Thursday April 23, 2020

Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
 

The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
Songpa District hosts an extensive large cultural festival of the Baekje Kingdom in September
The Songpa-Gu Office in Seoul hosts the 2020 Hanseong Baekje Culture Festival in September this year. This was disclosed by a competent official of the Ward Office at a recent interview with The Korea Post media, publisher of 3 English and 2 Korean-language news media since 1985.
Park Sung-soo, Mayor of Songpa-gu told The Korea Post at his office on April 21, “This time, we are planning to cordially invite many ambassadors and madams to enjoy all the wonderful things we offer as part of our interesting program to highlight the invaluable historical-cultural assets related with the brilliant culture and history of the famed Baekje Dynasty of Korea (18B.C.-A.D. 475).”

“This year marks jubilee of bilateral ties, two leaders vow to upgrade cooperation”
This year, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation celebrate the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic relations since the two countries singed the agreement on Sept. 30, 1990. Cooperation and friendship between the two countries are growing by leaps and bounds, especially after the inauguration of President Moon Jae-in Korea who takes special interest in the promotion of relations and cooperation with Russia. At this juncture The Korea Post media, publisher of 3 English and 2 Korean news publications for the past 35 years conducted an exclusive interview with His Excellency Ambassador Andrey Kulik of the Russian Federation in Seoul. Excerpts from the interview follow:
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Seoul Gears Up for Unprecedented Shock to Job Market
Anchor: President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday introduced yet another relief package, seeking to help the nation's key manufacturers ride out the recession brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak. The government believes a fresh injection of tens of trillion won will keep job losses at bay.

S. Korean Refiners Concerned as Global Oil Prices Plunge
Anchor: Global oil prices continued to plunge on Tuesday, after U.S. crude futures fell below zero in an unprecedented crash the day prior, reflecting an oversupply amid coronavirus lockdowns around the world. In South Korea, oil refiners are also struggling with a shortage of space to keep their oil as result of the glut.

S. Korea to Set Up Task Force to Assist Global COVID-19 Efforts
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced Wednesday it is setting up a new task force to assist in international quarantine efforts amid the pandemic.
This is to cope with the flood of requests for help from around the world as countries scramble to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The pan-national task force is composed of officials from various government ministries who will convene meetings every other week.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
S. Korean economy shrinks 1.4 pct in Q1 amid virus fallout, sharpest contraction since 2008
South Korea's economy shrank 1.4 percent on-quarter in the first quarter of this year, as the coronavirus pandemic crippled industrial output, consumer spending and job markets, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said Thursday.
It marked the sharpest quarterly contraction since the fourth quarter of 2008, when the nation's economy sank 3.3 percent on-quarter.

Top U.S. military official assumes N.K. leader still in control of armed forces
A top U.S. military official said Wednesday he assumes North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is still in full control of his country's armed forces despite reports he may be seriously ill.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Gen. John Hyten said he has no information to add to the reports about Kim's health.

N.K. leader sends reply message to Syrian leader amid rumors of health problem
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Wednesday sent a reply to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who congratulated him on the anniversary of his late grandfather's birth last week, the North's state media reported.
The report by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) came amid media reports that Kim has a health problem, including one by CNN that said the United States is looking into intelligence that Kim is in "grave danger" after surgery.
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The Korea Herald  (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Seoul to inject additional W85tr into COVID-19 economic response
President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday revealed plans for 85 trillion won ($68.8 billion) worth of additional support packages to shore up the economy, including plans to create 500,000 new jobs. Speaking at an emergency economy meeting, Moon also revealed plans to roll out a South Korean version of the New Deal.

Conflicting reports on Kim’s health reveal intelligence access to NK
Conflicting reports about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un‘s health highlight the intelligence challenges faced in dealing with the security-obsessed nation, observers said Wednesday. 
Admitting the lack of intelligence access, US President Donald Trump said he did not know the status of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s health, in response to reports that Kim was gravely ill. 

