The Korean daily media headlines and humor

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Tuesday April 11, 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

Mayor HeoSeong-gon of the Gimhae City (8th from left, second row) and Ambassador Tito Saul PinillaPinilla

of Colombia (second from left, front row), dean of the visiting members of the Seoul Diplomatic Corps that day,

pose with other leaders and performers of the Festival together with other ambassadors and senior diplomats.

Amidst warm welcome of the mayor, National Assembly members, civic leaders

Envoys see re-enactment of historical

events of Gaya Kingdom in Gimhae

Has it ever occurred to anyone in Korea (and around the world, for that matter) that Mayor HeoSeong-gon of the Gimhae City of Gyeongsangnam-do Province (near Busan) is a descent of the Queen of King Suro of the Gaya Kingdom over 2,000 years ago? This was learned during a tour of the ambassadors and other senior diplomats made to the Gimhae City on April 9, 2017.

Ambassadors of Colombia, Spain, Laos, Jordan and Romania and the senior diplomats of Bulgaria, Venezuela, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Australia—plus media and civic representatives of Korea, Japan, China and Austria—were warmly welcomed on April 9, 2017 by the ‘King of the Gaya Kingdom’ (Mayor of the Gimhae City) and the Legislative Representatives of the Kingdom (currently the Korean parliamentarians).

The case in point was the hearty welcome accorded to Ambassador Tito Saul PinillaPinilla of Colombia and the other envoys and senior diplomats at the Gimhae City that day near Busan by Mayor HeoSeong-gon of the City, National Assemblymen Min Hong-chul and Gimhae-City Council Chairman Bai Byeong-dol as well as Chairman Song Se-gwang of the Ritual Proceedings Committee.

For further details, please visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=3524

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What’s ticking in Korea today?Here is a quick roundup of important news stories from the major Korean news media today:

KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)

Unification Minister Against US Military Action on N. Korea

Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo has expressed concerns about the U.S.’ possible preemptive strike against North Korea. In a media conference on Monday, Hong said Seoul will have to consult with Washington about a preemptive strike against the North considering the impact it would have on the security of South Korea.The minister said the preemptive strike against the North is aimed at resolving the regime’s nuclear threat but South Korea must consider its possible ramifications.

S. Korea, China Agree to Take Strong Measures on N. Korea's Provocation

South Korea and China have agreed that they will take strong measures if North Korea pushes ahead with a nuclear test or test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM).South Korea’s Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Kim Hong-kyun and his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei on Monday held talks in Seoul and reached the agreement. After the talks, Kim said that the two sides shared the urgency and gravity of the North Korean nuclear problem and reaffirmed their opposition to the North’s provocations.He said that the two sides also agreed that UN sanctions and other pressure should be steadily intensified in the face of North Korea's continued provocations.

N. Korea Holds Parliamentary Session on Tues.

North Korea will hold a key parliament assembly on Tuesday.Seoul's Unification Ministry said the North will hold the fifth session of the 13th Supreme People's Assembly(SPA) in Pyongyang amid speculation whether the country’s leader Kim Jong-un will deliver a message against the U.S. However, Unification Ministry spokesman Lee Duk-haeng said in a regular media briefing on Monday that there is little likelihood the North will do so as the SPA is focused on domestic affairs rather than international issues.

Gov't to Push for Gimhae Airport Expansion in Earnest

The government says it will push to expand Gimhae International Airport in earnest, as the project passed a preliminary feasibility study by the Korea Development Institute (KDI) on Monday.

Five provincial governments in the country's southeastern region had agreed to build a new local airport but in June of last year, the central government decided instead to expand the existing airport following a year-long feasibility study by French airport engineering company ADPi.The KDI also conducted its own preliminary feasibility study on the airport expansion over the past nine months.

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

Chun Doo-hwan said a few nukes enough to induce N.K. to talks

In the mid-1980s, then South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan said that owning only a few nuclear weapons could be enough to induce North Korea to talks aimed at easing growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, declassified diplomatic documents showed Tuesday.Chun made the remarks in his meeting with Edward Rowny who came to Seoul on Oct. 15, 1986, as a U.S envoy. Rowny made a visit to brief the Seoul government on Washington's arms reduction negotiations with Moscow, according to the documents.

