Wednesday, November 11, 2020

 

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

The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
Biden’s victory offers challenges to non-conservative Korean government now in power
It appears that it is going to be an all-new ball game—in the United States and the Republic of Korea (south). President-elect Joe Biden won a meaningful victory in the latest Presidential elections in the United States—putting an end to the administration in the U.S. led by his predecessor, Mr. Donald Trump.
Mr. Trump has long been considered a very unwelcome person among many people in Korea for a number of things, among which stands out his bombshell demand: South Korea must pay five-six times more than the present level of share of the defense cost to support the U.S. Forces stationed in Korea.

“Businessmen are No. 2, bureaucrats No. 3, politicians No. 4!”
The late Chairman Lee Kun-hee of the Samsung Business Group in Seoul is well known for his witty remarks: “Politicians are No. 4, bureaucrats No. 3 and politicians No. 4!” Then who is “Number 1”?
The answer came on April 11, 2020 when Chairman Lee Nak-yon of the ruling Democratic Party said, “We should all try to correct this situation where there is an expression, ‘The people are No. 1 and politics are No. 3!”
The late Chairman Lee died at the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul on Oct. 25, 2020 at the age of 78. The late Chairman Lee was treated for lung cancer in the late 1990s and was tested again for cancer in 2005 at the MD Anderson Medical Center in Houston, Texas, with no subsequent concerns being announced.

Mayor Jung Ha-young pledged to make Gimpo a ‘warm and kind-hearted’ city
Gimpo City plans to open the Aegibong Peace Ecological Park in 2021 and actively utilize it as an educational center for security and peace, and as a space where visitors can look at North Korea and paint the future of the unified Korean Peninsula.
In an interview with The Korea Post, Gimpo City Mayor Jung Ha-young said, “Although there are ups and downs in inter-Korean relations at the moment, I don't think there are many places where we can play a better role than Gimpo when the era of peace comes."

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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
S. Korea Reports 146 COVID-19 Cases
South Korea reported 146 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, posting triple-digit growth for the fourth consecutive day.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said Wednesday that the new cases raised the country's accumulated tally to 27-thousand-799.
Of the new cases detected throughout Tuesday, 113 are local transmissions while 33 are imported.
The daily figure remained in triple digits for four straight days amid continued outbreaks of small clusters at high-risk facilities as well as various locations linked to daily life.

S. Korea Suffers Biggest Job Loss in Six Months in October
South Korea suffered the biggest drop in jobs in six months in October, extending the losing streak to an eight month amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Statistics Korea on Wednesday, the number of employed people reached two-point-71 million last month, down 421-thousand from a year earlier.
That's the largest fall since April when the nation lost 476-thousand jobs.
Jobs have dropped for eight straight months since March. It is the longest decline since the country posted job losses for eight months from January 2009 during the global financial crisis

Moon, British Prime Minister Discuss S. Korea-UK Ties, Climate Chang
President Moon Jae-in held phone talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday and discussed ways to promote bilateral ties and cooperation on climate change.
The presidential office said Johnson invited Moon to the summit of the Group of Seven advanced economies to be held in Britain next year.
Moon expressed appreciation for the invitation and also invited Johnson to the upcoming P4G summit that South Korea plans to host in May next year.
P4G, which stands for Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030, is a public-private initiative aimed at tackling climate change and other sustainable development goals.

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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
New virus cases at nearly 3-week high; more regions upping virus curbs amid resurgence
South Korea's new coronavirus cases rose by triple digits for a fourth day Wednesday to a nearly three-week high on sporadic cluster infections across the nation, with more cities adopting enhanced social distancing schemes.
The country added 146 more COVID-19 cases, including 113 local infections, raising the total caseload to 27,799, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The daily caseload marks the highest since the 155 cases added on Oct. 23, and a sharp rise from 100 added Tuesday and 126 cases from Monday.

