The Korean daily media headlines and humor

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Friday, August 11, 2017

Your Excellency:

Here are The Korea Post notices and a roundup of importantheadlines from all major Korean-language dailies, TV and other news media of Korea today:

Very Respectfully Yours

/s/

Lee Kyung-sik

Publisher-Chairman

Korea Post Media

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What’s ticking in Korea today? Here is a quick roundup of important news stories from the major Korean news media today:

The Korea Post media (www.koreapost.com) in English, (www.koreapost.co.kr) in Korean.

KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)

"Fire and Fury" Not Enough to Warn N. Korea

After his earlier warning that North Korea will be met with "fire and fury," U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the regime's fresh threat to fire missiles at Guam. [Sound bite: US President Donald Trump] "Let's see what he does with Guam. He does something in Guam, it will be an event the likes of which nobody has seen before, what will happen in North Korea." "He has disrespected our country greatly. He has said things that are horrific. And with me he's not getting away with it. He got away with it for a long time between him and his family..."

'Japan Could Intercept Guam-bound N. Korean Missiles'

In response to the threat, Japan said that it could intercept North Korean missiles if they are judged an existential threat to Japan. Japan’s Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Thursday that a missile attack on the U.S. territory would breach the U.S. deterrence against an attack on Japan, which would be a national emergency because it threatens Japan’s existence as a nation. In that case, Onedera said that Japan could exercise the right to collective self-defense and intercept the missiles. Japan has also decided to put its military on the highest alert level following the North’s threats. Japan will reportedly discuss the issue with the U.S. during a meeting of foreign and defense ministers of the two nations set for next week.

EU Expands Sanctions Against N. Korea

The Council of the EU said that it recently added nine North Korean individuals and four entities to the lists of those subject to an asset freeze and travel restrictions after the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2371 on Saturday in response to Pyongyang’s continued missile provocations. With the move, 62 people and 50 entities, such as companies, organizations and banks, are now under sanctions in line with the UN list. The EU has autonomously slapped restrictive measures on a further 41 people and seven entities.

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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

N. Korean defects to S. Korea by sea

A North Korean defected to South Korea on Friday after crossing the western sea border, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The defector was rescued on Gyodong Island, near the Yellow Sea border, around 1 a.m., according to the JCS. Questioning is under way to determine why and how the person fled the North, it added. The investigation has yet to reveal how the man in his 20s crossed the sea border into the southern side. While monitoring the border area, a South Korean Marine spotted the defector and came to his rescue, according to the military.

Trump doubles down on warnings to N. Korea

U.S. President Donald Trump doubled down on his warnings to North Korea Thursday, saying his recent threat to unleash "fire and fury" on Pyongyang may not have been tough enough. Speaking to reporters at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, Trump made clear he will respond forcefully to any North Korean attack on the U.S. or its allies. "They've been doing this to our country for a long time, for many years, and it's about time that somebody stuck up for the people of this country and for the people of other countries," he said. "So if anything, maybe that statement wasn't tough enough."

LG, Samsung tech firms sweep viral video ads chart

South Korea's top two tech firms, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, swept the chart for the week's most viral video ads, according to an advertising industry website Friday. LG's "Nano Cell Super Match," featuring a shooting match between Steven Gerrard and Adam Lallana of Liverpool, scored over 33 million clicks this week to top the Viral Video Chart released by Ad Age for the second week of August. The ad was posted at the start of the month on YouTube.

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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)

North Korea threatens ‘enveloping fire’ with four missiles around Guam

North Korea on Thursday threatened to fire four missiles around Guam in a detailed outline of attack on US territory as an escalating war of words fans fears over an armed clash. A report by the North’s state media marked a second day of explicit threats against the US, in an apparent reaction to President Donald Trump’s warning Tuesday that any North Korean attack would be met with “fire and fury.” Kim Rak-gyom, commander of the North’s Strategic Forces, said the military is “seriously considering a plan of enveloping fire” involving a simultaneous launch of four Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missiles toward Guam, the official Korean Central News Agency said.

