Friday, October 16, 2020
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
Leaving Dulles Airport
It was 11:15 in the morning when Chŏng-suk and her family arrived at Dulles Airport. Because security procedures had been tightened following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, they had come early to allow ample time for them to check-in for their Korean Air Line flight that would depart at 2 o’clock that afternoon.
As soon as they got out of the car, Chŏng-suk waved her hands in a gesture of farewell. “Now we can go by ourselves from here. You just go back home. Go!”
But her daughter and son-in-law ignored her command. “No, no, it’s okay,” they said as they walked on ahead, pulling the luggage.
LG Electronics ranked 6th, Samsung 28th in the world’s sustainably managed firms list
LG Electronics ranked 6th in the "100 Most Sustainably Managed Companies in the World" list selected by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
LG Electronics received 76.9 points out of 100 and Samsung Electronics 74.2 points in the evaluation of "The 100 Most Sustainably Managed Companies in the World."
Japan's Sony ranked first among the top 100 global sustainable management companies selected by the WSJ this year. The WSJ praised Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida, who took office in 2018.
A Samsung Electronics exec., who visited lawmaker’s office with a press pass, steps down
An executive of Samsung Electronics, who entered the National Assembly hall with a press card, stepped down to take responsibility for causing a stir.
In a statement titled "We apologize again," Samsung Electronics said on Oct. 8, "We sincerely apologize once again for a Samsung Electronics executive entering the National Assembly in an inappropriate manner. We are also thoroughly probing whether there are more cases of violating parliamentary procedures."
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
S. Korea, US Seemingly Differ on Conditions-Based OPCON Transfer
South Korea and the United States seemingly differed on the conditions-based transfer of wartime operational control(OPCON) from Washington to Seoul. Speculation on a rift between the allies over pending issues further rose when the U.S. called off a scheduled press conference at the last minute. U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said on Wednesday that while Washington is committed to the envisioned transfer of wartime operational control(OPCON) to Seoul, it will take time to fully meet the required conditions.
S. Korea's National Security Adviser to Meet US Secretary of State
South Korea's National Security Adviser Suh Hoon and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are set to meet for talks in Washington on Thursday.
According to the presidential office on Thursday, Suh left for the U.S. on Tuesday and will stay in Washington until Friday.
Suh met with U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien on Wednesday and discussed the recent situation on the Korean Peninsula and pending bilateral issues and reconfirmed the alliance.
Pompeo Downplays N. Korea's ICBM, SLBM Capabilities
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that his country's diplomacy with North Korea has proven absolutely successful, noting the North conducted no missile tests over the past two years. Pompeo made the remarks during a virtual press briefing when asked about a new intercontinental ballistic missile unveiled by North Korea in its recent military parade.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
S. Korea's new coronavirus cases bounce back to triple digits
South Korea's new coronavirus cases rebounded to over 100 on Thursday mainly due to a new cluster infection in the southeastern port city of Busan amid an eased social distancing scheme.
The country added 110 COVID-19 cases, including 95 local infections, raising the total caseload to 24,988, with the death toll reaching 439, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
BTS agency listed amid fanfare on stock market
Big Hit Entertainment, the management agency of K-pop superstars BTS, debuted on South Korea's main bourse on Thursday, building a valuation higher than the country's next three largest entertainment companies combined.
Big Hit shares opened at 270,000 won (US$236) on Thursday on the Korea Exchange and jumped by the daily upper limit of 30 percent to 351,000 won three minutes after market opening.
The stocks closed at 258,000 won, down 4.4 percent from the starting priceStill, the closing price is a sharp hike from the initial public offering price of 135,000 won.
Job losses extend into Sept. amid pandemic, unemployment rate rises to 3.6 pct
South Korea lost about 392,000 jobs in September, marking a decline in the number of the employed for the seventh consecutive month, as the coronavirus pandemic hammered job markets, data showed Friday.
The country's jobless rate rose by 0.5 percentage point on-year to 3.6 percent in September, with the number of employed people falling to 27.01 million, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Seoul, Washington differ over OPCON transfer, defense cost-sharing
South Korea and the US appeared to differ over whether Seoul is ready to take over wartime operational control from Washington, casting a shadow over President Moon Jae-in’s push to regain military sovereignty by 2022.
The defense chiefs of the two allies held the Security Consultative Meeting in Washington on Wednesday (local time), discussing a range of issues, including the handover of wartime control, the stalled talks on defense cost-sharing and the North Korea situation.
