The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Tuesday, June 12, 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

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

Trump, Kim hold historic summit in Singapore

U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un were meeting in Singapore on Tuesday, a historic opportunity to peacefully end the North Korean nuclear threat. The summit began at 9 a.m. on the resort island of Sentosa against the backdrop of the North's nuclear capability that Trump has vowed never to allow to hold the United States hostage. The two leaders walked toward each other at the Capella Hotel in front of a row of their countries' flags. They shook hands and posed for photographers. Kim said in English, "Nice to meet you, Mr. President."

(For further details, visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=6899)

Kim seen crafting image as Trump's equal, legitimate leader

Stepping toward U.S. President Donald Trump for a handshake Tuesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un strived not to betray any anxiety in the apparent hopes of projecting an image as an equal and legitimate head of state. Having strengthened his hand with nuclear arms and long-range missiles, Kim, relatively new to the game, entered a high-stakes showdown with the unorthodox leader of the world's superpower, who threatened just last year to rain down "fire and fury" on the communist regime. For the young leader, the summit was more than just a handshake or photo opportunity. It was about his legitimacy, regime survival without recourse to nukes and much-needed economic resuscitation following years of biting sanctions, analysts said.

(For further details, visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=6900)

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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.

Ven. Hyangdeok plans another Grand Yeongsanjae Rite next year

According to statics compiled by different sects of Buddhist organizations in Korea and submitted to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Korea in 2011, the total number of believers in Buddhism in Korea totaled 39,581,983 persons. The figure sounds a bit exaggerated, but there is no denying that the strength of the Buddhist believers in Korea by far outnumber those of other religious organizations throughout the country.

Prosecution recommends 8-year sentence for ex-finance minister over bribery

Prosecutors on Monday sought an eight-year jail term for former Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan over bribery charges. Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office asked the court to sentence Choi to eight years in prison and to fine him 200 million won (US$185,870) on charges that he took 100 million won from the National Intelligence Service in 2014, while serving as finance minister. The prosecution also recommended that the court require Choi, currently a lawmaker of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, to forfeit 100 million won.

Hyundai Indian output exceeds 8 mln units in 19 years

Hyundai Motor Co. said Tuesday the number of vehicles produced at its plant in India exceeded 8 million units in total.

Hyundai's plant in Chennai began operation in September 1998. The production line has become the carmaker's second overseas operation to have churned out more than 8 million vehicles after Hyundai's plant in China, the company said in a statement. Of the 8 million autos, 5.3 million were sold in the Indian market and 2.7 million were exported to Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia, South Korea's No. 1 automaker said.

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

'Summit of the Century' Set to Begin in Singapore

After months of preparation, the first-ever summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is set to begin in Singapore on Tuesday. The White House said in a statement that the two leaders will begin their high-stakes meeting at the Capella Hotel at 9 a.m. local time, which is 10 a.m. in Korea. Trump and Kim will meet for 45 minutes joined only by translators. Aides of the two leaders will then join for more discussions from 10 a.m., before moving on to a working lunch.

Trump: Will Know Soon Whether 'Real Deal' with N. Korea Can Happen

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed cautious optimism about his historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. In the early hours on Tuesday, ahead of the highly-anticipated summit in Singapore, Trump tweeted that "Meetings between staffs and representatives are going well and quickly…. but in the end, that doesn’t matter. We will all know soon whether or not a real deal, unlike those of the past, can happen!”

S. Korea Informs N. Korea of Its Delegation to Military Talks

Seoul's Defense Ministry said Monday that it notified North Korea of the list of its delegation to the general-level military talks with North Korea scheduled for Thursday. South Korea's delegation will be headed by Major General Kim Do-gyun who handles inter-Korean affairs at the Defense Ministry. Kim is to be accompanied by four other officials from the defense and unification ministries.

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

Singapore offers key logistical support for Trump-Kim summit

From security to media coverage support, Singapore has led logistical preparations for Tuesday's historic summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on its resort island of Sentosa. Over the last several weeks, Singapore has made an inter-agency effort to ensure a high level of security in areas surrounding the Capella Hotel, the summit venue, and the Shangri-La Hotel and the St Regis Hotel where Trump and Kim, respectively, have been staying since their arrival on Sunday.

Pompeo due in Seoul this week with outcome of U.S.-N. Korea summit: official

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit South Korea this week to personally explain the outcome of the U.S.-North Korea summit to his South Korean counterparts, an official from Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday. The top U.S. diplomat is set to arrive here Wednesday, one day after the historic summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore.

Data suggests accommodation, food industry sustained by loans

Loans in the accommodation and food services sector are increasing as the industry is in a deep slump, central bank data showed Tuesday, a warning sign that the quality of the debts and personal credit ratings are worsening in the process. Loans to lodging and eating businesses totaled 51.25 trillion won (US$47.65 billion) as of the end of the first quarter, up 4.46 trillion won from the same time last year. The pace of yearly increase had been under 4 trillion won until 2014, but it has grown to over 4 trillion won and sometimes 5 trillion won since.

