Tuesday, April 20, 2021
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
“Bird-watching gives you good health as well as peace of the mind”
Birdwatching photographer, Kim Heung-lok, has been engrossed in watching birds and taking their pictures for decades. He has prepared a complete set of cameras to capture every minute and shape of all kinds of birds in the countryside of Korea.
President Moon sends a letter to Portuguese President to mark 60th year of ties
Korean President Moon Jae-in on April 15 exchanged letters with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to commemorate the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations.
Cheong Wa Dae Spokesperson Kang Min-seok said in a written briefing that President Moon in the letter wrote that since forging official ties in 1961, both countries have developed a close cooperative relationship in various sectors such as politics, economy and culture.
Kim Boo-gyeom, former 4-term lawmaker, named as new prime minister
President Moon Jae-in has carried out his Cabinet and staff reshuffles on April 16, affecting five ministries and Cheong Wa Dae staffs.
Presidential Chief of Staff Yoo Young-min held a briefing at the Chunchugwan in the afternoon and announced the reshuffle of the prime minister and five ministers.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
S. Korea Adds 549 COVID-19 Cases
South Korea reported 549 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday amid lingering concerns about a potential spike in infections.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said Tuesday that new infections raised the country's accumulated caseload to 115-thousand-195.
US Planning to Increase 'Do Not Travel' Advisories to 80% of Countries WorldwideThe United States said on Monday it plans to increase its travel advisory to the highest Level Four for around 80 percent of all nations to better reflect public health guidelines.
According to Reuters, the U.S. State Department said in a statement that it would begin to update its travel advisories this week, citing unprecedented risks to travelers
S. Korea, China to Jointly Crack Down on Illegal Fishing in Western Waters
South Korea's Oceans Ministry said on Tuesday it plans to conduct a joint patrol with China this week to crack down on illegal fishing activities in the Yellow Sea.
According to the ministry on Tuesday, fisheries authorities from both countries will conduct joint rounds of inspections in their provisional zone in the Yellow Sea from Wednesday to Sunday.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
(LEAD) Japan ambassador says S. Korea can take part in IAEA monitoring team for Fukushima water release
SEOUL, April 19 (Yonhap) -- Japanese Ambassador Koichi Aiboshi said Monday that he thinks South Korean experts can be part of a U.N. nuclear watchdog-led monitoring team for his country's planned release of radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Senate majority leader urges swift passage of anti-hate-crimes act
WASHINGTON, April 19 (Yonhap) -- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday called for the swift passage of a bill aimed at curbing COVID-19-related hate crimes targeting Asian-American communities, insisting anyone opposing the bill would shame themselves
N.K. leader congratulates Cuban president on election as new ruling party chief
SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un congratulated Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on his election as the new powerful head of its ruling communist party and vowed to strengthen bilateral ties, state media said Tuesday.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Senate majority leader urges swift passage of anti-hate-crimes act
WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday called for the swift passage of a bill aimed at curbing COVID-19-related hate crimes targeting Asian-American communities, insisting anyone opposing the bill would shame themselves.
NK's largest youth group to hold first congress in 5 years next week
North Korea's largest youth organization will hold its first congress in five years next week, state media said Tuesday, in an apparent effort to tighten ideological discipline amid concerns about younger generations' increasing exposure to outside influences.
Authorities vow to crack down on illegal crypto transactions
The South Korean government said Monday that it will tighten up regulations to trace illegal cryptocurrency transactions and cases of fraud amid growing concerns over a speculative bubble in the virtual coin market.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
New virus cases on Tuesday in 500s for 2nd day, vaccine rollout to gather pace
South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases remained in the 500s for the second day Tuesday as health authorities vow to accelerate the country's nationwide vaccination campaign amid concerns of a potential spike.
State oil firm falls into complete capital erosion
The state-run Korea National Oil (KNOC) lapsed into a complete capital erosion in 2020 as its liabilities exceeded assets due to continued losses, data showed Tuesday.
KNOC's liabilities stood at 18.64 trillion won ($16.7 billion) as of the end of last year, up nearly 514 billion won from a year earlier, according to the data posted on the state portal All Public Information in One (ALIO)
Korea suffering manufacturing job exodus
A recent report shows that over 72,000 manufacturing jobs went overseas last year, a figure that could have enhanced the country's 4 percent unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. Over the past decade, over 500,000 jobs are expected to have gone abroad.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun ( http://english.hani.co.kr )
Two of three Japanese contaminated water treating systems didn't receive final approval
Two out of the three advanced liquid processing systems (ALPS) used by Japan to remove radioactive substances from contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant were found not to have received final approval by the Japanese government.
