The Korean daily media headlines and humor

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Wednesday, August 23, 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/)

US Slaps Sanctions on Chinese, Russian Entities, Individuals for Ties to N. Korea

The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday slapped sanctions on ten entities based in China, Russia, Singapore and Namibia, as well as six individuals from Russia, China and North Korea. The department said that the targeted individuals and companies are suspected of assisting people already sanctioned for their ties to North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, dealing in the North Korean energy trade, facilitating its exportation of workers, and enabling sanctioned North Korean entities to access U.S. and international financial systems. This is the fourth round of sanctions the U.S. has put forward this year regarding North Korea. The first and second sanctions focused on North Korean individuals and entities, while the third and fourth target foreign companies and individuals enabling the North’s nuclear program, effectively adopting a secondary boycott for third-party entities dealing with Pyongyang.

Former PM Han Myeong-sook Released from Jail

Former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook was released from prison Wednesday morning after serving her two year sentence for bribery. Dozens of supporters and well-wishers greeted Han as she emerged from the prison in Uijeongbu, north of Seoul, around 5:10 a.m. She said the two years were a harsh period in her life but that she is grateful to finally meet a new world. Han, prime minister from 2006 to 2007, was put behind bars in 2015 after being convicted of charges that she received about 900 million won, or about 793 thousand U.S. dollars in illegal political funds from the head of a local construction company.

US, N. Korea Confirm Differences at UN Disarmament Conference

The U.S. and North Korea confirmed their differences amid the growing military tension on the Korean Peninsula. Speaking at the annual UN disarmament conference, a Washington envoy highlighted the need to protect the U.S. homeland from North Korean nuclear and missile threats. North Korean diplomats said that the U.S. is the root cause of their regime's WMD program.

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

N.K. leader orders more production of solid-fuel engines, ICBM warhead tips

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered increased production of solid-fuel rocket engines and warhead tips for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) during his inspection of a chemicals institute, the state media said Wednesday. North Korea also unveiled a photo which indicates that it is developing a new ballistic missile, called the Pukguksong-3. Kim learned about the process of manufacturing warhead tips and solid-fuel rocket engines during his visit to the Chemical Material Institute of the Academy of Defense Science, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). In July, North Korea test-fired two ICBMs, called the Hwasong-14, which analysts say may put much of the U.S. mainland within range, including Los Angeles and Chicago.

President orders special probe into military crackdown on 1980 Gwangju uprising

President Moon Jae-in ordered his defense chief Wednesday to launch a special probe into a military crackdown against the 1980 pro-democracy protests in Gwangju, specifically to verify whether the then military junta considered a possible air strike.

"President Moon today ordered Defense Minister Song Young-moo to launch a special probe regarding recent media reports that an order had been delivered to put Air Force fighter jets on standby for a sortie toward Gwangju and that (military) helicopters opened fire toward a building (in Gwangju)," Park Soo-hyun, a spokesman for the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, told a press briefing.

S. Korea stepping up drive to woo foreigners to PyeongChang

South Korea is speeding up its efforts to promote the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, a move that can help the country achieve this year's target of attracting some 20 million foreign visitors, tourism authorities here said Wednesday. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has teamed up with the Gangwon Provincial government to conduct global promotional events with the help of its 32 overseas branches, a KTO spokesman said over the phone. The winter sports games are scheduled to be held in the host city of PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, and two other nearby cities -- Gangneung and Jeongseon -- from Feb. 9-25 of next year.

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

Diplomacy is 'stronger, powerful' to resolve standoff with NK: US Pacific Commander

The top US military commander in the Asia-Pacific region said Tuesday that the diplomatic approach is the “stronger and more powerful” means to resolve the standoff with North Korea, adding such efforts should be backed by credible military capability. “Diplomatic maneuver has to be applied first and diplomacy is stronger, effective and more powerful if it is backed by credible military power,” said Adm. Harry Harris, commander of the US Pacific Command, during a press conference at Osan Air Base in South Korea.

Prosecutors raid 30 locations in investigation into spy agency‘s alleged election meddling

Prosecutors raided 30 locations Wednesday as they stepped up an investigation into allegations that the state intelligence agency secretly hired outside people to write Internet comments in an effort to sway voters ahead of the 2012 presidential election. An internal probe of the National Intelligence Service found that the agency ran 30 such "cyber teams" involving Internet-savvy civilians for election-meddling operations. The agency has referred the 30 team leaders to the prosecution for investigation.

