Headlines, June 24, 2019

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Monday June 24, 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's new chief policy secretary says he will focus on job creation, income growth

`The new chief policy secretary of President Moon Jae-in has said he will spare no efforts to create more jobs and improve incomes, as South Korea's economy has shown signs of slowing growth on faltering exports and investment. Kim Sang-jo, former chairman of the Korea Fair Trade Commission who was known for actively campaigning against the wrongdoings of family-run business conglomerates, or chaebol, before taking the public job, was named to the post on Friday.

Global premium smartphone market contracts in Q1, but Samsung's share grows

The global market for premium smartphones contracted in the first quarter on Apple Inc.'s falling shipments of iPhones, but Samsung Electronics Inc.'s share in the sector increased, according to an industry report on Sunday. According to the report by Counterpoint Technology Market Research, global sales of premium smartphones declined 8 percent on-year in the first quarter as Apple's shipments dropped 20 percent on-year.

Financial guidebooks issued for Russian speakers in S. Korea

South Korea's financial watchdog said Sunday it has published special guidebooks on daily financial services for Russian-speaking foreigners here, in a move to help foreign workers and their spouses experiencing language barriers. "The guide is to help foreign-language speakers living in Korea, including multicultural families and migrant workers, to overcome language and cultural barriers and use reliable financial services in Korea," the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) said in a statement.

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

Pompeo: 'Real Possibility' US-N. Korea Talks May Resume

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hopes that a letter recently sent by President Donald Trump to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will lay the groundwork to resume bilateral discussions. According to Reuters, Pompeo said Sunday that he hopes Trump's letter would provide a good foundation for the U.S. to continue important discussions with North Korea regarding its denuclearization.

Top Office Positive about Exchange of Letters between US, N. Korean Leaders

South Korea's presidential office said on Sunday that it expects the exchange of letters between the leaders of North Korea and the U.S. to aid dialogue progress between the two nations. Presidential spokesperson Ko Min-jung said in a statement that the government positively assesses the exchange of correspondence between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Prosecution to Apply Stricter Penalties for DUI-related Accidents

Prosecutors will demand stricter punishments, including life sentences, for drivers who kill or severely injure people while driving under the influence. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office said on Sunday that it will apply the new guidelines that include harsh penalties starting Tuesday.

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

N.K. leader receives personal letter from Trump: KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has received a personal letter with "excellent" and "interesting" content from U.S. President Donald Trump, Pyongyang's state media said Sunday, a move that could raise hopes for a resumption of stalled denuclearization talks. "After reading the letter, the Supreme Leader of the Party, the state and the armed forces said with satisfaction that the letter is of excellent content," the Korean Central News Agency said, referring to Kim.

Pompeo notes 'very real possibility' of working-level talks with N.K.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said there may be a "very real possibility" of Washington and Pyongyang resuming their working-level nuclear talks, after their leaders have exchanged personal letters. According to the State Department, Pompeo also said in his remarks to the press on Sunday (Washington time) that the United States is prepared to engage in dialogue with the North at a "moment's notice" should the North indicate it is ready.

BTS' 'Boy with Luv' music video tops 400 mln YouTube views

The music video of K-pop boy band BTS' latest single "Boy With Luv" topped the milestone of 400 million YouTube views on Sunday, the band's management agency said. The music video surpassed the YouTube threshold around 1:37 a.m. on Sunday, becoming the ninth BTS music video to top the 400 million mark, according to Big Hit Entertainment.

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

Kim Jong-un will consider ‘interesting content’ in Trump’s letter

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un received a letter with “excellent content” from US President Donald Trump, according to the Korean Central News Agency on Sunday. Pyongyang’s official mouthpiece said that Kim expressed his satisfaction with the letter after reading it.

Unsuspecting town finds gruesome infamy

About a month has passed since the gruesome murder that rattled Jeju Island, a popular holiday destination for locals and outsiders alike. The key suspect and circumstantial evidence have been identified. But there is still no trace of a body, raising concerns over the prosecution’s ability to reach a conviction. Jeju District Prosecutors’ Office said Thursday that police are extending their search for the victim’s remains until July 1, while the Coast Guard will continue its search for an indeterminate period of time. The prosecutors’ office added that the suspect maintains her claim that she accidentally killed the man in self-defense as he tried to rape her.

Unsuspecting town finds gruesome infamy

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

Philippines murder stirs safety concerns

The recent death of a Korean travel writer in the Philippines has reignited concerns over the safety of Koreans in the Southeast Asian country, for long-term stays or short-term trips. While the number of Koreans living, doing business and traveling in the country is growing, data shows the Philippines is one of the more dangerous countries for Korean and other foreign visitors.

Moon to hold series of summits over North Korea this week

President Moon Jae-in will meet leaders of China, Russia and the United States this week, fueling speculation on whether he can help make a breakthrough in stalled denuclearization talks with North Korea. Moon will leave for Japan Thursday and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin separately on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, slated for Friday to Saturday.