How much impact will Moon-Biden summit have on US N. Korea policy?
The announcement by the South Korean and US governments that the first in-person summit between their leaders will be taking place in the US during late May has attention focusing on the impact the meeting will have on the political situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula.
US prepares for potential need for third dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Setbacks for global COVID-19 supplies are being predicted as the US focuses more heavily on policies focused on its own population, including the administration of third booster doses and controls on exports of raw materials.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Thousands Go Bankrupt as Pandemic Drags on
Thousands of Koreans are still being forced into bankruptcy as the country sees no way out of the coronavirus pandemic.
Some 2,622 applications for bankruptcy protection were filed in the first quarter of this year, up 10 percent on-year and 19 percent from the same period in 2019.
Indian COVID Variant Detected in Korea
Nine cases of the Indian coronavirus variant have been detected in Korea. They were found in nine out of the 94 people who arrived here from India since January -- two in March and seven this month.
Police to Swoop on Cryptocurrency Market
The government has launched a crackdown on the cryptocurrency market after soaring prices raised the threat of cyber cash being used for money laundering and other criminal activities..
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The Dong-A Ilbo ( http://english.donga.com/ )
Finance minister suggests possibility of adjusting real estate policy
About the demand for easing the property holding taxes for single-homeowners and adjusting the pace of increasing the official property values, Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki said he is considering such options insofar that doing so does not send out the wrong signals.
Celltrion test kit wins emergency use authorization from FDA
A COVID-19 test kit developed by a South Korean biopharmaceutical company has acquired the FDA’s authorization for use. Celltrion announced Monday that the DiaTrust, a rapid test kit for the coronavirus jointly developed with Humasis, has earned emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
US to cooperate with Japan and Australia to build submarine cables
Alliance cooperation led by the U.S. to keep China in check has now expanded to submarine cables. The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Monday that the U.S., Japan, and Australia decided to strengthen their cooperation for submarine cables used for data communication in response to China’s growing influence.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun ( http://english.khan.co.kr/ )
[Editorial] Why We Must Hurt and Remember the Sewol
This day marks the seventh anniversary of the tragic sinking of the Sewol. When we think of the victims who died before fully blossoming, it breaks our hearts even now, but our memories fade with the passage of time. Still there are things we should not forget. Seven years ago, at 8:50 a.m. on April 16, the Sewol carrying 476 passengers including students from Danwon High School in Ansan tipped over off the coast of Jindo, Jeollanam-do and completely sank two days later.
The Number of Minor Victims of Digital Sex Crimes Doubled in 2019
The number of children and adolescents who fell victim to digital sex crimes in 2019 doubled from the previous year. Sexual offenses against children aged twelve or younger and sexual offenses committed by relatives also increased for three consecutive years.
With a Fourth Wave Just Around the Corner, the Nation Is Tired of Distancing and Running Short on Vaccines
The number of daily new cases of COVID-19 surpassed 700, fueling concerns of a fourth wave of the virus. The government’s vaccination plan, currently implemented with the goal of establishing herd immunity by November, has been disrupted due to side effects of blood clots and problems in international supply. The government warned of tighter physical (social) distancing measures and stressed the importance of precautions, but the people are on the verge of succumbing to pandemic fatigue. Despite the approach of a fourth wave of the novel coronavirus, a clear solution is nowhere in sight.
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Maeil Business News Korea ( http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/ )
Naver to award employees stock grants to keep skilled talents
South Korean internet and search giant Naver Corp. will award its rank-and-file employees with 10 million won ($9,000) worth treasury stocks per person every year for the next three years as part of its efforts to keep their skilled workers on board amid fierce competition over brain power in the IT industry.
Crypto trade and remittance falls under special crackdown in South Korea until June
South Korean authorities are stepping to investigate any irregular activities involving cryptocurrency amid renewed retail craze over the virtual money whose daily trade volume exceeds retail stock investments.
Crypto fad in Korea spills over to minor coins, brings invest from Gamevil
The cryptocurrency frenzy is building up in South Korea despite the government warning and crackdown, spilling over to other minor coins and drawing more investment from platform operators.
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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
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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The Korea Post is running video clips from the different embassies.
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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