Friday September 25, 2020

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

The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
“COVID-19 reveals man’s vulnerability, all should join hands to deal with the situation”
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of the Republic of Uzbekistan stated that the coronavirus pandemic in the world has vividly revealed humanity’s vulnerability and that the current threatening and complex situation has proved that all states and peoples of the world are interconnected and that regular dialogue, trust and close cooperation among us are extremely important.
Speaking at the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in Uzbeksitan, President Mirziyoyev then said, “All of us have deeply realized the need to consolidating the mutual efforts of governments, parliaments, civil society institutions; strengthening the principles of common responsibility; coordinating international partnership accordingly; increasing the status and capacity, as well as expanding the competences of the World Health Organization.” Excerpts from the speech of President Mirziyoyev follow:

“We try to make Nowon-gu where people will say they won’t leave”
Chairperson Choi Yoonnam of the Nowon District Council in Seoul said, “Many people make great efforts to increase their happiness index and it is the fixed aim of our district to it one where the people would say: ‘I do not want to leave the Nowon-gu District where I wish to stay for good’.”
This statement by Chairperson Choi was made at a recent interview with The Korea Post media, publisher of 3 English and 2 Korean-language media publications since 1985. Details of the interview follow:

Embassy of India hosts a 10-day online workshop with globally renowned experts
Indian Cultural Centre, Embassy of India, Seoul organized a ten-day online workshop on ‘Facets of Modern India’ by globally renowned experts from India - a truly master class of ideas of India, by top class, best and brightest minds from India.
Indian Cultural Centre in Seoul has been a pioneer, in fact a first, in starting this truly intellectual enterprise among all the Indian Cultural Centres worldwide. The sole mission was to develop a rich and nuanced understanding of Modern India, the civilization, the state, in all its diverse manifestations amongst audiences abroad that always wanted to know more and more about India.

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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
US Fully Supports S. Korea's Condemnation of N. Korea for Death of S. Korean Official
The U.S. State Department has expressed its full support for South Korea's position regarding the alleged killing of a South Korean official by North Korea.
A spokesperson of the department said on Thursday that the U.S. fully supports its ally's condemnation of this act and Seoul's call for a full explanation from North Korea.
The spokesperson issued the position in response to an inquiry by KBS and other media outlets regarding the killing of a South Korean fisheries official in the North Korean waters.

S. Korea's Consumer Sentiment Falls Sharply in September
South Korea's consumer sentiment fell sharply this month due to the economic fallout of the second wave of COVID-19 in the country.
According to the Bank of Korea on Friday, the composite consumer sentiment index(CCSI) came to 79-point-four for September, down eight-point-eight points from a month earlier.
The reading marks the first on-month drop since April after rising for four straight months.
A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists.

Images of SLBM in N. Korea's Sinpo Shipyard Captured by US Intelligence
U.S. intelligence authorities have reportedly captured images of a submarine-launched ballistic missile(SLBM) at the Sinpo shipyard in North Korea.
KBS has learned that the U.S. secured the satellite images of the SLBM and submersible launcher on Wednesday through intelligence assets and conveyed them to South Korea.
It is the first time a North Korean SLBM under development was captured by a U.S. reconnaissance satellite.

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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
N. Korea shoots S. Korean official to death at sea, burns his body: defense ministry
North Korea shot and killed a South Korean official drifting at sea before dousing his body with oil and setting it on fire, the defense ministry said Thursday, prompting the country to erupt in outrage and casting a pall over the already frayed inter-Korean ties.
The 47-year-old official affiliated with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries disappeared from the 499-ton boat before noon Monday while on duty aboard an inspection boat in waters off the western border island of Yeonpyeong.

U.S. joins Seoul in condemning N. Korea for killing S. Korean official: State Dept.
The U.S. on Thursday expressed its support for South Korea in condemning North Korea for the killing of a South Korean government official and demanding an explanation from the communist state.
"We fully support our ROK ally's condemnation of this act and the ROK's call for a full explanation from the DPRK," a spokesperson from the U.S. State Department told Yonhap News Agency, referring to South and North Korea by their official names -- the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, respectively.

U.S. spy plane flies over Yellow Sea on day of N. Korea's killing of S. Korean citizen
A U.S. reconnaissance aircraft flew over the Yellow Sea earlier this week around the time when North Korea brutally killed a South Korean official drifting near the western sea border.
On Tuesday, North Korea shot the fisheries official who was adrift in its waters and incinerated his body, according to the South Korean military. He went missing the previous day while on duty near the Yellow Sea border island of Yeonpyeong.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Seoul strongly condemns Pyongyang, demands explanation for civilian killing
South Korea demanded Thursday that North Korea explain the killing of a South Korean fisheries official in the North’s waters, strongly condemning the act as “inhumane.”
North Korean soldiers shot dead a 47-year-old official affiliated with Seoul’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, who appeared to have been trying to defect to the North via sea, the military confirmed in Seoul. North Korean soldiers then burned his dead body, it added.

