The Korean daily media headlines and humor

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Your Excellency:

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

Very Respectfully Yours

/s/

Lee Kyung-sik

Publisher-Chairman

Korea Post Media

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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 Arrives in Washington for Trump Summit

President Moon Jae-in arrived in Washington on Wednesday for his inaugural summit with the U.S. president. Landing at Andrews Air Force base, he was greeted by the South Korean ambassador to the U.S., American officials and Korean-American representatives. Moon began his official itinerary by paying respects at a memorial commemorating the Changjin Lake Campaign. The November 1950 campaign, more commonly known as the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, was one of the fiercest conflicts during the Korean War. It also enabled the evacuation of some 90-thousand civilians, including Moon's parents from Hungnam, North Korea, to the South.

THAAD Won't be Key Topic at Moon-Trump Summit

A senior White House official made the remark on Wednesday in a telephone briefing to preview the summit. The official said President Moon Jae-in has emphasized the importance of following the domestic legal procedure in completing THAAD deployment. The official added, however, that South Korea also made it clear that the process shouldn't be equated with a reversal of the decision to deploy THAAD. Instead, the White House official said U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to address a perceived imbalance in the bilateral trade relationship, adding there are barriers to U.S. auto sales in South Korea and an excessive amount of Chinese steel comes to the United States via South Korea.

Arrest Warrant Sought for People's Party Member over Fabrication Scandal

The prosecution has requested an arrest warrant for a member of the minor People’s Party for fabricating allegations against President Moon Jae-in’s son during the presidential election. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office said it applied for an arrest warrant of arrest for Lee Yoo-mi Wednesday afternoon on charges of violating the election law. Lee was arrested without a warrant while being summoned for questioning by the prosecution on Monday.

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

Moon commemorates alliance with visit to memorial for Korean War battle

South Korean President Moon Jae-in began his four-day trip to the United States on Wednesday with a visit to a new memorial for a Korean War battle that apparently holds a special meaning for himself and his family. The new South Korean leader arrived in Washington earlier in the day for his first summit meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump later in the week. Following his arrival, Moon and his wife Kim Jung-sook headed directly to the recently revealed memorial for the Jangjin Lake Campaign in Quantico, Virginia. The 1950 battle around Jangjin Lake was what had temporarily stopped an eventual southward advance of North Korean and Chinese forces, allowing some 100,000 civilians, including Moon's own parents, to evacuate from what is now Hungnam, North Korea.

U.S., S. Korea on same page on reining in N. Korea

The United States and South Korea are united in efforts to bring North Korea under control, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday. At the start of his first meeting with new South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Tillerson was asked if the two countries are "on the same page on reining in North Korea" and responded, "Of course." No further details of their discussions were immediately available. Kang arrived in Washington earlier in the day, accompanying President Moon Jae-in on his first official visit to the U.S. for summit talks with President Donald Trump.

Samsung maintains status as top maker of smartphone displays in Q1

Samsung Display Co. maintained its status as the world's No. 1 smartphone display maker in the first quarter, market data showed Thursday, apparently helped by robust shipments of flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) products. According to the data compiled by industry tracker IHS Markit, the combined global sales of LCD and OLED displays that are 9 inches or smaller came to US$13 billion in the January-March period, up 35 percent from a year earlier. Samsung Display posted sales of $3.5 billion over the first quarter, accounting for 27.2 percent of the global market. Japan Display followed with 17.8 percent, trailed by South Korea-based LG Display Co. and China-based BOE Technology Group, the data also showed.

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

Moon suggests ‘action for action’ in engaging NK

North Korea should begin by freezing its nuclear program for inter-Korean dialogue to resume, President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday, suggesting an “action for action” approach to North Korea. Speaking aboard South Korea’s Air Force One headed for Washington DC, Moon said that while he does seek inter-Korean dialogue, Pyongyang must take actions to facilitate such outcome. “I think that (Pyongyang should) at the very least freeze its nuclear program for dialogue,” Moon said, saying that the most likely route to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula would involve stage. “If freezing (of Pyongyang’s nuclear program) is the way into dialogue, then the exit of that dialogue is the abolishment.”

Clampdown on E-2 visa misuse ‘still open and ongoing’

An investigation into foreign residents teaching subjects other than their native language on E-2 visas is “still open and ongoing,” South Korea’s immigration office confirmed to The Korea Herald.

