Headlines, June 25, 2018

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Monday, June 25, 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

S. Korea to pick candidates for reunions with N. Korean families

South Korea began a process Monday to select those who will meet their long-separated family members in North Korea in late August. The two Koreas agreed to hold their first family reunion event in nearly three years at the North's Mount Kumgang resort from Aug. 20-26, a follow-up to the April 27 summit deal. It would enable 100 South Korean people, mostly elderly ones, to get together with their families across the border, decades after being separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. Tens of thousands of South Koreans are registered with the country's Red Cross as hopeful participants in such family reunions. The humanitarian agency set the criteria for successful applications in Monday's session.

(For further details, visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=6991)

Koreas hold working-level talks on restoring military communication lines

The two Koreas held working-level talks on fully restoring military communication lines Monday, as part of efforts to reduce tensions and build trust, officials here said. The first colonel-grade meeting in more than seven years began at the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine office in Paju, just south of the inter-Korean border, at 9:58 a.m. to follow up on an agreement at their general-grade talks earlier this month. Army Col. Cho Yong-geun leads the South Korean delegation, while Col. Om Chang-nam represents the North. The two militaries are to discuss ways to completely restore western and eastern communication lines, such as telephone and fax lines designed to prevent any misunderstandings that could needlessly raise tensions or trigger accidental clashes.

(For further details, visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=6992)

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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.

S. Korea shares tourism policy with developing countries

South Korea kicked off a forum Monday to share its tourism policy with developing countries as part of its efforts to help them nurture experts in the field, the government said. Tourism officials from nine countries -- Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Uzbekistan and Peru -- are participating in the three-day forum on tourism development, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. After the forum, South Korea will begin a nine-day training program Thursday for working-level officials from the countries, including lectures from local tourism experts, as well as field surveys, the ministry said.

S. Korea to invest 2.6 tln won by 2022 in hydrogen vehicles

South Korea will invest 2.6 trillion won (US$2.34 billion) by 2022 to develop hydrogen-fueled cars and related infrastructure, boosting sales of the eco-friendly vehicles, the industry ministry said Monday. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said it aims to supply about 16,000 hydrogen vehicles and 310 charging stations nationwide by 2022 to tackle air pollution problems and promote next-generation cars. Local carmakers have released a series of fuel cell lineups in recent years, but demand remains feeble in the domestic market due in large part to a lack of charging stations.

Bills on P2P lending, cryptocurrency still pending in National Assembly

Lawmakers have proposed bills to regulate peer-to-peer (P2P) lending and cryptocurrencies, but the bills have gained little momentum in the National Assembly, industry watchers said Monday. Rep. Min Byung-doo of the ruling Democratic Party and Rep. Kim Su-min of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party filed two separate bills to regulate P2P lending firms in July last year and in February, respectively. With the bills still pending in the National Assembly, financial authorities have been struggling to tackle abusive and deceptive P2P lending practices.

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

Two Koreas to Discuss Reconnecting Military Hotlines

South and North Korea will hold working-level military talks on Monday on reconnecting the East Sea and Yellow Sea district military communication lines. The meeting will open at the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine office in Paju, just south of the inter-Korean border, at 10 a.m. to follow up on an agreement made at general-grade negotiations last week. South Korea will send a delegation led by Army Colonel Cho Yong-geun for talks with a North Korean group led by Colonel Om Chang-nam.

S. Korea to Select 500 Candidates for Family Reunions

South Korea on Monday will select 500 preliminary candidates for the upcoming reunion of families separated by the Korean War. The Korean Red Cross said it will hold a session to decide the selection criteria at 10 a.m. before conducting a computer-based selection of 500 candidates at 11 a.m. at its office in Seoul. Out of about 57-thousand applicants for the reunion set for August 20th to 26th, 500 candidates will be randomly picked by a computer program, with priority given to the elderly and those with direct family members in the North.

S. Korea to Raise Budget Growth Target to around 8%

The government is expected to increase next year's budget at a faster pace to spur the economy with active fiscal spending. The Finance Ministry recently decided to raise the growth target of five-year fiscal spending from the current five-point-eight percent to around eight percent. The 2018 budget was 429 trillion won, marking the highest growth rate in nine years. If the fiscal spending in 2019 is increased by seven-point-eight percent on-year, the budget will surpass 460 trillion won.

