Thursday July 02, 2020
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
Chungju City signs investment accord with Mighty Water, Cheonam Food sign KWN14.9 billion
The Chungju City government has signed investment agreements with promising start-ups companies who begin new businesses in the region, invigorating the local economy, which has stagnated due to the spread of COVID-19 epidemics.
The province and the Chungju City signed an investment agreement worth KWN14.9 billion won with two companies, Mighty Water Co., Ltd. and Cheonam Food Co., Ltd., at the central tower conference room at the Chungju City Hall on June.
http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=20994
Yoga is an ancient Indian practice for physical, mental, spiritual well-being
Question: What is the meaning and significance of Yoga?
Answer: Yoga is an ancient Indian practice for physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. Strongly rooted in ancient Indian philosophy, it means to ‘unite’ signifying the union of the mind, body and soul to the universe. According to yogic scriptures, the practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with the universal consciousness. One who experiences this oneness of existence is said to be in “Yoga” as is termed as a “Yogi” who has attained a state of freedom.
http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=20992
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Special Documentary on the 70th Anniversary of the Korean War: Memories of the War
In 1951, a year after the Korean War broke out, Han Joon-sik joined the fight at the tender age of 19. Veteran Han took part in fierce battles as part of the anti-guerrilla operations at Baekunsan and Jirisan, and recorded the horrendous details in his diary 50 years after the war. These records were discovered by chance by his granddaughter, and they were published in 2019 under the title, “I Unfold This Story at the Age of Eighty-nine.”
Gwangju City Govt. Upgrades Social Distancing to Level 2
The Gwangju city government has decided to upgrade its social distancing to level two after reporting 32 cases of coronavirus in five days.
The city government made the decision on Wednesday after an emergency meeting with over 20 related organizations, including police, educational and district offices.
The nation recently classified social distancing in three stages according to the severity of COVID-19 infections.
Ruling Camp Moves to Implement Extra Budget, Anti-Corruption Agency
Amid a prolonged boycott of parliamentary proceedings by the main opposition United Future Party, the ruling Democratic Party is pushing forward with key state-sponsored bills by using its status as a majority.
While moving quickly to pass the largest ever extra budget, the liberal party also seeks to convene another extra session to handle a plan regarding the creation of an agency to investigate corruption by high-profile public figures. Meanwhile, the conservative party is mulling ways to keep the ruling camp in check.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
S. Korea's annual inflation unchanged in June
South Korea's annual inflation remained flat in June compared with a year ago, following negative growth a month earlier, data showed Thursday.
The June tally compares with a 0.3 percent on-year decline in May, according to the data released by Statistics Korea.
The nation's inflation rose 0.2 percent on-month, the data showed.
USFK commander calls for major combined drills against evolving N.K. threats
South Korea and the United States should continue to stage large-scale combined military exercises in the face of North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile capabilities, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) commander Gen. Robert Abrams said Wednesday.
In a speech during a forum held in Seoul, Abrams also noted that more work needs to be done for the planned transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of South Korean forces from Washington to Seoul.
S. Korea to provide telemedicine service for overseas construction workers
South Korea is taking steps to provide telemedicine services to overseas South Korean construction workers amid heightened health concerns caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the infrastructure ministry said Wednesday.
The move is part of a broader effort to better protect South Korean builders, as 87 have tested positive for COVID-19 and three have died after contracting the highly infectious disease, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said.
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Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Moon to reshuffle diplomacy, security teamsPosted
President Moon Jae-in is expected to reshuffle his security and diplomacy teams replacing their members with his close, pro-unification aides, according to political analysts, Wednesday. This is seen as a move to find a breakthrough in stalled relations with North Korea and push harder for inter-Korean projects.
Over 41,000 undocumented immigrants leaving Korea under amnesty program
More than 41,000 undocumented foreign nationals living in Korea have left the country ― or have promised to do so in the near future ― over the past six months under a special amnesty program.
Korea Immigration Service (KIS) Commissioner Cha Gyu-geun told The Korea Times in a recent interview that 41,176 foreign nationals staying here illegally ― more than 10 percent of the estimated 390,000 ― had left or expressed a willingness to leave between Dec. 11 and June 21.
Checks and balances under threat in AssemblyPosted
Concerns are rising over the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) monopoly on decision-making and operation of the 21st National Assembly, as the main opposition United Future Party (UFP) is withholding cooperation amid a bipartisan conflict over standing committees.
Political watchers say the DPK is ignoring one of the basic principles of democracy and Assembly custom of mutual respect and tolerance, while acting as if it is "one team" with the government, rubber-stamping the bills it submits when the Assembly's job is in fact to hold the administration in check.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)On June 29, the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body held the first meeting to initiate a dispute settlement process about the export controls that Japan imposed on South Korea in July 2019. The meeting, held at Korea’s request, adjourned inconclusively, with Japan staunchly refusing to set up the panel that represents the first stage of the process. Japan is stubbornly stonewalling the process even though the panel’s establishment cannot be stopped without the unanimous agreement of member countries.
Our only choice is to “speed up liquidation process”
Can S. Korea-Japan relations get back on track? Im Jae-seong, an attorney with Haemaru Law Firm who played a leading role in an October 2018 Supreme Court decision concerning the compensation of forced labor survivors, spoke as though he had a lot weighing on his mind. Nearly two years after that decision, he explained, the situation is now one where “it would be effectively impossible for the South Korean and Japanese governments to come up with ‘diplomatic compromise’ that would be acceptable to the plaintiffs.”
