Dec. 16, 2015
The Korean daily media headlines and humor
Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015
Your Excellency:
Here are humor from one of the former ambassadors who served in Korea and a roundup of important headlines from all major Korean-language dailies, TV and other news media of Korea this morning:
Lee Kyung-sik
Publisher-Chairman
Korea Post Media
P.S.: 1. To see the desired site, press down the Control key and click the blue URL of the media.
2. If received by a person other than the intended recipient, please kindly convey the mail to His/Her Excellency.
Humor from a generous donor from a Central Asian country
Law of equality?
The time taken by a wife when she says “I'll get ready in 5 minutes” is exactly equal to the time taken by husband when he says “I'll call you in 5 minutes.”
I argued. She argued.
I shouted. She shouted. And then she cried.
Result: She won by Duckworth Lewis Method.
Chess is the only game in the world,which reflects the status of the husband.
The poor king can take only one step at a time, while the mighty queen can do whatever she likes.
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A round-up of the latest news published by the Korean media:
KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Government Vows to Recover 3% Growth Range Next Year
The Finance Ministry announced a string of measures to boost the economy next year, such as an early execution...
BOK Sets Mid-Term Inflation Target at 2%
Gov't Forecasts 3.1% Growth in 2016
S. Korean Financial Watchdogs Gear Up for US Rate Hike
N. Korea Blames S. Korea for Unsuccessful Inter-Korean Talks
Government Vows to Recover 3% Growth Range Next Year
Preliminary Candidate Registrations Begin for General Elections
Parties Fail to Reach Agreement on Redrawing Electoral Districts
BOK Sets Mid-Term Inflation Target at 2%
Gov't Forecasts 3.1% Growth in 2016
S. Korean Financial Watchdogs Gear Up for US Rate Hike
N. Korea Blames S. Korea for Unsuccessful Inter-Korean Talks
Seoul Hopes Pyongyang Will Respond Positively to Follow-up Talks
S. Korea Declines to Link Family Reunions to Tourism Resumption
Yasukuni Suspect Again Testifies to Installing Suspicious Device
S. Korea No. 4 in Patent Applications
S. Korea, Japan Fail to Agree on Wartime Sexual Slavery Issue
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
S. Korea's jobless rate stays pat at 3.1 pct in November
South Korea's unemployment rate stayed pat in November compared with the month before as gains in the manufacturing and hospitality sectors were offset by losses in the agrofisheries and retail segments, a government report showed Wednesday.
Psy to have cameo in 'Vegas to Macau 3'
South Korean rapper Psy has been given a cameo role in the upcoming Hong Kong movie "Vegas to Macau 3." A trailer featuring Psy was uploaded to YouTube on Monday, in which the rotund South Korean offers a fake handshake to the male lead played by Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-fat.
S. Korea to focus on fueling economic recovery momentum in 2016
South Korea will focus on fueling economic recovery momentum in 2016 and strive to push forward meaningful reforms as it moves past a disappointing year full of difficult challenges, the government said Wednesday.
S. Korea's 2016 economic policy plans
The following are key economic policy plans unveiled by the finance ministry on Wednesday for 2016. The measures are centered on fueling the country's growth momentum and reaping the rewards of economic innovation undertaken in the past three years.
Hyundai, Kia log double-digit sales growth in Europe
Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate Kia Motors Corp. logged double-digit sales growth in Europe last month, but their combined market share inched down, industry data showed Wednesday.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Economic policy directions for 2016 unveiled
The government Wednesday disclosed 2016 economic policy directions aimed at revitalizing the economy by boosting domesti...
Sex trade exploits legal loopholes
It’s been some 10 years since South Korea enacted its antiprostitution law, but new forms of s...
Samsung CEOs to pitch to carmakers
Samsung Electronics, which has recently renewed its push for automotive parts especially for se...
Graduate job seekers to outnumber employment openings for next 10 years
A government report showed Tuesday that the number of university and college graduates will exc...
Ahn’s ‘new politics’ slogan fades out aft...
“New politics” is a catchphrase that has helped AhnCheol-soo become the political figure he is today.T...
Deplorable scholarship
We are struck dumb by the report that 179 professors from 110 universities across the nation...
New lending rules
The Korea Federation of Banks and the Financial Services Commission have jointly announced n...
Biggest-ever Rubens collection at National Museum
A special exhibition titled “Rubens and Other Masters” at the National Museum of Korea is sho...
Race on to be Asia’s top air hub
Competition among Asian air hubs is heating up as countries in the region are scurrying to buil...
