Tuesday June 9, 2020

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

The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
EcoBizNet operates a microbial business platform CellAct; recruits franchisees from around the world
EcoBiznet, situated in the Bio Complex in Chuncheon Bioindustry Foundation, is a Small and medium-sized promising venture company that started out as a corporation which became independent from Doosan Group in 2000. In the beginning, the company mainly focused on consulting, but with the establishment of a R&D institute in 2006, it has remained committed to developing business models.

UAE’s one of the first countries to reach out, extend a helping hand.
The United Arab Emirates is one of the first countries to reach out and extend a hand of help to combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, where it has started early planning of many humanitarian initiatives to help curb the spread of the virus. While the UAE continues its constant work of supporting the global efforts aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 disease, it has provided more than 708 tons of medical aid, personal protection kits and supplies to 62 countries worldwide to date, with direct beneficiaries exceeding 708,000 health workers. In addition, 65 million indirect beneficiaries profited from the UAE’s global efforts in combatting the spread of the virus.Association of Korean Cultural Centers of Uzbekistan. Review film about how Koreans got to Uzbekistan, how they were met by the Uzbek people.
On how Koreans live in Uzbekistan today, about the landmark opening of the Palace of Korean Culture and Art, and how the Koreans of Uzbekistan celebrate Chusok.

Special notice: The Korea Post is organizing a tour for the Ambassadors and Madams to the Pyeongkang Oriental Medicine Hospital on Tuesday June 9, 2010. Ambassadors and Madams are cordially invited to the Tour where an Oriental medicine pack against COVID-19 is presented to each Excellency. In the event of absence of Invitation, please advise the Editor at The Korea Post at 010-5201-1740.

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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
N. Korea to Cut off All Inter-Korean Communication Lines at Noon
North Korea said it will cut off all inter-Korean communication lines at noon on Tuesday, after it strongly protested anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent by North Korean defectors in South Korea over the border.
The North's official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) said on Tuesday that Pyongyang "will completely cut off and shut down the liaison line between the authorities of the two Koreas, which has been maintained through the North-South joint liaison office," as well as other communication links from noon Tuesday.

Court Rejects Arrest Warrant for Samsung Heir
A local court refused to grant an arrest warrant for Samsung Electronics Vice Chariman Lee Jae-yong over his alleged involvement in a controversial 2015 merger between Samsung affiliates.
The Seoul Central District Court rejected the prosecution's request to arrest Lee at around 2 a.m. Tuesday, citing that there is no sufficient probable cause for his arrest.
The arrest warrants for two other Samsung executives, Choi Gee-sung and Kim Jong-joong, were also turned down.

Rival Parties Fail to Meet Deadline to Elect Parliamentary Standing Committee Chiefs
The ruling and opposition parties failed on Monday to reach a deal on how to divide powerful parliamentary committee chief posts as they hit the legal deadline for the procedure.
The floor leaders of the ruling Democratic Party(DP) and the main opposition United Future Party(UFP), Kim Tae-nyeon and Joo Ho-young, held last-minute negotiations in a meeting presided over by National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug, but couldn’t resolve the matter. 
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
N. Korea to cut off all inter-Korean communication lines at noon
North Korea will cut off all communication lines with South Korea at noon Tuesday, state media reported, blasting Seoul for failing to stop defectors from sending anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets into the communist nation.
The decision came days after the North vowed to abolish an inter-Korean liaison office and completely shut down other major cross-border programs, denouncing leaflet-sending as a hostile act breaching a series of peace agreements between the two sides.

Trump continually reassessing U.S. overseas military presence: White House
U.S. President Donald Trump is continually reassessing the American overseas military presence, the White House said Monday following reports that Trump plans to partially withdraw troops from Germany.
The reports that Trump is slashing the U.S. military presence in Germany from 34,500 troops to no more than 25,000 have renewed concerns about possibly similar plans for the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea.

Remdesivir shortens COVID-19 recovery time, but limits exist: experts
Remdesivir shortens recovery time for novel coronavirus patients, but the experimental drug conventionally used for treating Ebola has limited efficacy in severe cases, health experts said Monday.
Last week, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, South Korea's drug safety watchdog, approved the use of remdesivir as a treatment drug for COVID-19, allowing special imports by using its special measures procedure. 
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Would US pull troops from S. Korea?
After Washington’s decision to cut its military presence in Germany, local experts said Monday that it is unlikely the United States will pursue a similar course of action here.
But the South Korean government should be ready for anything given US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable style, they added.

