Headlines, June 7, 2019

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Friday, June 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.

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/)

S. Korea's Top Diplomat to Meet Hungarian Foreign Minister Friday

South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha plans to meet her Hungarian counterpart on Friday to coordinate sustained cooperation in handling last week's deadly boat sinking that has left 26 South Koreans dead or missing. The minister on Thursday departed for Slovakia to attend multinational talks with the Visegrad Group -- a central European political alliance consisting of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia -- on Friday.

Heavy Rains Pound Gangwon Province

Heavy rains are pounding parts of Gangwon Province on Friday and a heavy rain advisory has been issued for the region. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast up to 120 millimeters of rain in east Gangwon Province as well as for coastal and higher elevation areas of North Gyeongsang Province.

Trump to Visit S. Korea Right after Japan Trip in Late June

U.S. President Donald Trump is likely to visit South Korea for two days right after attending the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan on June 28 and 29. A Seoul official said on Friday that an agreement had been reached between South Korean and U.S. authorities to arrange Trump’s second visit to South Korea, adding Seoul’s presidential office will determine the final schedule.

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

2 more S. Korean victims found, death toll 18 in Hungary boat sinking

The bodies of two more South Koreans have been found from last week's deadly sinking of a tourist boat in Hungary, officials said, raising the number of Korean deaths to 18 with eight others still missing. The Hableany pleasure boat was carrying 33 Korean tourists and two Hungarian crew members when it capsized and sank on May 29 after being hit by a larger Swiss cruise ship from behind. Seven Koreans were rescued right after the accident.

N.K. uranium plant indicates ongoing operations: U.S. monitor

North Korea's main nuclear complex shows continued activity around its uranium enrichment facility, indicating ongoing operations at the plant, a U.S. monitor said Wednesday. 38 North, a project run by the Stimson Center think tank, said recent commercial satellite imagery shows the movement of vehicles, equipment and personnel near the uranium facility at Yongbyon.

Defense minister meets U.S. special operations command chief

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo met with the visiting commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) on Friday and discussed ways to boost a combined readiness posture and the bilateral alliance, the Seoul ministry said. During his meeting with Gen. Richard Clarke in Seoul, Jeong said that the close cooperation between the special operations commands of the two countries has contributed to their staunch readiness posture, and he asked for continued support from the U.S. for ongoing diplomacy to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and permanent peace.

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

2 more S. Korean victims found, death toll 18 in Hungary boat sinking

Seoul denies reports of impending visit by Xi Jinping

The South Korean presidential office on Thursday denied reports that Chinese President Xi Jinping has confirmed plans to visit Seoul before the G-20 summit. A Cheong Wa Dae official was quoted as saying by local media that related reports could not be confirmed and plans for Xi’s visit to Seoul had not been finalized.

Six in 10 listed firms post lower operating profit or loss

Listed companies in South Korea managed to record an higher operating profit overall, but in fact, 60 percent of them saw a decline or even marked losses, data showed Thursday. An analysis by market researcher Korea CXO Institute showed that the combined operating profit of 1,000 listed firms came in at 111.5 trillion won ($94.4 billion won) last year. The figure was up 4.2 percent from 2017 and 53.1 percent from 2016.

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

Chinese leader Xi may visit Seoul this month

Chinese President Xi Jinping is rumored to be visiting Seoul this month for a summit with President Moon Jae-in. The JoongAng Ilbo, citing an unnamed diplomatic source, reported Thursday that Xi will visit Seoul to meet Moon before going to Osaka, Japan, in late June to participate in the G20 meeting, scheduled for two days from June 28.

Half of women scared of strangers at night: survey

Many women are opening up about their experiences and fears of possible attacks, especially sexual assault, when encountering a man at night. And in many cases, such fears are not an "overreaction," as seen in the recent viral video clip in which a man tries to enter a woman's home in Sillim-dong, southern Seoul. Kim Hye-su, a 49-year-old office worker who lives alone in Seoul, encountered a slightly drunken man in the elevator of her apartment on her way home at night. The man pressed a button for a floor higher than hers and she got off the elevator first, but she kept glancing back, fearing the man might follow her.

'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.

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

Xi Keeps Korea on Tenterhooks Over Visit Plans

Chinese President Xi Jinping is keeping Korea on tenterhooks over a possible visit to Korea this month. Every time the visit seems likely, something happens to make it inopportune. On Thursday, a Cheong Wa Dae official said, "Nothing has been decided yet despite efforts to make it happen."

China Warns Korea to Make 'Right Judgment' in Trade Wars

A Chinese Foreign Ministry official has warned Korea to make the "right judgment" in siding with the U.S. or China as a trade war between Washington and Beijing intensifies. The warning seems to be aimed at a U.S.-led boycott of Chinese IT giant Huawei. The official told Korean reporters in Beijing "no new variables must arise" in bilateral relations after a row over Seoul's decision to let the U.S. deploy a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery here.

