The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Friday, February 10, 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

Major topics on The Korea Post website (www.koreapost.com) today:

Europe, consumer goods key to export increase: KOTRA

A rise in shipments to European markets will likely boost South Korea's overall exports this year, a local trade agency said Friday, urging local firms to focus on consumer goods and large construction projects in Europe.

Outlook for food service sector stays grim

South Korea's food service industry is forecast to remain in the doldrums due to anemic consumption and other negative factors, a government report showed Friday.The current business survey index for the food service industry decreased to 65.04 for the fourth quarter of last year from 67.51 three months earlier, according to the report by the farm ministry and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp.

Vietnam premier asks for more Korean investment, promises better corporate environment

Vietnam's prime minister on Thursday asked for increased investment from South Korean firms, promising to improve the corporate environment for foreign corporations. In a meeting with Park No-hwang, president and CEO of Yonhap News Agency, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked that Korea "maintains the lead in foreign investment in Vietnam."

U.S. 'secondary sanctions' on China likely to backfire: China expert

U.S. "secondary sanctions" on Chinese firms doing business with North Korea would more likely to backfire rather than achieve the goal of inducing Beijing to render greater cooperation in efforts to rein in Pyongyang, an expert said Thursday.

iPhone boasts most storage space: data

Apple Inc.'s iPhone has the biggest storage capacity among 10 smartphones manufactured by global tech firms, data showed Friday.The average storage capacity of iPhones came to 66 gigabytes during the third quarter of last year, the data by research firm CounterPoint showed.

Hyundai Heavy bags another FSRU deal

Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., a major shipyard in South Korea, has secured a deal from a Turkish consortium to build a floating storage regasification unit (FSRU), industry sources said 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/)

Tillerson: S. Korea Already Shoulders Large Share for US Troop Presence

It has been made known that U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Seoul shoulders more than enough of the costs to keep American troops in South Korea. Tillerson reportedly made the remark in a statement to Senator Ben Cardin of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations before he was confirmed as America's top diplomat. The document was recently revealed by a U.S. environmental organization.

US Official: N. Korean Provocation Will Affect Trump's Strategies

A high-ranking U.S. official says it is too early to discuss what strategies the Donald Trump administration will take on concerning the North Korean nuclear issue. While keeping the official's identity anonymous, Reuters said that the remarks came during a conference call with reporters on Thursday.

Gov't Issues Highest FMD Alert, Livestock Markets Closed

South Korea is raising the alert for foot-and-mouth disease to its highest level for the first time seven years. Four separate cases involving two different types of the virus have been reported on livestock farms since Sunday.

Bareun Party Urges Pres. Park to Face Probe Team's Questioning

The Bareun Party has called on President Park Geun-hye to swiftly undergo questioning by the independent counsel team probing the Choi Soon-sil scandal. Floor Leader Joo Ho-young said during a meeting of the party’s Supreme Council on Thursday that dodging the one-on-one interrogation because some of its details were revealed is nothing to be confident about.

Probe Team Not to Beg Pres. Park for 1-on-1 Questioning

The independent counsel team probing the Choi Soon-sil scandal has decided to urge the president to squarely undergo questioning one-on-one as she promised to the people. The team's decision comes after Park’s defense counsel refused to hold the face-to-face inquiry on Thursday for what it claimed were leaked details of the upcoming session by the special prosecutors.

Parliament Begins Official Discussions on Constitutional Amendment

Lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties have begun discussing how to revise the Constitution, which was last amended in 1987. The bipartisan parliamentary committee on the constitutional amendment held a subcommittee meeting Wednesday to hear different proposals on how to curb presidential powers. Moon Gwang-lip has more.

Gov't to Take Measures Following Aircraft Failures

South Korea plans what it calls a targeted aircraft inspection following several maintenance-related incidents this week. Asiana Airlines and budget flier Jin Air both reported delays and turns to terminal on Wednesday.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

U.S. official warns N.K. provocations could affect Trump's strategy on Pyongyang

A senior U.S. official on Thursday warned North Korea not to undertake any provocations, saying such actions would affect the strategy the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is putting together to deal with Pyongyang, according to a news report.

