Headlines, April 8, 2019

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Monday, April 8, 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.

Envoys, spouses sample Korean culture of 1,600 years ago in Yeongam

At last weekend on April 4-5, 2019, the ambassadors and madams of about a dozen countries in Korea had a rare opportunity to take a look into what happened between Korea and Japan 1, 600 years ago.The Festival is to honor Dr. Wangin (known as Wani in Japan), a scholar from the Baekje Kingdom of Korea (18 B.C.-660). Wangin brought The Analects of Confucius to Japan, where he spread Confucian canon and Chinese characters. He also taught the son of Japanese emperor Ojin. The four-day event features fireworks, a traditional Korean culture show, a musical about the scholar's life and other attractions.

Korean Air chief passes away from chronic disease in U.S.

Korean Air Lines Co. Chairman Cho Yang-ho has passed away from a chronic disease in the United States, the company said Monday. Further details were not immediately available. Cho, 70, was on trial on charges of embezzlement and breach of trust, and was ousted from Korean Air's board last month.

Moon likely to appoint two controversial Cabinet nominees this week

President Moon Jae-in is expected to appoint two new Cabinet ministers this week, including one handling relations with North Korea, despite opposition objections they are unfit for the jobs due to ethical and other problems, sources said Sunday. Moon had earlier asked the National Assembly to send him confirmation hearing reports until Sunday for Unification Minister nominee Kim Yeon-chul and Venture Minister nominee Park Young-sun, a procedural step required for him to go ahead and appoint them.

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

Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho Dies from Lung Disease at 70

Hanjin Group and Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho has died at the age of 70 from lung disease at a hospital in Los Angeles. According to Korean Air, Cho, who had been treated for the disease in the U.S. since last December, died just after midnight on Monday Korea time. His wife, two daughters and son Won-tae, the president of Korean Air, were reported to have been by his side at the time of his death. Arrangements are being made to transport Cho's coffin from the U.S. for his funeral in South Korea.

Moon Approves Two Minister Nominees Despite Opposition Objections

President Moon Jae-in has approved the appointments of two minister nominees who faced strong objections from the main opposition party. The presidential office said on Monday that Moon will formally appoint Park Young-sun as the new small and medium-sized enterprises minister and Kim Yeon-chul as the new unification minister during a ceremony at 2 p.m.

Pres. Moon Says Major Shift Has Begun with 5G

President Moon Jae-in says a major transition has begun in South Korea as the country has succeeded in commercializing fifth-generation(5G) network services for the first time in the world. Moon made the remark on Monday during an event where the government unveiled its strategies regarding 5G. The president said 5G-based industries will provide new opportunities for youth and serve as a chance for the nation to witness a “second venture boom.”

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

Korean Air chief dies of illness, ownership change in offing

Korean Air Lines Co. Chairman Cho Yang-ho has died of a chronic illness, the company said Monday, less than two weeks after he was removed from the national flag carrier's board room. Cho, 70, died in the United States due to a lung disease. Korean Air Lines said it would set an emergency management system in motion to keep its operations going smoothly. Cho also served as chairman of Hanjin Group, which has Korean Air, budget carrier Jin Air Co., Hanjin KAL and several other companies under its wing.

Late Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho helped bring Winter Olympics to S. Korea

Cho Yang-ho, Hanjin Group chairman who passed away in Los Angeles on Sunday (local time), was also a successful sports administrator who helped bring the Winter Olympics to South Korea for the first time. Korean Air, the flagship affiliate of Hanjin, operated volleyball and table tennis teams under Cho, who was elected president of the Korea Table Tennis Association in July 2008. Cho's signature accomplishment in sports came as head of the Winter Olympics bidding committee for the eastern resort town of PyeongChang, Gangwon Province.

N. Korea appears to be replacing top envoy in Vietnam

North Korea appears to be replacing its top envoy in Vietnam over a month after the breakdown of February's summit between leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi. Kim Myong-gil, the country's ambassador to Vietnam, made a farewell visit to Vietnamese Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh on Friday, according to the Korean Central News Agency. In her meeting with the outgoing ambassador, the vice president emphasized 70 years of friendly and cooperative relations between Vietnam and North Korea, the KCNA said.

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

Wildfire arson arrest rate records 42%: forest service

The average arson arrest rate for forest fires over the past five years was 42 percent, according to Korea Forest Service data Monday. Seven hundred people arrested for arson received criminal penalties, with the highest sentence meted out being a four-year jail term, according to the forest service agency.

Army introduces new forensic probe system targeting drone crimes

South Korea's Army has recently established a new forensic investigation system to counter the illicit use of commercial drones for infiltrating and filming military installations, officials said Monday. The armed service's Central Investigation Group introduced the system for the detailed analysis of crimes and accidents involving drones. It has also started to use military drones to investigate accidents on steep cliffs and other dangerous locations.

