Tuesday August 18, 2020
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
“We are ready to discuss with Japan at any time to find a solution to pending issues”
President Moon Jae-in said last Saturday (August 15) that the Korean government is ready to discuss with Japan at any time to find a solution to the questions over Japan’s compensation for the Korean workers whom Japan forced labor during World War II.
Moon said, “Our government has consulted with Japan on a smooth resolution, on which victims can agree, and leaves the door of consultations wide open now as well."
President Moon's four-day trip to the United Arab Emirates
https://youtu.be/dZMUXv63UdI
“We promote religious, cultural exchanges with many countries, including Japan, China”
Ven. Youngsan Hongpa, chief abbot of the Myogak-sa Buddhist Temple in Seungin-dong near the East Gate in Seoul, said, “We are making substantial efforts to promote the Buddhist and cultural exchanges between Korea and many countries of the world, especially with Japan and China.”
At a recent interview with The Korea Post media, publisher of 3 English and 2 Korean-language media outlets since 1985, Ven. Hongpa then said, “We had a special tripartite Buddhist program this year among Korea, China and Japan this year, but we had to postpone it to some other appropriate time due to the continuous spreading COVID-19 contagious disease.
The Korean Buddhist Gwaneum Order, of which Ven. Hongpa is the leader as chief abbot, ranks among the fourth or fifth largest among all Korean Buddhist orders, with the Chogye Order leading the Buddhist world in Korea with a 40 to 50 percent share.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
S. Korea's New COVID-19 Cases Climb by 246
South Korea has reported 246 new COVID-19 cases.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(KCDC) on Tuesday reported the new figure compiled throughout the previous day, lifting the cumulative tally to 15-thousand-761.
It marks the fifth consecutive day the daily number hit triple digits amid a rapid resurgence in local infections with the total cases registered in the five-day period amounting to 991.
Of the latest cases, 235 were locally transmitted while the remaining eleven were imported from overseas.
S. Korea, US Kick off Joint Exercises
South Korea and the United States on Tuesday kicked off their annual summertime combined military exercise, though scaled back amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two sides will hold the computer-simulated Combined Command Post Training(CCPT) until next Friday. The allies carried out the Crisis Management Staff Training for four days last week as a prelude to the main joint drills.
Abe Undergoes 2nd Health Check-up in 2 Months, Prompting Concerns
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly underwent a medical check-up at a hospital on Monday, just about two months after his previous check-up, prompting speculations about his health condition.
Kyodo News reported that Abe left a hospital in Tokyo at around 6 p.m. on Monday after staying there for seven hours and 30 minutes.
An official at Abe's office said that the prime minister underwent a check-up using his summer holiday, calling it routine.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
New virus cases jump back to above 200; tougher measures eyed in greater Seoul area
The number of daily new virus cases in South Korea bounced back sharply Tuesday as infections linked to churches in the capital city showed no signs of a slowdown. The country may adopt tougher virus-preventive measures in the greater Seoul area currently dogged by a series of cluster infections.
The country reported 246 more COVID-19 cases, including 235 local infections, raising the country's total caseload to 15,761, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
It marked a three-digit number for the fifth straight day, following 166 more infections on Saturday and 103 Friday.
N. Korea to hold key party meeting this week to discuss 'increasing fighting efficiency'
North Korea said Tuesday it will hold a plenary Central Committee meeting of the Workers' Party (WKP) this week to "discuss and decide on an issue of crucial significance in developing the Korean revolution and increasing the fighting efficiency of the party."
The official Korean Central News Agency didn't provide further details on the meeting set for Wednesday, including what exactly will be discussed, but observers expect that the session could deal with organizational issues given that the North has recently held party meetings to discuss launching a new party organization.
S. Korea, U.S. kick off joint summertime exercise amid COVID-19 concern
South Korea and the United States on Tuesday kicked off their annual summertime combined exercise in a scaled-back manner amid the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.
The computer-simulated Combined Command Post Training (CCPT), which will run until Aug. 28, is the first major exercise between the two countries this year as their annual springtime exercise was called off due to COVID-19.
