The Korean daily media headlines and humor
Monday, December 18, 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
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
NK leader visits mausoleum for late father, vows 'fight' for strong nation
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a Pyongyang mausoleum on the weekend to pay tribute to his late father, marking the sixth anniversary of his death, the nation's state media
reported Monday. North Korea watchers here had been curious about Kim's whereabouts on the North's "greatest national mourning day."
One in 10 units of top groups listed as foreign-invested firms
Slightly over 1 in 10 subsidiaries of South Korea's top 10 business groups are listed as foreign-invested companies eligible for tax and other benefits, a market tracker said Monday.
As of end-November, 91 of the groups' 665 units, or about 14 percent of the total, were registered with the government as foreign-invested corporations, according to Chaebul.com.
State health insurer's lost premiums hit new high in 2017
The amount of uncollected premiums for South Korea's state health insurance hit a record high in 2017 due to increased business failures amid a slowing economy, the insurance operator said Monday.
According to the National Health Insurance Service, its lost premiums stood at a fresh high of 188 billion won (US$173 million) this year with the number of cases also reaching a record high of some 360,000.
S. Koreans to spend less on gift buying amid weak employment conditions: poll
South Koreans plan to spend less on year-end and new year holiday gifts in the coming few weeks compared to the year before amid rising unemployment and unstable job security, a poll showed Monday.
The average South Korean plans to spend about 203,000 won (US$183) buying gifts toward the end of the year, down 58,000 won from 2016, according to the survey of 240 people done between Nov. 21-24
by market researcher DMC Media.
S. Korean FM to visit Japan this week for talks on pending issues
South Korea's top diplomat will visit Japan this week to discuss North Korea and pending bilateral issues, the foreign ministry here said Sunday. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will leave for Tokyo
on Tuesday for a two-day stay for talks with her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono, according to the ministry. It will mark the first visit by a Korean foreign minister to Japan since June 2015.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Heavy Snow Advisory Issued in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province
The weather agency has issued heavy snow advisories for Seoul and parts of Gyeonggi Province as of 9 a.m. Monday. The Korea Meteorological Administration said that as of 9 a.m,
the amount of snowfall reached four-point-one centimeters in Seoul, five-point-six centimeters in Dongducheon and two centimeters in Paju.
Forensic Service to Conduct Autopsies on 4 Infants
The National Forensic Service will conduct autopsies on four infants who died over a two-hour period on Saturday at a university hospital in Seoul. The autopsies are set to begin at 8:30 a.m.
Monday to determine if the mysterious deaths were caused by bacterial infection, malfunctioning incubators or medical malpractice.
'S. Korea Closely Working with IOC for N. Korea's Participation in Olympics'
The presidential office says that South Korea is working closely with the International Olympic Committee(IOC) to persuade North Korea to participate in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Pyeong Chang.
Presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan said on Sunday in a news briefing that Seoul is not talking directly to Pyongyang, but the IOC and other related agencies are making efforts for North Korea's participation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Autopsies to be performed to find cause of newborns' mysterious deaths
Forensic doctors were to conduct an autopsy Monday morning on the bodies of four newborn babies to determine what caused them to die successively in a 81-minute period over the weekend. The prematurely born babies were in incubators at the intensive care unit for newborns at Ewha Womans University Medical Center in Mokdong, western Seoul, when they died between 9:31 p.m. and 10:53 p.m. on Saturday, police said.
S. Korea expects U.S. pressure on auto industry in FTA talks
South Korea's trade ministry said Monday it will push to start talks to amend the free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States within a month or so and expected Washington to engage in hardball tactics, especially in autos. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy reported its FTA plan to the National Assembly, wrapping up the domestic procedures required for beginning the renegotiation of the five-year-old trade deal.
'Makgeolli' exports plunge 75 pct in 5 years
South Korea's exports of the traditional alcoholic beverage "makgeolli" tumbled more than 75 percent last year from five years ago as it failed to build a strong consumer base abroad, data showed Monday.
The outbound shipments of the Korean rice wine came to US$12.87 million in 2016, down 75.6 percent from 2011, when the tally reached its peak with $52.74 million, according to the data from the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Snow accumulates in Seoul, slowing traffic; snow warning issued
Heavy snowfall hit the capital city of Seoul on Monday morning, quickly accumulating and slowing down the morning commute. For the first time this winter, the Korea Meteorological Administration issued
a heavy snow warning over Seoul and Gyeonggi Province cities including Seongnam, Yangpyeong, Gwangju, Hanam, Namyangju, Guri and Gwacheon.
Health risks that plague North Korea
Oh Chung-sung, the 24-year-old North Korean solider who dashed across the border last month, has not yet spoken about life in the reclusive state that he desperately wanted to escape.
But his body has offered some clues already. Receiving treatment for the critical gunshot wounds he suffered during his dash across the border at a South Korean hospital, his health and dietary condition
have provided a window into the North’s current hygiene and living standards.
Power outage halts flights at Atlanta international airport
A sudden power outage at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday grounded scores of flights and passengers during one of the busiest travel times of the year.