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

Trump-Kim summit a watershed moment in geopolitics of East Asia

With North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump in Singapore for a summit on Tuesday, there is hope and caution over whether the historic meeting will lead to resolving the nuclear standoff and decadesold animosity. Expectations are higher than ever that the summit -- scheduled to take place on the city state’s resort island of Sentosa -- will pave the way for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the surrounding region.

North Korea reform on human rights essential at Singapore summit’

Ahead of the historic summit between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday, a coalition of human rights organizations from around the world sent a letter to the communist leader, urging him to undertake “meaningful reforms” to reverse the grave human rights situation in the country. Trump and Kim are due to hold talks -- the first-ever between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader -- in Singapore, with Trump describing the summit as a “one-time shot” at peace. Denuclearizing Pyongyang will top the agenda, while bringing a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War will also be on the table.

Weak manufacturing increases employment woes

Korea is lagging behind in global competition to enhance the productivity and employment of manufacturing industries, experts here say. Asia’s fourth-largest economy saw its manufacturing sector’s proportion of gross domestic product shrink from 31.36 percent in 2011 to 29.33 percent in 2016, according to data from the World Bank. The corresponding figure for member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development rose by 1.1 percentage points on average over the cited period.

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

Moon, Trump hold last minute talks on US-North Korea summit

President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed, Monday, ways to hold a successful summit between the latter and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Trump also told Moon about the working-level negotiations that have taken place between the U.S. and North Korea, in a 40-minute phone call a day ahead of the summit. Earlier, in a meeting with aides, Moon said he expects bold decisions to be made by the leaders of North Korea and the United States in the summit today.

Trump may use troop reduction as bargaining chip

Concerns are rising that U.S. President Donald Trump may use reducing the number of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea as a bargaining chip for a denuclearization deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Since taking office early last year, Trump has called for the need to scale down the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), as he believes Washington is not properly compensated for maintaining the troops here.

Local elections are about foreigners, too

A ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate's approach is notable for one big difference -- the slogan on Ansan city councilor candidate Choo Yun-ho's campaign cards and banners is in Chinese.In 2005, the voting law was revised to allow permanent residents to vote in local elections, seemingly to allow all members of a community to have a voice. This is why foreigners who have not naturalized still cannot vote in national elections.

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

Kim Jong-un Enjoys Night Out in Singapore

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un enjoyed a nighttime outing in Singapore on Monday, the eve of his historic summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Around 8:15 p.m. Monday, scores of police officers carrying batons and walkie-talkies were deployed in the lobby of St. Regis Hotel, where Kim is staying, joined by dozens of North Korean bodyguards. Half an hour later, Kim came down to the lobby, dressed in his customary black Mao suit and accompanied by his sister Kim Yo-jong and his chief of staff Kim Chang-son.

Campaign Heats up as Election Day Approaches

Campaigning has reached fever pitch with local elections just two days away. At stake is the support of some 20 to 40 percent of registered voters who are considered undecided. The National Election Commission said Sunday that turnout in early voting conducted last Friday and Saturday stood at 20.14 percent. Although lower than the 26.06 percent turnout in early voting in the last presidential election, it was a solid result.

Kim Jong-un Takes Own Security Detail to Singapore

Heavy security surrounded the arrival in Singapore of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sunday afternoon. His limousine was escorted by 12 brawny men in black suits, when it was leaving the St. Regis Hotel at 6:22 p.m. Sunday for a meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The "bulletproof bodyguards" earned the nickname for their tight, close-range protection during the inter-Korean summit in the truce village of Panmunjom on April 27.

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

South Korean women look to Dutch non-profit for terminating unwanted pregnancies

The moment that the woman, surnamed Kim, found out she was pregnant, one thing was clear: she could not have that baby. As a university student, she wanted to keep studying, and her boyfriend, who was living in Thailand, had to pay back his student loans. She was sure she was in no position to have a baby, but she did not want to have a surgical abortion, which made her nervous. After making various inquiries, she contacted Women on Web, a non-profit organization in the Netherlands, to ask for help.

Herstory” opens new chapter in painful tale of comfort women victims

“The Murmuring“ (1995), “The Murmuring 2” (1997), “The Murmuring 3” (1999), “My Heart Is Not Broken Yet” (2007), “The Big Picture” (2013), “The Last Comfort Women” (2014), “Tuning Fork” (2014), “Snowy Road” (2015), “Spirits’ Homecoming” (2016), “Spirits’ Homecoming, Unfinished Story” (2017), “I Can Speak” (2017). . . Another film is being screened that carries on the unending effort to record and bear witness to the history of the former comfort women for the Japanese imperial army. “Herstory,” which is being released in theaters on June 27, tells the story of a little-known legal battle that the former comfort women fought in the Japanese courts.

South Korean government launches inquiry into sexual violence during Gwangju Uprising

The South Korean government has launched an inquiry into sexual violence perpetrated by investigators from martial law forces and the Defense Security Command (DSC) at the time of the Gwangju Democratization Movement, also known as the Gwangju Uprising, which began on May 18, 1980. On June 8, the Joint Commission Investigating Sexual Violence by Martial law forces during the Gwangju Uprising held a “signboard hanging ceremony” in Room 202 of the Central Government Complex in Seoul to mark the beginning of its activities.

