The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Tuesday, April 3, 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:

If the Headlines are no longer desired, please advise us at: edt@koreapost.com or pub@koreapost.com.

Very Respectfully Yours

/s/

Lee Kyung-sik

Publisher-Chairman

Korea Post Media

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Maeil Kyungje (Korean-language economic daily) by Artists Yang Man-keum, April 2, 2018

It looks like I might have a better chance of living this way…

The labor union leader of Kumho Tire is about to jump from the edge of a cliff (sellout to a foreign company)—having just come out of the mouth of a crocodile (imminent receivership).

The unionist says, “It looks like I might have a better chance of living this way!”

Recently, the uinion members decided by a vote of xxx in favor of sale to a Chinese business company with xxx against.

Hankuk Kyungje (Korean-language economic daily) by Jo Young-nam, March 23, 2018

“I love peace,” says President Donald Trump of the United States.

President Trump has ‘Alliance against China’ on one hand and a ‘Tarrif Bomb’ on the other.

Trump is in the hide of a sheep, but looks like a wolf.

Cartoon by Jo Young-nam, Hankuk Kyungje (Korean-language economic daily), March 9, 2018

President Trump is holding a picket…

President Trump is holding a sign reading, “Welcome South Korean delegation, our ally!”

Then he says, “Let’s make North Korea give up nukes through close ROK-US collaboration!”

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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.

Moon to attend ceremony marking 70th anniv. of Jeju April 3 incident

President Moon Jae-in will attend a memorial ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of a bloody massacre on the country's southern island of Jeju on Tuesday, becoming the first head of state to do so in a decade, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.The liberal president is set to join some 15,000 attendees, including the surviving victims of the Jeju April 3 incident and bereaved families of the deceased, at a peace park on the island.During the ceremony, Moon is expected to deliver a speech stressing the need to prevent such a tragedy from happening again and pledging to provide compensation to the victims and excavate the remains of the missing.More than 10,000 islanders are estimated to have been killed and nearly 3,600 to have gone missing during the government-civilian clash from 1948-1954, an outgrowth of Korea's ideological division following its 1945 liberation from Japan's colonial rule.

Sports ministers of Koreas agree to push for joint march at Asian Games

Sports ministers of the two Koreas on Monday agreed to push for a joint march by their athletes at this year's Asian Games.During their meeting at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang, South Korean Sports Minister Do Jong-whan and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Il-guk, discussed ways to expand inter-Korean sports exchanges. They also agreed to engage in more specific talks on a range of issues, including marching under one flag at the Aug. 18-Sept. 2 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia, following the inter-Korean summit on April 27."If North and South Korea meet often for talks and come together in sports, we'll have no problem becoming the No. 1 in Asia, and we'll also be a force to be reckoned with internationally," Kim said.Do responded, "It'd be great if we can have working-level discussions and start working on specific agreements after the summit at the end of April. I hope sports can lead the way for inter-Korean reconciliation."

S. Korean art troupe performs in Pyongyang with N.K. leader in attendance

A South Korean art troupe held a historic performance in Pyongyang on Sunday with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife in attendance.A 160-member art troupe, including celebrated K-pop musicians such as Cho Yong-pil, Red Velvet and Seohyun, performed for about two hours before a North Korean audience in the fully packed, 1,500-seat East Pyongyang Grand Theatre.It marks the first performance by South Korean artists in the North Korean capital since 2005, when Cho, a contemporary K-pop legend, held a solo concert there.

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

Moon to Attend Memorial of Jeju Uprising

President Moon Jae-in will attend an annual memorial for victims of a bloody uprising that broke out on Jeju Island in 1948.The president and his top aides will attend the ceremony for the 70th anniversary of what is known as the Jeju April Third Incident at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the April Third Peace Park on Jeju island. In his memorial address at the event, Moon will likely express condolences to the victims and their families and call for a swift parliamentary passage of a related bill. It will be the first time for a president to attend the ceremony in 12 years since former President Roh Moo-hyun. On April third, 1948, Jeju islanders rose up against elections scheduled in May, which sought to establish a separate government in the southern part of Korea. Numerous protesters were killed by the then U.S.-controlled military government.

