Headlines, June 27, 2018

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Wednesday, June 27, 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.

Gov't calls off scheduled meeting, prompting suspicions over whereabouts of Moon

The government called off a scheduled meeting on deregulation at the last minute on Wednesday, prompting suspicions over the whereabouts of President Moon Jae-in who had been set to attend the meeting. The meeting was originally scheduled to be held at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae from 3 p.m. "Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon suggested the meeting be pushed back," a Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters, noting the prime minister cited a lack of adequate preparations for the meeting designed to help speed up the lifting of excessive government regulations.

LG Group to expand education programs for bilingual teenagers

LG Foundation, a charity organization under the South Korean conglomerate LG Group, said Wednesday it will expand the scope of its existing education program for bilingual students amid the rise of international marriages in the country. LG said it partnered with the education ministry and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies to support bilingual students, claiming such programs are significant as there are estimated to be some 110,000 teenagers in South Korea with multicultural backgrounds.

USFK chief dismisses concerns over possible end of all military exercises with S. Korea

The chief of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) on Wednesday dismissed concerns that the recent decision by Seoul and Washington to suspend their combined military exercises would lead to an end of all other drills and weaken deterrence capabilities. Gen. Vincent Brooks defended the decision, voicing hopes that the suspension of the exercises will help the allies build trust with North Korea and add "greater effectiveness" in ongoing talks on the communist state's denuclearization.

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

Mattis: US Takes N. Korea's Missile Capability Very Seriously

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis says that the U.S. takes the threat of North Korea's ballistic missiles "very seriously." Speaking at a press conference in Alaska en route to Asia on Tuesday, Mattis said that North Korea's ability to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles still exists today, so clearly the U.S. takes that very seriously. The defense chief added that hopes are riding with diplomats and expected to see progress in the days and weeks ahead.

Two Koreas Agree to Take First Steps to Reconnect Railways

South and North Korea have agreed to push forward with inter-Korean railway projects. At the talks held at the Peace House on the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjeom on Tuesday, the two sides agreed to take practical measures to reconnect and modernize railways on both the western Gyeongui Line and the eastern East Sea Line. The agreements were made based on the reaffirmed joint stance that cooperation on railway projects is significant in fulfilling the balanced development of the Korean economy and joint prosperity.

Seoul's Top Diplomat to Visit Thailand to Enhance Cooperation

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will visit Thailand early next week to seek the country’s support for the Moon Jae-in administration’s initiative to deepen South Korea's ties with Southeast Asia. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Noh Kyu-duk said on Tuesday that Kang will hold talks with Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha and her Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai on July second.

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

S. Korean team to visit N. Korea to check facilities for family reunions

A group of South Korean officials plans to visit North Korea on Wednesday to check facilities for the planned reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, Seoul's unification ministry said. Led by Kim Byung-dae, a senior ministry official in charge of humanitarian cooperation, the 20-member team will cross the eastern border to visit Mount Kumgang on the North's east coast, the venue for the reunions slated for Aug. 20-26. "To prepare for the reunions of the divided families on the occasion of the Aug. 15 (Liberation Day), the team will be sent to Mount Kumgang until June 29," a ministry official said, declining to be named.

N. Korea media report cross-border talks on railroad cooperation

North Korea's state media on Wednesday reported on this week's cross-border talks on railroad cooperation but did not touch on their detailed agreement. During their working-level talks Tuesday, the two Koreas agreed to conduct a joint study on modernizing the railways running across their border "at an early date." "At the talks, both sides discussed the practical issues arising in reconnecting, updating and using the railways on the east and west coasts, and adopted a joint press release," the North's official Korean Central News Agency said.

Summit diplomacy breaks vicious cycle on Koreas, U.S.: Cheong Wa Dae official

A round of recent summit diplomacy on North Korea has created a virtuous cycle of inter-Korean ties and a viable denuclearization process, a senior South Korean presidential official said Wednesday. In the past, an improvement in South-North relations often hurt the Seoul-Washington alliance and efforts to eliminate the communist nation's nuclear program. It caused ideological rifts among South Koreans. Through the Panmunjom Declaration and the Sentosa agreement, however, "the vicious cycle was broken," according to Choi Jong-kun, secretary to President Moon Jae-in for peace and arms control.

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

Govt. vows ‘soft-landing’ of shorter workweek amid confusion

South Korean Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon stressed Tuesday the need for a soft landing of a policy to shrink the workweek to 52 hours from 68 hours, amid overflowing reports of confusion at workplaces on how to manage the shorter hours. The 52-hour workweek is to go into effect starting Sunday, but the government and the ruling Democratic Party agreed to introduce a six-month grace period for the new scheme last week.

Owner of notorious Korean revenge porn site arrested: police

One of the owners of the now-defunct, illegal file sharing site known for its rampant circulation of revenge porn and spy cam porn has been arrested, police said Tuesday. It was also revealed that some of the remaining suspects are foreign-passport holders and currently live overseas. The arrested person, who is only identified by her last name Song, is known to be one of the four individuals, including her husband, who had been running the illegal site from 1999 to 2016, using overseas servers. She is the first among the four to be placed under arrest.

