The Korean daily media headlines and humor
Monday, February 13, 2023
Good morning, Excellency!
Here is the latest information on the COVID situation in Korea this morning:
The number of new cases as of midnight last night was 32,570 persons.
Yesterday, the number was 14,144 persons.
It shows a decrease of 18,426 persons.
We hope that the number will continue to go down in the future.
Here are the headlines and news details of major Korean news publications and international news media.
Please visit and enjoy the news contents.
If there are any news items in Your Excellency's esteemed country interesting to the Korean government and people, please mail them to the following addresses for sharing with our readers in Korea and around the world.
Very Respectfully Yours
/s/
Lee Kyung-sik
Publisher-Chairman
The Korea Post media
010-5201-1740
cha@koreapost.com
Monday, February 13, 2023
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post ( www.koreapost.com )
“President Yoon hopes to attract a WIPO regional office in Korea”
President Yoon Suk-yeol held talks with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Daren Tang to exchange opinions on intellectual property at the presidential office in Seoul on Feb. 8. "We support WIPO's efforts to provide easy access to the intellectual property system to the underprivileged and people of developing countries," the president was quoted as saying. "Korea has been striving to help developing countries introduce a Korean-style intellectual property system through intellectual property ODA (official development assistance)."
Hyundai Motor participates in 2023 Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Seminar in US
Hyundai Motor this week participated in the 2023 Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Seminar (HFCS), held in Long Beach, Calif., where it explored opportunities to expand its hydrogen business in the North American commercial vehicle market. Organized by the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) and supported by the U.S. government, HFCS is the largest hydrogen industry event in North America, with a history of more than 40 years.
Intelligent computing a new engine driving China's digital economy
An artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputing center was recently launched in Ningbo National Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, east China's Zhejiang province, which is able to perform at 100 Pflops in half-precision mode. In north China's Tianjin municipality, the first-phase project of an intelligent computing center was completed at the end of 2022. It includes over 850 enterprises and research institutes, and boasts a combined computing capacity of 120 Pflops.
Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Luxury Labels Squeeze Captive Korean Customers
Luxury labels are making exorbitant demands of customers in Korea, who remained hopelessly addicted to their products throughout lockdown. Customers not only have to wait in long lines for the privilege of giving money to the businesses but must buy millions worth of goods to "unlock" access to others. Mostly the strategy is to create a false scarcity that makes the bling even more desirable. "I was told I need to spend another W3 million if I want to buy a W2.45 million handbag. Did I hear that right?" wrote one member of an online community that brings together more than 600,000 label addicts (US$1=W1,265).
Hybe Becomes Top Shareholder of SM Entertainment
There has been a substantial shift in power dynamics in the entertainment industry as Hybe becomes the biggest shareholder of K-pop rival SM Entertainment. Hybe is the Korean entertainment agency behind global K-pop phenomenon Bangtan Boys. On Friday, the agency was officially confirmed to be acquiring a 14.8 percent stake in its rival K-pop agency SM Entertainment, by signing a deal with SM's founder Lee Soo-man. Lee sold 14.8 percent of his 18.46 percent holdings. The deal would make Hybe the largest shareholder. SM Entertainment is one of the country's top K-pop agencies, behind big-name groups like EXO, Red Velvet, NCT and aespa
Korean Rescue Workers Start Work in Turkey
The Seoul Central District Court in a landmark ruling on Tuesday ordered the government to compensate a Vietnamese victim of a war crime committed by the Korean military during the Vietnam War. Lawyers for a Democratic Society filed the lawsuit in April 2020 on behalf of Nguyen Thi Thanh (64), who was a casualty of the 1968 massacre in the village of Phong Nhi in Vietnam's Quang Nam Province. The court ordered the government to pay Nguyen W30 million plus interest accrued since the crime (US$1=W1,255). Her family was killed after being ordered out of their house, and Nguyen, who was a child at the time, was shot in the stomach and nearly died.
Joongang Ilbo (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com )
Three more people rescued by Korean emergency response team in Turkey
Rescuers dispatched by the Korean government rescued three more people from the rubble in Antakya, southern Turkey, on Saturday, bringing the total number of saved lives to eight, said Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Foreign Ministry identified the latest survivors as a 51-year-old mother and her 17-year-old son, who were pulled out from the same building nearly 72 hours after being struck by a massive earthquake that killed more than 29,000 people and injured tens of thousands of people in Turkey and Syria.
How did Gangnam become the Seoul epicenter it is today?
