Headlines, June 28, 2019

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Friday June 28, 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.

When a new change is for a better tomorrow, it has the true value

“When a new change for the future aims at a better tomorrow everyone dreams and hopes for, the change can have true value.” This greets you when you enter the website of the Hyongsung Business Group in Seoul, who ranks 22nd in the jaebeol hierarchy in Korea in 2019 according Namu Wiki with a total of 57 affiliate companies and an annual turnover of 13.5 trillion Korean won. The corporate website then says: “A change with value breathes inspiration into numerous industries and technologies, and a creative company that leads the change presents a better tomorrow faster than anyone. This is what Hyosung considers the most valuable kind of creativity.”

Xi says N. Korea's denuclearization will unchanged, urges resolution to THAAD issue

Chinese President Xi Jinping told South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Thursday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's commitment to denuclearization and reconciliation with South Korea remains unchanged, according to Cheong Wa Dae. Xi briefed Moon on the results of his visit to Pyongyang last week as they met each other in Osaka, Japan, one day before the opening of the Group of 20 summit.

Last body found confirmed as S. Korean missing in Danube boat sinking

A body found in Hungary's Danube River last week has been confirmed to be a South Korean woman missing from a deadly tour boat sinking, the foreign ministry in Seoul said Friday.

That brought the number of South Koreans still unaccounted for in the May 29 sinking to two, with 24 other Koreans and two Hungarian crew members confirmed dead.

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

Moon to Speak at G20 Summit, Set for Talks with Putin, Modi

President Moon Jae-in will attend the G20 forum in Japan and hold a bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. This year's G20 in Osaka will address global issues such as economics, trade, investment, innovation, climate change, energy, employment, women's empowerment and development and health. On the first day of the two-day summit on Friday, President Moon will deliver a speech on the global economy, trade and investment.

Moon Vows Efforts to Establish Friendly S. Korea-Japan Ties

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday emphasized the importance of relations between South Korea and Japan and vowed to develop friendly and cooperative bilateral relations. The president made the pledge during a meeting with members of Osaka's Korean community hours after his arrival in the city to attend the G20 summit. President Moon said that despite some difficulties stemming from their shared history, both countries should collectively apply their wisdom to resolve pending issues.

Body Count Rises to 26 in Budapest Boat Sinking Tragedy as Another S. Korean Victim Identified

A body recovered from the Danube River in Hungary last week has been confirmed to be that of a South Korean, bringing the number of confirmed deaths from last month's deadly boat sinking to 26. According to a South Korean response team, the body, retrieved about 30 kilometers downstream from the accident site on Saturday, was confirmed to belong to a South Korean woman in her 60s who was aboard the boat. It took almost a week to identify the body as it had decomposed so badly that fingerprint identification was impossible. Authorities had to conduct a DNA analysis.

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

U.S. nuke envoy Biegun to hold talks with S. Korean officials ahead of Trump's visit

Top U.S. nuclear envoy Stephen Biegun was set to hold talks with key South Korean officials in Seoul on Friday, a day before President Donald Trump's trip to the Asian ally aimed at boosting efforts to bring North Korea back to the negotiation table. U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Biegun will first meet his South Korean counterpart, Lee Do-hoon, to discuss joint efforts to resume now-stalemated nuclear negotiations with Pyongyang. Their meeting is set to begin at 10 a.m.

U.S. says it remains ready for talks with N. Korea

The U.S. State Department said Thursday it remains ready for talks with North Korea, but stopped short of directly addressing the regime's calls for a new counterproposal. The comments come after a senior official at North Korea's foreign ministry warned that the U.S. has until the end of the year to come up with a "proper counterproposal" for their negotiations on dismantling Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.

Moon stresses importance of Seoul-Tokyo ties in meeting with ethnic Koreans

South Korean President Moon Jae-in emphasized Thursday that relations between Seoul and Tokyo are of importance, holding a dinner meeting with hundreds of ethnic Koreans in Japan. The two sides "should develop (together) and co-prosper as neighbors and by historical aspects," Moon stressed. Despite some difficulties stemming from their shared history, he added, both countries need to pool wisdom to resolve pending issues.

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

Samsung to launch out-folding smartphone ahead of Huawei

Samsung Electronics plans to soon release a wide range of foldable smartphones, including one that folds outward, sources familiar with the matter told The Investor on Thursday. They said the out-folding phone would come ahead of Huawei Technologies’ version of the foldable phone. "The launch date has yet to be unveiled, but it’s likely to be earlier than the date set for Huawei,” said one of the sources on condition of anonymity. “Suppliers have already begun mass-producing major parts, and possibly even the phone itself.”

Ex-president Lee Myung-bak admitted to Seoul National University Hospital

Former President Lee Myung-bak has been admitted to Seoul National University Hospital for cold symptoms, according to the hospital. Lee checked into the Cancer Hospital of the SNU Hospital at around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, the hospital confirmed to The Korea Herald.

