The Korean daily media headlines and humor

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Monday, May 28, 2018

Your Excellency:

What’s ticking in Korea and around the world today?

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

The Korea Post media

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.

Amb. Sung Kim back in N. Korea for summit preparatory talks

A decade after crossing the inter-Korean land border with box-loaded documents on North Korea's nuclear program, Amb. Sung Kim is back in talks with North Korea.

The State Department's top Korea expert is meeting with North Korean officials to prepare for an unprecedented summit between Pyongyang and Washington expected to take place in Singapore on June 12, according to the U.S. government.

Korean Air chief's wife grilled over alleged assaults

Lawmakers to review resolution on inter-Korean summit declaration

The National Assembly is set to hold a plenary session Monday to deal with controversial issues, including a resolution on the April inter-Korean summit.

The final plenary meeting of the current extraordinary session is scheduled to open at 2 p.m., which will cap the first half of the 20th National Assembly's four-year term.

N. Korea won't give up nuclear weapons: Victor Cha

A former U.S. nuclear negotiator on Sunday cast doubt on the prospects of North Korea's denuclearization, saying the communist regime is unlikely to give up its nukes in a potential summit with the United States.

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

US-N. Korea Officials Hold Talks in DMZ Ahead of Trump-Kim Summit

U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that U.S. officials are in North Korea to continue preparations for his possible summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump tweeted on Sunday that the U.S.team has arrived in North Korea to make arrangements for the summit, adding he truly believes North Korea has "brilliant potential" and will be a great economic and financial nation one day.

'Two Koreas Discussing Non-aggression Pledge between US, N. Korea'

The presidential office said that the two Koreas are holding working-level discussions on replacing an armistice with a peace treaty and seeking a non-aggression pledge between the United States and North Korea.

A senior presidential official told reporters on Sunday that there is need to discuss ways to resolve the North's security concerns to ensure the success of the Washington-Pyongyang summit.

Assembly to Hold Final Plenary Meeting of May Extra Session

The National Assembly will hold a plenary meeting Monday to discuss a number of controversial bills, possibly including one seeking parliamentary support for the Panmunjeom Declaration announced after the inter-Korean summit last month.

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

N. Korea won't give up nuclear weapons: Victor Cha

A former U.S. nuclear negotiator on Sunday cast doubt on the prospects of North Korea's denuclearization, saying the communist regime is unlikely to give up its nukes in a potential summit with the United States.

Amb. Sung Kim back in N. Korea for summit preparatory talks

A decade after crossing the inter-Korean land border with box-loaded documents on North Korea's nuclear program, Amb. Sung Kim is back in talks with North Korea.

The State Department's top Korea expert is meeting with North Korean officials to prepare for an unprecedented summit between Pyongyang and Washington expected to take place in Singapore on June 12, according to the U.S. government.

E-Mart to promote private label products at int'l trade fairs

E-Mart Inc., South Korea's leading discount store chain operator, said Monday it will participate in international trade shows to promote its private label food products as it moves to expand its overseas market presence.

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

Trump says truly believes in N. Korea's potential

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he believes North Korea will be a great economic nation one day, setting a positive tone ahead of his potential meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump also confirmed that US officials are in North Korea to continue preparations for the summit, which, if held, would take place in Singapore June 12.

Expectations grow for US-NK talks to be held as planned

The US-North Korea summit may be back on track following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s affirmation of his commitment to “complete denuclearization” and US President Donald Trump commenting negotiations over the summit are “going very well.”

Korean Air chairman’s wife to be grilled by police

The wife of Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho is expected to be questioned by police Monday over allegations that she used verbal and physical violence against the company’s workers.

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

US, North Korea in pre-summit talks at DMZ

Former U.S. Amb to Seoul Sung Kim and North Korea's vice foreign minister Choe Son-hui represent each side

U.S. officials have crossed the border into North Korea to continue preparations for a potential meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the State Department said Sunday.

Korean Air chief's wife grilled over alleged assaults

The wife of the Korean Air Lines chairman appeared at a Seoul police office Monday to undergo questioning over multiple assault and abuse allegations.

Lee Myung-hee, director of Ilwoo Foundation, arrived at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency at around 10 a.m. Police summoned her last week.

