The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Wednesday, December 27, 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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Wish to see the treasured Hat of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France?

Lotte World recently won a bidding for it for nearly 2.6 billion Won, and puts it on display for the Ambassadors

To see on Friday 19 January 2018!

Hat of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France

President and Mrs. Dongki Park of the Lotte World Tower Company cordially invite Your Excellency and Madam, together with other Ambassadadors and Madams, to a Special VVIP Tour of the famed Lotte World Tower on the morning of Friday 19 January 2018. The exhibits on that day include the Hat of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France. Please visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=5725

The Tour is orgaized by The Korea Post media at invitation of President and Mrs. Dongki Park of the Lotte World Tower Company.

The tour schedule is as follows:

09:30 hours Friday 19 January 2018: Meet at the Cartier of the Avenuel Hall on the 1st Floor of the Lotte World Jamsil builing. (Cars may be parked at the Parking Lot of the Lotte World Tower Building.)

09:40-10:10 hours: Vivit the Public Information Center, view video presentations.

10:20-11:00 hours: Tour the Lotte World Tower Observation hall.

11:00-12:00 hours: Vivist the 123 Lounge and attend a snack-beverage meeting hosted by President Park and the other leaders of the Lotte World Tower.

12:00 hours: Leave the Lotte World Tower.

Note: The Visitor's Car may be parked at the Parking Lot of the Lotte World.

Very Resepctfully Yours

/s/

Lee Kyung-sik

Publisher-Chairman

The Korea Post media

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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.

Prosecutors expected to seek heavy sentence for Samsung heir in appeals trial

Prosecutors were set on Wednesday to present their demand for the punishment of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong in the last session of his appellate trial. The 49-year-old scion of South Korea's largest conglomerate received a five-year jail term on Aug. 25 on the conviction of five charges including bribery, embezzlement and hiding assets overseas.

Samsung chief earns some 4 tln won from stock rally

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee has seen the value of his stock assets rise by nearly 4 trillion won (US$3.7 billion) this year thanks to a rally of the tech giant on the local bourse, a market tracker said Wednesday.

Main opposition party expels senior member for disgracing party

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) decided Tuesday to deprive Ryu Yeo-hae, a senior female member, of party membership as it views her controversial remarks as disgraceful to the party, officials said. Ryu has lashed out at the party's chief Hong Joon-pyo since she was stripped of her post as a chief of an electoral district, claiming that Hong is trying to fill key party posts with those who are close to him.

U.S. sanctions 2 N.K. officials over missile program

The United States on Tuesday sanctioned two senior North Korean officials for their involvement in the regime's illicit ballistic missile program. The Treasury Department said in a press release it has designated Kim Jong-sik and Ri Pyong-chol, both belonging to the Munitions Industry Department of the North's Workers' Party of Korea.

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

US Sanctions Two Key Figures in N. Korea's Weapons Program

The United States has imposed sanctions on two North Korean officials who are considered key to the North’s development of ballistic missiles. The Treasury Department said in a press release on Tuesday that its Office of Foreign Assets Control has designated Kim Jong-sik and Ri Pyong-chol, both belonging to the Munitions Industry Department of the North's Workers' Party of Korea.

RFA: N. Korea's Ski Team to Train in Germany for Paralympics

North Korea's disabled ski team will reportedly train in Germany next month to prepare for the Winter Paralympics in South Korea's Pyeongchang set to open on March ninth. According to Radio Free Asia(RFA) on Wednesday, Shin Young-soon, the head of the U.S. civic group Kinsler Foundation said that disabled North Korea athletes will train at a ski slope near Frankfurt in the middle of next month.

Main Opposition Party Expels Senior Member Ryu Yeo-hae

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party(LKP) has expelled its Supreme Council member Ryu Yeo-hae for disgracing the party with her controversial remarks. LKP spokeswoman Jun Hee-kyung said in a news briefing that the party's Supreme Council unanimously approved Ryu's removal on Tuesday after the ethics committee reached the decision earlier in the day.

