The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Thursday, June 15, 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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Special notice:

Time is running out and we are still far from having the pictures of all the spouses of the ambassadors for the Who’s Who among the Spouses of the Ambassadors in our next (June 2017) issue.

Please send the wonderful copy of the portrait photograph of Madam to edt@koreapost.com or yeskoreapost@gmail.com by Wednesday June 21.

Do a favor to the Madam, and introduce her wonderful picture to the readers of The 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/)

US Fed Raises Key Rate .25% to Level of S. Korean Lending Cost

Anchor: The U.S. Federal Reserve announced its decision to raise key interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday, marking the second time the Fed has raised rates this year after the first hike in March. The new rate of one to one and a quarter percent is on par with the level of South Korea's.

Opposition React Strongly to Gov'ts Unilateral Appointment of Officials

Anchor: The opposition parties expressed strong objection to the government’s unilateral appointment of trade watchdog chief nominee, Kim Sang-jo, crippling the parliamentary hearings on other Cabinet nominees for hours on Wednesday. As President Moon Jae-in is resolute to appoint his foreign minister nominee despite the opposition, the local political community is quickly falling into deadlock

Moon to Create 2nd Nat'l Cabinet Meeting with Governors and Mayors

President Moon Jae-in says he will decentralize the administrative authorities to empower local governments.

In a meeting with 17 provincial governors and mayors at the presidential office on Wednesday, the president promised to create what he called the "second national cabinet meeting."

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

Cheong Wa Dae to ask parliament for one more attempt to endorse FM nominee

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae was set to ask the National Assembly to once again try and approve the president's pick for new foreign minister, officials said Thursday, in what will likely be the last step before appointing the nominee.

The move comes as the opposition-led parliament failed to issue a report on the outcome of a confirmation hearing for Foreign Minister-nominee Kang Kyung-wha, held last Wednesday.

Foreigners take up more than half of tech market cap

Foreign investors have taken up more than half of the combined market capitalization of tech shares listed on the main bourse, data showed Thursday, apparently as local companies are expanding their presence on the global arena.

According to the data compiled by the bourse operator Korea Exchange, foreigners took up 228 trillion won (US$202 billion), or 52.01 percent of the combined market capitalization of 439 trillion won posted by tech firms as of Wednesday. It marked the highest figure since 52.02 percent reached in September 2004.

S. Korea to take appropriate market stabilizing measures

South Korea said Thursday that it will tighten monitoring of the local financial market and take immediate measures to stave off any fallout from the latest U.S. rate increase.

"We will get fully prepared to minimize the adverse impact of the U.S. rate hike," Vice Finance Minister Ko Hyoung-kwon said at a financial policy meeting in Seoul. "The government will keep close tabs on the market and take stabilizing measures in a timely manner."

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

Washington Post: Warmbier must have gone through 'horrendous mistreatment' in NK

The comatose American college student released from North Korea must have gone through "horrendous mistreatment" in the communist nation, the Washington Post said Wednesday, calling for stronger sanctions on Pyongyang.

University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier, 22, returned to his Ohio home in a coma after spending 17 months in the North on charges of stealing a political propaganda poster from a hotel.

Gunman who shot congressman had history of anti-GOP activity

The gunman who shot a top GOP congressman and several other people Wednesday at a baseball practice outside the nation's capital had a long history of lashing out at Republicans and recently frightened a neighbor by firing a rifle into a field behind his Illinois home.

James T. Hodgkinson, 66, wounded House Rep. Steve Scalise before he was fatally shot by police who had been guarding the House majority whip.

Death toll rises to 12 in London apartment building inferno

A deadly overnight fire raced through a 24-story apartment tower in London on Wednesday, killing at least six people and injuring 74 others. One desperate woman threw a baby out of a high window and a man on the ground managed to catch the child, a witness said.

US Fed raises key rates for 2nd time this year

The US Federal Reserve raised key interest rates by 0.25 percentage point Wednesday, and said it plans to reduce its securities holdings, a move that could spur rates to rise further.

The Fed raised the target range for the federal funds rate from 1 to 1.25 percent, a level that's on par with South Korea's. It was the second time the Fed has raised rates this year after the first hike in March.

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

Yonsei explosion suspect faces attempted murder charges

Police are considering filing attempted murder charges against a student suspected of leaving a parcel containing a homemade explosive at the office of a Yonsei University professor, Tuesday.

Police at the Seodaemun Police Station apprehended the suspect identified as Kim, 25, on Tuesday evening.

Korea becomes 'banana republic'?

Photos of half-ripe greenish-yellow bananas growing in the front yard of a house in Daegu, 300 kilometers south of Seoul, went viral Tuesday. And another photo of the tropical fruit emerged in Gwangju, another southern city, Wednesday.

