The Korean daily media headlines and humor

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Monday, February 27, 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/)

Foreign Minister to Raise Voice on Issues of N. Korean Human Rights, Chemical Weapons

South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se will leave for Switzerland on Sunday to attend international conferences in order to raise a voice on the issues of North Korea’s human rights and chemical weapons.

Malaysian Ministers Urge Re-examination of Diplomatic Ties with Pyongyang

Malaysian ministers are calling on the Malaysian government to reconsider its diplomatic ties with North Korea following the murder of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’shalf brother Kim Jong-nam.According to Malaysian daily "New Straits Times" on Sunday, Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Aziz said on Saturday during a local event that he believes it does not matter if Malaysia cuts its diplomatic ties with North Korea because he does not see any gains for the country from its relations with Pyongyang.

'US Navy Shifts 3rd Fleet to Western Pacific to Deter N. Korean Aggression'

The United States Navy recently shifted its forces serving in the 3rd Fleet and its most advanced platforms into the Western Pacific to prepare for a possible conflict on the Korean Peninsula.According to US Naval Institute News, Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet said that North Korea is the only country in his area of operations which is not seeing an improved relationship with the United States.

S. Korea to Complete Land Acquisition for THAAD This Week

The Defense Ministry is expected to complete the land acquisition deal needed to house the United States advanced THAAD antimissile system early this week.A ministry official said on Sunday that if Lotte Group holds a meeting of the board of directors to endorse a land swap deal, the ministry will conclude the deal with Lotte right away. The board meeting is reportedly scheduled for Monday.

Moon Jae-in Says to Accept Constitutional Court's Ruling on Park's Impeachment

Former chief of the main opposition Democratic Party Moon Jae-in says that he will accept the Constitutional Court’s decision on Presidential Park Geun-hye’s impeachment even if the court rejects the impeachment.

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

All indicators point to N.K. responsibility in Kim Jong-nam's killing: ex-CIA chief

All indicators point to Pyongyang's responsibility in the killing of the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a former CIA chief said Sunday, after Malaysia determined a banned chemical weapons agent was used in the killing.

S. Korea, U.S., Japan to discuss N. Korea's assassination during trilateral talks: official

The recent killing of the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will be a key topic when South Korea, the United States and Japan hold trilateral strategy talks on how to deal with Pyongyang, an official said Sunday.

Banks' daily FX turnover down 0.1 pct in 2016

The daily foreign exchange turnover by local and foreign banks in South Korea dropped 0.1 percent in 2016 from a year earlier, the central bank said Monday.The daily FX turnover averaged US$48.38 billion in 2016, down from $48.43 billion in 2015, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). The daily trading volume of foreign exchange spots reached $19.43 billion in 2016, down 2.7 percent from a year earlier.

Independent counsel seeks arrest warrant for presidential aide

Special prosecutors on Sunday sought an arrest warrant on a presidential aide who has allegedly been involved in assisting in the inappropriate medical treatment of President Park Geun-hye.

Police say former pitcher arrested for drug smuggling

Police said Sunday that they have arrested a former pitcher for smuggling cocaine and other drugs from the United States.The pitcher is accused of delivering the drugs to local distributors in South Korea after receiving them through a delivery service. He is also suspected of sending 5 million won (US$4,400) to the U.S. after receiving money from local distributors.

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

Park will not show up at final hearing: lawmaker

President Park Geun-hye is not likely to attend the Constitutional Court’s final hearing Monday, which means she would end her impeachment trial without her direct testimony, lawmakers said Sunday. The disgraced president has so far been absent from all of her impeachment trials while avoding face-to-face questioning by the special investigation team.

Seoul to raise Kim killing on world stage

With North Korea accused of having used a banned toxin in the murder of Kim Jong-nam, Seoul is poised to highlight the Kim Jong-un regime’s unbridled breaches of international law and inhumane activities at the UN this week.

LG unveils larger, Google AI-powered G6

LG Electronics unveiled its latest flagship smartphone G6 equipped with a larger display and Google’s machine-learning software, stealing the spotlight on the eve of the Mobile World Congress that kicks off in Barcelona on Monday.

CJ gears up for chairman’s return

South Korea’s food and entertainment giant CJ Group is set to expand investments and speed up its delayed plans to tap more markets around the world by carrying out a personnel reshuffle in March, the group said Sunday, hinting at chairman Lee Jay-hyun’s return to management.

Trump to skip press dinner amid media row

President Donald Trump ratcheted up an increasingly hostile feud with the media Saturday, announcing he would skip a century-old annual correspondents’ dinner a day after a fierce row erupted over press access to the White House.

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

President Park will not attend final court hearing

The Constitutional Court will hold a final hearing for President Park Geun-hye's impeachment trial at 2 p.m. Monday, heightening tensions in and out of the courthouse.According to the court, Sunday, the President will not attend the hearing, foregoing the last opportunity to defend herself in front of eight justices.