More than 470 homes damaged, 800 people displaced following deadly blaze

More than 470 houses were confirmed to have been burned, with more than 800 residents displaced in a devastating forest fire that raged through east coastal regions last week, government data showed Monday, as more damage has been discovered after the blaze was brought under control. The fire, which started Thursday night in the county of Goseong, about 160 kilometers northeast of Seoul, spread quickly to neighboring cities and counties, reducing forests about 742 times the size of a soccer field to ashes. One person was killed in the blaze, one of the biggest wildfires in South Korea.

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

President to appoint 2 new ministers despite opposition objections

President Moon Jae-in will appoint two new ministers Monday, his office Cheong Wa Dae said, amid strong objections from the main opposition party. An appointment ceremony for the two new ministers will be held at 2 p.m., the presidential office said. At the ceremony, the president will appoint Park Young-sun as the new culture minister and Kim Yeon-chul as the new unification minister.The ceremony will also likely be attended by three other ministers who were appointed earlier without a formal ceremony.

South Korea replaces Army, Air Force chiefs

South Korea on Monday replaced the Army and Air Force chiefs in a regular reshuffle of top uniformed officers, as its military seeks to maintain robust readiness amid peace efforts with North Korea.The defense ministry said that LT. Gen. Suh Wook, chief director of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), was tapped as the new Army chief of staff to replace Gen. Kim Yong-woo, who has led the armed service since August 2017.

Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho passes away

Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho died from a chronic lung disease, Korean Air, a Hanjin affiliate, announced in a statement on Monday. He was 70. Korean Air didn't specify the disease. The company said Cho had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Los Angeles since December. The process of transporting his body to Korea and the funeral schedule will be announced soon, it said. Korean Air President Cho Won-tae, the late chairman's only son, is reportedly in Los Angeles.

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

U.S. Coast Guard Boat Docks in Busan

A 4,500-ton U.S. Coast Guard cutter on Saturday arrived in the southeastern port of Busan after a week of joint exercises with the South Korean Coast Guard off Jeju Island. Last week the Bertholf took part in the joint interdiction exercise targeting ships engaging in illegal ship-to-ship transfers of fuel and goods for North Korea. The Bertholf's continued presence here sends a warning to both North Korea and neighboring countries that sanctions violations will not be tolerated.

N.Korea Delays Mega Project as Sanctions Bite

North Korea has delayed massive construction project in the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone as international sanctions turn off the spigot. According to the official [North] Korean Central News Agency on Saturday, leader Kim Jong-un visited the coastal tourist zone for the first time in six months and pushed back the deadline so the project can be completed by nation founder Kim Il-sung's birthday in April 2020. His pet project was scheduled to be completed by Oct. 10 this year, which is the founding day of the Workers Party. But lachrymose earlier reports in the state media said workers have to use their "bare hands" because of the shortage of equipment and fuel caused by international sanctions.

Donations for Forest Fire Victims Reach W10 Billion

People from all walks of life are donating money for the victims of the forest fire that ravaged Gangwon Province last week.Disaster relief charity Hope Bridge had received W7.4 billion in donations by Sunday and the Community Chest of Korea W2.6 billion (US$1=W1,139). More than 140,000 people and businesses have donated money over the last three days. "We received lots of small donations from people around the country," a staffer at Hope Bridge said.

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

North Korea’s masters of money

“I bought a front-loading washing machine for 2,200 Chinese yuan [US$327.48]. Back then, there were just three washing machines of that sort in Haesan. The washing machine was of Chinese manufacture, and I used it once or twice. My television was a flat-screen that I bought for 3,000 yuan [US$446.57]. I bought my fridge for 3,000 yuan, too, but sadly the electricity wasn’t very reliable,” said a woman in her 40s who defected to South Korea in 2014.

Who’s the one that’s really not ready for a deal?

The UN Security Council’s sanctions on North Korea began with Resolution No. 1718, which was adopted on Oct. 9, 2006, shortly after the North carried out its first nuclear test. The council has passed a total of 10 sanctions resolutions against the North, the last being No. 2397, which was adopted after the North test launched its Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 29, 2017.

National Assembly ratifies 2019 South Korea-US defense cost-sharing agreement

A ratification of the 10th Special Measures Agreement determining South Korea’s share of costs for stationing US Forces Korea passed the National Assembly. The SMA on defense cost sharing and its Implementation Arrangement both went into effect with the ratification. On Apr. 5, the National Assembly passed a ratification for the SMA during the final plenary meeting of its March extraordinary session.

