Headlines, May 7, 2019

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Tuesday, May 7, 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.

Moon sets out regional peace vision, urges end to ideological rift

South Korean President Moon Jae-in called for a bipartisan approach to the North Korea issue, presenting his far-reaching and people-centered vision for regional peace and co-prosperity. "From now on, the North-South issue should not be misused for ideological or political purposes; rather, it must be expanded into an issue of life and existence for ordinary people," he stressed in a special op-ed for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), according to an unofficial translation offered by his office, Cheong Wa Dae, on Tuesday.

Deputy nuclear envoys of S. Korea, Russia to hold talks in Moscow

Deputy nuclear envoys of South Korea and Russia will meet in Moscow this week for talks on the stalled denuclearization negotiations between the United States and North Korea, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday. Jeong Yeon-doo, director-general of the North Korean Nuclear Affairs Bureau at Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will be in Moscow on Tuesday for talks with his Russian counterpart Oleg Burmistrov, ambassador-at-large, the ministry said in a statement.

U.S. lawmakers seek answers on Warmbier release from Pompeo

Two Democratic lawmakers have asked U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to provide details on the U.S. government's alleged promise to pay North Korea $2 million in connection with its release of an American detainee in 2017. In a letter dated Friday, Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, asked that the top U.S. diplomat address nine specific questions by May 17.

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

Trump, Abe Discuss N. Korea Following Weapons Tests

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe regarding North Korea, days after it conducted several weapons tests. The White House said in a statement that the two leaders discussed "recent developments on North Korea and reaffirmed U.S.-Japan unity in how to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization" of the North. It added that the two leaders also discussed trade issues and Trump's upcoming trip to Japan later this month.

Extraordinary Assembly Session to End Tuesday

The one-month extraordinary National Assembly session that opened on April 8th is set to close on Tuesday without the passage of a single piece of legislation. Feuding between rival parties has derailed consensus throughout the extra Assembly session, which opened without an agreed upon schedule. Major sources of conflict have included the fast-tracking of disputed bills and presidential appointments of controversial ministers and Constitutional Court justices.

S. Korea's Spy Agency Says N. Korea's Projectiles 'Not Provocative'

South Korea's spy agency said on Monday that it does not perceive North Korea's firing of short-range projectiles last week as provocative. A senior official from the National Intelligence Service(NIS) gave an initial analysis of the North's projectiles fired into the East Sea on Saturday in a briefing to Rep. Lee Hye-hoon of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party, at the National Assembly.

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

U.S. calls out N. Korea's human rights abuses

The United States on Monday called out human rights abuses by the North Korean regime, saying it will continue to highlight the issue. The State Department issued the remarks in a statement marking North Korea Freedom Week, which falls on the last week of April each year. The annual event is used by South Korean and international activists to raise awareness of the human rights situation in North Korea.

S. Korea committed to pursuing goal of inclusive growth

The head of President Moon Jae-in's blue-ribbon commission has said South Korea is fully committed to pursuing a policy of innovative and inclusive growth despite some challenges it is facing at present. Jung Hae-gu, who leads the Presidential Commission on Policy Planning, stressed Moon's signature initiatives are a step in the right direction that could allow the benefits of economic growth to be distributed across society much more evenly, including to underprivileged people.

Pompeo says U.S. still has 'every intention' to negotiate with N.K.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday that the U.S. still has "every intention" to negotiate with North Korea over its nuclear program despite its weapons tests over the weekend. In an interview with Fox News, Pompeo said the North's launches on Saturday (local time) were "of a short range" and expressed the U.S. government's "high confidence" that they did not involve intermediate, long-range or intercontinental ballistic missiles.

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

North Korea’s projectiles ploy to pressure US in negotiations: spy agency

North Korea’s recent launch of projectiles could have been a move to pressure rival states and may not be a signal that it wants to break off negotiations, South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers during a parliamentary briefing on Monday. Pyongyang also appears to be adjusting the intensity of the message it is sending to the US, Rep. Lee Hye-hoon, head of the intelligence committee, told reporters after a parliamentary session with the National Intelligence Service here.

