Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today

 

The Korea Post ( www.koreapost.com )

Namwon City’s Chunhyang Festival in May to be the most colorful festival ever"
The 93rd Chunhyang Festival in May is expected to be a more spectacular festival than any other year with a combination of tradition and cutting-edge lights. Namwon City of Jeollabuk-do announced that it has confirmed the basic plans for the Chunhyang Festival to be held from May 25 to 29 with the Chunhyang Festival Committee, led by Chairman Lee Kwang-yeon. The Chunhyang Festival, which is expected to recover its former splendor as various social restrictions caused by COVID-19 are lifted, is the first Chunhyang Festival in the 8th-term election of the mayor.


SK On, EcoPro, and GEM of China to make battery precursors in Saemangeum
SK On will build a battery core material production facility in Saemangeum, Korea, with Korea’s largest cathode material company EcoPro, and Chinese battery materials producer GEM. It is expected to contribute to strengthening the raw material supply chain as well as creating job opportunities and revitalizing the local economy. The three companies’ joint venture will sign an investment agreement on March 24 at Ramada Gunsan Hotel, South Korea.


The Aral Sea once again becomes a symbol of hope and renewal
On 22-24 March, the Water Conference of this structure was held at the UN Headquarters, in New York. All member countries and specialized agencies of the UN, with the participation of authoritative speakers, considered the issues of uniting the world on the way to the Sustainable Development Goals until 2030 through the conservation of water resources, the importance of the seas and oceans in the well-being of our planet and global initiatives in this direction.

 

------------------------------------------------------

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

Korea Unprepared for Record Death Rate

Korea's death rate reached a record high last year as fewer and fewer people had children and the country became an ultra-aged society. According to Statistics Korea, the country's death rate last year stood at 727 per 100,000 people, compared to 619 a year ago and surpassing 700 for the first time. The coronavirus pandemic contributed to fatalities among the elderly. The total number of deaths per year hovered below 300,000 from the 1980s right until 2019 but broke the mark in 2020 with 304,948, the first year of the pandemic, and reached 372,800 last year.

 

U.S. Troops Test THAAD Battery by Remote Control
U.S. troops have recently been able to test the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery's remote control for the first time as part of joint exercises with South Korea, the U.S. Forces Korea said last Friday.  It was the first deployment test since the battery was installed here in 2017. A South Korean military officer said, "We urgently needed to beef up air defenses against North Korean missiles in the face of the growing nuclear and missile threat." THAAD missile interceptors were moved to a site dozens of kilometers from the base in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province and remotely controlled from the base. That allows the battery to defend a much larger area.

 

Are Kim Jong-un's Nocturnal Habits a Sign of Ill Health?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is often reported in the state media to be burning the midnight oil to stress the portly dictator's sacrifices for his nation, but that may be a sign of ill health. The official Rodong Sinmun daily in an article last Saturday claimed Kim's "concept of the day is different from ordinary people's," and it seems he rides bleary-eyed officials just as hard. It quoted a senior Workers Party official as saying, "People consider their business day done in the evening or at midnight, but [Kim] sees today as lasting until at 5 a.m. the following day for business to be carried out."

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Vacuum emerges at KT as another CEO nominee resigns
KT, Korea's leading telecommunication operator, is in turmoil as the company will be without a CEO for at least the coming months due to tensions with the government and shareholders. The vacancy will likely continue through the year's first half, given that the nomination process typically requires three to four months. Latest CEO nominee Yun Kyung-lim, president of KT's Group Transformation division, stepped down from the candidacy on Monday, following opposition from the government and major shareholders like the state-run National Pension Service (NPS) and Hyundai Motor.

 

Justice minister rejects DP calls for his impeachment
Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon shot back at the Democratic Party (DP) lawmakers' calls for his impeachment Monday following the Constitutional Court's ruling upholding laws to weaken the investigative powers of prosecutors.  "I think it's unfortunate that impeachment has become a term that DP politicians can throw around so carelessly depending on their mood," Han told reporters ahead of a parliamentary judiciary committee hearing.

