The Korean daily media headlines and humor
Wednesday March 29, 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
Invitation:
I hope Your Excellency and Madam will not miss the most interesting
Gala Gaya Culture Festival of Gimhae City on Sunday April 9, 2017!
Ambassadors and Madam are invited to the famed 2017 Grand Gaya Culture Festival of the Gimhae City on Sunday April 9, 2017.
As the suzerain state of six Gaya Kingdoms and royal capital of Geumgwan-Gaya founded in 42 A.D., Gimhae is the cradle of the Gaya culture. These small ancient states include Ara Gaya, Goryeong Gaya, Dae Gaya, Seongsan Gaya, Bihwa Gaya and Geumgwan Gaya, which formed a confederation dominated by Geumgwan Gaya. With a 500-year long history, Gaya Kingdoms created ingenious and brilliant pottery and ironware culture based on affluent iron products and outstanding iron-making technology. Taking geographical advantages, these Gaya Kingdoms actively traded with China, Japan and Nakrang as the center of international trade in Northeast Asia. Active international marine trade and exchange of these ancient states with foreign countries can be well explained by the international marriage between King Suro, the founding king of Geumgwan-Gaya, and Princess Heo Hwang-ok of Ayodhya Kingdom in India. (Scroll down to the bottom for more information and invitation.)
Royal procession of King Suro of the Gaya Kingdom.
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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:
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
S. Korea's manufacturing sentiment up for April
South Korean manufacturers' business sentiment for next month improved slightly as local companies expect a steady improvement in exports, data by the central bank showed Wednesday. The business survey index (BSI) of manufacturing firms came to 82 in April, up from 81 in March, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). A reading over 100 means optimists outnumber pessimists, while a reading below the benchmark means the opposite.
U.S. House speaker picks N. Korea as one of four biggest threats facing U.S.
U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan picked North Korea as one of the four biggest threats facing the United States, saying the communist nation is churning out anti-American invective while testing nuclear weapons and missiles. "We are living in very dangerous times. ISIS still threatens our troops abroad and inspired terrorism here at home. North Korea continues to spew belligerent, anti-American rhetoric while testing long range missiles and nuclear devices," Ryan said in a speech at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference Monday evening.
S. Korea biz sentiment improves for April
South Korean businesses are not expecting a sudden improvement in business conditions in the near future, but their sentiment about the overall economy improved slightly for April, a survey showed Wednesday. The business survey index (BSI) for the upcoming month came to 93.3, slightly up from 92.1 registered a month earlier, the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) said in a statement. A reading below 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists, while a reading above the benchmark means the opposite.
N. Korean nuclear test may be imminent: 38 North
Fresh satellite imagery suggests North Korea has laid communication cables at its nuclear test site in a strong indication that test preparations are in the final stage, a website monitoring the communist nation said Tuesday. Commercial satellite imagery taken on March 25 of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site shows the continued presence of three to four vehicles or equipment trailers at the entrance to the North Portal and the texture of the ground suggests that communications cables may have been laid, 38 North said.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Remains found not of Sewol victims
Pieces of bones found during the South Korean government‘s ongoing salvage operation of the sunken Sewol ferry turned out to be animal bones, authorities said late Tuesday. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries had previously said that it had found human bones, presumably remains of a victim of the 2014 ferry disaster that left more than 300 passengers dead. The salvage team found the seven pieces of bones at 11:25 a.m. on the deck of a semisubmersible ship on which Sewol currently sits, after having been lifted out of the water last week in preparation to move it to Mokpo Port, the ministry had said.
Dreaming beyond Samsung, BioLogics shakes biopharma industry
Around 2,800 construction workers tirelessly move around 118,618 square meters of reclaimed land in Songdo, Incheon, to build the world’s single-largest biologic drug production facility for Samsung BioLogics, a core unit on which South Korea’s biggest conglomerate is pinning its future. Having broken ground in November 2015, the five-story facility, equivalent to a 15-story apartment building, is scheduled for completion next year. Once completed, the plant is set to become the third manufacturing site for the Samsung subsidiary, which produces biologic drugs -- complex therapies based on living cells as opposed to chemicals -- on behalf of global pharmaceutical companies that place orders.
