The Korean daily media headlines and humor
Thursday, January 4, 2018
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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There’s only ONE WEEK left to the Lotte Tower Tour on Friday 19 January!
Scary? Yes, right down below your feet sprawls the downtown Seoul as you stand on the Observation Room on the 123rd floor of the Lotte Tower.
(For reservation of seat, please call 010-3388-1682 (Korean) or 010-5201-1740 (English, Chairman Lee Kyung-sik of The Korea Post meda)
For details of invitation, please scroll down to the bottom of this Headlines.
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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.
Pence defends Trump's tweets on N. Korea
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday defended President Donald Trump's fiery tweets at North Korea, saying the commander-in-chief's clear messaging helped increase pressure on the regime over its nuclear weapons program.
Outgoing U.S. commander awarded medal for service in Korea
The South Korean government on Thursday awarded Lt. Gen. Thomas S. Vandal, the outgoing commander of the U.S. Eighth Army, a medal of merit for his contribution to the alliance.
BOK chief, finance minister vow to manage risky factors to fuel economic growth in 2018
South Korea's top economic policymakers said Thursday that they will do their best to manage economic and financial risks in a way that maintains economic growth momentum in the new year.
Cost of eating out rises higher than inflation in 2017
The cost of dining out rose higher than the inflation rate last year, especially for foods and beverages that ordinary citizens usually enjoy, according to Statistics Korea on Thursday. The cost of eating out increased 2.4 percent in 2017 from the previous year, 0.5 percentage point higher than the inflation rate of 1.9 percent, according to the state agency.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Two Opposition Lawmakers Arrested for Bribery
Two incumbent opposition lawmakers have been arrested for taking bribes and illegal political funds. The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Reps. Choi Kyung-hwan and Lee Woo-hyun of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, acknowledging their charges and citing the risk of the suspects destroying evidence.
N. Korea Contacts S. Korea Via Panmunjom Hotline for 2nd Day
The Unification Ministry said that liaison officers of the two Koreas spoke again through the inter-Korean communication line in the truce village of Panmunjom at around 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, a day after the hotline reopened for the first time in 23 months.
Moon to Meet with Victims of Japan's Wartime Sex Slavery
President Moon Jae-in will invite a group of victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery to his office for a lunch meeting on Thursday. The president will reportedly meet with former wartime sex slaves of the Japanese military and the head of the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, a civic group supporting the victims.
Opposition leader voices concerns over allies' gaps over N.K. approach
The leader of the minor opposition Bareun Party on Thursday expressed concerns over a possible rift between South Korea and the United States over how to handle North Korea's nuclear threat, amid the growing prospect of cross-border dialogue.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Ousted leader to be slapped with additional bribery charge: prosecution
Prosecutors said Thursday they will formally bring an additional bribery charge against former President Park Geun-hye for allegedly accepting billions of won from the state spy agency during her term.
Thousands forgo life-sustaining treatments as 'death with dignity' law set to take effect
Sun Pil-soon has seen many people around her, including a sister, a cousin and an aunt, living on respirators for as long as 10 years with little chance of recovery before their deaths, an ending that she wants to avoid.
S. Koreans support graphic warnings covering 80 pct of cigarette packs: poll
The majority of South Koreans think graphic warning images should cover more than 80 percent of cigarette packs, a poll showed Thursday. Pictorial warnings currently cover half of cigarette packs under the relevant law.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
North Korea reopens communications with South
North Korea on Wednesday re-engaged the communications channel in Panmunjeom, calling the South side at 3:30 p.m. and opened the way for further discussions on Seoul’s offer of high-level talks.
Korean perceptions of migrant workers worsen: survey
South Koreans have become more negative toward migrant workers compared to four years ago amid the prolonged economic downturn, a poll showed Wednesday. According to the Overseas Koreans Foundation survey of 820 people July 31-Aug. 25, 61.1 percent of the respondents residing in the country’s seven largest cities find it hard to accept foreign workers as members of Korean society.
Ousted leader to be slapped with additional bribery charge: prosecution
Prosecutors said Thursday they will formally bring an additional bribery charge against former President Park Geun-hye for allegedly accepting billions of won from the state spy agency during her term.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Two Koreas reopen hotline
North Korea reopened the cross-border communication link at the truce village of Panmunjeom, Wednesday, in response to South Korea's suggestion for high-level talks on its participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games and other issues.
Two opposition lawmakers arrested over bribery, illegal political funds
Two sitting opposition lawmakers were arrested early Thursday for taking bribes and illegal political funds under the previous Park Geun-hye government. The two were Reps. Choi Kyung-hwan and Lee Woo-hyun of the main opposition Libery Korea Party, each on charges of bribery and violating the political fund law.