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

Indoor smoking lounges to be closed at airports

Indoor smoking lounges at airports will gradually be shut down and outdoor smoking areas will be relocated further away from zones with passenger traffic, authorities said Monday. Smoking areas will be rearranged at the country's 14 airports nationwide to reflect the changing social perception of smoking and second-hand smoke, according to the Korea Airports Corporation (KAC). Gimpo International Airport in Seoul will close the two indoor smoking lounges at its domestic terminal and renovate the two at the international terminal to better prevent smoke from leaking outside. The outdoor smoking lounges will be moved out from current locations a relocated a longer distance away from non-smoking airport users, it said.

Market analysts pick IT, semiconductors as most promising for 2H

Stock market analysts named semiconductors and goods sought after by Chinese consumers as promising sectors for investment in the second half of the year in their predictions given to Yonhap on Monday. Heads of research divisions at seven local securities companies, all with capital of more than 3 trillion won (US$2.69 billion), were contacted by Yonhap for their recommendations. The general consensus was that the market will do better in the second half, but uncertainties from external factors still persist.

Pyongyang media call for S. Korea to scrap N. Korean human rights act, foundation

North Korea's state media on Sunday demanded the abolishment of South Korea's human rights act and a foundation dedicated to its enforcement, arguing they only hamper efforts to improve cross-border ties. The call came weeks after Seoul closed the office for the state-run foundation due to a yearslong delay in its official launch, which was caused by political hurdles. The government, however, pledged continued efforts for the launch. "The North Korean human rights act, which the cohorts of (former President) Park Geun-hye manipulated, must be abolished, while the North Korean human rights foundation, an institution designed to plot against our republic, ought to be buried away," said Uriminzokkiri, a North Korean propaganda website.

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

US ups pressure on NK in carrot-and-stick approach

The extension of economic sanctions against North Korea being coupled with the suspension of further South Korea-US joint military drills hints at US President Donald Trump’s message to the regime, experts say. On Friday, Trump renewed sanctions on North Korea for a year in an executive order, saying the country poses an “extraordinary threat,” just 10 days after saying there was no nuclear risk from Pyongyang.

Body found at Gangjinsan presumed to be missing girl

Police on Sunday found a body on Gangjinsan presumed to be a 16-year-old girl who went missing on June 16 after leaving for a supposed “part-time job” offered by her father’s friend. After the girl’s disappearance, her father’s friend, surnamed Kim, was found dead at a railroad construction site in an apparent suicide. According to Jeonnam Gangjin Police, Sunday, the body was found at around 3 p.m. near the peak of an unfrequented mountain in Jiseok-ri, Doam-myeon, South Jeolla Province.

Political heavyweights pay respects to late former PM

Former Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil’s funeral continued to draw mourners Sunday, with political heavyweights from both sides paying their respects. Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon on Saturday paid his respects, and revealed that Kim Jong-pil is to be awarded a government medal in recognition of the part he played in modern Korean history. “(Kim) has long played a leading role in (Korea’s) modern history, and served as a prime minister, as such the government will commemorate his achievements,” Lee said.

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

Protest planned against Jeju's refugee-friendly policy

Hundreds of people are expected to gather in central Seoul on June 30 in protest against the Jeju Provincial Government's (JPG) refugee-friendly policy. The move comes after 380,000 people signed a petition against the visa-waiver program, which allows foreigners to stay on Jeju Island for a month. "Politicians are reluctant to respond to the clear voice of the majority of people here and the media also supports refugees. It's time to go out into the street and make our voice heard," a rally organizer said on a blog post.

Korea's first Internet bank struggling to raise capital

K-Bank, the country's first Internet-only bank, is struggling to raise the capital it needs to expand as profits remain elusive amid increasing costs, sources directly involved with the issue said. "K-Bank recently asked local private equity funds (PEFs) to participate in an additional rights offer because it wants to raise its capital to 500 billion won ($455 million) by the end of the year. However, investors have concerns about the bank's future profitability given its weak growth in consumer loans and growing policy threats," a local PEF source told The Korea Times.

S. Korea, US suspend joint marine exercises

South Korea and the United States have suspended a planned joint exercise by marines set to take place in the next three months in consideration of ongoing talks on North Korea's denuclearization. According to the Ministry of National Defense, Seoul and Washington agreed to put on hold the joint Korea Marine Exchange Program (KMEP) training exercise as a follow-up measure for Pyongyang's pledge to carry out nuclear disarmament and stop military provocations.

