The Korean daily media headlines and humor
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Your Excellency:
Here are The Korea Post notices and a roundup of important headlines from all major Korean-language dailies, TV and other news media of Korea today:
Very Respectfully Yours
/s/
Lee Kyung-sik
Publisher-Chairman
Korea Post Media
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Brazil is back on track with her economy recovering vitality
Special statement by President Michel Temer of Brazil
President Michel Temer of the Federative Republic of Brazil
The following statement by President Michel Temer of the Federative Republic of Brazil was provided by the Embassy of Brazil in Seoul to The Korea Post media for publication on the occasion of an exclusive special interview with Ambassador Luis Fernanddo Serra at the Embassy of Brazil on Dec. 20, 2017. Further details of the inrerview will be published upon completion in the next few days.—Ed.
Just over eighteen months ago, I took office as the President of Brazil with the task of facing up to the most severe economic crisis in the history of Brazil along with its deep social impacts on our people.
Faced with this kind of challenge, I have put forward a transformation agenda without recourse to populist measures. The agenda comprises the broadest set of structuring reforms for the past thirty years based
upon the pillars of fiscal balance, social responsibility and increase in productivity.
(For further details, visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=5692)
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Round-up of important news stories from major Korean dailies today:
The Korea Post media (www.koreapost.com) in English, (www.koreapost.co.kr) in Korean.
U.S. distances itself from S. Korea's call to postpone military drills
The United States on Wednesday distanced itself from South Korean President Moon Jae-in's call to postpone the allies' military exercises until after the PyeongChang Olympic Games. Moon told U.S. broadcaster NBC Tuesday that the two countries could review the timing of the regular drills to reduce tensions during the event, which will be held some 80 kilometers south of the inter-Korean border.
Hanwha to export 24 K9 howitzers to Norway
Norway has signed a contract to buy two dozen K9 Thunder self-propelled 155mm howitzers from South Korea, its manufacturer announced Thursday.
Under the 245.2 billion-won (US$226.3 million) deal, Hanwha Land Systems will deliver 24 K9 howitzers and six K10 ammunition resupply vehicles by 2020.
N.K. rejects claim it is developing biological weapons
North Korea on Wednesday rejected U.S. allegations that it is developing biological weapons, saying that the claim is part of Washington's scheme to stifle the regime.
The Trump government's first National Security Strategy released Monday said that the North is pursuing chemical and biological weapons that could also be delivered by missile.
Import carmakers ordered to recall nearly 13,000 vehicles
Five foreign carmakers and an importer of two wheelers will recall nearly 13,000 vehicles in South Korea due to faulty components, the transport ministry said Thursday.
This is the latest in a series of recall orders issued by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to both domestic and foreign companies.
S. Korea files third-largest number of AI patents in the world
South Korea's state-run information and communications promotion agency said Thursday local companies have filed the third-largest number of patents related to artificial intelligence (AI) technology over the past 12 years. The Institute for Information and Communications Technology Promotion (IITP) said its finding is based on AI-related technologies applied to patent bodies in the United States, Japan, China, the European Union and South Korea from January 2005 to September of this year.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
People's Party Chief Seeks Early General Vote on Merger with Bareun Party
People’s Party Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo plans to seek the opinions of all party members within the year on a possible merger with conservative minority Bareun Party. An aide to Ahn told KBS
by phone Wednesday that the party will hold an executive member meeting on Thursday to approve his proposal that the party hold a general vote to decide on the proposed merger.
Prosecution Summons Ex-Pres. Park over NIS Bribery Allegation
Prosecutors have instructed former President Park Geun-hye to undergo questioning Friday morning as a suspect accused of receiving money from former directors of the National Intelligence Service
(NIS) and using it for personal ends..
Public Organizations to Hire Nearly 23,000 Employees in 2018
Public organizations plan to recruit nearly 23-thousand regular employees next year as part of a massive government effort to bolster employment.
A total of 323 public organizations are part of the plan, which Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon says will aim to make more than half of the hires in the first half of the year.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Stock funds' net assets jump this year
South Korean stock investment funds saw their assets increase sharply this year thanks to a huge money inflow into exchange traded funds (ETFs), a trade body said Thursday.
Their net assets stood at 79.6 trillion won (US$73.5 billion) as of Monday, up 12.1 trillion won from the end of last year, according to the Korea Financial Investment Association.
Filipino boxing legend Pacquiao visits S. Korea
Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao arrived in South Korea Wednesday for his winter vacation and to meet fans here. Pacquiao, the only boxer in history to win world titles in eight different weight divisions, will spend eight days in South Korea with his family, officials here said. During his visit, the 39-year-old will film an episode of the popular television entertainment show "Infinite Challenge" and do a meet-and-greet with fans.
