Headlines, January 24, 2019

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Thursday, January 24, 2019

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.

Former Supreme Court chief justice arrested in power abuse scandal

Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae was arrested early Thursday on charges that he abused his authority to influence trials as a political tool to lobby the previous government.The Seoul Central District Court issued the writ, citing that his charges are proven and that he presents a risk of destroying evidence given his position and the seriousness of the case. Yang was immediately taken into custody at the Seoul Detention Center.The court denied the arrest warrant for retired Justice Park Byong-dae, former head of the National Court Administration (NCA), the top court's governing body, for his involvement in the alleged crime.

U.S. wants S. Korea to pay $1.2 billion for USFK in one-year contract

The U.S. government has demanded a 41 percent hike this year in South Korea's contribution toward the stationing of American troops here, while Seoul insists on a small increase, a diplomatic source said Wednesday. The U.S. is also calling for a one-year contract, versus Seoul's desire for it to last three to five years. Last year, the allies had 10 rounds of talks, led by veteran diplomats, on splitting the financial burden for the operation of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK). But they failed to strike a deal. Seoul contributed 960 billion won in 2018 under a five-year accord signed in 2014.

S. Korea's military condemns Japanese warplane's 'provocative' close-range flightSouth Korea's military on Wednesday strongly condemned a Japanese warplane's low-altitude flight close to a South Korean warship, calling it a "provocative act." At 2:03 p.m., a Maritime Self-Defense Force P-3 patrol plane flew close to South Korea's 4,500-ton destroyer Daejoyeong at an altitude of 60 to 70 meters just 540 meters away in international waters near Ieodo, a submerged rock south of Korea's southern island of Jeju, it said. "This low-altitude, close-range flight toward the ship of a partner country again today is a clearly provocative act, and we cannot help but doubt Japan's intent, and (we) strongly condemn this," Suh Wook, chief director of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a press conference.

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

Fmr Supreme Court Chief Justice Arrested in Power Abuse Scandal

Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae was arrested early Thursday on charges of power abuse, becoming the first former or sitting top-level official in the nation's judiciary's history to ever be arrested. The Seoul Central District Court issued the writ at around 2 a.m., citing that most of his charges are proven and that he presents a risk of destroying evidence given his position and the seriousness of the case. Yang was immediately taken into custody at the Seoul Detention Center.

Kim Jong-un Expresses Satisfaction over Pre-Summit Talks

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly expressed satisfaction over the results of recent talks between a delegation from Pyongyang and U.S. officials on the second summit between him and President Donald Trump. The North's official Korean Central News Agency said on Thursday that Kim had a meeting with the delegation that returned from a recent visit to Washington.

S. Korea's Top Diplomat Expresses Deep Regret over Japanese Aircraft's 'Provocative' Flight

South Korea's top diplomat on Wednesday expressed deep regret over a Japanese warplane's low-altitude flight close to a South Korean warship earlier in the day during a meeting with her Japanese counterpart.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held talks with Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

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

Kim expresses 'great satisfaction' after receiving letter from Trump

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed "great satisfaction" after receiving a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump and spoke highly of Trump's "determination and will" to resolve issues between the two countries, state media reported Thursday.Kim made the remark after top aide Kim Yong-chol briefed him on the results of his visit to Washington last week that included meetings with Trump and other top officials for talks about a second summit between the two countries, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

S. Korea, Britain discuss Brexit emergency measures

South Korea's industry ministry said Thursday it has reached a consensus with Britain to promptly prepare follow-up measures as London moves to leave the European Union. The Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Energy said Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong met his counterpart Liam Fox, sharing opinions on their post-Brexit relationship, including possibly clinching a separate free trade agreement (FTA) with London when the departure happens.

SK hynix Q4 net up 6 pct in Q4, posts record profit in 2018

SK hynix Inc. said Thursday its fourth-quarter net rose 6 percent from a year earlier, which fell below the market expectation in the wake of slowing demand for memory chips and falling global sales prices. The net profit for the world's No. 2 memory chip producer came to 3.4 trillion won (US$3 billion) in the October-December period, compared with 3.2 trillion won posted a year, the company said in a regulatory filing.

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

South Korea-US military cost-sharing deadlock drags out as US demands $1 billion

South Korea’s struggle to reach an agreement with the US for the cost of maintaining US troops here intensified when the gap between the total amount of Seoul’s contributions demanded by the US and that which Seoul was able to accept, as well as differences over the contract period, widened in December as a result of instructions from the very top in Washington, sources said Wednesday.

Korea to turn unused land into public houses, innovative business space

The South Korean government will turn unused state-owned land equivalent to 2.4 times the size of Yeouido into sites for public houses and business space for innovative companies, the nation’s chief fiscal policymaker said Wednesday. To back the plans, the government decided to spend 65 percent of its yearly social overhead capital within the first half of the year, in a pump-priming effort to resuscitate the slowing domestic economy at all costs.

