Headlines, May 8, 2020

Friday May 8, 2020

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

The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
“Paraguay has great potential for production, logistics base for S. American markets”
The Republic of Paraguay has great potential as a production and logistics base for entry into South American markets because its tax system is simplified, one of the lowest levels of taxes in the region. This was disclosed by Ambassador Raul Silvero of the Republic of Paraguay in Seoul at a recent interview with The Korea Post media, publisher of 3 English and 2 Korean-language publications.
Ambassador Silvero then stated that their production costs are lower compared with other countries of South America and that there are many other benefits for Korean companies and investors.

The flood has proved a bitter lesson for us: The situation in Uzbekistan is stabilizing
At the start of a video conference on May 5, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev expounded once more on the efforts in progress in our country to combat the coronavirus infection as well as on the disasters in Bukhara and Syrdarya regions. The head of state noted in particular:
What we all observe today is how humanity is struggling with both the coronavirus and equally the resulting economic crisis..
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Trump: S. Korea Agreed to Pay 'Substantial' Money for US Troops
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that South Korea has agreed to pay substantial money for the upkeep of American troops on the Korean Peninsula.
During a meeting with Texas Governor Greg Abbott at the White House, Trump said South Korea has agreed to pay considerable money to the U.S., which he appreciates very much.
Trump said the U.S. is spending a lot of money and if it's going to defend other countries, they should also respect the U.S. by making a contribution.

Report: LG Chem Plant in India Starts Leaking Toxic Gas Again
Toxic gas reportedly began leaking again from a LG Chem plant in southern India early on Friday, prompting a wider evacuation.
The second leak comes less than a day after at least eleven people were reportedly killed and about a thousand hospitalized following a pre-dawn leak at the LG Polymer plant in the city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh state.
Reuters quoted a local fire official as saying that people in a five-kilometer radius of the factory were being moved out, adding the situation is intense.

'US Wants S. Korea to Shoulder Larger Share of Defense Costs'
A Pentagon nominee said on Thursday that the U.S. is asking South Korea to shoulder a larger, more equitable share of the cost for the upkeep of American troops on the Korean Peninsula.
James Anderson, the nominee for deputy under secretary of defense for policy, made the remark in a written testimony submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee ahead of his confirmation hearing the same day.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
U.S. has asked S. Korea to pay $1.3 bln in shared defense costs: official
The United States has asked South Korea to pay US$1.3 billion a year for the stationing of American troops on the peninsula, an increase of nearly 50 percent from last year, a senior Trump administration official said Thursday.
The new figure represents a cutback from the $5 billion initially sought by the U.S., but almost four times the increase South Korea offered in its latest proposal.
The official told Yonhap News Agency the U.S. request was its "final offer" and "quite reasonable."

N.K. leader sends verbal message to Xi Jinping on China's success on COVID-19
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a "verbal message" to Chinese President Xi Jinping, lauding Beijing's success in stemming the spread of the new coronavirus, state media reported Friday.
In the message, Kim "congratulated him, highly appreciating that he is seizing a chance of victory in the war against the unprecedented epidemic," according to the Korean Central News Agency.
"Kim Jong Un wished Xi Jinping good health, expressing conviction that the Chinese party and people would cement the successes made so far and steadily expand them and thus win a final victory under the wise guidance of Xi Jinping," it added.

Wary parents launch petition against school reopening amid lingering virus woes
While preparations to reopen schools this month are underway, worried parents are demanding the plan to be further postponed due to lingering concerns over the coronavirus that has infected more than 10,000 here.
In an unprecedented move, elementary, middle and high schools, as well as kindergartens and childcare centers, have remained closed for the past few months as part of precautionary measures against the contagious virus.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
‘Korean New Deal’ aims to revive economy through digitalization
South Korea is seeking to reshape its economy in the post COVID-19 era by invigorating the convergence of new and old industries and creating more jobs, through its latest economic stimulus measures dubbed the “Korean New Deal,” the government said Thursday.
Borrowing the policy concept from the New Deal -- a Great Depression-era set of government projects in the US in the 1930s -- Korea’s Finance Ministry pledged large-scale investments and a systemic overhaul for the package to pursue new growth engines for the nation’s economy that has been hit by the pandemic.

NK leader sends verbal message to Xi Jinping on China's success on COVID-19
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a "verbal message" to Chinese President Xi Jinping, lauding Beijing's success in stemming the spread of the new coronavirus, state media reported Friday.
In the message, Kim "congratulated him, highly appreciating that he is seizing a chance of victory in the war against the unprecedented epidemic," according to the Korean Central News Agency.

