Thursday, August 5, 2021
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
“Peru hopes to further bolster her partnership with Korea”
Ambassador Daul Matute-Mejia of the Republic of Peru in Seoul said, “Yes, the Republic of Peru wants to continue increasing and strengthening her partnership and cooperation with the Republic of Korea.” Speaking with The Korea Post at an interview at the Embassy of the Peru in the prosperous downtown district of Jung-gu in Seoul on July 21, 2021, Ambassador Matute-Mejia reminded, “Even during the Corona Pandemic period last year, our exports to Korea amounted to US$2.25 billion and imports from Korea to US$4.7 billion.” Ambassador Matute-Mejia is considered among Koreans as one of the most friendly foreign envoys to Korea. He obviously enjoys his tour of duty in Korea and has even developed a taste for Korean food and beverage. Ambassador Matutue-Mejia is known to frequently visit genuine Korean restaurants and relish some of the widely known dishes such as Samgyeopsal (pork belly) luncheon, which is a favorite dish for many Koreans, including some gourmet National Assembly members.
‘Role of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan in shaping a strong civil society
The following article written by Executive Director Eldor Tulyakov of the Develment Stragey was contributed by the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Seoul for publication by The Korea Post media, publisher of 3 English and 2 Korena-language news publications since 1985. -- Ed. After Shavkat Mirziyoyev became the head of state in Uzbekistan, during a new stage of development, he began to pay special attention to the development of a strong civil society. The process of radical reforms carried out in the country has embraced all spheres of the social and political life of society. The head of state presented the main program - the Strategy of Action in five priority areas of the country's development for the medium term, which identifies such priority issues, as enhancing the role of civil society institutions in the life of society, in particular, the media, improving the activities of non-governmental organizations, developing and introduction of effective mechanisms for the implementation of the system of public control in all areas.
Strategic importance of Pan-American forum for the culture of peace in Africa Biennale of Luanda
he following article was provided by the Embassy of Angola in Seoul for publication by The Korea Post media, publisher of 3 English and 2 Korean-language news publications since 1985.—Ed. We live in an increasingly globalized world, with interdependent challenges between nations and peoples, in which diplomatic efforts to preserve peace and stability within the spirit of multilateralism have never been more urgent and relevant to the future of humanity. In this context, within the scope of the Angolan Government's diplomatic initiatives for the prevention, management and resolution of regional conflicts and of the efforts of the African Union (AU) in the search for “African solutions to African problems”, it is being held, from 4 to 8 of October 2021, the second edition of the Biennale of Luanda.
KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
More Ruling Party Lawmakers Urging Cancellation in Joint Drills with US
More ruling party lawmakers are urging a cancellation in the summertime joint military exercises between South Korea and the U.S. Democratic Party Rep. Jin Sung-joon said on Wednesday that almost 60 lawmakers from his party, the Open Minjoo Party and the Justice Party have signed a statement calling for a delay in the drills on the condition that the two Koreas resume dialogue. Jin plans to hold a press briefing to that effect at the National Assembly on Thursday. Meanwhile, President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday instructed military leaders to consult carefully with their U.S. counterparts on the exercises. The remarks come amid speculation Seoul may seek a postponement of the drills after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, issued a warning on Sunday that the drills would cloud the future of inter-Korean relations.
Next Year's Minimum Wage of 9,160 Won Per Hour Made Official
Next year's minimum wage has been set at nine-thousand-160 won per hour, up five-point-one percent from this year. The Ministry of Employment and Labor published the 440-won raise from this year in the government gazette on Thursday, making it official. The gazette also stated that applying 209 hours of work a month, the minimum wage per month will come to one-point-914 million won. The Minimum Wage Commission, the rate-setting body of nine representatives each from labor, business and the general public, made the decision last month. Business groups had filed complaints with the commission that the new minimum wage would threaten the survival of small and mid-sized businesses struggling to stay afloat amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO Calls for Moratorium in COVID-19 Booster Shots
The World Health Organization(WHO) has called for a halt in COVID-19 booster shots at least until the end of September to resolve an imbalance in vaccines between rich and poor countries. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a virtual press briefing on Wednesday that more than 80 percent of the four billion doses administered globally have gone to high- and upper middle-income countries, which make up less than half of the world's population. He said he understands governments' need to protect against the delta variant, but stressed the WHO's goal set in May to vaccinate at least ten percent of the population of each country by the end of September. The U.S., which is considering booster shots for the vulnerable population, rejected the WHO's call.
