The Korean daily media headlines and humor
Tuesday, February 27, 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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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.
National debt reaches record in 2017, but growth pace slows
The balance of government and government-backed bonds reached a record amount of 953.24 trillion won (US$888.8 billion) last year, although the pace of the debt increase slowed, data from the Korea Financial Investment Association (KOFIA) showed Tuesday.The government bonds balance, or the total issuance minus redemptions, came to 615.22 trillion won as of end-2017, the first time that it exceeded 600 trillion won. It marked a 5.8 percent increase from the previous year.The balance for government-backed special bonds, issued by state agencies, came to 338.02 trillion won.The debt growth, however, slowed for the second consecutive year, according to KOFIA, from a 10.5 percent increase in 2015 to 6.7 percent in 2016 and to 5.8 percent last year. The figure for 2017 is the smallest since the 3.7 percent increase in 2008, when South Korea was hit by the global financial crisis.
LG Electronics to focus on ABCDs to revitalize ailing smartphone biz
LG Electronics Inc. said Tuesday it will focus on audio, batteries, cameras and displays, referred to by the acronym ABCDs in South Korea, to beef up its smartphone division, which has been suffering losses for nearly three years.During the meeting with reporters at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), which is being held in Barcelona, Spain, Hwang Jeong-hwan, who leads the company's mobile business, said LG plans to regain its market credibility by meeting customer demands."It is regrettable that LG Electronics did not do better. We will improve ourselves down the road," Hwang said. "LG Electronics will renovate itself in every aspect to improve fundamentals of the mobile business."It was Hwang's first official meeting with reporters after being named to his post in November."It feels like I have been in the post for three years, when it is really three months," Hwang said. "We have been focusing on innovations and following rivals' features, but the results weren't satisfactory. We ended up with a cost structure that we cannot sustain."
Trade minister to head to U.S. to find ways to ease mounting pressure
South Korea's point man on trade will travel to the United States to find ways to handle demands for a more "balanced flow of goods" amid ongoing talks to renegotiate the allies' bilateral free trade pact, sources in Seoul said Saturday.Kim Hyun-chong will fly to Washington on Sunday as part of an outreach program to talk directly to U.S. lawmakers, business leaders and government officials, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said.It said the minister will explain Seoul's stance on trade and on such matters as Washington's move to implement Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.The U.S. commerce ministry recommended imposing tariffs on steel products from exporting countries including South Korea. The world's No. 1 economy recently pushed forward safeguard measures against washing machines and solar cells and modules from abroad that will impact South Korean companies.The Korea Iron and Steel Association said the country shipped out US$3.2 billion worth of steel products to the U.S. in 2017, significantly more than the $1.3 billion in solar cells and $1.06 billion worth of washers the country exported to the North American country in 2016.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Trump Open to Talks with N. Korea Only Under 'Right Conditions'
President Donald Trump said Monday that the U.S. will hold talks with North Korea only under the right conditions.His remark comes after a senior North Korean official sent a signal that Pyongyang is willing to talk with Washington. Trump said at a meeting with U.S. state governors at the White House that North Korea wants to talk and the U.S. wants to talk too, but only under the right conditions. He said that otherwise, they are not talking.He blamed his predecessors at the White House for failing to tackle the problem of North Korea's nuclear weapons program.Trump also accused Russia of undercutting U.S. sanctions aimed at isolating North Korea economically and diplomatically. He said China was doing “more probably than ever," but Russia is "sending in what China is taking out."
Pyongyang Official: N. Korea Ready to Talk with US
North Korea’s chief delegate to the closing ceremony of the PyeongChang Olympics has once again said that the door remains open for dialogue with Washington. Kim Yong-chol, a key official in the North's ruling party in charge of handling inter-Korean affairs, made the remark on Monday during a luncheon meeting with South Korea's chief presidential security adviser Chung Eui-yong. Kim was said to have pointed out that the North revealed several times that it is willing to sit down with the U.S. for talks. He made a similar remark on Sunday during a meeting with President Moon Jae-in, when the South Korean president said Washington-Pyongyang talks should be held swiftly to help improve inter-Korean relations and to fundamentally resolve Korean Peninsula issues. During Monday’s meeting, officials from the two Koreas reached the consensus that international cooperation on the Korean Peninsula is important, particularly with the United States, China, Japan, and Russia.
