Monday, July 9, 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 holds out Vietnam model for N. Korea
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday held out a brighter future for North Korea, urging leader Kim Jong-un to follow the path to prosperity taken by Vietnam. Pompeo was speaking at a business event in Hanoi, Vietnam, after completing a two-day trip to Pyongyang where he met with North Korean officials to discuss the details of a summit agreement between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim.

Daewoo Shipbuilding, Sembcorp Marine vying for $2 bln Chevron project
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. (DSME) said Monday it is competing with Sembcorp Marine Ltd., a Singapore-based machinery company, to win a US$2 billion auction to build an offshore facility for U.S. energy giant Chevron. DSME has been shortlisted in the bid to supply a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit for Chevron's deep-water energy exploration project off the United Kingdom, a person familiar with the matter told Yonhap News Agency over the phone.

U.S. senator accuses China of pulling N. Korea back
An influential U.S. senator on Sunday accused China of pulling North Korea back from negotiations with the United States in order to gain leverage in a U.S.-China trade dispute. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who serves on the Armed Services Committee, was commenting on North Korea's angry reaction to what it said was U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's "unilateral and gangster-like" demand for complete denuclearization. "I see China's hands all over this. We are in a fight with China," Graham said in an interview with Fox News. "There's no doubt in my mind that it's the Chinese pulling the North Koreans back."
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Pompeo Urges N. Korea to Replicate Vietnam's ‘Miracle’

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to replicate Vietnam's "miracle" of economic growth by improving ties with the United States. Pompeo made the remark on Sunday during a meeting with members of the U.S. and Vietnamese business community in Hanoi. The secretary said that Vietnam’s experience since the normalization of relations with the U.S. in 1995 should be proof for North Korea that prosperity and partnership with the U.S. is possible after decades of conflict and mistrust.

S. Korea, US, Japan Vow Continued N. Korea Sanctions Until Denuclearization Achieved
The top diplomats of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan have reaffirmed close cooperation in a joint effort to achieve complete denuclearization of North Korea, saying that sanctions against the North will continue until the goal is achieved. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday shared the results of his two-day talks in Pyongyang during a meeting with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts Kang Kyung-wha and Taro Kono in Tokyo.

Moon Kicks off India Tour with Visit to Akshardham Temple
President Moon Jae-in kicked off his India tour with a visit to Akshardham temple in New Delhi. The presidential office said that the president visited the world's largest Hindu temple on Sunday to display his respect for India's religion and culture. On the second day of his four-day state visit on Monday, Moon will meet with Indian Vice President Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu and Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi and deliver a keynote speech at the South Korea-India Business Forum.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
U.S. senator accuses China of pulling N. Korea back
An influential U.S. senator on Sunday accused China of pulling North Korea back from negotiations with the United States in order to gain leverage in a U.S.-China trade dispute. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who serves on the Armed Services Committee, was commenting on North Korea's angry reaction to what it said was U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's "unilateral and gangster-like" demand for complete denuclearization.

Four crewmen rescued in boat collision off southwestern coast
Four out of five crewmen were rescued after a fishing boat carrying them capsized following a collision with a tugboat in waters off the southwestern coast on Sunday, the Coast Guard said. The boat's captain remains missing. The accident happened at 7:13 p.m. in waters southeast of an island near Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, about 274 km southwest of Seoul, when the 7.3-ton shrimp boat hit a 99-ton tugboat and overturned. Convinced that the missing crewmen were trapped inside the boat, the Coast Guard rapped on the hull to find out if they could get any response, and they did, the officials said.

Asiana, Korean Air employees hold joint rally against their bosses
Hundreds of staff from South Korea's two rival air carriers held a rare joint rally late Sunday, blaming the companies' top management for causing scandals that have evoked huge public outrage. More than 400 employees of Asiana Airlines Inc. and Korea Air Lines Co. gathered in central Gwanghwamun to stage a rally condemning their chiefs Park Sam-koo and Cho Yang-ho, respectively. Asiana staff denounced Park and his executives for massive in-flight meal service disruptions that led over 100 of its flights to take off without food for passengers for most of last week. The fiasco resulted in the suicide of the head of a supplier to Asian's new caterer that failed to produce food on time.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Estimated 60,000 women muster up ‘inconvenient courage’

The third women’s rally calling for a balanced inspection of voyeuristic hidden camera crimes took place in front of Hyehwa subway station on Saturday. The host of the protest, an online group fighting against female discrimination called “Inconvenient Courage,” estimated some 60,000 people took part. The police estimate is 18,000. Protesters dressed in red held up signs with slogans such as “My life is not your porn,” and “We are your future boss, not your future wife.”

