Headlines, April 27, 2020

Monday April 27, 2020

Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today

The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
President of Uzbekistan is bringing together government and businesses to ensure social protection of the people at times of coronavirus outbreak
Uzbekistan, along with a number of other countries in the world, is facing consequences of COVID-19 pandemic on the economy and social area, including on the lives of people in cities and regions.
Amid novel coronavirus, the head of state places a great emphasis on providing support to vulnerable segments of the population and ensuring full operation of industrial enterprises, construction area and country’s infrastructure.

Turkmenistan marks 25th year of Permanent Neutrality this year
The following article was contributed by the Embassy of Turkenistan in Seoul for publication by The Korea Post media, publisher of 3 English and 2 Korean-language news publications.—Ed. This year Turkmenistan widely celebrates the 25th anniversary of adopting the status of Permanent Neutrality. At the initiative of the President of Turkmenistan, the Mejlis (parliament) of Turkmenistan passed a resolution placing the year 2020 under the motto “Turkmenistan - Homeland of Neutrality”. On 11-12 December 2020 International Conference «Policy of Neutrality and its Importance in Ensuring International Peace, Security, and Sustainable Development» will take place in Ashgabat.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
S. Koreans Allowed to Buy Three Masks Each Week
Starting Monday, people in South Korea will be able to buy three face masks per week under the public distribution system.
Previously, people could buy two masks per week at pharmacies or post offices on designated days depending on the last digit of their birth year.

Moon's Special Adviser Says Kim is 'Alive and Well'
Amid mounting rumors on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's health, a special security adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Sunday that Kim is "alive and well."
Moon Chung-in, special adviser on unification, diplomacy and security affairs, said during an interview with Fox News that his government's official position is firm that Kim is alive and well.

S. Korea Pushes to Pay Wages in Advance for Furloughed USFK Workers
South Korea has notified the United States of its plan to pay wages in advance for Korean workers for the U.S. Forces Korea(USFK) who have been furloughed amid a deadlock in defense cost-sharing negotiations.
The USFK has placed more than four-thousand local employees on unpaid leave since the beginning of April due to the absence of a new defense cost-sharing deal, known as the Special Measures Agreement(SMA). The previous accord expired at the end of last year.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
S. Korea reports fewer than 15 new coronavirus infections for 8th day
South Korea reported fewer than 15 new daily infections of the new coronavirus for the eighth day in a row Sunday, with health officials calling for people to comply with social distancing guidelines.
The 10 new cases, which were detected Saturday, brought the nation's total infections to 10,728, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC)

S. Koreans cautiously join religious events amid eased social distancing
People in South Korea gathered at some churches and temples for religious services on the first Sunday since the government eased rules on social distancing amid signs coronavirus infections are on the decline.
They, however, joined religious events in limited numbers without letting their guard down against the COVID-19 pandemic, while taking precautionary measures, such as wearing masks and keeping their distance from others inside buildings.

Kim's special train spotted in Wonsan amid rumors over his health: U.S. monitor
A train presumed to belong to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been spotted at a station in the communist state's eastern coastal town of Wonsan amid speculation about Kim's health, a U.S. monitor said Sunday, citing commercial satellite imagery on the region.
According to 38 North, the imagery showed a train "probably belonging to Kim Jong Un has been parked at the Leadership Railway Station servicing his Wonsan compound since at least April 21."
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Tensions rise on unconfirmed reports of Kim Jong-un’s death
With North Korean leader Kim Jong-un missing from public view for two weeks, conflicting, unconfirmed accounts about his health, some even indicating his death or near-death, are raising tensions here.
Speculations swirled Sunday that Kim may be incapacitated, following a media report citing Shijian Xingzou, a vice director of Hong Kong Satellite Television, based on a “very solid source.”

Will militant labor union of Hyundai Motor change upon pandemic?
Change seems to be looming for Hyundai Motor’s labor union -- known for hard-line protests and strikes -- with their new pragmatic leader and as the global pandemic persists.
Hyundai Motor’s wage negotiations, which are normally launched in late April or May at the latest, are expected to be delayed until July this year.

We don’t know how many have actually been infected: KCDC chief
Public health officials are grappling to figure out how many in South Korea have really been infected with the novel coronavirus.
Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Jung Eun-kyeong said in a Sunday press briefing that the agency currently has no estimates for the actual extent of infections in the country.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Old working habits die hard? Pandemic will break the norm
People worldwide are being forced to adjust to new ways of working and studying in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has created a new normal, even in Korea where the number of coronavirus cases has fallen dramatically to around 10 cases per day.

No evidence recovered patients are immune: WHO
The global death toll in the novel coronavirus pandemic soared past the grim 200,000 milestone on Sunday, as the World Health Organization warned against "immunity passports" for recovered patients, seen as a possible tool for countries preparing to re-open their economies.
The WHO opposes such "passports" because recovery from the virus might not protect a person from reinfection.?

