Headlines, July 10, 2019

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Wednesday July 10, 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.

U.S. says Trump and Kim had meeting, not summit, in DMZ

The latest encounter between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the inter-Korean border was a meeting, not a summit or a negotiation, the State Department said Tuesday. The impromptu meeting in the Demilitarized Zone on June 30 had raised questions about whether it was a summit akin to the previous encounters in Singapore in June 2018 and in Vietnam in February this year.

U.S. envoy has no plans to meet N.K. officials in Europe this week: State Dept.

U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun has no plans to meet with North Korean officials during his trip to Europe this week, the State Department said Tuesday. Negotiations on North Korea's denuclearization are expected to resume in the coming days after U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed to continue the talks at their impromptu meeting on the inter-Korean border on June 30.

Japan's claims that key material gets funneled into N. Korea 'groundless': minister

South Korea on Tuesday rebutted the possibility that a key Japanese industrial material has been shipped to North Korea in breach of international sanctions against Pyongyang as alleged by Japan. Tokyo has claimed that its strict regulations of shipments of key materials to South Korea are due in part to Seoul's non-compliance with U.N.-led sanctions on North Korea.

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

S. Korea Criticizes Japan's Export Curbs at WTO

South Korea on Tuesday criticized Japan's export restrictions of high-tech materials to Seoul, stressing that the move violates free trade rules established by the World Trade Organization(WTO). Speaking at WTO headquarters in Geneva, South Korea's ambassador to the U.N. Paik Ji-ah lamented the timing of Japan’s export controls, which were announced shortly after Tokyo stressed free and fair trade at the G20 summit in Osaka.

Moon to Meet Local Corporate Leaders to Discuss Japan's Trade Restrictions

President Moon Jae-in is set to sit down with the leaders of South Korean conglomerates to discuss Japan’s trade restrictions. A Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters Tuesday that 30 firms, each with assets worth 10 trillion won or more, will attend the meeting slated for Wednesday along with four business lobby groups.

US: N. Korea's Nuclear Freeze is Not End Goal

The U.S. State Department has reaffirmed that a freeze in the North Korean nuclear program is not the U.S.' final goal, but rather the start of a process of denuclearization. Department spokesperson Morgan Orgatus said on Tuesday during a press briefing that a nuclear freeze would never be the resolution of a process or the end of a process.

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

Jobless rate rises to 4 pct in June, 281,000 jobs created

South Korea's jobless rate rose to 4 percent in June from a year earlier, and job additions again exceeded the 200,000 mark, government data showed Wednesday. The unemployment rate increased 0.3 percentage point on-year. The jobless rate marked the highest level for any June since 1999, when the corresponding figure stood at 6.7 percent.The number of employed people reached 27.4 million in June, a rise of 281,000 from the same month in 2018, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea. The number of added jobs are the most since January 2018, when the number increased by 334,000.

Moon invites heads of 30 conglomerates to discussions on Japan's export regulations

President Moon Jae-in plans to have a group meeting with the heads of 30 large conglomerates in South Korea this week to discuss a strategy on Japan's export restrictions, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday. Moon has invited the leaders of 30 firms, whose assets total 10 trillion won (US$8.5 billion) or more, and representatives from four business associations to the session to take place at his office in Seoul on Wednesday morning.

Hyundai E&C wins 3.2 tln-won plant order from Saudi Arabia

Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. said Wednesday it has clinched a 3.2 trillion-won (US$2.7 billion) deal to build a gas and crude-processing plant in Saudi Arabia. The builder said the plant in Marjan, northeast Saudi Arabia, will be constructed by October 2022, the company said in a regulatory filing.

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

Seoul brings issue of Japan’s retaliatory action to WTO

The government said Tuesday it had raised the issue of Tokyo’s economic retaliatory measures against Seoul at a World Trade Organization meeting amid intensifying tensions between the two countries, stemming from a long-standing dispute regarding forced labor during Japan’s 1910-45 occupation of the Korean Peninsula. During a meeting of the WTO’s Council for Trade in Goods held in Geneva, Ambassador to Geneva Paik Ji-ah said that that Japan’s restrictions on exports of key chemicals used to make high-tech components to South Korea went against free trade principles.

