The Korean daily media headlines and humor

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Friday, June 9, 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

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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:

The Korea Post media (www.koreapost.com) in English, (www.koreapost.co.kr) in Korean.

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

Moon Vows No Security Compromise against N. Korean Threats

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) said they appear to be anti-ship cruise missiles. Launched from near the eastern coastal city of Wonsan in Gangwon Province, the missiles flew some 200 kilometers at a low altitude of two-kilometers above the sea level. Thursday's test launch marks the tenth time this year for the North to fire missiles. The regime has staged missile launches for the fourth consecutive week since the launch of the Moon Jae-in administration last month. The JCS said that this time the North wanted to display its capability to strike warships in the East Sea as it wants to secure leverage. The JCS immediately reported the launch to President Moon Jae-in.

Kim Jong-un Inspects Thursday's Cruise Missile Launch

Pyongyang’s state media reported on Friday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected the test-firing of cruise missiles and called the test a success. In the wake of the launch of several cruise missiles a day earlier, the official Korean Central Television(KCTV) said that the North’s National Academy of Defense Sciences tested newly developed surface-to-ship cruise rockets in the presence of Kim. The KCTV said the missiles are the same ones displayed during a military parade marking the birthday of late North Korean founder Kim Il-sung on April 15th.

Venezuela, England Reach U-20 World Cup Final in S. Korea

Venezuela and England will vie for the championship of the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Venezuela advanced to the final by fending off Uruguay 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium in Daejeon on Thursday. England beat Italy 3-1 in the other semifinal held at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium on the same day. The two finalists will play against each other at the Suwon World Cup Stadium at seven p.m. on Sunday. Neither of the teams has ever won the biennial event.

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

THAAD in S. Korea comes up at White House discussions, Mattis

South Korea's decision to suspend the deployment of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system was a topic when U.S. President Donald Trump held an Oval Office meeting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the State Department spokesperson said. At the start of the regular briefing, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said that Tillerson met with Mattis for a working breakfast at her department Thursday morning, and the two secretaries later joined Trump at the White House and talked about "the ongoing situation on the Korean peninsula and also in the Gulf."

U.S. experts call for peace treaty with N. Korea to encourage Pyongyang to denuclearize

The United States should consider concluding a peace treaty with North Korea without preconditions in order to encourage the communist nation to give up its nuclear programs, a former U.S. diplomat and an expert suggested Thursday. James Dobbins, a former assistant secretary of state, and Jeffrey Hornung, a political scientist at the RAND Corp., made the case in a joint op-ed piece in the New York Times, saying it's important to assure the North's leader that he won't end up like Saddam Hussein of Iraq or Muammar el-Qaddafi of Libya.

S. Korea unveils road map to upgrade robot technology

The South Korean government Friday unveiled a road map to develop robot technologies and utilize them in various industrial sectors, the industry ministry said. The plan was a follow-up of the government-led project to upgrade the country's robotics sector set up in November last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The ministry and state-run research centers, including the Korea Institute of Science and Technology and the Korea Institute of Robot and Convergence, have participated in mapping out the road map for the past six months.

N.K. says leader watches launch of new anti-ship cruise missile

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has observed the test-firing of a new surface-to-ship cruise missile, Pyongyang's state media said Friday, as the country is seeking to diversify its nuclear weapons and missiles.

The country conducted the first test of the missile, which was unveiled at a military parade in April to mark the 105th birthday of late state founder Kim Il-sung, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

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

Comey says he was fired over Russia probe, blasts 'lies'

Former FBI Director James Comey asserted Thursday that President Donald Trump fired him to interfere with his investigation of Russia's ties to the Trump campaign, bluntly accusing the White House of spreading ``lies, plain and simple.'' Comey also revealed that he'd orchestrated the public release of information about his private conversations with the president in an effort to further the investigation.

Comey's testimony, at a hugely anticipated congressional hearing that captured the country's attention, provided a gripping account of his interactions with Trump and underscored the deep distrust that had soured their relationship before his stunning firing last month.