In April, a clampdown on two English immersion alternative schools in Seoul led to the deportations of some 14 foreign teachers and ultimately the shutdown of the institutions. “The investigation was initiated upon a request from the education office as well as complaints from some parents who send their children to other English language institutes,” the office said in a written response to an inquiry. The immigration office, however, declined to reveal whether other alternative schools or private academies are being targeted, saying the probe is still “open and ongoing.”

Cooperation trumps restrictions for sustainable reform

South Korea needs to address chronic problems in its economic structure in order to achieve sustainability in economic reforms, including those of family-run business groups known as chaebol by the new government, experts voiced at a forum on Wednesday. Around 300 government officials including Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Kim Dong-yeon, executives of major businesses, and economic scholars gathered at the 2017 Herald Business 氣UP Forum, a business policy conference, held at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul to discuss and suggest desirable directions for the Moon Jae-in government in carrying out its planned chaebol reforms. The participants also addressed low growth problems including the highest-ever youth unemployment rate and preparations for the “fourth industrial revolution” with new growth engines. The name of the forum takes a spin on the Korean word “gi-eop” meaning companies by combining a Chinese character 氣(gi) meaning vigor and English word “up.”

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

Moon to have crucial summit with Trump

President Moon Jae-in headed to the United States, Wednesday, for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. The first-ever summit since the launch of the two countries' new governments will take place Friday and is expected to focus on reaffirming their alliance and promoting personal friendship between the heads of state. The two leaders are also expected to touch on thorny issues such as North Korea's nuclear and missile threats as well as the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in Korea.

Students caught masturbating in front of female teacher

Students from a middle school in Daejeon face disciplinary action for masturbating in front of a female teacher during a class. Nine first graders performed the act on June 21, according to the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education (DMOE) Tuesday. The teacher immediately left the classroom and reported the incident to the school, which notified the DMOE. "According to a survey done by the school, it turned out that this was not the first time group masturbation had happened," a DMOE official told Yonhap News Agency, a Korean news outlet. "We are considering opening a full investigation into all students that attend the school."

Victims of S. Korea's dark history still searching for justice

Thirty years after the atrocities of the Brothers Home were brought to light, much still remains in the dark, its former inmates said during a conference, Tuesday, at the National Assembly. Six survivors from the detention center spoke of the horrors ― forced labor, beatings, rapes and killings ― that continue to haunt them, as they pleaded for justice. The victims urged the Moon Jae-in administration to help enact a special act, proposed by 73 lawmakers including Rep. Jin Sun-mi of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), to identify and punish those accountable, including those still in the government, and compensate the victims. Brothers Home was a government-funded detention center that trafficked in people for hard labor between 1975 and 1987. Often referred to as a concentration camp, the Brothers Home was found responsible for at least 500 deaths. Yet, no one has been held accountable.

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

Samsung to build a home appliance plant in U.S.

South Korea's electronics giant Samsung Electronics Co. plans to build a 380-million-U.S.-dollar home appliance plant in Newberry, South Carolina to become the second major South Korean company to decide to build a production plant in the United States since Donald Trump became U.S. president. Samsung signed a letter of intent with the state government of South Carolina for the production facilities at the Willard InterContinental hotel in Washington D.C. on Tuesday (local time). Yoon Boo-keun, president and CEO of consumer electronics at Samsung, and South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster were on hand at the signing ceremony, which is viewed as a “gun salute” a day ahead of the South Korea-U.S. summit.

Iron-making site of the Baekje Kingdom found in Chungju

After a big discovery in 2016, a large amount of iron-making relics of the Baekje Kingdom were found again at the Tangeumdae Terrace in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province. “Eight smelters and one site with remains of fire burning for cutting of iron ore were found on the southern hill of the Tangeumdae Terrace,” the Jungwon National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage said Wednesday. The institute discovered three smelters and nine sites with fire-burning remains of the Baekje Kingdom last year. Carbon dating from a sample of the burnt wood shows that these historical findings date to the fourth century A.D.

'Man and AI to co-compose songs,' says SM Entertainment

A song co-written by a human composer and an Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be released in Autumn by SM Entertainment. According to the music and content industries, SM will conduct an experiment converging music with AI by partnering with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Korea Creative Content Agency, Google Campus Seoul, and the Korea National University of Arts. SM plans to release new songs written by man and AI at popular music streaming websites in October at earliest.

