The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Friday, August 9

U.S. says Trump has been clear on wanting allies to contribute more to defense

U.S. President Donald Trump has been clear that he wants U.S. allies to contribute more to shared defense, the State Department said Thursday, indicating South Korea will not be an exception to the rule. South Korea has come under growing pressure from the U.S. to pay more for the upkeep of 28,500 American troops stationed in the country.

S. Korean, U.S. defense chiefs to hold talks over tough tasks

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States were set to meet in Seoul on Friday to discuss regional security and other alliance issues, the defense ministry said, amid North Korea's saber-rattling against their joint exercise and frayed ties between Seoul and Tokyo. The talks between South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper also come at a time the U.S. has pressured South Korea to increase its financial contribution to the cost of stationing American troops here.

Seoul delays countermeasure after Tokyo approves 1st shipment of restricted item

South Korea on Thursday held off its decision to drop Japan from its list of trusted trading partners as the neighboring country approved the first shipment of a key material under restriction to South Korea, in what appears be a pause in their mounting trade tussle. In its countermeasure against Japan's removal of South Korea from its so-called whitelist, the Seoul government has threatened to take Japan off its own list, upping the ante in the month-long trade haggling caused by Tokyo's export curbs on three key industrial materials crucial for the production of chips and display panels.

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

Defense Chiefs of S. Korea, US to Discuss Range of Pending Alliance Issues

The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States will meet on Friday for talks on a range of pending alliance issues, including efforts to denuclearize North Korea and Washington’s transfer of wartime operational control to Seoul.

Moon to Carry Out Major Cabinet Reshuffle Friday

President Moon Jae-in is expected to carry out a major Cabinet reshuffle Friday, replacing some eight ministerial positions. According to sources within the presidential office and the ruling party, former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Cho Kuk will most likely be named the new justice minister to accelerate Moon's reform drive.

N. Korea’s Rubber-Stamp Parliament to Hold Year’s Second Session

North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament will hold its second session of the year later this month, raising speculation about an announcement of possible key policy changes. The state-run Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) said on Friday that the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly will convene in Pyongyang on August 29th. The North Korean parliament usually holds one plenary session in March or April to mainly deal with the budget and cabinet reshuffles. It is considered rare for two sessions to take place in one year.

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

N. Korea warns Seoul will 'pay dearly' for escalating tensions

North Korea blasted South Korea on Thursday for conducting joint military exercises with the United States and deploying high-tech U.S. fighter jets, warning Seoul will "pay dearly" for escalating tensions on the peninsula. "The joint military exercises which have been conducted by the South Korean authorities with outsiders century after century are the root cause escalating tension on the Korean peninsula and blocking the development of the inter-Korean relations," the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Seoul delays countermeasure after Tokyo approves 1st shipment of restricted item

South Korea on Thursday held off its decision to drop Japan from its list of trusted trading partners as the neighboring country approved the first shipment of a key material under restriction to South Korea, in what appears be a pause in their mounting trade tussle. In its countermeasure against Japan's removal of South Korea from its so-called whitelist, the Seoul government has threatened to take Japan off its own list, upping the ante in the month-long trade haggling caused by Tokyo's export curbs on three key industrial materials crucial for the production of chips and display panels.

Moon replaces eight minister-level officials, names new ambassador to U.S.

President Moon Jae-in carried out his first Cabinet shake-up in five months Friday amid a host of troubles in state affairs from North Korea's resumed rocket launches and a trade fight with Japan. He also picked Lee Soo-hyuck, a diplomat-turned-lawmaker, as new ambassador to the United States, as Seoul has come under growing pressure to increase its financial support for the U.S. Forces Korea and play a bigger role in regional and international security.

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

US defense chief arrives in S. Korea

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper arrived in South Korea on Thursday for talks that are expected to focus on a series of requests Washington has been making to Seoul, including a greater financial contribution to the cost of stationing American troops here. Also expected to be on the agenda for Esper's talks with South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo are the US initiative to secure the shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz and Washington's wish to get a military information-sharing pact between the South and Japan renewed.

