The Korean daily media headlines and humor

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Monday, October 23, 2017

Your Excellency:

Here are The Korea Post notices and a roundup of important headlines 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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63 envoys, other diplomats visit Cheongsong, see local culture, Customs, festival

At the invitation of Governor Han Dong-Soo of County

A total of 63 ambassadors, senior diplomats and spouses visited Cheongsong County in Gyeongsangbukdo on May 1, 2010 to attend the 25th Sudallae Azalea Festival in front of the picturesque Juwangsan Mountain, and tour historical and cultural sites.

Why repeat the story and pictures published by The Korea Post media over seven years ago?

It is because Mayor Governor Han Dong-Soo invited and warmly accommodated a total of 63 ambassadors and other diplomats attending the famous Apple Festival in his city in that year. The tour was organized by The Korea Post media.

In May seven years ago in 2010, the then Singaporean Ambassador Chua Thai Keong of Singapore (seventh from left, front row) poses with Mayor Han Dong-Soo of the

Cheongsong County (standing eighth from left, front row) together with over sixty other ambassadors and senior members of the Seoul Diplomatic Corps in front of the famed

Juangsan Mountain in Cheongsong Country.This year again, ambassadors, senior diplomats and their sposues are invited to visit the famed tourist sites of the country at the invitation of Mayor Han.

This year again, specifically on Nov. 3 this year, Mayor Han is again inviting the ambassadors and other senior members of the Seoul Diplomatic Corps with their spouses to attend the ever-growing Apple Festival this year. As its name represents, Cheongsong County is a land of green forest and clean water. Surrounded by high mountain ranges including Mt. Taebaek-san and Mt. Juwang-san, forest occupies 82% of its total area and the forest is mainly formed by pine trees. Literally, ‘cheong’ means blue or green. It also represents spring, youthfulness, east and nobleness. And ‘song’ means pine tree. The pine tree represents integrity, longevity and flourishing. Thus, ‘cheongsong’ means the most ideal region to live in with dignity. With this secluded natural environment, the County has been known even as a utopia. Now the County is striving to achieve sustainable growth in a unique way. The Korea Post recently interviewed its Mayor Han Dong-su. Excerpts from the interview follow.--Ed.

Governor Han (standing eighth from left, front row) and Ambassador Chua Thai Keong of Singapore (dean of visiting members of the Diplomatic

Corps (seventh from left, same row) pose with other ambassadors madams and visiting members of the Seoul Corps in front of the Government

Building of Cheongsong County, Gyeongsang buk-do on May 1, 2010.

Question: With a total population of 26,000 and 32% of elderly population, what is your strategy for sustainable growth?
Answer: The most important factor for sustainable growth is enhancement of a brand. We produce best quality apples and they represent the County, but the apple still has weak product brand. Clean air and water with annual average diurnal range as wide as 13.4℃, relatively less annual amount of precipitation of around 1,000mm and large amount of sunshine provide an ideal environment for producing excellent quality apples featuring sweet taste, sour taste and pleasant texture.

Ambassador Chua of Singapore (center) listens to an explanation on the Cheongsong apple given by

Governor Han (right) as Chairman Lee interprets it (left).

Since registering apples for the geographical indication system in 2007, the County government has been actively publicizing Cheongsong apples with the brand name of ‘premium products produced by the nature’ while conducting various promotional activities such as offering chances of visiting and tasting apples to members of sisterhood communities to expand consumption networks in large cities.It also modernized distribution facilities and increased export.

At the Korea Agricultural Products Power Brand Exhibition, Cheongsong apples received the grand prize in apple segment for third consecutive year since 2008, and they were honored with the grand prize in apple segment of the Korean Representative Brand Contest for fifth consecutive year since 2013.

(Please scroll down to the bottom for additional details and LETTER OF INVITATION this year for the Ambassadors, Senior Diplomats and Spouses.)

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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.

S. Korean defense chief in Philippines for ASEAN meeting

South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo arrived in the Philippines on Monday to join a high-level regional security forum. North Korea will be among the agenda items at the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Clark, Pampanga, about two hours north of Manila. The two-day session to open later in the day brings together defense chiefs of Southeast Asian nations and their eight dialogue partners: South Korea, the United States, China, Japan, Russia, Australia, India and New Zealand. This will be Song's debut at a multilateral security conference as South Korea's defense minister. He took office in July.

