The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Friday, March 15, 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.

S. Korea asks Google to change some of its terms of service

Google Inc. said Thursday that it has decided to voluntarily correct many of its terms of service after South Korea's antitrust regulator made the world's first corrective recommendation against the U.S. Internet giant. The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) said Google should inform its users individually of changes to its terms and conditions of service if the changes are serious in nature or are detrimental to users.

S. Korea, U.S. resolve sanctions waiver issue for video reunion of separated families

South Korea and the United States made progress in their consultations Friday on a temporary sanctions waiver for planned video reunions of separated Korean families, which would allow Seoul to bring related equipment into the communist neighbor, a diplomatic source has said. The two sides held their first "working group" session on pending issues related to North Korea since the unsuccessful Hanoi summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Financial watchdog vows to keep household debt under control

The head of the financial watchdog said Thursday he will continue to make efforts to keep household debt under control and make the country's financial system resilient against external shocks. Yoon Suk-heun, governor of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), told reporters that the FSS will pre-emptively come up with measures to prevent financial risks from spilling into the real economy.

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

Biegun Asks UNSC Members to Keep N. Korea on Dialogue Track

U.S. Special Envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun asked for the UN Security Council members' cooperation on North Korean issues. Biegun met with the representatives of 15 Security Council member nations, including China and Russia, in New York City on Thursday. At the invitation of the U.S., South Korean Ambassador to the UN Cho Tae-yul was also at the meeting, which he described as very useful.

Moon Arrives in Cambodia on Last Leg of Southeast Asian Trip

President Moon Jae-in has arrived in Cambodia on the last leg of his three-nation trip to Southeast Asia. Moon who arrived in Phnom Penh on Thursday afternoon will meet with South Koreans living in Cambodia before joining Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen for a banquet. The banquet was arranged at the Cambodian leader’s request and will be held at Moon’s lodging place. Before the two leaders hold an official summit meeting on Friday, Moon will lay flowers at the Independence Monument located in the Cambodian capital and attend a welcoming ceremony by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni.

Malaysia Rejects Vietnamese Suspect's Release Plea in Kim Jong-nam Case

Malaysia has rejected a call to release a Vietnamese woman accused of assassinating Kim Jong-nam, the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. According to Malaysian and international news media on Thursday, Doan Thi Huong will continue to stand trial after Malaysian prosecutors rejected a request from Vietnam to free her and drop her indictment. Lead prosecutor Muhammad Iskandar Ahmad confirmed that the prosecution received an order to proceed with the case.

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

Prosecutors raid Seoul bourse in Samsung BioLogics probe

Prosecutors raided South Korea's main stock exchange Friday as part of a probe into alleged accounting fraud by Samsung BioLogics Co. Investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office were sent to search the Korea Exchange (KRX) in western Seoul. They also raided the offices of two Samsung units -- Samsung S&T Corp. and Samsung SDS Co. -- on Thursday in the probe into the biopharmaceutical company. Prosecutors are investigating allegations that Samsung BioLogics Co. broke accounting rules in inflating the value of its subsidiary, Samsung Bioepis, ahead of BioLogics' 2016 initial public offering.

Seungri, Jung Joon-young return home after questioning over sex scandals

Two prominent South Korean singers returned home Friday after marathon interrogations by police over allegations of sexual misdeeds. Seungri, a member of K-pop boy band BIGBANG, left the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency at about 6:15 a.m., following 16 hours of questioning over suspicion that he arranged prostitution for prospective business investors. The 29-year-old singer, whose real name is Lee Seung-hyun, said he will postpone his military service to undergo the investigation.

S. Korea, U.S. defense chiefs to meet later this month

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Thursday that he and South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo plan to meet later this month. The two would be meeting for the first time since Shanahan took office this year upon the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis. "The minister of defense for South Korea ... will come see me at the end of this month," Shanahan said at a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

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

S. Korean president set to meet Cambodian leaders

South Korean President Moon Jae-in was set to hold a summit with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday, following a meeting with King Norodom Sihamoni. The summit was widely expected to focus on ways to improve South Korea-Cambodia relations as Moon's visit marks the first of its kind by a South Korean leader in 10 years. Moon arrived here Thursday on a three-day state visit.

