Wednesday June 10, 2020
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
EcoBizNet operates a microbial business platform CellAct; recruits franchisees from around the world
EcoBiznet, situated in the Bio Complex in Chuncheon Bioindustry Foundation, is a Small and medium-sized promising venture company that started out as a corporation which became independent from Doosan Group in 2000. In the beginning, the company mainly focused on consulting, but with the establishment of a R&D institute in 2006, it has remained committed to developing business models.
UAE’s one of the first countries to reach out, extend a helping hand.
The United Arab Emirates is one of the first countries to reach out and extend a hand of help to combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, where it has started early planning of many humanitarian initiatives to help curb the spread of the virus. While the UAE continues its constant work of supporting the global efforts aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 disease, it has provided more than 708 tons of medical aid, personal protection kits and supplies to 62 countries worldwide to date, with direct beneficiaries exceeding 708,000 health workers. In addition, 65 million indirect beneficiaries profited from the UAE’s global efforts in combatting the spread of the virus.Association of Korean Cultural Centers of Uzbekistan.
Review film about how Koreans got to Uzbekistan, how they were met by the Uzbek people.
On how Koreans live in Uzbekistan today, about the landmark opening of the Palace of Korean Culture and Art, and how the Koreans of Uzbekistan celebrate Chusok.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
S. Korea's Job Losses Continue for Third Month.
South Korea lost jobs for the third consecutive month in May amid the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Statistics Korea on Wednesday, the number of employed people reached 26-point-93 million in May, down 392-thousand from a year earlier.
Jobs have dropped for three straight months since March. It is the first such occurrence since it posted job losses for four straight months from October 2009 to January 2010 during the global financial crisis.
S. Korea to Enforce Mandatory QR Code-based Registry at 'High Risk' Facilities
Quick response(QR) code-based registration of visitors at bars, clubs and other entertainment facilities across the country will be mandatory from Wednesday as part of the country's efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.
According to health authorities on Wednesday, the digitized registry system will be enforced nationwide at eight types of establishments that have been designated as "high risk".
US 'Disappointed' in N. Korea's Move to Cut Communication Lines with S. Korea
The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday that the United States is "disappointed" in North Korea's recent actions, after the North cut off all communication lines with South Korea.
A spokesperson for the department gave the response to an inquiry by Seoul-based Yonhap News, saying that the U.S. has always supported progress in inter-Korean relations.
The spokesperson said that the U.S. urges North Korea to return to diplomacy and cooperation, adding Washington remains in close coordination with its ally, South Korea, on efforts to engage the North.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
U.S. disappointed in N. Korea's recent actions to sever ties with S. Korea: State Dept.
The United States is disappointed in North Korea's recent actions to sever ties with South Korea, the State Department said Tuesday, urging the communist nation to return to diplomacy and cooperation.
The comments came in response to a series of actions North Korea has taken in anger over anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent by defectors into the North.
Earlier Tuesday, the North vowed to cut off all inter-Korean communication lines and refused to answer South Korea's phone calls via liaison and military hotlines.
Heat wave advisory issued for Seoul
The season's first heat wave advisory was issued in Seoul on Tuesday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), as the nation continues to grapple with scorching temperatures.
The KMA said the heat wave advisory was put into effect at 11 a.m. in eastern Seoul, marking the first heat wave advisory for the capital this year.
A heat wave advisory is issued when the highest reasonable temperature is projected to exceed 33 C for more than two consecutive days, or damage is expected due to prolonged hot weather.
S. Korea seeks further deregulation for retailers amid pandemic
South Korea said Wednesday it will remove unnecessary regulations to help local retail companies to utilize more high-end technologies and keep up with soaring demand for delivery services amid the new coronavirus pandemic.
"Online sales platforms have emerged as the backbone of the so-called non-contact economy (amid the COVID-19 pandemic)," Industry Minister Sung Yun-mo said during his visit to a logistics center of SSG.COM, the online shopping unit of retail conglomerate Shinsegae.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
US disappointed in N. Korea's recent actions to sever ties with S. Korea: State Dept.
The United States is disappointed in North Korea's recent actions to sever ties with South Korea, the State Department said Tuesday, urging the communist nation to return to diplomacy and cooperation.
The comments came in response to a series of actions North Korea has taken in anger over anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent by defectors into the North.
S. Korea's jobless rate surges to 10-year high amid pandemic
South Korea's jobless rate surged to a 10-year high in May as the coronavirus pandemic hammered job markets, data showed Wednesday.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 4.5 percent in May, marking the highest level since January 2010, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.
The number of employed people fell by 392,000 to 26.93 million in May, marking the third consecutive monthly decline.
World Bank names S. Korea ‘COVID-19 safe spot’
The World Bank has added South Korea to the list of countries that are providing efficient emergency medical services to its employees, Seoul’s Finance Ministry said Tuesday.