Government to seek funds for materials industry

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Tuesday the government will propose additional funding to foster South Korea’s industrial materials production. He emphasized the urgency of nurturing the industry, referring to a recent trade dispute with Japan, as he presided over a weekly Cabinet meeting.

Jobless rate rises to 4% in June, 281,000 jobs created

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

Trade feud with Japan feared to hurt Korea's growth

Concern is growing over the effect Japan's recent imposition of targeted export curbs will have on the Korean economy, with some analysts forecasting they will drag the GDP growth rate below 2 percent. The impact could be even greater if the restrictions, currently on key source material for semiconductors and displays, are expanded to other sectors, as Tokyo has warned. Citing the trade conflict between Seoul and Tokyo among other factors, Morgan Stanley's most recent forecast for Korea's GDP growth rate for 2019 was 1.8 percent and for 2020, 1.7 percent. The country's GDP grew by 2.7 percent in 2018.

The Korean conundrum seen from the Indian prism

The very next day at the DMZ, Kim invited Trump to take a few symbolic steps into his country. They held an informal conversation, so that needless expectations were not aroused. Trump also invited Kim to Washington for the third formal summit. By any yardstick, it was an astute move by the protagonists. Kim's image among his people was burnished. Moon added another feather to his diplomatic hat. And Trump's dream of securing a Nobel Prize was rekindled.

Eight elite high schools on brink of losing licenses

The Seoul education office has decided to strip eight autonomous private high schools of their licenses, raising speculation that the central government's push to abolish the "elite" school system is gaining traction. But whether the license revocation will actually take place remains to be seen, as the decision has brought about a strong backlash from the schools and parents, who have vowed to use every possible means to prevent it, including an administrative suit against the education authority and petitions to the Constitutional Court.

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

Moon Urges Japan to Withdraw Export Curbs

President Moon Jae-in on Monday urged Japan to withdraw "politically motivated" export restrictions on materials vital to Korean IT giants. This is the first time that Moon has commented on the retaliatory curbs announced a full week ago. Speaking in a meeting with his top aides at Cheong Wa Dae, Moon said, "Korean businesses face complications in production and global supply chains due to Japan's recent export curbs. I hope that Japan will return to abiding by the principles of free trade, which it has always advocated."

Sharks Spotted off Jeju Coast

Sharks were reported in waters off Hamdeok Beach on Jeju Island on Monday. Beachgoers were evacuated and nobody was eaten. According to the Jeju city government, a 119 emergency caller reported sightings of two objects that looked like sharks in waters off a skywalk bridge east of the beach around 12:30 p.m. Life guards immediately announced the sightings over the public address system and banned beachgoers from going into the water. At the time, about 100 people were in the sea.

PM Apologizes to Vietnamese Minister Over Battered Woman

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon met with visiting Vietnamese Minister of Public Security Tô Lâm on Monday to apologize for the assault of a Vietnamese woman by her Korean husband. A viral video clip of the June 4 assault, secretly filmed by the wife, shows the husband beating her violently while their two-year-old son weeps.

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

Moon says Blue House will work to find “diplomatic solution” to trade conflict with Japan

During a meeting of senior secretaries and aides at the Blue House on July 8, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the government would work calmly to find a diplomatic solution. These remarks appear to mean that the South Korean government doesn’t want tensions with Japan, which have escalated since Japan imposed restrictions on the export of semiconductor materials, to escalate into an all-out trade war.

Japan’s power display Trump's free trade

July 6 marks exactly one year since the US and China announced their trade war, with each dropping a “bomb” of high tariffs on imports arriving from the other in their respective markets. As of midnight on July 4, the Japanese government under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe introduced South Korean export control measures on three strategic goods, including semiconductor materials. As the US-China trade war triggered by US President Donald Trump’s “America first” policies has dragged out, Abe too has joined in the fray, mimicking Trump’s model of trade-based retaliation. The major trade powers have been plunging the global free trade order into chaos, and with acts of trade retaliation escalating – based on monopolistic export status rather than any rational arguments – South Korea’s export-based economy is now facing a serious test.

