The Korean daily media headlines and humor

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Tuesday, September 19, 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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Your Excellency:

We have a very interesting Diplomat Tour coming up on Friday, Sept. 22, 2017

How would Your Excellency and Madam wish to see the exciting National Food Show to be presented by your Colleagues? On the opening day, the National Food Show is presented by the Madams of the Ambassadors of Iran and Azerbaijan on the Opening Day and by the Madams of the Ambassadors of Spain, Vietnam, Italy, the Philippines, Poland, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan on the following days.

Here is the final schedule of the Namyangju Slow Life International Food Festival for the Ambassadors and Spouses:

0900 hours, Friday, Sept. 2017: Meet at the Grand Hyatt Seoul (near the water fountain).

1000-1030 hours: Attend Opening Ceremony with Mayor and Mrs. Lee Seok-woo of the Namyangju City.

1030-1200 hours: Watch the Lee Sang-bong Fashion Show.

1200-1330 hours: Attend luncheon hosted by Mayor and Mrs. Lee of Namyangju City.

1330-1400 hours: Tour the Slow Life Festival exhibition.

1400-1500 hours: Attend a "Food Talk Show" of 10 Countries with Food and Dance.

1500-1600 hours: Tour exhbition booths of over 40 different countries of the world.

1600-1630 hours: Move back to Grand Hyatt Seoul.

Very Respectfully Yours

/s/

Lee Kyung-sik

Publisher-Chairman

The Korea Post media

For inquiries, please call Ms. Sua Kim (010-7584-5873) and/or Publisher-Chairman Lee Kyung-sik (010-5201-1740).

( http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=1095 )

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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 New York for UN General Assembly

President Moon Jae-in arrived in New York early Tuesday to attend the UN General Assembly, where he is set to hold talks with world leaders on the growing North Korean nuclear and missile threats. He began his schedule by meeting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Alannah Hill has more. President Moon Jae-in arrived in New York Tuesday for his second trip to the United States since his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington in June. This will be the first time Moon will participate in a UN event. Moon started his itinerary by meeting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the UN headquarters.

US Military Option for N. Korea Would Not Put Seoul at Grave Risk

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis says that the U.S. has military options for dealing with North Korea that do not put Seoul at grave risk. Mattis made the remark on Monday during a news briefing at the Pentagon when asked whether there were military options that would not seriously endanger Seoul. He refused to elaborate on the details of the options. Mattis also said that he discussed with South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo the issue of reintroducing tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea to counter North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile threats. However, he declined to say whether that option is under consideration.

Spain Expels N. Korean Ambassador

The Spanish foreign ministry has asked the North Korean ambassador to Spain to leave the country by the end of this month. According to Reuters, the foreign ministry revealed its decision to declare the North Korean ambassador a person non grata on Monday due to the North’s repeated refusals to renounce its missile and nuclear weapons program.Spain is following in the footsteps of Mexico and Peru, which both ordered the North Korean ambassadors to their countries to leave this month as well.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

Moon arrives in NY for U.N. meeting, talks with global leaders

South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in New York on Monday for the upcoming U.N. General Assembly and talks with other global leaders that will likely focus on ways to rein in North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile technologies. Moon's four-day visit here follows North Korea's sixth and apparently most powerful nuclear test so far staged Sept. 3. The South Korean president will attend a U.N. General Assembly meeting, set to start Tuesday, and also deliver a keynote speech to the U.N. gathering later in the week. He is also expected to hold a series of bilateral and multilateral talks with other global leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

U.S. military options for N.K. would not put Seoul at grave risk: Mattis

The United States has military options for North Korea that do not put Seoul at grave risk, Washington's top defense official said Monday. The remark by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis marks a departure from the popular argument that there is no viable military option that would not leave thousands of South Koreans and U.S. service members dead. "Yes, there are," Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon when asked whether there were military options that would not seriously endanger Seoul. "But I will not go into details."Mattis said he discussed with South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo the issue of reintroducing tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea to counter North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile threats. But he declined to say whether the option is under consideration.

