Feb. 25, 2016

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Thursday, Feb. 25, 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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Editor’s note: Excellencies have a juicy piece of humor? Share it with your colleagues?and English-speaking Korean friends.

Send it to edt@koreapost.com or korpost@chol.com

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Park could seek to host summit with Obama, Xi and Kim JU

Bucking the trend to solve the North Korean nuclear issue

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By Lee Kyung-sik
Publisher of The Korea Post

What would President Kim Jong-un of North Korea say if hypothetically Presidents Park Geun-hye, Barack Obama and Xi Jinping would propose a four-party summit meeting with President Kim Jong-un of North Korea to save the obviously worsening situation on the Korean peninsula?
When everything fails, one sometimes tries to buck the trend with an ‘impossible’ alternative. Who knows? Kim might come right out and say, “Why, that sounds a great idea! Why don’t we do it!”
The Korean people have a wise-saying, “When a rat is driven to a dead end, it will attack the cat.” Everyone knows that a rat is no match for a cat as it is just a prey animal to it, but when it comes to the life-and-death situation the rat will attack back. The rat, of course, will be killed by the cat on the spot, but still it can do some harm to the cat although it will be minimal.
It appears that this is what China has in mind although she does not openly say so out of respect for the reputation of North Korea as well as its relations with it.

From left: President Park Geun-hye of the Republic of Korea, President Barack Obama of the United Steates, President Xi Jinping of China and President Kim Jong-un of North Korea.

It appears that this is why China is opposed to excessive international sanctions against North Korea, although it agrees with the Republic of Korea, the United States and many other countries that North Korea should be discouraged against nuke testing and missile-launching.
However, a closer look into the situation in North Korea, especially into Chairman Kim Jong-Un who runs the country ‘with a gun in hand,’ shows that it is getting more and more out of the hands.
It appears that Kim Jong-Un does not listen even to China as much as his father and grandfather did in the past and in this situation China appears to have a much limited room of choice compared with the former North Korean leaders, Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-sung.
The way President Xi Jinping treated President Park Geun-hye during her visit to China and his visit to Korea, there is no doubt that Xi is the most ‘pro-South Korean’ Chinese leader compared with all his predecessors and the way he speaks and acts he appears to have genuine interest in the promotion relations and friendship between South Korea and China.
At this juncture, it appears that it might be a good idea for President Park Geun-hye to have a big heart and propose a four-party talks among South Korea, the US, China and North Korea to try to solve the inter-Korean issue with an open mind.

(For further details, please visit: /news/view.html?section=158&category=167&no=1220.)

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A quick roundup of major news stories from Korean media:

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

White House: US, China Agree on Tougher UN Sanctions on N. Korea

The White House says Washington and Beijing agreed on a fresh set of UN sanctions on North Korea for its recent...

Xi to Attend Nuclear Security Summit in US

'UN to Blacklist N. Korea’s Space, Nuclear Agencies'

'UNSC to Restrict Chinese Oil Supply to N. Korea'

Asahi: Same Perpetrator Behind Cyber Attacks on Sony, S. Korea

BOK: Consumer Sentiment Falls to 8-Month Low

White House: US, China Agree on Tougher UN Sanctions on N. Korea

USFK Commander: THAAD Talks to Begin 'Within 1 Week'

S. Korea Summons Chinese Ambassador for Comments on THAAD

S. Korea, Serbia Sign Air Services Agreement

BOK: Consumer Sentiment Falls to 8-Month Low

S. Korea’s Short-Term External Debt Falls

N. Korean Media Repeat Government’s Warning Statement

Pyongyang Warns of Strikes Against Blue House

AP: Tensions Rising on DMZ

Asahi: Same Perpetrator Behind Cyber Attacks on Sony, S. Korea

Xi to Attend Nuclear Security Summit in US

'UN to Blacklist N. Korea’s Space, Nuclear Agencies'

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

Defense Minister inspects readiness of military's counter-terror units

Defense Minister Han Min-koo inspected the combat readiness of the military's special counter-terror units Thursday as the government recently warned of possible terror attacks by North Korea.

PM calls on biz leaders to join hands to revive economy

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn called on the business community Thursday to join hands with the government to revive the sluggish economy.

