Friday, December 24, 2021

Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post ( www.koreapost.com )

‘New envoy of R.P. shows signs of excelling her top-rated predecessor’

Newly accredited ambassador of the Republic of Philippines in Seoul, Madam Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega, reminds the Korean people of one of the most active Philippine ambassadors in Seoul, Ambassador Francisco L. Benedicto who served in Korea from June 14, 1993 to May 16, 1995. Many Koreans agree that during that period of his service in Korea bilateral relations, cooperation and friendship flourished in the highest degree. And 16 years later today, it appears that the two countries are in for another Golden Time of win-win cooperation and friendship—with the newly accredited lady ambassador, Mme. De Vega in place. All in all, Korea and the Philippines are in for another period of most active cooperation in all areas between the two countries.

 

The Korea Post cites UAE envoy for support for Special Report

On the afternoon of Dec. 23, 2021, The Korea Post media presented Ambassador Abdulla Saif Alnuaimi of the United Arab Emirates in Seoul with a Plaque of Citation for the valuable support given to The Korea Post media in the publication of a Special Report on the country in its December 2021 issue on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the Unification of the Seven Emirates on Dec. 2, 2021. The occasion also marked the presentation of a separate Plaque of Citation to Interpreter Kim Su-jin at the Embassy who rendered a good measure of support for the successful publication of the Special Report.

 

“Bangladesh, Korea have great potential for deeper mutually beneficial collaboration”

The year of 2021 is a special moment for Bangladesh. This year, the nation is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the independence and also in the midst of celebration of the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The year also marks the official endorsement of the graduation of Bangladesh from the status of a Least Development Country to a developing one, as the country fulfilled all three eligibility criteria of the United Nations by substantial margins for the second time. The founding father Bangabandhu dreamt of ‘Sonar Bangla’ (Golden Bengal)-a prosperous, happy, and exploitation-free Bangladesh.

 

                                                                                                             

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

US FDA Authorizes Merck's COVID-19 Pill

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) has given emergency authorization to Merck's  COVID-19 antiviral pill to treat certain high-risk adult patients. The approval of the drug, called monupiravir, comes a day after the FDA granted emergency authorization for Pfizer's antiviral pill, Paxlovid. The FDA said on Thursday that the prescription medication is designed to stop the progression of COVID-19 from mild to severe in people at high risk. It also noted that the drug by Merck and partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics could be used when other treatments are not accessible or clinically appropriate.

 

S. Korea, China Discuss Olympics, Bilateral Ties in Strategic Dialogue

Senior diplomats of South Korea and China held talks and agreed on the importance of high-level exchanges for the development of bilateral ties between the two nations. According to Seoul's foreign ministry, First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and his Chinese counterpart Le Yucheng sat down for the Ninth Strategic Dialogue on Thursday, held online after a four-and-a-half-year hiatus. The ministry said the two sides held in-depth discussions on bilateral ties and cooperation on Korean Peninsula, regional and international issues. The diplomats assessed that the two nations have seen development in their relations in various aspects including high-level exchanges, economy and cooperation in the fight against COVID-19.

 

Lee Jae-myung, Lee Nak-yon to Co-Lead Committee, Yoon Appeals to Southern Voters

Presidential candidate for the ruling Democratic Party(DP) Lee Jae-myung will co-lead a new committee devoted to national vision with the party's former leader Lee Nak-yon. The former prime minister made the announcement Thursday after holding a luncheon with the presidential candidate, saying he will work with Lee for the victory of the Democratic Party. Lee Nak-yon competed against the former Gyeonggi governor in the DP's presidential primary but conceded his defeat in October. Meanwhile, presidential candidate of the main opposition People Power Party(PPP) Yoon Suk Yeol, who is touring the Jeolla region, vowed government support to turn the city of Gwangju into a hub for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.


                                                                                                                

 

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

Moon likely to grant pardon to ex-President Park: senior official

President Moon Jae-in is likely to grant a pardon to former President Park Geun-hye, currently serving a 22-year prison term for corruption, a senior official at the ruling party said Friday. "I understand that ex-President Park is included on a list of people who are to be granted pardons," the official told Yonhap News Agency by telephone. This year, the 69-year-old Park was hospitalized three times due to chronic shoulder and lower back pain. In 2019, she received shoulder surgery. Park has been serving a combined 22-year prison sentence since March 2017 after being impeached and removed from office over far-reaching corruption charges and an influence-peddling scandal.

