Friday, July 15, 2022
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post ( www.koreapost.com )
“Terrorism has no nationality, ethnicity nor religion”
On the evening of July 15, 2016, the “Fethullahist Terrorist Organization” (FETO) launched a bloody coup attempt against the people and the government of my country. Their aim was to establish a radical, fundamentalist regime, loyal only to their ringleader Fetullah Gülen. As FETO affiliated army units left their barracks to occupy key locations, such as the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul and fighter jets and attack helicopters bombed strategic targets including the Parliament, Presidential compound, army and police headquarters; thousands of civilians took to the streets to stop this unprecedented heinous coup attempt.
Hyundai Elevator aims to become the global top 5 by 2030
Hyundai Elevator held the 2022 Future Vision Declaration Ceremony on the occasion of its relocation of Chungju Campus on July 13. Hyundai Group Chairman Hyun Jeong-eun, Chungcheongbuk-do Governor Kim Young-hwan, HDC Hyundai Development Chairman Chung Mong-kyu, and more than 300 distinguished guests attended the declaration ceremony held at the newly relocated Chungju Smart Campus Auditorium.
CEO Sung Rae-eun of Youngone Holdings sets up a CVC to foster fashion ventures
Sung Rae-eun, CEO of Youngone Holdings and the second daughter of Youngone Corporation Chairman Sung Ki-hak, is broadening her management stride by leading the establishment of a corporate venture capital (CVC) that will be in charge of investment in venture companies. If she proves her managerial ability through a new business, Youngone's 'second-generation management era' will begin in earnest, business sources said on July 14.
Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Repatriated N.Korean Fishermen 'Executed for Treason'
Two North Korean fishermen who were forcibly repatriated by South Korea in 2019 were executed on return on charges of treason, a well-informed source said Wednesday. The Moon Jae-in administration claimed that the two, whom it accused of murdering 16 fellow crewmembers, had no intention to defect, but the North Korean regime seems to have believed otherwise.
Gov't to Speed up Booster Vaccination
The government on Wednesday announced a plan to increase second booster vaccinations for COVID-19 as the infections surge to over 40,000 a day in Korea. The plan includes a structured vaccination drive for people over 50 and patients with chronic diseases starting next week. Currently only the over-60s, immunocompromised people and those at nursing homes or hospitals are systematically being encouraged to get their jabs.
No Fresh Lockdown, Gov't Promises
Health authorities on Wednesday announced new measures to fight resurgent COVID infections but stressed that they do not include a fresh lockdown. Testing of travelers from overseas will be tightened. Currently, they must have a PCR test within three days after arrival, but from July 25 they will have to have it within a day and stay home until the result comes back negative.
Joongang Ilbo (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com )
Looking back at how Korea fought first Covid waves
On Jan. 19, 2020, a Chinese woman in her 30s living in Wuhan, where Covid-19 may have been born, arrived at Incheon International Airport to celebrate the Lunar New Year. After Korea, she was planning to travel on to Japan. But the woman had a fever and a headache. The following day, she tested positive for the coronavirus — becoming the first Covid-19 patient in Korea.
Lotte Group to focus on bio, mobility as growth drivers
Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin announced Lotte will focus on new growth drivers such as bio and mobility at a biannual value creation meeting Thursday. Chairman Shin said Lotte will focus on expanding its business portfolio in the future. Bio, healthcare and wellness were some of the fields named.
Korea, U.S. F-35As fly together for first time
South Korean and U.S. air forces conducted their first joint exercises with F-35A fighter jets from both countries in a symbolic show of combined strength. The South Korean Air Force said Thursday that the two countries had conducted joint flying exercises over four days involving a number of warplanes, including fifth-generation F-35A fighter jets, starting Monday.
The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
New Omicron subvariant of Centaurs lands on S. Korea
It was reported on Thursday that a South Korean man, who has not recently traveled overseas, tested positive for the BA.2.75 or the Omicron subvariant of Centaurs. The new subvariant is known to be more transmittable than the BA.5 or another subvariant at the center of the current wave of the COVID-19 pandemic across the nation.
Reform of comprehensive real estate tax must exclude political interests
The Ministry of Economy and Finance will announce its plan to reform the national tax law to ease the burden of comprehensive real estate tax on multiple house owners. It is considering ways to abolish the heavy taxation for multiple home owners and change the standard from the number to the price of the house.
