The Korean daily media headlines and humor

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Tuesday, July 4, 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 Completes Cabinet Picks with Commerce, Welfare Ministers

President Moon Jae-in has nominated two professors to become the next commerce and welfare ministers. Paik Un-gyu, head of the energy engineering department at Hanyang University, was tapped on Monday to head the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, while Park Neung-hoo, a welfare studies professor at Kyonggi University, was named to lead the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The president also chose Lee Hyo-seong, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University, as the head of the Korea Communications Commission, and Export-Import Bank of Korea chief Choi Jong-ku to lead the Financial Services Commission.

Rain Continues with Monsoon Front, Typhoon

Rain is continuing across the nation, with the central region affected by a seasonal monsoon front and southern areas affected by typhoon Nan Madol. The Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA) said Tuesday that Chungcheong Province and the western part of Gangwon Province are receiving heavy downpours of 20 millimeters of rain per hour. Some parts of the central region have seen more than 100 millimeters of rain since Monday.

Prosecution Demands Heavy Punishment over Artist Blacklist

Special prosecutors have asked for heavy jail terms for former presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and former culture minister Cho Yoon-sun for their leading role in the Park Geun-hye administration’s blacklisting of artists critical of the government. An independent counsel investigating the massive corruption scandal involving the former president and her aides on Monday requested the judges presiding over the case at the Seoul Central District Court to sentence Kim and Cho to seven years and six years in prison, respectively.

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

S. Korea's consumer prices up 1.9 pct in June

outh Korea's consumer prices continued to gain ground last month, rising nearly 2 percent due mainly to a sharp increase in fruit and vegetable prices stemming from adverse weather conditions, government data showed Tuesday. The country's consumer price index climbed 1.9 percent in June from a year earlier, slightly down from the previous month's 2 percent rise, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The monthly inflation has been hovering around 2 percent since the first month of 2017, following a 1.3 percent on-year gain in December last year as rising oil prices and high-flying livestock prices pushed up the overall index. From a month earlier, the index edged down 0.1 percent in June.

Chinese envoy warns of 'disastrous' consequences unless talks reopen with N. Korea

China's ambassador to the United Nations warned Monday that tensions with North Korea could get out of control and lead to disastrous consequences unless negotiations reopen as early as possible. Ambassador Liu Jieyi made the remark to reporters during a news conference he held as China took over this month's presidency at the U.N. Security Council. "Currently tensions are high and we certainly would like to see a de-escalation," the envoy said. "If tension only goes up ... then sooner or later it will get out of control and the consequences would be disastrous." Liu called for resuming talks with the North at an early date. "We cannot afford to wait for too long without dialogue taking place," he said.

Sales of image sensors set to soar through 2021

Global sales of image sensors are expected to rise through 2021 in line with the development of virtual reality and wearable devices, industry data showed Tuesday. According to the data compiled by IC Insights, the global market for CMOS image sensors is expected to reach US$11.5 billion this year, up 9 percent from $10.5 billion posted a year earlier. Image sensors refer to system chips that detect images and converts them into electronic signals. They are installed in digital cameras and smartphones, allowing the devices to take photos by turning light into images. "After strong growth from the first wave of digital cameras and camera-equipped cellphones, image sensor sales leveled off in the second half of the last decade," the researcher said.

Moon, Xi likely to meet in Germany this week to discuss THAAD controversy

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is likely to have talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Germany this week, aimed at helping Beijing understand why Seoul allowed an advanced U.S. missile defense system called THAAD to be installed on its soil, the country's top diplomat said Monday. "Basically, the THAAD issue should be addressed with the top priority placed on our national interest and security needs," Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said during an interview with Yonhap News TV, the broadcast unit of Yonhap News Agency.