 

Yoon's mother-in-law gets 1-year jail term for forging financial document

The mother-in-law of Yoon Suk-yeol, the presidential nominee of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), was sentenced to one year in prison on Thursday for forging a financial document used in a past deal for land purchase. The district court in Uijeongbu, 23 kilometers north of Seoul, convicted the 74-year-old, surnamed Choi, of producing a fake bank account balance certificate and using it to purchase a swath of land in Seongnam, south of Seoul, from April 2013 to October of that year. The forged document suggested she had deposited 34.7 billion won (US$29.2 million) into the account. Prosecutors pressed charges against Choi for alleged document forgery, use of forged papers and violation of real-name property ownership laws.

 

Moon visits front-line unit on border island, encourages Marines

President Moon Jae-in visited a front-line military unit on a western border island on Thursday and hailed Marines there for their hard work, Cheong Wa Dae said. Moon flew by helicopter to Baengnyeong Island near the western sea border with North Korea and began his visit by paying his respects at a memorial dedicated to the 46 sailors killed in the North's sinking of the Cheonan corvette in 2010, his spokeswoman Park Kyung-mee said in a written briefing. Moon then visited the headquarters of a Marine brigade to be briefed on the unit's work and mounted a forward observation post to encourage the troops there.

 

                                                                                   

 

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

End-of-war: No reason for US to back ‘end-of-rainbow’ pursuit 

The Biden administration is skeptical of Seoul’s diplomatic initiative to utilize an end-of-war declaration as a standalone measure to reboot nuclear diplomacy with North Korea. Essentially, Washington’s doubts of the Moon Jae-in administration’s proposal have grown as North Korea began to raise the costs for declaring an end to the Korean War. The US interprets North Korea’s move as in line with its apathy toward resuming nuclear negotiations and the denuclearization process. In light of its reservations, Washington’s coordination on an end-of-war declaration with South Korea constitutes alliance management and goodwill gestures to its key ally in the Indo-Pacific region, whose importance is growing in the intensifying US-China rivalry.

 

South Korea to expand cooperation with US on supply chain, technologies in 2022

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday the country would look to expand cooperation with the US on many fronts next year, including on supply chains and cutting-edge technology, as well as North Korea’s denuclearization. The Foreign Ministry, along with the Unification and Defense Ministries, jointly delivered a written policy report for 2022 to President Moon Jae-in on Monday, detailing Seoul’s priorities and direction on diplomacy, security and North Korean policies. “We will further expand the horizons of cooperation between South Korea and the US by continuing to push for future-oriented cooperation projects in areas of public health, climate change, supply chains and cutting-edge technologies,” the Foreign Ministry said in its report.

 

Moon visits front-line unit on border island, encourages Marines

President Moon Jae-in visited a front-line military unit on a western border island on Thursday and hailed Marines there for their hard work, Cheong Wa Dae said. Moon flew by helicopter to Baengnyeong Island near the western sea border with North Korea and began his visit by paying his respects at a memorial dedicated to the 46 sailors killed in the North's sinking of the Cheonan corvette in 2010, his spokeswoman Park Kyung-mee said in a written briefing. Moon then visited the headquarters of a Marine brigade to be briefed on the unit's work and mounted a forward observation post to encourage the troops there.

 

                                                                                    

 

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

US ambassadorial vacancy could send bad message: experts

Amid a lengthy absence of a U.S. ambassador to South Korea, diplomatic observers are expressing disappointment that U.S. President Joe Biden, who is moving fast to reinvigorate its alliances and partnerships after the tumult of Donald Trump's presidency, has yet to nominate an ambassador to South Korea, adding that the vacancy could deliver a negative message in terms of South Korea-U.S. relations. In addition, they also concurred that it would not be desirable for the U.S. to push back the appointment until after the South Korean presidential election in March after which the stance of a new administration will be more clearly defined. According to the American Foreign Service Association, Biden has appointed officials to 80 out of 190 U.S. ambassadorial posts since his inauguration, Jan. 20.

 

Moon likely to grant pardon to ex-President Park: senior official

President Moon Jae-in is likely to grant a pardon to former President Park Geun-hye, currently serving a 22-year prison term for corruption, a senior official at the ruling party said Friday. "I understand that ex-President Park is included on a list of people who are to be granted pardons," the official told Yonhap News Agency by telephone. This year, the 69-year-old Park was hospitalized three times due to chronic shoulder and lower back pain. In 2019, she received shoulder surgery. Park has been serving a combined 22-year prison sentence since March 2017 after being impeached and removed from office over far-reaching corruption charges and an influence-peddling scandal.

