The Korean daily media headlines and humor

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Thursday April 13, 2017

Your Excellency:

Here are The Korea Post notices and a roundup of important headlines from all major Korean-language dailies, TV and other news media of Korea today:

Very Respectfully Yours

/s/

Lee Kyung-sik

Publisher-Chairman

Korea Post Media

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

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

Trump Signs Policy Approach to N. Korea

As U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies his military pressure on North Korea, American media report that Trump recently signed off on a policy approach to the North. Quoting a senior U.S. official, the Wall Street Journal said Wednesday that the plan involves increased economic and political pressure on Pyongyang. Trump was said to have adopted the approach before his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week. The official told the paper that steps included pressing Beijing to reduce its assistance to Pyongyang, and even using a “secondary boycott” against allies of the North.

Trump, Xi Discuss N. Korea in Telephone Talks

U.S President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held telephone talks to discuss the situation in North Korea. China's state broadcaster CCTV reported that the two sides held discussions over the phone Wednesday. Xi was cited as stressing that the Korean peninsula tension should be resolved through peaceful means. The phone call came a week after the two presidents held their first summit in the U.S.

S. Korea Seeks Constructive Talks during US Vice President's Trip

Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho has met with the acting U.S. ambassador to South Korea and discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation ahead of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence’s trip to Seoul next week. During a meeting with Marc Knapper and the head of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea on Wednesday in Seoul, Minister Yoo said South Korea hopes to have constructive talks on foreign affairs, security, trade and economy during Pence’s visit from Sunday to Tuesday.

KOSPI Rebounds After 6-Day Losing Streak

Korean stocks rebounded on Wednesday ending a six-day losing streak as rumors of a U.S. strike against North Korea have been reported to be false. However, the rise was limited due to lingering uncertainties surrounding the Korean Peninsula and the possibility of an additional U.S. strike against Syria. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index(KOSPI) rose five-point-06 points, or point-24 percent, to close at two-thousand-128-point-91.

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

U.S. strikes on Syria show Trump's policy on N. Korea will be different

Last week's U.S. missile strikes on Syria show President Donald Trump will also be different from his predecessors in dealing with North Korea, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Wednesday. Spicer made the remark during a discussion at the Newseum in Washington after MSNBC's Greta Van Susteren asked how different Trump's handling of North Korean threats will be compared with his predecessors, who failed to keep the regime from moving forward with its nuclear programs.

Kim Jong-un is 'making a big mistake'

U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview aired Wednesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is "making a big mistake," warning that he doesn't talk about military action plans in advance -- unlike his predecessor. "We are sending an armada, very powerful. We have submarines, very powerful, far more powerful than the aircraft carrier, that I can tell you. And we have the best military people on Earth," Trump said in the interview with Fox Business, referring to an aircraft carrier strike group heading to waters off the Korean Peninsula.

Trump says China's Xi wants to help

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to help the U.S. with the problem of North Korea. "President Xi wants to do the right thing. We had a very good bonding. I think we had a very good chemistry together. I think he wants to help us with North Korea," Trump said during a joint news conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, referring to his first meeting with Xi last week.

Trump won't designate China as currency manipulator

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday his administration won't designate China as a currency manipulator. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said that China has not been manipulating its currency for months, and such a designation could also endanger his efforts to enlist Chinese help in dealing with North Korea.

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

Amid tension, security creeps up election agenda

Propelled by North Korea’s rising threats and heightened military tension, foreign and security policy is rapidly ascending the agenda for next month’s presidential election. While the economy and welfare remain atop the agenda, all five major contenders are striving to flaunt their credentials to be a strong commander-in-chief, lambasting North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and warning against unilateral US military action.

Trump discusses North Korean 'menace' with Xi

President Donald Trump says he's had "a very good call" with Chinese leader Xi Jinping dealing with what Trump calls "the menace of North Korea." Trump tweets that he spoke with Xi on Tuesday night. And Trump says in an interview with Fox Business News that solving the standoff with North Korea isn't "as simple as people would think." Trump says China's long history with North Korea complicates China's ability to crack down on the North's nuclear program.

Samsung resumes world’s top smartphone maker status

Samsung Electronics reclaimed the No. 1 position in the global smartphone market for the first three months of 2017, a market report showed Wednesday. According to market researcher TrendForce, Samsung won back the top spot with a 26.1 percent market share for the January-March period, gaining from 18.5 percent in the final quarter of 2016. Apple, the archrival of the South Korean smartphone maker, slid to the second highest with 16.9 percent.

