Headlines, July 18, 2019

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Thursday July 18, 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.

Korean companies are welcome to invest in national development, infrastructure…

Korean companies are welcome to invest in variouos national development projects in Indonesia as the country needs investment in people in order to develop skills and knowledge required in this digital and competitive era. Indonesia needs investment in infrastructure for connectivity (roads, airports, seaports, railways). So said Ambassador Umar Hadi of Indonesia in Seoul at an exclusive interview with The Korea Post media for publication on the occasion of the National Day of the country on Aug. 17, 2019.

U.S. will do 'what it can' to help resolve Seoul-Tokyo row: senior diplomat

The United States will do "what it can" to help resolve an increasingly rancorous diplomatic spat between South Korea and Japan, a senior American diplomat said Wednesday. David Stilwell, new assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, made the remarks in the wake of Seoul's call for U.S. mediation to reverse Tokyo's recent export restrictions seen as a retaliatory step following last year's top court rulings here over Japan's wartime forced labor.

Hyundai Heavy's labor union approves strike over stalled wage talks

Unionized workers at Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., the world's largest shipyard by sales, voted on Wednesday to go on strike amid a lack of progress in wage negotiations. The labor union said nearly 60 percent of unionized workers approved a work stoppage, raising the possibility that work at the world's largest shipyard may be disrupted for the sixth year in a row. The union demanded a pay raise that includes marking up the basic pay by some 123,000 won (US$104) and higher performance-based pay.

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

Moon, Party Leaders to Convene at Top Office for First Time in 16 Months

President Moon Jae-in and chiefs from five major political parties are set to hold a meeting on Thursday at the presidential office to discuss response measures to Japan's trade restrictions. The meeting, scheduled to be held between 4 to 6 p.m., will be the first such gathering at the top office in 16 months. Among the participants include Lee Hae-chan of the ruling Democratic Party, Hwang Kyo-ahn of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, minor opposition Bareunmirae Party Chairperson Sohn Hak-kyu, Party for Democracy and Peace Chairperson Chung Dong-young and Justice Party leader Sim Sang-jung.

KCTU to Stage General Strike Thursday over Minimum Wage

One of the two largest umbrella labor unions in South Korea will stage a nationwide general strike on Thursday to protest what it says are worsening labor conditions and laws. Labor unions affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions(KCTU) will go on a one-day strike on Thursday and hold a large rally in front of the National Assembly in Seoul at 2 p.m.

Torrential Rain Forecast for Jeju Island, Southern Regions Thursday

Torrential rains are expected for Jeju Island and southern peninsular regions on Thursday. The Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA) said that southern regions and Jeju will receive up to 250 millimeters of rainfall with as much as 30 millimeters of torrential downpour every hour between Thursday and Friday.

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

Japan's export control to hurt global tech industry: S. Korean official

Japan is undermining free trade with the export curbs against South Korea and it will also take a toll on the global tech industry, a South Korean government official said Wednesday. Speaking to foreign reporters based in Seoul, the official said Japan's stricter control, without any prior notice, of some chemicals used in semiconductor and digital display production is "inconsistent" with the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles.

Samsung, others in quest for alternative supply amid trade feud with Japan

Samsung Electronics Co. has begun testing etching gas critical for the production of semiconductors, a source familiar with the issue said Wednesday, as South Korea is struggling to cope with Japan's export restrictions. Since July 4, Japan tightened regulations on exports to South Korea of resist, etching gas and fluorinated polyimide -- essential for the production of semiconductors and flexible displays -- in an escalating standoff with South Korea over their shared history.

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

Japan’s trade curbs will impact global industry: Seoul official

Japan’s recent decision to impose tighter restrictions on exports to South Korea of key materials for the semiconductors and display industries will take a toll on the global tech industry, Seoul’s government official said Wednesday. “It will adversely affect companies ranging from Apple, Amazon and Dell to Sony and billions of consumers all over the world,” he told foreign reporters based in Seoul on the condition of anonymity.

