The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Tuesday, March 19, 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.

U.S., N.K. trying to get 'sequencing' right in nuclear talks: Pompeo

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that the United States and North Korea are trying to get the "sequencing" right in talks to end the regime's nuclear weapons program and open a brighter future for the country.Pompeo made the remark in an interview with KCMO, a radio station based in Mission, Kansas, his home state, in the wake of North Korea's threat to abandon the talks.

U.S. envoy to visit Britain to push N.K. denuclearization

U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun will travel to Britain this week to seek Europe's cooperation on denuclearizing the North, the State Department said Monday. Biegun is set to visit London on Tuesday to discuss "coordinated efforts to advance the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea" with his British, French and German counterparts, the department said in a statement. The envoy has been in charge of day-to-day negotiations with Pyongyang as the United States seeks to dismantle the regime's nuclear weapons program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Imports of Iranian oil soar in Feb.

South Korea's imports of Iranian crude oil more than quadrupled in February from a month ago, nearing a level before U.S. sanctions on Tehran, government data showed Tuesday.Asia's fourth-largest economy imported US$476 million worth of crude from the Middle Eastern country last month, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service.The figure is more than four times the $101 million posted in January but lower than the $621 million recorded a year earlier.

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

Pompeo: N. Korea's Verified Denuclearization Must Come First

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that while President Donald Trump's commitment to a brighter future for the North Korean people is very real, it must be followed with the North's verified denuclearization. During an interview with a local radio station in Kansas on Monday, Pompeo also said the U.S. will re-engage in dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. When asked about the reasons for the collapse of last month's U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi, Pompeo pointed to a range of issues related to "timing and sequencing.”

National Assembly to Begin 4-Day Interpellation Session on Tuesday

The National Assembly is set to begin this year's first question-and-answer session on Tuesday. Lawmakers will question Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon and cabinet ministers on Tuesday regarding the government's position on major issues in the area of politics, including the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The ruling Democratic Party is expected to address issues of establishing an independent body to investigate high-ranking officials and adjusting investigative powers between prosecutors and police, while the main opposition Liberty Korea Party is likely to criticize the government for the collapse of last month's summit between the U.S. and North Korea in Hanoi.

Moon Instructs Thorough Investigations into High-Profile Sexual Allegations

President Moon Jae-in has ordered thorough investigations into allegations of sexual crimes involving high-profile figures. Moon gave the instruction on Monday while receiving briefings on cases from Justice Minister Park Sang-ki and Minister of the Interior and Safety Kim Boo-kyum at the presidential office.The briefings included a 2009 case involving an actress who committed suicide after claiming she was sexually abused by high-profile figures.

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

Some 30,000 landlords to face financial crunch if "jeonse" rates drop

Some 30,000 South Korean landlords may face a financial crunch if the rates of so-called jeonse deposits drop by 10 percent, a central bank report said Tuesday. Jeonse is a home rental arrangement unique to South Korea in which tenants pay a large sum of money as a deposit instead of paying monthly fees. Landlords can use the money as they please before returning the entire amount when the lease expires. According to the report by the Bank of Korea (BOK), among 2.11 million households that lease their spare apartments or residents through the jeonse system, 1.5 percent of them, or 32,000 homes, are unable to pay back the deposit to the tenants in case of a 10 percent rate drop.

Defector suggests N. Korea pushing for constitutional amendment for leader Kim

A high-profile North Korean defector suggested Monday that North Korea may be pushing for an amendment to its Constitution in a way that will stipulate that its leader Kim Jong-un is the official head of state. Thae Yong-ho, a former deputy North Korean ambassador to Britain, raised the theory on his blog in light of the result of Pyongyang's latest rubber-stamp parliamentary elections that ended with Kim holding no post at all. North Korea held nationwide polls on March 10 and elected 687 deputies for the 14th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA).

U.S. envoy to visit Britain to push N.K. denuclearization

U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun will travel to Britain this week to seek Europe's cooperation on denuclearizing the North, the State Department said Monday. Biegun is set to visit London on Tuesday to discuss "coordinated efforts to advance the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea" with his British, French and German counterparts, the department said in a statement.The envoy has been in charge of day-to-day negotiations with Pyongyang as the United States seeks to dismantle the regime's nuclear weapons program in exchange for sanctions relief.

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

Some 30,000 landlords to face financial crunch if "jeonse" rates drop

Some 30,000 South Korean landlords may face a financial crunch if the rates of so-called jeonse deposits drop by 10 percent, a central bank report said Tuesday. Jeonse is a home rental arrangement unique to South Korea in which tenants pay a large sum of money as a deposit instead of paying monthly fees. Landlords can use the money as they please before returning the entire amount when the lease expires. According to the report by the Bank of Korea (BOK), among 2.11 million households that lease their spare apartments or residents through the jeonse system, 1.5 percent of them, or 32,000 homes, are unable to pay back the deposit to the tenants in case of a 10 percent rate drop.