Kumho says no buyback of Tire without viewing contract

Kumho Asiana said Wednesday that Chairman Park Sam-koo will not buy back a controlling stake in Kumho Tire from creditors if they do not provide a definitive answer on the conditions of the sale.

“If Kumho Asiana does not receive an answer from Korea Development Bank by April 17, it will not exercise its right of first refusal on the sale of Kumho Tire,” the group said in a statement. The Kumho Tire creditors’ association, led by Korea Development Bank, signed a stock purchase agreement with Chinese tiremaker Doublestar last month to sell a 42 percent controlling stake in the company.

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

Trump causes candidates' shift to right

Security issues are dominating the country's presidential campaign, with the Donald Trump administration's hawkish approach to North Korea raising tension on the Korean Peninsula. Analysts said Wednesday that candidates for the May 9 election are leaning to the right as rumors of a possible U.S. pre-emptive strike on Pyongyang in April are fanning fears here. The North also vowed Tuesday to take the "toughest" counteraction against any attack on its soil.

United Airlines ditched by worldwide boycotts, condemnation

Korean and Chinese netizens have joined international voices condemning an American airline for brutally treating an Asian passenger who refused the company's request to get off an overbooked flight. The incident ― which happened on United Airlines Flight 3411 on Apr. 9 ― confounded and angered protesters. Vietnamese-American physician David Dao, 69, heading from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Louisville, Kentucky, was dragged from his seat and down the aisle by airport police.

'Seoul to oppose unilateral US action'

South Korea will oppose any unilateral U.S. military action against North Korea which U.S. President Donald Trump says is "looking for trouble," according to leading U.S. experts. While Trump has said the U.S. will solve the problem of North Korea on its own unless China helps, analysts said that any U.S. action against the North should be based on a prior agreement with Seoul.

Hyundai fares well in Europe, India, Russia

Hyundai Motor, which suffered declining sales in China in the aftermath of Korea's deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system, saw excellent sales performances in other places like Europe, India and Russia. According to sources, Hyundai Motor sold 57,710 cars in the European market last month, up by 8 percent compared to the same period last year. It was also a monthly record in the market.

The i-Series hatchback and Tucson SUV spearheaded the exploit there. The Tucson small-size SUV sold 17,308 cars last month to become the carmaker's best-selling model in the market, followed by the i10 hatchback with sales of 11,683 and the i20 with 11,668.

4th Industrial Revolution on front burner of election campaigns

The nation's information and communication technology (ICT) industry is buzzing with the upcoming May 9 presidential election, as the sector is under the direct influence of government policies and regulations. Particularly, on the verge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution that is expected to drive sweeping changes in high-tech areas, the industry is paying keen attention to candidates' pledges regarding this.

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

‘China could halt crude oil supply,' says Chinese state media

“If North Korean crosses the red line of its sixth nuclear test, China could halt crude oil supply to North Korea,” China’s state media Huanqiu (Global Times) reported on Wednesday. “If North Korea conducts a nuclear test or fires a long-range missile, it will not only slap in the face of the Donald Trump administration, but also pose strategic threat to China, and hence Beijing cannot afford to leave it unaddressed,” the daily warned.

Hyundai Genesis SUV to debut at New York Auto Show

Hyundai Motor will unveil the first SUV model of its luxury Genesis brand at the 2017 New York International Auto Show. Hyundai Motor announced on Wednesday that its concept SUV for the Genesis brand will debut at the New York Auto Show opening on Friday (local time). It has been told that the Genesis SUV belongs to the mid-size SUV category together with Hyundai Motor’s Santa Fe and Kia Motors’ Sorento. The Genesis SUV is expected to hit the market in 2019.

Kim Jong-in’s withdrawal from the presidential race

Kim Jong-in, former interim leader of the Minjoo Party who defected the party, has withdrawn on Wednesday his presidential bid in just seven days after the announcement. In other words, the possibility of unification among influential political leaders, dubbed the “third zone,” seems no more valid.