Prosecutors raid Seoul bourse in Samsung BioLogics probe

Prosecutors raided South Korea's main stock exchange Friday as part of a probe into alleged accounting fraud by Samsung BioLogics Co. Investigators from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office were sent to search the Korea Exchange in western Seoul. They also raided the offices of two Samsung units

National Police Agency will leave no stone unturned in Burning Sun scandal, police chief tells lawmakers

In the midst of widespread speculation about possible police misconduct in connection with the Burning Sun nightclub, National Police Agency Commissioner General Min Gap-ryong on Thursday reaffirmed that he had every intention of leading thorough and complete investigation into the case. “A new KakaoTalk transcript has surfaced, and the investigation will leave no stone unturned,” Min said in briefing the Public Administration and Security Committee at the National Assembly.

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

Dirty talks among K-pop stars reconstructed

The following is the translated reconstruction of the KaKao Talk chats of singer Jung Joon-young, who is being investigated over filming and sharing sex videos showing him having sex with several women. Seungri of K-pop act Big Bang was reportedly included in one such chatroom. We have used the transcripts from SBS TV reports.

Korea bans B737 Max flights for 3 months

South Korea joined other countries to ban all Boeing 737 Max aircraft from its airspace due to safety concerns, the transport ministry said Friday. On Thursday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) to inform pilots and airline operators of its decision to ban the Boeing aircraft from its airspace for the next three months."The NOTAM notice will restrict any entry of Boeing 737 Max aircraft in Korean airspace until further notice from the aviation authorities," a ministry official said over the phone.

South Korea, US defense chiefs to meet later this month

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Thursday that he and South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo plan to meet later this month. The two would be meeting for the first time since Shanahan took office this year upon the resignation of Defense Secretary James Mattis. "The minister of defense for South Korea ... will come see me at the end of this month," Shanahan said at a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

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

More Koreans in Their 30s and 40s Buy Imported Cars

Car purchases by the key demographic of consumers in their 30s and 40s have declined for three years running, but they still buy more and more foreign cars. According to the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association, new vehicle registrations by people in their 30s reached 265,296 last year, and 57,542 were imported. That means foreign cars now account for 21.7 percent of their purchases, surpassing 20 percent for the first time ever. People in their 40s bought 296,559 cars over the same period, with imports making up 17.2 percent, up 2.6 percentage points compared to 2017. In all age groups, imported cars accounted for 14.9 percent of purchases.

N.Korea 'Using Submarine Pipelines to Pump in Oil'

North Korea used a secret network of submarine pipelines to pump in oil from ships to its ports, according to a report by the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea on Tuesday. The report pinpoints Nampo port as a hub of "suspected illegal activity." It said the port was consistently used for "loading prohibited exports of coal," and "by tankers documented as engaged in illegal ship-to-ship transfers."

Employment Up But Figures Deceptive

The number of people in employment rose by 260,000 in February on-year, putting a temporary stop to growing unemployment. But most of the new jobs were temporary, low-paid jobs for the elderly the government will pay with tax money, while employment among the most active working group in their 30s and 40s plunged. According to Statistics Korea on Wednesday, 26.34 million people were in employment in February this year, up 263,000 from a year ago and the biggest rise since January last year.

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

Pompeo stresses need for “action” instead of “talk” from North Korea

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stressed the need for “action” rather than talk in calling for North Korea’s denuclearization. The message of pressure against Pyongyang is one of several over the past several days as Washington pursues a “package deal” involving complete denuclearization and sanctions relief rather than the step-by-step approach demanded by the North. Talk is cheap,” Pompeo said in a Mar. 12 interview with five local news outlets during a visit to Houston.

