The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Thursday, March 15, 2018

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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Letter from the Publisher

Korea is again facing a sad fate where a former President is facing penal servitude.

Former President Lee Myung-bak is obviously in for a sad time where he might also face the same fate as former Korean Presidents Park Geun-hye, Roh Moo-hyun, Roh Tae-woo and Chun Doo Hwan, who all went to jail for the ‘wrongs’ they had committed while serving the nation as President.

Here is one good example who should be revered in Korea for a good model to be followed by all the high people, especially the President:

'Ten reasons why you cannot help loving President Jose Mujica'

A leading Korean-language media, NEWSIS, and an American Media, Counter Punch, have published the reasons why people around the world as well as in Uruguay cannot help loving President Jose Mujica of Uruguay. Many people complain that after they elect politicians they lead a luxurious life that is far from their expectations. However, we should not indulge in generalization because not all politicians are the same. President Jose Mujica of Uruguay, 78, who is the poorest Head of Government of the world is a good example. President does not live in the Presidential Mansion provided by the State but at a farm house on the outskirts of Montevideo, the capital city of Uruguay, with his wife. To live like the common people of his country, he closed the official residence of the President.

President Jose Mujica of Uruguay (right) and First Lady Lucia Topolansky Saavedra.

The only protection provided to the President by the State consists of two policemen and one dog that has lost one leg. The monthly pay for the President in Uruguay is US$12,775. However, President Mujica receives only US$775 a month which is the average wage of an Uruguayan worker and donates the reminders (US$12,000) to the society for the poor people. Statistics show that in Korea people in the upper 10% group make an average of 170 million Won while the lower 90% make an average of only 22.8 million won. This indicates that the upper 10% get 60% of the total amount of income while the remaining 90% have to share the remaining 40%.

(For further details, please visit: http://www.koreapost.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=715)

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Round-up of important news stories from major Korean dailies today:

Peace hopes rise among S. Koreans in wake of resumed talks with North

For the first time in a decade, South Koreans appear to wonder if their country will finally be at peace with North Korea.Kim Ki-hoon, a 35-year-old office worker in Seoul, may be among many who hold guarded optimism on the heels of a fresh detente on the peninsula, which was forged by the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and led to agreements on the North's summits with Seoul and Washington."There have been times when South-North Korea relations were bad and times when they were good, and they have almost always gotten worse over time. But I believe it might be different this time because this time it was chairman Kim (Jong-un) himself who said North Korea will denuclearize and that he will hold a summit with the United States," he said.

‘We must not fall behind lest we should fall further behind’

President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation said, “The main threat and our main enemy are the fact that we are falling behind. If we are unable to reverse this trend, we will fall even further behind. This is like a serious chronic disease that steadily saps the energy from the body and destroys it from within step by step. Quite often, this destructive process goes unnoticed by the body.”In a special message delivered to the people of the Russian Federation in Moscor on March 1, 2018, President Putin then stated, “We need to master creative power and boost development so that no obstacles prevent us from moving forward with confidence and independently. We must take ownership of our destiny.”

The Special Message of President Putin was introduced by Ambassador Aleksandr Timonin of the Russian Federation at a recent meeting in Seoul between Ambassador Timonin and Publisher-Chairman of The Korea Post media, publisher of 3 English and 2 Korean-language media outlets established 33 years ago in 1985 with Second Secretary Daniil Chekhlan of the Russian Embassy and The Korea Post Reporter Ms. Sua Kim.

Kim JU of N. Korea wants US to open Embassy in Pyongyang

Chairman Kim Jong-Un of North Korea has asked President Donald Trump of the United States to open the US Embassy in Pyongyang. This was disclosed by Korean-language daily Dong-A Ilbo this morning.According to the Korean-language report, Chairman Kim wants the United States to open the US Embassy in Pyongyang as well as concluding a peace treaty between Pyongyang and Washington.An inter-Korean summit between President Moon Jae-in and Chairman Kim Jong-Un is slated in April and North Korea-United States summit in May, where denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and conclusion of a peace treaty between the US and NK are expected to be handled.