U.S. Senate passes bill calling for enhanced extended deterrence for S. Korea

The United States Senate on Monday passed a bill that calls for boosting missile defenses and providing greater security assurances to its ally South Korea amid North Korea's growing threats. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 passed 89-8 to inject US$700 billion into the Pentagon budget, including some $8.5 billion toward strengthening U.S. missile and defense systems. That was $630 million more than what the Donald Trump administration reportedly sought. The defense policy bill calls on Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to submit a plan to enhance the extended deterrence of the U.S. toward South Korea and Japan.

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

Moon heads to UN meeting as NK nukes loom over world

President Moon Jae-in on Monday left for New York to attend the UN General Assembly, where he is expected to address world leaders on the growing problem of North Korea. On the sidelines of the event, Moon is set to hold a series of summit talks including talks with US and Japanese leaders on Thursday. The South Korean president is also scheduled to meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. A separate meeting with US President Donald Trump is also being arranged.

North Korea nearing final development stage of ICBM: ministry

North Korea is nearing the final stage of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile and is likely to continue test-launches and nuclear experiments to perfect the technology, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said Monday. In a briefing to a parliamentary defense committee, the ministry also said that the North’s launch Friday of the intermediate-range Hwasong-12 rocket appears to be intended at demonstrating its capability to strike the US territory of Guam. In August, the communist regime had threatened to attack the Pacific island, some 3,400 kilometers from Pyongyang, with four Hwasong-12 missiles.

Misinterpreted Trump tweet causes online chaos amid NK tensions

Cheong Wa Dae on Monday urged South Korean media outlets to be cautious in reporting matters that concern national security and North Korea, ahead of President Moon Jae-in’s departure for New York.
Reports had misinterpreted US President Donald Trump’s tweet mocking the North Korean leader and the country’s fuel shortages. The tweet, however, was misinterpreted by some South Korean news organizations as being criticism of Moon’s hopes for closer economic cooperation among the South, the North and Russia.

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

Moon faces crucial talks on N. Korea at UN

President Moon Jae-in left for New York, Monday, to hold crucial talks with foreign leaders on how to address North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats. During his five-day visit, he will deliver a keynote speech at the United Nations General Assembly and hold summits with other leaders. Moon will ask for their support for his North Korea policy and for the latest U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolution imposing tougher sanctions on Pyongyang. This will be the first time for Moon to participate in a U.N. event, and his second visit to the U.S. following his previous visit for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., in June.

US embassy accused of abusing internships

A college student, who requested to be identified as Park, was supposed to start an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul this December. After receiving a letter of acceptance July 21, she was preparing for the program — finding a residence in Seoul and buying work clothes — while dreaming of a future career after the internship. On Sept. 6, however, she learned the program was suspended. She received an email from the embassy, which read "The U.S. Embassy will not be moving forward with our Winter Internship at this time."

Gyeonggi governor's son detained on drug charges

Gyeonggi Province Governor Nam Kyung-pil's first son has been detained for taking an illegal drug, police said Monday. The son, 26, was caught at an entertainment district in southern Seoul at 10:55 p.m. trying to persuade a woman to take methamphetamine together, according to Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.The two reportedly met through a chatting app _ and the woman turned out to be an undercover policewoman. Police raided the son's house and found two grams of methamphetamine. He tested positive for the drug in a urine test. He admitted taking a small dose one time after smuggling four grams from China on Sept. 13, according to police.

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

S. Korea says North Korea approaching final stages of ICBM

South Korean military believes North Korea has approached the final level of ICBM capability. It means that the North will soon secure an atmosphere re-entry technology that the ICBM can be deployed that approaches the U.S. continent within one or two years.The South Korean Defense Ministry submitted Monday related documents to the National Assembly Defense Committee, where it, based on the analysis of North Korea's Hwasong-12 IRMB firing that the North has neared IRBM capability and final stage of ICBM.