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

Women Make up Bigger Proportion of Government Workers

The proportion of women in public-sector jobs is fast approaching 50 percent, but only one in four doctors is female, according to Statistics Korea. Data published Tuesday show that 57.6 percent of candidates who passed the entry-level civil service exam last year were women, exceeding 50 percent for the first time. And in the diplomatic service exam last year, a whopping 70.7 percent of passing candidates were women. As a result the proportion of women in the entire public sector reached 44.6 percent in 2015, up from just 31.5 percent in 2000.

Japanese Diplomat Says Sex Slavery Victims Were 'Prostitutes'

The Japanese consul general in Atlanta, Takashi Shinozuka, waded into a no-go area last week by denying that Korean women were forced to serve as sex slaves for Japanese troops in World War II.

Shinozuka made the claim, which echoes the stance of far-right deniers in his home country, in an interview with the local Reporter Newspapers. He said there is "no evidence" that the Japanese imperial army forced the women into sexual slavery. The daily added that he described them as "paid prostitutes." This is not the first time that a senior Japanese official has made the claim, which is contradicted by a mountain of evidence. In January last year, a lawmaker with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Yoshitaka Sakurada, made similar comments.

Gov't Allows Charity to Send Medicines to N.Korea

The Unification Ministry has approved the Eugene Bell Foundation's application to send W1.9 billion worth of medicines for tuberculosis and materials to build hospital wards to North Korea, the ministry said Tuesday (US$1=W1,137). The foundation is dedicated to treating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the North. It is the first approval of humanitarian assistance to the North by the Moon Jae-in administration. The goods will be sent to Nampo port on a Chinese ship next month. Foundation chair Stephen Linton and other staff are expected to visit the North with the shipment, but the ministry said they require no approval from it because they are all foreign nationals.

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

At upcoming summit with Trump, Pres. Moon can “be a little bold”

President Moon Jae-in will depart South Korea on June 28 for his summit with US President Donald Trump, Moon’s first foray into summit diplomacy. He has a full plate of urgent issues, including the North Korean nuclear program. To figure out how Moon means to tackle these issues, the Hankyoreh interviewed Moon Chung-in, President Moon’s special advisor on unification, foreign affairs and national security, and Justice Party lawmaker Kim Jong-dae and Minjoo Party lawmaker Hong Ik-pyo, who are some of the National Assembly’s preeminent experts on diplomacy and security.

Construction to be suspended on fifth and sixth Shin-Kori nuclear reactors

The South Korean government plans to temporarily halt construction on the fifth and sixth reactors at the Shin-Kori Nuclear Power Plant in Ulsan and hold a citizen jury survey of public opinion to make a decision on whether to abandon it altogether. Coming on the heels of the permanent shutdown of the first reactor at Kori on June 19, it is another example of the Moon Jae-in administration’s move away from nuclear power. The government’s decision on the plan for bringing the Shin-Kori reactor issue to public debate came during a June 27 Cabinet meeting presided over by Moon.

Shin-Kori 5 and 6 construction suspension welcomed by Miryang residents

The South Korean government’s decision to temporarily halt construction of the Shin-Kori 5 and 6 nuclear power plant reactors - with plans to gather public opinion before making a decision on whether to stop building entirely - came as particularly welcome news to the residents of Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, who have been fighting for 12 years to stop construction of extra-high-voltage electricity transmission towers in their community. The Miryang transmission tower saga is closely tied to the building of reactors at Shin-Kori, as it originates in a decision to build the towers to supply electricity from the Shin-Kori 3 and 4 reactors to the greater Seoul area at an extra-high voltage of 765kV.

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

Nuclear-free plan by gov’t faces lots of problems

As President Moon Jae-in pushes ahead with his vision of a nuclear energy-free future, the government decided to halt construction on the Shin Kori 5 and 6 plants. But critics say Moon hasn’t come up with ways to deal with possible hikes in electricity bills or how to find eco-friendly replacements for the plants. Decommissioning costs will also be expensive. “It will cost about 2.6 trillion won [$2.27 billion] to permanently shut down the ongoing construction and it appears that it will have big impact on the regional economy,” said Hong Nam-ki, head of the Office of Government Policy Coordination on Monday. “We came to an agreement that this issue needs to be considered by the public. A special committee will select members of a panel that will decide whether to construct two nuclear reactors in about three months.”