U.S. 'secondary sanctions' on China likely to backfire: China expert

U.S. "secondary sanctions" on Chinese firms doing business with North Korea would more likely to backfire rather than achieve the goal of inducing Beijing to render greater cooperation in efforts to rein in Pyongyang, an expert said Thursday.

Hyundai Heavy bags another FSRU deal

Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., a major shipyard in South Korea, has secured a deal from a Turkish consortium to build a floating storage regasification unit (FSRU), industry sources said Friday.

Outlook for food service sector stays grim

South Korea's food service industry is forecast to remain in the doldrums due to anemic consumption and other negative factors, a government report showed Friday. The current business survey index for the food service industry decreased to 65.04 for the fourth quarter of last year from 67.51 three months earlier, according to the report by the farm ministry and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp.

Twins' Park Byung-ho clears waivers, outrighted to minors

The Minnesota Twins' South Korean slugger Park Byung-ho has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to their minor league affiliate. The Twins said Thursday (local time) that no club claimed Park off the waiver wire, and he has been outrighted to Triple-A Rochester.

Trump looks forward to working with China for mutually beneficial relationship

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he wants to work closely with Chinese President Xi Jinping to develop a mutually beneficial relationship. Trump made the remark in a letter sent to Xi on Wednesday in response to Xi's letter congratulating him on his inauguration, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in a statement.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Counsel cries foul over Park probe leak accusation

The special counsel team investigating the President Park Geun-hye scandal on Thursday cried foul over the Presidential Office’s unilateral cancellation of an interrogation of the president.

“There has been no contact between the probe team and the Blue House (to reschedule the session) since the cancellation,” said Lee Kyu-chul, the counsel office’s spokesperson, at a press briefing.

Park takes delaying action on investigation

For President Park Geun-hye, her entire fate is riding on the Constitutional Court’s ongoing trial of her impeachment, the result of which will determine whether she is to complete her term in office or to step down in disgrace.

Kaesong firms struggle to survive after shutdown

Ok Sung-seok, CEO of shirt maker Nine Mode, which used to hire North Korean workers in the inter-Korean industrial park in Kaesong, says his business, now in Vietnam, is still suffering financial difficulties due to lack of compensation for lost assets and opportunities after the complex’s shutdown a year ago.

Ex-NK diplomat says new nuke talks would be ‘great fraud’

Any restart of denuclearization talks with Pyongyang will likely end up as a “great fraud” due to its firm resolve to master its nuclear program, massive political risks for South Korean and US leaders, and the lack of solid monitoring mechanisms, a former senior North Korean diplomat said Thursday.

Seoul court upholds sales ban on Nissan Qashqai

A Seoul court on Thursday upheld the South Korean government's sales ban on a compact crossover utility vehicle sold by the local unit of Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor Co. The Seoul Administrative Court rejected the case filed by the carmaker in June 2016, seeking nullification of the government's decision.

Justices irritated by ‘too many unnecessary’ questions

Justices overseeing President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment trial Thursday expressed irritation at “too many unnecessary questions” during witness questioning, amid the widespread public notion Park is employing delay tactics to boost the chances of a verdict favorable to her.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

'Graduation from marriage' - good or bad for happy golden years?

The husband or the wife, or sometimes both, feel one day that something is missing in their decades of marriage, although it has been wonderful so far. After searching their souls to figure out what made them feel their marriage is incomplete, they realize that deep in their hearts they have unfulfilled dreams they had to put aside to raise their children and make ends meet.

Highest alert issued for foot-and-mouth disease

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is spreading rapidly nationwide as cattle in another farm in Boeun, North Chungcheong Province, tested positive for the virus, officials said Thursday. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs issued its highest alert level ― last done seven years ago ― citing the simultaneous outbreak of two of the seven types of the disease, A and O.

'Punk' is keyword for 2017 S/S fashion

Winter is ending and spring nearing. Many fashion brands are presenting their 2017 spring and summer collections ahead of the arriving season and the new key trends are the color orange and punk.

Lotte's 123-story skyscraper wins opening approval

The Seoul city government on Thursday gave a final nod for the country's retail giant Lotte to open its skyscraper which will be the tallest building in South Korea. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said it has approved the use of the 123-story Lotte World Tower in southern Seoul, which has long been a coveted dream of group founder Shin Kyuk-ho.

