The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Thursday, September 21, 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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This prestigious Plaque of Citation belongs to Your Excellency and Madam

At the Namyangju Slow Food Festival tomorrow.

All participating Ambassador Couples are presented with this Plaque.

Your Excellency:

Finally, it is TOMORROW morning the Namyangju Slow Life Food Fest

How would Your Excellency and Madam wish to see the exciting National Food Show to be presented by your Colleagues?

On the opening day (tomorrow), the National Food Show is presented by the Madams of the Ambassadors of Azerbaijan and Iran (alphabetical order) and then on the following days by the Madams of the Ambassadors of Spain, Vietnam, Italy, the Philippines, Poland, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan and other countries.

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 where a collection of high society Korean fashions will be worn.

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).

For further details, please visit:

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/)

KORUS FTA Benefits Both Countries

President Moon Jae-in has stressed that the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement(KORUS FTA) benefits both countries, calling for a fair evaluation of reciprocal benefits of the deal. The president made the call on Wednesday during a meeting with U.S. business leaders and investors in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.In the meeting, Moon said that Seoul and Washington recently launched talks to amend the KORUS FTA, and Seoul will engage in negotiations with sincerity.

N. Korean Diplomat Calls Trump Threat 'Sound of Dog Barking'

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho has downplayed U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks at the UN General Assembly, comparing his threat to destroy North Korea to "the sound of a dog barking."
Ri didn't respond to questions by reporters waiting for his arrival at JFK International Airport on Wednesday to attend the UN General Assembly. But in front of his hotel, he issued Pyongyang's first response to Trump's threat a day earlier to "totally destroy" North Korea if it poses a threat to the U.S. or its allies.

Diplomacy Still Leads in Efforts to Denuclearize N. Korea

S. Defense Secretary James Mattis says that diplomacy will still take the lead in efforts to denuclearize North Korea.Speaking at a military conference near Washington on Wednesday, Mattis said that diplomacy is still taking the lead in U.S. efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue and the Pentagon "fully supports" that campaign by ensuring military options. The defense chief said that diplomatic efforts are being made at the UN General Assembly meetings and the U.S. continues to press on the diplomatic level, but military options must be available in order to protect its allies and itself.

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

S. Korea, U.S. trade chiefs hold first face-to-face meeting over trade deal

The top trade negotiators of South Korea and the United States held their first face-to-face meeting in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the future of the countries' free trade agreement (FTA), both sides said. The talks between South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer came as Washington seeks to amend the five-year-old deal known as KORUS.

S. Korean president calls for maximum pressure on N. Korea

South Korean President Moon Jae-in emphasized the need to put additional pressure on North Korea Wednesday, partly to punish the communist state for its recent provocations but also to make it realize its only option is to denuclearize. The renewed call for what Moon called "maximum sanctions and pressure" against Pyongyang came in a meeting with the heads of leading U.S. think tanks on Korean and foreign relations issues, such as Richard Haass, a former U.S. diplomat and currently the head of the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit think tank. Others included Kevin Rudd, former prime minister of Australia currently serving as the president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, and Thomas Byrne, president of the Korea Society.

Listed firms seen to log record earnings in Q3

Operating profit of South Korea's major listed companies is expected to hit a record high in the third quarter on stellar performances by chipmakers and other tech firms, a poll showed Thursday. Local brokerages forecast the combined operating profit of 142 leading companies listed on the KOSPI market to reach 45.7 trillion won (US$40.5 billion) for the July-September period, according to the survey by market researcher FnGuide.

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

Toshiba picks Bain, SK hynix, Apple group to sell its memory unit

After three-month-long negotiations, Japanese conglomerate Toshiba selected a global consortium led by US private equity group Bain Capital to sell its memory business, according to news reports on Wednesday.
The consortium includes South Korean chipmaker SK hynix and tech giant Apple. For SK hynix, the world’s fifth NAND flash maker, the group’s acquisition of the Toshiba unit is expected to help raise competitiveness of the chip business.