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

Six S. Korean warships to retire after three-decade service

The Navy said Wednesday its 1,500-ton Chungnam frigate, known as a benchmark ship, will retire after playing a key role in the defense of South Korean waters for three decades. The Navy plans to hold a retirement ceremony for the ship, one of the first-generation warships here, and five other naval vessels -- three patrol ones and three high-speed boats -- at the Jinhae port later in the day.

N. Korean disabled ski team to train in Germany next month: report

A North Korean disabled ski team is scheduled to train in Germany next month amid reports of the North preparing to take part in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics, a U.S. broadcaster reported Wednesday.

Forbes & Manhattan head due in Seoul on investment opportunities: source

The head of a major Canadian investment bank will visit Seoul next month to discuss with South Korean businesspeople and government officials investment opportunities in South Korea and abroad, an official of the bank said Wednesday.

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

Blue House denies UAE rumors; opposition calls for investigation

The presidential office on Tuesday again rejected speculations surrounding chief of staff Im Jong-seok’s recent trip to the Middle East, denying media reports. After more than a week of simply denying the related reports, Moon’s Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Han Byung-do on Tuesday told reporters that Im’s visit to the UAE was to deliver a handwritten letter from Moon aimed at enhancing bilateral ties, and that Moon and the president of the United Arab Emirates had talked about improving ties in June.

Ex-President Lee faces rising heat over business, political allegations

The prosecution on Tuesday officially launched a probe into allegations surrounding DAS, an auto parts maker linked to former President Lee Myung-bak. Although Lee Sang-eun, the former president’s eldest brother, is the company’s largest shareholder, it has been alleged that the former president is the company’s real owner.

Korea to invest W3.1tr to support next-generation industries

The South Korean government said Tuesday that it will inject 3.2 trillion won ($2.9 billion) into research and development in the next year to boost growth of next-generation industries. Despite the ambitious cause, the size of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s R&D investment has been decreasing over the past several years, falling to 3.158 trillion won for 2018, down 1.3 percent from 3.338 trillion won this year.

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

Seoul: Sex slavery deal inked without sufficient communication with victims

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Tuesday the previous government failed to listen sufficiently to the victims of Japan's wartime sex slavery before reaching a deal with Japan in 2015. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' fact-finding team will announce the results of its months-long investigation into the way the deal was reached, Wednesday, Kang said.

TOP 10 DOMESTIC NEWS OF 2017

1. Moon elected President 2. NK nuclear crisis 3. THAAD row 4. Pohang earthquake 5. Suspension of reactors 6. Investigation of misdeeds 7. Minimum wage hike 8. Interest rate hike 9. Bitcoin craze 10. Olympic countdown

TOP 10 INTERNATIONAL NEWS OF 2017

1. Trump's ‘America first' 2. Xi's grip on power 3. Global terrorist attacks 4. Islamic State falls 5. Rohingya crisis 6. #MeToo campaign 7. Natural disasters 8. Killing of Kim Jong-nam 9. Jerusalem: boiling point 10. Mugabe ousted

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

How to Overcome Year-End Blues

The festive season is a time of rejoicing for many but can plunge others into deep depression, not least because daylight hours are so short and the chill gets into the bones. Add the financial burdens of Christmas spending, fatigue from heavy drinking and other factors and the result is a recipe for gloom.

Koreans Still Have a Low Opinion of Small Businesses

Korean attitudes toward small and mid-sized businesses are still worse than toward big conglomerates. The Small and Medium Business Administration polled 1,000 adults on Monday who gave smaller firms just 51.4 points as potential employers, compared to conglomerates' 71.5 points.

Liquor More Fattening Than Rice

For people trying to watch their weight, year-end office parties and other engagements are unwelcome events. Many people faced with this dilemma often opt to drink rather than eat, but in fact that is counterproductive. Liquor is packed with calories. If an adult male drinks two bottles of soju, he is consuming a third of the daily recommended calorie intake of 2,400 kcal.