Young people urged to keep social distancing
The government is urging people in their 20s and 30s to continue to practice social distancing, as young people are more likely to become coronavirus "super spreaders" because of their active social life, according to Korea's top infectious disease official Sunday. Those in their 20s and 30s account for 27 percent of coronavirus patients.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
“Sewol science” and international maritime safety
In early March, researchers at MARIN, a maritime research institute located in Wageningen, the Netherlands, boarded an airplane bound for Athens, Greece. The COVID-19 epidemic was starting to spread in European countries, but the national borders were not closed yet. The MARIN researchers had been monitoring the situation with an option to cancel the trip, but finally decided to go as planned.

Learning about the Sewol tragedy through BTS
The song begins with the line, “I miss you,” with the camera looking out at the ocean. Jimin is sitting on the beach, gazing quietly at the ocean, a pair of ownerless sneakers resting on his hands. Later in the video, there’s a carousel painted with the message, “You never walk alone.” Yellow ribbons flutter in the wind, and nobody is riding the carousel. The screen goes dark for a moment, and then we see Suga sitting atop a huge pile of clothing as he starts to rap, “You left me, but I’ve never forgotten you, not for a single day.”
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Temporary Unemployment Could Become Permanent
A record 1.61 million were temporarily out of work last month, and there are fears that many will become permanently unemployed even if the coronavirus crisis is contained.
Hana Tour, Korea's No. 1 travel agency, has placed 2,100 of its 2,500 staff on paid leave. "Travel demand is unlikely to recover within this year," a Hana Tour staffer said. "We hope to keep all our staff but don't know what to do once government support stops in September. Huge layoffs are possible if travel demand does not recover by then."

Lockdown Brings Resurgence in Home Theaters
Home entertainment systems, long declared moribund in an age of mobile devices, are making a comeback as customers worldwide are locked down amid the coronavirus epidemic.
Customers desperate for immersive distraction are snapping up vast screens and beam projectors to watch movies at home and upgrading their sound systems.
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Global death toll from COVID-19 tops 200,000
The global death toll from COVID-19 has topped 200,000 and the number of patients is reaching three million, which shows the virus is still spreading rapidly.
According to Worldometer, an international statistics website, the death toll from the virus was 203,307 as of 3:00 p.m. Sunday. It has been three and a half months since the first death had been reported in Wuhan, Hubei province in China on January 10. The death toll has grown from 100,000 on April 10 to 200,000 in just 15 days.

Kim Jong Un might have been injured during April 14 missile tests
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un might have been injured during the tests of short-range cruise missiles on April 14, according to a former high ranking official of Room 39, an organization run by the Workers’ Party of North Korea that maintains foreign currency of “the Kims.”

Hanwha Q Cells becomes the largest PV cell manufacturer in U.S.
The global energy consultancy group Wood Mackenzie said on Sunday that Hanwha Q Cells became the largest manufacturer of both residential and commercial solar cells in the U.S. last year, overtaking its competitors including the American energy company SunPower. Hanwha Q Cells took up 25.2 percent in the residential PV market, 11.1 percentage points up from 2018, and 13.3 percent in the commercial market. The last time a company held the largest market share in both markets was 2013.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Government to Invest 90 Trillion Won to Maintain Jobs: South Korea’s “New Deal”
The government will inject an additional 90 trillion won into our economy to secure jobs and save small business owners and basic industries facing a crisis due to COVID-19. The government also announced that it would aggressively promote a South Korean “New Deal” to create more jobs.
On April 22, the government held the fifth emergency economic policy meeting chaired by President Moon Jae-in and announced measures to stabilize employment and businesses to overcome a job crisis.

Cautiously Opening Theater Doors, After All the Essence of a Stage Performance Is the Audience
Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Center, closed due to the novel coronavirus, will reopen its stage, three months since it temporarily shut down in late January.
The Goyang Cultural Foundation announced on April 22, “We will open our performance hall with the drama, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, which will launch on April 25.” The foundation added, “We will open the theater lobby to the audience and also provide on-site services.” This is the first public concert hall to open its doors since the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Korea to issue $2.43 bn in state bonds to fund universal emergency payout
South Korea’s finance ministry is set to issue additional bonds worth 3 trillion won ($2.43 billion) to finance the relief paycheck to be shelled out to all households instead of the bottom 70 percent income class.
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki, who was opposed to the universal payout, offered to resign but was persuaded to keep his post.

LG Electronics halts Changwon factory in Korea in response to subdued demand
LG Electronics Inc. has suspended part of operations at Changwon plant, its main home appliance factory on the southern coast of South Korea, to adjust to weaker consumer demand amid coronavirus pandemic.
The partial suspension of Changwon factory operation began on Monday, according to industry sources. It is the first time for the Korean consumer electronics giant to plug off factory lines at home for inventory adjustment.

Hyundai E&C Q1 OP down nearly 20% on yr despite strong new orders
Hyundai Engineering & Construction reported a nearly 20 percent on-year tumble in operating profit in the first quarter despite multibillion-dollar overseas orders.
In its regulatory filing on Friday, the Korean top builder said its consolidated operating profit reached 165.3 billion won ($133.7 million) in the January-March period, down 19.4 percent from a year ago.
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Lee Kyung-sik edt@koreapost.com

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