Veteran cop named as new police investigation chief
Woo Jong-soo, the 55-year-old chief of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, was tapped by President Yoon Suk Yeol as the new head of the National Office of Investigation Monday. He fills a post left vacant after his predecessor resigned a month ago, just before starting his term, and will take command of some 35,000 police investigation personnel nationwide. A Seoul native, Woo entered police service in 1999 and served in key positions such as head of Yongsan Police Precinct, investigation bureau chief at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and deputy commissioner general at the National Police Agency.

 

------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

N. Korea fires missile 30 minutes before ROK-US joint drill
North Korea fired two short-distance ballistic missiles capable of targeting the entire Korean peninsula on Monday, five days after it claimed to have performed a mock nuclear warhead explosion test by firing a strategic cruise missile targeting the South and the U.S. base in Japan. The second missile was fired 30 minutes before the joint South Korea-U.S. Military Drill started in the southern part of Jeju, with the U.S. arriving with world-class naval forces including Nimitz aircraft carrier (CVN-68, around 100,000 tons) and AEGIS.

 

Hyundai Motor reveals design of Sonata The Edge
Hyundai Motor Company revealed the design of Sonata The Edge, a partially changed model of Sonata that represents South Korean midsize sedans, on Monday. Sonata The Edge features a wide range of changes to the eighth generation of the Sonata, launched in 2019. Hyundai Motor Company named the new model The Edge to highlight its sharp design featuring straight lines and the style of customers living unique lives.

 

Campaign encouraging kindness toward foreigners and multicultural families is launched
The Sunfull Foundation and the National Assembly’s Sunfull committee held an event to launch a campaign calling for the respectful treatment of multicultural families and foreigners in South Korea on Monday at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. We’d like to contribute to building a culture where people of different cultures and backgrounds can live harmoniously,” said Min Byeong-cheol, the head of the Sunfull Foundation.

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

Korean card, capital firms seek ABS issues to minimize impact from global risks
South Korean credit card and capital firms are calling on the government to ease regulations that allow them to raise more capital based on rental assets to strengthen their financials against potential risks triggered by the banking crisis in the U.S. and Europe. According to multiple industry sources on Sunday, credit-specialized finance companies recently asked the financial authorities to allow them to issue asset-backed securities based on rental assets they hold such as automobiles.

 

Six of top 10 EV battery makers are Chinese led by CATL: SNE
Six out of the world’s top 10 electric vehicle battery companies are based in China, while Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. maintained its top position last year with a 27.5 percent market share. According to a report by SNE Research on Monday, the total sales of EV batteries reached 690 gigawatt hours last year and the market size based on battery packs was estimated at $125.5 billion. The top 10 battery companies accounted for 71 percent of revenue and 93 percent of capacity.

 

Korean authorities reinforce real-time monitoring against global banking crisis
As concerns over a global financial crisis increase with the potential risk of Germany’s Deutsche Bank, Korean financial authorities have taken measures to strengthen their oversight of domestic financial institutions. While the authorities have stated that the impact on the domestic banking sector would be minimal, they are actively monitoring the flow of deposits and withdrawals from local banks real time to ensure a quick response if necessary.

 

 

-----------------------------------------------------------

 

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

N. Korea’s shows of nuclear might only fuel the regional arms race
The joint exercises by the South Korean and US militaries, which wrapped up on Thursday, was met by North Korea with various demonstrations of its nuclear capabilities. North Korea unveiled a series of new nuclear-capable weapons, from submarine-launched cruise missiles (SLCM) to nuclear torpedoes. As North Korea ratchets up its nuclear threat by developing a variety of launch vehicles to neutralize South Korea and the US’ extended deterrence, tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the arms race are growing exceedingly precarious.

 

Why N. Korea is diversifying its missile launch platforms
North Korea’s shows of force in response to the South Korea-US Freedom Shield military drills over the past two weeks were more diverse and intense than those carried out previously. While during joint military exercises last year the North focused mainly on launching various short-, medium- and long-range missiles, it has recently been showing off its growing power through military actions that are increasingly asymmetric in nature. From before the start of the Freedom Shield drills on March 13, North Korea conducted various shows of force including the launch of two submarine-launched cruise missiles (SLCMs) on March 12;

 

A president fanning the flames of Korea’s political polarization
In the world of sports, a match between equally skilled players is a sight for sore eyes. A yearly rugby game is held between two of Seoul’s most prestigious private high schools, Paichai and Yangchung. Graduates of Paichai High call it the Pai-Yang game, while Yangchung High alums call it the Yang-Pai game. I fall in the former camp, being a Paichai High graduate. The Pai-Yang game is a worthy sporting event in its own right, but what makes it even more remarkable is the cheering contest that unfolds. Students from both sides sing songs, do dances, hold up posters, and pull off card stunts and body stunts throughout the game.

