Wednesday, August 22, 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.
S. Korea mulls deleting description of N.K. military as 'enemy' in defense white paper
South Korea is considering deleting its reference to North Korea's military as "our enemy" in its defense white paper to be published later this year, multiple government sources in Seoul said Wednesday. The move is in line with the April inter-Korean summit agreement to halt "all hostile acts" against each other, seek to alleviate tensions and "practically eliminate the danger of war."
S. Korea, U.S. to hold talks on sharing defense costs
South Korea and the United States will open another round of negotiations on Wednesday, seeking to narrow differences over covering the cost of American troops stationed on the peninsula, officials said. Senior diplomats of the allies plan to hold the two-day session at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses in Seoul. It would be the sixth round of talks on determining how much Seoul will pay for the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK).
Unemployment in 25-39 age group hits 19-year high in July
Unemployment numbers for the 25-39 age group, which normally represents new entrants to the job market, were at their highest in 19 years last month, state data showed Wednesday. The number of people without jobs in the age group hit 338,000 in July, the highest since 434,000 tallied in 1999, according to Statistics Korea. The unemployment rate reached 6.4 percent, also the highest since 7.2 percent recorded for July 1999.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
US Slaps Sanctions on 2 Russian Shipping Companies over Banned Oil Transfers
The United States on Tuesday slapped sanctions on two Russian shipping companies for violating UN Security Council resolutions by allegedly helping North Korea's illicit activities. The Department of the Treasury announced that it added to its sanctions list two Russian shipping companies and six vessels involved in the banned ship-to-ship transfer of refined petroleum products to North Korea-flagged vessels.
S. Korean Participants of Family Reunions to Return Wednesday
A group of 89 elderly South Koreans will return home on Wednesday after three days of inter-Korean family reunions at the Mount Geumgang resort in North Korea. The families, who were reunited with their loved ones for the first time in almost 70 years on Monday, will hold a final group meeting for two hours from 10 a.m. and then have lunch together for an hour. The two Koreas originally allocated two hours for the final meeting and lunch, but South Korea proposed extending the session to three hours.
'UN Aviation Watchdog Has No Plan to Conduct On-site Safety Inspections in N. Korea'
A United Nations aviation watchdog has denied media reports that its officials will visit North Korea for on-site inspections to ensure the safety of international flights from unannounced missile launches. According to the Voice of America(VOA) on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the UN International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO) said the watchdog has no plan to conduct such inspections in the communist country.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Gov't, ruling party to expand support for smaller, self-employed businesses
The government and the ruling Democratic Party (DP) agreed Wednesday to expand tax credit and other supportive measures for smaller firms and self-employed businesses to help them tide over the slowing economy. The decision came at a meeting between DP and government officials to discuss ways to support mom-and-pop store owners and self-employed people who have been hit hard by the slowing economy and recent minimum wage hike.
Murder suspect says he was angry at victim for threats about reporting illegal hostess service
The suspect in the mutilation and murder of a middle-aged man has said he killed the victim out of rage after the man threatened to report him to police over an illegal hostess service at his karaoke bar, police said Wednesday. Police on Tuesday arrested a 34-year-old karaoke bar owner, identified only by his family name Byun, in Anyang, about 20 km south of Seoul, on charges of murder, body mutilation and others. Byun is accused of stabbing a 51-year-old man to death in his karaoke bar and mutilating the body before disposing of it in a thicket near a parking lot of Seoul Grand Park on Aug. 10.
Bill to allow Nexon, Netmarble to become top shareholder of Internet-only banks
The financial regulator has submitted a bill to the National Assembly that would allow technology firms, such as Nexon Co. and Netmarble Games Corp., to become the top shareholder of an Internet-only bank, a market source said Wednesday. Naver Corp., South Korea's top Internet portal, and Kakao Corp., operator of leading messaging app KakaoTalk, are also likely to benefit from the government's move to ease regulations on web-only banks' ownership structure, according to the source.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Prosecutors to investigate hardcore cartels without FTC accusation
South Korean prosecutors will have the authority to charge companies over hardcore cartels without accusations by the Fair Trade Commission, following a mutual agreement between the two organizations to abolish the national antitrust watchdog’s exclusive right to charge businesses, officials said Tuesday. In the current system, prosecutors can begin an investigation only if there is an official accusation by the FTC in the area of violation of fair trade laws.