Many netizens just reacted with excitement, without pondering the implications. Yet think twice, it's a serious reminder of global warming. To Korea, the photos suggest that the country that has been believed to stand way above the northern limit line for a banana cultivation climate has come under its spell.

Father of five falls to death in 'rope cutting' murder

Police have caught a man who allegedly cut a painter's safety rope in a dispute over noisy music, causing the worker to plunge to his death from a 15-story building.

The painter, 46, the father of five children, fell 40 meters on June 8. Police have sought a warrant to arrest the suspect -- a resident of the building in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province -- on a murder charge.

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

US official visited Pyongyang to evacuate Warmbier

Joseph Y. Yun, the State Department’s special representative for North Korea and the U.S.’s chief representative for the six party talks, came back from his recent visit to North Korea per instructions given by U.S. President Donald Trump to evacuate Otto F. Warmbier (22), American college student who is in a comma after having been detained in Pyongyang.

Seoul prepares for the first summit with President Trump

The South Korean presidential office and the Foreign Ministry are preparing for various scenarios to be ready for possible surprise activities by U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s first summit with the U.S. leader.

Korean clergymen, welfare workers receive Pope Francis' blessing in Vatican

The clergymen and volunteer workers at Kkottongnae (Flower Village), a religious congregation provides both food and pastoral care to the residents in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, have received Pope Francis' blessing at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

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

Moon Fills Cabinet with Mostly Conventional PicksPresident Moon Jae-in had nominated 15 candidates for ministerial posts by Tuesday, filling most available positions except for the Ministry of Small and Medium Venture Business, which is to be newly created. But counter to his promises of inclusiveness, 13 either worked from Moon's presidential campaign or contributed otherwise to heaving his administration into office.

N.Korean Soldier's Defection 'Spurred by Propaganda Broadcasts'

A North Korean border guard on Tuesday crossed the heavily armed border to defect, reportedly influenced by the propaganda broadcasts South

Korea blasts across the demilitarized zone.

How to Enjoy Green Plums Without Poisoning Yourself

Green plums are popular in Korea for their supposed medicine-like benefits that help ease stomachaches and prevent food poisoning, but they should be consumed with caution. The fruit can in fact be toxic if prepared improperly.

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

In first overseas trip as President, Moon to visit the US later this month

On June 28, President Moon Jae-in will go on a four-day trip to the US to hold a summit with US President Donald Trump, the Blue House announced on June 13. Moon is visiting the US less than two months after his inauguration as president because he is convinced of the urgent need to reaffirm the South Korea-US alliance and to strengthen cooperation on pressing security issues, including North Korea‘s nuclear weapons and missile programs.

Pres. Moon says his appointments made on basis of reform and expertise

President Moon Jae-in’s nomination of ministers to head four ministries on June 13, including the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, means candidates have been selected for 15 out of 17 ministerial positions. The ruling Minjoo Party has described the Moon administration’s first Cabinet picks as the selection of optimal reformists with expertise who agree with Moon‘s governance philosophy. The opposition, in contrast, has blasted them as typical loyalty and gratitude appointments, noting that many of the Cabinet nominees also served in the Roh Moo-hyun administration (2003-08) or in Moon’s election camp or formed ties to him during his time as Minjoo Party leader.

As Unification Minister, Pres. Moon nominates official with history of reconciliation

President Moon Jae-in’s nomination of former Blue House Senior Secretary to the President for Unification, Foreign, and Security Policies Cho Myung-gyun for Minister of Unification on June 12 sent a strong signal that he plans to restore the ministry’s standing and functions after they were undermined by the Lee Myung-bak (2008-13) and Park Geun-hye (2013-16) administrations.

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

Moon decides to push ahead with Kang Kyung-wha

Despite resistance by the opposition parties, the Blue House said Wednesday it will take necessary legal steps to formalize the appointment of Kang Kyung-wha, a senior UN diplomat, as the foreign minister.

“If the National Assembly does not endorse and send the report on the confirmation hearing, we will request them to send it,” a presidential aide said Wednesday, hinting that President Moon Jae-in will appoint her without the opposition lawmakers’ consent…

Pyongyang returns U.S. student, now in a coma

The 22-year-old American Otto Warmbier, who was arrested by North Korean authorities in January 2016 for attempting to steal a propaganda poster from a hotel, was flown back to his home in Cincinnati Tuesday night after 17 months.

Amcham suggests Korus FTA fund

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea suggested that President Moon Jae-in create a $10 billion fund for purchasing U.S. products on his first summit later this month with U.S. President Donald Trump, in order to cast a positive light on the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.