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

U.S.-S. Korea summit, the North’s Supreme People’s Assembly to be held Thursday

Heads of the two Koreas and the U.S. are back to work 42 days after the “‘Hanoi No Deal.” This Thursday is a big day for all three countries as both the South Korea-U.S. summit and North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly are to be held on that day. The two events will determine the direction of denuclearization talks this year. Responses of U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un who left Hanoi without tangible achievements would be essential to this issue.

Eurasia railways would be complete when it connects two Koreas

The Organization for Cooperation of Railways (OSJD) meeting, which is often called as the “UN assembly of continent railways” is to be held from Monday to Friday at Lotte Hotel in central Seoul. It is the first official event for Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) President Son Byeong-seok, who took office on March 27 and will be the chair of the meeting. “I will emphasize that the Eurasia railroads should include the two Koreas to be complete and the importance of Korea’s active role in the OSJD to draw supports of member countries on connecting railways to the South and North,” said Son in an interview with the Dong-A Ilbo at the Seoul Station on Friday.

Incheon Metropolitan City Dance Theater performs in Chile-Ecuador in June and July

The Incheon Metropolitan City Dance Theater announced Sunday it would carry out arts performance to promote public cultural exchange in Chile and Ecuador. The South Korean dance troupe was selected as a national arts organization to be sent abroad by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Incheon Dance Theater is to perform on the occasion of the 2019 APEC summit held in Santiago, Chile on June 28. Following this, it will provide a traditional choreography workshop to Chilean students at the Sejong Hakdang branch in Santiago - an educational organization that is built overseas to ensure cultural exchange through Korean language education. In celebration of the 210th anniversary of the independence of Ecuador, their invitation performances are to be held on July 2 and 3.

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

April for the Moon Jae-in Government

An election is a rare channel for the ruling party to come in contact with the "raw" thoughts of the people. Even groups that want to put some distance with the public cannot escape an election. One thing to note in the April 3 by-election is the thoughts of the ruling party supporters. It was not a defeat simply based on the results of the election. The Liberty Korea Party candidate received over 47,000 votes in Tongyeong-Goseong, Gyeongsangnam-do. The supporters in last year's local election (over 46,000 votes) all returned to the polls. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Korea candidate only received over 28,400 votes (60.8%), just half of the votes the party attracted in the local election (46,700). The ruling party supporters made a political assessment by giving up their votes. Failure in state administration embarrasses the government supporters.

Politicians Particularly Lenient on Taxes for Religious Practitioners

On April 5, the National Assembly tossed the amendment of the Income Tax Act, which includes the easing of taxes on the retirement pay for religious practitioners, to the legislation subcommittee without laying the bill before the plenary session. In other words, the lawmakers want to discuss the issue one more time since it has stirred great controversy. The amendment limits the retirement income subject to taxation to the income earned for services by religious practitioners after January 2018. If the lawmakers pass the amendment, religious practitioners will not have to pay taxes for billions of won in income at most earned before 2018. The amendment also allows religious practitioners to get back the income tax on retirement pay they have already paid. This is nothing other than preferential treatment.

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

Hanjin Group Chair Cho Yang-ho dies of illness

Cho Yang-ho, chairman of South Korean conglomerate Hanjin Group that controls the country’s largest flag carrier Korean Air Lines Co., died in Los Angeles Sunday (local time) due to a chronic illness, delivering another blow to the scandal-hit transportation empire. The sudden death of the 70-year-old chairman comes less than three weeks after his ouster from the board of Korean Air Lines, a rare move that was viewed as a rebuke against the spate of scandals surrounding Cho and his family.

State think tank KDI ups negative tone on economy, adds pressure for BOK rate action

State think tank Korea Development Institute (KDI) declared the economy was “slumping”, worsening from a “weakening” tend since November as all the data – industrial output, investment, consumption, and exports turn negative –, adding more pressure on the central bank to take an preemptive action to prevent the economy from falling into a recession. “The economy has sapped due to sluggish demand at home and abroad,” the think tank said in its monthly report for April. The KDI turned doubtful about the economy in November after it maintained recovery was in place until October.

Macallan Genesis Decanter whiskey fetches $136,000 at Seoul auction

Macallan’s oldest whiskey to date, the 72-year-old Genesis Decanter, was sold for 155 million won ($136,050) at South Korea’s first-ever whiskey auction in Seoul. More than 100 people came out to bid for the rare 750-milliliter bottle of single malt whiskey at the Seoul Auction Gangnam Center Friday evening. It was one of the two bottles to enter Korea, with one already sold to Bar 81, an upscale bar on the 81st floor of Signiel Seoul, Korea’s tallest hotel. Only 600 bottles of the limited vintage exist worldwide.

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Lee Kyung-sik edt@koreapost.com