Solar energy can better create jobs than atomic, coal-fired thermal power: KIET

Solar power can create more jobs than atomic and coal-fired electric energy generation, a state-run think tank said Sunday.In a report on solar power job creation in the fourth industrial revolution era, the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET) said that while nuclear and conventional thermal power plants do not really result in meaningful hiring, US$1 million invested in solar energy can result in some 15.7 new positions. It said the difference is due to the relatively low entry barrier for solar power generation.

Stock rally adds more to stock-rich list: data

The number of stock-rich persons with their stock holdings valued at 1 trillion won (US$883 million) or more rose to the highest ever as the local stock market continued to renew its all-time highs on the back of sound corporate earnings and ample liquidity, industry data showed Sunday. According to industry tracker Chaebul.com, the number of persons with 1 trillion won or more worth of stocks stood at 27, up five from 22 at the end of last year. The country's benchmark index, the KOSPI, closed at an all-time high of 2,489.54 points Friday, rising some 23 percent so far this year. Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee maintained the top of the stock-rich list by holding shares worth 19.56 trillion won as of Friday, up 37.1 percent, or 5.29 trillion won, from the end of last year, followed by his son and the heir of the country's top conglomerate, Lee Jae-yong, with 8.49 trillion won.

Seoul to take fresh measures to curb household debt

South Korea is set to unveil another set of measures this week, the third of its kind, aimed at curbing rising household debts amid expectations that the central bank would raise its key rate in the coming months, industry sources said Sunday.The measures, due Tuesday, come as a rise in housing prices still does not show signs of abating despite a series of measures, including heightened financial regulations.Over the past few years, housing prices in South Korea have continued to rise on the back of low interest rates.Last month, home-backed loans increased 3.3 trillion won (US$2.9 billion) to reach 561 trillion won, accelerating from a 3.1 trillion-won rise the previous month.

Moon vows to enhance safety of nuclear reactors, continue building nuclear-free nation

President Moon Jae-in vowed to enhance the safety of nuclear reactors Sunday, accepting the recent recommendation by a public debate commission to resume the construction of two new nuclear reactors that he earlier promised to scrap. "The government will quickly resume the construction of the Shin Kori-5 and Shin Kori-6 nuclear reactors in accordance with the outcome of the debate," the president said in a statement released by the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae. The remarks came two days after the state commission, following a three-month deliberation process, recommended the two unfinished nuclear reactors be completed and put in operation. The public debate began in July after the president agreed to first find out what the general public wished to do with the two new nuclear reactors whose construction already began in 2016.

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

Trump Says US 'Totally Prepared' for N. Korea Threat

U.S. President Donald Trump said his country is "totally prepared" to respond to threats from North Korea. In an interview aired Sunday on Fox News, Trump made it clear that the U.S. is ready to use military action against Pyongyang if necessary. "We're so prepared like you wouldn't believe... You would be shocked to see how totally prepared we are if we need to be. Would it be nice not to do that? The answer is yes. Will that happen? Who knows?" The AFP said that Trump appeared to allude to potential conflict with North Korea. When asked about his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said that he has exceptional relationship with Xi, praising his actions against North Korea.

Defense Chiefs of S. Korea, US, Japan to Hold Talks in Philippines

South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo will attend a regional security forum on Monday in the Philippines. Song plans to discuss North Korea and other pending security issues with his counterparts from South Asian countries in the two-day ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus(ADMM-Plus) in Clark, Pampanga. The minister is scheduled to hold trilateral talks with his American and Japanese counterparts - James Mattis and Itsunori Onodera - on Monday afternoon on the sidelines of the event. Song and Onodera will also hold separate bilateral talks to discuss the North Korean nuclear and missile threats. The defense chiefs of South Korea and the U.S. will hold their bilateral talks in Seoul during the annual Security Consultative Meeting on Saturday.