Gov't: Designating GM's Local Base as FIZ Depends on Investment Plan
The South Korean government says designating General Motor’s assembly lines in the country as a foreign investment zone(FIZ) will depend on the American automaker’s upcoming investment plan in the country. An official of the Trade, Industry and Energy Ministry relayed the ministry’s stance in a meeting with reporters at the government complex in Sejong City on Monday, adding the designation as a special foreign investment zone, as requested by GM, is tricky given the strict criteria required to be met. The official said, however, it may become possible depending on GM’s new car distribution plan.
The official stressed that the government is waiting to see GM’s new investment plan, particularly what kind of cars it will distribute to its South Korean factories and under what conditions, adding the local production lines should be able to produce those new cars for at least five years. It is not the ministry’s official stance to impose the minimum production period, but the ministry does emphasize GM should maintain its local production base for a mid- and long term.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Koreas to hold talks on N.K.'s participation in Paralympics
South and North Korea are set to hold working-level talks Tuesday to discuss details about the North's participation in the Paralympics to be held in the South next month.Officials from the two sides will meet at 10:00 a.m. at the Tongilgak administrative building on the northern side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that bisects the two Koreas, according to Seoul's unification ministry.At last month's inter-Korean talks, the North agreed to send a 150-member delegation, including athletes, an art troupe and cheerleaders, to the March 9-18 Paralympics.The move comes as the North participated in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics that ended Sunday amid a mood for rapprochement between the two Koreas. North Korea sent a nearly 500-member delegation to the Feb. 9-25 Olympics.South Korea's three-member delegation for the Paralympic talks is led by Lee Joo-tae, a director-general in charge of inter-Korean exchanges at the ministry.
Parliamentary committee passes bill on reduced working hours
A South Korean parliamentary committee on Tuesday passed a bill aimed at shortening legal working hours despite businesses' concerns over its possible impact on corporate productivity.The revision bill calls for reducing the country's maximum statutory working hours to 52 hours a week from the current 68 hours. The working hours under the revision comprise 40 hours a week and 12 hours available for extended work. Currently, a worker is to labor for 40 hours a week, up to 16 hours over the weekend and 12 hours for extended work.The National Assembly's environment and labor committee endorsed the bill after marathon negotiations that stretched into the wee hours of the morning.The envisioned cut in working hours is one of President Moon Jae-in's key election pledges to enhance the quality of life for laborers and help create jobs. To cushion the possible impact from the reduction, the revision will be applied in stages.
Samsung set to showcase Bixby 2.0 via new Galaxy Note this year
Samsung Electronics Co. said Tuesday it plans to showcase a new edition of its artificial-intelligence program, Bixby 2.0, as early as the second half of this year through the presumed Galaxy Note 9 phablets.
During a press conference held at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, Koh Dong-jin, head of the IT & Mobile Communications Division, said Samsung is currently testing the beta version of Bixby 2.0 with some 800 partners. "Considering the current speed (of development), the Bixby 2.0 can be showcased through the Galaxy Note 9," Koh said. "The Bixby 2.0 will allow users to experience a wider scope of voice-assistance features."Many expected the Galaxy S9 just showcased this week would come with the updated program as Samsung hinted last year on releasing Bixby 2.0 at the MWC.Koh said the new Bixby will also focus on expanding its own ecosystem in the industry, as the first edition failed to do so by being released too early.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Samsung close to developing 5G phone: SKT CTO
Samsung Electronics has made significant progress in its 5G technologies and the tech giant is expected to produce a 5G phone in the “not so distant” future, according to Chief Technology Officer Park Jin-hyo of SK Telecom.“It is not so far for Samsung either in coming up with a 5G device,” Park told The Korea Herald while attending the Mobile World Congress 2018 on Monday in Barcelona, Spain.The comments came as China’s up-and-coming Huawei announced its first 5G chipset Balong 5G01 prior to the opening, and plan to launch a 5G smartphone in the second half of this year.“Huawei excels in its technologies…While Samsung may not say much, it has also been making a lot of preparations,” Park said without elaborating further.