Heavy rain hits Seoul, leads to traffic jams

Heavy rain pummeled the central regions of Korea on Wednesday, snagging morning traffic in Seoul. Sudden rainfall of 50-150 milliliters poured down in Seoul from 8:30 a.m., catching commuters off guard. The local weather agency cited the influence of Typhoon Hato and cold air descending from northern regions as causes of the heavy rain in the nation. The rain is expected to continue through Thursday, with some areas expected to see as much as 200 milliliters of torrential rain. In the southern regions of Jeolla Province and Jeju Island, the hot weather is expected to linger, accompanied by occasional squalls in the afternoon.

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

US commander prefers diplomacy over military action

The head of the U.S. Pacific Command said Tuesday that diplomatic efforts were the preferred means over military actions to resolve tension caused by North Korea's threats on the Korean Peninsula. Adm. Harry Harris, however, stressed that such diplomatic efforts should be supported by powerful military capabilities. "The most important starting point is a diplomatic starting point," Adm. Harris said during a joint press conference held at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. "We hope and we work for a diplomatic solution to challenges presented by Kim Jong-un."

US imposes new sanctions on Chinese, Russian companies to cut off N. Korea support

The US announced a set of secondary sanctions against 16 Chinese and Russian entities as part of its efforts to cut off trade with North Korea and starve the country's military of the cash it needs to develop nuclear weapons. The move opened a new rift with China, which blasted the US for its "long-arm jurisdiction" and demanded that Washington "immediately correct its mistake". The US government's action also expanded the scope of sanctions to include oil, a product that had been left out of previous bans on humanitarian grounds. Chinese companies facing sanctions include Dandong Rich Earth Trading Company, which the US accused of buying vanadium ore from Korea Kumsan Trading Corporation, a company already sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council, according to a US Treasury Department announcement. Mingzheng International Trading Limited was also named in the action as a "front company" for North Korea's Foreign Trade Bank.

Kim Jong-un secretly visits border unit

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un secretly visited a military unit near the inter-Korean border in early August, sources said Tuesday. After Kim's rare visit to the border unit was detected, the South Korean military increased its readiness against the North's possible tactical provocations, the sources said. Kim reportedly made a secret inspection of the North's border unit, about 1,000 meters away from the South's outpost in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, early this month. What Kim did there was not announced, but some raised the possibility that the young leader may have checked on its readiness and gave certain mission orders to the unit. The border unit is surrounded by mountainous areas and streams, military officials said.

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DongA Ilbo (http://english.donga.com)

'U.S. to deploy all strategic assets to deter N. Korea,' say U.S. military leaders

Top U.S. military leaders announced on Tuesday that they would put strain on North Korea provocations and defend South Korea by deploying all strategic assets and military capabilities. U.S. Pacific Command Adm. Harry Harris, Gen. John Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, and Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency arrived in Seoul on Tuesday. The group of U.S. military leaders held a press conference for domestic and foreign journalists at the Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province on the day, and said that actions and activities of North Korea, such as nuclear and missile provocations, are dangerous to both South Korea and the U.S.

Seoul to revamp into 'disabled-friendly' city by 2022

Seoul will transform into a tourism destination where physically challenged people in wheelchairs, seniors with mobility problems, and families with strollers can tour with ease. On Tuesday, the Seoul city government announced that it will redesign the city into a "disabled-friendly city" with 15.2 billion won of investment made for the next five years until 2022. The plan is to provide "tour welfare" to increasing number of aging population and attract more family tourists. Six tourist zones including Myeongdong and Itaewon will be reshaped into "universal designed" facilities customized to tourists regardless of their age, physical conditions, language and others. Twenty new facilities will be added every year in these areas.

Biosimilar companies export over 1 trillion won worth of goods

While traditional pharmaceuticals are contracting due to continuous repercussions, new biosimilar companies are expediting their inroads to overseas. According to the export results recently announced by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, exports of biosimilars jumped by 31.5 percent from 892 million dollars (or 923.7 billon won) in 2015 to 1.63 billion dollars (or 1.23 trillion won) in last year, which saw Biosimilars' export excel the 1 trillion Korean won levels for the first time. Their Compound Annual Growth Rate for the last five years showed a clear uprising trend at 29.8 percent. Now, biosimilars take up one third of the total medicine and medical exports.