Passengers were left in the dark when the lights suddenly went out in the early afternoon at around 1 p.m.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Four newborn babies die in two hours at Ewha Hospital; investigation underway
The deaths of four newborn infants on Saturday night have triggered a police investigation at Ewha Womans University Medical Center. The Seoul hospital was questioned months ago about a controversial "insect fluid" given to a baby. Four pre-term infants in incubators in the neonatal intensive care unit at the major hospital in Yangcheon-gu died between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Korea to be 1st Asian country producing HEETS
Korea will have Asia's first manufacturing facility for HEETS, Philip Morris International's specially designed heated tobacco unit that is intended for exclusive use with the IQOS holder. According to Philip Morris Korea, Sunday, the company will invest 470 billion won ($420 million) and hire 700 additional employees by the end of 2019 to expand its existing plant in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, to produce HEETS for the domestic market.
Government to seek ways to curb bitcoin craze
The government is facing diverse hurdles despite its efforts to tax cryptocurrency trading to curb the nation's digital money boom. Inheritance, capital gains and transfer taxes are most likely to be subject to
the government's taxation plan for cryptocurrencies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DongA Ilbo (http://english.donga.com)
N. Korean soldier-defector writes thank-you note to medical team
Oh Cheong-seong (25), a North Korean solider who had defected to South Korea, left a handwritten memo to the medical team including Prof. Lee Kook-jong just before his transfer from Ajou University
Hospital in Suwon to Armed Forces Medical Command Hospital in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.
Hyundai’s Grandeur enjoys national popularity
Hyundai Motor’s Grandeur IG has become definitely one of the models that enjoyed a skyrocketing popularity this year. Over 120,000 units of the sixth generation Grandeur has been sold for the first 11 months of this year, and given that around 10,000 units have been sold every month, the total number of sales for this year is expected to well exceed the 130,000 mark, an all-time record for the Grandeur series.
Pentagon funded secret UFO program for five years
The U.S. Department of Defense has acknowledged for the first time that it ran a secret investigation program of unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, for five years. The New York Times reported on Saturday
that the program, which was supposed to officially end in 2012, remains in existence until recently.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Half of Young Workers Are in Debt
The prosperity gap is widening in Korea as elsewhere around the globe, according to a survey by Shinhan Bank of 20,000 customers across the nation. The education gap starts at a young age between kids living north and south of the Han River in Seoul. Parents in the three affluent districts of Gangnam spend W220,000 on average a month on private crammers, compared to W120,000 for children living north
of the river (US$1=W1,090).
Little Festive Cheer in Korean Streets
Koreans are unusually devoid of Christmas cheer this icy and economically depressed winter.
Singers Psy, Lee Seung-chul and Park Jung-hyun are holding Christmas concerts, but according to online ticket vendor Interpark, none of the top 10 performances in terms of sales are Christmas themed.
Only 20 stores in the bustling Myeong-dong shopping district in downtown Seoul were decked with Christmas ornaments on Thursday afternoon, and K-pop has replaced Christmas carols on the streets as well.
Cold Snap Keeps Toxic Haze Stays off Korea
The weeklong cold snap has had the positive effect of keeping toxic haze from China away from Korea. The icy chill cleared the air as westerly winds gave way to cold air currents from the north.
The concentration of fine dust (PM10) was 28.43 ㎍/㎥ or "moderately good" in Seoul in early December, according to the National Institute of Environmental Research.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
South Korea and China overcome secondary differences to confront NK threat
South Korea and China face a common threat: the North Korean nuclear program, a black hole that has all of Northeast Asia in its pull. Sharing an understanding of the risk is what enables them to overcome their secondary conflicts and respond in a concerted way. The agreement by Presidents Moon Jae-in and Xi Jinping to patch over differences on the THAAD deployment and follow four major principles of peace and stability on the peninsula
Outreach workers seek to bring homeless in from the cold
At 7 pm on Nov. 30, 37 homeless people had set up cardboard boxes along the wall of the Namdaemun underpass in the Jung District of Seoul. It was a cold night – the wind chill dropped to -10 Celsius
– and they were trying to block, or at least blunt, the bitter wind blowing down the passageway so they could make it through the night.
Movie depicting the story of Park Jong-cheol captivates audiences
The whole audience remained in their seats until the ending credits had rolled. What kept them pinned in place was the feeling of both weight and warmth that radiated throughout the theater. At one point,
a viewer called something out and the audience erupted into applause
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JoongAng Ilbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)
Tillerson walks back remarks on talks with North
He now says that the regime must ‘earn its way back to the table’. U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson backtracked from his recent offer of unconditional direct talks with North Korea, emphasizing as he addressed the New York-based UN Security Council that Pyongyang must “earn its way back” to the negotiation table.
Four newborns die at Ewha, causes unknown
Four newborn babies died within a two-hour span at Ewha Womans University Medical Center in Seoul on Saturday night. Authorities are investigating the cause. “We apologize to the relatives
of the babies and to everyone in this country,” said Chung Hye-won, director of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the hospital, in a press briefing at the hospital on Sunday.