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

Moon meets Obama, says last chance for NK talks

President Moon Jae-in renewed his resolve to pursue sanctions and dialogue to tackle North Korea’s nuclear program during a meeting with former US President Barack Obama on Monday, saying now is the “last chance” for the regime to return to the negotiating table. During the 40-minute talk, Moon shared the results of his recent summit with his incumbent US counterpart Donald Trump, asking for Obama’s advice on ways to advance the relationship. The former president stressed bipartisan US support for the alliance and wished Moon success in his presidency, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

Hong Joon-pyo elected as Liberty Korea Party chief

Hong Joon-pyo, a former provincial governor and presidential candidate, was elected as the chief of the Liberty Korea Party on Monday, ending the 200-day leadership vacuum at the conservative main opposition. “Today, you have endowed me with the heavy responsibility of taking the chief position of this party. Your call is an order to revive the nation’s conservative faction and I will bear the decision you have made,” Hong said after his election at the party’s headquarters in Seoul.

Moon names industry, welfare minister nominees

President Moon Jae-in on Monday named nominees for the industry and welfare ministers, along with the chiefs of financial and telecommunication authorities and senior aides for employment and economy.

To head the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Moon tapped Paik Un-gyu, and Park Neung-hoo to head the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Paik is a professor of engineering, currently serving as the dean of one of Hanyang University’s schools of engineering. With Paik and Park’s nomination, Moon’s Cabinet is nearly complete, with the heads of all existing ministries having been named or appointed.

Sales of image sensors set to soar through 2021

Global sales of image sensors are expected to rise through 2021 in line with the development of virtual reality and wearable devices, industry data showed Tuesday. According to the data compiled by IC Insights, the global market for CMOS image sensors is expected to reach $11.5 billion this year, up 9 percent from $10.5 billion posted a year earlier. Image sensors refer to system chips that detect images and converts them into electronic signals. They are installed in digital cameras and smartphones, allowing the devices to take photos by turning light into images.

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

Heavy rain expected throughout week

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) expects Sunday's heavy rain to continue through the week. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected nationwide Monday and Tuesday with more than 20 millimeters falling in an hour in some areas, according to the KMA. About 250 millimeters is expected to fall until Wednesday. The rain is expected to reach the southern region, including Gwangju and Busan, later this week. Typhoon "Nan Madol" is also expected to affect Jeju Island until Tuesday morning.

Korean couple find hidden camera at Airbnb house in Japan

A Korean couple found a hidden camera disguised as a fire detector in their Airbnb house in Japan. The couple said they noticed the camera when they realized the detector was in an odd position with a tiny hole facing the bed, according to an online post y the couple on June 28. The man, who uploaded the post, said he and his girlfriend initially joked about the detector being a hidden camera. However, becoming suspicious, the man examined the fire detector only to realize it was a hidden camera. He dismantled the fire detector and found a small camera attached to a micro SD card, as well as an on/off switch.

Candidates for top prosecutor picked

Four current and former prosecutors have been nominated to be the country's next top prosecutor, the Ministry of Justice said Monday. According to the ministry, a special committee narrowed the list down to four candidates ― So Byung-chul, Moon Moo-il, Oh Se-in and Cho Hee-jin ― "after examining their experience, ability, ethics and leadership." The ministry will pick one of the candidates through its own evaluation and recommend the person to President Moon Jae-in.

Gangnam-gu removes 27 illegal brothels

Gangnam-gu removed 27 illegal brothels from near schools and residential areas during the first half of this year, according to the Gangnam-gu Office on Monday. Twenty-three were in residential areas, while four were near schools. "We will continue to cooperate closely with the Gangnam and Suseo Police Station to get rid of illegal brothels," Lee Hee-yeon, who heads the urban advancement office. Gangnam is the first Korean local government to remove illegal brothels forcibly to create a safe and comfortable residential environment.

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

Pres. Moon and Trump agree on early OPCON transfer

Formation of a new command authority is emerging as a main issue as an agreement was reached on early transfer of wartime operational control in Korea during the recent summit meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump. During the annual Security Consultative Meeting in 2014, South Korea and the U.S. agreed to establish a Future Command (provisional), enabling the South Korean military to command U.S. forces once the wartime operational control is returned to South Korea, and the two countries have since been working to that end.

