Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
Philips Korea, Gwangmyeong Hospital agree to build ICT-based smart hospital
Philips Korea and Gwangmyeong Hospital of Chung-Ang University have joined hands to build a smart hospital where ICT-based digital healthcare solutions were introduced.
Related to this, both sides signed an MOU in a ceremony on Dec. 3. A company official said, “As demand for medical services has soared due to the prolonged COVID-19 crisis, the risk of burnout and infection among medical staff is increasing. In this situation, the importance of smart hospitals using digital healthcare technology is emerging as a solution to reduce fatigue of medical staff and minimize the possibility of infection.”
Hyundai Motor recalls 129,000 units, including Santa Fe, in U.S.
Hyundai Motor will recall 129,000 vehicles, including Santa Fe, in the U.S. due to engine failure and the consequent risk of fire, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Dec. 4.
Among the objects to the recall are Santa Fe produced in 2012, Veloster between 2015 and 2016, and Sonata Hybrid cars between 2011 and 2013, and in 2016.
The connecting rod bearings inside the engine may wear out early, possibly causing engine damage. This could cause the engine to shut down and cause oil to leak onto a hot surface, raising the risk of fire, U.S. transportation authorities explained, according to foreign news agencies, including AP.
KCGF opens representative office in Hanoi, Vietnam
Korea Credit Guarantee Fund (KCGF) held the opening ceremony of the "Hanoi Office" at the Gyeongnam Landmark Tower in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and began its official work.
To comply with the Vietnamese government's quarantine guidelines following the spread of COVID-19 and to prevent the spread of the virus, the opening ceremony was simplified into an event organized by the head of a local office, the KCGF said on Dec. 7.
Among those on hand at the event were Song Won-young, National Tax Service official at the Korean Embassy in Vietnam, Lee Hae-song, director of the Financial Supervisory Service's Hanoi office, and Lee Chae-ho, vice president of Shinhan Vietnam Bank, attended the event.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
S. Korea Reports 594 New COVID-19 Cases
South Korea reported 594 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, falling below the 600-mark for the first time in three days.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said the fresh cases raised the country's accumulated total to 38-thousand-755.
The daily figure has remained over 100 for a month since November 8, logging an average of 586-point-one cases over the recent week.
Gov't Aims to Frontload 72% of 2021 Fiscal Spending in First Half
South Korea said it plans to frontload more than 70 percent of next year's budgeted spending in the first half of 2021 to stimulate the economy and help the nation recover from COVID-19-linked fallout. The government approved the plan in a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, earmarking 333-point-one trillion won, or 72-point-four percent of next year's fiscal spending, to be put to work in the first six months.
S. Korea Secures 44 Mln Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines from Overseas Sources
South Korea has secured enough COVID-19 vaccines from overseas to be administered to up to 44 million people.
According to the Health Ministry on Tuesday, Seoul has signed deals to purchase ten million doses from COVAX Facility, a global mechanism to guarantee equitable access to the vaccines, and another 34 million doses from global pharmaceutical companies. The companies include AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
S. Korea to secure COVID-19 vaccines for 44 million people
SEOUL, Dec. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has secured early access of COVID-19 vaccines developed by four pharmaceutical companies and from a global vaccine project for 44 million people, the health ministry said Tuesday.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare said it has preordered 64 million doses of vaccines by four drugmakers -- AstraZeneca Inc., Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson's Janssen and Moderna -- for 34 million people.
The World Health Organization's global vaccine project, known as COVAX, will supply the vaccine of AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Sanopi for 10 million people.
New virus cases under 600, bigger wave of pandemic in offing
SEOUL, Dec. 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's new virus cases fell back slightly to below 600 on Tuesday as tougher virus restrictions in the greater Seoul and other areas began to be implemented. But health authorities still remain on utmost alert over a further spike in virus cases tied to a slew of cluster infections.
The country reported 594 new virus cases, including 566 domestically transmitted ones as of midnight Monday, raising the total caseload to 38,755, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Moon: S. Korea to consider joining CPTPP to expand its free trade network
SEOUL, Dec. 8 (Yonhap) -- President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday that South Korea is considering becoming a member of a major Asia-Pacific free trade agreement, known as the CPTPP, as part of efforts to diversify its export market.
He also stressed the need to build up the strength of the country's trade in preparation for the post-coronavirus era, addressing a 57th Trade Day ceremony.
"Diversifying the market is a task that (we) should achieve," he said during the event held at the COEX convention center in southern Seoul. "(The government) will continue to review joining the CPTPP."
