Headlines, April 10, 2019

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Wednesday, April 10, 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.

N.K. leader talks about 'tense situation,' 'self-reliance' at politburo meeting

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called the current situation "tense" and urged politburo officials to follow through on the party's strategic line of economic development with a spirit of "self-reliance," state media reported on April. 10, 2019. The remark, made on April. 9, 2019 at an enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party, suggests the North is unlikely to announce any major policy shift at this week's parliamentary meeting despite the no-deal breakdown of Kim's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.

S. Korean, U.S. first ladies to hold one-on-one luncheon this week

The first ladies of South Korea and the United States plan to hold a one-on-one luncheon in Washington this week on the sidelines of the Seoul-Washington summit, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said on April. 9, 2019. South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook is scheduled to head to Washington on April. 10, 2019 to accompany her husband, President Moon Jae-in, for a two-day visit there.

Daewoo Shipbuilding clinches order for LNG carrier

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., a major South Korean shipyard, said on April. 10, 2019 that it has secured a deal to build a liquefied natural gas carrier. Under the deal with Maran Gas Maritime Inc., the gas shipping unit of Angelicoussis Shipping Group, Daewoo Shipbuilding will deliver the 174,000-cubic meter LNG ship during the first quarter of 2022, the company said in a statement.

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

N. Korean Leader Stresses 'Self-Reliance' in Politburo Meeting

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stressed "self-reliance" in a meeting of the ruling Workers' Party officials, calling the current situation "tense." The North's official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) said on Wednesday that Kim made the remarks on Tuesday at an enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party.

S. Korea's Job Growth Posts 250,000 in March

South Korea's job growth posted over 200-thousand for the second straight month, while the employment rate hit a record high last month. According to Statistics Korea on Wednesday, the number of employed people stood at 26-point-eight million in March, up 250-thousand from a year earlier. The on-year job growth marked 263-thousand in February after 12 months of slow growth. After adding just 104-thousand new jobs in February of last year, job growth was in a slump until January when the economy added 19-thousand jobs.

Pompeo: US Aims to Achieve FFVD of N. Korea

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the goal of U.S. diplomacy on North Korea is to achieve the North's final, fully verifiable denuclearization and reduce the risk posed by conventional weapons. Pompeo made the remarks on Tuesday before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee when asked to state the U.S. objective in dealing with the North. During the Senate hearing, Pompeo said the U.S. objective is to achieve a fully denuclearized peninsula and greater peace, along with less risk in conventional weapons and a brighter future for the North Korean people.

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

Top N.K. nuke negotiator appears at key party meeting despite no-deal Trump-Kim summit

North Korea's top nuclear negotiator Kim Yong-chol appeared at this week's key ruling party meeting, indicating his still high stature in the communist state despite the collapse of Pyongyang's summit with Washington in February. Kim, a vice chairman of the Workers' Party's Central Committee, was seen among the top officials at the enlarged politburo session Tuesday in a photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day.

President to head to U.S. for meeting with Trump over N. Korea

President Moon Jae-in was set to embark on a trip to the United States on Wednesday for talks with his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, on ways to restart U.S.-North Korea dialogue on ending the North's nuclear ambition. Moon and Trump will meet Thursday (U.S. time), one day after Moon arrives in Washington, according to the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae. The upcoming summit will mark the seventh of its kind since Moon took office in May 2017.

Tax revenue tallied at 12.1 tln won in February

South Korea's tax revenue was tallied at 12.1 trillion won (US$10.6 billion) in February, down 1.3 trillion won from a year earlier, the finance ministry said Wednesday. Income tax revenue amounted to 8.4 trillion won in February, up 300 billion won from a year earlier, in line with a rise in wages paid to workers. Dues collected by companies, however, fell 100 billion won on-year to reach 1 trillion won, the ministry said.

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

Moon to head to US to revive denuclearization talks

President Moon Jae-in will leave for Washington on Wednesday to meet with US President Donald Trump, as the allies seek ways to cooperate on North Korea issues, Seoul’s presidential office said Tuesday. “The summit is being held based on the shared perception that cooperation between the two countries is important in reviving the momentum for dialogue in the wake of the Hanoi summit,” Kim Hyun-chong, second deputy director of the National Security Office, said.

US auto tariffs to hurt S. Korea's economic growth: Moody's

Potential tariffs by the United States on imported cars will drag down South Korea's economic growth this year by 0.3 percentage point, a global ratings agency said Tuesday. In a report released on the day, Moody's Investors Service said that the direct impact of the US tariffs is estimated "to account for around 0.2 percentage point deceleration in 2019 growth for Germany and around 0.3 percentage point for Japan and (South) Korea."

