The Korean daily media headlines and humor

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Friday, January 20, 2017

Your Excellency:

Here are The Korea Post notices and a roundup of important headlines from all major Korean-language dailies, TV and other news media of Korea today:

Very Respectfully Yours

/s/

Lee Kyung-sik

Publisher-Chairman

Korea Post Media

On charges of involvement in blacklisting cultural figures

Court holds hearing on arrest warrants for culture minister, former Park aide over artist blacklist

SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Yonhap)--A South Korean court held a hearing on Friday to decide whether to issue warrants to arrest the country's culture minister and a former presidential chief of staff over their suspected involvement in the blacklisting of cultural figures deemed critical of the conservative government.

An independent counsel team, looking into an influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her confidante, on Wednesday requested the warrants for Minister Cho Yoon-sun and former top secretary Kim Ki-choon on charges of abuse of authority and perjury.

They attended the hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in the morning. The result is likely to come out late at night.

"I will sincerely go through the court's review proceedings," Cho told reporters as she arrived at the probe team's office in Seoul before heading to the court. Kim declined to comment on questions from reporters.

Kim Ki-choon (C), former presidential chief of staff to President Park Geun-hye, arrives at the Seoul Central District Court on Jan. 20, 2017, to attend a hearing to review the legality of his arrest. The special prosecutor's team requested an arrest warrant for Kim over allegations he was involved in creating a blacklist of anti-government cultural figures while in office. (Yonhap)

Cho and Kim were questioned for 21 hours and 15 hours, respectively, from Tuesday to early Wednesday over allegations that they masterminded the creation and management of the blacklist to deny dissident artists state support.

They were among the closest aides to the beleaguered president. Cho served as the senior presidential secretary for political affairs from 2014 to 2015 and became the culture minister last year.

Kim, who served as the presidential chief of staff from 2013 to 2015, is said to have exerted huge influence on state affairs beyond his position.

They also face charges of making false statements under oath as both flatly denied the allegations during parliamentary hearings.

The probe team declined to give details on when the list was drafted.

Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun (C) arrives at the office of the special prosecutor's team in Seoul on Jan. 20, 2017, before attending a court hearing to review the legality of her arrest. The special prosecutor requested an arrest warrant for Cho over allegations she was involved in creating a blacklist of anti-government cultural figures while serving as a senior aide to President Park Geun-hye. (Yonhap)

The list is known to have nearly 10,000 people on it, including author Han Kang, winner of the Man Booker International Prize in 2016, and director Park Chan-wook, who won the grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004.

The investigation team's spokesman Lee Kyu-chul said last week, "The creation and execution of the blacklist severely infringe upon the people's freedom of thought and expression."

Lee said the team is now looking into whether President Park was involved in the creation of the list.

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Other major topics on The Korea Post website (www.koreapost.com) this morning:

Bareun lawmaker rules out shorter military service

SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Yonhap)--Rep. Yoo Seong-min, a potential presidential contender from the conservative Bareun Party, said South Korea should adopt a law to maintain the present the service period for conscripts on Friday, as liberal rivals are calling to reduce it to win votes.

Main opposition to push for dismissal of culture minister

SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Yonhap)--The main opposition Democratic Party on Friday said it will push for a motion to demand the dismissal of Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun amid suspicions that she played a key role in blacklisting cultural figures critical of the conservative government.

New orders raise hopes of recovery in shipbuilding sector

SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Yonhap)--A series of new shipbuilding orders in recent weeks have raised hopes of recovery in South Korea's troubled shipbuilding industry, boosted by rising oil prices and a global supply shortage of new ships.

Korea Post's delivery service ranked No. 1 in consumer satisfaction

SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Yonhap)--Delivery service by South Korea's postal service operator Korea Post ranked No. 1 in consumer satisfaction, a survey showed Friday.

Korea Post received 3.97 points out of a possible 5 in overall satisfaction scores on a survey conducted by the Korea Consumer Agency.

Basic materials sector gets boost from Trump expectations

SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Yonhap)--Stock funds invested in basic materials and healthcare are showing promising profits so far this year on expectations of a market boom after new U.S. President Donald Trump takes office, data showed Friday.

