Thursday, August 4, 2022
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today

The Korea Post ( www.koreapost.com )

Last years saw consolidation of bilateral relations in highest level”
Ambassador Daúl Matute-Mejía of the Republic of Peru in Seoul said, “The last years have seen a consolidation in the bilateral relationship with the Republic of Korea in its highest level.” Then he said, “This year, we commemorated the Tenth Anniversary of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership settled in 2022 that has allowed the strengthening of the different levels of the relationship, like political, economic, defense, and cooperation.”

 

President Yoon holds summit with Indonesian President Widodo in Seoul
President Yoon Suk-yeol held a summit with Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the presidential office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on July 28. The summit marks President Yoon's first with a leader from a member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since he assumed office. President Widodo and first lady Iriana Widodo on July 25 began a tour of Korea, China and Japan, arriving at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do Province, in the evening of July 27.

 

The Korea Post opens provincial bureau in Hampyeong to cover southwestern region
The Korea Post has opened its local office in Hampyeong County, Jeollanam-do province to cover the southwestern region of the Republic of Korea. The provincial bureau of The Korea Post media will be headed by Jang Sun-koang with Ms. Kim An-ja. It is noteworthy that Hampyeong County, Jeollanam-do, has signed a large-scale investment agreement to build tourism infrastructure, spurring the development of a stay-type tourist destination.

 

                                                                                              

 

Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Korea's Foreign Residents Surpass 2 Million Again

The number of foreign residents in Korea has surpassed 2 million again after declining for 15 months due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Korea Immigration Service, 2.01 million foreigners live in Korea as of May, rising above the 2 million mark again after falling to 1.95 million last year. The figure peaked at 2.52 million in December 2019. There has been a marked increase in foreigners who work as researchers or developers for venture capital companies.


Young People Give up on Buying Apartments
The number of younger Koreans who borrow heavily to buy their first home has fallen to a record low. The trend appears to be due to an increase in interest rates on housing loans while apartment prices remain high despite paralysis in the market. According to the Korea Real Estate Board on Tuesday, 24.8 percent of the paltry 2,014 buyers of apartments in Seoul in June were under 30.

Yoon to Move into New Official Residence This Month
Renovations on the new presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul are expected to be completed in the middle of this month. President Yoon Suk-yeol plans to move in after his summer vacation this week. Remodeling work on the elegant modernist villa, formerly the official residence of the foreign minister, began on Yoon's inauguration day on May 10 and was originally to be finished in the middle of last month but was delayed by heavy rains.

                                                                                            

Joongang Ilbo (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com )

Malaysia’s state energy company, 6 Korean companies establish carbon value chain
Samsung Engineering and five other Korean companies signed a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia’s state energy company to establish a carbon value chain between the two countries, the companies said Wednesday. The signing ceremony between Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas), a Malaysian state-run oil company, and the six Korean companies — Samsung Engineering, Samsung Heavy Industries, SK Energy, SK Earthon, Lotte Chemical, and GS Energy —

 

After Taiwan, Pelosi's welcome to Korea is muted
The presidential office gave U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a muted welcome to Seoul after her highly controversial visit to Taiwan. Asked whether Pelosi would get a meeting with President Yoon Suk-yeol, a presidential official said Wednesday morning, “At this point there are no plans.” Yoon is technically on holiday this week, although his plans to go out of Seoul were cancelled Monday because of plummeting approval ratings. So he will be in Seoul during Pelosi's trip, which lasts through Thursday.

 

Mayor Oh builds business ties with Vietnam
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon helped Korean tech startups get greater access to Vietnam. On Wednesday, Oh signed a joint letter of intent (LOI) for a technology partnership with Vietnam’s National Agency for Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Development (Natec) at the Seoul Startup Hub Ho Chi Minh. “Vietnam is considered the most dynamic startup market in Asia,” the city government said, "achieving positive growth for two consecutive years despite the global economic recession."

 

                                                                                               

 

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

Nancy Pelosi criticizes Xi Jinping’s dictatorship
America has made a bedrock promise to always stand with Taiwan. We will not back down,” Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said during a meeting with President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday in Taiwan. She made clear her opposition to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s attempt to absorb Taiwan for its unification with China. Meanwhile, China, which will begin its first military training to practically blockade Taiwan for three days from Thursday, said the pursuit of Taiwanese independence dependent on the U.S. is a path to death.

 

Some PPP members propose reform of Office of the President
With People Power Party (PPP)’s decision to shift to the system of Emergency Committee Chairman, now the ruling party’s reform moves are heading towards Office of the President in earnest. During a KBS radio interview, four-term PPP lawmaker Hong Moon-pyo commented on Wednesday, “One of the reasons that the party ran into emergency is “YKM” (President Yoon Suk-yeol’s key close members)” and, “Now, we need to take a step back and seek new measures to make President Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration better.”

