The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Wednesday, November 8, 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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First Vietnamese ambassador to Korea

Amb. Phu Binh cherishes fond memories of Korea, continues work for the two countries

By Lee Kyung-sik, publisher of The Korea Post media

In the initial period of the Korean-Vietnamese diplomatic relations re-established in 1992, the first resident envoy in Seoul from Viet Nam was Ambassador Nguyen Phu Binh.

He did a great deal of work bridging gaps between the two countries, especially in the period shortly after the normalization of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Ambassador Phu Binh, in nature, was a very friendly and kind person ready to help anybody and everybody in need. For his own country, Viet Nam, he was especially so. He strongly emphasized the need for increased cooperation as well as friendship between the two countries in the initial period of difficulties not long after the end of the Vietnamese War where Korea, under the rule of the then President Park Chung Hee, Korea sent combat troops there to fight on the side of the United States Forces.

Ambassador Phu Binh used to tell this writer, “We forgive, but we never forget the past!” Ambassador Phu Binh never dwelt on the past, but was always forward-looking and did a marvelous job to heal the wounds of the past between two countries and charting out a bright future of increased mutual cooperation for both nations.

Ambassador Phu Binh proved through his own deeds how much common values the Vietnamese people and the Korean people shared with each other.

While in Korea, Ambassador Phu Binh built a firm, firm bridge of friendship and cooperation between the peoples of Korea and his own country.

This writer recently found the whereabouts of Ambassador Phu Binh thanks to the kind cooperation of Madam Tran Thi Lan Hinh, the spouse of the Vietnamese ambassador in Seoul.

Here are excerpts from the letter of Ambassador Phu Binh:

First Vietnamese Ambassador Phu Binh of Korea

Dear Chairman Lee,

First of all, I would like to apologize to you for delayed reply to your request.

As I informed you, after retirement from the Foreign Ministry in 2012, I became a Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The Vietnam Economic Times. Last week, we concentrated all the efforts for preparations of a special issue for the APEC Summit that takes place in Danang, the city in central part of Vietnam from this week

Thank you very much for your high appreciation of my job as the first Vietnam Ambassador to Korea. That was really difficult time for me, when we established our Embassy in Seoul from nothing, with a very small budged and limited human resources. However, in the hard time, I was lucky to make friends with many Koreans and enjoyed the valuable support and cooperation from them.

I always remember Chairman Lee among many Korean friends. Thanks to the discussions with you and other Korean friends, I got a lot of knowledge about Korea and understood more and more what Korean people were thinking of Vietnam and what Korean people expected for the relations between our two countries. That made me more confident about the bright future of relations between Vietnam and Korea. Looking back to the development of relations in the past 25 years, I think that the mutual standing, mutual trust and mutual benefits helped our two people to overcome the hostile relations in the past and to build friendly and cooperative relations today.

As a matter of fact, the relations have thenceforth developed very fast -- surpassing all the predictions and expectations then.

Even we have been living far from each other for more than 20 year; I always remember you and keep the beautiful memories of you and your magazine, The Korea Post with special issues on the occasion of celebration of Vietnam in every year.

For your question about my activities since I left Seoul in early 1997, I was appointed Director General of the Consular Department of MOFA. One and half year later, I became the Vice Chairman of the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (belongs to MOFA ) and stayed at the position until 2001, before appointed an Assistant Minister of MOFA . In the year of 2000, I had the great honor to be among the first 10 diplomats who received the tittle "Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam" from H.E. the President of the Republic.

I was appointed as Vice Minister of MOFA in 2002, concurrently Chairman of the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese. During the six years in the position of the Vice Minister in Charge of Northeast Asia, I had a lot of opportunities to discuss and cooperate with Korean Ambassadors in the promotion of bilateral relations into the Strategic Partnership in 2009.

I was appointed the Ambassador to Japan in early 2008 and completed my duty in Tokyo after 4 years.

Even after retirement from MOFA in 2012, I became an adviser of the Strategic Institute of the Academy of Diplomacy, by that, maintaining the link with MOFA where I spent 42 years as a professional diplomat. Just after retirement from MOFA, I was invited to The Vietnam Economic Times as Deputy Editor-in- Chief of the newspaper.

Not only me, but all the former Vietnam ambassadors to Korea have the same warm feelings and close sentiment to Korea and the Korean people. That is why we decided to form the "Group of Former Ambassadors to Korea" and I became the chief representative of the group. Our group has been hosting several friendly events with Korean Embassy and Korean Friends and we are usually invited and taking part in the events hosted by Korean ambassadors or Korean Community and Korcham in Hanoi.