S. Korea introduces 24-hour capsule hotel at Incheon airport

SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Yonhap)--Small but fully equipped and furnished rooms will begin accommodating passengers at South Korea's Incheon International Airport, providing a private and comfortable place to rest at the bustling airport, the transportation ministry said Friday.

India soon to report implementation of U.N. sanctions against N. Korea: envoy

SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Yonhap)--India will soon submit a report on its implementation of U.N. sanctions imposed on North Korea, which include the suspension of an Indian space technology training program for North Koreans, New Delhi's top envoy to Seoul said.

CJ E&M shares fly high in solo performance

SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Yonhap)--Shares of entertainment and media content company CJ E&M have been flying high, about the only gainer in the industry hit by China's move to restrict imports of South Korea's cultural material, market data showed Friday.

For up-to-the-minute Korea-language news, please visit www.koreapost.co.kr. there major topics on The Korea Post website (www.koreapost.com)

What’s ticking in Korea today? Here is a quick roundup of important news stories from the major Korean news media today:

KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)

Philippine Police: Murder of S. Korean Took Place at Police HQ

It has been made known that the murder of a South Korean businessman by local police officers in the Philippines last October was carried out at the country's national police headquarters in Manila. The revelation has stirred immense controversy in both South Korea and the Philippines as a foreign national was found to have been killed at the heart of Manila's law enforcement authority.

EU Blacklists N. Korea for Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing Risks

The European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, on Thursday put North Korea and nine other countries on a list of the nations posing a substantial risk of facilitating money laundering or terrorist financing.

Court to Hold Warrant Hearing on Culture Minister, Ex-Chief of Staff

The court will hold a hearing to review the arrest warrants for Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun and former presidential Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon Friday morning over allegations related to the Park Geun-hye government's blacklist of leftist artists.

Heavy Snow Blankets Many Areas Across S. Korea

Many parts of the nation, including the capital Seoul, woke up to heavy snow on Friday.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA), heavy snow advisories and warnings were issued in the Seoul metropolitan area, the Chungcheong Provinces, the southwestern part of Gangwon Province and inland regions of the Jeolla and Gyeongsang Provinces as of 7 a.m.

Activity Indicates Possible Resumption of Yongbyon Reactor

A widely respected authority on North Korea's nuclear activity says the North appears to have resumed operations to some degree at its main plutonium producing reactor.

Counsel Probe Unchanged in Plan to Question Park in Early Feb.

The independent counsel team investigating the Choi Soon-sil scandal says it will press on with plans to question President Park Geun-hye in person, despite a court's rejection Thursday of an arrest warrant for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong.

Foreign Ministry Remark Viewed as Opposing Girl Statue on Dokdo

The Foreign Ministry says it's opposed to installing a statue symbolizing Japan's wartime sexual slavery victims on the Dokdo islets.

Gov't to Build Trauma Center at Armed Forces Capital Hospital

The Defense Ministry has decided to set up a trauma center in the Armed Forces Capital Hospital that will be tasked with caring for soldiers seriously injured while carrying out military operations.

Survey: 54.7% Support Limiting Age of Presidents, Lawmakers to 65

A new survey has found that more than half of South Koreans support the idea of introducing an age limit for all public officials, including presidents, ministers and lawmakers.

Drone Show Korea 2017 Opens in Busan

Asia's biggest drone exhibition opened on Thursday at the BEXCO Exhibition Hall in Busan for a three-day run.

Korea to Analyze Sea Routes Leading to South Pole

South Korea will, for the first time, study sea routes leading to the South Pole to ensure the safety of ships sailing in polar waters.

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

Heavy snow leads to traffic jams in S. Korea

Heavy snow pounded central South Korea, including the capital city of Seoul overnight on Friday, leading to traffic disruptions.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), Seoul had received a total of 6.3 centimeters of snow as of 7 a.m. Incheon, west of Seoul, had 8 centimeters of snow, with numbers for Suwon reaching 7 centimeters.