Suicide rate declines, but not among youth

Recently released data shows that Korea's overall suicide rate is on the decline, but it still remained the top cause of death among people in their 20s. According to data in a report released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Korea Suicide Prevention Center released earlier this month, 12,463 people committed suicide in 2017, down 4.8 percent from 13,092 in 2016.

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

Pet Owners Complain of Exorbitant Vet Bills

Pet owners are complaining about sometimes exorbitant veterinary bills and demanding price curbs of the same kind as for human medical treatment. According to a survey by the state-run Rural Development Administration in September of last year, Koreans own 8.71 million dogs and cats. Some 4.54 million households have more than one dog and 1.12 million have cats.

N.Korea's Endemic Culture of Sexual Abuse Exposed

Sexual violence is endemic in North Korea's rigid hierarchy, where higher-ranking officials habitually abuse women of lower rank or otherwise in their power, a survey suggests. In the poll conducted by the Korea Institute for National Unification of 1,125 North Koreans who defected from 2010 to 2014, 48.6 percent said sexual harassment and rape are "commonplace" in the North, especially in the military and correctional facilities.

Beware of Exercising with Earphones

Listening to music on earphones during workouts has become an almost universal habit, but it can be dangerous for the ears. The reason is that the external auditory meatus, a pathway running from the outer ear to the middle ear, is highly prone to bacterial infections.

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

report- Part I] Worked to death at the ripe age of 22

Samsung Electronics is no longer just a South Korean company — it’s become one of the world’s top companies. As a multinational firm, how does Samsung Electronics look to people around the world? What do the company’s international workers think about it? And what are life and work like for company workers in the Asian countries that host the company’s major bases of production? To answer these questions, Hankyoreh reporters visited nine cities in Vietnam, India, and Indonesia. While traveling halfway around the globe on a journey of some 20,000km, our reporters personally met and surveyed 129 workers for Samsung Electronics. Though international labor organizations have published reports about working conditions at Samsung Electronics, this is the first attempt by a media organization to link the situation in South Korea with other countries. Our 70-day investigation into Samsung’s global footprint turned up unpleasant truths that Koreans have been vaguely aware of but preferred to ignore. We believe that facing up to the truth, as painful as it may be in the short term, is necessary in order to bolster Samsung’s brand value as a global company. This five-part series will be assessing Samsung Electronics’ sustainability as a top-tier global company.

Samsung’s labor violations gone global

Samsung is exploiting the young people of Asia, while crossing the boundary from the ethically dubious to the outright illegal. Youth who are hired as irregular workers stick with grueling jobs with the hope of a permanent position only to be kicked out of the job when they reach their mid-20s. Though Samsung prides itself on being one of the world’s leading companies, its working conditions are barely sufficient for these workers to keep food on the table. At Samsung Electronics plants in India, Vietnam, and Indonesia, Hankyoreh reporters found that the company was engaged in various activities that either skirted local laws and international standards or overtly violated them. Workers at plants in these countries shared their personal experiences with violations of minimum wage and probationary worker laws, forced labor, unfair termination, and verbal abuse, among other matters.

The “shared understanding” between Kim and Xi after their Pyongyang summit

“[The two leaders] reached a shared understanding on the issues they discussed during the summit.” - The Rodong Sinmun, June 21 “I [Kim Jong-un] completely agree with the General Secretary [Xi Jinping]’s accurate analysis of the China-North Korea relationship and future prospects.” - Xinhua News Agency, June 20

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

‘China should impose sanctions against N. Korea more faithfully,’ says U.S. official

“China should impose more sanctions against North Korea in a more faithful manner,” said Randall Schreiber, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Asia Pacific. During an exclusive interview with the Dong-A Ilbo held at the Pentagon on Thursday immediately after the North Korea-China summit, the Assistant Secretary said the following with regards to the concern about the potential easing of sanctions due to the closer relations between North Korea and China: “I hope that Chinese President Xi Jinping told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their closed-door conversation that Pyongyang must return to the denuclearization talks with a sense of sincerity and purpose.”

The drifting of a N. Korean boat was reported to Cheong Wa Dae

It has been confirmed that the National Maritime Police Agency reported the case of North Korean fishing boat being drifted to the South to South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae via a separate “hotline” at an earlier time than the case report paper released. That is, the maritime authority sent a reporting to the presidential office before briefing government agencies on the case report of the drifting of a North Korean boat given the severity of the issue. Suspicious voices are only increasing that Cheong Wa Dae turned a blind eye to the drift case reporting by the Korean forces although it received detailed reports on the North Korean fishing boat drifted to the South. Upon request for the initial reporting time and details delivered to Cheong Wa Dae, the NMPA answered that the report in question was made via a hotline at 7:08 a.m. on June 15, and that the report said that a North Korean boat was adrift at Samcheok Port with the case being checked out by the Samcheok police substation, according to the National Assembly Defense Committee. One minute after the hotline report was delivered to Cheong Wa Dae, at 7:09 a.m. on June 15, the situation room of the National Maritime Police sent a report paper to the National Affairs Situation Room at the presidential office, the National Risk Management Center, the situation room at the National Intelligence Service and the Terrorism Information Integration Center. The report on the discovery of an alleged North Korean fish boat says that four North Korean fishermen on a boat being adrift on the seawall of Samcheok Port were reported via the South Korean Police hotline 112.