Besides the relations and activities with Korea, I am still active in many fields.

For example, chairman of the association for liaison with overseas Vietnamese and vice president of the Vietnam- Japan Friendship Association.

With my activities and experiences in many fields, from 2004, I became a member of the Presidium and vice chairman of the consultative council for foreign relations and overseas Vietnamese of the Central Committee of the Fatherland Front, the largest politic - social organization in Vietnam.

I hope we will have chances to meet with each other and share the wonderful memories as well as many expectations for our two countries in the future.

I wish you a good health, happiness and many achievements!

With the best regards,

Amb. Nguyen Phu Binh

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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.)

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

Trump cancels surprise visit to DMZ

U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to make a surprise visit to South Korea's heavily fortified border with communist North Korea but failed due to bad weather conditions, an official from South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, on the other hand, was waiting for him at a guard post inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the official said. The joint trip to the DMZ was proposed by Moon during their bilateral summit Tuesday, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Trump appears to ease rhetoric on N. Korea

U.S. President Donald Trump struck a markedly different tone Tuesday as he called on the North Korean regime to "make a deal" on its nuclear weapons program. Speaking in Seoul, some 40 kilometers from the North Korean border, Trump refrained from the language that has defined his handling of the North. There was no threat of "fire and fury" or total destruction for the communist regime. The American president instead urged Pyongyang to "do the right thing" for its own people and all of humanity, saying there is "a lot of good reason behind it."

Moon, Trump agree to build up deterrence, urge N. Korea to give up nukes

The presidents of South Korea and the United States agreed Tuesday to completely remove the limit on the payload of South Korean ballistic missiles, a move aimed at building up their joint deterrence against provocative North Korea. The agreement came at a bilateral summit between President Moon Jae-in and President Donald Trump at the South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae. "The heads of South Korea and the United States reached a final agreement on removing the limit on missile payloads," Moon said in a joint press conference with the U.S. president.

Moon, Trump begin talks on N. Korea, trade, alliance

The leaders of South Korea and the United States began their talks Tuesday centering on North Korea's nuclear threats and the proposed revision of the bilateral free trade agreement.U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in South Korea earlier in the day, making him the first U.S. leader in 25 years to make a state visit to the country. The bilateral summit between Trump and President Moon Jae-in is third of its kind since they each took office earlier in the year.

Trump says Seoul's purchase of U.S. military equipment will help reduce trade deficit

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Seoul's planned purchase of U.S. military equipment Tuesday, saying it will help narrow his country's trade deficit with South Korea. The remarks came at the start of an expanded summit with President Moon Jae-in, following their one-to-one talks. Trump said he had learned through his representatives that the "amount of equipment and things you will be ordering from the United States will substantially increase, and therefore bringing the trade deficit down, which is very important to our people."

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

Trump to Deliver Speech at S. Korean Parliament

U.S. President Donald Trump will deliver a speech at the South Korean National Assembly at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. Trump's parliamentary speech will mark the first by a U.S. president in 24 years since former President Bill Clinton delivered one in 1993. Trump will be speaking before more than 500 South Korean lawmakers and Seoul-based foreign diplomats. During the 20-minute speech, Trump is expected to stress the importance of the strong U.S-South Korea alliance and Washington's firm position on North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.

Trump Hopes not to Have to Use Military Forces against N. Korea

U.S. President Donald Trump has stressed that, while the U.S. has been displaying the strength of its military forces in response to North Korea’s recent provocations, it hopes not to have to use them. Trump made the veiled warning during a joint press conference with President Moon Jae-in in Seoul on Tuesday after their summit meeting at the presidential office. When asked his opinion on a diplomatic solution to the North Korean nuclear issue, Trump said it is difficult to tell whether it's likely to be successful or not, adding the U.S. cannot show its cards to the North.

Ex-Aide to Presidential Secretary Detained on Bribery Allegations

Prosecutors have detained a former aide to the senior presidential secretary for political affairs, Jun Byung-hun, on alleged bribery. The former aide, identified only by his surname Yoon, and two others were taken into custody on an emergency warrant on Tuesday. The investigators raided and searched Yoon's home and the office of the Korea e-Sports Association in Seoul, which Jun chaired before becoming a presidential secretary earlier this year.