Two Koreas to Cooperate on Joint March at Asian Games

South and North Korea have agreed to work together to hold another joint march under one flag at a major sporting event to be held later this year.South Korea's Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-hwan and North Korean Sports Minister Kim Il-kuk reached consensus on the matter during a meeting at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Monday. Both sides said they will try to make a joint march happen for the upcoming Asian Games to be held in Indonesia in August. The ministers agreed to discuss in detail preparations for the joint march and other sports exchanges between the two countries after an inter-Korean summit set for April 27th.

S. Korea's Private Consumption Falls to Record in 2017

South Korea's private consumption fell to a record low last year.According to data from the Bank of Korea on Tuesday, the ratio of private spending to the country's gross domestic product(GDP) came to 48-point-one percent last year, the lowest since the bank began compiling related data in 1970.The ratio used to reach the 70 percent level in the early 1970s, but slid to 53-point-eight percent in 2000. It fell to under the 50 percent mark in 2015 for the first time and continued to slip for three straight years since. South Korea's figures are considered even lower when compared with other countries.The comparable figure for the U.S. was 68-point-one percent in 2015, 64-point-nine percent for Britain, and 56-point-six percent for Japan.

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

Ex-President Park's sentencing trial to be broadcast live

A Seoul court said Tuesday it will allow the sentencing trial of former President Park Geun-hye, slated for later this week, to be televised live. The Seoul Central District Court said the decision was made by the three judges in charge of her corruption trial. The decision is the first of its kind since the Supreme Court amended rules last year to allow a live broadcast of a trial if it is deemed necessary and of public interest. Park, who was removed from office last year and has been arrested over a massive influence-peddling scandal, is set to face a court verdict in the sentencing trial, which is slated for 2:10 p.m. on Friday.

She has been indicted on 18 counts of corruption charges, including bribery, abuse of power and leaking state secrets. Prosecutors have demanded a 30-year jail term for Park.

Banks, financial holding firms top payers in finance industry

Banks and financial holding companies pay better salaries than credit card and insurance firms, but the wage gap between men and women is stark across the finance industry, an analysis of business reports indicated Tuesday.Data from 31 financial entities, covering banks, financial holding firms, life and non-life insurance companies and credit card companies, showed that KB Financial Group was the top payer with an annual salary averaging 127 million won (US$120,322) last year.Hana Financial Group came in second with an annual average wage of 116 million won, followed by Korean Re with 113 million won.Shinhan Card, Shinhan Financial Group, Nonghyup Financial Group, Samsung Card and KB Kookmin Card all had an average yearly salary of more than 100 million won. As of last year, eight companies exceeded the threshold, compared to four in the previous year.

Private spending falls to record low in 2017

South Korea's private spending fell to record low levels last year, according to the central bank Tuesday.Data from the Bank of Korea showed the ratio of private spending to the country's gross domestic product (GDP) came to 48.1 percent, the lowest since record keeping began in 1970.The ratio used to run in the 70 percentile in the 1970s, but it slid to 53.8 percent in 2000 and further to 49.3 percent in 2015, the data showed. It further dipped to 48.7 percent in 2016. Comparisons with other countries indicate that South Korea's figures are lower. In 2015, the corresponding number was 68.1 percent for the United States, 64.9 percent for Britain, 56.6 percent for Japan and 53.9 percent for Germany.

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

Kim Jong-un steps up diplomatic offensive

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to be expanding his diplomatic horizons in an apparent attempt to increase his bargaining power ahead of summits with the leaders of South Korea and the US. On Sunday, Kim made an unexpected appearance with his wife Ri Sol-ju at a performance by a South Korean art troupe in Pyongyang, becoming the first North Korean leader to watch a show by South Korean musicians. Kim was expected to watch Tuesday’s joint performance, but he chose to watch Sunday’s show because of his “hectic political events scheduled for early April,” North Korea’s state-run Korea Central News Agency reported. On Friday, Kim met International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach in Pyongyang and thanked the IOC for its role in a dramatic thaw in inter-Korean relations. He also said he is committed to having his country participate in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and the Beijing Winter Games in 2022, according to news reports.