Outrage grows over passenger dragged off United flight

A YouTube video showing a passenger being dragged off an overbooked United Airlines plane by security officers has sparked outrage. As the passenger is reportedly of Chinese descent, the issue has escalated into a controversy on racism. On Sunday, an overbooked United Airline from Chicago, Illinois to Louisville, Kentucky had to look for four passengers who would volunteer to take the next flight. While the airline company offered 800 U.S. dollars to each volunteer, no one volunteered to give up their seat. Then, the company selected four through a computer lottery.

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

Ideology, Regional Divisions Fade from Presidential Campaign

There has been plenty of mudslinging between candidates' camps, but ideology or regional divisions have largely faded from the presidential election campaign with just a month until Koreans go to the polls. The pattern is entirely new, turning into a two-way race between two left-of-center candidates -- the Minjoo Party's Moon Jae-in and Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party -- rather than the usual standoff between a conservative and a progressive with their respective regional strongholds.

U.S. Ready to Shoot Down N.Korean Missiles

The U.S. has put Australia and other allies on alert that it is fully prepared to shoot down rockets launched by North Korea, the Daily Telegraph reported Tuesday. Intelligence sources told the Australian daily the North could test-launch ballistic missiles around the birthday of nation founder Kim II-sung this week. "The United States, which has a fleet headed to the Korean Peninsula, is understood to have notified Australia that it is fully prepared to shoot down these rockets," the report said. "The Australian-United States joint facility at Pine Gap monitors North Korean missile launches, and is on standby."

How to Prevent Hair Loss in Spring

With temperatures warming up people are getting ready for some outdoor fun, but spring can be a bad time for hair loss as the scalp is exposed to the elements. Exposure to UV rays makes the scalp dry and flakey, and hair ages more quickly. Big swings in temperature in spring can also cause the scalp to dry out, which makes the protective layer of skin easily damaged from exposure to the sun. Pollen and dust can also clog up pores and weakens follicle, causing dandruff or inflammation and eventually hair loss.

Korea Rises 10 Notches in Tourism Competitiveness

Korea ranks 19th out of 136 countries in a biennial World Economic Forum assessment of how competitive its tourism industry is. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Tuesday said Korea improved 10 notches from 2015 in this year's Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report. The WEF has been ranking countries in the category since 2007 based on 90 sets of criteria. Korea ranked 42nd in 2007 and has been improving since. Spain, France and Germany took the top spots.

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

Is there any truth to rumors of an April crisis?

Rumors about a crisis on the Korean Peninsula have been recently spreading on social media, stoking public insecurity. With multiple government officials stepping forward to deny the rumors and newspapers and broadcasters reporting that they are fake news without any evidence to support them, the rumors seem to be subsiding. But this flare-up has confirmed once again how sensitive the Korean Peninsula is to security issues. And with the US-South Korea joint military exercises continuing until the end of this month, the rumors about a crisis could roar back to life at any time.

With two opposition frontrunners for presidency, voters facing a dilemma

In South Korea’s 19th presidential election, coming up on May 9, two opposition candidates are leading the polls - an unprecedented situation that is creating a major dilemma for voters and politicians. Voters are flummoxed by the two comparable options that have landed in their laps, while politicians are rushing to accommodate voters’ swiftly changing preferences. This is a dilemma in which suppliers and consumers are all faced with a challenging choice.　

Ahead of presidential election, liberal candidates shifting their positions on THAAD

Mounting tensions around the Korean Peninsula are leading to subtle changes in the leading presidential candidates’ positions on the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system. While he continued maintaining that the issue should be subject to public debate under the next administration, Minjoo Party candidate Moon Jae-in also said the THAAD deployment “may be unavoidable if North Korea continues with its nuclear provocations.”

Chinese diplomat conveys China’s THAAD opposition to S. Korean presidential candidates

Chinese Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Affairs Wu Dawei met with leading candidates in the South Korean presidential race and key members of their election camps on Apr. 11 to argue China‘s position opposing deployment of the THAAD missile defense system. Wu met in the morning with conservative Bareun Party candidate Yoo Seong-min and left-wing Justice Party candidate Shim Sang-jung and in the afternoon with moderate People’s Party leader Park Jie-won and lawmaker Song Young-gil, who heads the general headquarters for Minjoo Party candidate Moon Jae-in’s election camp.

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

Xi advises Trump to be ‘peaceful’

Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke on the phone with U.S. President Donald Trump Wednesday and emphasized that conflict on the Korean Peninsula has to be resolved through “peaceful means,” after Trump reiterated that he was ready to solve the North Korean nuclear issue on his own. China’s state-run broadcaster CCTV reported that Xi and Trump held a phone conversation Wednesday morning Asia time to discuss the situation on the Korean Peninsula and other matters of bilateral concern, five days after their summit last week.