S. Korea's Oct. job loss largest in 6 months amid pandemic
South Korea reported the sharpest fall in jobs in six months in October, extending its job losses to an eighth month amid the pandemic, data showed Wednesday.
The number of employed people reached 27.09 million last month, 421,000 fewer than a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.
The tally marked the sharpest on-year decline since April, when the country shed 476,000 jobs due to the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It also marked the steepest decline in jobs since the country reported job losses for an eight consecutive month in August 2009 during the global financial crisis.

Western DMZ hiking trail to reopen after year of closure
A western border hiking trail along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Korea will reopen to the public later this month after more than a year of closure due to the outbreak of African swine fever.
The hiking trail in Paju, about 30 kilometers northwest of Seoul, will begin accepting visitors starting Nov. 28, after all three DMZ hiking trails closed in September last year amid concerns over the spread of African swine fever.

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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
New virus cases at nearly 3-week high; more regions upping virus curbs amid resurgence
South Korea's new coronavirus cases rose by triple digits for a fourth day Wednesday to a nearly three-week high on sporadic cluster infections across the nation, with more cities adopting enhanced social distancing schemes.
The country added 146 more COVID-19 cases, including 113 local infections, raising the total caseload to 27,799, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

Moon honors UN Korean War veterans, vows to make Korea 'peaceful, prosperous'
President Moon Jae-in pledged efforts Wednesday to make South Korea "peaceful and prosperous," paying respects to war veterans on the occasion of the International Memorial Day for UN Korean War Veterans.
"The more we reflect on their spirit of dignity, the more we are humbled by their solemn sacrifice," Moon wrote on his social media accounts. "I pay tribute to those who dedicated themselves to freedom and peace, and pray for the souls of those who sacrificed their own lives."

FM meets with US national security adviser
South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien on Tuesday and discussed "many important national security issues facing the two countries," the US official said.
"It was great to speak with my esteemed colleague Kang Kyung-wha, Foreign Minister of our ally, the republic of Korea,"
O'Brien tweeted. "We discussed many important national security issues facing both nations and the Indo-Pacific."

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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
October job loss largest in 6 months amid pandemic
South Korea reported the sharpest fall in jobs in six months in October, extending its job losses to an eighth month amid the pandemic, data showed Wednesday.
The number of employed people reached 27.09 million last month, 421,000 fewer than a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.
The tally marked the sharpest on-year decline since April, when the country shed 476,000 jobs due to the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It also marked the steepest decline in jobs since the country reported job losses for an eight consecutive month in August 2009 during the global financial crisis.

Korea confirms highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu in wild birds
South Korea's agriculture ministry said on Tuesday it had confirmed the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain of bird flu in samples from wild birds in the central west of the country and issued its bird flu warning.
The virus was discovered in samples collected from wild birds last week in Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, about 84km (52.2 miles) central west of capital Seoul, the agriculture ministry said in a statement.

As e-scooters gain popularity, safety concerns rise amid eased rules
Wendell, an English teacher living in Seoul's southeastern Songpa district, often uses a ride-sharing electric scooter to go to a subway station. The increasingly popular urban mobility tool not only saves him time but also helps him avoid bus crowds amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"I use them twice a week to get to the station. It saves time by about half," the 43-year-old American said, asking to be only identified by his first name. "I don't have to worry about catching COVID from using a bus and it's so fun."

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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
COVID, Biden and the end of American exceptionalism
In his acceptance speech on Nov. 7, US President-Elect Joe Biden pledged “to be a president who seeks not to divide, but to unify” and “to make America respected around the world again.” While these are hopeful words for people inside and outside of the US who are exhausted by the extreme conflict and division of Donald Trump’s four years in office, I’m not convinced that Biden can actually keep that promise.

Nuclear power advocates quote erroneous summary of UN report on climate change
The “Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C” approved by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2018 was an important document that officially presented “carbon neutrality by 2050” (meaning zero net carbon dioxide emissions) to the international community as a way of preventing the global average temperature from rising to 1.5°C above its pre-industrialization level. For those pursuing a shift away from nuclear power, the report has been both a stepping stone and a stumbling block for energy transitioning policies.