Cryptocurrency policy leaks rock bitcoin price
The documents that outlined the government’s measures on cryptocurrency trading in Korea were leaked well before the official announcement, fueling yet another wild fluctuation in bitcoin price,
a clear indication of the impact that lax security could have on the market.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Leaders of South Korea and China Should Move Beyond THAAD and Strengthen Cooperation
On December 14, President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping held the third summit meeting. The two men engaged in a serious conversation for over an hour, the time allotted to the summit, discussing the restoration of South Korea-China relations, North Korea’s nuclear problem, and economic and cultural cooperation. The two leaders agreed on the four major principles for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Prosecution Seeks 25-Year Prison Term for Choi Soon-sil: Only the Strict Judgment of the Court Remains
On December 14, the first trial of Choi Soon-sil, the “secret heavyweight” of former President Park Geun-hye and also the “mastermind” behind the scandalous abuse of state authority was concluded. The trial ended thirteen months after Choi’s case came to court. The team of special prosecutor Park Young-soo and the Prosecution Service requested the judges to sentence Choi to twenty-five years in prison.
Bitcoin, Not for Minors: Trade Using Real Name Bank Accounts Only
The government will ban minors from opening accounts for and trading virtual currency. A virtual currency exchange must separately deposit the clients' assets and check the user's real name. Amidst increasing social side effects due to the cryptocurrency investment frenzy, the government held a meeting of relevant vice-ministers chaired by Hong Nam-ki, minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination at the government office in Seoul on December 13 and released emergency measures including such details
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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.
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)
China seeks risky hegemony with U.S. to expand influence in regional sea
International concerns are growing over a possible conflict between Washington and Beijing as Chinese President Xi Jining is aggressively pushing for his trademark "One Road and One Belt" initiative to gain control over the regional sea. China hopes to become a powerful state covering the ocean and land together, said Yang Hee-Cheol, director general of the Ocean Policy Institute under the Korea Institute of Oceans Science & Technology, referring to what he called "hegemonic competition" between Washington and Beijing
S. Korea embarks on system development of next-gen submarine rescue ship
South Korea's navy will have a new 5,200-ton submarine rescue ship capable of carrying out missions in extreme conditions and supplying armament and fuel to submarines. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering will begin the system development of the new active submarine rescue (ASR) ship for delivery to the Navy in 2022, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), a state procurement agency, said Friday in a statement.
Samsung sells special smartphone case for Galaxy Note 8
A digital art brand, known for limited editions, has designed a special smartphone case for Samsung's premium flagship, Galaxy Note 8, that will hit the South Korean market next week. Samsung said 99 units of the case, based on 99AVANT's digital artwork, "Tiger the Guardian: no.8", would be sold through its website from Tuesday. Traditionally, tigers have been regarded as the divine spirit in South Korea, becoming a favorite subject of painting and sculpture.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Kakao pursues $1 bn Singapore IPO
Kakao Corp., South Korea’s leading mobile messenger operator, will list its company on the Singapore bourse next February as it seeks to tap the global market to fund its investment in future technologies.
The Korean mobile giant said on Sunday it plans to issue 7,546,520 new shares at the Singapore Exchange on Feb. 2.
Samyang acquires KCI for $65 mn
South Korean food and chemical company Samyang Corp. bought KCI Limited, a chemical material manufacturer, for 70.9 billion won ($65 million). Samyang said in its regulatory filing on Friday it signed an agreement to acquire a 44.2 percent stake in KCI.
Mirae Asset Daewoo aims to raise $642 mn in rights offering
Mirae Asset Daewoo Co. is planning a 700 billion won ($642.2 million) rights offering early next year, a move that would make it the first brokerage house in Korea to hold over 8 trillion won of equity capital. The firm said on Sunday it will issue 130,842,000 preferred shares worth 700 billion won as part of plans to beef up its investment banking operation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TO ERR ON THE SAFER SIDE!
I trust that Your Excellency may be aware that we are ready to fully meet ALL the information dissemination-acquisition requirements of the Embassies—free of charge.
Please visit the following URLs and order us:
Real time-updated Korean Internet news http://www.koreapost.co.kr/
Real time-updated English Internet news http://www.koreapost.com/
20-page Korean-language newspaper http://www.koreapost.co.kr/pdf/list.php
English E-daily http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=5504
English monthly magazine The Korea Post http://www.koreapost.com/cover/coverList.html
To satisfy your information dissemination-acquisition requirements, please drop a line at edt@koreapost.com, pub@koreapost.com or yeskoreapost@gmail.com
The publisher-chairman of The Korea Post media is serving the Diplomatic Community for more than 40 years, 32 years with The Korea Post and 10 years with The Korea Herald as the Cultural Editor who covered the Diplomatic Community.
For quick response, call Chairman Lee directly at 010-5201-1740 or reporters at 010-3388-1682 or 010-7584-5873.