Nexon Korea to challenge FTC’s hefty penalty

South Korea’s top game developers including Nexon, and possibly Netmarble Games, are considering challenging the basis of the Fair Trade Commission’s recent decision to impose 1 billion won ($945,200) in penalties and fines for deceiving customers in promoting their randomized in-game items.The move comes after the Korean FTC penalized three local gamemakers for their deceptive randomized in-game item promotion practices on Sunday.Nexon Korea was slapped with a 939 million won penalty and a 5.5 million won fine, the biggest among the three, while Netmarble received a 45 million won penalty and 15 million won fine. NextFloor, the maker of “Destiny Child,” received a fine of 5 million won. All three firms were ordered to correct their practices as well.

China’s ban on trash imports causes major confusion, crisis

The majority of South Korea’s recyclables that are exported overseas go to China. Beijing’s recent decision to ban solid waste imports that it used to purchase is causing a ripple effect on the recycling programs in Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province area. The ban on imports of 24 types of recyclables -- a reflection of China’s tougher stance on pollution -- mostly impacts local recyclers that used to sell waste to China. Some of the 48 for-profit garbage service companies operating in three metropolitan cities, including Seoul, Gyeonggi and Incheon said last week that they will halt collecting recyclables banned by China starting April 1, citing low margins and increasing processing cost.

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

'We are future vegetables'

They may be farms, but there are no signs of soil or smelly manure. Instead, the sound of water flowing, a breeze, a pleasant temperature and bright artificial lights fill the indoor space of "smart farms" in South Korea. In this environment, countless numbers of different leafy plants thrive in multi-layered beds.Humans rarely frequent the enclosure, which looks similar to a laboratory. Apart from a cleaner with a vacuum cleaner that sucks water from empty plant beds, not a soul bothers the plants. A closer look at the crops reveals antenna-looking fixtures as small as a human finger installed here and there. Unlike the quiet space, the real game happens outside the enclosure ― "played" by computers. Reading data transmitted from the antennas, the computers care for the plants, varying temperature, light intensity and water flow amount, and remote-control the enclosures' environment to maintain ideal conditions. The operation goes on round-the-clock, regardless of outside factors like seasonal effects, weather conditions, human error or animal intrusions.

Ex-President Park's sentencing trial to be aired live (From 2:10 p.m. Friday)

A Seoul court said Tuesday it will allow the sentencing trial of former President Park Geun-hye, slated for later this week, to be televised live.The Seoul Central District Court said the decision was made by the three judges in charge of her corruption trial.The decision is the first of its kind since the Supreme Court amended rules last year to allow a live broadcast of a trial if it is deemed necessary and of public interest.

Park, who was removed from office last year and has been arrested over a massive influence-peddling scandal, is set to face a court verdict in the sentencing trial, which is slated for 2:10 p.m. on Friday.

Why does arrested ex-President Lee keep rejecting questioning?

Former President Lee Myung-bak refused for a third time to meet prosecutors who want to question him on corruption allegations ranging from embezzlement and bribery to power abuse. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office sent two chief prosecutors to Seoul Dongbu Detention Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul, three days after Lee's detention period was extended to April 10The former president's lawyer, Kang Hoon, met Lee in the morning prior to their visit and later told them that Lee has not changed his mind and will not be questioned by them."Lee does not want to meet prosecutors, but they keep asking us to persuade Lee, so we met him again. But he is firm about his position," Kang said. The prosecutors then left the detention center.Lee previously refused to meet with the prosecution March 26 and 28. The ex-president said his refusal to be questioned by prosecutors was because he does not expect a fair investigation and has talked with them enough.