More than 200 killed in Mexico quake

MEXICO CITY -- Police, firefighters and ordinary Mexicans dug frantically through the rubble of collapsed schools, homes and apartment buildings early Wednesday, looking for survivors of Mexico’s deadliest earthquake in decades as the number of confirmed fatalities climbed to 248. Adding poignancy and a touch of the surreal, Tuesday’s magnitude 7.1 quake struck on the 32nd anniversary of the 1985 earthquake that killed thousands. Just hours earlier, people around Mexico had held earthquake drills to mark the date.

Candlelight vigils set an example to world democracy: Moon

President Moon Jae-in vowed to work for peace on the Korean Peninsula for the sake of world peace, and praised his country’s peaceful protests that ousted his scandal-ridden predecessor, in his acceptance speech for a global award in New York on Tuesday. The US think tank Atlantic Council presented the Global Citizen Award to Moon, in recognition of his life-long dedication to the advocacy of human rights and democracy, and his efforts to defuse tensions with North Korea and contribute to regional stability.

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

Trump's speech no prelude to military action

U.S. President Donald Trump's latest threat to "totally destroy" North Korea does not necessarily mean the U.S. will take any immediate military action against the Kim Jong-un regime, analysts said Wednesday.
At the United Nations General Assembly hall, Tuesday (local time), Trump said the United States has "great strength and patience," but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, it will "totally destroy" North Korea.

Nuclear sub will not be on summit agenda: Cheong Wa Dae

South Korea's plan to build a nuclear-powered submarine will not be discussed at the summit between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump, scheduled for Thursday in New York City, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday. It also denied a media report that the United States and South Korea have already reached an agreement on the development of nuclear submarines by South Korea. The report said both countries have closely discussed the issue and have already finalized working-level discussions, citing unnamed officials.

Hong Joon-pyo keeps failing to grasp gender issue

Earlier this year, conservative politician Hong Joon-pyo's recount of abetting an attempted rape as a youth sparked controversy during his presidential campaign. Hong, who lost in the election to President Moon Jae-in, called the incident a prank and therefore no big deal, but his comments outraged female voters. This week, many wondered if Hong, who is now chairman of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), had learned anything from it, and further if he had any sense of gender equality or understanding of gender issues in Korea.

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

SK Hynix finally acquires Toshiba’s memory chip business

Semiconductor industry insiders said, “SK Chairman Chey Tae-won’s bold bet has worked after all,” upon hearing the news that a consortium of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan became the successful bidder in the acquisition deal on Wednesday. Chey jumped into competition to take over the memory chip business in February this year. It came soon after SK took over LG Siltron, a specialized producer of wafers as semiconductor material, for 620 billion won (549 million U.S. dollars). As soon as his travel ban was lifted on April 19, Chey went to Japan five days later, and started taking the lead in his company’s bid to acquire Toshiba.

Auto-scoring program for open-ended questions developed

While there were continuous demands for introducing open-ended questions on various tests such as national scholastic aptitude test in Korea, the issue of scoring has hampered the improvement in testing methods. Against this backdrop, a technological feature has been developed to score open-ended questions for large-scale examinations. According to the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Eval‎uation on Wednesday, it has recently acquired four patents on scoring open-ended answers by developing the “auto-scoring program for Korean supply items.”

7.1-maginitude hits Mexico on Tuesday, taking over 210 lives

A very strong earthquake took at least 210 lives on Tuesday (local time) in Mexico, where already around 90 people lost their lives at the 8.2-magnitude quake on Sept. 7. The recent shake occurred on the exact day when the 1985 Mexico City earthquake took thousands of lives 32 years ago. According to AP News, the United States Geological Survey announced that a 7.1-maginitude earthquake shook central Mexico at 1:14 p.m. on Tuesday. The epicenter was near the Puebla state town of Raboso, 123 kilometers southeast from Mexico City. Death toll is likely grow, as the impact zone was densely populated with many ruined buildings.