Court rejects arrest warrant for Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong
A Seoul court rejected Tuesday the arrest warrant for Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong over the succession probe.
The Seoul Central District Court turned down the prosecution's request to arrest Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, saying that there is not sufficient probable cause for his arrest.

New cluster infections trouble health authorities amid drop in daily infection rate
South Korea’s new daily infections dropped to 38 on Monday, after hovering around 50 for a week, but health authorities warned the public to remain vigilant against community spread in the face of fresh outbreaks in the capital region.
The slight decline did not offer relief, as infections tied to a table tennis club in Seoul spiraled, while eight people at a church-run shelter for the Korean Chinese in the capital tested positive for the virus. 

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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Samsung heir avoids arrest over controversial merger
A South Korean court on Tuesday denied an arrest warrant request for Samsung Group heir Jay Y. Lee after prosecutors accused him of accounting fraud and stock manipulation.
The ruling provided at least temporary relief for the vice chairman of Samsung Electronics. But he may face further pressure from the case at a time when the world's top maker of smartphones and memory chips contends with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on demand.
Prosecutors last week asked the court to issue an arrest warrant for the 51-year-old Lee, as part of a probe into alleged accounting fraud involving a Samsung drugs affiliate and a 2015 merger of two other affiliates.

Schools back to normal amid COVID-19 fears
Elementary, middle and high school students all returned to their classrooms Monday, but many parents and teachers remain skeptical about whether or not the schools are free of the coronavirus. They are concerned about whether students will wear masks properly and adequately practice social distancing rules and other measures while in school.
According to the Ministry of Education (MOE), an estimated 1.35 million middle school first grade students and fifth and sixth graders of elementary school began in-person classes on the day, bringing the total number brought back to school in four phases to 5.97 million. The schools appear back to normal operation 99 days after the initial delay of the spring semester.

As temperature rises, race for cool masks heats up
Consumers are once again complaining about a shortage of face masks ― this time a new type that is cheaper and allegedly easier to breathe in than ones already available, and is primarily designed to block exhaled water vapor.
Mask manufacturer Welkeeps began sales of "saliva droplet prevention" masks Monday at 9 a.m., but its inventory was sold out in less than 20 minutes. 
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Kim Yo-jong becomes the face of N. Korea regarding propaganda balloons
For several days following a June 4 statement by Kim Yo-jong, first deputy director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), North Korean officials have criticized North Korean defector groups that launch balloons filled with anti-North Korea propaganda leaflets over the border and have been pressuring the South Korean government to stop the balloon launches. North Korea published a statement by the spokesperson of its United Front Department on June 5, and the Rodong Sinmun state-run newspaper covered a reaction from all sectors of society, including mass rallies held in protest, in its June 6 and 7 issues.

US directly asks S. Korea to join economic coalition that excludes China
The US gave the South Korean government an explanation about the Economic Prosperity Network (EPN), which is supposed to be an economic coalition of its allies that excludes China, and asked Seoul to take interest in the coalition. This is the first time the US has brought up the EPN through governmental channels, suggesting that the US is going to start pressuring South Korea to join the EPN.

COVID-19 pandemic fuels hate speech in Japan
Hate speech has been increasing in Japan amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper reported on June 5.
In particular, the newspaper reported on a spate of telephone and email messages to Saitama Korean Elementary and Middle School in Saitama -- a city in Saitama Prefecture that is part of the Greater Tokyo region -- telling the readers to “go back to your country if you don’t like it here.”

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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
U.S. Official Urges Korea to Be More Flexible in Cost-Sharing
An increasingly desperate U.S. State Department has urged Seoul to be more flexible in defense cost-sharing talks as officials come under growing pressure to deliver on President Donald Trump's exorbitant demands for a hike.
Marc Knapper, a deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan, claimed in a virtual seminar hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies last week there has been "very important progress" in the negotiations recently.