S. Korea introduces 24-hour capsule hotel at Incheon airport

Small but fully equipped and furnished rooms will begin accommodating passengers at South Korea's Incheon International Airport, providing a private and comfortable place to rest at the bustling airport, the transportation ministry said Friday.

New orders raise hopes of recovery in shipbuilding sector

A series of new shipbuilding orders in recent weeks have raised hopes of recovery in South Korea's troubled shipbuilding industry, boosted by rising oil prices and a global supply shortage of new ships.

CJ E&M shares fly high in solo performance

Shares of entertainment and media content company CJ E&M have been flying high, about the only gainer in the industry hit by China's move to restrict imports of South Korea's cultural material, market data showed Friday.

McCain slams China for 'bullying' S. Korea over THAAD

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) slammed China on Thursday for "bullying" South Korea for its decision to host the U.S. THAAD missile defense system aimed at defending against North Korea, urging Beijing to use its "considerable influence" to rein in Pyongyang.

U.S. reiterates readiness for N. Korean missile launch

The United States is prepared for any North Korean missile launch, including the possibility of shooting it down if it were coming toward the U.S. or allies, the Pentagon said Thursday.

N. Korea appears to be preparing to restart plutonium production reactor: 38 North

North Korea is showing signs of preparing to restart its plutonium-producing nuclear reactor after finishing reprocessing spent fuel to extract plutonium, a U.S. website monitoring the North said.

Pyongyang blasts Kerry for disgracing N. Korean leadership

North Korea on Thursday lashed out at U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for what it claimed to be his attempt to undermine the dignity of its leadership, while also accusing him of driving the U.S.-North Korea relationship to the worst possible state.

Rain, Kim Tae-hee become top celebrity husband and wife

Singer-actor Rain and actress Kim Tae-hee tied the knot at a Catholic church in central Seoul on Thursday, becoming top celebrity husband and wife.

Park uses phone under borrowed name: ex-aide

President Park Geun-hye has a mobile phone under a borrowed name, a former aide said during her impeachment trial Thursday, revealing an act that is punishable by law.

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

Dismissal of warrant for Samsung chief to cause setback in Park investigation

The court’s refusal to issue an arrest warrant for Samsung Group’s heir apparent Lee Jae-yong has dealt a blow to the special investigators who have been striving to prove the bribery allegation centered on President Park Geun-hye and her infamous friend Choi Soon-sil.

Samsung avoids the worst, but faces major business delays over probe

Samsung Group heaved a sigh of relief Thursday, as a Seoul court rejected a request by a special counsel to arrest the group’s heir apparent Lee Jae-yong. However, the company expressed concerns over its business prospects, citing the possibility of the ongoing probe continuing to create a leadership vacuum.

Presidential hopefuls declare candidacies

With the clock ticking for this year’s earlier-than-expected presidential election, a minority left-wing party leader, Sim Sang-jeung, and former Prime Minister Chung Woon-chan declared their candidacy Thursday.

Why childhood obesity is more prevalent among low-income families

In the 1980s, plump cheeks and round legs were a symbol of successful child-rearing in South Korea.

“Your baby should participate in the chubby baby contest” was one of the best compliments a parent could hear.

Shinhan Bank CEO nominated new chairman of Shinhan Financial

South Korea’s largest financial institution Shinhan Financial Group said it has selected Shinhan Bank CEO Cho Yong-byoung as the final candidate to be the next chairman of the group.

The snack evolution

Snacks, once produced and marketed mostly for children, have become a major consumption item for Koreans of all ages, seeking to munch away their stress with more diverse and healthier options.

Painful, but worthwhile

The case of Samsung Group’s Lee Jae-yong shows how easily Korean conglomerates – however global they may be – can fall into a deep crisis for reasons not directly related to their business.

Although Lee was spared from being placed behind bars, his implication in an influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her confidante Choi Soon-sil is damaging the image of a company whose products, including smartphones, dominate world markets.

Mideast chat in Paris: two-state solution aired without players

Senior officials of some 70 countries and international organizations gathered in Paris on Sunday to try, one more time, to move forward the project to divide the area shared by Israelis and Palestinians into two states, living side by side in peace.

