Headlines, June 4, 2019

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Tuesday, June 4, 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

Body identified as S. Korean victim of Hungary boat sinking, death toll rises to 8

One of the two bodies retrieved from the Danube River was confirmed to be a South Korean missing in last week's deadly sinking of a sightseeing boat in Hungary, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday. That raised the death toll in the May 29 sinking to eight with 18 others still unaccounted for. Work is under way to identify another body retrieved from underwater later that day, according to South Korea's quick response team dispatched to Budapest.

Consumer price growth stays below 1 pct for 5th month

South Korea's consumer price growth stayed below the 1 percent threshold for the fifth consecutive month in May due mainly to expanded social welfare schemes that helped rein in a rise in service charges, government data showed Tuesday. Consumer prices rose 0.7 percent in May from a year earlier, marking the lowest for any May since 2015, when the corresponding figure stood at 0.6 percent, according to Statistics Korea.

Pompeo says N.K. launches 'probably' violated U.N. resolutions

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday that North Korea "probably" violated United Nations resolutions with its missile launches last month, but that it's important to focus on the ultimate goal of denuclearization. The U.S. has sent mixed messages regarding the North's missile launches on May 9, with President Donald Trump saying he views them "differently" from his own national security adviser, John Bolton, who condemned them as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions against Pyongyang.

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

Two More Victims of Hungary Boat Collision Found

Divers on Monday recovered the bodies of two more victims who were on a tour boat that collided with a cruise ship and sank in the Danube River in Budapest last week. South Korean emergency responders said divers found a body presumed to be of a Korean woman from the accident site on Monday morning.

N. Korean Leader's Sister Featured in State Media After 53-day Absence

The younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made her first confirmed public appearance for the first time in 53 days on Monday, dispelling rumors of a possible falling out between the two. North Korean state media Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) reported on Tuesday that Kim Yo-jong attended a gymnastics event with the North Korean leader in Pyongyang, and carried a photo of the two seated near one another.

S. Korea, US Agree on Details of Future Alliance, Joint Exercises

An envisioned command of U.S.-South Korea forces will be led by a four-star South Korean general upon the transfer of wartime operational control(OPCON) currently scheduled for 2022. In their second meeting in as many months, South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan unveiled the agreement in Seoul on Monday.

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

NK leader's younger sister reemerges after 53-day absence

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's powerful younger sister has appeared in public for the first time in 53 days, contradicting rumors that she was disciplined in the wake of the leader's embarrassing no-deal summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Kim Yo-jong attended North Korea's propaganda group gymnastics and artist performance called "The Land of the People" held in Pyongyang's May Day Stadium on Monday, along with leader Kim, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Pompeo says N.K. launches 'probably' violated U.N. resolutions

Consumer price growth stays below 1 pct for 5th month

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

Body identified as S. Korean victim of Hungary boat sinking, death toll rises to 8

Korean economy shrinks revised 0.4% in Q1: BOK

South Korea's economy shrank at a faster rate in the first quarter than earlier expected, the central bank said Tuesday, due to sluggish investment and exports that are expected to further deteriorate on escalating trade tension between the world's two largest economies. The country's real gross domestic product backtracked 0.4 percent in the first quarter of the year from three months earlier, the Bank of Korea said.

Seoul, Washington agree to appoint S. Korean general to lead joint command

Seoul and Washington have agreed to appoint a South Korean four-star general to lead the envisioned future joint command and relocate its headquarters from Seoul to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, the Ministry of National Defense said Monday. Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan met in Seoul to discuss the pending issues and vowed to closely cooperate to back the on-going diplomatic efforts on the denuclearization of North Korea.

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

'Stalked for rape': Fear grows among women living alone

A viral video clip of a man trying to slip into a woman's home in Sillim-dong, Seoul, has sparked a flood of harrowing testimonies from Korean women, who say stalking and sexual assault by strangers is a real and widespread problem, especially for women who live alone. Some of them reached out to The Korea Times to share their accounts.

One body believed to be one of missing Koreans found: gov't official

A body believed to be that of a missing Korean tourist was found 100 kilometers away from the site of the deadly sinking of the sightseeing boat, Hableany, on the Danube River in Hungary, a government official said Monday (local time). Song Shun-keun, the leader of the government response team and a defense attache at the South Korean Embassy in Budapest told Korean reporters: "Hungarian officials said a man's body which appears to be a South Korean aged between 55 and 60 was found in Harta, 102 kilometers from the accident. An identification check is underway.

North Korea snubs Abe's summit proposal

North Korea rejected a summit proposal by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, calling the suggestion a "brazen-faced" move, Monday. A spokesman from the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee said: "If Japan wants to talk about 'the right judgment and decision,' then that's exactly what we want to tell them," citing recent remarks by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono.

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

Cruise Ship Steamed on After Danube Tragedy

Video footage of the sinking of a pleasure boat in Hungary last Wednesday that killed dozens of Korean tourists shows the cruise ship that rammed it reversing and calmly continuing on its course. The footage was taken by the security camera of another ship at dock in front of the two vessels and gives a more accurate view of the accident than video clips available so far.