South Korea reports 110 new COVID-19 cases
South Korea’s daily count of new COVID-19 cases bounced back to a three-digit figure Thursday as health authorities warn against social gatherings that could lead to large-scale outbreaks among groups most vulnerable to the coronavirus.
Korea added 110 new coronavirus cases -- 95 locally transmitted and 15 imported from overseas -- according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
BTS' label becomes Korea's largest entertainment company in strong market debut
Shares of Big Hit Entertainment, the management agency of K-pop sensation BTS, nearly doubled as the company made a strong market debut on South Korea’s main bourse, Kospi, Thursday, becoming the biggest entertainment company by market capitalization here.
With the opening price set at 270,000 won ($235.80) per share, twice the offering price, Big Hit shares spiked by the daily permissible limit of 30 percent to 351,000 won soon after the bell rang.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
French pansori singer Laure Mafo shows passion in Korean music
These days most people are exposed to Korean culture through the global phenomenon of K-pop or addictive Korean dramas. However, for Cameroonian-born French citizen Laure Mafo, it was pansori, a traditional style of narrative music. Mafo quit her job to fly to Korea to learn it.
The 36-year-old appeared for the interview in a custom-made hanbok which combined the traditional Korean clothing with a traditional Cameroonian pattern.
Will Big Hit end IPO craze?
It was a disappointment that the stock price of newly listed Big Hit Entertainment ― the management company of superstar K-pop group BTS ― ended at 258,000 won ($225.60) at Thursday's close, a 4.44 percent fall from its initial starting price of 270,000.
The stock started strong as its initial price was determined at 270,000 won ― double its subscription price of 135,000 won ― and instantly hit the price ceiling of 30 percent up at 351,000 won just 10 minutes after the market opened.
Allies differ over OPCON transfer, defense cost-sharing
The latest ministerial defense talks between South Korea and the United States have highlighted that the allies are not on the same page on the planned transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to Seoul, and defense cost-sharing for American troops stationed here.
The disagreement occurred during the 52nd Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, where Defense Minister Suh Wook met with U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Biden’s election could user in a new opportunity for inter-Korean relations
With all polls pointing to Joe Biden winning the US presidential election on Nov. 3, we may be about to see yet another iteration of the cycle that the Korean Peninsula has been running through for the past 30 years. This cycle goes something like this: an outgoing American president comes very close to resolving the Korean Peninsula issue, only for his successor to erase all that progress and go back to square one.
Berlin citizens say removal of comfort woman statue is suppression of freedom of expression
“We plan to go back to square one in examining all of the arguments from related activists on this complex issue [while an administrative course decides whether to suspend an order for the removal of a statue commemorating the comfort women].”
Stephan von Dassel, the mayor of Berlin’s Mitte borough who issued an order on Oct. 7 for the removal of a statue commemorating victims of military sexual slavery, shared his willingness to compromise during an unscheduled discussion at a demonstration in Berlin at 2 pm on Oct.
53 COVID-19 cases emerge from convalescent hospital in Busan, including one death
Fifty-three patients and employees at Haetteurak Convalescent Hospital in Busan’s Buk (North) District tested positive for COVID-19. Disease control authorities have responded with alarm to the new infection cluster arising in a high-risk facility with many senior citizen residents. The South Korean government plans to conduct preemptive full-scale testing of around 160,000 employees at senior citizen and mental hospitals, which include large numbers of people considered to be at high risk.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
U.S. Leans on Korea Not to Use Chinese Telecom Equipment
The U.S leaned on Korea in economic talks Wednesday not to use the products of Chinese telecom companies like Huawei.
The U.S. has asked Korea through unofficial channels to take part in U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign to boycott Chinese telecom equipment, but this is the first time that such a request was made in an official meeting.
The Korean government said it will consider the request and reminded the U.S. that the issue involves private businesses.
1st Pet Census Starts
Korea conducts its first pet census this month.
So far the government had estimated the nationwide pet population based on a sample survey of only a few thousand people, but now pets are included in the national population and housing census.
It includes questions like what pets, if any, people own and how many. Meanwhile, the government is also snooping into other areas of people's private lives. Singles are asked why they decided to stay alone, and everyone whether they drink tap water, and if so, whether they boil it first.
Berlin Stays Order to Remove Sex Slave Statue
A district office in Berlin on Tuesday decided to stay an order to remove a statue commemorating victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery following protests from activists.