Frankfurt Motor Show 2017 shows off future of autonomous vehicles

At the Frankfurt Motor Show 2017 being held at Messe in Frankfurt, Germany from September 12 through 24, Mercedes Benz and Audi Volkswagen revealed their own five-stage self-driving vehicle concept car and technology roadmap. Self-driving vehicle technology is classified into five stages in terms of development. The final stage, the fifth stage, refers to the state of which the vehicle can self-drive to the destination, without the driver's intervention. Major countries and automobile industries are competing with each other aiming to commercialize the five-step technology by 2020.

Homosexuality in military emerges as a hot potato

Homosexual activities in South Korean military have increased in the recent five years. According to the report the Defense Ministry submitted to Liberty Korea Party lawmaker Kim Hak-yong’s office, the number of consensual sexual assaults between soldiers of the same gender increased to 21 cases in the first half of this year from two in 2013. It is a 20-fold increase of same-sex assaults in the military given remaining period by the end of this year. Under the Military Criminal Act in South Korea, homosexual activity is banned and classified as an assault.

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

N.Korea Spent US$400 Million on Missile Tests This Year

North Korea fired at least 22 missiles this year and spent an estimated US$400 million on them that it can ill afford, analysis suggests.The Chosun Ilbo came up with the estimate by analyzing data from various state-run research institutes and individual experts. The price tag of a North Korean missile depends on whether it is assembled or pre-assembled, while production and export costs also vary, making accurate assessments very difficult. One source at a state-run research institute said the price of a missile is the combination of the cost of the warhead, booster, fuel and oxidizing agent.

China Opposes Nuclear Armament by Regional U.S. Allies

China's ambassador to the U.S. on Friday slammed resurgent calls for Washington's East Asian allies to arm themselves with nuclear weapons. Cui Tiankai told reporters at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, "We are certainly opposed to the existence of nuclear weapons anywhere on the Korean Peninsula... anywhere." Cui added that Beijing will not recognize North Korea as a nuclear power. "It could only make things much worse," he said, if South Korea, Japan and Taiwan also arm themselves with nukes.

Draft Dodgers Get More Inventive
Young Korean men are getting more inventive in their attempts to avoid mandatory military service. According to a report on failed cases of military exemption in the past five years from the Defense Ministry, 227 would-be draft dodgers were foiled from 2013 to the end of June this year. There has been a steady rise from 45 in 2013 to 54 last year and 38 in the first half of 2017 alone.

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

North Korea uses mobile launcher to test fire intermediate range ballistic missile

North Korea referred to the missile it launched on Sept. 12 as a “Hwasong-12” intermediate-range ballistic missile and declared that its “test qualification has been achieved.” North Korean video footage of the launch showing the Hwasong-12 being fired directly from a transporter erector launcher (TEL) is raising questions about North Korea’s ability to operate the launchers. Experts are predicting the development could complicate the US’s ability to conduct a preemptive strike against North Korea, adding that Washington could face considerable pressure with North Korea’s advancing missile capabilities.

Moon discusses purchase of high-tech weaponry during phone call with Trump

South Korean President Moon Jae-in stressed the importance of a “combination of independent deterrent defense capabilities and US defense capabilities to effectively respond to North Korea’s continued provocations and preserve peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula” in a Sept. 17 telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump. In particular, Moon expressed gratitude to Trump for his “attention and cooperation toward amending the missile guidelines [to lift ballistic missile warhead weight restrictions] and reinforcing our state-of-the-art weaponry,” and said he “look[ed] forward to closer cooperation in this area going ahead.”

Trump talks up military option on 70th anniversary of US Air Force

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is intensifying its aggressive stance on North Korea following the launch of its mid-range ballistic missile by bringing the military option to the forefront once again. But the current focus remains on thoroughly implementing the UN Security Council resolution for new sanctions against North Korea, by increasing pressure on China and Russia. At a briefing on September 15, ahead of President Trump’s keynote address at the UN General Assembly, U.S. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said, in response to questions about North Korea, “for those who have said and have been commenting about the lack of a military option, there is a military option,” but added that “it's not what we would prefer to do.”