Ousted Park to attend hearing on arrest warrant
Former President Park Geun-hye is set to appear at a local court Thursday to attend a hearing on her arrest warrant, the prosecution said Tuesday. The Seoul Central District Court is scheduled to hold the hearing at 10:30 a.m. to review the writ application. The result will likely come early Friday. Prosecutors had made the request for the arrest writ a day earlier on charges including bribery and abuse in connection with the corruption scandal that led to her impeachment.
Former pro-Park lawmaker wins presidential nomiation of Bareun Party
Rep. Yoo Seong-min, the estranged aide of ousted President Park Geun-hye, on Tuesday clinched his nomination as the Bareun Party’s presidential candidate. The minority conservative party thus became the first among the four parliamentary negotiation bodies to confirm its runner for the upcoming May 9 presidential election. At the party's Seoul primary and nomination convention held at Seoul Olympic Park on Tuesday afternoon, the fourth-term lawmaker outran his rival Gyeonggi Gov. Nam Kyung-pil in a landslide victory of 62.9 percent over 37.1 percent, according to party officials.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr )
Park to be arrested or not?
Former President Park Geun-hye will attend a court hearing Thursday to defend herself against the prosecution's request for an arrest warrant. According to the prosecution, Park will attend the session scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at the Seoul Central District Court when Judge Kang Bu-young will review the validity of the warrant. The decision came after she had an emergency meeting with her lawyers for several hours after the prosecution asked the court Monday for the warrant, saying it had no other choice given the seriousness of her alleged crimes and the risk of her destroying evidence.
Korea's World Cup dream back on track but only just
Korea needed a win Tuesday night to keep its 2018 World Cup qualification on track, and it came, just, with a 1-0 victory over Syria in Seoul. The result keeps the Taegeuk Warriors safely in second place in Group A, with 13 points from seven games and three left to play. With only the top two teams in the six-team group progressing automatically to Russia next summer, it is no time to be dropping more points.
Salvaging site findings confirmed as animal bones
Bones found by salvage workers on the semisubmersible recovery ship carrying the ferry Sewol off the southwestern island of Jindo were confirmed by forensic authorities to be animal bones, late Tuesday. "The National Forensic Service has verified the remains as seven animal bones," the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said. Earlier in the day, the ministry held a briefing on the findings, stating bones as well as shoes were found at 11:25 a.m. on the deck of the semisubmersible set to transport the Sewol to Mokpo New Port.
Per capita income of $30,000 elusive
Per capita income here stood at $27,561 in 2016, up 1.4 percent from the previous year, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK) Tuesday. It has not changed much over the last decade, despite continuous pledges by presidents and politicians to boost the gross national income (GNI). Korea's per capita income surpassed $20,000 for the first time in 2006, when it reached $20,795.
Former President Park Geun-hye, who was removed from office earlier this month after the Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment, promised to increase the GNI to $40,000 within her term.
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DongA Ilbo (http://english.donga.com)
N. Korea conducted one more rock-engine test for ICBM
North Korea conducted the ground jet test of its new type high-power engine of Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) that can reach parts of the U.S. for second time within a week. It appears that North Korea is speeding up the process to complete the development of engine, the heart of ICBM, and its engine test may be prelude to a countdown to deploy ICBM. The CNN quoted the U.S. defense officials on Monday (local time) that North Korea conducted another ballistic missile engine test on last Friday. The officials said the latest engine trial is the third such test in recent weeks using similar technology and that the engine technology could possibly be used in an eventual intercontinental ballistic missile.
World leaders that Koreans want as the next president
As the presidential election date was decided at May 9, 1,000 Korean voters were asked whom they want to see as our next president of Korea, if they can make a foreign leader as our president. Former U.S. President Barack Obama took a comfortable lead as 66.6 percent of respondents said that they wish to send Obama to the Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae. The Dong-A Ilbo asked a research company Embrain to survey on a preference for the world leaders (politicians) and former U.S. President Barack Obama had a big lead over other politicians such as Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel (12.4 percent), China’s President Xi Jinping (3.4 percent), and U.S. President Donald Trump (3.2 percent) in total score. Also, polling rates of former U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were all below 3 percent.
