The Korean daily media headlines and humor
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Your Excellency:
Here are The Korea Post notices and a roundup of important headlines from all major Korean-language dailies, TV and other news media of Korea today:
Very Respectfully Yours
/s/
Lee Kyung-sik
Publisher-Chairman
Korea Post Media
The Korea Post News
What’s ticking in Korea today? Here is a quick roundup of important news stories from the major Korean news media today:
KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Ex-Health Minister Arrested over Samsung Merger Allegations
The independent counsel has arrested former Health and Welfare Minister Moon Hyung-pyo after interrogating him over the state pension fund's support of a key Samsung merger last year.
In the latest development of its investigation into the Choi Soon-sil scandal, the independent counsel team placed Moon, who heads the National Pension Service(NPS), under an emergency 48-hour detention at 1:45 a.m Wednesday.
Defector Diplomat: Kim Jong-un Aims to Complete Nuclear Weapons in 2017
The former North Korean deputy ambassador to London, Thae Yong-ho, held a news conference in South Korea. Speaking to Unification Ministry correspondents on Tuesday, Thae pointed to young North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's nuclear ambitions as what led to his defection earlier this year.
Our Kim Bum-soo has more.
Foreign Ministry Expels Diplomat for Sexually Harassing Teenager in Chile
Seoul’s Foreign Ministry has expelled a South Korean diplomat suspected of sexually harassing a teenage girl in Chile.
The heavy punishment was decided during a meeting of the ministry's disciplinary committee on Tuesday afternoon which included First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam.
KOSPI, KOSDAQ Rise on Tuesday
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index(KOSPI) on Tuesday gained two-tenths of a percent to two-thousand-42.
The tech-laden KOSDAQ advanced half-a-percent to 618.
Small Number of Big Companies Accounts for 80% of Total Exports
South Korea’s trade volume last year amounted to 937-point-two billion U.S. dollars, down roughly 121 billion from the previous year.
According to Statistics Korea on Tuesday, the nation’s exports reached around 525-point-six billion dollars last year, down nearly 46 billion dollars. Imports stood at 411-point-six billion, down roughly 75 billion dollars.
Artificial Liver Developed for Human Transplantation
A domestic team of researchers has succeeded in developing an artificial liver with a swine liver.
The Rural Development Administration said Tuesday that a joint team of researchers from Seoul National University and Kangwon National University developed the artificial organ that can be transplanted to humans across species barriers.
Ex-N. Korean Diplomat: Sanctions Frustrate Kim Jong-un's Major Project
A senior North Korean defector says UN sanctions held back a major construction project spearheaded by leader Kim Jong-un.
North Korea's former Deputy Ambassador to the United Kingdom Thae Yong-ho defected earlier this year.
UNICEF Asks for $5 Mln Donation for N. Korea Flood Victims
UNICEF is calling on the international community to urgently donate five million U.S. dollars for the residents of flood-hit North Korea including children and pregnant women.
According to Voice of America(VOA) on Tuesday, UNICEF said in a press release that 45-thousand North Korean children are suffering in the aftermath of floods triggered by Typhoon Lionrock that hit North Hamgyong Province in late August.
S. Korea to Build 6 Naval Frigates by 2026
South Korea is getting ready to sink two-point-eight trillion won into a major modernization of its naval capability.
As a first step, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration(DAPA) announced a 16-point-six billion won contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries Tuesday to carry out the "exploration development" for six Ulsan-class Batch-III frigates by 2026. The warships will be three-thousand tons each.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Some 300 DSME workers to take unpaid leave in Jan.
About 300 office workers of embattled Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. (DSME) will go on a month-long unpaid leave in January as part of efforts to cut costs, sources said Wednesday.
Parliamentary investigation shows Choi paid for Park's shots
South Korea's parliamentary committee looking into the alleged corruption of currently impeached President Park Geun-hye said Wednesday that her close friend paid for certain medical costs, casting further suspicions over the two's behind-the-scenes connections.
Japan's Abe visits Pearl Harbor without issuing new apology
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offered "everlasting condolences" to American war dead at Pearl Harbor on Tuesday but issued no apology for the country's wartime aggression as he paid a visit to the Hawaii naval base 75 years after Japan's surprise bombing.
