Monday June 15, 2020
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
“Dr. Seo gives Oriental medicine tips on how to stay away from COVID-19 woes”
Some 30 ambassadors, other senior diplomats and spouses heard the important tips at the El Tower in Seoul on this morning (June 9, 2020) which are viewed to be helpful on how to beat the on-going (and, in some countries, continuously aggravating) COVID-19 cases.
Some 30 ambassadors, other senior diplomats and spouses heard the important tips at the El Tower in Seoul on this morning (June 9, 2020) which are viewed to be helpful on how to beat the on-going (and, in some countries, continuously aggravating) COVID-19 cases.
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.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Pentagon: US, S. Korea Committed to Maintaining Robust Combined Defense Posture
The U.S. Department of Defense said the United States and South Korea remain committed to maintaining a robust combined defense posture.
Pentagon spokesperson John Supple made the remarks on Sunday when asked about North Korea's recent threat to take military action against South Korea.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's powerful sister Kim Yo-jong issued the warning on Saturday in a statement, saying it's high time to break relations with South Korean authorities and that the North will take the "next step."
Virus Risks Increasing in Greater Seoul Area
Health authorities expressed concern that the coronavirus risk is increasing in Seoul and its surrounding areas with continued outbreaks of fresh clusters.
Son Young-rae, an official with the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, said on Sunday during a press briefing that health authorities' tracing efforts haven't been able to keep pace with the speed of spread in the greater Seoul area.
Japan Fails to Fulfill Pledge to Honor Wartime Labor Victims in New Facility
Japan has reneged on its pledge to acknowledge Korean victims of wartime forced labor in a new facility celebrating its industrial revolution.
Japan is set to open the Industrial Heritage Information Center at 10:30 a.m., Monday, in Tokyo, which introduces 23 modern Japanese industrial locations designated by UNESCO as world heritage sites in July 2015.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Seoul urges Pyongyang to keep reconciliatory deals, staunch posture in place over threats
South Korea held an emergency security meeting on Sunday and pressed North Korea to keep reconciliatory deals as Pyongyang continued to up the ante by threatening to sever inter-Korean relations and even use military action.
Seoul's top security officials, led by Chung Eui-yong, director of national security at the presidential office, reviewed the current security situation on the Korean Peninsula as well as Seoul's response to the recent harsh rhetoric by Pyongyang, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok.
S. Korea on course to end mask rationing this month
After nearly four months of state-led mask rationing to fight new coronavirus outbreaks, South Korea may end the strictly regulated scheme this month on the back of eased supply shortages, a government official said Sunday.
As mask prices skyrocketed amid massive virus outbreaks here in February, the country introduced the mask rationing system on March 9, in a bid to smooth out soaring demand. Under the scheme, citizens were to buy a limited number of protective masks every week at the price of 1,500 won (US$1.26).
BTS' online concert: intimate viewing experience for a global streaming event
SuperM of SM Entertainment first hosted a paid interactive online concert at the height of the global pandemic on April 26. According to SM, the concert drew about 75,000 fans from around the world.
Though no official data has been released, BTS' Bang Bang Con: The Live, which ran for about 90 minutes, apparently drew as much as 753,000 viewers near the end of the show, according to a realtime tally shared with fans.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
As NK continues to raise tensions, Seoul vows to honor agreements
South Korea on Sunday vowed to honor reconciliatory inter-Korean agreements and called on the North to do likewise, while reiterating a staunch military readiness against any potential provocation by Pyongyang.
Seoul’s top security advisers, led by Chung Eui-yong, chief of the National Security Office, reviewed the recent flare-up in tensions on the peninsula, following the North’s threats to sever ties with the South and even use military force.
Mahindra hints at giving up on SsangYong Motor amid COVID-19 losses
Mahindra & Mahindra, the Indian automaker that owns a 75 percent stake in SsangYong Motor, has hinted at giving up control of the struggling South Korean automaker amid snowballing losses from COVID-19, industry sources said Sunday.
Mahindra’s Managing Director Pawan Goenka reportedly told reporters last week that “SsangYong Motor needs a new investor. We are working with the company to see if we can secure investment.”
Elderly COVID-19 patients surge in S. Korea
South Korea is seeing a surge in the number of elderly patients infected with COVID-19, as small-scale, sporadic outbreaks continue to be reported in the densely populated Grater Seoul area.
