Friday, January 6, 2023
Round-up of important news from major Korean dailies and from international media today
The Korea Post ( www.koreapost.com )
"Moon Jae Myung force" has no right to say democracy”
“The Moon Jae Myung (former President Moon Jae-in and Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung) force has no right to say democracy,” said Kim Soon-duk in her column appeared on the vernacular daily Dong-A Ilbo on Jan. 5, 2023.“To me, the proud Republic of Korea seems dissatisfied with the former Moon Jae-in regime. In particular, looking at the memorial service for the victims of the Jeju 4·3 incident in 2021, it is impossible to know the identity of former President Moon.
Bosch to present new sensor-based innovations for mobility at CES 2023
Bosch will present several new sensor-based innovations for mobility – including the RideCare companion solution, which won a Best of Innovation Award from the industry association CTA, at CES 2023in Las Vegas, the U.S..The RideCare companion will play a critical part in the enhancement of safety for all vehicle occupants in connected and automated mobility, the company says. The connected hardware and software solution consists of a camera, a wireless SOS button, and cloud-based data services.
“We aim to put a smile on our customers’ faces”
LG Electronics held its press conference, LG World Premiere, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on Jan. 4, 2023. Under the theme of Life’s Good, CEO William Cho shared the company’s continuous efforts to create innovation for a better life and ensure a sustainable future for all. Affirming the company’s commitment to take on new challenges despite any uncertainties, Cho opened the show by stressing that LG has known and truly believed that the answer is always with the customer.
Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
N.Korean Drone Flew Close to Presidential Office in Seoul
One of five North Korean drones that invaded South Korean airspace on Dec. 26 flew within 3 km from the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, the South Korean military admitted Wednesday. At the time, military authorities repeatedly dismissed the possibility and claimed it only got as far as Eunpyeong district in the north of the capital. But analysis by military and intelligence agencies shows that one of the drones returned from spying on an area near the presidential office, Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup reported to President Yoon Suk-yeol.
Mercedes-Benz Keeps Top Spot in Foreign Car Sales
Registrations of imported cars reached a new record last year, and Mercedes-Benz ranked at the top for the seventh year running by selling more than 80,000 cars here for the first time ever. The Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association said Wednesday that imported vehicle registrations increased 2.6 percent last year to 283,435. Teslas were for some reason not included. Mercedes-Benz sold 80,976 cars, beating rival BMW's 78,545. Audi came third with 21,402, followed by Volkswagen (15,791), Volvo (14,431) and Mini (11,213).
Former N.Korean FM 'Executed in Purge'
Former North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho was executed in a purge of senior diplomats last year, Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun daily reported Wednesday. Along with Ri, four or five North Korean Foreign Ministry officials appear to have been executed, it added citing sources. They are believed to have been killed last summer or fall. The newspaper said their execution appears to be linked to their activities in the North Korean Embassy in the U.K., which became a global embarrassment for the regime when the deputy ambassador, Thae Yong-ho, defected to South Korea in 2016.
Joongang Ilbo (https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com )
Samsung Electronics reports worst quarterly profit in 8 years
Samsung Electronics posted 4.3 trillion won ($3.3 billion) in operating profit in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to an earnings guidance released by the company Friday. The figure is down 69 percent on year and is the worst quarterly result since the third quarter of 2014. It is far below the consensus estimate of 6.9 trillion won as compiled by FnGuide. Sales are forecast to be 70 trillion won, down 8.58 percent on year, and short of the market expectation of 72.7 trillion won.
NIS says North's Ri Yong-ho was purged, possibly executed
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed that North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho was purged, but it isn’t clear if he was executed. Ri played a key role in the summits between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore in 2018 and Hanoi in 2019. Ri’s situation was reported by the NIS to legislators on the National Assembly Intelligence Committee on Thursday. An official who attended the briefing said the NIS did not describe the reasons for Ri’s downfall. Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun reported recently that Ri might have been executed last year for unspecific reasons.
Korail's monopoly on train repairs is challenged
The CEO of the company that runs Korea's Super Rapid Train (SRT) system questioned the monopoly held by Korea Railroad (Korail) on train repairs and maintenance after a power cut led to canceled trains on Dec. 30. “We can’t guarantee railway safety with the current repair and maintenance system that separates construction and management,” Lee Jong-kook, CEO of SR, said Thursday at a press conference. SR is a subsidiary of Korail, which owns 41 percent of its shares.