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Speaker vows to call vote on redrawing constituencies
National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa vowed Tuesday to exercise his authority in order to ensure that a proposed plan for redrawing parliamentary constituency boundaries will be put to a vote, if the rival parties fail to reach...
Government, Seoul clash over Taegeukgi
The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) are havi...
[Exclusive] Samsung's Lee Jae-yong to attend CES
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong plans to attend a big technology fair in Las Vegas,...
Singapore plugs loophole in NK's arms trade
SINGAPORE - North Korea is expected to find it more difficult to smuggle arms using non-North Kore...
Ministry seeks to root out music chart manipulation
The government said Tuesday that it had ordered the Korea Music Content Industry Association (KMCIA) to come up with measures to root out the manipulation of ...
Makeup, underwear top Christmas gift lists
Are you struggling to decide what to give as a present this Christmas? A quick survey (from Nov. 2...
BIFF head faces scrutiny
The rift between the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) and the authorities is deepening, with the city government asking prosecutors to investigate the...
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DongAIlbo (http://english.donga.com)
40 victims of Kanto Earthquake identified by Korean government
The Korean government has officially identified 40 Korean after verifying the list of Korean victims from the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, during which a massive genocide on the people of Joseon took place under the...
Putin’s odd walking style indicates ‘KGB career,`say researchers
A new analysis suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s odd walking style is related with training that he received as an agent for KGB, the Russian secret service. When walking, Putin rarely sways his right...
Orioles make two-year offer to Korean outfielder Kim Hyun-soo
Will Kim Hyun-soo (27) be wearing the uniform of the Baltimore Orioles in the Major League baseball? Citing a report in the Baltimore Sun, U.S. media outlets reported en masse on Tuesday that Baltimore has offered a...
Conflicts in the Korean Peninsula could become ‘trans-regional’
U.S. Joint Chiefs chairman General Joseph Dunford said on Monday that any armed conflict in the Korean Peninsula is likely to expand into a "trans-regional" war. He said at a seminar on national defense held by CNAS...
Francisco Tarrega and Gran Vals
Last week, I traveled the central and southern parts of Spain. I watched the Regoletto at the Teatro Real in Madrid, and I saw Lacia di Lammeromoor at the Gran TeatredelLiceu in Barcelona. In particular, the Regoletto...
Leaflets sent to N.K. using drone from Chinese border
An organization of North Korean defectors is found to have been distributing memory devices containing information on outside world using a drone from China since April. The organization named ‘No Chain’ loaded about...
English badminton couple takes winners’ podium
French voters` quiet extreme right wind
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ChosunIlbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Few Graduates Land Jobs Matching Their Major
Few Korean university students land jobs after graduation that match their field of study, according to a report by the OECD. The discordance between university majors and jobs stands at 50 percent in Korea. >> Full Text
N.Korea Conflict 'Would Spread Beyond the Region'
Conflicts in the future will no longer be limited to a single country like North Korea but turn into "trans-regional, multi-domain and multi-functional" war, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford warned Monday. Dunford was speaking at a forum hosted by the Center for a New American Security in Washington. >> Full Text
Volkswagen's Korean Sales Easily Weather Scandal
Sales of Volkswagen cars are seeing a sharp upturn here despite the global emissions-cheating scandal that has alienated customers elsewhere. After a brief slide at the height of the scandal, Volkswagen ironically racked up its highest-ever sales in Korea in November by shifting more than 4,500 cars. >> Full Text
Hyundai Aslan Named Safest Car of the Year
Samsung, LG Expand Battlefield to Auto Electronics
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HankyorehShinmoon (http://english.hani.co.kr)
For pension payouts, women getting just 60% as much as men
Experts say the gender wage disparity between men and women continues after retirement, causing poverty among elderly women
Gender disparities in pension payouts remain a major issue, with women drawing just 60% as much in benefits as men despite their growing National Pension enrollment numbers.The reasons for the disparities include the relatively higher numbers of low-wage and irregular positions among women, along with the many who interrupt their careers to birth and raise children. Many are now calling for measures to address an issue of low pensions potentially leading to poverty among female seniors.
“Convergent majors” or just a ridiculous combining of department names?
With some South Korean universities working on plans to offer “convergent majors” as part of efforts to restructure their academic programs in line with a new initiative by the Ministry of Education, there is criticism that some of the new majors are little more than a hodge-podge of old majors bundled together without carrying out an adequate analysis of industry demand. .
For 1,008 homeless, no funeral just a “corpse disposal”
Last year, 1,008 South Koreans died without any next of kin, according to figures released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. About 300 of them were thought to be homeless.What awaits a considerable number of such people, who have been abandoned by their family and friends, is not a funeral but a “corpse disposal.” .