Blue House refutes Abe’s claim that S. Korea hasn’t implemented N. Korea sanctions

On July 8, the Blue House rebutted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s claim that issues with South Korea’s implementation of sanctions on North Korea were behind Japan’s imposition of export controls on South Korea. “We’re faithfully implementing sanctions resolutions on North Korea in cooperation with the international community,” a Blue House official said. This rebuttal was offered by a senior official at the Blue House during a meeting with reporters on Monday. “The high-ranking Japanese official ought to be able to prove the allegations he made,” the Blue House official added.

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

Liberty Korea Party calls on Yoon’s resignation for his perjury during confirmation hearing

At a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, the conservative opposing party described Prosecutor-General nominee Yoon Seok-yeol as unqualified and called for his resignation as his perjury during the confirmation hearing sparked controversy. Liberty Korea Party’s Floor Leader Na Kyung-won said on Tuesday that the confirmation hearing on Yoon was covered with all brazen lies misleading the public, urging the candidate to take responsibility for his perjury, let alone the adoption of the hearing report, and resign from the position of nominee. Liberty Korea Party lawmakers at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held a press conference and called on Yoon’s resignation, arguing that his perjury is not a mere lie but a crucial part of a massive iceberg of a corruptive scandal.

Seoul education office cancels licenses for eight elite high schools

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education decided on Tuesday to withdraw licenses for eight autonomous private high schools in Seoul, including Kyunghee, Paichai, Sewha, Soongmoon, Shinil, Choongang, and two high schools affiliated with Ewha Womans University and Hanyang University. The schools instantly protested the decision, saying “We cannot accept the outcomes of an eval‎uation that are effectively orchestrated according to a scenario.” They plan to request the Bureau of Audit and Inspection to conduct public inspection into the decision.

Pres. Moon vows to take countermeasures when Korean businesses face harm

Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Monday that it would be inevitable for the Korean government to respond, if necessary, if Korean businesses face practical harm, calling for Japan’s withdrawal of the export limit on Korea and sincere discussion between Korea and Japan. His message intends to warn Japan of Seoul’s possible countermeasures in case of any damage to Korean companies while calling on Japan to cancel its trade restrictions on Korea.

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

The Reason Why Abe Mentioned Sanctions on North Korea

The Japanese government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (pictured) mentioned North Korea when speaking of economic retaliation on South Korea. They hinted at the possibility of some strategic goods exported to South Korea flowing into North Korea. They also tried to justify Japan’s retaliation with the issue of North Korea and security, which are sensitive issues in the Japan, but the Japanese government has also been criticized for making a risky move, one that even aims to readjust Japan’s relationship with South Korea.

President Moon, "Will Respond If South Korean Companies Suffer Damage, But Hopefully It Won't Be Necessary"

On July 8, President Moon Jae-in mentioned Japanese export regulations concerning South Korea and said, "If South Korean companies suffer actual damages, our government will have no choice but to take necessary measures," and added, “I hope the situation will not lead to that.” At a meeting with his senior secretaries and staff this day, President Moon also said, "The vicious cycle of measures and countermeasures will not be good for either country." He gave a strong warning of inevitable countermeasures, if South Korean companies suffer damages from the export regulations of the Japanese government.

Another Case of Domestic Violence Against an Immigrant Woman: We Need Fundamental Measures for Prevention

A video of a Vietnamese woman brutally attacked by her Korean husband has ignited public outrage. The video showed the thirty-something husband beating his Vietnamese wife with his fist, kicking her with his feet and striking her with a soju bottle. All this while their two-year-old son was watching nearby. Reportedly, the victim suffered abuse frequently due to her poor Korean skills. The person who posted the video online wrote in Vietnamese, "The Korean husband is crazy." Indeed, it was horrible and shameful.

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

The Reason Why Abe Mentioned Sanctions on North Korea

President Moon, "Will Respond If South Korean Companies Suffer Damage, But Hopefully It Won't Be Necessary"

Another Case of Domestic Violence Against an Immigrant Woman: We Need Fundamental Measures for Prevention

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