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

State Media Show Kim Jong-un with K-Pop Stars

A picture of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un surrounded by a gaggle of South Korean K-pop stars graced the front page of the official Rodong Sinmun on Monday. The South Koreans singers are sitting in the front row while Kim and his wife Ri Sol-ju stand in the back, flanked by Irene of girl band Red Velvet and singer Cho Yong-pil. Besides the unusual juxtaposition, the grouping is also unusual since Kim normally has to sit in the center front row in any official souvenir picture. North Korean propaganda still regularly condemns South Korean pop as a symbol of capitalist decadence, and people can be arrested if they are caught listening to it clandestinely.

'Mastermind of Cheonan Sinking' Says Sorry to S.Korean Reporters

The head of North Korea's United Front Department on Monday identified himself as "what South Koreans are calling the mastermind of the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan sinking" in 2010. Kim Yong-chol was talking to South Korean reporters who were in Pyongyang to cover concerts by South Korean musicians there but had been kept out of the first performance on Sunday. In a hastily arranged meeting at the Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang, he apologized for keeping them cooped up in the lobby of the theatre where the performance was held. "It was wrong to restrict you from free media coverage and filming," Kim said. "Let me offer an apology or ask for your understanding."

Trump Compares Mexican Border to Korean DMZ

U.S. President Donald Trump in a bizarre speech in Ohio last Thursday compared the U.S-Mexican border with the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas. "We spend billions of dollars in other countries maintaining their borders, and we can't maintain our borders in our own country," he told a handpicked audience of blue-collar workers in Ohio. "Is there something a little bit wrong with that?""We have a border at Korea. We have a wall of soldiers. We don't get paid very much for this, do we?" he added. "You look at that. Nobody comes through. But our own border, we don't take care of it," he added.Trump is increasingly frustrated by his failure to get anyone to pay for a border wall with Mexico he has promised his supporters. In front of audiences who know no better, he has also frequently accused South Korea of being a freeloader that is not paying enough to defend itself.

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

North Korea likely to pursue summits with Russia and Japan

Possible North Korean summits with Russia and Japan are being mentioned in the wake of a recent surprise summit with China. Analysts suggested Pyongyang is adopting an “equidistance” strategy by expanding its diplomatic efforts with other countries since agreeing to hold summits with Seoul and Washington.Moscow announced on Mar. 29 that North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho is to visit Russia shortly. When asked in a press briefing about the schedule for Ri’s visit, ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova replied, “Efforts are still under way, and [Ri’s visit] will happen in the near future.” In a Mar. 26 report, Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry sources as saying Ri’s visit may take place as early as mid-April. Observers are also speculating North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could visit around mid-April, when Ri is expected to visit Russia.

The silence of the blank white memorial stone

Visitors entering the darkened “Cave of History,” the first exhibit hall at the Jeju April 3 Peace Memorial in Jeju City’s Bonggae neighborhood, hear a brief twittering of birds and see broken water jars and urns lying on either side. From the sound of water droplets seemingly dripping one by one from the ceiling, they can sense that the setting is a cavern. For Jeju residents, the natural caves located around the island were a place of refuge for those fleeing from the massacres during the April 3 Uprising of 1948. At the end of the cave lies a white marble tombstone, which gleams in the sunlight pouring down through a cylindrical column.

Kim Jong-un suggests a North Korean musical performance in Seoul this fall

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made a proposal on Apr. 1 to hold a North Korean performance in Seoul. “Speaking to [South Korean] President Moon Jae-in, I said that ‘spring is coming,’ and now we should carry this momentum forward to hold an ‘autumn is coming’ performance in Seoul this fall,” Kim reportedly said.Kim’s remarks were made in a meeting with the South Korean performers which was organized after the North Korean leader and his wife Ri Sol-ju viewed the “Spring Is Coming” performance by South Korean musicians at East Pyongyang Grand Theatre on the afternoon of Apr. 1.“We should stage culture and arts performances more frequently,” Kim was quoted as saying by one of the participants in the meeting.Kim also spoke the same day about his performance viewing schedule.

