Wednesday July 08, 2020
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
Expectations are high on Moon’s 3 new appointees, Park, Lee, Im
On July 3, President Moon Jae-in replaced the diplomatic and security chiefs of Korea. They are the heads of the National Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Unification and the National Security Office of the Presidential Man of Cheong Wa Dae (Blue House).
Moon named former Special Envoy Park Jie-won as new head of the National Intelligence Service replacing Suh Hoon, who has been tapped as director of the National Security Office.
“Let’s consume for the sake of others and to live together!”
President Moon Jae-in urged the Korean people on July 2 to “Let’s consume for others’ sake and live together.” Here are excerpts from the message of President Moon:
Hello. As everybody knows, exports and domestic demand are the two pillars that shore up our economy. In fact, however, neither is it a good situation. Exports have fallen sharply in April, May, and June compared to the same months last year. One silver lining is that the decreases are becoming smaller than before, and thus, we expect significant improvements in the second half.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
N. Korean Leader Visits Mausoleum to Mark Grandfather's Death Anniversary
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly visited a national mausoleum to mark the 26th anniversary of the death of his grandfather and the country's founder Kim Il-sung.
The Rodong Sinmun, the official paper of the ruling Workers' Party, said on Wednesday that Kim paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun where Kim Il-sung's body lies in state.
Posting a photo of Kim paying his respects without a mask, the paper said Kim made the visit with top officials, including Choe Ryong-hae, chief of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.
US Officially Notifies WHO of its Withdrawal
The United States has reportedly notified the World Health Organization(WHO) that it will formally withdraw from the body.
The Hill, a Washington-based political newspaper, reported on Tuesday that a senior official from the Trump administration confirmed that the White House has officially moved to withdraw from the global public health body.
Biegun, Delegation Test Negative for COVID-19
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun and his delegation reportedly all tested negative for the coronavirus upon their arrival in South Korea on Tuesday.
According to a Foreign Ministry official in Seoul, Biegun and his team arrived at Osan Air Base south of Seoul around 3 p.m. and took the unscheduled tests.
Biegun and the delegation were originally supposed to be exempt from testing and self-isolation in South Korea if they submitted certificates that they tested negative for the virus in the U.S.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Biegun to meet senior Seoul officials over stalled nuke diplomacy
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun was set to meet a series of senior Seoul officials Wednesday to explore ways to revive stalled nuclear talks with North Korea, despite Pyongyang's repeated rejection of dialogue with Washington.
Biegun began his three-day trip here Tuesday, apparently to renew the U.S.' commitment to diplomacy with the communist state and forestall escalation of tensions caused by its recent demolition of an inter-Korean liaison office, warnings of now-suspended military plans and hostile rhetoric.
U.S. 'disappointed' by S. Korean court's refusal to extradite child porn site operator
The U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday it is disappointed by a South Korean court's denial of an extradition request for the operator of one of the world's biggest child porn sites.
The department provided a statement by acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin of Washington, D.C., in response to a Yonhap query about the Seoul High Court's decision on Monday.
Samsung Q2 earnings beat estimate on chip biz, one-time gains
Samsung Electronics Co. on Tuesday projected a stronger than expected second-quarter performance as solid demand for server chips appeared to offset a slump in smartphone sales amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, while one-time gains in the display business also helped push up its bottom line.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
More expats have their voices heard in Korea
Khalilzade Nihat, an Azerbaijan national and Seoul resident, is a member of a committee run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, in which foreign residents discuss policies relating to them and make recommendations.
At an upcoming meeting slated for July 17, Nihat is planning to recommend that the Ministry of Justice run a public campaign promoting the acceptance of foreign nationals as members of society.
Concern grows over unrelenting spread of COVID-19
The health authorities are increasingly concerned as the spread of COVID-19 here is accelerating, with recent outbreaks having occurred in everyday places such as apartments, gyms and golf courses, officials said Tuesday.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), said 29 coronavirus infections have been connected to an apartment block in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province. The apartment's elevator was considered the most likely vector for infection as residents' movements did not overlap anywhere else. Elevators, however, had not been identified as a clear route for infection, the KCDC said.
Biegun's visit meant to show strong ROK-US alliance'
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun's three-day visit to Seoul from Tuesday to Thursday will be focused on showing the strength of the South Korea-United States alliance, according to diplomatic experts.
They say the secretary and his counterpart will have to demonstrate that South Korea and the United States are on the same page about pending issues, including North Korea, rather than extending new offers to Pyongyang amid stalled nuclear negotiations.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
The S. Korea-US working group needs a major overhaul
Lee In-young, the nominee to serve as the new unification minister, commented on July 6 about the controversy surrounding the South Korea-US working group, stressing the need to “distinguish the things we can achieve through the working group from the things we can decide on and do on our own.”
Lee also emphasized the need for “creative solutions,” noting that “North Korea sanctions are not an end in themselves.”
Lee In-young says S. Korea-US working group and Unification Ministry should have separate roles
Lee In-young, nominee to serve as the new unification minister, commented on July 6 about the controversy surrounding the South Korea-US working group, stressing the need for “creative solutions” and emphasizing that “North Korea sanctions are not an end in themselves.” He also said he plans to “take the necessary measures” if his nomination is approved by the National Assembly.
US repeats call for N. Korea’s “final and fully verified denuclearization” ahead of Biegun’s S. Korea visit
Shortly before a senior American diplomat’s visit to South Korea on July 7-9, the US State Department repeated its call for North Korea’s “final and fully verified denuclearization.” The US’ reconfirmation of its longstanding demand for the North’s complete denuclearization came as attention focused on what message Stephen Biegun would bring the North during his time in Seoul.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
More Women Wouldn't Mind Being Single Mothers
A growing number of women in traditionally conservative Korea are willing to have children out of wedlock, suggesting that old taboos are fast eroding.