Opposition parties reject foreign minister nominee

Opposition parties have made clear their stance against Foreign Minister nominee Kang Kyung-wha, putting the brakes on President Moon Jae-in’s efforts to form a diplomatic lineup amid multiple foreign relations challenges. The Liberty Korea Party, Bareun Party and People’s Party formed a united front against the nominee, who underwent a confirmation hearing Wednesday, citing ethical lapses. “Our party concluded that it would reject Kang’s confirmation hearing report on Friday,” the People’s Party’s spokesperson Choi Myung-ghil said after a party meeting.

Conservatives may fall short of majority

An exit poll suggested Thursday that British Prime Minister Theresa May's gamble in calling an early election has backfired spectacularly, with her Conservative Party in danger of losing its majority in Parliament. An opposition Labour Party that had been written off by many pollsters surged in the final weeks of a campaign that was marred by deadly attacks in Manchester and London. If accurate, the result will confound those who said Labour's left-wing leader, Jeremy Corbyn, was electorally toxic. The survey predicted the Conservatives would get 314 seats and the Labour Party 266. It projected 34 for the Scottish National Party and 14 for the Liberal Democrats. The pound lost more than 2 cents against the dollar within seconds of the exit poll announcement, before recovering slightly.

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

Assembly likely to reject FM nominee

The liberal opposition People's Party decided Thursday to reject Kang Kyung-wha, President Moon Jae-in's pick for foreign minister, following a tough confirmation hearing the previous day that focused on her alleged ethical lapses. This dims the prospect of her winning National Assembly confirmation because conservative parties vowed to oppose Kang even before the hearing. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) requires the cooperation of the People's Party which holds the deciding vote.

Korean cabbie loses license for overcharging foreigners

A taxi driver has lost his license for habitually overcharging foreign passengers. The cabbie will be unable to regain the license for a year. He was the first South Korean taxi driver to have his license revoked in violation of the "three-strikes-out" rule adopted in February. Under the law, a taxi driver caught overcharging foreign passengers three times is banned. According to Seoul City, the driver took three Chinese women from Myeongdong to Apgujeong in Seoul in May. He charged them 30,000 won, although 10,000 won is the right fare. The passengers reported the case to Seoul City, which is responsible for punishing overcharging taxi drivers. It was found that the driver was punished twice last year for overcharging.

North Korea fires anti-ship cruise missiles

North Korea launched what were presumed to be anti-ship cruise missiles from its east coast Thursday morning, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). his is the North's fifth missile firing since President Moon Jae-in was sworn in, May 10. After receiving reports about the provocation from the JCS as well as national security adviser Chung Eui-yong, President Moon convened a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) at 2 p.m. at Cheong Wa Dae to discuss countermeasures. During the meeting, Moon made it clear that his government will never compromise on issues related to national security, presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun said.

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

Ex-FBI Director James Comey drops a testimony bomb on Trump

Former FBI Director James Comey appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday (local time) and exposed that President Donald Trump pressured him to end the FBI’s investigation into ties between Trump’s campaign associates and Russia. His testimony is to officially raise the suspicion that Trump obstructed justice which was dealt only by the press and appears to serve as an opportunity to embark on a full discussion about the impeachment of the president in just five months after taking office. Some Washington insiders observe that it may have an impact on the Korea-U.S. Summit scheduled to be held at the end of this month as Trump’s control over national affairs has weakened.

Last performance of Don Giovanni at La Scala

The city of fashion, the Milan Cathedral and "The Last Supper" by Leonardo Da Vinci… They are what you think of Milan, a northern Italian city. A different thing might come across to classical music or opera fans: La Scala, one of the world’s best opera houses. The opera house in downtown Milan was set up in 1779. Many operas including Verdi’s Oberto, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and Turandot and Umberto Giordano’s Andrea Chenier had their premiere at the theater. It is a go-to place for opera fans.

Korea's venture investment below 50% of U.S. and China

Recent report showed that the amount of investments in ventures compared to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Korea was below 50 percent of those of the U.S. and China. According to the report titled “Comparison, Eval‎uation, and Policy Implications of Venture Capitals Home and Abroad” issued by Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI) on Thursday, Korea’s GDP-to-venture investment stood at a mere 0.13 percent last year. This figure was one third of that of the U.S. (0.37%) where venture traditionally thrived. Moreover, the figure did not even reach half of that of China (0.28%).