Danielle Kang wins LPGA Women's PGA Championships

After a birdie putt on the 18th hole that confirmed her winning, Danielle Kang clenched her right fist that had a tattoo reading "daddy." On the forefinger read "Just be," which Kang graved a tattoo to remember her father's comments that he wanted Kang to become a person who realizes her dreams. Almost teared up, Kang said, "I was able to win because my father gave me strength. I have a wish, which is to make my father see the scene of my victory."

Syria issues a new banknote with portrait of its president

Syria has issued a banknote of the highest denomination featuring the image of President Bashar al-Assad to reassert his regime’s control amid the seven-year-old civil war. Banknotes now carry the new president following his father, former President Hafez al-Assad who died in 2000. President Assad’s portrait on the highest-denomination banknote is seemed as an attempt to increase his presence in the civil war where he has the upper hand and further solidify the dictatorial regime.

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

Korea May Have to Shoulder More of USFK Upkeep

U.S. President Donald Trump said after his summit with President Moon Jae-in on Friday that he wants to ensure a "fair" division of the cost of keeping 29,000 American troops in Korea. Trump stressed that a fair sharing of the costs is "very important." The comments were absent from the written joint statement the two leaders issued after their summit, but Trump often talks off the cuff, perhaps to play to his core support base. One diplomatic source said, "The comments may have been for domestic consumption, but they did confirm that Trump is determined to raise Korea's share of the costs." As a result, Seoul could face pressure to shoulder more of the costs in annual defense talks scheduled late this year.

Korea, U.S. Skirt THAAD Controversy During Summit

President Moon Jae-in and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump during their summit Friday managed to skirt the contentious issue of the deployment of a THAAD anti-missile battery in Korea.

The omission seems to have been the result of strenuous efforts by the government here, which was wary of getting off to a rough start with the notoriously volatile Trump.

The Foreign Ministry stressed to U.S. officials that the alliance must not show any cracks at this sensitive time. A government official said National Security Council chief Chung Eui-yong visited Washington early last month and right before the summit to discuss the THAAD issue beforehand so that it did not throw a monkey wrench in the works.

More N.Koreans Defect Every Day

Five North Koreans fled to South Korea in a small boat on Saturday afternoon by crossing the de-facto maritime border in the East Sea, a government official here said on Sunday. The coast guard sent a ship to rescue them in remote waters northeast of Gangneung, Gangwon Province and escorted the boat carrying four men and one woman to South Korean waters. All aboard said they do not want to go back. But a Unification Ministry official said further questioning is needed to make sure that they really want to defect. In the past, North Koreans fishermen have often drifted into South Korean waters by mistake and asked to return to their home country. The latest escape is one of a rash of recent defections.

Moon Wins U.S. Support for 'Leading Role' in Talks with N.Korea

President Moon Jae-in succeeded in winning support from U.S. President Donald Trump to play a leading role in resuming talks with North Korea during their meeting in Washington on Friday.

"We have secured the United States' support for us to lead the resolution of the Korean Peninsula problem through dialogue," Moon said on returning to Korea on Sunday. But he added, "We now have to start a long journey to build a structure of lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula."

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

In US, Pres. Moon stresses North Korea policy based on “four nos”

President Moon Jae-in stressed the need for improvements in inter-Korean relations, proclaiming a “four no” approach that includes avoiding hostile acts or military attacks against North Korea, attempts to undermine or replace its government, and efforts to artificially hasten reunification. Moon‘s agreement on these principles during his summit with US President Donald Trump is being seen as laying a foundation for dialogue toward North Korea’s denuclearization. Moon reportedly plans to announce a “Moon Jae-in doctrine” - a vision and proposal for North Korea policy structured around these “four nos” - during his July 5-8 visit to Germany to attend the G-20 Summit.

Moon says Trump’s trade comments were “outside of what was agreed upon”

President Moon Jae-in said on July 1 that US President Donald Trump’s remarks treating renegotiation of the South Korea-US FTA (KORUS FTA) as a foregone conclusion were “outside of what was agreed upon.” Moon‘s remarks came in response to a question at a talk with South Korean correspondents in Washington at Blair House (the White House guest house) ahead of his return to South Korea the same day. In the question, a reporter asked Moon what conversation had taken place between the leaders over the FTA issue, noting that Trump had said the renegotiations were starting while the Blue House was claiming no agreement on the issue.