Handheld electric fans emit high levels of radiation: report
Handheld electronic fans emit high levels of electromagnetic radiation and should be used at least 25 centimeters from the face, according to a report by nonprofit organization Asian Citizen’s Center for Environment and Health, Monday. The ACCEH said that in its test of 13 types of handheld electronic fans purchased at shopping malls in Seoul, 12 emitted high levels of electromagnetic radiation.
Man arrested for stealing W50m from restaurants: police
Gwangjin police said Tuesday they have arrested a man in his 50s for allegedly stealing about 51 million won ($45,000) from dozens of restaurants across the country over the course of one year. The 54-year-old suspect is accused of stealing from some 50 restaurants in Seoul, Busan and other cities between September last year and August this year, taking large amounts of cash from cashiers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Two Koreas to close 10 DMZ guard posts
Seoul and Pyongyang have agreed to remove 10 guard posts near the inter-Korean border line, as part of a step to realize their mutual goal of transforming the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) into a peaceful area, South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo said Tuesday. "We reached an agreement with the North to remove 10 guard posts and decided to expand the number," Song said during a National Assembly session. The two Koreas will start removing posts closest to the border and continue to raise the number, according to the minister.
'Custody without time limit violates human rights': watchdog
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has called on the National Assembly to revise some clauses of the Immigration Control Law which in its view violate the human rights of foreigners subject to deportation, the commission said Tuesday. Under the current clauses, foreigners who are ordered to leave the country are housed in detention centers if they cannot be deported immediately.
Rising inflation weighs on economy
Record high increases in the cost of wholesale goods are expected to further undermine confidence in the future growth potential of the economy, analysts said. The country's producer price index (PPI), a measure of business inflation, stood at 104.83 in July, up 0.4 percent from the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). This marks the highest in three years and 10 months and is being driven by rising prices of vegetables and fruit amid the prolonged summer heat wave. The price of spinach rose the highest by more than 130 percent in July from the month before, followed by that of cabbage at 90 percent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Typhoon Soulik to Make Landfall on Thursday
Typhoon Soulik is expected to make landfall in Korea on Thursday. The first typhoon to reach the Korean Peninsula since Sanba in 2012, will bring heavy thunderstorms to the peninsula, the Korea Meteorological Administration warned Tuesday. As of 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Soulik was classified as a mid-sized typhoon as it passed through waters south of Kagoshima, Japan toward Jeju Island at 23 km/h with maximum wind speeds of 43 m/s.
Bolton Insists Kim Jong-un Pledged to Denuclearize 'in a Year'
White House national security adviser John Bolton has again called on North Korea to fulfill its commitment to denuclearization. Talking on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday, Bolton claimed once again that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un promised South Korean President Moon Jae-in in their summit on April 27 that he would denuclearize within a year.
Army to Recruit Drone Specialists
The Military Manpower Administration will recruit 64 drone specialists, a spokesperson said on Monday, as the Army plans to launch a dronebot combat force later this year. The soldiers will work as operators, mechanics or training assistants at the combat force, unmanned aerial vehicle units and drone research centers. An Army spokesman said, "Drone specialists will operate and maintain small drones, each worth several millions of won, until home-grown dronebots are developed" (US$1=W1,123).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
BMW Korea announces recall of 106,137 vehicles
On Aug. 20, BMW Korea announced that it had initiated a recall of 106,317 vehicles representing 42 models at 61 service centers around South Korea. The vehicles being recalled are diesel-fueled models, including the 520d, that were produced between 2011 and 2016. Considering that the safety checkups carried out prior to this point were a makeshift solution under emergency conditions, the recall is moving BMW’s spontaneous combustion debacle into a new phase.