Shares of Asiana, Korean Air dive on owner family misconduct
The summer vacation season is traditionally a boon for the airline industry. But South Korea’s major airline companies are far from cruising, as their stocks have been plunging along with their brand power due to personal and business irregularities allegedly committed by the owner families. Asiana Airlines, one of Korea’s two major air carriers run by the Kumho Asiana Group, has seen its shares plummet since the recent “no-meal” fiasco erupted, jeopardizing the firm’s standing and igniting protests from employees.

SK Innovation’s valuation rises ahead of new sulfur cap
SK Innovation, South Korea’s leading oil refiner, has bolstered its value and profit model with a desulfurization project underway in Ulsan and its ultra-low sulfur production business in Singapore, before stricter environmental regulations by the International Maritime Organization go into effect in 2020, industry experts said Sunday. The International Maritime Organization passed a regulation in 2016 to limit the amount of sulfur in ship fuel to 0.5 percent starting January 2020 from the current 3.5 percent. The cap aims to reduce sulfur oxide emissions, which cause acid rain.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
US, North Korea continue tug-of-war over denuclearization

North Korea and the United States apparently failed to narrow their differences over the methods for the North's denuclearization, during U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's two-day visit to Pyongyang last week. The two sides still want to keep their negotiations active and agreed on creating a working group to discuss the details. Pompeo's visit was a follow-up to a "comprehensive" agreement reached between leaders of the two countries in Singapore, June 12.

Moon begins six-day trip to India, Singapore
President Moon Jae-in kicked off a six-day trip to India and Singapore, Sunday, centered on tightening economic and security partnerships with the countries. The trip comes as part of his "New Southern Policy" outlining the need for closer partnerships with ASEAN countries. Moon will actively engage in talks with his Indian and Singaporean counterparts during the trip, and underline the importance of strategic alliances for mutual growth.

South Korea eases visa rules for 4 nations
The government will issue multiple entry visas for doctors, lawyers and other skilled workers from Mongolia, Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine, according to the Ministry of Justice, Sunday. South Korea has so far restricted multiple entry visas to stop illegal immigrants. "The measure is the latest in Seoul's efforts to lure international tourists and facilitate people-to-people exchanges abroad," a ministry official said.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Pompeo Leaves N.Korea Empty-Handed

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ended his latest trip to North Korea on Sunday without meeting leader Kim Jong-un and trailed by accusations of "gangster-like" arm-twisting from a newly emboldened regime. Pompeo claimed there was "progress on almost all of the central issues" in nine hours of "productive conversations" with Kim's right-hand man Kim Yong-chol and others but came away without any concrete agreement on denuclearization.

Fertility Rate to Drop Below 1 Child per Woman
Only some 320,000 babies are expected to be born this year, bringing the fertility rate to below 1 per woman for the first time, a presidential committee tasked with tackling Korea's declining births said Thursday. That is even lower than the record low of 1.05 last year, when some 360,000 babies were born. The committee warned the number of newborns could fall below 300,000 before 2022. Korea will become the world's only country with a birthrate below 1. Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong have had a birthrate below 1 in the past but have now recovered to 1.2 to 1.3.

N.Korea Still Operating Nuke, Missile Test Sites
North Korea is still operating the Yongbyon nuclear facility that produces fissile material for bombs and a missile engine test site in Tongchang-ri, North Pyongan Province which leader Kim Jong-un has promised to dismantle. The regime is also reportedly building a new submarine capable of launching ballistic missiles. Liberty Korea Party lawmaker Kim Hack-yong on Thursday made the claims based on data he received from military authorities.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
DSC planned to mobilize soldiers, tanks and armored vehicles against candlelight demonstrators

The Defense Security Command (DSC) drew up plans for the mobilization of 4,800 armed soldiers, including special forces and members of the 707th Special Mission Battalion, against predicting “rioting” in Mar. 2018 if the impeachment of then-President Park Geun-hye was overturned, a document indicates. Plans were also made for the declaration of martial law and the positioning of around 200 tanks and 550 armored vehicles in downtown Seoul.

