Dec. 18, 2015
The Korean daily media headlines and humor
Friday, Dec. 18, 2015
Your Excellency:
Here are 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.
A round-up of the latest news published by the Korean media:
KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
UN General Assembly Overwhelmingly Passes N. Korea Resolution
The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution which calls for referring North Korea's human rights situation...
Producer Prices Fall to Lowest Level in 5 Years, 7 Months
Foreign Residents' Council to Kick Off in Seoul
Speaker Steadfast in Refusal to Use Power to Put Bills to Vote
Gov't Recognizes First Victim from Sex Slavery Record Found in Thailand
Seoul Court Finds Sankei Reporter Not Guilty of Defaming S. Korean President
Producer Prices Fall to Lowest Level in 5 Years, 7 Months
53 Nations to Exchange Financial Account Data from 2017
BOK Chief Dispels Concerns of Negative Impact from US Rate Hike
Number of S. Koreans Visiting North Reaches 5-Year High
73% of N. Korea's Top Officials Replaced During Kim Jong-un's Rule
Unification Minister: No Package Deal of Separated Families, Geumgang Tour
UN General Assembly Overwhelmingly Passes N. Korea Resolution
UN General Assembly Adopts Resolution on N. Korean Human Rights
Seoul Hopes Acquittal of Japanese Journalist will Help Improve Bilateral Ties
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Galaxy S7 to focus on performance over design: sources
Samsung Electronics Co.'s new flagship smartphone, presumably the Galaxy S7, is set to be showcased at a tech exhibition slated for February, an industry source said Friday, with the device expected to put more emphasis on performance over design.
Beijing issues 2nd smog red alert
The Chinese capital city of Beijing issued its second-ever red alert for dangerous acrid smog as it urged citizens to stay indoors, China's state media reported Friday.
Samsung Engineering-led group wins US$800 mln plant order
Samsung Engineering Co., the plant engineering unit of South Korea's top conglomerate Samsung Group, said Friday its consortium has a received a US$800 million order to build a petrochemical plant in the United States.
Former KT&G chief arrested for alleged graft
The former head of South Korea's sole tobacco maker was arrested Friday on charges of receiving kickbacks from a company subcontractor.
Asia Culture Center exhibits explore Asian identity
Asia's largest cultural center said Friday various exhibits are on display to explore what it means to be Asian.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Financial markets rally on Fed relief
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen speaks at a press conference in Washington on Wendesday. YonhapSeoulofficials ...
U.N. General Assembly adopts N.K. human rights resolution calling for ICC referral
For the second consecutive year, the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution cal...
‘USFK conducted 16 covert anthrax tests since 2009’
The U.S. Forces Korea has conducted 16 rounds of clandestine experiments involving dead anthrax...
Japanese reporter cleared of defaming president
A lower court cleared a Japanese reporter Thursday of defaming South Korean President Park Geun...
Chung, ‘man of principle,’ goes against th...
By strongly resisting Cheong WaDae’s efforts to press the National Assembly to pass contentious bills, ...
Alleged cover-up
Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Choi Kyung-hwan has been embroiled in allegations that he ...
Wrong dispute
The dispute over hoisting a giant national flag at Gwanghwamun Plaza, which pits the Ministr...
Korea’s tumultuous years in photos
Japanese photojournalist ShiseiKuwabara, 79, has documented postwar Korea since the 1960s, cap...
Seoul book club hosts four Korean writers
The Seoul Book and Culture Club will be hosting an event with four writers who will be introduc...
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Former Sankei bureau chief acquitted of defaming Park
A Japanese journalist was acquitted of defaming President Park Geun-hye in a report on her whereabouts during the Sewol ferry tragedy last year. The Seoul Central District Court cleared Tatsuya Kato, the former Seoul bureau chie...
USFK lied about tests on anthrax
The United States Forces Korea (USFK) brought in anthrax samples at least 16 times -- 15 times to ...
Wild boar attacks increasing in city
A growing number of wild boars are coming to urban areas in the city in search of food, terrifying...
