Tuesday May 12, 2020
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
“KIND is ready to serve as a facilitator for efficient PPP projects implementation worldwide”“KIND is ready to serve as a facilitator for efficient PPP projects implementation worldwide”
President & CEO Hur Kyong-Goo of the Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation (KIND) emphasizes that his organization is ready to serve as a facilitator for efficient Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects implementation worldwide, collaborating with various global PPP players to help fill the gap between infrastructure demand and supply.
”Paraguay has great potential for production, logistics base for S. American markets”
The Republic of Paraguay has great potential as a production and logistics base for entry into South American markets because its tax system is simplified, one of the lowest levels of taxes in the region. This was disclosed by Ambassador Raul Silvero of the Republic of Paraguay in Seoul at a recent interview with The Korea Post media, publisher of 3 English and 2 Korean-language publications.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
School Reopenings Postponed By a Week in Wake of Itaewon Cluster Infection
The South Korean government has decided to postpone physical school openings that were supposed to begin on Wednesday by one more week in the wake of a cluster of infections linked to Itaewon clubs in Seoul.
The decision was announced Monday afternoon by Vice Education Minister Park Baeg-beom after Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae discussed the matter in a conference call with Jeong Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(KCDC), and other officials.
Pompeo Discusses COVID-19 Cooperation with Kang, other Top Diplomats
The top diplomats of seven countries including South Korea and the United States held a video conference on Monday to discuss cooperation and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The U.S. State Department said in a press release that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held talks with the top diplomats of South Korea, Japan, Australia, Brazil, India and Israel.
Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said that Pompeo and his counterparts discussed the importance of "international cooperation, transparency and accountability" in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing its causes.
US State Department Thanks S. Korea for Sending 2 Million Masks
The U.S. State Department on Monday thanked South Korea for sending two million face masks in support of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs expressed its gratitude to South Korea and the presidential office in a Twitter post, saying the masks are being sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Infection cases linked to Itaewon clubs rise to 94
The number of new coronavirus infections connected to bars and clubs in Seoul's popular nightlife district of Itaewon climbed to 94 on Monday, health authorities and local governments said amid growing concerns over a high risk of community spread.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) announced that 86 cases, including 63 club visitors and 23 family members and friends who came in contact with the clubbers, were confirmed as of noon on Monday.
S. Korea at critical juncture for virus containment amid rising Itaewon-linked infections
South Korea's coronavirus containment capability is again put to the test after successfully controlling new infections for weeks, as the country braces for a sharp rise in new virus cases linked to clubs and bars in Seoul.
The country reported 35 more cases of the new coronavirus Monday, the biggest single day spike since April 9, bringing the nation's total infections to 10,909, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
3.8 magnitude quake detected in N. Korea
A 3.8 magnitude earthquake was detected late Monday in an eastern North Korean province, South Korea's weather authority said, adding that the quake appeared to be natural.
The tremor was detected at 7:45 p.m., some 37 kilometers northwest of Pyonggang County in Kangwon Province, the Korea Meteorological Administration said.
The administration earlier said the magnitude of the quake was 4.0 but later revised it down to 3.8.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
School resumptions postponed amid specter of second wave
The reopening of schools, which was scheduled for Wednesday for high school seniors, has been postponed in South Korea amid the specter of another wave of COVID-19 infections.
One-week delays in school resumption schedules, in stages spanning from this week through June 1, were announced Monday afternoon after at least 90 coronavirus cases were identified in a new cluster of infections that occurred in Seoul’s popular party district of Itaewon.
Earthquake hits North Korea
A 3.8 magnitude earthquake hit North Korea in Kangwon Province at 7:45 p.m. on Monday.
The epicenter is estimated to be some 37 kilometers Northwest of Pyeonggang in Kangwon Province.
The vibration could be felt in Gyeonggi Province in South Korea, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.