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

U.S. Mulls Shooting Down N.Korean Missiles
Washington is considering shooting down North Korean ballistic missiles "even if it does not directly threaten the U.S. or its allies," CNN reported Tuesday. North Korea has fired two missiles over U.S. ally Japan recently, on Aug. 29 and Sept. 15. But "the question that now needs to be answered is whether North Korea's missile program has progressed to the level of being such an inherent threat that the Pentagon would recommend targeting a missile even if its trajectory did not indicate it would hit the U.S. or its allies," CNN quoted a senior U.S. official as implying.

Gasoline Prices in Pyongyang Stay the Same Despite Sanctions

Fuel prices in Pyongyang have not risen despite international sanctions that halve crude oil imports after the North’s latest nuclear test, Voice of America reported Monday.

A coupon for 15 kg of gasoline sells for US$28.8 in Pyongyang, and one for 15 kg of diesel sells for $30.6, VOA quoted an e-mail from a Western diplomat on Sept. 14 as saying. That is $1.92 per kg and $2.04 per kg, the same as on Aug. 12 before the nuclear test.

Spain Expels N.Korean Ambassador

Spain on Monday expelled the North Korean ambassador in the wake of the regime's latest nuclear test. It was the fourth country to do so after Mexico, Peru and Kuwait.

A growing number of North Korea's traditional allies are also announcing either the cutback or complete halt of trade with the isolated state. The moves come in response to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's request in a UN Security Council ministerial meeting on April 28 to sever or downgrade diplomatic ties with the North.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)

Mattis claims US can attack North Korea without putting Seoul at major risk

US Secretary of Defense James Mattis is stirring up controversy with his reference to potential military options against North Korea that would not result in major damage to Seoul. Experts raised questions about the feasibility of Mattis’s remarks. Many are viewing the recent repeated references to “military options” by senior US foreign affairs and national security officials as an attempt to pressure Beijing. In a talk with Pentagon reporters on Sept. 18, Mattis fielded a question on whether there were any military options that could be taken against North Korea without posing serious risks to Seoul.

US Senate passes 2018 defense authorization bill

The US Senate passed a defense authorization bill on Sept. 18 demanding the administration increase its extended deterrence and security capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. The bill, which applies to the 2018 accounting year, was approved by a vote of 89 to 8.The defense authorization bill that passed the Senate stipulates that the Secretary of Defense must submit plans within 30 days of its enactment for improvement of US extended deterrence and security capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. The bill indicates that the plan should include increased weapons sales to allies in the region and expanded military cooperation, exercises, and integrated defense with allies.

Blue House censures Defense Minister for critical comments

The Blue House has moved to censure Defense Minister Song Young-moo for his provocative statements, issuing a ‘stern warning’. The warning appears to be a hasty attempt to deflect criticism that Korea’s top diplomacy and security officials are fighting amongst themselves amidst a tense security crisis. Song later ‘apologized’ for his statements in a National Assembly standing committee meeting. In a press conference on September 19, Blue House Senior Secretary for Public Relations Yoon Young-chan stated, “Regarding Minister Song’s statement in a National Assembly National Defense Committee (NDC) meeting, we believe that the language used was inappropriate and lacked refinement. Considering that it could lead to policy confusion, Minister Song has been given a stern warning.”

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

Trump threatens to ‘destroy’ North in speech at UN

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to “totally destroy North Korea” at the UN General Assembly Tuesday in a speech boycotted by Pyongyang’s top envoy to the United Nations. “The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea,” said Trump in his first address to the 193-member UN General Assembly in New York. “Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime.”

Plan for nuclear submarines gains traction

President Moon Jae-in’s ambition to build nuclear-powered submarines gained momentum Wednesday, despite the Blue House denying that there was an agreement with the United States on the issue. Quoting multiple senior government officials, the JoongAng Ilbo published an exclusive report earlier in the morning saying Seoul and Washington have agreed in principle that South Korea will build nuclear-powered submarines. Moon would bring the news home from his New York trip this week, one of the sources said.