Japan to extend N. Korea sanctions for 2 years

The Japanese government said Tuesday that it will extend a set of bilateral sanctions on North Korea for two years amid no substantive progress in denuclearization and efforts to resolve the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by the communist nation decades ago. "Looking at various situations, (we) assessed what would be most effective," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a regular press briefing.

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

Pompeo calls Kim Jong-un 'tyrant'

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo agreed Tuesday with the characterization of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a "tyrant." Pompeo was asked at a Senate hearing whether he would use the same word he has used for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for Kim. "Sure. I'm sure I've said that," the top U.S. diplomat said before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee while discussing the State Department budget request for 2020.

'Provide sign language in live disaster reports'

Activists calling for disabled people's rights rallied in front of the National Human Rights Commission building in downtown Seoul, Tuesday, calling on the country's news broadcasters to provide proper sign language interpretation ― especially in times of crisis. Calls for more inclusive broadcasting content is not new. Such activists have filed similar complaints about the live news reports of the inter-Korean summit and PyeongChang Winter Olympics last year as well. This time, however, demands are based on real safety concerns.

Seoul cabbie loses license for overcharging foreign passengers

A Seoul court has rejected a cabbie's bid to reverse Seoul City's decision to revoke his taxi driver's license for overcharging foreigners, it was reported Tuesday. The driver charged the two 8,000 won ($7) after driving 2.43 kilometers to a shopping mall in Jung-gu, downtown Seoul. The correct fare was 4,200 won, according to the meter.

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

Moon to Push for Fresh U.S.-N.Korea Summit

President Moon Jae-in wants to invite U.S. President Donald Trump to South Korea in May or June of this year. Asked whether Trump could visit Seoul in the next few months, a senior Cheong Wa Dae official said, "That will be discussed" when Moon and Trump meet in Washington this week. Cheong Wa Dae is pushing for an inter-Korean summit around April 27, which marks the first anniversary of his first meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

4 out of 10 Mothers Opt for C-Section

More than 40 percent of women giving birth in Korea still opt for Caesarean sections, according to a study. The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs studied 1,784 women between 15 and 49 who gave birth from 2016 until September last year, and 42 percent chose C-sections. In the last study in 2015, the figure was 39 percent. The World Health Organization recommends C-sections only in emergency cases, which would be at most 10 to 15 percent of childbirths. Worldwide the average rate of C-sections is 19 percent, with the highest in Latin America at around 41 percent followed by North America (32 percent) and Oceania (31 percent). Asia ranked relatively low at 19 percent.

How to Improve Your Sex Life in Middle Age

Stamina now mostly means male sexual prowess, but the term actually encompasses the entire physical and mental desire of both men and women. As yet there is no agreed numerical standard to determine a person's stamina. Middle-aged men's testosterone levels decline gradually, but women suffer a drastic decline in estrogen levels as soon as the menopause starts. Men may encounter erectile dysfunction as well as a general loss of interest, but women suffer from decreased sexual appetite, pain during sexual intercourse due to vaginal dryness, and weaker orgasms.

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

Kim Jong-un continues to focus on economic development

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been focusing on the economy for days on end in his activities this month. Reaffirming Pyongyang’s policy focus on economic development in spite of the failure to produce an agreement at the North Korea-US summit in Hanoi, Kim’s activities are seen as a bid to send an external message of continuity in the pursuit of negotiations ahead of a South Korea-US summit scheduled for Washington on Apr. 14, as well as an internal message stressing a leadership style informed by “love for the North Korean people” ahead of the inaugural meeting on 14th Supreme People’s Assembly on Apr. 11 and the Day of the Sun (birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung) holiday on Apr. 15.

Are sanctions the only way to get North Korea to denuclearize?

With a South Korea-US summit scheduled to take place in Washington, DC, on Apr. 11, Washington’s belief in sanctions as an “answer to all things” has hardened into dogma as the two sides seek out ways of getting the North Korea-US denuclearization negotiations back on track. But the question of whether sanctions really are the only answer to achieving North Korea’s denuclearization – and to do so quickly – remains the subject of considerable debate, with Pyongyang regarding the heavy sanctions push as tantamount to a call for “surrender.”