BOK to extend support fund for smaller firms

South Korea's central bank said Thursday it will expand low-interest loans to small and medium enterprises in a bid to help them overcome an economic funk and boost the economy's recovery.

Top Pyongyang official may be undergoing medical treatment: source

A top North Korean military official is believed to be receiving medical treatment in the North, a source familiar to the North's affairs said Thursday, as he has not recently been seen at public events.

S. Korea forms task force on new energy deals

South Korea's public and private companies launched a joint task force Thursday to clinch new energy-related projects overseas as part of efforts to find new growth drivers, the trade ministry said Thursday.

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

Seoul protests Chinese envoy’s THAAD comment

The South Korean Foreign Affairs Ministry on Wednesday summoned Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Chu Guo to protest his...

Household debt tops W1,200tr

South Korea’s household debt in the fourth quarter last year surged at its fastest pace in nea...

Partisan standoff peaks over antiterrorism bills

A partisan standoff over the controversial counterterrorism bill continued to surge on Wednesda...

China, US prepare N.K resolution

The United States and China made progress Tuesday toward a draft UN sanctions resolution to pun...

Youngest lawmaker rises as filibuster star

As soon as the National Assembly speaker put a controversial antiterrorism bill to a vote late Tuesday, R...

On-site child care

From April, Korean companies will face tightened regulations on workplace nurseries as the g...

Electoral map

The rival parties have finally struck an eleventh-hour deal on redrawing the electoral map, ...

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

'Ghost protest' in Seoul

Amnesty International Korea staged an anti-government "ghost rally" using holographic images in Seoul, the first of its kind in Korea.

Rep. Eun sets longest filibuster record: 10 hrs 18 mins 

Rep. Eun Soo-mi of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) held a filibuster for 10 hours ... 

10 opposition lawmakers lose ticket for April elections 

The main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) said Wednesday it has excluded 10 incumbent lawmak... 

Soaring household debt deepens woes 

Korea’s outstanding household debt topped 1,200 trillion won ($971.6 billion) for the first time l... 

'Ghost protest' faces police scrutiny 

Police in Seoul are seeking to punish Amnesty International Korea for waging an anti-government “g... 

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

China halts half of imports of N. Korean coals

The Chinese government will suspend half of trade with North Korea, China's official Huanqiu Shibao (Global Times) daily reported…

US pro-golfer Paige Spiranac under fire for dangerous tee shot

A good-looking female golfer, who was already under controversy as she had participated as an invited player at the Ladies Europe…

'3rd baseman will be better for me because of surgery,' says Kang Jung-ho

Kang Jung-ho (29) of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the MLB participated in the team's official spring camp. Kang is currently in reha…

China discloses bombers' flight drill in show of force

China has revealed scenes of a fleet flight exercise by 20 bombers through an official news outlet on Wednesday. U.S. Fox News re…

Pressures of being top university students

"More and more top university students commit suicide due to anxiety and depression. They had no problem in their high school day…

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

1 in 5 Five Elderly Koreans Live in Squalor

One in five Koreans over 80 live in squalid conditions that do not meet the government's minimum living standard, according to a report. The minimum living standard for a single householder is defined as a home measuring 14 sq.m with one room and a kitchen. >> Full Text

Household Debt Surpasses W1,200 Trillion

Household debt surpassed W1,200 trillion as of late last year led mainly by mortgages due to a booming real estate market, rising W121 trillion last year alone. The Bank of Korea on Tuesday said household debt totaled W1,207 trillion as of the end of 2015. >> Full Text

Budget Airlines Seek Fatter Margins from Optional Extras

Low cost carriers are trying to boost their profitability by offering optional extras like meals and priority baggage handling. Jeju Air said Wednesday that in light food and beverages generated W223 million in sales last year, almost doubling from 2014. >> Full Text

Gov't Summons Chinese Envoy Over Threats

Kaesong Shutdowns 'Causes Losses of Over W800 Billion'

Kids Getting Fatter But Not Much Taller

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

Anti-terror bill runs into opposition filibuster

Fractured opposition coming together to thwart bill that would give more snooping authority to the NIS

National Assembly speaker Chung Ui-hwa asserted his authority on Feb. 23 to bring a controversial anti-terror bill to the floor for a vote, describing the recent tensions on the Korean Peninsula provoked by a nuclear test by North Korea as a “national state of emergency corresponding to a war or incident.” To prevent the legislation from being passed, the opposition parties have launched a filibuster on the floor of the National Assembly, in which it is pointing out problems with the anti-terror bill put forward by the ruling party. This is the first filibuster in South Korea since 1969.