Moon embarks on first trip with tricky agenda

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday embarked on his first overseas trip since taking office for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, with several important issues to discuss, especially how to rein in North Korea’s nuclear ambition. Moon left the country from Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, at around 2 p.m. and was expected to arrive in the U.S. capital on Wednesday afternoon local time. In a departure from past presidential trips - in which presidents were seen off by a large number of cabinet officials and politicians - only a handful of people were at the airport, including presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok and Acting U.S. Ambassador to Korea Marc Knapper. The scaled-down bon voyage was requested by Moon himself.

Pence talks tough on North ahead of summit

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence upped the pressure on North Korea ahead of the first summit between the South Korean and U.S. leaders, saying Washington will not back down on its economic and diplomatic measures until Pyongyang “permanently abandons” its nuclear program. Pence said that the “brutal regime in North Korea” is the “greatest threat facing the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region” in an address to the U.S.-India Business Council on Tuesday in Washington.

SsangYong gains ground after plant is revamped

SsangYong Motor became the No.4 automobile maker in domestic sales in May, overtaking Renault Samsung after selling over 10,000 cars. The automaker owes its recent success in part to its newly revamped assembly line, which has allowed it to keep up with rising demand for the new G4 Rexton. The new large sports utility vehicle is SsangYong’s new arrow in the quiver as the company hopes to expand its market share beyond subcompact crossover vehicles. Its flagship subcompact SUV Tivoli, launched in 2015, made the company the market leader in B-segment SUVs. Over 150,000 units were sold globally last year, helping the company turn a profit for the first time in 9 years.

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

Resistance Inevitable Regardless of the Decision: Seeking a Breakthrough by Encouraging Public Discussions

The government decided to temporarily suspend the construction of Shin Kori Nuclear Power Plant units five and six and to listen to the opinion of the public. Now the fate of Shin Kori five and six are in the hands of the citizens. Environmental groups that had called for the government to immediately stop construction shared views that it was fortunate that the government suspended the construction albeit belatedly. At a ceremony declaring the permanent shutdown of Kori unit 1 on June 19, President Moon Jae-in mentioned safety, construction progress, input costs, compensation costs, and power facility reserves as factors to consider for a social consensus.

People's Party, "Maximum Penalty for Those Responsible for Fabricating Evidence." Also a Heated Debate over Ahn Cheol-soo's Silence

The People's Party is engulfed in the aftermath of fabricated evidence concerning allegations that President Moon Jae-in's son, Joon-yong took advantage of his father's influence in seeking employment. Members of the party continued to raise their voices saying, "Sentence them (the people responsible for the fabrication of the evidence) to the maximum legal penalty" (floor leader Kim Dong-cheol), and "It is embarrassing and shameful" (former lawmaker Moon Byung-ho).

President Moon Launches His First U.S. Trip with a Visit to the Chosin Few Battle Monument: A Step Highlighting "Blood Alliance"

On June 26, Cheong Wa Dae announced that President Moon Jae-in will begin his U.S. trip by paying a visit to the Chosin Few Battle Monument on June 28. The president's first step for better bilateral relations in his five years in office will be emphasizing our “blood alliance.” In the winter of 1950, many U.S. soldiers were killed in the Chosin Reservoir Battle in the Kaema Plateau in South Hamkyong Province, and the battle resulted in many North Korean refugees swarming to the South including the Hungnam Evacuation. Recently, the Chosin Few Battle Monument was unveiled in Quantico, Virginia near Washington D.C.

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

Banks in Dilemma Whether to Increase Hiring Number

Korea's major commercial banks are in dilemma whether to increase their hiring numbers. Even though they are in a position to raise the figure in line with the government's drive to encourage private-sector employers to expand hiring, they must respond to the rising trend in the banking sector including moves toward non-face-to-face channels and consolidation of small branch offices. According to banking industry sources on June 28, large commercial banks such as Shinhan, Kookmin, Woori, and KEB-Hana are having difficulty in deciding how many new college graduates to hire in September this year. The main reason for this is that the current trend in the banking sector runs counter to the government's policy imperative to hire more.