Nightclub cluster stokes fears of second wave
Seoul’s nightclub revelers are at the center of a potential second wave of infections in Korea, with the nonchalance of young people at reduced risk of falling critically sick cited as a threat to the novel coronavirus containment efforts.
In less than a week since a 29-year-old man was confirmed infected on Wednesday -- the first to be found linked to the infections in Itaewon, a Seoul neighborhood known for its nightlife -- at least 86 visitors of the nightclubs there had tested positive as of Monday.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Gov't struggles to trace Itaewon clubbers
The central government and municipal administrations are going all out to locate people who went clubbing in Itaewon between April 24 and May 6, as the number of COVID-19 cases linked to five nightclubs and bars in Seoul's popular nightlife spot jumped to 86 Monday, six days after the first case was reported.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), 14 more COVID-19 infections linked to the clubs were confirmed as of 12 p.m., bringing the total number of related cases to 86.
Mirae Asset sues Anbang
Mirae Asset said Monday it will file a counterclaim against China's Anbang Insurance Group which sued the Korean company in Delaware, April 27, for its refusal to complete payment of $5.8 billion for its purchase of 15 luxury hotels in the United States.
Hiring Peter & Kim and Quinn Emanuel law firms in the U.S., Mirae Asset decided to take the legal action there to get back its $580 million deposit and cancel the deal.
India accident testing LG Chem's crisis management
LG Chem's crisis management skills are being challenged following a deadly chemical incident at the company's Indian unit last week.
While the business environment is difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic, industry officials said how LG Chem manages the chemical accident will become an important factor in consolidating the affiliate's leadership of Korea's fourth-largest conglomerate.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://englishani.co.kr)
More than 80 COVID-19 cases linked with Itaewon nightclubs
More than 80 cases of the novel coronavirus have been linked to nightclubs in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood, with the cases occurring not only in the capital region but popping up in Busan and even on Jeju Island. COVID-19, which was seemingly on the verge of disappearing from South Korea, is once again spreading rapidly around the country.
This underlines the urgency of ramping up disease control measures as soon as new cases occur and doing everything possible to prevent further transmission. The central government said it’s considering the nationwide application of an order issued by Gyeonggi Province for people who visited the clubs in question to refrain from seeing anyone for two weeks.
Media reports surrounding Itaewon club outbreak accused of homophobia
As a cluster of novel coronavirus infections originating from clubs in the Itaewon neighborhood in Seoul’s Yongsan District has been spreading in the Seoul Capital Area (SCA) and elsewhere, some news outlets have been drawing ire with irrelevant reforms attacking the human rights of LGBT people. Experts and the administration lambasted the attitude as disruptive to disease control efforts.
S. Korea debates whether to delay start of schools after Itaewon club outbreak
While a COVID-19 outbreak that originated in clubs in the Seoul neighborhood of Itaewon appears to be spreading around the country, the South Korean government said on May 10 that it intends to maintain its more routine approach to social distancing. With students in the third year of high school scheduled to return to classes on May 13, the government plans to decide whether to adjust that schedule after canvassing public opinion and reviewing the results of contact tracing over the next few days. But public anxiety and confusion is growing as parents push for their children’s return to classes to be delayed, highlighting the need for a quick and deft response from the government.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
2nd Coronavirus Wave Feared After Itaewon Club Infections
Coronavirus infections are spiking again in Korea after a man in his late 20s, who went to a nightclub and other bars in Seoul's Itaewon district over the long weekend, tested positive for coronavirus on May 6. Four days later new infections apparently linked to clubs in Itaewon had swelled to 75.
The resurgence came amid a gradual easing of lockdown rules after new infections had stayed in single figures for around a week.
Parents Nervous After Fresh Surge in Coronavirus Infections
Parents are getting nervous about the gradual reopening of schools amid a resurgence of coronavirus infections traced to nightclubs in Seoul's Itaewon.
Some 75 new cases were reported as of Monday morning after a man who went clubbing in Itaewon on May 2 tested positive for coronavirus on May 6.
