Thursday, December 17, 2020
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
Approval rating for President Moon Jae-in plunges to the lowest level of 36.7%
The approval rating for President Moon Jae-in has fallen to 36.7%, the lowest ever, the Realmeter said in its survey on Dec. 14. President Moon's highest positive assessment since taking office was 84 percent in the first week of June 2017.
According to a five-day survey (Dec. 7~11) of 2,531 people aged 18 or older conducted by Realmeter at the request of YTN, the approval rating for President Moon (positive assessment) was 36.7 percent, down 0.7 percentage points from the previous week.
On the contrary, the negative assessment rose by 0.8 percentage points to 58.2 percent. Unanswered or not-knowing answers were down 0.1 percentage point to 5.1 percent.
Chung Mong-koo Foundation says, 'Ondream Ensemble presents special stage’
Hyundai Motor's Chung Mong-koo Foundation, led by Chairman Kwon O-kyu, unveiled its regular concert of Ondream Ensemble and Ondream Recital on Dec. 11, which consists of students majoring in classical music among the foundation's cultural and artistic scholarship students, through its YouTube channel.
For this online performance series, the 8th Ondream Ensemble Regular Concert was filmed without audience at the IBK Chamber Hall of the Seoul Arts Center on Nov. 19.
Although there were no loud shouts from the audience who filled the auditorium every year, the enthusiasm of 43 scholarship students and six guidance professors in five parts of the piano, vocal, string, wood wind, and brass wind prepared for the performance was greater than in any other year.
POSCO Chairman Choi Jeong-woo recommended as the next CEO
POSCO Chairman Choi Jeong-woo, whose term is to expire in March next year, was unanimously recommended by POSCO's board of directors as a candidate for the next CEO on Dec. 11.
The recommendation came after the CEO candidate nomination committee, which consists of all outside directors, reported to the board the results of its review of qualifications that Chairman Choi is suitable for the next CEO candidate.
The board of directors voted last month to form a committee and examine Choi's qualifications as the next CEO following Choi's announcement of his intention to serve a second term.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Moon Approves Disciplinary Action against Top Prosecutor, Justice Minister Offers to Resign
President Moon Jae-in has approved a Justice Ministry panel's decision to suspend Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl from duty for two months.
The presidential office said that Moon approved the decision at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday after Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae visited the top office for a related briefing and recommended the disciplinary action against Yoon.
The unprecedented move came after the ministry's disciplinary committee voted to punish him for alleged misconduct in a marathon meeting that ended early Wednesday morning.
S. Korea's Lantern Festival Listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
South Korea's lantern lighting festival has been inscribed on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage made the decision on Wednesday during its 15th session, taking place online.
The Lotus Lantern Festival, also known as "Yeondeunghoe" in Korean, is a Buddhist event held every spring during the period before and after April 8 of the lunar calendar which marks the birth of Buddha.
UN Adopts N. Korea Human Rights Resolution for 16th Straight Year
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution condemning human rights violations by North Korea and calling for efforts to address the matter. The resolution marks the 16th of its kind since 2005.
The General Assembly passed the resolution by consensus without a vote, condemning "in the strongest terms, the systematic, widespread and gross violations" of human rights by North Korean authorities. It's the seventh time that the General Assembly passed the resolution by consensus.
The resolution also expressed "very serious concern" about what it called "persistent reports of torture and sexual and gender-based violence."
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Daily virus caseload hits another high, S. Korea closer to toughest virus curbs
South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases hit another new high Wednesday in the face of alarming increases in cluster infections across the country, prompting health authorities to seriously consider adopting the toughest virus curbs.
The country added 1,078 more COVID-19 cases, including 1,054 local infections, raising the total caseload to 45,442, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Wednesday's daily caseload is higher than the previous record of 1,030 on Sunday, which was the first time for the number to breach the 1,000 mark.
Virus death toll experiences double-digit rise for 2nd day, hospital bed shortage looms
South Korea's coronavirus death toll continued to rise Wednesday, posting a double-digit increase in virus fatalities for the second straight day as critically ill patients piled up amid spiking virus cases.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said the country reported 12 additional deaths from COVID-19, raising the total to 612.
The country reported a daily high of 13 COVID-19 deaths Tuesday.
S. Korea, U.S. extend $60 bln currency swap deal by another 6 months amid pandemic
South Korea and the United States have agreed to extend a US$60 billion bilateral currency swap agreement by another six months in an effort to help ease market uncertainties amid a global resurgence of coronavirus infections, the U.S. Federal Reserve Board (FRB) said Wednesday.
In late March, the Bank of Korea and the U.S. Federal Reserve signed the bilateral currency swap facility to help ease financial market jitters caused by the pandemic.