3D printing to support Korean manufacturing industry
3D printers are penetrating into industries. Previously used for hobbies and to manufacture prototype goods, these printers are now playing a decisive role in boosting productivity. According to the Science, ICT and Future Planning Ministry, the global 3D printing industry will increase to 15.8 billion dollars by 2019 from 5.1 billion dollars in 2015, a 31 percent rise in annual average. During the same period, the industry will likely grow from 223 billion won (204 million dollars) to 508.2 billion won (457 million dollars), an annual average growth of 22.9 percent, slightly lower than the world average.
Boosting domestic travel can offset falling inbound Chinese tourists
As domestic demand is shrinking with the THAAD deployment leading to a drastic decline in the number of Chinese tourists into Korea, one of the ways that is gaining momentum to tackle the crisis is to vitalize domestic travel. In other words, Koreans can increase domestic travel to fill the China vacuum. According to Bank of Korea Jeju headquarters and the tourism sector on Tuesday, the daily average number of tourists coming to Jeju in March was 3,671 as of Sunday, down 52 percent from the same period of last year when there were an average 7,645 inbound visitors. By contrast, Korean tourists increased by 10.6 percent year-on-year.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Korea Could Fall Further Behind Japan Again
The economic gap between Korea and Japan may widen again, according to Hyundai Research Institute on Monday. The institute said Korea's potential economic growth rate continues to decline while Japan's is inching up. The gap has been narrowing gradually since the 1980s. In 1980, Japan accounted for 9.8 percent of global GDP compared to Korea's 0.6 percent, but by 2016 that narrowed to 6.3 percent for Japan and 1.9 percent for Korea. And the difference in per-capita GDP stood at only US$9,671, compared to a $30,196 difference in 1995.
Koreans Suffer Hardest in the World from Widowhood
Koreans suffer the most depression in the world after the death of their spouse, according to a survey published Monday in the Journals of Gerontology. Researchers at the University of Michigan led by Apoorva Jadhav analyzed the level of depression of 26,835 people in Korea, the EU and China after the death of their spouse from 2002 to 2013. They found that Koreans' level of depression soared from 3.49 out of 10 to 5.07 when their spouse died.
Judges Are the Happiest at Work
Judges are most satisfied with their job, a survey says. The poll of 19,127 people in 621 occupations was conducted by the Korea Employment Information Service. Job satisfaction scores were compiled based on the points on a scale of 1 to 5 by about 30 people in each job, covering potential for professional development, salary, occupational continuity, working environment and social reputation. Judges scored high in most categories. Maritime pilots who maneuver ships in and out of port came second. They earn W120 million a year on average (US$1=W1,113).
Korea Shifts Focus to Muslim Tourists
The Korea Tourism Organization hopes to lure 1.2 million Muslin tourists this year. One aim is to increase halal restaurants from 135 to 170 by year's end, a KTO spokesman said Monday. In a survey of Muslim tourists who visited Korea last year, only 26.1 percent said they were satisfied with the halal restaurants here. The KTO will attend the Arabian Travel Market, the Middle East's largest travel and tourism event in Dubai in April and other international expos in Muslim-majority countries.
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HanKyoRehShinmoon (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Prosecute Park Geun-hye, and finally end the Park Chung-hee era
On Mar. 27, Prosecutors requested an arrest warrant against former president Park Geun-hye on charges including accepting bribes. This is the third arrest warrant that has been requested against a former president in South Korea. It’s regrettable to see the recurrence of this unhappy political history. But given the shameless behavior that has come to light in the influence-peddling scandal and given Park’s disrespectful and arrogant attitude, this is the obvious legal decision. It shows that justice is served in the end, and that you reap what you sow.
European Parliament requests talks on S. Korea’s failure to uphold labor rights
The European Union appears set to demand intergovernmental discussions on Seoul’s failure to implement the terms of international labor rights agreements included in the South Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement (KOREU FTA). Analysts predicted the move, which stems from Seoul’s failure to abide by international labor rights standards, could also impact its bilateral trade negotiations. A Mar. 27 press release by the European Parliament reported that the Parliament’s Committee on International Trade (INTA), in an assessment of the five years since the KOREU FTA took effect, approved a resolution stating that the European Commission called for discussions with the South Korean government on enforcement of labor rights and international standards, expressing hopes that issues with bilateral trade and investment relations could be resolved before they become more serious.