Park urged to talk with opposition
President Park Geun-hye faces mounting calls to talk with the opposition to reach a breakthrough i...
'South will not stick to inter-Korean summit'
The South Korean government will not stick to realizing an inter-Korean summit under President Par...
Samsung daughter's divorce likely to finalize in January
The divorce of Im Woo-jae, son-in-law of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee, and Lee Boo-jin...
Kumho Tire wins design awards in Korea, US
Kumho Tire, Korea’s leading tire maker has won design awards both in Korea and the United States f...
Han Sung Motor supports young talented artists
Han Sung Motor, the largest Mercedes-Benz dealer in Korea, has been supporting elementary and midd...
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DongAIlbo (http://english.donga.com)
LG runs its first-ever Super Bowl commercial for OLED TV
LG Electronics is planning to do a hugely expensive marketing campaign that costs some 10 billion Korean won (approx. 8.5 million U.S. dollars) for every minute. The company announced on Thursday that it would run a...
3 opposition lawmakers quit party
Three lawmakers of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) quit their party on Thursday to join the party`s former leader AhnChul-soo who bolted out of it four days earlier. "Today`s NPAD has no...
Millions of dollar-funds raised for Olympic golf players in Korea
It is expected that the Korean golf players who win medals in the 2016 Summer Olympic in Rio de Janeiro will enjoy a handsome amount of financial rewards. The male and female gold medalists will each get 300 million won...
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...
Conflicts in the Korean Peninsula could become ‘trans-regional’
Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 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...
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...
40 victims of Kanto Earthquake identified by Korean government
Francisco Tarrega and Gran Vals
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ChosunIlbo (http://english.chosun.com)
U.S. Military Repeatedly Shipped Live Anthrax to Korea
The U.S. Forces Korea conducted 16 tests using live anthrax samples that were delivered to USFK bases here since 2009, a joint investigation by the two countries has discovered. The investigation also found that the U.S. military brought plague bacteria samples into Korea. >> Full Text
Retired Seoul Citizens Often Hard Up
Only one out of three retired Seoul citizens managed to find new employment within 10 months of leaving their job. And most of those who did not ended up unemployed for more than two years, leaving them vulnerable to sliding into poverty as they age. >> Full Text
KakaoTaxi Bookings Hit 50 Million
The number of bookings for KakaoTaxi crossed 50 million on Sunday. Demand for the taxi-hailing app has boomed since its launch in late March. The number of daily requests peaked at a staggering 600,000, and around 190,000 drivers or 70 percent of all licensed cab drivers have the app. >> Full Text
Female Graduates Outnumber Men in Job Market
N.Korea Sentences Missionary to Life of Hard Labor
IKEA Celebrates 1st Bumper Year in Korea
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HankyorehShinmoon (http://english.hani.co.kr)
A political art exhibition for “adults only”
Artists use chicken breasts, poop and a “big beautiful toilet” to speak out for freedom of expression
“Please note that this exhibition reflects the subjective views of its organizers and not those of Ganainsa Art Center.”This peculiar sign was posted in front of Exhibition Room No. 4 at Ganainsa Art Center in the Jongno District of Seoul, where an art exhibition called “Seven Stupid Samurai” opened on the afternoon of Dec. 16.
Police deny permission for meeting with locked-up umbrella union leader
The police denied a request by an official from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) to meet with Han Sang-gyun, president of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), who is being held at Namdaemun Police Station in Seoul, citing concerns that he might “destroy evidence.” The ITUC objected that this was absurd and inhumane. .
Disbanded political party files petition for UN review
Around 400 members of the Unified Progressive Party (UPP) submitted a petition to the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) requesting a review of the legitimacy of a Constitutional Court decision one year ago to disband it.The 389 members submitting the petition included former UPP leader Lee Jung-hee. .
Confusion over timing of first N. Korea Workers Party Congress in 36 years
Analysts in South Korea are going back and forth over the significance of a report in major North Korean media implying that the country‘s seventh Workers’ Party Congress had been pushed back from its scheduled date in early May 2016.With the debate continuing in South Korean and foreign media, North Korea’s own Korean Central News Agency published another report confirming that the Congress, which is to be the first in 36 years, .