Debate over securities transactions tax grows

Amid South Korea’s efforts to revitalize the economy, debate over whether to lift the securities transaction tax has been rekindled, with the government, lawmakers, and the financial sector divided over the consequences. The issue regained attention after ruling Democratic Party Chairman Lee Hae-chan said, “It is time we take it up as an agenda item,” in response to a request to either lift or cut the tax in a rare meeting with financial firm representatives on Jan. 15.

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

Appeals court upholds another wartime forced labor victim's compensation claim

A Seoul appellate court on Wednesday upheld another compensation claim by an elderly South Korean victim of Japan's wartime forced labor, ordering Nachi-Fujikoshi Corp. to pay her 100 million won (US$88,754). The appeals division of the Seoul Central District Court made the ruling in favor of Lee Choon-myeon, 88, who filed litigation accusing the Japanese company of forcing her to toil without pay in poor working conditions during World War II.

South Korea strongly denounces Japanese aircraft's 'buzzing' destroyer

A Japanese maritime patrol aircraft carried out a low-altitude flight close to a South Korean warship Wednesday afternoon, in an apparent threatening and provocative action, according to the Ministry of National Defense. "The P3 maritime patrol airplane flew at an altitude of 60 to 70 meters and about 540 meters away from the South Korean Navy's destroyer in waters near Ieodo, [a rock southwest of the southern island of Jeju] at around 2:03 p.m., Wednesday," the ministry said.

'SKY' graduates less visible in corporate world

The number of CEOs who have graduated from the country's top three universities has been dropping, as those with diverse academic backgrounds head more listed companies, a recent survey showed Wednesday. Analysts dubbed this the "collapse of SKY," with SKY being an acronym for Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University, all in Seoul. Instead, the number of corporate leaders graduating from universities in provincial areas has increased over the years.

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

N.Korean Nukes Dampen Foreigners' Image of S.Korea

The North Korean nuclear threat was the biggest negative factor in South Korea's image among foreigners, a survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism suggests. Among 8,000 people across 16 countries surveyed, 80.3 percent had positive image of South Korea. For the biggest proportion or 40 percent the country's cuisine was the first thing that came to mind, followed by K-pop with 22.8 percent, Korean culture in general with 19.1 percent and cosmetics with 14.2 percent.

Growth Slows to 6-Year Low Despite Pump-Priming

Korea's economy grew at the slowest rate in six years last year despite massive pump-priming. The government spent huge amounts of taxpayers' money but was unable to stem the worst decline in facilities and other investments since the 2008 global financial crisis. The Bank of Korea on Tuesday said Korea's GDP grew only one percent in the fourth quarter compared to the previous quarter. That was up slightly from 0.6 percent in the second and third quarters but mostly fueled by government intervention. Overall, Korea's economy grew 2.7 percent last year, the lowest since 2.3 percent in 2012.

U.S. Wants Korea to Pay $1 Billion for USFK Upkeep

The U.S. wants Korea to shoulder a whopping US$1 billion a year to maintain 28,500 American troops here. The Korean government already picked up a W960 billion tab in upkeep for the U.S. Forces Korea last year and refuses to spend more than W1 trillion (US$1=W1,132). A government source here said Tuesday, "U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris told Cheong Wa Dae of a proposal to boost the Korean share to $1 billion a year, while shortening the term of the cost-sharing agreement from the current five years to one."

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

Blue House reportedly preparing for Kim Jong-un’s Seoul visit after 2nd NK-US summit

The Blue House is reportedly preparing for a reciprocal visit to Seoul by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the assumption that it will take place around late March at the earliest.The preparations appear to reflect its aims of using the outcome of a second North Korea-US summit – expected to take place in late February – to ensure “substance” in the inter-Korean summit in Seoul, including areas related to inter-Korean economic cooperation.“If the second North Korea-US summit takes place in late February as expected, we anticipate Chairman Kim will pay a reciprocal visit to Seoul as early as late March,” a key Blue House official said.

US think tank CSIS report cites another “undeclared” missile base ahead of 2nd NK-US summit

Another US think tank report and related news report on “undeclared” North Korean weapons facilities have emerged ahead of the second North Korea-US summit, this time focusing on a missile operating base at the village of Sino. The situation is similar to the controversy that erupted in late November when the New York Times cited the same think tank’s report in describing North Korea’s long-known missile base at Sakkanmol as a “secret ballistic missile base.”

National Human Rights Commission to investigate sexual violence in S. Korean sports

Amid a string of recent accusations about sexual harassment in South Korea’s athletic community, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is getting involved. The NHRC had decided to set up a team of special investigators into “sports human rights” to carry out the country’s biggest-ever investigation of assault, sexual or otherwise, in all areas of sports. On Jan. 22, NHRC Chair Choi Young-ae released an emergency statement in the NHRC building in downtown Seoul. “Officials from the Ministry of Education; the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Tourism; and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will be assigned to a special team of investigators into sports human rights under the commission. Over the course of a year, this team will carry out an independent investigation of incidents of sexual violence that have been reported in the field of sports and will implement institutional reforms,” Choi said in the statement.

