The Korean daily media headlines and humor
Monday, December 4, 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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Over 100 take part in ASEAN cultural event at Indonesian Embassy
Mrs. Hadi hosts cultural event for ASEAN countries
Mrs. Nila Umar Hadi, spouse of the ambassador of Indonesia in Seoul, hosted an impressive cultural event of the member countries of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) at her residence Yeoido in Seoul yesterday with the attendance of the spouses of many ambassadors and other senior diplomats in Seoul.
The participating ladies included Mrs. Tran Thi Lan Hinh of Vietman (spouse of the Vietnamese ambassador), Mrs. Manilath Keodalavong (spouse of the Laotian ambassador), Mrs. Davy Nihm (spouse of the Cambodian ambassador), Mrs. Weeree Thithipooya (spouse of the Thai ambassador) and Mrs. Nang Lao Ngin (spouse of the ambassador of Myanmar), Norgart Reiterer (spouse of EU ambassador).
Mrs. Nila Umar Hadi, spouse of the ambassador of Indonesia, welcomes the guests at the ASEAN Ladies Coffee Morning she hosted at the residence of the Indonesian ambassador on Yoido, Seoul.
An estimated total of over one hundred spouses of the diplomats in Seoul (as well as the wives of the ambassadors) participated in the impressive cultural event of the ASEAN countries.
Held in celebration of the 50th anniversary of formation of the ASEAN, the meeting was also attended by the wives of many noted civic figures from Korean society. They included Chairperson Kang Jee-hee of Korea Senior Fun See Korea Association.
The event included a fashion show of every one of the participating ASEAN countries plus various other cultural events, including presentation of representative numbers of Vietnamese songs with traditional Vietnamese musical instruments, traditional dances of Indonesia, and tradition music and cooking show of Brunei Darussalam.
Speaking to the guests, Chairperson Hadi of the Organizing Committee of the event expressed her gratitude to the guests for their participation in the event and asked all the guests to try and do justice to all the wonderful repast of all the different countries of ASEAN.
(For further details and more pictures, please visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=5427
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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.
State pension fund to adopt 'stewardship code': welfare minister
South Korea's state pension fund operator will introduce a set of guidelines next year to promote its role as the nation's biggest institutional investor, the welfare minister said Friday.
Health and Welfare Minister Park Neung-hoo said it is a global trend to adopt the so-called stewardship code for state pension funds in order to protect their investment and boost their profitability over the mid and long term.
KAIM Chairman Cho, Suk-hwan develops Inter-Korean Hangeul keyboard jointly
“There is only one person in the Republic of Korea who is able to achieve real national reunification of the Korean peninsula.” A friend of mine told me so recently. It certainly was like a bolt from the blue. “Who could be that person?” I wanted to know. North Korea's Kim Jong-un shows the cold shoulder to the Moon Jae-in regime which has pursued an appeasement policy. The North Korean regime also turned down all appeasement gestures so far made by President Donald Trump of the United States. Still, the friend said that there is someone who is positioned to materialize national unification “peacefully’ and at the initiative of the Republic of Korea.
Samsung to promote Quick Drive washers through film
Samsung Electronics Co. said Monday it plans to showcase a film on its QuickDrive washers under cooperation with a popular music composer, highlighting how its products can save users time compared with rivals.
The company said the 66-minute film, "Washing Machine" will be showcased in London on Tuesday, with popular Michael Nyman joining the project. The movie will be available on YouTube starting Wednesday.
President Moon commends JSA troops over defection of N. Korean soldier
President Moon Jae-in on Friday met with a group of South Korean and U.S. soldiers guarding the border with North Korea to commend them on the way they handled the recent defection of a North Korean soldier through the heavily fortified border. "I invited you here because I wished to personally express my gratitude as the president of the Republic of Korea," Moon said during a 30-minute meeting at Cheong Wa Dae with the South Korean and U.S. troops stationed at the Joint Security Area, according to Cheong Wa Dae pool reports.
Trump will 'take care of' N. Korea by unilateral action if necessary: McMaster
S. President Donald Trump will "take care of" the growing nuclear threat from North Korea by taking unilateral action if necessary, his national security adviser said Sunday. H.R. McMaster made the remark on "Fox News Sunday" after North Korea launched what appeared to be its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile last week.
