The Korean daily media headlines and humor

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Wednesday, February 15, 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

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/)

North Korean Leader's Half Brother Killed in Malaysia

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's estranged half brother Kim Jong-nam has reportedly been killed in Malaysia. A South Korean government official said the 46-year-old Kim was killed in the Southeast Asian country on Monday morning.

Growing Calls for Revising Kill Chain, KAMD

North Korea's latest missile launch is prompting calls among some for a revision in South Korea's preemptive strike capabilities. The newly developed intermediate-range ballistic missile launched Sunday called Pukguksong-2 can be fired from a mobile launcher without fuel injection in a process experts warn could be completed in as little as ten minutes.

Special Prosecutors Request Arrest Warrant for Samsung Electronics Vice Chair

The special probe team investigating the Choi Soon-sil scandal has once again requested an arrest warrant for the de facto chief of Samsung Electronics. Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong returned home Tuesday after undergoing more than 15 hours of independent counsel questioning related to suspicion of bribery and embezzlement.

Study: Foreign Workers Generate Economic Effects worth 74 Tln Won

A new study shows that foreign workers generated economic effects worth 74 trillion won last year. According to the report from the South Korea-based research arm of the International Organization for Migration, foreign workers generated 54-point-six trillion won in production and 19-point-five trillion won in consumption.

Cheonghae Unit to Participate in EU Antipiracy Operation

The Foreign Ministry says that the South Korean military unit Cheonghae will participate in the European Union’s antipiracy operation “Atalanta” for the first time. Cheonghae will join EU naval forces to block pirate activities and protect ships in waters off the coast of Bosaso in northern Somalia.

Gov't to Develop EMP Bombs, Laser Weapons to Hit N. Korean Targets

The government has decided to develop electromagnetic pulse(EMP) bombs and laser weapons to hit North Korea’s key nuclear and missile facilities in the event of contingency. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration unveiled the decision when it gave a briefing at the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee on Tuesday.

S. Korea to Maintain LTV, DTI Ratios

Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho says mortgage lending rules in South Korea will remain unchanged for now. He told lawmakers Monday the government will not raise the loan-to-value(LTV) ratio and the debt-to-income ratio(DTI).

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

Parties urge gov't to beef up security after murder of N.K. leader's half brother

South Korean parties on Wednesday expressed concerns over the apparent assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half brother, urging the government to keep vigilant on possible provocations by the North. Sources said Kim Jong-nam, the 45-year-old eldest son of late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, was killed after being poisoned in Malaysia on Monday.

Acting president to hold top security meeting over death of N.K. leader's half brother

South Korea's Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn will hold a National Security Council (NSC) meeting to discuss the apparent assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half brother, his office said.

S. Korea's jobless rate rises to 3.8 pct in Jan.

South Korea's jobless rate rose slightly in January from a year earlier as the backbone manufacturing sector remained in a deep slump, government data showed Wednesday. The unemployment rate in Asia's fourth-largest economy stood at 3.8 percent last month, edging up 0.1 percentage point from the same month last year, according to the report compiled by Statistics Korea.

S. Korean manager seeking viable option for table-setter

South Korea is still trying to figure out who's going to be hitting near the top of the order at next month's World Baseball Classic (WBC). Manager Kim In-sik got his hands tied when veteran second baseman Jeong Keun-woo withdrew from the tournament with a knee injury earlier this month.

Controversial athletes' hotel continues to provide right-wing books ahead of Winter Asiad

The Japanese hotel that caused a stir ahead of an athletic competition for providing right-wing books hasn't lived up to its pledge to remove them, Yonhap News Agency has learned.

Assassination of N.K. leader's brother raises questions about regime stability: U.S. experts

The apparent assassination of the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un raises questions about the stability of the young leader's grip on power, U.S. experts said Tuesday.

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

NK leader's half brother killed: report

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s half-brother Kim Jung-nam was killed, in what appears to be an assassination, local media reported Tuesday. TV Chosun, citing government sources, reported that the 46-year-old Kim was killed by two female assassins at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia on Monday.

Japan's revised textbook guideline renews claim to Dokdo

Japan renewed its claim to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo in a revised guideline for school textbooks unveiled on Tuesday. The textbook guideline, posted on Tokyo's e-government website for public view before the official announcement, will apply to elementary school textbooks from 2020 and to middle school books from 2021.