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

N.Korea Lobs Missiles into East Sea

The missiles North Korea lobbed into the East Sea on Thursday morning are presumed to be land-to-ship cruise missiles. They flew about 200 km each. The South Korean military believes the missiles were carried by a four-tube launch vehicle that made its debut during a parade in Pyongyang on May 15 marking the 105th anniversary of regime founder Kim Il-sung's birthday. They flew at a relatively low altitude of 2 km, a military spokesman here said, apparently to avoid enemy radar, and are thought to be an improved version of the KN-01 missile adapted from the Russian-made KH-35 Uran.

Illegal Chinese Trawlers Vanished from West Sea

No Chinese trawlers have been seen fishing illegally in waters off Yeonpyeong Island in the West Sea since last month. They used to swarm these waters during blue crab season each year. According to the government authorities on Wednesday, no Chinese trawlers have been caught by the Navy radar in waters near the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border, since May 15. Normally around 150 of them swarm the area from April to June when blue crab season starts. But their numbers suddenly started dwindling in early April, and by April 11 there were none. A handful returned on April 19 but since mid-May no more have been sighted.

China, Russia Keep Trading with N.Korea

China and Russia keep supporting North Korea's arms development by buying its iron ore and other goods and thereby weakening international sanctions, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported Tuesday. China imported US$20.26 million worth of iron ore from the North in April, up 4.4 times from a year ago, the daily said, quoting analysis of China Customs Statistics data by Hong Kong business analysts CEIC.

That suggests that there has been no real change in China's attitude despite Chinese President Xi Jinping's promise to his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in early April to put heavier pressure on the North.

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

THAAD deployment delayed for environmental impact assessment

The Blue House announced on June 7 that it would wait for the completion of the Defense Ministry’s environmental impact assessment before deciding whether to commit to deploying the other four THAAD launchers that have been brought into South Korea. But it made clear that it does not intend to remove the two launchers and the X-band radar that are already deployed at the golf course in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province. Considering that an environmental impact assessment typically takes a year, the complete deployment of the THAAD battery (which consists of an X-band radar and six launchers) will likely be delayed accordingly.

Blue House defends Pres. Moon‘s decision for THAAD environmental impact assessment

On June 7, the Blue House vocally defended the orders of President Moon Jae-in to carry out an environmental impact assessment on the THAAD deployment. The Blue House appeared to be addressing reports by conservative newspapers on June 8 that suggested that Moon’s orders reflected inadequate understanding of the law. Emphasizing the importance of protocol, the Blue House said it would hold off on its decision about deploying the four additional launchers that have been delivered to South Korea until the completion of the environmental impact assessment. But it also said it would not remove the two launchers and the X-band radar that have already been deployed at the golf course in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province. The measures appear to take into account how THAAD affects relations both with the US and with China.

OECD predicts 2.6% economic growth for South Korea this year

The OECD predicted an economic growth rate of 2.6% for South Korea in 2017 and called for a combination of aggressive fiscal policy and structural reforms. In a Global Economic Outlook report published by the OECD on June 7, South Korea‘s economic growth rate for the year was projected at 2.6%, roughly the same as predicted in Nov. 2016. In its report, the OECD predicted a gradual recovery on the strength of improved exports, rising corporate investment, and increased consumer confidence after strong semiconductor performance in 2017. “Downside risks to the outlook include heightened geo-political tensions and trade protectionism, notably a possible revision of the US-Korea free trade agreement,” the report added, additionally citing the housing market, household debt, and trade frictions with China over the THAAD deployment.

Unapproved seeds found growing throughout South Korea

Large amounts of unapproved Chinese living modified organism (LMO) rapeseed are being farmed throughout South Korea, an investigation found. The government is now taking action to address the holes revealed in the current imported seed inspection system. In a briefing at the Sejong Government Complex on June 7, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) announced that an investigation tracing all Chinese rapeseed seeds imported since Jan. 2016 showed 32.5 tons imported by four companies - amounting to 40.8% of the 79.6 tons imported by a total of ten companies - to have come into South Korea with LMO seeds mixed in. Much of the quantity is already being raised at 56 farms in South Korea’s 13 provinces and metropolitan cities.

