Headlines, September 11, 2018

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies today

And from international media:

The Korea Post media (www.koreapost.com) in English, (www.koreapost.co.kr) in Korean.

Trump received letter from Kim calling for 2nd summit: White House
U.S. President Donald Trump has received a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un calling for a second meeting between the two, and planning is already under way, the White House said Monday.
Trump said last week that he is expecting a letter from Kim amid stalled negotiations to dismantle the regime's nuclear weapons program.

Vietnam's VinFast signs MOU with LG Chem on batteries
Vietnam's VinFast Trading and Production Ltd. said it has a signed an initial agreement with LG Chem Ltd., South Korea's biggest chemical company by sales, to receive batteries for its electric scooters and electric cars.
LG Chem will also supply batteries for electric buses, smartphones and other products in the Vingroup's ecosystem, VinFast said, citing the memorandum of understanding inked between the two sides in Hanoi on Friday.

S. Korean business leaders likely to visit N. Korea
South Korea business executives are expected to accompany President Moon Jae-in on a trip to Pyongyang next week to explore potential deals going forward, corporate sources said Monday.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang from Sept. 18-20. The two have already met twice this year, leading to eased tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

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

White House: Kim Jong-un Sent Letter to Trump Seeking Second Summit
The White House said Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump has received a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un calling for a second summit and coordination for the meeting is already underway.

Authorities Fail to Track Down 50 Foreigners who Had Indirect Contact with MERS Patient
South Korean health authorities are working to track down 50 of 115 foreigners who traveled to Seoul on the same flight as a newly confirmed MERS patient last Friday.

Former Supreme Court Researcher Destroyed Classified Documents
A former chief researcher at the Supreme Court has been found to have destroyed the classified materials and documents that he took with him when he retired.

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

Gov't keeping close tabs on 21 people who came into close contact with MERS patient
South Korea's government said Monday that it is keeping close tabs on 21 people who came into close contact with a man who tested positive for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

Indonesian president takes morning stroll with Seoul mayor along Cheonggye Stream
Indonesian President Joko Widodo took a morning stroll with Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon along the Cheonggye Stream running through the center of Seoul on Tuesday on the last day of his three-day state visit to South Korea.

Koreas to hold working-level military talks Thursday
The two Koreas will hold working-level military talks this week to discuss measures to reduce tensions on the border, Seoul's defense ministry said Tuesday.

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

Trump received letter from Kim calling for 2nd summit: White House
US President Donald Trump has received a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un calling for a second meeting between the two, and planning is already under way, the White House said Monday.

Govt. keeping close tabs on 21 people who came into close contact with MERS patient
South Korea's government said Monday that it is keeping close tabs on 21 people who came into close contact with a man who tested positive for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.

Parties call truce on Panmunjom Declaration
The escalating political tit-for-tat over the need for parliamentary approval of the April inter-Korean summit agreement has come to a halt, with the rival parties agreeing Monday to shelve the discussion until after the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang next week.

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

Kim Jong-un suggests 2nd summit in letter to Trump: White House
U.S. President Donald Trump has received a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un calling for a second meeting between the two, and planning is already under way, the White House said Monday.

Lotte Chemical suspends W4 tril. investment in Indonesia
Lotte Group has suspended a plan by its chemical unit to invest 4 trillion won ($3.5 billion) in Indonesia, due to the current imprisonment of group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, Lotte's No. 2 man confirmed Monday.

A case revealing loopholes of MERS quarantine guidelines
With growing concerns over the spread of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) here following the first confirmed case in three years ― a 61-year-old man Saturday ― the government has assured the public it will do all it can to contain the disease.

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

N.Korea Keeps Long-Range Missiles off Anniversary Parade
North Korea held a massive parade in Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang on Sunday morning to mark the 70th anniversary of its founding as leader Kim Jong-un and senior officials and a handful of foreign dignitaries looked on.

Moon's Approval Rating Plunges Below 50%
President Moon Jae-in's approval rating has fallen below 50 percent level for the first time since he took office. Gallup Korea last Friday said the biggest factors behind the decline were economic woes, including the minimum wage hike, job shortage, and real estate market volatility, which soured public opinion.

Most Businesses Feel Korean Economy Is in Slump
The Korea Employers Federation said Sunday that in a survey of 527 businesses, 94.3 percent said the nation's economy is in the doldrums, while 4.1 percent said they are unsure and only 1.6 percent disagreed.

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

No ICBMs in North Korea’s foundation day military parade
No intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) appeared in the military parade on Sept. 9 that celebrated the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the North Korean government. North Korea was presumably using this understated presentation to reconfirm that it has no intention of threatening the US.

