Headlines, July 25, 2019

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Thursday, July 25, 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. aware of reports of N.K. short-range projectile launch: senior official

The United States is aware of reports that North Korea has launched a short-range projectile, a senior U.S. government official said Wednesday, declining to comment further. Earlier, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North had fired two projectiles from near its east coast city of Wonsan on Thursday (Seoul time). The projectiles flew about 430 kilometers and landed in the East Sea, it said.

S. Korea blasts Japan's export curbs at WTO meeting

South Korea's deputy trade minister attending a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting has slammed Japan's export curbs as a "diplomatic retaliation," as Seoul sought to draw international support in its trade feud with the neighboring country. After raising the Japanese export curbs at the WTO's General Council meeting in Geneva on Wednesday, Kim Seung-ho told reporters that he offered high-level talks to Japan to discuss the issue, but Tokyo did not provide a response to the offer.

SK hynix Q2 net dips on weak memory prices, set to adjust output

SK hynix Inc. said Thursday its second-quarter net plunged 88 percent from a year earlier, due to lower prices of memory chips and weak demand, and it plans to adjust output to respond to market conditions. The net profit for the world's No. 2 memory chip producer came to 537 billion won (US$455.8 billion) in the April-June period, compared with 4.3 trillion won a year ago, the company said in a regulatory filing.

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

JCS: N. Korea Fires 2 Unidentified Projectiles into East Sea

North Korea on Thursday fired two unidentified projectiles into the East Sea from an area near its east coast city of Wonsan. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) said that the North "fired one unidentified projectile at 5:34 a.m. and the other at 5:57 a.m., from Wonsan areas into the East Sea, and they flew around 430 kilometers."

N. Korean Foreign Minister May Miss ASEAN Forum in Thailand

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho will reportedly not attend an Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) political and security forum set for early next month in Thailand. A diplomatic source said on Thursday that North Korea recently informed Thai officials that Ri will not attend the ASEAN Regional Forum set to open on August 2 in Bangkok.

S. Korea, Japan Clash at WTO over Trade Row

A South Korean trade official said he strongly criticized Japan's export curbs against Seoul on Wednesday at a meeting of the World Trade Organization(WTO) General Council in Geneva. During a news conference after the WTO meeting, the Trade Ministry’s Deputy Minister for International Trade and Legal Affairs Kim Seung-ho said that he emphasized Japan's move is a clear violation of WTO regulations and has nothing to do with national security.

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

Defense ministry dismisses Japan's claim over Dokdo, vows stern response

South Korea's defense ministry on Wednesday dismissed Japan's renewed territorial claim to Dokdo amid military tensions over a Russian warplane's violation of its airspace near the easternmost islets in the East Sea. On Tuesday, the Russian A-50 early-warning jet intruded into Korean airspace twice near Dokdo, prompting the South Korean Air Force to fire hundreds of warning shots in accordance with operation manuals, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

S. Korean lawmakers arrive in U.S. to help resolve Seoul-Tokyo row

A bipartisan group of South Korean lawmakers arrived in Washington on Wednesday on a visit expected to focus on efforts to resolve a growing trade dispute between Seoul and Tokyo. Five members of the delegation arrived first, with the other two scheduled to arrive Thursday. The group is led by Rep. Chung Sye-kyun of the ruling Democratic Party, a former parliamentary speaker.

Seoul again presses Tokyo not to implement additional export curbs

South Korea on Wednesday repeated its call for Japan to scrap its planned measure to take Seoul off its list of trusted trading partners granted with preferential procedures for exports, warning it could undermine bilateral economic ties. Early this month, Japan implemented strict regulations for exports of three key materials to South Korea that are crucial for the production of chips and displays on the grounds that Seoul runs a lax system for the control of goods that can be diverted for military purposes.

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

North Korea fires 2 unidentified projectiles into East Sea: JCS

North Korea on Thursday fired two unidentified projectiles from near its east coast town of Wonsan into the East Sea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The incident came amid growing uncertainty over the prospects of working-level talks that the leaders of North Korea and the US agreed to hold in the near future when they met at the inter-Korean border last month.

KADIZ emerges as potential flashpoint?

The Korea Air Defense Identification Zone in the East Sea has come under the spotlight after warplanes from four countries became tangled in the area Tuesday. Two Russian TU-95 strategic bombers and two Chinese H-6 strategic bombers entered the KADIZ without prior notice in the early hours of Tuesday. A Russian A-50 -- an early warning and control aircraft -- further trespassed into South Korea’s airspace above the Dokdo Islets, twice, prompting the Air Force to fire over 300 warning shots.

S. Korean economy grows 1.1 pct on-quarter in Q2: BOK

The South Korean economy is estimated to have expanded 1.1 percent in the second quarter, a dramatic turnaround from an unexpected contraction the previous quarter, partly afforded by increased government spending, central bank data showed Thursday. The country's gross domestic product expanded an estimated 1.1 percent from three months earlier in the April-June period, after backtracking 0.4 percent in the previous quarter, according to advance data from the Bank of Korea.

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

North Korea fires 2 unidentified projectiles into East Sea

South Korea said Thursday Pyongyang has launched two unidentified projectiles into the sea off its east coast. The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectile launch came from an area near the eastern city of Wonsan in Gangwon Province. The authority said the projectiles were fired at 5:34 a.m. and 5:57 a.m. each and flew about 430 kilometers.