Govt. postpones environmental survey of THAAD site

The South Korean government on Thursday postponed its plan to conduct a comprehensive environmental survey of a US anti-missile system deployed in Seongju, due to strong resistance from local residents and adverse weather conditions. The ministries of defense and environment had planned to measure the level of electromagnetic radiation and noise from the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province. Two THAAD launchers and a radar are currently operational at the site, which was previously a golf course.

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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

Trump urged to stop 'bombastic rhetoric'

U.S. President Donald Trump should stop his improvised, inflammatory rhetoric about North Korea to avoid a military conflict on the Korean Peninsula, according to the Washington-based Arms Control Association (ACA). It said Trump's reckless words have escalated tension on the peninsula, raising the possibility Pyongyang will conduct more aggressive and dangerous military provocations. "Recent bombastic rhetoric from Trump is a dangerous and ineffective strategy to halt North Korea's nuclear development and could trigger a military conflict that would not be in the U.S's interest," ACA's Nonproliferation Policy Director Kelsey Davenport and researcher Alicia Sanders-Zakre said in an email interview.

Urban poor trapped in vicious circle of poverty

Metro Manila _ A life with dignity has long been forgotten by people in the urban slum of Mabolo in Maysilo, 23 kilometers north of the Philippine capital city of Manila. Some of the residents are illegal occupants, or squatters, who had migrated to Metro Manila from rural areas for jobs but ended up in extreme poverty, with shattered dreams and no means to lead decent lives. Stretched over 636 square kilometers around the Philippine capital, Metro Manila consists of 12 cities and five municipalities. Like many other urban areas, the region has two faces _ the rich and prosperous downtown areas and the slums on the outskirts.

Seoul stocks likely to remain volatile

The escalating tension on the Korean Peninsula amid fiery rhetoric between the United States and North Korean leaders will leave the Seoul stock market volatile for a while, but its impact will be short-lived, analysts said Thursday. The stock market saw heavy sell-offs from foreign investors but closed way off its daily lows on late bargain-hunting support from institutional investors, dealers said. The benchmark KOSPI plunged to below 2,330 points at one point during the session, but recovered most of the losses toward the close and ended down 0.38 percent or 8.92 points at 2,359.47.

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DongA Ilbo (http://english.donga.com)

Russian spy aircrafts overfly Washington D.C.

An unarmed Russian Air Force aircraft flew over the Pentagon, the Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Capitol to conduct reconnaissance activities. According to CNN and ABC, Russia’s Tu-154 reconnaissance aircraft overflew downtown Washington D.C. and Camp David and Joint Base Andrews in Maryland between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. (local time) at an altitude of around 3,700 feet (1,128 meters). The aircraft also conducted surveillance at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday, passing over Bedminster, New Jersey, where President Donald Trump is vacationing.

Why did N. Korea choose Hwasong-12 over other missiles?

Why did North Korea choose the Hwasong-12 missile among an array of its missiles when it threatened to surround U.S. Pacific territory of Guam with an “enveloping fire?” It is because Pyongyang believes that the Hwasong-12 is the only one among its missile arsenals whose performance and safety have been proven. Considering that Guam is more than 3,000 kilometers away from North Korea, Pyongyang has two missiles capable of striking the island – the Musudan with a maximum range of 3,500 kilometers and the Hwasong-12 with a range of 5,000 kilometers. The North failed eight out of nine attempts to test-launch the Musudan.

Incheon kickstarts to create residence-tourism complex on Muui Island

Among the four economic free zones at the Muui and Yongyu Islands, the “Muui LK” development project will begin in earnest, starting with the town hall meeting on Friday. The Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority (IFEZ) announced that the special-purpose company Grand Development Co., Ltd. invested by Limkwang Engineering and Construction will create a residence-tourism complex, locating premium villas, shopping malls, resorts, hotels, and condominiums at the 123,005,623-square-meter Muui-dong area in Incheon by 2020. To this end, a project development plan was submitted to the IFEZ and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Once approved by undergoing various assessments such as environmental effects eval‎uation, Grand Development will begin its construction late next year when the Yeondo Bridge is open for easier access into the island.

