The Korean daily media headlines and humor

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Tuesday, November 7, 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 Korea Post and other major Korean news media today:

(Scroll down to the bottom for news around the world.)

'Welcome to Korea, President Trump. We all love you in Korea!’

Welcome to Korea President Donald Trump! We Koreans all love you for your effort to keep the Korean people free from the North Korean regime! In the opinion of many people in the Republic of Korea (south), President Trump of the United States should visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) during his visit to Seoul on Nov. 7-8, 2017 at the invitation of President Moon Jae-in."Needless to say, President Moon Jae-in should go together with President Trump," say many people in Korea, especially the established generation--to speak nothing of the 'Korean War generation who fought side by side with the US and other United Nations Forces during the Korean War (1950-3) that was started by the late Marshal Kim Il-sung of the North Korean regime.

(For further details, visit http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=5335)

President Moon Jae-in (left) and President Donald Trump are all smiles during their meeting in the United States.

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The Korea Post media (www.koreapost.com) in English, (www.koreapost.co.kr) in Korean.

Trump ahead of S. Korea visit: We will figure it all out

U.S. President Donald Trump struck an upbeat tone as he left for South Korea Monday, saying he and his counterpart, Moon Jae-in, will "figure it all out."Trump wrote in a tweet apparently sent from Tokyo, the first leg of his five-nation Asia tour: "Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman. We will figure it all out!" Trump is set for a two-day state visit to South Korea from Tuesday (local time). He will hold a summit with Moon, make a speech before the National Assembly and meet with U.S. and South Korean service members at Camp Humphreys, a U.S. base south of Seoul.

3 S. Korean retail giants apply for duty-free license in Jeju airport

South Korea's three leading retailers have submitted their bids to run a duty-free business at an airport on the country's resort island of Jeju, its operator said Monday, amid signs that Chinese tourists may return in force. Lotte Duty Free, Shilla Duty Free and Shinsegae DF applied to operate a duty-free store at Jeju International Airport, according to Korea Airports Corp. (KAC). The companies need approval from both the airport and local customs authorities to secure the right to run a duty-free business at the airport, which is valid for five years.

SK Holdings to spend US$60 mln in N. American fashion brands

SK Holdings Co., the holding firm of South Korean energy and telecoms conglomerate SK Group, said Monday that it has decided to invest a combined US$60 million in two North American fashion brands in a bid to diversify its revenue sources. SK Holdings said it will make the investment in Canada-based Mackage and U.S.-based fashion firm Alice+Olivia. The latest deal follows the purchase of a stake in a Chinese meat-processing firm last month. SK Holdings did not reveal the value of the deal.

SK Holdings has been moving to transform into an investment entity.

Ex-CIA official warns of friction in S. Korea-U.S. summit

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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)

Trump Set to Arrive in S. Korea for State Visit

U.S. President Donald Trump will arrive in South Korea on Tuesday on a state visit that will include summit talks with President Moon Jae-in. Trump is set to arrive in Osan Air Base at around noon and begin his two-day visit with a trip to the newly renovated U.S. military base, Camp Humphreys, in Pyeongtaek about 40 kilometers south of Seoul. At the camp, Trump will encourage U.S. service members and their South Korean counterparts and receive a briefing on conditions on the Korean Peninsula. Trump, the first U.S. leader to make a state visit to South Korea in 25 years, will then meet with President Moon at the presidential office in Seoul for a one-on-one summit and an extended meeting.

Prosecutors, Ex-NIS Officials Arrested in NIS Election Meddling Scandal

Senior prosecutors and former spy agency officials have been arrested on charges of obstructing a 2013 prosecution investigation into the National Intelligence Service's(NIS) alleged election meddling. The Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for former chief of the Busan District Prosecutors' Office Chang Ho-joong, senior prosecutor Lee Je-young and two former NIS officials, citing considerable reason to believe they committed crimes and risk of destroying evidence. The prosecution also sought a warrant for senior prosecutor Byun Chang-hoon, however he jumped to his death on Monday before a court hearing.

N. Korean Suspects in Kim Jong-nam Murder Named in Court

Malaysian police said four North Korean men were involved in killing the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Two women from Indonesia and Vietnam are standing trial for the murder of Kim Jong-nam, who died in February at Kuala Lumpur International Airport after VX nerve agent was rubbed on his face. A senior police officer named four North Korean men in court on Monday, saying they fled Malaysia after the murder. The men are Ri Jae-nam, Hong Song-hac, Ri Ji-hyon and O Jong-gil. It is the first time that Malaysian police identified the four suspects as the North Korean nationals who fled Malaysia after the murder.