The first part of the exercise, which is to run until Saturday, will focus on how to defend the South against an invasion by North Korea, and the second part, set for Aug. 24-28, will be based on the scenario of launching a counterattack in response, according to the officials.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Climate change should influence where you want to live in the future, TV personality says
“When people ask me, ‘Do you want to keep living in South Korea?,’ the first thing that I ask is ‘What region is likely to suffer less in the future as a result of the climate crisis?’ How can you not worry about things like that? I felt like that was an issue that needed to be resolved ahead of anything else.”
The dream of Tyler Rasch, a 32-year-old TV personality who hails from the US and appears on numerous entertainment programs in South Korea, is to “solve the climate crisis.” An international politics major, he is an “eco head” who grows vegetables on his porch, uses natural solid soap, and releases stress by jogging along the Han River. He has been a brand ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) since 2016 and moderated for a May 2018 climate crisis event held by the Korean Federation for Environment Movement.
LG Chem battles with China’s CATL for top spot in global electric battery industry
A two-way battery race is taking shape between LG Chem and the Chinese company Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL). With most of its supply chain functioning even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, LG Chem was able to claim the industry’s top spot during the first half of the year -- but the rivalry has been intensifying as CATL wages a full-scale onslaught on the back of the Chinese market. Predictions that the electric vehicle (EV) battery market will be dominated by the two heavyweights for the time being are gaining traction.
Why do progressives spend more on defense than conservatives?
A light aircraft carrier and a “Korean Iron Dome” to intercept long-range North Korean artillery -- these were two of the key projects in an intermediate-term national defense plan announced by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Aug. 10. It called for a total of 300 trillion won (US$253.5 billion) to be spent on defense, including 100 trillion won (US$84.5 billion) in defense capability improvements over the next five years.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Rich Koreans Have No Intention of Selling Multiple Homes
Most rich Koreans have no intention of selling their multiple homes even though the government is slapping punitive taxes on them, a straw poll suggests.
The Chosun Ilbo asked 50 private-banking clients of Korea's top five banks whether they want to sell their real estate, and 43 said no. That could mean that yet another round of punitive measures announced earlier this month could be as ineffective in curbing real-estate speculation and taming prices as all previous ones.
The respondents own an average of W15.8 billion in assets and are 55 years old (US$1=W1,188). Each owns an average of 1.8 homes each, and 21 live in the flash Gangnam area of southern Seoul.
'Coronavirus Blues' Keeps Psychiatrists Busy
An increasing number of people are suffering from anxiety or depression due to social distancing that has now been going on for over six months.
According to the Health Ministry last week, 374,221 people visited public health centers across the country with "coronavirus blues" from February to Aug. 3. That is more than the number of patients who complained of anxiety or depression over the whole of last year.
The picture is much the same at private clinics. Roh Jeong-kyun, a psychiatrist, said the number of patients with these symptoms has jumped about 20 to 30 percent.
Coronavirus Cases Jump in Seoul Metropolitan Area
A spike in the number of coronavirus infections in the Seoul metropolitan area is raising alarms.
The number of new cases soared to 104 as of Friday morning, the first time in about 20 days to surpass 100 a day.
Two merchants in Seoul's crowded Dongdaemun Market found positive for coronavirus on Thursday and about a dozen were tested, following about a dozen merchants in Namedaemun Market who tested positive earlier this week.
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Samsung to manufacture IBM’s 7nm Power10 Processor
Samsung Electronics will manufacture IBM’s next-generation central processing unit (CPU). Unveiling the next-generation server CPU “IBM Power10” on Monday (local time), IBM said it will produce its latest processor chip for servers using Samsung’s EUV-based 7nm process. So Samsung’s competitiveness in the non-memory semiconductor sector has been proven once again as IBM has chosen the South Korean tech giant over TSMC, the leader in the global semiconductor foundry sector, as the supplier of the IBM Power10.
Kim Dae-jung Presidential Library unveils Kim’s audio clip
“A conscience that does not take action is on the side of evil after all,” cried out Kim Dae-jung on April 19, 1975 despite strict surveillance by the Yushin regime. The 51-year-old politician was speaking at a lecture celebrating the fifth anniversary of the first publication of monthly magazine “The Sound of Seeds” by Ham Seok-heon. During a lecture Kim gave for the first time in Korea after being kidnapped in Tokyo in August 1973 and survived a murder attempt, he preached “a conscience that does take action,” which later became a phrase that symbolizes himself.
