Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Round-up of important news from major Korean, international dailies, other news sources today:
The Korea Post media (www.koreapost.com) in English, (www.koreapost.co.kr) in Korean.
Pompeo to travel to N. Korea Thursday for nuclear talks: White House
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to North Korea Thursday to meet with leader Kim Jong-un and continue negotiations on dismantling the regime's nuclear weapons program, the White House said. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders on Monday announced Pompeo's first visit to Pyongyang since last month's historic summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
S. Korea hosts forum on trade remedies
Trade remedy representatives and experts gathered in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss ways to promote free trade and ease trade disputes amid a smoldering trade war between the United States and China, Seoul's trade ministry said. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy hosted the "Seoul International Forum on Trade Remedies 2018" at the Convention and Exhibition Center to address concerns over rising protectionist trends.
Small appliances popular on rising number of 1-person households
Small consumer electronics products are gaining popularity in South Korea due mainly to an increase in the number of single-person households, online shopping malls said Tuesday. Gmarket, a major online shopping mall, said the company chalked up sharp sales increases in most relatively high-priced small home appliances in the first half of this year.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Pompeo to Visit N. Korea Thursday for Nuclear Talks
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to North Korea on Thursday for talks on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The State Department said in a statement on Monday that Pompeo will visit Pyongyang from Thursday to Saturday "to continue consultations and implement the forward progress" made by the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea at their summit in Singapore last month.
Axios: Trump May Hold Second N. Korea Summit in New York in Sept.
U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could reportedly hold a second summit in New York in September. U.S. news Web site Axios reported on Monday that officials within the Trump administration are considering holding the meeting to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly convening in September in Trump’s hometown.
Prime Ministers of S. Korea, Luxembourg Agree to Strengthen Cooperation
The prime ministers of South Korea and Luxembourg have agreed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, including on future-industries such as information and communications technology(ICT), FinTech and aerospace technology. Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon and his Luxembourg counterpart Xavier Bettel announced their agreement at a joint press conference following their meeting at the Government Complex in Seoul on Monday.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
S. Korea's consumer prices up 1.5 pct in June
South Korea's consumer price growth continued to stay above 1 percent in June on a rise of agricultural goods and the service sector, government data showed Tuesday. The country's consumer price index climbed 1.5 percent last month from a year earlier, the same pace from the previous month's 1.5 percent on-year gain, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.
Ex-U.S. defense secretary sees hope in N. Korea's behavior
Former U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry said Monday that he is hopeful about North Korea's promise to dismantle its nuclear weapons program following its recent efforts to engage. Perry, who served as defense secretary during the Clinton administration, made the case in a contribution to Politico magazine while noting the difficulties that lie ahead. He acknowledged the skepticism that remains, especially following an NBC report that North Korea continues to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons, but still held out hope.
S. Korean Red Cross sets list for family reunions with North
The South Korean Red Cross said Monday it has finalized its list of separated families ahead of joint events to reunite families separated by the 70-year-old division of the two Koreas. The South Korean list of 250 separated families was selected from 500 randomly picked candidates based on their health and willingness for a reunion with their family members in the North, according to the Red Cross here.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Weakening won poses new risks to Korean economy
The weakening of the won in recent weeks carries both benefits and risks for the Korean economy that is being held back by a simultaneous downturn in investment, consumption and exports. Policymakers therefore face a thorny task to take proper steps in response to the weakening won that is set to have contradictory effects on the economy.
Korea Inc. put to test under shorter working-hour system
Shorter working hours kicked off nationwide Monday, testing both the competiveness and productivity of Korea Inc., which has long relied on a workforce that puts in long hours for its dramatic growth. Marking a significant change in the nation’s labor market, after the five-day workweek was adopted in 2004, the new system requires workers to work less than 52 hours a week. It has taken effect for large businesses with more than 300 employees for now. Smaller businesses with fewer than 300 workers should implement the system starting Jan. 1, 2020, while financial, media and postal companies have been granted a yearlong grace period to avoid market confusion.
US envoy meets North Korean officials at Panmunjeom
Sung Kim, the US ambassador to the Philippines, held talks with North Korean officials on Sunday at the border village of Panmunjeom between the two Koreas as US Secretary Mike Pompeo plans to visit Pyongyang later this week, US media reported Monday. Kim, former US ambassador to South Korea and a nuclear envoy, is reported to have met with North Korean officials for 1 1/2 hours for talks believed to be aimed at setting the agenda for Pompeo’s possible visit to North Korea on Friday.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Korean Air, Asiana Airlines grapple with triple whammy
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines are expected to face worsening profitability in the forthcoming quarter, due to rising oil prices, higher exchange rates and the government decision to stop giving benefits to airlines, analysts said Monday. Korean Air closed at 27,100 won ($24.20) on the country's main stock market that day, while Asiana Airlines closed at 4,025 won. Their stock prices a month earlier were 32,000 won and 4,910 won, respectively.