Newly appointed unification minister gives inauguration address 　

“What came to mind is the expression, ‘The weight is heavy, and the road is long.’ I sense a tremendous weight of responsibility.” Kim Yeon-chul shared his response to his recent appointment as Minister of Unification in an inauguration ceremony at the Central Government Complex in Seoul on Apr. 8. “Thirteen years after I worked as a policy aide to the Minister of Unification, it is all the more moving for me now to be appointed as Minister of Unification during the 50th anniversary year of the ministry’s establishment,” he said.

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

‘Sanctions should be maintained,’ Cheong Wa Dae says

President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to visit Washington for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) to discuss ways to restart denuclearization negotiations with North Korea. Seoul’s presidential office Cheong Wa Dae has said that the sanctions on Pyongyang should be maintained. The government apparently plans to persuade Washington to focus on an “early harvest,” which would be earned when North Korea takes initial steps to denuclearize itself including the dismantlement of the Yongbyon nuclear facilities and is rewarded by corresponding measures.

SK Telecom considers creating Korean version of Netflix

Planning to create a Korean version of Netflix by the first half of the year, SK Telecom CEO Park Jung-ho met top management of Singapore Telecommunications Limited (Singtel), the largest telecommunications carrier in Singapore and a content platform business in Southeast Asia, on Tuesday once again after they signed an MOU in February at MWC held in Barcelona, Spain, to ensure e-Sports business cooperation. As SK Telecom rose as the largest shareholder for a corporate that combines two platforms – “POOQ,” the three major TV networks, and “Oksusu,” SK Broadband, such recent moves seem to intend to lay the foundation for investment.

Trump’s Cabinet relies on acting officials

As key figures in the Trump administration have recently been fired or resigned, the administration is relying on acting Cabinet officials. Concerns are rising if this ongoing purge in the Trump administration would deprive it of the power to implement policies and cause instability. President Trump on Monday fired Director Randolph Alles of the Secret Service, a federal agency under the Department of Homeland Security. A day before that, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, Alles’ boss, resigned, leaving many to wonder if President Trump is purging key officials at the department, who have been disobedient to him.

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

Inheritance Tax for Chairman Cho's Shares Exceeds 170 Billion Won: Biggest Variable in Succession of Management to Third Generation

The sudden death of Cho Yang-ho (70), chairman of Hanjin Group, on April 8 has drawn public attention to the future direction of the group and its key affiliate, Korean Air. Cho's son, Cho Won-tae (44), president of Korean Air, is most likely to succeed the late chairman, but he has yet to achieve any distinct performance, and the massive inheritance tax exceeding 170 billion won might also affect the family-centered governance structure.

Is Cheong Wa Dae "Moral and Humble" Now?

It’s Destiny, the autobiography of former President Roh Moo-hyun, does not mention presidential appointments. The Participatory Government, which established a system for presidential appointments, had prepared a separate book of human resources, a compilation of vast data, before the end of its term. That record was later published in 2013 as the book, Presidential Appointments (written by Park Nam-choon), which was described as a "revolution in presidential appointments by the Participatory Government, from behind closed doors to the public square." The book showed that the “system” had top authority in appointing senior officials in the Participatory Government.

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

Renault Samsung considers production halt amid ongoing labor dispute: Sources

Renault Samsung Motors Corp., the South Korean unit of Renault S.A., is considering a temporary suspension of car production at its Busan factory amid no sign of reaching an agreement between the management and unionized workers over wage and other employment conditions, sources said. The company’s management and the union on Tuesday resumed their wage talks on Tuesday but their talks ended without agreement, raising uncertainty in the carmaker’s business in Korea.

Korea’s productivity in IT and other key manufacturing sectors rapidly loses steam

South Korea’s labor productivity growth in key manufacturing sectors including semiconductor and automobile has sharply slowed, reflecting the waning competitiveness of Korean brands and raising alarm for the Korean Inc. According to data released by the Bank of Korea analyzing changes in labor productivity by industry sector, labor productivity in manufacturing sector increased 2.2 percent on average between 2011 and 2015, compared with 7.9 percent in the 2001-2007 period before the global financial meltdown.

NPS ups holdings in chemical, pharma stocks, loses parts makers Q1

Korea’s largest institutional investor National Pension Service (NPS) increased its holdings in chemical and pharmaceutical companies in the first quarter while it shed shares in semiconductor equipment makers and automotive parts suppliers, data showed. According to Seoul-based financial data provider FnGuide on Tuesday, the NPS owned a 5 percent or higher stake in a total of 217 listed companies as of March 31, 2019. The institutional investor upped holdings in 100 companies in the first quarter, of which it raised its stake to 5 percent or above for the first time in 10 companies.

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Lee Kyung-sik edt@koreapost.com