Divorces Among Senior Citizens on the Rise

Divorces among senior citizens are surging as the life expectancy of Koreans increases. Analysis of data from Statistics Korea shows that divorces of couples where the husband is over 70 surged 6.6 times from 570 in 2000 to 3,777 in 2018. The number of couples who divorced even after the age of 90 stood at 18 last year. They cited a plethora of reasons, from problems in relationships with family members, extramarital affairs, physical or psychological abuse and money problems.

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

S. Korea to provide US$8 million in aid to N. Korea via UN organizations

The South Korean government is about to keep its repeated promise to give US$8 million from the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund to UN organizations that run public health programs and provide nutritional assistance for vulnerable groups in North Korea, such as pregnant mothers and young children. The necessary steps for providing the aid have all been completed. Between May 29 and June 5, the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Promotion Council reviewed and approved a motion to provide money from the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund for nutritional support and maternity health programs run by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Unification Ministry announced.

US Ambassador to S. Korea urges companies to avoid using Huawei equipment

US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris urged South Korean companies that are working with Huawei to choose a supplier that they can trust. US pressure on the South Korean government and South Korean companies is gradually rising. While attending a conference called “Future of the Cloud” that was hosted by the US Embassy Seoul and the Korea Internet Corporations Association at Facebook Korea in Seoul’s Gangnam District on June 5, Harris said that cybersecurity on the 5G communications network is a key element for protecting communication with US allies. Today’s decisions about 5G security, Harris said, will impact national security for decades to come.

Samsung used outdated communications chip in 5G smartphone in rush to be “world’s first”

In its rush to release the world’s first 5G smartphone, Samsung Electronics used a communications chip based on outdated standards and didn’t finish updating the phones until a month after launch, the Hankyoreh has confirmed. Since the update wasn’t mandatory, tens of thousands of users are presumably still using the old software. Some think that this, along with the instability of the telecommunication network, caused the initial hiccups in 5G service. According to industry sources who spoke with the Hankyoreh on June 5, Samsung Electronics finally updated the chip specifications for its telecommunication modems on May 10–14 — the same modems it had used for the “world’s first” 5G phones, launched back in April. Samsung Electronics explained that 90% of users for its Galaxy S10 5G had downloaded software based on the updated specifications. Considering that 230,000 units of the company’s 5G device were sold in April, that means at least 23,000 people have yet to receive the update.

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

Xi, Putin form anti-Trump alliance

Pushed to a corner under sanctions and trade dispute with the United States, China has formed an alliance with Russia. Huawei's Guo Ping, one of the company's chairmen on rotation, struck a deal with Alexei Kornya, President and CEO of Russian mobile phone operator MTS, at Kremlin on Wednesday (local time) to build Russia's first 5G wireless network. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin applauded at the deal, promising to cooperate after their summit. The deal is seen as Putin’s overt support of embattled Huawei, which has been under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump. Guo said he was “very happy” with the agreement “in an area of strategic importance like 5G.”

Government squeezes more jobs out of the financial sector

Controversy has been stirred by news that the Financial Services Commission decided to announce score cards of financial businesses on their contribution to job creation. Opponents argue that pushing them to hire more employees runs against the status quo where the wider use of online or mobile financial transactions requires the financial field to improve the employment structure by reducing employees on the payroll. In particular, they point out the irony that financial authorities call for more jobs in a similar way that boosts employment in the public sector while emphasizing soundness and efficiency. August will see the announcement of eval‎uations on job creation by commercial and regional banks according to the FSC’s Thursday press release. The financial agency plans to expand the range of those subject to eval‎uation to include other types of financial agents. It said that the role of the financial sector has to be strengthened to help reach the job-centered economy in government policy, adding that financial jobs are preferred by young job seekers due to quality working conditions and high pays. The FSC intends to keep a close eye on how well employment is maintained amid the fast-changing financial industry with new technology at play.

Justice Minister puts off eval‎uating the Truth and Reconciliation Committee

It was reported on Thursday that South Korean Justice Minister Park Sang-ki considers holding a press conference on the performance of the Prosecution’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee closed by the end of last month. It has been said that Minister Park sees the need to take a comprehensive review of the committee’s activities over the past 18 months. He ordered the prosecution to establish a committee and gave it the current name.