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

Kim Jong-un, Donald Trump to meet today

With one day left until their historic meeting, U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un underwent low-key final preparations on Monday for their high-stakes summit in Singapore. A team of diplomats from each side engaged in last-minute, working-level negotiations Monday, on the eve of the first North-U.S. summit, which is set to kick off at 9:00 a.m. today at the Capella Hotel on Singapore’s southern resort island of Sentosa.

Bitcoin tumbles after Korea’s biggest hacking

The value of bitcoin dropped below 8 million won ($7,444) for the first time since April after news of the biggest hacking of a cryptocurrency exchange in Seoul that cost investors 40 billion won. On Monday, Coinrail, the seventh-largest cryptocurrency exchange in Korea, declared on its website that it was checking its system due to a hacking attempt made early Monday morning. The hacking is believed to have taken place around 1 a.m. and the alleged hacker extracted 3.6 billion coins for 40 minutes.

Samsung tip has government investigating KIP

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has been investigating a Korean company over technology leakage overseas at the request of Samsung Electronics, sources said on Monday. The probe into KIP, a private company belonging to the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, started in April after Samsung Electronics reported the issue to the government. But the issue is complicated by an ongoing lawsuit between KIP and Samsung in the United States.

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

Women's Voices Erupt: The Power of Unorganized Direct Action

"My daily life is not your porn!" The slogans shouted by women in red clothes and masks filled the area near Hyehwa Station in Jongno-gu, Seoul on June 9. This day, over 30,000 women filled Daehangno demanding that people stop the illegal filming of women’s bodies, the largest ever for a single-gender rally. The following day, pro-choice women took to the streets. The women all called themselves an anonymous woman not in an organization or a member of any particular group.

NK and US Stand Before an Epochal Turning Point in 70-Year History of Antagonism

The summit between North Korea and the United States, which will be held in Singapore on June 12, is a ground-breaking event that can become a turning point in the relations between the two countries, which have engaged in confrontation and conflict for seventy years. Ever since the Korean Peninsula was divided, with the North and the South each establishing an independent government in 1948, the relationship between Pyongyang and Washington has remained hostile. The two countries also experienced tragic encounters in direct physical clashes.

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

Singapore in exciting mood for historic N. Korea-U.S. summit

Ahead of a historic summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Singapore has been in a festive and excited mood. A hotel in Singapore sells a cocktail named after the two leaders and a hamburger set using ingredients such as kimchi, a traditional Korean cabbage pickled in a sauce made with red chili pepper and garlic, and seasoned fried chicken, and American iced tea.

Trump cites 'real deal' ahead of historic summit with Kim

U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to determine through his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un whether "a real deal" could happen, hours before the two leaders appear for a showdown that could change a political landscape in Northeast Asia. Trump's comment came after U.S. and North Korean officials held a final round of talks on late Monday to narrow differences over some contentious issues and finalize agenda items for the first-ever face-to-face meeting between the leaders of Cold War enemies.

China strives to participate in process of signing peace treaty

With the two Koreas and the United States locked in a flurry of diplomacy, China has tried to keep its balance by standing closer to North Korea, but the situation is changing rapidly. Beijing, which is on the verge of losing its stakes, is struggling to participate in the process of signing a peace treaty between Pyongyang and Washington. "It is good for China to maintain the status quo by continuously exercising its influence on the Korean peninsula while the two Koreas are divided, but it will be a headache as North Korea and the U.S. are making progress in their talks," said a diplomatic source in Beijing. "The worst scenario for China is that North Korea loses its foothold on the Korean Peninsula due to the U.S."

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

Korea’s Coinrail hacked, about $37mn worth cryptocurrency lost

Coinrail, a South Korean cryptocurrency exchange, became latest to close down after hacking attack. The Korean virtual currency exchange announced on Monday that it has shut down its system for maintenance after detecting a hacking incident Sunday. It said about 30 percent of its cyber assets were stolen by hackers, but did not disclose the lost value. Market experts estimate the loss of 30 percent would have cost Coinrail around 40 billion won ($37 million).

US, NK leaders in tense faceoff in Singapore ahead of Tues summit

Raising both tensions and expectations for a possible “deal of the century,” leaders of the United States and North Korea have arrived in Singapore well ahead of their official showdown on Tuesday to ensure what U.S. President Donald Trump called a “one-time shot” for peace does not go wasted. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ventured the longest flight out of his country - 4,700 kilometers (2,920 miles) - on a plane leased from China to arrive in Singapore on Sunday afternoon.

SK Telecom invests $9.3 million in mobile media startup Makeus

South Korea’s top mobile carrier SK Telecom Co. said on Monday that it has invested 10 billion won ($9.3 million) in digital content producer Makeus Corp. with hopes to enhance competitiveness of its music platform scheduled for launch later this year. Makeus - well known as the creator of Dingo Music - is a startup that produces mobile video contents of a wide range of subjects from music, food, travel, and beauty and manages channels on Facebook and YouTube. The company’s subscribers on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram reached a total 33.6 million as of last year with the total number of views hitting 3.7 billion.

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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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