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

Trump cancels surprise visit to DMZ

U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to make a surprise visit to South Korea's heavily fortified border with communist North Korea but failed due to bad weather conditions, an official from South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, on the other hand, was waiting for him at at a guard post inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the official said. The joint trip to the DMZ was proposed by Trump during their bilateral summit Tuesday, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official said Moon was able to reach their proposed destination as he took off early in the morning.

S. Korea top gainer in credit rating among OECD over decade

South Korea has posted the biggest gain in sovereign ratings among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) over the past decade thanks to its fiscal soundness and solid economic growth, a report showed Wednesday. According to the report by the Korea Center for International Finance, three major global credit appraisers -- Standard & Poor's (S&P), Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings -- rank South Korea's sovereign credit rating 14th among the 35 OECD members. Currently, Moody's rates South Korea's sovereign rating "Aa2," S&P awards an "AA" rating, and Fitch gives Seoul an "AA-" rating.

Global tech giants make inroads into on-device AI smartphones

Global tech giants are tapping deeper into so-called on-device artificial intelligence (AI) smartphones, which have dedicated application processors that enable machines to act more like human beings, industry watchers said Wednesday. U.S. tech giant Apple Inc.'s iPhone X and Chinese Huawei Technologies Co.'s Mate 10, showcased recently, both claim to be equipped with a neural engine and processing unit for AI features, respectively. While the industry has yet to create a concrete definition for such features, it is widely accepted as an engine capable of handling the vast scopes of data related to AI and Internet of Things services.

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

Trump cancels plan to visit DMZ due to weather conditions

US President Donal Trump had planned to visit the Demilitarized Zone that separates South and North Korea early this morning, but canceled it at the last moment due to weather conditions, Seoul officials said Wednesday. South Korean President Moon Jae-in was waiting for him at at a guard post inside the Demilitarized Zone, the official said.

Seoul, Washington seek ‘unprecedented’ cooperation to boost military capacity

South Korea and the US will cooperate on “an unprecedented level” to strengthen Seoul’s military capabilities, President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday. Speaking after a summit meeting with US President Donald Trump in Seoul, Moon said that the two countries will immediately begin talks regarding Seoul’s plans to purchase or develop cutting-edge military assets. “We agreed to resolve North Korean nuclear issue peacefully, and to establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula,” Moon said at a joint press conference at Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office.

Flurry of rallies in Seoul amid tight security

From early in the morning Tuesday, anti-Trump demonstrators began filling streets near Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office, where Trump was to sit down with President Moon Jae-in for a face-to-face talk and hold a joint press conference afterward. Police officers in fluorescent green jackets were also seen patrolling and guarding key points near the presidential office, as well as the US Embassy building in Seoul and the Grand Hyatt Seoul Hotel where Trump is staying.

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

Trump to speak at Assembly at 11 am

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to deliver a speech at South Korea's National Assembly on Wednesday, the first such address by an American head of state in nearly a quarter century. In his 20-minute address, Trump is expected to talk about his vision for the South Korea-U.S. alliance, North Korea's nuclear standoff, trade relations and possibly his broad policy for the Indo-Pacific region, observers said.

Some 550 people will attend the speech, including South Korean lawmakers, foreign diplomats and those invited by the Washington government.

Attention heaped on Trump's Wednesday speech at Assembly

U.S. President Donald Trump plans to deliver a speech at the National Assembly, Wednesday, with much attention on what message he will give to the Korean people. His parliamentary speech will mark the first by a U.S. President in 24 years since former President Bill Clinton delivered one in 1993. And it is the only such speech scheduled during Trump's 12-day visit to five Asian countries. The previous speeches of six former U.S. presidents were mainly about introducing their Asia policy and reaffirming the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

North Korea vows to bolster nuclear arsenal on Trump's visit to South

North Korea reaffirmed its resolve to bolster its nuclear arsenal in the rivalry with the U.S. on President Donald Trump's visit to South Korea, Tuesday. It also lashed out at the U.S. for "heightening tensions" on the Korean Peninsula with continued military drills. "As long as the U.S. and its puppets engage in hostile acts and invasive attempts against us, and as long as imperialism, the root of evil and injustice, is left on earth, we will further build up our nuclear power," said Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the Workers' Party of Korea.