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

Investigation of Kim Hak-eui and Yoon Jung-cheon Covers up the “Past of the Prosecution Service”

An investigation team at the Prosecution Service arrested former Vice Minister of Justice Kim Hak-eui (pictured) for bribery and Yoon Jung-Cheon, the owner of a construction company, for rape on June 4. The prosecutors failed to uncover the facts on allegations of a poor investigation conducted by the police and Prosecution Service and on any outside pressure on the initial investigation conducted in 2013-2014. The investigators said they could not find any evidence to prove that there was external pressure, and that the statute of limitations had expired to hold anyone responsible for a poorly conducted investigation. As for the so-called “Yoon Jung-cheon list,” which included Han Sang-dae, former public prosecutor general, and Yoon Kap-geun, former chief of the High Prosecutors' Office, the investigation team said that they did not have any leads to follow. The justice ministry’s committee on past cases handled by the Prosecution Service, which recommended the investigation, criticized that the investigation team granted an indulgence to the past investigation team and Cheong Wa Dae by rushing to close the case concerning outside pressure and a poorly conducted investigation.

From Red to Pink: A Millennial Pink Wind Blows over the Liberty Korea Party

A 'millennial pink' wind is blowing over the Liberty Korea Party. Recently, the party has used the color pink, not red, in the name cards of the Yeouido Institute, the party's think-tank, as well as on the cover of the party leader, Hwang Kyo-ahn's collection of essays. Red was the color that symbolized the party after former President Park Geun-hye adopted it when the party changed its name to the Saenuri Party. As members of the Liberty Korea Party try to attract the moderates and the young people, it appears the party is trying to shake off "Park Geun-hye's color" to escape the hardline conservative image, which has stuck to the party. On June 2, the 100th day since Hwang Kyo-ahn became the party's leader, he released a collection of his essays, I Started on a Long Journey Deep in the Night. The pink cover (pictured) was noticeable. On the cover, an illustration of Hwang wore a pink shirt. The bag placed next to Hwang, tying his shoelaces, was also pink.

Kim Yong-chol Stands Strong Despite Rumors of a Purge: The Press Needs to Refrain from Rash Reports on North Korea

Rumors had spread that Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea had been purged or sentenced to forced labor for his responsibility in the fruitless Hanoi summit, but an image of Kim enjoying a performance along with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was released. On June 3, the Korean Central News Agency released the picture along with a report of an outing by Chairman Kim and first lady Ri Sol-ju to an arts performance by military families on June 2. The report confirmed that Vice Chairman Kim Yong-chol watched the performance along with the senior officials who accompanied the North Korean leader. On May 31, the South Korean newspaper, the Chosun Ilbo published a front-page article with the headline, "Kim Yong-chol to Forced Labor, Kim Hyok-chol Executed." The article quoted the words of a North Korean source and claimed that Kim Yong-chol, who oversaw the negotiations with the United States, was subject to reeducation and disciplinary measures and was "doing forced labor at Jakangdo after being dismissed (from his post as the director of the United Front Department). The latest report by the North Korean media confirmed, after three days, that the Chosun Ilbo coverage was different from fact. The Chosun Ilbo published the problematic article along with information from a North Korean source claiming that Kim Hyok-chol, the special representative for the U.S. who was in charge of working-level negotiations for the Hanoi summit, was executed at the Mirim Airport in March. It also said that Kim Song-hye, the head of unification strategies at the United Front Department and Shin Hye-yong, Chairman Kim's interpreter, were sent to a political prison camp. The information stated in the articles has yet to be confirmed. There is a possibility that the report is true. There is a probability that the vice chairman was reprimanded during the fifty days that he was absent from major political events. But the display of the vice chairman's firm position just three days after the report about him enduring forced labor is enough to question the facts of the article in question. Even if the article had been about a senior official of a country other than North Korea, it would have been considered serious enough to trigger a diplomatic problem.

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

SK Group chief discusses biz expansion with Vietnamese PM

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won in his three-day visit to Vietnam starting Wednesday met with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and local business tycoons to discuss business expansion in the fast-growing Southeast Asian country. Chey was accompanied by the group’s top executives including Cho Dae-sik, chairman of the group’s top decision-making body SK SUPEX Council, and other presidents of the group’s main business units, showing a strong determination to expand its Vietnamese business.

Gold prices up in Korea on growing economic uncertainties, trade tensions

Gold prices have surged to its highest in three years in Korea on Tuesday in line with the jump in international prices on escalating economic uncertainties amid the ongoing trade war between the United States and China. According to the Korea Exchange on Thursday, the price of gold closed Tuesday at 50,460 won ($42.84) per gram, the highest since the price hit 50,500 won on July 8, 2016 when the Brexit news made traders and investors jittery. Gold prices in the U.S. also hovered around $42.55 per gram on the day.

Samsung Elec downsizes last smartphone plant in China

Samsung Electronics Co. struggling from slow sales and larger labor costs in China is scaling down and downsizing staff at its last smartphone factory in the world’s largest smartphone market. According to industry sources on Wednesday, Samsung Electronics decided to receive applications for voluntary retirement from employees at its smartphone plant in Huizhou, Guangdong Province of China until Jun. 14. Details about the size were undisclosed.

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Lee Kyung-sik edt@koreapost.com