The swap agreement, which is set to end on March 31, will be extended until Sept. 30.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Blue House officiates 2-month suspension for top prosecutor, Justice Minister seeks to resign
Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl has been officially suspended from his post for the next two months following an executive order from President Moon Jae-in, the Blue House announced Wednesday night.
Chung Man-ho, senior secretary for public communication at the Blue House, said in a press briefing that Moon approved Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae’s recommendation to levy the penalization on Yoon that the ministry’s disciplinary committee decided early Wednesday morning. The order came into effect immediately.
“The president expressed hopes for the order to serve as an opportunity for the prosecution to go upright,” Chung said. “We are in hopes for the order to put an end to the chaos and spur a fresh start.”
Once again, Korea’s COVID-19 cases soar to new daily high
Korea recorded a new daily high of 1,078 cases Wednesday, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s situation report, bringing the cumulative number of official cases to 45,442.
This is the third time in December that a new daily case record has been set. Korea saw a record number of 950 new cases on Saturday. On Sunday, the number reached 1,030 cases, another record.
Twelve more deaths were announced Wednesday. Thirteen deaths, the highest ever in a single day, were reported the previous day. So far this week, 32 people have died of COVID-19. The death toll is now 612.
Firms switch strategy as 2021 tech shows go online
The year 2021 is approaching, but the tech world won’t have the excitement it used to have at the beginning of each year.
As the unrelenting pandemic forbids in-person tech fairs, where major brands used to unveil innovative new products and technologies, local firms seem to be adjusting their strategies for new launches.
The Consumer Electronics Show, the world’s largest event of its kind, which normally takes place in Las Vegas in early January, is set to be held on a virtual platform from Jan. 11 to 14, and participating companies are preparing to showcase their innovations online.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Calls growing for raising social distancing scheme to Level 3
An increasing number of small business owners, parents and health experts here are calling on the government to raise it five-tier social distancing measures to the highest ― Level 3 ― as the current Level 2.5, imposed Dec. 8, has appeared to fail to slow the spread of COVID-19 cases amid the third wave of infections.
Small business owners said they have suffered serious financial difficulties this year due to the prolonged pandemic and distancing measures, but want the toughest measures imposed now so that they can normalize their operations next year.
"I have suffered deficits every month. Now I think it would be better for the government to implement the toughest antivirus measures for about a month until new daily COVID-19 cases fall to a controllable level so I can see a normalization of my business," a cafe owner in Seoul's Jungnang District said.
Year-end donations unfazed by pandemic
The sound of a small tin bell echoes throughout Seocho Subway Station, catching the attention of some of the rushing pedestrians on a December mid-afternoon. Following the sound in the middle of the hustle and bustle, they soon come across an iconic sight of the Christmas season here: a bright red kettle accompanied by a sign reading "The Salvation Army."
Kim Geon-rae, 34, firmly grips his bell while he adjusts his black uniform coat amid a stiff breeze. As a student at the Salvation Army Graduate University for Officer Training, he has been ringing the bell and collecting donations for eight hours a day since the start of December.
"I've been volunteering at a Red Kettle since middle school, long before I joined the organization's graduate program," he recalled.
Job market battered by third wave of COVID-19
Job losses here continued for the ninth consecutive month in November, the second longest period of increasing unemployment since the 16 months from January 1998 to April 1999 following the Asian financial crisis.
It also surpassed the previous eight consecutive months of decline from January through August in 2009 during the global financial crisis.
The number of people who said they had been "resting," soared 10.2 percent, or 218,000, the highest since 2003, when statistics started to be compiled.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Justice Ministry suspends Yoon Seok-youl for 2 months, recognizes 4 out of 6 charges levied
The Ministry of Justice’s disciplinary committee has decided on a two-month suspension for Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. After convening Dec. 15 to discuss disciplinary action against Yoon, the committee concluded deliberations after hearing testimony from five witnesses, and decided on the penalty on Dec. 16.
The committee consisted of chair and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies professor Jeong Han-jung, committee member and Chonnam National University professor Ahn Jin, Vice Minister of Justice Lee Yong-gu, and head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office’s Anti-Corruption Force Shin Seong-sik. Discussion of the disciplinary action to be taken against Yoon concluded after seven hours.
The committee accepted four of the grounds on which disciplinary action was sought: writing and distributing court documents for major cases, obstructing inspections related to the “Channel A” incident, obstructing investigations related to the “Channel A” incident, and loss of prestige from inappropriate words and actions pertaining to political neutrality.
S. Korea deliberates upgrading to Level 3 measures while minimizing economic damage
The South Korean government is mulling its options amid increasing calls to raise social distancing measures to Level 3 to curb surging numbers of COVID-19 cases. A week has passed since the government implemented an enhanced version of Level 2.5 measures on Dec. 8, but the number of new cases hasn’t fallen. Since social distancing hasn’t been as effective as during the first and second waves of the coronavirus, Seoul is considering a range of options that include watered down and enhanced versions of Level 3 measures.
