Monday, October 25, 2021

 

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

The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)

Through friendship come trust and good business partnership

Newly appointed Ambassador Coronel Kinloch of the Republic of Nicaragua in Seoul said, “Through friendship comes trust and through trust comes a good business partner. Thus, every Korean investor and company can feel assured that Nicaragua is a land filled with investment opportunities.” Excerpts from the interview follow: Question: As a new Nicaraguan ambassador to Korea, please tell us your major business objectives for this year. Answer: First off, I want to express the deep and sincere gratitude of the people of The Republic of Nicaragua towards the friendship given by the people of The Republic of Korea. Gratefulness is my main business and affair in this beautiful country. I want every Korean to know they have a friend ready to lend a hand in every Nicaraguan.

 

LG Chem seeks unique ideas from college students

LG Chem announced on Oct. 22 that it held the 1st LG Chem - Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers Petrochemicals Olympiad awards ceremony on a metaverse platform on Oct. 21. At the Olympiad that was held since July, a total of 1,692 college students majoring in chemical engineering grouped in 647 teams participated to suggest solutions to problems facing the chemical industry in areas such as process safety enhanced productivity environment/energy. Expert judges from the LG Chem Global Production Center and the Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers selected one team for the overall grand prize and gold/silver/bronze for one team in each of the sectors based on actual applicability, uniqueness, etc.

 

Yuhan-Kimberly wins the UNCCD Secretary-General's Award

Yuhan-Kimberly won the UNCCD Secretary-General's Award at the 'Excellent Desertification Prevention Video' contest held for domestic and foreign companies and organizations about the case of desertification prevention activities. Yuhan-Kimberly has continued such activities in Mongolia. The contest was held to praise the efforts to prevent desertification and to draw the public's attention, and the winning cases were shared during the 10th anniversary of the Changwon Initiative. For the past 20 years, Yuhan-Kimberly has been working hard to prevent desertification by cultivating Yuhan-Kimberly Forest, which is 11 times larger than Yeouido, in Mongolia, one of the sources of yellow dust.

                                                                                                              

KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/service)

Military Kicks off Annual Hoguk Defense Exercise

The military will kick off an annual field training exercise involving the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps on Monday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) said the Hoguk training will be carried out from Monday through next Friday across the nation. Hoguk, an annual defense exercise incorporating all domestice military forces, focuses on maintaining preparedness and improving the capabilities of joint operations. The JCS said that this year's training will be held with thorough quarantine measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and African swine fever.

 

Gov't to Hold Public Hearing on Gradual Return to Normalcy

The government is set to unveil a blueprint for how to achieve a gradual return to normalcy from next month. A public hearing will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul, with the government set to announce a draft action plan for a phased return to normalcy in the quarantine and medical sectors. Last month, the government launched a committee of experts from the private sector to discuss measures to achieve a phased transition. The committee consists of four subcommittees in charge of the medical response, economy, culture and safety. In the public hearing on Monday, the government plans to announce a draft of policy shifts for the medical field and listen to experts and the public.
 

N. Korean Media Blast over S. Korea-US Working-level Defense Dialogue

A North Korean media outlet has voiced criticism over moves to launch a new working-level defense dialogue between South Korea and the United States. Military authorities of the two allies are reportedly in consultation on the matter after the United States floated the idea of creating the dialogue channel during the South Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue in Seoul last month. Propaganda outlet Meari said on Sunday that the United States is seeking to use the proposed working-level group to tighten its grip on South Korea's defense, put military pressure on the North and enhance the enforcement of its strategy in the Indo-Pacific region. The media strongly criticized South Korea as well, taking an example of a working-level group that Seoul and Washington had operated in the past to coordinate their positions on North Korea issues.


                                                                                                                 

 

Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

Ex-ruling party leader vows to support Lee Jae-myung's presidential campaign

Lee Nak-yon, a former ruling Democratic Party (DP) chief who was defeated in the party's primary for the 2022 presidential election, pledged Sunday to join forces with Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung, its candidate, to help his election campaign. His position was closely watched as a key element in the liberal DP's push for a so-called one team in the election fight against the conservative opposition People Power Party. Meeting with the governor at a teahouse in central Seoul, Lee read out a statement in front of reporters that he will add "strength" for the success of the Moon Jae-in administration and the DP's election win. He appealed to DP members and supporters not to abandon efforts to protect the spirit and value of the party although they "may have various thoughts."

 

U.S. to continue talks with S. Korea on end-of-war declaration, other options for N. Korea diplomacy: envoy

The U.S. special representative for North Korea said Sunday that he looks forward to continuing exploring different options with South Korea to resume dialogue with North Korea, including the proposed declaration of a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War. Sung Kim also reiterated Washington's willingness to help address the North's humanitarian concerns for its people in need, while urging Pyongyang to stop missile launches, which he cast as "concerning and counterproductive." Kim made the remarks soon after he held talks with his South Korean counterpart, Noh Kyu-duk, to discuss joint efforts to resume stalled nuclear diplomacy.