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

U.S. says diplomacy isn’t its only option

Washington has nearly exhausted its diplomatic options with North Korea, and the next step is military options, warned U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley in an interview Sunday - which could lead to the destruction of the country. Haley said that President Donald Trump’s “fire and fury” threat last month to North Korea was “not an empty threat” and that the U.S. military will “take care” of the situation should diplomacy fail. “We have pretty much exhausted all the things that we could do at the [United Nations] Security Council at this point,” said Haley on CNN’s “State of the Union” ahead of the opening of the UN General Assembly’s 72nd session in New York this week.

Moon goes to New York for General Assembly, bilaterals

President Moon Jae-in on Monday kicked off a five-day trip to New York, where he will make his debut at the UN General Assembly and is expected to address the North Korean nuclear issue. He will deliver an address at a UN General Assembly session on Thursday, and is expected to call on the international community to keep putting pressure on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs to get the regime to return to dialogue. The address comes on the heels of North Korea’s sixth nuclear test earlier this month, which resulted in a new UN Security Council resolution imposing a fresh set of sanctions on the Pyongyang regime.

Gov’t finally gets serious about taxing the clergy

Starting next year any regular religious donations that are used by the clergy for living expenses, education, medical expenses and even spiritual training will be taxed by the government. However, irregular donations such as payments for officiating at a wedding or funeral or giving a school lecture will be exempted. The Korean government is considering applying income tax on pastors, clergy and monks but it will allow some special deductions.

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

NK Missile Launch: South Korea and U.S. Leaders Agree to Strictly Implement Existing Resolutions

In a phone conversation on September 17, President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to concentrate on faithfully implementing existing resolutions rather than adopt a new United Nations Security Council resolution in response to North Korea‘s recent launch of Hwasong-12, an intermediate-range ballistic missile. The two leaders spoke over the phone before their fifth meeting since they entered office, scheduled during the UN General Assembly. Compared to the recent phone calls made each time North Korea engaged in provocations, this time, the tone was moderate and the conversation short.

Ruling Party Ready to Eradicate Past Wrongdoing, While Opposition Set to Show the Power of the Majority
The first regular session of the National Assembly after the launch of the Moon Jae-in government has entered its course following an initial schedule of speeches by the floor leaders of the negotiating parties and an interpellation. The session stumbled to start with the Liberty Korea Party boycotting parliamentary schedules, and tensions ran high as major issues surfaced inside and outside parliament, such as North Korea’s sixth nuclear test and their launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile, and the rejection of Kim Yi-su, nominee for the president of the Constitutional Court.
설명: http://linkback.khan.co.kr/images/onebyone.gif?action_id=6109958684acf31ba9bf6cf98400097
President Moon Says No to the Redeployment of Tactical Nuclear Weapons and to the Development of a Nuclear Program
On September 14, President Moon Jae-in said, "I do not agree that South Korea needs to develop our own nuclear weapons or relocate tactical nuclear weapons in the face of North Korea's nuclear threat."
Ahead of the General Assembly of the United Nations, President Moon sat with an interview with CNN at Cheong Wa Dae this day and said, "To respond to North Korea by having our own nuclear weapons will not maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula and could lead to a nuclear arms race in northeast Asia, hindering peace and stability in this region."

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

Petrochem Industry to Invest 10 Tril. Won in Daesan Industrial Complex

The Daesan petrochemical industrial zone in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, will transform into an advanced chemical industrial complex. The nation's major petrochemical companies may invest up to 10 trillion won in this area. On September 14, S-Oil, Lotte Chemical, Hanwha Total, South Chungcheong provincial government, and Seosan city gathered in Lotte World Tower and signed a memorandum to create a Daesan specialized industrial complex. Currently the area is home to large petrochemical producers such as Lotte Chemical and Hanwha Total.

Gov't Not to Raise Lawsuit against China with WTO...Pushes for $8 Mil. Aid Package with North Korea

The government is pushing forward with a plan worth US$8 million to help out vulnerable people in North Korea. Meanwhile it won't raise a lawsuit against China with the World Trade Organization in relation to the latter country's retaliatory measures after Korea's decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile defense system in its soil. Baek Tae-hyun, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, said on September 14, "We are reviewing a plan to give $8 million at the request of United Nations organizations including the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Food Program."