Gangnam is known globally as the posh neighborhood that served as the backdrop of the “Gangnam Style” sensation in 2012. Gangnam, where the biggest trends begin in Korea, is the mecca for almost everything loved by locals and tourists, from streets filled with luxury brands to the trendiest restaurants and even plastic surgery. The term Gangnam technically means south of the river, and refers to three districts in Seoul below the Han River: Gangnam, Seocho and Songpa.
Inflation in Korea to remain high, KDI projects
Inflation is projected to remain high as utility and transportation prices continue to rise. The Korea Development Institute (KDI) on Thursday revised its forecast for inflation this year to 3.5 percent from 3.2 percent. “Despite slowing global crude price increases, supply-side inflation pressure has been reflected in public utility charges,” according to a report from the state-run KDI on Thursday. “Considering the influence of the rise in public utility charges, the growth in core inflation, excluding food and energy, has also been revised up.”
The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Turkey, Syria see more than 28,000 victims die following quake
A massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria has left over 28,000 people dead. Even after the so-called first 72 hours of golden time, some survivors have been rescued from under the rubble. As of Saturday (local time), five days after the quake, the death tolls in Turkey and Syria added up to 24,617 and 3,575, respectively, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu News Agency, BBC, and other new reports. As many as 85,000 citizens have been left injured in both countries alike.
Pyongyang bans citizens from using ‘Ju Ae'
Circumstantial evidence suggests that North Korea has forced its residents with first name ‘Ju Ae’ to change their names. Kim Ju Ae, a daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was seen sitting at the center of the VIP section for Pyongyang’s leadership on the 75th-anniversary celebration of the North Korean military’s founding on February 8. She has appeared at major military-related events as many as five times since November last year, prompting watchers to suspect that Pyongyang has started the process to ‘inherit power’ to the fourth generation of the Kim family.
Quake death toll passes 21,000 in Turkey and Syri
As of Thursday, the death toll from the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria has surpassed 21,000, surpassing the 19,846 deaths caused by the Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011. Foreign media outlets, including CNN, reported that 17,674 people have died in Turkey and 3,377 in Syria. The latest estimates show that over 78,000 people have been injured across both countries. The New York Times reported that it is devastating to see outdoor parking spaces and gyms become giant morgues in areas affected by the earthquake.
Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Hybe to become biggest shareholder of SM Entertainment on share deal
Hybe Co., the label behind global sensation BTS group, announced Friday that it agreed to acquire a 14.8 percent stake in SM Entertainment Co. for 422.8 billion won ($334 million) to become the biggest shareholder of South Korea’s biggest K-pop agency. According to multiple industry sources, Hybe reached a deal to buy 3,523,420 shares from SM founder Lee Soo-man for 120,000 won per share. Hybe is also willing to publicly buy smaller SM shareholder stakes, along with this latest acquisition. Lee is currently owns the biggest stake of 18.46 percent.
LS Electric names heir-apparent Koo Dong-hwi as board member
LS Electric’s Executive Vice President Koo Dong-hwi, the eldest son of LS Group Chairman Koo Ja-yeol and third-generation heir-apparent of the founding family, has been appointed as a board member of manufacturer of electrical equipment and automation systems. According to sources on Friday, LS Electric’s board recently decided on the appointment and will seek approval during a shareholder meeting next month.
KDI maintains forecast for Korea’s economic growth this year at 1.8%
Korea Development Institute (KDI) Thursday forecast the country’s economy will grow 1.6 percent this year, maintaining its earlier estimate as it expects a recovery in the second half helped by China’s reopening. South Korea has become dependent on China for its economic growth, with the neighboring country accounting for over a quarter of its total trade. In its revised economic outlook, the state think tank forecast the economy will grow 1.1 percent in the first half, lower than its earlier 1.4 percent estimate, and 2.4 percent in the second half, higher than its earlier 2.1 percent projection.
HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Asia’s delivery drivers are paying the price for platforms’ reckless burning of VC cash
While people in East Asia today have been ratcheting up tensions across national borders, corporations have been crossing those same borders in search of lower personnel costs and broader markets. Platform businesses have been no exception. Mobile apps bill themselves as offering convenience. But at root, their success hinges on how quickly they are able to conquer markets and exploit cheap labor. Outside of China, East Asia’s markets are divided between two companies: Delivery Hero and Grab.