3 construction workers dead, 37 injured in Sejong fire

A fire broke out in an underground parking garage of an apartment building under construction in central South Korea on Tuesday, leaving at least three dead and 37 others injured, officials said. The blaze started at 1:16 p.m. at the Treeshade apartment construction site in the central administrative city of Sejong, sending flames and black smoke rising into the sky. Construction firm officials estimated the number of workers at the site at the time at 169.

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

'Establishing peace is repaying fallen UN soldiers'

Achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula is a way to truly repay and commemorate the sacrifice of fallen foreign soldiers and war veterans who fought for South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War, President Moon Jae-in said, Tuesday. Moon expressed gratitude to the United Nations Forces soldiers from 21 countries, in a message issued for the commemorative ceremony at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Korea located in Busan, held the day after June 25, the day the war broke out in 1950.

NK cancels anti-US rally, White House welcomes

North Korea will not hold an anti-U.S. rally it holds annually to mark the outbreak of the Korean War on June 25, as it prepares to return the remains of American soldiers killed in the war this week. White House National Security Council (NSC) spokesman Robert Palladino said he welcomed the North's consecutive reconciliatory moves. "There is great momentum now for positive change, and we are moving together quickly for further negotiations," Palladino was quoted as saying to Radio Free Asia.

Innocean, Samsung Welstory to face tougher antitrust rules

The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is considering toughening regulations on the intra-group trading of conglomerates. Up to 24 affiliates and 214 "daughter" companies including Hyundai Motor Group's advertising company Innocean as well as Samsung Group's food service provider Samsung Welstory may become subject to the new rules. According to the FTC, many owner families of conglomerates are suspected of evading the regulations by selling part of their stake, or listing the businesses on the bourse, while still using group subsidiaries to fill their private coffers.

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

Does Korea Face Japan-Style 'Lost Decade'?

Korea is at risk of a drawn-out economic slump that is worse than Japan's "lost decade" in the 1990s, according to some projections. The forecast is based on economic indicators that resemble Japan's when in the early stages of the doldrums, with the difference that Korea's youth unemployment and household debt are even worse.

The first indicator of Japan's slump was a sharp decline in private consumption. The average 3.6-percent growth during the 1980s dropped to 1.9 percent in the 1990s.

Gov't in Muddle Over Frontline Artillery

The government is in a muddle over frontline long-range artillery after Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Monday that negotiations are underway between the two Koreas to remove it to rear areas. Lee later reversed his claim, saying, "There were no formal negotiations on the topic." Military authorities had also flagged the suspension of live fire artillery drills on the northwesternmost islands off North Korea's coast in the West Sea, but said later nothing has been decided.

S.Korea, U.S. to Carry on Bare-Bones Military Drills

South Korea and the U.S. on Monday agreed to prevent annual joint military exercises from being scrapped altogether and continue vital bare-bones exercises. The agreement came in talks between Defense Minister Song Young-moo and Adm. Philip Davidson, the commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, in Seoul. It was Davidson's first visit to South Korea since he took the job last month. He also met with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha.

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

Jeju immigration authorities begin reviews of Yemeni refugee applicants

The Jeju Immigration Office began reviews on June 25 for refugee status applications by Yemeni nationals, which have recently become the topic of heated debate. Meeting with reporters that day, Jeju Immigration Office director Kim Do-gyun explained, “The three refugee review offices at the Jeju Office will be able to conduct reviews for two to three people a day.”

Xi Jinping asked Kim Jong-un to postpone ending Korean War until after Singapore summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping asked North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to postpone the formal declaration of the end of the Korean War until after the North Korea-US summit, according to a report in the Japanese press. During Kim and Xi’s summit in Dalian, China, in early May, Xi explained to Kim that China needed to participate in the declaration since it had fought in the Korean War alongside North Korea, Japanese newspaper the Tokyo Shimbun reported, quoting a source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

South and North civic organizations agree on large-scale “all Korean events” for National Foundation Day in October

The South Korean Committee for Implementation of the June 15 Joint Declaration, a private group focusing on inter-Korean social and cultural exchange, announced plans to hold large-scale “all-Korean events” with North Korea and overseas Koreans to celebrate National Foundation Day (Oct. 3) and the 11th anniversary of the October 4 Declaration of 2007 this year and the centennial of the March 1 Independence Movement next year.

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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)

Pompeo says no timeline on N. Korea denuclearization steps

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he would not put a timeline on denuclearization negotiations with North Korea. “Whether that's two months, six months, we are committed to moving forward in an expeditious moment to see if we can achieve what both leaders set out to do,” Pompeo told CNN in a phone interview Monday (local time). Pompeo added he would “constantly reassess” whether enough progress is being made to continue negotiations, and suggested it was too soon to expect a detailed roadmap for denuclearization after 40 years of tensions between the United States and North Korea.