Around 300 mostly Korean expats gathered in front of the Berlin Mitte district office to protest against an order to remove the statue. The demonstrators marched for about 30 minutes from the statue at Kopfplatz to the district office, which ordered its removal last week under apparent pressure from Japan and the federal government
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Secretary Esper calls for fairer burden sharing at SCM
Seoul and Washington have shown differences of opinion in a set of critical issues concerning their security alliance i.e. wartime operational control transition plan, cost-sharing scheme and the maintenance of U.S. forces in Korea, with the U.S. refusing to include the phrase of “maintaining the current level of the U.S. military personnel in the ROK” in the joint communique of ROK-US Security Consultative Meeting (SCM).
Hyundai’s New Kona boasts a new sharp look
Hyundai Motor released “the New Kona” on Thursday, a small SUV upgraded from its 2017 model. The new model is 40 millimeters longer, and its digital instrument panel and infortainment screen have increased by 2.5 inches to 10.25 inches. It offers the “N Line” range of high performing vehicles as well as gasoline and hybrid versions.
U.S. research team creates artificial sun by 2025
A startup founded by a group of U.S. scientists disclosed an ambitious vision to complete a nuclear fusion reactor by 2025 to produce nuclear fusion energy, which is one of the most promising future energy sources. Their goal is to make it happen 10 years earlier than the ITER project, which is under construction to complete and fully run an artificial sun by 2025 and 2035, respectively.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
“Samsung Sniper,” Lawmaker Ryu Ho-jeong, “I Raised the Issue of Samsung’s Unfair Practices to Resolve Inequality”
“I think the nickname actually describes the social influence of Samsung. After all, just pointing it (problem with Samsung) out drew a huge response.”
This was the answer given by Justice Party lawmaker Ryu Ho-jeong (28), when asked about her thoughts on emerging as a “Samsung sniper” in her first parliamentary inspection on October 14. Ryu, who is a member of the parliamentary Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee fiercely criticized the problem of Samsung Electronics seizing technological developments by small and medium-sized enterprises in the latest parliamentary inspection. She even uncovered the fact that a Samsung Electronics executive had engaged with the government pretending to be a journalist. She stressed, “What the Justice Party demands from Samsung and other major companies is that they fulfill their social roles at a level on par with their weight in the South Korean economy.”
President Moon Instructs Cheongwadae Officials to “Actively Cooperate in Investigation of Lime and Optimus”
On October 14, President Moon Jae-in spoke on the alleged lobbying of politicians and government officials by private equity firms Lime and Optimus and instructed Cheongwadae officials to “actively cooperate in the prosecutors’ investigation to quickly resolve the allegations.” Allegations have surfaced suggesting the involvement of some ruling party officials, and opposition parties are heightening their attacks. In this situation, the president appears to have urged his officials to cooperate with the investigation and quickly identify the truth.
Will BTS Be Allowed to Postpone Enrollment? Military Manpower Administration to Promote Amendment to Include Outstanding Popular Culture Artists
On October 13, the Military Manpower Administration announced that it was promoting an amendment of the Military Service Act to allow outstanding performers in popular culture and arts to postpone their military service.
At the center of the latest revision is a plan to expand the scope of people subject to the current Military Service Act to include artists of popular culture and arts who have achieved excellence and allow them to postpone enlistment until the age of thirty, on condition of a recommendation by the minister of culture, sports and tourism. If the amendment is finalized and implemented, BTS, the first South Korean artist to top the Billboard’s main single’s chart, will be able to delay enrollment.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
CJ, Naver review comprehensive strategic alliance via stock swap
Naver Corp.’s big-tech drive could gain a decisive traction if the internet giant gains CJ Group, Korea’s 13th largest conglomerate with offline food, retail and distribution network and entertainment business as its strategic partner.
CJ Group and Naver have entered negotiations for stock swap and joint ventures in e-commerce, logistics as well as content production and distribution.
Big Hit debuts at double the IPO price, but falls short as dynamite stock
Big Hit Entertainment Co., the label behind K-pop sensation BTS, debuted Thursday with much fanfare on the main Kospi at double its initial offering price, but the superstar’s halo failed to keep the broader investors entertained.
The stock opened at 270,000 won ($235.6), double the IPO price of 135,000 won, and briefly touched the 30-percent daily ceiling of 351,000 won. After trading 11 percent higher in early trade, the shares closed the day down 4.44 percent at 258,000 won.
Big Hit Entertainment CEO turns billionaire after stock debut
Bang Si-hyuk, founder and CEO of Big Hit Entertainment Co. who manages K-pop superstar BTS, joins the billionaire rank in South Korea with his equity holdings valuing around $3 billion after Thursday’s stock debut.
Bang owns a 34.74 percent stake in Big Hit Entertainment and his 12.38 million shares would value 3.2 trillion won ($2.8 billion) at Thursday’s closing price of 258,000 won.
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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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