North Korea sentences Korean-Canadian pastor to life of hard labor
North Korea has sentenced a Korean-Canadian pastor who had already been detained for 10 months to a life of hard labor.North Korea’s highest court convened on Wednesday and sentenced Korean-Canadian Rev. Lim Hyeon-soo to hard labor for life because of his “anti-North Korean activity,” China’s state-run Xinhua News reported on Dec. 16.
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JoongAngIlbo(conservative): (http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/)
Hike in interest rates by Fed fails to rattle markets
After the U.S. central bank raised interest rates for the first time in more than nine years, there was no panic in Seoul’s financial markets.In fact, the Federal Reserve’s Wednesday decision to set a new target range for the federal funds rate of 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent helped Seoul’s primary market enjoy a rally for the third consecutive trading day…
Japanese reporter didn’t libel president: court
The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday acquitted a Japanese reporter accused of defaming Korean President Park Geun-hye in an article published last year…
Bio-weapons sent into Korea by U.S. 17 times
A probe by Seoul and Washington into an erroneous shipment of a live anthrax sample to a U.S. military base in Korea revealed on Thursday…
Korea’s private sector is warned of future hazards
The U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to raise its base interest rate may have cleared immediate uncertainties, but it is expected to be a threat to Korea’s private sector…
Lee faces tough decision on raising key rate
To raise or not to raise - that’s the question that will be haunting Bank of Korea (BOK) Gov. Lee Ju-yeol, who is now facing his biggest challenge…
Gov’t takes a third crack at dealing with dementia
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced a comprehensive plan to deal with dementia Thursday, saying it will earmark 480.7 billion won…
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MaeilKyungje (neutral-oriented conservative, economic/business): (http://news.mk.co.kr/english/)
Shinhan to expand global presence
‘Global’ and ‘digital’ are the two words that will define Shinhan’s strategic roadmap next year. During an executive strategy ...
Woogjin committed to sell water park
South Korea’s mid-sized conglomerate Woongjin Group continues to seek the sale of its water park WoojinPlaydoci, also called Woojin ...
Martian director Ridley Scott and son to produce LG’s first Super Bowl ad
South Korea’s LG Electronics said Wednesday that its first Super Bowl commercial will be a collaborated work of U.S. movie directors ...
SPP Shipbuilding’s creditors positively mulls refund guarantee for new orders
SPP Shipbuilding Co., a Korean mid-tier shipbuilder, may be able secure new orders and stay afloat after creditors relented in their ...
Hankook Tire to open winter tire testing center in Finland
South Korea’s leading tire maker Hankook Tire Co. has signed a contract with Finnish tire testing company Test World Oy to build its ...
Ssangyong E&C takes part in luxury Atlantis development project in Dubai
South Korea’s Ssangyong Engineering and Construction Co. (Ssangyong E&C) that graduated from court receivership program in March ...
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The KyunghyangShinmoon(http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Reality in the Labor Market Where 23-Year-Olds Are Pressured to Resign
Doosan Infracore, a key affiliate of the Doosan Group, asked its employees to consider a voluntary resignation, and in the process plainly revealed the "two fa···
[Exclusive: Direction of the Economic Policy in 2016] President Park's Key Pledge, 'Economic Democratization' Disappears after Three Years
"Economic Democratization," which put President Park Geun-hye in Cheong WaDae in 2012 disappeared just three years after the president entered office.···
[Editorial] Cheong WaDae Threatens the Chairman of the National Assembly to Follow President's Orders
Cheong WaDae publicly demanded Chung Ui-hwa, chairman of the National Assembly to bring up controversial bills including the five labor-related bills, e···
No Special Treatment for Chaebol This Time Despite Plea for Mercy Due to Health Issues and Contribution to the Economy
On December 15, the Seoul High Court sentenced Chairman Lee Jay-hyun (55) of CJ Group to two years and six months in prison in a case that was remanded by the S···
[One Year after the Sewol] 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 ···
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The Korea Economic Daily(http://english.hankyung.com/)
Higher Interest Rates May Push Commodity Prices Further down
The rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve Board is triggering a warning signal in the primary commodities market as well. That's because the fundamental cause for the weak commodity prices has been a strong dollar even though the slowdown in the Chinese economy was a factor too. Market analystssai...