Reports finds that Yongbyon nuclear complex still in operation

A new report finds that the Yongbyon nuclear complex is still running after the second North Korea-US summit ended without an agreement. North Korea’s illegal imports of petroleum and exports of coal through ship-to-ship transfers rapidly increased last year, and there are indications that sanctions on North Korea have been violated by some 30 countries, including China, Iran, Syria and Libya.

Samsung’s Galaxy S10 bombarded with complaints about ultrasound fingerprint technology

The new Galaxy S10 premium smartphone by Samsung Electronics has been such a hit with consumers that supplies are reported to be running low – but complaints are now emerging from purchasers over problems with the newly introduced ultrasonic fingerprint scanning feature. Critics contend that Samsung Electronics has only added to users’ hassles with its failure to proactively explain its technology.

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

The ‘surgery cliff’ era is drawing near

A 47-year-old blood vessel transplant surgeon, who works at a university hospital in Seoul, has not been able to go home for two days. After spending a whole day on organ transplant surgeries, the professor was just about to grab a bite for dinner when an emergency patient with a blood vessel rupture was rushed in. Spending the whole night patching up the blood vessel and the next day meeting outpatients, the professor has been overworked due to a shortage of surgeons amid growing number of patients who need surgery. As young doctors regard surgeons as tough occupations, the profession is no longer sought-after.

U.S.: Moon adm. pressured defectors to withhold criticism of N. Korea

The U.S. State Department’s 2018 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices stated that the South Korean Moon Jae-in administration’s pressure on North Korean defectors to curb criticism of North Korea policy violates human rights. In its report on North Korea, the State Department described the human rights violations of North Korea but removed the expression‎ “egregious,” which was included in the previous report.

Trump follows the world in grounding the Boeing 737 Max

The United States has issued an order grounding all Boeing 737 Max planes in the wake of two crashes in the recent four months. “The safety of the American people and all people is our paramount concern,” announced U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) at the White House. “The Boeing jets would be grounded effective immediately.” He also added that the U.S. will issue an emergency order grounding the Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9, and relevant aircrafts.

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

Fast Track” to Isolation: Intentional “Shake-up” by the Liberty Korea Party?

Spring has arrived, but it just does not seem like spring at the National Assembly in Yeouido. During a speech by the negotiating body representatives at the National Assembly on March 12, Liberty Korea Party floor leader Na Kyung-won criticized, "The president of the Republic of Korea is the senior spokesperson for Kim Jong-un," provoking a heated response from the Democratic Party of Korea. This led to fierce confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties. The two parties filed complaints on the leaders of their opposing parties at the parliamentary Ethics Committee on March 13 and exchanged verbal bombs more aggressive than the previous day. The Liberty Korea Party even hinted at the possibility of a boycott on further parliamentary schedules, casting a fog on the March special session.

Soil Contamination Levels Exceed 8 Times the Legal Limit at the Former Site of the UN Command in Yongsan

The construction of a large residential and commercial compound is planned for a spot of land where the United Nations Command (UNC) was once located in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, but authorities detected total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentrations eight times higher than the legal limit at the site. TPH is measured to assess soil contamination. Fluorine levels also exceeded the legal limit in more than half of all the sites inspected. The same kind of pollutants was detected at the UNC site in the past and a cleanup had already been conducted.

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

Homeplus scraps $1.5 bn REIT IPO on weak demand

Korean hypermarket chain Homeplus Co. said Thursday it shelved its plan to list its real estate investment trust as institutional demand for what would have been the country’s biggest REIT public offering fell short of expectations despite all the hype. Homeplus had expected to set up a REIT firm that would acquire 51 of its stores, with plans to debut it on the main Kospi on Mar. 29.

S. Korea’s trade surplus with U.S. narrows 23% in ‘18 on surge in fuel imports

South Korea’s trade surplus with the United States thinned for the third straight year in 2018 amid surge in oil and gas imports from the United States to avoid trade skirmish with the world’s largest economy. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Thursday, Korea’s trade surplus with the U.S. contracted 22.9 percent to $13.8 billion in 2018 from a year ago even as bilateral trade increased 10.3 percent to a record high of $131.6 billion.

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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 Herald http://www.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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