Asian constitutional court association to open office in Seoul next month
An association of Asian constitutional courts will open a permanent secretariat dedicated to research purposes in Seoul next month, the city government said Wednesday.
Samsung's 'Powerbot' named vacuum cleaner of year by U.S. consumer magazine
A vacuum cleaner with improving robotic options manufactured by Samsung Electronics Co. has been named one of the best vacuum cleaners of the year by a U.S. consumer magazine, according to the magazine Wednesday.
S. Korean firms' overseas units lose money in 2015
Overseas units of South Korean companies lost money in 2015 for the first time since the global financial crisis due mainly to a slowdown in global demand, a report said Wednesday.
Ban unlikely to meet with Trump before leaving office
Outgoing U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is unlikely to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump before leaving office later this week amid a report that Trump has "backtracked" on his promise to hold a face-to-face meeting with Ban.
Kim Jong-un seeks to complete nuke development by 2017: N.K. diplomat
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is determined to complete development of nuclear weapons by the end of 2017 and has no plans to give up the country's nukes even if he is offered huge sums of money, a high-profile North Korean diplomat who recently defected to South Korea said Tuesday.
Yonhap News key source of outside info for N. Korean diplomats: N.K. diplomat
The first thing North Korean diplomats do at their office is click on Yonhap News Agency's latest updates about their country, a high-profile defector said Tuesday, highlighting the access to outside news that Pyongyang's foreign service workers enjoy.
Expert claims N. Korea develops drone for dirty bomb attack
North Korea has recently developed a large stealth drone that can carry explosive devices and spread radioactive materials over South Korea, a private think tank said Tuesday.
Satellite images show N. Korea's economic unbalance
Satellite images have revealed North Korea's administrative and economic absurdity in recent years as the reclusive country has been focusing on idolizing its leader Kim Jong-un, a report said Tuesday.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Saenuri party splits as anti-Park lawmakers leave
Dozens of lawmakers defected from President Park Geun-hye’s governing Saenuri Party on Tuesday over the corruption scandal involving Park and her aides, pledging to create a new conservative party in the run-up to next year’s presidential election.
Pension fund chief put under emergency detention
Special prosecutors took South Korea's state-run pension fund chief into emergency detention early Wednesday over suspicions he pressured the fund to back a major merger deal between Samsung subsidiaries when he was health minister last year.
State-authored history textbooks not mandatory: ministry
State-authored history textbooks will be officially released for use in schools in March 2018 instead of March next year as initially planned, the Education Ministry announced Tuesday.
The ministry also scrapped plans to mandate all schools to use the state-authored textbooks, effectively signaling the renunciation of one of the most disputed projects initiated by the Park Geun-hye administration.
LG Group, first to officially withdraw from FKI
South Korea‘s fourth-largest conglomerate LG Group on Tuesday announced its withdrawal from the Federation of Korean Industries, marking the first major firm to officially withdraw from the controversial business lobby group.
Pension fund’s political neutrality, independence questioned
For most South Koreans, the national pension fund is the last bastion for their years after retirement.
Launched in 1988, the 28-year-old pension operator currently has more than 21 million subscribers contributing 9 percent of their income every month.
The power the National Pension Service yields in the capital markets is enormous. By size, the NPS is the world’s fourth-largest pension fund and has more than 5 percent of shares in about 290 companies.
Asian constitutional court association to open office in Seoul next month
An association of Asian constitutional courts will open a permanent secretariat dedicated to research purposes in Seoul next month, the city government said Wednesday.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions Permanent Secretariat for Research and Development will open in central Seoul in January.
Ministry ups control over vehicle authentication breach
The Ministry of Environment announced Tuesday a revised law to strengthen control over breaches of vehicle authentication here, in a bid to prevent another Volkswagen’s emissions-rigging scandal.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
KF-X project stole game footage for demo video
A promotional video for South Korea's largest-ever fighter jet development project was produced with unauthorized video game footage.
The footage containing scenes of air combat and the bombing of an aircraft carrier was used without the consent of their original producers — Japan's Bandai Namco and Electronic Arts (EA) of the United States — which constitutes copyright violation.
29 lawmakers break away from Saenuri Party
A group of 29 lawmakers left the ruling Saenuri Party, Tuesday, to create a new conservative party.