2019 jobless rates exceed levels during decade-old crisis

An election campaign pledge of President Moon Jae-in early 2017 was to create 1.31 million jobs -- 500,000 in the private sector and 810,000 in the public sector. At that time, he criticized the theory that employment should follow market principles, saying that “the (next) government (unlike past administrations) will be able to create up to 1.31 million jobs by taking the initiative (not by handing it over to the market).”In addition, he suggested that parents with preschool children should work from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until their children go to elementary school, compared to the ordinary working hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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

Trump will not meet Kim Jong-un during South Korea trip this weekend

U.S. President Donald Trump will not meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his possible visit to the demilitarized zone in the inter-Korean border area this weekend. Trump will take a two-day trip to South Korea from Saturday, following his trip to Japan for the G20 summit in Osaka. Even if no face-to-face meetings are expected in the near future between Trump and Kim, the U.S. leader opened the possibility for communication with the North's young leader in a different format.

LKP 'underwear' dancing causes stir

A controversy is swirling over a dance performance by some female members of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) during a party event — they pulled their pants down at one point to show a message written on their underwear. The message they wanted to deliver was "LKP victory." However, rival parties and some LKP lawmakers say this shows the party's lack of sensitivity to women-related issues.

Song Joong-ki seeks divorce settlement to end marriage with Song Hye-kyo

Actor Song Joong-ki has sought a divorce settlement to end his 20-month marriage to actress Song Hye-kyo, his attorney said Thursday. The attorney said the case was submitted to the Seoul Family Court on Wednesday. The star couple tied the knot in October 2017 after they met through the mega-hit TV drama "Descendants of the Sun" in 2016.

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

N.Korean State Media Accused of Touting Rights Violations

Activists here have condemned North Korean state media for boasting about appalling human rights violations in the North, especially the press-ganging of people into dangerous construction labor. Open Radio for North Korea on Wednesday said the North's official Rodong Sinmun daily "presents serious accidents happening in extreme working conditions as exemplary labor fulfilling the orders of the supreme leader," it said. "The most commonly cited accidents are collapses on construction sites, and eight of them appeared in the paper in March alone."

Japan Won't Invite Korea to Fleet Review

Japan's Defense Ministry has decided not to invite Korea to a fleet review in October, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Wednesday. Japan plans to invite other allies, including the U.S., Australia and India, as well as China, which is locked in a territorial dispute with Japan, to the fleet review on Oct. 14 in Sagami Bay near Tokyo. For the last fleet review in Japan in 2015, Korea sent a Daejoyoung destroyer.

Orphaned Garbage to Return from Philippines

The rest of a shipment of garbage that was smuggled to the Philippines last year is expected to return to Korea in the second half of this year. An Environment Ministry official discussed with Philippine officials on Mindanao on June 13 how to dispose of the remaining 5,177 tons of trash a recycling company in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province had smuggled to the Philippines last July, a ministry spokesman said Wednesday.

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

Moon says Pyongyang and Washington engaged in dialogue for 3rd summit
Behind-the-scenes dialogue toward a third North Korea-US summit is currently taking place between Pyongyang and Washington, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said. Moon also predicted that the Korean Peninsula peace process “will move into its next phrase through the resumption of North Korea-US negotiations,” adding that it “appears the time is now ripe for that.” In a joint written interview with Yonhap News and six global news agencies on June 26, Moon said, “I would first like to stress that even as no official dialogue has been taking place since the Hanoi summit [between North Korea and the US], the North Korean and US leaders’ willingness to engage in dialogue has not faded.”

Trump hints Kim Jong-un mentioned 3rd summit in personal letter
US President Donald Trump hinted that there was mention of a third North Korea-US summit summit in the personal letter he recently received from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. When reporters asked him about the letter he received from Kim at the White House on June 25, Trump responded by saying “Just a nice letter back and forth. It was my birthday [June 14], as you know, last week. He wrote me a beautiful letter [. . .] just two friendly letters. We get along very well.”

S. Korean court rules in favor of forced labor victims
A South Korean court has ruled in favor of the victims of forced labor during Japan’s colonial occupation of Korea. This comes on the back of news that a separate South Korea-Japan summit will not occur during the G20 Osaka summit because of a South Korean Supreme Court ruling last October that Japanese imperial-era companies have the responsibility to provide reparations to forced labor victims. Similar to past rulings, this recent ruling came only after the victims themselves had passed away, so only their families were present at the sentencing hearing.

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

U.S. officials disagree to Moon's denuke remarks

At denuclearization negotiations involving North Korea showing signs of resuming, South Korean President Moon Jae-in's recent remark that the North's dismantlement of its Yongbyon complex would mean an entry into an "irreversible stage" of denuclearization has sent ripples in the diplomatic communities in Seoul and Washington.