Kim Jong-un's Sister 'Now in Charge of Dealing with S.Korea'
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Yo-jong now appears to be in charge of all inter-Korean matters.
Cross-border relations used to be handled by apparatchiks in North Korea's United Front Department and the military, but ex-intelligence officers here say it looks like Kim Yo-jong has been put personally in charge as her brother streamlines the regime.

Early Summer Heat Arrives
Heat wave advisories have been issued in most parts of Korea with temperatures rising to around 30 degrees Celsius.
The southern parts of the country will gradually fall under the influence of the summer monsoon front in the coming days.

The Korea Meteorological Administration on Sunday issued heat advisories for Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, while temperatures will rise above 30 degrees in most parts.
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Slave trader statue thrown into river in England
Around 10,000 people turned out for a demonstration against the death of George Floyd, who died of police brutality, in the port city of Bristol in England on Sunday. Some of the protesters threw eggs at a 5.5-meter bronze statue standing in Colston Avenue and then fastened ropes around the neck to pull it down. “It’s down,” shouted the crowds. Scenes like this are becoming a symbol of anti-racism demonstrations in Europe.

Samsung Biologics to produce medicines worth 300 bn won on contract
Samsung Biologics made a public announcement on Monday that the company signed a letter of intent to produce two biomedicines and the total contract amount is about 300 billion won. With the new contract, the South Korean pharmaceutical company has obtained orders worth over one trillion won in the first half of this year, which is already higher than the total sales of last year or 710.5 billion won.

Trump orders withdrawal of 9,500 U.S. troops from Germany
U.S. President Donald Trump directed the Department of Defense to bring 9,500 U.S. troops in Germany back home by September, said The Wall Street Journal on Friday (local time). It is expected to increase concerns among other U.S. allies including South Korea, which is currently in negotiation for defense costs.

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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Voices Argue, “Heed the Concerns of Human Rights Violations,” as Government Promotes the Globalization of K-Quarantine
As the world eyes South Korea’s response to COVID-19, government-wide efforts are being made to concentrate the organization and budget on the globalization of “K-Quarantine,” the South Korean system in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, people are also calling for a more sensitive approach from the government, since its response poses the risk of infringing basic rights, such as the information released when contact tracing confirmed patients and the instance of the cluster transmission connected to the Itaewon clubs.

Moon Government Faces Greatest Challenge in Inter-Korean Relations: What Is Their Next Move?
The government’s concerns grew as North Korea raised tensions with a series of statements composed of rough expressions. The North even threatened the possibility of annulling the Panmunjom Declaration, while denouncing the distribution of propaganda flyers aimed at North Korea, when the South Korean government had been seeking ways to encourage inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation separately from the negotiations between North Korea and the United States, currently at a prolonged deadlock.

Other than Living Expenses, House of Sharing Spent Less than 1% of Donations on Elderly Victims
It was revealed that the House of Sharing, a shelter for the surviving comfort women victims who suffered in the Japanese military, spent less than 1% of its donations on cultural activities and welfare of the elderly women with the exception of basic living expenses. The House of Sharing, an establishment of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, argued that it sent 40-60 million won of the donations it received to the facilities to use for the elderly women. This was the first time that the details of how the House of Sharing spent the donations were released to the public.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Samsung Elec shares weaken amid multiple scourges at home and abroad
Shares of Samsung Electronics have reversed course as multiple scourges weigh over the recovery in mainstay chip business on the external front, while its chief is summoned back to the prosecution and faces another rounds of judiciary challenge at home.

Shinhan Financial pledges $71 bn financing to back state-led New Deal projects
South Korea’s top Shinhan Financial Group Co. on Monday pledged 85 trillion won ($71 billion) in new loans and investment over the next five years devoted to back the government’s New Deal programs aimed to rebuild the economy after the virus pandemic.

S. Korea’s unemployment allowance hits record $830 mn in May amid virus impact
State unemployment benefits reached over 1 trillion won ($830 million) for the first time in May, underscoring the surge in the number of those out of work due to coronavirus impact, data showed Monday.
According to data from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, unemployment check handouts amounted to 1.016 trillion won in May, up 33.9 percent from the same period last year. 
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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
AustraliaBrisbaneTime
www.brisbanetimes.com.au syndication@fairfaxmedia.com.au
Sydney Morning Heraldwww.smh.com.au
Colombia Reports http://www.colombiareports.com
BogotaFree 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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