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

Ex-CIA official warns of friction in S. Korea-U.S. summit

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump could hit a snag over North Korea when they meet in Seoul this week, a former CIA official said Monday.Jung Pak, former portfolio manager at the CIA's East Asia and Pacific Mission Center, said the two leaders could come away from Tuesday's summit with a divergence on how to handle the threat of North Korea's nuclear and missile programs."First, Trump and Moon do not have a close personal relationship," she wrote in comments to reporters. "I think that Moon's dual-track approach to North Korea -- pursuing engagement with Pyongyang, even as his administration steps up the pressure, including the most recent unilateral sanctions -- is likely to cause some friction in the summit meeting."

Trump ahead of S. Korea visit: We will figure it all out

U.S. President Donald Trump struck an upbeat tone as he left for South Korea Monday, saying he and his counterpart, Moon Jae-in, will "figure it all out." Trump wrote in a tweet apparently sent from Tokyo, the first leg of his five-nation Asia tour: "Getting ready to leave for South Korea and meetings with President Moon, a fine gentleman. We will figure it all out!" Trump is set for a two-day state visit to South Korea from Tuesday (local time). He will hold a summit with Moon, make a speech before the National Assembly and meet with U.S. and South Korean service members at Camp Humphreys, a U.S. base south of Seoul.

Ex-U.S. envoy touts 'freeze-for-freeze' with N. Korea

A former U.S. envoy said Monday that North Korea's nuclear crisis could be resolved through a "freeze-for-freeze" agreement between Washington and Pyongyang. Bill Richardson, who served as ambassador to the United Nations in the 1990s and played important roles in past dealings with Pyongyang, made the remark as President Donald Trump is in Asia to increase pressure on the regime. "What's the best diplomatic option? I think it's the freeze for a freeze," he said at a forum here, using the term for a proposal China and Russia have made to de-escalate tensions over the North's nuclear and missile programs.

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

Five things to know about Trump’s visit to S. Korea

US President Donald Trump, on a 12-day diplomatic swing through Asia, is to touch down in S. Korea at around noon Tuesday. He will visit a US military base, hold a summit meeting with President Moon Jae-in and deliver a speech at the National Assembly before leaving for China on Wednesday.

Koreans to President Trump: No tough talk, please

With US President Donald Trump set to touch down in South Korea on Tuesday, South Koreans have varying expectations on the visit of a man who can exert an immense influence over their fate, with or without the intention to do so. Many South Koreans that The Korea Herald spoke to hoped for one thing in common: that Trump’s arrival in this once war-torn land where threats of war are part of everyday life would lead to an easing, not escalation, of military tensions with North Korea.

US mourning after gunman kills 26 at Texas church service

The United States was in mourning Monday after a gunman wearing a bulletproof vest opened fire with an assault rifle on the congregation of a smalltown Texas church, killing 26 people and wounding 20 more in the nation‘s latest shooting massacre. Five weeks after the worst shooting in modern US history President Donald Trump said the nation was living in “dark times,” and ordered flags be flown half-staff at the White House and federal buildings in the aftermath of the most recent tragedy.

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

Trump's visit a crucial point for North Korea issues

U.S. President Donald Trump's two-day state visit to South Korea starting today will be a crucial point in addressing North Korea's nuclear and missile ambitions. The summit will be the third set of bilateral talks between President Moon Jae-in and Trump. It is the first state visit of a U.S. president in 25 years since George H. W. Bush in 1992. "He comes to South Korea at this time when comprehensive political, economic and military cooperation between the two countries is required amid a serious security situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula," presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun said.

Family vacation invitation turns into blackmail

Police are seeking an arrest warrant for a man who allegedly kidnapped a friend of his daughter with an accomplice and extorted 150 million won ($13 million) from the victim's family. According to Suseo Police Station, the suspect, identified by his surname Baek, 40, with the help of Seo, 38, abducted his daughter's friend under the pretext of a family vacation and took 30 million won as ransom to spare the victim's life. Baek allegedly told the victim's family that he and Seo had planned a trip to Bali and Jakarta and suggested that their son join them.