Duty-free business becomes cash cow only for bigger players

Hanhwa Group’s decision to withdraw from the duty-free business from September due to ballooning losses -- some 117 billion won ($100 million) of accumulated operating losses -- has shaken the industry, though many had predicted the closure.“It is not an exaggeration to say that there were more employees than customers at Hanwha’s downtown duty-free store in Yeouido, although many visitors seemed to visit the landmark 63 Building where the store is located. The location was relatively less-visited among tourists or local shoppers, compared to Myeong-dong, where Lotte and Shinsegae have duty-free stores,” said a 32-year-old cosmetics merchandiser, who declined to be named.

EV expo kicks off in Jeju to promote zero-emission tech

Businesspeople, experts, investors and government representatives from around the world will gather on the South Korean resort island of Jeju to promote carbon-free mobility technology at an international exhibition that kicks off Wednesday. The sixth annual International Electric Vehicle Expo -- the world’s first and largest event dedicated entirely to EVs and EV components, technology and infrastructure -- runs May 8-11 at International Convention Center Jeju, organizers said Monday.

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

US says nuclear deal 'still possible'

Despite North Korea's decision to launch what appeared to be short-range missiles into the sea off its eastern coast on the weekend, officials in the United States and political analysts have ruled out the possibility that this could end Washington's joint diplomatic efforts to get Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program. Cheong Wa Dae said Monday that it had no new information on the North's provocative action, such as the launch method or exact type of missiles used; while the U.S. is apparently reacting to the firing in a "thoughtful manner."

More lawsuits against Korea? Japan recruiting experts on historical disputes

The Japanese government plans to hire more specialists handling international disputes, in what political analysts in Seoul said is a move to prepare for legal tussles with the South Korean government over historical disputes. "Tokyo may file more lawsuits against Seoul over historical documents in major international courts such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as the country is on track to hire more such specialists," a Japanese source with knowledge of the situation said, Monday.

41 dead in Russian plane blaze disaster

Forty-one people including at least two children have died after a Russian passenger plane made an emergency landing and erupted in a huge ball of fire and black smoke at Moscow's busiest airport on Sunday, investigators said. Dramatic footage that went viral on social media showed Aeroflot's Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft crash-landing and then speeding along the runway at Sheremetyevo international airport, flames pouring from its fuselage. Passengers could be seen leaping onto an inflatable slide at the front and running from the blazing plane as huge black columns of smoke billowed into the sky.

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

Kim Jong-un personally supervises test launch of missiles into East Sea

North Korea carried out a “strike drill” personally supervised by the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, in which various missile components were test fired into the East Sea. As a deadlock continues between North Korea and the US, Kim appears to be increasing low-level pressure on US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. On May 5, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim Jong-un had “guided the strike drill of defense units in the forefront area and on the eastern front which took place in the East Sea of Korea on Saturday.”

US maintains cautious stance regarding N. Korea’s missile launch

The US administration is maintaining a cautious stance in response to North Korea’s launch of a short-range missile as it closely observes the unfolding situation. The approach is being seen as intended to keep the situation on a stable footing instead of escalating tensions by responding to power with power. The South Korean administration has also maintained a generally circumspect approach even as it urged the North to stop engaging in actions that increase military tensions.

2nd Seoul Drag Parade kicks off in Haebangchon

At 5 pm on May 5, around 300 people paraded through Seoul’s Haebangchon neighborhood wearing colorful wigs and thick makeup reminiscent of musical theater performers. “Is this a queer parade?” whispered onlookers as the paraders strode along the street. Meanwhile, the participants waved and smiled broadly at the watching citizens. It was a setting where terms like “masculine” and “feminine” held no meaning. Gender-based distinctions held no place – the skirts and high heels typically seen as reserved for women, the black suits and neckties seen as exclusive to men. The people were taking part in the second Seoul Drag Parade, held this year in the Haebangchon area of Seoul’s Yongsan district, near Itaewon. Participants walked for just over a half hour that day from Haebangchon to the neighboring Itaewon area. It was the final day of an event that started on May 3.

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

Pompeo: The North's launch did not involve ICBM
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday (local time) that he is strongly confident that the recently launched short-range missile by North Korea is not an intermediate, long-range or intercontinental ballistic missile. He added that the moratorium on North Korea’s nuclear testing and missile launches is focused on ICBMs that pose a concrete threat to the United States. Although the North launched a missile on Saturday in one year and five months, Pompeo suggested that Washington would maintain the dialogue front with Pyongyang, stressing that ICBMs that can threaten the U.S. mainland are considered the red line that is not to be crossed.