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

Shilla Duty Free opens its 23rd store in Changi Airport

Shilla Duty Free is gaining momentum in expanding its duty-free business overseas, setting an ambitious revenue target of 1 trillion won next year only from its overseas operations. Shilla opened its duty-free store at Terminal 4 in Singapore's Changi International Airport at the end of last month, said Hotel Shilla, the operator of Shilla Duty Free. With the opening of its cosmetics and perfume section last month, the retailer now operates 23 stores in Changi airport, occupying a space of 8,000 square meters. The retailer has been venturing into overseas markets, starting with its first overseas store opened in Changi airport in 2013.

Trump, Abe possibly discussed U.S. military action in Korea

U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly discussed U.S. military action in the event of emergency on the Korean Peninsula with his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, according to the reports of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun Tuesday citing diplomacy sources. The two leaders avoided mentioning possible military action towards North Korea at the press conference, which was held after the bilateral summit on Monday. “At a series of meetings on Sunday and Monday, Trump and Abe discussed U.S. military action in the event of emergency on the Korean Peninsula which may be possibly caused by Pyongyang’s provocations,” the newspaper reported. “Only a few within the Japanese government are aware of this, and the details of discussion have not been disclosed.”

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.

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

Moon, Trump Reaffirm Alliance

President Moon Jae-in and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump offered no new proposals for dealing with North Korea in their meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday but reaffirmed their strong alliance. Moon reassured a reporter that he is not trying to pivot away from America and toward China. "So on bringing balance in our diplomatic approaches, this is not about our stance vis-à-vis the United States and China," he said. "We would like to promote peace, stability and prosperity of the Northeast Asian region. So we would like to expand our diplomatic efforts in this regard."

N.Korean Nuclear Test Site 'Heavily Contaminated'

North Korea's nuclear test site in Kilju, North Hamgyong Province is turning into a wasteland after six underground nuclear tests, according to witness accounts. North Koreans who defected from the region said 80 percent of trees that are planted die, underground wells have run dry and babies are being born with defects. The Research Association of Vision of North Korea, which includes North Korean defectors, interviewed 21 defectors who used to live in Kilju in the last couple of years.

Over 600 AIDS Patients Go Missing

The whereabouts of around 660 AIDS patients remain unknown, according to data from the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention submitted to the National Assembly on Monday. State-run public health centers across the nation keep in touch with HIV-positive and AIDS patients to monitor their health and provide them with antiretroviral drugs. The 660 who have gone missing represent 5.48 percent of the total number of Koreans infected with the virus. Health officials say they dropped out of sight for fear of being stigmatized by society.

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

Abe reiterates hardline on North Korea while Trump tones down rhetoric

During the joint press conference that followed his summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Nov. 6, US President Donald Trump appeared to tone down his rhetoric, defying expectations by only repeating his standard position on North Korea and its nuclear program. For the most part, it was only Abe who made remarks expressing a hardline stance on the North. While the American and Japanese leaders have been highlighting their warm relations, on this day they displayed a difference of intention on the North Korean solution.

Trump pushes US weapons on Japan during last day of visit

US President Donald Trump explicitly demanded the purchase of US weaponry during a joint press conference after Nov. 6 summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In the press conference, Trump said Abe would be able to shoot down North Korean missiles “when he completes the purchase of lots of additional military equipment from the United States.”Trump also demanded action to correct the trade imbalance between the US and Japan, calling the current trade situation “unfair.” The remarks are seen as foreshadowing pressure to come on trade and weapons purchasing when Trump visits South Korea on Nov. 7.

Trade expected to be a main focus of Trump’s SK visit

With trade expected to be the main item on the agenda during the South Korea-US summit on Nov. 7, attention is focusing on whether US President Donald Trump will bring up sensitive issues connected with the revision of the South Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA), including automobiles, steel and agro-livestock. “The United States has suffered massive trade deficits with Japan for many, many years…We will have more trade than anybody ever thought of under TPP…and it will be a much less complex situation,” Trump said in Tokyo on Nov. 6, referring to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. These remarks appears to indicate that the US and Japan will embark on negotiations for a bilateral FTA. But the bilateral FTA appears to be an excuse for Trump to launch a trade offensive against Japan.

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

Moon promises Trump arms purchases

South Korea will make massive advanced arms purchases from the United States to beef up the defense against growing North Korean threats, President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday. Moon and Trump held a summit at the Blue House in the afternoon and addressed the press at a joint media conference. “We agreed to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue peacefully and establish a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula,” Moon said. “We also reaffirmed the principle to jointly and sternly respond to the escalating North Korean nuclear and missile threats with overwhelming supremacy of power.”