Ahn envisions first acts as president

People’s Party presidential nominee Ahn Cheol-soo said if he was elected president on May 9 the first thing he would do as president would be to accept the resignations of all ministers appointed by former President Park Geun-hye except for Defense Minister Han Min-koo. In an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo Wednesday in his National Assembly office, the nominee said he had made that exception because he “prioritizes national security.” But working with other cabinet members from the Park administration would “carry more risk,” he said.

K bank’s debut sparks competition

The successful debut of the country’s first internet-only bank has put mainstream commercial banks and savings banks on the defensive, prompting them to roll out financial products with favorable interest rates or offer new services to keep from losing business. The popularity of K bank is a wake-up call for the old school banks, often criticized for their keenness to raising lending but not deposit rates.

China seems fine without K-pop, report says

China’s entertainment industry is rolling in the money even after Beijing banned Korean pop content from the local market, prompting the Shanghai branch of Korea’s trade promotion agency to encourage Korean companies to seek alternative markets. According to a report released Wednesday by the Korea International Trade Association, revenue earned by about 50,000 major Chinese entertainment companies amounted to 8.03 trillion yuan ($1.2 trillion), up 7.5 percent from the previous year.

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

The People Say, “Safety after the Sewol, Nothing Has Changed”

“The truth has not been revealed; we need a special prosecutor and a special investigation committee; and nothing has changed with safety in the Republic of Korea.” This sums up the report of a public survey on the Sewol released on April 11. The Kyunghyang Shinmun and the office of the chairman of the National Assembly, Chung Sye-kyun commissioned the survey, conducted by Gallup Korea, ahead of the third anniversary of the Sewol tragedy.

Hospital Assistant, a Job for the Homeless? Seoul Medical Center Criticized for Discrimination Against Temporary Workers

The Seoul Medical Center, a public hospital run by the city of Seoul, allegedly discriminated some of its hospital assistants by hiring them as day labor through the “jobs for the homeless project.”

The assistants in question were hired as part of the government’s policy for the unemployed. They worked at the hospital for as long as up to seven years without having their contracts renewed to non-fixed term contracts while only receiving the minimum wage.

Moon, "No War on the Korean Peninsula. The U.S. Must Consult All Options with South Korea"

On April 10, the Minjoo Party of Korea's presidential candidate Moon Jae-in (64, photo) clearly stated his opposition to the recent statement by the U.S. Trump administration, which suggested that they were considering a preemptive strike on North Korea as one of their options against the hermit state. Moon said, "The United States alone should not unilaterally make a decision without adequate prior consultation with the Republic of Korea." In an interview with the Kyunghyang Shinmun this day, Moon expressed his views as he said, “There can be no war on the Korean Peninsula.”

Hospital Assistant, a Job for the Homeless? Seoul Medical Center Criticized for Discrimination Against Temporary Workers

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

Moon Jae-in Promises "Big Government" and People-centered Economic Policy Making

Moon Jae-in, the presidential candidate for the Minjoo Party, announced on April 12 his "J-nomics" ideas focusing on people. Under this plan, he promised that his administration would spend aggressively on welfare items such as child care, education, medicine, and elderly care. He said this at the party's headquarters in Seoul's Yoido, adding, "The center of a new Korea that's in line with the constitutional spirit is people. I will make sure to invest more in people to grow the economy and make the whole economic structure toward people."

What Moon's "Human-oriented" J-nomics Is All about

The economic policy platform Moon Jae-in, the presidential candidate for the Minjoo Party, unveiled on April 12 can be summarized as one word "people-oriented." It is based on the idea of balanced growth and fair income distribution. The big framework of his "J-nomics," named after the first syllable of his first name, is expansionary fiscal policy, move away from large corporation-led economic growth, and fairness in income distribution.

Bank of Korea Revises 2017 Growth Outlook Upward, First Time in 3 Years

The Bank of Korea's Monetary Policy Committee will reportedly raise its 2017 growth outlook from the current 2.5 percent. The new growth outlook is likely to be 2.6 percent. This is the first time for the central bank to increase its economic growth forecast since April 2014. As recently as January this year, the bank lowered its prediction to 2.5 percent from 2.8 percent. As exports increased for five consecutive months and other critical economic variables such as output, investment, and consumer spending are showing signs of reviving, however, it changed its mind after three months. Amid a situation in which major investment banks are revising their growth outlook for the economy, with the central bank moving to add weight to them, it looks like the nation's economy has hit the bottom.