 

Hyundai Motor to unveil latest robotics tech at CES

Hyundai Motor is set to showcase its latest robotics vision under the theme of "Expanding Human Reach" at the world's largest electronics exhibition, the Consumer Electronics Show 2022 (CES 2022) opening in Las Vegas early next year. "Hyundai has chosen robotics as the theme for the CES to promote its brand vision of Progress for Humanity," an official from Hyundai Motor said. "With the development of AI technology, the boundaries between mobility and robotics will disappear in the future, and robotics will soon be connected to mobility." The company unveiled a teaser image for its participation in the CES 2022, Thursday, reflecting its drive to become an advanced mobility service provider.

 

                                                                                                               

 

Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Most Korean Businesses in China Say Things Are Getting Worse

More than eight out of 10 Korean companies operating in China say conditions there have deteriorated compared to a decade ago and they suffer discrimination. The Federation of Korean Industries polled 131 Korean companies that set up business there. The vast majority or 111 companies said investment conditions in China have worsened over the last 10 years. The biggest reason cited is risks related to Chinese government regulations, while others include discrimination, the trade war with the U.S. and tougher environmental regulations. They are particularly worried about Chinese President Xi Jinping's "common prosperity" campaign imposing tougher regulations on big tech, cybermoney, private education and game companies that are blamed for income disparity.

 

SK Hynix Clears Hurdle to Take over Intel's NAND Business
SK Hynix has cleared another hurdle in its bid to take over Intel's NAND chip business by gaining approval from China's antitrust regulator. That means SK Hynix now has approval from eight main countries including the U.S. and EU for the US$9 billion deal. China's State Administration of Market Regulation wrapped up a yearlong review of the monopoly risks based on documents submitted by the Korean chipmaker. China had been delaying the decision citing the need to hear the opinions of related parties. SK Hynix welcomed China's decision. The Korean chipmaker already accounts for a 13.5 percent share of the global NAND flash market to rank third and will become the No. 2 behind Samsung when it buys sixth-ranked Intel's business.
 

Korea Switches to New Passports
Korea's new passports became available on Tuesday, making personal data more secure, according to the Foreign Ministry. The personal information page is made of polycarbonate that is more durable and heat-resistant than the coated paper of the older version. The picture and information sections are engraved with lasers and are harder to forge. But resident registration numbers are not included, so the new version can no longer be used as an ID card at home. Also, the passports have shed their old green cover for a navy one featuring the taegeuk or yin-yang emblem of Korea.

                                                                                                

HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
S. Korea to secure 7,000 more hospital beds in preparation for daily caseloads above 10,000

The South Korean government plans to acquire an additional 7,000 sickbeds for COVID-19 patients by next month, including over 1,500 for patients with severe to critical symptoms. As part of its plan, it intends to exclusively task public hospitals such as the National Medical Center and Seoul Medical Center with the treatment of COVID-19 patients. These measures were included in a plan announced at a briefing Wednesday morning by Minister of Health and Welfare Kwon Deok-cheol, who serves as first vice director of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters. “By the end of January [2022], we intend to have acquired an additional 6,944 hospital beds, including 1,578 for patients with severe symptoms,” Kwon said.

 

China conditionally approves SK Hynix’s acquisition of Intel’s NAND flash memory business

China has granted conditional approval for SK Hynix’s acquisition of Intel’s NAND business. China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) posted on its website Wednesday that it had decided to grant conditional approval for SK Hynix’s takeover of Intel’s NAND memory chip business. SAMR said that it made its approval contingent on a ban on written or verbal contracts eliminating or restricting competition by rival Chinese businesses. The announcement Wednesday marked the conclusion of clearance procedures in the eight countries and organizations reviewing the merger of the two companies, namely South Korea, the US, Taiwan, Singapore, the European Union, the UK, Brazil and China.

 

Deaths of key Daejang development figures mustn’t mark the end of investigation

An official from the Seongnam Development Corporation (SDC) who had been involved in choosing the developer implicated in a corruption scandal in Seongnam’s Daejang neighborhood was found dead at his office on Tuesday evening. Kim Moon-ki, who had been the SDC’s deputy director of development, was reportedly a close associate of Yoo Dong-gyu, former head of the SDC’s strategy office, who has already been arrested and charged with taking bribes in connection with the Daejang development project. Kim’s death came after Yoo Han-gi, former director of the SCD’s development division, died by suicide on Dec. 10. Prosecutors had requested an arrest warrant for Yoo on the charge of taking bribes. This is a truly shocking and sad turn of events.

 

                                                                                    

 

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

Controversy over Yoon’s improper remarks on his joining of PPP

“I wish for a successful implementation of the project with the aircraft carrier of the future in mind,” South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Monday regarding the navy’s light aircraft carrier (LAC) project to be implemented by the government. President Moon said the South Korean aircraft carrier project, which is included in the next year’s budget, will take more than 10 years during a conversation, following a ceremony to name new Navy Chief of Staff and Vice Admirals held at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Monday.