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

President Moon Tells Japanese Envoy, 'We Need More Time with the Comfort Women Agreement'

On June 12, President Moon Jae-in said that South Korea and Japan both needed to face the fact that the South Korean people and the comfort women victims could ···

President Moon, 'Hope South and North Korea, China and Japan Can Co-host the 2030 World Cup'

On June 12, President Moon Jae-in expressed his wishes for South and North Korea, China and Japan to co-host the 2030 World Cup to FIFA. According to Cheong···

[30th Anniversary of the June Democracy Movement] President Moon, 'Our New Challenge Is Economic Democracy'

President Moon Jae-in presented "economic democracy" as an issue on the 30th anniversary of the June 10 Democratic Uprising. He made it clear that econ···

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

Household Debt Rises by 10 Tril. Won in May

Last month, the balance of household debt has increased by 10 trillion won, largely due to a rise in home mortgage loans and loans from mutual finance companies. This is the highest volume since early this year.

"Gov't Won't Convert All Temp Jobs into Regular Ones"...Vice Chairman of Job Creation Commission

Lee Yong-seop, Vice Chairman of the Job Creation Commission, said, "It's not that the government will convert all temporary jobs into regular ones." He said this on June 14 in the Korea Economic Daily Millennium Forum held in the Seoul Club in Seoul's downtown sponsored jointly by Hyundai Economic Research Institute and the Korea Economic Daily, adding, "There are jobs better served as temporary" such as substitute positions for those taking maternity leaves.

Otis Sets up Its First Production Base in Songdo

Otis, the world's largest manufacturer of elevators and escalators, will set up a large-scale R&D center and state-of-the-art production plant at Songdo in Incheon.

Otis is not alone. Other major elevator manufacturers such as Japan's Mitsubishi and Germany's Thyssen Krupp are expanding their investment in Korea, indicating that the country is emerging as a key testbed in the competition of the global elevator industry.

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

N. Korean soldier defects across heavily armed land border

A North Korean soldier has defected to South Korea after walking across the heavily armed land border amid high tensions caused by Pyongyang's continued missile and nuclear tests, military authorities said.

S. Korean scientists invent wet-tolerant adhesive patch inspired by Octopi

South Korean scientists claimed to have developed a powerful wet-tolerant adhesive patch inspired by Octopus suction cups that can be attached and detached up to 1,000 times. They think the patch can be used for medical adhesives, wearable devices and industrial materials because it sticks to wet or dry surfaces, leaving no residues.

Parcel bomb attacker admits copycat crime of Russian subway bombing

A 25-year-old graduate student accused of parcel-bombing his professor confessed that his attack was a copycat of the suicide subway bombing that killed 16 people in Russia in April, police said Wednesday.

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

New Korean FTC chief says chaebol reform will not be rushed

Kim Sang-jo, a chaebol critic who was seated as the new head of the Fair Trade Commission through executive presidential order amid delayed legislative confirmation said on Wednesday that the antitrust watchdog will not rush with reforming the chaebol establishments as such process must be done based on thorough study and reason.

S. Korea’s employment rate rises to record-high of 61.3% in May

South Korea’s payroll data showed an improvement in May with the employment rate up 0.3 percentage point from a year earlier to 61.3 percent, the highest since the data has been kept record in June 1999, government data showed.

Gains in Korea’s household loans accelerate in May, but slightly down from year-ago

South Korea’s household loans from local financial institutions grew by 10 trillion won ($8.9 billion) in May from a month ago in the fastest monthly gain so far this year.

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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

Japan's Yomiuriwww.yomiuri.co.jp japannews@yomiuri.com

Asahi www.asahi.com customer-support@asahi.com

Mainichiwww.mainichi.jp

Le Mondewww.ilemonde.com

Italy La Repubblica www.quotidiano.repubblica.it vittorio.zucconi@gmail.com

Germany Frankfurter AllgemeineZeitungwww.faz.net anzeigen.ausland@faz.de

SüddeutscheZeitungwww.sueddeutsche.de forum@sueddeutsche.de

Australia Brisbane Times www.brisbanetimes.com.au syndication@fairfaxmedia.com.au

Sydney Morning Heraldwww.smh.com.au

Colombia Reportshttp://colombiareports.com

Bogota Free Planethttp://bogotafreeplanet.combfp@bogotafreeplanet.com

El Universalhttp://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english

Andeshttp://www.andes.info.ec/en

Ecuador Timeshttp://www.ecuadortimes.net

The Jordan Timeshttps://www.jordantimes.com

LSM.lv http://www.lsm.lv/en

The Baltic Timeshttp://www.baltictimes.comlithuania@baltictimes.com, estonia@baltictimes.com, editor@baltictimes.com

El Paishttp://elpais.com/elpais/inenglish.html

Philippine Daily Inquirerhttps://www.inquirer.net

Daily News Hungaryhttp://dailynewshungary.com

Budapest Timeshttp://budapesttimes.hu

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The Korea Post is running video clips from the different embassies.

Azerbaijan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR8CBpcQ4WM

Sri Lanka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hByX92Y2aGY&t=22s

Morocco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfFmp2sVvSE

And many other countries.

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