Underdog skater achieves stunning victory

Choi Da-bin, 16, was an underdog skater among a group of post-Kim Yuna generation skaters who were raised while watching the namesake figure skating legend who won a gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Park supporters criticized for violence

Supporters of the embattled President Park Geun-hye have come under growing criticism for seeking to resort to violence against the independent counsel team.Law enforcement authorities remained on high alert over possible attacks by loyalists for Park, Sunday.

S. Korea defeats Cuba 6-1 in warm-up before World Baseball Classic

South Korea defeated Cuba 6-1 in an exhibition game in Seoul ahead of the World Baseball Classic (WBC).Starter Chang Won-jun tossed four shutout innings, and the once-maligned lineup pounded out 11 hits at Gocheok Sky Dome in the nation's capital.

Anti-doping rhetoric, hypocrisy ramping up ahead of PyeongChang Winter Olympics

It was an Olympic celebration, of sorts. On the day of the one-year countdown to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Austrian police acting on a tip raided the Kazakhstan biathlon team's hotel before the World Championships in search of performance-enhancing drugs.

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

Chusa's beauty of maturity awoke from sleep in 165 years

The Center for Overseas Resources on Korean Studies under the Research Institute of Korean Studies at Korea University searched libraries of Kyoto University in Japan from Jan. 12 to Jan. 19 and found precious old literatures and about 400 collections of writings and paints, containing the essence of the post Joseon Dynasty. Autographed poetry books of Chusa Kim Jeong-hui (1786-1856) were also included in the findings.

N.K. intelligence bureau engaged in arms trade via Malaysia

The North Korean Intelligence Bureau are found to have established a disguised company in Malaysia and engaged in weapons trafficking overseas. If Malaysia severs diplomatic ties with North Korea in the wake of Pyongyang’s assassination of Kim Jong Nam, the North Korean regime will likely be dealt with a severe blow in secretive overseas arms sales.

Samsung SDI provides ESS battery to California

Samsung SDI has provided California in the U.S. with the battery of largest capacity for energy storage system (ESS). Having taken part in the project to build power supply system in the state, Samsung SDI has supplied 240MWh battery for ESS. Enough to provide power to some 40,000 U.S. households for four hours, the capacity of 240MWH is the largest in the contract size that has been placed so far. The capacity is nearly the half the size of ESS power market in the U.S. last year (590MWh).

Korean mathematics in crisis

The legend of “brain powerhouse Korea” is faltering. It was this exact same country that caught global attention with the Miracle on the Han River and was benchmarked by other nations when it was ranked the first in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) for the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

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

Household Debt Soars Way Above Economic Growth

Korea's household debt swelled to a record W1,344 trillion last year, up by an unprecedented W141.2 trillion from the year before (US$1=W1,132). The 11.7 percent growth rate of household debt is four times higher than Korea's 2.6 percent economic growth rate.

Korea Faces Demographic Upheavals

Korea is experiencing a demographic upheaval this year. The number of births plunged to 406,300 last year, a strong indication that it will further fall to below 400,000 as early as this year.

SAT Operators Get Tough on Cheaters

The body that runs America's SAT college-entrance exam has drastically tightened security, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Under the new policy, the College Board will provide government agencies with the names of test prep businesses and students involved in cheating and prohibit them from taking any future tests it administers.

Emotions Run High as Impeachment Ruling Nears

Emotions are running high among protesters as the date of the Constitutional Court's ruling on President Park Geun-hye's impeachment approaches.Park's opponents are threatening a "revolution" if the court rules against removing the tainted president, while die-hard supporters are warning of "civil war" if the judges consider otherwise. Politicians and Constitutional Court judges have been getting death threats.

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

South Korea’s trade surplus with US dwindles alongside falling value added rate

South Korea’s trade surplus with the US has dwindled to one-fifth when calculated in terms of value added, while its export value added rate lags behind even China’s, an analysis shows.

Published by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) on Feb.

When a taxi driver asks a migrant woman if things are “good in bed with her husband at night”

A 34-year-old migrant woman boarded a taxi, only to be asked by the driver if things were “good in bed with her husband at night.” Her friend, also a female migrant, was standing at a subway station exit when she was shocked to hear a male South Korean stranger tell her, “I bet you’ve had a tough time making money since coming here. If you go with me, I’ll give you 300,000 won (US$260) a month in spending money.”

Real household income in South Korea falls for the first time since 2009

Real household income in South Korea has fallen for the first time since 2009 (in the aftermath of the global financial crisis), government figures show. Household consumer spending shrank last year, and the average propensity to consume, which reflects household spending, was at its worst point ever.

Educational inequality is increasing even after students enter university

There’s already severe inequality in university admissions in South Korea between different income brackets because spending on private education varies with parents’ socio-economic status. But a new study finds that educational inequality is also increasing after students enter university, with spending and subsidies by universities and governments concentrated at universities with the students who scored the highest on the country’s university entrance exam.

Biggest discrimination worries: appearance for middle schoolers, grades for high schoolers

The biggest discrimination concerns for South Korean schoolchildren are disability for elementary school students, appearance for middle school students, and grades for high school students, a study shows.

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

Rallies for and against president intensify

The country saw a deep internal division Saturday as tens of thousands nationwide who are for and against President Park Geun-hye took to the streets as the Constitutional Court is nearing its verdict in the decision to remove her from office.

