The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Friday, January 25, 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.

Qatari Emir to visit Korea on Jan. 27-28 for increased bilateral cooperation

President Moon Jae-in will have a summit meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar in Seoul during the Emir’s visit to Korea on Jan. 27-28. This was disclosed by Presidential Spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom on Jan. 22. Kim said President Moon and Emir Al Thani will have a summit meeting and luncheon on Jan. 28. The two leaders are expected to discuss specific measures to substantiate bilateral cooperation.

There are various fields for increased cooperate between Kenya, Korea

Ambassador Mohamed Gello of Kenya said, “To date, Kenya and Korea have witnessed exchange of high level visits which have greatly enhanced our relations, and in July this year the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, accompanied by more than 70 Business Executives visited Kenya.”Speaking at a reception he hosted at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul on Dec. 11, 2018 in celebration of the 55 th Anniversary of the Independence of Kenya, Ambassador Gello added, “The Prime Minister His Excellency Lee Nak-Yeon, and the President of Kenya His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, held bilateral talks to enhance Korea’s role in Kenya’s economy especially with reference to the achievement of the Big Four development agenda.” See further details at the end of this report.

President Vejonis shows special friendship with Korea attending Pyeongchang event

Ambassador Peteris Vaivars of Latvia said, “I am proud that the President of the Republic of Latvia, H.E. Raimonds Vējonis, was among of the first world leaders to confirm his participation at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games" Speaking at the celebration meeting of the 100th anniversary of the Proclamtion of Latvia, he said, "The Summit Meeting with President Moon Jae-in turned out as a constructive and both countries linking dialogue and the bilateral visits of three ministers from Latvia (Foreign Affairs, Economics and Defence) clearly indicated Latvia’s interest to strengthen and develop bilateral cooperation in the respective fields."

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

Moon Stresses Importance of Failures in Nat'l Research Projects

President Moon Jae-in has urged national engineers to learn from their failures and take on more challenging projects. During a visit to the Korea Aerospace Research Institute in Daejeon on Thursday, Moon said he is not proud of the 99-point-five percent success rate of research projects by state-funded institutes, noting it likely means they are only working on projects that can succeed.

'N. Korea Should Make Concrete Pledges on Denuclearization in Second Summit with US'

South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha says North Korea must make concrete pledges regarding its denuclearization in the second summit with the U.S. next month. The top diplomat, who is attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, made the remarks on Thursday in an interview with Reuters. Kang said that the North should make concrete denuclearization pledges, such as dismantling its Yongbyon nuclear facility and allowing international inspections to confirm the process, when leader Kim Jong-un meets U.S. President Donald Trump next month.

LKP Boycotts Assembly Proceedings in Protest over Appointment of NEC Vice Chair

South Korea’s main opposition party says it will boycott parliamentary proceedings in protest of President Moon Jae-in’s appointment of a former aide as vice chairman of the country’s election watchdog. Liberty Korea Party(LKP) Floor Leader Na Kyung-won declared the boycott plan at a meeting with reporters on Thursday. She said her party will not cooperate with the presidential office, accusing it of thoroughly ignoring the opposition.

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

Trump defends progress with N. Korea ahead of 2nd summit

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that there has been progress in talks with North Korea despite criticism and that he expects another good meeting with the North Korean leader soon. Trump said the media has been unfair by accusing him of producing few tangible results toward dismantling the North's nuclear weapons program since his first summit with Kim Jong-un.

S. Korea's consumer sentiment rises for second straight month in Jan.

South Korea's consumer sentiment rose for the second month in a row in January as hopes are high for the government's economic stimulus measures for the new year, a central bank poll showed Friday. The composite consumer sentiment index (CCSI) for this month stood at 97.5, up 0.6 point from a month earlier, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). A reading below the long-term average of 100 means pessimists outnumber optimists.