Ex-MBC chief quizzed over alleged role in past government's scheme to control TV network

Prosecutors questioned a former chief of MBC on Monday on suspicions that he helped a previous conservative administration to seize control of the public broadcaster by weeding out staff and entertainers critical of the government. Kim Jae-chul, who headed MBC from 2010-2013, appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office at around 9:40 a.m. He is accused of excluding MBC producers and celebrities who were considered unfriendly to the Lee Myung-bak government from TV programs. He has denied any wrongdoing.

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

Trump lashes out at Japan for unfair trade

“Japan should purchase a massive amount of military equipment (from the United States),” said U.S. President Donald Trump at the bilateral summit with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on his second day in Japan Monday. He also complained that the United States has been treated unfairly in the international trade market, adding that it will make continuous efforts to fix such an imbalance existing in the trade with Japan, China and other countries.

Smartphone app introduced to create 360-degree VR content

A technology has been developed to create 360-degree VR content with a smartphone. The app “YouVR Maker” has been developed by a South Korean startup named Next Aeon. The Electronics Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) announced on Monday that an application has been developed to produce high-definition 360-round VR content without a VR camera.

'Seoul Lantern Festival' embroidered with Olympics mascots

With the countdown of “Three, two, one!”, a skier jumps down the waterfalls of the Cheonggyecheon Stream with glowing light. Soohorang and Bandabi, the mascots of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, carry torches, ride a bobsled and figure skate. The Cheonggyecheon Stream where the 2017 Seoul Lantern Festival is being held until Nov. 19 is fully packed with visitors every night, who can watch and take photos of beautiful lanterns describing major winter games to be played at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. “The theme of this year’s festival is PyeongChang Winter Olympics,” said Park Jae-ho, the director of the festival. “You can feel the heated passion boiling in Pyeongchang in the middle of Seoul.”

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

Cheong Wa Dae Ready to Welcome Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump is coming to Korea Tuesday for a two-day visit. He and First Lady Melania Trump are expected at Osan Air Base around noon. Trump will be welcomed by Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Korean ambassador to the U.S. Cho Yoon-je and his wife. He first visits Camp Humphreys, the new U.S. Forces Korea headquarters in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, where he will address Korean and U.S. soldiers and have lunch before being flown to Seoul by helicopter.

Ground Invasion Only Way to Secure N.Korean Nukes, Says Pentagon

The Pentagon believes the only way to make sure that all of North Korea's nuclear weapons sites are found and secured is a ground invasion, the Washington Post reported Saturday. The Pentagon made the assessment in a letter to two House members who asked about "expected casualty assessments in a conflict with North Korea," including civilians and U.S. troops in South Korea, Japan and Guam, according to the daily. The Pentagon also fears that the regime could use biological and chemical weapons if a war should break out on the Korean Peninsula.

Gov't Hopes to Stimulate Tourism During Winter Olympics

Tourists from three Southeast Asian countries can enter Korea without a visa if they arrive at Yangyang International Airport near Pyeongchang, the venue of the 2018 Winter Olympics. The government made the announcement on Friday and said it is aimed at boosting tourism ahead of the sporting event. Tourists from Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines can enter Korea visa-free through the airport until April next year. The number of tourists from those three countries last year grew 45 percent compared to 2015 to 1.1 million.

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

“Balanced diplomacy” becomes fundamental to President Moon’s foreign policy

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been raising eyebrows with his emphasis on “balanced diplomacy” on the eve of US President Donald Trump’s trip to Asia. With Moon reaffirming Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha’s remarks in the National Assembly that trilateral cooperation with the US and Japan must not turn into a military alliance at a sensitive time shortly before Moon and Trump’s summit, attention is focusing on why Moon made these remarks and on what he hopes to achieve.

Blue House to give Trump a warm welcome upon arrival in South Korea

“The South Korean government will give President Trump a warm welcome, providing him with the treatment befitting a state visit, in order to create a decisive opportunity to elevate our relations with the US from a ‘comprehensive alliance’ to a ‘great alliance,’” the Blue House said on Nov. 5 in regard to US President Donald Trump’s visit to South Korea on Nov. 7 and 8. “Given the extreme gravity of the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea’s nuclear program and missiles, comprehensive cooperation between South Korea and the US on political, economic and military issues is more important now than ever,” Blue House spokesman Park Soo-hyun said during a message to the public on the occasion of Trump’s visit to South Korea at the Chunchugwan press center.