Samsung leads U.S. home appliances market for 12 consecutive quarters

Samsung Electronics has ranked first in market share in the U.S. home appliances market for 12 consecutive quarters. According to the U.S. market survey firm TraQline on Sunday, Samsung’s market share by value in the U.S. home appliances market was 19.9 percent (by value) in this year’s first quarter, up 0.3 percentage point year on year. Samsung, which thus solidified its lead for 12 consecutive quarters in the market, was trailed by Whirlpool (16.3 percent) of the U.S., and LG Electronics (15.7 percent).

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

Kim Jong-un, "Looking Forward to Outcomes for a Solution on the Korean Peninsula…. Will Remain Patient"

In a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 20, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un mentioned the denuclearization negotiations currently at a standstill and said, he would "remain patient," and reaffirmed his intention to resolve the problem with continuous dialogue with the U.S. President Xi expressed his thoughts to play an active role in realizing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The denuclearization talks are likely to shift from a three-party structure involving the two Koreas and the U.S. to a four-party system including China, and eyes are on a possible breakthrough in the negotiations.

Prime Minister Lee and Defense Minister Jeong Apologize to the Nation for the Failure to Detect a North Korean Fishing Boat

On June 20, President Moon Jae-in referred to the North Korean fishing boat, which managed to enter Samcheok Port in the East Sea recently, and instructed the defense minister to "thoroughly check and see if there were any problems in properly detecting or warning the fishing boat, in reporting the incident after the boat arrived here (Samcheok Port), and in failing to properly inform the people." Ko Min-jung, the Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson conveyed that the president gave such instructions to Jeong Gyeong-doo, minister of national defense during tea ahead of an anti-corruption policy meeting at Cheong Wa Dae this afternoon. Ko said, "I think it was a laid-back response," on how the defense ministry announced that there were no problems in guarding the nation when making an announcement on June 17 only to overturn their position and admitting to problems in a briefing on June 19.

"Phased Corresponding Measures, a Practical Approach to the Denuclearization of North Korea"

Korean and international scholars and experts suggested a more realistic approach, phased corresponding measures, instead of a strict focus on the final goal, the complete denuclearization of North Korea. They argued that the denuclearization of North Korea required a more creative solution than ever before and insisted on unwavering inter-Korean relations. The 2019 Kyunghyang Forum was held at the Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on June 19 under the theme, "New Era of Northeast Asian Cooperation: Korean Peninsula 2.0--Working Towards Mutual Prosperity." In the keynote address, Richard N. Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations mentioned that a successful negotiation was mutual and reciprocal and argued that if North Korea did something, then we should simultaneously take action, and that we should advance to a higher level and repeat the process: action and a corresponding countermeasure. He further elaborated that it was clear that we could not change North Korea with economic sanctions alone.

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

Hanjin Kal shares tumble after Delta joins contest against activist fund via stake buy

Shares of Hanjin Kal Corp., the parent company of Korea’s flag carrier Korean Air Lines Co., fell sharply Friday amid investor jitters over a protracted contest between management and an activist fund after the airline’s U.S. partner Delta Air Lines Inc. made an equity purchase favorable to the owner family. The No. 2 U.S. airline revealed on its website Thursday that it acquired a 4.3 percent stake in Hanjin Kal and plans to up its holdings to 10 percent over time. As the holding entity of Hanjin Group, Hanjin Kal owns about 30 percent of Korean Air, with which Delta has formed a joint venture.

Softbank chief to visit Korea next month to meet President Moon

Masayoshi Son, founder and chairman of Japan’s multinational conglomerate Softbank Group, will reportedly visit South Korea early next month and meet with President Moon Jae-in and prominent business figures to discuss ways to promote innovation. The ethnic Korean business magnet known to Koreans by his Korean name Son Jung-eui last came to Korea in September 2016. He would become the second global entrepreneur that Moon meets in person following Jack Dorsey, chief executive officer of Twitter in March.

Moon replaces economy policy chiefs amid slumping economy

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday replaced his economic policymakers for the second time since he took office in May 2017 amid worsening economic conditions, but did not suggest a sharp change in policy direction despite growing disgruntlement in his key income-led and pro-labor policies. Kim Sang-ho, chairman of the Korea Fair Trade Commission (FTC), was named the new senior presidential secretary for policy to replace Kim Soo-hyun, according to the presidential office Friday.

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