Sewol ferry drained of water and oil, to arrive in Mokpo around Mar. 30
105km trip to Mokpo New Harbor on the mainland, ferry will be moved onto a dry dock by a module transporter
After completing the preparatory work, the Sewol ferry will depart for Mokpo New Harbor around Mar. 30. “We’re currently doing the work that’s necessary before moving the Sewol to Mokpo New Harbor, which includes draining the water, removing the oil and affixing the hull of the Sewol to a semisubmersible ship. It will depart around Mar. 30,” said Lee Cheol-jo, head of the team at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in charge of raising the Sewol ferry, during a press briefing at Jindo County Office on Mar. 27.
Kim Jong-nam’s corpse reportedly to be transported to North Korea
The corpse of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s half-brother Kim Jong-nam are reportedly being delivered to North Korea. This comes roughly a month and a half after Kim’s was killed in February with the nerve agent VX at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. While the delivery of Kim’s corpse appears set to put an end to the diplomatic conflict between Malaysia and North Korea - which was implicated in the incident - it also means a full investigation and the arrests of key suspects are now most likely out of the question.
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JoongAngIlbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)
Korea holds on to World Cup berth with 1-0 win over Syria
Korea beat Syria 1-0 in the FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign on Tuesday, keeping their hopes alive in nail-biting fashion. Hong Jeong-ho scored the only goal of the match to help Korea collect their fourth victory at home in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Both Korea and Syria are in Group A, where they are also paired with Iran, Uzbekistan, Syria and Qatar. Korea and Syria played to a scoreless draw in their previous meeting in September.
Bone fragments found from salvaged ferry are from animal
Bone fragments found from the salvaged ferry Sewol were of animal origin, not from a missing victim, the oceans and fisheries ministry said Tuesday, frustrating the bereaved families anxiously waiting for the return of their loved ones who died in the 2014 maritime disaster. The ministry said that based on the National Forensic Service (NFS)'s onsite inspection results, it concluded all of the seven bone fragments were of animal origin. NFS officials raised the possibility that the bone pieces were from a pig, the ministry said. They plan to bring the fragments to the NFS headquarters in Wonju, 132 kilometers east of Seoul, for further examination.
Gov’t establishes perks to reduce working hours
Starting in May, civil servants will get off from work at 4 p.m. on the last Friday of each month - in return for working 30 minutes longer from Monday till Thursday. It’s all part of the government’s plan to encourage Korean workers to spend more time with their families. State-run companies were asked to adopt the same measure as soon as possible, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Tuesday. The ministry also said it would provide incentives to encourage private companies to offer similar leisure-promotion schemes.
Fine gunk in Seoul’s air is worst ever recorded
The concentration of fine dust particles in Seoul’s air from January to March was the worst since the Seoul Metropolitan Government started measuring it, according to an analysis by the JoongAng Ilbo. The average concentration of fine dust particles in the air from Jan. 1 to last Sunday was 33 micrograms per cubic meter of air, according to Seoul Metropolitan Government data. The average from Jan. 1 to March 26 last year was 27 micrograms. The figure was 28 micrograms in the same period in 2015, and 26 micrograms in the same period in 2014, when measuring began.
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The KyungHyangShinmoon(http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Honam Chose a Definite Change of Government: Turning Back from “Vetoing Moon”
On March 27, Moon Jae-in won a landslide victory in the Honam region, the first stop in the Minjoo Party of Korea's primaries for the presidential election and also the site of the biggest match. Thus Moon's argument that he is "the trend" is now expected to gain momentum. It is also likely for Moon to be confirmed as the party's presidential candidate without having to undergo a second vote when the party announces the results of the first primary on April 3.
Prosecutors, "Park Geun-hye's Acts Are a Serious Crime"
The prosecutors requested an arrest warrant for former President Park Geun-hye (65, photo) for her involvement in the "blacklist" of artists and cultural figures and for her receiving 29.8 billion won in bribes from Samsung. The request was made six days after the prosecutors interrogated the former president as a suspect, and seventeen days since the Constitutional Court dismissed her from her presidential post. Park may become the third president to be arrested뾲he first arrest of a president in 22 years since 1995.