Advocacy links PyeongChang with dog meat
Animal rights activists Wednesday called for a ban on the sale and consumption of dog meat ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February. The Korea Association for Animal Protection claimed Korea has 20,000 dog farms across the country with 2 million canines slaughtered for human consumption.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
N.Korea Reopens Border Communication Channel
North Korea on Wednesday reopened an inter-Korean hotline at the truce village of Panmunjom so the two sides can discuss its participation in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Professional Birth Photos a Growing Trend
Hiring a professional photographer to capture the moment of giving birth is becoming a trend among expecting parents. Women have been heading to the studios in the late stages of pregnancy ever since the famous Vanity Fair cover of a naked and pregnant Demi Moore, but now the birth itself has be Instagrammable.
Part-Time Workers Complain of Fallout from Minimum Wage Hike
Up to a quarter of part-time workers were either fired or had their working hours shortened after the government announced a drastic minimum wage hike last year.
In a survey by part-time job portal Alba published Tuesday of 1,458 part-time workers, 16.9 percent said their work hours were cut after the government announced the hike last July.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
South Korea proposes high-level dialogue with North Korea following Kim’s New Year’s address
Just one day after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared his willingness to engage in inter-Korean dialogue during his New Year’s address, the South Korean government responded swiftly by proposing high-level talks with the North.
Nuclear expert sees “small window of opportunity” for dialogue in Kim Jong-un’s New Year’s address
Daryl G. Kimball is the Executive Director of the Arms Control Association. Kimball is a renowned expert on nuclear proliferation issues, and has been recognized by National Journal as one of ten key individuals whose ideas will help shape the policy debate over nuclear weapons in the future.
American conservative expert: North Korea likely to stage provocations during Olympics
Harry J. Kazianis is the Director of Defense Studies at the Center for the National Interest, founded by President Richard M. Nixon in 1994. He also serves as Executive Editor of its publishing arm, The National Interest.
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JoongAng Ilbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)
Hotline restored on Kim’s order
Pyongyang accepted Seoul’s offer of dialogue and said it would reopen its military hotline in the border village of Panmunjom to discuss “practical matters” about its participation in the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
FSC asks for advice on Samsung accounts case
The nation’s top financial authority has taken its first steps in deciding whether it will slap fines on Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee for bank accounts he controlled under other people’s names.
Governor is pushing idea of joint skating team
Gangwon Governor Choi Moon-soon proposed fielding a joint Olympic figure skating team to North Korean officials at a recent meeting in China, a source who accompanied Choi told the JoongAng Ilbo on Tuesday.
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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)
N. Korea reopens cross-border dialogue channel for inter-Korean contact
Amid high expectations on the resumption of severed inter-Korean dialogue, North Korea reopened a closed cross-border hotline Wednesday to discuss its participation in next month's Winter Olympics in South Korea.
Samsung develops new professional camera-like lens module
A sister firm of Samsung Electronics has developed a next-generation smartphone camera module with its optical zooming ability likened to a professional camera lens as the world's largest smartphone maker seeks to cement its competitive edge in the global market.
Hyundai shipyard warns of dwindling order backlog in 2018
Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world's largest shipyard, warned of a dwindling backlog of orders this year, saying its dockyard for offshore plants would be completely empty in a few months.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Lotte Group to completely remove cross-shareholding ties
South Korea’s fifth-largest conglomerate Lotte Group will completely remove its cross-shareholding ties among affiliates by merging six unlisted companies with its recently launched holding company in a move to improve overall management efficiency and enhance business transparency.
FDI flows to S. Korea hit record high in 2017
Foreign direct investment to South Korea surged to an all-time high last year amid active joint ventures and investments in high-tech industries fueling Asia’s fourth largest economy. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said on Wednesday the country received $22.9 billion worth of FDI commitments in 2017, up 7.7 percent on year.
Korea’s Seegene dramatically shortens reagent development time using AI
South Korean molecular diagnostics company Seegene Inc. announced on Wednesday it has successfully developed a reagent to detect meningitis and sexually-transmitted diseases with the help of an artificial intelligence (AI) system that significantly cut time for development.
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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!
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/
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20-page Korean-language newspaper http://www.koreapost.co.kr/pdf/list.php
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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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Hat of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France
Time is running out, and there are only 14 days left to the Lotte Tower tour.
Has Your Excellency made reservation yet—for the Ambassador Tour of the Lotte World Tower on Friday 19, January 2018?
As we have already informed the Excellencies, the Host (President and Mrs. Dongki Park of the Lotte World Tower Company) has included in the list of ‘What to See’ that day the treasured Hat of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France (1808-1873).
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!
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.
To make reservation, please call Ms. Kim Jung-mi at 010-3388-1682 or Ms. Shin Eugene at 010-6589-4378.
Very Resepctfully Yours
/s/
Lee Kyung-sik
Publisher-Chairman
The Korea Post media
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Scary? Yes, right down below your feet sprawl the downtown Seoul as you stand on the Observation Tower on the 123rd floor of the Lotte Tower.
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Picturesque garden and surrounding areas
of the Lotte Tower Building.