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

Ex-President Lee Returns Home After 21 Hours of Questioning

Former President Lee Myung-bak returned home early Thursday after 21 hours of questioning by prosecutors on a string of corruption allegations. Lee left the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul at 6:25 a.m. without responding to reporters.The questioning ended at around midnight, but it took more than six hours for him to review statements compiled by the prosecution. Prosecutors say Lee denied most charges. He is said to have stated that he was unaware or did not issue orders regarding illegal funds or bribery. The ex-president on Wednesday appeared before the prosecution and was grilled as a suspect on some 20 charges including bribery, embezzlement, tax evasion, abuse of power, and violations of the election and presidential record laws.

Seoul: Tillerson's Departure Not to Affect US-N. Korea Summit

South Korea’s presidential office says the dismissal of U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson will not affect the upcoming inter-Korean summit or U.S.-North Korea summit. A key presidential official relayed the top office’s stance through a telephone interview with Yonhap News on Wednesday. The official said that firing Tillerson may be part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to implement his policy as he sees fit, adding that what is important is Trump’s firm will to talk with the North. The official said that as long as the South Korean delegation confirmed Trump’s will for the U.S.-North Korea talks, they will be held as planned. Another presidential official told Yonhap that regardless of Tillerson’s departure, the Seoul-Washington alliance will remain solid based on mutual trust between Moon and Trump.

Pres. Moon Encourages N. Korean Athletes at PyeongChang Paralympics

President Moon Jae-in offered encouragement to North Korean athletes and officials participating in the PyeongChang Winter Paralympic Games. After watching a cross-country skiing sprint from the Alpensia Biathlon Center in PyeongChang on Wednesday, Moon met with two North Korean para Nordic skiers competing in the event, Ma Yu-chol and Kim Jong-hyon.

According to presidential spokeswoman Ko Min-jung, the president greeted them and thanked them for doing their best, adding his belief that they will continuously excel in the sport.

Moon also asked them their thoughts on competing in the event hosted by South Korea and expressed hope that South Korean athletes will also be able to participate in sporting events to be held in the North in the future. The North Korean officials thanked Moon for his hospitality toward them. In return, Moon said he wishes the two Koreas will further their sports exchanges.

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

Ex-President Lee heads back home after questioning over corruption allegations

Former President Lee Myung-bak headed back home Thursday after more than 21 hours of questioning by state prosecutors on a string of corruption allegations five years after he left office as South Korea's chief executive. Lee appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul on the previous day as a suspect on various charges, including bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power. Prosecutors said the questioning ended at around midnight, but it took more than six hours for him to review statements compiled by the investigators.Lee is known to have denied all charges during the questioning, though prosecutors did not confirm his stance.

S. Korean Chung Hyeon reaches 5th straight quarterfinals on ATP Tour

South Korean tennis player Chung Hyeon has reached his fifth straight quarterfinals on the ATP Tour.Chung defeated Pablo Cuevas in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, to reach the final eight at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California, on Wednesday (local time).Having started the year at No. 58, Chung has climbed all the way to No. 26, thanks in large part to his run to the semifinals at the Australian Open in January. He dominated Cuevas to take a 6-1, 5-0 lead, before the Uruguayan, ranked 34th, battled back to break Chung twice and make it 5-3. The South Korean wouldn't be denied, however, breaking Cuevas to close out the win in 78 minutes.

GM Korea needs to up operating rate to get back on track: report

Ailing automaker GM Korea Co. should raise its capacity utilization, cut fixed costs and receive a new cash injection of around 1 trillion won to get back on its feet, a report said Thursday.The report comes as the local unit of the U.S. auto giant struggles to stay afloat amid snowballing deficits. GM Korea posted a cumulative loss of around 3 trillion won (US$2.8 billion) from 2014-17, with its equity capital eroded completely.Citing low productivity, GM announced in mid-February that it would shutter its plant in Gunsan on the west coast by May and decide the future of the remaining two plants later.According to the report by the Woori Finance Research Institute, GM Korea should first remove excess capacity and jack up its operating rate by securing the production of new GM models in order to return to normal.