Robots could replace up to 20 million blue color jobs in 10 years

A study suggests that robots could replace up to 20 million manufacturing jobs around the world by 2030, raising concerns that while increasing automation will also boost economic growth, people in the low-income brackets will be hit hard. Major foreign media outlets including BBC and ABC on Wednesday cited a report released by British analysis firm Oxford Economics on how robots will change the world, warning that robots could replace 8.5 percent of total manufacturing workers.

All regions except Sejong expected to see population dwindling in 2033

The southwestern city of Gwangju will join the ranks of South Korean cities where the number of deaths exceeds that of newborns, bringing the total number of metropolitan cities with dwindling population to 10. By 2033, all regions in the nation, except Sejong city, will likely see their population decreasing. Statistics Korea, a state-run statistical agency, announced the forecasts in a report released Thursday. The population estimation by region follows a March report forecasting the country's total population will start to naturally decrease next year in a worst-case scenario.

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

President Moon’s Denuclearization Plan, "Complete Shutdown of Yongbyon" Is Worth Considering

President Moon Jae-in said, "North Korea and the United States are discussing a third summit," and further said, "The process for peace on the Korean Peninsula will advance to the next level by resumed negotiations between North Korea and the U.S. and now the time is ripe." This day, in a joint written interview with six domestic and international news agencies including the Yonhap News, the president made such a statement and said, "If all of the nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, including the facilities to reprocess plutonium and enrich uranium, are completely dismantled under inspection, then the denuclearization of North Korea can be assessed as irreversible" in connection to the denuclearization negotiations. President Moon said, "If there is actual progress in denuclearization, it could create momentum for inter-Korean economic cooperation, such as resuming operation of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, and the international community can also seek ways to partially or gradually ease UN Security Council sanctions."

Innovating the Service Industry: The Focus Should Be on Fostering a New Service Industry

On June 26, the government held a meeting to discuss ways to revive our economy and announced a "Strategy for Innovating the Service Industry." The government's plan heads in two directions. The government plans to establish the foundation to implement innovation throughout the service industry and to achieve outcomes by improving regulations of each business. Mainly, the government will include the service industry among industries subject to fiscal and tax support and provide 70 trillion won in policy funding in the next five years. The government will also invest six trillion won over five years for the research and development of the service industry and foster the logistics industry as a key service industry leading the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It will also improve regulations on four areas--health care, medical care, content, and tourism--and also promote new service industries, such as the sharing economy. The government plans to create half a million jobs in the service industry through these efforts. It plans to stimulate the economy in the short term and improve the service industry in the medium term.

[Lee Bum-joon's Justice] I Should Not Have Written These Articles

The corruption in the bidding process of the Supreme Court’s e-court, which involved over 129 billion won, was revealed by the investigative reporting that the Kyunghyang Shinmun launched last year. The National Court Administration received a large amount of bribes for purchasing 170,000-won audio and video equipment for 2.2 million won from a company owned by a former employee of the administration. In the ruling of the first trial this month, the Seoul Central District Court announced that the investigation was launched by the press report, and the Kyunghyang Shinmun articles were also at the top of the list of evidence submitted by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in January. Last summer, when the Kyunghyang Shinmun began publishing the articles, the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su distributed false information to the press claiming that the report was not true. At the time, with Jeong Jae-heon, director of the Electronic Information Management Bureau at the head, Park Jin-ung, the press secretary distributed the false information. This incident was also connected to a poorly conducted audit by Kim Heung-jun, the ethics auditor.

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

Saudi Arabia crown prince pledges $8.3 billion investment in S.Korea

Although humbler in sheer numeric figures than his multibillion-dollar pledges during the leg of Asian tour in February, Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) wrapped up his two-day visit to South Korea on Wednesday with generous commitments to $8.3 billion business deals. The $8.3 billion worth agreements were signed between the Middle Eastern government and Korean state-run and private companies in presence of South Korean President Moon Jae-in and MBS at the presidential Blue House on Wednesday.

Nexon founder calls off stake sale amid tepid response to the mega deal

The founder of South Korean gaming giant Nexon Co. has reportedly put off selling his entire stake in the holding entity NXC Corp. after failing to find a suitable buyer and price for the major gaming publisher. According to sources from the investment bank industry on Wednesday, Kim Jung-ju, founder and chief executive of Nexon, has suspended plans to sell his 94.6 percent stake in NXC, in what would have been the largest M&A deal in Korea in years.

Woongjin to resell water purifier leader Coway 3 months after repurchase

In a bewilderingly sudden move, South Korea’s mid-tier conglomerate Woongjin Group has decided to sell home appliance rental service unit Woongjin Coway Co. in just a month since it singularized rental business operations under one roof after Coway was brought back to the parent in March. Woonjin Group said on Thursday that it has decided to re-sell Woongjin Coway after its hard-won reacquisition in six years since it had to divest the first water purifier rental business due to financial troubles. Korea Investment & Securities Co. which arranged the financing for the purchase will also manage the re-sale.

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