North Korea reiterates willingness to talk to US
North Korea’s Kim Yong-chol on Monday reiterated his country’s willingness to directly engage the US, as South Korean President Moon Jae-in rallied support from China. According to South Korea’s presidential office, Kim “stated numerous times” that Pyongyang has intentions to hold talks with the US during his meeting with Seoul’s National Security Council chief Chung Eui-yong. Kim, former head of the North’s spy agency and the suspected mastermind of the 2010 attack on the South Korean Navy ship Cheonan, had first made the revelation at a meeting with Moon on Sunday. Kim is in the South as the head of the North’s delegation to the closing ceremony of the PyeongChang Olympics.Seoul’s presidential office also said that Chung and Kim discussed inter-Korean issues, and agreed to seek further cooperation.
Moon pledges full support for 'Me Too' campaign
President Moon Jae-in on Monday promised full government support for those suffering from sexual harassment at work, also telling his government to use all available means to punish offenders."Any act of men, who are stronger, trampling on women, who are weak, using their strength or power must be thoroughly punished regardless of the type of violence, the status of perpetrators or the nature of their relations with the victims," the president said while meeting with his top aides at his office Cheong Wa Dae."Gender violence is an issue of social structure that allows the powerful to sexually oppress or easily wield violence against the weak," he added, according to Cheong Wa Dae pool reports.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
North Korea wants dialogue with US without preconditions
A North Korean delegation visiting South Korea reaffirmed that the North was willing to talk with the United States, according to Cheong Wa Dae, Monday.It added there would be no preconditions in opening the dialogue.According to a senior Cheong Wa Dae official, Kim Yong-chol, head of the Workers' Party of Korea's United Front Department, said Pyongyang has already expressed its willingness for talks with Washington multiple times.Kim's remarks came during a lunch meeting with Seoul officials ― National Security Office (NSO) head Chung Eui-yong, NSO deputy head Nam Gwan-pyo, Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung and Seoul's top nuclear envoy Lee Do-hoon. Kim arrived in the South to attend the closing ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, along with seven other officials including Ri Son-gwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland.
Trump forecasts possible tariffs on steel
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he would impose tariffs on steel imports if that helps revive the domestic industry.He made the remark after the Department of Commerce earlier this month recommended tariffs for steel and aluminum imports. South Korean steel manufacturers could be subject to the action."I want to bring the steel industry back into our country," Trump said at a meeting with U.S. state governors at the White House. "If that takes tariffs, let them take tariffs. OK? Maybe it'll cost a little bit more, but we'll have jobs. Let it take tariffs."The Commerce Department's recommendations followed investigations that deemed the imports to be a threat to national security. If adopted, the measures would mark another trade remedy undertaken by the Trump administration after it slapped tariffs on washing machines and solar cell panels imported from South Korean and other manufacturers."Recently, we put a tariff on washing machines because we were getting killed, believe it or not, on washing machines and solar panels," Trump said. "That was two months ago. You have to see the activity on new plants being built for washing machines, and for solar panels."
Korea's refugee system has long way to go
The picture of Alan Kurdi, a three-year-old Syrian child who drowned to death near Turkish shores in 2015, drew attention in faraway Korea. South Korea enacted its refugee law in 2013, for the first time among Asian countries. However, refugees seeking asylum here should reconsider it, Ali, an alias, a refugee from Iran said in a report recently issued by the Korean Institute of Criminology (KIC)."One of my colleagues, who campaigned in Iran with me, smoothly got the refugee status in the United Kingdom in 1998 only one year after he applied for it in 1997. Before I managed to get it in 2014, I was rejected once and I had to stay here as an illegal immigrant. Then I was detained for a year in a foreigner detention center while retrying the application. I also underwent three litigations," he was quoted as saying. A refugee applicant contacted by The Korea Times repeatedly said "It was difficult." The 31-year-old from an African country, who requested anonymity since he is under trial, fled oppression of sexual minorities and arrived at Incheon International Airport Feb. 11, 2015.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
IOC Chief Praises Pyeongchang Olympics
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has high praise for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang that ended Sunday. Bach was speaking at a press conference ahead of the closing ceremony.