Shipbuilders nervous as oil prices plummet
South Korean shipbuilders are jittery as oil prices in the US plummeted to negative territory for the first time in history this week, coupled with the reduced demand for crude oil and global shipments driven by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The business outlook for the global shipbuilding industry is also not very rosy.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
South Korea drafts up W89 tril. relief package to save virus-hit economy
government said Wednesday that it will draft an 89.4 trillion won ($72.5 billion)economic relief package to help those hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, in its latest measure to keep the faltering economy from crashing further.
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki, Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chairman Eun Sung-soo and Employment Minister Lee Jae-kap held a joint briefing at the Seoul Government Complex to discuss the measure.

Kim Jong-un's health continues to cause commotion
The state of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's health is triggering speculation although Seoul said earlier that there was nothing untoward going on with him.
Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun and other news outlets reported Wednesday on the possibility of Kim's sister Kim Yo-jong taking over as supreme leader in the case of an emergency regarding his health.

Gov't bracing for second wave of coronavirus outbreak in winter
The likelihood of a COVID-19 pandemic recurrence this fall or winter is high and the government is preparing for a worst case scenario, Jung Eun-kyeong, director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), said Wednesday.
"The possibility is quite high for a second wave of the pandemic to hit us this fall or winter when people's immune systems are depressed, and we don't as yet have vaccines or treatments available for then," Jung said during a daily press briefing at the Sejong Government Complex. "The government is preparing for the worst case scenario where public medical services collapse."
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
S. Korean and overseas media latch on to rumors of Kim Jong-un being in critical condition
South Korea’s stock market took a nose dive on Tuesday following an unexpected news report claiming that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was in critical condition. The shock didn’t subside until a Blue House spokesperson declared around noon that “no special signs have been detected so far inside North Korea.”

Trump rejects S. Korea’s offer for cost-sharing negotiations
US President Donald Trump said he’d rejected an offer made by South Korea in its ongoing negotiations with the US over their defense cost-sharing agreement and pressured Seoul to contribute a larger share. Negotiators from the two sides haven’t even scheduled the next round of talks, suggesting that it will be some time before the final deal is struck.

S. Korean bank pays fine of US$86 million for violating money laundering laws
The Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) reached an agreement with US judicial authorities on penalties of US$86 million in connection with violations of laws for preventing money laundering by a South Korean business that violated sanctions on Iran.
On Apr. 21, the IBK announced that it had reached separate agreements with US federal prosecutors and the New York Department of Financial Services and concluded its full investigation concerning the payment of won-denominated ordinary transactions between South Korea and Iran.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Reports of Kim Jong-un's Imminent Demise 'Exaggerated'
South Korea on Tuesday denied reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is at death's door after cardiovascular surgery.
The Daily NK website here had reported Monday that Kim is in critical condition after emergency surgery for a heart condition, and the story was later picked up by CNN.
The rumors were fueled by Kim's conspicuous absence from a ceremony on April 15 marking the birthday of nation founder Kim Il-sung at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where he lies embalmed.

Trump Admits Rejecting Korea's Defense Cost-Sharing Offer
U.S. President Donald Trump has admitted turning down Korea's latest and probably best offer to share the upkeep of the U.S. Forces Korea.
"They've offered us a certain amount of money and I've rejected it," Trump said Monday. "We're asking them to pay for a big percentage of what we're doing."
Reuters reported on April 10 that Korea had offered a 13 percent increase from the last agreement to W1.17 trillion this year, countering Trump's exorbitant demand of US$5 billion (US$1=W1,231).
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Trump says he doesn’t know of Kim’s illness and wishes him well
U.S. President Donald Trump said that he does not know whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is sick but wishes him well. The South Korean government remained unchanged on its position that it sees no unusual activity in North Korea. The stance of the two governments differ, though it has been reported that the South Korean presidential office and the White House have shared information on the North Korean leader via their National Security Committee.

Hyundai collaborates with BTS for ‘eco-friendly hydrogen’ campaign
Hyundai Motor Company has released a special film for its “Global Hydrogen Campaign,” its ongoing project with the popular K-pop group BTS.
Celebrating “Earth day,” the film is produced on the theme of “the precious language of beautiful nature.” It features beautiful sceneries with the seven members of BTS to convey that sustainability is key to preserving nature for future generations. Each member highlights beautiful elements of the great nature: “emerald ocean,” “pure-white,” “sky blue,” “sun-kissed,” “crystalline raindrops,” “starlit,” and “woody fresh.”