The faction automatically gained the status of a parliamentary negotiating group — having 20 members — which means it can immediately act as a political party prior to its official inauguration, slated for Jan. 24. The group was tentatively named the New Conservative Party for Reform.
Now hear this: You are my 'eardrum girlfriend'
There's a newly coined word in Korea's urban dictionary: eardrum girlfriend.
It may sound weird, but it hinges on the pleasurable sensation of being around one's lover and listening to her.
"Eardrum girlfriend" derives from a general understanding that one's ear needs a break from listening to all sorts of babble from others.”
Subway stations plug in to free portable power for smartphones
Free portable battery chargers for smartphones will be available on Seoul subway lines 5-8, Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation (SMRTC) said on Monday.
SMRTC has installed 157 Happy Spot machines, a battery charger dispenser, at the 152 stations it manages.
Man punished for stealing cash from friend's grave
A man in his 30s was convicted on Monday of stealing money from a friend's grave.
Jeonju District Court sentenced the man to six months' jail, suspended for two years.
Soldier guilty of burning junior soldiers with hot ruler
A senior soldier has received a six-month suspended jail sentence for burning junior soldiers with a hot steel ruler.
According to the Seoul Eastern District Court on Monday, Choi, 25, touched the foreheads of two junior soldiers with the hot stainless steel ruler in an operations room at a Korean army base in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, in February. After heating the ruler for 20 seconds, the man seared the foreheads of the victims, leaving them with first-degree burns.
Diplomat sacked for raping minor in Chile
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Tuesday that it had dismissed a diplomat dispatched to Chile for sexually assaulting Chilean teenage girls.
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Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com)
President Xi to prolong one-man rule
The Chinese Communist Party is seeking a measure to depower the Politburo Standing Committee, the framework of China’s collective leadership system, and thereby concentrating power on one leader ahead of reshuffle of the supreme leadership for the 19th Party Congress in November next year.
Pyeongtaek Vessel's retirement ceremony to be held in Jinhae
The Navy said Tuesday that the retirement ceremony of the Pyeongtaek Vessel, which has served as a rescue ship in territorial waters for the past 20 years, will be held at the Jinhae Port in South Gyeongsang Province on Wednesday. The Pyeongtaek is the last vessel that the Korean Navy adopted from U.S. Navy.
Names of traditional buildings to be simplified
The House of the Choi Family in Gyo-dong, Gyeongju will be renamed as the House of the Rich Choi Family in Gyeongju and the Seongeup Folk Village as Seongeup Village in Jeju.
Schools can use both state-authored and privately published textbooks in 2018
Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Education Minister Lee Jun-sik said Tuesday that the plan to adopt a new state-authored history textbook will be delayed for a year, so that schools will be using both the state-authored text and the current privately published ones starting in March 2018.
S. Korea plans to develop multipurpose unmanned ground combat vehicle
The Korean government plans to develop unmanned and land reconnaissance and ground combat vehicles that can conduct multiple duties including surveillance, patrol, and close combat in times of war and peace.
‘Blacklist’ constitutes suppression of culture by those in power
Evidence of a "blacklist of figures in the culture community," over which suspicions were repeatedly raised thus far, has been revealed. According to a report by The Dong-A Ilbo, the investigation team lead by independent council Park Young-soo found part of a list, which the senior presidential secretary for political affairs’ office had drafted at the instruction of former presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and the Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry managed, and discovered evidence that Choi Soon-sil was behind the list.
Chelsea notches up 12 consecutive wins
Chelsea, led by coach Antonio Conte (47), has achieved 12 wins in a row in the English Premier League. Chelsea never has recorded twelve straight wins in its 111-year history since the club was founded in 1905 and is now two wins behind the league-record of 14 consecutive wins.
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Chosun-Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Jobseekers Apply to More and More Firms Before They Find a Job
Jobseekers applied for 17.7 companies on average in the second half of this year, a survey shows. Job portal Saramin surveyed 1,255 jobseekers and found that they passed the first round of screening only once for every five applications.
Interpol to Put Choi Soon-sil's Daughter on Wanted List
The independent counsel investigating massive corruption at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday asked Interpol to issue an all-points bulletin for the daughter of President Park Geun-hye's longtime friend Choi Soon-sil.