Samsung urges China to stop 'discriminatory treatment'
Samsung Electronics is urging the Chinese government to stop its "discriminatory treatment" against its semiconductor and other businesses in China, company officials said Monday. "Samsung Electronics requested the cancellation of some policies, which we believe are discriminatory and unfair, in exchange for assistance in supporting China-initiated economic and business projects," one official said.
Moon to visit India, Singapore next week
President Moon Jae-in will make state visits to India and Singapore next week, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday. From July 8 to 11, the President will visit India upon the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and India. "India has become an important partner not only economically but also for its efforts for peace and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula and the international community," presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Later Inheritance Hampers Economic Vitality
As people live longer their children inherit their money later in life, when they are already past the peak age for economic activity, which place another burden on Korea's sputtering economy. Koreans' life expectancy was 82.4 years as of 2016, up a whopping three years over the previous eight years alone. The life expectancy of the upper 20 percent in the income bracket, who have a lot of assets to leave, is even higher at 85 years, so their children can expect to come into the money only after the age of 60, when they themselves are more or less retired.
Senior N.Korean General Reinstated
North Korean general Hwang Pyong-so, who is believed to have been sacked last year, appears to have been reinstated. North Korea's state media reported Saturday that leader Kim Jong-un visited border regions with China and Hwang accompanied him. Hwang's whereabouts had been unknown since October last year. Hwang seems to have been sent to re-education at the Kim Il-sung Advanced Party School.
Gov't Delays Decision on Axing Jin Air
The woes of the Korean Air owner family are escalating amid wrangling that could yet lead to the cancellation of affiliate Jin Air's license. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is minded to cancel the budget carrier's license because Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho put his daughter Hyun-min on the board although she is an American citizen.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
South and North Korea resume ship-to-ship radio communications after 10 years
After 10 years of disuse, South and North Korea have resumed ship-to-ship radio communication, which can be seen as a hotline for preventing accidental clashes between South and North Korean military vessels around the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West (Yellow) Sea.“The South and North Korean militaries have normalized operation of the global merchant marine communication network in order to prevent unplanned clashes in the West Sea as part of implementing the terms agreed to during the Panmunjeom Declaration and during the 8th inter-Korean general-level military talks,” South Korea’s Ministry of Defense said on July 1.
Another comfort woman survivor passes away without apology from Japan
Another comfort woman survivor forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese military has passed away without ever receiving an official apology from the Japanese government. The number of remaining survivors now stands at 27. Tongyeong Sanatorium Hospital in South Gyeongsang Province announced the passing of 101-year-old comfort woman survivor Kim Bok-deuk in her hospital room from chronic illness at around 4 am on July 1. Kim was admitted into the hospital in 2013 after her health declined to the point where she was unable to live on her own at home.
Outbreaks of anger among Jeju residents directed toward Yemeni asylum seekers
Jeju residents are experiencing fatigue from coping with the 549 Yemenis who have arrived on the island to flee a civil war at home. Now anger is being directed at the residents who moved to offer “emergency relief” for Yemenis neglected by the central government and public system. Complaints about the authorities’ neglect are also mounting at Jeju workplaces that answer immigration authorities’ urgent request to hire Yemeni workers. Critics are accusing the government of continuing to focus on what is “convenient for Seoul” in its response, while residents of the island where the Yemenis have taken up residence are taking active steps to resolve the refugee issue.
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Trump says it is possible his N. Korea nuclear deal may not work out
U.S. President Donald Trump said that denuclearization deal with North Korea might not “work out.” While he emphasized his unwavering trust in Kim Jong Un, the young dictator of North Korea, the level of trust ratcheted down compared to the amicable mood between Washington and Pyongyang in the wake of the Singapore summit where the U.S. president publicly announced that “North Korea’s nuclear threats have come to an end.”
Korea’s major industries suffer from difficulties at home and abroad
Domestic industries, such as car and shipbuilding that have traditionally served as key pillars of the Korean economy, are going through difficulties in and outside the country. They are suffering at home from reduced productivity and conflict between labor and management, while abroad, they are hit abroad by Trump’s trade war. According to the auto industry, Hyundai Motor’s labor union voted to strike on Monday as the wage increase negotiation with the management, which has been going on since May, broke off. It would be the seventh strike in a row since 2012 if the labor union pushed ahead with strike this year.
Moon to make state visit to India, Singapore for six days
The South Korean presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae announced on Monday that President Moon Jae-in will be making a state visit to India and Singapore for five nights and six days starting from Sunday. “President Moon is expected to visit India from Sunday to Wednesday and Singapore from Wednesday to Friday,” said presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom. President Moon’s visit to India and Singapore aims to bring the New Southern Policy, of which President Moon pronounced last year, into full swing.
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JoongAng Ilbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)
U.S. envoy meets with North officials
A team of U.S. negotiators led by Sung Kim met with North Korean officials at the border village of Panmunjom on Sunday to flesh out details of an agreement signed by the two countries’ leaders at their landmark summit last month, diplomatic sources in Seoul told the JoongAng Ilbo. The meeting is the first follow-up to the summit in Singapore between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Korea makes case against Trump’s auto import tariffs
The Korean government and local automakers have been sending representatives to Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump proposed tariffs of up to 25 percent on imported cars and auto parts. In a hurriedly arranged briefing on Monday, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said it was ramping up efforts to help Korea’s bread-and-butter auto industry.