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

Prosecution ends Lee questioning, mulls next step

Former President Lee Myung-bak returned home in the early hours of Thursday after a marathon grilling session by the prosecution that began on the previous day.Lee, who appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office at 9:22 a.m. Wednesday, remerged at about 6:25 a.m., leaving immediately without any comments. The investigators’ questioning continued until around midnight. Lee and his lawyers then poured over the report for more than six hours.

Strategic approach needed to cope with US protectionism

Calls are rising for President Moon Jae-in’s administration to be more strategic and flexible in coping with mounting US trade protectionism, which is casting a broadening shadow on Korea’s exports.Moon instructed his aides last month to confidently and resolutely deal with what he called “unreasonable” US protectionist measures. The instruction came days after the US Department of Commerce released a report recommending President Donald Trump impose stiff tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

Failure of past deals hangs over NK talks

Just two months after North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un succeeded his father Kim Jong-il in late February 2012, a glimmer of hope emerged in Washington that the young leader would end the nuclear standoff. In what was dubbed the “leap day” deal, the North agreed on Feb. 29 that year to suspend nuclear tests, long-range missile launches and uranium enrichment. It also allowed international inspectors to monitor activities at its main nuclear complex.“Today’s announcement represents a modest first step in the right direction,” then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said when she briefed lawmakers on the agreement. “It is our hope that the new leadership will choose to guide their nation onto the path of peace by living up to its obligations.”

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

Migrant wives suffer from sexual violence

The recent #MeToo movement resonates with many women in Korea, giving them a sense of social justice. But it doesn't fully do so with immigrant wives in Korea who often fall victim to sexual assault at home.Tens of thousands of young Asian women have moved to Korea after marrying Korean men ― their population outnumbers female migrant workers.Many experience hardships in their marriages, often including sexual violence and mistreatment, but they choose to stay quiet because they have too much to lose by speaking up about their spouses' behavior. Their silence was also reflected at a press conference held in the National Assembly last Friday.Stories of their horrendous experiences were told but not by the victim themselves. Their stories were told by activists and interpreters helping them through the ordeals.

Migrant wives suffer from sexual violence

The recent #MeToo movement resonates with many women in Korea, giving them a sense of social justice. But it doesn't fully do so with immigrant wives in Korea who often fall victim to sexual assault at home.Tens of thousands of young Asian women have moved to Korea after marrying Korean men ― their population outnumbers female migrant workers.Many experience hardships in their marriages, often including sexual violence and mistreatment, but they choose to stay quiet because they have too much to lose by speaking up about their spouses' behavior. Their silence was also reflected at a press conference held in the National Assembly last Friday.Stories of their horrendous experiences were told but not by the victim themselves. Their stories were told by activists and interpreters helping them through the ordeals.

Tillerson sacking signals tougher North Korea policy

The U.S.'s North Korea policy may get tougher following President Donald Trump's sacking of dovish Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and replacing him with the hawkish CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Some experts forecast confusion in the U.S.'s foreign and security policies during the transition period ahead of possible historic Washington-Pyongyang talks, while others predict no major changes as Pompeo has been working to create the current conciliatory mood along with his South Korean counterparts. Trump made the surprise announcement of Tillerson's ouster via Twitter, Tuesday. Tillerson has been one of the representative dovish figures in the administration, and has often clashed with Trump over North Korea issues. When he sought dialogue with Pyongyang, Trump said he was "wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man" (North Korean leader Kim Jong-un).

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

Ex-President Lee Grilled Overnight

Ex-President Lee Myung-bak was interrogated on corruption charges at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office until Thursday morning. He then returned to his home in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul around 6:30 a.m., after more than 21 hours of questioning. Neither supporters nor opponents showed up when Lee left home, seen off only by a handful of aides, or arrived at the prosecutors' office. Lee is suspected of having taken bribes worth W11 billion, including W6 billion that he forced Samsung to pay in U.S. legal fees for DAS, an auto parts company nominally owned by his brother, in 2009 (US$1=W1,065). The bribes also include W1.75 billion he allegedly pocketed from the National Intelligence Service's secret funds while in office.Prosecutors suspected that as the real owner of DAS, Lee amassed slush funds worth W30 billion.