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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)

THAAD Radar Positioned to Rule out Monitoring of China

A powerful X-band radar that comes with the THAAD missile defense battery set up in southwestern Korea has been positioned in a way that makes it impossible to monitor China. One government official who took part in an environmental assessment of the battery earlier this month said Friday, "The area is surrounded by mountains and the battery was placed at the foot of a mountain to the west. That makes it impossible to monitor China." The move aims to allay Chinese fears that the radar will be used to spy on its military movements, which have already led to a wide-ranging boycott of Korean goods and services.

Top U.S. Brass Arrive in Seoul for Joint Drills

U.S. military leaders are arriving in South Korea ahead of the annual joint exercise that kicks off on Monday. Adm. Harry Harris, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, and Gen. John Hyten, the commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, arrived on Sunday. They are followed by Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, the director of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. They will stay for a few days and watch the exercises in a rare show of determination by such senior brass. "This is a warning to the North not to miscalculate the situation and act recklessly" after it threatened to attack the U.S. territory of Guam, a government source here said.

Cambridge saves face amid pressure from Chinese authorities

A renowned British academic journal that deleted politically sensitive papers under the pressure from Chinese authorities decided to republish the papers on its website in China. Experts comment that the journal has protected the "freedom to learn" by overcoming the burdens from the "Chinese market."

According to BBC China on Tuesday, the globally respected academic journal "The China Quarterly" published by Cambridge University Press has decided to restore access to around 300 papers on its website after four days of deletion upon requests from the Chinese State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television. Deleted articles include politically sensitive issues to China, such as Tiannen Square massacre, Tibet, Uyghur, the Cultural Revolution, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)

Electric cars surge as Europe turns away from the internal combustion engine

“You can’t fight the future” – it’s a slogan that’s often used about electric cars. But that slogan has always carried the caveat of “someday.” It was assumed that consumers and producers would be slow to let go of the internal combustion engine, and yet another diesel scandal ignited by a report in German weekly magazine Der Spiegel last month is shaking that assumption to its core. Allegations that five German automakers engaged in wholesale collusion over exhaust scrubbers is speeding up the timeline for the electric car market. How are South Korean automobile companies responding to these changes? The situation is quite different for the companies producing batteries, which are a key component of electric cars, and for automakers, which have been reluctant to develop electric cars.

NIS secretly provided funds to conservative public outreach organization

On top of its efforts to manipulate public opinion online, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) also carried out psychological operations offline by providing funds to the Consultative Council for State Development and Future Education, an organization created by Park Seung-chun, former head of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, the Hankyoreh has learned. Since the prosecutors reportedly learned about this during their 2013 investigation into the NIS’s meddling in the presidential election but failed to carry out an additional investigation, there is growing interest about what the prosecutors’ next steps will be. On Aug. 21, the Hankyoreh learned that the NIS gave around 50 million won (US$44,000) a year since 2010 (during the presidency of Lee Myung-bak) to one branch of the consultative council to cover its office rent and the salary of a full-time employee.

Moon reiterates warning to US against unilateral military action on North Korea

In a conversation with visiting American politicians on Aug.21, President Moon Jae-in said, “I understand that the US is leaving all options on the table to put an end to North Korea’s nuclear program, but even a restricted version of the military option would lead to armed conflict between the two Koreas.” The comment was made in an afternoon meeting at the Blue House attended by several US senators and members of congress including Ed Markey, Democrat Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy. “Such action would threaten the lives of not only Koreans, but the many foreigners and US soldiers living in Korea,” Moon stated. “We need to keep in mind that the Korean War left the country in ruins, and there is no way we can go back to that state after achieving such miraculous growth.”

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JoongAng Ilbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)

Visiting U.S. bigwigs talk peace

Top brass from the U.S. military and a delegation of bipartisan lawmakers emphasized diplomacy as the key to dealing with North Korean nuclear threats on a visit to Seoul Tuesday. “The most important starting point is the diplomatic starting point,” Adm. Harry Binkley Harris, chief of the United States Pacific Command, told reporters Tuesday at the Osan Air Base in Gyeonggi. “So we hope, and we work for a diplomatic solution to the challenge presented by [North Korean leader] Kim Jong-un. And a strong diplomatic effort - backed by a strong military effort - is key because credible combat power should ... support diplomacy, and not the other way around.”