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

Plan to erect statue in Dokdo sparks dispute

The Gyeonggi Province Council's plan to set up a statue symbolizing wartime sex slaves for Japan on the Dokdo islets is stirring a rift between two provincial governments.

Samsung chief avoids detention

A Seoul court rejected a special prosecutor's request to arrest Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Thursday, citing insufficient evidence to charge him with bribery and embezzlement.

Diplomacy dead between Seoul, Tokyo

Both Korea and Japan are finding it increasingly difficult to seek a diplomatic solution to the dispute over "comfort woman" statues amid negative public sentiment toward each other.

French university to run class on Korean independence

A renowned French university will launch a regular class on Korea's 1910-45 independence movement against Japanese colonization, the Independence Hall of Korea (IHK) said Thursday.

Prank caller, drunken public worker face courts

A man was sent to trial on Thursday after calling police and pretending to be a sobbing woman in dire need of help.

N. Korea's ICBM test-firing imminent

North Korea is apparently ready to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at any time and from any location once its leadership decides to do so, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Thursday.

Sacheon offers free legal help for foreign workers

Sacheon city provides a free legal counseling service for foreign workers who live in the region.

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

Inauguration of Mr. Uncertainly likely to trigger trade war between G2 nations

Donald Trump, the “Outsider of Washington” who heralded seismic changes in global security, trade, and order, is being sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America on Friday (local time). Brandishing his signature catchphrase, “Make America Great Again,” Trump seems to be willing to take chances even with confronting China for economic and security hegemony, which is expected to fuel turbulence across the world.

Kim Jong Un urges ‘beefed-up preparation for combat’

With North Korea beefing up its threat to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile day after day, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un paid an inspection visit to a military unit for the first time in the New Year.

Missing part of national treasure found in museum storage

Some half century after its disappearance, the topmost part of stupa of leader of the nation Hongbeob, which is the national treasure No. 102, has been found in the storage of National Museum of Korea.

Shinsegae makes inroads into kimchi business

Shinsegae Group, one of the largest department store franchises in Korea, is making a foray into kimchi market. On Thursday, Shinsegae Food announced that the group launched its own kimchi brand “Olbaan Kimchi,” with the sales starting on the same day at the stores of its major retailer Emart and convenience store With Me.

Seoul offers discounts for Chinese tourists

The Seoul metropolitan government will prepare for Chinese tourists’ visit to the city during the Spring Festival, the largest event for Chinese (from Jan. 27 through Feb. 2). It set the period as the “week for Chinese tourists” and will have various discount events.

Samsung Exynos chips to power Audi’s in-car entertainment system

Samsung Electronics will supply its "Exynos" application processor to German automaker Audi, the first time for the Korean giant to provide its self-developed chip to a car maker. Samsung is expanding its Exynos sales channel to the automobile chip market, a sign that it is aggressively making inroads into the auto parts technology business.

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Chosun-Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)

Elderly People Now Outnumber Children

People over 65 narrowly outnumbered children under 15 for the first time at the end of last year.

Hard Knocks Upset Rankings of Korean Conglomerates

Seismic changes are underway in the rankings of the country's top 30 conglomerates, according to industry tracker CEO Score on Wednesday.

Record Numbers Gift Real Estate to Heirs to Dodge Tax

Record numbers of people handed over their homes, land and commercial buildings to their children as gifts last year to save on inheritance tax, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Tuesday.

Phone Records Prove Nonstop Contact Between Choi and Cheong Wa Dae

Phone records show that President Park Geun-hye's longtime crony Choi Soon-sil was in touch with Cheong Wa Dae three times a day till at least the end of 2014.

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HanKyoReh-Shinmoon (http://english.hani.co.kr)

Court denies arrest warrant for Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong

On Jan. 19, a South Korean court denied a request for an arrest warrant against Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, 49, who is suspected of having given a bribe to South Korean President Park Geun-hye. This represents a major hitch in Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo’s plan to use charges that Lee gave a bribe as a stepping stone to investigate charges that President Park Geun-hye received that bribe. The Special Prosecutor’s investigative team is carefully examining the court’s rationale for rejecting the request for an arrest warrant and considering resubmitting the request.