Foreign ministry tried to dissuade judiciary of finding Japanese companies guilty of war crimes
Around the time that the Supreme Court under former chief justice Yang Seung-tae and the Blue House under former president Park Geun-hye were making a deal about sending judges to Korean embassies overseas and handling a lawsuit that Korean victims of forced labor were filing against Japanese companies guilty of war crimes, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs apparently tried to persuade the judiciary to delay the lawsuit on the grounds that a ruling that found Japanese companies responsible for the forced labor would unleash a torrent of lawsuits by 200,000 people.
Tears flow at reunion for divided Korean families
The mother flung her arms around the son she had lost while fleeing from the fighting 67 years ago. “Sang-chol!” she cried, intoning the name of the boy she had missed for decades. During the 21st reunion for families divided by the Korean War, which was held at Mt. Kumgang, in North Korea, on Aug. 20, 92-year-old Lee Geum-seom, who lives in South Korea, sobbed as she stroked the face of her 71-year-old son Ri Sang-chol, who lives in North Korea. Geum-seom’s family had been fleeing from the horrors of the war when she was separated from her husband and her four-year-old son.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Trump announces 2nd round of summit with Kim Jong Un
U.S. President Donald Trump has officialized the possibility of holding a second round of summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. It is indeed gaining attention on whether a second scene of negotiations over denuclearization, which had been facing a standstill, could be initiated in earnest if Kim meets not only South Korean President Moon Jae-in in September but also Chinese President Xi Jinping and the U.S. president consecutively.
Water ice confirmed on surface of the moon
It has been confirmed that there is water ice on the surface of the moon. Water molecules had been discovered at the soil from the moon, but this is the first time that a water ice was discovered on the moon. A team of researchers led by Shuai Li of the University of Hawaii came to the conclusion while re-analyzing the data from NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3). The M3 was aboard the "Chandrayaan-1" spacecraft, which was India’s first lunar probe operated between 2008 and 2009. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on Monday.
Jin fails to earn a gold at 10-meter event at Asian Games
At the 2018 Palembang Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia Tuesday, South Korean veteran shooter Jin Jong-oh showed great performance in test shooting by making his gunshots centered just round the bull’s eye. He made his way up to the finals with the 2nd highest scores in the men's 10-meter air pistol event. However, the last shot in test shooting turned out to be the beginning of his misfortune. His scores did not show up in the monitor (electronic target) in front of the shooter.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JoongAng Ilbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)
Relatives at reunions get more time together
Reunions of families sundered by the 1950-53 Korean War continued Tuesday in North Korea’s Mount Kumgang resort, with relatives allowed more private time than before. South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, which handles relations with the North, said families privately met with each other in their hotel rooms from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and shared lunch from noon to 1 p.m., after which they convened in a large hall with other families from 3 to 5 p.m. for a group meeting.
Trump hints at 2nd Kim meeting
U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he would “most likely” have a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, noting that “a lot of good things are happening” in respect to North Korea. “It’s most likely we will,” answered Trump when asked about the prospect of a second meeting with Kim in an interview with Reuters on Monday in the Oval Office. He refused to go into detail, saying, “But I just don’t want to comment.”
Administration tries to show resolve about deteriorating jobs situation
Amid a rising panic about the jobs situation in Korea, the government is rolling out various emergency measures to show the public that it’s on the case. In a cabinet meeting on Tuesday presided over by Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, the government decided to raise the maximum qualifying age for tax benefits given to young Koreans from 29 to 34. The government provides various tax breaks, including cuts in income and corporate taxes, for young people who work for small and mid-sized companies and those who run their own businesses.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
N. Korean military parade probably bigger than previous one: 38 North
A North Korean military parade next month will probably be larger than a previous one held in February, but recent satellite imagery showed strategic weapons like ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) launchers were absent, according to 38 North, the website of a U.S. research institute. Given the pace of its build-up and training, the parade to mark the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding on September 9 will probably match or surpass the size of the previous one held on February 8 to mark the founding day of its armed forces, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., a US missile expert, said in his analysis published by 38 North.