Real Estate Takes Up Bigger Slice of People's Assets
The proportion of real estate in Koreans' assets grew a whole percentage point this year. Real estate prices surged 1.3 percent and more people invested in property as interest rates remained at records lows.
One-Third of Young Couples Are Childless
One in three couples in Korea who have been married less than five years are childless, a survey out Monday suggests. Statistics Korea surveyed 1.18 million couples who had been married less than five years as of Nov. 1 last year.
Prosecutors Submit Evidence Against Park to Constitutional Court
The Constitutional Court on Monday began its official review of the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye as prosecutors submitted records of their investigation.
N.Korea Fritters Away 23% of GDP on Defense
North Korea is the most belligerent country in the world in terms of the percentage of GDP it spends on defense.
Pyongyang's military spending accounts for a whopping 23.3 percent of GDP, according to a report released by the U.S. State Department last week. Average GDP amounted to 1.66 trillion North Korean won and average annual military spending to 386 billion won from 2004 to 2014.
Flagship Carriers Expand Fleet to Compete with Budget Carriers
Flagship carriers such as Korean Air and Asiana Airlines are purchasing new planes and expanding long-haul routes in response to the rapid growth of budget carriers.
Asiana recently added six A380s to its fleet since it introduced the first superjumbo in May 2014. The new A380 will fly between Incheon and Frankfurt from March next year after shuttling to and from Incheon and Sydney for a while.
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HanKyoReh-Shinmoon (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Elderly community centers a place to ease loneliness on remote islands
There are more than 64,000 elderly community centers throughout South Korea. That’s two times the number of convenience stores that seem to be on every side street. Between 30% and 40% of the elderly visit these centers, which serve as a place to stay, eat and relax.
Elderly community centers a unique feature of aged life in South Korea
Elderly community centers are recreational and welfare centers that have their legal basis in the Welfare of the Aged Act. There are 64,568 such centers operating around South Korea. The centers give elderly people the freedom to pursue friendships, exchange information and work on projects together.
Next year, South Korea will have more elderly people than children
South Korean elderly people are poised to outnumber children as of next year. The productive population is in decline. Studies have estimated the low birth rate will result in the number of students from kindergarten to university will fall by around 20% over the next ten years. It’s a change in demographic structure that is likely to have substantial effects across South Korean society.
How elderly community centers are changing with the times
One evening in the middle of last month, I was at an elderly community center at Seogye Village in Geumgu Township, Gimje, North Jeolla Province. The floor of the center was sizzling hot. After dinner, the elderly women stretched blankets out on the hot floor and took their seats. Half of them sat down with their legs stretched out, while the other half lay on their side. A daily soap opera was playing on a television off to the side.
At Yongsan US military base, ground pollutants 500 times normal levels
Levels of benzene, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), and other contaminants were detected at over 500 times the standard in underground water around Yongsan Garrison.
Despite Seoul Metropolitan Government spending over 500 million won (US$419,800) a year since 2004 to clean it up, contaminated underground water continues to be found each year as the inability to investigate inside the base prevents elimination of the source.
As global deposits near depletion, urban mining for rare metals
Around the year 2100, the earth’s deposits of mineral resources will be exhausted. Around the same time, people will probably be throwing away three times as much trash as they do today. The various technologies that are expected to dominate the society in the future - including artificial intelligence, robotics, the internet of things, self-driving cars, 3D printers and quantum computing - use an incredible amount of precious metals. Urban mining, or the industry of extracting minerals from waste products, is the driver of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
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JoongAng-Ilbo(conservative) (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)
Split in Saenuri Party is biggest in Korean history
Saenuri Party lawmakers disgruntled with loyalists of President Park Geun-hye defected en masse Tuesday to create a rival party, the first major split of the conservative party in its history.
Thae: North is on nuclear weapons fast-track
North Korea is in a “nuclear rush” to master its nuclear development plans by the end of 2017 in time for Seoul’s presidential election, said Thae Yong-ho, former North Korean deputy ambassador to London and the most senior diplomat to ever defect to the South.
AI-related egg price rise could go on for months
The government Tuesday decided to temporarily lift a ban on distribution of eggs that are safe but come from farms close to outbreaks of the H5N6 avian influenza virus (AI) to deal with a shortage that is driving up prices.