Toshiba closer to deal with Bain, Hynix group

Toshiba picked a Bain Capital-led consortium that includes SK Hynix as a preferred bidder for its memory unit, according to the Korean chipmaker and various media reports Wednesday, raising expectations a deal that has been dragging along since February will finally be sealed. The troubled Japanese semiconductor giant has been vacillating over several bidders and even gave the nod to the same U.S.-Japan-Korea consortium in June, but then changed its mind.

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

Lee Myung-bak Emerges as the Subject of an Investigation
Former President Lee Myung-bak (76, illustration) has emerged as a subject of a prosecutors' investigation four years and seven months after he left office, for allegedly taking advantage of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to suppress people from various social classes and fields who criticized the government. Although the investigation was triggered upon the request of Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon (61), circumstantial evidence suggested that the intelligence service's control of the media, the blacklist documents, and the online comments posted by the military's Cyber Command were all reported to Cheong Wa Dae. Naturally, former President Lee has now emerged as the central figure in these allegations.설명: http://linkback.khan.co.kr/images/onebyone.gif?action_id=3a32020a52c800098a961b72dcc14ed

Rocket Man vs. Small Hands
U.S. President Donald Trump gave Kim Jong-un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea a nickname: the Rocket Man. The name mocks Kim Jong-un's behavior, stubbornly launching ballistic missiles and conducting nuclear tests despite the world's opposition. In the backdrop that allowed Rocket Man to run the lone path toward complete nuclear armament lie South Korea and China. He stands against the United States, with South Korea as his hostage and China as his shield.

"Postpone Funding of $8 Million for Aid to North Korea"
On Monday, Defense Minister Song Young-moo said, "I heard that the government planned to adjust and significantly delay the funding," referring to the government's plans to fund US$8 million for humanitarian aid to North Korea. This day, Song attended a plenary session of the parliamentary committee for national defense and gave such a reply when the People's Party lawmaker Kim Dong-cheol asked, "Is it true that the government is going to provide humanitarian aid to North Korea?"

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

Moon Government's Approval Rating Hits Low of 67.1%

The approval rating of the Moon Jae-in government has hit a low of 67.1 percent largely due to North Korea nuclear issues. The rating has fallen for three consecutive weeks. As for the approval rating of the ruling Minjoo Party has declined for four weeks in a row to 49.3 percent. Pollster Realmeter said on September 18 that a survey commissioned by CBS-TV revealed that the ratio of those who thought positively about the way the current government has performed was 67.1 percent, down by 2.0 percentage points from the previous week.

Semiconductor and Display Industries Set to Invest 52 Tril. Won by 2024

Chief executives of the nation's leading companies like Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and LG Display have made a request to the government to relieve the problem of labor shortage in the area of semiconductor and display. Kwon Oh-hyun, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, said on September 18 in a discussion session held in Kensington Hotel in Seoul's Yoido presided over by Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy Baek Woon-gyu, "Skilled workers are in short supply in fast-growing industries like semiconductor. The government must step in and help the industry foster experienced hands in semiconductor materials and equipment."

Oil Refiners See Good Times ahead due to Rising Oil Prices

International oil prices have hit a record high in seven months as they went up over US$50 a barrel. The domestic oil refining sector raised its hopes of improving their profitability in the third quarter after suffering poor results for two consecutive quarters. The spot price for Dubai crude as compiled by the Korea National Oil Corp. was $53.64 a barrel on September 16, up by 7 cents from the previous day. This is the highest level since February this year when the figure was $54.39.

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

Hyundai's G70 receives positive reaction from car enthusiasts

In a desperate move to challenge high-performance foreign sedans on its own turf, Hyundai Motor released G70, an entry-level high-performance sedan for its luxurious brand Genesis, hoping to attract South Korea's car enthusiasts. The new and third model of Hyundai's revamped Genesis lineup which was launched to promote the company's brand image as a high-end carmaker, drew a good response from consumers when it hit the domestic market this week.