North Korea may soon be redesignated as a state sponsor of terrorism

The Trump administration continues toying with the idea of redesignating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism as a means of applying pressure. In addition to its large diplomatic symbolism, redesignation is also seen as likely to generate a backlash from North Korea, leading many to view it as a predictor for the administration’s future North Korea policy. When asked about the issue of North Korea’s redesignation as a state sponsor of terrorism while traveling from Hawaii to Japan on Nov. 4, Trump replied that a decision would come “very soon.” White House National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster responded to a similar question on Nov. 2 by saying redesignation was “an option that's under consideration.”

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

9 Bareun lawmakers decide to join LKP

Nine lawmakers of the Bareun Party declared on Monday their decision to leave the minority conservative party to rejoin the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), triggering a political realignment ahead of next year’s local elections. The group of defectors issued the joint statement at a press conference in the morning at the National Assembly. In addition to Rep. Joo Ho-young, the party’s acting chairman and floor leader, Reps. Kim Moo-sung, Kang Ghil-boo, Kim Young-woo, Kim Yong-tae, Lee Jong-koo, Hwang Young-cheul, Cheong Yang-seog and Hong Chul-ho are to leave the party.

Trump to visit Camp Humphreys, have summit with Moon

U.S. President Donald Trump is slated to begin his two-day state visit to Korea with his arrival at the U.S. Osan Air Base today. According to the Blue House, Trump will be received with a 21-gun salute. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and Korean Ambassador to the United States Cho Yoon-je will greet him upon arrival. Trump is the first American president to make a state visit to Korea in 25 years. President George H.W. Bush was the last one to make the state visit during the Roh Tae-woo administration in 1992.

FTC fines car parts makers W37.2 billion for collusion

The Fair Trade Commission on Monday ordered the Korean affiliates of three international auto parts suppliers to pay 37.2 billion won ($33.4 million) for colluding on contract bids. The three companies include the local affiliate of Japan’s Denso, which was fined 16.9 billion won; Hyundam Industrial of Japan’s Aisan Industry, which was fined 16.8 billion won; and Delphi Powertrain, a venture of the American auto parts developer Delphi, which was fined 3.4 billion won.

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

A Week of Fate: Road to Peace Put to the Test

This week, President Moon Jae-in will hold a series of summit meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is the second time since his inauguration that President Moon will hold consecutive meetings with the leaders of the U.S. and China. North Korea is near complete nuclear armament, and military tensions between North Korea and the U.S. continue to heighten. In this situation, the upcoming meetings may actually be the last chance for the South Korean government to secure an opening to change the situation and solve the problems.

Hidden Camera, Sexual Assault and Forced False Statements: Hanssem's Wrong Response Triggers Boycott

A female employee at Hanssem, a furniture company, stirred controversy, claiming that she was forced to make a false statement by the company after being sexually assaulted by another employee. This has led consumers to boycott Hanssem products. According to the statements by Hanssem and the police on November 5, A, an employee at Hanssem reported B, another employee in charge of staff training, to the police claiming that she was sexually assaulted by B after a company dinner on January 13. Hanssem held a meeting of the company's human resources committee and fired B based on the statement written by A. But later, the company withdrew its disciplinary action against B when A changed her statement saying that the sex was consensual. The case seemed to come to an end after A dropped her criminal charges against B and the prosecutors acquitted B.

The "Doorknobs" Were the Link: Was Park Geun-hye the Final Destination of the Bribes?

On November 2, prosecutors secured a statement claiming that former secretaries Lee Jae-man, Ahn Bong-geun and Jeong Ho-seong, known as former President Park Geun-hye's "doorknob trio" had received over 4 billion won for special activity expenses from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) upon orders from the former president. What started out as an NIS controversy is now set to spread to the Park Geun-hye slush fund scandal. If former President Park was behind the bribe, it is also likely for the former president to be the final destination of the money.

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

Tourism and Duty-free Industries Hopeful about Improving Korea-China Relations

AsKorea and China are set to improve their relationship that was rocked by thecontroversy over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballisticmissile system, Korea's tourism and duty-free shopping industries are raisingtheir hopes of better days. Thetourism industry believes that the Chinese government's group tour ban to Koreawould be relaxed soon. A travel agency in Hebei posted an Internet ad recentlyfor a group tour program to Korea in November at the price of 1,480 yuan(US$223). China's largest online travel agency Ctrip also put out group tourprograms to Korea for the first time in seven months.