Defector suggests N. Korea pushing for constitutional amendment for leader Kim

A high-profile North Korean defector suggested Monday that North Korea may be pushing for an amendment to its Constitution in a way that will stipulate that its leader Kim Jong-un is the official head of state. Thae Yong-ho, a former deputy North Korean ambassador to Britain, raised the theory on his blog in light of the result of Pyongyang's latest rubber-stamp parliamentary elections that ended with Kim holding no post at all. North Korea held nationwide polls on March 10 and elected 687 deputies for the 14th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA).

U.S. envoy to visit Britain to push N.K. denuclearization

U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun will travel to Britain this week to seek Europe's cooperation on denuclearizing the North, the State Department said Monday. Biegun is set to visit London on Tuesday to discuss "coordinated efforts to advance the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea" with his British, French and German counterparts, the department said in a statement.The envoy has been in charge of day-to-day negotiations with Pyongyang as the United States seeks to dismantle the regime's nuclear weapons program in exchange for sanctions relief.

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

Human rights body says punishing women for abortion unconstitutional

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea has delivered its opinion to the Constitutional Court that criminal penalties for women who undergo abortion, as well as doctors who perform them, are unconstitutional.The current law on abortion violates the right to self-determination, among others, the rights panel said Monday.

Moon calls for thorough investigation of past, current scandals

President Moon Jae-in on Monday ordered thorough investigations of prominent scandals involving celebrities and a former ranking Ministry of Justice official. According to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom, Moon gave the orders in connection with cases involving late actress Jang Ja-yeon, former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-eui, and the ongoing investigation surrounding the nightclub Burning Sun.

Sanctions hinder humanitarian efforts in North Korea

Humanitarian activities for millions of hungry and sick people in North Korea are at risk of being scaled back due to economic sanctions and donor fatigue amid nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang that struggle to make tangible progress. One of the world’s poorest countries, with over 43 percent of the population undernourished, the North’s food production touched its lowest point in 10 years last year.

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

US asked to reconsider 'all-or-nothing' approach

South Korea will ask the United States to reconsider its "all-or-nothing" or "big deal" approach toward denuclearizing North Korea, according to Cheong Wa Dae officials, Monday.They said the South will help North Korea and the U.S. find common ground for a "good enough deal." In Hanoi, U.S. President Donald Trump said he understands "why no deal is better than a bad deal, which I agree in principle," a senior official said on condition of anonymity. "But the all-or-nothing strategy needs to be reconsidered. In order to see meaningful progress in the denuclearization talks, there should be first trust-building measures, which I will call an early harvest."

Anti-aircraft missile explodes in midair after unintentional launch

An anti-aircraft guided missile exploded in midair on Monday after being unintentionally launched during a routine maintenance check and no one was injured, an Air Force official said. The Cheongung medium-range surface-to-air missile blew up near an Air Force base in Chuncheon, 85 kilometers northeast of Seoul, at around 10:38 a.m. It is designed to explode in the air if its guidance system does not function properly after liftoff.

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

Hundreds of Elderly Drivers Turn in Their Licenses

The Seoul Metropolitan Government's new incentive encouraging elderly people to give up their driving license has met with a positive reception. The city government dangled a prize of a transit card pre-loaded with W100,000 credit to people over 70 who voluntarily return their license (US$1=W1,133). Last week alone, 613 did just that, nearly half of the 1,387 elderly people who did so through the whole of last year. At this rate, over 80,000 people are expected to turn in their license by the deadline at the end of September. The Seoul Metropolitan Government will then choose 500 winners based on their age and another 500 in a blind draw. Applications can be submitted at 31 police stations and four driving test centers across Seoul.

Korea Faces Tough Time in Relations with China and Japan

Korea's diplomacy with China and Japan is in trouble. Diplomatic relations with Tokyo have chilled to a new low since the Supreme Court here sided with victims of wartime forced labor and authorized the seizure of the Korean assets of Japanese companies that refused to comply with an order to compensate them.But Seoul's diplomatic relations with Beijing are also on the rocks since the spat over the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery has not fully cooled and Korea accuses China of being the main source of fine dust pollution here.