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
New virus cases under 600, bigger wave of pandemic in offing
South Korea's new virus cases fell back slightly to below 600 on Tuesday as tougher virus restrictions in the greater Seoul and other areas began to be implemented. But health authorities still remain on utmost alert over a further spike in virus cases tied to a slew of cluster infections.
The country reported 594 new virus cases, including 566 domestically transmitted ones as of midnight Monday, raising the total caseload to 38,755, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Bird flu nightmare on the verge of full return in South Korea
Koreans authorities are on alert as the highly contagious Avian influenza quickly spreads across South Korea amid bird migration season.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Tuesday that a H5N8 strain of highly pathogenic AI was found at a chicken egg farm in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, late on Monday. Officials began culling 193,000 chickens at the farm and 7,000 ducks at a nearby farm as a preventative measure.
US says willing to help N. Korea combat coronavirus
The United States will seriously consider helping North Korea to contain the spread of the coronavirus if it requests such assistance, Robert O’Brien, US President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, said Monday.
“They (North Korea) have been reticent to ask for outside help for things in the past but if they did we would certainly look at that very seriously,” O’Brien said in an interview with 19FortyFive, a website on global affairs.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Health experts skeptical on COVID-19 vaccine procurement plans
Health experts have shown skepticism over the government's "belated" COVID-19 vaccine procurement plans, saying that the pre-purchased supply may be insufficient to form herd immunity.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced Tuesday that it had secured enough supply of coronavirus vaccines for approximately 44 million people or roughly 85 percent of the population.
It has obtained 64 million doses available for 34 million people through separate contracts with four pharmaceutical companies ― 20 million doses each from AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna ― requiring two doses per person ― and 4 million doses from Janssen.
North Korea designated again as violator of religious freedom
The United States on Monday renewed its designation of North Korea as one of the state violators of religious freedom.
It marks the 19th consecutive year the North has been named a state violator of religious freedom.
"Religious freedom is an unalienable right, and the bedrock upon which free societies are built and flourish. Today, the United States ― a nation founded by those fleeing religious persecution, as the recent Commission on Unalienable Rights report noted ― once again took action to defend those who simply want to exercise this essential freedom," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a released statement.
Aeromexico and Thai Airways ticket refunds up in the air
Customers here who booked flights with Aeromexico and Thai Airways flights prior to the COVID-19 pandemic that were then cancelled, have yet to receive refunds.
While the two national flag carriers have since filed for bankruptcy protection amid collapsing business conditions for airlines, arguments persist over whether airlines or travel agencies should be shouldering the bill for refunds
One married couple made a reservation for a flight to Cancun with Aeromexico though a local travel agency. But when the coronavirus broke out they decided to cancel the trip and applied for a refund in March. Aeromexico has yet to respond.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Greater Seoul to implement Level 2.5 measures until Dec. 28
In an attempt to curb South Korea’s third wave of COVID-19, the government has decided to elevate social distancing measures in the Seoul Capital Area (SCA) to Level 2.5 for three weeks starting Dec. 8. Level 2.5 represents a partial lockdown where broad restrictions are placed on social and economic activities after 9 pm. Level 2 measures will be imposed on areas outside Seoul for the same period.
“We are currently facing our biggest crisis in the fight against COVID-19, which has continued for more than 10 months,” Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on Dec. 6 as he announced the elevated measures at a Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCHQ) meeting at Seoul City Hall. The CDSCHQ determined that the spread of COVID-19 in the SCA is now a mass outbreak and will soon balloon into a nationwide outbreak. Over the past week (Nov. 30 – Dec. 6), the average daily caseload was 514, which exceeds the 400-500 range that serves as a standard for implementing Level 2.5 measures. Moreover, 70% of those cases were in Seoul, where the daily caseload has exceeded 400 over the past four days.
What changes under Level 2.5 measures?
The South Korean government’s decision to raise the social distancing regime to Level 2.5 in the Seoul Capital Area (SCA) as of Dec. 8 means that nearly all social and economic activity outside the home will have to be suspended after 9 pm for the next three weeks.
Karaoke rooms and indoor athletic facilities such as gyms are required to shut down even during the day, and masks will be required for distances of less than two meters even in outdoor settings.
Areas outside the SCA will upgrade to Level 2 measures, meaning that only takeout and delivery services will be available at restaurants after 9 pm, and at coffee shops during all operating hours.
Parents of Sewol victims camp out in front of National Assembly to demand legislation on investigation
In November 2017, Hong Young-mi laid out a sleeping bag in front of the National Assembly to call for the enactment of the Special Act on Investigating the Truth of Social Disasters and Building a Safe Society and for the launch of the Special Commission on Social Disaster Investigation.