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

Low Birthrate Changes Legal Landscape

More and more divorce lawyers are advertising their services as acrimonious separations dwindle amid an overall slump in marriages. Until a few years ago their business was booming. But while there were 11,522 divorce suits filed to the Seoul Family Court in 2008, the number dropped 35 percent in 2017 to 7,457. The number of amicable divorces also plunged 43 percent from 7,449 in 2008 to 4,215 in 2017. A court official said, "At this rate, we may have to get rid of one collegiate court out of three within two to three years."

USFK Command Poised to Move to New Headquarters

The U.S. Forces Korea Command and the UN Command headquarters relocate to their new multibillion-dollar headquarters in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province next week. USFK headquarters finally moves out of the old garrison in Yongsan, Seoul it has occupied for 73 years. The two commands formally open their new offices at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek on June 29. The entire relocation of the USFK to Pyeongtaek will be finished by year's end, a USFK officer said.

Gov't to Pay Cost of Scrapping Nuclear Reactor from Electricity Fees

The government on Thursday said it will tap into a public fund created to support the utility industry to cover the huge cost of shutting down the Wolseong No. 1 nuclear reactor in North Gyeongsang Province. It also said it could hike late-night electricity fees to pay for its phase-out of nuclear energy. Plans to wean Korea off reliance on nuclear power will entail astronomical costs. State-run Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power recently decided to shut down the Wolseong reactor even though it had just had its life span extended to 2022 at a cost of W700 billion. The cost of the shutdown is estimated at W1 trillion (US$1=W1,113).

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

Defense ministry moves to recognize Germany for medical aid during Korean War

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) plans to include Germany on its list of countries that provided medical aid during the Korean War, it announced on June 22. The inclusion increases the number of countries recognized for medical aid during the war from five to six. The ministry plans to reflect the change in its Defense White Paper and other official documents, as well as future remembrances.

South Korea invites US veterans and family members to event marking 68th anniversary of Korean War

South Korea’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced on June 22 that it has invited 85 US veterans and their family members – including veterans who fought in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir – to attend an event marking the 68th anniversary of the Korean War, which began on June 25, 1950. The guests at the event will include Raymond Radke, 88, a sergeant with the 7th Infantry Division; Harold Ponther, 86, a private with the 1st Marine Division; and Patrick Finn, 87, a corporal also with the 1st Marine Division, who took part in the battle.

Inter-Korean divided family reunions to be held between Aug. 20 and 26 at Mt. Kumgang

South and North Korea have announced that they will be holding face-to-face reunions for families divided by the Korean War between Aug. 20 and 26 at Mt. Kumgang, in line with the Apr. 27 Panmunjeom Declaration in which South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un promised to hold such reunions around Aug. 15, the day when Koreans celebrate their liberation from Japanese colonial rule. No reunions have been held for nearly three years, since the 20th reunion was held at Mt. Kumgang on Oct. 20-26, 2015.

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

Kim Jong-pil, a political titan, dies at 92

Politicians from all ideological sides visited the mourning altar of Kim Jong-pil, a former prime minister and influential political figure, at Asan Medical Center in southern Seoul on Sunday. Kim died at 8:15 a.m. on Saturday in his home in Sindang-dong, central Seoul, his aide said. He was 92. The cause of death was old age.

Kim was the prime minister of South Korea in 1971 under the Park Chung Hee administration and again in 1998 during the Kim Dae-jung administration. He was instrumental in helping Kim Dae-jung and Kim Young-sam clinch the presidency and was admired for his wide influence in the political arena, though he himself never reached the pinnacle of power.

South, U.S. suspend more exercises

The South Korean and U.S. militaries have agreed to suspend two marine exercises that were scheduled to occur in the coming months, the Pentagon said on Friday, in another major concession to North Korea after the two allies called off the Freedom Guardian exercise last week. The U.S. Defense Department’s spokeswoman, Dana White, said in a statement on Friday that the two countries agreed to “indefinitely” suspend “select exercises” in an effort for detente after the U.S. and North Korean leaders held their first-ever summit on June 12.

FTC begins looking for violations at chaebol

The Fair Trade Commission has begun combing conglomerates’ public disclosures for possible violations of antitrust law, the agency said on Sunday. In particular, the regulatory authority wants to know whether these conglomerates, also known as chaebol, unfairly awarded contracts and projects to their own affiliates and hid them from public disclosures. Many of these affiliates are owned by members of chaebol families, which means their profit often circles back to the companies that hired them.

