Wednesday June 17, 2020

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

The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. Donates Donations to Areas to Build Pocheon Hydro & Nuclear Power Plant
Kim Dae-hwan, head of the Pocheon Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., said, "In order to overcome the Korona 19 economic crisis, the Pocheon Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. donated 53 million won worth of donations and goods to Pocheon City on the 12th, adding wages voluntarily returned by executives and employees and special donations from the company."

“We created our democracy together with students office workers, taxi drivers”
President Moon Jae-in said that the Korean people created their democracy together with students, workers, taxi drivers and everyone else in Korea.
Speaking on the June-10 Democratic Protest on the occasion of its 33rd anniversary, President Moon said, “Our workers have cast the sunshine of equality and unity on the tree while citizens have shone the sunshine of empathy and participation.” Excerpts from his speech follow:
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
N. Korea Vows to Redeploy Troops to Border Zones
North Korea said on Wednesday it will redeploy troops to Mount Geumgang and Gaeseong near the border, further escalating tensions a day after blowing up a joint liaison office.
A spokesperson of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army said in a statement that units of the regiment level and necessary firepower sub-units with a defense mission will be deployed in the Mount Geumgang tourist area and the Gaeseong Industrial Zone, where the sovereignty of North Korea is exercised.

N. Korea Rejects Seoul's Offer to Send Special Envoy
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's powerful sister Kim Yo-jong reportedly rejected South Korea's offer to send special envoys a day before the North blew up the inter-Korean liaison office.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) reported on Wednesday that South Korean authorities on Monday notified Pyongyang that President Moon Jae-in wanted to send his national security adviser Chung Eui-yong and spy chief Suh Hoon as special envoys.

Trump's Troop Cut in Germany Sparks Concerns in Korea
U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would cut the number of troops deployed in Germany to 25-thousand. While unveiling the plan at the White House, Trump accused Germany of being "delinquent" in its payments to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO), and hinted at a possible troop reduction in other U.S. ally countries. 
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
N.K. to redeploy troops to Kaesong, Mount Kumgang areas, rejects Seoul's offer for envoys
North Korea said Wednesday it will redeploy troops to two inter-Korean business zones near the border and reinstall border guard posts removed under a tension reduction deal, further heightening tensions a day after blowing up a joint liaison office.
The decision to move troops to the now-shuttered industrial complex in the border city of Kaesong and the Mount Kumgang tourist zone on the east coast are the latest in a series of actions the North has taken against South Korea in anger over anti-Pyongyang leaflets.

Education ministry to review measures on growing calls for tuition refund: official
In response to growing calls by university students for tuition refunds due to the new coronavirus pandemic, a senior education ministry official said Tuesday that the government plans to review follow-up measures.|
"We will review detailed measures in line with (Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun's remarks)," Vice Education Minister Park Baeg-beom said in a press briefing.

S. Korea to extend mask rationing to mid-July but up purchase limit
South Korea will extend a state-led mask rationing scheme, originally set to end this month, to mid-July, to help citizens easily buy protective masks to fight the new coronavirus outbreak, the country's drug safety agency said Tuesday.
The government has decided to extend the scheme, supposed to end on June 30, to July 11 and review whether to further extend the scheme later after closely monitoring market situations. according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
NK to redeploy troops to Kaesong, Mount Kumgang areas, rejects Seoul's offer for envoys
North Korea said Wednesday it will redeploy troops to two inter-Korean business zones near the border and reinstall border guard posts removed under a tension reduction deal, further heightening tensions a day after blowing up a joint liaison office.
The decision to move troops to the now-shuttered industrial complex in the border city of Kaesong and the Mount Kumgang tourist zone on the east coast are the latest in a series of actions the North has taken against South Korea in anger over anti-Pyongyang leaflets.

N. Korea set to raise tensions further with eye on US: experts
North Korea's destruction of an inter-Korean liaison office is likely the first step in a series of provocations aimed at increasing its bargaining power with Washington and Seoul ahead of the November presidential election in the United States, experts here said Tuesday.

