Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post ( www.koreapost.com )
“Korea has huge potential for cooperation in textile, steel, car, shipbuilding, electronics, many more”
Chairman Antonio Henriques da Silva of the Agency for Private Investment and Exports Promotion of the Republic of Angola said, “The Republic of Korea has a robust industrial sector such as textile, steel, car manufacturing, shipbuilding and electronics.” Speaking at a recent interview with The Korea Post the Embassy of Angola in Seoul in the presence of Ambassador Edgar Gaspar Martins, Chairman Silva added, “Angola is a growing hub in the subregion, and establishing industries in Angola serves as a preferred gateway to southern Africa with the competitive advantage such as geographic location for trade,~
Chambers of parliament of Uzbekistan adopt joint decision to form commission
On July 15, 2022, a joint meeting of the Kengashes of the Legislative Chamber and the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan was held in Tashkent. At the joint meeting, the appeal of the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights (Ombudsman) on the issue of ensuring human rights and freedoms in the Republic of Karakalpakstan was considered.
Main aim of Constitutional reforms is to ensure honor, dignity of people, their interests
Dear members of the commission and participants of the meeting! I am glad to meet with you today, at a time of very important political reforms for our people. In a short time, the Constitutional Commission has accomplished an enormous work of improving the country’s Basic Law. Today we have gathered to exchange views and discuss priorities in this direction in the course of an open dialogue. Undoubtedly, the work of the Constitutional Commission will serve to further strengthen the legal foundations of our ongoing democratic reforms.
Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
Korea to Stockpile More COVID Pills
The government plans to stockpile more antiviral pills in preparation for a resurgence of COVID infections while Koreans remain reluctant to have their second vaccine booster. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency last week said it has a stockpile of 1.06 million courses of Pfizer's Paxlovid COVID pills and plans to buy 942,000 more. The pills have been prescribed for about 285,000 patients so far.
2nd COVID Booster Drive Starts for Over-50s
A concerted drive to persuade Koreans over 50 to get their second COVID booster jab starts on Monday. Also eligible are adults suffering from low immunity or chronic illnesses, the handicapped and homeless people. At least four months must have passed since the third jab, but people traveling abroad or facing hospitalization or surgery can also get their second booster after just three months.
Hyundai-Kia Sets New Sales Record in Europe
Hyundai and affiliate Kia achieved record sales in Europe in the first half of this year. ccording to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) on Sunday, the two Korean automakers combined sold 556,369 cars in the region in the first six months of this year, up 12.6 percent on-year. The previous record was set in the first half of 2018, when they sold 555,062 cars.
Joongang Ilbo (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com )
Video of fisherman's forced repatriation fans controversy
Seoul's Unification Ministry released a video Monday showing the forced repatriation of two North Korean fishermen at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom in 2019. The four-minute video, which the Unification Ministry released in a text message to reporters in the afternoon, shows the arrival of the two men at the Inter-Korean House of Freedom on the South Korean side of Panmunjom, their wait inside a conference room while bound in rope, and one of the fishermen being forcibly dragged across the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) dividing the zone.
DSME strike condemned as economic threat by government
A 46-day strike at a shipyard has been condemned by the government as a threat to the economy at the worst possible time. "The risks are increasing with inflation and high interest rates," Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho said in statement on Monday, adding that it is difficult to project when it will end. He said now is the time to focus entirely on reviving the economy and not the time to quarrel.
Korean, Japanese top envoys meet in Tokyo
Foreign Minister Park Jin met with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi in Tokyo on Monday, the first time in nearly five years the countries' top envoys had such a meeting. "I intend to openly discuss various pending issues between Korea and Japan so that we can find a good solution that meets the common interests of both countries," Park told a group of reporters at Gimpo Airport before boarding the plane to Tokyo on Monday.
The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Global money is leaving China
Global investors are leaving China due to concerns over the country’s anti-market gestures, including the strict “Covid Zero” policy under President Xi Jinping and growing possibility for geopolitical tensions. Bloomberg reported on Sunday (local time) that Ruffer, a British investment firm with 3.1 billion U.S. dollars (about 41 trillion won) of assets under management (AUM), recently shut down their Hong Kong office, which had been under operation over 10 years.
Korea's Air Force Black Eagles wins top prize at RIAT airshow
Korea's aerobatic team Black Eagles won two top prizes at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) airshow, one of the world's largest military airshows held in the United Kingdom. According to the Korean Air Force on Monday, the Black Eagles was awarded with the ‘As The Crow Flies’ trophy for the best overall flying demonstration at the RIAT held in Fairford, Gloucestershire, the U.K. from Friday to Sunday.