Separated families share lunch boxes during private meetings
North Korea showed unusual generosity, allowing its citizens to lunch together with South Korean relatives at uninterrupted private meetings in hotel rooms for the first time in the history of emotional reunions for families separated by the Korean conflict 65 years ago. North Korean helpers delivered lunch boxes to hotel rooms Tuesday when 89 elderly South Koreans exchanged gift sets and words from their hearts with 185 North Korean relatives for three hours at the North's Mount Kumgan resort. This marked the first time ever that separated families have lunched together.
Samsung challenges rival LG in clothes refresher market with 'Air Dresser'
In a bid to overtake its domestic rival, LG Electronics, in the emerging clothes refresher market, Samsung Electronics unveiled "Air Dresser", a freezer-shaped garment care home appliance which deodorizes, sterilizes and cleans clothes. LG has been the leader in the global clothes refresher market since it released "LG Styler", an electronic wardrobe which steams and refreshes clothing by blowing air to remove dust and other pollutants, for the first time in the world in 2011. Other companies from the United States, Japan and China have followed suit.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)
N. Korean military parade probably bigger than previous one: 38 North
A North Korean military parade next month will probably be larger than a previous one held in February, but recent satellite imagery showed strategic weapons like ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) launchers were absent, according to 38 North, the website of a U.S. research institute. Given the pace of its build-up and training, the parade to mark the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding on September 9 will probably match or surpass the size of the previous one held on February 8 to mark the founding day of its armed forces, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., a US missile expert, said in his analysis published by 38 North.
Separated families share lunch boxes during private meetings
North Korea showed unusual generosity, allowing its citizens to lunch together with South Korean relatives at uninterrupted private meetings in hotel rooms for the first time in the history of emotional reunions for families separated by the Korean conflict 65 years ago. North Korean helpers delivered lunch boxes to hotel rooms Tuesday when 89 elderly South Koreans exchanged gift sets and words from their hearts with 185 North Korean relatives for three hours at the North's Mount Kumgan resort. This marked the first time ever that separated families have lunched together.
Samsung challenges rival LG in clothes refresher market with 'Air Dresser'
In a bid to overtake its domestic rival, LG Electronics, in the emerging clothes refresher market, Samsung Electronics unveiled "Air Dresser", a freezer-shaped garment care home appliance which deodorizes, sterilizes and cleans clothes. LG has been the leader in the global clothes refresher market since it released "LG Styler", an electronic wardrobe which steams and refreshes clothing by blowing air to remove dust and other pollutants, for the first time in the world in 2011. Other companies from the United States, Japan and China have followed suit.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Samsung, LG’s dueling in premium TV market intensifies
South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. will have a new round of head-to-head competition to grab the industry’s best premium TV brand title with their newest upmarket TV sets at this year’s Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) later this month. At the IFA 2018, a major international exhibition for home appliances running from Aug. 31 to Sep. 5 in Berlin, Germany this year, Samsung Electronics will show off the world’s first 8K resolution QLED TV, its latest premium model backed by quantum-dot display technology that boasts of high resolution and improved image and sound quality thanks to artificial intelligence (AI)-controlled image technology. Currently 4K is the highest resolution available in the TV market.
S. Korea to do away with FTC’s exclusive right to report unfair business practices
The South Korean government and the ruling Democratic Party have decided to scrap the Fair Trade Commission (FTC)’s exclusive right to file complaints against criminal collusion, allowing prosecutors to initiate investigations without the antitrust watchdog’s intervention. The ruling party announced Tuesday that it will revise the country’s fair trade act to strengthen criminal penalties against criminal collusion cases such as price rigging, collusive bidding and market allocation, and double the fine imposed on major violations including collusion and abuse of market dominance.
Samsung Elec denies rumors about its re-entry into auto industry
Samsung Electronics Co. has categorically denied the widespread rumors about its possible re-entry into the finished vehicle market. “We have no intention to acquire a carmaker to enter the market,” the tech giant said in a note to employees on Tuesday. Samsung Group started selling cars in 1998 under its own brand but decided to pull out of the market following the Asian financial crisis. In September 2000, Samsung Motors became a subsidiary of Renault.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.com bfp@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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------