Bismarck’s wisdom for ending the war in Ukraine
“The secret of politics? Make a good treaty with Russia.” The year after Bismarck became Prime Minister of Prussia in 1862, he stated that for Prussia, as an emerging state, to survive as a European power and for the sake of German unification, friendly relations with Russia were key. Prussia’s victory in the mid-18th century Seven Years’ War was what led the state to take over Austria and solidify its position as a European power among other German states in turmoil. This war started as a battle between Prussia and Austria over the sovereignty of Schlesien, then developed into the battle between the Prussian-Hanover-British alliance versus the Austrian-French-Swedish-Russian alliance.
N. Korea showcases massive long-range firepower in military parade
North Korea showcased tactical and long-range cruise missiles from its tactical nuclear weapon units and intercontinental ballistic missile units in a military parade celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Army on Wednesday night at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang. According to some analysts, the missiles on display included a mockup of a new ICBM that uses solid fuel. While North Korean leader Kim Jong-un didn’t make a speech at the parade, North Korea reconfirmed its intention of fighting “strength with strength” by parading a dozen or so Hwasong-17 ICBMs, which could hit the US, and unveiling its tactical nuclear weapon unit, which is aimed at South Korea.
The KyungHyangShinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Quick to Remove Directors of General Administration, Yet 70% of Those Positions in National Universities Remain Vacant
Five months have passed since the Ministry of Education suddenly removed a large number of directors overseeing the general administration of national universities claiming to remove ministry officials from the position, but the office of the director of general administration still remains vacant in seven out of ten schools. By hastily promoting a policy, the education ministry created a vacancy in a position that oversees the overall management of a university at a crucial moment in seeking solutions to challenges faced by local universities. According to the information that Justice Party lawmaker Lee Eun-ju received from the education ministry on February 9, as of February 2, nineteen (70.4%) of the twenty-seven national universities nationwide did not have a director of general administration.
First Impeachment of a Minister in the History of the Constitution, Holding Him Accountable for the Itaewon Disaster
The National Assembly voted to impeach Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min on February 8. This was the first time a cabinet member was impeached in the history of our constitution. The impeachment was passed with 179 of the 293 ruling and opposition party lawmakers present voting in favor of the impeachment, exceeding the majority (150) of registered lawmakers needed for the impeachment. There were 109 lawmakers who voted against the impeachment and five votes were invalid.
Sung Il-jong, “Tough Four Months,” Despite the South Korean Government Bearing More of the Burden than Other Countries as Gas Rates Rise 38%
On February 9, Sung Il-jong, head of the People Power Party (PPP) policy committee, spoke on the surging price of heating and said, “It (gas rate) rose about 38%, but our government is still bearing more compared with other countries.” He expected the nation to face a tough situation for about four months since gas prices rose 38% and the demand for gas also increased. Sung Il-jong made the comment in an interview on Kim Jong-bae’s Focus (MBC radio) Thursday. He further said, “There was a need to gradually raise the price little by little to ease the impact felt by the people,” and added, “Right now, we are really sorry for the challenges experienced by the people because of heating costs.
KBS(http://world.kbs.co.kr/service)
Death Toll from Türkiye-Syria Earthquake Surpasses 33,000
The death toll from a seven-point-eight magnitude earthquake in southeastern Türkiye and Syria has reportedly topped 33-thousand. According to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority(AFAD) on Sunday, 29-thousand-605 people have died following last Monday's strong quake and aftershocks. With at least three-thousand-574 deaths in Syria, the combined death toll in the two nations has reportedly exceeded 33-thousand-179.
Vice FM Declines to Predict Timeline on Forced Labor Compensation Issue
First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong has indicated that it is still too early to tell when Seoul and Tokyo can reach a consensus on the issue of compensating victims of Japan’s wartime forced labor. Talking with reporters upon his arrival in Dulles International Airport near Washington D.C. on Sunday, Cho said it would be good to resolve the issue swiftly but added that South Korea is not in a position to say when it will be able to complete negotiations with Japan.
Arrest Warrant Sought for Ex-Ssangbangwool Chair's Bookkeeper
The prosecution is seeking an arrest warrant for a financial manager of Ssangbanwool Group amid allegations that former chair Kim Seong-tae sent millions of dollars to North Korea to finance a visit to the country by main opposition Democratic Party(DP) chief Lee Jae-myung. The Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office said on Sunday that it asked the court to issue a warrant to arrest the man, identified only by his surname Kim, on several charges, including violating the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act with the alleged remittance to the North.