Incheon-Sapporo route reopens after 28 months of suspension
The Incheon-Sapporo route has been resumed after more than two years of suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Incheon International Airport Corporation announced on Monday that the Incheon-Sapporo route has been resumed at Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 on Sunday. The route has been reopened after two years and four months since it shut down in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Hyundai Motor and Kia this week to report hot earnings streak for Q2
Korea’s top two finished carmakers, Hyundai Motor and Kia would likely have done better than earlier expected for the second quarter on strong sale of premium models and a weaker won versus the U.S. dollar. According to recent market consensus, Hyundai Motor was estimated to have earned 2.3 trillion won ($1.7 billion) in operating profit for the second quarter ended June, up 22.1 percent on year, on sale of 33.08 trillion, up 9.1 percent.
Samsung Biologics adding a new campus to double capacity at $5.3 billion
Samsung Biologics is building a new campus at 7 trillion won ($5.3 billion) to double its capacity from its current rank, already at the world’s largest among biologics contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMO). The contract drug developer and manufacturer under South Korea’s Samsung Group will set up a second manufacturing campus in Songdo
Foreign ownership in Kospi sinks to 30% as stocks lose appeal from weaker rates
Foreign ownership in Korean stocks is on the brink of sinking below the 30 percent threshold as foreign capital continues to ebb out on the strong U.S. dollar hovering at its highest in 13 years and expectations of U.S. interest rates going higher than Korean ones. Foreigners accounted for 30.82 percent of Kospi market capitalization from July 1 to 15, according to data compiled by stock market operator Korea Exchange.
HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Yoon administration’s self-undermining national security takes aim at inter-Korean summits
Last Saturday, July 16, two stories appeared in the local news that made me look twice. The administration of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been rushing to vilify the North Korea policy of his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, since the final results of the Coast Guard’s investigation into the killing of a civil servant in the Yellow Sea were released on June 16. But these latest stories showed that the Yoon administration is shifting its aim to the inter-Korean summits that Moon held in 2018.
S. Korean FM heads to Japan amid tensions over reparations for forced labor victims
On Monday, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin will be meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi for the first time since his inauguration. Whether he will be able to bring about a change in attitude regarding the issue of forced labor during the Japanese colonial period from the Japanese government is drawing interest.
Presidential office shrugs off allegations of nepotism in staffer appointments
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is coming under fire for employees seemingly hired because of their personal connections, but the presidential office has countered that this amounts to “negative political attacks and framing.” As Yoon’s officials complain that the uproar over personnel hiring — which is considered a central factor in Yoon’s slipping approval ratings — is “unfair and unjust,” critics say that the presidential office remains out of touch with public opinion.
The KyungHyangShinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Chang Je-won Claims, “Kweon Seong-dong Never Pressured Me to Hire Anyone”
On July 18, People Power Party lawmaker Chang Je-won spoke on the controversial hiring of Woo, a grade-9 administrative official in the Office of the Senior Secretary for Social Affairs in the presidential office and said, “I have never been pressured by Kweon Seong-dong in any way. He only made a recommendation.” This day, Chang wrote on social media, “As for the acting party leader and floor leader Kweon Seong-dong’s comments on the personnel decisions by the Office of the President,
Student Suspected of Killing an Inha University Student Arrested after Court Recognizes “Risk of Fleeing from the Law and Destroying Evidence”
The police arrested an Inha University student suspected of raping and causing the death of another student on campus. On July 17, officers from the Michuhol Police Station in Incheon arrested A (20), a freshman at Inha University on the charge of death by quasi-rape. Judge Go Beom-jin at the Incheon District Court reviewed A’s arrest warrant before his arrest this afternoon and issued the warrant claiming that there was a risk of A fleeing from the law and destroying evidence.
President Yoon’s Approval Rating at 33%, While 54% of the People Believed the Penalty Against Lee Jun-seok Was a “Political Decision”
President Yoon Suk-yeol’s approval rating recorded 33%, dropping lower than the negative views against him in the last two weeks, according to a survey released on July 14. President Yoon’s approval ratings were lowest among respondents in their twenties and forties. More than half of the respondents said that the disciplinary action against People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok was the result of a political decision.
KBS(http://world.kbs.co.kr/service)
Top Diplomats of S. Korea, Japan Agree on Need for Early Resolution of Forced Labor Issue
The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan have agreed on the need for an early resolution of the issue of Korean victims of Tokyo's wartime forced labor. According to Seoul's foreign ministry, foreign minister Park Jin and his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi, held talks in Tokyo and shared the view that a prompt resolution of the issue is necessary. The ministry said the top diplomats discussed issues of mutual concern and pending issues between the two nations.
