Thursday, April 22, 2021
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and international media today
The Korea Post (http://www.koreapost.com/)
“Korea, Viet Nam share valuable experience of turning crisis into opportunity”
“The Republic of Korea formally established diplomatic relations with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1992 and for the past 29 years the two countries have become increasingly friendly countries to each other,” so said the Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs recently on the relations, friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
Enhancing the role of Ombudsman for human rights, freedom, legitimate interests of people
The following article was contributed to The Korea Post media by Vice President Rhee IKHyeon of Mokwon University.—Ed.
Uzbekistan is carrying out a systematic work to fulfill international commitments, to strengthen the legal and institutional framework of the protection of human rights, to implement international human rights standards in national legislation and to intensify cooperation with international organizations on the protection of human rights..
Shilla Stay Seobusan aims to satisfy ‘hocance’ and business demands
Hotel Shilla's premium business brand Shilla Stay opened "Shilla Stay Seobusan" on April 15. It is the second hotel to open in Busan after Haeundae, targeting domestic and foreign business and the hocance (hotel+vacance) demand in western Busan, which is becoming an international tourist city.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Gov't to Upgrade Nationwide Railway Network to Connect New Locations
Anchor: The railway network in South Korea will be revamped over the next ten years to allow train trips between any major region within the country in less than three hours. The state-run Korea Transport Institute presented its plan at a Transport Ministry hearing on Thursday, seeking to expand the nation’s rail network and speed up train services linking new locations.
S. Korea to Review Purchasing Russian-Made Vaccine amid Global Shortage
Anchor: The South Korean government is reportedly reviewing the safety of the Russian-made COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, as the country struggles to secure a sufficient supply amid a global shortage. The U.S., meanwhile, emphasized prioritizing Americans in administering vaccines in its stockpile when asked about a possible swap deal with South Korea. Choi You Sun has more on the supply of the vaccines to South Korea.
Nat'l Policy Committee Approves Bill to Prevent Public Officials' Conflict of Interest
The National Assembly’s National Policy Committee approved on Thursday a bill that will prohibit public officials from seeking personal gain by using confidential work-related information. Under the "Conflict of Interest Prevention Act," a public official who engages in a transaction related to his or her work must report the deal in advance or refrain from taking part in such actions. The government will be able to take disciplinary action and file criminal charges against those who use undisclosed information in a private transaction..
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
New virus cases in 700s for 2nd day, vaccinations set to top 2 mln
South Korea reported more than 700 new virus cases for the second straight day on Thursday amid lingering woes over another wave of the pandemic as the country's vaccination campaign gathers pace, with vaccinations set to top 2 million. The country identified 735 more COVID-19 cases, including 715 local infections, raising the total caseload to 116,661, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said. The figure was the highest since Jan. 7 when the country reported 869 cases.
Moon to meet Biden, Xi in virtual climate summit, declare Seoul's new emission reduction goal
South Korean President Moon Jae-in will unveil the country's plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions more drastically when he participates in a virtual multilateral summit on climate change to be hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday, CheongWaDae said. Moon also plans to declare Seoul's strong commitment to phase out coal power use during the Leaders Summit on Climate set to open at night (Seoul time). He is meeting online with Biden for the first time since the U.S. leader took office in January. Chinese President Xi Jinping is taking part in the first-day session as well, along with two dozen other global leaders.
Son Heung-min's career-high 15th goal results in Tottenham's 2-1 victory over Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur's striker Son Heung-min has scored his career-high 15th goal in a Premier League season. In a Premier League match against Southampton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Wednesday (local time), the South Korean star netted a goal from the penalty spot in added time to give his team a 2-1 victory. It is Son's 15th goal of the 2020-2021 Premier League season, breaking his previous personal best total of 14 set in the 2016-2017 season.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Nearly 2m vaccinated in S. Korea as inoculation rollout speeds up
South Korea has inoculated nearly 2 million people so far as the country ramps up its COVID-19 immunization drive by providing more shots and securing more doses. An accumulated 1,903,767 people were administered with their first shots as of Wednesday as part of the nationwide campaign that kicked off on Feb. 26, accounting for 3.66 percent of the country's 52 million population, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.