Reports point to a new arms race breaking in the Asia Pacific region

The struggle between the US and China over China’s rise and their rivalry for primacy in Asia is triggering a regional arms race, a new report concludes. According to a report released on Feb. 22 by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), six of the world’s 10 biggest arms importers between 2011 and 2015 were in the Asia-Pacific region: India, China, Australia, Pakistan, Vietnam and South Korea. South Korea ranked 10th on the list, accounting for 2.6% of global arms imports.

S. Korea still failing to effectively fight human trafficking

Jessie, as we will call her, had been in a band in the Philippines before she came to South Korea. She was under the impression that she could make money singing - but no one said that singing would not be the only work required of her.“I worked 24 hours a day. I had to collect ‘bar fines’ without any days off,” Jessie said. A “bar fine” refers to the money that a male customer pays to a brothel for sex with a prostitute. For every 150,000 won (US$120) that customers paid the brothel, Jessie got 45,000 won.

US delays signing of agreement to deploy THAAD in South Korea

An agreement to deploy the THAAD anti-ballistic missile system with US troops in South Korea that had been drafted by a US-ROK joint task force had been scheduled to be signed on Feb. 23, but the signing was postponed shortly beforehand. The US abruptly asked for the delay just before a conference between the top American and Chinese diplomats, and US Forces Korea (USFK) told South Korea’s Defense Ministry that it had not concluded its discussion with the US government.

At Kaesong sales bonanza, most products not actually from Kaesong

A “grand bazaar” of fashion from the Kaesong Industrial Complex was in full swing on the morning of Feb. 23 at Lotte Department Store in Seoul. Many of the items on the racks set up around the hall were labeled as coming from other countries: China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Myanmar. Items produced at Kaesong and labeled as “made in Korea” were relatively scarce.

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

U.S., China work on sanctions

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said they have made “significant progress” on a United Nations Security Council resolution on North Korea that will “go beyond” anything passed before. Kerry and Wang held talks in Washington on Tuesday over a Security Council…

Filibuster paralyzes Assembly throughout day

Opposition lawmakers continued Wednesday their filibuster to stop the passage of a contentious counterterrorism bill, paralyzing the legislature throughout the day…

13 companies accused of collusion on bids

Nearly a year after 28 companies were heavily fined for fixing bids on a railroad project, 13 major construction companies have been caught doing…

Push on for fintech-ready loans

Pressure is rising in the financial industry to attract more clients by offering fintech-ready loans with mid-range interest rates.…

Kakao joins navigation app market with Navi

Kakao, operator of the nation’s leading mobile messenger app KakaoTalk, has launched Kakao Navi, nearly nine months…

Model’ taxpayers paid out W363B in penalties

Immorality has been running high even among those considered “model” taxpayers. In the five years since 2009, the National Tax Service…

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

Terrorism Prevention Act: Danger! A Law that Allows the NIS to Abuse Its Powers

A Terrorism Prevention Act to protect the people and secure public safety, but one that poses great risks of a state agency abusing its powers and violating hum···

Comfort Women Negotiations, State Written History, and Kaesong Decorated as "Achievements" While Ignoring the Public's Criticism

On February 23, the government distributed a policy kit titled, "The Path to Change, Innovation, and Progress with the People" to commemorate the third year o···

[Denuclearization of North Korea and the Peace Treaty] North Korea Has Argued 'Peace Treaty First' Since 6 Years Ago, While South Korea and the U.S. Insist 'Denuclearization First'

North and South Korea had long discussed changing the armistice to a peace treaty in order to resolve the uneasy peace, which relied on the armistice agreement.···

The President Discloses Her Salary, Why Can't the Chaebol Heads?

This year, President Park Geun-hye's salary is 212 million won, the prime minister's is 164 million won, and a minister's is 128 million won. Anyone can chec···

[North Korea after the Rocket Launch] Is the South Korean Government Enjoying 'Calculated' Speculations of NK's Nuclear Armament?