Choi Soon-sil's Trial on March 27, A Turning Point for Former President Park Geun-hye
Prosecutors continue to struggle with whether or not to request an arrest warrant for former President Park Geun-hye (65). Prosecutors are delaying further action claiming they are still reviewing the investigation records and evidence after questioning the former president on March 21. One of the prosecutors' concerns is whether or not to charge the former president for bribery in connection to the funds that the large businesses coughed up for the MI-R Foundation and the K-Sports Foundation. Prosecutors are expected to announce their position on this issue as early as March 27, in the trial of Choi Soon-sil (61, arrested), and this is expected to be a turning point in their handling of the former president.
Rudder Turned Towards the Right: Will the Rudder Point to the Truth?
Why did the Sewol sink? Prosecutors concluded that the Sewol rolled over due to layers of problems including the poor condition of the ferry, the decreased stability of the ship from excessive extensions, overloading, lack of ballast water, and the negligence of the steersman. However, the court did not accept this conclusion. The court stated that the Sewol should be salvaged, and an investigation should be conducted on defects in the hull including the steering gear and the propellers.
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The Korea Economic Daily (http://english.hankyung.com/)
SK Hynix May Join Hands with Japanese Investors in Mar. 29 Bidding for Toshiba Semicon Unit
SK Hynix will join hands with Japanese financial investors in its bid to acquire the semiconductor division of Japan's Toshiba. The possibility of forming a consortium with Taiwan's Hon Hai Group was ruled out due to the Japanese government's aversion to Chinese or Taiwanese suitors. Toshiba's bidding will be closed at 12 noon on March 29. According to investment banking industry sources on March 28, SK Hynix is set to submit a letter of intent to the deal and is in talks with local financial service firms and private equity firms for possible partnerships. The negotiation is led by SK Hynix vice chairman Park Sung-wook and SK Telecom president Park Jung-ho.
No. of Jan. Births Hits Historic Low
The number of newborn babies and marriages in January this year has hit a record-low level. According to a report "January 2017 Population Trend" published by the National Statistical Office on March 28, the total number of newborns in the month was 35,100, down 11.1 percent (4,400) from the same period last year. This is the lowest level since 2000 in terms of January newborn numbers. The figure has been on a downward spiral for 14 consecutive months since December 2015 in terms of year-on-year number.
2018 Minimum Wage Talks to Begin...2-digit Increase Expected
The talks to determine next year's minimum wage level will begin on March 31, with members of the Minimum Wage Commission set to discuss the issue for 90 days. The nation's two major labor unions have already announced their minimum wage demand of 10,000 won (US$8.96) per hour, based on the recent data on the average urban working family (3.26 persons) living expenses of 4.6 million won a month. Employers complained that it would be hard this year to raise the minimum wage level due to harsh business conditions.
Sales of Korea's Top 10 Companies Fall for Three Straight Years
The combined revenue of Korea's top-ten companies, including Samsung Electronics, declined by 2.5 percent last year compared to a year ago. Last year marked the third consecutive year in which the revenue declined following the negative growth of 3.5 percent in 2014 and 6.6 percent in 2015. These companies' combined operating profit, however, registered a positive year-to-year growth of more than 21 percent last year. The decline in the sales of the nation's flagship companies, despite the increase in operating profit, raised concerns that their growth potential has reached a limit.
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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)
Bone fragments retrieved from Sewol ferry inspected to be animal origin
All kinds of emotions crossed over South Korean people as bone fragments, which were suspected of the remains of nine missing victims, were found Tuesday on the deck of a transport vessel carrying the Sewol ferry that sank three years ago taking lives of more than 300 people. Sadly, as people were relieved that at least one of the victims has finally found his or her way home, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced a shocking result of an on-site forensic inspection late Tuesday night, that the bone fragments are not from the victims but they were from an animal, possibly from a pig.