Gov't to Let Kids Take Mother's or Father's Surname
A Justice Ministry committee has recommended scrapping a law that automatically gives children their father's surname in a country where married couples keep their respective birth names. The aim is to remove another vestige of patriarchy in the family law.
The committee made the recommendation on May 8. "We need to completely revise Article 781 of the civil law to repeal the paternal surname system and allow parents to choose a surname for their children in the spirit of an equal marriage relationship," it said.
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Kim Jong Un’s ‘new strategic weapon’ to be revealed soon
The “new strategic weapon” mentioned by North Korea leader Kim Jong Un at the end of last year is likely to be a new 3,000-ton submarine equipped with multiple submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), the South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities said. Such estimation is based on numerous signs, including underwater injection tests for SLBMs near Shinpo shipbuilding yard in South Hamgyong Province.
Volvo to install SKT’s infotainment service in new models
An In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) service independently developed by SK Telecom will be installed in some of Volvo’s new models starting from the latter half of 2021. This is the first time that SK Telecom’s IVI will be installed in mass-production vehicles. The industry expects that the adoption will serve as a momentum for telecommunications companies to expand the mobility ecosystem.
Netflix launches ‘Snowpiercer’ series on May 25
The “Snowpiercer,” a TV series adaptation of Bong Joon-ho’s film Snowpiercer, will be released on Netflix on May 25. Consisting of 10 episodes, the new series follows passengers who got on the last train on earth to survive after the world had turned into a frozen wasteland due to extreme weather. It depicts class warfare, social injustice and survival.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
“Make Employment Insurance Available to More People and Promote the KCDC to an Administration”
On May 10, President Moon Jae-in spoke of plans to overcome unemployment as well as threats to the people’s livelihoods triggered by COVID-19 and said, “We will lay the foundation for an age of a universal employment insurance allowing everyone employed to receive benefits.” He further said, “We will significantly expand the subscribers of the employment insurance and implement an employment support policy for all citizens to upgrade our employment safety net to the next level.”
Press Coverage of COVID-19 Patients at Itaewon Clubs and Their Movements Becomes an Outing Fueling Discrimination and Hatred
The personal information of people who were allegedly infected with COVID-19 at clubs in Itaewon, Seoul was leaked on the Internet along with the press coverage, stirring controversy. Sensitive information like sexual orientation was highlighted, triggering criticism that the information was fueling hostility towards sexual minorities and not helping the government’s quarantine efforts.
Outline of the “Korean New Deal” Centered on the Digital Economy
The outline of the “Korean New Deal” including plans to establish digital infrastructure and to foster non-face-to-face industries has been revealed. The government took into consideration the fact that “untact” is becoming the norm as society practices physical (social) distancing in response to COVID-19, and presented the digital economy as the future pie.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
S. Korea exports in May 1-10 nearly halved amid standstill in US, Europe
South Korea’s exports nearly halved in the first 10 days of May from the year-ago period amid the protracted global standstill from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The country’s outbound shipments stopped at $6.9 billion in the May 1-10 period, shrinking $5.96 billion or 46.3 percent from a year earlier, the Korea Customs Service said Monday.
State subsidy for Korean jobless hit another record of $815.2 mn in April
State subsidies for jobless people in South Korea broke another record in April due to the massive layoffs and delayed hiring amid the coronavirus fallout.
The government doled out 993.3 billion won ($815.2 million) in subsidy for the unemployed in April, up 34.6 percent from 255.1 billion won in the same month a year ago, according to the data released by the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Monday.
Clubber-triggered COVID-19 cases spike to 85 in Korea, thousands still unreachable
COVID-19 infections linked to clubs and bars in Seoul`s popular multicultural neighborhood of Itaewon have hit 85 nationally as of Monday, with over 3,000 clubbers who enjoyed night out during the holiday week unreachable.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported 35 more cases of COVID-19 infections on Monday, the biggest single day spike since April 9, bringing the total cases to 10,909.
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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.com, service@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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