After North Korea's fourth nuclear test and long-range rocket launch, speculations of North Korea's nuclear armament have been voiced in South Korea. Experts ···

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

Household Credit Balance Hits 1,200 Tril. Won for First Time

The amount of household debt has hit the 1,200-trillion-won (US$971-billion) mark as of the end of last year. The Bank of Korea said on February 24 that the household credit balance (preliminary) was 1,207.0 trillion won at the end of 2015. This is the first time for the balance to surpass 1,200 tri...

Won-Yen Exchange Rate Rises 13.4% This Year...Good News for Korean Exporters

The weak yen that has pressured Korean exporters for the past few years is finally lifting gradually. The won-yen exchange rate has surpassed the 1,100-won level per 100 yen for the first time in 28 months on February 24. The currency rate has risen 13.4 percent (won's depreciation against the yen) ...

 

Cheongwadae Rebuffs Chinese Ambassador's Critical Remarks on THAAD

In response to remarks by Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Qiu Guohong about the controversial THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system who said "it would destroy Korea=China relations instantly," the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs called him in on February 24 to demand more explanati...

China to Discontinue Coal Imports from North Korea Beginning in March

Amid a situation where the Chinese government and the U.S. government are at odds over United Nations sanctions against North Korea, the Chinese government decided to discontinue its coal imports from the North from next month, The state-run Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao) reported on February 23. The...

LG Electronics Clasps Hands with Intel to Develop Core 5G Smart Car Technologies

LG Electronics joined hands with Intel in the area of the next-generation car telecom technology 5G-based telematics. The two companies plan to create synergies by combining LG’s auto parts technology with Intel’s wireless telecom platform technology. At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016, whic...

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

Massive special loans for firms in Kaesong

South Korean government officials wait in an office to support firms in Kaesong.[Photo by Yoo Dae-gil] South Korea decided Thursday to extend 550 billion won (445 million US dollars) in special…

Amnesty stages holographic 'ghost' march in Seoul

[Courtesy of Amnesty International Korea] Human right group Amnesty International has staged a "ghost" rally using hologram images of protesters accusing South Korea police of using excessive…

South Korea warns of North Korea regime collapse

[Courtesy of Korean Air Force] ? South Korea warned of North Korea's regime collapse Wednesday after Pyongyang threatened to strike Seoul's presidential office and US military installa…

[UPDATES]Tearful female lawmaker breaks record in filibustering

Eun Soo-mi wipes her tears after filibusting for more than 10 hours in a row. [Courtesy of Kang Ki-jung, A Member of the National Assembly] A tearful South Korean female lawmaker set a new re…

Chinese envoy warns of Cold War arms race in Northeast Asia

Chinese ambassador to South Korea Qiu Guohong shakes hands with Kim Jong-in, the interim head of South Korea's main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea[Aju News DB]

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

South Korean Government Working to Become a Top 3 Country in Drone...

South Korean Government has set its goal to become a top 3 country in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) business. It has decided to increase number of UAV-related busi...

South Korean Government to Start Localizing Major Infrastructure for A...

South Korean Government is going to localize major infrastructure that can implement artificial intelligence (AI). Its goal is to reduce technical difference with oth...

Korea University Produces First Cyber National Defense Graduates

Cyber professional officers that will protect South Korea from

Samsung Electronics Starts to Erase Its Logo on Galaxy S7

Samsung Electronics is going to get rid of its ¡®SAMSUNG¡? logo on the front side of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge that will be released in South Korea and China. This is a continuation of ¡®Getting R

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

Korea Investment & Securities purchases Belgium-based building

Korea Investment & Securities Co. purchased a skyscraper in Belgium for 210 billion won ($170 million), joining the rush of ...

Troubled Hanjin Shipping considers various asset sales to repay maturing debt

South Korea’s largest shipper Hanjin Shipping Co. is mulling to sell trademark licenses, stocks, and real estate assets in ...

Saehwa IMC expects sales to improve this year with 3D printing technology

Saehwa IMC Co., a midsize manufacturer of tire molds in South Korea, is in the limelight after it acquired a three dimensional ...