Pompeo arrives in Pyongyang for high-level talks
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Pyongyang on July 6 for the US’s first high-level follow-up deliberations with North Korea since the two countries’ summit in Singapore on June 12. While staying in Pyongyang for two days, Pompeo is expected to engage in intense talks with the North Koreans about methods of implementing the summit agreement. The team of American negotiators led by Pompeo arrived at Pyongyang International Airport early in the afternoon on July 6. They were met by Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) Vice Chairman Kim Yong-chol, Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho and Kim Chang-son, a department director at the State Affairs Commission.

Military considered martial law if constitutional court rejected Park’s impeachment in 2017
A newly released document shows that, shortly before the Constitutional Court ruled on former South Korean President’s impeachment in Mar. 2017, the South Korean army’s Defense Security Command (DSC) considered declaring martial law if demonstrators refused to accept the court rejecting the impeachment and attempted to force their way into the Blue House and the Constitutional Court. The DSC document in question, which was made public by Democratic Party lawmaker Rep. Lee Cheol-hui on July 5, is called the “Wartime Martial Law and Joint Action Plan.” This document detailed a plan of “appointing the defense commander as the garrison commander” and “considering the option of issuing a ‘garrison order’ if a large number of protesters attempt to enter the Blue House.”
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
New U.S. Amb. vows to further strengthen S. Korea-U.S. alliance
Retired Adm. Harry Harris has started his term as U.S. Ambassador to South Korea. He is the first Japanese American to assume the job. Upon arrival at Incheon International Airport Saturday, Harris told reporters that he hoped to work together with the government and people of the Republic of Korea to further cement the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

Seoul sends a delegation to Washington for auto tariffs
The South Korean government has been working on finalizing the members of the delegation to visit the United States in response to the Trump administration’s move to impose high tariffs on imported automobiles. The delegation led by Deputy Trade Minister Kang Sung-cheon, which will include government and corporate officials, will attend a public hearing on auto tariffs slated for July 19 to 20 (local time) in Washington, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and industry sources Sunday. The U.S. Department of Commerce is currently investigating whether imported vehicles and auto parts have adverse impacts on the U.S. national security and whether it is possible to slap tariffs of 25 percent on them under Section 232 of Trade Expansion Act.

19,000 women gather in Seoul to criticize sexual discrimination
South Korean women gathered in Seoul Saturday called for a crackdown on spy cam pornography and the eradication of sexual discrimination, also directly criticizing President Moon Jae-in. Nearly 20,000 women took part in one of the country’s biggest female-only protests, covering the one-kilometer-long four-lane roadway from Ihwa Crossroad to Hyehwa Station in Jongno District. The daytime high was around 29.2 degrees Celsius on Saturday, but it felt hotter outside as there were not much clouds in the sky. Still, police said that as many as around 19,000 women attended the rally, more than the first protest (attended by about 10,000) and the second one (which had about 15,000).
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JoongAng Ilbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)
Gov’t spins wheels on low birthrate solutions

A presidential committee trying to elevate the country’s dismal birthrate unveiled a set of measures worth 900 billion won ($804 million) Thursday, but many were expansions of existing benefits that haven’t worked, analysts said. The Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy announced a set of measures such as expanding the paid paternity leave for fathers to 10 days from the current three days and providing 500,000 won to couples not covered by employment insurance for 90 days after they have a child.

Samsung shares heading south
Have Samsung Electronics shares lost it? Ever since the tech giant split the shares 50 to 1 at the end of April with the goal of making them “national shares” - more people could own them because each share would be much cheaper - the price of Samsung shares has been gradually going down. After seeing the price struggle since May, brokerage houses have rushed to slash target prices for Samsung shares.

Joint March 1 commemoration to be proposed
Seoul is proposing to Pyongyang that a delegation from each country travel on the same train to China next year for the 100th anniversary of the March 1 Korean independence movement, a local high-level official exclusively told the JoongAng Ilbo Wednesday. The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the delegations would visit key historical sites related to Korean activists who went into exile in China, mainly Shanghai and Manchuria, to fight against Japanese colonial rule in the early 20th century.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
National Assembly Spent 5.9 Billion Won of Special Expenses in 3 Years, But No One Knows Who Spent It on What
The payment of billions of won in special activity expenses for lawmakers was made in a questionable way, making it unclear as to who the final recipient was. As the controversy over the special expenses spread, the National Assembly announced, "We will change the system to improve transparency." On July 5, the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy announced that the recipient of 5.9 billion won, a quarter of the total 24 billion won (an annual 8 billion won), which the National Assembly spent on special activity expenses from 2011 to 2013, was simply stated as "Nonghyup Bank (wage-like expenses)."