 

New virus cases below 1,500 amid progress in vaccination campaign

South Korea's daily COVID-19 cases fell below 1,500 on Sunday amid signs of a letup in the fourth wave of the pandemic, with the country seeking to phase out social distancing restrictions, as its vaccination rate reached the milestone of 70 percent. The country reported 1,423 new cases, including 1,395 local infections, raising the total caseload to 351,899, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. Sunday's tally is down from the 1,508 counted the previous day. New virus cases stayed below 2,000 for the 16th day in a row. The death toll came to 2,766, up 21 from a day earlier. The fatality rate reached 0.79 percent. As of 9 p.m., health authorities and local governments had reported 1,128 more COVID-19 cases, down 227 from the same time a day earlier, but larger than 1,038 cases from a week ago.

                                                                                   

 

The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)

‘Lesser evil’? disapproval of presidential candidates rises

About four months before the upcoming presidential election, voters increasingly disapprove of three key candidates from both the ruling and opposition parties amid constant scandals, doubts and slip-ups. According to a survey of 1,000 adults nationwide conducted Oct. 19-21 by Gallup Korea, Lee Jae-myung, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s sole presidential candidate, marked a 32 percent approval rating. Two opposition party candidates, Hong Joon-pyo and Yoon Seok-youl, received 31 percent and 28 percent approval, respectively.
 

US, South Korea discuss ways to resume talks

The US will explore possibilities surrounding declaring a formal end to the Korean War with South Korea, with regards to resuming talks on North Korea’s denuclearization, the US nuclear envoy for North Korea said Sunday during talks with his South Korean counterpart in Seoul. The 1950-53 conflict concluded with an armistice, not a peace treaty. The Moon Jae-in administration backs signing the declaration to lay the groundwork for denuclearization and a treaty to come, while neither Washington nor Pyongyang have previously been receptive to the idea.

 

Samsung still lost a year after Lee Kun-hee’s death

Monday marks the first anniversary of the death of Lee Kun-hee, the chief of South Korea’s largest conglomerate Samsung and its flagship unit Samsung Electronics. But the world’s No. 1 producer of smartphone and memory chips still seems to lack a clear direction, with the charismatic leader gone. Amid news about a global “chip war,” or aggressive bets by chipmakers in the US, Taiwan and elsewhere to alter market dynamics for their strategic interest, Samsung is seen to be dragging its feet to finalize a major investment plan.

                                                                                      

 

The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

Seoul, Washington remain apart on North Korea policy

The top envoys from South Korea and the United States charged with negotiations regarding the denuclearization of North Korea still remain poles apart over the details of any engagement policy toward Pyongyang. Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Noh Kyu-duk and U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim met in Seoul, Sunday, to discuss how to bring North Korea back to negotiations. They also reviewed Seoul's proposal for a declaration officially ending the Korean War in their second meeting within a week after they met in Washington, Oct. 18 (local time).

 

All eyes on Lee Jae-yong's next move on late chairman's death anniversary

Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong is being watched closely over how he will steer the nation's largest conglomerate on the first anniversary of the death of his father and the business group's late chairman, Lee Kun-hee. Lee, who was released from prison in August, is seen to have three key missions ― creating new growth engines through bold investments, overhauling corporate governance and finding a solution to union-management relations. Although he has remained relatively silent since his release from prison, the de facto head of the tech giant is expected to emerge once again at the forefront of managing the conglomerate and play an even greater role than he did in the past year.

 

Korea's COVID-19 vaccination rate ranks 10th among OECD countries

The percentage of people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 here, which topped 70 percent Saturday, is the 10th-highest among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). As of 2 p.m., Saturday, over 35.94 million ― or 70 percent ― of the country's population of 51.35 million have been fully vaccinated, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA). The 70-percent rate was achieved 240 days after the government kicked off its nationwide inoculation drive Feb. 26. According to Our World in Data, of the 38 OECD countries, Korea's percentage of fully vaccinated ranked 10th, higher than those of Japan, the United States and France.
 

                                                                                                                

 

Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Rocket Launch Only a Partial Success

Korea succeeded in launching its first homegrown space rocket on Thursday, but failed to place a dummy satellite into orbit. The Nuri was launched at 5 p.m. from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Gyeongsang Province and reached its targeted trajectory of 700 km. But the 7-ton engine in the third-stage rocket shut off 46 seconds faster than planned, and the payload therefore failed to attain a speed of 7.5 km/s necessary to stay in orbit. The Nuri is a three-stage rocket designed to place a 1.5-ton satellite in orbit at an altitude of 600 to 800 km. Korea spent W1.96 trillion developing the rocket since March of 2010 (US$1=W1,178).
 