Japan’s export curbs to top agenda of President Moon’s meeting with party leaders

President Moon Jae-in and chairpersons of five political parties will gather for a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday afternoon to discuss ways to navigate Japan’s trade regulations. The chairpersons are Lee Hae-chan of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, Hwang Kyo-ahn of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, Sohn Hak-kyu of the minor conservative Bareunmirae Party, Chung Dong-young of the minor opposition Party for Democracy and Peace, Sim Sang-jeung of the progressive Justice Party. Chief secretaries and spokespersons of each party will also attend.

[News Focus] Military under fire, marred by lack of discipline, cover-ups

South Korea’s military has come under fire after a series of incidents involving false testimonies and security failures, showing laxity in discipline. Opposition parties have submitted a motion calling for the dismissal of Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, holding him responsible for the incidents.

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

Washington unwilling to actively mediate Seoul-Tokyo trade friction

The United States is unable to engage in the deepening trade feud between Korea and Japan, as Washington cannot pick a side with either of its major Asian allies, according to the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia. David R. Stilwell, the new U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, revealed this stance during meetings with government officials in Seoul, Wednesday.

Skepticism growing over Korean economy

A growing number of experts worldwide are expressing skepticism about the government's rosy outlook for the country's economic growth for 2019. Contrary to the Ministry of Economy and Finance's outlook of a range of 2.4 percent to 2.5 percent, many global economists forecast that the 2019 growth rate will fall below 2 percent.

US-North Korea working-level talks likely to be delayed

Working-level denuclearization talks between the United States and North Korea are likely to be delayed. U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday (local time) during a meeting that he is in no hurry to make progress in the denuclearization talks and time is "not of the essence." Trump had said the working-level talks would be resumed in the next few weeks, when he met North's leader Kim Jong-un in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on June 30.

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

Korea and Japan Dig in for Fight

Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday officially rejected Japan's proposal for a third-country arbitration panel to mediate in a spat over compensation for wartime forced labor victims. Japan in turn refused to consider Seoul's proposal to set up a fund paid for by businesses from both countries to compensate the victims. The refusals came a day after President Moon Jae-in proposed to find an "amicable" solution to implement Korean court rulings ordering Japanese firms to compensate the victims and seizing the companies' Korean assets.

How to Prevent Coffee Stains on Your Teeth

People's teeth are getting whiter all the time. Long gone are the days when it was acceptable for a salaryman to sport a set of brown tombstones in the middle of his face, or a businesswoman to smile grayly at her clients. Yet the enemy remains the same -- coffee. Nothing stains teeth worse than the coffee you are drinking in ever bigger quantities, from Starbucks to little artisanal holes in the wall. Coffee and tea contain tannins and other compounds that can stain, discolor, and damage teeth because tooth enamel is naturally porous and can absorb them.

N.Korea Boast of Rights Violations at Construction Sites

North Korea on Tuesday boasted of exploiting construction laborers and disregarding their safety and human rights. The admission came in a paean to Army troops who were mobilized at construction sites in Samjiyon in Ryanggang Province. The regime is developing the area as a major tourist attraction. The official Rodong Sinmun daily on Tuesday said construction ground to a halt when the power unexpectedly failed, "but shock troops carrying burlap sacks on their back climbed up the scaffold as their commander barked out orders."

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

Blue House rejects Japan’s proposal for third-party arbitration on forced labor issue

Japan’s proposal to set up a third-party arbitration board on the issue of compensation to survivors of forced labor mobilization during Japan’s colonial occupation of Korea is not acceptable, the Blue House said. Two days before the July 18 deadline for a response on the third-party arbitration board plan proposed by Japan, a key Blue House official said on July 16 that there would be “no particular response” by July 18.

Japan refutes Moon’s remarks regarding export controls

The Japanese government objected to remarks from South Korean President Moon Jae-in strongly criticizing its export control measures. Speaking at a regular press conference on the morning of July 16, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, a spokesperson for the Japanese government, said, “Japan has consistently explained that [the export controls] are not ‘resistance measures’ [in response to a South Korean Supreme Court ruling ordering compensation for forced labor mobilization], but that we are reexamining operations in the interest of suitably managing exports for purposes of guaranteeing security.”

Forced labor victims to proceed with liquidation of Mitsubishi assets

After Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, a company that was complicit in Japanese war crimes during World War II, refused a third request to negotiate a resolution to the issue of compensating Korean victims of forced labor, the victims have decided to go ahead and liquidate the company’s assets in South Korea.