Kim Jong-un Keen to Develop Chinese Border Region

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered officials to conduct feasibility studies to develop Kanggye and Manpo cities in the remote province of Jagang bordering China, the official [North] Korean Central News Agency reported Saturday. The move is apparently aimed at attracting Chinese tourists.

Who's Winning N.Korea's Game of Musical Chairs?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's latest tour of weapons factories offered a glimpse of who is on the up after a purge of senior officials in the wake of the failed February summit with the U.S. Kim was flanked mostly by younger, lower-ranking officials than his usual entourage for these on-the-spot guidance trips. They were Jo Yong-won, a vice minister in the Workers Party’s guidance department, Ryu Jin, a vice minister in the party's arms industry department and Hyon Song-wol, a vice minister of the party's propaganda department. Kim's head of protocol Kim Chang-son also attended.

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

New footage of sightseeing boat’s sinking reveals additional details of collision
New video footage of the cruise ship Viking Sigyn ship backing up toward the site of its collision with the Hableany (Mermaid) – a sightseeing boat carrying 33 South Korean passengers and two Hungarian crew members on the Danube River in Budapest – only to continue on its path. Many are now asking whether the video provides conclusive evidence that the Viking Sigyn captain and crew were aware of the collision and contributed to the tragedy by fleeing the scene rather than actively attempting a rescue. On June 1, the Cruise Alliance, a group of Hungarian sightseeing boat operators, released an additional video lasting seven minutes and 22 seconds, which was taken near the Margit (Margaret) Bridge on the evening of May 29 and showed the moments when the Hableany went under. While the Hableany was obscured in previous footage released by police on May 30 that was taken from the Viking Sigyn’s side, the new footage filmed by a closed-circuit camera on the eastern bank shows the situation from the Hableany’s side.

S. Korea, US, Japan agree to cooperate on denuclearization of Korean Peninsula
The top defense officials in South Korea, the US, and Japan have agreed to cooperate closely to support diplomatic efforts to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and to bring about a lasting peace. These officials also voiced the need for a “rules-based order” and reconfirmed their view that the freedom of navigation and flight should be guaranteed. That was the message of the joint press statement issued by South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya, and Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan following deliberations about Korean Peninsula and regional affairs. The deliberations were held on June 2 at Singapore’s Shangri-La Hotel, which is currently hosting the 18th Asia Security Summit, also called the Shangri-La Dialogue. The content of this joint press statement was similar to what was discussed between South Korea, Japan, and the US in their Defense Trilateral Talks (DTT), which were held in Seoul on May 9. This shows that the three countries’ approach to denuclearization remains the same even after North Korea’s missile launch.

S. Korean defense minister refers to N. Korea’s test launches as “short-range missiles”
During the Asia Security Summit (also called the Shangri-La Dialogue), which is underway in Singapore, South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said that the projectiles launched by North Korea on May 4 and 9 “appeared to have been short-range missiles of the same kind.” The Defense Ministry had continued to describe the projectiles fired by the North on May 4 as having been “a new kind of tactical guided missile” even while concluding that the projectiles fired on May 9 were “short-range missiles.” “At this stage of our analysis, we’ve taken note of a difference between the mobile launch vehicles: some use wheels and others use tracks. But we think that they’re basically the same kind,” Jeong said during a press conference that was held at the Shangra-Li Hotel on June 1.

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

China reportedly test-launches its new SLBM

Amid the ever-escalating trade conflict between the U.S. and China, this month has seen China’s two launch tests of SLBMs around Bohai Bay near the Yellow Sea. A series of test launches is thought of as armed protests against Washington, which Beijing thinks tries to intervene in critical issues of Taiwan and South China Sea, according to analysts. China’s state-run English newspaper Global Times and other Chinese media outlets reported on Sunday that the Chinese Forces carried out military drills on Saturday and Sunday in the Bohai area. The Liaoning maritime authorities limited navigation around Bohai Bay between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday; and 2:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. Sunday. Separately, the Chinese maritime authorities announced to impose limitations on the waters of the South China Sea and perform military exercises on Sunday and Tuesday.

N. Korea calls Japan ‘brazen-faced’ for proposing summit

North Korea has blasted Japan for Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono’s recent remarks that urged North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to make “the right decision.” The regime also called the Abe government “brazen-faced” for seeking a summit with Kim without preconditions. In an interview with the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) released Sunday, a spokesperson for North Korea’s Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee slammed Taro Kono’s remarks last month that sanctions would be lifted if the North makes the right judgment and decision. The spokesperson also said that Japan “has been knocking on the door of Pyongyang tenaciously,” but “there is nothing changed in its hostile policy” toward the North.