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

Kim Jong-un says concert was ‘wonderful’

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made an unannounced appearance at a concert thrown by South Korean artists Sunday night in Pyongyang, and said the two countries should hold another joint concert this fall in Seoul.“Tell President Moon how wonderful this is,” Kim told South Korean government officials during the two-hour concert, according to pool reports distributed by South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles relations with the North. “Thank you for this gift to our Pyongyang citizens.”It was the first time a North Korean leader personally attended a South Korean concert, and Kim showed up with his wife Ri Sol-ju at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre. The last time a South Korean artist performed in the North was in 2005, when Cho Yong-pil held a solo concert in Pyongyang.

New FSS chief sends some tremors to market

Kim Ki-sik, a former lawmaker and civic activist, officially took office as governor of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) on Monday. His appointment has raised a number of concerns.“The FSS is in critical circumstances,” Kim said during his inauguration ceremony on Monday at the watchdog’s headquarters in Yeouido, western Seoul. The FSS, he said, must regain the trust of the public and the market.One of the main concerns over his appointment is whether he will push for a dramatic reform of the financial sector and further regulate the market as he did as a lawmaker and member of a liberal

Three-way talks are next round, says Blue House

The Blue House said it wants three-way talks involving South and North Korea and the United States before having a four-way negotiation that also includes China, which was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.The Blue House made clear its intention to remain at the steering wheel on Korean affairs. A senior Blue House official speaking on the condition of anonymity told reporters on Monday that the Moon Jae-in government wanted a three-way negotiation involving Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington after the inter-Korean summit being held this month and the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un next month. “It is President Moon’s wish to have three-way talks following the upcoming Pyongyang-Washington summit,” said the official. The North Korea-U.S. summit, the first of its kind, has not been scheduled yet but could be held by the end of May.

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

Spring Songs of Peace Touch the Heart of Pyongyang

On the afternoon of April 1, the South Korean art troupe and Taekwondo demonstration team in North Korea performed their first show in Pyongyang. The performance was a preshow to the inter-Korean summit scheduled for April 27 and was also in response to the performances in Gangneung and Seoul by the North Korean art troupe in February. Kim Jong-un, chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission was in the audience along with his wife, Ri Sol-ju. The South Korean art troupe composed mainly of popular singers opened the stage to the “Pyongyang Performance by the South Korean Art Troupe for Peace and Cooperation between North and South Korea” at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre at 6:20 p.m. (Pyongyang time) this day. The theme of the show was "Spring Is Coming."

Cheong Wa Dae, "Not Like Libya or Iran, But a Korean-Style Solution"

The "fateful April" to determine the future of the Korean Peninsula is here. Every year in April, military tension on the Korean Peninsula heightened without fail, but this year, the situation is different. As the two Koreas agreed to hold an inter-Korean summit on April 27, military tensions have given way to diplomatic negotiations. The ROK-U.S. joint military exercises, which had been postponed due to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, began this day, but the two countries are conducting the exercises "quietly."

North-South Korea Summit to Be Held at Panmunjom on April 27

President Moon Jae-in and Chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission Kim Jong-un will meet in the South's side of Panmunjom on April 27. This inter-Korean summit will be the third following the summits on June 15, 2000 and October 4, 2007.The two Koreas held a meeting of senior-officials at Tongilgak in the North's side of Panmunjom on March 29 and adopted a joint press release including three items centered on these details. In the press release, the two Koreas announced, "North and South Korea decided to hold the 2018 inter-Korean summit at the House of Peace in the South Korean side of Panmunjom on April 27 according to the wishes of the two state leaders." Chairman Kim will be the first North Korean leader to cross the Military Demarcation Line and set foot on South Korean soil.

