The Korean daily media headlines and humor
Tuesday, June 26, 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.
President Moon names three new senior aides
President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday appointed three new senior aides for the economy, job creation and civil affairs in the first reshuffle of presidential secretaries since he took office last year. Yoon Jong-won, a former director from the Finance Ministry, has been named the senior secretary to the president for economic affairs. Yoon is currently the chief of the South Korean mission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae. Yoon replaced Hong Jang-pyo. Jung Tae-ho, a presidential secretary for policy planning, was named the senior secretary for job creation, replacing Bahn Jahng-shick. The president also named a new senior secretary for civil affairs. Lee Yong-sun, a district chief of the ruling Democratic Party, replaced Ha Seung-chang, who previously served as senior secretary for civic reform.
(For further details, visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=7001)
Mattis: U.N. Command to receive remains of troops killed in Korean War
The United Nations Command in South Korea will handle North Korea's return of the remains of American troops killed in the 1950-53 Korean War, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said. The repatriation was part of an agreement reached by U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at their historic summit on June 12. U.S. Forces Korea said over the weekend that it had moved 100 wooden coffins to the inter-Korean border to prepare for the remains' delivery, with about 200 expected to be returned. "The United Nations Command in ROK, in the Republic of Korea, is prepared, now, to receive those remains," Mattis told reporters Sunday en route to Alaska, according to an official transcript.
(For further details, visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=6998)
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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's consumer sentiment plunges to 14-month low in June
South Korea's consumer confidence dropped sharply to a 14-month low for June as sluggish job data and an intensifying U.S.-China trade row discouraged people here, central bank data showed Tuesday. The composite consumer sentiment index (CCSI) for this month stood at 105.5, down 2.4 points from the previous month, according to the survey by the Bank of Korea (BOK).
Number of feature phone users in S. Korea falls below 7 mln
The number of feature phone users in South Korea fell below the 7-million mark as of April, government data showed Tuesday, as smartphones continue to solidify their hold on the local market. According to the data compiled by the Ministry of Science and ICT, there were 6.9 million users of feature phones in South Korea as of April, down 1.6 percent from a month earlier. The figure, which stood at 12.1 million as of end-2014, fell to the 7-million level in July 2017.
Hyundai Rotem wins 542.4 bln won train order in Taiwan
Hyundai Rotem Co., a railway systems affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, said Tuesday it has received a 542.4 billion won (US$486 million) order to build 80 train cars in Taiwan. The subway train cars equipped with an unmanned operating system will be produced at Hyundai Rotem's plant in South Korea and will be sent to Taoyuan, a city in the northwest of Taiwan, the company said in a statement. The trains are scheduled for operations from 2025 onwards.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Two Koreas to Hold Talks on Railway Cooperation
South and North Korea will hold a meeting to discuss cooperation on roads and railways on Tuesday. The talks are set to begin at 10 a.m. at the Peace House on the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjeom. Vice Minister for Transport Kim Jeong-ryeol, who is leading the South Korean delegation, told reporters that working-level issues to modernize and reconnect the two Koreas’ railways and roads will be discussed in line with the Panmunjeom Declaration announced after the April 27th inter-Korean summit.
US Defense Chief Embarks on Trip to China, S. Korea, Japan
U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis will embark on a trip to China, South Korea and Japan on Tuesday. The U.S. Department of Defense said in a press release that Mattis will make his seventh trip to the Indo-Pacific region since he took office. The Pentagon said that Mattis will tour Eielson Air Force Base, a strategic air base in Alaska before visiting China, South Korea and Japan from Tuesday.
