Wednesday August 19, 2020

 

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

The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
India’s response to pandemic: Using crisis as an opportunity
A crisis can trigger ruin and catastrophe, but it also sometimes brings out the best in people and nations. More than any other country in the world, India has shown vividly how to creatively and resolutely harness challenges thrown by the ongoing coronavirus crisis to script its own resurgence as well as contribute to global recovery. Amid apocalyptic death, destruction, and dislocation unleashed by a rampaging pandemic, India, the world’s fifth-largest economy and an emerging global power, has managed to keep its recovery rate high as well as keep the fatality rate less than 2% - one of the lowest in the world. This has been achieved through multi-pronged efforts and initiatives by the Indian government, including a far-sighted initiative to order a nation-wide lockdown in the early stage of the pandemic when there were barely 600 cases in the country.

“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." 
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
S. Korea's Daily COVID-19 Cases Jump to Nearly 300
South Korea's COVID-19 cases have jumped by nearly 300 amid an explosive increase in locally transmitted infections.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(KCDC) on Wednesday announced 297 cases registered throughout the previous day, lifting the cumulative total to 16-thousand-58.
It is the sixth consecutive day with more than 100 new cases reported and marks the largest daily hike in the six-day period. Last Friday saw 103 new cases, followed by 166 cases on Saturday, 279 cases on Sunday, 197 cases on Monday and 246 cases on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Vows Legal Action against Quarantine Noncooperation
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said that the government will actively exercise legal action against acts impairing virus testing and epidemiological investigations.
The prime minister made the remarks while chairing a government meeting on COVID-19 responses, saying that the nation saw the daily number of new infections increase by triple digits for the sixth straight day.
Chung said those that undermine testing and epidemiological surveys, thus leading to additional infections, will face indemnity claims - or a legal claim for compensation - from the government.

DP Decides to Hold Party Convention Online
The ruling Democratic Party(DP) will hold its party convention to select a new leader online.
The spokesperson for the event’s preparatory committee, Jang Chul-min, announced on Wednesday that the decision was made to move the event online in order to observe Level Two social distancing rules.
Initially, the party was set to hold the convention offline at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, which can accommodate up to 15-thousand people.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Greater Seoul in peril over virus spread, new cases at over 5-month high of 297
South Korea's daily new virus cases have now soared by three-digit figures for a week straight as the country on Wednesday reported the largest number of cases since early March, with infections traced to churches in the capital city of Seoul continuing to swell.

The country added 297 more COVID-19 cases, including 283 local infections, raising the total caseload to 16,058, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

Over the past week, the daily new virus cases have been in the triple digits, with more than 1,200 cases being newly identified. Wednesday's daily tally marks the most since March 8, when the country reported 367 COVID-19 cases.

Gov't limits church activities in Seoul area to non-contact worship services
The South Korean government announced a decision Tuesday to prohibit churches in Seoul and nearby areas from carrying out all activities except for contactless worship services as part of toughened measures to curb the rapid spread of the new coronavirus.
In a public statement, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun also said the government will elevate the social distancing rules in Incheon, a port city just west of Seoul, to Level Two. The government imposed the measure on Seoul and Gyeonggi Province last weekend.
"With regard to churches in the greater capital area, only noncontact services will be allowed and all other gatherings and activities will be prohibited," he said.

Top Chinese official to visit Busan for talks with Cheong Wa Dae director of national security
Yang Jiechi, a senior Chinese government, will visit Busan this week for talks with Suh Hoon, director of presidential national security, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday.
Yang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, is scheduled to visit the southern port city from Friday through Saturday, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. Yang, a former foreign minister, is known for his influence on diplomatic affairs.

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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
S. Korea sees second wave of infection clusters concentrated in Greater Seoul
“I think the current situation is somewhat more dangerous than the outbreak in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province and the Itaewon club outbreak.” — Jung Eun-kyeong, director of South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC)
“Some aspects of the situation in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province are more dangerous than the infection cluster in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province in February and March.” — Kim Kang-lip, deputy director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters and vice health minister

US military raises COVID-19 alert level at all bases in Korea
US Forces Korea (USFK) decided to raise the health protection condition (HPCON) level at all American military bases in South Korea by one level as of 5 am on Aug. 17. The measure reflects concern about the recent community transmission of COVID-19 in the country, with more than 200 people testing positive in one day.
“Out of an abundance of caution based on the recent spike of confirmed COVID-19 cases across South Korea, United States Forces Korea has raised its current health protection condition to ‘Charlie’ peninsula-wide effective Monday, Aug. 17 at 5 am,” USFK announced in a bulletin posted on its official website on Saturday.

N. Korea possesses up to 60 nuclear warheads, US Army says
The US Army estimates that North Korea possesses up to 60 nuclear warheads. According to a recent US Army report, “North Korean Tactics,” North Korea’s arsenal has anywhere between 20 and 60 nuclear warheads as well as the world’s third largest stockpile of chemical weapons. The report added that Pyongyang has the ability to produce six new nuclear bombs per year, with some experts predicting its arsenal will hold up to 100 warheads by the end of 2020. The US’ estimates align with South Korea’s. Back in 2018, then South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon announced the estimate of between 20 and 60 nuclear weapons.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
U.S. Army Report Details Threats from N.Korea
The U.S. Army believes North Korea has up to 60 nuclear bombs as well as the capacity to fire missiles carrying anthrax at South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, a report on the crackpot country's military tactics reveals.
The book-length report, published last month for all U.S. Army personnel, says, "Estimates for North Korean nuclear weapons range from 20-60 bombs, with the capability to produce six new devices each year."
It adds that the North "has a longstanding chemical weapons program with the capability to produce nerve, blister, blood and choking agents, and likely possesses a large chemical weapons stockpile."