Korea-China ties frosty on the 25th anniversary

South Korea and China mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations on Thursday, but their top diplomats will not be toasting each other, as relations remain strained over the deployment of a U.S.-led antimissile system. Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha is not scheduled to attend an official event hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Seoul to mark the 25th anniversary of the start of formal diplomatic relations on Aug. 24, 1992. Multiple diplomatic sources said Foreign Minister Kang has decided not to attend the reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy at a hotel in Seoul on Thursday.

Seoul, Washington renegotiate FTA

Representatives of Korea and the United States sat down at the negotiating table in Seoul to discuss possible amendments to the free trade agreement between the two countries, but didn’t announce any final conclusions as of Tuesday. The meeting was held 42 days after the United States Trade Representative asked to arrange a special session of the Joint Committee under the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. “The largest trade deal implemented during the Obama Administration - our free trade agreement with South Korea - has coincided with a dramatic increase in our trade deficit with that country,” said the office of the U.S. Trade Representative in an annual report released Wednesday. “Plainly, the time has come for a major review of how we approach trade agreements.”

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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)

Announcing a Wind of Change in the Judiciary

On August 21, President Moon Jae-in nominated Kim Meong-su (58, 15th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute), chief justice of the Chuncheon District Court and a progressive judge with strong beliefs for reforms in the judiciary, as the new chief justice of the Supreme Court. Kim was highly critical of the Supreme Court’s alleged attempts to hinder judicial reforms when they were recently revealed, thus his nomination is expected to bring about a wind of reforms in the judiciary. Kim was the chairman of Woori Legal Studies Center, a progressive organization, and the founding chairman of the International Human Rights Law Research Association, the largest study group within the court.

ROK-US Launch Ulchi Joint Exercises: The Korean Peninsula Faces Another Critical Moment Amidst Heightened Tensions

The ROK-US Combined Forces began the 2017 Ulchi-Freedom Guardian exercise on August 21. This exercise is expected to be a turning point for heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula due to North Korea's repeated test launch of its intercontinental ballistic missile, Hwasong-14 and its threats of enveloping fire over Guam. The ROK-US Combined Forces plan to conduct the training while strengthening their surveillance of North Korea as well as their defense posture to prepare for possible provocation by the North during the exercises. The South Korean and U.S. military authorities stressed, "The scale of the training is the same as in previous years." However, as of August 20, there were no signs of any U.S. aircraft carrier being deployed near the Korean Peninsula, and the number of U.S. troops taking part in the exercises also dropped from the previous year.

Japan North Korea Nuclear

Governors, from left, Masanao Ozaki of Kochi, Tokihiro Nakamura of Ehime, Hidehiko Yuzaki of Hiroshima and Zenbe Mizoguchi of Shimane bow after handing over their request form on possible North Korea's missile launch to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo Monday, Aug. 14, 2017. Japan's Defense Ministry deployed the PAC-3 surface-to-air interceptors at the four locations. The deployment is largely aimed at responding to the risk of falling fragments while missiles fly over the region.

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

Home Mortgage Loan Balance Growth Slows Noticeably after Aug. 2 Measure

The volume of home mortgage loans made out by commercial banks is falling at a rapid rate after the government's measure to keep the housing marketing from overheating on August 2. According to figures made public by the nation's top-five banks including Kookmin, Shinhan, Woori, KEB Hana, and Nonghyup on August 21, the balance of home mortgage loans as of August 18 was 368,370.2 billion won, up by 1,834.3 billion won from the end of July (366,535.9 billion won). In monthly rate, this is up by about 3 trillion won. Comparing to the increment a year ago (4,225.8 billion won), this is down by about 30 percent.

LG International Expands Its Palm Oil Capacity in Indonesia

LG International will expand its palm oil operations in Indonesia for the first time in six years. This is a move for the trading company to focus more on the food resource business. The company recently broke the ground for the palm oil plant. It plans to complete the construction by the end of the first half of next year and start producing 110,000 tons of palm oil a year. This is an increase of 30,000 tons from the current capacity. Back in 2009, LG International jumped into the food resource business by acquiring 20,000-hectare farms in Sekadau, Kalimantan. Since then, it has established in 2012 a palm oil processing plant. Despite skepticism within the industry, the company succeeded in breaking even in 2014, only three years after it began producing palm oil.