S. Korea releases 5 photos of Japan's 'threatening' flyby close to its warship

South Korea's military on Thursday released five photos captured from two videos of a Japanese warplane's "threatening" low-altitude flyby close to its destroyer a day earlier. The disclosure came as Tokyo rejected Seoul's claim that its P-3 maritime patrol plane buzzed by South Korea's 4,500-ton destroyer Daejoyeong at an altitude of 60 to 70 meters and just 540 meters away in international waters south of the peninsula on Wednesday.

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

Trump defends progress with N. Korea ahead of 2nd summit

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that there has been progress in talks with North Korea despite criticism and that he expects another good meeting with the North Korean leader soon. Trump said the media has been unfair by accusing him of producing few tangible results toward dismantling the North's nuclear weapons program since his first summit with Kim Jong-un.

BOK freezes base rate, inches down growth forecast

South Korea’s central bank on Thursday nudged down its forecast for the country’s economic growth this year, while keeping the policy rate steady amid lingering uncertainties in the domestic and global financial markets. The Bank of Korea, in its first Monetary Policy Board meeting of the year, decided unanimously to keep the base rate at 1.75 percent, prolonging the status quo since November, when it raised the rate by a quarter percentage point.

Ex-Supreme Court chief justice arrested in power abuse scandal

Former Supreme Court Justice Yang Sung-tae was arrested Thursday on charges that he abused his power to influence politically significant trials and disadvantage justices critical of him. The Seoul Central District Court issued the arrest warrant, citing that his charges are proven, the risk of him destroying evidence and the gravity of the case. He was immediately taken into custody at the Seoul Detention Center, south of Seoul.

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

Public mixed on petition for helping injured tourist at the Grand Canyon

Whether the government should financially support an individual who fell from a cliff at the Grand Canyon and is currently in a coma is drawing a mixed reaction. On Dec. 30, 2018, a 25-year-old man surnamed Park fell off the cliff and was transferred to a hospital. Although he survived physically, he is still unconscious. His medical bill at the Flag Staff Medical Center is now over 1 billion won ($ 885,347), and his family wants him to be brought back to Korea, which will cost an additional 200 million won.

Moon's approval rating remains solid despite Sohn Hye-won scandal

President Moon Jae-in's approval rating dropped slightly this week despite a growing controversy over former Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmaker Sohn Hye-won's involvement in possible property speculation, according to a poll released Thursday. In the poll conducted by Realmeter, 47.7 percent of respondents approved of Moon's performance as president, down only 1.4 percentage points from a week earlier. The survey was run from Monday through Wednesday, on 1,508 adults nationwide.

Former Supreme Court chief justice's arrest draws shock, relief

The arrest of ex-Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae ― named as the principal agent of the Park Geun-hye administration's political meddling in court cases ― generated both shock and relief Thursday. Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su, Yang's successor, called the arrest "a tragic and shameful event," reflecting the numbing blow it dealt to the overall legitimacy of the judiciary body.

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

Trump Sends Personal Letter to Kim Jong-un

U.S. President Donald Trump sent a personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un via Kim's right-hand man who was visiting Washington.Kim was quoted by the North's official Korean Central News Agency on Thursday as saying, "We trust the positive mindset of President Trump and will wait with patience and good faith."Kim voiced "great satisfaction" on receiving the letter and told officials to make preparations for his second summit with the U.S. leader, according to KCNA.

How Korea's Cost for USFK Upkeep Has Kept Rising

The Korean government has shouldered an ever-increasing portion of the annual cost to maintain American troops here since the Special Measures Agreement signed with the U.S. government in 1991. The money has paid for Koreans working for the U.S. Forces Korea, maintenance and expansion of USFK facilities, and logistics. Korea covers just under 75 percent of the salaries of Koreans working at USFK bases. The country also provides ammunition storage, aircraft repair and transport support. The tab for building military installations is covered either by providing materials or in cash.