America's ‘Ultra Step’ gains traction
After the U.S. consumer price index June recorded much higher-than-expected 9.1 percent from a year ago in June, prospects that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will take the “Ultra Step” by raising the key interest rate by a 1 percentage point at the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting to be held on July 26 and 27 are quickly becoming realistic
Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Ioniq 6 available at less than $50,000 can run 610km on single charge, refueled in minutes
The first sedan under Hyundai Motor’s all-electric Ioniq brand built on the mother platform E-GMP guarantees to run 500 kilometers, or 610km in European standards, on a single charge, with all the latest automated specs at a price tag nearly half of comparable Tesla Model Y’s.
Seoul vows “proactive” action to stabilize markets, USD-KRW hits 1,312
“The government will proactively respond to the excessive one-sided movements in the financial market and consider additional contingency plan measures per market, if needed,” said First Vice Minister of Economy and Finance Bang Ki-sun at an emergency meeting with senior officials from the Financial Services Commission and Bank of Korea.
SK Group chief hints at possible delay in SK investment plans amid rising rates
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won hinted that some of the group’s massive five-year $35.9 billion won investment plans could be delayed from rising interest and U.S. exchange rates as well as other unfavorable conditions. Some immediate plans that SK has made last year will have to be altered, said Chey, who is also the chief of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry
HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
BOK takes first-ever “big step,” hiking interest rate to 2.25%
On Wednesday, the Bank of Korea’s Monetary Policy Board raised the standard interest rate from 1.75% to 2.25% a year, taking the “big step” of raising the interest rate by 0.50 percentage points — twice the typical markup of 0.25 percentage points — for the first time in the history of South Korea's central bank.
Historic Blue House faces uncertain future after president’s big move out
The cultural preservation community is currently being haunted by the nightmare that was modern Changgyeong Palace, which was downgraded to a park after its storied scenery was brought to ruins during the Japanese colonial period and the rule of dictators. Debate is stirring surrounding the future of the Blue House area in Seoul, which was where the official rear garden of Gyeongbok Palace, the main palace of the Joseon dynasty, was located, and which has served as the residence of South Korea’s heads of state for the past 83 years.
Presidential office calls Moon admin’s repatriation of NK fishers “crime against humanity”
On Wednesday, the presidential office stressed the importance of thoroughly investigating an incident during predecessor Moon Jae-in’s administration involving the repatriation of North Korean fishers, which it described as a “crime against humanity.” With President Yoon Suk-yeol effectively ordering prosecutors to conduct an intensive investigation into the case
The KyungHyangShinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
BOK Governor Rhee Chang-yong to People who Took out Excessive Loans to Buy Houses, “Adjustments to Home Prices Are Inevitable. Consider the Risks”
Rhee Chang-yong, the governor of the Bank of Korea, asked people in their twenties and thirties who took out excessive loans to purchase homes to take caution. The central bank’s Monetary Policy Board decided to take the first ever big step and raise the base interest rate 0.50% in a meeting on July 13. This pushed the interest rate up from 1.75% to 2.25%.
Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, “I Have no Doubt that President Yoon’s Approval Ratings Will Fly High after Some Time”
Lee Sang-min, the minister of the interior and safety who is cited as one of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s closest aides, spoke on the president’s approval ratings, which recently plunged, and said, “I have no doubt that after some time, when we start seeing outcomes, they will fly extremely high.”
Government to Provide the Fourth Dose of COVID-19 Vaccines to People Ages 50 and Older. Prime Minister Han, “Strongly Recommend Vaccination”
The nation will lower the age of people eligible for the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines to 50 and older from the current 60 and older and also provide a fourth booster shot to people ages 18 and older with underlying diseases. Currently, people ages 60 and older and people with a weakened immune system can get a fourth dose of vaccines to prevent COVID-19, but the government decided to expand those eligible for the vaccine to people ages 50 and older and to people ages 18 and older with underlying diseases.
KBS(http://world.kbs.co.kr/service)
Joint Committee Discusses Ways to Resolve Forced Labor Issue
A government-civilian committee tasked with seeking a resolution on compensation for Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor convened a second meeting on Thursday. The meeting was chaired by first vice foreign minister Cho Hyun-dong and attended by legal representatives of the victims and experts from various fields.
