Monday June 22, 2020
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
“Korea is now pushing for a Korean version of New Deal to beat COVID-19!”
President Moon Jae-in said, “The Korean Government is now pushing for a Korean version of the New Deal to overcome the COVID-19 crisis and respond to the post-COVID-19-era.”
Speaking at a meeting with the management of and workers of the Douzone Bizon on June 18, President Moon then stated that “Douzone Bizon may not be a conglomerate yet it is a mid-market company and I was told that it’s Korea’s foremost business specializing in data and artificial intelligence.”
Please visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=20957
UAE actively contributes to combating COVID-19 around the world.
- Material provided by the Embassy of the UAE in Seoul
The United Arab Emiates takes strong interest in combating COVID-19 continousluy spreading in many countries of the world.
Here is a latest release on such activities provided to The Korea Post media by the Embassy of the UAE in Seoul.
Please visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=20956
North Korea's humiliation of President Moon angers Moon supporters in Seoul
The North Korean authorities have recently displayed pictures with the portrait picture of President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea (south) dumped with cigartte butts. This made the normally pro-North Korean supporters of President Moon in Seoul very angry.
Recently, the North Korean regime, mostly led by Vice Chairperson Kim Yo-jong of the (North) Korean Workers Party, stepped up its anti-South campaign to discredit the government of President Moon by taking a series of actions that were considered unprecedented in recent years of detante between Moon and Chairman Kim Jong-un of North Korea.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
S. Korea Reports Less than 20 New COVID-19 Cases for 1st Time in June
South Korea’s daily COVID-19 cases have fallen below 20 for the first time this month so far.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(KCDC) said on Monday that 17 cases were added in the past 24 hours ending 12 a.m., bringing the national tally to 12-thousand-438.
It is the first time less than 20 new cases were reported since 19 cases on May 26. The country saw more than 40 new cases for five consecutive days through Sunday, including a three-week-high of 67 on Saturday and 48 on Sunday.
S. Korea's Exports Fall 7.5% in First 20 Days of June
South Korea's exports fell over seven percent in the first 20 days of June amid the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to data from the Korea Customs Service on Monday, the nation's outbound shipments came to 25 billion U.S. dollars in the cited period, down seven-and-a-half percent on-year.
Compared with the same period last year, there were one-point-five more working days this year. Given the increase, the daily average exports during the 20-day period slipped 16-point-two percent on-year.
KCNA: N. Korea Preparing for Largest-ever Distribution of Anti-Seoul Leaflets
North Korea's state media said on Monday that the country has almost completed preparations to launch a large-scale distribution of propaganda material against South Korea, saying it has printed 12 million anti-Seoul leaflets.
The North's official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) said that printing factories in cities and provinces are working to print additional leaflets, with about three thousand balloons and other means ready to send the materials deep into South Korea.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
New infections dip to 1-month low of 17; cluster, imported cases still in focus
New virus cases in South Korea dipped to a nearly one-month low Monday due mainly to less testing over the weekend, but health authorities are keeping their guard up against cluster infections in the greater Seoul area and other regions, as well as rising imported cases.
The country added 17 new cases, including 11 local infections, raising the total caseload to 12,438, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
This was the first time since May 26 that the number of new daily COVID-19 cases fell below 20. It also marks a sharp drop from 67 cases Saturday and 48 cases Sunday.
Solar eclipse to be visible in S. Korea on Sunday afternoon
The most significant partial solar eclipse in eight years will be visible in South Korea on Sunday afternoon, leaving a little less than half the solar disk visible, a national science museum said.
The moon will start to move between the Earth and the sun at 3:53 p.m., with the transit to end at 6:04 p.m., the Gwacheon National Science Museum said. It said at 5:02 p.m. the annual eclipse will peak, with the moon obscuring 45 percent of the sun when it is seen from most parts of the Korean Peninsula.
Ex-USFK commander urges readiness amid N. Korea's growing threats
A former commander of U.S. Forces Korea has urged readiness in the face of North Korea's growing threats, saying the communist nation's demolition of an inter-Korean liaison office was a clear signal of hostile intent.
Retired Army Gen. John Tilelli spoke to Yonhap News Agency about recent developments on the Korean Peninsula, his "very strong feelings" for the country in which he served from 1996-1999, and preparations for a $23 million "wall of remembrance" that will honor veterans of the Korean War.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Man arrested for assaulting bus driver demanding face mask use
A man was arrested for physically assaulting a bus driver who demanded the man wear a face mask to ride the bus, police said Monday, in the first arrest case for a violation of mandatory mask use against COVID-19.
