The Korean daily media headlines and humor
Friday, December 15, 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 tickling 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.
Ex-Army general to be tried in civilian court
The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a former four-star Army general, known for bullying soldiers assigned to his residence, should be tried in a civilian court because he is considered to have been discharged from the military after he was transfered to a temporary position.
Prosecutors demand 25-year jail term for ex-leader Park's friend
Prosecutors on Thursday demanded a 25-year prison term for a woman at the center of a corruption scandal that led to the ousting of former President Park Geun-hye early this year.
Choi Soon-sil, 61, Park's longtime friend and confidante, was arrested and indicted in November last year on 18 charges, including abuse of power, coercion and bribery.
Samsung set to lose ground in smartphone market in 2018: Strategy Analytics
Samsung Electronics Co. is forecast to lose ground next year in the smartphone segment, an industry tracker said Thursday, apparently due to the rise of Chinese manufacturers.
Strategy Analytics said Samsung Electronics is expected to post a market share of 19.2 percent in the global smartphone industry in 2018 by shipping 315 million units,
down from 20.5 percent estimated for this year.
‘Thru people-to-people contacts, culture, sports, we can create stronger bonds’
On the occasion of the National Day of Romania, Ambassador Mihai Ciompec of Romania in Seoul and Mrs. Flavia-Athena Kloos hosted a reception at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul on Nov. 29, 2017.
Many important guests attended from various quarters of Korean society, who included Deputy Minister Noh Kyu-duk of Foreign Affairs and many members of the Seoul Diplomatic Corps (SDC)
and various segments of Korean society.
S. Korea's jobless rate edges up in Nov.
South Korea's jobless rate rose slightly in November as the construction sector hired fewer temporary workers than before amid relatively cold weather, government data showed Wednesday.
The unemployment rate stood at 3.2 percent last month, up 0.1 percentage point from a year earlier, according to the report compiled by Statistics Korea.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Ex-Presidential Secretary Woo Byung-woo Arrested
Former presidential secretary for civil affairs Woo Byung-woo has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the spy agency's illegal surveillance of government officials.
The Seoul Central District Court approved the warrant for Woo early on Friday, saying that charges laid against the suspect have been proved and he may destroy related evidence.
Tillerson, N. Korea's Envoy to Attend UN Meeting
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will seek to rally UN Security Council members to put maximum pressure on North Korea in a UN session. U.S. State Department spokeswoman
Heather Nauert said in a statement on Wednesday that Tillerson will participate in a UNSC Ministerial Briefing on Non-Proliferation and North Korea in New York on Friday.
Moon, Xi Agree on 4 Principles on Korean Peninsula
President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed that a war on the Korean Peninsula will never be tolerated and the two Koreas should be free from nuclear weapons.
The two leaders held summit talks Thursday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Former Park aide arrested for alleged illegal surveillance
A close aide of ousted President Park Geun-hye was arrested early Friday for his alleged involvement in the state spy agency's illegal surveillance of government officials.
The Seoul Central District Court approved the warrant for Woo Byung-woo, a former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, on the charge of abuse of power.
S. Korea to host Russia in final tune-up hockey game before Olympics
South Korea will host Russia in the countries' final men's hockey tune-up game next February before the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
Scheduling the match was part of a cooperative agreement reached between the national hockey federations of the two countries in Moscow on Thursday.
Turnover of derivatives market gains 9 pct in H1
The trading volume of South Korea's derivatives market expanded nearly 9 percent in the first half of the year on the back of a bullish stock market, the financial regulator said Friday.
The combined turnover of derivatives, such as stock options and futures, reached 20,047 trillion won (US$18.4 trillion) in the January-June period, up 8.6 percent from a year earlier,
according to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS).
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Moon, Xi vow no war on Korean Peninsula
President Moon Jae-in on Thursday called for stronger ties with China, stressing the need to move on from the recent difficulties in the two nations’ diplomatic relations
in the summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Facebook Korea to stop using Ireland tax avoidance scheme
Facebook is slated to begin reporting taxes to the South Korean government by 2019, in line with its newly adopted tax policy under which the social networking giant will pay
taxes in the country where sales are made, instead of booking all revenue in Ireland.
Two of Moon’s traveling press corps assaulted by Chinese security
Two South Korean journalists, part of the traveling press corps accompanying President Moon Jae-in on his state visit to China, were beaten by Chinese security personnel
while covering an event attended by Moon in Beijing on Thursday.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Chinese security guards assault Korean journalists ahead of Moon-Xi summit
Chinese security guards assaulted Korean photojournalists covering President Moon Jae-in's state visit to China during an economic event in Beijing, Thursday.