North Korea hosted the first national conference of employees at financial institutions in 25 years.
The last time such a conference was held was Sep. 1990, while Kim Il-sung was in power. Some analysts think this can be regarded as an effort to improve the financial system in the North to enable the unobstructed circulation of funds, given that the economy is recovering to some extent.
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JoongAngIlbo(conservative): (http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/)
Concert canceled over propagandizing: NIS
The mysterious cancellation of a Beijing concert by North Korea’s Moranbong Band on Saturday appears to be linked with the girl group’s program, which included adulations of leader Kim Jong-un and possibly boasts about the country’s nuclear tests, which China’s government was against.…
China gradually weakens yuan
The Chinese central bank again depreciated its currency on Tuesday for the eighth consecutive day, bringing its value to a four-year low for the second straight day.…
With more defectors on TV, stereotypes persist
North Korean defector-turned-filmmaker Jung Sung-san still remembers how the South Korean media portrayed his compatriots when he settled here back in 1996. “Only one TV show dealt with North Korea back then. It was a serious …
Foreign cars break records in recalls, sales
Looking back at the year, there are two ways foreign automakers can be evaluated: their sales, but also the number of cars recalled.…
Eco-friendly hydrogen vehicles to become cheaper to buy
Hydrogen-fueled vehicles will drop in price over the next few years thanks to an expanded government subsidy to boost sales of the environmentally friendly cars.…
Impasse holds on new electoral map
The leaders of the ruling and opposition parties failed Tuesday to agree on how to redraw the electoral map for the April general election in what was the last day of deliberations for a special parliamentary committee tasked with the reconfiguration. …
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MaeilKyungje (neutral-oriented conservative, economic/business): (http://news.mk.co.kr/english/)
Automated portfolio managing service robo -advisor to debut in Korea this month
Artificial intelligence-based financial service assisting investors in planning and managing their investment will be introduced in ...
Samsung Engineering aims to achieve operational profit next year
South Korea’s Samsung Engineering Co. plans to achieve an operational income of more than 200 billion won ($170 million) next year, ...
Hyundai Motor Group to focus on pitching Genesis brand in global operations
For the next year, South Korea’s leading automaker Hyundai Motor Group will concentrate most to pitch its new luxury brand Genesis ...
S. Korea’s SK Group Chairman calls for close partnership with partner companies
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won on Tuesday met heads of partner companies in a CEO seminar, calling for cooperation among
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The KyunghyangShinmoon(http://english.khan.co.kr/)
First Session of the Sewol Hearing: Anger Boils at Excuses
On December 14, 19 months after the Sewol accident and 13 months after the enactment of the Special Act on the Sewol Disaster, the first session of the hearing ···
[Editorial] We Welcome the Provisional Agreement at Ssangyong Motor to Reinstate Laid off Workers after 7 Years
Fortunately, the management and labor union of Ssangyong Motor Company reached a provisional agreement on reinstating laid off workers, seven years after they w···
[Main Opposition Party Splits Up] Main Opposition Party Separates Four Months Before the General Election: A 'Big Bang' in the Opposition
On December 13, former leader of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy AhnCheol-soo (53) announced, "I am leaving the New Politics Alliance for Democracy to···
Moranbong Band Cancels Performance: Are They Complaining about the 'Low' Ranking of the Chinese Audience?
The Beijing concert of the Moranbong Band, First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea Kim Jong-un's favorite band, was abruptly canceled, and now all eyes···
Han Sang-gyun Walks Out of Jogyesa Temple after 24 Days
Han Sang-gyun (53), head of the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions left Jogyesa Temple, where he had been taking refuge, and voluntarily appeared before the po···
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The Korea Economic Daily(http://english.hankyung.com/)
Chinese Government's 2016 Economic Policy Goal: Liquidation of Zombie Firms
The Communist Party of China set corporate restructuring as one of the most important economic policy goals next year. It is likely that the speed of liquidation and consolidation in industrial sectors with surplus capacities, including steel, solar power, and cement, will accelerate. The Central Po...
Chinese Yuan to Depreciate against Dollar by Average of 4% Next Year
Overseas investment banks estimated that the value of the Chinese yuan will likely to decline until the end of 2016, with its rate averaging at 4 percent. An investment bank even predicted that the yuan would lose its value by 18.4 percent. According to Bloomberg on December 15, three investment ban...
Korea's Corporate Tax Burden Too High...KERI Report
A study said Korea's effective corporate tax burden (ratio of corporate tax revenue to the GDP) is one of the highest among Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member countries. The Korea Economic Research Institute said in a report "Estimation of Tax Burden for Different Tax Items...