Daughter of former military strongman awaits defining moment as disgraced ex-president
Park Geun-hye, the daughter of a former military dictator, awaits the defining moment of her life this week after being mired in South Korea's turbulent political history that prompted two former presidents, including her father, to die a tragic death and left four others jailed or expelled against their will. Park, 65, is accused of abusing her "powerful status and authority" to let her crony collect money from businessmen. Prosecutors insist there is a risk of her destroying evidence as she has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing despite ample evidence.
S. Korea to invest $8.2 mil in developing next-gen game contents
South Korea's culture ministry will invest 9.2 billion won (8.2 million US dollars) in a project to support companies including startups in developing next-generation game contents. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism launched a public contest Tuesday to select 30 companies which can design and develop game contents based on online, mobile and console platforms. Since it was launched in 2009, the annual project has helped companies create hundreds of superb game contents like "Blade", a popular mobile game.
S. Korea economy expands 2.8 % in 2016 on state stimulus program
South Korea's economy expanded 2.8 percent in 2016 from a year earlier on increased private and government spending, the country's central bank said. The revised expansion is slightly higher than a 2.7 percent gain estimated by the Bank of Korea (BOK) in January. In 2015, the economy also grew 2.8 percent. Increased spending by both the private and public sectors helped keep Asia's fourth-largest economy growing. Private and government consumption rose 2.5 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively, in 2016 from a year earlier.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Korean antitrust rule toughens on cross-affiliate business deals that can profit owner family
South Korea’s anti-trust watchdog will toughen up on oversight and regulation on cross-affiliate business deals at the country’s powerful family-owned business empires by lowering the threshold for equity ownership subject to the restriction to 20 percent from the current 30 percent. Currently, listed companies where the owner family members own up to 30 percent and unlisted companies with 20 percent ownership fall under regulation on appropriation of work. Under the new revision, both listed and unlisted members 20 percent owned by owner family would come under the oversight.
SK Biopharmaceuticals nears commercial launch of novel CNS drug
SK Biopharmaceuticals, the prescription drug arm of South Korea’s SK Corporation, is one step closer to commercial launch of SKL-N05, a narcolepsy medicine, as the company announced on Monday that it has successfully completed drug efficacy tests in a phase III study, which will serve as a base for an FDA approval in the U.S. The global phase III study met primary endpoints, showing that a single dose of SKL-N05 significantly reduced the level of sleepiness in patients with sleep apnea, said the company.
Creditors mulling granting ex Kumho Tire owner outside fund for buyback
Creditors of Kumho Tire Co. in a dramatic about-turn from the plan of selling the country’s major tire maker to its China rival will study the option of granting another stronger bidder Park Sam-koo, Kumho Asiana Group chairman and former owner of the tire company that his father founded, the right to buy back the company with outside help. Kumho Tire’s creditors led by state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) earlier this month signed an agreement with China-based Doublestar Tyre Co. to sell majority stake plus management right in the Korean tire maker for 955 billion won ($832. 5 million).
Korea’s per capita GNI up 1.4% to $27,561, GDP 2.8% in 2016
South Korea’s per capita gross national income added a mild 1.4 percent to stop at $27,561, while the gross domestic product grew 2.8 percent last year, according to national account data from the Bank of Korea on Tuesday. The per capita income made little strides upon achieving the middle-income milestone of $20,000 in 2006. Last year, it added just $390.The per capita GNI is a per-person average of total domestic and foreign output by all residents at home and abroad. Korea has long aspired for $30,000 individual income level as a threshold for a rich-nation group but was stuck in the bottleneck for a decade due to the slow-motion economy.
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To preserve the local culture as an outstanding world cultural asset
Gimhae City hosts a gala Gaya Culture Festival on April9
Invites Ambassadors and Madams to grace the Opening Ceremony on April 9, 2017
As the suzerain state of six Gaya Kingdoms and royal capital of Geumgwan-Gaya founded in 42 A.D., Gimhae is the cradle of the Gaya culture. These small ancient states include Ara Gaya, Goryeong Gaya, Dae Gaya, Seongsan Gaya, Bihwa Gaya and Geumgwan Gaya, which formed a confederation dominated by Geumgwan Gaya. With a 500-year long history, Gaya Kingdoms created ingenious and brilliant pottery and ironware culture based on affluent iron products and outstanding iron-making technology. Taking geographical advantages, these Gaya Kingdoms actively traded with China, Japan and Nakrang as the center of international trade in Northeast Asia. Active international marine trade and exchange of these ancient states with foreign countries can be well explained by the international marriage between King Suro, the founding king of Geumgwan-Gaya, and Princess Heo Hwang-ok of Ayodhya Kingdom in India.