Apple defeats Samsung in one long suit over patents

One of the two long-running patent disputes between Samsung Electronics and Apple ended Monday after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Samsung’s appeal of a case that was first decided in 2014.

A jury awarded Apple $120 million and Samsung $160,000 in May 2014 but the case has been bouncing through the appeals system for the past three years. The awards were overturned in February 2016 but 11 judges on the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. reinstated them in October 2016. Last March, Samsung petitioned the Supreme Court to take a final look at the case. After the Supreme Court declined to hear the case - without comment - Samsung must pay Apple $120 million.

Trump is treated to menu symbolic of the alliance

The Blue House hosted a state dinner for the U.S. presidential couple on Tuesday, offering carefully assembled dishes symbolic of the Korea-U.S. alliance. President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump attended the dinner with their wives for two hours following a summit. According to the Blue House, 122 people from the two countries, including top Seoul and Washington officials and leaders of Korea’s military, business, academic, cultural and sports communities were invited to the event.

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

Excerpts of Former President Roh's “NLL Abandonment” Statement Written and Reported to MB Upon Orders from Won Sei-hoon

On November 6, it was confirmed that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) edited, with malicious intent, and delivered to Cheong Wa Dae the excerpts of the transcripts of the 2007 inter-Korean summit upon orders from the agency's director Won Sei-hoon in May 2009 at the time of the Lee Myung-bak government. At the time, the intelligence service edited the excerpts with the purpose to criticize and release the details of the inter-Korean summit attended by former presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun.

Chung Sye-kyun, "Right Time to Seek Democratic Constitutional Amendments. We Need to Succeed"

On November 6, Chairman of the National Assembly Chung Sye-kyun (67, photo) said, "For the first time in the history of our Constitution, this is the perfect time for the three actors, the people, the National Assembly, and the government, to work together to democratically approach constitutional amendments. If we fail this time, the issue can drift for a long time, so we must succeed."This day, at a discussion organized by the Kwanhun Club at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, Chung also said, "We will draw up the specific articles based on the amendments submitted by the advisory board of the special committee on constitutional amendments."

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.

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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.

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)

Moon departs from precedent to welcome Trump at U.S base

South Korean President Moon Jae-in violated the precedent to visit an American military base and welcome U.S. President Donald Trump at the start of his two-day state visit. It marked the first time for a South Korean president to greet a visiting foreign leader outside the presidential Blue House where the two leaders were to hold a summit. U.S. and South Korean government officials and military leaders greeted Trump when his plane landed at a nearby air base in Osan at 12:18 pm (0318 GMT).

S. Korea agrees on quick talks on buying American military assets

President Moon Jae-in said he agreed to buy an unspecified amount of advanced U.S. military equipment at a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump to bolster South Korea's defense capability in response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. At a joint news conference, Moon said he agreed on quick discussions on acquiring advanced American surveillance assets. "We agreed to immediately begin negotiations on South Korea's development and acquisition of the most advanced military surveillance assets."

Trump welcomes Seoul's purchase of U.S. military equipment

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Seoul's planned purchase of U.S. military equipment, saying it will help narrow his country's trade deficit with South Korea.The remarks came at the start of an expanded summit with President Moon Jae-in, following their one-to-one talks.Trump said he had learned through his representatives that the "amount of equipment and things you will be ordering from the United States will substantially increase, and therefore bringing the trade deficit down, which is very important to our people",

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

U.S. Trump talks of diplomatic solution, says progress in NK nuke crisis in Seoul

U.S. President Donald Trump in his first visit to Seoul said Tuesday there was progress towards the North Korea nuclear crisis and in efforts to bring Pyongyang to negotiating table. “Many things are happening,” he said referring to the positioning of U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups and nuclear submarines near the Korean Peninsula, “which we hope we will never, never have to use.”

Korea’s welcome banquet for Trump biggest-ever with 120 guests

More than 120 political and business figures from Korea and the United States attended the welcoming banquet for U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump Tuesday as a part of red-carpet treatment for the first U.S. leader invited to Seoul for a ceremonial state visit in a quarter of a century.

Germany’s Wacker Chemie to expand petrochemical plant in Ulsan, Korea

Wacker Chemie AG, Germany-based maker of specialty chemical products, will invest $71 million to ramp up its dispersible polymer powders production in South Korea over the next two years. Dispersible polymer powders like vinyl acetate-ethylene (VAE) are petrochemical products used for making plasters and other industrial adhesives.

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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.

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