3 Solar Companies Pursue 3 Different Strategies to Take Advantage of Paris COP21 Deal
Expectations are rising among solar power companies that the Paris climate deal would give them an important growth momentum as the market is likely to get bigger. Eugene Investment & Securities said, "We put out an outlook for the solar market next year at around 20 percent, but we are revising it ...
JKL Partners Gives up on Korea Flour Mills Deal
JKL Partners, Korea's investment advisory firm, has given up the acquisition of Korea Flour Mills as it was unable to reach an agreement with the seller ahead of the December 18 maturity date for publicly offered corporate bonds issued by Korea Flour Mills' subsidiary DongA One Corp. In response, Ko...
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AJU Business Daily(http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)
South Korea to upgrade its Patriot air-defense batteries
[Courtesy of Raytheon Company] The Pentagon said on Monday Lockheed Martin Corp has won a contract to build PAC-3 missiles for the U.S. Army, South Korea, Qatar and Saudi Arabia for use in Ra…
South Korean politics sees ‘big bang” in opposition camp
A prominent South Korean opposition leader, AhnCheol-soo, has bolted from the main …
High-level inter-Korean talks end in stalemate
Gaesung industrial complex, North Korea [Courtesy of Gaesung Industry Support Foundation] ? High-level talks between North and South Korea have broken up without an agreement, dimming prospect…
North Korea pop band Moranbong cancels Beijing concert. Why?
[Courtesy of Xinhua News Network] ? North Korea's all-female premier pop group has abruptly cancelled a scheduled Beijing concert and headed home, triggering
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ETNEWS(http://english.etnews.com/)
Commercialized Product that Diagnoses Alzheimer’s Disease with Just a Dro...
Technology that can differentiate Alzheimer¡?s Disease with just a drop of blood will be commercialized. It is expected that a regular person can easily ma...
Total Amount of R&D’s New Budget for Semiconductor and Display Is C...
Total amount of next year¡?s national budget for semiconductor and display¡?s R&D on new businesses is cut and this is totally opposite of Chi...
Samsung Electronics Makes Strategic Partnership with American Medical De...
Samsung Electronics has made a strategic partnership with Medtronic, which is a professional medical device industry in the U.S., and it will co-develop solutions for ...
Sales for Samsung’s and LG’s Washing Machines Make New Records Due to Premium Effect
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics replaced their past sales records with each business¡?s new application products this year. Sales for Samsung Electronics¡? electrical automatic washing machines has increased 60% compared to last year due to positive effects from Active Wash. LG Electronics¡? Tromm Twin Wash surpassed daily record ...
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Special Notices:
Photo shows President Soon-Heung Chang of Handong Global University (fifth from left, front row) with ambassadors and other visiting members of the Seoul Diplomatic Corps (SDC), including Ambassador Mme Natallia Zhylevich of Belraus (dean of the visiting members of the SDC), fourth from left the same row With Ambassador and Mrs. SylvestreKouassi Bile of Cote d’ Ivoire (third and second from left, front row).
And Ambassador Roballo of Argentina (sixth from left, same row) and Ambassadors Mohamed Abdi Gello of Kenya (on the right of the rear row).
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“Why not try to change the world?”
Ambassadors, senior diplomats visit Handong Global University in Pohang
Ambassadors NatalliaZhylevich of Belarus, Kouassi Bile of Cote d’Ivoire, Jorge Roballo of Argentina and Mohamed Abdi Gello of Kenya and 20 other senior diplomats, including the charges d’affaires, visited Handong Global University in Pohang City on the Southeast Coast of Korea on Nov. 12, 2015 at the invitation of President Soon-Heung Chang of the University.
The tour, organized by The Korea Post, included also a visit to POSCO and a cruise ride around the harbor of the Pohang City.
The Korea Post has been organizing tours for the ambassadors and other senior members of the Seoul Diplomatic Corps for the past 30 years, but it must be said that the one hosted by Handong Global University is one of the most impressive in terms of the interest on the part of the host who met the guests with a true heart and warm welcome.
President Soon-Heung Chang of the University made such an excellent arrangement out of respect and special regard for the distinguished international guests by asking his Vice President Simon Kang(Administrative Affairs) and Professor JinwonAhn (School of Management and Economics) to come all the way from Pohang to Seoul to welcome and escort the ambassadors and other senior diplomats to comfortably visit his University.
The tour of the Handong Global University was a truly memorable one where many outstanding features of the University continuously surprised the visiting ambassadors and the other senior diplomats. For further details, visit:
/news/view.html?section=161&category=181&no=1119.
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(5) An English e-daily (/rankup_module/rankup_notice/notice_detail.html?no=327)
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