Abe Set for Landslide Victory in Japanese Election

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's coalition are on track to a landslide victory in Sunday's general election. According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party(LDP) secured 283 seats in the 465-seat parliament, in unofficial results in the early hours of Monday. Japanese media projected that Abe's LDP and its junior partner Komeito won 312 seats, exceeding the two-third majority of 310 in the lower house. The election victory will likely boost Abe's chances of winning another term and re-energize his push to revise the pacifist constitution.

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

S. Korean defense chief in Philippines for ASEAN meeting

Ex-U.S. president Carter wants to go to N. Korea for Trump: report

Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter is willing to go to North Korea to broker negotiations over its nuclear weapons program, the New York Times reported Sunday. In an interview at his home in Georgia, the 93-year-old Democrat said he made his intention known to President Donald Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, but has so far received a negative response. "I would go, yes," Carter told the Times. "I told him (McMaster) that I was available if they ever need me." The former president flew to Pyongyang in 1994 to seek a solution to the nuclear impasse, and again in 2010 to win the release of a detained American citizen. He said the current North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, is "unpredictable" and could use nuclear weapons if he feels that he is under threat from Trump.

Ex-CIA director says nuclear war with N. Korea unlikely

The United States is unlikely to go to nuclear war with North Korea despite the recent escalation in tensions, a former director of the Central Intelligence Agency said Sunday. David Petraeus, who served in the Barack Obama administration from 2011-2012, said he thinks U.S. President Donald Trump has been using tough rhetoric with North Korea to get the attention of the leadership in China, not in Pyongyang. "This is about getting President Xi's attention ... so that China will really clamp down on the umbilical cord through which 90 percent of the trade that goes to and from North Korea transits," Petraeus said in an interview on ABC News. China is able to "bring North Korea to its senses," he added, alluding to Beijing's leverage as Pyongyang's main ally and economic benefactor.

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

Samsung invests in Chinese AI chipset startup DeePhi Tech: sources

Memory chip giant Samsung Electronics has invested in a Chinese artificial intelligence technology developer as part of its efforts to catch up in the intensifying global race for AI platforms and devices, according to sources Sunday. In August, Samsung made a significant investment in DeePhi Tech, a Tsinghua-based startup with deep learning technologies, a source told The Korea Herald. “Samsung made quite a large investment in DeePhi Tech, which a group of Korean developers who met the startup’s officials found surprising,” the source said. “Samsung appears to have made considerable investment in the Chinese company, in line with the Chinese government’s move to foster homegrown AI tech firms. The investment could have been made out of political consideration, not necessarily over the company’s technological prowess.”

NK will not resume six party talks without change in US policies

North Korea will not return to the six party talks unless issues with the US are resolved, a high level North Korean diplomat said Saturday. According to reports citing participants of the Moscow Nonproliferation Conference, North Korean Foreign Ministry’s Director General of North America Affairs Choi Sun-hee said that Pyongyang will not return to six party talks, and that the country will only negotiate with the US.

Naver faces growing calls to become more transparent news platform

Naver, which operates South Korea’s largest portal website, is facing growing calls to heighten transparency after it was found to have removed a negative news article upon request by the involved organization. Naver admitted on Friday that it had taken down a news article criticizing the actions of the K League from the main page of the portal’s sports tab in October 2016. The confirmation came after allegations were raised by a local media outlet. It is the first confirmed case of media meddling by the online platform, which dominates nearly 70 percent of Korea’s news and media search space, exerting influence over what kind of news does or does not easily reach the public.

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

Moon vows resumption of reactor construction

The government will promptly resume the stalled construction of two nuclear reactors near the southeastern city of Ulsan, President Moon Jae-in said Sunday, upholding a recommendation made by a state commission. At the same time, Moon made it clear the government will continue its policy to scale back reliance on nuclear energy as also recommended by the commission. "The government will work to present follow-up and complementary measures for the resumption of the construction as recommended by the commission," Moon said. His comments came two days after the commission announced its decision to recommend restarting the construction of the Shin-Kori 5 and 6 reactors, which has been suspended since July. The decision was made in a vote by a jury comprising 471 citizens.