“We’re listening to a range of opinions as we deliberate whether to upgrade to Level 3, which is the highest level [of social distancing measures]. We don’t want to miss the right moment, but we also don’t want to rush that decision,” said South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSC) on Dec. 15.
Moon emphasizes CIO as necessary check against “omnipotent” authority of prosecutors
President Moon Jae-in announced amendments to the Act on the Corruption Investigation Office For High-ranking Officials (CIO), the National Intelligence Service Act and the National Police Agency Act at a cabinet meeting on Dec. 15.
“We have finally completed the institutionalization of reforms to agencies of power, which has been a longstanding ambition of democracy,” Moon said.
President Moon expressed hope that the CIO would launch without issue, noting that the office noted “is very meaningful as a democratic tool of checking the authority of prosecutors”. In a virtual cabinet meeting with the Blue House, the Central Government Complex in Seoul, and the Government Complex in Sejong on the morning of Dec. 15, the president conveyed his thoughts on the announced reforms to laws on agencies of power.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Korea Sees Record Coronavirus Infections and Deaths
A record 205 people were critically ill with coronavirus on Tuesday, and 13 people died on Monday, which was also the most in a day since the first case was found here in January.
In the first two weeks of December, 74 people died, which is 1.2 times more than the total number in November.
"Since early last month, there has been an increase in group infections among people under 40 who show either no or only light symptoms," a doctor in a hospital in Seoul said. "This has led to an increase in infections people over 60 who are more likely to fall critically ill and die."
Child Rapist Placed Under Curfew
Child rapist Cho Doo-soon has been placed under a curfew and banned from drinking heavily for the next seven years.
He has already been ordered to wear an electronic tag above the ankle for seven years and his personal information has been made public for five years.
Cho (68) was released from prison last week after serving only 12 years from the brutal rape and mutilation of an eight-year-old girl.
Coronavirus Speed Tests Start in Seoul Region
Fast coronavirus antigen tests began in the greater Seoul area on Monday at temporary test facilities that were set up to deliver results in 30 minutes.
The tests are conducted with nasal swabs and results are displayed in the same way as pregnancy test kits. If the test is positive, another polymerize chain reaction (PCR) test will be conducted to confirm the result.
The speed of the antigen tests allows health authorities to quickly identify and quarantine coronavirus carriers who have no symptoms so as to minimize the risk of spreading it.
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Cosmetics brand DHC’s CEO uses racial slur for Koreans again
Japanese cosmetics brand DHC’s Yoshiaki Yoshida publicly used a racial slur for Koreans, causing controversy.
“For some reason, the models hired for Suntory's commercials are almost all Korean-Japanese. So that's why it seems they're mocked on the Internet as ‘Chontory,’” CEO Yoshida wrote in a statement published last month on the company's website. "Chon" is a derogatory term for Koreans in Japan. Yoshida went on to write that DHC's models by comparison were all “pure Japanese.”
Once reported, his statement has caused a storm of criticism for being a “clear hate speech” on Japanese social media. A boycott against DHC’s products with the hashtag "I no longer buy products from discriminatory DHC" is also taking place. “The top leader of a company should not be making such a blatantly discriminatory remark,” said Kanako Otsuji, a member of the Japanese House of Representatives, agreeing with the boycott. When asked about the CEO’s comment by the Dong-A Ilbo, DHC only repeated that it would look into it.
Will Choo Mi-ae leave after another prosecution shuffle?
As the examination of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl by the disciplinary committee comes to an end, many speculations are being made over the future of Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae. With some calling for her resignation to put the conflict between Choo and Yoon behind, there have been discussions about when and how she should step down.
“If history is any guide, it is unlikely that President Moon Jae-in will simply replace Minister Choo with someone else,” said a source from the South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae. “By-election for the mayor of Seoul will take place next year, and she will probably be considered for the position during the second cabinet shuffle scheduled early next year.” “Choo can step down now as her battle against Yoon has ended before the end of the year as expected,” said a member of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.
G-mail service hit by outage in two days after YouTube went down
G-mail, Google’s e-mails service, were hit by an outage that affected users for more than one hour. This happened in just two days after YouTube and Google Cloud services had been hit.
The Workspace status dashboard, which informs users of incidents at services provided by Google, on Monday, uploaded a notice that said an outage had occurred at 6:29 a.m. (KST).
