Headlines, May 13, 2019

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Monday, May 13, 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 not yet able to determine details of N.K. missiles

South Korea's military has not yet determined the details of the short-range missiles that North Korea fired last week, including whether they were ballistic missiles, an official said Sunday. After the North fired the projectiles on Thursday, the South's military said they were believed to be short-range missiles. But it stopped short of determining whether they were ballistic missiles that the North is banned from launching under U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Ex-vice minister grilled again over sex scandal, bribery allegations

Prosecutors questioned former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui for the second time in three days on Sunday over allegations he received bribes and sexual services in return for business favors. Kim, 63, has been under investigation over allegations that he attended a sex party hosted by construction contractor Yoon Jung-cheon. He arrived at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors Office around 12:50 p.m. and entered the building without answering questions from reporters.

Trump says N. Korea's missile launches didn't breach trust

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he doesn't think North Korea's launches of short-range missiles this week were a breach of trust, although that could happen in the future. In a phone interview with Politico on Friday, Trump was asked whether he was angry or frustrated by the firings and if he considered them to be a breach of trust between himself and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

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

Pompeo Reaffirms US Won't Repeat Past Mistakes on N. Korea

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reaffirmed that his country will not repeat the past mistakes of previous administrations in dealing with North Korea. According to the State Department on Sunday, Pompeo presented the position in a speech during an event marking the 40th anniversary of the Claremont Institute in California on Saturday.

Gov't Says Bus Fare Increase Necessary

With a nationwide bus strike looming large, the government said that increasing bus fares may offer a realistic solution to an anticipated rise in labor costs. Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee and Labor Minister Lee Jae-kap issued the statement on Sunday after holding a meeting at the government complex in Seoul to discuss the issue.

Ruling Bloc to Make All-out Efforts for Parliamentary Passage of Extra Budget

The ruling bloc has agreed to make all-out efforts to ensure the extra budget bill will pass in parliament within this month. The government, presidential office and the ruling Democratic Party agreed on the urgent need to pass the six-point-seven trillion won budget bill during a policy meeting on Sunday at the National Assembly.

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

S. Korea's exports down 6.4 pct in first 10 days of May

South Korea's exports fell 6.4 percent in the first 10 days of May from a year earlier mainly due to decreased shipments of semiconductors, customs data showed Monday. The country's exports stood at US$13 billion in the May 1-10 period, compared with $13.9 billion in the same period last year, according to the Korea Customs Service. The customs office said daily average exports -- which reflect working days -- declined 13.6 percent on-year to $2.01 billion.

S. Korean 5G subscribers estimated to hover above 400,000: sources

The number of South Koreans who have subscribed to 5G service is estimated to hover above the 400,000 mark, industry sources said Sunday. Asia's fourth-largest economy -- the first country in the world to launch full-fledged 5G commercial services on April 5 -- is believed to have reached the milestone as of Saturday, they said. The sources said an average of 10,000 people subscribed to the world's first 5G phone, Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy S10, per day through local carriers -- SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp.

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin earns 5th win vs. Nationals

Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers picked up his fifth win of the season after delivering eight scoreless innings against the Washington Nationals. The South Korean left-hander kept the Nationals to one hit in eight innings with nine strikeouts and one walk in his side's 6-0 win at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday (local time). He had a no-hitter through the seventh inning but allowed the National's only hit to Gerardo Parra in the eighth.

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

Former Peace Corps member Courtright recollects Gwangju Uprising

It has been 39 years since the May 18, 1980, Gwangju Democratization Movement -- or Gwangju Uprising -- where hundreds of citizens in the city, located some 330 kilometers south of Seoul, were killed in a deadly military crackdown during the authoritarian regime of Chun Doo-hwan, who came to power in a military coup in 1979. While the official figures put the number of deaths at 165 over a 10-day period, it is thought that the actual number of those killed could be three times higher.

Buying and selling technology vital to ABL Bio business model

The development process for a novel drug -- from the discovery of a drug candidate through the preclinical trial phase, on to clinical trial phases 1, 2 and 3 and finally commercialization -- normally requires 10 years and at least 1 trillion won ($858 million). What innovative biotech startups do to sustain their businesses, therefore, is license drug candidates out to other firms for co-development in the early stages, in exchange for a fee and a cut of the royalties.