The multilateral agency’s decision is seen as its recognition of Korea’s successful handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Inter-Korean tension heightening as North Korea shuts communication channels
Inter-Korean relations are again returning to the era of constant tension, with North Korea cutting all communication lines with the South and defining the country once more as an "enemy." Experts think that the North may take further measures as it has vowed, including military provocations.
The tension-stoking move came days after Pyongyang strongly complained about Seoul failing to stop North Korean defectors and activists from flying anti-North leaflets across the border tethered to balloons.
After avoiding arrest, Samsung heir likely to boost investment into new biz
After a court rejected a prosecution request to issue an arrest warrant for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Tuesday, the de facto leader of Korea's largest conglomerate will focus on the group's expansion into new business areas. Lee will also detail measures to strengthen the group's social responsibility initiatives to highlight his role as its leader.
Prosecutors allege that Lee and top executives of the group pushed a controversial "unequal" merger of two group affiliates, Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries, in 2015 to enable a transfer of power to Lee from his father Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee.
Korea's Green New Deal 'ineffective, repetitive'
The central government, to sustain the reeling economy following the coronavirus pandemic's global shock, on June 2 announced the third supplementary budget plan worth 35.3 trillion won ($29.4 billion), the largest for such a single budget in the country's history. With the previous supplementary budgets, the total COVID-19 relief package rolled out this year tops about 270 trillion won.
The latest budget plan includes the Ministry of Environments' Green New Deal, part of the Korean-version of New Deal policies to lead a new growth platform. The ministry assigned 586.7 billion won to Green New Deal's budget, which has 22 "purportedly new" businesses under three core goals: industries with low-carbon emission, nurturing green-growth in companies, and adapting to climate change with high-tech efficiency.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
N. Korea vows to severe all communication lines with S. Korea
North Korea will be severing all lines of communication with South Korea, including the Blue House hotline and the military lines of communication, at noon on June 9, according to a report in the Rodong Sinmun, a state-run newspaper. North Korea also said it will be switching to an adversarial approach in its relations with the South.
These orders were given by Kim Yo-jong, first deputy director of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee, and Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of the WPK Central Committee, during a June 8 meeting attended by officials from departments handling affairs with South Korea. Kim Yo-jong and Kim Yong-chol also ordered a step-by-step review of “work against the enemy,” referring to South Korea.
Court rejects prosecutors’ request for arrest warrant against Lee Jae-yong
A South Korean court has rejected a request for an arrest warrant against Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong. This represents a watershed moment in the one-year and seven-month investigation against Lee, whom the prosecutors regard as the main beneficiary of the illegal succession of management rights over the Samsung Group, as well as the person who gave the orders in question.
S. Korean airlines expected to bounce back from COVID-19 losses in 2nd quarter
After suffering a direct hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, major South Korean airlines are now being projected to record profits for the second quarter. While recovering last year’s levels of passenger demand remains a distant goal, cargo transport has come to the unexpected rescue. According to figures on international cargo volumes released by Incheon International Airport released on June 8, total volumes amounted to 219,772 tons, down 4% from 228,955 tons in May 2019. But over the same period, cargo volumes for Korean Air and Asiana actually increased by 13.5% and 4.3%, respectively.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
N.Korea Diplomacy Back to Square One
South Korea's diplomacy with North Korea has gone back to square one, with Pyongyang furiously building up its weapons arsenal and refusing to engage in any way.
A U.K. think tank has pointed out that "much of the optimism that enveloped Korean Peninsula diplomacy at the start of 2019 has dissipated."
The International Institute for Strategic Studies made the claim in an annual report on June 5.
Kakao Now Favorite Employer of Young Jobseekers
Internet upstart Kakao now tops employers favored by young jobseekers for the first time, replacing established behemoths like Samsung in the starry eyes of recent graduates.
Job search portal Incruit polled 1,045 young jobseekers and found that 14.2 percent favored Kakao among the top 150 Kosdaq-listed companies as the best place to work for.
Walk After Meals to Avoid Buildup of Fat
Many languages have sayings that suggest either rest or a brisk walk after a meal, and doctors are increasingly coming down in favor of the latter.
Walking after meals can reduce chances of a fat belly as it burns glucose from food before it is stored as fat in the stomach.
"It's possible to reduce the amount of glucose if you move lightly and burn it after meals before it's stored as fat," said Lee Yong-je at Yonsei University's Severance Hospital in Gangnam.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
N. Korea cuts off communication with S. Korea
North Korea announced that it would shut down the four inter-Korean communication lines including a hotline for the leaders of the two Koreas, starting Tuesday noon. The North said that the work towards the South would now be diverted to anti-Seoul projects describing the South as an enemy. The shutdown comes 781 days after the hotline was set up seven days before the Panmunjom declaration on April 27, 2018, which is the communication channel between the South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae and the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s office is located.