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

North fires series of antiship cruise missiles into sea

North Korea fired several short-range antiship cruise missiles Thursday morning off its eastern coast, which flew about 200 kilometers (124 miles) after peaking at an altitude of 2 kilometers before landing in the East Sea, local military officials said. The first missile, detected by South Korean authorities at 6:18 a.m., was followed by “several more” projectiles for “several minutes.” The type of missile was not immediately known, as is often the usual case. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired from the vicinity of North Korea’s eastern coastal city of Wonsan, Kangwon Province.

Samsung invests $766 million in Indian plant

Samsung Electronics is spending 860 billion won ($766 million) to double its production capacity for smartphones and home appliances at its plant near New Delhi, India. The company broke ground in Noida in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday local time on a plot of land that spans 35 acres, which it recently purchased near the factory currently in operation. The existing factory, which has been churning out smartphones, TVs and refrigerators, takes up 30 acres. The 860 billion won Samsung has set aside for production expansion is 2.5 times what the company promised last October as it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian state. When the new factory is completed in the latter part of next year, the combined annual production volume for smartphones in the Noida production facilities will double to 120 million units.

Banks target borrowers with middling credit

Among Korean lenders, competition is heating up to attract a specific segment of borrowers: those with middling credit. These potential customers are often white-collar office workers with a credit rating between 4 and 6 on Korea’s 1-to-10 scale, with 1 being the best score. As of last year, the number of people in this middle range amounted to over 18.8 million, roughly 42 percent of the population. Financial institutions are hoping to attract this middling segment with loan rates in the range of 6 to 19 percent. The usual amount borrowed is between 30 million and 50 million won ($26,700 to $44,500), and in some cases as high as 100 million won. In most cases, they are unsecured loans.

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

Kim Yi-su Says, “A Dissenting Opinion Proves That the Society Is Healthy”

On June 7 at the national assembly’s confirmation hearing for Constitutional Court President nominee Kim Yi-su (64) a.k.a. ‘Mr. Dissenting Opinion,’ a heated debate went on over his past dissenting opinions. While the Liberty Korea Party argued that they were “the results of following the Minjoo Party of Korea’s stance,” Kim refuted, “A dissenting opinion proves that the society is healthy.” The first issue started with Kim’s dissenting opinion for dismissal at the time of the Constitutional Court ruling to disband the Unified Progressive Party (UPP).

Opposition Fiercely Attacks Kang for “Having Committed Four out of Five Irregularities,” Failing to Make One Effective Blow

When the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee held a confirmation hearing of Minister of Foreign Affairs nominee Kang Kyung-wha (62) on June 7, morality was the greatest issue.

As opposition lawmakers raised various allegations over Kang and insisted that she was ‘unfit’ as the foreign minister, they made an onslaught regarding the moral sides of the nominee. However, many believe that the lawmakers have failed to present anything significant to disqualify her ‘at one blow.’ President Moon Jae-in had declared that his government would not tap into those who have committed the so-called ‘five major irregularities’ as high-ranking officials.

"Vietnam War Veterans, Miners Sent to Germany, and Young Female Workers in Cheonggyecheon Are All Patriots"

President Moon Jae-in's speech on June 6 Memorial Day was an answer to the question, "What is patriotism?" President Moon answered by arguing that patriotism was not something "that existed only in the battlefield for independence and in defense of our homeland." He defined patriotism as "everything that made Korea what it is today." The Taegeukgi (South Korean flag), which was in the arms of the independence fighters, was also present on top of many plateaus during the Korean War, just as it had been present when the nation sent its miners and nurses to Germany and when the citizens fought for democracy in the May 18 Democratic Uprising and the June pro-democracy movement in 1987.

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

SK Chairman's "Global Partnering" Strategy Pays off

Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, made extra efforts for seven years to establish China-Korea Petrochemical, the joint venture formed by SK Global Chemical and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec). The joint venture, which marked the fourth anniversary this year, is now paying handsome dividends, posting an operating profit of 191.1 billion won in the first quarter of this year, the highest in its history. Some analysts expected the joint venture's annual operating profit to reach at least 2.2 billion yuan this year.

SK Innovation CEO Unveils Ambitious Management Plan

SK innovation's CEO and president Kim Jun unveiled a blueprint for the future of the nation's leading oil refining and chemical company. He intends to invest 10 trillion won, including 3 trillion won this year, by 2020 to boost the company's global competitiveness in the areas of electric car batteries and chemical business. Kim said, "We will make intensive investment in battery and chemical areas to increase our corporate value from the current 16 trillion won up to 30 trillion won, thereby ranking within the nation's top-five firms."