 

SK Hynix develops 238-layer NAND flash chip
SK Hynix has successfully developed its most advanced 238-layer NAND flash (photo), which is the most layered among the existing NAND flash memory chips. Before SK Hynix, U.S.-based Micron Technology’s chips were the most layered with 232 layers. On Tuesday (local time), SK Hynix unveiled its new 238-layer 512 Gb triple level cell (TLC) 4D NAND flash product at the world largest NAND flash conference of “Flash Memory Summit 2022” in Santa Clara, California,

 

                                                                                                             

 

 

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

SK hynix steals Flash Memory show with highest 238-layer NAND
SK hynix upped the ante in the race for greater density in flash memory by unveiling samples of the world’s highest NAND in 238-layer 4D design that could enter production from the first half of 2023, while Samsung Electronics exhibited an array of highly functional nonvolatile memory chipsets at the Flash Memory Summit 2022. SK hynix announced Wednesday that it shipped samples of 238-layer 512Gb triple level cell 4D NAND, the “most layered and smallest in area” to date.

 

Hybe reports quarterly best Q2, new K-pop idol in the making amid BTS hiatus
South Korea’s entertainment giant Hybe Co. behind K-pop superstar BTS closed the second quarter in record top and bottom line for a three-month period on renewed concert activities on top of new album and contents releases. In its regulatory filing on Wednesday, the Korean entertainment giant said its consolidated operating profit reached record 88.3 billion won in the April-June period, gaining 138.2 percent from the previous quarter and 215.3 percent from a year earlier.

 

Seoul’s FX reserve adds $330 mn July, first increase in 5 months as intervention eases
South Korean shipbuilding stocks are on a rebound as second-quarter statement of shipbuilding majors flagged earnings improvement from rising backlog in high value-added vessel orders that have been flooding in since late last year. Shares of Korea’s largest shipyard Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. (HHI) closed Monday 8 percent higher at 135,000 won ($103.2),

 

                                                                                             

 

HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)

Why a 4th Taiwan Strait crisis won’t look like anything that came before it
US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan on Tuesday while US-China relations are in a deep freeze was watched with concern by people around the world. Could the current tensions escalate into a fourth Taiwan Strait crisis? 
Since the early 1950s, there have been a series of crises in the Taiwan Strait in which China has raised tensions or engaged in military clashes while threatening to wage war over Taiwan.

 

Cumulative COVID-19 cases in S. Korea surpass 20M
Amid an ongoing resurgence in COVID-19 infections, South Korea’s cumulative total of confirmed cases passed the 20-million mark Tuesday. The milestone, which came two years and seven months after the first patient was diagnosed in South Korea, means that approximately 2 out of every 5 people in South Korea have tested positive for COVID-19.

 

Yoon’s approval rating slips to 20% range as disapproval nears 70%
The results of an opinion poll released Monday indicate that President Yoon Suk-yeol’s approval rating has slumped to the 20% range. Commissioned by TBS, the Korea Society Opinion Institute surveyed 1,003 adults across the nation from Friday to Saturday, 28.9% of whom responded that they approved of Yoon’s performance as president.

 

 

                                                                                     

 

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

Four Days after Announcing “Children to Enter School at Age 5,” Education Minister Says Government Can Scrap Plan if It Goes Against the People’s Wishes
Park Soon-ae, deputy prime minister for social affairs and minister of education, said the government could abolish the controversial policy to lower the age at which children enter elementary school, if the people do not want the policy. She made the statement four days after the education ministry gave a report to President Yoon Suk-yeol on changes to the education system, which aimed to lower the age at which children enter elementary school.

 

Central Disaster and Safety Headquarters, “Cumulative Number of Covid Cases Passed 20 Million. Authorities to Promote Targeted Disease Control”
The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases exceeded 20 million, two years and seven months after the first case was confirmed in South Korea. This is equivalent to 38.8% of the national population. The government announced that it would target disease control efforts, focusing on areas where a large number of cases have occurred. In his opening comment at a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on August 3,

 

People Power Party’s Supreme Council Decides to Convene National Committee for Shift to Emergency Response Committee
On August 2, the People Power Party held a meeting of its Supreme Council, which decided to convene a National Committee, accelerating the party’s shift towards an emergency leadership system. The decision came after the party’s lawmakers defined the current situation as an emergency, requiring a shift to an emergency committee system at a general meeting of lawmakers the previous day.


                                                                                                

 


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

US House Speaker Pelosi to Hold Talks with National Assembly Speaker
U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will hold talks with National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo. Kim's office said that Pelosi will visit the Assembly on Thursday morning for bilateral talks with Kim. The two sides plan to discuss security in the Indo-Pacific region, the denuclearization of North Korea and economic cooperation, including the strategic alliance of four global chip powerhouses known as the Chip Four.


S. Korea's First Lunar Probe to be Erected for Friday Liftoff

The country's first lunar orbiter will be launched on Friday after a two-day delay. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT on Thursday, the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, also known as Danuri, will be launched on Friday from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Danuri, developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute(KARI), will be carried by a Falcon 9 rocket launched by U.S. aerospace company SpaceX.