Trump administration looking likely to maintain Obama’s approach to North Korea

With just two days left in office, senior officials in the Barack Obama administration stressed the importance of policies to pressure Pyongyang.

Abe likely to again decline to describe S. Korea as a country with shared values

This year, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to omit the phrase about “a country that shares fundamental values” from his description of South Korea. It will be the third time he has done so since 2015.

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JoongAng-Ilbo(conservative) (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)

Seoul to give up North denuclearization policy

A file photo of the Kwangmyongsong-4 from the North’s state-run newspaper. [RODONG SINMUN]

In the first major policy change about North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction in nearly a decade, Seoul will focus more on blocking Pyongyang from actually using the weapons instead of trying to deter their development.

Retaliation by Beijing extends to bidet imports

China continues to widen its economic squeeze on Korea by blocking sales of toilet seat bidets, saying the manufacturers didn’t provide exact specifications in their manuals.

Despite warrant rejection, counsel vows to question Park

An independent counsel said Thursday it will not be deterred by a local court’s rejection of a warrant to detain Samsung leader Lee Jae-yong as a suspect in their investigation into his alleged bribing of President Park Geun-hye.

Egg shortage takes toll on firms

Nine out of 10 small businesses that deal with eggs say they have been affected by the avian influenza outbreak, according to survey results published by the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise on Thursday.

Samsung Heavy, HHI win lawsuit vs. DSME

Samsung Heavy Industries and Hyundai Heavy Industries have won a patent case in which they sued Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering to nullify its patent on partial re-liquefaction technology.

Lotte Mart debuts line of chic and light hanbok

Lotte Mart began selling its own line of traditional Korean clothing on Thursday, in time for Lunar New Year when it is most widely worn. This is the first time a discount retail chain has developed its own line of hanbok, as the clothing is known in Korean.

Shinhan nominates Cho as chair

Shinhan Financial Group, the country’s largest financial holding group, nominated Cho Yong-byoung, president and CEO of Shinhan Bank, as its new chairman on Thursday.

Averting arrest, Samsung leader is back at work

Samsung has avoided the worst-case scenario of its acting top leader and vice chairman Lee Jae-yong being arrested, but it will take time for the conglomerate to return to normalcy as long as a court battle lingers for him.

Investors play it safe with short-term accounts

Investors are increasingly shifting their money to short-term investment vehicles amid lingering uncertainties ahead of the launch of the new U.S. administration and further interest rate rises in the world’s largest economy, data showed Thursday.

Government vows to curb high inflation

The government presented several measures on Thursday to ease high inflation, as Korean consumers grow weary of rising prices for daily necessities like fresh produce and processed foods.

Koreans buy more goods from foreign online shops

As consumer prices continue to rise in the country, more Koreans purchased goods from foreign online retailers last year, a recent study shows.

In marathon meeting, Koo urges innovation

Koo Bon-Joon, vice chairman of LG Group, stressed the importance of “entrepreneurship” to executives of LG subsidiaries in a two-day meeting that wrapped up Thursday.

LG sends out invite for G6 release

LG Electronics sent out a media invitation to the unveiling of its flagship G6 smartphone with the tagline “See More, Play More” on Thursday, suggesting that the upcoming model will focus on entertainment features.

Chong Kun Dang plugs probiotics for health

Chong Kun Dang has released two probiotic health food products: Free-Lacto and Free-Lacto Kids. With more people interested in strengthening their immune system, these products have been receiving positive feedback from consumers.