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
S. Korean team rescues 2 more survivors in quake-hit Turkey
South Korea's disaster relief team operating in quake-struck Turkey has rescued two more survivors, bringing the total number of people it saved to eight, Seoul's foreign ministry said Sunday. The team pulled to safety a 17-year-old man and his 51-year-old mother from the same building in Antakya at 7:18 p.m. and 8:18 p.m. on Saturday (local time), respectively. Its medical staff gave first aid to the man, who was found unconscious with the lower half of his body caught under the rubble, before sending him to a hospital. His mother was in good condition.
S. Korea, Japan continuing to narrow differences over forced labor issue: Vice FM
South Korea and Japan are continuing to consult on ways to resolve their differences over how to resolve the issue of Japan's wartime forced labor, Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong said Sunday. Cho made the remarks after arriving in Washington for a trilateral meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori, as well as bilateral talks with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts. "We have been consulting for quite some time now, so there are areas where we have narrowed our differences and areas that we have not been able to," he told reporters.
Yoon expresses commitment to rooting out illegal acts at industrial sites
President Yoon Suk Yeol has expressed his commitment to rooting out illegal acts by labor unions at industrial sites, saying doing nothing against them would raise questions about what the government exists for, his office said Sunday. Yoon made the remark during a meeting with about 150 government ministry employees held in the central administrative city of Sejong on Tuesday last week, stressing that a key point in labor reform is to ensure the rule of law, the office said in a statement.
The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Kim’s ‘respected’ daughter: Heir apparent or propaganda vehicle?
North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, placed his young daughter, Kim Ju-ae, front and center at high-profile events last week, rekindling the debate on whether North Korea carves out a path to position Ju-ae as Kim’s heir apparent. Some experts said North Korea has signaled that Ju-ae has been internally decided as the next leader, while others point out Ju-ae has been used as a propaganda vehicle to send a message that nuclear weapons can protect the safety of the younger generations and highlight the perpetuity of the Kim dynasty.
China’s reopening to boost Korea’s economic growth for 2023: KITA
With China as its biggest trade partner, South Korea will likely see its economy growth aided by the neighboring country’s reopening of its borders in an easing of the yearslong COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, a Korean trade lobby group said Sunday. In a report, the Korea International Trade Association said China’s reopening would add 0.16 percentage point to South Korea’s growth rate of 1.6 to 1.7 percent predicted for this year, with the margin making up 10 percent of the growth prospect.
Japanese forced labor trials to resume in May
High court judges in Seoul are set to resume trials on forced labor issues involving Japanese companies in May, regardless of whether Japan continues not to respond to the court's request to transmit judicial documents to defendants there. The Seoul High Court on Jan. 31 carried out "services of public notice" on two civil court trials where forced labor victims individually seek damages to companies that had mobilized them during World War II.
The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Turkey probes contractors as earthquake deaths pass 33,000
Turkish authorities are targeting contractors allegedly linked with buildings that collapsed in the powerful Feb. 6 earthquakes as rescuers found more survivors in the rubble Sunday, including a pregnant woman and two children, in the disaster that killed over 33,000 people. The death toll from the magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 quakes that struck nine hours apart in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria rose to 33,185 and was certain to increase as search teams find more bodies. As despair bred rage at the agonizingly slow rescues, the focus turned to assigning blame.
US fighter jets shoot down octagonal object near Canadian border
U.S. military fighter jets on Sunday shot down an octagonal object over Lake Huron, the Pentagon said, the latest incident since a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon put North American security forces on high alert. It was the fourth unidentified flying object to be shot down over North America by a U.S. missile in a little more than a week. On President Joe Biden's order, a U.S. F-16 fighter shot down the object at 2:42 p.m. local time over Lake Huron on the U.S.-Canada border, Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder said in an official statement.
'Buy America' policy pressuring Samsung, SK in China
The era of free-trade in the United States, still one of the most crucial commercial markets for South Korean exporters, seems to have ended because "industrial policy" has become the new rage. Amid the continued trade dispute between the U.S. and China, President Joe Biden is now embracing a new economic theory to return the country to being a global manufacturing leader. In stressing "build more, and build it all here," during his second State of the Union address, last week, the U.S. president specifically mentioned the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS Act) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as examples of his administration's drive to expand manufacturing in the U.S.
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.com, bfp@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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Sri Lanka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hByX92Y2aGY&t=22s
Morocco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfFmp2sVvSE
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