S. Korea’s global competitiveness ranking climbs 5 spots to 23rd
South Korea’s global competitiveness ranking climbed five spots this year, buoyed by improvement in government, business and infrastructure efficiencies amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to an annual global competitiveness report.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
North Korea blows up liaison office
North Korea blew up the inter-Korean liaison office in Gaeseong, Tuesday afternoon, following through on an earlier threat to do so.
The Ministry of Unification confirmed that the North had blown up the office at 2:49 p.m. following reports of an explosion and smoke from the Gaeseong Industrial Complex (GIC).
The office, set up in September 2018, was one outcome of the Panmunjeom Declaration announced April 27 that year after the first summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Cheong Wa Dae says it will 'strongly respond' if North further worsens situation
Hours after North Korea demolished the inter-Korean liaison office in its border town of Kaesong in a surprise provocation Tuesday, South Korea warned of a strong response if the North further worsens the situation.
Cheong Wa Dae made the unusually strong warning after holding an emergency meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) standing committee to discuss the matter.

Busan capitalizes on HK unrest for financial hub vision
Busan has declared it will seek to attract multinational banks, asset management companies and venture capital firms leaving Hong Kong, preempting Seoul which has remained cautious about taking advantage of an escalating political feud there.
The Busan Metropolitan Government said Tuesday that its move comes as Asia's premier financial hub has demonstrated instability amid the COVID-19 pandemic and massive protests against Beijing's promulgation of a national security law, apparently intended to tighten its grip over the "special administrative region."
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Both South and North Korea need to take bold, resolute steps toward dialogue
The 20th anniversary of the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration of 2000 arrived at a time when tensions have been mounting on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea did not hold any commemorative events or issue any related statements that day.
In opening remarks at a meeting of senior secretaries and aides at the Blue House that day, South Korean President Moon Jae-in stressed, “The more difficulties we see as the situation in inter-Korean relations becomes more serious, the more we need to reflect on the spirit and achievements of the June 15 Declaration.” Describing both the Apr. 27 Panmunjom Declaration and the Sept. 15 Pyongyang Joint Declaration of 2018 as “solemn promises that South and North alike must faithfully honor,” he emphasized the “ironclad principle of not allowing this to be undermined by any changes in the political situation.”

Moon gives address on 20th anniversary of June 15 joint declaration
“South and North Korea need to move forward, one step at a time, down the road to national reconciliation, peace, and reunification with optimism and conviction, like a river that eventually flows, in its winding course, to the sea.”
The 20th anniversary of the June 15 Inter-Korean Joint Declaration came amid a barrage of verbal attacks from North Korea. Throughout the entire day, the South Korean government and the ruling Democratic Party kept trying to stop the situation from deteriorating further and to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table.

S. Korea denounces Japan’s distortions of history surrounding Gunkanjima island
Attempts by Japan to distort the history of Gunkanjima (Hashima), an island with a history of forced labor by Koreans, are emerging as a new source of conflict with South Korea. The efforts by Japan are being seen as reflecting the influence of the Gunkanjima issue on compensation for survivors of forced labor mobilization.
On the afternoon of June 15, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Tae-ho summoned Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koji Tomita to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to strongly protest the Japanese government’s failure to honor the promise it made to “properly inform people of the history of forced mobilization of Koreans” when it registered Gunkanjima as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.

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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
N.Korea Blows up Liaison Office
North Korea on Tuesday blew up the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong, just three days after leader Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong had warned that the "useless" office would be demolished.
According to the Unification Ministry, the North blew up the office at around 2:50 p.m. in an explosion that could be heard for miles around as smoke drifted over the border town.
The official [North] Korean Central News Agency shortly afterward reported that the regime "completely ruined" the office after cutting off all the communication lines between the two Koreas.