Hyundai Mobis teams up with MIT for future car technologies
South Korean auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis has joined hands with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to accelerate research and development of future vehicle technologies and recruit talents. Hyundai Mobis said Monday that it recently hosted an information technology conference for Korean entrepreneurs at the company's Tech Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, as part of the bilateral partnership efforts. Michael Schrage, a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, gave a lecture on next-generation business models and technologies at the conference. Some 50 senior corporate managers including the company's president and CEO Park Chung-kook.

Exhibition features 88 faces of enlightenment
As visitors walk past a pitch-dark space into a special exhibition hall at the National Museum of Korea, stone statues greet them, with some smiling while others in agony. On April 29, the museum opened the special exhibition titled, "Five Hundred Arhats of Changnyeong Temple Site: Reflection of Our Hearts." Arhats, also called "Nahan" in Korean, are Buddha's disciples and saints who have attained enlightenment. The 500 Arhats were discovered among the ruins at the site of Changnyeong Temple in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province after a local resident's reporting. In the following year, archeologists excavated 317 Arhat and Bodhisattva statues, 64 of which in perfect shape. The exhibition features 88 of the Arhat statues shown at the Chuncheon National Museum last year.

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

The Key to a Fair Economy, Chaebol Reforms Pushed Aside

rogressive groups criticized the Moon Jae-in government for the lack of progress in structural reforms for a fair economy, necessary to support income-driven growth and innovative growth. Some even argued that the government had practically abandoned chaebol reforms, needed to realize a fair economy. According to these views, the nation's economic policies have lost their reformist nature and are heading back into the past as the government works to encourage investment centered on large businesses and to ease regulations in response to the economic downturn.

Last Year 971 People Died in Industrial Accidents: Why the Number Keeps Rising

Last year, over 100,000 workers suffered work-related injuries and the number of deaths by industrial accidents also increased. According to the government explanation, the number of industrial accidents approved by the government has increased now that more workplaces can receive insurance coverage for industrial accidents and that the application and screening process has been improved, but experts point out that we still have a long way to go if we are to improve our undeveloped industrial worksites, where fatal accidents are frequent.

Prime Minister Abe Should Heed the New Japanese Emperor Calling for World Peace

Emperor Naruhito acceded to the throne on May 1 and in his first public address as emperor, he said he sincerely hoped for peace in the world. At an ascending ceremony held at the Imperial Palace this day, Emperor Naruhito swore, "I will act according to the Constitution and fulfill my responsibility as the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people of Japan," and he said, "I sincerely pray for the happiness of the people and the further development of the nation as well as the peace of the world."

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

S. Korea enjoys tourism boost from Japan’s Golden Week holiday

The number of Japanese tourists visiting South Korea has surged thanks to Japan’s unprecedented 10-day Golden Week holiday, delivering a welcome boost to local retailers and hotels. Every year, Japan celebrates a cluster of four national holidays, dubbed Golden Week, from April 29 to May 5. This year, the holiday was extended to an unprecedented 10 days due to Crown Prince Naruhito’s enthronement.

Game of Thrones phenomenon ups interest in OLED TVs

The way-too-dark battles scenes of the latest episode of Game of Thrones has sparked fresh interest in organic light-emitting (OLED) TVs and its ability to offer a fuller viewing experience. Many U.S. consumer reports and tech media issued articles on the virtues of the OLED TV after Game of Thrones’ climactic episode “The Long Night” unleashed a flood of complaints from fans about the overly dark scenes.

Samsung’s Q1 smartphone share in China tops 1% first time in 4 quarters

Samsung Electronics Co.’s share in China’s smartphone market recovered above 1 percent for the first time in four quarters in the first quarter thanks to brisk sales of its flagship Galaxy S10 smartphone, data showed Sunday. According to data released by global market research firm Strategy Analytics on Sunday, South Korea’s smartphone giant shipped a total 1 million units of smartphones in China during the January-March period, making up 1.1 percent in the world’s biggest smartphone market. It was the first time for Samsung Electronics’ smartphone share in China to exceed 1 percent since the first quarter of last year.

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Lee Kyung-sik edt@koreapost.com