Korea reported 34 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the 24 hours prior on Sunday, with most cases linked to Seoul-based health product retailer Richway, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Inter-Korean relations on the line after North Korea's threat
Rather than celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first-ever inter-Korean summit that pledged increased dialogue and cooperation between the two Koreas, bilateral ties are now reverting almost to the situation before the historic event.
There has been a buildup of tense confrontation and the possibility of war after Pyongyang recently threatened to end its relationship with Seoul and take military action.
SsangYong Motor to seek state relief for survival
Despite repeated affirmations that SsangYong Motor is a symbol representing the solid partnership between South Korea and India, Mahindra and Mahindra (Mahindra) its largest shareholder does appear to want to unload some of its shares in the ailing South Korean automaker, possibly giving up its controlling stake.
Given President Moon Jae-in's focus on India, following a shift in traditional Korean foreign policy toward expanding ties with ASEAN bloc countries, and his counterpart Prime Minister Narendra Modi reciprocity toward Seoul, Mahindra's exit could taint the two leaders' view of and appreciation for each other.
Filmmaker gives Korean War orphans voices
Director Kim Deog-young's "Kim Il-sung's Children" is a tale of the doomed fate of thousands of Korean War orphans who found homes in Europe and lived there for several years only to have their "fond" childhood abruptly ended with their forced repatriation to North Korea in 1959.
Since their separation, these North Koreans and their European friends missed one another, longing in vain to see each other again. Their hopes, however, never came to pass.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Elderly S. Koreans living alone increasingly relying on AI for care services and emotional support
As the phenomena of a rapidly aging, solitary society enters full swing, AI-based care services have been establishing themselves as a physical and emotional safety net for senior citizens living on their own. An examination and analysis of the services’ effects and user behavior conducted by SK Telecom with the Barun ICT Research Center at Yonsei University for the first anniversary of its April 2019 launch of the “Happy Community AI Care” service showed it to be effective not only in relieving loneliness and ensuring safety but also in preventing senile dementia.
N. Korea’s foreign ministry tells US to stay out of inter-Korean affairs
Kwon Jong-gun, director general of the North Korean Foreign Ministry’s Department of US Affairs, warned that the US “had better hold its tongue and mind its internal affairs first if it doesn't want to experience horrible thing,” the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on June 11.
Kwon’s remarks came in response to a “question raised by KCNA on Thursday over the recent obtrusive moves of the US to interfere in the inter-Korean relations.”
French director makes documentary on Korea’s modern history and division
Inter-Korean relations are headed for another chill, just a year or two after they seemed to be thawing. The situation was aggravated by a June 4 statement by Kim Yo-jong, first deputy director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), which sharply criticized the balloons attached to propaganda leaflets that defector groups launch into North Korea.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Divorce Courts Less Inclined to Award Shared Custody
With around 110,000 couples divorcing each year in Korea, court are increasingly inclined to award custody of the children to one or the other spouse rather than both.
The Supreme Court ruled recently that joint custody must be "decided cautiously" and sent back a ruling by a lower court that awarded the shared arrangement. The top court also ruled that divorcing couples seeking joint custody must live close to their children, both offer similar living conditions and obtain the consent of their kids.
Gov't Throws Book at Leaflet Campaigner
The government on Thursday threatened to crack down on campaigners sending propaganda leaflets across the border by bending every law in the book to the purpose.
Kim You-geun, a deputy national security adviser at Cheong Wa Dae, expressed "deep regret" at the ongoing campaign, which has provoked hysterical outbursts from North Korea over the past weeks."
After a meeting with senior officials on Thursday, Kim threatened to "thoroughly crack down on attempts to send propaganda leaflets and other materials" across the border and "deal strictly with such activities according to law."
Most Koreans Feel Living Costs Rise Despite Frugal Spending
Most Koreans feel that the cost of living has either remained unchanged or increased even though they tightened their purse strings, a straw poll suggests.
Employment portal Job Korea polled 1,755 salaried workers if their spending patterns have changed since the coronavirus outbreak, and 45.3 percent said they are trying to tighten their belts even more by buying only the necessary minimum.
Some 13.1 percent said they have gone into austerity mode to prepare for a drawn-out epidemic.
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
N. Korea threatens military action against S. Korea
“I gave an instruction to the arms of the department in charge of the affairs with [the] enemy to decisively carry out the next action,” said Kim Yo Jong, the First Deputy Director of North Korea’s Workers’ Party. This is the first time Pyongyang threatened military action against South Korea after describing its neighbor as an “enemy.” The recent developments have raised concerns that, in the run up to the 20th anniversary of the 15 June Joint Declaration, the inter-Korean relations would revert back to before nuclear talks had begun in 2017.