Moon Min-jong wins Glovis U-20 Global Go Championship
South Korean go fans are much excited over the emergence of a young star player, a potential successor to legendary Lee Se-dol. His name is Moon Min-jong, a 17-year-old professional go player of 2 dan rank.
Earlier this month, Moon won the 7th Global Go Tournament U-20 by Glovis.” Participants at the tournament are young, but they are world-class. The Chinese players Moon had subdued such as Lee Wei Ching (final), Liao Yuanhe (semi-final), and Xie Ke (quarter-final) are ranked 13th, 22nd, and 16th, respectively in the world. The Chinese go community is shocked after the three men, who were regarded as counterweight of Shin Jin-seo, the 20-year-old player ranked first in South Korea, have been defeated by Moon, who is ranked in the 150th in Korea.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
President Moon Casts Light on COVID-19, Korea-Japan Relations, and the Right to Pursuit of Happiness on National Liberation Day
On August 15, the 75th anniversary of national liberation, President Moon Jae-in said, “The goal of our government is to realize an age of Article 10 of our Constitution, in which all citizens shall be assured of human worth and dignity and have the right to the pursuit of happiness.” He also said that true liberation was “a guarantee of the dreams and lives of each individual in a peaceful and safe unified Korean Peninsula.” The president presented the fulfillment of the spirit of Article 10, which stipulates the individual’s right to the pursuit of happiness, as the goal guiding the incumbent government.
Japan Should Respond to Dialogue Instead of Going Against the Flow without Reflecting on Its Past
On August 15, the 75th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in the Pacific War, four members of the Japanese Shinzo Abe cabinet paid their respects at the Yasukuni Shrine, where class-A war criminals are enshrined. Afterwards, Seiichi Eto, minister of state for Okinawa and Northern Territories affairs said, “This is not an issue on which we should listen to South Korea or China,” and Sanae Takaichi, minister of internal affairs and communications said, “How one is to serve and comfort the spirits of those who sacrificed their lives for their country should be determined by the people of each country.” That cabinet members visited the Yasukuni Shrine for the first time in four years is shocking, but their rash comments are simply outrageous. There was no sign of any reflection on the past war of aggression and the pride that they displayed as they suggested attempts to intervene in the domestic affairs of the country left us doubting whether Japan had any interest in developing a future-oriented relationship with neighboring countries.
Archive 814, a Collection of Comfort Women Records, Opens on August 14
Materials concerning the comfort women, collected by the Research Institute on Comfort Women in the Japanese Military will be released to the public on August 14 to commemorate the day of remembrance for the comfort women victims in the Japanese military. The items will go on display, two years after the project was launched in 2018 as one of 100 top state tasks of the Moon Jae-in government. However, the research institute has been maintained as a project commissioned yearly by the Women’s Human Rights Institute of Korea, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Many challenges still lay ahead for the first government-affiliated research institute on the comfort women to fulfill its role.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
A financier’s top priority is to protect consumer money, Blackstone Group co-founder
A financier must start from the commitment to protect people’s money and develop a creative investment tool or product but that is understood by everyone in the company or organization as not to make mistakes in marketing or lose other people’ money, advises Stephen Schwarzman, chairman and chief executive of The Blackstone Group.
Hanjin chairman raises $34mn in loans against Hanjin KAL shares
Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Won-tae has taken another 20 billion won ($16.8 million) loan against his Hanjin KAL shares in less than a month after he mortgaged shares in a move suspected to secure funds for hefty inheritance tax bill and up his stake in the transportation conglomerate amid ongoing proxy contest against his sister.
LG Display on course to lead borderless monitor panel market
South Korea’s LG Display Co. is poised to lead premium LCD panel market with frameless PC monitors.
According to market researcher Omdia, LG Display’s borderless monitor display panel production capacity is projected to reach 34.2 million units next year to account for 33.5 percent of the global shipment. Currently, it is capable of producing 33.06 million units a year.
It reportedly already dominates the four-sided borderless monitor category with 80 percent share.
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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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