Yellen: More Potential Sanctions Available to Increase Pressure on N. Korea
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen reportedly said on Monday that there are more potential sanctions available to press North Korea harder toward abandoning its nuclear weapons program. Yellen made the remarks in an interview with Reuters on her military aircraft en route to South Korea for talks with top South Korean officials set for Tuesday. The secretary reportedly said additional sanctions could be imposed to increase pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program, and such measures would probably be discussed during her meetings with senior South Korean officials.
N. Korea Claims New Fever Cases Fall Below 300
North Korea claimed that its fever-related daily cases suspected to be COVID-19 fell below 300 for the first time. The North's official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) reported on Tuesday that around 250 new fever-related patients were confirmed in the 24-hour period leading up to 6 p.m. Monday nationwide. Quoting the nation's state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters, the KCNA said that about 380 patients recovered during the same period.
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Yoon asks land minister to prioritize housing stability
President Yoon Suk-yeol asked the land minister Monday to make housing stability and housing welfare his top priority tasks, his spokesperson said. Land Minister Won Hee-ryong gave a policy briefing to Yoon as part of the first set of policy reports by government ministries to the president following his inauguration in May. "The president asked that he pursue housing stability and housing welfare, which are the keys to the stability of people's livelihoods, as the top priority tasks
S. Korean gov't releases footage of two N.K. fishermen being repatriated in 2019
South Korea's unification ministry released footage Monday showing two North Korean fishermen repatriated across the inter-Korean border in 2019. The highly unusual move came amid a heated political controversy over whether it was right and appropriate for the then liberal Moon Jae-in administration to have sent them back to the North, where they must have faced harsh punishment.
N. Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases fall below 300: state media
North Korea's new suspected COVID-19 cases dropped below 300, according to its state media Tuesday. More than 250 people showed symptoms of fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. t did not provide information on whether additional deaths have been reported.
The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Change in media strategy? President responds with unusual silence
President Yoon Suk-yeol was unusually silent at a regular morning briefing on Monday, an apparent move to shift his communication style with the media amid a continuing drop in approval ratings and lingering controversies. Monday morning’s briefing at the Yongsan presidential office drew a bigger crowd than usual, with reporters ready to grill Yoon about ongoing controversies over personnel appointments and the repatriation of two North Korean fishers.
Ruling bloc eyes tax cuts to stave off stagflation
The South Korean government and the ruling party are to push for tax reforms in a bid to stave off economic stagnation from hyperinflation. Leaders of the ruling People Power Party and Deputy Prime Minister Choo Kyung-ho said in a meeting held Monday that the two sides reached a consensus that tax relief on earnings and properties is a viable means of revitalizing the economy and stabilizing people’s livelihoods.
N. Korea vows to reinforce military in renewed anti-US propaganda
North Korea should further reinforce its military strength against mounting threats and pressure from the US, the state-run media said Monday, in line with North Korea’s recent move to step up anti-American propaganda. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, said that “a series of fierce confrontations with enemies has continued” for 70 years after the 1950-53 Korean War in a front-page political essay.
The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Foreign ministers of Korea, Japan agree to seek early resolution of forced labor issue
Foreign Minister Park Jin had a meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Monday, to mend ties with Tokyo. During their closed-door meeting, Park said Seoul will make efforts to draw out "a reasonable resolution" on the forced labor issue between the countries, which is the main reason that triggered diplomatic friction between Seoul and Tokyo, according to Korea's foreign ministry.
New video shows North Korean fishermen desperately resisting deportation at DMZ
The Ministry of Unification on Monday released a four-minute video of two North Korean fishermen who were handed over to the North in November 2019, showing one of them frantically resisting repatriation. The video was made public about a week after the ministry released 10 photos that documented how they were sent back to the North at the inter-Korean border area. The photos caused a stir because the North Koreans were apparently seen as being sent back to the North against their will.
Experts call for qualified courtroom interpreters as foreign population grows
"All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law." This is a generally accepted belief as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as drafted by the United Nations. And yet, in Korea there is still debate over whether foreign nationals are subjects of fundamental rights under the nation's Constitution.
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USA Today www.usatoday.com aallman@gannett.com
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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 Heraldwww.smh.com.au
Colombia Reports http://colombiareports.com
Bogota Free Planet http://bogotafreeplanet.combfp@bogotafreeplanet.com
El Universal http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english
Andes http://www.andes.info.ec/en
Ecuador Times http://www.ecuadortimes.net
The Jordan Times https://www.jordantimes.com
LSM.lv http://www.lsm.lv/en
The Baltic Times http://www.baltictimes.com lithuania@baltictimes.com, estonia@baltictimes.com, editor@baltictimes.com
El Pais http://elpais.com/elpais/inenglish.html
Philippine Daily Inquirer https://www.inquirer.net
Daily News Hungary http://dailynewshungary.com
Budapest Times http://budapesttimes.hu
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