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

N. Korea's Kim voices excitement at concert by Red Velvet and other artists

K-pop girl band Red Velvet and other South Korean artists captured the hearts of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un and other fans at a concert in Pyongyang ahead of an inter-Korean summit, according to pool reports.Kim gave an enthusiastic response to the concert on Sunday night saying he was so excited and impressed as it brought "the spring of peace" to the two Koreas, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)."I hope the South Korean art troupe's visit to Pyongyang will be a meaningful opportunity to show off the unity of North and South Korean people," Kim said. He became the first North Korean leader to attend a performance by South Korean artists.

Australian envoy urges cooperation to resist protectionism

Amid growing international concerns about a possible trade war between the United States and China, Australia is ready to take a leading role in advocating free trade and resisting protectionism, its top envoy in Seoul said."It's a great big concern for Australia," Australian Ambassador to South Korea James Choi said in an interview with Aju News, calling for cooperation between Australia and South Korea, which depend on free trade.Protectionism will backfire because protectionist measures and raising tariffs only harm the countries that implement them, he said.Australia supports the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), also known as TPP11, that would eventually involve the United States, he said. "Our hope is that this protective sentiment in the United States especially is a temporary phenomenon."

Police suppress man to rescue 10-year-old girl in rare hostage case

A rare hostage situation in South Korea came to a quick end Monday when police overpowered a 25-year-old man and rescued a girl who has been held hostage at an elementary school in Seoul.The man identified by his surname Yang had threatened a 10-year-old girl with a knife inside the staffroom of Bangbae Elementary School in southern Seoul at 11:30 am (0230GMT), asking for reporters.Backed by a S.W.A.T. team, police turned his attention away by passing him a water bottle and seized an opportunity to rescue the girl unharmed. Yang showed signs of epilepsy and was moved to a nearby hospital. Police questioned him after he regained his consciousness. Normally, a stranger like Yang would not have been granted entry to school grounds but he disguised himself as the school's graduate who needs a graduate certificate. Because he did not follow proper security protocols, the principal alerted other people and went into a lockdown with children in classrooms.

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

Posco aims to diversify biz to biotech and materials

South Korea’s leading steelmaker Posco plans to nurture biopharmaceuticals and lithium metals as its new growth engines for the future. Kwon Oh-joon, chief executive of Posco, expressed the company’s ambition to diversify its businesses at a ceremony celebrating its 50th anniversary on Sunday. “We can’t depend on steel alone in the next 50 years. While adding more value to our steel operations, we need to start branching out to new areas,” he said.Kwon was particularly keen on the bio sector, citing how Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) has emerged as the country’s hotbed for bio technologies. The university, established by Posco founder Park Tae-joon, became the third institute in the world to run a fourth-generation synchrotron accelerator in 2016 and has since been conducting advanced research in new drugs and medical treatments as the radiation facility allows for more accurate cell analysis.

Samsung Pay users in S. Korea tops 10 million in less than 3 yrs since launch

The number of users of Samsung Pay, a mobile payment service introduced by South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co., has surpassed 10 million as of last month, less than three years since its launch in August 2015. According to Samsung Electronics on Monday, Samsung Pay now has more than 10 million subscribers with total transaction value amounting to 18 trillion won ($17.1 billion). The service gained 8 trillion won in volume in just eight months after it hit 10 trillion won in accumulated transaction volume in August last year. Samsung Pay uses both magnetic secure transmission and near field communication technologies to allow consumers to pay for goods by just tapping their mobile devices on traditional credit card machines. Samsung Electronics has been expanding the service to work on not only premium smartphones such as Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series but also on budget models including Galaxy A and J.

Korean banks deepen restructuring amid shift to digital banking

South Korean commercial banks are sharply downsizing operations as rapid growth in online and mobile banking reduces the need for traditional brick-and-mortar branches. The country’s commercial lenders cut 3,602 of their workforce late last year to 111,173, the largest on-year layoff since 2000, according to data by the Financial Supervisory Service on Sunday. Job cuts have been widening at a faster pace in recent years, from 1,890 in 2015 to 2,248 in 2016.

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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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