Coronavirus Resurgence Feared
Experts are warning of a second wave of coronavirus infections as new cases have been found in the triple digits for four days running. Some 801 new infections have been reported nationwide since last week, straining hospital resources.
On Aug. 15 alone, some 245 coronavirus new infections were reported, the highest daily number since March 7.
Jung Eun-kyeong, the chief of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Monday that new cases are spreading at a "frightening" speed across the country, many "showing light or no symptoms."

Coronavirus Pandemic Changes Tycoon Landscape
The coronavirus pandemic has sent the Korean stock market on a rollercoaster ride that resulted in seismic shifts in Korea's tycoon landscape.
Stocks of biotech and internet platform companies have surged amid the lockdown and made Celltrion chairman Seo Jung-jin and Kakao chairman Kim Beom-soo the third and fourth-richest people in Korea.
According to financial data provider Infomax on Monday, the value of Seo's stock holdings totaled W5.62 trillion as of Aug. 14, up 96.6 percent compared to the end of 2019 (US$1=W1,188). That catapulted him from seventh to third place.
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
N. Korea has up to 60 nuclear weapons and chemical weapons, says Pentagon
A recent U.S. Department of Defense report says North Korea has up to 60 nuclear weapons and the third most chemical weapons in the world. An analysis said a kilogram of anthrax that North Korea owns could kill some 50,000 people in Seoul.
According to media outlets including Voice of America on Tuesday, the Department of the Army under the Pentagon announced that North Korea owned 20 to 60 nuclear weapons and had the ability to produce six weapons every year in the “North Korean Tactics” report released on July 24. It also said North Korea could increase the number of nuclear weapons to 100 within this year.

Kia Motors reveals all-new Carnival
Kia Motors launched the all-new Carnival minivan for the first time in six years. Kia Motors held an online launching event for the fourth generation Carnival on Tuesday and begun sales in full gear. “We wanted to create a car that looks attractive at a glance,” said Karim Habib, the auto manufacturer’s senior vice president in charge of the new design. He also emphasized that the model features not only practicality and functionality but also a powerful design.

Hyun Bin enjoys popularity in Japan
Amid rising popularity of South Korean television series “Crash Lansing on You,” which is a love story between South Korean heiress and North Korean soldier, in Japan, the lead actor Hyun Bin is re-publishing a photo book titled, “Days in the Marine Corps” in Japan on Sept. 7 after six years since its first edition in 2014. The photo book, which is filled with photos of Hyun Bin while serving in the Marine Corps, was first published in Japan in 2014 and is being re-published on the back of the popularity of the TV series.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
COVID-19 Spreads Outside the Greater Seoul Area Faster than Contact Tracing
COVID-19 has spread beyond Seoul and Gyeonggi and is now spreading nationwide. Unlike the first major outbreak, which began at the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in Daegu, smaller clusters of transmissions, whose transmission routes have not been identified, are occurring simultaneously at cafes, churches, restaurants and schools. What’s more, the Seoul metropolitan area is densely populated at a rate incomparable with Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do and has a large number of people passing through, so the contact tracing efforts have been unable to catch up with the spread of the virus.

Sexual Assault Victim Discloses Telegram Message and Refutes the Denial of a Transfer Request by Former Seoul Mayor’s Aides
The victim of sexual assault by the late Park Won-soon, mayor of Seoul, disclosed a Telegram chat, which showed that the victim had asked her supervisor for a personnel transfer. The latest information was released to refute the officials at the Seoul office of the secretary, who denied charges of aiding and abetting and tolerating sexual assault.
On August 17, the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center, the Korea Women’s Hotline and lawyers supporting A, the victim, released a statement and announced, “We express our deep regrets on actions to destroy evidence by Seoul officials and on former heads of the office of the secretary releasing statements and blocking the testimonies of good witnesses.” The victim’s supporters said, “The argument by the victim so far has all be based on fact,” and disclosed the details of the Telegram conversation.

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. 
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
S. Korea back to rigorous social distancing as new cases top 1,000 over a week
South Korea on Tuesday has decided to toughen social distancing measures to combat resurgence of coronavirus infections in Seoul and surrounding areas, banning church congregation and suspending entertainment locations starting midnight.
It also raised social distancing level in Incheon to level 2 in the country’s three-step system and decided to ban operation of high-risk facilities such as clubs and PC rooms.

Korean IT companies shift back to remote working amid fears over another COVID-19 wave
South Korea’s leading information technology (IT) companies went back to remote working mode as new cases in coronavirus spiked to three-digit numbers in recent days amid raging spread in the capital region.
According to multiple industry sources on Tuesday, Korea’s internet giant Naver Corp. informed employees on Monday that it will adopt a remote working system until the end of August. Naver had all employees work from home from the end of February to the end of April and reduced workweek to four days.

Tesla complies with Korean regulator’s request and revises terms for after-sale damages
Tesla, which has ascended to No. 1 EV seller in Korea as well as elsewhere in the world, complied with recommendation from the Korean antitrust regulator and revised terms of sale in relation to damage coverage.
The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said that it advised Tesla to change five of its “unfair” terms of sale. The only damage Tesla previously offered after sale was the return of 100,000 won ($84) in order fee. It promised no accountability over accidental occurrence, and special and derivative damage.

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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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