Food that cares for people who struggle to eat
CJ CheilJedang has launched a new range of ready-made meals targeted at people that are physically incapable of eating regular food, such as hospital patients and the elderly. The processed food maker defines the new range, known as care food, as “next generation ready-made meals for those who need specially formulated food for health reasons.” Although it is mainly targeted at senior citizens and hospital patients, the company hopes care food will also eventually be popular with dieters, pregnant women, young children and people that are temporarily physically impaired due to dental treatment.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Current 9th Graders Can Apply to Both Autonomous Private High Schools and General High Schools
The Constitutional Court accepted the request for a provisional injunction to suspend the enforcement of the Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which was amended to have students choose and apply to either an autonomous private high school or a general high school. Therefore, students currently in the ninth grade will probably be able to apply to both autonomous private schools and general schools in the late admissions process. In this case, confusion can occur when a student is accepted by both an autonomous private high school and a general high school, so it is likely for the government to return to the existing method of having students first apply to an autonomous high school in the early admissions process.
Constitutional Court Opens Door to Alternative Service for Conscientious Objectors
The Constitutional Court ruled that an article in the Military Service Act, which does not stipulate alternative services as a kind of military service for conscientious objectors--people who refuse to serve in the military on grounds of religion or nonviolent or pacifist beliefs--did not conform to the Constitution. The National Assembly must revise this article to introduce alternative services by December 31, 2019.
Monthly Number of Newborns Continue to Hit Bottom for the Twelfth Month
In April, the number of newborn babies dropped below 30,000, the lowest figure for April. The government had presented measures to tackle the low birthrate, but they have been ineffective, leaving the government to agonize over the issue. According to the “April Population Trend” released by Statistics Korea on June 27, the number of newborn babies recorded 27,700, which is an 8.9% (2,700) decrease from the same month a year ago. This is the first time that the number of births in April failed to surpass 30,000, since the government began gathering monthly statistics for births in 1981.
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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)
State prosecutors seek arrest warrant for Hanjin group chief
South Korean state prosecutors sought a court-issued warrant Monday to arrest Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho, who controls Korean Air, four days after he was questioned on multiple charges that included embezzlement and breach of trust. Cho, 69, is suspected of awarding improper contracts to companies controlled by his family, using company money to pay attorney fees for him and his family and using a borrowed name to run a pharmacy illegally. He allegedly did not report his overseas bank accounts, although their total balance exceeded one billion won ($897,666).
Fear of air pollution reflected in Google search and shopping mall sales
As the chance of witnessing clear blue skies in Seoul has become rare especially due to worsening particle pollution, South Koreans are desperately searching online to avoid the hazardous effect of the microscopic matter. Although larger particles are filtered in the nose and throat thanks to mucus and cilia, particulate matter, a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets that get into the air, can cause health problems in respiratory organs. Particles which are smaller than 2.5 micrometers can penetrate lungs to enter other organs.
Moon defends his initiative to introduce shortened work week
Coming back from a week-long rest forced by overwork, South Korean President Moon Jae-in defended his initiative to introduce a shortened work week as an important step to improve the quality of life and labor productivity together. At a meeting of top aides Monday, Moon expressed sorry for taking a rest last week due to flu and fatigue stemming from his hectic schedule, saying South Korea should shed its image of an overworked society.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
S. Korea’s Lotte Duty Free opens 7th overseas outlet in Vietnam
South Korea’s top duty-free operator Lotte Duty Free that recently gave in to its smaller rivals in the country’s latest auction for duty-free airport store licenses has opened its seventh overseas outlet in Vietnam, accelerating its efforts to expand its foothold in the global duty-free scene. The company announced on Monday that its new duty-free store at Nha Trang Cam Ranh International Airport in Vietnam is ready to serve its customers. The company expects the new duty-free shop, which is its second tax-exempt outlet in the Southeast Asian country and seventh in overseas markets, would better serve international passengers visiting the country’s new airport terminal in one of the finest tourist destinations in the coastal area of Vietnam.
Oracle Korea Union on strike for almost 50 days
The labor union of Oracle Systems Korea, the Korean unit of the U.S.-based IT giant Oracle Corp., has been on strike for the longest days in the history of foreign IT companies operating in South Korea, in protest against low wages and too much pressure on individual performance. The workers have been striking since May 16 arguing that their base salary have been frozen over the last decade and they are under too much stress to achieve excessive targets as almost half of their payment is tied to individual performance. Among the company’s 1,200 workers, 500 are unionized.Doosan to build copper foil plant in Hungary to meet growing EV battery demand
Korea’s Doosan Corp. said on Monday that it is on track to build a plant in Hungary to produce battery copper foil, a key component of electric vehicle batteries. The plant to be located in Tatabanya Industrial Park in Hungary will have an annual production capacity of 50,000 tons of battery copper foil, enough for batteries to power 2.2 million EVs. Construction will begin this year and be complete by the second half 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.cn kf@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 Herald www.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.com lithuania@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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