Yonhap opens photo exhibition in Tokyo to promote PyeongChang Winter Olympics
South Korea's key wire service Yonhap News Agency opened a photo exhibition in Tokyo on Wednesday in support of the country's successful hosting of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
The exhibition, co-hosted by the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History and the Korea Culture Center in Japan, will go on until Feb. 10 at the cultural center's exhibition hall.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Will Moon’s proposal of delaying joint military exercise gain tractions?
With South Korea seeking to postpone combined military exercises until after the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, attention is now on whether the proposal can gain approval from the US
and help the Moon Jae-in administration’s engagement initiative with North Korea.
Hospital-acquired infection rises as possible cause of newborns’ death
Early investigations point to hospital-acquired infections as the possible cause of the mysterious deaths of four newborns at a local hospital in the span of just 80 minutes last week. A DNA analysis
conducted by Ewha Womans University Medical Center, where the babies died on Saturday evening while being treated at the neonatal intensive care unit, found an identical type of Citrobacter freundii in three of the four victims. The hospital suspected contamination of injection tools or IV fluid.
Tech firms double down on AI-powered home appliances
Korean tech firms Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are betting on home appliances powered by artificial intelligence. In its latest move, LG Electronics announced Wednesday it would adopt its artificial intelligence brand ThinQ into all of its home appliances, consumer electronics and services unveiled next year.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Film director wants to find truths behind massacres
In 2013, film director Gu Ja-hywan recalled the forgotten deaths of those who were killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, in his documentary film "Red Tomb." Four years later, Gu is back with his new movie "Haewon," as a follow-up. The word Haewon means resolving victims' deep sorrow. While Red Tomb focused on massacres which took place in the southern Gyeongsang area, where Gu is based as a journalist, his latest film uncovers tragic narratives all over the country.
'Miru's Adventure' book reveals Korean artist's desert life
Kim Miru has been to the darkest corners of the world, seeking out experiences most of us would never imagine. From exploring catacombs beneath Paris and crawling around with pigs in a factory farm, to swimming in piranha-infested waters in South America and living as a nomad in the Arabian Desert, her bravery is unmatched.
Ride on presidential 'Train One'
Have you ever heard of "Train One"? If you haven't, don't be disappointed. The special train for the President was introduced in 1979 but never has it been opened to the leader and his entourage.
That changed when President Moon Jae-in invited sports editors and a selected number of citizens Tuesday to travel with him to promote the PyeongChang Winter Olympics that begin on Feb.9.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
How Aging Korea Manages Its Assets
Around one-fifth of Korean households inherited wealth from their parents, with ownership largely transferred from the provinces to the city, a survey shows. The survey by the KB Financial Group Research Institute of 2,000 heads of households between 20 and 74 also found that couples without children may be better off than those with kids but are less inclined to save up for retirement.
Restaurants Tighten Belts as Single Diners Replace Families
More Koreans dine out alone as the numbers of singles rise, but those with families seem to be losing their appetite for going out to eat. According to a survey of 3,000 consumers by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs out Tuesday, people dined out with family or friends on average 14.8 times per month this year, down 0.2 times on-year.
Fans Mourn Death of Pop Idol
Thousands of fans and celebrities mourned the death of Jong-hyun of boy band SHINee, who killed himself Monday at the age of 27.
His management agency SM Entertainment set up a mourning altar for his fans at Asan Medical Center in Seoul.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
President Moon hints at possibility of postponing joint military exercises
Annual US-South Korea drills are scheduled during the Pyeongchang Olympics. The US is reportedly weighing South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s proposal on Dec. 19 to postpone joint military exercises until after the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. In an interview with the US broadcaster NBC that day, Moon said he was considering bold measures such as downscaling of joint South Korea-US military exercises to reduce tensions on the peninsula during the Olympics.
Trump administration releases new national security strategy
US President reiterates that North Korean nuclear crisis “will be taken care of”. The administration US President Donald Trump published a new national security strategy report on Dec. 18, nearly eleven months after taking office. The report referred to North Korea and Iran as “rogue regimes,” but made no explicit reference to a preemptive strike or preventive war.
Foreign Minister informs Tokyo of progress on comfort women report
The Japanese government continues to insist that Seoul implement terms of 2015 agreement. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha delivered an explanation to Tokyo on Dec. 19 on the progress of a report to be delivered on Dec. 27 by a task force examining the two governments’ Dec. 2015 agreement on the Japanese military comfort women issue.