Gov't Cuts back Precision Medicine R&D Budget by 85%

The budget for precision medicine for which the government designated as one of the national strategic R&D projects last year has been cut to 75 billion won from 500 billion won for the next five years. The government's ambitious plan to give support to new drug development projects, create biotech clusters, and the like may end up with empty slogans at best. According to medical industry sources on April 11, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy have set the budget for the five-year (2017-21) development plan for precision medicine at 75.2 billion won.

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

Abstract painting sets S. Korean auction record at $5.7 mln

An abstract painting by South Korea's pioneering artist Kim Hwan-gi has set a new record in South Korea's auction history at 6.55 billion won (5.7 million US dollars). Kim's "Tranquility 5-IV-73 #310" with his signature style of blue dots and a white-edged square broke the previous record of 6.32 billion won set by his painting "12-V-70 #172" in Hong Kong last November. The 205-by-261-centimeter painting was completed in New York a year before Kim died.

Trump accuses N. Korea's Kim of making 'big mistake'

US President Donald Trump said in an interview aired Wednesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is "making a big mistake," warning that he doesn't talk about military action plans in advance unlike his predecessor. "We are sending an armada, very powerful. We have submarines, very powerful, far more powerful than the aircraft carrier, that I can tell you. And we have the best military people on Earth," Trump said in the interview with Fox Business. "And I will say this. He is doing the wrong thing ... He's making a big mistake," he said.

Bacteria from mustard leave kimchi found to suppress atopic dermatitis

Lactic acid bacteria isolated from mustard leave kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented vegetable dish, was found to be effective in treating atopic dermatitis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease, according to an academic study. The bacteria dubbed "Weissella cibaria WIKIM28" showed their ability to suppress the development of atopic dermatitis (AD) in an experiment with a mouse, a research team led by Choi Hak-jong, a senior researcher at the World Institute of Kimchi, said in the study published in the online edition of Scientific Reports.

Top opposition candidate revises liberal stance toward N. Korea

Moon Jae-in, polled as the strongest candidate to become South Korea's next president, has revised his soft and liberal attitude to North Korea as security emerged as a top and stringent election issue that can sway swing voters in favor of his rival. Moon from the main opposition Democratic Party commands strong support from liberal voters but he has been disfavored by conservative groups for advocating cross-border reconciliation at the expense of traditional ties with the United States. With less than a month left before the May 9 election, the former pro-democracy activist changed his election platform to take a tough stance against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while expressing conciliatory remarks at US President Donald Trump.

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

Samsung Elec vice chair Lee loses Exor board seat

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and Samsung Group’s de facto leader Jay Y. Lee currently under pretrial detention on bribery charges did not make it to the new list of outside board directors at Exor N.V., an investment company that acts as holding company over international automakers Fiat Chrysler and Ferrari.

SK Hynix presumed to excel Samsung Elec in chip-making operating margin for Q1

SK Hynix Inc., the world’s second-largest memory chipmaker, will stand out among its domestic and global technology peers in the scoreboard of profitability from core operation in the first quarter when it releases its income statement for the first three months of the year on April 25.

Uber re-tapping the Korean market via acquisition of a local ride-sharing operator

Uber Technologies Inc., a U.S.-based ride-hailing service operator, is having another go at the Korean market through an existing legitimate ride-sharing local player to avoid legal issue and clash with traditional taxicab industry. According to the industry sources on Tuesday, officials from Uber have been in talks with Korean car-sharing firms like Poolus, Titi-Caca and Luxi to make bid offers.

Hyundai Motor to unveil Genesis SUV concept car in New York

South Korea’s largest carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. will unveil its stand-alone luxury brand Genesis’ first-ever sport utility vehicle (SUV) concept car at this year’s New York International Auto Show.

According to the auto industry Wednesday, new Genesis SUV concept car will make its world premier on the first day of the New York International Auto Show to be held between April 14 and 23.

Hyundai Motor Vice Chairman Chung Euisun is expected to attend the auto show to closely monitor local reception of Genesis new SUV and other models.

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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 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