Headlines, November 13, 2018

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today:

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

N. Korea running at least 13 undeclared missile operating bases: CSIS

North Korea has operated at least 13 undeclared missile sites across the nation, a potential blow to U.S. President Donald Trump's assertion that his strategy on Pyongyang has effectively eliminated its military threats, a new study showed on Nov. 12, 2018. In a report, Beyond Parallel, a group at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said it has located 13 out of an estimated 20 missile operating bases undeclared by its regime.

BOK chief Lee Ju-yeol elected to BIS board

Bank of Korea (BOK) Gov. Lee Ju-yeol has been elected to the board of the Bank of International Settlement (BIS), the central bank in South Korea said on Nov. 13, 2018. At the BIS board of directors meeting in Basel, Switzerland, on Nov. 11, 2018 (local time), Lee became the 11th member of the 18-person panel, according to the BOK. He will start his three-year term in January next year.

Samsung set to widen gap with Intel throughout 2018: IC Insights

Samsung Electronics Co. is expected to solidify its spot as the world's top chip supplier for all of 2018 on the back of strong shipments of memory chips, industry tracker IC Insights said Tuesday, widening its gap with U.S. rival Intel Corp. The South Korean chipmaker is expected to post combined sales of US$83.2 billion this year, up 26 percent from a year earlier, IC Insight said, while suggesting an on-year 14 percent rise for Intel at $70.1 billion.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Labor Union Willing to Attend 3-Way Talks over GM Korea's Spin-off Plan

The labor union of General Motors(GM) Korea says it is willing to accept the company’s second-largest shareholder’s proposal to hold tripartite talks with management over the automaker’s controversial spin-off plan. The GM Korea chapter of the Korean Metal Workers' Union ensured on Monday, however, that it will only accept the Korea Development Bank(KDB)’s proposal on the condition that it reveals the details of its agreement early this year with the management on how to normalize the company.

Unification Minister to Visit US to Discuss Bringing Peace to Peninsula

South Korea's Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon will visit the United States on Tuesday to discuss inter-Korean relations and ways to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula. The ministry said that Cho will visit Washington and New York from Tuesday to Saturday to attend the 2018 Korea Global Forum and meet with U.S. government officials and lawmakers.

S. Korea's Import Prices Hit 4-Year High in Oct.

South Korea's import prices hit a four-year high last month due to a rise in crude oil prices. According to the data by the Bank of Korea on Tuesday, the import price index rose one-point-five percent to 92-point-06 in October from the previous month. It’s the highest figure since September 2014, when it stood at 93-point-03, and marks the second consecutive on-month increase.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Moon to leave for Singapore to take part in ASEAN summits

President Moon Jae-in was to leave for Singapore Tuesday for annual summits with Southeast Asian nations and their dialogue partners as he strives to bolster relations with the region and drum up international support for his initiative for peace with North Korea. During the three-day visit to Singapore, Moon is scheduled to attend a trio of annual summits hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) -- a Korea-ASEAN summit, an ASEAN Plus Three summit also involving China and Japan and the broader East Asia Summit.

S. Korea's biggest game fair set to open in Busan

South Korea's largest computing game expo is slated to open in Busan this week featuring a wide range of new computer and mobile games with virtual reality technology taking the center stage, sources said Tuesday. Hundreds of game developers and distributors from scores of countries will take part in the G-Star Global Game Exhibition scheduled to kick off in the southeastern port city Thursday for a four-day run.

Samsung's QuickDrive washing machine wins top award in Britain

Samsung Electronics Co. said Tuesday its QuickDrive washing machine won was named the washing machine of the year by British evaluator Trusted Review. "We awarded the smart washing machine five out of five stars in our review, in which we could barely praise it enough. It's super-easy to use, and Samsung's innovative QuickDrive drum, which features three paddles that rotate independently of the drum itself, allows for much shorter wash times," Trusted Review said in its report.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Korea's biggest game fair set to open in Busan

Govt. to establish anti-espionage intelligence-sharing center

The Cabinet was set Tuesday to approve a measure authorizing the establishment of an anti-espionage intelligence-sharing center and designating the justice ministry and the customs service as counter-espionage agencies. The move is part of efforts to strengthen the country's overall anti-espionage system in response to ever-sophisticating foreign intelligence activities infringing upon national security and interests, the government said.