Hong, the mother of a victim of the 2014 Sewol tragedy, spent 20 days marching in 2015 for an investigation into the Sewol tragedy. She spent the nights in her sleeping bag while on the road.
“I’d like to throw my sleeping bag away, but I haven’t been able to for six years now,” Hong, now 51, told the Hankyoreh in front of the National Assembly on Dec. 6.
“The amendment to the Social Disasters Special Act needs to be passed at this [National Assembly] session in order to investigate the Sewol tragedy and punish those responsible,” she said. “I want to be able to throw out my sleeping bag at some point.”
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Korea Rejects Japan's Request to Resume Gimpo-Haneda Flights
Korea has rejected a Japanese request to resume flights between Gimpo International Airport in Seoul and Tokyo's Haneda Airport citing quarantine risks.
The Korean government channeled all incoming flights to Incheon International Airport in April to make it easier to screen and quarantine foreigners. But recently some international flights resumed at other airports including between Gimhae International Airport in Busan and Qingdao, China.
Travel Agencies Tap into Pent-up Demand for Release
Travel demand is pent-up and bursting for a release from coronavirus shackles, the latest figures suggest.
Very Good Tour, the fifth-largest travel agency in Korea, already started marketing overseas package tours on Nov. 23, when it was clear that a vaccine would only be a matter of time.
It accepts just W10,000 as a down payment, a mere 10 percent of what it used to ask for before the coronavirus pandemic, and was rewarded with no fewer than 10,600 reservations for some 400 package tours to Japan and Hong Kong in March 2021, Southeast Asia in April and the U.S. and Europe in June (US$1=W1,087).
Gov't Gears up for Emergency Response to Coronavirus Spike
President Moon Jae-in on Monday called for more makeshift coronavirus test stations to open at night and on holiday and bigger drive-through test facilities amid a spike of infections as the weather gets colder.
They will open until 9 p.m. on weekdays and six p.m. on weekends.
Moon told officials to mobilize as much available personnel, including military troops and police officers, as support personnel. He made the remarks in a weekly meeting with top officials after the daily number of new cases surpassed 600 for two days in a row.
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The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Two F-22 fighter jets from Guam redeployed in Kadena Air Base
Washington’s military pressure on North Korea and China is cranking up since Joe Biden won the presidential race in November. The United States is deploying its military assets in Asia to keep in check North Korea and China, with a series of tests being conducted on America’s core strategic weapons including strategic bombers, stealth fighter jets, and intercept missiles.
According to multiple sources, the U.S. Air Force has completed forward deployment of its two F-22 stealth fighter jets, by removing them from Guam to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan on Sunday. Of the seven fighter jets transferred from the mainland U.S. to Guam in mid-November, two have been sent forth to the American air base near the Korean Peninsula.
Gov’t proposes plan to install EV charging stations at 20 million homes
The South Korean government proposed a strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by distributing 20 million charging stations for electric vehicles at home across the nation by 2050, etc. The fund to support the plan will be financed by creating a new climate response fund. However, some criticize that the plan only suggested broad directions without detailed cost information or policy measures, adding more uncertainty among businesses and being not much more than a declaratory roadmap.
“If carbon neutrality is an unavoidable task, it is desirable to take bold preemptive actions for our future generations,” said Minister of Economy and Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki, announcing a strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 at the Government Complex Seoul on Monday. Carbon neutrality means making net carbon emissions zero by absorbing the equal amount of greenhouse gasses emitted.
Some 200 go stones found at ancient tomb in Gyeongju
“The most exciting discovery was go stones,” said Sim Hyeon-cheol of the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Culture Heritage at a virtual press conference on Monday. “The tomb appears to belong to a woman, which indicates that go was not reserved for men in Silla.”
The conference was held to announce the results of the excavation of the Silla ancient tomb No. 44 at Jjoksaem in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Other discoveries made in the excavation include ornaments such as gilt bronze crowns and gold chains as well as a stone mortar and pestle and mica.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Private Educational and Training Institutions in the Greater Seoul Area Will Be Closed Until the End of the Year
The government decided to raise the level of physical (social) distancing in the Seoul metropolitan area to level 2.5 beginning December 8. All indoor sports facilities and private educational institutions, with the exception of academies for college admissions, in addition to entertainment facilities, such as clubs and singing rooms will be closed until December 28. Major supermarkets, movie theaters, and Internet cafes will also be closed after 9 p.m.