Japan gives first export approval to South Korea after tightened rules

The South Korean government said Thursday that Japan has allowed high-tech materials to be exported to South Korea in the first approval since the Shinzo Abe administration imposed export curbs in July on three materials crucial for Korea’s chip and display production. Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Thursday that Japan had granted its first approval for exporting extreme ultraviolet photoresists to Korea a day earlier. EUV photoresists are one of the three materials that Japan restricted for export from July 4. It is a key material for Samsung’s chipmaking foundry business.

Seoul, Washington haven’t started talks for defense cost-sharing deal: Foreign Ministry

South Korea reiterated Thursday that Seoul and Washington will discuss the defense cost-sharing deal in a way that is “fair and reasonable,” but said the negotiations have not started yet, denying a claim to the contrary from US President Donald Trump. On Twitter on Wednesday, Trump wrote as if the new cost-sharing deal were already in place and said South Korea had agreed to a significant increase in its share of the costs for the upkeep of the US troops stationed here.

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

Seoul to link Hormuz mission to defense cost

With U.S. President Donald Trump stepping up the pressure on South Korea to shoulder more of the burden for defense cost sharing, Seoul plans to cut the country's expenses for maintaining U.S. troops. To this end, Seoul is seeking to cooperate with the U.S.-led naval mission in the Strait of Hormuz and purchase more advanced weapons as leverage in the upcoming talks.

Greenpeace warns Korea of Japan's radioactive water discharge

An international environment organization has said that Japan plans to discharge radioactive waste into the Pacific Ocean in the near future and Korea will fall particularly vulnerable. Greenpeace Korea, the global NGO's branch in Seoul, reposted on Facebook, Wednesday, a column by its nuclear specialist Shaun Burnie published in The Economist, saying Japan is planning to discharge more than 1 billion liters of contaminated water stored at the Fukushima nuclear plant since the massive earthquake and nuclear disaster of 2011.

Korea holds off removing Japan from its whitelist

The government delayed its decision Thursday as to whether to remove Japan from its "whitelist" of preferred trade partners, indicating that Seoul is willing to work with Tokyo to prevent the trade row from escalating. The unexpected decision came a week after Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki said Korea would remove Japan from its whitelist of countries receiving preferential trade status, as a countermeasure against Japan's decision last Friday to remove Korea from its own exports whitelist.

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

Japan Doesn't Specify Goods in Promulgating Export Curbs

The Japanese Economy Ministry issued detailed regulations on Wednesday when it promulgated a bill removing Korea from a "whitelist" of preferential trade partners. But the rules, effective late this month, specify no goods, contrary to expectations that they would single out high-tech materials and parts that are vital to Korean IT giants. That means the widely publicized measure is as yet a procedural shot across Korea's bow rather than severely disrupting the supply chain.

Falling Birthrate Leads to Shortage of Ob-Gyns, Kindergartens

As Korea's birthrate has dropped to one of the world's lowest, obstetric clinics and kindergartens are disappearing at a rapid pace as well. According to a report released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Wednesday, the total number of kindergartens nationwide at the end of last year was 39,171, down from 43,742 in 2014. And the figure keeps shrinking to stand at 37,589 kindergartens in June this year, a decrease of over 1,500 in just six months.

U.S. Visa-Rule Change Triggers Confusion

A long line of people formed outside the U.S. Embassy in Seoul on Wednesday, a day after Washington said South Koreans who have visited North Korea even once after March 1, 2011 are no longer covered by a visa waiver. The embassy was flooded with phone calls from visitors seeking information and others complaining about the abrupt change. Normally, South Koreans simply fill in an Electronic Travel Authorization form for short-term visits. But now the U.S. is classifying people who have visited North Korea in the same category as those who traveled to Syria and other Middle East conflict regions.