Hanwha Chemical an Unexpected Beneficiary of Coal Price Hike

As international coal prices are on the rise, Hanwha Chemical's prospect is getting brighter. That's because the Korean company uses naphtha to produce polyvinyl chloride (PVC) while its rivals in China are largely based on coal, which will make it more price competitive vis-a-vis the Chinese chemical producers. According to Korea Resources Corp. and chemical industry sources on September 10, the freight-on-board (FOB) price of bituminous coal out of the Chinese port of Qinhuangdao was US$95.06 as of September 1 per ton from $81.58 on June 2, up 16 percent in three months.

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

Risk grows for 'stalled' Samsung amid prolonged leadership vacuum

Concerns about Samsung Group's future are growing amid a prolonged state of leadership vacuum after Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee was given a five-year prison sentence last month for his involvement in a corruption scandal.The first appeals hearing for Lee begins on September 28 with the verdict expected to come in January or February next year. For Samsung, a global IT company, the role of its leadership is crucial in coping with a rapidly changing market environment, to associate with overseas investors, grasp the global trend and make quick decisions. However, Lee's imprisonment is expected to last for at least a year since his arrest on February 17. This is the reason why jitters are increasing in South Korea's business community about Samsung's global competitiveness due to delays in important decision-making.

S. Korean women have less sex than 10 years ago: Survey

Young South Korean women who are stricken by the daily ordinary hardships of life such as unemployment and late marriage have less sex than they did 10 years ago, according to a survey. Based on a 2014 survey of 50,000 women who were listed by an online pollster, Boramae Medical Center released research data showing the change in the lifestyle of young women. Doctors said that they sorted out 516 people and used answers for their research."According to a statistics data about marriages, an average age span of South Korean women getting married has changed to 29.6 years old in 2013 from the 2004 average age of 27.5," Park Joo-hyun, a professor at Boramae Medical Center, told Yonhap News agency.

US strategic planes make muscle-flexing flight along inter-Korean border

In an apparent show of force to North Korea, US stealth fighters and strategic bombers made a muscle-flexing flight along the heavily armed inter-Korean border after staging a joint bombing drill with South Korean fighters, military authorities said. The flight involving four US Marine Corps F-35B fighters with radar reflectors and two B-1B bombers followed a joint drill with South Korean planes including four F-15K jet fighters, according to military officials.

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

Hillary Clinton to deliver keynote speech at 18th World Knowledge Forum in Seoul

Hillary Rodham Clinton, former U.S. Secretary of State, will be making a keynote speech at the 18th World Knowledge Forum (WKF) in Seoul on October 18. It would be Clinton’s first visit to South Korea since 2009 and her first speech to be delivered outside of North America since her presidential election campaign in the U.S. Her Seoul visit draws attention as it is planned amid the growing geopolitical threats on the Korean peninsula and in neighboring regions from North Korea’s nuclear weapon and missiles tests.

Halla Cement shortlists 4 bidders for its full stake sale

The auction to buy a full stake in Halla Cement Corp., South Korea’s fourth-largest cement producer, will be a four-way race after three strategic investors and a private equity fund have been shortlisted as potential buyers on Monday. According to multiple sources from the investment bank industry on Monday, Hong Kong-based Baring Private Equity Asia, the largest shareholder of Halla Cement, and its sales advisor Citigroup Global Market Securities Korea have shortlisted four potential buyers including three strategic investors Asia Cement Co., Sungshin Cement Co., and Aju Corporation Co. and private equity fund LK Investment Partners. A total of six investors initially submitted preliminary bids to buy Halla Cement last week.

Samsung Elec and SK Hynix eye sales and profit milestone this year

South Korean Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc. that are the world’s two largest memory vendors eye combined sales and profit milestone of 100 trillion won ($88.8 billion won) and 50 trillion won this year from chipmaking as they benefit from explosive demand and tight supply in chips amid ever-growing appetite for memory to power big data-based automation and digitalization.

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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