Seven hours “felt like seven years” - waiting for S. Korea-US summit joint statement

The South Korea-US summit has generally been heralded as a success, but for a moment South Korean officials were sweating bullets. The tete-a-tete between President Moon Jae-in and President Donald Trump and the extended summit on the morning of June 30 went smoothly enough. There were no major disagreements about issues such as North Korea’s nuclear program, and the discussion of the trade balance dragged on for a while but ended with the two sides confirming the principle of reciprocal trade. During their meeting, Trump described his relationship with Moon Jae-in as being “very, very good” and even said that Moon had “great chemistry.”

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

Moon completes naming cabinet after 55 days

President Moon Jae-in completed the formation of his cabinet on Monday by naming two academics to head the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Paik Un-gyu, a professor of energy engineering at Hanyang University, was nominated to become minister of trade, industry and energy. Park Neung-hoo, a professor of social welfare at Kyonggi University, was named minister of health and welfare.

Shipbuilders come roaring back in first half

Korean shipbuilders signed the most orders of any nation in the first half of this year, beating the Japanese and Chinese. According to British market research firm Clarksons Research, Korean shipyards inked orders for 2.56 million compensated gross tons (CGTs), or 34 percent of all ship orders made during the January-June period. That amount is more than double the orders they won in the first half of 2016.

It was the first time in five years Korean companies reclaimed the crown. China snatched it away in 2012 and maintained it ever since.

Retail, service sector creating more jobs

More jobs are now being created in the retail and services sector than in the past, when giant manufacturing companies hired the most. Of the more than 450 workers at a Lotte Mart branch in Seoul that opened in April, 126 people were hired directly by Lotte Mart, 35 were hired through separate service companies and 300 work for brands that entered the store. The figures show how many jobs can be created by establishing a single hypermarket.

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

A Successful First Step: South Korea Secures Initiative on the Korean Peninsula

The Moon Jae-in government was successful in gaining general assent from the U.S. on its foreign policy including those concerning North Korea's nuclear program and inter-Korean relations in the South Korea-U.S. summit on June 30 (local time). Thus the government has successfully taken its first step in bilateral relations with the U.S. The joint statement on six items, the fruit of the summit, mentioned a stronger ROK-US alliance, cooperation on North Korea policies, fair trade, and global cooperation.

Eyes on the Possibility of President Moon's "Berlin Declaration"

President Moon Jae-in obtained the support of U.S. President Donald Trump on his plans to resolve the issues on the Korean Peninsula, particularly the resuming of talks with North Korea, in the South Korea-U.S. summit meeting, and this is expected to add momentum to the government's future North Korea policy. Now, all eyes are on what message the president will send to the North when he visits Germany for the G20 summit and when he speaks at the August 15 National Liberation Day celebration.

Moon Jae-in Government Makes It Official, More Taxes for the Rich, Less Taxes for the Ordinary Citizen

The Moon Jae-in government officially announced plans to raise taxes for rich people and to lower taxes for ordinary citizens stating that it would strengthen the income redistribution function of taxes. However, the government will promote key tax reforms, such as increasing the corporate tax and real estate holding tax and reforming the energy tax in several stages next year. In a briefing on June 29, Park Kwang-on, spokesperson for the National Planning Advisory Council said, “The new government‘s tax reforms will focus on strengthening the wealth redistribution function of taxes by realizing just taxes, such as normalizing the tax system, which has been distorted due to policies that provided the rich with tax cuts in the past.”

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

Winner's Curse at Work in Duty-free Business?

Hanwha Galleria is set to withdraw from the duty-free store business due to plunging sales after the Korean government's decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system and the Chinese government's response to ban Chinese group tourists from traveling to Korea. Other duty-free shops are also scaling back their business due to sluggish sales. Hanwha said on June 3 that it would close the duty-free shop in the international departure terminal in Jeju Airport on August 31. The company has operated the store since April 2014. Due to a precipitous drop in Chinese tourists that accounted for 80-90 percent of sales, the store is unable to pay even the monthly rent of 2.1 billion won.