Samsung in panic over request of arrest warrant for Lee again

Samsung Group, the largest family-run conglomerate in South Korea, was in a panic Tuesday upon the special counsel’s request of an arrest warrant for its de facto chief Lee Jae-yong again and a separate request for one of senior executives, Samsung Electronics President Park Sang-jin.

Translation technology evolves through artificial intelligence

It may not be long before automated translation programs catch up with human translators, as machines are evolving with the help of artificial intelligence to “learn” how to translate by mimicking the workings of the human brain.

North Korea's missile progress

North Korea said it “successfully” test-fired a new strategic weapon capable of carrying a nuclear warhead on Sunday. Officials and experts in South Korea confirmed the latest launch to involve a new type of missile and concluded that progress has been made in the communist state’s missile technologies and delivery methods for nuclear weapons.

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

North Korean leader's half-brother killed by 'poison needles' in Malaysia

Kim Jong-nam, the older half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was killed in Malaysia, according to media reports citing government sources here Tuesday. Kim died while on his way to a hospital from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Monday, after two unidentified women presumably from North Korea assassinated him with poisoned needles.

N. Korea's next step may be ICBM

North Korea's latest missile launch shows that it has taken a significant step forward in developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could strike targets on the U.S. mainland, analysts said Tuesday.

N. Korea's missile launch 'dress rehearsal' for crisis: ex-US negotiator

North Korea's latest missile test is "a dress rehearsal" for a full-fledged crisis, a former top U.S. negotiator with Pyongyang said Monday. "This missile is obviously another example of their testing program, testing of military equipment more than testing of our president," former Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," referring to views that the launch could be aimed at testing how the new administration would react to such a provocation.

Special prosecutor seeks arrest warrant for Samsung boss Lee Jae-yong, senior executive

The independent counsel team filed a request for an arrest warrant for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong for a second time, Tuesday, on charges of bribery involving President Park Geun-hye and her confidant Choi Soon-sil.

Trump calls N. Korea 'big, big problem'

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he will deal with North Korea "very strongly," calling the communist regime a "big, big problem" after Pyongyang carried out the latest ballistic missile launch.

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

Trump promises to deal very strongly with North Korea

North Korea’s launch of a mid-range ballistic missile on Sunday obviously broke the mood when U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were having a dinner in Florida.

White House security adviser resigns over Russia contacts

White House National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, a close aide to U.S. President Donald Trump, resigned in a surprise move after 25 days on the job due to his suspected inappropriate contact with Russia.

Royal National Theatre's performance to be screened in Korea

The U.K. Royal National Theatre's popular performance is coming to Korea. The National Museum Korea will be screening National Theater Live, or NT Live, of Jane Eyre and Frankenstein in rotation at the Haeoreum Theater of the National Theater in central Seoul on Feb. 19-26.

Yuzuru Hanyu fever heats up in men’s figure skating

The mood at spectators’ stand at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangwon Province was feverish even during daytime on Tuesday.

Yuzuru Hanyu (23), Japan’s top figure skater, started training at the arena. More than 200 fans including Japanese nationals who came all the way to Korea to root for the skater, applauded wildly when Hanyu successfully performed jumps.

Hyundai’s new i30 tops in German auto review

Hyundai’s new i30 hatchback has topped among five mid-size hatchbacks in Europe in a recent review by Auto Bild, Germany’s auto magazine. The new model, which launched in the Korean market last year, started to be sold in Europe from this month.

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

Kim Jong-un's Brother Killed

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother died in mysterious circumstances at Kuala Lumpur airport on Monday morning. Kim Jong-nam died on the way to hospital after he told airport officials he had been attacked by unknown assailants.

Park Swamps Court with Audio Files of Choi Soon-sil's Gigolo

President Park Geun-hye's lawyers have decided to build their defense on a massive cache of audio recordings of Koh Young-tae, the one-time sidekick of her confidante Choi Soon-sil. Koh turned whistleblower after a tiff between the alleged lovers and has been liberally supplying insights into the vaudeville that was Park-era Cheong Wa Dae.