 

 

-----------------------------------------------------------

 

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

PPP Criticized for Being Rich-Friendly after Considering Tax Exemptions for Gifts of Up to 400 Million Won for People with 3 Children
On March 26, it was confirmed that the People Power Party (PPP) had considered graded tax deductions for gifted property as a way to resolve the nation’s low birth rate. The policies reviewed by the ruling PPP included tax exemptions for couples with multiple children when they received gifts of property from their parents. This triggered criticism that the PPP’s perspective on the problem of the low birth rate leaned in favor of the rich. According to the coverage by the Kyunghyang Shinmun Sunday, in February and March, the People Power Party considered expanding tax exemptions by providing differential exemptions for gifted property according to the number of children one had.

 

Constitutional Court “The Authority to Investigate and Prosecute Is Not Granted Exclusively to the Prosecution Service”
On March 23, the Constitutional Court reached a decision on the rights dispute following the amendment of the Prosecutors’ Office Act and the Criminal Procedure Act, which reduced the investigative authority of the Prosecution Service. What was most significant about the decision was that the court affirmed the fact that the authority to oversee investigations was not granted exclusively to the Prosecution Service. The majority of the justices in the Constitutional Court shared the view that the prosecutors right to investigate cases was not a right guaranteed by the Constitution.

 

The Resident Who Hung the Japanese National Flag on March 1 Was a PPP Member, But Not Anymore
The People Power Party (PPP) confirmed that A, who stirred controversy after hanging the Japanese national flag in his apartment in Sejong-si, was a party member and asked him to leave the party. At present, A’s party membership has been withdrawn. Lee Chul-gyu, the PPP secretary-general appeared on Kim Jong-bae’s Focus (MBC radio) on March 24 and confirmed that A was a member of his party. He then explained, “We immediately held a meeting to discuss party matters and the Sejong-si party office took disciplinary action and demanded he leave the party. He immediately withdrew his party membership.”

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------

 

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

JCS: N. Korea's Claim on Underwater Nuclear Drone Possibly Exaggerated or Fabricated
The Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) said on Monday that North Korea's recent claims on its nuclear-capable underwater attack drone might have been exaggerated or fabricated. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Friday reported that the regime conducted a test of a new underwater nuclear attack drone from Tuesday to Thursday under the guidance of leader Kim Jong-un. The report added that the test results verified the reliability and safety of the drone and proved its lethal strike capability.

 

Arrest Warrant Denied for Figure Linked to DP Chair
A local court has denied an arrest warrant for a businessman accused of committing financial crimes in the Baekhyun-dong development project as well as perjury in an earlier trial of main opposition Democratic Party(DP) chair Lee Jae-myung. The Seoul Central District Court on Monday rejected the prosecution's request for a warrant for the suspect surnamed Kim, citing the need to guarantee his right to defense as well as the prosecution’s acquisition of some evidence through an earlier search and seizure.

 

JCS Chief Guides S. Korea-US Joint Exercise on USS Nimitz
Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) chairman Kim Seung-kyum reportedly said on Monday that South Korea and the U.S. will make the enemy clearly recognize that any attempt of nuclear attack will mark the end of the regime. The JCS said that Kim made the remarks during his visit to the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, which conducted a joint exercise with the South Korean Navy in international waters south of Jeju Island. Kim reportedly stressed there will be severe retaliation in case of the enemy's provocation, while guiding the joint exercise on the aircraft carrier.

 

--------------------------------------------------

 

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

Yoon calls for gathering opinions on bill requiring gov't purchase of excess rice
President Yoon Suk Yeol asked Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Monday to gather various opinions on a contentious bill requiring government purchase of surplus rice, his spokesperson said. Yoon has been widely expected to veto the revision to the Grain Management Act, which requires the government to buy excess rice if production exceeds the estimate of demand by 3-5 percent, or if prices fall by 5-8 percent or more compared with the previous year.