LG Electronics to launch first 8K OLED TV in Korea next month

LG Electronics has announced that it will launch its groundbreaking 8K OLED TV next month, joining the global competition for consumer 8K television. The 8K TV comes with an OLED panel with 8K Ultra HD resolution (7680 x 4320), equivalent to 16 times more pixels than full HD and four times that of 4K UHD. Samsung Electronics and Sharp have already provided the 8K TVs in the market, but LG is the first to showcase the 8K OLED TV. The South Korean company said Monday that it started taking preorders for the “LG Signature OLED TV” on Saturday. The 8K OLED TV will be first launched in South Korea next month, and then go on sale in North America and Europe in the third quarter of the year. The TV set’s retail price is 50 million won, but during a one-month period of preorders, it will have a reduced price of 40 million won.

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

“Safety” Sank in the Danube: River Swallows 26 Koreans

On May 29 (local time), a riverboat sailing down the Danube River with South Korean passengers capsized and sank in Budapest, Hungary. Among the 33 South Korean passengers, seven died and seven were rescued. The remaining nineteen are missing. Two local crew, including the captain, are also missing. Due to the heavy rains that have continued since early this month, the Danube had swollen and the velocity of the river was quite fast. The accident occurred late in the night, so authorities faced difficulties in the search and rescue of missing persons. According to the Hungarian police and the South Korean foreign ministry on May 30, the ferry, Hableany (“mermaid” in Hungarian) was overthrown and sank after it was hit by Viking Sigyn, another large ferry, near Margit Bridge overlooking the Hungarian Parliament building at around 9:05 p.m. on May 29 (4:05 a.m. May 30, Korean time).

Three Generations on a Family Trip, Three Retired Couples, and a Brother-and-Sister Pair Separated by Fate

There were a lot of people traveling with their families among those on board the riverboat on the Danube in Budapest, Hungary. Among them were a six-year-old girl with her grandparents and a brother-and-sister pair. Three couples of former public officials, who had worked at the Korean Intellectual Property Office, were also on board. Ahn (60), who was rescued on May 30, was traveling with Choi (63) and Yu (62), civil servants whom he had worked with at the Intellectual Property Office. Choi and Yu retired in 2012, and Ahn retired as a grade-four secretary in 2015. The men had been close since their days in office, and they were each accompanied by their wives. Among the six people, only Ahn was rescued as of May 30.

Song Kang-ho, "The Title Is 'Parasite,' But the Film Is about Symbiosis"

There is no movie created to win a prize at a film festival. It's the same with the film, Parasite. That is why the actor, Song Kang-ho (52) asked people to focus on the details and message of the film, before considering the aura of Cannes, surrounding the film, Parasite. When we met Song at a cafe in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on May 29, he said, "The title is Parasite, but it is a film about symbiosis and coexistence," and introduced the film. "Director Bong asked that we concentrate on the attachment and dependent aspect of parasite rather than on the lower organism or insect aspect of the word," and did not forget to mention filmmaker Bong Joon-ho (50). Throughout our conversation with Song, we could feel the respect and courtesy he extended to Bong, a companion whom he has worked with for seventeen years. Song Kang-ho recently earned a new nickname, “Bongpeson.”

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

Hyundai, Kia car sales fall in May due to sluggish overseas sales

Shipments of South Korea’s auto giant Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller sibling Kia Motors Corp. in May declined on year due to sluggish sales in emerging countries, mainly China, the world’s largest automotive market. Hyundai Motor said on Monday that it sold 357,515 finished vehicles in May globally, down 7.7 percent from the same period a year earlier. Over the cited period, domestic sales surged 9.5 percent to 67,756 units in May, whereas overseas sales fell 11 percent to 289,759 units.

Nexon tender closes without major international entertainment names

Major foreign entertainment names reportedly are absent in the tender for NXC Corp., the parent company of South Korea’s largest gaming company Nexon, with the competition restricted mostly to Korean gamers backed by equity funds from home and abroad. Korean tech firms Netmarble and Kakao along with private equity funds MBK Partners, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., and Bain Capital reportedly submitted their final bids to buy a 94.64 percent stake in NXC that Nexon founder Kim Jung-ju put up for sale earlier this year, according to multiple industry sources on Sunday. The sale is led by Deutsche Bank and UBS, and the main tender was closed in the U.S. last Friday (local time). Chinese gaming giant Tencent Holdings, one of the most highly anticipated contenders for the bid, did not take part.

Samsung Elec scion rounds up component heads amid Huawei and industry woes

Managerial executives of Samsung Electronics Co. in charge of components were called out over the weekend for an extraordinary meeting by their chief at a time the world’s largest chipmaker faces multiple headwinds on the tech front amid escalating U.S.-China trade tensions on top of a dramatic slowdown in the chip industry. Jay Y. Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co. and heir to South Korea’s largest conglomerate Samsung Group, chaired a four-hour session at Hwaseong manufacturing base in Gyeonggi Province on Saturday. Attendees included co-vice chair Kim Ki-nam, memory division head Jin Kyo-young, system LSI division head Kang In-yeop, foundry division head Jung Eun-seung and Samsung Display CEO Lee Dong-hoon.

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Lee Kyung-sik edt@koreapost.com