Itaewon clubber’s COVID-19 infection sounds alarm
South Korea is on alert over the possible further community spread of COVID-19, after a man who visited bars and clubs in Itaewon, a party district in central Seoul, tested positive for the virus. It is the first local infection in four days.
The 29-year-old patient, who lives in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, has no known overseas travel history or exposure to someone who had traveled or been infected, raising fears that the virus may be spreading in communities undetected. The case is one of four reported in the country on Thursday.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
North Korean leader sends verbal message to Xi on China's success on COVID-19
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a "verbal message" to Chinese President Xi Jinpng, lauding Beijing's success in stemming the spread of the new coronavirus, state media reported Friday.
In the message, Kim "congratulated him, highly appreciating that he is seizing a chance of victory in the war against the unprecedented epidemic," according to the Korean Central News Agency.
"Kim Jong Un wished Xi Jinping good health, expressing conviction that the Chinese party and people would cement the successes made so far and steadily expand them and thus win a final victory under the wise guidance of Xi Jinping," it added.

US has asked South Korea to pay $1.3 billion in shared defense costs: official
The United States has asked South Korea to pay US$1.3 billion a year for the stationing of American troops on the peninsula, an increase of nearly 50 percent from last year, a senior Trump administration official said Thursday.
The new figure represents a cutback from the $5 billion initially sought by the U.S., but almost four times the increase South Korea offered in its latest proposal.
The official told Yonhap News Agency the U.S. request was its "final offer" and "quite reasonable."

LG Chem says no second gas leak at Indian plant
LG Chem Ltd., South Korea's leading chemical firm, said Friday there was no second gas leak at its plant in India, a day after a leak of toxic gas killed at least 11 people.
LG Chem said it has asked Indian police to evacuate residents near the LG Polymers chemical plant in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh due to concerns of the rising temperature of a tank of gas.
LG Chem's response came hours after Reuters reported there is a wider evacuation as gas began leaking again from the LG Chem plant.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://englishani.co.kr)
The shallowness of Lee Jae-yong’s apology and the lack of Samsung’s responsibility
When Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong delivered an apology to the South Korean public on May 6, one of his goals was to persuade the court to ease his sentence in its retrial of a bribery case linked to former president Park Geun-hye. That can be inferred from the fact that Lee made the apology on the recommendation of Samsung’s legal compliance oversight committee — the judge trying Lee said he would take into account that committee’s effectiveness when deciding Lee’s sentence. But the leading view among legal experts is that Lee’s public apology will have a limited impact on his trial.

Lee Jae-yong says he feels “urgent sense of crisis” facing Samsung and Korean economy
Following his public statement on May 6, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong is likely to play a bigger role in a wider range of areas. In a press conference on Wednesday, Lee placed particular emphasis on his role as the head of a “global corporation.”
Lee explained that he feels a “urgent sense of crisis” during the press conference, which was held at the Samsung Electronics office in Seoul’s Seocho District.

Soil at site of old US base in Chuncheon found to be contaminated with oil
Oil contamination has been found in the soil at an old US military base in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, prompting criticism that South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense did a shoddy job on the cleanup.
Chuncheon municipal officials said on May 6 that they’d commissioned Sanji University to investigate the extent of pollution at the former site of Camp Page. The soil is tainted with oil, and oil has also been observed on the surface of puddles, along with a severe stench.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Domestic Air Travel Bounces Back
Domestic air passenger numbers bounced back to over 100,000 last weekend for the first time in 10 weeks amid signs that the coronavirus epidemic is easing.
Many Koreans chose the long weekend to travel to Jeju and other destinations in the south.
According to the Korea Civil Aviation Association on Wednesday, a total of 131,929 people traveled by domestic flights on May 2-3, the most since the explosive spike in coronavirus infections in the country in February.

Overseas Sales of Korean Cars Nosedive
Korean automakers announced dismal overseas sales in April, with Hyundai’s plummeting 70 percent and affiliate Kia's 55 percent.
The U.S. and European economies have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, the total sales of Korea’s five automakers declined 51.6 percent on-year last month to 341,944 cars.
Lee Hang-koo at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade said, "The decline in April was even worse than during the global financial crisis in 2009 and Asian financial crisis in 1998. The global car industry is suffering the worst shock since World War II."