China orders trading firms to return coal imports from N. Korea

China's government has issued an official directive ordering trading firms to return their coal imports from North Korea after banning coal imports from the communist neighbor for the rest of the year, a news report said Monday.Reuters cited an unidentified source at Dandong Chengtai Trade Co., the biggest buyer of North Korean coal, as saying that about 2 million tons of North Korean coal are at various ports in China waiting to be returned.It was unclear when China's customs department issued the return order.Last Friday, Chinese President Xi Jinping held his first summit talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, a meeting that Trump had repeatedly pledged to use to get Beijing to use more of its leverage over Pyongyang to bring the recalcitrant regime under control.

N.K. vows to take 'toughest' military actions as U.S. sends aircraft carrier

North Korea vowed Tuesday to take the "toughest" counteraction against the United States as Washington is sending its strategic assets near the Korean Peninsula for what the North calls an invasion of Pyongyang.The North's warning was made after the U.S. dispatched the USS Carl Vinson, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, to waters off the divided peninsula amid signs of the North's provocations.North Korea's foreign ministry warned that the country is ready to take the toughest actions to defend itself with powerful weaponry against what it calls Washington's provocations.

Dossier unveils a former president regretting his promise to uphold Constitution

A declassified diplomatic dossier from 1986 indicated Tuesday that then President Chun Doo-hwan regretted his previous pledge to uphold the constitutional limit of presidential terms, which deprived him of key leverage in a bitter political standoff with opposition parties. At that time, the former Army general, who seized power through a coup in 1979, faced opposition demand to revise the Constitution to shift from an indirect presidential election to a direct vote. When he was elected president by a rubber-stamp electorate in 1981, he promised not to seek a second term in accordance with the basic law, which permitted only a single seven-year presidential term, a legacy of previous dictatorial presidents.

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

Moon: Seoul should take initiative in NK nuclear talks

Liberal presidential candidate Moon Jae-in vowed to speak directly with North Korea‘s leader Kim Jong-un to resolve military tensions on the Korean Peninsula, if elected, in an interview with The Korea Herald on Monday.

Regime change not US goal: Tillerson

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday ruled out a regime change as its North Korea policy goal, in an apparent message to Pyongyang following a summit with China and military strike in Syria. “In terms of North Korea, we have been very clear that our objective is a denuclearized Korean Peninsula,” he said in an interview with ABC’s “This Week.” “We have no objective to change the regime in North Korea -- that is not our objective. And so the whole reasons underlying the development of a nuclear program in North Korea are simply not credible.”

Samsung seen embracing change in absence of Lee, control tower

Samsung, the nation’s largest conglomerate, is embracing changes in its corporate culture in the absence of its arrested leader and a disbanded control tower. The conglomerate’s financial units including Samsung Life Insurance and Samsung Card have started to ban their executives from showing up early in the morning and readjusted the start of office hours from 6:30 a.m. to 8-9 a.m., according to industry sources and Samsung officials.

US FDA opens doors to genetic tests to predict disease risk

The US Food and Drug Administration recently granted approval for the first time ever to a genetic-testing startup to directly sell its tests that can predict a person’s risk for various diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Hong Joon-pyo sheds governorship for presidential bid

Liberty Korea Party presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo stepped down as South Gyeongsang Province governor three minutes before the midnight deadline, which effectively blocked a by-election for his former post while keeping him in the race for the presidential office.

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

US steps up pressure on N. Korea

High-ranking U.S. officials are ratcheting up pressure on North Korea by hinting at a possible pre-emptive strike against Pyongyang to remove its nuclear and missile threats.Their hawkish remarks come as Pyongyang is reportedly gearing up for an additional nuclear test as well as the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Korea is 'republic of coffee'

The number of coffee shops in Korea is estimated to have topped 100,000 ― almost double the number of convenience stores here, according to Small Enterprises and Market Service (SEMAS), Monday.

Will conservative vote for AhnCheol-soo?

AhnCheol-soo has emerged as the biggest challenger to Moon Jae-in in the presidential race, overtaking Moon in some opinion polls, largely because many conservative voters have opted to support Ahn, a center-left politician, instead of conservative candidates from scandal-hit parties.