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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)

N. Korea Details Plans to Attack Guam

North Korea on Thursday called U.S. President Donald Trump's bluff with detailed plans to attack the U.S. territory of Guam in the Pacific Ocean, complete with the missile trajectory and targets for "enveloping fire." It said the plans will be finalized next week, and then the Strategic Forces will await orders to strike from commander-in-chief Kim Jong-un, their commander Kim Rak-gyom was quoted as saying by the official KCNA news agency. The announcement, which included detailed maps, came after a week of an increasingly heated war of words between North Korea and the U.S. that saw Trump threaten Pyongyang with "fire and fury."

Moon Brushes off N. Korea's Threats

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday declined to pitch into an war of words between North Korea and the U.S. Moon met with his new military chiefs at Cheong Wa Dae and said the task facing South Korea is to "acquire the military capability to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations." He urged them to bolster South Korea's readiness level and move toward independent defense capabilities, relying less on the U.S. forces stationed here. Moon said in a telephone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday that this "is not the time for dialogue" with North Korea. But he continues to leave open the possibility of talks with the North, including the resumption of humanitarian exchanges.

Will N. Korea's Nuke Program Spark Arms Race in Northeast Asia?

North Korea's rapidly advancing nuclear and missile programs could spark an arms race in Northeast Asia and have a nuclear domino effect on South Korea and Japan. Already there are mounting calls for nuclear armament from conservative South Korean politicians. The New York Times on Tuesday quoted Japan's 2017 defense white paper as stating, "It is possible that North Korea has already achieved the miniaturization of nuclear weapons and has acquired nuclear warheads." It commented, "That bleak assessment is likely to feed a growing debate in Japan about whether the country should acquire the means to launch preemptive military strikes."

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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)

“Enveloping strike” and “fire and fury”

Shortly after President Trump warned that North Korea “will be met with fire and fury,” North Korea said it was considering an attack on Guam with tensions rising around the Korean Peninsula because of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs, Pyongyang and Washington exchanged a volley of incendiary language on Aug. 9, suggesting that they could launch a military strike at each other. Amid rumors of a crisis on the Korean Peninsula in August, US President Donald Trump openly warned that North Korea “will be met with fire and fury,” while North Korea pledged to launch a missile attack on Guam. The intensifying showdown is further increasing uncertainty on the Korean Peninsula.

The US claim that North Korea has 60 nukes is a “dangerous exaggeration,” a nuclear expert says

A US intelligence agency concluded last month that North Korea has succeeded in developing a miniaturized nuclear warhead that can be loaded on an ICBM, reports say. Officials in South Korea and the US reportedly also estimate that North Korea currently has an arsenal of 60 nuclear weapons. But some experts believe such estimates are exaggerated. On Aug. 8, the Washington Post reported that the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), which reports to the Pentagon, concluded in a classified assessment of North Korea’s nuclear program last month that the North had developed nuclear weapons that can be carried by its ballistic missile delivery systems, including ICBMs. It is not known whether North Korea has successfully tested its miniaturized nuclear warheads, the newspaper said.

“Situation is serious, don’t agree it’s a crisis”

South Korean government moves to quash rumors of “August crisis” on the peninsula, says “opportunity for a fundamental resolution will come once we’re through this” Seoul is finding itself in a deepening quandary as the US and North Korea, which conducted two test launches of its ICBM-level Hwasong-14 in July alone, ratchet up their war of words over upcoming South Korea-US joint military exercises. The South Korean government is now hustling to manage the situation and prevent the crisis from spinning out of control, while watching for possible of additional provocations from the North.