N. Korea Claims New Fever Cases Fall to 500
North Korea claimed that its fever-related daily cases suspected to be COVID-19 fell to 500. The North's official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) reported on Friday that around 500 new fever related patients were confirmed in the 24-hour period leading up to 6 p.m. Thursday nationwide. Quoting the nation's state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters, the KCNA said that about 690 patients recovered during the same period.
Nation May See 300,000 New Daily COVID-19 Cases Next Month
The nation may see as many as 300-thousand new daily cases of COVID-19 in four weeks if the continuing spread expands to drive up the reproduction rate by 30 percent. According to the National Institute for Mathematical Sciences, the number of new daily infections will rise to over 81-thousand in two weeks and to more than 288-thousand-500 in four weeks if the reproduction rate increases by 30 percent from the current level.
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
WFP chief meets S. Korean ministers to discuss N. Korea food situation
The office of President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday slammed the previous administration's repatriation of two North Korean fishermen in 2019 as a potential "crime against humanity" and vowed to uncover the truth behind the case. The statement came a day after the unification ministry released 10 photos of the two North Koreans being dragged across the inter-Korean border apparently against their will in November 2019, when former President Moon Jae-in was in office.
BOK chief to join G-20 meeting in Bali, discuss inflation, other global issues
The head of the World Food Programme (WFP) had discussions with South Korea's foreign and unification ministers Thursday on the North Korean food shortage issue. Talking here with WFP Executive Director David Beasley, Foreign Minister Park Jin and Unification Minister Kwon Young-se shared concerns about the problem especially amid the impoverished North's fight against COVID-19 and lingering uncertainties attributable to the drawn-out Ukraine-Russia war, according to the ministers' offices.
Senior presidential aide asks for ruling party's help in launching N.K. human rights foundation
The senior presidential secretary for political affairs met with the ruling People Power Party's (PPP) acting chief Thursday and asked for the party's help with the long-delayed establishment of a foundation charged with promoting human rights in North Korea. The North Korean Human Rights Foundation is supposed to be established under the North Korean Human Rights Act that passed through the National Assembly in 2016, but its establishment has been delayed as the main opposition Democratic Party has not recommended its share of board members.
The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
N.Korea recognizes two Russian-backed breakaway regions in Ukraine: state media
North Korea has formally recognized two Russian-supported breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent states and pledged to develop “state-to-state relations” with them. In response, Ukraine has severed diplomatic relations with North Korea.
S. Korean, US F-35 stealth fighters stage first aerial drills
F-35 stealth fighters from the South Korean and the US air forces teamed up for the first time for four days of combined aerial drills, as the allies move to enhance interoperability and combined defense posture against North Korea’s escalating threats. South Korea and the US conducted combined military exercises involving fifth-generation F-35A fighter jets in South Korean airspace from Monday to Thursday, South Korea’s Air Force announced Thursday.
More science, less politics? Yoon’s COVID-19 plan is Moon’s in different words
President Yoon Suk-yeol has said he would handle the pandemic better than his predecessor Moon Jae-in; that his response would be “driven by science rather than politics.” But the shift that the president signaled was not realized in the summer resurgence preparedness plans announced Wednesday-- his administration’s first major COVID-19 measure -- with experts labeling them a repeat of what has already been done.
The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Parties clash over forced repatriation of North Korean fishermen
The previous Moon Jae-in administration's 2019 repatriation of two North Korean fishermen back to the North has become a major political fray between the ruling and opposition blocs. Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, floor leader and acting chairman of the People Power Party (PPP), said Thursday the party will push for an investigation or introduce an independent counsel to look into the case.
Customs agency warns against online purchases of weapons from overseas
The number of weapons purchased directly from overseas online malls are on a sharp rise, the Korea Customs Service (KCS) said Thursday, warning that the shipment of such goods into the country without authorization is illegal. The customs agency said the number of attempts to bring in illegal weapons through international shipping started to rise from late 2019 at around the same time as the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.
'It isn't over until it's over': KCCI chairman
JEJU ― Korea will beat Saudi Arabia in the ongoing competition to host the World Expo 2030, as Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor and other large business groups here have rolled up their sleeves to attract the international event to the southeastern port city of Busan, according to the head of the country's largest business association, Wednesday.
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
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