Seoul Education Office Keeps Elite High School Status Unchanged, for Now

The fate of independent private and foreign language schools has turned around again from total oblivion, as the Seoul education office decided to keep the independent and private status of five high schools within the city as is. The Seoul education office said on June 28 that it would redesignate the independent status of five schools including the Kyungmoon High School, Sehwa Girls' High School, Janghoon High School, Seoul Foreign Language High School, and Younghoon International Middle School as all these schools passed the test above the failing score in the inspection."

Fate of Shin-Gori Nuclear Reactors No. 5 and 6 to Be Determined by Citizen Jurors

The government will create a jury consisting of members of civil society organizations to determine the fate of nuclear reactors in Shin-Gori power plant. The government said on June 27 that it decided to form a "citizens' jury" and a committee to discuss whether to stop the construction of Shin-Gori Reactors No. 5 and 6. Hong Nam-gi, the head of the Cabinet Office, said, "The committee won't have any decision-making power and is solely engaged in facilitating communication with people. During the discussion period, the construction of the nuclear reactors will be halted temporarily."

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

Researchers develop transparent solar cell with world's top generating capability

Samsung discloses $380 mln investment in US plant

Samsung Electronics Co. said it will invest US$380 million in the United States to set up new production facility and tap deeper into the North American country's large home appliances market. The South Korean tech giant said the investment will be made in Newberry County, South Carolina. On Wednesday, Yoon Boo-keun, who heads Samsung's home appliance business, met Governor Henry McMaster of South Carolina to sign a letter of intent for the project, which is estimated to generate some 950 jobs.

Researchers develop transparent solar cell with world's top generating capability

As part of a desperate search for a new solution to generate clean energy, labs worldwide have eyed on transparent solar cells but little progress has been seen because of low efficiency. More transparent it gets, less efficient it becomes. Now, South Korean researchers led by Kim Joon-dong, a professor at Incheon National University's School of Electrical Engineering, reported a breakthrough by developing a solar cell with over 80 percent transparency that looks like a glass window. More encouraging is that it has a larger generating capacity than previous inventions. "The newly-developed transparent solar cell can generate up to four times more than conventional transparent solar cells," Kim told Aju News on Wednesday. "The solar cells can be attached to the exterior of a building or a car. It will generate electricity immediately."

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

Korea’s Woori Bank ups capital by $100 million in Indonesian subsidiary

South Korea’s Woori Bank will inject $100 million in its Indonesian subsidiary to bolster its capital base and groom it as one of top five lenders in the Southeast Asian country. According to multiple sources from the financial industry on Wednesday, PT Bank Woori Saudara received approval from the Indonesian financial authority on its plan to increase capital by $100 million. The lender will finalize the plan in July after receiving approval from shareholders. The capital increase will be promoted by offering shares to shareholders in which Woori Bank that owns 74 percent of stock ownership will buy back all of the forfeited shares.

Korean firms mired in lawsuit with China’s Anbang Group over Tongyang Life sale

China’s insurance giant Anbang Group Holdings Co. filed a countersuit against previous Korean owners of stakes in Korea’s Tongyang Life Insurance complaining of delayed payment for the 2015 deal, accusing them of hiding risks in then Korea’s eighth largest life insurer. Yuanta Securities Korea Co., one of the defendants, said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday that Anbang Group Holdings sued five Korean firms with the ICC International Court of Arbitration based in Hong Kong and demanded 698 billion won ($612 million) in compensation. The defendants include local private equity firm VIG Partners and Atinum Partners Co. Chairman Lee Min-joo, who had sold their stakes in Tongyang Life Insurance to Anbang in 2015.

Mirae Asset to base global trading headquarters in Dublin

South Korea’s Mirae Asset Financial Group will establish its global trading headquarters in Dublin by moving most of its top staff scattered across major financial cities, and the first target for its global expansion campaign would be a European exchange-trade provider, said the group chairman Park Hyeon-joo. “We will set up a global trading center in Dublin this year to move into the advanced market for a new chapter in our 20th anniversary of founding,” said Park in an interview with Maeil Business Newspaper on Tuesday. The country’s top securities company, one of the biggest investors in emerging market equities that oversees assets of $100 billion across the globe, has been searching for a location for its global trading headquarters in the U.S. and Europe.

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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