Korea, Israel agree to continue efforts for early conclusion of FTA talks

South Korea and Israel agreed Friday to continue efforts for the early conclusion of their negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement during working-level diplomatic talks, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Hong Jin-wook, director general of the African and Middle Eastern affairs bureau at Seoul's foreign ministry, held a policy consultation meeting with his counterpart, Gilad Cohen, in Seoul on a range of issues, including business cooperation and security on the peninsula.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Gosiwon fires: Better housing options needed for Seoul's poor

Flowers and snacks were piled up outside the charred three-story Gukil Gosiwon building, Monday, in a silent memorial to seven tenants who died in a fire there. The fire at the gosiwon (a low-cost single-room type of accommodation) in central Seoul once again reminded people of the unsafe living conditions facing most of its destitute residents.

Police conclude teacher leaked exam questions to twin daughters

Police concluded Monday that a teacher at Sookmyung Girls' High School leaked exam questions multiple times to his twin daughters who attended the same school. Wrapping up the two-month investigation and disclosing confiscated material as evidence, Suseo Police Station referred the case to the prosecution, recommending it indict all three.

North Korea raps Seoul, Washington over joint marine drills

North Korea has stepped up criticism of South Korea and the United States for their resumption of joint marine exercises, calling the move a military act against the ongoing peace momentum on the Korean Peninsula. The verbal provocation came a week after the allies resumed the marine drills, the Korea Marine Exercise Program (KMEP), for two weeks in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. Seoul and Washington suspended a series of joint military drills this year in consideration of the reconciliatory relations between the two Koreas, but the allies decided to resume the drill to enhance defense readiness here.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

1/4 of Teenagers Eat Junk Food Every Other Day

One in four middle or high school students in Korea eats junk food in convenience stores three times a week or more. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed eating habits of 62,276 adolescents who participated in a survey last year and found that 39 percent of them ate instant food like cup noodles from convenience stores, supermarkets or vending machines once or twice a week and 26 percent three times or more.

Gov't Biggest Cause of Pent-up Anger

The biggest causes of pent-up anger are the government and bureaucracy, and those who experience it most are accident victims and their families, an analysis of 30 years of reports in Korea's major newspapers suggests. Seoul National University and Hallym University analyzed 321 articles with titles that included the words "pent-up anger" from six major daily newspapers from 1990 until this year.

N.Korea Demands Suspension of S.Korea-U.S. Marine Drill

North Korea on Monday accused South Korea and the U.S. of violating an inter-Korean military agreement by staging a joint marine drill. The Korean Marine Exchange Program is a battalion-level joint drill which was postponed indefinitely in June but recently resumed. It is a far smaller drill than the Ulchi-Freedom Guardian exercise that South Korea and the U.S. also called off.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

S. Korea in lowest category among OECD countries for income redistribution via tax policies

South Korea ranks in the lowest category among 28 OECD member countries for the income redistribution effects its tax and fiscal policies has had, a report shows. A report titled “International Comparison of the Income Redistribution Effects of Tax and Fiscal Policies” published by the Hyundai Research Institute (HRI) on Nov. 11 showed 80.5% of South Korea’s low-income population to have remained in that category despite government tax and fiscal policies, with just 19.5% managing to exit poverty.

Korea and Japanese civic groups take joint action on forced labor issue

South Korean and Japanese civic groups are taking joint action to resolve the issue of compensation for forced labor conscription following a recent South Korean Supreme Court ruling. An establishment ceremony for the organization “Collective Action to Address the Forced Mobilization Issue and Resolve the Past” was held in Tokyo on Nov. 11 by Japanese civic groups.

Lower courts reopen hearings on forced labor after Supreme Court ruling

After South Korea’s Supreme Court upheld for the first time a ruling that people conscripted for labor at Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal (formerly Japan Iron and Steel Co.) are owed compensation, lawsuits related to compulsory mobilization are resuming in the lower courts. A major issue in these trials is likely to be the statute of limitations, which was not clearly addressed by the Supreme Court’s decision.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

S. Korean lawyers rebuffed by Nippon Steel in Tokyo

Lawyers seeking compensation for South Koreans forced to work for Japanese firms visited Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal (NSSM)’s Tokyo headquarters on Monday, but were turned away at the entrance. Lawyers Lim Jae-sung and Kim Se-eun, representing the South Korean plaintiffs, along with civic activists, sought a meeting on Monday with the Japanese company’s headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo.

Samsung Display starts production of 65-inch UHD video wall

Samsung Display has pioneered the global market of ultra-high definition video wall with 3840x2160 pixel resolution. Video walls are made of several display panels to enable a super-large screen. The Korean display producer released on Monday that 65-inch UHD video wall display products have been in production since last month.