Researchers construct plant equipped with membrane distillation technique

Domestic researchers have succeeded in constructing a demonstration plant equipped with membrane distillation technique, the next generation seawater desalination technology, for the first time in the world. It is likely to speed up the commercialization of eco-friendly seawater desalination technology as it consumes less energy and reduces waste water created in the process of turning sea water into fresh water.

N. Korea drops anti-U.S. rhetoric on war anniversary

North Korean media including the Rodong Sinmun stopped using anti-American expressions. They also refrained from pouring out raw criticism against the United States on the day when the Korean War broke out because of the recent reconciliatory mood between the two countries. “North Korea temporarily went easy on its belligerent rhetoric before and after the U.S.-North Korea joint communiqué in October 2000,” said Hong Min, director of the Korea Institute for National Unification said. “But it is the first time that it deleted all the anti-American expressions mentioning improvements in the U.S.-North Korea relations.

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

U.S. negotiates with North on remains

Six American officials are currently in Pyongyang to discuss the repatriation of U.S. service members’ remains from North Korea and an imminent visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, local diplomatic sources exclusively told the JoongAng Ilbo. Two specialists on human remains and four officials from the State Department and Central Intelligence Agency were dispatched to the North Korean capital last week for discussions with their North Korean counterparts, and are still there for talks, the local sources said Sunday on the condition of anonymity.

Moon reshuffles top secretaries for economics

The Blue House on Tuesday named three new senior presidential secretaries for economic affairs, job creation and civil affairs in its first reshuffle of Blue House secretaries since it took power in May 2017. Yoon Jong-won, currently head of South Korea’s mission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development after years at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, was appointed senior secretary for economic affairs, replacing Hong Jang-pyo, considered the architect of the Moon Jae-in administration’s income-led growth policy along with Jang Ha-sung, the president’s policy chief.

Exceptions to shorter workweek may be given

While the new 52-hour workweek comes into effect for companies with more than 300 employees next week, the country’s top economic policy maker said the government may allow overtime in certain sectors such as the information communication and technology (ICT) industry. “In cases where [overtime work] is inevitable, we will come up with specific plans where companies can get government permission, especially in the ICT sectors when there’s an emergency situation such as a server shutting down or hacking,” said Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon during an economic ministers meeting on Tuesday.

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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)

Prosecutors summon Hanjin group chairman for questioning

Prosecutors summoned Hanjin Group head Cho Yang-ho for questioning about alleged tax evasion and embezzlement this week in a probe that followed a barrage of interrogations by law enforcement authorities into various illegal activities by his wife and two daughters. As a criminal suspect, Cho, 69, will be quizzed on Thursday, the office of prosecutors in Seoul said Wednesday. The interrogation was based on complaints from tax authorities that the Hanjin group chairman has evaded taxes. He is also suspected of embezzling company money to create a slush fund.

Rapid infrastructure improvement at N. Korea's nuclear research center: 38 North

The infrastructure at the research center of North Korea's main nuclear complex, which has been used to extract weapons-grade plutonium, showed rapid improvements, despite a landmark denuclearization deal signed by leader Kim Jong-un, according to 38 North, the website of a U.S. research institute. Satellite imagery from June 21 indicates that improvements to the infrastructure at the North's nuclear scientific research center are "continuing at a rapid pace," 38 North said.

Two medical doctors indicted for brutally assaulting house officers

Two medical doctors were indicted by prosecutors Tuesday for habitually inflicting cruel treatment or beating with baseball bats and other objects at a hospital in the southern city of Busan. The case revealed stern senior-junior relations at South Korea's medical community. Harsh treatment at the Busan National University Hospital came to light during a parliamentary inspection in October last year. More than 20 house officers were found to have been punished allegedly for insincere working attitudes.

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

Lotte Group to build war veteran center in Ethiopia

South Korean conglomerate Lotte Group will build its third overseas war veteran center in Ethiopia for those who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War. Lotte Group said on Tuesday that it will build a war veteran community center in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa in December to express gratitude to Ethiopia, the only African country that sent more than 3,500 soldiers to fight in the Korean War. The move is part of Lotte Group’s project to build community centers for overseas war veterans launched jointly with the Ministry of Defense in 2013 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.

Hyundai Motor partners with Wartsila to recycle batteries for ESS

South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group has joined hands with world’s leading energy company Wartsila Corporation to develop energy storage system (ESS) recycling used electric car batteries. Hyundai Motor Group announced on Tuesday that it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Finland-based Wartsila to accelerate development of ESS based on recycled batteries.

Homeplus mixes big-box and retail in new concept store

Homeplus Co., one of South Korea’s major discount store chains, has converted its outlet in Daegu into a Homeplus Special store that offers consumers the convenience of both a warehouse and grocery store. The move comes as part of efforts to overcome sluggish sales and enhance competitiveness over industry rivals. Homeplus said on Tuesday that it converted its first outlet that opened in Chilseong-dong, Daegu, in 1997, into its first Homeplus Special store based on a new concept that offers consumers warehouse-style bulk products and grocery store products in one location.

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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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