The police in the city's northeastern ward of Gwangjin said they had arrested the man in his 50s after the Seoul Eastern District Court issued a warrant sought by the police on Saturday.
According to police, the man attacked and verbally insulted the bus driver and also attacked a fellow bus rider who tried to stop him on Thursday.
S. Korea reports 17 new cases of coronavirus infection
New virus cases in South Korea dipped to a nearly one-month low Monday due mainly to less testing over the weekend, but health authorities are keeping their guard up against cluster infections in the greater Seoul area and other regions, as well as rising imported cases.
The country added 17 new cases, including 11 local infections, raising the total caseload to 12,438, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).
This was the first time since May 26 that the number of new daily COVID-19 cases fell below 20. It also marks a sharp drop from 67 cases Saturday and 48 cases Sunday.
S. Korea's June 1-20 exports fall 7.5%, slower than in May
South Korean exports extended their contraction during the first 20 days of June, but at a slower pace, as the coronavirus pandemic continued to weigh on global demand.
The nation's outbound shipments dropped 7.5% during June 1-20 from the same period a year earlier, while imports slid 12.0%, Korea Customs Service data showed on Monday.
A breakdown of data showed overseas sales of semiconductors, the nation's top-selling item, rose 2.6%, while shipments to China, South Korea's largest trading partner, jumped 14.5%.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
N. Korea-China trade plummets to nearly zero amid COVID-19 pandemic
After North Korea closed its border with China following the outbreak of COVID-19, North Korea-China trade, including both imports and exports, has fallen to practically zero. The economic sanctions on North Korea, which began to bite in 2017, caused its trade with China to collapse, and the COVID-19 crisis has added an additional shock. Analysts think the North Korean economy is in danger of being paralyzed with the flow of materials needed for economic activity cut off. North Korea’s economic crisis is seen as one of the factors behind its demolition of the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office in the Kaesong Complex, which may have been designed to pressure the international community to ease sanctions.
China responsible for deteriorating relations with US, says Harvard research fellow
China, and not the US, is to blame for the worsening conflict between the two countries, said William Overholt, 75, a senior research fellow at the Kennedy School at Harvard University. Overholt added that, unless China changes its attitude, that conflict will continue even if Trump is defeated in the upcoming election.
Overholt described the deterioration of the two countries’ relationship in an email interview with the Hankyoreh on June 10. When asked about what strategy South Korea should adopt amid this conflict, he said that, “as long as Koreans maintain internal unity and economic strength, they are perfectly capable of managing the tensions.”
Lee Do-hoon arrives in Washington for meeting with Biegun on inter-Korean tensions
Lee Do-hoon, the South Korean special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, arrived in Washington, DC, on June 17. His unexpected visit is taking place amid a rapid deterioration in inter-Korean relations, after North Korea demolished the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office in Kaesong.
Lee arrived around midday on June 17 at Dulles International Airport near Washington. He offered no public comments and didn’t elaborate on his itinerary. Regarding the aim behind the visit, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said that Lee was “scheduled for meetings involving senior South Korea-US representatives with [US Deputy Secretary of State, Special Representative for North Korea] Stephen Biegun to assess the Korean Peninsula situation and discuss response measures.”
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Health Ministry Says Face Masks Must Be Worn Indoors
The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Friday insisted face masks must be worn indoors.
Ministry spokesman Son Young-rae said there has been an increase in people wearing face masks outdoors and taking them off indoors, but added, "The correct thing to do is the opposite."
Son explained that people do not have to wear face masks constantly outdoors as long as they maintain a safe distance from others but wear them all the times indoors, especially in crowded places.
What Is the Leaflet Campaign?
The campaign to send propaganda leaflets across the border to North Korea dates back to the 1950-53 Korean War, when the U.S. military dropped hundreds of millions of them from bombers and fighter planes.
North Korea also disseminated them by the truckload. Lee Yoon-kyu at the Joint Forces Military University recalled, "At that time, propaganda leaflets were focused on slandering the other side so they weren't that convincing, but they had a huge impact on the morale of the enemy and that's why both sides went all out."
Korean Air to Expire Unused Mileage Points
Korean Air plans to change its air miles system so that mileage points will automatically expire if they are not used within five years.
Korea’s largest carrier said Wednesday that as of July 1 next year, mileage points will be valid for five years from the month they are gained. Points accumulated until June 30 will have no expiry date, the same as now.
Korean Air said that the change was intended to urge members to use their mileage points so the company could stabilize its air miles system.