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The KyungHyang-Shinmoon(http://english.khan.co.kr/)

Ban to the Press, “You Bad Guys”

On January 18, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon flared up due to controversy over his change of words on the comfort women agreement between South Korea ···

[Editorial]Ban’s Pathetic Idea of Politics, Claiming to Enter a Party Due to Lack of Funds

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with reporters Tuesday and said, “Since I am working alone, I‘m in a tight situation financially. Because I don’t have a political party, I am spending w···

Ban Ki-moon Visits Bongha Village, 'Will Remember the Remaining Tasks of President Roh' Moderate Cosplay

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (73) visited the grave of former President Roh Moo-hyun and the memorial for the Sewol victims on January 17. Ban reveal···

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The Korea Economic Daily (http://english.hankyung.com/)

Court Dismisses Arrest Warrant for Samsung's Lee

The court has dismissed the request by the prosecutors to issue an arrest warrant to Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong. This will be a big setback for the special prosecution team led by specially appointed head prosecutor Park Young-soo that has investigated bribery and other charges in relation to the so-called Choi Soon-sil scandal.

U.S. FTC Files Suit against Qualcomm for Violation of Competition Laws

Qualcomm, the world's largest mobile phone chipset maker, was sued by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for violation of antitrust laws. This litigation came after Qualcomm faced a fine of 1.03 trillion won last month in Korea for abusing its dominant market position.

Korea's Biomedical Shipments Top $1 Bil. Level Last Year

Korea's annual biomedical shipments overseas passed the $1-billion mark last year, first in history. According to the Korea Customs Service on January 18, the nation's exports of biomedicals such as gene recombination treatments and vaccines amounted to $1.44 billion last year, up more than 50 percent compared to $930 million in 2015.

Doosan Heavy Aims to Catch up with Front-runner GE by 2020

The fourth industrial revolution is well under way at Doosan Heavy Industries which is installing Internet-of-Things systems in various areas within power plants to collect big data and run them in remote distance.

Hyundai Motor Vice Chairman Calls for New Sales Culture

Hyundai Motor vice chairman Chung Eui-sun urged the employees of Hyundai Motor America to establish an innovative sales culture to create a stronger profile in the U.S. market. These remarks are based on Chung's judgment that the current incentive-based sales technique has some limits.

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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)

Ridley Scott in talks on remaking S. Korean hit movie 'The Wailing': report

The producer of "The Wailing", a supernatural thriller named best film of 2016 by South Korean film journalists, is reportedly in talks with an international studio on the film's English remake.

Prosecutors charge Kim Hyun-joong's ex-girlfriend with attempted fraud

A controversial legal case involving Kim Hyung-joong, a K-pop singer-actor, took a new turn as prosecutors charged his ex-girlfriend with an attempted fraud and defamation.

S. Korea art society hit by forgery dispute over Lee Ufan's paintings

South Korea's art community was embroiled in a fresh forgery row this week after a court ruled that at least four artworks by Lee Ufan, a prominent 80-year-old artist, have been forged despite his claim they are all authentic.

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

Seoul court rejects detention warrant for Samsung chief Jay Y. Lee

A court in South Korea on Thursday disallowed the nation’s independent counsel team from placing Samsung Electronics Co,’s Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee under custody on bribery, embezzlement and perjury charges, citing lack of cause to keep him in physical dentition before trial.

Korea finance min vows to up fiscal budget upon “disastrous” Q1 performance

Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho said on Tuesday that the government could propose a supplementary budget in a record scale of more than 20 trillion won ($17 billion) if the country’s first-quarter economic performance turns out “disastrous.”

LG’s G6 to feature AI-powered Google Assistant

LG Electronics Inc.’s upcoming flagship smartphone G6 will feature Google Inc.’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered voice assistant service ‘Google Assistant’, becoming the first Korean-made smartphone to sport the voice assistant system first unveiled by Google in May last year.

KT&G ups dividend payouts in 2 years amid criticism

South Korea’s leading tobacco producer KT&G Corp. said in a regulatory filing Thursday it was increasing dividend payout after 2016 settlements to 3,600 won ($3.06) per common share versus 3,400 won in the previous year.

Hyundai Motor joins global initiative to promote hydrogen fuel

Hyundai Motor Co. joined forces with 12 multinational energy, transport and industry firms in a global initiative to promote hydrogen for clean and environment-friendly fuel transition.

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

Gwangmyeong Daily www.gmw.cn webmaster@gmw.cn

Japan's Yomiuri www.yomiuri.co.jp japannews@yomiuri.com