S. Korea closes gap in shipbuilding order share with China
The gap between South Korea and China in terms of their shares of shipbuilding orders closed significantly as current leader China’s share slowed down. China’s manipulative efforts to increase order volume by pouring in its own domestic volume has finally reached its limit.
Former Ambassador Lippert becomes ‘Googler’
Former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert has become a “Googler.” According to Google Korea on Tuesday, he was appointed as YouTube Asia-Pacific’s public policy chief last month. Based in Singapore, he is in charge of public policy strategies and represents the company to the Korean and other Asian nations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
President Moon, “Movement Supporting the Comfort Women Is a History That Cannot Be Denied or Undermined”
On June 8, President Moon Jae-in spoke on the controversy surrounding the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan and said, “Attempts by some to deny the movement in support of the comfort women and to undermine the cause of the movement are not right.” He added, “That would tear down the dignity and honor of the elderly victims.”
Modern Day Slavery: Migrant Workers on Deep-Sea Fishing Vessels Work 17 Hours a Day and Earn 600,000 Won a Month.
Migrant workers on South Korean deep-sea fishing vessels worked an average of seventeen hours a day and received a monthly wage of less than 600,000 won. What seems like modern day slavery existed on ships in the distant seas away from government supervision.
The Human Rights Network for Migrant Fishermen (Network) held a meeting with the press at the Girl Scouts of Korea headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul on June 8 and released the status of human rights violations of foreign fishermen on South Korean fishing vessels.
Voices Argue, “Heed the Concerns of Human Rights Violations,” as Government Promotes the Globalization of K-Quarantine
As the world eyes South Korea’s response to COVID-19, government-wide efforts are being made to concentrate the organization and budget on the globalization of “K-Quarantine,” the South Korean system in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, people are also calling for a more sensitive approach from the government, since its response poses the risk of infringing basic rights, such as the information released when contact tracing confirmed patients and the instance of the cluster transmission connected to the Itaewon clubs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
LG Chem to sell LCD polarizer biz to China’s Shanshan for $1.1 bn
South Korea’s LG Chem Ltd. struck a conditional agreement with China’s Ningbo Shanshan Co. to sell its liquid crystal display (LCD) polarizer business for $1.1 billion as part of its portfolio restructuring initiative.
Some products, including the automotive LCD polarizer, would not be included in the sale, the Korean chemical and battery maker said on Wednesday.
Korea’s jobless rate hits record high for May as losing streak stretches to 3rd month
South Korea’s unemployment rate hit an all-time for May as the country extended job losses for the third straight month under the virus outbreak.
The number of employed in May totaled 26.93 million, down 392,000 from the same month a year earlier, Statistics Korea said Wednesday.
COVID-19 is opportunity to digitally transform supply chains: Foxconn vice chair.
Companies need to be more agile in digitalizing the global supply chain to turn the challenges imposed by the pandemic into business opportunities, Foxconn Technology Group’s vice chairman said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What’s ticking around the world at this second?
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
AustraliaBrisbaneTime
www.brisbanetimes.com.au syndication@fairfaxmedia.com.au
Sydney Morning Heraldwww.smh.com.au
Colombia Reports http://www.colombiareports.com
BogotaFree Planet http://www.bogotafreeplanet.com,bfp@bogotafreeplanet.com
El Universal https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english
Andes https://www.redaktionstest.net/andes-info-ec/
Ecuador Times https://www.ecuadortimes.net/
The Jordan Times https://www.jordantimes.com/
LSM.lv https://www.lsm.lv//
The Baltic Times http://www.baltictimes.com lithuania@baltictimes.com, estonia@baltictimes.com, editor@baltictimes.com
El Pais https://english.elpais.com/
Philippine Daily Inquirer https://www.inquirer.net/
Daily News Hungary https://dailynewshungary.com/
Budapest Times https://www.budapesttimes.hu/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Korea Post is running video clips from the different embassies.
Azerbaijan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR8CBpcQ4WM
Sri Lanka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hByX92Y2aGY&t=22s
Morocco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfFmp2sVvSE
And many other countries.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What are you waiting for?
Use us!
The Korea Post media are more than eager to be used, and to serve you—with the following five news outlets, 34 years old this year!
Korean-language Internet edition: http://www.koreapost.co.kr
English-language Internet edition: http://www.koreapost.com
Korean-language print newspaper:
http://pdf.koreapost.co.kr/38/3801.pdf
http://pdf.koreapost.co.kr/38/3802.pdf
http://pdf.koreapost.co.kr/38/3803.pdf
http://www.koreapost.co.kr/pdf/list.php?category=&syear=2018&smonth=03&sday=26&hosu=40
English E-daily: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=20883