S. Korean NIS director coordinating meeting with Suga, Japanese broadcaster reports
National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Park Jie-won is reportedly coordinating a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga while visiting Japan to discuss issues such as forced labor victims, a key area of contention in South Korea-Japan relations. This marks the first time a senior South Korean official has visited Japan since Suga took office.
Japanese broadcaster TBS reported on Nov. 9 that Park was “in the final coordinating stages for a courtesy visit with Prime Minister Suga at his official residence as early as Nov. 10.” The day before, Park met with Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary-General Toshihiro Nikai, with whom he has a longstanding friendship.

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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
More Smog Expected This Winter
Seasonal smog has returned to Korea as the mercury dips below freezing. Although fine dust levels have slightly improved due to efforts to slash emissions, dust pollution from China is expected to spike this winter. "There has been almost no rain in China and temperatures have been high, resulting in more dust storms," Ban Ki-sung at meteorological information provider Kweather said.
Yoon Ki-han at the Korea Meteorological Administration said, "There's no snow in the highlands of Inner Mongolia in China, so dust storms can affect Korea at any time depending on atmospheric pressure."

Sex in Later Years Can Assist a Healthy Life
A healthy sex life can help elderly people keep fit both physically and mentally and prevent various illnesses.
Regular sexual activity can help by offering increased intimacy and emotional stability. Moon Du-geon at Korea University Hospital said, "Sex discharges endorphins, which can help tackle depression and lack of motivation, and increase confidence."
There is the sharp decrease in sex hormones in later life to be reckoned with. But sexual activity in itself induces secretion of sex hormones. Testosterone prevents the shrinking of testicles and penis and prostatic diseases. It also helps maintain good bone and muscle health.

Galaxy Beats iPhone in U.S. Market
Samsung's Galaxy smartphones beat Apple's iPhones to the top in the U.S. market during the third quarter of the year.
According to market researcher Strategy Analytics on Monday, Samsung accounted for a 33.7 percent share of the U.S. smartphone market in the third quarter ahead of Apple's 30.2 percent.
LG came third with 14.7 percent, followed by Lenovo with 8.4 percent.
The last time Samsung topped the market was in the second quarter of 2017.

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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Pres. Trump fires Defense Secretary Mark Esper
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Twitter on Monday that he has fired Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. Amidst fears of lame duck President Trump, he is creating mayhem in government agencies by firing a key security figure. The firing of Secretary Esper has also caused concerns that Washington will not be able to respond properly to threats from Iran or North Korea.
The dismissal of Secretary Esper has been expected as it is said that Secretary Esper was going to resign after the result of the presidential election became clear. He publicly expressed his opposition to the use of the Insurrection Act to deploy federal troops to suppress protests against racial injustice in early June.

NIS Chief Park Jie-won meets with Japanese PM
Director Park Jie-won of the National Intelligence Service met Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Tuesday and agreed on the need to resolve the pressing issue of war reparations. Leaders of Korea-Japan Parliamentarians' Union will arrive in Japan on Thursday and are currently arranging a meeting with Prime Minister Suga.

SK Innovations’ investment in battery business comes to fruition
SK IE Technology (SKIET), electric vehicle (EV) battery material subsidiary of SK Innovation, started the operation of its separator plant in Changzhou, China in full swing. The Changzhou plant is the company’s first overseas production site. SK Innovation plans to venture into China, the world’s largest electric car market, by expanding its production site for separators, which is a key material for EV batteries, in China.

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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Kim Dae Jung Library Releases Letters Between Former President Kim Dae-jung and Biden from the 1980s for the First Time
On November 9, Kim Dae Jung Library of Yonsei University released letters exchanged by U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and former President Kim Dae-jung in the 1980s for the first time.
The letters released this day were written when former President Kim sought asylum in the U.S. for the second time in 1982-1985. The library released two letters, one that Biden, a senator at the time, wrote to former President Kim on September 30, 1983 and another that former President Kim wrote to Senator Biden on February 27, 1984. During his exile in the U.S. former President Kim interacted with several U.S. senators and representatives and shared the need to restore democracy in South Korea.