Trump: 'truly believes in North Korea's economic potential'

U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he believes North Korea will be a great economic nation one day, setting a positive tone ahead of his potential meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump also confirmed that U.S. officials are in North Korea to continue preparations for the summit, which, if held, would take place in Singapore June 12.

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

U.S.-N.Korea Summit Back on Track as Officials Meet

A summit on June 12 between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un seems back on track as officials from the two sides meet in the truce village of Panmunjom from Sunday to Tuesday to discuss the agenda.

The U.S. delegation includes Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, a former envoy to South Korea and U.S. nuclear negotiator, and officials from the White House and the departments of state and defense, a diplomatic source in Seoul said.

Moon, Kim Jong-un in Surprise Summit at Border

President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met for a second time on Saturday afternoon on the northern side of the border village of Panmunjom.

Moon briefed reporters on Sunday about the meeting, which lasted for about two hours starting at 3 p.m., saying the two "confirmed that the June 12 U.S.-North Korea summit must succeed and agreed to cooperate closely in the belief that the road to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and establishing a permanent peace framework must not stop."

Domestic Consumption Shows Signs of Slowing Further

Koreans are tightening their purse strings ever further in a worrying sign that the slump continues for all but the biggest exporters.

Stores not only see fewer customers, but the ones that come spend less. One staffer at a Hanssem furniture store said, "Last year, if expensive items like sofas were on sale, they sold like hot cakes, but this year even these spur-of-the-moment purchases are rare. Our store is often empty on weekdays."

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

South and North Korean leaders meet for two hours in an apparent bid to save North Korea-US summit.

On May 26, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held an unexpected meeting, representing their second summit in as many months. President Moon may be making a diplomatic attempt to salvage the North Korea-US summit that was originally scheduled for June 12 but cancelled the day before.

President Moon met with Kim at Tongilgak, a building on the North Korean side of Panmunjeom, for two hours, from 3 pm to 5 pm on May 26, according to a press release distributed by South Korean Senior Secretary to the President for Public Relations Yoon Young-chan.

President Moon vows to “take driver’s seat” in facilitating summit revival

On May 25, the Blue House expressed its intention to rekindle the embers of dialogue as it called for direct communication between the leaders of North Korea and the US. South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has sought to take the “driver’s seat” to push for peace on the Korean Peninsula, declared his intention to use every available means to sustain the possibility of a North Korea-US summit.

Special presidential adviser on foreign affairs predicts Trump “will resume dialogue with the North”

Moon Chung-in, a distinguished professor emeritus at Yonsei University and President Moon Jae-in’s special advisor on foreign affairs and national security, said he was “not pessimistic” after US President Donald Trump’s announcement canceling a planned North Korea-US summit on June 12.

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

Kim worried about regime’s security, says Moon

President Moon Jae-in said Sunday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made clear a commitment to “complete denuclearization” but also expressed concerns about his own regime’s security during a surprise summit held Saturday afternoon in Tongilgak, a North Korean-controlled building on the northern side of the border village of Panmunjom.

Trump suggests North-U.S. summit will be held June 12

U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday he is still “looking at June 12 in Singapore” for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which he abruptly called off on Thursday, reviving expectations that a historic meeting might take place as initially planned.

Automotive titan Ha Dong-hwan dies at 88

A giant of the Korean automotive industry passed away on Sunday.

Ha Dong-hwan, the honorary chairman of Hanwon Group, died at the age of 88 after a battle with a chronic illness.

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

North Korea Takes Action toward Denuclearization, But Significance of the Test Site Dismantlement Pales

On May 24, North Korea dismantled the nuclear test site in Punggye-ri, Gilju-gun, North Hamkyong Province, where they had conducted six underground nuclear tests since October 2006, taking the first step toward denuclearization as they had announced.

"Inappropriate to Have Meeting with Kim Jong-un at This Time" Trump Cancels NK-US Summit

On May 24 (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump canceled the summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, chairman of the State Affairs Commission, which was scheduled for June 12 in Singapore. The White House left the door open, but now that the summit has been canceled twenty days before the scheduled event, the political situation on the Korean Peninsula will face a serious challenge.