Samsung QLED, LG OLED TV score highest in the European market
Both Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics were given the highest score in TV line-ups by a European tech media platform.
British IT review community AV Forums gave LG Electronics’ OLED Gallery 4K TV and Samsung Electronics’ QLED 4K TV nine out of 10 points, according to industrial insiders. The two leading South Korean TV makers’ flagships were the only new models of this year among the total of 13 products that obtained nine out of 10 points. The OLED Gallery 4K TV got a full score in three out of 16 sectors - contrast ratio, upscaling and installation quality – while the QLED 4K TV received a perfect score in smart features and user-friendliness.
COVID-19 spreads through communities
COVID-19 cases linked to “Richway,” a door-to-door sales company located in Seoul’s Gwanak District, increased to 164 as of Sunday noon, 12 days after the first case was confirmed. Forty out of the 164 patients are those who visited Richway, and the remaining 124 are those who came in close contact with them. The problem is that there is a higher risk that the virus could be passed onto many people. At first, most new coronavirus patients were elderly because Richway is a door-to-door sales company. However, now, new cases are being found at facilities that are frequently visited by young people such as language schools, gyms and bars as a result of failing to break the chain of the virus.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Cheong Wa Dae, “We Find the Distribution of Propaganda Flyers Regrettable and Will Sternly Respond to Future Attempts”
On June 11, Cheong Wa Dae announced, “In the future, the government will strictly crack down on the distribution of propaganda flyers and goods to North Korea and take stern measures according to the law when there is a legal violation.” The Ministry of Unification has requested an investigation on Fighters for a Free North Korea and KeunSaem, organizations that have distributed propaganda leaflets. The government further accused these groups of violating the Aviation Safety Act and the Public Waters Management and Reclamation Act. As concerns rise that inter-Korean relations could return to the state before the 2018 Panmunjom Declaration, the government appears to be taking a firm response at a government-wide level to manage the situation despite public criticism.
In June 97% of Locally Transmitted COVID-19 Cases Occurred in the Seoul Metropolitan Area: Authorities Review an Extension of “Tighter Quarantine Measures”
The government is pondering additional quarantine measures, such as an extension of the “tighter quarantine measures” in the Seoul metropolitan area, which is to end on June 14. Most of the confirmed COVID-19 cases that occurred this month came from the Seoul metropolitan area and of all the confirmed cases in connection to the door-to-door sales company Richway, nearly 70% were over the age of sixty, fueling concerns of transmission clusters.
A Break in North-South Korea Relations Comes into View: Government Takes Strong
On June 10, the Ministry of Unification took strong action and reported two organizations that had distributed propaganda flyers for violating the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act, after determining it could no longer neglect the situation as North Korea threatened to sever its ties with the South because of the leaflets. The government belatedly did what it should have done immediately after the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration, in which the two Koreas agreed to suspend all hostile activities including the distribution of propaganda flyers, after ignoring the issue for over two years.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
S. Korea to toughen short-selling rule, penalties before bringing it back
South Korea is readying to propose tougher criminalization and heavy penalties on illicit short sale before the ban on the speculative investment tool is lifted in September.
“The cap will not be entirely lifted even when short sale is allowed back (after a six-month ban),” said Eun Sung-soo, chairman of Financial Services Commission, on Thursday. It will be revived after fixes to the problems in the existing system and reflection of market opinions on the timing of the return.
Ex-Samsung executive’s move to Chinese chip company alarms Korean industry
A move by Chang Won-kie, former president at Samsung Electronics Co. who had been responsible for display business, to a Chinese chip design and solutions company, has raised alarm in the Korean chip and display industry amid fast ascension in Chinese competition.
According to multiple industry sources on Thursday, Chang was recruited as the vice chairman of Beijing Eswin Computing Technology Co., a Chinese supplier of semiconductor designs and solutions including display driver integrated circuits.
Celltrion stocks hit fresh 52-week intraday highs after mega M&A deal with Takeda
Shares related to South Korean biosimilar giant Celltrion Inc. hit fresh 52-week highs during Friday trade after it signed a $278 million deal to acquire Takeda Pharmaceuticals’ Primary Care businesses in the Asia Pacific region, a move that is expected to allow Celltrion to become a major pharmaceutical company that supplies both biologic and chemical synthetic therapies.
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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/
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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.
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