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KBS (http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)
Russia Barred from PyeongChang Olympics over Doping
The International Olympic Committee(IOC) announced on Tuesday that it has suspended Russia's Olympic team from competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics over the country's doping scandal. The IOC, however, decided to permit individual athletes from Russia to compete in the upcoming PyeongChang Olympics as neutrals under strict conditions. The IOC executive board reached the decision during a meeting in Switzerland on Tuesday.
S. Korea Placed on EU Blacklist of 17 Tax Havens
The European Union(EU) has released a blacklist of 17 countries deemed to be tax havens, including South Korea. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said that the EU finance ministers adopted the blacklist on Tuesday in a meeting in Brussels. The 17 extra-EU jurisdictions seen as "not cooperative on tax matters" are South Korea, American Samoa, Bahrain, Barbados, Grenada, Guam, Macau, the Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Namibia, Palau, Panama, St. Lucia, Samoa, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.
Gov't Hopes UN Official's N. Korea Visit Will Get Pyongyang to Opt for Dialogue
The Unification Ministry has expressed hope that the upcoming visit to North Korea by the UN’s political chief will provide an opportunity for Pyongyang to take the path toward dialogue. A ministry official revealed the stance to reporters with regard to a plan by UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman to travel to Pyongyang on Tuesday for a four-day stay. The UN said that Feltman is set to discuss “issues of mutual interest and concern” with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho and others.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)
Foreign IBs revise up S. Korea's growth outlook
Major foreign investment banks (IBs) have upgraded their 2018 growth forecasts for the South Korean economy on its strong exports, a report showed Thursday.
According to the report by the Korea Center for International Finance, Barclays, Goldman Sachs and seven other foreign IBs have forecast Asia's fourth-largest economy to expand at an average rate of 2.9 percent next year.
N.K. warns it will not avoid war with U.S. though it does not want one
North Korea has slammed U.S. officials' condemnation over its nuclear and missile programs, warning that Pyongyang will not avoid a war with the United States though it does not want one, Pyongyang's media report showed Thursday.
A spokesman at North Korea's foreign ministry said that bellicose remarks by ranking U.S. officials against the North and ongoing large-scale aerial drills between Seoul and Washington indicate that the U.S. is taking a "step-by-step" approach to provoke a war on the Korean Peninsula.
S. Korea ranks 8th in GDP terms among 32 2018 FIFA World Cup participants: data
South Korea ranks eighth in terms of gross domestic product among the 32 countries which qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, government data showed Thursday.
South Korea, whose FIFA ranking is 59th, had a GDP of US$1.41 trillion last year, according to the data by Statistics Korea.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)
Kepco selected as preferred bidder for Moorside nuclear project
South Korea‘s sole utility provider Korea Electric Power Corp. has been selected as the preferred bidder for the Moorside nuclear power plant project in the UK, a source familiar with the matter told The Korea Herald Wednesday.
The Korean utility provider has been moving to acquire the 100 percent share held by Toshiba in the NuGen consortium that is developing the Moorside project.
Lotte faces bumpy road to adopt holding firm structure
South Korean retail giant Lotte faces a bumpy road as it moves to adopt a holding company system even though it has sharply cut the number of units that own one another, industry sources said Thursday.
In early October, Lotte established the holding firm, Lotte Corp., in a bid to help Chairman Shin Dong-bin solidify his leadership and boost the group's managerial transparency.
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)
Seoul protests EU tax haven blacklist
The government plans to seriously protest the decision by the European Union (EU) to include Korea in its tax haven blacklist.
"We sent an official letter (to the EU) yesterday," Strategy and Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon told the media, Wednesday.
IOC bans on Russia deals blow to PyeongChang Olympics
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned Russia from competing in next year's PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Wednesday (local time), dealing a fresh blow to the Winter Games is struggling to draw greater public attention.
The Olympics governing body said it was suspending the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) with immediate effect after an investigation found evidence of state-sponsored doping in Russia.
Fear of war doesn't deter foreigners' DMZ trips
North Korea's tenacious pursuit of developing nuclear weapons continues to escalate fears of military conflict.
Hawkish U.S. congressmen pitched the need to strike Pyongyang preemptively to derail the program, while dovish people, including South Korean President Moon Jae-in, try to thwart it with sanctions and diplomacy. North Korea claims nothing can stop the program, threatening military action should there be an attack.