Moon Jae-in also popular among married women

Moon Jae-in, the leading presidential contender from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), is also the most favorite among married women, according to a survey released Thursday.

S. Korea to build 240 EV charging stations in 2017

South Korea will build 240 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at shopping malls and railway stations by the end of 2017 as a way to expand infrastructure for green cars in urban areas, the government said Thursday.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dong-AIlbo (http://english.donga.com)

Tillerson says S. Korea is already paying large amounts to U.S. troops

It was reported, albeit belatedly, that U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson expressed a stance in the U.S. Congress of the intent that “The Republic of Korea is shouldering enough costs to support the American forces stationed on the Korean peninsula.” The remarks came from a statement that Tillerson submitted to Senator Ben Cardin of the Senator Committee on Foreign Relations before his confirmation hearing last month.

Trump’s new chief strategist may declare war against the Vatican

Concern is simmering that Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, a close confidant to President Trump and a devout Catholic, might declare war against the Vatican. It is feared that Bannon will orchestrate a covert scheme to keep Pope Francis in check, an exponent of progressive values, which goes against the conservative policy direction that the Trump administration is pursuing.

Korea’s tallest observation deck to be built next year

The City Tower (bird’s eye view) in Cheongna International City in Incheon, which will be the tallest tower in Korea, has been resumed in a decade since the launch of the project. The 448-meter tower is expected to be a landmark building in the international city where you can see Kaesong in North Korea on a clear day

Remains of incomplete royal tomb found in Gyeongju

The remains of an incomplete royal tomb were found in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. The remains were previously assumed to be the royal tomb of King Shinmun or Queen Sodeok of Silla. As a result of excavation, however, they are more likely to be the tomb of King Hyoseong (?-742), the second son of King Seongdeok. It is also considered that the Silla Dynasty had the custom to prepare a king’s tomb before the death.

84 million people watch Samsung ad in 40 days

Samsung Electronics ad, which had been aired in India, is creating a huge buzz online, recording a whopping 84 million view counts on YouTube in just 40 days. According to Cheil, Samsung’s advertising agency, on February 8, Samsung Electronics posted ad tagged with “We will take care of you wherever you are” on YouTube in last December. So far, more than 84 million people watched the Cheil India’s ad.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Korean Movie Market Saturated as Audiences Age

A total of 217 million people went to the movies last year, a slight decline from the previous year even though new releases mushroomed. Some 1,500 movies were released last year, a full 300 more than the previous year, but audiences seemed untempted and real blockbusters were few and far between.

Korea Posts Record Cigarette Exports in 2016

Korea's cigarette exports hit a record last year, with a large proportion going to the smoking-friendly Middle East.

Last year's cigarette exports amounted to US$1.01 billion, up 11 percent on-year, according to the Korea Customs Service on Wednesday.

Overseas Holidays Exert Irresistible Draw

The number of Koreans traveling overseas has grown a whopping six times more than the number of people who choose domestic holidays. According to data from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Wednesday, 12.7 million Koreans traveled overseas in 2011, but that had risen 10.4 percent to 19.3 million in 2015.

Chaebol Scions Still Parachuted into Top Management Jobs

Members of the founding families of the nation's top 50 conglomerates still take only a few years to reach senior management positions even though they own just a fraction of shares in their publicly traded firms.

Korean Investments in U.S. Reach Fresh Peak

Korean investments in the U.S. hit a record last year while American investments here plunged almost one-third. The Korea International Trade Association on Wednesday said Korean investments in the U.S. reached US$6.9 billion in the first three quarters of 2016 and are expected to surpass $10 billion once fourth-quarter figures are tallied. The previous record was $7.3 billion in 2011.

Sales of Large Sedans Soar Due to New Releases

Full-sized sedans are getting more popular, as Hyundai's Grandeur and Kia's K7 drove sales here last month.

According to the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association, 15,242 large sedans were sold in January, outselling midsize cars which sold 13,429 units.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

One year after closure, tenant companies say their hearts are still in Kaesong

Many presidents of former Kaesong Industrial Complex tenant companies say that though their factories are in Vietnam, their hearts are in Kaesong. Such companies were forced to move their production to Vietnam by the South Korean government’s total shutdown of the Kaesong Industrial Complex one year ago.