Auto-Translation Programs to Face off Against Human

Two auto-translation programs are to face off against a professional human interpreter here later this month in a bid to gauge progress toward artificial intelligence. Sejong Cyber University and the International Interpretation and Translation Association of Korea said Monday that the contest will be held on Feb. 21 between a human interpreter, Google Translate and Naver's papago translation app.

Visitors to Jeonju Hanok Village Top 10 Million for 1st Time

A hanok village in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, has drawn more than 10 million visitors annually for the first time. The Jeonju city government said Monday that the number of visitors to the village stood at 10.67 million, or an average of 29,231 per day, from October 2015 to September 2016, about a 9.5 increase from a year earlier.

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

North Korea’s missile launch part of plan to move from liquid to solid fuel

North Korea‘s test launch on Feb. 12 of the Pukguksong-2 (meaning Polaris-2), a ballistic missile with solid fuel propellant, is thought to be part of its plan to reorient its military assets from liquid fuel to solid fuel, which is better suited for surprise launches.

Trump administration condemns North Korea’s ballistic missile test

On Feb. 13, US Pentagon spokesperson Jeff Davis spoke out about North Korea’s launch on Feb. 12 of the Pukguksong-2 ballistic missile, describing North Korea‘s weapons programs as “unlawful” and a serious threat to national security.

Arrest warrant for Lee Jae-yong would have implications for Pres. Park

The decision by Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo’s investigative team to summon Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, 49, for questioning for the second time in a month on Feb. 13 in connection with alleged bribery of President Park Geun-hye is part of a procedure to make another request for an arrest warrant against Lee around Feb. 15.

The secret to famed director Im Kwon-taek’s filmmaking

I may have to go back a bit in time. The first time I met the film director Im Kwon-taek was at Nandarang, a coffee shop right next to the Korean Motion Picture Promotion Corporation (now the Korean Film Council) building on Namsan, in 1986.

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

Kim Jong-un's half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, reportedly assassinated

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, was assassinated by two North Korean spies in Malaysia, according to South Korean government sources Tuesday. A local intelligence official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of former Pyongyang leader Kim Jong-il, was “stung by a poisoned needle” on Monday at an airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, and “died right at that spot.”

Trump vows to deal with Pyongyang ‘very strongly’

U.S. President Donald Trump vowed Monday that the U.S. government will deal “very strongly” with North Korea, indicating a firm approach following Pyongyang’s ballistic missile launch Sunday.

Sunday’s missile had range of 2,000 kilometers, says NIS

The intermediate-range ballistic missile North Korea test-fired Sunday morning has the capacity to fly “2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles) or more,” which isn’t the longest Pyongyang has launched but was technologically advanced enough to “unnerve Washington,” the South Korean intelligence authority said Tuesday.

Korea, China to discuss Thaad row

The Korean government is planning to arrange a separate bilateral meeting between the finance ministers of Korea and China next month, which will likely address issues such as the speculated backlash against Korean exports for Seoul’s decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) system.

3 more farms in Boeun catch foot-and-mouth

Three more farms were declared infected Tuesday with foot-and-mouth disease, raising the total number to nine. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, all three farms were in Boeun, North Chungcheong, where the outbreak of the highly contagious disease started more than a week ago.

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

Pyongyang's Final Goal: Second-Strike Capability to Respond to a Nuclear Attack with Nuclear Weapons

The most significant aspect about North Korea's test fire of a medium-range ballistic missile on February 12 is that the missile used solid fuel, not liquid. Such a change shows that the ultimate goal of North Korea's nuclear missile program is to secure second-strike capability.

[Lee Jae-yong Before the Special Prosecutor a Second Time] Counsel Holds a Double-Edged Sword: Fate to Be Determined This Week

Ever since the team of Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo resummoned Lee Jae-yong (49), vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, 32 days after his first questioning, all eyes have been on whether the independent counsel will again request an arrest warrant for Lee.

Political Provocation to Check Trump's Hardline Stance on North Korea

One medium-range ballistic missile that North Korea fired on February 12 is shaking the political situation in Northeast Asia. North Korea seems to have attempted to influence the Asia policies of the newly launched Donald Trump administration.