Royal procession of King Suro of the Gaya Kingdom.
In an effort to preserve the Gaya culture as one of world cultural heritages and widely publicize excellence of the ancient culture, the Gimhae City government has been hosting the annual Gaya Culture Festival since 1962 on the occasion of the memorial service for King Suro in spring. As ever, the municipal government will host the 41st Gaya Culture Festival for 5 days from April 7th to 11th, 2017 to include the memorial service for the King set to be held on the last day of the Festival. With the concept of ‘Gaya in the World and United Gimhae’, the Festival will be highlighted by the ‘tug-of-war’ game and ‘procession parade of King Suro’.
Different teams of the Gaya farmers’ bands are reading to present demonstrations.
Colorful programs will be provided during the Festival at the Daeseong-dong Ancient Tombs, Gimhae National Museum and Tomb of King Suro. In addition to the tug-of-war game and king’s procession parade, programs will include folk art performances, experiences of ancient ironworks, voyage routes sailed by King Suro and Princess Heo Hwang-ok, excavation of historical relics and riding on rare horses, as well as art installation events, performance of martial arts on horseback, wish lamps with Gaya patterns, and multi-cultural social gatherings of youths. Among others, visitors will have an exotic experience of boarding a traditional Indian boat ‘Dhoni’ by sailing the voyage routes taken by King Suro and Queen Heo.
A tug of war joined by hundreds of citizens.
In connection with the Festival, a number of other events will also be held simultaneously, including a local foods fair, international conference on Gaya history, contest of native foods, and folk arts festival of Gyeongsangnam-do region. The regional folk arts festival will include performances of intangible cultural property holders and performances of traditional art troupes from sister cities in Korea and other countries.
Gimhae Stone Fight is now a favorite game of merriment.
To help visitors have more enjoyable and exciting experiences, the festival organizing committee will deploy advanced information and communication technology installations in the venue. Using their smart phones or tablet PCs, visitors and tourists can get access to detailed information, statistical data, publicity materials and results of survey on the Festival by searching its QR code at information centers. It will also introduce an augmented reality (AR) game ‘Royal Capital of Gaya GO’, similar to ‘PocketMon Go’ game. If any visitors find out various historical treasures or relics through the game, they will be rewarded with due gifts.
Grand Rite of Chaste Woman Chunhyang offered to King Suro of the Garak State and his Queen Heo
The 40th Gaya Culture Festival held in April last year attracted as many as over 1.45 million visitors from Korea and other countries, and the Festival in this year is expected to attract even more visitors thanks to addition of varied new programs. The Gimhae City government seeks to register these cultural heritages as UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritages.
Night view of the Old Tombs in Daeseong-dong Village and the Daeseong History Museum. A grand opening ceremony is held at a special stage at the Daeseong-dong Tumuli.
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INVITATION
Your Excellency and Madam are cordially invited to the 2017 Grand Gaya Culture Festival on Sunday April 9
Your Excellency and Madarm are cordially invited to the above festival.
For details of the Festival, please visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=3007.
It is a bit far, but a deluxe KTX Train travel is much more comfortable than bus ride. Here is the schedule:
0845 hours: Meet at the Seoul Railroad Station VIP Room, 3rd Floor of the Main Building.
0905-1147 hours: Move by Deluxe KTX train from Seoul to Gimhae.
1200-1230 hours: Move to the Ice Square Hotel for luncheon.
1230-1400 hours: Attend welcome ceremony, presentation of Plaques of Appreciation.
1400-1430 hours: Watch mounted Gaya Warrior performances, have personal experience in horse-riding.
1510-1700 hours: Join the Gimhae Tug-of-War match.
1700-1800 hours: Watch traditional Korean music-dance performances based on Intangible National Cultural Properties
1800-2040 hours: Move from Gimhae back to the Seoul Railroad Station.
(A slight change could occur to the schedule depending on the traffic situation of the day.)