Constitutional Court impeachment trial dragging on as eight new witnesses added

The Constitutional Court’s decision to accept eight witnesses requested by representatives of Park Geun-hye in her impeachment trial and set additional dates for arguments is raising fears that it is succumbing to stalling tactics by her legal team.

Lotte’s business in China increasingly complicated by THAAD decision

As Chinese authorities tighten the noose, Lotte faces a growing dilemma about its business in China.

The Lotte Group announced on Feb. 8 that Chinese authorities had taken measures at the end of Dec. 2016 to halt the construction of Lotte World that had been underway in the Chinese city of Shenyang.

Chaebol owning family members rise to executive five times faster than normal employees

It takes the family members of the owners of chaebols less than five years on average to become executives after starting work at a chaebol, a new survey finds.

CEO Course, a site that assesses corporate business performance, announced on Feb. 8 the results of a survey of management participation by 208 family members of the owners of the top 50 groups (among groups with owners).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

North could have 60 nuclear warheads

North Korea is capable of building as many as 60 nuclear warheads, according to South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities, based on an assessment that it has been secretly producing more highly enriched uranium than previously estimated.

Indie counsel insists president will be grilled

Independent counsel Park Young-soo declared war against President Park Geun-hye Thursday after she refused to be questioned about the corruption and abuse of power scandal that led to her impeachment.

Fourth farm is infected with foot-and mouth virus

Another farm was hit by the foot-and mouth-disease on Thursday, raising the total to four. The farm is located in Boeun, North Chungcheong, the same area as where the first outbreak was seen this year - only 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) away, according to the Chungcheong provincial government on Thursday.

China’s Thaad backlash hurts Jeju, says BOK

Jeju’s tourism industry appears to have been affected by the Chinese backlash over the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in South Korea, a study by the Korean central bank indicated.

Kakao yearly revenue exceeds 1 trillion won

Kakao, operator of Korea’s most popular mobile messenger KakaoTalk, saw its annual revenue surpass 1 trillion won ($872.9 million) last year - for the first time in its history.

3 flights grounded in 1 day over safety issues

On Wednesday, three flights run by Korean airlines failed to reach their destinations on time due to various malfunctions, raising concerns once again about safety issues on planes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

A Suspect Above the Law: Park Geun-hye "Boycotts" a Face-to-Face Interrogation

President Park Geun-hye postponed a face-to-face interrogation by the team of Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo, because the schedule was released to the press. Earlier at the time of the investigation by the Prosecutors’ Office, President Park had delayed her questioning and eventually refused to be questioned.

Unreasonable Demands and Conspiracy Theories by Park Geun-hye, the Saenuri Party and Conservative Groups, Simply Unacceptable

President Park Geun-hye, pro-Park groups likes Parksamo (I Love Park Geun-hye Club), and conservative groups continue to undermine the candlelight demonstrations and are attempting to neutralize the impeachment trial currently underway in the Constitutional Court.

Nuclear Safety Commission Left out Information and Neglected Legal Safety Assessments

According to the ruling from the Seoul Administrative Court on February 7 canceling the permit to continue the operation of Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) left out data that should have been reviewed when deciding to continue operations of the unit and failed to conduct a safety assessment using the latest technology.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Business Interest Groups Speak up about Current Populist Milieu

Business interest groups have finally uttered critical remarks on the current state of affairs awash with populist promises to create more jobs and curb business group expansion. Park Byung-won, chairman of the Korea Employers Federation, said on February 9 in a meeting at the Westin Chosun Seoul of policy proposals put forward by Presidential hopefuls including doubling of public sector jobs and encouraging start-ups, "These are not sustainable."

"Korea Already Shoulders Large Share of Defense Cost"...U.S. Defense Secretary

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, "South Korea is already shouldering a large share of defense cost." He also answered that he will come up with new approaches to North Korea's nuclear issue including military force. It was reported on February 8 that Tillerson said these in writing in answer to Senator Ben Cardin (Dem, Maryland), a ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, before he was confirmed for his nomination.