Ninety two countries took part, a record in the history of the Winter Olympics, with six nations making their debut, he said. Among the highlights, he picked out the joint march of South and North Korean athletes during the opening ceremony and the formation of the unified Korean women's ice-hockey team, which he said sent "a strong message that transcends sports and the Olympic games." "We hope now the political world use this momentum for a dialogue on their level because now it is up to the politicians," he added.
Samsung Unveils Galaxy S9 in Barcelona
Samsung on Sunday unveiled its latest flagship Galaxy S9 smartphone, a day before Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain starts. Samsung was the first among major global smartphone makers to roll out this year's new model. The expo kicks off on Monday for a four-day run with around 2,300 electronics companies around the world showcasing their latest gadgets. It is expected to draw 110,000 visitors from 208 countries.The Galaxy S9 has the Bixby program in its camera which enables the phone to provide rapid translation of foreign languages when the camera is placed over a text. It can translate 104 languages, which Samsung says will come in handy to travelers when deciphering restaurant menus and street signs.The phone features a super-slow motion camera that can capture fast-moving objects with streak images, and also allows users to turn selfies into 3D images with 18 different emojis.
Ivanka Trump Cold-Shoulders N.Korean Official at Olympics
President Moon Jae-in attended the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang on Sunday with U.S. President Donald Trump's daughter and North Korean apparatchik Kim Yong-chol.
Moon shook hands with both, but Ivanka and Kim pointedly ignored each other. The president entered the spectator's box at around 8 p.m. with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, shaking hands first with Ivanka, then Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong and then Kim.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
North Korea shows willingness to talk with US
On Feb. 25, South Korean President Moon Jae-in met with Kim Yong-chol, Vice Chairman of the Korean Workers' Party (KWP) Central Committee and director of the KWP United Front Department during Kim’s visit to the South and called for North Korea and the US to quickly hold talks to resolve issues on the Korean Peninsula. In response, Kim Yong-chol said that the North is “completely willing to sit down to talks with the US.”Blue House spokesperson Kim Eui-kyum said that Moon entertained Kim Yong-chol and Ri Son-gwon, chair of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, at an undisclosed location in Pyeongchang between 5 and 6 pm before the closing ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. “During President Moon’s meeting with North Korea’s high-level delegation, including Kim Yong-chol and Ri Son-gwon, they shared their views about inter-Korean relations overall,” Kim Eui-kyum said.Also representing South Korea at that meeting were Blue House National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong and National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon. No photos of the meeting were made public, a cautious move that was apparently motivated by the conservative establishment’s backlash to Kim Yong-chol’s visit to South Korea.
North Korean delegation visits for more comprehensive inter-Korean dialogue following Olympics
A high-ranking North Korean delegation visiting the South to attend the Pyeongchang Olympics closing ceremony on Feb. 25 consisted of eight members, including Workers’ Party Vice Chairman and United Front Department (UFD) director Kim Yong-chol as head of the delegation. South Korean government officials remained tight-lipped on the delegation’s schedule during its visit, saying only that it was “under discussion” with the North Korean side. But the two sides appear likely to hold close discussions through various channels during the three-day visit.The head of the North Korean delegation, Kim Yong-chol, is recognized as one of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s closest associates. He holds key positions spanning the party, military, and government within the North Korean regime, including membership in the Workers’ Party Politburo, Central Military Commission, State Affairs Commission, and Supreme People’s Assembly Presidium. With the Blue House characterizing him as a counterpart to National Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon, the visit may feature serious and broad discussions on a range of Korean Peninsula issues, including inter-Korean relations and denuclearization.