Gov't Won't Seek to Move away from Nuclear Power Too Fast...It Will Take 60 Years to Phase out

President Moon Jae-in said on August 17, "The denuclearization bid by the current government is not so radical. It will take more than 60 years for us to reach that goal."

In an interview in celebration of the 100th day since taking power, President Moon said, "The design life of nuclear reactors that were launched recently or under construction is 60 years. We plan to close reactors one by one as soon as their design life expires." His remarks are in reponse to criticism that his government's no-nuke policy is too rash including the temporary shutdown of Shin-Gori No. 5 and 6.

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

Parliament speaker proposes referendum on constitutional revision next year

South Korea's parliamentary leader proposed a referendum next year on revising the constitution enacted three decades ago under the dictatorship of a former army general who seized power through a military coup. "It's time to change 30-year-old clothes," National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun said in an interview with Aju News, suggesting that South Korea needs a new framework of national operation in order to stop the recurrence of a corruption scandal involving ousted ex-president Park Geun-hye.

Samsung broadens service of AI assistant 'Bixby' to 200 countries

Samsung Electronics has expanded "Bixby", an AI voice assistant service to about 200 countries worldwide so that the platform could learn and study user experience on mobile devices through machine learning. "Bixby's expanded service will provide more opportunities for the AI to learn and study how people use mobile devices," Rhee Injong, the executive vice president of Samsung's mobile communications division, said in a statement. "It would become a chance for Bixby to evolve so that it could provide tailored services to each user in the near future."

Auto companies anxiously await court ruling on wage definition

Helped by strong labor union activities, auto company workers are relatively well paid, along with good fringe benefits and welfare, but concerns are growing about low productivity and frequent strikes more than ever as South Korean cars are losing their competitiveness abroad. At the end of 2016, the average income of workers at five car manufacturers stood at 92.13 million won (81,387 US dollars), which is higher than that of Volkswagen and Toyota, according to the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA), a lobby group for auto companies. Unionized workers at Hyundai Motor, the country's largest carmaker which together with its affiliate Kia Motors controls more than 60 percent of the domestic market, are dubbed "labor aristocrats", but they always remain ungratified, struggling to find a new source of extra income.

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

SK Planet exiting from overseas online business, Indonesia is first

SK Planet Co., operator of South Korean e-commerce platform 11st.com, has begun streamlining overseas operation starting with Indonesia amid ongoing talks with Korea’s retail giant Lotte Group for partnership in e-commerce. According to the retail industry on Tuesday, SK Planet decided to pull out of Indonesia by selling its 50 percent stake in a joint-venture online site Elevenia to Indonesia’s largest retail conglomerate Salim Group, which has recently partnered with its Korean counterpart Lotte for separate e-commerce business in Indonesia.

Samsung’s Bixby voice app available in over 200 countries

South Korea’s tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. said on Tuesday that it has expanded Bixby voice-activated personal assistant mounted on Galaxy S8 series to more than 200 countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa. Bixby - which performs various tasks by recognizing voice commands like Apple Inc.’s Siri - officially debuted in May in Korea, offering Korean language service. In July, Samsung Electronics launched the service in the United States in English. With the latest expansion, the application is now offered to Galaxy S8 users in over 200 countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa, in English or Korean.

Hyundai Motor’s U.S. stock of unsold cars hits 2008 levels

In another proof of its alarmingly underwhelming performance in the world’s two largest automobile markets, South Korea’s largest automaker Hyundai Motor Co.’s inventories of unsold vehicles in the United States topped 30,000 units in the first half, which means the carmaker could be sitting on a backlog of 60,000 units by year-end, a level last seen during the height of the 2008 financial crisis. The company’s bottom line will obviously be affected as it would have to offer big discounts and sales incentives to clear out the backlog.

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What’s ticking around the world at this second?

See what the world media around the world have to report:

USA Today www.usatoday.com aallman@gannett.com

The New York Times www.nytimes.com inytletters@nytimes.com

Wall Street Journal www.wsj.com support@wsj.com,service@wsj-asia.com

Financial Times www.ft.com ean@ft.com

The Times www.thetimes.co.uk help@timesplus.co.uk

The Sun www.thesun.co.uk talkback@the-sun.co.uk

Chinese People's Daily www.people.com.cnkf@people.cn

China Daily www.chinadaily.com.cn circulation@chinadaily.com.cn

GwangmyeongDaily www.gmw.cn webmaster@gmw.cn