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

[Editorial] Japan needs to know that returning to status quo is first step in normalizing relations

On Aug. 7, the Japanese government published a revision of its export and trade management rules, removing South Korea from its “white list” of countries that enjoy streamlined export procedures, as it had promised. As of Aug. 28, Japanese companies that export products with potential military applications to South Korea can no longer receive a “general comprehensive permit” valid for three years.

[Reportage] Children and students join Wednesday Demonstration to denounce Japan’s trade measures

“Far from apologizing, the Japanese are causing a trade war.”“Japan hasn’t yet acknowledged its [past] mistakes and is now taking the ironic stance of sanctioning our country [South Korea] economically.”As rain drizzled down at noon on Aug. 7, around 10 middle and high school students calmly criticized the Japanese government on a stage in front of where the Japanese embassy formerly sat in Seoul’s Jongro District. The students had gathered for the 1,399th weekly Wednesday Demonstration to call for an official apology from the Japanese government for the sexual enslavement of Koreans euphemistically referred to as the comfort women. The gathering was the first since Aug. 2, when the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo decided to remove South Korea from its “white list,” a list of countries entitled to receive preferential treatment in trade with Japan. The students criticized both the harm done by the Japanese military’s sexual enslavement of Korean women and the economic measures taken by the Abe administration against South Korea. Around 500 people (according to organizers’ estimates) in raincoats and holding umbrellas listened to the students as they spoke.

Japan’s image as economic leader has been tarnished, US think tanks says

Japan’s image as an economic leader has been tainted due to its trade spat with Korea, and Tokyo needs to review its special responsibility, US-based think tank Center for International and Strategic Studies (CSIS) said on Aug. 6. In a report titled “Japan and Korea: Rising Above the Fray,” CSIS Senior Vice President Matthew Goodman said Japan has stepped up as an economic leader in the Asian region by “filling a void left by the United States,” but added, “Unfortunately, Japan’s strategic gains are now at risk because of its escalating dispute with South Korea over history and trade.”

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

Seoul holds off removing Tokyo from its white list

The South Korean government has postponed the plan to exclude Japan from its “white list.” With Tokyo adjusting the pace of export restrictions by approving the ship of photoresist, one of the core materials for production of semi-conductors, Seoul is also readjusting its plan to fight back against Japan’s trade regulations.

Japan allows export of 1 item after 34 days of trade restrictions

The Japanese government allowed the export of one item to South Korea for the first time in 34 days since the government banned on July 4 three semiconductor and display items from being exported to the neighboring country. Tokyo also made it clear that additional items may become subject to separate approval in addition to the three items restricted from export so far. This movement is interpreted as the Japanese government’s attempt to declare that the recent export regulations are pure security measures for strategic materials, not political retaliation, and to lead the South Korea-Japan relations with a mix of tough and moderate strategies.

Choi Hye-jin aims to take off again at Jeju Samdasoo Masters

Choi Hye-jin, who has emerged as a major player in the Korea LPGA (KLPGA) Tour in her second year as a professional golfer, exuded the confidence of "fearless 20-somethings." Leading the tour by winning four championships in the first half of this year's tour alone, Choi could not wait to play in the Jeju Samdasoo Masters at Ora Country Club in Jeju, Jeju Island. To her, the event is an opportunity to recover from her disappointing performances overseas and take off again. "Let bygones be bygones," she told the Dong-A Ilbo on Thursday. "I am determined to start from scratch in Jeju."

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

Fair Economy Retreats as Businesses Raise Their Voices Amidst Economic Crisis

As the nation faces more and more challenges in economic conditions, the government accepted a stream of requests by businesses. The government not only made it easier for business owners to pass on their wealth to their children, it also allowed--albeit in a limited scope--intra-group transactions following Japan's exclusion of South Korea from the list of countries allowed a simpler export process. The recent government decisions raised concerns that the government may be deviating from its goal of achieving a fair economy.