Gov't to Announce Economic Policy Goals for 2nd Half
The government says next month it will announce its major economic policy targets for the second half of the year. An official of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance revealed the plan on Monday. Late last year, when it announced its economic goals for 2018, the government said it would try to achieve an economic growth of three percent and create 320-thousand jobs. It is highly expected the government will lower the job growth target to below 300-thousand while keeping the economic growth figure unchanged.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Jeju Forum to open amid summit-driven peace mood
An international forum on peace and security issues will open on the southern island of Jeju on Tuesday with a focus on ways to maintain the momentum of summit diplomacy and achieve the goal of denuclearizing North Korea and staving off a war on the peninsula, an organizing institute said. The three-day Jeju Forum comes as regional security is at a crucial juncture following two recent inter-Korean summit meetings and June 12 talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong-un. It's to bring together hundreds of government officials and experts on Korea from around the world.
S. Korea, U.S. to hold talks on sharing defense cost
South Korea said Tuesday it will hold another round of negotiations with the United States this week on sharing the cost of maintaining American troops in Korea. The allies plan to open the fourth session of the 10th Special Measures Agreement (SMA) talks at the Korean National Diplomatic Academy building in Seoul later in the day. It's to continue through Wednesday. The previous ones took place in Honolulu in March, on Jeju Island in April and in Washington, D.C., last month.
Moon promises support for foreign Korean War veterans
South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday promised increased support for foreign soldiers who helped defend his country in the Korean War, calling them the heroes of a "miracle" that has made the country not only survive but flourish. "If what the Republic of Korea has achieved up to date is a miracle, United Nations veterans are the heroes of that miracle," Moon said in a special message marking the outbreak of the Korean War 68 years ago Monday.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Asiana Airlines, Korean Air planes collide at Gimpo Airport
Asiana Airlines’ A330 departing from Gimpo to Beijing crashed into the tail of Korean Air’s B777 plane en route to Osaka on Tuesday morning, breaking its wing as well as the other plane’s tail and wing. According to media reports, the Asiana Airlines plane was being towed by a car inside the parking ramp at Gimpo International Airport at around 8:10 a.m. Its wing accidentally hit the tail of Korean Air plane which was waiting near the taxi way.
Koreas agree to 'quickly' restore military communication lines
The two Koreas’ militaries Monday agreed to restore suspended military communication lines “as soon as possible,” as they announced a plan to hold a series of cross-border talks this week on reconnecting inter-Korean railways and reforestation of North Korea. Following the one-hour meeting at the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine office, the two sides decided to restore the communication line in the West Sea first before reconnecting a similar one in the East Sea. Reconnecting the military communication line is a step to reduce military tensions in the cross-border region, a pledge that the two Koreas’ leaders agreed on during their summit in April at the truce village of Panmunjeom.
Emerging trade war weighs on Korea’s exports
An emerging trade war between the US and China is weighing on Korea’s exports, which have been losing traction this year. A 25 percent US tariff on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods is set to take effect from July 6, with further duties on another $16 billion in imports from China under consideration. China has pledged to slap tariffs of the “same scale and intensity” on US imports.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Harmful chemicals found in Daegu's tap water
Discount stores and convenience stores in Daegu are enjoying brisk sales of bottled water, after harmful chemicals were found in the city's tap water, according to retailers Monday. The sales of bottled water soared last week, a spokesman at E-mart, the country's biggest discount chain, said. "Sales of bottled water in E-mart's six stores in Daegu increased by 509 percent Friday and Saturday from a year ago," he said. "The size of the bottled water market itself is so large that sales increases and decreases usually range within 10 percent. The six-fold increase is a very unusual thing."
Jeju governor to talk with President Moon over Yemeni refugees
The governor of Jeju Island said he wants to meet with President Moon Jae-in in order to deal with Yemeni refugees staying on the island. "I will directly meet with President Moon Jae-in to better manage Yemeni asylum seekers and ensure a speedy – and strict – review process for accepting them," Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong said at an emergency meeting at Jeju Immigration Office, Sunday. Won called for the Yemeni asylum seekers to be evaluated "strictly, based on clear standards."