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Moon orders 'prudent consultations' with U.S. on planned defense drills
President Moon Jae-in instructed South Korea's defense chief Wednesday to have prudent consultations with the United States on whether to stage their joint military exercise this month as scheduled. Moon was holding a rare Cheong Wa Dae meeting with top military commanders. Attendees included Defense Minister Suh Wook and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Won In-choul, as well as the chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. In a report on the drills scheduled to kick off next week, Suh said that the military is in consultations with the U.S. and health authorities, with "realistic conditions" including the COVID-19 situation considered, a Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters. The president ordered the minister to consult with them "with prudence in consideration of various elements," the official added on the customary condition of anonymity.
Ex-audit agency chief declares bid to run for president
Choe Jae-hyeong, former chief of the national audit agency, formally declared his presidential bid Wednesday, vowing to restore the principles of a free market economy and ensure fair job opportunities for young people. "As one of South Korea's citizens, I decided I can't just sit and watch the country crumble," Choe, the former chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI), said, announcing his bid to run in the March 9 presidential election. The official presidential bid was announced via an online event only about one month following his resignation as the head of the national audit agency amid a feud with the Moon Jae-in administration. The BAI, under the leadership of Choe, had been at odds with Cheong Wa Dae since its controversial audit last year of the Moon administration's decision to close the Wolsong-1 reactor at an early date as part of the government's broader campaign to phase out the country's use of nuclear energy.
Biden to address discrimination against Asian Americans in meeting with leaders: Psaki
President Joe Biden will discuss a range of issues facing Asian American communities in the United States that include the fight against COVID-19 and voting rights, as well as anti-Asian hate incidents, a White House spokeswoman said Wednesday. The president is set to meet with a group of Asian American, Pacific Islander (AAPI) community leaders on Thursday. "The president looks forward to meeting with leaders of the AAPI community tomorrow," spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a daily press briefing. "They will discuss a range of topics, including, of course, economic investment, the fight against COVID, voting rights, which is certainly an issue that is of great importance to a range of communities who have been quite active on this issue, and obviously continuing discrimination that members of the AAPI community experience," she added.
The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Moon urges caution in planning South Korea-US military drills
President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday directed the defense minister to discuss the S. Korea-US military drills “carefully” by taking into consideration multiple factors, a hint there could be possible changes ahead for the exercises. According to the presidential office, Moon told Minister of National Defense Suh Wook to look at the drills with the US while “taking into account factors including the pandemic.” Moon’s comment comes a day after the nation’s spy agency told lawmakers that North Korea could respond with military provocation, and less than a week after the North Korean leader’s sister Kim Yo-jong warned South Korea against the drills in a statement.
SK Innovation to split off battery biz in Oct.
SK Innovation will split off its battery and oil businesses as wholly owned subsidiaries to further propel their growth, the company announced Wednesday. The new entities, tentatively named SK Battery and SK E&P, will officially launch on Oct. 1, following the approval of general shareholders at a meeting slated for next month. The announcement came as the firm reported a return to the black in the second quarter, with a net profit of 415.9 billion won ($362.2 million) and an operating profit of 506.5 billion won. According to the SK Group company, the envisioned SK Battery will focus on midsized and large electric vehicle batteries, battery rental service, battery metal recycling and energy storage systems businesses, the company said in a press release.
Top diplomats of South Korea, Israel hold phone talks on trade, COVID-19
Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, held phone talks on Wednesday to discuss bilateral ties, trade and the COVID-19 pandemic, the foreign ministry said. During their first talks since the Israeli minister took office in June, Chung called for Lapid to maintain close communication to enhance relations between the two countries, the ministry said. The two ministers agreed to continue cooperation in their response to the pandemic, as Chung noted the two countries' vaccine exchange deal in July paved the way for the effective use of vaccines. Under the deal, South Korea received 700,000 doses of Pfizer's vaccine with an agreement to return the same number of Pfizer vaccine doses from a future order to Israel later.