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

‘Abe puts the global trade order at risk,’ says New York Times

Japan has garnered criticism from experts and media outlets across the globe that it puts the global trade order at risk by misusing national security as the Japanese government imposed limits on exports of core materials to Korea citing North Korea-related sanction issues. Such critical voices are based on concerns that the global trade order can be shaken by claiming national security, which may be deemed to be a vague notion, to weaponize trade regulation.

SKT launches world’s first 5G roaming service in Switzerland

South Korea’s mobile carrier SK Telecom said Tuesday that it begins the world’s first fifth-generation (5G) roaming service in partnership with Swisscom, Switzerland’s largest mobile carrier. 5G commercial services were first launched on April 3. SKT and Swisscom have conducted tests to commercialize 5G roaming services since they signed a strategic partnership in May. 5G-based roaming services have not been available because unlike LTE roaming services, only a few countries have launched 5G commercial services and various countries’ mobile carriers use different frequencies. As a telecom operator with around 6 million subscribers, Swisscom began 5G services in Switzerland in April. The company currently provides 5G services in 110 cities including Zurich, Geneva and Bern.

‘Big trees chopped off by Japanese that invaded Ulleung Island,’ says Russian interpreter

“The marks of axes left on tree trunks were the evidence of Japanese plunder. Mountains that used to be covered with tall trees from their foot to top are now becoming barren at the axes of Japanese.”The above is from the investigative report of Ulleung Island written by Lebedev who was in his third year at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia and worked as an interpreter for a Russian military transport ship in September 1903. The Korean Empire tried to stop Japanese’ illegal habitation and lumbering by setting the imperial order No. 41 to raise the position held by the head of Ulleung Island but damage continued. “Tall trees over five times the length of an adult’s two arms spread out could not be found. Tree stumps left in valleys show the aftermath of Japanese pillage.”

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

President Moon, "Japan Will Suffer More Harm from Trying to Stop South Korea's Economic Growth"

On July 15, President Moon Jae-in mentioned Japan's trade retaliation and said, "We cannot ignore the latest measure, for it started with export restrictions on chemicals for semi-conductors, a core industry of the South Korean economy," and criticized, "It was no different from blocking the growth of our economy at a time when our economy is seeking to advance to a higher level."

Liberty Korea Party's Punitive Measures on Improper May 18 Comments "End in Smoke"

Disciplinary measures by the Liberty Korea Party against its lawmakers responsible for rash comments on the May 18 Gwangju Uprising are likely to fizzle out. Lawmaker Kim Soon-rye (64, pictured), who had her party membership suspended for three months, will automatically have her rights restored without losing her position in the party's Supreme Council on July 18. Any disciplinary action against lawmaker Lee Jong-myeong, who was supposed to be expelled from the party, has practically been withdrawn after the party's leadership repeatedly postponed formal procedures. All three people responsible for comments disparaging the May 18 uprising including lawmaker Kim Jin-tae, who simply received a warning, will return to the previous state before any disciplinary actions.

President Moon, "Japan Will Suffer More Harm from Trying to Stop South Korea's Economic Growth"

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

Korea to legalize ride-hailing and other mobility platform services

Ride-hailing and other app-based mobility services will finally become legitimate in Korea after years of delays and overturns due to strong opposition from the taxi industry. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Wednesday it was proposing changes in the related laws to enable licenses to ride-hailing operators including Tada, a van-rental service. It plans to take administrative procedures by the year-end.

S. Korean researchers develop world’s first ternary semiconductor tech

A South Korean research team has successfully demonstrated an energy-efficient ternary metal-oxide semiconductor on a large-sized wafer for the first time in the world, according to Samsung Electronics on Wednesday.

Korean chipmakers try out various options to find replacement for Japanese materials

South Korean chip and display makers are reportedly trying out various options against Japanese curbs on key materials by exploring new supply base in China or incorporating Korean produces on wafer fabrication. According to a report from China’s Shanghai Securities News on Tuesday, a Korean semiconductor manufacturer signed a contract to receive hydrogen fluoride called etching gas from Shandong-based chemical firm Befar Group. The report said the two had conducted several tests and experiments before striking the deal, but it did not disclose the name of the Korean chip maker.

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