How to Keep Warm in the Cold Winter Months

Keeping warm in winter is vital to keep the metabolism going, because if you are too cold the body starts to shut down. Healthy people are able to automatically adjust body temperature to the environment, but the elderly tend to have a body temperature that is 0.5 degrees lower than among people in their prime because they lose muscle mass and energy. Hypothermia sets in when the body temperature drops to under 35 degrees, and people who move little or not at all and suffer from stress can suffer hypothermia even in temperatures above zero.

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

Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae arrested

With the arrest, a court held the last head of the judiciary ultimately accountable for a scandal that has eroded confidence in the court system. An investigation by prosecutors lasting over seven months and involving the questioning of over 100 current and former judges now enters its final stages as Yang is delivered for trial. The courts themselves once again hold the key to restoring faith in the judiciary.

UN approves exemption on sanctions for humanitarian aid to North Korea

The UN approved an exemption on sanctions for aid to North Korea from four international humanitarian groups.The website of the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea (1718 Committee) announced on Jan. 23 that requests for exemptions to sanctions on humanitarian assistance items were granted on Jan. 18 for four organizations: UNICEF, the Eugene Bell Foundation (EBF), First Steps, and Christian Friends of Korea (CFK).

S. Korean court orders Nachi-Fujikoshi to compensate forced labor victim

“The Japanese government needs to reflect on its actions. It shouldn’t be so unprincipled. It needs to repent for its past mistakes, show remorse and ask for forgiveness. It can’t just ignore us,” said Lee Chun-myeon, 87, who was drafted as a forced laborer for Nachi-Fujikoshi, a Japanese company that committed war crimes during World War II. Lee was responding to Japanese reporters who asked her on Jan. 23 what she wanted to say to the Japanese government, which had instructed the company not to pay compensation. Lee also urged the South Korean government to thoroughly investigate how Japan had treated members of the Korean Women’s Volunteer Labor Corps.

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

Seoul, Beijing agree to set up early fine-dust warning system

South Korea and China have agreed to establish an “early warning system for fine dust” for the exchange of data on air quality and forecasting technologies. According to the South Korean government on Thursday, the two countries have agreed to build an expert council under the joint committee of environmental cooperation to hash out detailed solutions to mitigate fine dust.

WEF 2019 focuses on youth, refugees and environment

"The World Economic Forum has never stood for unfettered globalism. We feel that Globalisation 4.0 has to be more human-centred," said Klaus Schwab, executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, in the opening plenary of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2019 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. He stressed the importance of human, environment and youth at the annual meeting, whose main theme is "Globalization 4.0."

How to tell if Trump’s tweets are actually from himself

U.S. President Donald Trump is a super star on Twitter with 57.5 million people following his account (@realDonaldTrump) as of Wednesday. Sometimes he tweets dozens of times a day on major issues, such as decisions on key policies or replacement of high-ranking officials. Does he send all those tweets by himself? No. U.S. news media, including The New York Times, reported that some of the staff at the White House, including Trump's social media director Dan Scavino, are behind the president’s tweets.

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

Japanese patrol plane buzzes Korean warship

Korea’s Defense Ministry on Thursday released five photos of a low-altitude flyby by a Japanese patrol plane near a Korean warship a day earlier, an act which its spokesman called “a clear provocation” of Seoul. According to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, a Japanese P-3C maritime surveillance aircraft flew at an altitude of 60 to 70 meters (196 to 229 feet) above the water past South Korea’s Daejoyoung destroyer only 540 meters away in international waters off the southwestern coast of the peninsula.

Former Supreme Court chief put behind bars

Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae was arrested early Thursday morning on charges of abusing his authority to interfere 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. The arrest was also the first step in what could become a historic admission by a court of law of a systematic perversion of the course of justice - ordered by the judiciary’s most powerful figure. In Korea, the chief justice of the Supreme Court oversees the entire judiciary of the country.