Spike in Part-Time Jobs for Less Than 15 Hours a Week

The number of part-time workers who work less than 15 hours per week rose 11.3 percent last year to 756,000 after a drastic hike in the minimum wage. According to a study by the state-run Korea Labor Institute out Sunday, 56.6 percent of the workers were over 60 and 49.3 percent worked in unskilled jobs. They made up 3.8 percent of the all paid workers, the highest proportion since relevant statistics began in 2003.

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

The US’ delicate balance of applying pressure and derailing negotiations

The Trump administration appears to be in a quandary after North Korea delivered the ball back into Washington’s court by raising the specter of “considering a suspension of dialogue.” The US has so far refrained from responding aggressively, instead sending the signal that it wants to continue discussions with the North. Washington now appears to be attempting to gauge Pyongyang’s precise aims while managing the situation so that dialogue does not collapse completely.

North Korean media continues to refrain from reporting on Choe Son-hui’s press conference

North Korea’s three major news outlets – the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and Korean Central Television (KCTV) – continued for a third straight day with no reports on the Pyongyang press conference given by Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui on Mar. 15. Similarly, they have yet to report on details from a press conference given by Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho after midnight on Feb. 28 following the second North Korea-US summit in Hanoi, which ended without an agreement.

Ban Ki-moon to head national committee to fight fine dust

Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has been accepted the Blue House’s appointment to head an anti-pollution committee. Blue House Deputy Spokesperson Han Jung-woo announced on Mar. 17 that Blue House Chief of Staff Noh Young-min offered Ban the position the previous day. In his meeting with Noh, Ban mentioned that environmental issues such as fine-particle pollution go beyond partisan lines and must be tackled by society as a whole, Han said.

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

N. Korea seeks to amend constitution to make Kim its head of state

Former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom Thae Yong-ho claimed that North Korea is moving to make Kim Jong Un the country’s constitutional head of state through a constitutional amendment. “Kim Jong Un has not been included in the list of members elected to the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA), which is a first in the history of North Korea,” Tae wrote in his blog on Sunday. “I suspect Kim Jong Un will be recommended a new post at the 14th SPA meeting slated for early next month and that the North is currently preparing for a constitutional amendment to make it possible.” Earlier on March 12, the Korean Central Television omitted Kim in the list of 687 elected members of the 14th SPA, leaving many to wonder why. It is the first time that a North Korean leader has been left out from the list of SPA members since the establishment of the country’s regime.

SKT applies quantum technology for 5G networks

For the first time in the world, SK Telecom is applying quantum communication technology, which uses photon, the smallest unit of light energy, in order to send cryptographic data to its fifth-generation (5G) network operation. The South Korean telecommunications company said Monday that it will start applying quantum random number generator (QRNG) technology, which is independently developed by its subsidiary IDQ, to the subscriber authentication server of 5G networks from this month. This technology prevents any attempts to hack into the server by creating unpredictable random numbers, using the characteristics of quantum. SK Telecom is planning to apply the technology to its long-term evolution (LTE) networks starting next month.

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

Elliott may soften dividend stance amid increased backing for Hyundai Motor

U.S. hedge fund Elliott Management Corp. may tone down its dividend payout demands at the next shareholders’ meeting of Hyundai Motor Group after prominent proxy advisers and a major institutional investor made clear their intentions to side with the Korean auto giant. Elliott Management, in an email interview with Maeil Business Newspaper on Sunday, said it could revise its dividend payment proposals if it can come to an agreement with Hyundai Motor Co. and its auto parts affiliate Hyundai Mobis Co. ahead of the shareholders’ meeting this Friday.

Market outlook for cosmetics, retail buoyed as Chinese visitors return to Korea

The return of Chinese visitors to South Korea has lifted the outlook of Korean retail and cosmetics industries that had borne the brunt of Seoul’s yearlong diplomatic row with Beijing. Kiwoom Securities Co. issued a report on Monday that forecast strong growth in local duty-free sales thanks to the return of big-spending Chinese shoppers to Korea. The average selling price of duty-free shops in Seoul was up 15 percent in February from a year earlier on the back of Chinese merchants, who buy foreign goods in bulk to resell them at home, according to the brokerage. It also expected first quarter sales of duty-free stores to surge 12 to 13 percent in dollar terms.

S. Korea’s top 10 chaebol groups own largest-ever $220 bn in cash last year

Listed companies of South Korea’s top 10 conglomerates sit on a cash hoard of nearly 250 trillion won ($220 billion) as of last year, the largest since the data has been traced, to underscore the extent of lethargy in investment sentiment in Korea. According to chaebol.com that tracks conglomerates on Sunday, Korea’s top 10 chaebol names owned a combined 248.38 trillion won in cash last year on a consolidated basis, up 12.2 percent or 27.08 trillion won from a year ago.

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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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