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DongA Ilbo (http://english.donga.com)
B-1B Lancer joins advanced fighters over Korean Peninsula
The U.S. military has flown a B-1B bomber over South Korea in a move seen as a warning to the North, South Korea’s military said Wednesday. The U.S. bomber launch has come about a month after U.S. President Donald Trump made his first state visit to South Korea. They flyover is also as part of the annual air force drills Vigilant Ace, which ends on Friday.
Consumer Reports releases test results of iPhone X
Consumer Reports has published its 2017 iPhone comparison on Tuesday. “The iPhone X is an innovative device with a fantastic camera and beautiful display, but other phones are tougher and can operate longer on a charge,” the magazine said.
Kumgangsan landscape paintings to be exhibited in New York
New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art announced Tuesday (local time) that it would held a special art exhibition “Kumgangsan: Trip and Nostalgia at Korean Art Paintings,” honoring the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and the 20th anniversary of Korean art booth at the museum.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)
S.Korea Could Build Its Own Nuke, Says Ex-U.S. Defense Chief
A former U.S. defense secretary says it would be "preferable" for South Korea to build its own nuclear capabilities to counter the mounting nuclear threat from North Korea.
China, Russia Stage Drills to Counter S.Korea-U.S. Exercise
China and Russia have staged massive military drills in airspace and waters near the Korean Peninsula to counter a big U.S.-South Korea aerial exercise here this week.
In a statement from an air base in northern China on Monday, Chinese Air Force spokesman Shen Jinke said fighter jets and early warning aircraft conducted multiple drills in the West Sea and East China Sea recently, according to CCTV on Tuesday.
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HanKyoReh Shinmun (http://english.hani.co.kr)
Top UN official arrives in North Korea for four-day trip
UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, one of the organization’s top figures, arrived in North Korea on Dec. 5 for a four-day visit. Analysts predicted the visit by Feltman – the first by a top UN official in over six years – will contribute to relieving the recurring tensions surrounding the Korean Peninsula since North Korea’s launch of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 29.
In a Dec. 4 press release, the UN said Feltman would be visiting North Korea from Dec. 5 to 8.
“Mr. Feltman will discuss with DPRK officials issues of mutual interest and concern,” the release said, adding that he would “meet with the United Nations Country Team and members of the diplomatic corps, as well as visit UN project sites pin North Korea].”
South Korea has highest smartphone data charges among major countries
South Korea has the most expensive smartphone data charges among the world’s major countries, a report claims. The findings came from a comparative analysis of 1,628 fee plans for 187 telecommunications companies (including 58 mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs)) in 41 OECD and EU member countries by the Finnish communications management consulting firm Rewheel. The analysis results were published by Rewheel on Dec. 1 in the report “The State of 4G Pricing, 2H2017 – Digital Fuel Monitor (DFM).”
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JoongAng Ilbo (http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/)
Budget stresses jobs, and cuts welfare for infrastructure
Four days after missing the Dec. 2 deadline, the National Assembly on Wednesday passed next year’s budget 30 minutes after midnight.
The final budget was 428.8 trillion won ($390 billion), 7.1 percent or 28.3 trillion won more than this year’s 400.5 trillion won.
Moon’s state visit to China is next week
President Moon Jae-in will visit China next week for a state visit, including a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Blue House said Wednesday.
“President Moon will make a state visit to China from Dec. 13 to 16 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi,” Blue House spokesman Park Soo-hyun said. During the trip, Moon will have a summit with Xi in Beijing, attend a state dinner and meet with other Chinese leaders. It will be Moon’s first presidential visit to China since he took office in May.
Misdiagnosis disables a girl throughout her youth
A 20-year-old who couldn’t walk by herself for 13 years after being misdiagnosed with cerebral palsy got on her feet within a week of receiving a proper diagnosis and treatment.
A court ordered the hospital that misdiagnosed her to compensate the patient 100 million won ($92,000) on Wednesday.
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The KyungHyang Shinmun (http://english.khan.co.kr/)
Minjoo Party Gets Results, While Korea Party Leaves Empty Handed. People's Party "Laughs" But Solidarity with the Bareun Party Uncertain
The outcome of the 2018 budget had a different meaning for the four ruling and opposition parties.
The Minjoo Party of Korea, in general, got what it wanted from a National Assembly where the opposition held the majority of the seats. The party increased the number of civil servants, secured funding to support job security, and raised the income tax and corporate tax rates, successfully securing the key policies to support the Moon Jae-in government's state administration.