In a straw poll of 389 single women in their 30s by pollster Tillion Pro, 34.2 percent said they want to get married and have kids, but 10.3 percent said they wanted to have children but definitely not marry. Another 7.5 percent of the respondents said they wanted kids whether they are married or not.
Most Temporary Workers Denied Proper Breaks
Only one in three temporary workers can take a proper break at work, a straw poll suggests.
The online poll of 1,919 part-timers working more than four hours a day by job portal Albamon shows that a mere 37.5 percent can take a full break in the workplace.
Some 31.8 percent said they are not allowed to take a full break despite being entitled to it by law, and a staggering 26.6 percent who were given no breaks at all.
Small Traders' Trucks Become Latest Victim of Recession
Sales of 1-ton trucks like the Hyundai Porter and Kia Bongo favored by small traders have plummeted amid the economic blows dealt by the coronavirus epidemic.
Sales of these trucks have tended to jump in tough economic times when laid-off workers look for alternative sources of income such as selling fruit, vegetables and other products off the backs of the vehicles, but the opposite is happening in this crisis.
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Biegun visits S. Korea without his right arm
Stephen Biegun, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State and Special Representative for North Korea, arrived in Seoul on Tuesday with a plan to visit the country for three days. The visit, which came seven months after the last one in December 2019, is the first since his promotion to the deputy secretary. However, as the North repeatedly denied the possibility of talks with the U.S. by saying that the North’s staff has no intention to sit across the Americans, it is predicted to be difficult to find a breakthrough for the resumption of the U.S.-North Korea talks during this visit.
S. Korea, Japan compete in hydrogen train technology
Battery-operated train development is picking up speed with advances in lithium-ion batteries. Japan has recently unveiled a new Shinkansen bullet train that is powered by batteries, while Hyundai Motor Group is accelerating its efforts to apply hydrogen technologies to electric train batteries.
Rare toads discovered in Yeouido
A knot of toads, which is a protected species in Korea, have been discovered at the Yeouido Saetgang Eco Park in Seoul.
It is unusual to see a knot of toads, which is classified as least concern (LC) species by the Ministry of Environment, in a city, according to the Hangang Project Headquarters under the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday. The hundreds and thousands of eggs discovered in May this year appear to have hatched into tadpoles and developed into adult toads.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Infectious Disease Experts Call for Need to Expand Level-2 Physical Distancing Nationwide
The daily number of patients confirmed COVID-19-positive continues to remain somewhere around 50. In areas that saw a recent surge in numbers like Jeollanam-do and Gwangju, they have voluntarily raised the level of physical (social) distancing to level 2, but infectious disease experts say, “The present situation, with so many cluster transmissions and ‘untraceable’ cases, is more serious than the outbreak in the Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do region,” and argue that the physical distancing should be raised to level 2 throughout the nation.
Why Do They Answer Only After Death? Fair Sports Commission Permanently Expels Coach and Team Captain of Gyeongju City Hall
The marathon review by the fair sports commission of the Korea Triathlon Federation continued for over six hours, and in the end, the commission decided on a severe penalty, to permanently expel the coach and the team captain of the Gyeongju City Hall triathlon team, who were cited as the perpetrators of brutal abuse, which led to the death of the late Choi Suk-hyeon. The commission decided to suspend the athlete status of another athlete for ten years.
Three Major Issues that Will Determine the Fate of the Government: President Moon Personally Takes the Wheel
On July 2, President Moon Jae-in summoned Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mee to Cheongwadae (Cheong Wa Dae) and received a special report on the real estate policy. The next day, the president carried out a massive reshuffle of his foreign affairs and national security advisors in Cheongwadae and the government and prepared a line-up to step up as a mediator between North Korea and the United States. Earlier, he repeatedly urged lawmakers to launch an investigative agency overseeing crimes by senior public officials on schedule, tightening his grip on institutionalizing reforms in the Prosecution Service.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
LG Elec’s Q2 OP comes well above market expectation
South Korea’s LG Electronics Inc. on Tuesday projected its operating profit for the second quarter would reach nearly 500 billion won ($417.7 million), which beat market consensus by nearly 100 billion won thanks to solid sales of premium home appliances.
Maekyung’s 21st WKF held as planned in Seoul Sept with focus on pandemic dynamics
The 21st World Knowledge Forum, Asia’s largest annual business agenda event hosted by South Korea’s Maekyung Media Group, will be held as planned in September in Seoul with focus on pandemic influence on the global order.
Under the title of “Pandenomics Perspective: Shaping New Global Symbiosis”, the forum arranges 100 discussion sessions under seven agendas – pandenomics; new capitalism; live green, healthy and happy; better tech & business; reshaping global governance; Asia’s role & responsibility; startup festival – to explore solutions to battle COVID-19 crisis and address new environment challenges after the pandemic.
Samsung Elec projects surprise earnings jump of more than 20% in Q2
Samsung Electronics Co. on Tuesday projected an operating profit of 8.1 trillion won ($6.8 billion) in the second quarter, faring far better than expected with more than 20 percent growth against the previous quarter and year.
The world’s largest chip and smartphone maker, in its preliminary report for the quarter ended June, said its operating profit likely gained 22.7 percent from a year earlier and 25.6 percent from the previous three months.
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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 Herald www.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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