Malaysian police may seek arrest of North Korean official

A police chief in Malaysia announced on Saturday that authorities will seek an arrest warrant for the second secretary of the North Korean Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, who is wanted for the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, if he does not submit to investigation.

Apartment prices hit new high in and around Seoul

Apartment prices in Korea hit an all-time high in February by recording 10.47 million won ($9,258) per 3.3 square meters (35.5 square feet) on the back of high demands for new premium apartments and a rise in the price of apartments on the outskirts of Seoul, according to a market report Sunday.

Market shows interest in a good night’s sleep

Choi Yoon-jeong, 26, has her own “deep sleep” routine. Before going to bed, she puts body cream on her neck that smells like magnolias. She checks that her black-out curtains are thoroughly closed so that sunlight can’t peep through any crook or cranny. The last step is turning on her heating mat. On nights she has to wake up early the next day, she takes supplementary pills that help her sleep deeper.

LG focuses on visual experience with G6

LG Electronics on Sunday took the wraps off its highly anticipated G6 flagship smartphone, which emphasizes an enhanced visual experience and safety.The 5.7-inch Android phone boasts a screen with the world’s first 18:9 aspect ratio and thickness and display proportions optimized for grip, despite its large size.

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

Little Progress in a Decade, "Presidential Candidates Should Enact a Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Bill"

The civil society is criticizing major presidential candidates for their lukewarm handling of an anti-discrimination bill. The anti-discrimination bill bans unreasonable discrimination based on gender, disability, disease, age, race, religion, ideology, sexual orientation, education, and social status in all areas of life including politics, economics, society, and culture according to the principle of equality stipulated in the Constitution.

President Park's Legal Representatives' Contempt of Court Has Gone Too Far

The behavior of President Park's legal representatives in the impeachment trial has gone too far. Yesterday in the sixteenth hearing at the Constitutional Court, they insulted Justice Kang Il-won, the lead justice in the impeachment trial referring to him as the "chief spokesperson for the National Assembly," and went so far as to request the removal of Kang from the bench. The reason was that Kang asked a lot of questions that worked against the president. They may be at the brink of impeachment, but still their behavior was unacceptable.

Constitutional Court Stands Firm on 8-Judge Ruling: President's Lawyers Unable to Answer Whether They Will Accept the Court's Decision

On February 22, the Constitutional Court justices overseeing the impeachment trial of President Park Geun-hye said that they would hear the final arguments on February 27 and requested the president's attorneys to confirm whether or not the president will appear in court by February 26. The court confirmed that they will make a decision under the current eight-justice system before Justice Lee Jung-mi, the acting president of the Constitutional Court, steps down at the end of her term (March 13).

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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.

Jaime Rivera, Regional Director Asia at Crystal Lagoons

"We are in talks with people from Incheon's Songdo International Business District and Osiria Tourism Industry Complex near Busan whom we met through Cityscape Korea to develop artificial beaches.

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

LG Innotek introduces world's strongest germ-killing UV LED

LG Innotek, a global component-specialist company, has introduced the world's strongest UV-C LED, a diode which emits super-strong ultraviolet light capable of killing off germs and bacteria.

Girl group TWICE starts countdown on debut in Japan

Girl group TWICE has started a countdown to its debut in Japan Friday through its official Japanese website. The most popular girl group in South Korea will debut in Japan on June 28.

Doctors punished for posting certification picture on cadaver

Five doctors were slapped with a fine of 500,000 won (438 US dollars) each for posting a "certification selfie" in which they posed in front of a leg in a cadaver dissection room with their arms folded.

Samsung Galaxy S8+ specs leaked online: Rumors

As the world's tech fans eagerly await for the release of Samsung's new flagships Galaxy S8 and S8+ (with a larger display), a Twitter user, famous for his predictions on upcoming smart devices, has dropped a spec sheet for S8+.

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

Upbeat outlook for LG Innotek, LG Elec and LG Uplus in 2017

Shares of LG Innotek Co., electronic device components making unit of South Korean conglomerate LG Group, are extending winning streak on improved earnings forecast for this year, led by revenue growth in its camera module business.

Samsung Life Insurance expected to push back financial holding entity plan

Samsung Life Insurance’s plan to become a financial holding entity of Samsung Group has received a heavy blow as the country’s financial regulator ordered to halt some of its operations and issued a warning against its chief executive as a punitive measure over overdue suicide claims.

Hyundai Sonata facelift image unveiled

South Korea’s largest automaker Hyundai Motor Co. on Sunday unveiled render images of facelifted Sonata mid-sized sedan slated for release early next month. The facelift model of Sonata has undergone “a dramatic change in design” to provide a more sporty structure while stressing on its well-balanced appearance and spacious volume, the company said.

Samsung Group to break up Future Strategy Group next week

The secretive top policy-making Future Strategy Office of Samsung Group that came under spotlight for arranging donations for Choi Soon-sil and her inner circle in return for favors from President Park Geun-hye would formally come down next week. Its top executives have offered to resign.

The Korea Post

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Publisher-Chairman Lee Kyung-sik

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