Jeon Tae-il Meets the Labor Minister for the First Time in 50 Years
Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jae-kap visited the grave of Jeon Tae-il ahead of the fiftieth anniversary of his death. Jeon Tae-il lit himself on fire and died calling for the country to abide by the Labor Standards Act in 1970, and this was the first time since his death that an incumbent labor minister visited his grave.
According to the labor ministry on November 9, Minister Lee visited Moran Park in Maseok, Namyangju-si in Gyeonggi-do, where Jeon Tae-il’s grave is located, and mourned him on the afternoon of November 6. Minister Lee wrote in the visitor’s register, “We will continue to pursue the spirit of Jeon Tae-il and realize a society that respects labor.”

An Endless Wait: Despite Hunger and Sickness, “Go Home” Is the Only Answer Refugees Receive
In the deportation room at Incheon International Airport, no matter what you say, the only answer you receive is “Go home.” A, who applied for refugee status, recalled his time in the deportation room and said, “The employees there said, ‘Go home’ when you said ‘Good morning.’ ‘Go home,’ when you said ‘A person is sick.’ ‘Go home,’ when you said ‘We’re hungry.’”
On November 8, the Kyunghyang Shinmun obtained a report released by the Korea Refugee Rights Network, which stated the results of a project that monitored refugees at the airport, conducted to improve their rights. The report showed the human rights status of refugees in the airport deportation room, transfer area, and the refugee review room. Refugees stay in one of these three areas depending on when they request for refugee status and whether or not their case has been referred for review.

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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Hanwha Solutions reports Q3 profit across board first time since merger
South Korea’s Hanwha Solutions Corp. managed to post profit across the board in the third quarter for the first time since its inception by the merger of Hanwha Chemical and Hanwha Q Cells Advanced Materials Corporation in January.
Hanwha Solutions said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday that it posted an operating profit of 233.2 billion won ($28.8 million) in the third quarter ended September on a consolidated basis, up 81.45 percent from the previous quarter and 35.65 percent from the previous year.

Viva Republica to launch Korea’s first brokerage for mom-and-pop investors
Viva Republica, the operator of South Korea’s peer-to-peer money transfer app Toss, is expected to become a first newcomer to the Korean brokerage industry in 12 years, mostly serving mom-and-pop investors who have been fuelling the bull run in Korean shares.
App-based brokerage platform Toss Securities has applied for license, and Securities & Futures Commission under the Financial Services Commission (FSC) will start review this week. A greenlight would come as early as next month.

Korean ship stocks rally on bet on eased trade tension under new US leader
Investors rushed to bet on a global trade recovery and a boon for Korean sea carriers and shipbuilders on eased trade protectionist wave under a new Democratic president in the United States.
Shares of Korea Line Corp, a bulk carrier, jumped by the 30-percent daily limit on Monday. HMM Co, the country’s largest container carrier, gained 16.1 percent, another bulk carrier Pan Ocean Co. 21.2 percent, and KSS Line 6.1 percent. They extended gains on Tuesday.

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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 
Australia Brisbane Times  www.brisbanetimes.com.au syndication@fairfaxmedia.com.au 
Sydney Morning Herald  www.smh.com.au
Colombia Reports  www.colombiareports.com
Bogota Free Planet  www.bogotafreeplanet.com,bfp@bogotafreeplanet.com
El Universal  www.eluniversal.com.mx/english  
Andes  www.redaktionstest.net/andes-info-ec/ 
Ecuador Times  www.ecuadortimes.net/  
The Jordan Times  www.jordantimes.com/ 
LSM.lv  www.lsm.lv/
The Baltic Times  www.baltictimes.com lithuania@baltictimes.com, estonia@baltictimes.com, editor@baltictimes.com
El Pais  https://english.elpais.com/ 
Philippine Daily Inquirer  www.inquirer.net/ 
Daily News Hungary  https://dailynewshungary.com/ 
Budapest Times  www.budapesttimes.hu/
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The Korea Post is running video clips from the different embassies.
Azerbaijan: 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR8CBpcQ4WM 
Sri Lanka:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=hByX92Y2aGY&t=22s
Morocco:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfFmp2sVvSE
And many other countries.
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