"Dredge the Four Major Rivers to Secure River Depth of 6m Around the Dams " MB Obsessed about the Grand Canal Even After Abandoning the Project
Former President Lee Myung-bak (photo) ignored the opinions of related ministries and unilaterally instructed the government to push ahead with the Four Major Rivers Project--still at the center of controversy after 22 trillion won of the taxpayers' money has been poured into the project. Lee ordered that the dams in the four major rivers be constructed where the water was at least six meters deep. Six meters is the minimum depth for vessels to travel on the water, leading to speculations that the former president had the Grand Canal Project in mind.

Finance Ministry "Refuses" the Expansion of the Comprehensive Financial Income Tax
The Ministry of Strategy and Finance announced that it would not accept the tax reform recommendations by the Special Committee for Financial Reforms under the presidential committee on policy planning to impose stronger taxes on those earning a high income from financial investments, such interest and dividends. On July 4, when reporters asked his position on the special committee’s recommendations, Kim Dong-yeon, deputy prime minister cum minister of strategy and finance, said, "We will look into the comprehensive financial income tax further."
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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)
Rights group disclosed alleged document on desk plan for pro-Park coup
A human rights group disclosed what it called a military desk plan for a coup to safeguard South Korea's jailed ex-president Park Geun-hye at the height of demonstrations in March last year when the constitutional court made a landmark decision to confirm her impeachment. The plan was drawn up by So Gang-won, an army major general at the Defense Security Command (DSC), a counterintelligence unit charged with internal security and the deterrence of subversion, according to the Military Human Rights Center for Korea on Friday.

S. Korea concerned but predicts limited impact from Sino-U.S. trade war
South Korea expressed concern about a Sino-U.S. trade war but said it would have a limited impact on Asia's fourth-largest economy as the superpowers took action against each other, putting Seoul in an awkward position. On Friday, the United States imposed tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods. Beijing responded with tariffs on U.S. goods, calling the U.S. trade attack a "textbook trade hegemony".

China's Doublestar becomes largest shareholder of S. Korean tire company
Kumho Tire was formally launched as a subsidiary of Doublestar Friday after the Chinese tire maker completed the acquisition of a controlling stake in South Korea's second-largest tiremaker under a deal that followed a long period of bumpy negotiations with creditors and protests by workers. At a meeting of shareholders in Seoul, Doublestar Chairman Chai Yongsen said he would nurture Kumho Tire as a global company by combing the competitiveness of Kumho in passenger cars and the competitiveness of Doublestar in trucks and buses.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
FDI commitment in S. Korea surge to a record high in H1
Foreign direct investment to South Korea in the first six months of this year hit an all-time high thanks to Chinese investors’ insatiable appetite for Korean businesses and active merger and acquisition deals in the retail and food industries. If the current trend continues, Asia’s fourth-largest economy is expected to attract $20 billion or more in annual foreign direct investment for a fourth year in a row in 2018.

Hyundai Motor invests in Australian car-sharing firm Car Next Door
South Korea’s top automaker Hyundai Motor Co. has joined hands with an Australian car-sharing firm to develop a smartphone application that utilizes cutting-edge Internet of Things (IoT) technology to provide consumers with more convenient car-sharing service. Hyundai Motor said on Wednesday that it has invested in Car Next Door and entered into mutual partnership to introduce mobility service of a new concept in 2020 utilizing cutting-edge information communications technology.

Renault Samsung contributes more to foster Korean automotive component startups
Renault Samsung Motors Co., the South Korean unit of French carmaker Renault S.A., Wednesday said it will contribute 15 billion won ($13.4 million) to a public-private investment program aimed to foster car component industry. The carmaker said it will work together with the Ministry of Small and Medium-Sized Ventures and Enterprises and other stakeholders to raise the fund and support SMEs to continue technology development.
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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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