Ten MUST-VISIT spring flower festivals in Korea

The season of beautiful buds and glorious, blooming flowers is with us again. And the spring flower festival is one of the most popular ways to appreciate the season in Korea. Here are 10 festivals not to miss.

Five Koreans killed in avalanche

Five Korean climbers were killed in an avalanche on a mountain near Vancouver, Canada, according to reports Monday."Five climbers from South Korea fell to their deaths from a snow ledge that gave way near Vancouver," AFP said, citing a local police source.

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DongAIlbo (http://english.donga.com)

Five Korean hikers found dead in Mt. Harvey in Canada

Five Korean hikers died at Mount Harvey near Vancouver, Canada. The Vancouver Sun, a local newspaper, said on Sunday (local time) that the hikers, members of the Korean hikers’ club in Canada, fell 500 meters at the top of the snow-covered mountain.

Cellist IstvanVardai holds his first performance in Korea

Hungarian cellist IstvanVardai is one of the musicians who performed the most in the world last year. He ranked No. 1 at "The World's Busiest Musicians in 2016" released by classical music database Bachtrack, along with conductor Valery Gergiev, pianist DaniilTrifonov and violinist Leonidas Kavakos.

Researchers develop fabrics that change shapes when heated

Korean researchers have developed fabrics that alter their shapes in a controllable manner in response to varied temperature. It can be the beginning of developing soft robots that move without motors.

Will Ford’s cot simulating car journey put babies to sleep?

There is a saying that car journeys put babies to sleep. Many parents have experience to drive around their neighborhoods with their baby at night. CNN Money reported on Sunday that Ford Motor Company recently developed a car simulating cradle for sleep-deprived parents.

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ChosunIlbo (http://english.chosun.com)

Prosecutors to Indict Park This Week

Prosecutors plan to indict ex-President Park Geun-hye later this week as they wrap up their probe into bribery charges involving the SK and Lotte business groups.They have apparently decided not to indict SK chairman Chey Tae-won and are still weighing whether to charge Lotte chief Shin Dong-bin. "Both Choi and Shin are still witnesses in our investigation and no decision has been made on indicting them," a prosecution source said. "We'll decide around the time Park is indicted."

Foreigners Snap up Record Amounts of Korean Stocks

Foreign investors have been snapping up Korean shares for four months running and now hold the biggest amount in history. The Financial Supervisory Service on Monday said foreigners bought W3.3 trillion worth of Korean stocks last month (US$1=W1,142). They favored blue chips and bought W3.2 trillion worth of shares on the main KOSPI bourse and around W100 billion on the junior Kosdaq market.

Every Korean Drank 500 Cups of Coffee Last Year

Koreans each drank 500 cups of brewed coffee last year, according to a study by manufacturers based on imports of coffee beans.That adds up to a total of 25 billion cups of brewed coffee and a rise of 25 percent since 2006. Revenues from ground coffee surged almost three times from W3 trillion to W8.8 trillion (US$1=W1,135).

U.S. Naval Strike Group Heads Toward Korean Peninsula

The U.S. on Sunday abruptly dispatched the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and its fleet to the western Pacific near the Korean Peninsula.The Vinson was making a port call in Singapore and was scheduled to sail for Australia when U.S. Pacific Command ordered the ships to sail north instead.

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HanKyoRehShinmoon (http://english.hani.co.kr)

AhnCheol-soo drawing on conservatives, progressives and moderates to broaden support

People’s Party presidential candidate AhnCheol-soo is broadening his support at a blistering pace. In particular, he has been emerging rapidly as a new alternative for the right, mopping up votes from conservatives left unmoored in the wake of the Park Geun-hye/Choi Sun-sil scandal.

Latest polls show Moon Jae-in and AhnCheol-soo in a dead heat for presidency

On Apr. 9, with just 30 days to go before South Korea’s 19th presidential election, Minjoo Party candidate Moon Jae-in and People’s Party candidate AhnCheol-soo are running neck and neck, both polling at 37.7%, in a hypothetical race between candidates from five parties.