CNN could sue Trump over suspended press pass

The tension between President Donald Trump and CNN is likely to turn into a full-blown lawsuit. It has been reported that Jim Acosta, a CNN White House correspondent, is preparing lawsuit against the Trump administration, after being denied entry into the White House for making physical contact with a female intern who tried to take a microphone from him while he was making aggressive inquiries to Mr. Trump during a press conference on last Wednesday.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Moon clears schedule to prepare for Asia trip

President Moon Jae-in cleared his schedule on Monday to prepare for a six-day overseas trip to Asian nations starting Tuesday during which he will continue championing his peace initiative aimed at inducing North Korea to completely denuclearize. Monday is when Moon usually presides over a weekly senior secretariat meeting during which he delivers an opening speech to comment on a variety of national and diplomatic affairs.

Korea Inc. asks for gov’t help

Korean business leaders met on Monday with Sung Yun-mo, minister of trade, industry and energy, and asked the government for new policies to help the country’s struggling manufacturers. A month earlier, Minister Sung promised Park Yong-maan, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a business lobbying group, to listen to business leaders at a future gathering.

President on diplomatic high wire this week

A series of regional diplomatic summits kicks off this week in Singapore and Papua New Guinea, but South Korea faces a predicament with its North Korea peace overtures, which puts it at odds with the United States over sanctions, while relations with Japan are cooling over historical issues.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

BTS T-Shirt Reveals the Bare Face of Anti-Korean and Anti-Japanese Sentiment

The band, BTS was swept in an anti-Japanese controversy, which led to the cancellation of their appearance on Japanese television, but their concert at the Tokyo Dome on November 13 and 14 will be performed as scheduled. The management company of BTS, Big Hit Entertainment announced on November 11, "The BTS Japan tour will proceed as scheduled."

Jeju Tangerines Heading North

On September 29, 1984, a line of North Korean trucks loaded with rice crossed the Military Demarcation Line in Panmunjom. This was the relief items that North Korea sent to help the South Koreans, who fell victim to the worst flood in its history. A "surprise" exchange of goods between the two Koreas was achieved for the first time after the Korean War. At the time, North Korea, in a broadcast, suggested aid to the South Korean flood victims including 7,200 tons of rice, 500,000 meters of textiles, and 100,000 tons of cement. Considering the hostile situation at the time, only a year since the Rangoon bombing, it seemed unlikely.

Phase out of Diesel Cars: "Alternate Car Days" Expands to Private Sector

The "clean diesel" policy launched by the Lee Myung-bak government will be abolished in order to reduce the number of diesel-fueled automobiles, cited as the main cause of high-density fine dust. The alternate driving system, which was enforced only in the Seoul metropolitan area, and other emergency measures to reduce fine dust will be expanded to the seventeen metropolises and provinces nationwide as well as to the private sector.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

President Moon happy with six puppies from dog sent by N. Korean leader

South Korean President Moon Jae-in voiced happiness about the fecundity of a female dog ent by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a gift to mark their summit in September, describing it as a harbinger of good inter-Korean relations.

S. Korea-Spain defense industry talks spark speculation about swap deal

South Korea and Spain will hold a joint committee meeting on defense industry cooperation this week, sparking speculation about a possible swap deal involving Europe's modern A400M transport aircraft and South Korea's home-made military trainers.

S. Korea seeks U.S. approval to develop solid-fuel rocket for scientific research

Talks are under way between South Korea and the United States on easing restrictions on the use of solid fuel for rockets to be launched for civilian research programs, according to the South's foreign ministry. The ministry declined to give details because rocket technology can be diverted to the development of ballistic missiles as North Korea did.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Samsung BioLogics shares plunge before SFC’s final decision on alleged accounting irregularities

Shares of Samsung BioLogics Co. plunged more than 22 percent on Monday, two days before the country’s financial regulator announces its final decision on the company’s alleged accounting irregularities, which could delist its stocks. Shares of the biopharmaceutical business arm of South Korea’s top conglomerate Samsung Group plummeted 22.42 percent to close at 285,500 won ($250.9) on Monday, the largest fall since the company debuted on the country’s main stock market in 2016.

Korean lemon law on car purchase to take effect Jan next year

Lemon law, available across America as remedy for purchase of cars, goes into effect on Jan.1 in South Korea enabling more consumer protection for repeated after-sales defects on motor vehicles. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport and multiple sources from the automobile industry on Monday, a revised automobile control law will go into effect from January, compelling car manufacturers to provide replacement or refund for cars with less than 20,000 kilometers mileage that show recurring breakdowns in the first year after delivery.

SK Hynix enters 1Y 8Gb DDR4 DRAM in 10-nano range technology

SK Hynix under its roadmap in 10-nano-range memory announced Monday that it has developed 1Y 8Gb DDR4 DRAM memory, delivering 20 percent improvement in productivity and more than 15 percent in power consumption compared to the previous-generation 1X nm counterpart.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What’s ticking around the world at this second?
See what the world media around the world have to report:

Lee Kyung-sik edt@koeapost.com