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

Talks on 2nd Trump-Kim summit are ongoing

Washington and Pyongyang are reportedly communing with each other on a "big deal" agreement, which incorporates the completion of denuclearization and the United States’ corresponding measures until 2020, when President Donald Trump’s term expires, during the second summit at the end of next month. In other words, negotiations on denuclearization that is underway goes beyond previous expectations that they will end as a mere "small deal" where the U.S. alleviates part of its sanctions in return for the North’s abolishment of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).

Samsung develops world’s first UHD OLED panels for laptops

Samsung Display Co. said Wednesday it has developed the world's first organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display with ultra-high definition (UHD·3840×2160) for laptops. The Korean computer parts industry views the announcement as a signal that the predominant player in the mobile OLED market plans to expand the market to mid- and large-sized display panels.

Alzheimer’s disease to be diagnosed with a 95 percent accuracy

A team of researchers at Chosun University announced Wednesday that they obtained a national patent last year for a new diagnostic method they developed for Alzheimer’s disease that has greatly increased the accuracy of DNA analysis. The method is capable of analyzing a DNA sample collected by spitting or scraping a cotton swab inside the patient’s mouth in two days with a 95 percent accuracy.

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

Former Supreme Court chief justice arrested for power abuse

Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae was arrested early Thursday morning on charges of abusing his authority to meddle with trials as part of an unconstitutional collusion with the previous administration. This makes Yang, 71, the first former head of the judiciary in Korean history to be placed behind bars.

U.S. demands South Korea pay $1 billion a year

Washington is pushing Seoul to pay at least $1 billion annually to host American troops in South Korea - and threatening to withdraw U.S. forces if it refuses. According to a local source with knowledge of the ongoing negotiations, who exclusively spoke with the JoongAng Ilbo, a U.S. government official relayed the offer to South Korea last week and said Washington will never allow Seoul’s payment to fall below a 10-digit figure.

Moon beats the drum for a more fair economy

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday emphasized that innovative and inclusive growth can only be achieved when there’s more fairness in the economy. He said in order to achieve a fair economy, it is important for conglomerates to take responsibility, adding that the National Pension Service will actively exercise its stewardship code if the families controlling conglomerates violate the law.

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

Japan’s Log Files Will Tell the Truth About the ‘Japanese Pilot Plane Incident’

The Korean Ministry of National Defense (MND) urged Japan to release its P-1 pilot aircraft’s log files if the latter has any intention to resolve the ‘patrol plane incident.’ By doing so, the Ministry made it clear that the record in the log files is the real smoking gun to solve this case. At a regular press briefing on January 21, a reporter asked MND spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo if Japan’s next disclosure or the sound of Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) could serve as evidence. Choi replied, “We can only learn accurate information when the log files [of the Japanese patrol aircraft] are disclosed, through which we can confirm the date, bearings, and frequency characteristics. He once again demanded Tokyo to release the specific radar information.

Progress in Denuclearization and Venue Set for N.K.-U.S. Summit at the End of February

Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea visited Washington D.C. as a special envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, met with U.S. President Donald Trump, and finalized plans to hold a second North Korea-United States summit at the end of February. The two countries began working-level negotiations on the summit agenda in Sweden. The two state leaders have successfully communicated through the special envoy opening the door for denuclearization talks.

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AJU Business Daily (http://www.ajudaily.com)

U.S. partner Lily completely walks away from drug deal with Hanmi Pharmaceutical

Eli Lilly and Company, a U.S. pharmaceutical company, has completely walked away from its partnership with South Korea's leading drug maker Hanmi Pharmaceutical, returning its right to develop and commercialize a new drug candidate for the treatment of immune diseases.

Kim orders 'good technical' preparations for summit with Trump: KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered "good technical" preparations for his second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, saying he would wait patiently and move step by step to denuclearization. Kim received Trump's "good" personal letter and expressed great satisfaction on Wednesday when he met with North Korean officials who came back from a trip to Washington, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

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

FT CEO talks to Maekyung Group chair about global economic risks

Lingering China-U.S. trade tensions, signs of economic slowdown in China and the uncertainty around Brexit are some of the major issues creating a defensive mindset in businesses and troubling markets, said John Ridding, chief executive of the Financial Times.

Apple’s customer service contractors in Korea under probe for workplace abuse allegation

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has launched investigation into Apple Inc’s customer service contractors Transcosmos Korea and Concentrix Korea for allegedly violating workplace rights. According to IT industry sources on Tuesday, customer service staff of Transcosmos Korea and Concentrix Korea who handle after-sales service supports for Apple products in Korea filed a petition with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea for investigation on unfair labor practices.

S. Korea ranks third in U.S. weapon import in 2008-2017

South Korea was the third largest importer of U.S.-made weapons over the last decade as it bought $6.7 billion worth of weapons from the country over the period, which amounted to almost 16 percent of Korea’s total defense budget of 46 trillion won ($40.7 billion) this year.

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