Pyeongchang Olympics lays the groundwork for establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula
The Pyeongchang Olympics, which came to a close on Feb. 25, there is a growing feeling that the event made a decisive contribution toward the eventual restoration of inter-Korean relations and establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula thanks to the proactive stances from Seoul and Pyongyang.The event included new milestones for athletic exchange between the two sides, with North Korea actively responding to Seoul’s “peace Olympics” vision by agreeing to field a unified team for the first time in Olympic history and have the two sides’ athletes enter together for the first time in 11 years. In the process, the liaison channel at Panmunjeom was reopened between South and North, while high-level talks set in motion a full-scale restoration of inter-Korean ties. Land, air, and sea routes were opened between the two sides, providing paths for 500 North Korean delegation members, athletes, and performers to visit the South.
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JoongAng Ilbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)
North’s delegates insist they want talks with U.S.
North Korea repeatedly stressed that it is open to dialogue with the United States, a Blue House official said Monday, as President Moon Jae-in continued his efforts to bring Pyongyang and Washington together to resolve the security crisis over the Kim Jong-un regime’s nuclear and missile threats. “We have revealed multiple times that we are willing to talk to the United States,” a senior Blue House official quoted Kim Yong-chol, the senior North Korean official who visited the South for the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics, as saying. Kim, a vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party, who is also the director of the committee’s intelligence arm, the United Front Department, made the remarks during a luncheon hosted by Chung Eui-yong, head of the National Security Office of the Blue House. The source, however, said it was not clear if the North had secret contacts with the United States to express those intentions. It was the second consecutive day that Kim stressed the North’s willingness to sit down with the United States. On Sunday, Kim told Moon that. During the discussion, Moon stressed the importance of denuclearization of North Korea and holding a North-U.S. dialogue as soon as possible.
Visiting athletes less stony as they head home
A North Korean delegation of 299 athletes and cheerleaders headed home by road Monday after the closing of the historic PyeongChang Winter Olympics in Gangwon the previous evening. They included members of the first-ever unified women’s ice hockey team at the Olympics and North Korean figure skating duo Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik, who finished 13th in the event and scored a personal best. The delegation, moving in 10 buses, crossed the military demarcation line (MDL) at 12:38 p.m., through the South’s Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) office in Paju, Gyeonggi.Baek Tae-hyun, spokesman for the South’s Unification Ministry, said in a briefing Monday that their luggage and gear was sent over the inter-Korean border earlier that day around 10 a.m.The delegation comprised four North Korean Olympic officials, 229 cheerleaders, 45 athletes and 21 reporters, and the group generally looked bright as it got on the buses headed home.
Games were great but maybe not economically
For many Koreans, the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul is remembered as a glorious coming-out party that showcased the country’s economic rise - and generated a boost in both trade and tourism.Thirty years later, Korea’s hosting of the Winter Games in Pyeongchang is believed to have boosted domestic consumption and investment in the run-up and during the competitions. But the long-term economic impact and benefits to corporate sponsors are still being calculated. The PyeongChang 2018 Olympics generated 0.2 percent growth in gross domestic product (GDP) or 1.4 trillion won ($1.3 billion) in domestic consumption for the first quarter, the Blue House said on Sunday, quoting an estimate by the Bank of Korea and the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. On an annual basis, the effect could translate into the addition of 0.05 percent to the national GDP.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
"We Are Interested in Talks with the U.S."
President Moon Jae-in met with the high-ranking North Korean delegation led by Kim Yong-chol, director of the United Front Department cum vice chairman of South Korean intelligence in the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), who visited South Korea to attend the closing ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games on February 25. According to Cheong Wa Dae, President Moon stressed the need for talks between North Korea and the United States, and Vice Chairman Kim also replied that Pyongyang was willing to talk with the U.S. Cheong Wa Dae conveyed that this evening at 5 p.m. President Moon met with Kim for about an hour at Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do. In a press briefing, Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kim Eui-kyeom said, "President Moon pointed out the need for urgent talks between North Korea and the U.S. to improve inter-Korean relations and to fundamentally resolve issues on the Korean Peninsula," and added, "The North Korean delegation said they were willingly to engage in dialogue with Washington and shared our thoughts that inter-Korean relations should develop along with North Korea-U.S. relations."