Korea's foreign ministry made an official complaint to its Chinese counterpart, and asked the Chinese authorities to investigate the case. The latter launched investigation in the evening.
Arab Spring in Libya - traumatic, yet fruitful in women's rights
The prolonged conflict in Libya, which has continued after a series of popular uprisings in the Middle East spread to the North African country in 2011, has torn Hana Al-Gallal's life apart.
Al-Gallal, a human rights activist and Libya's former minister of education, lost her friends and relatives as some of them were assassinated.
Your exhibition in winter
Despite unusually cold weather, museums in Korea have developed plans for thought-provoking and informative exhibitions during the winter season for people who are not the indoorsy type.
How did ancient Koreans get through the winter? The National Folk Museum of Korea is currently holding an exhibition titled "Wintering" showing how ancient Koreans got through the winter.
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DongA Ilbo (http://english.donga.com)
President Moon begins first China state visit
South Korean President Moon Jae-in started the second day of his state visit to China with breakfast at a local restaurant in Beijing conversing with ordinary Chinese people.
President Moon and First Lady Kim Jung-sook visited a small restaurant called Yonghe Xian Jiang near Diaoyutai State Guesthouse early Thursday.
Samsung expected to see a slight drop in smartphone market
Samsung Electronics is forecast to see a drop in its share in the global smartphone market next year due to the rise of Chinese manufacturers. According to market research firm Strategy Analytics
(SA) on Thursday, Samsung Electronics’ global market share is expected at 19.2 percent next year by shipping 315.3 million units.
Gyeonggi Province to expand Yeoninsan Provincial Park
Gyeonggi Province plans to expand the area of Yeoninsan Provincial Park and increase amenity facilities for visitors.
The Gyeonggi Provincial Government said Thursday that its committee managing provincial parks held a meeting recently to approve the plan.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
S.Korea, China Say War 'Can't Be Allowed' on Korean Peninsula
The leaders of South Korea and China on Thursday agreed that war on the Korean Peninsula is unacceptable and they will seek a peaceful route to a nuclear-free peninsula in concert
with the international community. Presidents Moon Jae-in and Xi Jinping called on North Korea to halt missile and nuclear tests, according to presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan.
Joint Drills to Be Delayed Till After Pyeongchang Olympics
Seoul and Washington have after all agreed to delay joint annual drills until late April so they do not overlap with the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Pyeongchang.
The annual drills normally kick off in late February or early March.
Youngsters Get Fatter
Obesity among youngsters is rising at an alarming pace. According to Statistics Korea on Tuesday, some 16.5 percent of adolescents were obese last year, 1.4 times more than in 2007.
The proportion of overweight boys in schools was a whopping 26.4 percent in 2013, even higher than the OECD average of 24.3 percent.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
President Moon takes aim at Japan in bid to improve China-South Korean relations
On Dec. 13, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who is on a four-day state visit to China, put the spotlight on the painful history shared by the two countries as part of his attempt
to restore bilateral relations between the two countries, which have been chilled by the conflict over THAAD.
China observes 80th anniversary of Nanjing Massacre
Beijing has kept wartime memories alive to use as leverage against Japan in modern-day disputes, says Peking University professor “Highest Jinling [Nanjing’s former name]... I will never forget.”
Eighty young people were dressed in white shirts and dark blue pants with black flowers pinned to their chests as their clear voices recited the lines of the “peace declaration.”
US commits to not positioning troops beyond 38th parallel in event of NK collapse
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made relatively positive dialogue overtures to Pyongyang – but also overt reference to the possibility of a sudden upheaval in North Korea, a particularly sensitive subject
for Pyongyang and Beijing. The remarks came while Tillerson was delivering a keynote address at a forum on “Reimagining the U.S.-Republic of Korea Partnership in the Trans-Pacific Century,”
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JoongAng Ilbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)
Moon, Xi agree on principles to solve nuclear crisis
The leaders of Korea and China declared key principles Thursday to resolve the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula, vowing to prevent war and use dialogue.
President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a summit and agreed to four principles to enable peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, the Blue House said in a press statement.
Gov’t says peak power demand will be lower
The government has lowered its forecast of Korea’s maximum power demand, a partial rationale for phasing out nuclear and thermal power plants. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
on Thursday announced its energy supply plan through 2031 that included reducing nuclear and thermal power supplies and replacing them with environment-friendly energy sources including
liquefied natural gas (LNG) and renewable energy.