Competition among Local Governments to Get Higher Grants Must Stop

Local governments at city and county levels are trying hard to increase the number of residents within their jurisdiction in order to get as much grant as possible from the central government. That's because the central government provides grants to individual local governments in proportion to the number of residents registered within them. For this reason, local governments have a strong incentive to inflate their numbers.

SK Hynix Sees Good Opportunities in 3D NAND

Park Sung-wook, vice chairman of SK Hynix, said, “We will do well in NAND flash memory business,” implying that the company would make a winning move in the fast-growing NAND area. SK Hynix launched an effort to acquire Toshiba’s NAND business. Toshiba invented NAND flash technology and is regarded as one of front-runners in the area.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

One-year countdown to Winter Olympics starts amid poor publicity

On a plaza in central Seoul, a digital countdown clock emblazoned with an Olympic logo displayed the number of days, hours, minutes and seconds left to the Games to be held in the eastern ski resort of Pyeongchang from February 9 to 25.

Girl group Wonder Girls bids farewell with last single music

Girl group Wonder Girls bid farewell Friday after releasing the group's final single "Draw Me" that topped major music charts. The single marked the 10th anniversary of the group's debut.

JYJ's Jun-su joins boot camp to start mandatory military service as policeman

Kim Jun-su, a member of boy band JYJ, joined the army boot camp Thursday to start his mandatory military service as a conscripted policeman. The 30-year-old uploaded pictures on his Instagram showing a short haircut saying a goodbye to fans. He will be the last JYJ member to enlist.

S. Korea's first self-driving taxi developer warns of trademark war with Uber

The developer of South Korea's first self-driving taxi called "SNUber" running on a university campus is ready to stage a trademark war with US cab-hailing app operator Uber.

BIGBANG's TOP urges fans not to make fuss about enlistment

BIGBANG member TOP had a short hair cut before going to an army boot camp Thursday and appealed to fans that he wishes to keep a low profile on his enlistment.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

State-run KDB mulls additional bailout package for DSME in liquidity woes

Another state-sponsored bailout is in the making for troubled Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. (DSME) amid concerns that the shipbuilder could fail to meet its obligations on bonds maturing as early as April.

Daewoo Shipbuilding wins FSRU deal worth $1.6bn from Excelerate Energy

Delivering what could be a life-saving deal for the financially-strapped Korean shipbuilder, Texas-based Excelerate Energy L.P. placed a preliminary order with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. (DSME) for up to seven floating storage and regasification units (FSRUs) worth combined $1.6 billion.

Korea’s Jan household debt grows at slowest pace in 3 years

South Korea’s household debt grew at the slowest pace in three years in January from the previous month, helped by tougher loan regulation and subdued housing demand in the winter season.

S. Korea’s Hanwha to develop smart factory platform

South Korea’s leading conglomerate Hanwha Group plans to venture into the smart factory business, joining the burgeoning market dominated by General Electronics Co. (GE) and Siemens AG in the transitional age of industry and society heading towards full automation and practical robotics applications.

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 Timeswww.nytimes.com inytletters@nytimes.com

Wall Street Journalwww.wsj.com support@wsj.com ,service@wsj-asia.com

Financial Times www.ft.com ean@ft.com

The Timeswww.thetimes.co.uk help@timesplus.co.uk

The Sun www.thesun.co.uk talkback@the-sun.co.uk

Chinese People's Dailywww.people.com.cn kf@people.cn

China Dailywww.chinadaily.com.cn circulation@chinadaily.com.cn

GwangmyeongDailywww.gmw.cn webmaster@gmw.cn

Japan's Yomiuriwww.yomiuri.co.jp japannews@yomiuri.com

Asahi www.asahi.com customer-support@asahi.com

Mainichiwww.mainichi.jp

Lemondewww.ilemonde.com

Italy rarepupeul Rica www.quotidiano.repubblica.it vittorio.zucconi@gmail.com

Germany Frankfurter AllgemeineZeitungwww.faz.net anzeigen.ausland@faz.de

SüddeutscheZeitungwww.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 Paishttp://elpais.com/elpais/inenglish.html

PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER https://www.inquirer.net

Daily News Hungary http://dailynewshungary.com

Budapest Times http://budapesttimes.hu

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

저작권자 © The Korea Post 무단전재 및 재배포 금지