S. Korea sees triple-digit gains in daily COVID-19 cases for 2nd day
South Korea reported more than 100 new COVID-19 cases for the second consecutive day Thursday, due to sporadic clusters of infections across the country, keeping health authorities on edge ahead of the Chuseok holiday.
Korea added 125 more COVID-19 cases -- 109 locally transmitted and 16 imported -- in the 24 hours ending Wednesday at midnight, pushing up the total caseload to 23,341, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

In call with Suga, Moon urges Japan to resolve forced labor issue
President Moon Jae-in on Thursday called on the Japanese government to work together with South Korea to seek a solution to the issue of wartime forced labor.
In his first telephone conversation with the new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Moon said that the two countries are each other‘s closest neighbors and that the issue should be resolved, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kang Min-seok.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
US joins Seoul in condemning North Korea for killing South Korean official
The U.S. on Thursday expressed its support for South Korea in condemning North Korea for the killing of a South Korean government official and demanding an explanation from the communist state.
"We fully support our ROK ally's condemnation of this act and the ROK's call for a full explanation from the DPRK," a spokesperson from the U.S. State Department told Yonhap News Agency, referring to South and North Korea by their official names ― the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, respectively.

A tale of natural wine
Chungju, North Chungcheong Province ― Last Thursday was another fulfilling yet busy day for French-born farmer and winemaker Dominique Herque and his Korean wife Shin Yi-hyun.
In the hot, humid weather, the farmer couple began their day in their newly created vineyard in Chungju's rustic area of Suanbo-myeon, about a 30-minute drive from their home in the city.
Nestling snugly at the foot of a hill, the vineyard is their nature lab. They have experimented with European-style organic farming ― called biodynamic agriculture ― to produce "100 percent, additive-free" natural wine.

Samsung, SK have fingers crossed over US gov't Huawei approval
U.S. tech giants Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) received the green light from the U.S. government to supply Huawei with certain products, raising hopes for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix to be given the same opportunity.
Huawei was placed on the Entity List, which is a trade blacklist including 275 firms, in May 2019, banning U.S. companies from selling their technologies and products to the world's largest telecom equipment maker without prior approval.

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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Fisheries official who went missing near N. Korea confirmed shot and killed
An official with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) who disappeared near Yeonpyeong Island in the West Sea was confirmed to have been shot dead and set on fire by North Koreans.
On Sept. 24, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) delivered a position statement on the disappearance of the 47-year-old maritime and fisheries secretary under MOF’s West Sea fisheries management team.

S. Korea seeks telephone summits with China, Japan as US election approaches
South Korea’s summit diplomacy with neighboring China and Japan is emerging as an urgent foreign affairs issue as the US presidential election approaches in November and the COVID-19 pandemic stretches into the long term. The South Korean government is going all out to improve relations with China, which have soured in the wake of the 2017 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system deployment and the “new Cold War” between Washington and Beijing. This is all coupled with souring relations with Japan sparked by issues such as compensation for forced labor mobilization survivors.

Time names Jung Eun-kyeong among its “100 Most Influential People of 2020” list
Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Director Jung Eun-kyeong was selected by the US magazine Time as one of the “100 Most Influential People of 2020.”
On Sept. 23, the Blue House announced Jung’s selection in the category of “Leaders,” adding that President Moon Jae-in had personally contributed a write-up for the magazine describing her “expertise, preparedness, communication with the public, and sincerity” as the secrets behind South Korea’s disease control success.

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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Lockdown Inspires Fad for Comfortable Fashions
Miniskirts and other uncomfortable clothes have gone out of fashion amid the coronavirus epidemic, to be replaced with easy-to wear clothes.
One 24-year-old office worker said, "I tend to buy comfortable clothes these days instead of tight H-line skirts as I work from home."
Miniskirts have practically disappeared from online shopping malls or mobile apps whose main users are women in their 20s. Instead, sweatpants are at the top of their list.

Moody's Warns Korean Conglomerates of Ratings Cuts
Moody's has warned Korean conglomerates of possible cuts in their credit ratings.
The credit ratings firm on Wednesday said 15 of 26 non-financial companies in Korea posted weak earnings in the first half of this year.
"Given the ongoing difficult operating conditions, negative rating actions will likely outnumber positive ones over the next 12 months," it said. "In particular, companies in cyclical sectors such as refining, chemical, steel and auto were more strongly impacted, with many reporting weaker profitability because of lower sales volumes or narrowing product spreads," it added.