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

Liberty Korea Party, the Attack of the Pro-Parks

The Liberty Korea Party is unable to move one step forward, entangled in conflicts between the pro-Park (Park Geun-hye) and non-Park members, with reforms nowhere in sight. The party's acting leader and floor leader Kim Sung-tae, who presented reform measures, is facing pressure from the pro-Park members to step down. In a debate hosted by a senior member of the party to discuss reforms among the conservatives, one person even denied the legitimacy of the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye.

Conservatives Fall Before the Ruling Party’s Landslide Victory

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea won a landslide victory in the nationwide local elections and parliamentary by-elections on June 13. The latest election was, in fact, an assessment of the first year of the Moon Jae-in government. So the Democratic Party's apparent victory is expected to boost President Moon Jae-in's handling of state affairs. On the other hand, the Liberty Korea Party, which has shriveled to a "United Liberal Democrats" of the Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do (TK) region after a record-breaking defe

NK-US Leaders Stand before the Start of the Deconstruction of the Cold War Order

The meeting of the century between Kim Jong-un, chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission and U.S. President Donald Trump will be held at 9 a.m. on June 12 (10 a.m. Korean time) at the Capella Singapore on Sentosa Island, Singapore. If the two leaders successfully reach an agreement, it will mark a turning point ending the longest hostile relationship in the world. The two men will stand side by side at a grand starting line to end the last remaining Cold War order in the world.

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

Former Uber head Kalanick slapped with $18,000 fine in S. Korea

Travis Kalanick, the former head of Uber, an American taxi-hailing service operator, appeared in a South Korean court about three and a half years after he was indicted for operating illegal services to be slapped with a fine of 20 million won ($18,073). Kalanick left the court, shrugging off a barrage of questions by reporters. His next destination was not known. He resigned as CEO last year over allegations that he ignored inside reports of sexual harassment but he still remains as a major shareholder and board member.

Koreas hold talks on arranging reunion of separated families in August

North Korea called for a decisive break with the past in inter-Korean humanitarian cooperation Friday at talks on arranging a fresh round of reunions for separate families in August, almost three years after the highly emotional event stopped at the height of cross-border tensions. A landmark peace declaration signed by South and North Korean leaders at a summit in April contained an agreement to hold a reunion of separated families on the occasion of August 15 when the two Koreas mark their liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.

LG invests $3 mln in U.S. retail robot developer Bossa Nova

As part of efforts to strengthen its robot business, South Korea's LG Electronics made a strategic investment in Bossa Nova Robotics, a San Francisco-based startup that creates retail robots. LG's $3 million investment is part of $29 million in new investment secured by the American company. LG has expanded its investment in South Korean robot-related startups to develop new robot solutions using artificial intelligence. LG's guide and cleaning robots were put into service last year at Incheon International Airport, South Korea's gateway west of Seoul.

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

S. Korean housing market value totals $3.6 tn in 2017

The total value of South Korean housing market rose to a historic high of above 4 trillion won ($3.6 trillion) last year by the fastest pace in a decade. According to Bank of Korea on Sunday, the value of the Korean housing market totaled 4,022.5 trillion won ($3.6 trillion) as of the end of 2017, up 7.6 percent from a year ago. It touched the 4,000 trillion won threshold for the first time and expanded at the fastest pace since 2007.

Sales of Korean duty-free shops up 59.2% on yr in May

South Korean duty-free shops saw a 59.2 percent on-year surge in sales last month, despite slow recovery in Chinese tourists, thanks to active shuttle trade as demand for Korean products still remains high in China. According to Korea Duty Free Shops Association on Sunday, sales of Korean duty-free shops reached $1.5 billion in May, up 59.2 percent from a year ago. It is the third largest record after $1.57 billion in March and $1.52 billion in April.

KT launches IoT-controlled electric bicycle with Recon Hi-Tech

South Korea’s leading telecommunications company KT Corp. has launched a folding electric bicycle that applies Internet of Things (IoT) technology and KT’s smart mobility platform, making a foray into the bourgeoning electric bicycle industry. KT on Friday unveiled the Air i, an electric bicycle manufactured by local electric bicycle manufacturer Recon Hi-Tech Bike Co. and supported by KT’s smart mobility platform that connects an IoT module embedded in a moving object such as a bicycle with LTE-M network to check location information on a real-time basis and control the bike’s partial functions.

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

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

And many other countries.

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