[Park Geun-hye, Choi Soon-sil Scandal] Special Prosecutor Collects More Evidence on Illegal Solicitation, Aiming Again at Lee Jae-yong

The team of special prosecutor Park Young-soo will summon Lee Jae-yong (49), vice chairman of Samsung Electronics on February 13 again for a final check on any illegal solicitation and favors in exchange for funding connected to the alleged bribery of President Park Geun-hye and Samsung. In the legal circle, many believe that the independent counsel is likely to make another request for Lee's arrest warrant.

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

Poverty of Security Philosophy among Presidential Hopefuls Worries Voters

In a situation where the security environment surrounding the Korean Peninsula is changing rapidly for the worse, presidential hopefuls are still caught up in old left-right divisions and turning a blind eye to the harsh reality.

Hanwha's Four Defense Units and LIG Nex1 Eye the Middle East Market

As a way to create a bigger role in the Middle East market, Korea's major defense companies are planning to take part in exhibitions there. A total of 19 Korean defense contractors decided to take part in the IDEX 2017, a defense industry exhibition slated to be held in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates from February 19 to 23.

Kumho Asiana Group Chairman Remains Confident of Acquiring Kumho Tire

Park Sam-koo, chairman of Kumho Asiana Group, expressed confidence in the potential that he could attract strategic investors to help his acquisition of Kumho Tire. In his press talk on February 13, Park said, "Given that there may be various variables, we're looking for help from strategic investors, in addition to financial investors whom we already secured."

Samsung's Lee Jae-yong to Be Summoned again by Special Prosecution

The special prosecution team led by Attorney Park Young-soo will subpoena Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong for the second time in relation to suspicions of giving bribes to President Park Geun-hye and her secret confidant Choi Soon-sil. It has been 25 days since the request for an arrest warrant on Lee was rejected by a judge on January 19. Based on investigation results, the prosecutors will decide whether to request an arrest warrant again.

POSCO Speeds up Efforts to Improve Competitiveness in Non-steel Areas

POSCO decided to invest 300 billion won by 2020 to ramp up the production capacities of cathode materials, an ingredient used for rechargeable cells. This move is part of POSCO's efforts to secure next-generation growth engines, as well as to strengthen its competitiveness in non-steel areas.

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

Boy group BTS' new track 'Spring Day' hits 10 million YouTube views

Boy group BTS, also known as Bangtan Boys, has become the center of a global syndrome. The seven-member group's new music video for "Spring Day" has scored more than 11.7 million views in less than two days from its release.

Half-brother of N. Korean leader lived in exile to avoid assassination attempt

Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of North Korea's late leader, has lived in exile abroad to avoid an assassination attempt since his younger paternal half-brother was upheld as heir apparent in September 2010.The 45-year-old was born to Song Hye-rim, the first of three women known to have had children with his father who died in late 2011, paving the way for the third-generation succession of leadership in one of the world's most isolated countries.

N. Korea leader's stepbrother assassinated in Malaysia: report

The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been killed in Malaysia in a suspected assassination plot carried out by two female agents probably from the communist country, SBS, a South Korean TV station, reported Tuesday.

Apple's new iPhone 8 could support wireless charging

Rumors about Apple adding a wireless charging feature to its upcoming iPhone 8 could actually be true as the California-based tech giant has joined a multi-national technology group, Wireless Power Consortium (WPC).

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

Global invest banks betting on 1 to 3 rate cuts from BOK

Some investment banks are betting on one or up to three additional cuts in short-term interest rates in South Korea regardless of the tightening pace in the U.S., turning bleak about the economy with fiscal actions likely to be limited as politicians and government would be entirely preoccupied with impeachment trial and presidential election.

Cosmax OP for full 2016 surge 46% on stellar sales

Cosmax Inc., South Korea’s largest cosmetics original development manufacturer, recorded 46.4 percent gain in operating profit for full 2016 on brisk sales at home and abroad.

Excess audits, regulations, levies discourage investment in Korea: foreign CEOs

Time-consuming audits, too many regulations and semi-tax levies, rigid labor market and anti-business sentiment make Korea a difficult place to do business, and foreign investment won’t likely pick up in Korea without dramatic actions to improve business environment, foreign entrepreneurs said.

Korean govt aims to commercialize level 3 autonomous cars by 2020

The South Korean government aims to commercialize Level 3 autonomous driving in three years time so that self-driving cars would be on Korean roads hopefully as fast as Japan that is racing to deliver smart vehicles by 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

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