Abe sweeps to victory in Japan vote

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe swept to a victory in a snap election Sunday and vowed to "deal firmly" with threats from North Korea that dominated the campaign. Abe's conservative coalition was on road to win 311 seats in the 465-seat parliament, according to a projection from private broadcaster TBS, possibly making him Japan's longest-serving leader. The election win is likely to stiffen Abe's resolve to tackle North Korea's nuclear threat, as Japan, the key U.S. regional ally, seeks to exert strong pressure on Pyongyang after it fired two missiles over Japan in the space of a month. Abe was predicted to grab a "landslide win", the Yomiuri daily said, as the premier's risky bid to hold a snap election appeared to be paying off. But some media had also said it fell just short for his coalition to retain its two-thirds "supermajority" that requires 310 seats.

A mission to rid the world of plastic

"Plastic is a design failure," said a German-born designer from New York, who called on the world to find new, eco-friendly materials that can replace plastic to save the dying planet. Parley for the Oceans founder Cyrill Gutsch, who transformed his design company into an environmental organization in 2012, said until then he will try to keep plastic bottles and other waste from flowing into the ocean, and reduce the amount of plastic already in the water by collaborating with adidas and other socially-responsible, environmentally-conscious corporate brands. In a recent interview with The Korea Times, Gutsch also said Greenpeace and other environmental activists have failed to achieve their goals, stressing the world needs a forward-looking, less-radical movement that can involve all stakeholders to effectively protect the Earth.

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

Six-party talks not likely resume soon

Despite the absence of North Korean provocations for more than a month, there was no contact between South and North Korea or between North Korea and the United States during the Moscow Nonproliferation Conference held on Friday and Saturday. “North Korea will not resume the six-party talks before resolving issue with the United States,” Pyongyang announced. “As we announced many times, the six-party talks is not valid anymore,” reportedly said North Korean Foreign Ministry’s Director General of North America Affairs Choi Sun Hee in her speech during a closed session on easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula. “We will have no choice but to continue developing nuclear programs if the United States does not abandon its hostile policies against our country and make a right choice to peacefully coexist with North Korea.”

‘Gov’t will resume construction but stop building new reactors,’ says Moon

“The government will quickly resume the construction of the Shin Kori No. 5 and No. 6 nuclear reactors in accordance with the outcome of the debate,” President Moon Jae-in said on Sunday, upholding a recommendation made by the Public Opinion Committee. Moon, however, made clear that the government would push forward with the policies to build a nuclear-free nation as he previously vowed.“I ask those who supported my campaign pledge to halt the construction to respect and accept the committee’s recommendation,” President Moon said on Sunday during his remarks on the outcome of the state committee’s debate on the construction of Shin Kori Units No. 5 and No. 6. “The government will work to present follow-up and complementary measures for the resumption of the construction as recommended by the committee.”During his remarks, President Moon put a greater emphasis on the government’s determination to faithfully implement policies to reduce the nation’s reliance on nuclear power than the resumption of the construction of Shin Kori No. 5 and No. 6 reactors.

Samsung Electronics premium QLED TV gains momentum

Samsung Electronics’ premium TV brand QLED TV has expanded to account for 10 percent of the total TV sales after its launch, raising hopes that its profitability from its TV business will improve in the fourth quarter. In a meeting held Friday at the headquarters in central Seoul, Samsung Electronics said most of TV sets sold in the third quarter were ultra-high definition (UHD) products and premium QLED TVs made up 10 percent of its total sales. The company indicated that it aims to accelerate its premium strategy to keep the lead in the UHD and large-sized TV market.

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

New Army Unit to Operate Drones to Counter N.Korean Threats

The South Korean military will next year launch a new combat unit to conduct reconnaissance and potential air strikes over North Korea using drones, a military officer said on Thursday. The officer made the remarks during an audit by the National Assembly's Defense Committee at the military complex in Gyeryongdae in South Chungcheong Province. "The new unit will concentrate its efforts on building combat capabilities that counter asymmetric threats from North Korea while minimizing civilian casualties," he said.

N.Korea 'Moves onto War Footing'

North Korea is distributing live ammunition to soldiers and security personnel, the Asahi Shimbun reported on Thursday.The Asahi Shimbun said the North is moving to a "quasi-war footing" in response to joint South Korean-U.S. naval drills that began on Monday."Live ammunition is being distributed to members of the military... to counter any threats that may arise from the exercises off the Korean Peninsula," the daily said citing a source. "They have been effectively placed on a quasi-war footing." "North Korea normally stockpiles live ammo in arsenals as a precaution against accidents, and only arms its border patrol and troops deployed in the forward area close to the border of South Korea," the daily added.