The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Korea Reports 2 Delta Plus Variant Infections
The Delta variant now accounts for more than 60 percent of new COVID-19 infections in Korea and on Tuesday the first two cases of the Delta plus variant were reported here. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Tuesday that analysis of 3,014 new coronavirus cases over the past week showed 64 percent were the Delta variant, up from just 24 percent at the beginning of July. Two people were infected with the Delta plus variant, a sub-lineage that was first detected in India and has an added spike protein mutation called K417N that may make it even more contagious. However, there is no accurate data on the new strain yet.
Stricken N.Korea Goes Back to Bluster
Impoverished North Korea returned to bluster this weekend after agreeing to reopen communication lines with South Korea last week. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Yo-jong, who frequently acts as her brother's attack dog, in a statement on Sunday night called for an end to planned South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises. Pyongyang "will closely follow whether the South Korean side stages hostile war exercises in August or makes other bold decision," she said.
The U.S. and South Korea are staging a scaled-down military exercise later this month. "The restoration of the communication liaison lines should not be taken as anything more than just a physical reconnection," Kim Yo-jong fumed. "Hasty speculation and groundless interpretation will only bring despair."
Samsung confirms support for digital currency
Samsung Electronics has decided to participate in a project being pursued by the Bank of Korea (BOK) to build a pilot platform for a central bank digital currency (CBDC). The BOK began the CBDC pilot program July 28, co-managed by Ground X, a blockchain affiliate of messengerplatform giant, Kakao. "Samsung Electronics has recently decided to participate in the BOK-led CBDC pilot project, under which interested parties will research the practicalities of the CBDC in a test environment," an executive familiar with the issue said Wednesday. BOK and Samsung officials said the project was based on the benefits of a CBDC that include more efficient and advanced payments systems and financial inclusion. Samsung is hoping to test the possible usability of blockchain-based systems on its Galaxy mobile lineup.
Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Stricken N.Korea Goes Back to Bluster
Impoverished North Korea returned to bluster this weekend after agreeing to reopen communication lines with South Korea last week. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Yo-jong, who frequently acts as her brother's attack dog, in a statement on Sunday night called for an end to planned South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises. Pyongyang "will closely follow whether the South Korean side stages hostile war exercises in August or makes other bold decision," she said. The U.S. and South Korea are staging a scaled-down military exercise later this month. "The restoration of the communication liaison lines should not be taken as anything more than just a physical reconnection," Kim Yo-jong fumed. "Hasty speculation and groundless interpretation will only bring despair."
Kim Jong-un Likens N.Korea's Plight to War
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has told war veterans that the impoverished state is experiencing a "crisis similar to a war" due to the coronavirus pandemic, the official Rodong Sinmun daily said Wednesday. "We are faced with difficulties and hardship caused by the unprecedented global health crisis and prolonged lockdown no less challenging than how it was during the war," he said. The remarks came on the day of a surprise announcement that Kim agreed with President Moon Jae-in to restore overland communication lines between the two Koreas. The North Korean economy is at its worst since the deadly famine of the 1990s because it sealed its borders with China, which supplies most of its necessities, amid the pandemic. Domestic food production has plunged after heavy flooding last year and food prices have reportedly doubled in some parts of North Korea. International sanctions and a devaluation of the U.S. dollar and Chinese yuan are making matters worse.
N.Korea 'Willing' to Improve Cross-Border Relations
South Korea's spymaster on Tuesday claimed North Korea is "willing" to improve cross-border relations if joint South Korea-U.S. military drills are suspended. "It was North Korean leader Kim Jong-un who requested the reconnection of inter-Korean communication lines, which shows his intention to improve inter-Korean relations," National Intelligence Service chief Park Jie-won told the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee. Park said South Korea should "consider taking a flexible approach toward the joint drills to maintain momentum of dialogue and draw a big picture of North Korea's denuclearization." That is more or less the official government line but unlikely to win any sympathy from the U.S., which insists the drills must go ahead to provide vital training.
HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Living with COVID-19? It has consequences
In October 2020, Harvard University professor Martin Kulldorff and two other infectious disease experts issued a declaration in the small Massachusetts town of Great Barrington, calling for a change in approach toward the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdown policies, they argued, would have a negative long-term impact on public health, causing a collective deterioration in cardiovascular ailments, a drop in cancer diagnoses, and worsening mental health. On this basis, they called for the lockdowns to be lifted, adding that we should focus on protecting older adults and other high-risk populations and make it our goal to minimize the fatality rate and general social repercussions. They also suggested that the younger people at less risk of dying should return to daily life and acquire immunity through “natural infection.”
US to return a quarter of Yongsan Garrison to S. Korea by early next year
The South Korean and US governments announced an agreement to return around 500,000 square meters of Yongsan Garrison in Seoul to South Korea by early next year. The area is equivalent to approximately one-quarter of the 2.03 million square meters that is supposed to be returned to South Korea from the garrison. The return plan for the Yongsan Garrison region was discussed in a telephone conversation Thursday morning between Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) joint committee representatives Ko Yun-ju, director of the North American affairs bureau for the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), and Lt. Gen. Scott Pleus, deputy commander of US Forces Korea, the MOFA said Thursday. The ministry added that the SOFA joint committee had adopted a joint statement reflecting the agreement.
Dynamic between S. Korea, Japan has fundamentally changed
South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s proposed visit to Japan during the Tokyo Olympics and his summit with the Japanese prime minister have fallen through, placing the two countries’ relationship in even more of a bind. There are several reasons the Tokyo Olympics couldn’t serve as an opportunity for diplomacy, but the fundamental one is a shift in the nature of Korea and Japan’s relationship. Ever since the two countries normalized diplomatic relations, their relationship has been grounded in Korea’s moral superiority as the victim of colonization and Japan’s shame as the more powerful aggressor state. The nadir in the South Korea-Japan relationship, at least from Korea’s point of view, was the abduction of Kim Dae-jung in 1973. The Korean Central Intelligence Agency seized Kim, the opposition party’s presidential candidate, while he was visiting Japan.
The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Cheong Wa Dae repudiates NIS chief’s claim on hotline restoration
Cheong Wa Dae announced Wednesday that South and North Korea arrived at a mutual consensus after many discussions, rather than at the request of one of the parties, on restoration of a communication hotline, in refutation of the National Intelligence Service’s Director Park Jie-won’s statement that it was North Korean leader Kim Jong Un who requested restoration of the hotline. The director’s remark was made at the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee meeting on Tuesday Park voluntarily attended, which was immediately denied by the Ministry of Unification on the same day and was again rebutted by Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday. It is quite unprecedented for Cheong Wa Dae to expressly make a rebuttal, hinting at a possible disagreement between Cheong Wa Dae and the NIS over North Korea policy, with the end of President Moon Jae-in’s term nearing.
Korean War veteran brothers awarded the Order of Merit
Brothers who joined the army on the same day during the Korean War and died in the line of duty have been belatedly awarded the Order of Merit together in more than 70 years later. On Wednesday, the South Korean army announced that it presented the Hwarang Order of Military Merit to the Ahn Seok-yeol and Ahn Seok-gil brothers, who died in Gimhwa County, Gangwon Province during the Korean War, on last Thursday to their nephew, Ms. Ahn Bong-soon. The Ahn brothers enlisted on March 13, 1952, just three days after they got married in a joint wedding. Their military service numbers were “8807115” and “8807116,” with only one digit difference. The brothers assigned to the same unit and the same base.
Spy agency chief proposes postponement of ROK-U.S. military drills
National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Park Jie-won said on Tuesday that the ROK-U.S. joint military drills scheduled for the second week of this month should be postponed, two days after Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warned against the military drills saying there will be no improvement of inter-Korean relations if Seoul proceeds with the planned joint military exercise. This is a rare move made by the head of the spy agency following proposals by the Ministry of Unification and some members of the ruling party to postpone the joint military drills. In response, the opposition party protested strongly, saying the NIS has been degraded to an agency taking orders from Kim Yo Jong.
The KyungHyangShinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
The Gap Between Dirt Spoons and Gold Spoons Widens
The property received as gifts by people ages 39 and younger last year exceeded 12 trillion won for the first time. The value of gifted buildings, such as apartments and commercial buildings, alone surpassed 4 trillion won. The transfer of wealth within the family is accelerating and the gap between the young people is growing wider. On July 3, the Kyunghyang Shinmun requested and obtained the National Tax Service data, “Gift Tax Status in 2020 According to Age Groups,” from the office of Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Yang Kyung-sook. According to the data, the government decided to impose the gift tax on people in their twenties and thirties for gifts of land, apartments and other buildings, securities, financial assets, and other assets that they received in 59,995 cases, 2,603 cases more than in the previous year. When we include people ages 19 and younger who also received gifts of property (11,056 cases, nearly 2 trillion won), the state decided to impose the gift tax to people ages 39 and younger on 71,051 cases for gifted property worth nearly 12.2 trillion won.
105 High-ranking Officials Disclose Their Property: Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon Turns out to Be a Rich Real Estate Owner
Among the new high-ranking officials, the wealthiest turned out to be Park Jong-seung, president of the Agency for Defense Development under the Defense Acquisition Program Administration with 6,234,620,000 won. Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon reported that he possessed real estate including land and an apartment with a market value of 6.3 billion won. The Government Ethics Committee disclosed the registered property of 105 high-ranking officials including these details on July 30. Among the officials whose property was disclosed were 39 newly elected and appointed officials, 19 who were promoted and 40 who resigned or retired.
“Two Years of COVID-19, We’re Getting Tired” Health Care Workers Are Screaming
“This year alone 3-5 fellow nurses have left, and their places still remain vacant.” A, a nurse for 11 years, worked in administration, but she volunteered to work at a hospital designated for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the early days of winter last year to help shoulder the burden of her fellow nurses, because she was reminded of her field experience during the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in 2015. In a phone call with the reporter on July 30, she said, “Although I volunteered to come here, now, I would like to get out if I get the chance.” She added, “I’m already burned out and I had no idea that the situation would last this long.” The accumulated number of COVID-19 cases in South Korea exceeded 200,000 on August 1, a year and six months after the first case of the virus was confirmed in the nation on January 20, 2020.
Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
LG Chem marks first export of certified eco-friendly polymer
South Korea’s LG Chem said on Wednesday it has made its first export of bio-balanced SAP (super absorbent polymer), the world’s first ISCC Plus-certified product, marking its full-scale entry into eco-friendly products. This is the first commercial sale of an ISCC Plus-certified product in the SAP sector. Bio-balanced SAP is an eco-friendly product based on waste cooking oil and by-products of palm oil and SAP is manufactured with highly absorbent resins that can absorb water 200 times of its own weight commonly used for hygienic products like diapers.
Seoul in the final talks to secure 50m doses of mRNA booster shots for next year
The Korean government said Wednesday it is in the final stage to procure 50 million doses of mRNA vaccines to cover entire population versus Covid-19 next year. “The procurement negotiations are in the final stage,” said Lee Ki-il, a senior official with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, in a press briefing. The cost of importing mRNA vaccine booster shot to cover the entire population had been earmarked in the supplementary budget. Pfizer and Moderna are the only mRNA vaccines currently available in Korea. The government is planning to buy enough doses to provide shots to the country’s population except preschoolers and the latest purchasing plan reflects the person’s age for inoculation and the need of booster shots against Covid-19 variants, he said.
H2 earning prospects less brightening for Korean Inc vs stellar H1
South Korean companies reported nearly doubled earnings in the second quarter and could stand less appealing in the latter half. According to Korean financial data provider FnGuide Inc. on Tuesday, 335 listed companies that have announced their second quarter earnings or with a consensus compiled by three or more brokerage houses are projected to have registered 89 percent jump in their combined operating income from a year ago. The growth for the third quarter is estimated at a halved rate of 46.3 percent. FnGuide analysis showed that 43 out of 51 industry sectors are expected to show softening in growth in the third quarter. Vehicle components will likely report the steepest slowdown, with its 2,438.5 percent on-year growth in the second quarter coming to 6.7 percent in the third quarter. Other sectors are machinery, textile and apparel, and construction equipment.
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