The Korean daily media headlines and humor

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Thursday, February 23, 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

The Korea Post TV:-

English: www.koreapost.com

Korean: www.koreapost.co.kr

Your Excellency:

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Publisher-Chairman Lee Kyung-sik

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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/)

Constitutional Court Postpones Final Hearing to Monday

The Constitutional Court has postponed the final hearing of President Park Geun-hye's impeachment trial from Friday to Monday. Acting Court President Justice Lee Jung-mi said during Wednesday's hearing that after many intense discussions, the justices decided the final hearing will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday in consideration of Park’s legal team’s request for delay.

Rival Parties at Odds over Probe Extension

Rival parties are at odds over extending the independent counsel team's investigation period. Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae of the main opposition Democratic Party stressed on Wednesday the need to extend the mandate in light of the recently rejected arrest warrant for former presidential aide Woo Byung-woo.

Seoul Protests Tokyo's Dispatch of Official to Ceremony Promoting Territorial Claim to Dokdo

The South Korean government has strongly protested Tokyo's decision to dispatch a vice ministerial official to a local government ceremony promoting territorial claims over South Korea’s easternmost Dokdo islets.

Independent Counsel Team Reaffirms Intent to Interrogate Park

The independent counsel team has reaffirmed its strong intent to question President Park Geun-hye in person. Deputy Independent Counsel Lee Kyu-chul told reporters Wednesday that the team has a basic principle to interrogate the president before the probe period expires at the end of this month, even if it's on the last day, if possible.

Assembly Speaker Urges Acting Pres. to Approve Probe Extension

National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun has urged Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn to extend the probe period of the independent counsel team investigating the corruption scandal surrounding President Park Geun-hye and her confidante Choi Soon-sil.

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

N.K. condemns probe on Kim's death as anti-Pyongyang conspiracy

North Korea on Thursday condemned Malaysia's investigation into the death of its leader Kim Jong-un's half brother, saying that South Korea's claim that Pyongyang is connected to the incident is a conspiracy against the North.

N. Korea's assassination likely to lead international community to take steps against Pyongyang

South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said Wednesday North Korea's apparent killing of the half brother of leader Kim Jong-un will serve as a chance for the international community to take a series of steps against the communist nation.

N.K. party official Choe returns to public eye after 3-week hiatus

Choe Ryong-hae, a senior North Korean party official, has returned to public view after a three-week hiatus, Pyongyang's media report showed Thursday, amid rumors that he may have visited China over the country's missile test or the death of the leader's half brother.

Short tracker shrugs off Asian Games drought, keeps focus on Olympics

South Korean short track speed skater Lee Jung-su is leaving Sapporo without an Asian Winter Games gold medal, but if it's bothering him, he's at least doing a fine job hiding it.

S. Korea promotes flexible working system to boost private consumption

South Korea said Thursday that it will expand flexible working hours in the private and public sectors in an effort to boost domestic consumption and stimulate the economy, while expanding financial support to lower income brackets.

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

North Korea diplomat wanted over Kim killing: Malaysia

Detectives probing the assassination of Kim Jong-un's half-brother want to question a North Korean diplomat, Malaysia's top policeman said Wednesday. Investigators have put five North Koreans in the frame for last week's brazen killing of Kim Jong-nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and have said they are seeking three more for questioning.

A sense of unease clouds Kuala Lumpur over killing

Ten days after the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the news is still a focal point of national discussion here in Kuala Lumpur, the bustling cosmopolitan capital of Malaysia.

What Lee Jae-yong’s absence means for Samsung, Korea

Nearly a week after Samsung Group’s de facto leader Lee Jae-yong was arrested, the tech giant has been directly and indirectly emphasizing his absence may cause a serious leadership vacuum and undermine the tech giant’s position in and out of the country.

Prospects of probe extension growing thin

The special team led by independent counsel Park Young-soo set about wrapping up its investigation into corruption allegations against President Park Geun-hye, as prospects of an extension to its term faded.

Qualcomm wages long, hard legal battle against FTC

Qualcomm has waged a legal war against South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission, filing a lawsuit in Seoul late Tuesday, unyielding to the antitrust agency’s order of a massive fine and corrective measure. The legal fight between the US mobile chipmaker and Korean government body is expected to be unprecedentedly fierce, as both sides have vowed to win by mobilizing all possible measures, legal sources say.

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

'Kim Jong-un must be taken to International Criminal Court'

Calls are mounting for the international community to take North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, his estranged half-brother, in Malaysia last week.

Constitutional Court sets Feb. 27 as final hearing of impeachment

The Constitutional Court set Feb. 27 as the final hearing date in the impeachment trial of President Park Geun-hye, Wednesday, accepting her attorneys' request to allow them more time to prepare for their defense.

Woman jumps in front of subway train in Daegu

A young woman is lucky to be alive after jumping in front of a subway train in Daegu on Wednesday morning. Police said the woman, surnamed Lee, 28, suffered serious injuries when she leapt onto tracks at Yeonho Station in Yeonho-dong, Suseong-gu, about 7:30 a.m.