The Dong-A Ilbo (http://english.donga.com/)
Ukraine’s dilemma: Weapons with high price tag
According to the New York Times (NYT) on Tuesday, Ukraine is concerned about its high-tech weapons used to knock down Russia’s drones cost too much. It means Ukraine is in a profitability dilemma because it has no alternative weapons to replace the high-price missiles to shoot down cheap drones. Iranian self-destructing drones, which Russia has been using recently, cost as little as 20,000 U.S. dollars each. In contrast, the cost of firing an American NASAMS, a surface-to-air missile, costs 25 times more, reaching 500,000 dollars.
Rep. Gwon Seong-dong rescinds candidacy for party chair
Rep. Gwon Seong-dong, a de facto leader among the closest confidants of President Yoon Suk Yeol in the ruling People Power Party, has given up his candidacy for the party leadership election. Some pundits suggest that the candidacy from the pro-Yoon faction from the ruling party has been unified for Rep. Kim Ki-hyeon. Whether former ruling party lawmakers Na Gyeong-won or Yoo Seung-min might run for the election seems to be the only variable for the upcoming election.
U.S. inventor files a lawsuit for recognition of AI software as inventor
Can artificial intelligence (AI) be recognized as an inventor? According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Thursday, American AI developer Stephen Thaler filed an administrative lawsuit against the Korean patent office at the Korean court in refutation of the Korean Intellectual Property Office’s denial of his patent application listing AI as an inventor. Mr. Thaler filed two patent applications in May 2022, naming an AI program called “DABUS” as the inventor.
Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Samsung Electronics promises a better connected world at CES 2023
Samsung Electronics Co. has promised to build a “better connected world” and a “more sustainable future” by seamlessly connecting devices of its own and its partner brands. Han Jong-hee, chief operating officer and head of the Device eXperience division at Samsung Electronics, unveiled the company’s aim to bring better connected device experience and build a more sustainable future at a press conference held in Las Vegas on Wednesday, a day before the opening of CES 2023 tradeshow.
HD Hyundai unveils “Ocean Transformation” vision at CES
HD Hyundai Group, owner of the world’s biggest shipbuilder, unveiled its “Ocean Transformation” vision for a sustainable future through advanced shipbuilding and energy-saving solutions at CES 2023 on Wednesday. HD Hyundai Co.’s CEO Chung Ki-sun said that Ocean Transformation represents a fundamental reframing of the company‘s perspective and approach on ocean utilization with a focus on sustainability. The approach embodies a more concrete role for HD Hyundai and the direction it is heading with the Future Builder initiative the company announced at last year’s CES.
S. Korean EV battery trio rapidly lose ground to Chinese rivals in 2022
South Korea’s top three electric vehicle (EV) battery makers are rapidly losing ground to their Chinese rivals, with LG Energy Solution Ltd. yielding its title of the world’s second largest EV battery supplier to Chinese peer BYD Co. last year. According to SNE Research on Wednesday, global battery usage for EVs from January to November in 2022 totaled 446.0 gigawatt-hour (GWh), recording a 74.7 percent year-on-year growth.
HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Yoon threatens to suspend inter-Korean agreement aimed at de-escalation
On Wednesday, President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea ordered the Office of National Security to consider suspending the inter-Korean Comprehensive Military Agreement if the North conducts another provocation that breaches South Korean territory. The president’s latest move comes after North Korean drones infiltrated South Korean airspace above Seoul late last year. This marks the first time the president has directly mentioned suspending the validity of the Sept. 19 agreement. The military agreement, which has served as a minimum buffer to prevent accidental military clashes between the two Koreas, is at a crossroads after four years and three months of its signing in 2018.
Leaders of two Koreas engage in perilous game of chicken
The Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement is hanging by a thread after President Yoon Suk-yeol’s comments on Wednesday calling for the suspension of the agreement to be considered. The president said the suspension of the agreement, which has often been called a safety valve for inter-Korean relations, should be considered if the North conducts another provocation that violates South Korean territory. On Jan. 1, the same day when Kim Jong-un called the “South Korean puppets” the North’s “undoubted enemy,” Yoon’s call for being ready for battle further raised tensions and increased the risk of accidental clashes between the two Koreas.