LG Group officially withdraws from FKI
LG Group officially announced its withdrawal from the Federation of Korean Industries, the first conglomerate to do so. The company’s move is likely to prompt others to follow suit and eventually lead to dismantling of the business lobbying group that has long represented chaebol.
R&D growth in Korea slows, says EU report
Four Korean companies made a list of the 100 companies that made the largest investments in research and development in fiscal year 2015.
It was the same number as last year’s list and the same companies, but the pace of expansion in their R&D investments slowed.
Consumers were gloomier in Dec.
Consumer confidence in the Korean economy fell to the worst level since the global financial meltdown in 2009 due to growing uncertainties about the effect of the Choi Soon-sil scandal on the running of the country and the recent interest hike in the United States.
Debt level swells to a high
Outstanding household credit, which includes loans from banks and other financial institutions as well as credit-card spending, soars to a record high compared to GDP, the latest alarm on the country’s surging household debt.
Laborers get more tax breaks
Residents of so-called gosiwon, or short-term living spaces, will be able to get tax breaks on their monthly rent. While many previous occupants of gosiwon were studying for the annual public servant exams for prosecutors and diplomats, today most residents are day laborers, such as those working on construction sites.
Annual pilgrimage to CES starts
With the Consumer Electronics Show only 10 days away, Korea’s leading tech companies and automakers are getting ready to show off their latest innovations and top managers are scrambling to take part in the world’s biggest annual tech show, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Retail trends for 2017: AI shopping, mini stores
Today’s consumers are increasingly looking for specific and engaging experiences while shopping, according to an analysis from Lotte Department Store’s research team for retail trends. The team proposed a set of guidelines to help retailers prepare next year’s business strategies.
Samsung’s Note7 return rate reaches 90 percent in Korea
Samsung Electronics has collected 90 percent of the Galaxy Note7 devices sold in Korea, the company said Tuesday. To retrieve all of the problematic phablets from consumers, the company has expanded the deadline for refunds and exchanges to Jan. 31.
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The KyungHyang-Shinmoon(http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Ban Growing Stronger and Stronger: Despite Various Allegations Leads in the Polls
More and more attempts are being made to verify UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (72) as a presidential candidate. Also a series of allegations have been raised starting with the suspicion that he received $230,000 from Park Yeon-cha, former chairman of Taekwang Inc.
Reforms Should Come Before Amendments
Politicians are actively discussing constitutional amendments. Due to the division of the ruling party, the political circle has changed to a new 4-party system and a presidential race centered on constitutional amendments is becoming fierce.
Ban Ki-moon's Imminent Return, "Verification" Awaits
Arguments continue on the allegation that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (72, photo), cited as a strong presidential candidate, received $230,000 from Park Yeon-cha, former chairman of Taekwang Inc. Ban denied the allegation claiming it was outrageous slander, but the impact remains.
Chickens and Ducks Buried 2 Years Ago Because of AI, 60% Were Healthy
More than 60% of the chickens and ducks that were slaughtered for highly pathogenic H5N8-type avian influenza (AI), which swept the nation in 2014, were confirmed to have been healthy. Experts continue to argue for a need to set a scientific and sophisticated range for slaughter, but the government has failed to make any improvements.
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The Korea Economic Daily (http://english.hankyung.com/)
U.S. Gov't Can Designate Any Country as Forex Manipulator under Existing Laws
It was reported that U.S. Republican President-elect Donald Trump can designate countries like Korea and China as exchange rate manipulators under existing laws without revising any laws following his inauguration on January 20 next year. Once a country is named as an exchange rate manipulator, it will be subject to a variety of retaliatory measures by the U.S. government.
Gov't to Publish New Trade Roadmap by Feb. Next Year
The government will announce a whole new trade policy roadmap by February next year in light of the rapidly changing global trade environment due to Brexit and the election of a maverick candidate to U.S. Presidency. Lee In-ho, Assistant Deputy Minister for Trade, Industry, and Energy, said in a press briefing on December 27, "We will update the trade roadmap created in 2013 by taking into account the changing world for the past three years, including the rising waves of protectionism, the weakening multilateral trade regime, and the global economic recession."
Samsung Ranks Second in R&D Spending for 3 Consecutive Years...EU Scoreboard
Four companies in Korea, including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Hyundai Motor, and SK Hynix, were ranked as top-100 firms that spent most in R&D in the world. According to the 2016 European Union Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard announced by the European Commission on December 27, 75 Korean firms were included in the top-2,500 companies in the world in terms of R&D spending in the fiscal year 2015.