UNESCO panel to note Koreans' forced labor under Japan's colonization
A UNESCO committee is expected to cite Japan's wartime brutality of forcing Koreans into harsh labor at some of its newly designated World Heritage sites, a government official here said Monday. UNESCO plans to hold the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee in Bahrain through next Wednesday. The panel is reviewing Japan's implementation of its 2015 commitment related to winning the much-coveted heritage status for 23 industrial facilities, including those on Hashima Island. Many Koreans were taken to seven of the mines, foundries and shipyards for forced labor when their country was under colonial rule from 1910-45.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Summer's 1st Heat Wave Alert Issued for Seoul
Heat wave advisories were issued for most parts of the country on Sunday, the first time this year. The alert is issued when the daytime high rises above 33 degrees Celsius. Temperatures surpassed 30 degrees in most parts on Sunday, the hottest in Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang Province with 37 degrees and Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang with 36.6 degrees. The mercury in Seoul soared to 32.1 degrees, the highest this summer.
S.Korea, U.S. Suspend Small-Scaled Marine Drills
South Korea and the U.S. on Saturday announced they will also suspend tactical marine exercises scheduled for next month while denuclearization talks with North Korea are underway. The decision came as a surprise because there had been no prior consultation between the Marine Corps of the two countries. It follows the suspension of the massive Freedom Guardian joint exercises in August. The two defense ministries announced the indefinite suspension of the Korean Marine Exchange Program training exercises scheduled to start in July.
Cross-Border Family Reunions Scheduled for August
The two Koreas have agreed to resume reunions of families separated by the Korean War on Aug. 20-26. The two sides agreed in inter-Korean Red Cross talks at Mt. Kumgang in North Korea last Friday that the reunions will take place at a dedicated facility there. They will be the first reunions in two years and 10 months. One hundred participants from each side will be reunited with family members from the other side. Those with limited mobility can bring a relative to help them.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Conservative Protestantism elevates national anti-queer, anti-NK, anti-Islam campaigns
A total of nine “united prayer rallies to stop Islam” have been held to date in the South Gyeongsang Province area. A small pamphlet produced by Christians to spread the word about the rallies includes information on practitioners of Islam in South Gyeongsang’s major cities and a “prayer for the eradication of Islam.” The churches that have orchestrated the prayer rallies in South Gyeongsang are often the same churches attended by the Christians who boarded “Real Love Buses” on June 23 to travel to Daegu and demonstrate against the Queer Culture Festival there.
Pompeo says Pyongyang and Washington both have red lines that won’t be crossed
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on June 23 that Pyongyang and Washington both “understand red lines, things that neither country is prepared to go past.” His remarks were read as suggesting the current negotiations are unlikely to break down because each side clearly understands which lines shouldn’t be crossed with the other. Appearing in an MSNBC interview that day, Pompeo said, “I think it is fair to say that there are a number of things, a number of principles that have been agreed to [by the North Korean and US leaders].” Acknowledging that it was “not the first rodeo negotiating with North Korea,” he suggested the so-called red lines “give us an opportunity to believe . . . that perhaps this time is different.”
South Korea and US to suspend joint marine exercises
The South Korean and US militaries have decided to suspend the Korea Marine Exercise Program (KMEP) – a series of joint exercises between the two countries’ marines – through September. This appears to be a preemptive move designed to set the mood for North Korea-US talks aimed at the North’s denuclearization. Since this suspension affects small-scale exercises of battalions and smaller units, attention is focusing on how many other joint exercises will be suspended moving forward.
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JoongAng Ilbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)
Asylum seekers adjusting to Jeju
Hundreds of Yemenis are trying to find jobs on the island of Jeju, where they have gained temporary stays as they apply for asylum seeker status. “I came to Jeju on May 18 after staying in Malaysia,” a Yemeni who goes by the name Wael told the JoongAng Ilbo on Sunday. He is staying at a hotel housing some 30 Yemenis in Jeju City. His room, meant to be used by two, is being used by five. “The hotel has been kind to us in giving a discount,” Wael said. “But because none of us have jobs yet, I’m not sure how we will make ends meet.”