The PyeongChang Olympics, a Celebration of Youth and Peace for the Enjoyment of All
The PyeongChang Winter Olympics ended a seventeen-day journey with the closing ceremony on February 25. The theme of the ceremony was the "Next Wave" and athletes from North and South Korea entered waving the Taegeukgi, the North Korean flag and the Korean Peninsula flag. Beijing, the next city to host the Winter Olympics in 2022 also gave a performance. The PyeongChang Olympics, hosted by South Korea for the first time in thirty years since it hosted the Seoul Olympics in 1988, dissolved conflict, antagonism, and confrontation with sports. It was a successful Olympics that opened a new horizon of a "peace Olympics."The road to PyeongChang was not smooth. Just last year, North Korea had engaged in nuclear and missile provocations, constantly giving rise to doubts on a successful Olympics. Some countries hesitated to participate in the games, and the two Koreas also struggled to form a single women's ice hockey team. But in the end, over 2,900 athletes from 92 countries took part, making the PyeongChang Winter Olympics the largest ever and turning the event into a sports festival bringing people together and establishing peace. During the opening ceremony, North and South Korean athletes entered together under the Korean Peninsula flag, attracting the attention of the entire world. Kim Yo-jong, deputy director of propaganda in the Workers' Party of Korea, and Kim Yong-nam, chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly, visited the South, opening the door to better inter-Korean relations. The organizing committee was also thorough in its management of the games. Members of the foreign press praised the games saying, "The only flaw is that there is no flaw." Ticket sales exceeded the initial goal, and over 1.3 million visitors came to see the games. The dedication and sacrifice of over 16,000 volunteers provided a firm foundation for the smooth hosting of the games.
Kim Yong-chol to Come to PyeongChang: Will North Korea Come Across the United States?
On February 22, North Korea announced that it would dispatch a high-level delegation to the closing ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics led by Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of intelligence in the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) cum director of the WPK United Front Department. Pyongyang announced that it would send a delegation to the closing ceremony following its delegation to the opening ceremony led by Kim Yo-jong, first deputy director of propaganda at the party. U.S. President Donald Trump's eldest daughter and his senior advisor, Ivanka Trump will lead a U.S. delegation to PyeongChang including Allison Hooker, a National Security Council (NSC) official specializing in Korean affairs, so all eyes are on whether or not North Korea and the U.S. will meet in PyeongChang. Hooker accompanied James Clapper, director of national intelligence, on a visit to North Korea in 2014. At the time, she met with Kim Yong-chol, who served as the director of the Reconnaissance General Bureau.The unification ministry announced that North Korea sent a notice in the name of the senior North Korean representative to the inter-Korean senior-level talks and notified Seoul that they would send a high-level delegation led by Vice Chairman Kim Yong-chol for a three-day trip beginning on February 25. The North Korean delegation will include Ri Son-kwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland and six officials and the team will travel to South Korea on land via the Gyeongui Line.
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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)
President Moon 'strongly' supports #MeToo movement in S. Korea
The head of a provincial theater troupe was arrested Monday as President Moon Jae-in expressed his "strong" support for South Korea's nascent #MeToo movement and called for an active criminal investigation to eradicate sexual harassment.Police in the southern city of Gimhae announced the arrest of a 50-year-old man identified by his surname, Cho, on charges of sexually assaulting or abusing two teenaged members of his theater troupe between 2007 and 2012.He is the first to stand trial in the MeToo movement which has spread rapidly to the country's academic, movie, cultural and other communities since a female prosecutor claimed last month that she was sexually harassed by a drunken senior prosecutor in October 2010.The movement has ostracized a dozen actors and others, including Ko Un, a prominent 84-year-old poet respected as South Korea's iconic poet whose works were translated and published in dozens of countries with his name often mentioned as a Nobel Prize candidate. Female writers accused him of habitual sexual abuse.