N.Korea's Threats Continue But Kim Jong-un Keeps in Background
North Korea's official mouthpieces on Monday continued to threaten South Korea even as the South mutedly celebrated the 20th anniversary of the first inter-Korean summit.
There was no mention of the anniversary in the North Korean state media, which instead foamed at the mouth about South Korean activists who send helium balloons carrying propaganda leaflets across the border.
Threatening to "retaliate with continuous actions until the end," the North's official Rodong Sinmun daily called the South Korean government's plan to crack down on the activists "nothing but a deceptive tactic aimed at averting a crisis."

Elder Abuse on the Rise
Abuse of senior citizens is on the rise, according to a study.
The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs on Monday said cases of abuse of elderly people increased 68 percent from 2,274 in 2006 to 3,818 in 2015. 
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Trump’s plan to halve U.S. troops in Germany is not limited to Germany
U.S. President Donald Trump publicly announced on Monday (local time) that U.S. troops in Germany will be cut by half to 25,000, expressing strong dissatisfaction with Germany’s defense cost share. The plan to reduce U.S. troops in Germany, which has become known to the public with media coverage, has been confirmed by the president himself. This may also affect the size of the U.S. troops in South Korea, which are also in the middle of the defense cost-sharing issue.

The government to search for new owner of SsangYong Motor
The South Korean government is likely to search for a new owner of SsangYong Motor Company to normalize the company, shifting away from its previous plan for a bailout to extend its life. In the worst case scenario, the automaker could go into receivership to reduce debt and be sold to a third party. The decision has been made based on the principal that corporate bailouts should be provided on the condition that large shareholders can share the pain.

China’s foreign ministry urges North Korea to remain calmForeign news outlets reported that North Korea destroyed an inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong on Tuesday, saying that the tensions on the Korean Peninsula is elevating. China’s Foreign Ministry urged the North to control itself, saying, “We want peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.”
The Associated Press, CNN, The New York Times and Asahi Shimbun quoted the announcement of the South Korean Ministry of Unification to deliver that North Korea blew up a liaison office.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
North Korea Goes “My Way” Regardless of What the South Does
Inter-Korean relations are on the brink of collapse as North Korea declares a “clear break-up” with South Korea and warns of a possible military response. Despite the South Korean government’s stern measures against the distribution of propaganda flyers, North Korea heightened the level of its attacks on the South claiming it “will engage in action against the enemy.” This has led to growing concerns that any hopes of progress that the two Koreas had made in the last two years to build trust and to establish peace on the peninsula could go down the drain.

North Korea Has Nothing to Gain by Parting with the South
In a statement released on June 13, Kim Yo-jong, first deputy director of the Workers’ Party of Korea said, “It seems it is now time to clearly part with South Korea,” and added, “We will soon take the next stage of actions.” She went on and said, “In the near future, they will see the miserable sight of the useless North-South Korea Joint Liaison Office collapsing without a trace,” and “I plan to hand over the authority to execute the next actions against the enemy to the General Staff of our army.” Her statement was a notice of a break-up and a threat of an end, turning inter-Korean relations, which had developed in the Moon Jae-in government, into something that had never existed.

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.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Hanatour reveals major shakeup towards web travel platform
South Korea’s top travel agency Hanatour Service Inc. has unveiled a major reorganization, suggesting a shift in its business model towards an online travel platform as part of its broader restructuring to cope with stagnant travel demand amid virus-driven border closures.

COVID-19 wrecks bottom, top line and financial statement of Korean companies Q1
The unexpected outbreak of COVID-19 sharply hurt the top and bottom line as well as financial statement of Korean companies during the first quarter.
According to a study by the Bank of Korea on Tuesday, the operating margin ratio, or income to sales, of non-financial enterprises averaged at 4.1 percent in the January-March period, compared with 5.3 percent in the same period a year ago.

Korean banks, credit card firms team up to entice users with high-yield savings plans
South Korean banks are teaming up with credit card issuers to keep customers from migrating to big tech players like Naver and Kakao that are eager to expand their financial footprint.
Shinhan Financial Group on Monday released an installment savings account that offers an annual interest rate of up to 8.3 percent.

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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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