Japan Also Eyes Summit with Kim Jong-un

Tokyo is also considering a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Japanese media reported Wednesday. Japanese officials apparently worry that Tokyo could be left out of the negotiation process as both the Korean and U.S. presidents gear up for meetings with Kim. Tokyo will explore the possibility of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meeting Kim "as it considers adopting a new way of dealing with the North," Kyodo News said quoting Japanese government sources. "If we're to resolve the abduction issue, direct dialogue with the top -- Mr. Kim Jong-un -- is essential," a Japanese government source told Kyodo. He was referring to North Korea's bizarre campaign in the 1970s and 80s to abduct Japanese citizens and use them to train spies. Tokyo believes that several of them are still alive in North Korea. Japan is happy to discuss the North's nuclear and missile programs through Washington but wants to discuss the abduction issue directly with Pyongyang.

Too Many Hospital Beds But Too Few Doctors

Korea tops OECD member states in terms of hospital beds and medical equipment but ranks at the bottom in terms of the number of medical workers. The number of medical institutions across the country increased 1.6 percent a year on average over the past five years to 89,919 in 2016, according to a survey published by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Tuesday. The number of hospital beds grew to 671,868, or 13 per 1,000 population, which is 2.8 times as many as the OECD average of 4.7. There were 1.4 to two times as many MRI and PET scanners in Korea as the OECD average. The number of nursing home beds rose 13.5 percent on average annually to 4.9 per 1,000 population as the population ages rapidly -- a whopping seven times the OECD average and sparking an oversupply.

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

Trump moves to replace Tillerson in State Department shake up

With a North Korea-US summit scheduled for May, the US’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, has been sacked, with CIA Director Mike Pompeo nominated to replace him. The reshuffle is presumably aimed at getting results leading up to the summit.“Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service!” US President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter on the morning of Mar. 13.Trump’s replacement of his Secretary of State even as he is expressing his strong commitment to a summit with North Korea is likely a strategic move made with the summit in mind. While Pompeo is regarded as a hardliner on North Korea, he has also reportedly been in communication with the South Korean government and played an important role behind the scenes in making the North Korea-US summit a reality.

President Moon plans to submit amendment on presidential term limits to National Assembly

On Mar. 13, South Korean President Moon Jae-in was briefed on a draft constitutional amendment proposed by a special advisory committee on constitutional reform, chaired by Jung Hae-gu, that would give presidents up to two consecutive four-year terms, expand individual rights and increase the decentralization of power. After the briefing, Moon said he was planning to submit the draft to the National Assembly himself by Mar. 21 if the ruling and opposition parties prove unable to come up with their own consensus amendment.Moon has also initiated the official process for simultaneously holding a national referendum on the constitutional amendment bill during the local elections on June 13. Since the National Assembly is required to take action if the president submits a constitutional amendment bill, the debate about revising the constitution at the same time as the local elections, an idea that has been fiercely opposed by the Liberty Korea Party, appears to be entering a new phase.

Volkswagen tries to regain footing in South Korean market following emissions scandal

Volkswagen is attempting to make new inroads on the South Korea market after its emissions tampering scandal with expanded sales and technology testing for self-driving cars. But South Korean consumers remain unhappy over the automaker’s failure to provide a suitable apology or compensation.Volkswagen, which launched its new Passat GT midsize sedan last month, plans to come out as early as next month with the Tiguan, a new SUV model, and the Atheon, a midsize four-door coupe. Volkswagen Group affiliate Audi first resumed sales in Nov. 2017 with its R8 Coupe sports car.Audi has begun technology testing after receiving a temporary self-driving license for the A8 model from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Mar. 6. Audi Volkswagen Korea said it was the “first imported car to receive a temporary self-driving license.”

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

Lee apologizes for being grilled by state

Former President Lee Myung-bak was questioned by prosecutors on Wednesday about alleged corruption and abuse of power he committed during his presidency, becoming the fifth former president of the country to face a criminal investigation. Lee, 76, arrived at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office around 9:23 a.m., complying with a subpoena to appear for questioning as a suspect in a criminal investigation. Before entering the building, Lee briefly addressed the press, reading a prepared statement. “I came here with a devastated heart,” Lee said. “I offer my sincere apology to the people of our country for troubling them amid economic hardship and a serious security crisis on the peninsula.”