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

Moon's hectic diplomacy to keep alive summit pays off

An unprecedented summit between North Korea and the United States appears to be back on track, helped by South Korean President Moon Jae-in's active shuttle diplomacy to rid the divided Korean peninsula of nuclear threats and more than six decades of Cold War confrontation.

Police quizz Hanjin group chief's wife for alleged assault

The scandal-stricken wife of Hanjin Group owner Cho Yang-ho apologized Monday as she turned up at a police station for questioning into allegations that she verbally and physically assaulted company employees, housekeepers, flight attendants and security guards at her home.

Boy band BTS becomes first K-pop group to top Billboard 200 Chart

Boy band BTS has fulfilled its dream by becoming the first K-pop group to reach the top spot on Billboard 200 Chart with "Love Yourself: Tear".

Billboard 200 is a weekly record chart published by Billboard Magazine ranking the 200 most popular music albums in the United States. The seven-member group was awarded "Top Social Artist" by the prestigious music magazine last week for being the most influential on online communities and social media.

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

N. Korea`s Kim reaffirms commitment to summit with Trump for denuclearization

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un still is willing to meet U.S. President Donald Trump and discuss a “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in a news conference held Sunday morning in Seoul, a day after holding a surprise summit with Kim at the northern side of Panmunjom in North Korea.

China’s Anbang Insurance uninterested in selling life insurance units

China’s insurance giant Anbang Insurance Group denied it was interested in selling its insurance firms including ABL Life Insurance and Tongyang Life Insurance.

According to industry sources on Sunday, an official from the China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC) said Anbang Insurance Group does not consider the sale of ABL Life Insurance and Tongyang Life Insurance.

Average income of lowest bracket households drops 8% on year in Q1

The monthly average income of households in the bottom 20 percent bracket dropped by the largest margin in the first quarter despite the Moon Jae-in government’s efforts to narrow income disparity and promote income-led economic growth.

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What’s ticking around the world at this second?

See what the world media around the world have to report:

USA Today www.usatoday.com aallman@gannett.com

The New York Times www.nytimes.com inytletters@nytimes.com

Wall Street Journal www.wsj.com support@wsj.com,service@wsj-asia.com

Financial Times www.ft.com ean@ft.com

The Times www.thetimes.co.uk help@timesplus.co.uk

The Sun www.thesun.co.uk talkback@the-sun.co.uk

Chinese People's Daily www.people.com.cnkf@people.cn

China Daily www.chinadaily.com.cn circulation@chinadaily.com.cn

GwangmyeongDaily www.gmw.cn webmaster@gmw.cn

Japan's Yomiuri www.yomiuri.co.jp japannews@yomiuri.com

Asahi www.asahi.com customer-support@asahi.com

Mainichi www.mainichi.jp

Le Monde www.ilemonde.com

Italy LaRepubblica www.quotidiano.repubblica.it vittorio.zucconi@gmail.com

Germany Frankfurter AllgemeineZeitung www.faz.net anzeigen.ausland@faz.de

SüddeutscheZeitung www.sueddeutsche.de forum@sueddeutsche.de

Australia Brisbane Times www.brisbanetimes.com.au syndication@fairfaxmedia.com.au

Sydney Morning Heraldwww.smh.com.au

Colombia Reports http://colombiareports.com

Bogota Free Planet http://bogotafreeplanet.combfp@bogotafreeplanet.com

El Universal http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english

Andes http://www.andes.info.ec/en

Ecuador Times http://www.ecuadortimes.net

The Jordan Times https://www.jordantimes.com

LSM.lv http://www.lsm.lv/en

The Baltic Times http://www.baltictimes.comlithuania@baltictimes.com, estonia@baltictimes.com, editor@baltictimes.com

El Pais http://elpais.com/elpais/inenglish.html

Philippine Daily Inquirer https://www.inquirer.net

Daily News Hungary http://dailynewshungary.com

Budapest Times http://budapesttimes.hu

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The Korea Post is running video clips from the different embassies.

Azerbaijan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR8CBpcQ4WM

Sri Lanka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hByX92Y2aGY&t=22s

Morocco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfFmp2sVvSE

And many other countries.

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The publisher-chairman of The Korea Post media is serving the Diplomatic Community for more than 40 years, 32 years with The Korea Post and 10 years with The Korea Herald as the Cultural Editor who covered the Diplomatic Community.