Biden denies talk of joint US-SK nuclear exercises after Yoon’s comments spark confusion
The divergent remarks by the South Korean and US presidents on discussions of “joint planning and exercises” involving US nuclear capabilities in response to the North Korean nuclear and missile threats are drawing attention to differences in their attitudes on the nuclear arsenal’s operation. When asked by a reporter Monday whether the US was discussing joint nuclear exercises with South Korea, US President Joe Biden answered in the negative, according to a Reuters report. The same report went on to quote a US administration official as saying that “regular nuclear exercises would be ‘extremely difficult’ because South Korea is not a nuclear power.”
The KyungHyangShinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
President Yoon Stands Firm and Alert: Tension Peaks on the Korean Peninsula
On January 4, President Yoon Suk-yeol instructed the Office of National Security to review suspending the effect of the September 19 military agreement if North Korea provoked the South by invading South Korean territory again. He also ordered the security office to establish a joint drone unit and to develop micro drones by the end of the year to respond to the North’s drone provocation. The president is considering the suspension of the inter-Korean agreement as he strengthens the military response to a series of provocations by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Education Ministry Was Quick to Add the Missing “Invasion of the South,” But Claims “Researchers” Decided to Omit the May 18 Pro-Democracy Movement
The new curriculum to be introduced in 2024 failed to mention the May 18 pro-democracy movement, stirring controversy. The Ministry of Education explained that it was omitted in the process of simplifying the curriculum, but the ministry came under fire for its inconsistent response. In the past, when it left out the June 25 invasion of the South by North Korea, it had rushed to bow before the public and revise the curriculum. In a press back-briefing on January 4, an education ministry official spoke on the controversy surrounding the omission of the May 18 pro-democracy movement in the 2022 revised curriculum.
“Investigations Trying to Embarrass My Spouse and My In-laws” Is President Yoon Giving Guidelines to the Prosecution Service?
President Yoon Suk-yeol recently described the prosecutors’ investigations into his in-laws as an attempt “to catch whatever they can.” His comment has triggered speculation that the president is giving directions on the investigation and trial. President Yoon has been personally controlling the Prosecution Service through Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon and filled key positions in the Prosecution Service with prosecutors in “Yoon Suk-yeol’s Division,” so experts argued that the messages like the latest one could influence investigations and the maintenance of public prosecution (trials).
KBS(http://world.kbs.co.kr/service)
Top Office: Military Found on Tues. North’s Drone Entered No-Fly Zone Last Week, Yoon Ordered Disclosure
The military reportedly determined on Tuesday that one of the North Koreans drones that violated South Korean airspace last Monday flew over a no-fly zone in Seoul. According to the top office on Thursday, the military reached the conclusion on Tuesday and reported it the next day to President Yoon Suk Yeol, who then ordered that it be disclosed to the nation. The top office issued the position after the Joint Chiefs of Staff belatedly confirmed on Thursday that the drone crossed into the no-fly zone encompassing the presidential office. The defense ministry earlier denied the infiltration into the no-fly zone.
NIS Can’t Rule out Possibility that N. Korean Drone Filmed Yoon’s Office in Last Week’s Incursion
South Korea's spy agency said on Thursday that it cannot rule out the possibility that one of the North Korean drones that recently infiltrated South Korean airspace filmed the presidential office in Seoul. According to Rep. Youn Kun-young of the main opposition Democratic Party, the National Intelligence Service(NIS) confirmed that one of the North Korean drones passed through the northern part of the “P-73” no-fly zone that encompasses the presidential office.
Third KF-21 Fighter Jet Prototype Successfully Completes Maiden Flight
The third prototype of South Korea's homegrown fighter jet, the KF-21 "Boramae," has successfully completed its maiden test flight. According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration(DAPA) on Thursday, the jet took off at 1:01 p.m. from the Air Force's Third Flying Training Wing in Sacheon and landed without a hitch at 1:38 p.m. The first and second prototypes of the KF-21, a supersonic fighter jet under development, carried out successful maiden flights on July 19 and November 10 last year, respectively.
Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
U.S. will work closely with S. Korea to monitor threat posed by N. Korea: Pentagon
The United States continues to work closely with South Korea to monitor threats posed by North Korea, a Pentagon spokesperson said Thursday, after a group of North Korean drones infiltrated South Korea before returning home. Defense Department spokesperson Brig. Ge. Pat Ryder also highlighted that the U.S. maintains "intelligence capabilities" in the region. "We certainly have been very clear from here about the threats posed by the DPRK, as well as our commitment to working closely with the ROK, Japan and other partners in the region to uphold regional stability and security," Ryder said when asked about the drone incident.