Recalibrating diplomatic portfolio with New Southern Policy

The escalating tensions between the US and China highlight the pressing need for broadening South Korea’s diplomatic horizon further with President Moon Jae-in’s initiative that aims at deepening ties with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. However, the policy should address more regional issues rather than just expanding Seoul’s economic presence in the ASEAN block, experts said.

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

'Culture of integrity' key to fighting corruption

The end goal of the nation's anti-corruption policy drive should be to establish a culture of integrity in the private sector, but the ongoing government-led institutional reforms focus mainly on the public area, according to Park Un-jong, chairwoman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC). "The government has carried out anti-corruption policies with a focus on the public sector, so there is still much to be desired in the private one," she said in an interview with The Korea Times and its sister paper, Hankook Ilbo.

Korean economy faces rocky path to recovery

The Korean economy is facing a rocky path to recovery due to sluggish domestic demand and exports amid lingering global uncertainties involving the U.S-China trade dispute, according to global economists, Sunday. They expect the economy may see a mild turnaround in the short term, mostly because of "base effects" from a shocking contraction in the first quarter, but they said a rebound will not be sustainable citing multiple downside risks.

Foreign students in Korea face higher health costs

Foreign students who stay in Korea for over six months can expect to shoulder higher medical insurance costs starting July, when a new law kicks in to enforce their compulsory registration in the state healthcare insurance system. Currently, foreign students are usually covered by a private medical insurance program mediated through their host university. This private insurance has more limited coverage than the state-run insurance ― which reimburses over 60 percent of all essential medical costs ― but is financially accessible to students, set at around 10,000 won ($8.50) a month.

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

New N.Korean Missile Base Spotted

A U.S. think tank has spotted a hitherto unknown North Korean missile base in Yusang-ri in South Pyongan Province. In a report last Thursday, the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the Yusang-ri base might be an intercontinental ballistic missile storage facility. The facility was discovered first by South Korean and U.S. authorities a few years ago, but they disclosed no details.

To Nap or Not to Nap

Napping can be a boon to busy professionals who snatch a few winks in the middle of a day to return refreshed to their work, but for people who suffer from insomnia or have nothing much to do by day it can also disrupt their night's sleep. The optimum length of a nap is currently said to be a relatively short 15 to 30 minutes, the lightest stage of non-REM sleep that will still revitalize people's energy levels without making them groggy when they wake up.

Is Fruit Really Good for You?

Eating fruit is only healthy at the right time and in the right amount since it is often high in sugar. Eating a lot of fruit after a meal can disturb the gastric tract or send sugar levels in the blood sky-high, which can overtax the pancreas as it frantically tries to produce insulin to break the sugar down and cause diabetes.

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

S. Korea says plans to provide humanitarian food aid to N. Korea remain unchanged

On May 10, the Blue House, the South Korean government, and the ruling Democratic Party said that their plans to provide humanitarian food aid to North Korea remained unchanged despite the North’s launch of a short-range missile. During a meeting with reporters on Friday, a key official at the Blue House was asked whether North Korea’s launch of what was presumably a missile the previous day would bring any changes to the plans to provide food aid. “The remarks made by President Moon [Jae-in] during the KBS interview yesterday can be regarded as the final word on North Korea’s projectiles and [food aid]. We’ll let you know if anything changes,” the official said.

Projectile launched from Kusong also determined to be “North Korean Iskander”

Two projectiles launched by North Korea on May from Kusong, North Pyongan Province, were deemed to be identical in launch method and ballistic body type to a tactical guided weapon launched from the Hodo Peninsula in Wonson five days earlier. Many military experts suspected the projectiles were likely to have been the short-range missile known as the “North Korean Iskander.” On May 10, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) revised its assessment on the projectiles from “suspecting” to “concluding” that they were short-range missiles. But the JCS remained cautious on the question of whether the projectiles were ballistic missiles, insisting additional analysis on their flight characteristics, launch angle, range, and speed would be needed.

