Thus,” says Dr. Koh, “We have successfully differentiated ourselves from other hospitals in terms of superiority of the doctors’ competence and skills.”

Furthermore, the YonseiSarang Hospital has an International Medical Treatment Team making itself an internationalized hospital and public relations efforts are being made for a wider dissemination of this information.

Dr. Francesco Perdisa from Bologna University in Italy (fourth from right) poses with the doctors of the YonseiSarang Hospital at the time of his visit to the Hospital for a joint research on stem cell.

As a result of this development, an increasing number of patients are visiting from various countries of the world, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and the United States. The Hospital is also preparing to establish in various countries of the world rehabilitationcenters and cell treatment centers for the treatment of the local patients.

At present, the Hospital has coordinators who speak fluent foreign languagessuch as Russian and Mongolian as well as English, which greatly helps in eliminating languages barriers faced at the time of treating patients of different nationalities.

CEO Dr. Koh (right) poses with Dr. Allan Mishra from Stanford University during a joint research

Also, doctors come to the Yonsei Hospital from various countries of the world, including Indonesia, Germany and Mongolia to learn the advanced medical skills from Yonsei. The YonseiSarang Hospital also concluded a medical cooperation agreement with various hospitals in Italy, Japan, China and Malaysia.

The YonseiSarang Hospital plans to establish for the first time among the joint-spine hospitals in Korea a Stem Cell Institute to free the knee-joint patients from their pain and anxiety and to help them have new hopes. At this hospital, cell is extracted from the fatty part of the human body such as buttocks and abdomen and injected into the joints of the patients, especially the senior citizens, who suffer much pain due to aged and over-taxed cartilage. The injected cells cause regeneration of the cartilage. Extensive studies and researches are being conducted at the Hospital in that area.

At present, the new method is being used for the patients suffering from knee bone problems but the range of its use is expected to be expanded to the shoulders, spine and other parts of the human body.

A researcher of Stem Cell Instituteis doing an experiment.

Another epochal development of treatment method is through the use of ‘tailor-made’ 3D man-made joint, which was developed for the first time in Korea. The artificial joint enhances the accuracy of operation as it is done after completely checking the state of the patient.

In contrast with the existing man-made joint where the ready-made joints are used, the newly developed 3D order-made joints are created through the use of a new method where the joint of the patient is ‘reconstructed’ based on MRI photography where the patient’s knee bone is reconstructed through 3D printing. This helps the creation of an artificial knee bone that is best fit to the patient.

The new method reduces the possible complication to the minimum compared with the existing method, and substantially reduces the operation time. The life span of the man-made joint, too, is more than 25 years compared with the 15 years of the existing ones. This is why the new artificial joints at the YoniseiSarangHospitalare very popular among the knee patients.

Patients from Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan at the entrance of the YonseiSarang Hospital

Too, the YonseiSarang Hospital is equipped with special rehabilitation center facilities where the patients experience much shorter period of rehabilitation compared with other hospitals. This greatly helps the patients shorten the period of rehabilitation as well as the recovery period of the patents after operation. The patents greatly appreciate this and many of them have written letters of appreciation to the doctors who have treated them.

The RehabilitationCenterof the YonseiSarang Hospital is making preparations to enter Ulan Baatar, the capital city of Mongolia, in 2016 and this will be extended to Kazakhstan and Russia.

Mongolian staff members at the YonseiSarang Hospital booth at the 2015 Mongolian International Health Fair.

The Hospital has been selected by the Ministry of Health and Welfare as a Joint-specializing Hospital and a Globalized Hospital for Overseas Operations.

The Hospital has also won a Grand Prize in the field of joints for three consecutive years in the Medical Korea program organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare from 2009 to 2011.

The YonseiSarang Hospital continues to make extended efforts to maintain the status of the most qualified hospital in the treatment of joints and spine.

Rehabilitation Center at the YonseiSarang Hospital

A doctors from Siloamal Int'l Hospital in Indonesia visited the YonseiSarang Hospital to discuss the possibility of a joint research with the YonseiSarang Hospital.

Invitation to the Ambassadors and Spouses to the Tour of YonseiSarang Hospital

CEO & Doctor Koh Yong-gon of YonseiSarang Hospital in Kangnam District south of the Hann river cordially invites

the Ambassadors and their Spouses to a tour of various facilities of his Hospital on Friday March 4, 2026. Itinerary follows:

10:00-1200 Hours: Arrive at Hospital, introduction between the host and guests, presentation of a memorable gift to each

Ambassador, video showing on Hospital, tour of hospital facilities, medical check-up for diplomats,

question and answer session and various other interesting programs for the ambassadors and madams.

10:10-1330 Hours: Luncheon hosted by the CEO-President for the ambassadors and madams

1330-1700 Hours:Tour of various facilities of the Hospital and medical consultations.

For questions on the Tour, please call Ms. Kim Jung-mi at 2298-1740/2, 010-3388-1682, or

Chairman Lee Kyung-sik at 010-5201-1740 (English)

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