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JoongAng Ilbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)

North renews its threat to Guam

North Korea said Thursday an operational plan targeting waters near Guam will be completed by mid-August and reported to leader Kim Jong-un for his final order, threatening to send four Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missiles over Japan to land 30 to 40 kilometers (19 to 25 miles) away from the American island in the Western Pacific. The North didn’t mention when the operation would be carried out, but said it would “keep closely watching the speech and behavior of the U.S.” for cues. The statement was made in English by Kim Rak-gyom, commander of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) Strategic Force, and released via the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Bell curve for college entrance exam may end

The Ministry of Education released Thursday a proposal to revise the national college entrance exam, which may end the grading on a curve by 2021. In the current system, only scores on the English and national history sections are evaluated absolutely, while scores on other subjects - Korean language and literature, mathematics, a second foreign language, traditional Chinese characters and two elective subjects chosen from among social science subjects or pure science subjects - are evaluated on a bell curve.

Kospi uncharacteristically spooked by tensions

Seoul’s main bourse has been rattled by the dire threats traded by Washington and Pyongyang - unlike recent provocations by North Korea, which were quickly shrugged off. In fact, since U.S. President Donald J. Trump claimed Pyongyang will face “fire and fury” on Tuesday, the Kospi has been falling. On Thursday, the benchmark Kospi closed at 2,359.47, down 8.92 points, or 0.38 percent, from the previous trading day. The index fell below the 2,360-level for the first time since June 21, when it reached 2,357.53. The main index fell nearly 40 points over the past three trading days. North Korea’s more detailed threat Thursday to fire four missiles into the waters around Guam added to the rising anxiety.

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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)

Efforts to Root Out Bad Practices and to Communicate with the People Push President Moon Jae-in's Approval Ratings Up

The public's approval ratings on President Moon Jae-in's handling of state affairs continue to soar, because, it appears, of his efforts to eradicate deep-rooted evils and to communicate with the people. Moon's efforts to communicate with the people and his determination for reforms are the driving force behind the president's administration of state affairs. Meanwhile, presidential appointments such as his choice of ministers, have been the negative factors affecting his approval rating. On August 8, the Kyunghyang Shinmun analyzed the factors affecting the president's approval ratings based on the surveys of the president's approval ratings conducted by Gallop Korea.

One Officer Forced Soldiers to Eat Hunted Goose, Another Forced Subordinate to Stay Up All Night Doing His Wife's Homework

Violence and abuse of power in the military is nothing new. Due to an unreasonable structure that makes the victims suffer disadvantages when they ask for help, this has been one deep-rooted evil that we have not been able to eradicate. The recent case of Captain Bak Chan-ju and his wife, who treated the soldier in his official residence like a slave, has triggered citizens to call out, "It is now time to speak up." On August 8, the Kyunghyang Shinmun received tips on cases of abuse in the military through social network service accounts and e-mail.

A Number of Heroes and Heroines Reveal the “Truth” of May 18

A Taxi Driver, a film depicting the May 18 Democratic Uprising, continues to enjoy its popular success at the box office. The film tells the true story of Jurgen Hinzpeter, a German journalist who went to Gwangju in May 1980 and recorded the truth, and the taxi driver who took him there. Hinzpeter’s film, which captured the devastating spectacle of May 18, was possible because of the help of a Korean taxi driver, who remains unidentified.

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The Korea Economic Daily (http://english.hankyung.com/)

Auto Industry Interest Group Warns Moving Operations Overseas If Kia Loses Lawsuit

Ahead of the lower court decision on the definition of ordinary wage involving Kia Motors as a defendant, the nation's car makers warned that they would move their plants overseas if Kia loses the lawsuit. The Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association whose members include Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, GM Korea, Renault Samsung, and Ssangyong Motor, said in a statement, "If Kia Motors must pay an additional labor cost of 3 trillion won after the ordinary wage litigation, we have no choice but to consider moving our operations overseas."