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JoongAng Ilbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)
Moon asks U.S. to postpone joint drills
South Korea has asked the United States to consider delaying routine joint military exercises in the coming months as a bargaining chip to get North Korea to negotiations on its nuclear and missile programs, President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday in an interview with an American broadcaster.
Beijing again blocks group tours from visiting Korea
The Chinese government appears to have re-imposed its ban on group tours to Korea, raising doubt that President Moon Jae-in’s recent state visit to Beijing did much to mend strained ties. Tourism industry sources in Beijing and Shandong Province told the JoongAng Ilbo that recent applications for group tour visas were rejected by China’s tourism authority without any clear explanation, which came as a surprise because the same government agency lifted the group tour ban in those two regions just last month.
Products for warmth are selling like hotcakes
This December is set to be one of the coldest in the past 30 years, and one beneficiary of the extreme weather is retailers selling snacks that purport to beat the cold. While department stores and shopping malls are profiting from the explosive popularity of bench coats this winter, smaller retailers like convenience stores and health and beauty stores like Olive Young are seeing sweet potatoes, coffee and steamed buns flying off their shelves like hot cakes.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Trump's National Security Strategy Promotes Global Conflict
On December 18 (local time), the Donald Trump administration announced a national security strategy defining China and Russia as "revisionist powers" shaking the world order. The report claimed to aggressively keep China in check and push forward the "America First" stance in the fields of economy and security.
Wrong to Give "Indulgence" to Ads Claiming Humidifier Sterilizers Are Harmless
Last year, the Fair Trade Commission concluded the case on the false advertisement of humidifier sterilizers without adopting any disciplinary measures, and it has been confirmed that in this process, the Ministry of Environment had failed to properly identify the specific facts.
Bacteria Detected in the Blood of 3 Dead Infants
According to the results of an epidemiological investigation released on December 18, bacteria was found in the blood of three of the four newborn infants who died at Ewha Womans University Medical Center in Mokdong, Seoul on December 16. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Protection is currently conducting an investigation with the possibility of deaths due to bacterial infections in mind.
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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)
Cyber bullying suspected of playing role in Jonghyun's death
For decades, cyber bullying has been a controversial topic in South Korea's entertainment society as online menaces sometimes cause legal battles or lead to the suicide of celebrities because of extreme stress.
Every year, entertainers attempt or commit suicide after suffering from depression aggravated by malicious online comments and cyber attacks.
Hyundai puts autonomous vehicles on test driving in Winter Olympic venue
To show a high level of technology, Hyundai Motor will put fuel-cell vehicles and sedans on autonomous test driving before and during South Korea's first Winter Olympics in the eastern ski resort of Pyeongchang. Hyundai said Wednesday that it would use five fuel-cell vehicles and two "GENESIS G80" high-performance sedans to test their autonomous driving ability in Pyeongchang or on an expressway leading to the Olympic venue.
KT opens 5G-connected village near Winter Olympic venue
A 5G-connected showcase village made its debut for the first time in the world Wednesday in an isolated high-land rural town near the venue for South Korea's first Winter Olympics. KT, a major South Korean telecom company, opened the village in Daegwanryeong, a remote mountainous county known for highland crops and ranches, in a ceremony attended by government officials and organizers of the Winter Games in the eastern ski resort of Pyeongchang.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Samsung Elec rolls out world’s first 2nd-gen 10nm class DRAM
The world’s leading semiconductor company Samsung Electronics Co. has taken another leap forward in the next-generation chip fabrication technology as it began the mass production of the second-generation 8-gigabit double data rate fourth-generation dynamic random access memory chips (8Gb DDR4 DRAM) on 10-nanometer class (1y nm) process for the first time in the world.
SK Hynix pursues foundry JV in China for operation in 2020: source
South Korea’s second largest memory chipmaker SK Hynix Inc. is seeking to establish a foundry in China in a joint venture with a Chinese company, a source told the Maeil Business Newspaper.
The company’s board of directors will give a go-ahead to the plan on Wednesday, according to the source. The chipmaker is yet to disclose a statement on the matter.
Korea to invest $102 bn to more than quadruple renewable energy capacity by 2030
South Korean government will expedite spending worth 110 trillion won ($101.7 billion) over the next decade or so to ramp up renewable energy infrastructure to ensure stable power supply in place of nuclear and coal-fired generators. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on Wednesday that its goal is to establish renewable source capacity of 63.8 Giga watts, which is equivalent to 35 nuclear reactors, by 2030. Currently renewables can generate 15.1GW.
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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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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.