Volvo Truck Korea Intends to Keep Top Position in the Future

Volvo Truck has kept its leading position in the Korean market for more than ten years since 2007. Last year, its sales figure was 2,600, far ahead of the runner-up MAN Truck (1,500). Kim Young-jae, president of Volvo Truck, said, "We have kept running for years thinking about customer service and nothing else." The company established a 24-hour customer call center in 2002, kicked off a fuel economy competition in 2007, and launched nighttime repair services (2016).

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

Moon's agenda for summit meeting with Trump

It is an incredibly difficult moment for a summit meeting between Korea and the United States and it is doubtful that any real breakthrough is possible, but if necessary there are ways to go forward. The United States is in the midst of tremendous political turmoil and it is up to Korea, and not to the Trump administration to put forth a powerful vision for what is possible. President Moon should be innovative. For example, he might bring along the presidents of major universities and research institutes as part of a major initiative to promote collaboration in science and technology with the United States. Korea seriously lags behind in international collaboration and this issue is serious, even if it has never been highlighted before. Moon can find a consensus and support far beyond his base if Korea declares that it will be a leader in academic collaboration.

Philippines Health Dengue Fever Fight

A Filipino pest exterminator sprays chemicals to eradicate mosquitos as part of intensive anti-dengue campaign of the Pest Exterminators Association of the Philippines (PEAP) at a slum area in Manila, Philippines, 08 June 2017. Amid increase of Dengue cases in Philippine National Capital Region (NCR), the Department of Health will conduct a massive dengue prevention in time of observance of Dengue Awareness this month of June. According to World Health Organization (WHO) study, the incidence of dengue has grown dramatically around the world in recent decades. WHO estimates that 3.9 billion people, in 128 countries, are at risk of infection with dengue viruses. Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that has rapidly spread in all regions in recent years.

Ex-health minister given prison sentence for helping Samsung merger

A former health minister was given a 30-month jail sentence for helping the controversial merger of two Samsung Group units at the request of South Korea's jailed ex-president Park Geun-hye, dealing a blow to her legal battle. In 2015, Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T were merged in a deal that helped the group's ruling family cement its cross-ownership structure and accelerate the transfer of leadership from the bedridden father of Samsung Electronics vice chairman Jay Y. Lee. Prosecutors contend that with Park's help, Samsung received preferential treatment from the Fair Trade Commission, an anti-trust watchdog.

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

Seoul Semicon strikes out-of-court settlement with Kmart over patents

South Korea’s light-emitting diode (LED) producer Seoul Semiconductor Co. said Wednesday it reached out-of-court settlement with U.S.-based retail giant Kmart Corp. ahead of the final ruling by a California court on its lawsuit on patent infringement. Seoul Semiconductor in September last year filed a suit against in the U.S. retailer in the U.S. District Court in California, accusing it of selling LED products manufactured with its patented technologies.

Hyundai Motor, Baidu join hands to lead Chinese connected car market

South Korea’s largest automaker Hyundai Motor Co. aims to release a new connected car using China’s leading web service provider Baidu Inc.’s technology in the world largest auto market later this year in an effort to seek a breakthrough after rapidly losing ground to its Chinese rivals. Hyundai Motor revealed the plan Wednesday on the opening day of CES Asia 2017, one of major consumer electronics exhibitions focused on the Asia-Pacific market, in Shanghai, China. The Korean automaker will showcase a connected car, sport utility vehicle Santa Fe, fitted with navigation system Baidu MapAuto and driver assistance system Duer OS Auto, which it co-developed with Baidu, during the exhibition that will end on 9 June.

Taekwang to expand biz scope in Vietnam

Taekwang Co., a first-generation Korean company that successfully entered the Vietnamese market with contract manufacturing of NIKE shoes, is expanding its business models to include industrial complex construction, power plant and logistics in the Southeast Asian country. The company said on Wednesday it is constructing an industrial cluster around a dyeing plant currently being built in the Moc Bai Border Gate Economic Zone in Tay Ninh Province in the vicinity of Ho Chi Minh City.

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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