KDB to reschedule sale of KDB Capital, launch committee to oversee

South Korea’s state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) on Friday will hold a committee meeting to reattempt to push to sell its ...

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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),

(2) A Korean Internet (www.koreapost.co.kr),

(3) An English Internet (www.koreapost.com),

(4) An English print monthly (http://koreapost.koreafree.co.kr/magazine/index.html), and

(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:

Diplomatic functions:

Ambassador Gerhard Sabathil of the European Union Delegation (16th from left) and Mayor Park Won-soon of the Seoul Metropolitan City (13th from left) pose with other EU ambassadors at a luncheon he hosted in Seoul yesterday.

First such meeting in four years

Amb.Sabathilof EU hosts informal luncheon for Mayor Park of Seoul, EU envoys

Ambassador Gerhard Sabathil of the European Union Delegation in Seoul hosted an informal luncheon in Seoul yesterday (Feb. 7, 2016) for the 22 ambassadors of the member countries or the EU as well as Mayor Park Won-sun of the Seoul Metropolitan City.

No details of the meeting were immediately available as it was an undisclosed meeting.

However, it was learned that the participating ambassadors of Europe and Mayor Park had a round of free discussions on a wide range of topics related with environment, culture and various other topics with an eye to increasing cooperation between the participating countries and the Seoul City.

This is the first such meeting since the last one hosted by the former EU ambassador in Seoul in 2012.

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.

AresearcherofStemCellInstituteisdoinganexperiment.

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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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 crisisof 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 Kim Jung-rae of Korea National Oil Corp. and CEO Jeon Sang-heon of Chungbuk Free Economic Zone Authority (four 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 DatoPaduka Haji ModhRosli Bin Haji Sabtu of Brunei Darussalam, Publisher-Chairman Lee Kyung-sik of The Korea Post,

Ambassadors Rodolfo SolancoQuiros of Costa Rica, Vikram Kumar Doraiswami of IndiaandDatoRohanabintiRamli of Malaysia;

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

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

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

Partial list of ambassadors attending the reception:

Ambassadors Mohammad SaleemSayeb of Afghanistan, Derragui Mohammed Elamine of Algeria, Albino Malungo of Angola, Elisabeth Bertagnoli of Austria, RamziTeymurov of Azerbaijan, Md. Zulfiqur Rahman of Bangladesh, NatalliaJhylevich of Belarus, Guadalupe Palomeque de Taboada of Bolivia, DatoPaduka Haji ModhRosli Bin Haji Sabtu of Brunei Darussalam , PetarAndonov of Bulgaria, Tito Saul PinillaPinilla of Colombia, Rodolfo SolancoQuiros of Costa Rica, SylvestreKouassi Bile of Cote d'Ivoire, GreciaFiodaliciaPichardo of Dominican Republic, Oscar Gustavo Herrera Gilbert of Ecuador, Milton Alcides Magana Herrera of El Salvador , Gerhard SABATHIL of Delegation of The Europan Union,  MattiHeimonen of Finland, Carlos Victor Boungou of Gabon, Rolf Mafael of Germany, NikolozApkhazava of Georgia, Gabor Csaba of Hungary, Vikram Kumar Doraiswami of India, Bessho Koro of Japan, Omar Al Nahar of Jordan, Mohammed Chraibi of Morocco, DatoRohanabintiRamli of Malaysia, Mohamed Salim Alharthy of Oman, ZahidNasrulah Khan of Pakistan, Irineo Raul SilveroSilvagni of Paraguay, Raul S. Hernandez of the Philippines, Krzysztof Majka of Poland, Calin Fabian of Romania, Alexander AndreevichTomonin of Russia, MamadouNdiaye 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 AbeywickremaGunasekera of Sri Lanka, JoergAloisReding of Switzerland, KiromovSalohiddin of Tajikistan (CDA), Mohamed Ali Nafti of Tunisia, HakanOkcal of Turkey, Andrea Veronica BaisGastaldi (CDA) of Uruguay, BotirjonAsadov 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 Kim Jung-rae of Korea National Oil Corp., General Manager Son Jin-seck of Daewoo Shipping & Marine Engineering, President SohnMyong-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 University, 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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