Search Continues for Missing Crew of Capsized Boat Near Dokdo
Coast guards are searching for the missing crewmembers of a fishing boat that capsized in waters northeast of the Dokdo islets. The Korea Coast Guard said the accident occurred on Wednesday, but only two of nine crewmembers could be rescued at the time and one was found dead the following day, with six unaccounted for. The rescued are Chinese and the dead is unidentified. The nine-member crew consisted of three Koreans, four Chinese and two Indonesians. The accident is believed to have happened due to adverse weather. One of the rescued crewmen said the ship was hit by high waves the previous night. © This is copyrighted material owned by Digital Chosun Inc. No part of it may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission.

 

Electric Bus Maker Picked to Take over Ssangyong
A consortium led by electric bus maker Edison Motors has been selected as the preferred bidder for ailing SUV maker Ssangyong. Ssangyong is in court receivership and applied to the Seoul Bankruptcy Court for approval of the decision. The Edison consortium was pitted against another group of investors led by electric car maker EL B&T. Edison only offered a price in the upper W200 billion range, later raised to the low W300 billions (US$1=W1,176). EL B&T offered W500 billion but failed to convince Ssangyong that it can raise the money and was excluded. Ssangyong was last rescued by India's Mahindra in 2010 but failed to pull itself out of the doldrums.


                                                                                                

 

HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
To whom do S. Korea’s political parties belong?

The political scholar Park Sang-hoon wrote the following in his book “Discovery of the Political Party.” “The political party is the greatest component of modern democracy. Political theorists have played down the importance of political parties. They have conceded parties as a ‘necessary evil that must be endured in a free society.’ It has taken a long time for a political party to become established as an important institution indispensable for democracy rather than a necessary evil.” In South Korea, it has taken a long time for a proper political party to emerge. Politicians have always come before political parties.

 

N. Korea says missile test wasn’t aimed at US, conveys concern over US response

North Korea expressed deep concern over the decision by the US to convene a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council (UNSC) in connection with the North’s test launch of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). “When doing the recent test-firing we did not have the US in mind nor aimed at it, but it is the work which had already been planned purely for the defence of the country,” a spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry said. The spokesperson’s remarks were published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Thursday as responses to a reporter’s questions posed the day before.
 

Rule of law or rule of lawyers?

The first attorneys in modern Korean history emerged during the late stages of the Joseon era. The “Encyclopedia of Korean Culture” records that “Hong Jae-gi and two others received their attorney licenses through Legal Decree No. 4 in 1906.” A century later in 2006, the number of attorneys registered with the Korean Bar Association passed the 10,000 mark. South Korea currently boasts over 35,000 legal professionals, including attorneys, judges and prosecutors. That’s more than the number of accountants (24,000), but far fewer than the number of physicians (130,000, not counting dentists and doctors of Korean medicine) or pharmacists (80,000).

                                                                                     

 

The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)

UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur: Less sanction for N. Korean residents

UN Special Rapporteur for North Korean Human Rights Thomas Ohea Quintana reiterated the need to reassess and lessen sanctions against North Korea mentioning economic difficulties of North Korean residents due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the U.S. State Department dismissed his argument by clarifying that it is the North Korean regime’s responsibility for causing its residents to suffer hardships and adversities, drawing the line at connecting impoverishment of North Korean residents to any discussion on the lessening of North Korea sanctions.

 

Hyundai Mobis develops wheels that can rotate 90 degrees

Hyundai Mobis has developed technology that enables 90 degrees rotation on wheels and helps cars can move sideways and rotate on where it stands. According to the company, it succeeded in making an e-corner module that combines four systems: steering, braking, suspension drive into a wheel. The module enables the concept that the company unveiled at the 2019 CES exhibition on an actual car. The technology, titled Electronic Control Unit, has been developed and assessed for functionality.

 

Heads of Korea and Japan may meet at COP26 next week

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (photo) may adjust his schedule to attend the COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow on next Monday and Tuesday (local time), according to NHK reports. There is growing attention on whether he will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who will also attend the conference. According to NHK, the Japanese prime minister is considering attending the conference in person after the House of Representatives election ends on Sunday, given circumstances that it would be difficult to attend virtually.

                                                                                                 

 

The KyungHyangShinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Authorities Confirm 1,440 New Daily Cases of COVID-19: 70% of the Population Expected to Be Fully Vaccinated as Early as Tomorrow

The Central Disease Control Headquarters announced that as of midnight October 22, they have confirmed 1,440 new cases of COVID-19 from the previous day. Among the new cases, 1,420 were locally transmitted and 20 entered from overseas. A regional analysis showed that 80.6% (1,145) of the cases occurred in the Seoul metropolitan area--513 cases in Seoul, 512 in Gyeonggi, and 120 in Incheon. Authorities also confirmed 44 cases in Busan, 21 in Daegu, 3 in Gwangju, 5 in Daejeon, 2 in Ulsan, 1 in Sejong, 18 in Gangwon, 40 in Chungcheongbuk-do, 27 in Chungcheongnam-do, 16 in Jeollabuk-do, 15 in Jeollanam-do, 44 in Gyeongsangbuk-do, 33 in Gyeongsangnam-do, and 6 in Jeju. Sixteen more people died from COVID-19 pushing the total up to 2,725 deaths (fatality rate 0.78%).