'US customers will fall victim to Japan's export curbs'

South Korea plans to deliver the message that the deepening trade friction between Seoul and Tokyo will do "no good to U.S. customers," as prices for consumer goods, such as the iPhone, may soar in the aftermath of the recent chip price hike, according to Seoul's Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee.

'Removing Korea from white list will endanger alliance'

Japan's plan to remove Korea from its "white list" of countries with preferential trade treatment will endanger the alliance between Korea, Japan and the United States and threaten regional security in Northeast Asia, the trade minister said Wednesday. Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Sung Yun-mo said the Korean government has delivered its "written opinion" to Tokyo. This is the first time Korea has delivered a message this way to Japan over economic issues.

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

Russian, Chinese Fighter Jets Buzz Korean Airspace

A Russian warplane twice violated Korean airspace over the easternmost islets of Dokdo on Tuesday while Chinese and Russian bombers flew into Korea's Air Defense Identification Zone without notice. The Air Force fired 360 warning shots toward the Russian jets. This was the first time since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War that a foreign military aircraft violated Korean airspace. The incident occurred as security cooperation between Korea and Japan has been undermined by diplomatic friction.

Japan in Publicity Blitz to Justify Export Curbs

The Japanese government has embarked on a publicity blitz to defend its export curbs on high-tech materials to Korea.Japan’s Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on Monday met with foreign embassy staff in Tokyo to explain the restrictions. Korean Embassy staff were pointedly not invited.

Soaring Food Prices Spark Bargain Hunt

Office workers in Seoul are complaining about soaring prices in restaurants as the minimum wage rises. Staple lunch dishes such as naengmyeon or cold noodles now cost in the mid-W10,000 range, while samgyetang or chicken soup with ginseng costs almost W20,000 a bowl (US$1=W1,180). According to the Korea Consumer Agency, prices of six out of eight staple lunch dishes favored by office workers had risen by May. Naengmyeon got 12.5 percent more expensive, gimbap or seaweed rice rolls 10 percent and kimchi jjigae or stew 7.24 percent.

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

[Editorial] Russia should apologize immediately for violating Korean air space

On July 23, a Russian military aircraft violated South Korean airspace near Dokdo. A South Korean Air Force fighter reportedly made a sortie and fired warning shots in response. While foreign military aircraft have often entered the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ), this violation of sovereign airspace is a first. In contrast with KADIZ, territorial airspace is inviolable, with exclusive South Korean sovereign jurisdiction recognized there by international law. Russia should immediately apologize for violating our airspace and pledge to ensure it does not happen again.

Russia and China’s unauthorized entry into the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) during their first joint long-range patrol aircraft exercises on July 23, and the violation of South Korean airspace near Dokdo by a Russian early warning and control (reconnaissance) aircraft, are being interpreted as an attempt by the two countries to curb the US-led strategy in the Indo-Pacific region. That aim can also be seen in a statement by the Russian government describing the joint flight as a “scheduled exercise” for the sake of “global stability and increased cooperation.”

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

U.S. tech industry voices concerns over Japan’s export restrictions against S. Korea

U.S. tech industry has issued a letter to both South Korea and Japan, expressing their concern over the Seoul-Tokyo trade row, and urging the two nations to negotiate a resolution to the dispute. This is the first time the U.S. tech industry officially stated its views on Japan’s retaliatory economic measures against South Korea.

‘Parasite raised the profile of Korean culture’ praises CJ Group chairman

“The movie Parasite has raised the profile of Korean films as well as our cultural values,” commented CJ Group Chairman Lee Jae-hyun. At a business reporting session of CJ ENM on Tuesday, Lee praised the efforts of CJ ENM, the investor and distributor of the movie that won the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival, according to CJ Group on Wednesday.

S. Korean scientists discover brain wastes’ discharging routes

A team of South Korean scientists have discovered the mechanism of discharging wastes from the brain that cause dementia. Cerebral wastes are byproducts generated by the brain’s metabolism. Accumulated in the brain, they cause degenerative brain diseases. The team’s research raises the expectation as to whether it will make a breakthrough in developing a new medicine to cure brain diseases.

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

Japan Suddenly Butts in, "Invasion of Takeshima Territory"

Russia and China, which entered the Korea air defense identification zone (KADIZ) without authorization on July 23, are engaging in a battle of nerves with South Korea arguing that their actions were legitimate. In this situation, Japan suddenly interfered claiming that the Russian military aircraft invaded Takeshima (the Japanese name for Dokdo) territory.

Why Environmental Groups Are Opposing the Return of the "Toad": Controversial Sharing of Soju Bottles

The return of the "toad" is shaking the recycling system instead of the soju market. On July 23, environmental groups including the Korea Zero Waste Movement Network announced, "HiteJinro recently released 'Jinro soju' (pictured) and is shaking the bottle-sharing system by producing soju bottles in a different color and shape from existing bottles." They further argued, "The company should re-release the product in the existing standardized bottle to keep its environmental promise to expand the reuse of used bottles."

Liberty Korea Party Terrified of Being Labeled "Japan-Friendly"

The Liberty Korea Party is fiercely struggling to fight off a "Japan-friendly" image. But internally, the party seems concerned of being caught in a framework of Japan-friendly versus anti-Japan, even as they oppose the ruling party's accusations of leaning toward Japan. If the party criticizes the ruling party's

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Lee Kyung-sik edt@koreapost.com