Korea's Startling Wage Gap Between Big and Small Firms

The average monthly wage in big companies is 30 to 50 percent higher in Korea than in the U.S. and Japan, but in small companies it is much lower. The Korea Small Business Institute in a recent report said the average corporate employee in Korea earns US$3,164 a month, compared to the U.S.' $4,089 and Japan's $3,416. But in big companies with more than 500 staff, Korean workers earn $6,048, a whopping 52 percent and 31 percent more than their U.S. and Japanese counterparts.

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

Park’s stance on trial brings criticism even from conservative establishment

“Since the Silla Dynasty (B.C. 57 ~A.D. 935), the Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province areas have been places where mainstream attitudes have prevailed. Since that area is the center of the mainstream, it’s clear that President Park Geun-hye will have an influence there from the time she retires until her death. Figures like Choi Kyoung-hwan of the pro-Park faction and Yoo Seong-min (the founding member of the conservative Bareun Party) are no more than pebbles tossed into the wide river that flows from Park Chung-hee to Park Geun-hye.” That’s what a key figure in the pro-Park camp said during a private meeting at the beginning of 2016, when it was inconceivable that Park would be impeached. I was reminded of those remarks from so long ago when I saw Park’s recent “political struggle behind bars.”

UNESCO’s International Advisory Committee delays review of comfort women documents

The president of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) that reviews potential entries to UNESCO’s Memory of the World archive asked UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova to delay the review of documents related to the comfort women for the Imperial Japanese Army, the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun reported on Oct. 20. Civic groups in South Korea, China and Japan have requested UNESCO to add these documents to the registry, but it appears that Japanese lobbying efforts are making it less likely that this will actually take place.“If we carry out the review under the current system, UNESCO will become the site of sharp conflict,” said Abdulla Alraisi, the Emirati chair of the IAC, in an interview with the newspaper during which he announced his request for a delay. Alraisi said he had asked for the review of eight disputed cases to be delayed until next year – including the comfort women records and a collection of posters related to the Palestinian struggle to which Israel has objected. He also said he had asked for steps to be taken so that applicants would be asked to discuss their application with related countries.

Public deliberation becomes a new model for resolving socially divisive issues

The public task force on the Shin-Kori 5 and 6 Nuclear Power Plants was disbanded on Oct. 20 after three months of operation. Based on its deliberations, the committee issued a recommendation to government on the construction of the two reactors, which have been the focus of a complex mixture of regional, environmental, and generation issues. The final opinion was that construction should be resumed, but that South Korea’s use of nuclear power should be reduced in the long term. With both proponents and opponents of the resumption announcing their plans to accept the recommendation, the decision makes a new page in the history of conflict resolution through societal consensus. Many are now watching to see whether public deliberation – the Moon Jae-in administration’s first big experiment in deliberative democracy – will establish itself as a new model for conflict management in South Korea.

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

North envoy pooh-poohs 6-party talks at Moscow meeting

North Korea’s top diplomat for North American affairs called the six-party denuclearization talks “invalid” on Saturday during an international nonproliferation meeting in Moscow, reiterating that her country will not put its nuclear arsenal up for any negotiations. Choe Son-hui, director general of the North American Department in North Korea’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, who participated in the three-day Moscow Nonproliferation Conference, blamed the United States’ anti-North Korea policy for making it inevitable for the North to develop nuclear weapons, saying doing so was its “only way to protect our national sovereignty.” Choe continued that North Korea will no longer “hang on” to the joint statement of the fourth round of the six-party talks, signed on Sept. 19, 2005, a key agreement to peacefully denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

Moon shows flexibility on nuclear issue

President Moon Jae-in vowed to swiftly resume construction of two nuclear reactors on Sunday in response to a panel’s recommendation to reject Moon’s campaign pledge to scrap the $7.5 billion-worth project. The administration, however, will push ahead with its initiative to phase out nuclear power by halting plans to build any new plants and advocating for renewable, eco-friendly energy. “The government will quickly resume construction of the Shin Kori 5 and Shin Kori 6 nuclear reactors following the outcome of [the panel’s vote],” the president said in a statement released by the Blue House.