Seoul's Average Home Price Moves down First Time in 17 Months

The average apartment price in Seoul has declined for the first time in 17 months due to the government's measure announced on August 2 to rein in runaway housing prices. According to the Korea Appraisal Board on August 10, the average selling price of apartments within Seoul fell 0.03 percent during the first week (August 1-7) of the month. This is an abrupt turnaround from a 0.33-percent rise in the previous week. This is the first time for the city's selling price growth rate to move to the negative realm in 75 weeks since February 29 last year (-0.01%).

SK Energy Set to Import Crude Oil from the U.S.

SK Energy has decided to import U.S. crude oil for the first time in a bid to diversify its crude import sources. This is the first instance of a Korean oil refiner to buy American oil after the U.S. Trump administration asked for more energy purchase in the Korea-U.S. summit meeting. According to SK Innovation on August 9, its subsidiary SK Energy signed a deal to import 1 million barrels of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Midland crude last month. The company will receive the shipments at Ulsan Port in October this year along with 1 million barrels of crude from Mexico.

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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)

President Moon's watches for gift different design concept

To enhance his image as a humble national leader, President Moon Jae-in has endorsed a new design in a presidential gift set of wrist watches featuring his autograph, an emblem of phoenixes and his election catchword "People First". The tradition of handing out wristwatches as a presidential gift dates back to Roh Tae-woo, an ex-army general who served as president from 1988 to 1993. In 2014, jailed ex-president Park Geun-hye handed out a limited edition of watches engraved in gold with her autograph and a pair of phoenixes, the presidential emblem, to ruling party legislators as Lunar New Year gifts. But her watches sparked a political scandal as they were traded away for political influence.

Court rules against McDonald's in controversy over bacteria-carrying burger

A South Korean court rejected an injunction requested by McDonald's to stop a state body for consumers from releasing the outcome of what it called an unfair investigation into hamburgers produced by the US fast food chain. The decision came on the heels of a high-profile legal battle between the local branch of McDonald's and the alleged victim of hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), known as "hamburger disease", a type of bacterial infection that can cause acute kidney failure.

President Moon urges improvement of human rights at military barracks

President Moon Jae-in called for the improvement of human rights at South Korean military camps saying an alleged abuse of authority by a four-star field army commander and his wife at their official residence has caused a public shock. The president's request came a day after military prosecutors questioned Park Chan-ju, chief of the 2nd Operations Command, over allegations that he and his wife had abused authority to treat house-keeping soldiers like slaves.

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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)

S. Korea’s exports up 28.2% on yr in first 10 days of August

South Korea’s exports kept up the growth momentum in the first ten days of August, gaining 28.2 percent on year thanks to unfazed demand in petroleum products and semiconductors. According to Korea Customs Service data on Friday, Korean exports reached $12.4 billion in the cited period. Exports have maintained double-digit growth since January. At this pace, Korean exports could end the month in the longest winning streak - 10 months in a row - since December 2011.

Seoul apartment prices dip to 75-week low on new measures

A set of multiple government regulations to contain runaway home prices on Aug. 2 splashed cold waters in the heated market, pushing apartment prices in Seoul to their lowest in 75 weeks. The government bundled up loan and trade regulations in its latest measures by categorizing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Gwacheon and Sejong City as speculative zones. Nationwide apartment prices on average edged up 0.01 percent from a week ago as of Monday, sharply slowing from 0.1 percent gain in the previous week, data released by Korea Appraisal Board showed on Thursday.

Shinhan Investment to inject $200mn to fund Gategroup deal as its first global IB project

Shinhan Investment Corp. and other Korean institutional investors will chip in $350 million in total to finance part of the acquisition of Swiss airline catering company Gategroup by Chinese conglomerate HNA Group. The investment marks the first overseas investment project for Shinhan Investment after it took responsible for Shinhan Financial Group’s global investment banking arm. According to industry sources on Thursday, Shinhan Investment will dole out $200 million in M&A financing to HNA Group which acquired Gategroup last year.

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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.cnkf@people.cn

China Daily www.chinadaily.com.cn circulation@chinadaily.com.cn

GwangmyeongDaily www.gmw.cn webmaster@gmw.cn