U.S. E-Cigarette Maker to Leave Korea as Health Fears Hit Sales
U.S. electronic cigarette maker Juul Labs is pulling out of the Korean market just a year after its launch here amid health concerns over its products.
The company announced on Wednesday, "We decided to stop operations in Korea, and have notified sellers here."
Launched in the U.S. in 2015, Juul, a liquid e-cigarette, sold well due to its odorlessness and portability.
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
N. Korea should abandon nuclear programs to be removed from U.S. target list
The Congressional Research Service (CRS), which provides information for the United States Congress to make policy decisions, said that North Korea can be removed from the U.S. nuclear target list only if it gives up nuclear programs.
“Nations that did not yet have nuclear weapons would know that they could be added to the U.S. nuclear target list if they acquired them,” said the CRS in a report entitled “Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons” released on Monday. “And others, like Iran and North Korea, who were already pursuing nuclear weapons, would know that, if they disbanded their programs, they could be removed from the U.S. nuclear target list.”

Toss records first profitable month five year after launch
Viva Republica’s mobile finance platform “Toss” with 17 million members has recorded the first profitable month in April since its launch five years ago, the company announced on Thursday. The profits have not been revealed, but the service’s monthly sales in April was approximately 14 billion won, which is a lot higher than last year’s average monthly sales of 9.8 billion won, raising the potential to record annual profits for the first time.

Korean researchers work on developing COVID-19 vaccine
As the COVID-19 crisis prolongs, research for its treatment and prevention is accelerating across the world. The first primate model developed by South Korean technologies has begun the initial tests starting this week. A supercomputer operated by a domestic research institute will also provide support to COVID-19 researchers.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Alarms Go Off Everywhere on the First Day of “Everyday Distancing”
On May 6, the first day that the nation shifted mode from physical distancing to everyday distancing, people densely filling enclosed spaces, such as the subway, offices, and shopping malls, and people without masks were witnessed throughout the nation.
Yi (33), an office worker at Mapo-gu, Seoul said, “The subway on the way to work was crowded and the people were jammed in as usual. The seating arrangements in the office was still as dense as a henhouse, so it was impossible to maintain a distance of 1 meter with other people.” Bak (33), another employee said, “There wasn’t a single person in the office wearing a mask. From what I know, an employee in the human resources team was designated as the person in charge of quarantine. She frequently e-mailed notices, but she never said anything to anyone for not wearing a mask.”

Overload in an Age of “Untact.” Another Courier Dead
“I’m going to go to Jeju-do with my family and take a break.”
Jeong (42), a delivery service provider, shared his plans for a family trip the following week with his colleagues before he headed out to make his deliveries on May 2. Due to the surging number of parcels triggered by COVID-19, Jeong had not been able to take a proper break for several months. But the long-awaited family trip never happened due to Jeong’s sudden death on the morning of their departure.

Air Conditioning: Apprehensive with It ON, But Stuffy with It OFF
The nation is expected to face an unprecedented hot summer and air-conditioners have emerged as a new problem in the government’s quarantine measures against COVID-19. There are concerns that the air circulation function of air conditioners can distribute respiratory droplets. At the same time, the nation faces realistic constraints: it will be difficult to sit in offices and classrooms without air conditioning with masks on as the heat approaches. Classes will begin in schools starting with the high school seniors on May 13, and students and parents want to know whether schools will be able to use air conditioners in the classroom, a closed space.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
LG Chem ascends to No. 1 in EV battery market, addresses deadly gas leak in India
South Korea’s LG Chem Ltd. vowed to accelerate the innovation push into science as it celebrated its ascension to No. 1 in the global electric vehicle battery market, although news of a gas leak at its Indian factory put a dent on its reputation.
Korean chemical company commanded a 27.1 percent share in the global EV battery market in the first quarter, up from 10.7 percent a year earlier, according to energy market tracker SNE Research Thursday.

Korea’s GC Pharma joins global alliance on COVID-19 therapy development
South Korea’s GC Pharma has joined a global plasma collaboration recently established to accelerate the development of a plasma-derived hyperimmune globulin therapy for COVID-19, the company announced Friday.
The alliance’s membership has expanded to include 10 plasma companies, including BPL, CSL, Takeda, Biotest and Octapharma. This is the first time that global blood product manufacturers have joined hands to develop a treatment option against a specific condition.

Korean Air to resume suspended international routes in June
South Korea’s largest carrier Korean Air Lines Co. will resume some of its international routes to North America and Southeast Asia that have been suspended in preparation for a recovery in global air travel demand that has come to a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According the company’s website on Thursday, Korean Air announced changes to its flight schedule for next month, saying it will operate 32 of 110 international routes starting June. In May, the airline operated only 13 international routes.
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Lee Kyung-sik edt@koreapost.com

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