“We are aware of the issue impacting many users. G-mail can be accessed, but the time is being delayed, error messages shown or other unexpected action can occur,” explained the company. Google announced at 7:44 a.m. that the service had been partially restored for some users and resolved at 8:51 a.m. According to global media reports, e-mails sent to G-mail accounts were returned, and some of the users were unable to log on their own e-mail accounts.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Kim Chong-in, “The Mistakes by Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye Were Our Fault”
On December 15, Kim Chong-in (80), head of the People Power Party emergency committee apologized to the nation for the wrongdoings of former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, currently in prison. The apology came four years after the National Assembly voted to impeach former President Park.
Kim’s apology included fierce criticism. He defined the wrongdoings of the two former presidents as questionable relations with businesses and the abuse of state authority, then pointed out that the ruling party at the time was responsible for such misconduct. Hong Joon-pyo, former leader of the Liberty Korea Party apologized for the abuse of state authority by Choi Soon-sil in April 2017, but this was the first time that the leader of a conservative party publically apologized mentioning the judicial process against the two former presidents.
This day, Kim held an emergency press conference at the National Assembly and said, “The dark shadow of questionable relations between politics and business was cast over the mistakes of the two former presidents. They either obtained unfair profits by siding with a certain company or provided favors in the succession of management,” and further explained, “A person who was never granted public responsibility intervened in state affairs, upsetting law and order and monopolizing state affairs.” Kim specifically cited the grounds for the arrest of former presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye as questionable relations with businesses and the abuse of state authority. At the same time, he bowed and said, “The two former presidents have been imprisoned. As a nation, this is indeed an appalling and disgraceful event.”
President Moon, “If We Had the Corruption Investigation Office, There Would Have Been No Abuse of State Authority”
On December 15, President Moon Jae-in spoke on the launch of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and said, “The Corruption Investigation Office is an institutional device that can strictly hold officials responsible for corruption and mistakes inside even the Prosecution Service,” and added, “It has great significance as a means for democratic control of the Prosecution Service.”
During a cabinet meeting at Cheongwadae this day, President Moon said, “The people criticized the Prosecution Service for not being responsible for its own faults and for becoming a safe haven where no one could be held responsible, while enjoying nearly omnipotent power.” The president fiercely criticized the Prosecution Service and stressed the legitimacy of the Corruption Investigation Office this day, when a second hearing of the justice ministry’s disciplinary committee was held to discuss the future of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl.
“Nervous Because of a Confirmed Case Nearby... Before I Cause Damage to Others...” People Line up at Screening Clinics
On December 14, at a temporary screening clinic in Seoul Station square, there was an endless line of citizens visiting to get tested for COVID-19. The government designated three weeks from this day until January 3 as an intensive testing period, and conducted free, anonymous tests at 150 temporary screening clinics in the Seoul metropolitan area.
In front of the clinic in Seoul Station, a diverse group of citizens from teenagers to people in their eighties lined up, from an office worker who arrived in Seoul after a business trip to teenagers who had taken the College Scholastic Ability Test, employees who came collectively to get tested upon the advice of the company, and a housewife with her children.
Yi, a housewife said, “The public health center didn’t tell us to get tested, but a case of COVID-19 was confirmed in my child’s school, so I was nervous and came to get tested.” She further said, “I also came because I wanted accurate information, since I had no idea what to do when a case of COVID-19 was confirmed nearby, and what the remaining family members should do if one member is confirmed positive.”
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
S. Korea, US to keep $60 bn currency swap account until Sept. 2021
South Korea and the United States have decided to keep bilateral $60 billion currency swap credit intact until the end of September 2021.
The Bank of Korea (BOK) said Thursday it agreed with the U.S. Federal Reserve Board to push back the deadline originally set for March 31 to September 30. All other terms, including the $60 billion limit, remain the same.
The BOK said the extension was aimed to "preemptively cope with uncertainties arising from the latest Covid-19 wave."
Korean Air management, labor union agree on wage freeze
The management and labor union of South Korea’s flag carrier Korean Air Lines Co. have agreed to freeze wages for this year as the company struggles to stay afloat from the unprecedented fall in travel demand due to Covid-19.
According to multiple industry sources on Wednesday, the management and labor union of Korean Air agreed on Monday to freeze wages in 2020 and maintain current collective agreement.
They also discussed whether to keep 70 percent of its employees on unpaid leave from January to June next year under the same conditions as this year. The company will soon inform the plan to all employees.
Samsung and LG record sweeping win at CES 2021
South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. became the winners of CES 2021 Innovation Awards with their latest appliances to be shown off at the world’s most influential tech exhibition kicking off on Jan. 11 online.
Samsung grabbed 44 CES 2021 Innovation Awards honors including four Best of Innovation accolades, with two from TV and the other two from mobile segment.
Out of the 44 award winning products and services, 16 were from TV segment, 3 from audio, 1 from monitor, 9 from consumer electronics, 11 from mobile and 4 from semiconductors.
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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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