Dovish Tillerson loses job to hard-line Pompeo

Rex Tillerson, one of the most consistent advocates of diplomacy with North Korea, was fired Tuesday as U.S. secretary of state just days before South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha flies to Washington to discuss the upcoming summits with Pyongyang. Tillerson was abruptly sacked by President Donald Trump Tuesday via Twitter as he returned from an Africa trip and replaced by the more hawkish Mike Pompeo, who was director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The switch comes at an especially sensitive time as Trump announced last week that he accepted an invitation to an historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un by May - a period in which seamless cooperation between the president and his top diplomat is vital.

Korea-U.S. FTA talks to focus on cars, steel tariffs

The third meeting to discuss changes to Korea’s bilateral free trade agreement with the United States will be held in Washington on Thursday. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Wednesday, Korea’s trade policy bureau director general, Yoo Myung-hee, will meet her U.S. counterpart, Assistant Trade Representative Michael Beeman. The meeting comes at a time when Korea has been pressing the White House to exempt it from higher steel tariffs that President Donald Trump announced last week. As of Wednesday only three countries have been exempted: Canada, Mexico and Australia. Considering that the 25 percent tariffs go into effect on March 23, Seoul has slightly more than a week to persuade the White House.

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

NK, US and China All Trying to Take Credit for Recent Progress

One of the most striking aspects of the recent transition toward dialogue in the political situation on the Korean Peninsula is that countries related to the North Korean nuclear issue all emphasize how their positive roles led the change. Despite that they are political rhetoric encouraged by their domestic situations, it is a positive phenomenon providing justification in terms of domestic politics and may be able to provide the drive to maintain this mood for dialogue. The United States is by far the most vocal in claiming that it led the talks. Day after day, President Donald Trump claims to have drawn North Korea to the table with "maximum pressure" including strong economic sanctions and warnings of military action.

Half of the Single-Person Households with Ages in Their 40s and 50s Have Monthly Incomes Exceeding 3 Million Won: They Spend More on Transportation and Medical Fees than on Dining and Shopping

A survey showed that people in their forties and fifties who live alone have a high income, but spend less compared to other age groups.They spent less on dining and shopping, and relatively spent more money on transportation and health care.On March 13, Shinhan Card released an analysis of "The Consumption Characteristics of Middle-Aged (40s-50s) Single-Person Households" based on the "2017 Big Data Flagship Project" co-organized with the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Information Society Agency. According to this survey, 42.5% of the one-person households with ages in their forties and fifties had a monthly income exceeding three million won last year.

Supreme Court Vowed to Eradicate Privileges for Former Justices of the Supreme Court, But Special Treatment Increased

Last year, among the trials judged by the Supreme Court, the number of cases handled by lawyers who were formerly justices of the Supreme Court, reached 440, a 67% increase from the previous year. The Kyunghyang Shinmun conducted a survey of all the cases involving lawyers who once served as justices of the Supreme Court and discovered that there were 177 more such cases than in the survey conducted by the Korean Bar Association in 2016 (263). When a major corruption case in the judiciary, the "Jeong Un-ho scandal" surfaced in 2016, the Supreme Court had announced that it would end the practice of providing privileges to former justices and released a number of measures. However, the number of Supreme Court cases taken by former Supreme Court justices has increased rather than decrease. Although the Supreme Court said it would exclude justices who had worked even just one day with a lawyer who was previously a Supreme Court justice from the trial, the court failed to adhere to this principle. Of the Supreme Court cases handled by Shin Yeong-cheol, a former Supreme Court judge, last year, five were assigned to Supreme Court justices whose working hours at the Supreme Court overlapped with Shin. A while ago, former Supreme Court justice Cha Han-seong stepped down after he came under fire from the public when he was hired as Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong's legal representative in his bribery case in the Supreme Court. Action to eradicate privileges to former justices turned out to be simply an empty promise.

