The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Wednesday, May 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.

S. Korea's current account surplus narrows in March

South Korea's monthly current account surplus narrowed in March from a year earlier amid slowing exports, central bank data showed Wednesday.The country's current account surplus came to US$4.8 billion in March, down from $5.1 billion a year earlier, according to the preliminary data from the Bank of Korea (BOK). But the surplus widened from the previous month's $3.6 billion.

U.S. nuclear envoy to visit Seoul for talks about N.K. projectiles, food aid

U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun was to arrive in Seoul on Wednesday for talks expected to focus on Pyongyang's recent firing of short-range projectiles and possible food aid to the impoverished communist nation. During a four-day visit, Biegun will meet with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs at the foreign ministry, and attend a session of the joint "working group" established to coordinate policy on Pyongyang.

Unification minister travels to N. Korea to visit inter-Korean liaison office

Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul crossed the inter-Korean border Wednesday to visit a joint liaison office in North Korea's border town of Kaesong in his first trip to the communist state since taking office last month. Kim plans to meet South Korean officials stationed there and check progress in their work before returning to Seoul in the afternoon.

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

Trump Supports Continued Dialogue with Pyongyang, S. Korean Food Aid

President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday discussed ways to quickly resume denuclearization talks with North Korea as well as the provision of food aid to the North. Presidential spokesperson Ko Min-jung said in a statement that Moon spoke on the phone with Trump for 35 minutes and briefed him on Seoul's position regarding short-range projectiles and tactical-guided weapons North Korea launched last Saturday in what Seoul's Defense Ministry called a strike drill.

S. Korea to Begin Official Review of Sending Food Aid to N. Korea

The South Korean government will soon start formally reviewing the process of sending food aid to North Korea. A senior presidential official told reporters on Wednesday that it's too early to discuss the specifics, however, as the government hasn't made decisions regarding the size or the format of the aid.

Finance Minister Calls for Swift Passage of Extra Budget

Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki has called for the swift passage of a supplementary budget plan submitted to the National Assembly late last month in order to mitigate downside risks to the economy. During a meeting with the heads of economy-related ministries on Wednesday, Hong said that global economic conditions are worsening more than expected, increasing downside risks for the Korean economy.

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

Gov't vows close cooperation with int'l community over N.K. food aid

South Korea will push for possible food assistance for North Korea in close cooperation with the international community, the unification ministry said Wednesday. According to a recently published U.N. report, North Korea is estimated to have produced the lowest level of food crop last year in a decade, and some 40 percent of its total population is in need of food assistance.

Finance minister calls for swift passage of extra budget

South Korea's chief economic policymaker on Wednesday called on the National Assembly to swiftly pass the 6.7 trillion-won (US$5.8 billion) extra budget bill, as Asia's fourth-largest economy is facing downside risks. "The timing and speed are crucial factors of the extra budget," Hong Nam-ki, the minister of economy and finance, said during a meeting on the revitalization of the national economy.

PM Lee proposes Ecuador send biz delegation to S. Korea for investment

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon on Tuesday expressed hope that Ecuador could send a business delegation to South Korea to help Seoul better understand the South American country's move to attract foreign investment. Lee made the proposal during his talks with Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno during his official visit to the country. "I hope Ecuador could create a delegation consisting of government officials and businesspeople and send it to South Korea," Lee said.

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

Liberal Constitutional Court triggers hopes, concerns

With the recent appointment of two Constitutional Court justices whose views are considered liberal, hopes and concerns are growing surrounding the court’s upcoming rulings on socially divisive issues, including the death penalty and the national security law. Since taking office, President Moon Jae-in has appointed eight justices, including Lee Mi-son and Moon Hyung-bae in April. The appointment of so many justices under a single president is unprecedented, but came about because former President Park Geun-hye’s presidency was cut short in 2017.

Unification minister travels to N. Korea to visit inter-Korean liaison office

Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul crossed the inter-Korean border Wednesday to visit a joint liaison office in North Korea's border town of Kaesong in his first trip to the communist state since taking office last month. Kim plans to meet South Korean officials stationed there and check progress in their work before returning to Seoul in the afternoon.

Trump backs S. Korea's food aid for NK: Cheong Wa Dae

US President Donald Trump expressed support Tuesday for South Korea's possible humanitarian food assistance for North Korea in phone talks with President Moon Jae-in, Cheong Wa Dae said. During the 35-minute conversation, Moon briefed Trump on his government's position on North Korea's launch of "short-range projectiles," including a tactical guided weapon, over the weekend.

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

Seoul to review size, format of Pyongyang food assistance: Cheong Wa Dae

South Korea's Moon Jae-in administration will soon begin official procedures associated with its plan for food aid to North Korea, a Cheong Wa Dae official said Wednesday. The official, however, said it's still too early to talk in detail about the issue, as the government has yet to review the size, format and other specifics. Moon and U.S. President discussed the humanitarian issue in their phone conversation Tuesday night (Seoul time).

Prime Minister woos Ecuador for investment in Seoul

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon on Tuesday expressed hope that Ecuador could send a business delegation to South Korea to help Seoul better understand the South American country's move to attract foreign investment. Lee made the proposal during his talks with Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno during his official visit to the country. "I hope Ecuador could create a delegation consisting of government officials and businesspeople and send it to South Korea," Lee said.