Na Kyung-won Wants Yoo Seong-min to Return: Liberty Korea Party Moves to Unite Conservatives

The conservative opposition parties are restless as the leaders of the Liberty Korea Party begin to promote the unification of the conservatives. Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn said, "We must be one," and declared to unite the conservatives. Floor leader Na Kyung-won followed by reaching out to Bareun Mirae Party lawmaker Yoo Seong-min, sending ripples down the opposition parties. The two "leaders" of the Liberty Korea Party openly rolled up their sleeves to unite the conservatives, but this has triggered opposition from both the Liberty Korea Party and the Bareun Mirae Party.

The Moon Jae-in Government in a Tight Spot

The international economic and security environment for the South Korean government is deteriorating. On top of the economic dispute with Japan, the U.S.-China trade conflicts have spread to a currency war, increasing the uncertainty in the domestic economy. North Korea is fiercely protesting the joint command post exercise (CPX) of the South Korean and U.S. military, which began on August 5, sending more cold winds in inter-Korean relations.

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

Japan approves first chip material exports to Korea since trade row

Japan allowed its first export of chip making material to South Korea after it enforced case-by-case curbs on three sensitive chemicals bound for Korea from last month. Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon Thursday confirmed that Tokyo approved a Japanese vendor of photoresist, one of the three products subject to the export controls since July 4, to ship out the product to Korea after finding no risk of military use.

Galaxy Note 10 comes in 2 sizes, smarter pen with enhanced Bluetooth features

The iconic pen-enabled Galaxy Note 10 has arrived – less tech-wowing but more consumer-friendly – as it comes in a smaller and less pricey version on top of the signature bulky phablet phone size, both with a smarter pen with remote-control and enhanced handwriting features.

Kia to release fully made-over Carnival next year to take on global family car Odyssey

South Korea’s second largest automaker Kia Motors Corp. will fully revamp its steady-selling multi-purpose minivan Carnival to ride on the “Buy Korea” fever among Korean consumers and take on global-wide bestselling Honda family car Odyssey next year. According to sources from the auto industry on Wednesday, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Euisun told an executive meeting to go all-out on in making over Carnival to turn it more competitive on the global market.

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See what the world media around the world have to report:

USA Today www.usatoday.com aallman@gannett.com
The New York Times www.nytimes.com inytletters@nytimes.com
Wall Street Journal www.wsj.com support@wsj.com, service@wsj-asia.com
Financial Times www.ft.com ean@ft.com
The Times www.thetimes.co.uk help@timesplus.co.uk
The Sun www.thesun.co.uk talkback@the-sun.co.uk
Chinese People's Daily www.people.com.cn kf@people.cn
China Daily www.chinadaily.com.cn circulation@chinadaily.com.cn
GwangmyeongDaily www.gmw.cn webmaster@gmw.cn
Japan's Yomiuri www.yomiuri.co.jp japannews@yomiuri.com
Asahi www.asahi.com customer-support@asahi.com
Mainichi www.mainichi.jp
Le Monde www.ilemonde.com
Italy LaRepubblica www.quotidiano.repubblica.it vittorio.zucconi@gmail.com
Germany Frankfurter AllgemeineZeitung www.faz.net anzeigen.ausland@faz.de
SüddeutscheZeitung www.sueddeutsche.de forum@sueddeutsche.de
Australia Brisbane Times www.brisbanetimes.com.au syndication@fairfaxmedia.com.au
Sydney Morning Herald http://www.smh.com.au
Colombia Reports http://colombiareports.com
Bogota Free Planet http://bogotafreeplanet.combfp@bogotafreeplanet.com
El Universal http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english
Andes http://www.andes.info.ec/en
Ecuador Times http://www.ecuadortimes.net
The Jordan Times https://www.jordantimes.com
LSM.lv http://www.lsm.lv/en
The Baltic Times http://www.baltictimes.com lithuania@baltictimes.com, estonia@baltictimes.com, editor@baltictimes.com
El Pais http://elpais.com/elpais/inenglish.html
Philippine Daily Inquirer https://www.inquirer.net
Daily News Hungary http://dailynewshungary.com
Budapest Times http://budapesttimes.hu
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