N. Korea envoy derides Trump threat as 'sound of dog barking'

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho slammed U.S. President Donald Trump, saying his threat to destroy the nation amounted to "the sound of a dog barking". Ri arrived in New York earlier in the day to attend the U.N. General Assembly. Speaking to reporters, he issued the regime's first response to Trump's threat a day earlier to "totally destroy" North Korea if it poses a direct threat to the U.S. or its allies.

Talks between S. Korean and Chinese army chiefs on close watch

At the height of a diplomatic row between Seoul and Beijing over a US missile shield, army chiefs from the two countries held private talks on the sidelines of an international military conference in Seoul. The 30-minute meeting between South Korea's army chief of staff, Kim Yong-woo, and You Haitao, deputy commander of the Chinese Army, took place when they attended the 10th Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (PACC), military officials said. It was closely watched, but there was no official comment.

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

Toshiba to sell memory chip unit to S. Korean-U.S.-Japanese groups: media sources

Japan’s Toshiba Corp. has decided to sell its flash memory business to a consortium led by U.S. equity firm Bain Capital and heavy with technology giants like Apple, Dell, and SK Hynix Inc., according to multiple media on Wednesday. Citing a source, Kyodo News reported that Toshiba held a board of directors meeting on Wednesday and approved the plan to sell its chip unit to a South Korean-U.S.-Japanese consortium that has been in talks with the troubled Japanese company over the sale after signing a memorandum of understanding last week.

LG Chem to supply battery cells to Proterra’s longest-range electric bus

South Korea’s leading chemical and battery making company LG Chem Ltd. will supply battery cells to a U.S.-based zero-emission electric bus manufacturer known for its vehicle with the longest driving distance on a single charge. According to Proterra Inc. on Wednesday, it picked LG Chem as the supplier of batteries for its Catalyst E2, an electric bus that can drive up to 550 kilometers on a single charge, which is the longest range among electric buses sold in the market. The electric bus manufacturer claimed that the bus can drive a regular full-day route on one charge.

Hite Jiro under fresh FTC probe over allegedly hiding evidence

South Korea’s antitrust watchdog renewed a probe into Hite Jinro Co., a leading beer and distilled rice liquor soju manufacturer in the country, for having allegedly disturbed antitrust agency’s earlier investigation on unfair practice of commissioning business orders to a supplier affiliated to the owner family. According to industry sources on Wednesday, Fair Trade Commission launched an investigation into Hite Jinro upon speculating that the liquor manufacturer interfered with the antitrust agency’s earlier probe on internal transaction allegation in the company by refusing to hand in requested information and even stashing away important documents.

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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

Japan's Yomiuri www.yomiuri.co.jp japannews@yomiuri.com

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

Mainichi www.mainichi.jp

Le Monde www.ilemonde.com

Italy LaRepubblica www.quotidiano.repubblica.it vittorio.zucconi@gmail.com

Germany Frankfurter AllgemeineZeitung www.faz.net anzeigen.ausland@faz.de

SüddeutscheZeitung www.sueddeutsche.de forum@sueddeutsche.de

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

Sydney Morning Heraldwww.smh.com.au

Colombia Reports http://colombiareports.com

Bogota Free Planet http://bogotafreeplanet.combfp@bogotafreeplanet.com

El Universal http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english

Andes http://www.andes.info.ec/en

Ecuador Times http://www.ecuadortimes.net

The Jordan Times https://www.jordantimes.com

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

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

El Pais http://elpais.com/elpais/inenglish.html

Philippine Daily Inquirer https://www.inquirer.net

Daily News Hungary http://dailynewshungary.com

Budapest Times http://budapesttimes.hu

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

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

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

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

And many other countries.

저작권자 © The Korea Post 무단전재 및 재배포 금지