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

Moon, Trump Discuss Response to N.Korean Missile Launch

President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke on the telephone on Tuesday night to discuss a response to North Korea's short-range missile launch last week. The 35-minute phone call came three days after the North fired what is believed to be a Russian Iskander-class missile. Trump already discussed a response with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday.

Women Are Driving Force in Korea's Chinatowns

Women are often the driving force in the burgeoning businesses of Chinatowns that are expanding beyond Seoul to the satellite towns of Suwon and Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. According to realtors, it is mostly ethnic Korean women from China who run the thriving restaurants, nail parlors, hair salons and other businesses there. They often end up owning several restaurants and also invest in standalone supermarkets and wedding halls.

Korean Flag Carriers to Scrap Unprofitable 1st Class

Asiana Airlines will take its unprofitable first-class seats out of all international flights in September, 29 years after the carrier first introduced them on flights between Seoul and Tokyo. The airline on Tuesday said they will be replaced with business-class seats that are 30-40 percent cheaper.

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

Pompeo stresses that US remains open to dialogue in multiple TV appearances

The US is showing a restrained response to North Korea’s short-range missile launch on May 4, while sending strong signals that it wants dialogue. The Donald Trump administration appears to have opted for a diplomatic resolution rather than ignoring North Korea’s actions or matching it with its own show of strength. “We want to continue these conversations,” US Secretary of State Pompeo said on May 5, while stressing that the North Korean short-range missiles were not intermediate or long-range missiles or ICBMs. His comments echoed a tweet the previous day by Trump, who reiterated his trust in North Korean leader Kim Jong-un while holding the door open for dialogue.

Debate among S. Korean and US intelligence about whether N. Korea’s test launch was a “missile”

The South Korea and US governments remain cautious about characterizing a projectile launched by North Korea on May 4 as a “missile,” despite speculation from military experts that it was a short-range ballistic missile referred to as the “North Korean Iskander.” Some observers are also questioning whether the entire “missile” controversy is a case of politicking, as missiles are considered to be encompassed within the “projectile” category. “Based on the shape, it appears to be a surface-to-surface [projectile],” the National Intelligence Service (NIS) was quoted by Bareunmirae Party lawmaker Lee Hye-hoon as saying in a May 6 report to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee.

Japanese foreign minister threatens countermeasure if Japanese companies suffer damage

Japan’s top diplomat said the country will quickly impose countermeasures if Japanese companies suffer any actual damage from the compensation that South Korean courts have awarded Koreans drafted for forced labor under Japan’s colonial occupation, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported. “The legal foundation for Japan-South Korea relations is on the verge of being damaged. This is an issue that the South Korean government needs to deal with responsibly,” said Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono during an interview with NHK on May 5.

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

A ballistic missile with a range of 450 km,' say U.S. experts

More and more experts in Washington, D.C. agree that the short-range missile launched by North Korea on last Friday was indeed a missile. “The first round of analysis showed the actual distance traveled by the North Korean projectile at 220 km and its maximum range at 450 kilometers,” said Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Project at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, in a phone interview with the Dong-A Ilbo Monday. He added that this was a very threatening short-range missile putting entire South Korea within its range. He was the expert who released satellite pictures of the smoke trail to CNN immediately after a rocket launch by North Korea and claimed, “all suggest this was the short-range ballistic missile.”

Defense ministry finds it hard to see N. Korean projectiles as missiles, says a lawmaker

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense told the National Assembly that it is "hard" to see the projectiles North Korea launched Saturday as missiles and that the ministry saw Pyongyang's intention as training, rather than provocation, a ruling party lawmaker said Tuesday. The ministry's interpretation cited by the lawmaker has triggered a criticism that the ruling party and the defense ministry are trying to downplay the "provocation" and protect North Korea.

Samsung Electronics listed as the second best company to work for

Samsung Electronics made the top 10 list in 16 countries according to the survey conducted by YouGov BrandIndex asking for which brands workers from 38 countries around the world would be proud to work. This makes the South Korean tech giant the second best brand overall following Google, which appeared on the top 10 list in 23 countries. Apple was the third overall with its name having made the top 10 list in 13 countries.

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

US-based The Capital Group ups stake in Hyundai Motor to 6.42%

California-based world’s major fund operator The Capital Group upped its holding in Hyundai Motor Co. amid improvement by the automaker’s first quarter performance. The global asset management company on Tuesday disclosed The Capital Group Companies and its affiliates purchased a 0.12 percent stake, or 267,169 shares, in the Korean automaker during the trading hours on Apr. 25.

Korea’s demand for foreign labor weakens due to wage hikes, sluggish economy

South Korea’s sluggish economic activity, coupled with steep minimum wage hikes, has hurt not just local hires but recruitment of migrant workers. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Businesses (Kbiz) Tuesday, applications for migrant workers in the April-June period fell below the quarterly quota of around 10,000 for the second straight quarter. This is the first time in five years for applications in the first half to come short.

S. Korea’s Q1 current account surplus narrows to smallest in nearly 7 years

South Korea’s current account balance in the first quarter showed its smallest surplus in nearly seven years amid dwindling mainstay exports and slowdown in the country’s biggest market China. Korea’s current account surplus for the quarter ended March stopped at $11.3 billion, the smallest since the second quarter of 2012 when it totaled $10.9 billion, according to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea on Wednesday.

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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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