DSME Completes 2.8 Tril. Won Capital Buildup
The state-run Korea Development Bank will secure a 79-percent stake in Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering by swapping the 1.8-trillion-won loan it extended to the shipyard into equities.
DSME Likely to Resume Trading from Next April
According to industry sources on December 27, the stock trading of the company would likely to be resumed from April 2017 after the Korea Exchange completes the evaluation of the company's 2016 business report slated to be issued in March next year.
Shares of Cheil Worldwide Rebound on Hopes of Galaxy S8 Advertising Deal
The share price of Cheil Worldwide rebounded amid growing expectations that it could achieve an earnings surprise in the fourth quarter of this year. On December 27, the stock price of the nation's largest ad agency closed at 16,050 won, up 6.64 percent from the previous day.
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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)
Korean Air allows more use of force and taser against violence
Korean Air promised Tuesday to revise its safety manual and allow flight attendants to use force and tasers more actively in a policy change prompted by a recent in-flight commotion that became a butt of international ridicule.
Defector says Kim seeks to complete nuke development by 2017: Yonhap
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is determined to complete development of nuclear weapons by the end of 2017 and has no plans to give up the country's nukes even if he is offered huge sums of money, a high-profile North Korean diplomat who recently defected to South Korea said.
Foreign ministry decides to expel diplomat over sex scandal in Chile
The disciplinary committee of South Korea's foreign ministry decided to expel a diplomat accused of harassing teenage girls in Chile, a press report said Tuesday.
N. Korea's new stealth drone capable of carrying 'dirty bomb': analyst
North Korea has developed a stealth drone made of titanium and carbon composites that can carry explosive devices including a "dirty bomb" based on enriched uranium to spread radioactive materials over South Korea, a private group claimed Tuesday.
S. Korea's conservative ruling party split into two groups
The ruling party of President Park Geun-hye was split Tuesday after 29 disgruntled legislators quit to form a separate conservative political group, sending a starting signal for South Korea's presidential race.
S. Korea goes ahead with construction of six 3,000-ton frigates
South Korea will finally go ahead with the construction of 3,000-ton frigates in a 2.3 billion US dollar program that would complete the construction of modern vessels to replace the aging fleet of coastal ships.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Posco takes lead in providing automakers with new steel plate solution
South Korea’s largest steelmaker Posco is gaining industry attention for its unique ability to supply high tensile steel to vehicle manufacturers, providing them with lighter but more solid steel plates based on its cutting-edge technology.
NPS faces setback in asset management amid ongoing probe over suspected corruption
South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS), which is under the country prosecutor’s investigations over alleged negligence of duty for its decision to approve Samsung Group’s merger of two affiliates last year, is in limbo, unable to set up next year’s investment plan for the world’s third largest pension fund that manages assets worth 545 trillion won ($452.35 billion).
Hyundai Motor to showcase future mobility solutions at 2017 CES
South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co. is out to fully demonstrate its prowess in future mobility at the CES in Las Vegas to be held on Jan. 5-8, focusing on intelligent autonomous driving and advanced, hyper-connectivity solutions that will link cars to user’s lives.
NH Investment and IBK picked as best dividend investments among Korean stocks
NH Investment & Securities Co. and Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) are this year’s best dividend investments among Korean stocks.
According to 164 reports from 20 local securities companies released in the October-December period, the two stocks received the most recommendations for dividend appeal.
SK Holdings C&C to launch Watson-based call center service in March 2017
South Koreans will be aided by artificial intelligence instead of human voice when connecting to call center for insurance-related service starting March through Watson, IBM’s cognitive computer system, that have mastered the conversational skill in the Korean language.
S. Korean food chains accelerates plan to go global amid slowing local demand
South Korean restaurant chains are aggressive in adding their stores in foreign countries as part of efforts to seek a breakthrough from the depressed local market and strict regulations for opening new chains of large food companies.
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.com ,service@wsj-asia.com
Financial Times www.ft.com ean@ft.com
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
Gwangmyeong Daily 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
lemonde www.ilemonde.com
Italy rarepupeul Rica 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 Herald www.smh.com.au
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