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
One in Five People Were “Lonely” Last Year. Numbers Increased after Steadily Decreasing for 5 Years: Why?
One in five Koreans felt lonely according to a survey. The number of people who were satisfied with their lives and who felt their work was valuable both decreased.
On June 18, Statistics Korea released the “Social Indicators of South Korea 2019,” according to which 20.5% of adults (aged 19-69) said they felt “lonely,” a 4.5% increase from 2018 (16.0%). During the same period, the percentage of people who thought “No one really knows me” also increased by 5.4% to 16.7% from the previous year (11.3%). The numbers for both indicators had continued to decline since 2014, but suddenly surged last year.
A Mask on at All Times Despite the Tough Labor in the Heat: The Power of the Mask, Preventing Massive Transmission
“I was surprised when I checked the security camera footage. He didn't’ take his mask off for one second, even while he was doing the arduous task of loading and unloading packages.”
On June 13, A, a worker who loaded and unloaded parcels at the Lotte Logistics Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul, was confirmed positive for COVID-19. A, believed to have been infected by his family, worked at the Lotte Logistics Center on June 8-10 unaware of his infection. This could have been a repeat of the nightmare at the Coupang Logistics Center in Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, which has resulted in over 150 confirmed COVID-19 cases so far. The number of people who came in contact with A at Lotte was 159, more than those at Coupang.
Kim Yo-jong Front and Center: Is It a Division of Roles to Avoid Risks?
While Kim Yo-jong, first deputy director of the Workers’ Party of Korea, is at the helm of “enemy affairs” and driving inter-Korean relations to a catastrophe, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is not taking any actions himself and remains silent. Experts suggest that the siblings have divided their roles in inter-Korean relations, and some even suggest that the North may have a future successor in mind.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
One in Five People Were “Lonely” Last Year. Numbers Increased after Steadily Decreasing for 5 Years: Why?
One in five Koreans felt lonely according to a survey. The number of people who were satisfied with their lives and who felt their work was valuable both decreased.
On June 18, Statistics Korea released the “Social Indicators of South Korea 2019,” according to which 20.5% of adults (aged 19-69) said they felt “lonely,” a 4.5% increase from 2018 (16.0%). During the same period, the percentage of people who thought “No one really knows me” also increased by 5.4% to 16.7% from the previous year (11.3%). The numbers for both indicators had continued to decline since 2014, but suddenly surged last year.
A Mask on at All Times Despite the Tough Labor in the Heat: The Power of the Mask, Preventing Massive Transmission
“I was surprised when I checked the security camera footage. He didn't’ take his mask off for one second, even while he was doing the arduous task of loading and unloading packages.”
On June 13, A, a worker who loaded and unloaded parcels at the Lotte Logistics Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul, was confirmed positive for COVID-19. A, believed to have been infected by his family, worked at the Lotte Logistics Center on June 8-10 unaware of his infection. This could have been a repeat of the nightmare at the Coupang Logistics Center in Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, which has resulted in over 150 confirmed COVID-19 cases so far. The number of people who came in contact with A at Lotte was 159, more than those at Coupang.
Kim Yo-jong Front and Center: Is It a Division of Roles to Avoid Risks?
While Kim Yo-jong, first deputy director of the Workers’ Party of Korea, is at the helm of “enemy affairs” and driving inter-Korean relations to a catastrophe, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is not taking any actions himself and remains silent. Experts suggest that the siblings have divided their roles in inter-Korean relations, and some even suggest that the North may have a future successor in mind.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
SK Biopharma prices IPO at $40 high end, raising $794 mn
SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. on Friday raised 959.3 billion won ($793.8 million) after pricing its initial public offering at 49,000 won, the highest end of its desired range.
The drugmaking unit of the South Korean conglomerate closed the books on the institutional portion of the sale Thursday. The offering drew 1,076 institutional investors from home and abroad, with orders oversubscribed by more than 835 times their allotted shares.
Hyundai Motor, LG Group heads to meet for EV collaboration
After a get-together with the heir of No. 1 conglomerate Samsung Group, Chung Euisun, de facto head of the second biggest business group Hyundai Motor, holds a tete-a-tete with LG Group chair Koo Kwang-mo next week, raising expectations of the younger-generation leaders of Korea’s most powerful Korean business names forming a joint front on new mobility.
Shilla, Lotte to launch clearance sale on duty-free stocks starting next week
South Korea’s top two duty-free brands will go on clearance sale next month, offering up to half prices in luxury names like Prada and Balenciaga, under government’s approval to clear out their stocks amidst dearth of air travelers amid pandemic influence.
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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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