 

South Korean Soldiers Are Paper Cats” North Korean Media Mentions Sexual Assault Incidents and Claims South Koreans Deplore the Military

North Korea mentioned the sexual assault incidents in the South Korean military, which were recently criticized in a parliamentary inspection, and said, “South Korean citizens are raising their voices in condemning the military claiming they are not even paper tigers, but paper cats.” On October 21, Meari, a North Korean state propaganda site claimed, “The weakness of the military revealed in the South Korean parliamentary inspection is currently the target of criticism from the South Korean citizens.” The media outlet presented statistics presented by the South Korean lawmakers: 48 fatal accidents in the South Korean military from January to June this year; 5 suicides by female soldiers who were sexually assaulted (January-September 2021); and 518 cases of desertion in the last four years. The media outlet used these figures as the grounds for its criticism.

 

The Aftermath of the Democratic Primaries Rings an Alarm: 40% of Lee Nak-yon’s Supporters Went to Yoon Seok-youl

On October 14, the results of a survey showed that some of the supporters of Lee Nak-yon, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea who lost in the party primaries, expressed their support for former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, a presidential candidate of the People Power Party and not Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung, who was elected as the Democratic Party candidate. Wounds from the party primaries have yet to heal, and they appear to be behind the latest result. Some experts believe this is a warning sign on the “one team” that the Democratic Party is trying to form ahead of the presidential race. According to an OhmyNews survey of 2,027 people conducted by Realmeter on October 11-12, when the respondents were asked which candidate they supported in a four-way presidential race of Lee Jae-myung, Yoon Seok-youl, Sim Sang-jeung, and Ahn Cheol-soo, 34.0% chose Lee Jae-myung and 33.7% chose Yoon Seok-youl.

                                                                                                

Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)

Samsung SDI to activate 1st US facility of 23GWh in JV with Stellantis 2025

South Korea’s Samsung SDI Co. will be churning out battery cells and modules in the United States from the first half of 2025 in 23 gigawatt-hours (GWh) capacity facility in the first year with eventual ramp-up to 40GWh dedicated for EV models of Stellantis N.V. bound for North America. Samsung SDI in a press statement Friday confirmed the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the global No. 4 finished carmaker with the facility opening timed with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) effectuation in July 2025.

 

SKT likely to carry out massive executive reshuffle ahead of non-telecom spinoff

SK Telecom Co., South Korea`s largest wireless carrier, is planning to implement a massive executive reshuffle late October ahead of its planned spinoff of non-telecom businesses in November. SKT usually carries out executive reshuffle in early December, but this time it will advance the schedule to this month to support the smooth launch of new company SK Square, although SKT said the move is not officially determined. According to industry sources on Friday, SKT plans to announce new executive appointments on Oct. 28 following the disclosure of new promotions on Oct. 22 and job performance results on Oct. 25. On Oct. 31, some 100 SKT employees are expected to leave the company to join the new ICT investment firm.

 

Samsung chief Jay Y. Lee plans a trip to US Nov to finalize foundry project

Jay Y. Lee, Samsung Electronics Co. vice chairman and de facto head of the Samsung empire, is said to be planning a business trip in November to the United States where a $17 billion foundry project is planned, which would make his first official business activity since he was released from prison on a parole in August. The new foundry, which would be the biggest outside Korea is likely be housed in Taylor City of Texas, adjacent to Samsung’s Austin foundry, since the city council passed a resolution on a support package for Samsung including tax credits and water bill support on Oct.14.

                                                                                                                  

 

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 Heraldwww.smh.com.au

Colombia Reports http://colombiareports.com

Bogota Free Planet http://bogotafreeplanet.combfp@bogotafreeplanet.com

El Universal http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english

Andes http://www.andes.info.ec/en

Ecuador Times http://www.ecuadortimes.net

The Jordan Times https://www.jordantimes.com

LSM.lv http://www.lsm.lv/en

The Baltic Times http://www.baltictimes.com lithuania@baltictimes.com, estonia@baltictimes.com, editor@baltictimes.com

El Pais http://elpais.com/elpais/inenglish.html

Philippine Daily Inquirer https://www.inquirer.net

Daily News Hungary http://dailynewshungary.com

Budapest Times http://budapesttimes.hu
                                                                                                               

 

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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