 

'US Remains Committed to Extended Deterrence for S. Korea'
A senior U.S. official has reaffirmed the United States's commitment to extended deterrence for South Korea. Bonnie Jenkins, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, issued the position on Wednesday during a press briefing on the Tenth Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty(NPT) Review Conference in New York. When asked about concerns among South Koreans on the issue, Jenkins reiterated that Washington remains very committed to extended deterrence for its ally.

 

 

                                                                                                               

 

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

Pelosi to meet Nat'l Assembly speaker amid heightened regional tensions over Taiwan visit
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was set to hold talks with National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo in Seoul on Thursday amid heightened regional tensions in the wake of her high-profile visit to Taiwan. Pelosi arrived in Seoul on Wednesday night from Taiwan where she reaffirmed unwavering U.S. commitment to the island amid angry protests from China. Beijing announced live-fire military drills around Taiwan in protest.

 

Amb. Goldberg hikes Mt. Bukhan in Seoul with S. Korea's top diplomat
New U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg said Wednesday he hiked a Seoul mountain together with Foreign Minister Park Jin last weekend. In a Twitter message, the envoy described Mount Bukhan in the northern part of the capital as a "perfect combination of beautiful nature & cultural sites." He posted some related photos. "Can't wait to explore more," he added, asking the people to recommend other places to visit.

 

N. Korea slams Pelosi's Taiwan visit, backs China's position
North Korea strongly denounced Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan on Wednesday, calling it an "impudent interference" by Washington into another nation's internal affairs. The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday night despite fierce protests from China, becoming the highest-level official to make a formal trip there in decades. In a statement, she said her move "honors America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy."

                                                                                   

 

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

Pelosi’s Korea visit comes amid soaring US-China tensions
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is to meet with ranking South Korean officials Thursday, amid US-China tensions heightened by her trip to Taiwan. Pelosi’s stop in Taiwan sparked backlash and military actions from China. North Korea and Russia also pitched in and launched a blistering criticism of the US, showing a glimpse of the regional security complex that will be compounded by the visit.

 

The tricky calculus of second boosters in mostly breakthrough-infected Korea
This spring, South Korea saw one of the highest case rates of the original COVID-19 variant omicron BA.1 and its “sibling” BA.2 in the world. Now the country is distributing a second round of boosters to fight the most recently dominant BA.5, another omicron subvariant. The initial omicron surge that lasted from late January through April led to about 16 million cases here,

 

Pyongyang lashes out at Seoul’s appointment of NK human rights ambassador
North Korea lashed out at South Korea’s appointment of an ambassador-at-large on North Korean human rights issues on Wednesday, calling it “Seoul’s vicious political provocation to battle with Pyongyang until the end.” North Korea’s propaganda radio station Echo of Unification strongly criticized the South, as Seoul has recently appointed Lee Shin-wha,

 

                                                                                    

 

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

Chip 4, '3 Nos' complicate Korea-China ties
Korea is at a critical juncture over its ties with China as it faces increasing pressure to choose a side amid the intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry, with any decision potentially causing further uncertainties in bilateral relations. Currently, Korea has been asked to respond to the U.S. invitation by the end of August to participate in the envisaged strategic alliance of four global chip powerhouses that also includes Japan and Taiwan, also known as the Chip 4 or Fab 4, a platform apparently aimed at countering China's growing influence in global supply chains.

 

Pelosi to meet Nat'l Assembly speaker amid heightened regional tensions over Taiwan visit
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was set to hold talks with National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo in Seoul on Thursday amid heightened regional tensions in the wake of her high-profile visit to Taiwan. Pelosi arrived in Seoul on Wednesday night from Taiwan where she reaffirmed unwavering U.S. commitment to the island amid angry protests from China. Beijing announced live-fire military drills around Taiwan in protest.

 

Gen MZ financial relief programs stir up fairness debate
Financial relief programs for those in their 20s and 30s who struggle with loan repayments have stirred up debates about equity and fairness among older people, who also have trouble paying off loans but are excluded from receiving the financial benefits due to their age. The programs are run by the government and private banks, in line with President Yoon Suk-yeol's push to support members of Generation MZ ― a Korean term referring to Millennials and Generation Z ― who borrowed money mostly to buy homes or to invest in assets such as stocks and cryptocurrencies.


                                                                                                                  

 

What’s ticking around the world at this second?

See what the world media around the world have to report:

USA Today www.usatoday.com aallman@gannett.com

The New York Times www.nytimes.com inytletters@nytimes.com

Wall Street Journal www.wsj.com support@wsj.com, service@wsj-asia.com

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

The Times www.thetimes.co.uk help@timesplus.co.uk

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

Chinese People's Daily www.people.com.cn kf@people.cn

China Daily www.chinadaily.com.cn circulation@chinadaily.com.cn

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

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

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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