 

Samsung promises to maintain top spot with SSD twice faster

Samsung Electronics on Thursday announced its plan to develop the “PM1743” solid-state drive (SSD) of high performance used to build computer networks and servers in governments and businesses to mass-produce the invention early next year. Unlike DRAM on which data are gone when a device is turned off, SSD stores data based on NAND Flash that enables data storage without power on. The development replaces HDD on PCs. There is a growing demand for HDD among governments and businesses as they prepare to build up large-scale server systems.

 

Key figures of party’s election committee should resign, says PPP leader

Lee Jun-seok, the head of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), said on Wednesday that everyone who holds a position in the party’s presidential campaign committee should resign and the committee should disband the current six divisions. Lee made proposals for the reform of the committee one day after stepping down from the campaign’s leadership amid internal feud. During an interview with The Dong-A Ilbo on Wednesday, Lee said it is nonsense that the presidential campaign committee is operated this way, adding the issue of Yoon Seok-youl’s so-called “close confidants” will not be addressed without disbanding the six divisions.

 

                                                                                                

 

The KyungHyangShinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)

Yoon Seok-youl Goes to Honam and Says, “If You’re Poor and Uneducated, You Don’t Know What Freedom Is and Why It Is Necessary”

On December 22, Yoon Seok-youl, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party said, “People living in extreme poverty and lacking education not only do not know what freedom is, but they don’t feel the need for it because they don’t know why an individual needs freedom.” This day, Yoon met with college students at Jeonbuk National University in Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do during his two-day trip to the Honam (Jeolla provinces) region. In the meeting, Yoon argued, “Freedom exists only when there is a certain level of education and basic economic capacity.” Yoon made the comment while responding to a student who asked, “You said that even if someone had different views on ninety-nine things, you could still work with him if he shared the one goal of putting a new government in office.


“Korean Employers, We Are Not Machines or Slaves.”
“Migrant workers produce what people eat, wear, use, ride, and buy in South Korea, but they are treated like pieces of machinery and slaves.” On International Migrants Day, a rally was held to remember Sokkheng, a migrant worker who died in a vinyl greenhouse used as a dormitory last winter, and to call for a guarantee of the rights of migrant workers. The workers shouted slogans such as “Free job change” and “No discrimination.” The Migrants’ Trade Union and the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions held the International Migrants Day Rally in front of Bosingak in Jongno-gu, Seoul on December 19, the day after International Migrants Day (Dec. 18).

 

Half of the People Not Satisfied with the Apologies by Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Seok-youl for Their Family Problems

On December 22, a survey result showed that half the people believed “It was not enough” when it came to the apologies made by Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Seok-youl, presidential candidates of the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party respectively, for controversies stirred by their families. When asked about the possibility of supporting another candidate because of these issues, 70.7% of the respondents answered, “I will not change my mind.” Realmeter conducted a survey of 1,027 people for YTN on December 20-21. When respondents were asked if the apologies given by the two candidates were sufficient, more than half of the respondents answered, “It was not enough”--53.6% of the respondents said Lee’s apology was not enough, while 59.2% said Yoon’s apology was lacking. Meanwhile, 38.4% answered that Lee’s apology was enough and 32.8% said Yoon’s apology was sufficient.

 

                                                                                                

 

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

Korea’s exports keep up 26% gain to set record for ’21, prospects for ’22 less positive

South Korea’s exports kept up double-digit growth in the first 20 days of December, set to achieve an annual record with a gain of over 26 percent, but facing murky 2022 on unfavorable external trade conditions on slowdown in chip demand and the Chinese economy, data and survey showed. According to the Korea Customs Service on Tuesday, outbound shipments totaled $36.9 billion from Dec. 1 to 20, up 20 percent from a year earlier. Daily exports also grew 20 percent based on the same 15.5 working days.

 

Seegene airlifts diagnostic reagents to Europe as new Covid cases spike

Korean assay and reagent manufacturers have been flooded with new orders from Europe grappling with the surge of Omicron variant Covid-19 cases. Seegene, the country’s leading multiplex diagnostic assay developer, has hired a special charter flight to fly 2.8 million test kits to Europe over the weekend. It is the first time that the company used a chartered plane for shipment since the arrival of the pandemic in spring of last year.

 

`Test & Go` country list to change

The government is expected to revise its list of "Test & Go" countries following the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 as details on Monday emerged of the country`s earliest recorded local case of the strain. Gen Supoj Malaniyom, chief of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration`s (CCSA) operations base, said the list of of low-risk countries eligible for the tourism opening scheme will be reviewed and Covid-19 screening measures will be intensified.

 

                                                                                                                   

 

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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