 

Four labor group officials arrested for alleged unauthorized contact with N. Korea spies
Four current or former executives of a major umbrella labor group have been arrested on charges of making unauthorized contact with North Korean spies, according to court officials Tuesday. The Suwon District Court issued warrants to detain the four, including a ranking executive of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions whose identity has been withheld. They are accused of violating the National Security Law that prohibits unauthorized contact with North Koreans. The court cited the seriousness of the case and the possibility of the defendants trying to destroy evidence as reasons for issuing the arrest warrants.

 

U.S. goal remains 'complete denuclearization' of Korean Peninsula: State Dept.
The United States' goals remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, a state department spokesperson said Monday after Pyongyang threatened to use its nuclear weapons should the U.S. continue to push for such an objective. Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the state department, also reaffirmed U.S. commitment to engaging in dialogue with North Korea. "We are committed to diplomatic approach with the DPRK and we harbor no hostile intent," he told a daily press briefing, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

 

------------------------------------------------------

 

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

Top court says Iranian refugee who faked visa document won't be punished
South Korea's Supreme Court has ruled that an Iranian national charged with obtaining a visa based on fake documentation should not be punished, citing an international refugee convention, officials said Monday. The Iranian applied for refugee status in March 2016 after entering Korea on a short-term visa that he obtained by submitting an invitation letter from a Korean company. But it was discovered that the invitation letter was a fake he had bought from a broker for $4,700.

 

Korea mulls measures to spur spending amid inflation woes
The government is expected to unveil its scheme to invigorate domestic spending and tourism this week, amid stagnant exports struggles, to shore up the economy. The Ministry of Economy and Finance and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism are drawing up measures chiefly aimed at reviving the local tourism industry, which remains depressed in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The constitution of Uzbekistan enshrines norms of environmental law
Today our life is undergoing profound qualitative changes. Cardinal reforms are rapidly forming a completely new image of our society. The new edition of our constitution contains special norms on ensuring environmental rights of citizens, in particular, everyone has the right to a comfortable environment, reliable information about its condition, the state takes measures on improvement, restoration and protection of the environment, maintaining the ecological balance, protection of the ecological system of Aral Sea region.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------

 

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

US aircraft carrier to visit Busan amid NK provocations
A U.S. Navy carrier strike group will arrive in Busan, today, as part of efforts to bolster the two countries' combined military posture as well as promoting South Korea-U.S. friendship on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of their alliance, Seoul's defense ministry said, Monday. "The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG 11) will pull into a naval base in Busan tomorrow," Ministry of Defense spokesman Jeon Ha-kyou said at a briefing.

 

Right-wing Japanese support Seoul-Tokyo ties: Korean envoy to Japan
Korea and Japan have entered a new chapter in their bilateral relations after the summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held earlier this month, according to Korean Ambassador to Japan Yun Duk-min, Monday. The ambassador said he is already feeling a positive shift in Japanese public sentiment on Korea, stressing that even right-wing Japanese are supporting bilateral cooperation. "It seems that an environment has been created based on which the Kishida administration can more actively address issues on relations with Korea,"


Yoon's belt-tightening policy at crossroads over economic slowdown
The government appears to be standing at a crossroads of whether to maintain its belt-tightening policy, as the budget is squeezed to revitalize the economy in the face of a deepening economic slowdown. According to the National Assembly Budget Office, Monday, tax revenue is estimated to decline by 6 trillion won ($4.61 billion) in 2023 from a year earlier. It said that the decline in tax revenue is anticipated to be worth 64.4 trillion won between 2023 and 2027.

 

 

 

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

 

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.

What are you waiting for?
Use us!
The Korea Post media are more than eager to be used, and to serve you—with the following five news outlets, 37 years old this year!

Korean-language Internet edition: http://www.koreapost.co.kr
English-language Internet edition: http://www.koreapost.com
Korean-language print newspaper:
http://pdf.koreapost.co.kr/38/3801.pdf
http://pdf.koreapost.co.kr/38/3802.pdf
http://pdf.koreapost.co.kr/38/3803.pdf
http://www.koreapost.co.kr/pdf/list.php?category=&syear=2018&smonth=03&sday=26&hosu=40
English

E-daily: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=10690

 

저작권자 © The Korea Post 무단전재 및 재배포 금지