Naver Labs introduces wearable for kids at mobile trade show in Spain
Naver Labs, a subsidiary of South Korea's top web service company Naver, unveiled "AKI", a watch-shaped wearable smartphone for kids, mounted with artificial intelligence and security features at a global trade show in Spain.AKI, which was showcased at the Mobile the World Congress (MWC), analyzes data gathered from WPS (WiFi Positioning System), GPS and location information based on AI. Naver Labs said the phone's AI pinpoints the whereabouts of its wearer by using very little energy and studies movement patterns. It follows simple voice commands such as "Call mom" and sends text messages.Parents can keep track of their children wearing AKI, which can send alerts when its wearer wanders off from an estimated course. The wearable market, led by global giants like Apple and Samsung, is expected to reach 25 billion US dollars by 2019, according to British analyst group CCS Insight.
S. Korean research institute develops mobile AI chip
In a bid to secure core technologies related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, South Korean scientists have developed a chipset for mobile devices which is more efficient in processing artificial intelligence (AI).
AI processing chips for mobile devices usually are slow in processing and consume much power. Scientists from South Korea's most prominent research institute, KAIST, said in a statement Monday that they have created a new AI chip for mobile devices in a joint project with YX Factory, a chip startup.The new chip uses an artificial neural network to effectively support deep learning, a self-learning process which is vital in developing AI. It can carry out multiple tasks simultaneously by using convolutional neural networks and recurrent neural networks, which are ideally designed to search and study data such as images, voices and the meanings of spoken words.
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Maeil Business News Korea ( http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Galaxy S9 series appeal to social generation with easier stunning visual functions
Having sported nearly all possible new innovations in the previous flagship, Samsung Electronics went to polish up the basics in the latest Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus - visual applications - to please young consumers in what they do most with phones - uploading feeds on social media. The latest from the world’s biggest smartphone and memory chip maker to keep ahead in the premium segment against iPhone amid flat smartphone market appealed to the social generation with its package of super-slow motion camera plus artificial intelligence (AI) voice tool and selfies that can turn into emojis to make social feeds as fun and exceptional as possible, said Koh Dong-jin, head of the IT & Mobile Communications upon releasing the new series on the eve of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.
Hyundai Heavy ready to install upgraded re-liquefaction system for LNG carriers
South Korea’s largest shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. is ready to apply its new liquefied natural gas (LNG)-reliquefaction system, which is expected to significantly improve energy efficiency, after winning safety approval from the country’s authority. The shipbuilder said on Monday it has recently set up a new single mixed refrigerant (SMR) LNG re-liquefaction system at its Ulsan shipyard in the country’s southeast coast and received safety approval from Korea Gas Safety Corporation. The SMR system, which has been jointly developed by United Kingdom-based Liquid Gas Equipment Ltd., uses refrigerant mixture to re-liquefy entire evaporated gas from an LNG carrier. Hyundai Heavy Industries said the new system is an upgrade from its existing single refrigerant re-liquefaction system introduced in 2016, offering up to 40 percent higher energy efficiency. It is also easier to operate, it added. The boil-off gas rate that measures the amount of liquid evaporated during vessel operations is also only 0.017 percent, which is one third of its existing LNG partial re-liquefaction system, the company claimed.
Korea’s SCD Pharm to supply modified glaucoma drugs to Germany’s OmniVision
South Korea’s Sam Chun Dang Pharm Co. (SCD) has sealed a 3.17 billion won ($2.95 million) deal to supply four incrementally modified drugs for glaucoma treatment with Germany’s ophthalmologic company OmniVision GmbH. According to the Kosdaq-listed drug maker on Monday, the deal, which accounts for 2.1 percent of its 2016 sales, will be valid for 10 years from the period it submits documents for approval in each country in Europe. Although it is a conditional deal that requires submission of registration approval documents and should meet the guidelines of European Union’s good manufacturing practice, which is a minimum standard drug makers must meet in their production processes, SCD expects the supply deal to go through without fail as it has prepared the deal for a long time. The Korean pharmaceutical company expects it would rake in total 140 billion won from the latest deal over the next 10 years.
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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/
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=6252
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.
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