Robots that can wiggle, fold and transform

In emergency situations, locating survivors and assessing their health condition can be critical. However, the task of reaching people in dangerous circumstances remains a difficult job. Robots are occasionally called in to access places considered too difficult to reach by rescue workers, but most rescue robots used today are big and rigid, and their ability to navigate tight spaces is limited. To solve that problem, a research team at Stanford University recently developed a “soft robot.” Made of polyethylene, this robot resembles a transparent tube. It moves forward toward the target by extending itself like a vine with a maximum length of 72 meters (236 feet). When fully inflated, it is able to lift objects that weigh up to 100 kilograms (220 pounds).

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

It Will Take Months for a Public Defender to Review the Records: Ruling on Park Geun-hye's First Trial Grows Distant
On October 19, former President Park Geun-hye (65) did not appear at her trial and has put into practice her declaration of October 16 to refuse the trial. The court expressed its intention to continue with the trial after appointing a public defender for the former president, but a long delay in the trial seems inevitable. The court decided to hold separate hearings on Choi Soon-sil (61) and Shin Dong-bin (62), chairman of Lotte group, who had been on trial after being prosecuted along with the former president. Thus a trial on Park Geun-hye without Park Geun-hye has come true. This day, former President Park did not appear at the hearing at Criminal Department 22 (Chief Judge Kim Se-yun) of the Seoul Central District Court. Prior to the start of the trial, when the bench said, "Let the defendants enter the courtroom and sit in the defendants' seats," only Choi entered.

"Lee Jae-yong's People" at the Front: A New Generation Set to Take over at Samsung
Kwon Oh-hyun, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics announced his resignation, which is likely to bring in a new generation of executives at Samsung Electronics. Since experts claim that other subsidiaries as well as Samsung Electronics are in need of a new innovative drive, all eyes are on the appointment of the presidents of major subsidiaries, which will be carried out after November. People from within the group expect "Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong's people" to fill the top management of Samsung. A look at the major executives of Samsung Electronics as of October 15 shows that Kwon was the chief with the exception of Lee Kun-hee, chairman of Samsung Electronics. Kwon was also the oldest at 65.

Park Geun-hye and Her International Legal Team Engage in a Media Battle Claiming "Violation of Rights in the Detention Center"
Reportedly, former President Park Geun-hye (65) will send a letter to the United Nations Human Rights Council claiming that her rights were violated at the detention center. The Ministry of Justice refuted that the former president's allegations were not true. On October 17 (local time), CNN, an American media outlet, reported, "According to a document supplied exclusively to CNN by Park's international legal team (MH Group), Park's lawyers allege the 65-year-old former leader is living in a cell that's dirty, cold and constantly lit so she cannot sleep."

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

POSCO Completes Steel Wire Service Center in the U.S.

POSCO, Korea's largest steel maker, has completed on September 22 the construction of a steel wire service center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, with an annual capacity of 25,000 tons. The plant will supply steel wire goods to be used for bolts, nuts, and bearings to auto parts companies. Started in April last year, the service center cost the company US$20.9 million to build. The high-quality steel materials produced in the new plant will be supplied to companies like Simplex Korea, Taeyang Metal Industrial, Nissan, and Fontana. Kwon Oh-joon, chairman of POSCO, said in a speech at the service center, "With the completion of the processing center, we will be able to sell our products directly to customers in the world's largest steel wire market. I hope more Korean automotive parts suppliers using our products could move into the U.S. market."

Industry Panics over Prospect of Rising Subcontract Worker Disputes

As the government pronounced illegal on the practice of companies relying on subcontract workers for a long time such as the cases in Paris Baguette and Mando-Hella, the whole industry in shock. This is not just restricted to manufacturers but is spread to services and the food franchise industry as well.The corporate sector expected on September 24 that companies like Tous Les Jours, Samsung Electronics service centers, and LG U+ will likely face the same problem any time soon after the Ministry of Employment and Labor made a decision on dispatch workers. An official with a large corporation said that he is worried that the government may pressure his company to hire all dispatch workers as full-time regular employees.