BOK lowers its 2019 growth estimate to 2.6%

The central bank trimmed its outlook for the Korean economy this year on Thursday as a combination of a slowdown in the global economy, weaker-than-expected exports and trade disputes takes its toll. The Bank of Korea (BOK) cut its projection for the growth of gross domestic product by 0.1 percentage points from 2.7 percent to 2.6 percent. It estimated 2020’s growth at 2.6 percent. Increasing uncertainties, especially outside Korea, were cited as the primary factors.

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

Japanese Patrol Plane Provokes South Korea with Risky Flight : What Is the Intention?

A P-3 patrol plane of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force approached and threatened a South Korean destroyer operating near the waters off Ieodo (Socotra Rock) in the South Sea at around 2 p.m. on January 23. This day, Suh Wook, the chief of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, "Despite having clearly identified the naval vessel, the Japanese patrol plane threatened the destroyer by flying at low altitudes of about 60-70 meters at a distance of around 540 meters." He further added, "We regard this as clear provocation and strongly denounce the act." He also declared, "If such actions are repeated, we will respond strongly." This is the second time that Japan has provoked South Korea with a low-altitude flight by its aircraft, after it had stirred controversy claiming that the ROKS Gwanggaeto the Greatlocked a radar at a Japanese patrol plane in the East Sea on December 20.

Ahn Tae-geun Arrested: Seo Ji-hyun's #MeToo Campaign Finally Gets a Response a Year Later

On January 29, 2018, an incumbent female prosecutor appeared on a live TV broadcast and disclosed that she was sexually assaulted by a senior prosecutor and had to undergo disadvantages in personnel transfers. The statement by prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun triggered the #MeToo campaign in South Korea. The proud #MeToo wave soon spread to all areas including culture and the arts, politics, and universities. Recently, the campaign has spread to sports including ice skating, judo and football. Victims of sexual violence, who had silently remained in their pain, began to raise their voices, unlocking the "solidarity of perpetrators." On January 23, the court sternly punished Ahn Tae-geun, a former chief prosecutor who sexually assaulted Seo and had her transferred to an unpopular position. This is the court's response to the massive wave of change.

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

Hyundai Motor set ups sales joint venture with Vietnamese partner

South Korea's Hyundai auto group agreed with its Vietnamese partner, Thanh Cong Group, to set up a sales joint venture and boost production in one of Southeast Asia's fast-growing auto markets. Hyundai said Thursday that at its head office in Seoul, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Vietnamese group in a ceremony attended by Thanh Cong's chairman Nguyen Anh Tuan. The two companies run a joint venture car factory called Hyundai Thanh Cong Manufacturing Vietnam (HTMV).

Trump defends progress with N. Korea ahead of summit

U.S. President Donald Trump said that there has been progress in talks with North Korea despite criticism and that he expects another good meeting with the North Korean leader soon. Trump said the media has been unfair by accusing him of producing few tangible results toward dismantling the North's nuclear weapons program since his first summit with Kim Jong-un. "The Fake News Media loves saying 'so little happened at my first summit with Kim Jong Un.' Wrong!" the president tweeted, referring to the meeting in Singapore in June.

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

BOK holds rate, indicates slower move with inflation at 1.4%

Korea’s central bank on Thursday indicated a longer hiatus in the next hike move as it turned more conservative about this year’s economic outlook and inflation target due to increased uncertainties on the external front. As widely expected, the Bank of Korea (BOK) kept the policy rate at 1.75 percent unchanged after delivering one increase in November in a year. The monetary policy committee’s decision was unanimous.

Korea’s wage hike too fast by international standards

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reiterated its advice to the liberal Seoul government to go slower on increasing minimum wage – noting the gains too fast by international standards - as higher labor cost can do more harm to the economy if it is not accompanied by improvement in productivity, its top chief said.

SK Hynix Q4 OP down 32% on qtr, to axe ’19 capex by 40%

SK Hynix Inc. reported more than a 30 percent fall in its fourth-quarter income and plans to slash capital investment by at least 40 percent this year from last year’s record levels. Despite the sharp softening in chip demand and foggy market outlook, it said it won’t move to cut back output.

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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 Heraldwww.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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