Sudden Change in North Korea’s Nuclear Status: Time to Show What the Moon Jae-in Government Is Made of
On November 29, North Korea launched a Hwasong-15 missile and declared it had completed nuclear armament, a sign that the North Korean nuclear issue had entered a new phase. This change can be so significant that in the future, we may refer to the situation in terms of before and after November 29, 2017.
Although Pyongyang has yet to fully demonstrate its ability to strike the United States, the international mechanism in dealing with the North Korean nuclear issue is bound to change according to North Korea‘s “political declaration.” Strategies at the national level must also change.
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The Korea Economic Daily (http://english.hankyung.com/)
Tourism and Duty-free Industries Hopeful about Improving Korea-China Relations
As Korea and China are set to improve their relationship that was rocked by the controversy over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system, Korea's tourism and duty-free shopping industries are raising their hopes of better days. The tourism industry believes that the Chinese government's group tour ban to Korea would be relaxed soon. A travel agency in Hebei posted an Internet ad recently for a group tour program to Korea in November at the price of 1,480 yuan(US$223). China's largest online travel agency trip also put out group tour programs to Korea for the first time in seven months.
Korea's MBI to Establish EV Plant in Vietnam
MBI, a Korean manufacturer specializing in making transmissions, will build an electric car plant in Hanoi, Vietnam, jointly with local firm N&G Group. The two companies will invest a total of US$1 billion for the next seven years.The companies said on September 21 that the heads of the two companies signed an agreement to establish a joint venture called Viko Motors in South Hanoi next month. Earlier in June this year, MBI was promised by the Vietnamese government and the Hanoi city government for a 20-year free land lease, high-tech investment incentive, preferential tariffs, and designation of MBI-held patented technologies as Vietnamese standards.
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.
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AJU Business Daily (http://eng.ajunews.com/korea)
Digital currency dealers propose voluntary regulations to prevent crimes
Amid a heated debate over how to regulate cryptocurrencies, South Korea's online cryptocurrency exchanges and dealers presented voluntary regulations, but state regulators are reluctant to recognize digital money as financial products.
The proposal came on Wednesday from a civic committee to launch South Korea's "blockchain" association involving about 30 groups and online cryptocurrency exchanges, which want an official market for Bitcoin, Etherium and other digital currencies.
KEPCO selected as preferred bidder for nuclear power project in Britain: report
Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), which produces home-made nuclear reactors, beat China to be selected as a preferred bidder for a nuclear power project involving Japan's Toshiba to build reactors in Britain, a press report said Wednesday.
Yonhap News Agency quoted unnamed government and power industry officials as saying Toshiba plans to make an announcement soon on its decision to pick KEPCO as a preferred bidder. If confirmed, that would be the first deal of its kind since South Korea secured a $20 billion contract in 2009 to build four reactors in the United Arab Emirates.
S. Korea exports up 9.6% in November
South Korea's exports rose 9.6 percent in November from a year earlier to mark the 13th consecutive monthly gain, fueled by strong demand for memory chips and machinery, government data showed Friday.
Outbound shipments came to 49.67 billion US dollars for November, up from $45.3 billion a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Customs Service.
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Maeil Business News Korea (http://www.pulsenews.co.kr/)
Samsung Heavy stock nosedives near 30% on $1.4 bn rights offering and loss news
South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries Co. share prices crashed nearly 30 percent Wednesday to a year-low as investors dumped their holdings in fear of dilution and further losses after the cash-strapped shipbuilder announced it will offer up to 1.5 trillion won ($1.4 billion) rights offering, estimating its losses will stretch to over 700 billion won by next year.
Korea’s Humedix expects sales to hit $182 mn with opening of new factory
South Korea’s healthcare company Humedix Co. has opened its second manufacturing facility in Korea that is expected to help it earn 200 billion won ($182 million) in annual sales with added capacity.
S. Korean President Moon to have 1st state visit to China next week
South Korean President Moon Jae-in will make his first state visit to China next week and have a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his four-day stay in the neighboring country, the presidential office said on Wednesday.
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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
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.comlithuania@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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Azerbaijan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR8CBpcQ4WM
Sri Lanka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hByX92Y2aGY&t=22s
Morocco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfFmp2sVvSE
And many other countries.
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