No secondary boycotts expected on businesses that transact with North Korea

The US and China reportedly decided to hold off on secondary boycott measures against businesses involved in transactions with North Korea after an Apr. 7 summit at Florida‘s Mar-a-Lago resort between presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.

Will the US designate South Korea a currency manipulator?

Following the US-China summit agreement to a 100-day plan for resolving trade imbalances, interest has spiked in the upcoming release of the US Treasury’s exchange rates report.

Experts believe that the likelihood that South Korea and China will be placed on a watch list and designated a currency manipulator has decreased. Although it’s difficult to make a conclusive statement, due to the fact that the details of the 100-day plan have not been released, the trade conflict between the US and China has abated, and approached a stage where the two countries are cooperating to reduce the US trade deficit. The summit could now create favorable conditions for global trade and the finance market.

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JoongAngIlbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)

Moon combats rise of Ahn with media blitz

Democratic Party presidential candidate Moon Jae-in dismissed rival AhnCheol-soo, nominee of the People’s Party, saying he lacks “political principles and philosophy,” and expressed confidence that Koreans would elect him as president in the May 9 snap election.

Trump says all options are open

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered his top national security adviser to prepare “a full range of options” for dealing with North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats as Pyongyang appears to be gearing up for its next provocation.

Spending cap on online games will be lifted

Change is coming to the Korean gaming industry as a mandatory spending cap will be lifted next month - although the industry is promising “voluntary restraints.”

Exodus by global banks drags foreign firm profit

Net profit at foreign financial institutions operating in Korea dropped last year compared to the previous year, the result of major banks like Barclays and Goldman Sachs moving their businesses out of the country.

SK Hynix packs even more data into flash chip

SK Hynix, a Korean producer of semiconductors used in computers and smartphones, has developed a high-density NAND flash memory chip that can hold 1.5 times more data-storing cells than its predecessor.

Big companies will hire fewer recruits: survey

Getting a job at a large Korean company will become more difficult this year, according to report from the Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI), due to the sluggish economy.

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

Moderates and Conservatives Swing TowardAhnCheol-soo: Will They Still Till the End or Will They Scatter?

What makes this election unique is the fall of the conservatives. In the wake of the dismissal of former President Park Geun-hye, it is difficult to find a conservative candidate with any chance of winning the election. Ironically, this has turned the conservative votes into an influential factor in the race.

People Visit the Sewol to Remember Not Just to Offer Flowers

On the afternoon of April 9 at the Mokpo New Port in Jeollanam-do, the Sewol, finally on land, after 1,089 days since the accident, continued silently on its way on a module transporter, a special transporting equipment, at a speed of over 20 meters an hour.

Moon and Ahn Should Stop the Slander and Discuss Visions and Policies

The presidential candidates of all five parties in the National Assembly have been determined. But the parties and candidates are now busy tearing each other apart. The race has now transformed into one between Moon Jae-in, the Minjoo Party of Korea candidate, and AhnCheol-soo, the candidate of the People‘s Party, and both have increased attacks on each other. The People’s Party has been attacking Moon in their morning meetings, coining the expression, “Moon morning.” Yesterday, word had it that Ahn was connected to a gang. It is questionable as to whether the presidential election is an arena to see who can tear the opponent apart more brutally or a forum to compete with policies that will lead the nation into the future.

Moon, "Put Dichotomy in the Trash. Will Achieve Just Integration"

On April 3, the Minjoo Party of Korea's presidential candidate Moon Jae-in (64) stressed integration and a new government in his acceptance speech. He asked his party to overcome the side effects of the primaries and unite, and he expressed his determination to show a leadership of integration―one that could embrace the people, who stand divided after the impeachment. He emphasized the need for him to put a new government in office in order to eradicate deep-rooted evils and old practices fully exposed by an unprecedented scandal.

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

Korean Peninsula Enters the Fateful Week

In a situation where the United States and China were unable to come up with measures against North Korea's nuclear ambitions in the summit meeting last week, the "fateful week" during which the tension over North Korea would be at its highest has finally begun.