Chinese guards beat up 2 journalists following president
Two Korean photojournalists were severely beaten by Chinese security guards Thursday while trying to cover President Moon Jae-in’s attendance of a trade event in Beijing, hurting Seoul’s efforts
to repair frayed ties with Beijing. The Blue House said it lodged a strong complaint with the Chinese government through the Foreign Ministry.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Kim Sung-tae, "A Person Who Has Fought Knows How to Fight," Suggests Fierce Attacks on the Ruling PartOn December 12, Liberty Korea Party lawmaker Kim Sung-tae was elected as the party's new floor leader, and the political situation in South Korea is expected to head toward a clash between the two powerful ruling and opposition parties. The victory of Kim, who declared to stand up to the ruling party with a clear identity as the opposition, is seen as the result of views within the party that want to stop the "leftist" government from leading the race along with the desperate desire to break away from incoherence and establish the party’s identity as the opposition.
The Case of DJ's Slush Funds: The Truth and Park Ju-won's Lies
The truth cannot be made up. It cannot be traded or bargained. The moment the truth is revealed, someone may suffer damage, but that cannot justify the attempt to bury the truth. At around 10 a.m. on December 6, a team of journalists at the Kyunghyang Shinmun first called Park Ju-won, a member of the supreme council of the People's Party and also the informant of DJ's slush fund case in 2008.
“Integration” “Solidarity” Lots of Talk, But Only Empty Talk
A powerful earthquake is followed by dozens of aftershocks. This is the process of the tectonic plates that have shifted finding their way back to equilibrium. Politics is similar. The conservatives have fallen after the impeachment of Park Geun-hye and the launch of a new government, but we still have a three-party system with the opposition holding the majority of the seats in the National Assembly.
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The Korea Economic Daily (http://english.hankyung.com/)
Just 1 Hour away from Seoul Downtown by Airport Train
Beach going is not just for the summer. Nothing is romantic than walking on the beach witha loved one. What about the beach in the autumn? Walking on the beach on a coolbreeze and sitting in a café
with an ocean view may be something you don't wantto miss.
POSCO Completes Steel Wire Service Center in the U.S.
POSCO, Korea's largest steel maker, has completed on September 22 the construction of a steel wire service center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, with an annual capacity of 25,000 tons. The plant will supply steel wire goods to be used for bolts, nuts, and bearings to auto parts companies.
Tourism and Duty-free Industries Hopeful about Improving Korea-China Relations
As Korea 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.
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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)
Prosecutors demand 25-year jail term for crony of jailed ex-president
Prosecutors demanded a 25-year jail term for the crony of South Kora's jailed ex-president Park Geun-hye, accusing her of causing a state crisis by abusing power and controlling government affairs arbitrarily for her personal interests. At a final hearing on Thursday, prosecutors also urged the criminal court in Seoul to impose a fine of 118.5 billion won (108.4 million US dollars) and forfeit 7.7 billion won from
Choi Soon-sil, who was arrested in November last year. The verdict will come on January 26.
Naver to open AI robot cart technology to S. Korean firms
Naver Labs, the AI wing of South Korea's web service giant Naver, will open technologies being used in the development of "Aircart", a handcart applied with robot technology to carry heavy objects with ease. The cart drives itself in a coordinated move, with sensors in its handle predicting the movement of operators. Naver Labs promised to hand out its development kit including source codes, circuit diagrams and user guides.
Hyundai did not rule out possible ties with FCA over hydrogen fuel cell cars
South Korea's Hyundai auto group did not rule out possible technical ties with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA), an Italian-American corporation, in developing hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.
"It is too early to speak officially," Hyundai's senior vice president Lee Ki-sang told reporters.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
S. Korea to cut nuclear, coal energy share to 34.7% by 2030, decommission Wolsong 1
The South Korean government will expand the share of natural gas and renewable energy while reducing that much use in coal and nuclear power as a part of President Moon Jae-in’s campaign promise to wean the country off nuclear reactors and fossil fuel, the energy ministry said on Thursday.
S. Korean prosecution seeks 4-year jail term for Lotte Group Chairman
South Korean prosecutors on Thursday demanded a four-year jail term and a fine of 7 billion won ($6.44 million) for Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin over a bribery charge involving the corruption scandal that forced out former President Park Geun-hye from office early this year.
Dutch asset manager Robeco to adopt Korea’s stewardship code
Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V., a Dutch investment management company, has joined two other foreign institutional investors to abide by Korea’s stewardship code, a set of guidelines that encourage institutional investors to exert voting rights and be more active in corporate management.
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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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