US focused on vaccinating Americans, but may help others later: Price
The United States is currently focused on vaccinating its own people for the COVID-19 pandemic but may be able to help other countries in the future, a State Department spokesman said Wednesday. Ned Price made the remark after South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said his country was in "earnest discussion" with the United States to borrow COVID-19 vaccines in what he called a "vaccine swap" arrangement.
Women suffer greater employment shock than men amid pandemic: report
South Korean women have suffered employment strains more than men amid the pandemic as job posts in the in-person service segment, hard hit by the virus outbreak, sharply eroded, a report showed Thursday. The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a severe blow to married women in the labor force, compared with previous economic turmoil when married men suffered sharp job losses, according to the report by the Korea Development Institute (KDI).
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The Korea Times ( http://www.koreatimes.co.kr )
Cardinal reaffirms opposition to same sex marriage
Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seoul has reaffirmed his opposition to same-sex marriage while also opposing discrimination due to sexual orientation.
Australia ends 'Belt and Road' deals with China
Australia has cancelled two Chinese ''Belt and Road'' infrastructure building initiative deals with a state government, provoking an angry response from Beijing.
The bilateral deals with Victoria state were among four vetoed under new laws that give the federal government power to overrule international agreements by lower-level administrations that violate the national interest, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said late Wednesday.
Seoul mayor vows to make Seoul globally competitive
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon vowed, Thursday, to turn Seoul into a top-tier, globally-competitive city during his term in office.
Oh, who won in the April 7 by-elections, was inaugurated during a ceremony at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) that was broadcast online.
"I did a lot of work over the last 10 years before coming to office again. I think it was a process of preparing and training for the Seoul Metropolitan Government again today," Oh said in his inauguration speech.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun ( http://english.hani.co.kr )
Moon praises China’s vaccine diplomacy ahead of his Washington visit
South Korean President Moon Jae-in voiced his support for China’s diplomatic outreach using the COVID-19 vaccine in a video message sent to the Boao Forum for Asia, which was held Tuesday in the Chinese province of Hainan. In the message, Moon credited the Chinese government for its efforts to donate vaccines to the developing world.
Will US loan COVID-19 vaccines to S. Korea?
Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung Eui-yong said that Seoul is “in serious discussions” with the US over a vaccine swap arrangement.
The vaccine swap arrangement discussed Tuesday at the National Assembly is a system in which South Korea, which is suffering difficulties at the moment with its COVID-19 vaccine supplies, would receive a portion from the US, which it would repay at a later date.
Yoon Seok-youl leads Lee Jae-myung in head-to-head poll
Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl maintains his definite lead over other presidential hopefuls in a survey conducted by the polling company Realmeter.
Realmeter said that Yoon is outpacing other presidential hopefuls in head-to-head matchups. The survey released Monday had Yoon ahead of Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung by a 51.5 to 32.3% margin and also showed him leading former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yon 51.6 to 30.1%.
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Chosun Ilbo ( http://english.chosun.com )
Court Rules Wartime Sex Slaves Cannot Sue Japan
A Korean court ruled Wednesday that women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese imperial army cannot seek compensation from the Japanese government through the Korean legal system.
The ruling came three months after the same court recognized the right of another group of sex slaves and their families to sue the island country for compensation here.
Chronic Anger Still Grips Most Koreans
Six out of every 10 Koreans are convulsed by chronic anger, a study suggests. Among social and political issues, they feel angriest at the lack of morality and corruption among politicians and political parties.
The study by You Myoung-soon of Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Health was published Wednesday based on a survey of 1,478 adults in February.
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Moon Says No Pardon in Sight for Jailbird Ex-Presidents
President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday reiterated that broad public consensus would be required before the two former conservative presidents who are in jail for corruption can be pardoned.