Low Marriage Rate Made Worse by Coronavirus
Marriages have dwindled even more drastically amid the coronavirus epidemic this year.
According to Statistics Korea on Wednesday, only 126,367 couples tied the knot from January to July, the fewest since statistics began in 1981.
In previous years around 150,000 couples were married during the same period.
In July 17,080 couples married, down 10.9 percent on-year.

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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
What was S. Korea doing for 34 hours after its civilian was killed by N. Korea?
An unprecedented incident where North Korean troops shot a South Korean civilian who went missing near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the Yellow Sea and burned his body took place.
The military did not take any action to rescue him during the 34 hours stretching from when he went missing to his death while the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae waited 10 hours after receiving a report about the shooting from the military before reporting to President Moon Jae-in.

‘Green electricity’ movement towards 100% renewables
“RE100,” which stands for Renewable Energy 100%, is a global initiative that calls for the transition to 100% “green electricity.” With Apple urging its partners as well as its offices across the world to shift to clean energy, South Korean companies are expected to face growing pressure.
As of Thursday, LG Chem was the only South Korean company that officially joined RE100. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are also participating in a government pilot project for renewable energy certificates designed to support South Korean businesses with RE100.

BTS’ Seoul promotion video hits 100 million view in 10 days
The viewership of the promotion video starring the world-famous Korean boyband BTS has hit the mark of 100 million in 10 days after it was first streamed.
The Seoul metropolitan government and the Seoul Tourism Organization announced Thursday that the promotion footage of BTS, which was posted on the organization’s official homepage at www.visitseoul.net on September 11, was viewed 104 million and 83,115 times as of Monday midnight. This marks the short period of time to hit the milestone of 100 million viewership since the organization started posting promotion videos online.

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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Jung Eun-kyeong and Bong Joon-ho among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in 2020
Jung Eun-kyeong (left photo), commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) who led the nation’s fight against COVID-19, and director Bong Joon-ho (right), who directed the film, Parasite, were named among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020 by the U.S. weekly news magazine, TIME. Jung was selected as one of the most influential leaders, while Bong was among the most influential artists. This is the seventeenth year that TIME has selected the 100 most influential people. In 2018, President Moon Jae-in was included in the list and in 2019 BTS and Lee Hoe-sung, chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) were among the most influential figures.

“No Matter How They Change the College Admission Process, It Still Works in Favor of Students with Parents in the Top Bracket”
A study showed that a student’s chances of entering an “elite” university increased by 1.5% every time the parents’ education level climbed a bracket. A closer look into the admission process showed that the parents’ education and income level had the biggest impact on college applications where essays accounted for a higher portion, followed by College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) scores, and high school records. But regardless of what the application focused on, all college admission processes worked overwhelmingly to the advantage of students with parents in the top bracket.

Leave If You Don’t Have a Smartphone? Alienation Triggered by High-Tech Quarantine
As authorities and businesses use smartphones and QR codes to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it has plainly exposed the alienation of people lacking access to digital devices. The advanced technology used to identify people has increased efficiency of quarantine measures, but it also raises the need to come up with alternatives for people lacking means.
At a franchise restaurant in Seoul Station on September 18, an employee restrained a middle-aged man in humble attire when he tried to order food. The man did not have a smartphone, so was unable to record his visit using a QR code. The employee suggested that the man write down his cell phone number, but the man did not own a cell phone. Eventually, he had to leave the restaurant without his meal. Kim Yoon-young, secretary-general of the Korean People’s Solidarity Against Poverty happened to witness this incident, news of which spread when Kim posted the story on social media.

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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Big Hit Entertainment kicks off book-building for its much-hyped IPO
Big Hit Entertainment Co., the South Korean agency behind K-pop superstar BTS, on Thursday kicked off its two-day book-building session, hoping to ride on the recent initial public offering (IPO) boom after successful debuts of SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. and Kakao Games Corp.
According to multiple sources from the brokerage industry on Thursday, Big Hit Entertainment invited institutional investors to its two-day book-building session that began on the same day.

Krafton with estimated value of near $30 billion embarks on IPO process
Krafton Inc., South Korean label behind globally-popular survival shooting game “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds,” has embarked on the process of initial public offering (IPO) that could bring a mega game stock with value of over 30 trillion won ($25.7 billion) to the main Korean bourse.
Krafton has invited securities companies at home and abroad to submit their IPO outline proposal by Oct. 12, according to investment bank industry sources on Thursday. The game developer hopes to join the Kospi next year.

S Korea’s SK Telecom stands by Nanox investment
South Korea’s SK Telecom Co., the second-largest shareholder of Nanox, defended its investment in the Israeli medical imaging startup and reaffirmed its confidence in the company`s novel invention that has claimed to replace conventional X-rays.
The top Korean mobile carrier on Wednesday called the allegations of fraud from the U.S. short seller Muddy Waters Research “a rite of passage for emerging growth companies” and claimed major investors had already verified Nanox’s technology and recognized its potential.
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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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