In a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on December 6, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said, “We are facing the greatest crisis in our fight against COVID-19,” as he made the announcement. During the same period, regions outside the greater Seoul area will also raise the physical distancing level to 2. The latest measure will be enforced for three weeks until the end of the Christmas holiday. The decision was made after authorities deemed it difficult to contain the novel coronavirus due to a string of small clusters of transmission nationwide.
The Bosingak Bell Will Not Ring This New Year’s Eve for the First Time in 67 Years
After considering the COVID-19 situation, the city of Seoul decided not to organize the New Year’s Eve bell-ringing ceremony at Bosingak in Jongno-2-ga, Seoul, at midnight on December 31.
On December 6, the Seoul metropolitan government announced, “With the COVID-19 outbreak still ongoing, we canceled the New Year’s Eve bell-ringing ceremony after concluding that realistically, it would be difficult to organize the event.” At midnight on the last night of the year, December 31, New Year’s Eve, the Bosingak bell was rung 33 times during the New Year’s Eve bell-ringing ceremony. This will be the first time in 67 years since the ceremony was first held in 1953 that the bell will not be rung.
Students Taking the CSAT, “Opened Windows for Ventilation during Every Recess”
The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) for the 2021 school year ended in a rather calm atmosphere on December 3, despite that the test was held amid a COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, many of the students did not find the new test environment with masks and protective screens uncomfortable. The teachers geared up in personal protective equipment (PPE) to proctor the test for students with symptoms, students confirmed COVID-19-positive, and students in quarantine, and were relieved that the tests ended without stirring any problems.
Gang (18), a student in Seoul said, “I was used to wearing masks and having protective screens on the desk because I had practiced using them countless times at private institutions and in mock exams. Most of the other students in the classroom refrained from talking.”
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
2021 OUTLOOK: Korea’s M&A in bumper year with brimming dry powder
The coming 2021 is forecast to be a bumper year for South Korea`s M&A market due to pent-up corporate demand from cheap liquidity amid the pandemic.
Next year’s M&A market in Korea is expected to reach 45 trillion won ($41.5 billion), up from this year’s estimated 35 trillion won to near the record set in 2018, according to investment bankers.
In a recent survey by the Maeil Business Newspaper on chief financial officers and finance managers at 43 major Korean firms, 72.1 percent said they expected next year’s M&A market to be bigger than this year.
SK Hynix’ Intel NAND biz acquisition named the best M&A deal of 2020
Chief financial officers (CFOs) of South Korea’s major companies picked SK Hynix Inc.’s acquisition of Intel’s NAND business the best M&A deal of 2020.
According to a survey done by Ray The M, the premium new service of Maeil Business Newspaper, of 43 CFOs of the nation’s big name businesses, 76.7 percent of the respondents named SK Hynix’s takeover of Intel NAND business the best M&A of the year. SK Hynix’ acquisition of MagnaChip Semiconductor’s foundry came in second with 20.9 percent and KB Financial’s takeover of Prudential Life Insurance third with 11.6 percent in the poll that allowed respondents to select multiple options.
Korean brokerages finished Q3 at their best thanks to mom-and-pop investors
South Korean brokerage houses netted their best-ever quarterly income in the third quarter, capitalizing on the unfazed retail stock fever.
According to Financial Supervisory Service on Monday, the combined net profit of 56 local brokerage houses totaled 2.17 trillion won ($1.8 billion) in the third quarter ended September, more than doubled from 988.9 billion won in the same period a year ago. It is also up 19.3 percent from 1.8 trillion won in the second quarter.
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
Australia Brisbane Times www.brisbanetimes.com.au syndication@fairfaxmedia.com.au
Sydney Morning Herald www.smh.com.au
Colombia Reports www.colombiareports.com
Bogota Free Planet www.bogotafreeplanet.com bfp@bogotafreeplanet.com
El Universal www.eluniversal.com.mx/english
Andes www.redaktionstest.net/andes-info-ec/
Ecuador Times www.ecuadortimes.net/
The Jordan Times www.jordantimes.com/
LSM.lv www.lsm.lv/
The Baltic Times www.baltictimes.com lithuania@baltictimes.com, estonia@baltictimes.com, editor@baltictimes.com
El Pais https://english.elpais.com/
Philippine Daily Inquirer www.inquirer.net/
Daily News Hungary https://dailynewshungary.com/
Budapest Times www.budapesttimes.hu/
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Azerbaijan: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR8CBpcQ4WM
Sri Lanka: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hByX92Y2aGY&t=22s
Morocco: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfFmp2sVvSE
And many other countries.
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