A future S. Korean track star with great potential
This was coach Kim Dong-hwon’s appraisal of Daniel Kashama Biwesa, a 17-year-old second year student at Wongok High School and top South Korean sprinting prospect. Biwesa finished first with a time of 11.04 seconds in the semifinals of the 18-and-under boys’ 100-meter event at the Korean National Track and Field Championships on June 26 at Jeongseon Stadium in Gangwon Province.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Temporary Employment Still on the Rise
The number of temporary workers keeps increasing despite government efforts to give more employees permanent contracts.
According to Statistics Korea, the number of temporary workers stood at 6.27 million in 2015 to account for 32.5 percent of all salaried workers in Korea. But that rose to a record 7.48 million last year and 36.4 percent.
U.S. to Leave Door Open to Diplomacy with N.Korea
A senior U.S. official said that the U.S. will "continue to leave the door open to diplomacy" with North Korea.
Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun made the remarks in a videoconference hosted by the German Marshall Fund on Monday.
Coronavirus Drug Available Only for Severe Cases
The antiviral drug Remdesivir, which has been used with some success to treat coronavirus patients in the U.S., is now available here but only for severe case, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.
A day earlier the KCDC said the experimental antiviral drug will not be available till later this year for ordinary patients with milder symptoms. Kwon Jun-wook, the deputy chief of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, "At present, all supplies of Remdesivir appear to be focused in the U.S. Negotiations for supplies outside of the U.S. appear to be possible after August."
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Elite airborne troop of U.S. conducts descent training in Guam
The United States Army conducted training of large-scale emergency deployment of its airborne troop stationed in the U.S. mainland to the Guam base for nine to 10 hours. This seems to be another attempt of the U.S. to show off its regional strategic superiority to North Korea and China, following the forward deployment of nuclear (B-52) and conventional (B-1B) strategic bombers in Guam and Alaska and a joint military exercise of two carrier strike groups in the Philippine Sea near the Korean Peninsula.
Samsung Electronics to hire 1,000 M.A. and Ph.D. experts this year
Samsung Electronics has hired about 500 Ph.D.-level artificial intelligence (AI) and non-memory semiconductor experts at home and abroad in the first half of this year. The South Korean IT giant said on Wednesday that it plans to employ additional 500 M.A. and Ph.D. experts within the year. It is a record high number of M.A. and Ph.D. experts hired by Samsung Electronics in a year.
A road under Yoojin Shopping Center turns into open art museum
The Yoojin Shopping Center has returned to the arms of citizens. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has transformed a 250-meter road alongside a stream under the historic shopping center into a “public art museum” and opened it to public on Wednesday. The name of the road is, “Hongjeyooyeon,” which means the relationship between water and men flows and healed and united by art.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Government Fueled the “Faith” in Real Estate. “Raise the Real Estate Holding Tax”
This was the answer given by A, the owner of a real estate agency in Jamsil, Seoul on June 30, when we asked about the market situation after the release of the government’s June 17 real estate measures. Jamsil was newly designated as a zone requiring permission for land transactions, which temporarily “locked” properties for sale, but the market still expects prices to rise.
A Year Since Japan Tightened Export Controls: Despite the Acceleration Toward Independence in Materials, the Possibility of Tighter Controls on More Items with Restricted Supply Sources Can Become a V
A year has passed since Japan announced tighter export controls on three key items for semiconductors and displays heading to South Korea last July. Since South Korea had been highly dependent on Japan for these key materials, Japan’s move led to concerns that in the worst case, the semiconductor production lines in South Korea could stop for months. But during the past year, the industrial sector of South Korea has exceeded expectations by diversifying supply sources of key materials in semiconductor production and by successfully developing such materials domestically.
“Not Like This” Nurses Head to Cheong Wa Dae
On June 29, nurses in surgical gowns carried picket signs and appeared in front of Cheong Wa dae in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Shin Dong-hun, a nurse who works at Jeju National University Hospital flew all the way to Seoul this day to hold a one-person protest. The sign he held read, “Establish Public Hospitals! The Proportion of Public Hospital Beds in South Korea Is Among the Lowest in the OECD.”
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Remdesivir is now available in S. Korea to treat severe COVID-19 patients
Remdesivir, an antiviral medication proven for efficacy in treating new coronavirus patients, is now available in South Korea after its developer based in the U.S. has finally donated the drug to the country.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said on Wednesday that the distribution of remdesivir began to treat COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms in Korea after Gilead Sciences Korea, the local importer of remdesivir developed by U.S. biotech company Gilead Sciences Inc., supplied the drug under a contract with KCDC to donate some remdesivir to the country.
S. Korea exports in June down 10.9%, but rate of decline slows
South Korean exports in June dipped 10.9 percent from a year ago, falling for the fourth straight month but at a slower pace as global business activity started to resume amid easing of coronavirus lockdowns.
Outbound shipments in June totaled $39.21 billion, down 10.9 percent from the same month a year earlier, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Wednesday.
Banks told to fully return investment principal to Lime Asset fund victims
A committee of South Korea’s financial watchdog on Wednesday that banks and brokerages should fully return the principal of investments to consumers over missold funds amid growing concerns of Lime Asset Management’s suspended payment on some of its maturing funds due to liquidity problems following hefty losses in derivatives.
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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 Herald www.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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