Major Presidential Candidates Visit Business Interest Groups to Show Pro-business Credentials

Both major presidential candidates, including Moon Jae-in of the Minjoo Party and AhnCheol-soo of the People's Party, visited corporate interest groups on April 10. Ahn met with leaders at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry while Moon had a get-together with officials of the Korea Federation of SMEs. The two rivals, whose survey results show neck-and-neck approval ratings, are there to show that they are pro-business candidates.

No. of Urban Farmers Grows 10 Folds in 6 Years

The number of "urban farmers," the city people who grow crops in weekend farms and the like, has increased more than ten-folds for the past six years. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs said on April 10 that the number of urban farmers was 1.6 million as of the end of last year, 10.5 times more than what it was in 2010 (153,000). As for the urban land area in cultivation, the figure rose from 104 hectares to 1,001 hectares during the same period.

SK Hynix Develops Industry First 72-Layer 3D NAND Flash

On Aprlil 11, SK Hynix introduced the industry's first 72-Layer 256Gb (Gigabit) 3D (Three-Dimensional) NAND Flash based on its TLC (Triple-Level Cell) arrays and own technologies.

Global Investment Banks Revise Economic Outlook for Korea Upward

A string of global investment banks are revising their economic outlook for Korea upward. Although such revisions are not substantial, it is meaningful particularly given that they presented a negative outlook before.

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

Google reportedly proposes investment in LG's flexible OLED line

US tech giant Google has reportedly proposed a strategic investment in LG's new production facilities in an apparent attempt to secure a stable supply of flexible OLED displays for its flagship "Pixel" smartphones.

Tax agency imposes over $262 mln in tax on Oracle

South Korea's tax agency has imposed more than 300 billion won (262 million US dollars) in corporate taxes on the local unit of US tech giant Oracle Corp. for alleged tax evasion, sources familiar with the issue said Monday.

Outdoor class for models under cherry trees

Students at a model school in South Korea's central city of Daejeon walk under the cherry trees during an outdoor class on April 10.

Flying motorbike

Spain's Marc Marquez flies off the track during the MotoGP race of Argentina's Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit in Argentina, Sunday, April 9, 2017.

Dancing matador

Spanish bullfighter Gomez delPilar fights against his second bull of the evening at Las Ventas bullring in Madrid, Spain, 09 April 2017.

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

E-Land Group pushes to sell its food business estimated at about $876mn

E-Land Park Ltd., restaurant and resort operating unit of South Korea’s E-Land Group, is seeking to sell its catering division in a bid to improve overall financial standing that has deteriorated in recent years. The sale is expected to help the group raise 1 trillion won ($876 million) in funding.

Celltrion chief vows not to give up subsidiary IPO despite accounting controversy

Celltrion Inc., South Korea’s top biosimilar drug developer, will push ahead with the initial public offering (IPO) of its subsidiary Celltrion Healthcare Co. despite lingering questions about its accounting procedures, the company’s president Kim Hyung-ki recently told reporters.

Galaxy S8 draws record 550,000 preorders in the first two days

Galaxy S8 series are off to a strong start, drawing record 550,000 preorders in Korea in the first two days and raising hopes for its birth mission to restore credibility in trend-setting innovation for its maker Samsung Electronics following the ill fortune with its sibling Galaxy Note7.

SK Group fostering ICT and bio businesses as future growth engines

South Korea’s SK Group is plowing knowledge-based computing, new-generation solutions for vehicles and security, and bioengineering to keep up competitiveness beyond chipmaking in the new environment of self-automation and robotics as the result of the fourth industrial revolution.

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What’s ticking around the world at this second?

See what the world media around the world have to report:

USA Today www.usatoday.com aallman@gannett.com

The New York Timeswww.nytimes.com inytletters@nytimes.com

Wall Street Journalwww.wsj.com support@wsj.com ,service@wsj-asia.com

Financial Times www.ft.com ean@ft.com

The Timeswww.thetimes.co.uk help@timesplus.co.uk

The Sun www.thesun.co.uk talkback@the-sun.co.uk

Chinese People's Dailywww.people.com.cn kf@people.cn

China Dailywww.chinadaily.com.cn circulation@chinadaily.com.cn

GwangmyeongDailywww.gmw.cn webmaster@gmw.cn