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

Prosecutors quizz ex-president Lee Myung-bak for alleged corruption

South Korea's conservative ex-president Lee Myung-bak was thrown into a grueling interrogation by state prosecutors Wednesday following a three-month probe into alleged wrongdoing and corruption under his tenure.The questioning of Lee, who served as president from 2008 to 2013, came a year after his successor, Park Geun-hye, was arrested after being impeached and ousted for playing a key role in a corruption scandal involving her crony.In a final hearing last month, prosecutors demanded a 30-year jail term for Park on charges of abusing her power and conspiring with her jailed crony to extort money from top conglomerates in return for business favors.Lee, 76, apologized for causing public worries in a televised statement before walking into the office of prosecutors in Seoul. He became the fourth former national leader to be questioned by prosecutors.

Ex-president Lee Myung-bak returns home after 21-hour questioning

Prosecutors sent home South Korea's conservative ex-president Lee Myung-bak Thursday after questioning him for about 21 hours for a probe into alleged corruption and other illegal activities.Lee shrugged off questions from reporters as he left the office of prosecutors at 6:25 am (2125 GMT) Thursday morning. The interrogation was finished near midnight but it took more than six hours for Lee to review a report written by prosecutors.Lee, 76, was called in for questioning by prosecutors Wednesday on multiple charges including bribery, embezzlement, tax evasion, breach of trust and abuse of power.The ex-president has denied any wrongdoing, describing the probe as political retaliation for the death of his predecessor, Roh Moo-hyun, who threw himself off a mountain cliff in 2009 following a humiliating probe into alleged corruption involving his family.

SK Telecom's AI service collects 3 million active users

An artificial intelligence platform launched by SK Telecom, South Korea's largest mobile carrier, has collected three million active users involved in hundreds of millions of conversations every month to lead South Korea's AI voice assistant market. NUGU, released two years ago, provides basic features of an AI voice assistant, similar to any other assistants like Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri, but NUGU's AI using bid data is capable of improving its service.The telecom giant said Wednesday in a statement that the number of NUGU's monthly active users (MAUs) has surpassed three million. "We now have an overwhelming competitive edge against rivals," it said, adding the company has acquired a firm footstone for the development of a Korean-language AI ecosystem.In the IT industry, a service requires more than one million MAUs for its successful launch and three million means the service has obtained a sustainable growth engine.

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

Samsung Elec moves up flash memory expansion in Xian

Samsung Electronics Co. has moved up the schedule to expand the capacity for NAND flash memory production in its complex in Xian, China, to ensure its leading position in the ever-growing market for chips powering mobile, IoT devices, and big data solutions. The South Korean tech giant is set to begin the construction of the second fab at the Xian plant later this month, according to semiconductor industry sources on Tuesday. The world’s largest chipmaker would be proceeding with three multi-billion-dollar upscaling projects this year. Last month, it broke ground on a new extreme ultraviolet line in Hwaseong, Korea. It plans to add a second fab at its Pyeongtaek plant by the end of the year. The next-generation chip facilities are expected to begin operations in 2020, according to the company.

Doosan Infracore reaches 10.5% market share in China in February

South Korea’s leading construction equipment maker Doosan Infracore Co. sold a total 1,018 excavators in China last month, garnering its highest market share in the world’s second-largest economy in six years. The company said on Wednesday that it sold 1,018 excavators in China in February, accounting for 10.5 percent. This was the third largest market share following China’s Sany Heavy Industry Co. and U.S.’s Caterpillar Inc. Doosan Infracore’s market share - which is its highest since February, 2012 - is up 1.9 percentage points from the same period a year ago and up 3.2 percentage points from a month ago.

It’s Hanbul seeks business growth in Japan via local partnership

South Korean cosmetics manufacturer It’s Hanbul Co. is seeking to boost exposure of its beauty and skin-care products in Japan by forging partnership with a local retailer. It’s Hanbul said on Wednesday that it has opened a pop-up store of its brand shop It’s Skin inside two niko and… stores each in Tokyo and Funabashi in Japan and plans to open eight more this year. niko and… is a popular beauty multi-shop operator in Japan run by Adastria Co., a fashion and retail company whose annual sales is about 2 trillion won ($1.89 billion). Adastria, which manages 17 lifestyle and apparel brands including niko and…, has been seeking to expand its global business in Asia.

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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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