‘Why didn’t I think of buying test kits from S. Korea like Gov. Hogan?’
Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, the most heavily-impacted state by COVID-19 in the U.S., highly praised Republican Gov. of Maryland Larry Hogan for buying 500,000 test kits from South Korea. Gov. Cuomo also shared a story that his three daughters questioned him, “Why didn’t you think of buying test kits from South Korea?”
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Recreational Forests and Arboreta Open Today, But Lodging Not Allowed
The number of newly confirmed COVID-19 patients has remained stable at around ten for several days, and thus the government has decided to resume operation of some public facilities, beginning with those located outdoors. On April 22, national recreational forests and arboreta will open, and some of the football fields and gymnasiums run by local governments will also open.

Education Ministry to “Determine When and How Schools Will Start in Early May”
The Ministry of Education will announce when and how schools will start offline in early May, as elementary, middle and high schools have begun online classes for all grades as of April 20. The ministry will decide when to open schools after waiting to see if the quarantine authorities ease their response to COVID-19 and advise people to take preventive measures while resuming everyday life when the “eased physical (social) distancing” ends on May 5.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
S. Korea’s GDP shrinks 1.4% in Q1, biggest decline since 4Q 2008
South Korea’s economy in the first quarter suffered its biggest decline since the 2008 financial crisis as it reeled from the unprecedented shock of the coronavirus outbreak.
Korea’s gross domestic product in the first three months of 2020 contracted 1.4 percent from the previous quarter, according to preliminary data revealed by the Bank of Korea on Thursday. Against the previous year, it was up 1.3 percent.

S. Korea plans this year’s third extra budget to save jobs
South Korea is planning a third supplementary budget for this year to support the government’s new 10.1 trillion won ($8.19 billion) worth emergency job aid that will be used in mitigating job losses accelerating during the COVID-19-driven economic crisis.
After the government’s fifth economic emergency council meeting held on Wednesday, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said in a news briefing that the government will propose a third supplementary budget to partly finance its new job package worth 10.1 trillion won.
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What’s ticking around the world at this second?
See what the world media around the world have to report:

USA Today www.usatoday.com aallman@gannett.com
The New York Times www.nytimes.com inytletters@nytimes.com
Wall Street Journal www.wsj.com  support@wsj.comservice@wsj-asia.com
Financial Times www.ft.com ean@ft.com
The Times www.thetimes.co.uk help@timesplus.co.uk
The Sun www.thesun.co.uk talkback@the-sun.co.uk
Chinese People's Daily www.people.com.cn kf@people.cn
China Daily www.chinadaily.com.cn circulation@chinadaily.com.cn
GwangmyeongDaily www.gmw.cn webmaster@gmw.cn
Japan's Yomiuri www.yomiuri.co.jp japannews@yomiuri.com
Asahi www.asahi.com customer-support@asahi.com
Mainichi www.mainichi.jp
Le Monde www.ilemonde.com
Italy LaRepubblica www.quotidiano.repubblica.it vittorio.zucconi@gmail.com
Germany Frankfurter AllgemeineZeitung www.faz.net anzeigen.ausland@faz.de
SüddeutscheZeitung www.sueddeutsche.de forum@sueddeutsche.de
Australia Brisbane Times www.brisbanetimes.com.au
syndication@fairfaxmedia.com.au
Sydney Morning Heraldwww.smh.com.au
Colombia Reports http://www.colombiareports.com
Bogota Free Planet
http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com,bfp@bogotafreeplanet.com
El Universal https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english 
Andes https://www.redaktionstest.net/andes-info-ec/
Ecuador Times https://www.ecuadortimes.net/ 
The Jordan Times https://www.jordantimes.com/
LSM.lv https://www.lsm.lv// 
The Baltic Times http://www.baltictimes.com lithuania@baltictimes.com,
estonia@baltictimes.com, editor@baltictimes.com
El Pais https://english.elpais.com/
Philippine Daily Inquirer https://www.inquirer.net/
Daily News Hungary https://dailynewshungary.com/
Budapest Times https://www.budapesttimes.hu/
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The Korea Post is running video clips from the different embassies.
Azerbaijan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR8CBpcQ4WM
Sri Lanka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hByX92Y2aGY&t=22s
Morocco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfFmp2sVvSE
And many other countries.
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