South Sudanese textbooks to narrate revered Korean priest

A Korean Catholic priest will be introduced in South Sudanese textbooks to be released next February. John Lee Tae-seok provided medical aid in the war-torn country for a decade until his 2010 death. His life will be covered by an entire page in the social studies textbook for elementary schools and two pages in the citizenship textbook for middle schools, according to South Sudan's Education Minister Deng Deng Hoc Yai.

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

Czech government in dilemma over safety of N. Korean leader’s uncle

The Czech Republic is bothering its head over Kim Pyong Il, the North Korean ambassador to the Czech Republic, due to media reports speculating that he will likely be the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s next assassination target. Kim Pyong Il is a half-brother of Kim Jong Un’s late father and former leader Kim Jong Il.

Shim Seok-hee grabs gold medal at Sapporo AG short-track

Shim Seok-hee (20, Korea National Sport University) neither ducked her head nor was nervous. Leaving her yesterday’s misfortune behind, she instantly paid her debt. Shim won the gold medal at the ladies 1,000-meter short-track on Wednesday at the Asian Winter Games, which was held at Makomanai Indoor Skating Rink in Sapporo, northern Japan. Her chase for the gold continued as she won another gold at the 3,000-meter relay with Choi Min-jeong (19, Seongnam City Hall), Noh Do-hee (22, Korea National Sport University), Kim Ji-yoo (18, Hwajeong High School).

Korea's first classic accordian returns to Seoul

"Classic accordion players are rare in Korea. There aren't any regular classic accordion education courses in Korea. People often ask me whether I'm a pop song or teuroteu player."

Poet Yang Seong-woo publishes memoir

Yang Seong-woo (73), who is widely known as a poet and democracy activist, has published a memoir entitled “I Have Things that Transcend Tme with Me Now (Ilsong Book),” which presents stories about his fight against dictatorial military government during his youth. Yang was fired as teacher due to an incident in which he recited his poem “Winter Republic” in 1975.

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

N.Korean Diplomat Wanted Over Kim Jong-nam Killing

Malaysian police are looking for a senior North Korean diplomat and a staffer of the renegade country’s flag carrier Air Koryo in connection with the murder of Kim Jong-nam. The suspected involvement of Hyon Kwang-song (44), a second secretary at the embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and Kim Uk-il (37) makes it ever more likely that the killing was a hit orchestrated by the North Korean regime.

No Signs of Cardiac Arrest or Puncture Wounds on Kim Jong-nam

No signs of cardiac arrest or puncture wounds were found on the body of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Malaysia's director-general of health, Hisham Abdullah, told reporters Tuesday that the cause of death remains unknown and samples taken from Kim Jong-nam's body were sent to a research center for analysis.

Korea Aging Faster Than Expected

Korea will likely become an aged society this year, which is a lot earlier than demographers expected. Over-65s already make up almost 14 percent of the population, according to the Ministry of the Interior on Tuesday.

Human Interpreter Beats Translation Programs Hands Down

A face-off between auto-translation programs against a professional human interpreter on Tuesday ended in a resounding victory for the human race. Proto-artificial intelligence -- essentially computer programs capable of "learning" -- have emerged victorious in contests against humans in chess, current affairs trivia, go and poker. But AI had still not evolved enough to surpass the linguistic and emotional intelligence of humans.

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

N. Korean diplomat’s alleged involvement in killing of Kim Jong-nam to complicate relations with Southeast Asia

The killing of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s half-brother Jong-nam is expected to have ramifications for Pyongyang‘s relations with Southeast Asian countries.

Relations between North Korea and Malaysia have significantly soured since Malaysian police identified many of the major suspects in the killing as having North Korean citizenship, prompting vocal objections from the North.

Indonesian police announce investigation of North Korean restaurant in Jakarta

Indonesian police announced that they have begun an investigation into allegations that a North Korean restaurant in the capital of Jakarta was being used as an operational base by North Korea’s Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB), an intelligence agency.

Magazine claims Kim Jong-nam was ousted for advocating China-style reforms

Following the recent killing of Kim Jong-nam in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the reason he was removed from the succession during the life of his father, Kim Jong-il, is receiving a new look.

Due to THAAD deployment, Lotte told to “go far away from China”

The Lotte Group, which is planning to provide South Korea’s Defense Ministry with the site for deploying the THAAD antimissile system, has been told by the Chinese media to “go far away from China,” with the media effectively declaring the need for a nationwide boycott of the group.

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

North’s embassy tied to murder

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - A second secretary at the North Korean Embassy in Malaysia is the latest suspect sought in the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, Malaysian police said Wednesday, the strongest hint yet that the communist regime masterminded the plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s half brother.

Leaked Galaxy S8 image tantalizes customers

An unauthorized image of Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S8 smartphone is spreading online, ramping up excitement over the release of the company’s next flagship model.

Closing arguments in Park’s trial are delayed

The Constitutional Court delayed Wednesday closing arguments in the impeachment trial of President Park Geun-hye from Friday to Monday, as her lawyers continued stalling tactics and challenged the integrity of the judges.