Korea's MBI to Establish EV Plant in Vietnam

MBI, a Korean manufacturer specializing in making transmissions, will build an electric car plant in Hanoi, Vietnam, jointly with local firm N&G Group. The two companies will invest a total of US$1 billion for the next seven years. The companies said on September 21 that the heads of the two companies signed an agreement to establish a joint venture called Viko Motors in South Hanoi next month. Earlier in June this year, MBI was promised by the Vietnamese government and the Hanoi city government for a 20-year free land lease, high-tech investment incentive, preferential tariffs, and designation of MBI-held patented technologies as Vietnamese standards.

Gov't Decides to Give $8 Mil. Aid to North Korea...Timing to Be Announced Later

The government has decided to give support to North Korea worth US$8 million in programs helping its vulnerable people including children and pregnant women indirectly through international organizations. It, however, has not decided when to start sending money and exactly how. This is interpreted as a choice to deflect criticism that it is undertaking an aid project at a time when North Korea is causing an international storm by launching a series of missile tests. On September 21, the government held a consultative meeting for inter-Korean exchange and cooperation and approved an agenda to provide $8 million to programs such as those for North Korean mothers and children' health and nutrition by way of the UNICEF and the World Food Program.

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

Trade expert recommends partnership to survive in China's different environment

South Korean firms doing business in China were cornered to a dead end after Beijing took retaliatory steps over the deployment of an American missile shield this year. Their woes were exacerbated by a shift in Beijing's stance toward foreign capital that has been visible this year as China marks the second term of President Xi Jinping after a period of high growth. Experts suggest foreign firms should bolster their risk management, among other things, to cope with a changing business environment.

Pyongyang slams American B-1Bs for staging simulated nuclear strike

North Korea slammed American B-1B strategic bombers for staging a simulated attack on its key targets with nuclear weapons during their flight on and around the Korean peninsula ahead of an Asia trip by U.S. President Donald Trump.The exercise was conducted on Thursday when the bombers entered South Korea's airspace off the east coast after flying over Okinawa, Japan, according to Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The bombers, escorted by South Korean fighter jets, practiced dropping bombs on a South Korean shooting range in a simulated nuclear strike against key North Korean facilities, it said.

Xi's dream puts neighboring countries on guard

At China's 19th communist party congress, President Xi envisioned socialism with Chinese characteristics as his governing ideology, to use it as a principle of foreign policy and domestic rule. Xi presented the dream of making China prosperous and powerful again. He wanted to explain to the Chinese people that he was forced to maximize his power to realize this. However, there are suspicions that he was trying to prolong his power beyond his ten-year rule.

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

ITC launches probe into Samsung Elec’s alleged chipmaking patent violation

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has launched an investigation into an allegation that Samsung Electronics infringed on patented wafer packaging technologies of a U.S. company. According to industry sources on Sunday, the ITC began a probe on October 31 into specific wafer level packaging (WLP) semiconductor devices and products containing them under a Section 337 patent infringement action. WLP refers to a technology that simplifies the packaging of wafers and reduces the volume of finished products.

Audi returns to Korean market with luxury R8 sports coupe

Audi Volkswagen Korea, the local unit of German automakers Volkswagen AG and Audi AG, will resume the sale of its cars in South Korea this month, more than a year after the sale of their vehicles was suspended in the wake of an emissions-test cheating scandal. On Monday, Audi said it has launched the latest model of its flagship high-performance R8 sports vehicle - the New Audi R8 V10 plus Coupe - in Korea almost two years after the Korean Ministry of Environment revoked certifications and banned the sale of its most car models in November 2015 and August last year upon finding that the carmaker fabricated emissions reports to receive sale permission in Korea. In March this year, the automaker voluntarily halted the sale of all models as part of self-verification efforts.

Korea’s refiners earn big Q3 on lucrative non-refining business

South Korea’s major oil refiners and petrochemical companies ended the July-September period strong despite it being a typically slow season for refiners thanks to their lucrative product mix with chemicals and lubricants businesses. SK Innovation Co., the largest refiner in Korea earned 2.4 trillion won ($2.1 billion) from operation in the first nine months this year, of which 62 percent came from petrochemical and lubricants sectors. The chemical business was by far the best among its businesses and delivered a total of 1.1 trillion won operating profit from January to September this year.

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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