Gov’t to spend $2.3B on hydrogen cell vehicles
To shift away from traditional fossil-fuel vehicles and ultimately reduce pollution, the Korean government will spend 2.6 trillion won ($2.34 billion) over the next four years to promote fuel-cell electrical vehicles (FCEV), the industry minister said on Monday. “Despite the vast potential, we have not had a policy framework that encompasses the entire ecosystem of hydrogen vehicles,” said Paik Un-gyu, the minister for trade, industry and energy, during a meeting with representatives of local auto and energy companies on Monday in Seoul. “The government will provide all the support necessary for Korean companies to not fall behind and create an ecosystem covering hydrogen vehicle [production], charging stations and hydrogen energy [development].”
Job data continues to look weak
The number of people looking for jobs and those that actually landed one fell by nearly two percent in the first quarter, yet another indicator of the negative effect of this year’s minimum wage hike. According to data released by the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Monday, the total number of new hires for any businesses with more than five employees fell by 1.7 percent compared to a year ago to 744,000 from January to April in Korea. Those on the job hunt in the same period tumbled by 1.9 percent year-on-year to 834,000.
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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)
Two Koreas discuss cooperation to restore severed rail lines
In preparation for rejuvenated economic exchanges with North Korea, South Korea hopes to restore and modernize railways that will run across the heavily armed border, a senior official said Tuesday in Seoul ahead of inter-Korean railway talks. But Vice Transport Minister Kim Jeong-ryeol cautioned that full cooperation between South and North Korean railway authorities would depend on progress in negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington on denuclearization.
Hyundai Rotem wins $486 mln order for Taiwan's unmanned railroad system
Hyundai Rotem, a South Korean train and armored vehicle maker, won a 542 billion won (486 million) order from Taiwan's northwestern city of Taoyuan to provide a light urban railroad system and 80 unmanned cars. Hyundai Rotem, affiliated with the Hyundai Motor Group, said in a regulatory filing Tuesday that it won the order in a consortium with Siemens Aktiengesellschaft of Germany and BES Engineering of Taiwan.
S. Korea embroiled in unexperienced debate over foreign refugees
Refugees From African and other war-torn countries have been a global issue, but South Korea was embroiled in a new social debate this month over unacclaimed visitors especially from Yemen that spilled over into the office of President Moon Jae-in. The debate erupted this month when the justice ministry said it has removed Yemen from its visa waiver program on the southern resort island of Jeju due to a surge in the number of refugees. In Jeju, about 1,000 foreign refugees have sought asylum this year, including 549 from Yemen, 353 from China, 99 from India and 14 from Pakistan.
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Maeil Business News Korea ( http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
KT develops disaster and safety platform using drones
South Korea’s telecom giant KT Corp. has developed a disaster and safety platform that will assist search for survivors in emergency situations and treat them using unmanned airships and drones. KT plans to propose the platform to be used in national public-safety long term evolution (PS-LTE) network projects to help boost the country’s overall disaster response system.
Korea’s Hancom joins AWS for shared document work service
South Korea’s leading office software developer Hancom Inc. said on Monday it has joined Amazon Web Services (AWS) to launch a web-based shared workplace supporting document editing at Amazon WorkDocs based on Hancom Office. Hancom shares finished Monday up 7.41 percent at 15,950 won ($14.28) in Seoul. With the new service, users are now able to create, edit and share Hancom documents in real time using a web browser without additional file installations or changes.
Korea’s SK and Daelim joint ventures to build large PP facility in Ulsan
SK Advanced and PolyMirae Company, the two multinational joint ventures based in Korea, recently signed a $447 million contract to build a large polypropylene facility with a 400,000-ton capacity in Ulsan, about 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to Ulsan City on Monday. The two agreed to launch a new legal entity in the second half of this year to run the new facility which will be located near SK Advanced’s propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant in the city and open in 2021. Construction begins as early as January of 2019.
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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
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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