Wages at SMEs with unions 30-40% higher than those without

The wage gap between large corporations with and without labor unions is relatively small, while wages at small and medium enterprises (SMEs) without unions are 30-40% lower than at those with unions, a research study shows. According to the findings, wages differ primarily according to regular or irregular worker status and company scale, but the presence of a union also had a highly significant impact on wage levels at SMEs. The findings are drawing attention as an illustrating the limits of converting irregular workers to regular status alone as a means of relieving income inequality.

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

World economy faces uncertainty amid U.S.-China trade spat

As trade talks between the world’s two superpowers broke up with no agreement with a renewed tariff war looming on the horizon, the global economy seems to be threatened to fall into a vicious cycle of a decline in trade volumes and economic downturns. This could cause a serious concern for South Korea, which is highly dependent on the United States and China for trade, as it is likely to take a direct hit from the increased tariff on imports.

N.K.’s missile provocations seen as process to put new weapons to combat mission

South Korea’s Defense Ministry and National Intelligence Service have yet to confirm‎ whether the short-range missiles North Korea fired on May 4 and May 9 in succession are ballistic missiles or not. They indicate that the missiles are new weapons that have never been revealed before, and that they need more thorough analysis.

CNN covers the stories of young Koreans shunning romantic relationships

U.S. news media outlet CNN published an online article on Monday in the world section regarding the tendency of younger generations in Korea to avoid dating. It explains that high unemployment and sexual violence such as illicit filming by romantic partners have made young Koreans hesitate to engage in a romantic relationship.

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

President's Interview on Second Anniversary of His Inauguration Is Disappointing in Terms of Format and Content

President Moon Jae-in appeared in a special interview with KBS on May 9, the second anniversary of his inauguration. In a face-to-face interview with a KBS reporter at Sangchunjae in Cheong Wa Dae, the president shared his views on economic, social, foreign and security issues and presented the direction of state administration for his third year in office. This is the first time that he has chosen to sit for an interview with the domestic press as a means of communication.

President Moon Warns North Korea, “Continued Protest or Pressure on South Korea and the U.S. Could Make Dialogue Difficult”

On May 9, President Moon Jae-in discussed North Korea's short-range missile launch and said, "I would like to warn that if North Korea repeats such actions, it could make dialogue and negotiations difficult." This night, President Moon appeared on a 90-minute live broadcast on KBS titled, “Special Talk after 2 Years of the Moon Jae-in Government: We Ask the President,” and said, "Even after the inter-Korean military agreement, the two Koreas continued to conduct test launches and exercises to further develop our existing weapons systems, so the latest launch was not a violation of the inter-Korean military agreement."

Decades-old Urban Forest Turned into a Forest of Apartments

"An apartment compound surrounded by a forest and a park as big as fifty football fields (350,000m2) as its front yard." This was written in an advertisement for an apartment compound in Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, which was sold recently. Four apartment compounds with a total of 2,656 apartments will be built in Central Park in Wonju, designated as a neighborhood park in 1985. An area of 112,636m2has been set aside for the compound, which will occupy 24% of the entire park. An urban park where residents had relaxed and enjoyed leisure activities for decades due to restrictions on private development will turn into the "front yard" of an apartment compound overnight. It all began with the "special private projects" that the government permitted.

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

Korean Pres hints moderation in wage policy, warns Pyongyang against provocation

South Korean President Moon Jae-in hinted a moderation in the pace of minimum wage hike in light of the fragile economy and warned North Korea that provocation could upset the dialogue mood after it resumed missile test. “We do not have to raise the minimum wage to 10,000 won ($8.48) by 2020 to meet the campaign pledge,” Moon said in televised interview with public broadcaster KBS on Thursday to mark the completion of his second-year office.

Hanwha Hotels & Resorts puts Saipan World Resort on sale

Hanwha Hotels & Resorts Co., hotel and resort operating unit of South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group which lately has been active in divesting money-losing businesses, has put its landmark resort complex in Saipan up for sale.

Korean markets stabilize on verbal intervention amid trade tensions

Korean capital markets underwent heavy swings Friday but stabilized as authorities issued verbal intervention by vowing to do their upmost to minimize the shock from renewed trade tensions between the United States and China as two governments worked on a deal, while U.S. tariffs on $200 billion Chinese products went up to 25 percent from 10 percent as planned.

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