Blue House engages in “meditation diplomacy” in effort to jumpstart NK-US negotiations
The Blue House has begun “mediation diplomacy” efforts by sending special envoys to the US, China, Japan, and Russia in a bid to stoke the embers of talks toward the Korean Peninsula’s denuclearization and an end-of-war declaration.

Correspondence between Trump and Kim resumes amid North Korea-US deadlock
With North Korea and the US still unable to find a breakthrough in their talks, “correspondence diplomacy” between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump has resumed. Exchanging personal letters has brought the two leaders back together during each crisis, and it will be interesting to see whether the letters can once again serve as a catalyst for breaking through the deadlock.

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

China, Japan, Russia to meet at the Eastern Economic Forum
Leaders of the three regional powers, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are set to have a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) held in Vladivostok from Tuesday. The three-day forum will provide a venue for the three strongmen to get together, except for U.S. President Donald Trump, and their summits are being closely watched since the three countries are at odds with Washington over at least one of the issues spanning trade, North Korea’s denuclearization, and economic sanctions.

N. Korean Gen. Ri Myong Soo called first in 70th anniversary
The former chief of the Korean People’s Army’s Gen. Ri Myong Soo, 84, who was rumored to have been replaced in April after being caught dozing off while Kim Jong Un was giving a speech, was referred to as "the highest rank in the military" in reports about the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding.

Samsung Electronics’ brand value surges 57 percent
Samsung Electronics has topped the list as most valuable brand among South Korean companies, with its brand value hovering near the mark of 90 trillion Korean won. According to the recent brand value list of 50 South Korean companies by the London-based consulting business Brand Finance, Samsung Electronics has outperformed Hyundai Motor and LG Electronics to become the most valuable South Korean brand.

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

Trump’s glowing tweets signal revival of talks
U.S. President Donald Trump praised the absence of missiles in a major North Korean military parade on Sunday and thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for the gesture in a Twitter post, an indication that deadlocked talks between Washington and Pyongyang on denuclearization could be revived soon.

Party leaders invited up North
The Blue House on Monday asked the heads of major political parties to join President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang for the upcoming inter-Korean summit.

KT to invest 23 trillion won, hire 36,000 by 2023
KT will spend 23 trillion won ($20 billion) on setting up infrastructure for its high-speed 5G network, artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud business and hire 36,000 new employees over the next five years, the company said Monday.

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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)

North Korea's September 9 Parade Without ICBMs: Is the U.S. Just Going to Wait?
The foreign press reported that North Korea did not display its intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) during the military parade celebrating the seventieth anniversary of the establishment of the regime on September 9. In the military parade on the seventieth anniversary of the foundation of its military on February 8, North Korea exhibited Hwasong-14 and Hwasong-15, intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking the U.S. mainland. Thus the latest parade showed restraint on the side of Pyongyang.

Layoffs Shook the Lives of the Spouses as Well: First Survey of Laid-off Ssangyong Motor Workers and Their Wives
Putting bread on the table was not the only challenge after her husband was laid off. People who used to chat and laugh with her just until yesterday suddenly turned their backs, and some neighbors began whispering, "Her husband was laid off."

Kim Jong-un Pledges "Denuclearization Within Trump's Term." Now Time for the U.S. to Answer
Kim Jong-un, chairman of the North Korean State Affairs Commission, met with the special envoys of President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang on September 5 and expressed his willingness to denuclearize the nation by the end of U.S. President Donald Trump's first term in office.

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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)

Political leaders invited to accompany Moon for cross-border trip
South Korea's presidential office offered to form a special nine-member political delegation including opposition and ruling party leaders who will accompany Presidential Moon Jae-in to North Korea for a new inter-Korean summit this month.

British woman tested negative for MERS amid health scare
A British woman was not diagnosed with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) after she was isolated at a state-run hospital for fever and cough as health authorities stepped up efforts to stem the spread of the deadly virus that sparked a health scare in South Korea.

Kim's letter calls for 2nd summit with Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump has received a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un calling for a second meeting between the two, and planning is already under way, the White House said.

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

SK Hynix to build $300 mn hospital in Wuxi, China
South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix Inc. is building a hospital in Wuxi, China at a cost of $300 million as the memory giant aims to strengthen community ties in the regional base of its Chinese manufacturing plant while grooming its health care capabilities.

Hyundai Engineering expands infrastructure business in Indonesia
Hyundai Engineering Co., the construction unit under South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group, is expected to further solidify its presence in the Indonesian infrastructure market after agreeing to take part in a range of infrastructure projects in the Southeast Asian country.

Korea’s Kolon Industries to ramp up aramid fiber capacity by 50%
South Korea’s Kolon Industries Inc. will beef up domestic aramid fiber production by 50 percent by the first quarter of 2020 to meet a surge in demand for the super-strong fiber after it entered the North American market, the company said Monday.

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Lee Kyung-sik edt@koreapost.com