Samsung Tops List of U.S. Utility Patent Application and Registration
Samsung is highly likely to climb up to the No. 1 position in terms of the number of utility patent application and registration in the United States this year, according to a U.S. data analysis site Scoop on December 14. Scoop said the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s utility patent app...
Samsung Engineering Formulates 2016 Blueprint
Samsung Engineering which recently has been mired in sluggish performance, declared to achieve a turnaround in 2016 by posting more than 200-billion-won profit. The company announced on December 15 that it set next year’s order-booking, sales, and operating profit targets at 6.0 trillion won, 7.1 t...
Yello Mobile Seeks to Attract Additional $100 Mil. Foreign Investment
An online advertising agency Yello Mobile is seeking to attract US$100 million foreign investment. Yello Mobile is attempting to bring in a massive amount of foreign investment once again after issuing 55.6-billion-won convertible bonds in mid-December. According to the Financial Supervisory Service...
Bright Outlook for SUVs and Large Sedans
The demand for sports utility vehicles is likely to expand further in 2016 thanks to the booming leisure activities. As low oil prices continue, the demand for large sedans is also likely to increase. According to the 2016 Automobile Industry Outlook released by the Korea Automobile Manufacturers’ ...
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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
AhnCheol-soo leaves the parliament buildig after a press conference [NamkungJin-wung=timeid@ajunews.com] 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 speculation over what caused t…
White House doubts about North Korea’s H-bomb claim
Kim Jung-un [Courtesy of Xinhua News Network] The White House said on Thursday it was doubtful that North Korea had developed a hydrogen bomb, as its leader Kim Jung Un had apparently cla…
Two Koreas hold high-level talks in Kaesong
[Courtesy of Ministry of Unification] South and North Korea holds high-level talks on Friday in their latest attempt to improve their frosty ties. The vice-ministerial meeting at a joint i…
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ETNEWS(http://english.etnews.com/)
ETRI Introduces 5G SNS Technologies for the First Time
5G SNS technologies are introduced for the first time. Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI, Director Lee Sang-hoon) made an announcement on t...
Phones That Borrow Mobile Telecommunication Businesses’ Lines But Do ...
Phones that borrow mobile telecommunication businesses¡? lines but do not receive benefits from them(Al Ddeul Phone) were able to get over 10% in mobile ...
Nuclear Battery Technology That Is Used for More than 10 Years Is De...
Nuclear battery technology that produces electricity for more than 10 years is developed by a research team in South Korea. Daegu Technopark made an announcement on the...
Hyundai Motor Company Focuses on Electric Vehicle and Infrastructure by Collecting Its Affiliates’ Capabilities
Hyundai Motor Company will focus capabilities from level of Hyundai Group to expand electric vehicles, charging infrastructures and service. It is releasing a new electric vehicle in 6 years after release of ¡®BlueOn¡? in 2010 and is planning to lead eco-friendly vehicle industry ecosystem centered on electric vehicles. Not only will H...
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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:
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The Korea Post, established 30 years ago in 1985, operates five news media outlets, two in the Korean language and three in English. They are all at your service. You can email all your English and Korean press releases and feedback for free publication to edt@koreapost.com or korpost@chol.com. The five media outlets are:
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(4) An English print monthly (http://koreapost.koreafree.co.kr/magazine/index.html?page=2), and
(5) An English e-daily (/rankup_module/rankup_notice/notice_detail.html?no=327)
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Send the Embassy news releases to edt@koreapost.com for publication by all its five media units, including one Korean (www.koreapost.co.kr) and one English (www.koreaposst.com) Internet dailies, which are updated real-time. (Call 010-5201-1740 for further details.)