Nat'l baseball team manager travels to Australia for WBC scouting trip
With an eye on taking the ever-important first game of a major baseball tournament in March, Lee Kang-chul, manager of the South Korean national team, flew to Australia on Thursday for a scouting trip. Lee and four members of his coaching staff will be checking on Australian Baseball League (ABL) games through Sunday and arrive back home Monday. South Korea will face Australia in the first Pool B game of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) on March 9 at Tokyo Dome.
S. Korea's Navy stages New Year's live-fire drills amid N.K. threats
South Korea's Navy conducted its first live-fire drills of the year earlier this week, officials said Thursday, in a major display of naval might against evolving North Korean threats. Designed to check the Navy's combat readiness, the annual drills took place in waters off the country's eastern, western and southern coasts on Wednesday, involving flagship warships and personnel from the Navy's 1st, 2nd and 3rd Fleets.
The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Rebalancing S. Korea-Japan relations requires steps, not leaps: Hosaka
For too long, South Korea has misplaced hope in breakthroughs, while Japan has pursued small steps rather than giant leaps in ties. That is a lesson for Seoul to mirror Japan’s strategy to negotiate better as they seek to reset relations amid longtime historical disputes, according to Yuji Hosaka -- a naturalized Japan-born Korean known for his decades-old campaign on dealing with Japan. How the two Asian neighbors should bring closure to holding Japan responsible for its wartime crimes and compensating Korean victims, who suffered from sexual slavery or forced labor during World War II, have been at the center of a debate that is yet to be resolved.
S. Korean military admits N.Korean drone entered presidential office no-fly zone
The South Korean military on Thursday belatedly confirmed an uncrewed North Korean aerial vehicle flew over no-fly zones designated around the presidential office and residence in central Seoul, walking back on earlier remarks that it did not do so. The Joint Chiefs of Staff statement was made during a closed-door briefing on the interim outcomes of its ongoing investigation on the intrusion of five uncrewed air vehicles, or UAVs, into South Korean airspace on Dec. 26 last year. They flew over the densely populated city of Seoul and residential areas along the western inter-Korean border for hours, but the South Korean military failed to bring down any of them.
NIS says Ri Yong-ho purged, unclear whether executed: lawmakers
Lawmakers on Thursday shared the South Korean spy agency’s assessment that former North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho appears to have been purged. The lawmakers of the National Assembly’s intelligence committee said in a closed-door briefing that the National Intelligence Service was able to confirm that Ri was purged by the regime. The closed-door briefing was held after the spy agency briefed the parliamentary intelligence committee during Thursday’s plenary session. Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Youn Kun-young said the NIS has not yet been able to verify the news report earlier that Ri was executed
The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
SK On doing its best for a turnaround in battery biz despite uncertainties: co-chief
SK On is continuing to make best efforts for a turnaround in its battery business despite volatile market conditions, its co-chief said Thursday. Chey Jae-won, senior vice chairman of SK Group and a co-chief of its battery-making arm, made the remarks at CES 2023 taking place in Las Vegas, commenting on the outlook for the loss-making unit amid an aggressive overseas push. "I can't say for sure since there are too many variables, but we're putting a lot of efforts to achieve a turnaround at an early date," Chey told reporters after touring the SK exhibition booth.
US will work closely with Seoul to monitor NK threat: Pentagon
The United States continues to work closely with South Korea to monitor threats posed by North Korea, a Pentagon spokesperson said Thursday, after a group of North Korean drones infiltrated South Korea before returning home. Defense Department spokesperson Brig. Ge. Pat Ryder also highlighted that the U.S. maintains "intelligence capabilities" in the region. "We certainly have been very clear from here about the threats posed by the DPRK, as well as our commitment to working closely with the ROK, Japan and other partners in the region to uphold regional stability and security," Ryder said when asked about the drone incident. "And so we will continue to coordinate closely with the South Korean government and (the) Ministry of Defense as those threats can continue to exist," he added.
Beds run out at Beijing hospital as COVID-19 spreads
Patients, mostly older people, laid on stretchers in hallways or took oxygen while sitting in wheelchairs as a COVID-19 outbreak stretched public health facilities' resources in China's capital Beijing, even after its reported peak. The Chuiyangliu hospital in the city's east was packed Thursday with newly arrived patients. Beds ran out by midmorning, even as ambulances continued to bring more people in. Hard-pressed nurses and doctors rushed to take information and triage the most urgent cases.
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