Moon made the remarks in a luncheon meeting with newly elected Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Busan Mayor Park Hyung-joon at CheongWaDae on Wednesday.
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The Dong-A Ilbo ( http://english.donga.com/ )
More people have negative perceptions towards child birth and child
Park, a 19-year-old who lives in Nowon-gu, Seoul, recently began to have thoughts of living on her own just like a cousin in her 30s, who enjoys a single life. “I think it’s better to live alone, keep a cat as a pet and enjoy hobbies would be much happier than getting married and starting a family,” she said. Hong, a 16-year-old girl who lives in Guri City, fancies getting married but is not interested in having children of her own. “I don’t really want to raise a child when I think of my mom giving up her career as a daycare center teacher to take care of me,” she explained.
Queen Elizabeth II spends 95th birthday without Prince Philip
Queen Elizabeth II marked her 95th birthday on Wednesday (local time). As her birthday came soon after the death of her husband Prince Philip of 74 years on April 9, there wouldn’t be any official celebration, including the traditional gun salute and the release of a new portrait, according to the Daily Telegraph.
KOSPI hits 3-month high
South Korea’s benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) hit a three-month closing high on Tuesday as foreign investors, who had been net sellers of Korean shares after the spread of COVID-19, made a net purchasing of local shares. The KOSPI closed at 3,220.70, up 21.86 points from the previous day, breaking its previous record of 3,208.99 set on Jan. 25. The index reached an all-time high of 3,266.23 on Jan. 11.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun ( http://english.khan.co.kr/ )
Adjusting the Vaccination Schedule According to Vaccine Supply: Essential Workers to Receive the AstraZeneca Vaccine First
The government will begin administering the AstraZeneca vaccine to essential workers, such as the police, Coast Guard, and firefighters aged thirty and older at the end of this month. Originally, they were scheduled to receive the vaccine in June. Due to the rare blood clots linked with the vaccine, people under the age of thirty were excluded from the list of people scheduled to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. So authorities decided to increase the number of people who receive their first shots by administering the vaccine to essential workers first. However, some experts point out that the government should not part from the principle of administering the vaccine to older adults first, since they face a higher risk of death.
Unclear Role of Director General for Disease Control Ki Mo-ran: Expectations and Concerns Between Disease Control and Politics
President Moon Jae-in newly established the director general for disease control at Cheongwadae and appointed Ki Mo-ran (pictured), a professor at the National Cancer Center, triggering speculations of change in the governance of “disease control” against COVID-19. As the nation faces the danger of a fourth wave of the virus as well as an unstable supply of vaccines, local governments are trying to survive by each seeking its own solution, threatening existing disease control authorities from functioning as the main “control tower.” In addition, due to the resignation of former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, the head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters is vacant until the appointment of prime minister nominee Kim Boo-kyum.
[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.
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Maeil Business News Korea ( http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/ )
Hyundai Motor’s Q1 OP nearly doubles on yr, Q2 doubtful amid chip woes
Hyundai Motor Co. Thursday reported a 92 percent gain in operating income from pandemic-hit year-ago period and 32 percent against the previous quarter when it reflected recall cost for battery defects in the first three months as it benefited from faster-than-expected demand pickup in the United States and Europe, its key market for premium brands.
IMM PE to buy SK Innovation’s 49% stake in SK Lubricants for $1.34 bn
South Korea’s IMM Private Equity (IMM PE) via its unit IMM Credit Solution will acquire a 49 percent stake in the country’s leading lubricants producer SK Lubricants from SK Innovation for an estimated 1.5 trillion won ($1.34 billion) to seek for growth in the era of mobility shift to electric vehicles and hydrogen cars.
EV battery separator leader SK IET expected to price IPO at top-end $94
SK IE Technology Co. (SK IET), world’s top Tier 1 wet process electric vehicle battery separator, is expected to comfortably price its IPO at the top end of 105,000 won ($94) next week and raise 2.3 trillion won from the public offering next month, given the renewed heat in the Kospi market and spectacular IPO track record for SK-bearing names.
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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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