Gov’t lifts limits on equity crowdfunds

The Financial Services Commission, the country’s financial regulator, on Wednesday revised regulations for equity purchased through crowdfunds to allow investors to sell their shares immediately after purchasing them. Previously, investors of equity crowdfunds had to wait one year before they could sell their securities.

Number of births hits record low

The number of babies born in the country fell to a record low while the number of people who died reached an all-time high last year, contributing to worries about the shrinking population.

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

Literature Is Still Too Hard for Machines: Translation Match, Humans vs. AI

"He was rude to the blanket." That was the translation presented by a translation software. Other translation programs presented results with similar meanings, such as "The puppy disrespects the quilt." The Korean sentence that the translation software tried to translate was, "The puppy excused himself (peed) on the blanket." A Korean knows that the expression, "excuse" means that the puppy relieved itself, but the computer programs interpreted the word literally to mean "impolite."

Contemplating the Resignation of All Legal Representatives after Failed Attempts to Delay Impeachment Trial

With the approach of the Constitutional Court's ruling on the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye and the end of the special prosecutor Park Young-soo's investigation, the president is busy figuring out complex calculations. President Park refused to respond to a face-to-face questioning by the special prosecutor.

South Korean Government, "Terrorism and a Crime Against Humanity," Hardline Stance to Isolate North Korea

The South Korean government is accelerating efforts to respond to the murder of North Korean Kim Jong-nam. The government stressed the fact that the incident confirmed the brutality of the Kim Jong-un regime and focused on ways to further pressure and isolate the hermit state.

Grants Cut for Groups Opposing the Comfort Women Agreement

Government grants for comfort women support groups that opposed the 2015 comfort women agreement between South Korea and Japan were all cut last year. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced that the government did not intentionally exclude certain organizations, but that they were excluded because the government did not receive any applications for related projects in order to support the operating costs for the Reconciliation and Healing Foundation.

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

Korea's Short-term Debt Ratio Hits 4 Year High of 27.6%

The share of short-term loans (whose term is shorter than 1 year) out of total foreign loans has climbed up to a high of 27.6 percent, the highest level since President Park Geun-hye took office in 2013. Meanwhile, the balance of net foreign credit has also hit a record high.

New York's FIT May Soon Offer Classes in Incheon Global Campus

The world's leading universities that have set up shop in Incheon Global Campus are working hard to enlist young minds in East Asia. According to the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority on February 22, the Fashion Institute of Technology, one of the world's top-five fashion schools, has submitted an application with the Korean Ministry of Education to establish a presence in Incheon in May 2016 and is set to open the program by September this year.

China's "One Belt, One Road" Ambition May Be Frustrated by EU Investigation

The European Union put a brake on China's "One Belt, One Road" initiative in Central Europe. A Chinese government-led construction project to link Hungary's capital Budapest with Belgrade in Serbia by railway is under investigation by the European Commission for possible violation of its public procurement laws.

Sejong City Population Surpasses 250,000 in 56 Months

The number of population in Sejong Special Autonomous City has exceeded 250,000 first time in 56 months since its founding in July 2012. The city government announced on February 21 that its population within the jurisdiction was 250,178 as of the 20th. When it started out in 2012, its population was 100,751, the 17th highest among all cities in the country.

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

Humans overwhelm AI-powered programs in translation match

Human translators don't have to worry about their job security for a while as they scored a comfortable victory against language software powered by artificial intelligence in South Korea's first match for translation.

BTS' single 'Spring Day' debuts on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100

"Spring Day", a new BTS single, debuted at No. 15 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, Billboard said, as the South Korean idol group BTS continues to conquer new territory on multiple Billboard charts with the release of its new album.

Pyeongyang shifts blame to Seoul for plotting to kill leader's brother in Malaysia

North Korea shifted the blame for the death of supreme leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother in Malaysia on to South Korea, contending it was a premediated plot to hurt its image.

Boy group BTS' homepage hacked to show TWICE's music video

The website of BTS's management agency, Big Hit Entertainment, has been hacked to replace the music video for the popular group's latest hit track "Not Today" with one from a girl group.

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

Celltrion’s Truxima biosimilar available across Europe upon final nod from EU commission

South Korea’s Celltrion Inc. announced on Wednesday the European Commission has granted marketing authorization to its Truxima (rituximab), making it the first blood cancer biosimiar approved in Europe.

Qualcomm appeals to S. Korea’s anti-trust penalty at Seoul high court

U.S. mobile phone chipmaker Qualcomm Inc. has filed an appeal to a Seoul High Court against South Korea’s antitrust watchdog’s administrative fine of 1.03 trillion won ($853 million) on charges of unfair practices based on abuse of the U.S. company’s dominant position in the mobile communications market.

Korea’s opposition seek to break up top finanical policy-making FSC

The main opposition Democratic Party whose candidates lead the polls among contenders for next presidency is proposing to dismantle the mighty Financial Services Commission (FSC) to leave it with just the supervisory role while handing over the financial policy-making authority to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance.

S. Korean births lowest and deaths highest in 2016

Newborns were fewest and deaths largest in South Korea last year in latest gloomy data underscoring the demographic realities of fast graying society with thinning young people.

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