Gov't Decides to Give $8 Mil. Aid to North Korea...Timing to Be Announced Later

The government has decided to give support to North Korea worth US$8 million in programs helping its vulnerable people including children and pregnant women indirectly through international organizations. It, however, has not decided when to start sending money and exactly how. This is interpreted as a choice to deflect criticism that it is undertaking an aid project at a time when North Korea is causing an international storm by launching a series of missile tests. On September 21, the government held a consultative meeting for inter-Korean exchange and cooperation and approved an agenda to provide $8 million to programs such as those for North Korean mothers and children' health and nutrition by way of the UNICEF and the World Food Program.

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

S. Korea draws up new combat concept for pre-emptive missile attack

For more than six decades since the Korean conflict ended in 1953, North Korea has always been aggressive, taking an offensive and provocative posture in the cross-border military confrontation that put South Korea in a defensive corner.
Military experts attribute South Korea's passive attitude to the geological vulnerability of Seoul, the densely populated capital which is not far away from the border and lies within a range of North Korea's artillery deployed along the heavily armed border. South Korea regards the North's long-range artillery and large-caliber multiple rocket launchers as a grave security threat. Most of the North's artillery equipment is positioned in concrete bunkers and tunnels along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and the coast of its border islands.

108 Pedophiles arrested in Brazil after operation involving more than 1,000 agents

Brazil succeeded in arresting 108 pedophiles after a major operation involving 1,100 law enforcement agents in 24 states. This operation is considered one of the largest against pedophilia in Latin America. After six months of investigation, Brazilian Police was able to crack down on a ring that distributed pedophiliac pornography through computers and mobile phones. After the triumphal results, Brazilian Justice Minister Torquato Jardim told the local news media "The complex internet environment and the absence of borders in the virtual world are elements that provide fertile grounds for the actions of these criminals", and added the pedophiles "store their illegal, criminal photos on a computer of someone in another country or even abroad. And often the people storing the content are unaware."

Founder of San Francisco tech startup company arrested for molesting toddler

The founder of San Francisco startup tech company called Vungle was arrested and charged for sexually assaulting and abusing a toddler. The 29-year-old founder, Zain Jaffer, found Vungle in 2011 and had been CEO of the mobile advertising company. After his arrest, Vungle removed Jaffer from CEO position indefinitely and Rick Tallman a former COO and CFO of Vungle took the position of CEO.

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

Commission clears the way to restart Shin Kori 5, 6 nuclear reactor construction

In a closely-watched finding that could shape the future of the country’s energy policy and fate of Korea’s highly prized nuclear-reactor industry, a civilian commission recommended Seoul to keep the Shin Kori 5 and 6 reactors which are already 30 percent complete alive instead of stopping the construction as previously proposed by the government. The commission hands in the recommendation report to the government. Construction is expected to resume soon as the government previously said it will follow the commission advice although it is not legally binding.

Absence of Samsung heir Jay Y. Lee could affect business in long term: CEO

The absence of Samsung Electronics Co.’s Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee, also Samsung Group’s de facto heir, could affect operation of the world’s largest smartphone and semiconductor manufacturer in the long term, said Kwon Oh-hyun, another vice chairman and chief executive of Samsung Electronics. “(The absence of Lee and his imprisonment) is kind of a tragedy,” Kwon said during a question and answer session led by David Rubenstein, founder and chief executive of The Carlyle Group and president of the Economic Club of Washington D.C., at an event hosted by the Economic Club in the United States on Thursday (local time). “(Samsung Electronics’) business itself is going well today,” but the company would need some advice on its long-term plan, which “in that sense, we have some handicaps right now,” Kwon said. He did not further discuss the matter because Lee’s trial is ongoing.

BOK signals higher interest rates, markets await a possible hike in November

While keeping the benchmark rate steady at a historic-low for the 16th straight month to record the longest-ever inaction on Thursday, the Bank of Korea readied the markets for a possible hike within the year by upping its outlook for this year’s annualized growth to 3.0 percent from previous 2.8 percent. In a press conference after the rate meeting, BOK Governor Lee Ju-yeol said conditions are building up for the central bank to consider winding down its loose policy, reiterating what he had said in June that his bank would raise interest rates on clear signs of economic recovery.

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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