Korean Couples' Double Income-earning Ratio Remains at 30%...Only Half of OECD Average

Of Korea's couples with children younger than 14 years of age, only three out of ten are double-income earners. This is only a half of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member country average (58.5%). According to a report published by the Ministry of Employment and Labor on July 3, the most common employment status of the nation's couples with young children was single earners (46.5%), followed by two earners (29.4%). Of these, the share of cases in which both parents work full time was 20.6 percent while that in which only one parent works full time was 8.8 percent.

Samsung Electronics Sees No. of Employees Down First in 7 Years

The number of employees at Samsung Electronics turned out to have declined last year, first in seven years. According to the company's sustainability report for 2017 released on July 2, the number of the company's employees totaled 308,745 last year, down 5.2 percent from 325,677 a year ago. This was the first time for the number of Samsung Electronics employees to decline since 2009 and the decrease rate was the largest since the company started releasing the sustainability report.

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

VR expreience captures minds of spectators at 'VR SUMMIT'

An eerie silence with the occasional buzzing of drones filled an exhibition hall as tens of people wearing headsets and headphones were immersed in experiencing the world of virtual reality, turning their heads about and opening their mouths with amazement. The scene was spotted on June 30 on the final day of a three-day double exhibition titled "Virtual Reality SUMMIT" and "RoboUniverse & K Drone Conference & EXPO" at an event hall in KINTEX, a center for conventions and exhibitions in Ilsan northwest of Seoul.

Prosecutors demand jail terms for seven for managing cultural blacklist

Prosecutors demanded jail terms of up to seven years for seven people including two former culture ministers for their role in blacklisting artists and cultural figures regarded by the conservative government of South Korea's jailed ex-president as anti-government. Former president Park Geun-hye is on trial on multiple charges. She was accused of playing a role in blacklisting outspoken figures to prohibit government agencies from providing financial support to them.

IOC head supports Moon's peace overture over Winter Olympics

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach extended his strong support to President Moon Jae-in's initiative to draw North Korea into next year's Winter Olympics in South Korea's eastern ski resort of Pyeongchang. During talks at the presidential Blue House, Bach said he "actively" supports Moon's conciliatory overture towards North Korea saying it corresponds with the Olympic spirit of peace, according to Moon's office.

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

Hyundai and Kia’s car sales in China plunge 63% on year in June

Hit hard by growing negative sentiment towards Korean brands following the South Korea’s deployment of United States’ Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system, Korea’s largest automaker Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller sister company Kia Motors Corp. have seen their combined sales in China last month plunge 63% from a year ago. According to local sources in the Chinese auto industry on Monday, total sales of Beijing Hyundai Motor Co. and Dongfeng Yueda Kia Motors Co. - each joint venture of Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors in China - sank 63 percent to 52,000 units in June from 142,000 a year ago. Beijing Hyundai and Dongfeng Yueda Kia Motors sold 35,000 units and 17,000 units, respectively.

Korea’s June exports up 13.7% to second best-ever record

South Korea’s exports climbed for the eighth consecutive month in June to record the second largest-ever led by unfazed force in semiconductors and rejuvenated demand in ships. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Sunday, Korea’s exports last month surged 13.7 percent on year to $51.4 billion, close to the all-time high of $51.6 billion in October 2014 in the longest growth streak since December 2011. Exports of semiconductors soared 52 percent against the year-ago period and ships 43.2 percent. Outbound shipments in petrochemicals jumped 15.6 percent on year, machinery 14.3 percent and display panels 10 percent.

President Moon names all cabinet posts with FSC chief, trade minister

Choi Jong-ku, a former finance ministry bureaucrat and incumbent head of the Export-Import Bank of Korea, was tapped as the first financial chief under President Moon Jae-in, and energy scholar Paik Un-gyu, professor of energy engineering at Hanyang University, nominated for the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy. The minister of health and welfare position went to Park Neung-hoo, professor of social welfare at Kyonggi University. Park holds a Ph.D in social welfare from the University of California, Berkeley.

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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