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

South Korean government releases draft of plans to increase renewable energy use

Country aims to produce 20% of its power from renewable sources by 2030. On Dec. 20, South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy released a draft of its “Renewable Energy 3020” implementation plan, in which it declared that it will increase renewable energy’s share of the energy mix from its current level of 7% to 20% by 2030 by providing 48.7GW in new generating capacity.

Study finds that 87% of South Korean households have private health insurance

Burden of medical costs on households has increased due to lack of coverage for various ailments. A recent study has found that 87% of South Korean households have various kinds of private insurance policies such as cancer insurance and accident insurance because of the National Health Insurance system’s low rate of coverage, which is slightly above 60%.

NIS approves 2018 anti-espionage strategy

The plan includes “spy vs. spy” efforts in the areas of security and industry. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) announced the review and approval of a national anti-espionage strategy for 2018 at a strategic meeting on Dec. 18.

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

More generous maternity leaves

The government will expand maternity leave during pregnancy and allow for working hour reductions, the Labor Ministry announced Tuesday. The move is aimed at correcting current parental leave rules that require would-be mothers to use most of their maternity leave after delivery.

LG Display to build OLED facility in Guangzhou

The Korean government on Tuesday gave LG Display the green light to build an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TV panel production facility in Guangzhou, southern China, five months after the TV maker requested the government’s permission.

Korea, UAE discuss desert missile tests

ABU DHABI - Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are discussing plans to bolster cooperation in advanced weapons projects, including a test of a Korean-built missile interception system at a site in the Middle Eastern country, the JoongAng Ilbo reported Tuesday.

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

The Verification of the Comfort Women Agreement, Report to Be Released on December 27

The 2015 agreement between South Korea and Japan concerning the comfort women victims in the Japanese military is expected to be at the center of controversy once again. For the past five months, a task force directly under the foreign minister has been verifying the process of how the agreement came to be signed and is scheduled to release a report of the final result on December 27.

South Korea Rages at iPhone's Intentional "Slower" Performance

People in South Korea are also calling for an investigation of Apple for a possible violation of the Fair Trade Act by intentionally slowing down the iPhone's performance. More and more consumers are questioning whether there were any similar tricks on the Android phones.

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

LG encourages employees to develop deep learning AI platform

LG Electronics distributed its deep learning AI platform to its employees encouraging them to develop new products and services featuring the core technology of the fourth industrial revolution. LG said in a statement that it has distributed "Deep ThinQ", an AI platform featuring deep learning technology, to its employees on Tuesday.

N.K. urges importance of studying leader's call for rooting out 'non-socialist' elements (Yonhap)

North Korea on Tuesday encouraged its people to thoroughly study an address delivered by its leader Kim Jong-un last week, calling for a fight to root out "non-socialist" elements in the society, its state-run media reported. North Korea's leading newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun of the Workers' Party, ran an editorial on its front page stressing the importance of launching an all-out campaign to pay a great deal of attention to the ideology presented in Kim's address on Saturday.

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

Korean stock market to keep up bull run in 2018, topping 2,800: poll

South Korea’s stock market is expected to keep up a bull run next year in line with buoyant forecast for global economy and equity performance with the main index gaining at least 15 percent to top 2,800 in the first half, according to a survey on market gurus.

Lotte Chilsung Beverage to bottle and supply Pepsi brands in Pakistan

South Korea’s Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co. will begin to sell beverages in Pakistan after creating a joint venture with a local bottling company. Lotte Chilsung Beverage said on Monday it signed a JV agreement with Pakistan’s Akhtar Group that owns local beverage maker Riaz Bottlers.

LG Chem to invest $278M in CAA/SAP facility expansion

LG Chem, South Korea`s top chemical company, said Tuesday that it will invest a total of 300 billion won ($278 million) to bump up the output of crude acrylic acid (CAA) and super absorbent polymer (SAP) at its plant in the southern part of the country.

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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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TO ERR ON THE SAFER SIDE!

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Please visit the following URLs and order us:

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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.

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